INCLUDING THE SAME, AND RELATED METHOD

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0001] The present application claims priority to United States Provisional Patent Application Serial No. 63/114,107, filed November 16, 2020, the entirety of which is incorporated herein by reference.

BACKGROUND

[0002] Personal hygiene activities are notoriously difficult for people who suffer from loss of dexterity which may result from birth defects, arthritis, age, and other underlying health issues. For example, users with reduced dexterity may have difficulty holding and manipulating a toothbrush as it requires a tight grip on the handle of the toothbrush and rapid back-and-forth movements in order to adequately clean the teeth. Moreover, many toothbrushes are sold with a handle and a refill head that can be detached so that the refill head can be replaced while the user can continue using the same handle. This can save the user costs by only requiring the user to replace the refill head and not also the handle. However, persons with reduced dexterity may have difficulty separating the refill head from the handle. Thus, a need exists for an apparatus to assist a user in separating a refill head from a handle while also providing additional functions.

BRIEF SUMMARY

[0003] The present invention is directed to a stand for an oral care implement, an oral care system which includes an oral care implement and a stand, and a method of separating a refill head from a handle using a stand. The stand may include a support feature for supporting the oral care implement in an upright orientation and an engagement feature for engaging the refill head while a user detaches the handle from the refill head.

[0004] In one aspect, the invention may be a stand for an oral care implement having a handle component and a refill head component detachably coupled to the handle component, the stand comprising: a support feature configured to support the oral care implement in an upright orientation when the stand is positioned on a horizontal surface; and an engagement feature configured to engage the refill head component so that upon a user applying a force to the handle component, the refill head component detaches from the handle component. [0005] In another aspect, the invention may be an oral care system comprising an oral care implement and a stand as noted above.

[0006] In yet another embodiment, the invention may be a method of separating a refill head component from a handle component of an oral care implement, the method comprising: a) removing the oral care implement from a stand supporting the oral care implement in an upright position, the refill head component detachably coupled to the handle component; b) engaging the stand with the refill head component; and c) applying a pulling force to the handle component until the refill head component detaches from the handle component.

[0007] Further areas of applicability of the present invention will become apparent from the detailed description provided hereinafter. It should be understood that the detailed description and specific examples, while indicating the preferred embodiment of the invention, are intended for purposes of illustration only and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0008] The present invention will become more fully understood from the detailed description and the accompanying drawings, wherein:

[0009] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an oral care system that includes an oral care implement and a stand;

[0010] FIG. 2 is a bottom perspective view of the stand of FIG. 1;

[0011] FIG. 3 is a front view of the stand of FIG. 1;

[0012] FIG. 4 is a top plan view of the stand of FIG. 1;

[0013] FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the oral care system of FIG. 1 with the oral care implement being supported by the stand in an upright orientation;

[0014] FIG. 6 is a partial cross-sectional view taken along line VI- VI of FIG. 5

[0015] FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the oral care system of FIG. 1 illustrating the oral care implement being detached from the stand;

[0016] FIG. 8 is a perspective view of the oral care system of FIG. 1 illustrating a refill head component of the oral care implement positioned in a horizontal position and being engaged by an engagement feature of the stand;

[0017] FIG. 9 is a perspective view of the oral care system of FIG. 8 whereby a force is applied onto a handle component of the oral care implement to detach the refill head component from the handle component; and [0018] FIG. 10 is a perspective view of a stand in accordance with an alternative embodiment of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0019] The following description of the preferred embodiment(s) is merely exemplary in nature and is in no way intended to limit the invention, its application, or uses.

[0020] The description of illustrative embodiments according to principles of the present invention is intended to be read in connection with the accompanying drawings, which are to be considered part of the entire written description. In the description of embodiments of the invention disclosed herein, any reference to direction or orientation is merely intended for convenience of description and is not intended in any way to limit the scope of the present invention. Relative terms such as “lower,” “upper,” “horizontal,” “vertical,” “above,” “below,” “up,” “down,” “top” and “bottom” as well as derivatives thereof (e.g., “horizontally,” “downwardly,” “upwardly,” etc.) should be construed to refer to the orientation as then described or as shown in the drawing under discussion. These relative terms are for convenience of description only and do not require that the apparatus be constructed or operated in a particular orientation unless explicitly indicated as such. Terms such as “attached,” “affixed,” “connected,” “coupled,” “interconnected,” and similar refer to a relationship wherein structures are secured or attached to one another either directly or indirectly through intervening structures, as well as both movable or rigid attachments or relationships, unless expressly described otherwise. Moreover, the features and benefits of the invention are illustrated by reference to the exemplified embodiments. Accordingly, the invention expressly should not be limited to such exemplary embodiments illustrating some possible non-limiting combination of features that may exist alone or in other combinations of features; the scope of the invention being defined by the claims appended hereto.

[0021] Referring to FIG. 1, an oral care system 1000 is illustrated in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. The oral care system 1000 generally comprises an oral care implement 100 and a stand 200. As will be described herein, the stand 200 is configured to support the oral care implement 100 in an upright orientation when the oral care implement 100 is not being used and in a horizontal orientation for purposes which will become apparent from the description below. [0022] The oral care implement 100 generally comprises a handle component 110 and a refill head component 120. The refill head component 120 is detachable from the handle component 110 (see, for example, FIG. 9) so that the refill head component 120 can be replaced and the new replacement refill head component can be attached to the handle component 110 for use. The exact manner of attachment between the refill head component 120 and the handle component 110 is not to be limiting of the present invention in all embodiments, and this may include mechanical connection features, friction fit, snap fit, detents/recesses, interlocking engagement features, threaded engagement, locking tabs, locking members, or the like. The engagement features of the refill head component 120 and the handle component 110 can take on any structure or configuration so long as the refill head component 120 can be affixed to the handle component 110 and remain attached during a toothbrushing regimen while enabling the refill head component 120 to be detached from the handle component 110 when desired. It should be ensured that the refill head component 120 does not become detached from the handle component 110 during normal use of the oral care implement 100.

[0023] In the exemplified embodiment, the oral care implement 100 is a manual toothbrush. However, the invention is not to be so limited in all embodiments and the oral care implementlOO may be a powered toothbrush in other embodiments. In still other embodiments, the oral care implement 100 may be other hygienic tools for treating the oral cavity such as a tongue scraper, a gum and soft tissue cleanser, a water pick, an interdental device, a tooth polisher, a specially designed ansate implement having tooth engaging elements, or any other type of implement that is commonly used for oral care. In still other embodiments, the oral care implement 100 may be a personal care implement instead of an oral care implement. Examples of such personal care implements include hairbrushes, razors, body scrubbers, skin treatment devices, or the like. Thus, it is to be understood that the inventive concepts discussed herein can be applied to any type of oral care implement or personal care implement unless a specific type of implement is specified in the claims. The structural and functional details of the oral care implement 100 will be provided below in accordance with exemplary embodiments of the present invention.

[0024] The handle component 110 forms the part of the oral care implement 100 that is gripped by a user during a toothbrushing session. Thus, the handle component 110 may have various contours that are designed to enhance user comfort. The handle component 110 may be formed entirely from a rigid material such as wood, plastic, metal, or the like, or the handle component 110 may comprise a base formed from a rigid material and a grip formed from an elastomeric material such as a thermoplastic elastomer, a thermoplastic polyurethane, or other rubber-like elastic materials. The thickness, diameter, width, and contours of the handle component 110 may be modified from that which is shown in the drawings to enhance user comfort and different styles of oral care implements 100 may be used with the stand 200 as part of the system 1000 described herein.

[0025] In the exemplified embodiment, the refill head component 120 comprises a sleeve portion 121 which is designed to facilitate the coupling between the handle component 110 and the refill head component 120 and a head portion 122. Furthermore, in the exemplified embodiment the oral care implement 100 is a toothbrush. Thus, the refill head component 120 comprises a plurality of tooth cleaning elements 123 extending from the head portion 122. The plurality of tooth cleaning elements 123 may comprise bristle tufts, filament bristles, fiber bristles, nylon bristles, polybutylene terephthalate (PBT) bristles, spiral bristles, rubber bristles, elastomeric protrusions, flexible polymer protrusions, lamella, combinations thereof, and/or structures containing such materials or combinations. Any combination of these elements may be used to form one or more of the tooth cleaning elements 123 in some embodiments. Furthermore, where bristles are used for one or more of the tooth cleaning elements 123, such bristles can be tapered, end-rounded, spiral, or the like. The tooth cleaning elements 123 may be coupled to the head portion 122 using any known techniques such as staples, anchor-free tufting, in-mold tufting, PTT, injection molding, or the like. The plurality of tooth cleaning elements 123 are arranged in a tooth cleaning element field 124.

[0026] Referring to FIGS. 1-4 concurrently, the stand 200 will be further described. The stand 200 comprises a body 210 that comprises an upstanding wall 211 that extends from a bottom end 212 to a top end 213. In the exemplified embodiment, the upstanding wall 211 is an annular wall. Moreover, in the exemplified embodiment the upstanding wall 211 has a round or circular transverse cross-sectional shape, although this shape may be modified in other embodiments. Furthermore, the stand 200 comprises a support feature 201 that is configured to support the oral care implement 100 in an upright orientation when the stand 200 is positioned on a horizontal surface and an engagement feature 202 which is configured to engage the refill head component 120 to assist a user in detaching the refill head component 120 from the handle component 110. The support and engagement features 201, 202 will be described in greater detail below.

[0027] In the exemplified embodiment, the top end 213 of the upstanding wall 211 is planar. Moreover, the top end 213 of the upstanding wall 211 is aligned on a plane that is oriented horizontally. In other embodiments, the top end 213 of the upstanding wall 211 may be aligned on a plane which is oriented at an angle relative to the horizontal. In still other embodiments, the top end 213 of the upstanding wall 211 may be wavy such that it may not be planar in all embodiments.

[0028] The upstanding wall 211 may be formed from a variety of different materials, including plastic, wood, metal, a hard rubber, or combinations thereof. The upstanding wall 211 should be sufficiently rigid that a user applying a downward force thereon will not cause the upstanding wall 211 to collapse. While some flexibility or movement of the upstanding wall 211 may be permissible and will not negate the functions of the stand 200 described herein, significant flexibility in the upstanding wall 211 may make it unable to perform its support and engagement functions as described herein. In some embodiments, an entirety of the body 210 is formed from an elastomeric gripping material. In other embodiments, portions of the body 210 are formed from an elastomeric gripping material. The body 210 may comprise an inner layer formed from a rigid plastic and an outer layer formed from an elastomeric material in some embodiments. Thus, variations in the material are possible within the scope of the invention set forth herein.

[0029] In some embodiments, the stand 200 may be weighted. That is, either the material used to form the stand 200 may be weighted, or the stand 200 may include a pocket region within which weighted materials can be placed to weight the stand 200. Weighting the stand 200 helps to keep it in its upright orientation during all uses thereof as described herein.

[0030] The body 210 comprises a bottom surface 214 at the bottom end 212. The bottom surface 214 is preferably formed from a rubber or elastomeric material. Alternatively or additionally, one or more rubber or elastomeric pads may be affixed to the bottom surface 214 of the body 210. The purpose of using rubber for or along the bottom surface 214 is to ensure that the stand 200 remains in contact with the horizontal support surface and does not slide therealong during a refill head component 120 removal process, as described in greater detail below with reference to FIGS. 8 and 9. [0031] The upstanding wall 211 of the body 210 comprises an outer surface 215 and an inner surface 216 opposite the outer surface 215. The inner surface 216 defines and surrounds a depression 217 having an open top end 218 at the top end 213 of the upstanding wall 211. The depression 217 is a cavity that is formed into the body 210 and which extends from a floor 219 (see FIG. 6) to the open top end 218. The depression 217 extends from the floor 219 to the open top end 218 along a central axis A-A. The support feature 201 noted above comprises the depression 217. As will be discussed below with particular reference to FIGS. 5 and 6, the depression 217 is configured (i.e., sized and shaped) to receive a portion of the handle component 110 of the oral care implement 100 to support the oral care implement 100 in an upright orientation when the stand 200 is positioned on a horizontal surface.

[0032] Furthermore, the stand 200 also comprises the engagement feature 202, which in the exemplified embodiment comprises a first recess 220 in the top edge 213 of the upstanding wall 211 of the body 210 and a second recess 221 in the top edge 213 of the upstanding wall 211 of the body 210. However, the invention is not to be so limited in all embodiments and the engagement feature 202 may comprise a single recess in some embodiments. In still other embodiments, the engagement feature 202 may comprise a separate feature which extends from the top end 213 of the upstanding wall 211 and defines a notch or recess within which portions of the refill head component 120 may be received. Thus, the engagement feature 202 is not limited to the exact structural embodiment as shown and modifications may fall within the scope of the claimed invention.

[0033] In the exemplified embodiment, the first and second recesses 220, 221 are notches that extend downwardly from the top edge 213 of the upstanding wall 211. Each of the first and second recesses 220, 221 is defined by an arcuate shaped floor 222 in the exemplified embodiment. However, in other embodiments the floor may be square, rectangular, triangular, or the like. The recesses 220, 221 are identical in the exemplified embodiment, but need not be in all embodiments. In particular, the recesses 220, 221 may have different depths, widths, heights, or the like in various other embodiments so long as they are configured to receive different portions of the refill head component 120 as described herein below. Thus, a width W1 of the recesses 220, 221 should be sufficiently sized so that a portion of the refill head component 120 can be received therein. The first and second recesses 120, 121 are aligned with one another along an axis B-B that is orthogonal to the central axis A-A of the depression 217. Furthermore, the stand 200 has an outer diameter OD measured along the top end 213 of the upstanding wall 211 between the first and second recesses 120, 121. The outer diameter OD is measured from the outer surface 215 of the upstanding wall 211 and thus includes the diameter of the depression 217 and the thickness of the upstanding wall times two. A relationship between the outer diameter OD and a length of a portion of the refill head component 120 will be discussed below.

[0034] As seen in FIG. 3, the bottom surface 214 of the body 210 of the stand 200 is oriented orthogonal to the central axis A-A of the depression 217. This allows the stand 200 to be positioned upright on a horizontal surface (e.g., a table, countertop, sink surface, or the like) such that the bottom surface 214 of the stand 210 is in contact with the horizontal surface and the central axis A-A extends vertically and perpendicular to the horizontal surface.

[0035] In the embodiment of the stand 200 shown in FIGS. 1-4, the outer surface 215 of the upstanding wall 211 has a convex shape. The invention is not to be so limited and the upstanding wall 211 may be cylindrical in other embodiments. For example, FIG. 10 illustrates a stand 200a comprising a body 210a comprising an upstanding wall 211a which is cylindrical. Furthermore, the stand 200a of FIG. 10 also comprises a flange structure 230a attached to the bottom end of the body 210a. The flange structure 230a extends radially outward from the upstanding wall 211a to provide additional support to keep the stand 200a upright when positioned on a horizontal surface. Otherwise, the stand 200a is identical to the stand 200 and the details of the stand 200 described above are applicable to the stand 200a.

[0036] Referring to FIGS. 5 and 6, the oral care system 1000 is illustrated with the oral care implement 100 being supported within the depression 217 of the support feature 201 of the stand 200. Specifically, a bottom portion 115 of the handle component 110 nests within the depression

217 of the stand 200 and a remainder of the handle portion 110 protrudes from the open top end

218 of the depression 217 at the top end 213 of the upstanding wall 211. As seen in FIG. 6, the bottom portion 115 of the handle component 110 nests tightly within the depression 217 such that the inner surface 216 of the upstanding wall 211 is in direct contact with an outer surface of the handle portion 110 along the bottom portion 115 of the handle component 110. This direct contact between the inner surface 216 of the upstanding wall 211 and the outer surface of the handle portion 110 ensures that the oral care implement 100 is maintained in the upright orientation as shown in FIGS. 5 and 6. [0037] As noted above, the body 210 may be formed from an elastomeric gripping material. In such an embodiment, as the bottom portion 115 of the handle component 110 is inserted into the depression 217 of the stand 200, the body 210 may flex outwardly and apply an inward force onto the bottom portion 115 of the handle portion 110 to hold the handle portion 110 tightly in place. Thus, the body 210 may be formed of a compressible material in some embodiments. As shown in FIG. 6, the bottom surface 214 of the stand 210 rests atop of a horizontal support surface 10 and the stand 210 holds the oral care implement 100 in the upright orientation. The bottom portion 115 of the handle portion 110 may nest within the depression 217 of the stand 200 with a proximal-most end 116 of the handle component 110 (which also forms a proximal- most end of the oral care implement 100) resting atop and in direct contact with the floor 219 of the depression 217.

[0038] Referring to FIG. 6, the refill head component 120 extends from a proximal end 130 to a distal end 131. The proximal end 130 of the refill head component 120 is the end that is adjacent to the handle component 110 and the distal end 131 of the refill component 120 is the end furthest from the handle component 110 and which also forms the distal end of the oral care implement 100. As noted above, the tooth cleaning elements 123 are arranged in a cleaning element field 124. The cleaning element field 124 extends from a proximal end 125 to a distal end 126. The proximal end 125 of the cleaning element field 124 is the portion of the cleaning element field 124 that is closest to the proximal end 130 of the refill head component 120. The distal end 126 of the cleaning element field 124 is the portion of the cleaning element field 124 that is closest to the distal end 131 of the refill head component 120. The refill head component 120 comprises a length LI measured from the proximal end 130 of the refill head component 120 to the proximal end 125 of the cleaning element field 124. As will be noted below, the length LI of the refill head component 120 from the proximal end 130 to the cleaning element field 124 is greater than the outer diameter OD of the stand 200 measured along the top end 213 of the upstanding wall 211 of the stand 200.

[0039] Referring to FIGS. 7-9 sequentially, a method of separating the refill head component 120 from the handle component 110 of the oral care implement 100 using the stand 200 will be described. First, FIG. 7 illustrates the oral care implement 100 being removed from the depression 217 of the stand 200. In particularly, if the oral care implement 100 is nesting within the depression 217 of the stand 200 as shown in FIG. 5, a user will have to pull the oral care implement 100 relative to the stand 200 to remove the oral care implement 100 from the depression 217 of the stand 200. Depending on any compression forces being applied by the body 210 of the stand 200 onto the oral care implement 100, a user may need to apply a certain degree of force onto the oral care implement 100 relative to the stand 200 to achieve the separation shown in FIG. 7. However, such force should be minimized particularly because the system 1000 described herein is intended for use by persons with arthritis and other dexterity related issues. In some embodiments, no such compression forces may be applied by the body 210 onto the oral care implement 100 and a user can remove the oral care implement 100 from the depression 217 of the stand 200 simply by lifting upwardly on the oral care implement 100 in the direction of the arrow X.

[0040] Next referring to FIG. 8, the oral care implement 100 is positioned so that the refill head component 120 nests within the first and second recesses 220, 221 of the engagement feature 202 of the stand 200. In particular, a user will orient the oral care implement 100 horizontally and then translate the oral care implement 100 downwardly until a portion of the refill head component 120 adjacent to the handle component 110 nests within the first recess 220 and a portion of the refill head component 120 adjacent to the cleaning element field 124 nests within the second recess 221. Thus, the first and second recesses 220, 221 should have a width or dimension that is sufficient so that the portions of the refill head component 120 can fit and nest therein as shown in FIG. 8.

[0041] In some embodiments, the oral care implement 100 may not rest horizontally in the position shown in FIG. 8 on its own without the continued application of a force Z onto the refill head component 120 in the direction of the stand 200. Specifically, because greater than half of the weight of the oral care implement 100 is likely to be in the handle component 110, if a user were to stop applying the force Z onto the refill head component 120 the oral care implement 100 would pivot such that the bottom portion 115 of the handle component 100 moves towards the floor, which would remove the refill head component 120 from the first and second recesses 220, 221. Thus, when the refill head component 120 is made to nest within the first and second recesses 220, 221 of the stand 200, a user will continue applying the force Z onto the refill head component 120 until the task of detaching the refill head component 120 from the handle component 110 is complete. [0042] When the oral care implement 100 is supported by the engagement feature 202 (which comprises the first and second recesses 220, 221 in the exemplified embodiment), the oral care implement 100 is in a horizontal orientation. In particular, a longitudinal axis C-C of the oral care implement 100 is oriented orthogonal or perpendicular to the central axis A- A of the depression 217 of the stand 200. Again, the stand 200 should be formed from a material that is sufficiently rigid such that it substantially maintains its shape and integrity even when the force Z is applied onto the refill head component 120 with the refill head component 120 nesting within the first and second recesses 220, 221.

[0043] As discussed above, the refill head component 120 comprises a length LI measured from the proximal end 130 of the refill head component 120 to the proximal end 125 of the cleaning element field 124 formed by the plurality of tooth cleaning elements 123. Moreover, the stand 200 has an outer diameter OD measured along the top end 213 of the stand 200. The length LI is greater than the outer diameter OD. This is important because it ensures that while portions of the oral care refill head 120 nest within the first and second recesses 220, 221 of the stand, the plurality of tooth cleaning elements 123 are positioned outside of the boundary of the stand 200. Thus, while the refill head component 120 nests within the first and second recesses 220, 221 of the stand 200, a proximal portion 135 of the refill head component 120 and a distal portion 136 of the refill head component 120 (which comprises the tooth cleaning elements 123) protrude from the outer surface 215 of the body 210 of the stand 200.

[0044] Finally, referring to FIG. 9, with continued application of the force Z onto the refill head component 120, a pulling force Y is applied onto the handle component 110 to detach the refill head component 120 and the handle component 110 from one another. The force Z creates a pressurized contact between the refill head component 120 and the stand 200. Upon a sufficient pulling force Y being applied onto the handle component 110 while the force Z remains applied onto the refill head component 120, the handle component 110 will detach from the refill head component 120. It should be noted that the pressurized contact is achieved by applying a pressing force (i.e., the force Z) in a first direction and the pulling force Y is achieved by pulling the handle component 110 in a second directly that is orthogonal to the first direction. After the handle and refill head components 110, 120 have been detached as shown in FIG. 9, the refill head component 120 may be de-nested from the first and second recesses 220, 221 by pulling the refill head component 120 away from the stand 200 and the handle component 110 may be positioned back into the depression 217 in the stand 200, if so desired.

[0045] FIG. 9 illustrates the handle component 110 which includes a gripping portion 116 and a stem portion 117. The stem portion 117 is the portion which engages the refill head component 120 when the handle and refill head components 110, 120 are coupled together. Thus, the stem portion 117 may include a coupling feature 118 to facilitate this coupling between the refill head component 120 and the handle component 110. The coupling feature 118 is a protuberance in this embodiment, but the invention should not be limited as such, as noted above.

[0046] As noted above, in some embodiments a user will apply the pressing force Z onto the refill head component 120 while applying the pulling force Y onto the handle component 110 to separate the refill head component 120 from the handle component 110. By applying the pressing force Z onto the refill head component 120 during this process, it can be ensured that the stand 200 does not move or slide along the horizontal support surface during this process. Moreover, by forming the bottom surface 214 of the stand 200 out of an elastomeric material or including rubber pads thereon, this will also prevent the stand 200 from sliding during the removal process. In still other embodiments, the bottom surface 214 of the stand 200 may include a suction cup, temporary adhesive, static cling vinyl material, or the like to assist in preventing the stand 200 from sliding along the horizontal support surface while the refill head component 120 is being removed from the handle component 110.

[0047] As used throughout, ranges are used as shorthand for describing each and every value that is within the range. Any value within the range can be selected as the terminus of the range. In addition, all references cited herein are hereby incorporated by reference in their entireties. In the event of a conflict in a definition in the present disclosure and that of a cited reference, the present disclosure controls.

[0048] While the invention has been described with respect to specific examples including presently preferred modes of carrying out the invention, those skilled in the art will appreciate that there are numerous variations and permutations of the above described systems and techniques. It is to be understood that other embodiments may be utilized and structural and functional modifications may be made without departing from the scope of the present invention. Thus, the spirit and scope of the invention should be construed broadly as set forth in the appended claims.