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.
Claims27
An oral care implement comprising:
- a handle;
- a head attached to the handle, the head having a first face and an opposite second face;
- a proximal fixed pod and a distal fixed pod each extending from the first face, the proximal pod and the distal pod comprising a plurality of cleaning elements;
- a moveable central pod disposed between the proximal pod and the distal pod, the central pod supported above the first face by a suspension member coupled to the proximal pod and distal pod the central pod comprising a plurality of cleaning elements;
- and
- a protruding member extending from the first face toward the central pod.
An oral care implement comprising:
- a handle;
- a head attached to the handle, the head having a first face;
- a proximal fixed pod and a distal fixed pod, said fixed pods extending from said first face said fixed pods further comprising a plurality of cleaning elements;
- at least one central pod disposed between said fixed pods and supported above said first face by said fixed pods and by at least one resilient suspension member said at least one central pod further comprising a plurality of cleaning elements;
- and
- a protrusion extending from the first face toward the central pod,
- wherein at least a portion of said at least one central pod is movable in a direction toward said first face and upon contacting the protrusion is moveable in a restrictive pivoting motion.
An oral care implement comprising:
- a handle;
- a head attached to the handle, the head having a first face;
- a proximal fixed pod and a distal fixed pod, each said fixed pod extending from said first face, said fixed pods further comprising a plurality of cleaning elements;
- at least one central pod disposed between said fixed pods and supported above said first face by said fixed pods and by at least one suspension member, said at least one central pod further comprising a plurality of cleaning elements, said suspension member comprising a elastomeric hinge, said hinge permitting resilient movement of the at least one central pod relative to its suspension connection to the proximal fixed pod and the distal fixed pod;
- 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 toward said first face and upon contacting the protruding element is moveable in a restrictive pivoting motion.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.