Plurality of mass-produced multi-component plastic housings

A plurality of mass-produced identical multi-component housings for toothbrush handles, each of the housings having a top end, a bottom end opposite to the top end, and a longitudinal axis therebetween, the housing having a length L of from about 120 mm to about 200 mm extending between the top and bottom ends and a maximal orthogonal dimension Dmax extending perpendicular to the longitudinal axis, wherein the length L of the housing is at least three times greater than the maximal orthogonal dimension Dmax extending perpendicular to the longitudinal axis, each of the housings comprising:

• at least a first component made of a first hard-plastic material and having a first end and a second end opposite thereto, a second component made of a second hard-plastic material, and a third component made of a soft-plastic material, the first component, the second component, and the third component being integrally joined together to form a generally tubular structure;
• wherein the housing includes at least one tolerance-elimination element made of the second plastic material and attached to one of the first and second ends of the first component along the longitudinal axis, wherein the tolerance-elimination element has a proximal end adjacent to the first component and a distal end opposite to the proximal end, wherein the tolerance-elimination element has an average length H of from about 3 mm to about 20 mm extending parallel to the longitudinal axis between the proximal end and the distal end of the tolerance-elimination element, wherein the tolerance-elimination element is at least partially overmolded by the soft-plastic material, and wherein the average length H varies among at least some of the tolerance-elimination elements by a lengthwise dimension that is at least ten times greater than the lengthwise maximal dimension variations of the length L among the individual multi-component housings.

A power toothbrush comprising a handle and a removable attachment having cleaning elements thereon, wherein the handle comprises a multi-component housing structured and configured to receive therein an electric motor and drive components to power the removable attachment, the housing comprising:

• a top end, a bottom end opposite to the top end, and a longitudinal axis therebetween, the housing having a length L of from about 120 mm to about 200 mm extending between the top and bottom ends and a maximal orthogonal dimension Dmax extending perpendicular to the longitudinal axis, wherein the length L of the housing is at least three times greater than the maximal orthogonal dimension Dmax extending perpendicular to the longitudinal axis;
• at least a first component comprising at least one first hard-plastic material and having a first end and a second end opposite thereto, a second component made of at least one second hard-plastic material, and a third component made of at least one soft-plastic material, the first component, the second component, and the third component being integrally joined together to form a generally tubular structure;
• wherein the housing includes at least one tolerance-elimination element made of the second plastic material and attached to one of the first and second ends of the first component along the longitudinal axis, wherein the tolerance-elimination element has a proximal end adjacent to the first component and a distal end opposite to the proximal end, wherein the tolerance-elimination element has an average length H of from about 3 mm to about 20 mm extending parallel to the longitudinal axis between the proximal end and the distal end of the tolerance-elimination element, wherein the tolerance-elimination element is at least partially overmolded by the soft-plastic material, and wherein the tolerance-elimination element is structured to cause the housing to have a lengthwise tolerance of less than 0.05% relative to the length L of the housing.