# US 12,108,870 B2 · Oral care refill head and oral care kit including the same > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,108,870 B2 - Document ID: US12108870B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 17/302,600 - Filed: 2021-05-07 - Published: 2021-08-19 - Granted: 2024-10-08 - Earliest claimed: 2017-12-12 - Assignees: Colgate-Palmolive Company - Applicants: Colgate-Palmolive Company - Inventors: Brian Bloch; Takahide Okai; John Gatzemeyer - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12108870B2 ## CPC - A46B 5/0095: {Removable or interchangeable brush heads} - A46B 9/04: {Arranged like in or} for toothbrushes - A61C 17/005: {Devices for dental prophylaxis} - A61C 17/16: Power-driven cleaning or polishing devices - A61C 17/3481: {Vibrating brush body, e.g. by using eccentric weights} - A61C 17/222: {Brush body details, e.g. the shape thereof or connection to handle} - A61C 2202/00: Packaging for dental appliances - A46B: BRUSHES (handles not integral with brushware B25G) - A61C: DENTISTRY; APPARATUS OR METHODS FOR ORAL OR DENTAL HYGIENE (non-driven toothbrushes A46B; {tongue scrapers A61B17/24;} preparations for dentistry A61K6/00; preparations for cleaning the teeth or mouth A61K8/00, A61Q11/00) ## Abstract An oral care refill head and an oral care kit comprising the same. The oral care refill head may include a sleeve portion, a head portion, and an elastomeric prophy cup. The sleeve portion may have an inner surface that defines an internal cavity for receiving a portion of a stem of an oral care implement handle therein so that the oral care refill head can be repetitively attached to and detached from the oral care implement handle. The elastomeric prophy cup may comprise an outer surface that forms at least a portion of a peripheral side surface of the head portion. The elastomeric prophy cup may be formed by injection molding an elastomeric material onto a support portion of the head portion. The oral care refill head may be packaged together with a store of an anti-sensitivity oral care material to form a kit. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An oral care kit comprising: an oral care refill head comprising: a sleeve portion configured to be detachably coupled to an oral care implement handle; a head portion at a distal end of the sleeve portion; and an elastomeric prophy cup on the head portion, the elastomeric prophy cup comprising an elastomeric cup portion, the elastomeric cup portion comprising an upstanding wall having an inner surface defining a prophy cavity, an upper edge, and a plurality of ribs extending radially inward from the inner surface of the upstanding wall, each of the plurality of ribs terminating in an upper edge that is axially offset and parallel to the upper edge of the upstanding wall; a store of an anti-sensitivity oral care material; and a package containing the oral care refill head and the store of the anti-sensitivity oral care material; wherein the head portion comprises a support portion formed of a hard plastic and an elastomeric pad that forms at least a portion of a rear surface of the head portion, the support portion comprising a through hole, the elastomeric pad integrally connected to the elastomeric prophy cup by an elastomeric post extending through the through hole, the elastomeric cup portion, the elastomeric pad, and the elastomeric post are formed from a single unitary mass of elastomeric material. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The oral care kit according to claim 1 wherein the sleeve portion of the oral care refill head extends from a proximal end to a distal end, the sleeve portion comprising an inner surface that defines an internal cavity that extends along a sleeve axis from an open bottom end at the proximal end of the sleeve portion to a closed top end, the internal cavity configured to receive an attachment portion of a stem of an oral care implement handle. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The oral care kit according to claim 1 wherein the elastomeric cup portion extends along a prophy cup axis, the sleeve portion extends along a sleeve axis, and the prophy cup axis forms an obtuse angle with the sleeve axis. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The oral care kit according to claim 1 wherein the head portion is free of bristles and the elastomeric prophy cup comprises an outer surface that forms a first portion of a peripheral side surface of the head portion that circumscribes the head portion. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The oral care kit according to claim 1 wherein the oral care implement handle comprises a vibration generating device, and wherein the package also contains the oral care implement handle. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The oral care kit according to claim 1 wherein the elastomeric cup portion extends along a prophy cup axis, and the upstanding wall of the elastomeric cup portion comprises an outer surface that is a constant radial distance from the prophy cup axis. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The oral care kit according to claim 1 wherein the plurality of ribs comprises at least five ribs. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The oral care kit according to claim 1 wherein the upstanding wall of the elastomeric cup portion extends parallel to a prophy cup axis and is a continuous, cylindrical wall that circumscribes the prophy cup axis. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The oral care kit according to claim 1 wherein each of the plurality of ribs extends from the inner surface of the upstanding wall to a distal edge that is perpendicular to the upper edge of the upstanding wall. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The oral care kit according to claim 1 wherein the head portion comprises a front surface, the upstanding wall having a first height measured from the front surface of the head to the upper edge of the upstanding wall, and each of the plurality of ribs having a second height measured from the front surface of the head to the upper edge of the rib, and first height being greater than the second height. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The oral care kit according to claim 1 wherein the upper edge of the upstanding wall lies in first reference plane, each of the upper edges of each of the plurality of ribs lies in a second reference plane, and the first reference plane is parallel with the second reference plane. ### Claim 12 An oral care kit comprising: a handle comprising a vibration generating device; an oral care refill head comprising: a sleeve portion configured to be detachably coupled to the oral care implement handle; and a head portion comprising a support portion and an elastomeric prophy cup, the elastomeric prophy cup extending from the support portion; a store of an oral care material; and a package containing the handle, the oral care refill head, and the store of the oral care material; wherein the elastomeric prophy cup is fixed to the support portion such that the elastomeric prophy cup does not rotate, pivot, or oscillate relative to the support portion; and wherein the head portion further comprises an elastomeric pad that forms at least a portion of a rear surface of the head portion, the support portion comprising a through hole, the elastomeric pad integrally connected to the elastomeric prophy cup by an elastomeric post extending through the through hole. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The oral care kit according to claim 12 wherein the store of the oral care material is selected from the group consisting of an anti-sensitivity oral care material and a tooth whitening oral care material. ### Claim 14 (depends on 12) The oral care kit according to claim 12 wherein the sleeve portion extends from a proximal end to a distal end along a sleeve axis and comprises a main body formed of a rigid material and an elastomeric component, the elastomeric component comprising a first portion located adjacent to the proximal end of the sleeve portion and a second portion extending from the first portion to the head portion of the refill head. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The oral care kit according to claim 14 wherein the first portion of the elastomeric component is an annular portion that circumferentially surrounds a lower portion of the sleeve portion, and the second portion of the elastomeric component is elongated along the sleeve axis from the first portion of the elastomeric component to the head portion. ### Claim 16 (depends on 12) The oral care kit according to claim 12 wherein the support portion has an outer surface, and the elastomeric prophy cup comprises an elastomeric base portion having an outer surface, the elastomeric base portion being adjacent to the support portion and the outer surface of the elastomeric base portion being flush with the outer surface of the support portion. ### Claim 17 (depends on 12) The oral care kit according to claim 12 wherein the elastomeric prophy cup comprises an elastomeric cup portion, the elastomeric cup portion comprising an upstanding wall having an inner surface defining a prophy cavity, an upper edge, and a plurality of ribs extending radially inward from the inner surface of the upstanding wall, each of the plurality of ribs terminating in an upper edge that is axially offset and parallel to the upper edge of the upstanding wall. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The oral care kit according to claim 17 wherein each of the plurality of ribs extends from the inner surface of the upstanding wall to a distal edge that is perpendicular to the upper edge of the upstanding wall.