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US 12,727,661 B2Granted
Oral care implement
AssigneeColgate-Palmolive Company
InventorEduardo Jimenez
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An oral care implement including a head and a plurality of cleaning elements which may include a first annular cleaning component and a second annular cleaning component. The first annular cleaning component may have a first inner surface defining a first cavity and a first distal end that is sloped from a first low point to a first high point. The second annular cleaning component may a second inner surface defining a second cavity and a second distal end that is sloped from a second low point to a second high point. The first annular cleaning component may located within the second cavity of the second annular cleaning component. The first and second distal ends may be sloped in opposite directions.
Claims20
An oral care implement comprising:
- a head having a front surface and extending from a proximal end to a distal end along a longitudinal axis;
- a plurality of cleaning elements extending from the front surface of the head, the plurality of cleaning elements comprising:
- a first annular cleaning component disposed in a single first tuft hole and forming a continuous bristle wall that is free of gaps so that no direct line of sight exists from an outer surface of the first annular cleaning component to an inner surface of the first annular cleaning component, the first annular cleaning component comprising the inner surface defining a first cavity and a first distal end that, in a side-profile plane that is perpendicular to the front surface of the head and contains the longitudinal axis, in its entirety is sloped from a first low point to a first high point, to form a first plane, the first low point being a portion of the first distal end located closest to the proximal end of the head and the first high point being a portion of the first distal end located closest to the distal end of the head;
- and
- a second annular cleaning component comprising a plurality of bristle tufts disposed in respective second tuft holes that collectively surround the first tuft hole, the second annular cleaning component comprising a second inner surface defining a second cavity and a second distal end that, in the side-profile plane, in its entirety is sloped from a second low point to a second high point, to form a second plane, the second low point being a portion of the second distal end located closest to the distal end of the head and the second high point being a portion of the second distal end located closest to the proximal end of the head;
- and
- wherein the first annular cleaning component is located within the second cavity of the second annular cleaning component, and wherein the first plane and the second plane are intersecting and sloped in opposite directions;
- and
- wherein the first low point is adjacent to the second high point while the first high point is adjacent to the second low point in the side-profile plane.
6 more elements
An oral care implement comprising:
- a head having a front surface and extending from a proximal end to a distal end along a longitudinal axis;
- a plurality of cleaning elements extending from the front surface of the head, the plurality of cleaning elements comprising:
- a first annular cleaning component disposed in a single first tuft hole and forming a continuous bristle wall that is free of gaps so that no direct line of sight exists from an outer surface of the first annular cleaning component to an inner surface of the first annular cleaning component, the first annular cleaning component comprising the inner surface defining a first cavity and a first distal end that, in a side-profile plane that is perpendicular to the front surface of the head and contains the longitudinal axis, in its entirety is sloped from a first low point to a first high point, to form a first plane, the first low point being a portion of the first distal end located closest to the distal end of the head and the first high point being a portion of the first distal end located closest to the proximal end of the head;
- and
- a second annular cleaning component comprising a plurality of bristle tufts disposed in respective second tuft holes that collectively surround the first tuft hole, the second annular cleaning component comprising a second inner surface defining a second cavity and a second distal end that, in the side-profile plane, in its entirety is sloped from a second low point to a second high point, to form a second plane, the second low point being a portion of the second distal end located closest to the proximal end of the head and the second high point being a portion of the second distal end located closest to the distal end of the head;
- and
- wherein the first annular cleaning component is located within the second cavity of the second annular cleaning component, and wherein the first plane and the second plane are intersecting and sloped in opposite directions;
- and
- wherein the first low point is adjacent to the second high point while the first high point is adjacent to the second low point in the side-profile plane.
6 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.