CN108430349B

CN108430349B - Oral care implement

Info

Publication number: CN108430349B
Application number: CN201680071923.3A
Authority: CN
Inventors: 洛丽·汤森; 雷蒙德·司徒
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2015-10-26
Filing date: 2016-10-26
Publication date: 2022-02-11
Anticipated expiration: 2036-10-26
Also published as: AU2016343949A1; BR112018008286A2; WO2017075097A1; AU2016343949B2; JP2018534111A; CN108430349A; JP6951350B2; HK1259305A1; CA3003284A1

Abstract

An oral care implement for cleaning soft oral tissue, such as the tongue, of the oral cavity. The oral care implement includes a handle, an intermediate region, and a cleaning region. The cleaning region includes a plurality of collection bases for collecting debris from the oral tissue. The collection base can include a plurality of projections extending therefrom that remove debris from the soft oral tissue of the user.

Description

Oral care implement

Cross Reference to Related Applications

This application claims the benefit of provisional application No.62/246,571 filed on 26/10/2015, design application No.29/562,504 filed on 26/4/2016, and provisional application No.62/314,985 filed on 29/3/2016, all of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety.

Background

The main source of halitosis (bad breath) is the microbial flora that grows on the soft tissues of the oral cavity, such as the tongue, inside the cheeks and the gums. Halitosis can be caused by decay of these microorganisms, as well as by-products and food deposits and residues released by these microorganisms. For simplicity, we will use the term residue to collectively refer to these bad breath contributors. Most people brush their teeth with toothbrushes, and some even floss them. However, the use of a toothbrush and flossing alone is not effective in removing microorganisms from the soft tissues of the oral cavity.

The present disclosure relates generally to oral care implements and devices, and more particularly to a cleanser for cleaning oral tissue such as the tongue.

Disclosure of Invention

The present disclosure relates generally to oral care implements for cleaning soft tissue of the oral cavity. In some embodiments, an oral care implement includes a handle, a head disposed on the handle, a collection base disposed on the head, and a protrusion extending from each base. Each protrusion has a single radius of curvature in the longitudinal direction. The radius of curvature of the projection on one of the bases is greater than the radius of curvature of the projection on the other base. The user can hold the handle to move the tissue cleanser and clean the soft oral tissue of the oral cavity.

The collection base is formed in a variety of different shapes. In some embodiments, the collection bases are formed in rows extending perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the handle. In some embodiments, the collection base is formed along a row that curves away from the handle in opposite directions. In some embodiments, the collection base is formed in concentric curves.

In some embodiments, the protrusion has a generally triangular saw-tooth shape, and wherein the free ends of the protrusion form the apex of the triangle. The projections of each base may be offset from the projections of the other bases such that the projections on one base are visible between the projections on the other base when viewed along the longitudinal axis of the handle.

In some embodiments, the bottom surface of each collection base has a convex curve such that the projection at the center of the base is lower than the projection at the periphery of the base.

In some embodiments, collection channels may be disposed between adjacent rows of collection bases for collecting debris dislodged by the projections. The depth of the collection channel may vary along the axis of the head. The depth of the collection channel near the periphery of the collection channel is different than the depth of the collection channel near the center.

In some embodiments, the oral care implement can be a toothbrush having a handle and a head connected to the handle. The head may have a first face and a second face opposite the first face. The bristles may extend from a first face of the head, and the collection base may protrude from a second face of the head and extend the entire width of the second face. A plurality of projections may extend from each base. In some embodiments, the radius of curvature of the projection on one base is greater than the radius of curvature of the projection on the other base.

Drawings

Various other objects, features and attendant advantages of the present invention will become more fully appreciated as the same becomes better understood when considered in connection with the accompanying drawings in which like reference characters designate the same or similar parts throughout the several views, and wherein:

fig. 1 illustrates a front top perspective view of an oral care implement according to an embodiment;

fig. 2 shows a side view of a neck and a cleaning region of an oral care implement according to an embodiment;

fig. 3 illustrates a bottom view of an oral care implement according to an embodiment;

fig. 4 illustrates a rear view of an oral care implement according to an embodiment;

FIG. 5 illustrates a detailed rear view of the oral care implement of FIG. 4;

fig. 6 illustrates a rear view of an oral care implement according to an embodiment;

fig. 7A illustrates a bottom view of an oral care implement according to an embodiment;

fig. 7B shows a side view of an oral care implement according to an embodiment;

fig. 8 illustrates a bottom view of an oral care implement according to an embodiment;

fig. 9 illustrates a bottom view of an oral care implement having a curved collection base according to an embodiment;

fig. 10 illustrates a bottom view of an oral care implement having a concentric collection base according to an embodiment;

FIG. 11 illustrates a side view of an oral care implement having bristles and a tissue cleanser, according to an embodiment;

fig. 12 illustrates a side view of an oral care implement having a tissue cleanser coupled to a sonic capacitor in accordance with an embodiment.

Detailed Description

The invention will now be described in detail with reference to an embodiment as shown in the accompanying drawings. References to "one embodiment," "an example embodiment," etc., indicate that the embodiment described may include a particular feature, structure, or characteristic, but every embodiment may not necessarily include the particular feature, structure, or characteristic. Moreover, such phrases are not necessarily referring to the same embodiment. Further, when a particular feature, structure, or characteristic is described in connection with an embodiment, it is submitted that it is within the knowledge of one skilled in the art to effect such feature, structure, or characteristic in connection with other embodiments whether or not explicitly described.

The present disclosure is discussed in terms of a tongue cleanser and toothbrush, but it may also be in the form of other oral care implements, such as a tissue cleaning lollipop. Further, 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 disclosure.

Turning now descriptively to the drawings, wherein like reference numerals refer to like elements throughout the several views, the drawings illustrate a handle and a cleaning region, wherein the cleaning region is illustrative of one or more elements described herein.

Fig. 1 illustrates an oral care implement, such as a tongue cleanser 100, for cleaning soft oral tissue of the mouth. Such oral soft tissues may include the tongue, gums (gingiva), palate, buccal mucosa (lips and buccal lining) and floor of the mouth. Tongue cleanser 100 may include a handle 110, a middle region (neck) 120, and a tissue cleanser (head) 130.

Handle 110 may have a longitudinal axis L and may provide a grip for a user to allow the user to manipulate tongue cleanser 100 and move tissue cleanser 130 around the user's mouth in order to clean the soft tissue of the oral cavity. The handle 110 may have a variety of different shapes, a variety of different configurations, and may be made of a variety of different materials to enhance the user experience.

Intermediate region 120 connects handle 110 to tissue cleanser 130. Intermediate region 120 may allow tissue cleanser 130 to extend below the longitudinal axis of handle 110. Intermediate region 120 may form an obtuse angle with handle 110, thereby placing tissue cleanser 130 below the longitudinal axis of handle 110. The extension can allow for a change in the contact angle between tissue cleanser 130 and the surface to be cleaned (e.g., the tongue). For example, if the tongue exhibits a concave shape during cleaning, intermediate region 120 helps to provide better contact between tissue cleanser 130 and the tongue. Tissue cleanser 130 may form a plane that is substantially parallel to the plane formed by handle 110. Alternatively, the intermediate region 120 may form an acute angle with the handle 110. In other embodiments, tissue cleanser 130 can be modified such that it does not form a plane that is substantially parallel to the plane formed by handle 110, while still allowing tissue cleanser 130 to substantially remain in contact with the oral tissue.

Tissue cleanser 130 shown in FIG. 1 is wider than the width of handle 110 or intermediate region 120 and may extend in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal axis L of handle 110 such that tongue cleanser 100 is "T" shaped. Alternatively, tissue cleanser 130 may have the same width as handle 110 or intermediate region 120, or may be narrower than handle 110 or intermediate region 120. Tissue cleanser 130 may extend away from handle 110 at an angle offset from the longitudinal axis, or tissue cleanser 130 may be curved away from longitudinal axis L. Tissue cleanser 130 may be between 3mm and 50mm wide. In some embodiments, the width of tissue cleanser 130 may be about 25 mm. In other embodiments, the width of tissue cleanser 130 may be about 5 mm. The small width of tissue cleanser 130 may allow for greater maneuverability within the user's mouth, ease of use for users with smaller mouths, and a reduced likelihood of causing pharyngeal reflex or laryngeal spasm during use.

The handle 110 shown in fig. 1 is a straight rod, however the handle 110 and the intermediate region 120 may have a variety of different sizes, shapes (e.g., round, curved, flat, etc.) or finishes (e.g., smooth, ridged, textured, matte, knurled recessed, etc.). Handle 110 may be any shape configured to allow a user to grip, control, and/or guide tongue cleanser 100 within the user's mouth. Tongue cleanser 100 may be configured such that a typical user guides handle 110 generally in a direction parallel to longitudinal axis L of handle 110 when using tongue cleanser 100.

Handle 110, intermediate region 120, and tissue cleanser 130 may each be made of any suitable material, such as a polymer (e.g., plastic), metal, ceramic, silicon dioxide, crystalline solid, amorphous solid (e.g., glass), organic-based material (e.g., wood), and so forth. Handle 110, intermediate region 120, and tissue cleanser 130 may be made of the same material or different materials. In some embodiments, the material is polypropylene having a shore hardness between shore a0 and shore D100. The material may also comprise polypropylene having different durometers.

The handle 110 may have a proximal end 112 and a distal end 114, and the intermediate region 120 may have a proximal end 122 and a distal end 124. The distal end 114 of the handle 110 may be mechanically coupled to the proximal end 122 of the intermediate region 120. Distal end 124 of intermediate region 120 may be mechanically coupled to tissue cleanser 130. Thus, handle 110 may be indirectly mechanically coupled to tissue cleanser 130. In some embodiments, handle 110 may be mechanically coupled directly to tissue cleanser 130 without intermediate region 120. Proximal end 112 or distal end 114 of handle 110 may be configured to mechanically couple to tissue cleanser 130. Tongue cleanser 100 may be integral, unitary, or constructed of multiple separate removably interconnectable parts, thereby enabling tissue cleanser 130 to be disposable after one or more uses.

FIG. 2 shows a side view of tissue cleanser 130 of tongue cleanser 100. Tissue cleanser 130 includes a cleaning region 140 and a collection region 150. The cleaning region 140 is configured to loosen debris from the oral tissue, while the collection region 150 is configured to remove and collect loosened debris from the cleaning region 140. The collection area 150 may have a plurality of collection bases. The collection base can have a variety of different shapes, such as concentric closed curves, polygons, rows, vanes, and the like. The collection bases may be aligned sequentially and/or continuously along the longitudinal axis L.

According to one embodiment, the collection area 150 may have two bases: a first collection base 151, also referred to as front base 151, and a second collection base 153, also referred to as rear base 153. The front base 151 is proximate the handle 110 and is mechanically coupled to the rear base 153 distal from the handle 110. The terms anterior base 151 and posterior base 153 refer to base 151 being located forward of the other when tongue cleanser 100 is in use, and a user pulling or dragging tongue cleanser 100, for example, from the back of the tongue to the front of the tongue in a direction parallel to longitudinal axis L of handle 110. However, the present disclosure is not limited thereto. A user may move tongue cleanser 100 in various directions (i.e., forward, rearward, left, right, angled, etc.) to clean the soft oral tissue.

The front base 151 supports and mechanically couples the first row of protrusions 141. The first row of protrusions 141 may have a corrugated surface, or in other words, the first row of protrusions 141 may include a plurality of protrusions 141 (e.g., teeth), the plurality of protrusions 141 protruding downward from the bottom surface 152a from the front base 151. Front base 151 may have a transverse axis T1.

The rear base 153 supports and mechanically couples the second row of projections 143. The second row of protrusions 143 may have a corrugated surface, or in other words, the second row of protrusions 143 may comprise a plurality of protrusions 143 (e.g., teeth), the plurality of protrusions 143 protruding downward from the bottom surface 154a from the rear base 153. The collection base 153 may have a transverse axis T2.

Transverse axis T1 and transverse axis T2 are substantially orthogonal to longitudinal axis L when indexed to a plane containing longitudinal axis L. As shown in FIG. 2, axes T1 and T2 are substantially parallel to each other, although neither T1 nor T2 are necessarily in the same spatial plane as longitudinal axis L.

Front base 151 has two surfaces substantially parallel to axis T1: a front base first surface 152b and a front base second surface 152 c. The rear base 153 has two surfaces substantially parallel to the axis T2: a rear base first surface 154b and a rear base second surface 154 c.

The front base 151 and the front row of projections 141 may be closer to the handle than the rear base 153 and the rear row of projections 143. The

projections

141 and 143 are part of the cleaning region 140 that loosens oral debris from the soft tissue of the oral cavity. The

bases

151 and 153 are considered to be part of the collection area 150 that collects debris loosened from the soft tissues of the oral cavity.

FIG. 3 shows a bottom view of the front row of projections 141, respectively designated 141-1 through 141-n, and the rear row of projections 143, respectively designated 143-1 through 143-n. Each of the front row protrusions 141-1 to 141-n may have three surfaces, as shown in fig. 2, a front row protrusion first surface 142a, a front row protrusion second surface 142b, and a front row protrusion contact surface 142 c. The front row protrusion first surface 142a meets the front row protrusion contact surface 142c to form a front row protrusion first contact edge 142 d. The front row of raised first contact edges 142d may have a radius of curvature α 1. For example, α 1 may be between 100 microns and 500 microns. In some embodiments, the front row of raised first contact edges 142d may be right-angled. Alternatively, the front row of raised first contact edges 142d may not have a single radius of curvature, but instead may have a plurality of curved surfaces, each having a different radius of curvature, such as a spiral. Further, the front row of protruding first contact edges 142d may have an asymptotic curve, a sinusoidal curve, a polynomial curve, an exponential curve, a logarithmic curve, or the like. The front row of raised first surfaces 142a may be continuous with the front base first surface 152b, wherein the angle formed by the two planes is 180 degrees, although in some embodiments the angle may be greater or less than 180 degrees. The surfaces of the front row protrusion first surfaces 142a and the front row protrusion second surfaces 142b may be parallel planes in addition to the curved surfaces of the front row protrusion first contact edges 142 d.

The front row protrusion second surface 142b meets the front row protrusion contact surface 142c to form a front row protrusion second contact edge 142e, wherein the angle formed by the two surfaces is substantially a right angle. In some embodiments, the front row of raised second contact edges 142e are not right-angled. For example, α 2 can be less than or equal to 500 microns. Alternatively, the front row of protruding second contact edges 142e may not have a single radius of curvature, but may have a plurality of curved surfaces, each having a different radius of curvature, such as a spiral shape. Further, the front row protruding second contact edges 142e may have an asymptotic curve, a sinusoidal curve, a polynomial curve, an exponential curve, a logarithmic curve, or the like. The front row of raised second surfaces 142b is continuous with the front base second surface 152c, wherein the angle formed by the two planes is 180 degrees, although in some embodiments the angle may be greater or less than 180 degrees.

Each of the rear row protrusions 143-1 to 143-n may have three surfaces as shown in fig. 2, which are: a rear row projection first surface 144a, a rear row projection second surface 144b, and a rear row projection contact surface 144 c. The rear row projection first surface 144a meets the rear row projection contact surface 144c to form a rear row projection first contact edge 144 d. The rear row of raised first contact edges 144d may have a radius of curvature β 1. For example, β 1 may be less than or equal to 500 microns. In some embodiments, the rear row of raised first contact edges 144d may be right-angled. Alternatively, the rear row of raised first contact edges 144d may not have a single radius of curvature, but may have a plurality of curved surfaces each having a different radius of curvature, such as a spiral shape. Further, the rear row protruding first contact edges 144d may have an asymptotic curve, a sinusoidal curve, a polynomial curve, an exponential curve, a logarithmic curve, or the like. The rear row of projection first surfaces 144a is continuous with the rear base first surface 154b, wherein the angle formed by the two planes is 180 degrees, although in some embodiments the angle may be greater or less than 180 degrees. In addition to the curved surface of the rear row first contact edge 144d, the surfaces of the rear row protrusion first surfaces 144a and the surfaces of the rear row protrusion second surfaces 144b may be parallel planes.

The rear row projection second surface 144b meets the rear row projection contact surface 144c to form a rear row projection second contact edge 144e, wherein the angle formed by the two surfaces is substantially a right angle. In some embodiments, the rear row of raised second contact edges 144e are not right-angled. For example, β 2 may be less than or equal to 500 microns. Alternatively, the rear row of raised second contact edges 144e may not have a single radius of curvature, but may have a plurality of curved surfaces, each having a different radius of curvature, such as a spiral. Further, the rear row protruding second contact edges 144e may have an asymptotic curve, a sinusoidal curve, a polynomial curve, an exponential curve, a logarithmic curve, or the like. The rear row of projection second surfaces 144b is continuous with the rear base second surface 154c, wherein the angle formed by the two planes is 180 degrees, although in some embodiments the angle may be greater or less than 180 degrees.

In some embodiments, the radius of curvature α 1 of the front row of protrusions 141 is greater than the radius of curvature β 1 of the rear row of protrusions 143. Because α 1 has a larger radius of curvature, protrusions 141 feel smoother to the user's tongue as the user pulls or drags tongue cleanser 100 along the tongue. β 1 may have a smaller radius of curvature, even with square edges that provide a better cleaning surface. The larger radius of curvature α 1 of the anterior row of projections 141 partially desensitizes the tongue and helps reduce irritation caused by the smaller radius of curvature β 1 on the posterior row of projections 143. The anterior base 151 and the projections 141 may also limit the freedom of movement of the soft oral tissue such that the projections 143 are not free to dig into the soft oral tissue. In other words, the projections 141 press against the soft oral tissue and limit the maximum contact between the projections 143 and the soft oral tissue.

In some embodiments, the front base second surface 152c and the rear base first surface 154b form parallel planes. In other embodiments, the front base second surface 152c and the rear base first surface 154b may not form parallel planes. For example, the front row raised second contact edges 142e may not be right-angled, the back row raised first contact edges 144d may not be right-angled, the front row raised second surfaces 142b may not be 180 degrees continuous with the front base second surfaces 152c, or the back row raised first surfaces 144a may not be 180 degrees continuous with the back base first surfaces 154 b.

Fig. 4 shows a rear view of tongue cleanser 100. The front row of protrusions 141 and the rear row of protrusions 143 may have a triangular saw-tooth shape of saw-tooth shape in which free ends of the

protrusions

141 and 143 form apexes of a triangle. The

protrusions

141 and 143 may be substantially angled, thus forming a zigzag corrugation. The angle of the tips of the

protrusions

141 and 143 and the angle between the

protrusions

141 and 143 may be about 90 degrees. Alternatively, the angle of the tips and/or the angle between the protrusions may be greater or less than 90 degrees. The

protrusions

141 and 143 may also be rounded, scalloped, curved, or any other suitable shape or combination of different shapes. A suitable shape of the protuberance is any shape that enables the protuberance to loosen debris from the soft tissue of the user's mouth. The

protrusions

141 and 143 may be individual bumps or nubs (e.g., conical) protruding from the front base 151 or the rear base 153, respectively.

The one or more rear row projections 143 may be offset from the one or more front row projections 141 or not aligned with the one or more front row projections 141 such that the one or more rear row projections 143 are visible between the front row projections 141 when viewed along the longitudinal axis L (i.e., along the handle). For example, each protrusion 141 of the front base 151 may be located at the center between adjacent protrusions 143 of the rear base 153. Fig. 5 shows a detailed view of the front row of projections 141 and the rear row of projections 143. Alternatively, in some embodiments, one or more rear row projections 143 may be located directly behind one or more front row projections 141 such that one or more rear row projections 143 are not visible when viewed along the longitudinal axis L. When projection 141 is offset from projection 143,

projections

141 and 143 are capable of cleaning different portions of the soft tissue of the oral cavity. For example, the protrusions 141 of the anterior base 151 may clean portions of the user's tongue, and the protrusions 143 of the posterior base 153 may clean portions of the user's tongue that are not cleaned by the anterior base 151.

FIG. 6 shows a rear view of an exemplary embodiment of tissue cleanser 130 wherein the bottom surfaces of

collection bases

151 and 153 of collection area 150 may be formed with a convex curve. Thus, the protrusion 141 at the center may extend lower or further away from the handle than the protrusion 141 on the periphery of the front base 151. Fig. 7B shows a side view of collection area 150 having a bottom surface with a convex curve. The

protrusions

141 and 143 at the center extend farther from the handle than the

protrusions

141 and 143 on the periphery of the

front bases

151 and 153. The curvature of

bases

151 and 153 helps the tongue to easily conform to the curvature of

bases

151 and 153 when the user applies pressure with tongue cleanser 130, which enables the projections to more effectively cleanse the user's tongue. Fig. 6 further illustrates that the protrusions 141 can be spaced apart from one another along the front base 151.

The

protrusions

141 and 143 of the cleaning region 140 can have a height and width configured to enable the

protrusions

141 and 143 to remove and collect loosened debris from the oral tissue and to enable the collection region 150 to remove and collect loosened debris from the cleaning region 140. For example, the

protrusions

141 and 143 may be at least 0.8mm wide as measured along the transverse axes T1 and T2. The height of the

protrusions

141 and 143 may be, for example, at least 0.5 mm. The

protrusions

141 and 143 may have a space between

adjacent protrusions

141 and 143 along the collecting

bases

151 and 153 to improve the collection of the residue by the collecting

bases

151 and 153. For example,

adjacent protrusions

141 and 143 may be between 0mm and 3 mm. Soft tissue in the oral cavity is generally not smooth and contains many different surfaces and shapes. For example, the tongue contains four different types of papillae: circular, leaf, mushroom, and filamentous teats. Each of these papillae has a different shape, height, width and spacing on the tongue. The location of capillaries and neuroreceptors (e.g., nociceptors, mechanoreceptors, baroreceptors, etc.) varies with the location of the oral soft tissue. The

protrusions

141 and 143 may have an inter-papillary shape that ideally fits between the papillae to remove debris and clean the tongue, and minimally trigger nociceptors of pain. For example, the angle of the tips of the projections, the angle between projections, the height of the projections, the width of the projections, and the spacing between adjacent projections enable the projections to fit between the papillae of the user's tongue and loosen and collect debris on the soft oral tissue.

The height, width and spacing between two adjacent protrusions on a row may be varied to provide a user with a variety of different protrusion sizes on the same row. In the same manner, the height, width and spacing between two adjacent protrusions may be different between the front row protrusions 141 and the rear row protrusions 143. The number of protrusions established on the first collection base 151 may be different from the number of protrusions on the second collection base 153.

Tissue cleanser 130 may have a "softness" created by varying various variables. As shown in fig. 2, the softness variables may include: distance d1, which distance d1 is the closest distance between the front row protrusion second contact edge 142e and the rear row protrusion first surface 144 a; radii of curvature α 1, α 2, β 1, β 2; the material and finish used to construct the front row protrusions 141; as well as the material and finish used to construct the rear row of projections 143. One or more softness variables can be modified to create an oral care implement having a desired "softness" to accommodate the personal preferences of the user. Distance d1 may be between 500 and 5000 microns, α 1 may be between 100 and 500 microns, α 2/β 1/β 2 are both less than or equal to 500 microns, and the material is a polymer with a shore hardness between shore a0 and shore a 90. In some embodiments, distance d1 may be greater than 5000 microns. Increasing the radius of curvature α 1 increases the softness of the appliance. Increasing the radii of curvature α 2, β 1 and β 2 also increases the softness of the appliance. Although dependent on other variables, in most cases, decreasing distance d1 increases softness. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that these values are one of many possible softness variable combinations, and that other variable combinations are understood to be part of the present disclosure, as these values are directed to the desired cleaning of oral tissue, the preferences of the user, and the type of user (e.g., human, feline, canine, equine, bovine, porcine, elephant, etc.). The softness variable may also vary depending on the different shapes, heights, widths, and spacings of the different teats. The softness variable may vary from point to point along the length of the front row of projections 141 and may vary from point to point along the length of the rear row of projections 143.

Since the softness variable can vary depending on the many different applications of the disclosed oral care implement, the handle 110, the intermediate region 120, and the tissue cleanser 130 can also be suitable. For example, in some embodiments for non-human applications, the handle 110 and the intermediate region 120 may be lengthened or shortened to allow sufficient and comfortable access to the oral tissues in the desired animal. Tissue cleanser 130 may be flattened into a paddle shape, see fig. 10. Paddle tissue cleanser 130 may have a first face and a second face opposite the first face, and

collection bases

151 and 153 may extend from the first face. In some embodiments, the flat paddle may be curved. In other embodiments, tissue cleanser 130 may also be rounded to a cylindrical, spherical, donut-like, conical, or other shape, wherein the protrusions cover at least a portion of the surface. For example, a cylindrical tissue cleanser may have protrusions along the outer surface of the cylinder.

Tongue cleanser 100 may further include a channel 156 for collecting loosened debris from collection area 150 as the user guides tongue cleanser 100 over the surface of the tongue. The channel 156 may be disposed between

adjacent bases

151 and 153. Alternatively, if tongue cleanser 100 includes multiple bases, tongue cleanser 100 may include multiple channels disposed between adjacent bases. Fig. 2 shows a channel 156 connecting the front base second surface 152c and the rear base first surface 154 b. The cross-section of the channel 156 may have a variety of different shapes, such as semi-circular, triangular, polygonal, etc. Channel 156 can extend the width of tissue cleanser 130 and can be disposed within tissue cleanser 130. The user may clear collected debris from passage 156 between uses of tongue cleanser 100.

The channel 156 is shown as being straight along the transverse axis T3 in fig. 3. However, the channel 156 may have a variety of different shapes, such as curved, angled, and the like. Channel 156 can have a varying width along the width of tissue cleanser 130. The curvature and shape of channel 156 affects the manner in which debris is collected and eliminated during use of tongue cleanser 100. For example, if channel 156 has a convex curvature relative to handle 110, tissue cleanser 130 can eliminate more debris from the periphery 158 of channel 156 as tissue cleanser 130 moves in the direction of handle 110. By eliminating debris, the posterior projections 143 are more effective in cleaning the tongue. If channel 156 has a concave overall curvature relative to handle 110, tissue cleanser 130 may retain more debris within the trough and the debris may be removed from tongue cleanser 100 as tongue cleanser 100 is flushed or washed. The depth of channel 156 may be non-uniform such that it varies along the transverse axis T3 of tissue cleanser 130 and is deeper near the periphery 158 of channel 156 and shallower near the center, or shallower near the periphery 158 of channel 156 and deeper near the center.

FIG. 7A illustrates a bottom view of an exemplary embodiment of tongue cleanser 100 having angled passages 156. The shape and size (e.g., height, width, length) of the

protrusions

141 and 143 may vary based on the shape of the angled channel 156. For example, as shown in the side view of tissue cleanser 130 in FIG. 7B, the length of protrusions 141 from the ends of front row of protrusions 141 to the center of front row of protrusions 141 (i.e., the length of the teeth in longitudinal direction L of handle 110) may increase. In contrast, the length of each protrusion 143 in the longitudinal axis L direction from the end of the rear row protrusion 143 to the center of the rear row protrusion 143 of each protrusion 143 may decrease. The

protrusions

141 and 143 may be aligned as shown in fig. 7A, or the

protrusions

141 and 143 may be offset. FIG. 8 illustrates a bottom view of an exemplary embodiment of tongue cleanser 100 having curved channel 156. Similar to fig. 7A, the length of each protrusion 141 of the first collection base 151 from the end of the front row of protrusions 141 to the center of the front row of protrusions 141 in the direction of the longitudinal axis L may be reduced. In contrast, the length of the protrusion 143 of the second collection base 153 from the end of the rear row protrusion 143 to the center of the rear row protrusion 143 may increase.

FIG. 9 illustrates a bottom view of an exemplary embodiment of tongue cleanser 100 having curved tissue cleanser 130. Collection bases 151 and 153 of tissue cleanser 130 can be curved and extend away from handle 110 in opposite directions. Collecting

bases

151 and 153 may have curved channels 156 and be disposed between collecting

bases

151 and 153.

FIG. 10 illustrates a bottom view of an exemplary embodiment of tongue cleanser 100 having a tissue cleanser 130. Tissue cleanser 130 includes

collection bases

151 and 153 formed as concentric closed curves (e.g., circles, ovals, quadrilaterals, triangles, etc.). For example, fig. 10 illustrates the front base portion 151 as an outer circle and the rear base portion 153 as an inner circle. The protrusion 141 of the front base 151 may have a larger radius of curvature than the protrusion 143 of the rear base 153. Thus, a user may move tongue cleanser 100 in any direction (i.e., forward, rearward, leftward, rightward, angled, etc.) and hold anterior base 151 in front of posterior base 153. Channel 156 can be shaped like a closed curve and can be disposed between

collection bases

151 and 153. For example, the channel 156 is circular in fig. 10.

Fig. 11 shows a toothbrush 300 having a tissue cleanser 130 disposed on the back side of the toothbrush head 302, enabling a user to brush their teeth and clean the tongue with the same oral appliance. The front surface 304 of the toothbrush head 302 may have a plurality of bristles 306 for cleaning the teeth of a user. The back 308 can have

collection bases

151, 153, etc. protruding from the back 308 of the toothbrush head 302, each of the collection bases 151, 153, etc. having a plurality of protrusions. The front row of projections 141 and the rear row of projections 143 can extend from the collection bases 151, 153, etc., and can be the same width as the toothbrush head 302.

FIG. 12 shows tissue cleanser 130 coupled to a container 400, which container 400 converts electrical energy into vibrations or sonic pulses, such as a sonic powered toothbrush body. Container 400 may apply a vibratory or sonic pulse to tissue cleanser 130. The

projections

141 and 143 can apply the received pulses/vibrations to the oral soft tissue, thereby loosening and facilitating the removal of oral debris. Each

protrusion

141 and 143 may serve as a wave origin for the vibration or pulse. Waves from the plurality of protrusions may be used to form constructive and destructive interference waveforms, further facilitating debris removal. The spacing and size of the

protrusions

141 and 143 and the wave shape may be varied to achieve a desired interference pattern.

Tissue cleanser 130 may also be positively or negatively charged during use to further improve cleaning of the user's tongue. The mouth and tongue may contain many charged particles or solutions. Dental tartar has a positive charge because it primarily includes calcium phosphate salts. The dental microflora is acidic and produces a considerable amount of acidic residues carrying positive charges. Thus, if tissue cleanser 130 is negatively charged, tissue cleanser 130 may be able to more effectively collect debris from the user's mouth. Alternatively, the

protrusions

141 and 143 may have different potentials, or different portions of the

protrusions

141 and 143 may have different potentials. The different potentials may include opposite charges. For example, the anterior projection contact surface 142c can have a positive charge and the anterior projection first surface 142a and the posterior projection second surface 142b can have a negative charge to help dislodge debris from the tongue. In order to obtain a reliable cleaning surface, the charge intensity may be different for various surfaces.

The tissue cleanser may be charged in a variety of different ways. For example, tongue cleanser 100 may include a power source 200 (see FIG. 1) and electrical wires contained within tongue cleanser 100 to generate an electrical potential. Alternatively, the material used for tissue cleanser 130 can have an electrical potential. For example, a food grade polyelectrolyte with an electrical potential may be used to complex materials such as plastics for tissue cleanser 130. The composite plastic can carry or generate an electrical potential on the plastic without the need for a power source. Examples of food grade polyelectrolytes include pectin, carrageenan, alginate, and carboxymethyl cellulose.

In some embodiments, tissue cleanser 130 may include sensors to detect the presence of bacteria and oral debris, the temperature of the user, the pressure of tissue cleanser 130 on the soft tissue of the oral cavity, and the like. The properties of the materials used in the manufacture of tissue cleanser 130 may include thermochromic properties, photochromic properties, piezochromic properties, and the like, and may indicate the presence of certain criteria based on a predetermined threshold. In the presence of a changing pH, the material may change color or transparency, thereby indicating the presence of bacteria. For example, the material may comprise a leuco dye that changes from a colorless form to a colored form based on pH. Since the residue is typically acidic, a change in pH can produce a color change in the material. Examples of food-safe, acid-fortified chromogenic materials include anthocyanins, hydrangea, and litmus, all of which are found in edible plants.

In some embodiments, one or more regions of tissue cleanser 130 may be coated with a chrome material. In embodiments where tissue cleanser 130 is disposed on toothbrush 300, bristles 306, or a portion of bristles 306, may be configured to exhibit a detectable property. For example, the bristles 306 may be chemically compounded to include an acid-chromic dye. Alternatively, the bristles 306 may comprise a smart polymer that flexes in the presence of pH changes or organic materials, thereby imparting sensed feedback through the flexing.

In another application, the sensor may be used to detect a level of halitosis in the user based on the pH of the user's breath. In some embodiments, breath malodor detection may be accomplished with gasochromic polymers that detect compounds such as hydrogen sulfide and dimethyl sulfide.

In some embodiments, tissue cleanser 130 may be made of a material or substance that exhibits thermochromic properties, and may be used to detect the temperature of the user's mouth and thereby alert the user to fever. This may be particularly useful in embodiments configured for animal use where it is difficult to obtain the body temperature of the animal. Examples of non-toxic thermochromic materials include biopolymer poly (lactic acid) (PLA), natural dyes of the anthocyanidins, gallic acid ester derivatives and fatty acids, which are discussed in the "first example of non-toxic thermochromic polymer materials-based on a novel mechanism" j.

In some embodiments, the tissue cleanser 130 material exhibits piezochromic properties. This material may be used to construct the contact surface of tissue cleanser 130, toothbrush bristles 306, or handle 110. The material may change color based on the pressure applied to tissue cleanser 130, thereby providing feedback to the user as to the amount of pressure applied (e.g., whether the user is pressing too hard, too gentle, or applying the correct amount of pressure). This is particularly important for toothbrush 300 because some users apply too much pressure while brushing their teeth. The piezochromic color enables toothbrush or tissue cleanser 130 to indicate to the user whether the correct pressure is being applied. In some embodiments, tissue cleanser 130 is configured for use with an animal and can provide feedback to the user regarding the use of the correct amount of pressure so as to not injure or cause pain to the animal. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that various techniques can be used to compound or coat the chromium polymer into/onto tissue cleanser 130 and toothbrush 300 and are considered part of this disclosure.

In another embodiment, the front row of projections 141 and the back row of projections 143 may be coated with a softer polymer than the material used for the collection bases 151 and 153 for greater user comfort.

In some embodiments, tissue cleanser 130 can be scented to encourage children or animals to use tongue cleanser 100. Tissue cleanser 130 may be made of a scented polymer coated with a scented polymer or substance. Alternatively, a scented gel or insert may be applied to tissue cleanser 130 prior to each use.

The foregoing description of the specific embodiments will so fully reveal the general nature of the invention that others can, by applying knowledge within the skill of the art, readily modify and/or adapt for various applications such specific embodiments, without undue experimentation, without departing from the general concept of the present invention. Therefore, such adaptations and modifications are intended to be within the meaning and range of equivalents of the disclosed embodiments, based on the teaching and guidance presented herein. It is to be understood that the phraseology or terminology herein is for the purpose of description and not of limitation, such that the terminology or phraseology of the present specification is to be interpreted by the skilled artisan in light of the teachings and guidance.

The breadth and scope of the present invention should not be limited by any of the above-described exemplary embodiments, but should be defined only in accordance with the following claims appended hereto and their equivalents.

Claims

1. An oral care implement, comprising:

a handle;

a plurality of collection bases connected to a handle; and

a plurality of protrusions extending from each collection base away from a longitudinal axis of the handle, each protrusion having a radius of curvature of less than 500 microns, an

A collecting recess provided between a pair of adjacent collecting bases for collecting the residue removed by the protrusion,

wherein the projections of one collection base are offset from the projections of the other collection base such that the projections on the one collection base are visible between the projections on the other collection base when viewed along the longitudinal axis of the handle.

2. The oral care implement according to claim 1 wherein each protrusion has a single radius of curvature in the longitudinal direction, and

wherein a radius of curvature of each protrusion on one of the collection bases is greater than a radius of curvature of each protrusion on the other collection base.

3. The oral care implement according to claim 1 wherein the plurality of collection bases are formed in a plurality of rows extending perpendicular to a longitudinal direction of the handle.

4. The oral care implement according to claim 3 wherein the plurality of collection bases are formed in a plurality of rows that curve away from the handle in opposite directions.

5. The oral care implement according to claim 1 wherein the plurality of collection bases are formed as concentric circles.

6. The oral care implement according to claim 1 wherein each of the protrusions has a generally triangular saw-tooth shape, and wherein a free end of each of the protrusions forms an apex of the triangle.

7. The oral care implement according to claim 3 wherein the bottom surface of each collection base has a convex curve such that the projections at the center of the collection base are lower than the projections at the periphery of the collection base.

8. The oral care implement according to claim 1 wherein the collection recess is formed as a channel.

9. The oral care implement according to claim 1 wherein a depth of the collection recess varies along an axis of the collection recess.

10. The oral care implement according to claim 9 wherein a depth of the collection recess near a periphery of the collection recess is different than a depth of the collection recess near a center of the collection recess.

11. The oral care implement according to claim 1 wherein the projections have a height and width such that the projections can fit between papillae of a user's tongue.

12. The oral care implement according to claim 1 further comprising a head having a flat paddle shape and a collection base extends from the head.

13. The oral care implement according to claim 1 wherein the protrusion is electrically charged.

14. The oral care implement according to claim 13 wherein the protuberance is positively charged and the collection base is negatively charged.

15. The oral care implement according to claim 1 wherein the collection base and the projection are made from a material containing a substance for measuring pH in a user's mouth.

16. The oral care implement according to claim 1 wherein the collection base and the protrusion are made from a material containing a substance for measuring a temperature of a user.

17. The oral care implement according to claim 1 wherein the projections are coated with a scented substance.

18. The oral care implement according to claim 1 wherein the handle is attachable to a vibration-producing device for vibrating the protrusion.

19. A toothbrush, comprising:

a handle;

a head connected to the handle, the head having a first face and a second face opposite the first face;

a plurality of bristles extending from a first face of the head; and

a plurality of collecting bases projecting from the second face of the head and extending over the entire width of the second face; and

a plurality of projections extending from each collection base,

wherein the bottom surface of each collection base has a convex curve such that the projection at the center of the collection base is lower than the projection at the periphery of the collection base, and

wherein the collecting recess is disposed between a pair of adjacent collecting bases.

20. The toothbrush of claim 19, wherein the radius of curvature of the protrusion on one collection base is greater than the radius of curvature of the protrusion on the other collection base.