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US 9,282,987 B2Granted
Oral care implement
AssigneeColgate-Palmolive Company
InventorEduardo J. Jimenez
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An oral care implement for cleaning soft oral tissue. In one aspect, the invention can be an oral care implement comprising: a handle extending along a longitudinal axis; first and second prong members extending from a distal end of the handle; a pad for engaging soft tissue, the pad having a first major surface and a second major surface, the pad positioned between and coupled to the first and second prong members.
Claims16
An oral care implement comprising:
- a handle extending along a longitudinal axis;
- first and second prong members extending from a distal end of the handle;
- a pad for engaging soft tissue, the pad having a first major surface and a second major surface, the pad positioned between and coupled to the first and second prong members;
- and
- a plurality of protuberances protruding from the first major surface of the pad;
- wherein the pad is coupled to the first and second prong members at an axial location, and wherein the first and second prong members are adjustable between (1) a normal state having a first distance between the first and second prong members at the axial location;
- and (2) a flexed state having a second distance between the first and second prong members at the axial location, wherein the second distance is less than the first distance;
- wherein in the flexed state the pad is bowed by the first and second prong members;
- and
- wherein the pad is rotatably coupled to the first and second prong members for 360° rotation about a rotational axis.
7 more elements
An oral care implement comprising:
- a handle extending along a longitudinal axis;
- first and second prong members extending from a distal end of the handle;
- and
- a pad for engaging soft tissue, the pad having a first major surface and a second major surface, the pad positioned between and coupled to the first and second prong members at an axial location;
- wherein the first and second prong members are adjustable between (1) a normal state having a first distance between the first and second prong members at the axial location;
- and (2) a flexed state having a second distance between the first and second prong members at the axial location, wherein the second distance is less than the first distance;
- and
- wherein the pad is substantially flat in the normal state and bowed in the flexed state;
- and
- wherein the pad is rotatably coupled to the first and second prong members for 360° rotation about a rotational axis.
7 more elements
An oral care implement comprising:
- a handle extending along a longitudinal axis;
- first and second prong members extending from a distal end of the handle;
- and
- a pad for engaging soft tissue, the pad having a first major surface and a second major surface, a plurality of protuberances protruding from the first major surface of the pad, the pad positioned between and coupled to the first and second prong members;
- wherein the pad comprises a base formed of a hard plastic material and a layer formed of a resilient material overlying at least a portion of the base, the hard plastic material having a hardness that is greater than a hardness of the resilient material;
- wherein the pad is coupled to the first and second prong members at an axial location, and wherein the first and second prong members are adjustable between (1) a normal state having a first distance between the first and second prong members at the axial location;
- and (2) a flexed state having a second distance between the first and second prong members at the axial location, wherein the second distance is less than the first distance;
- wherein the first major surface of the pad is formed of the resilient material and the second major surface of the pad is formed of the hard plastic material;
- and
- wherein the pad is rotatably coupled to the first and second prong members for 360° rotation about a rotational axis.
7 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.