Method for manufacturing an oral care implement
AssigneeThe Gillette Company
InventorsUwe Jungnickel, Jens Alinski
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A method for manufacturing an oral care implement comprising a handle, a connector, and a head repeatedly attachable to and detachable from the handle via the connector. The method includes the steps of injection molding of at least a part of the handle having a distal end and a proximal end opposite thereto and comprising a hollow portion; injection molding of at least a part of the connector having an outer lateral surface and a recess therein, the recess forming a cavity within the connector; injection molding of at least a part of the head; inserting the connector into the hollow portion of the handle and fixing the connector therein by gluing, welding, and/or press-fitting.
Claims15
A method for manufacturing an oral care implement (10) having a longitudinal axis and comprising a handle (12), a connector (14), and a head (16), the head (16) being repeatedly attachable to and detachable from the handle (12) via the connector (14), the method comprising the steps of:
- injection molding of at least a part of the handle (12) having a distal end (54) and a proximal end (56) opposite the distal end (54), the proximal end (56) comprising a hollow portion (58);
- injection molding of at least a part of the connector (14) having an outer lateral surface (80) and a recess therein, the recess forming a cavity (82) within the connector (14),
- providing a spring-loaded ball-snap element (42) comprising a ball (44) and a spring (46) configured to apply a radial force onto the ball (44),
- inserting the spring-loaded ball-snap element (42) into the cavity (82) of the connector (14) and fixing the spring-loaded ball-snap element therein (14) so that the spring (46) applies a force onto the ball (44) in a direction towards the outer lateral surface (80) of the connector (14),
- injection molding of at least a part of the head (16),
- inserting the connector (14) into the hollow portion (58) of the handle (12) and fixing the connector (14) therein by at least one of gluing, welding, and press-fitting, whereby a portion of the connector having the spring-loaded ball-snap element therein outwardly extends from the proximal end of the handle along the longitudinal axis, and wherein the ball slightly extends beyond the connector's outer lateral surface surrounding the ball.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.