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US 8,523,888 B2Granted
Oral care implement
AssigneeColgate-Palmolive Company
InventorsJohn J. Gatzemeyer, Douglas J. Hohlbein
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An oral care implement with a soft tissue cleanser is provided to effectively cleanse the soft tissue of the mouth with comfort and a reduced risk of injury to the user. In one construction, a projection is formed of a combination of a hard material and a soft material. The rigid material provides stability for cleaning debris from the tongue or other tissue while the soft material provides comfort and a reduced risk of injury.
Claims21
An oral care implement comprising a head having:
- a first surface and a second surface opposite the first surface,
- a plurality of bristles extending from the second surface of the head to clean teeth,
- at least one compound projection protruding outward from the first surface of the head to cleanse soft tissue within a mouth of a user, the compound projection being formed of multiple components including:
- a base composed of a first material having a first hardness value,
- a first layer composed of a second material having a second hardness value, the first layer overlying a portion of the base, and
- a second layer overlying at least a portion of the first layer, the second layer composed of the second material and having a tissue cleaning projection protruding therefrom,
- wherein the first and second hardness values are different, and
- wherein the tissue cleaning projection is formed of the second material and integral with the second layer.
5 more elements
An oral care implement comprising:
- a head and at least one compound projection protruding outward from a first surface of the head to cleanse soft tissue within a mouth of a user, the compound projection having side surfaces that extend outward from the first surface of the head, the compound projection being formed of multiple components including:
- a base composed of a first material having a first hardness value,
- a first layer composed of a second material having a second hardness value, the first layer overlying a portion of the base, and
- a second layer overlying at least a portion of the first layer, the second layer composed of the second material and having at least one tissue cleaning projection protruding therefrom,
- wherein the at least one tissue cleaning projection is formed of the second material and integral with the second layer,
- wherein the first and second hardness values are different;
- and
- teeth cleaning elements extending from a second surface of the head that is opposite the first surface of the head.
5 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.