Oral Care Implement Having Collapsible Elastomeric Element
AssigneeColgate-Palmolive Company
InventorEduardo Jimenez
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An oral care implement having a collapsible elastomeric element. The oral care implement may include a body having a handle portion and a head portion. Furthermore, an elastomeric element may extend from the body. The elastomeric element may comprise a hollow body that has an internal cavity, the hollow body having a base section, a middle section, and a distal section that includes a free distal tip, each of the base, middle, and distal sections coupled together by a pre-weakened section. The elastomeric element may be configured to alternate between a collapsed state and a normal state.
Claims28
An oral care implement comprising:
- a body;
- an elastomeric element extending from the body and terminating in a free distal tip, the elastomeric element comprising a hollow body defining an internal cavity, the hollow body extending along a central axis;
- the hollow body comprising a base section coupled to the body, a distal section comprising the free distal tip, and at least one middle section located between the base and distal sections;
- and
- each of the base, middle, and distal sections coupled to one another by a pre-weakened section, the elastomeric element configured to alternate between:
- (1) a collapsed state in which the middle section collapses into the internal cavity so as to be at least partially surrounded by the base section and the distal section collapses into the internal cavity so as to be at least partially surrounded by the middle section upon the application of an axial force to the free distal tip in a first axial direction toward the body;
- and (2) a normal state in which the middle section axially extends from the base section and the distal section axially extends from the middle section upon cessation of the axial force.
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An oral care implement comprising:
- a body comprising a handle portion and a head portion;
- an elastomeric element extending from the body and terminating in a free distal tip, the elastomeric element comprising a hollow body formed of a resilient material and defining an internal cavity, the hollow body extending along a central axis;
- the hollow body comprising a base section coupled to the body, a distal section comprising the free distal tip, and at least one middle section located between the base and distal sections;
- and
- each of the base, middle, and distal sections coupled to one another by a pre-weakened section, the elastomeric element configured to alternate, in response to application and cessation of an axial force, between:
- (1) a collapsed state in which the middle section collapses into the internal cavity so as to be at least partially surrounded by the base section and the distal section collapses into the internal cavity so as to be at least partially surrounded by the middle section;
- and (2) a normal state in which the base, middle, and distal sections collectively form a conical structure.
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An oral care implement comprising:
- a body;
- an elastomeric element extending from the body and terminating in a free distal tip, the elastomeric element comprising a hollow body formed of a resilient material and defining an internal cavity, the hollow body extending along a central axis;
- the hollow body comprising a base section coupled to the body, a distal section comprising the free distal tip, and at least one middle section located between the base and distal sections;
- and
- each of the base, middle, and distal sections coupled to one another by a pre-weakened section, the elastomeric element configured to alternate between:
- (1) a collapsed state in which the middle section collapses into the internal cavity so as to be at least partially surrounded by the base section and the distal section collapses into the internal cavity so as to be at least partially surrounded by the middle section;
- and (2) a normal state in which the base, middle, and distal sections collectively form a conical structure.
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Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.