Oral care implement
AssigneeColgate-Palmolive Company
InventorsRobert Moskovich, Kenneth Waguespack, Bruce M. Russell
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An oral care implement is provided having a handle and a head with tooth cleaning elements extending from fixed pods. Additional tooth cleaning elements extend from one or more central pods suspended between the fixed pods via a bridge. The bridge may be formed from an elastomer and permit the one or more central pods to move from an initial position toward the head during use. The central pods, the bridge and outer portions of the fixed pods may be formed as a unitary structure. When a single central pod is employed, a flexible section may be disposed in the middle of the central pod so that cleaning elements extending from either end of the central pod can move toward one another during use.
Claims14
An oral care implement comprising:
- a handle;
- a head attached to the handle and having a first face;
- a proximal fixed pod and a distal fixed pod extending from said first face, said pods further comprising a plurality of cleaning elements;
- at least one central pod disposed between and supported above said first face by said pair of fixed pods and by at least one suspension member, said at least one central pod further comprising a plurality of cleaning elements;
- and
- at least one protruding element extending from said first face in the direction of said at least one central pod and extending through said at least one central pod;
- wherein at least a portion of said at least one central pod is movable in a direction normal to said first face.
An oral care implement comprising:
- a handle;
- a head attached to the handle and having a first face;
- a proximal fixed pod and a distal fixed pod extending from said first face, said pods further comprising a plurality of cleaning elements;
- at least one central pod disposed between and supported above said first face by said pair of fixed pods and by at least one suspension member, said at least one central pod further comprising a plurality of cleaning elements;
- and
- at least one protruding element extending from said first face in the direction of said at least one central pod;
- wherein at least a portion of said at least one central pod is movable in a direction normal to said first face;
- wherein said pair of fixed pods, said at least one suspension member, said at least one protruding element and said at least one central pod further comprise a unitary structure;
- wherein said at least one central pod further comprises a plurality of pod segments separated by a hinge aligned along at least one of the longitudinal axis and lateral axis of the head, said at least one protruding element extending through said hinge.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.