Oral care instrument

Abstract

An oral care implement has a body made of a first material. The body has a handle, a head support, and a neck extending between the handle and the head support. The head support has a recess therein, and the recess has a bottom face and a side face. A head has a first head section and a second head section, and supports a plurality of contact elements. The first head section is disposed in the recess and attached thereto, and the second head section is attached to the first head section and unattached to the body.

1 . An oral care implement comprising:
 a body comprising a first material, the body having a handle, a head support, and a neck extending between the handle and the head support, the head support having a recess therein, the recess having a bottom face and a side face; and   a head having a first head section and a second head section, the head supporting a plurality of contact elements, the first head section being disposed in the recess and attached thereto, and wherein the second head section is attached to the first head section and unattached to the body.   
     
     
         2 . The oral care implement of  claim 1 , wherein the second head section comprises a first wing and a second wing which are disposed on either side of the first head section. 
     
     
         3 . The oral care implement of  claim 2 , wherein the first wing and the second wing are unattached to the body. 
     
     
         4 . The oral care implement of  claim 1 , wherein the contact elements are over-molded in the first head section. 
     
     
         5 . The oral care implement of  claim 4 , wherein the contact elements are over-molded in the second head section. 
     
     
         6 . The oral care implement of  claim 1 , wherein the first head section is attached to the head support via a contact surface area, and wherein the contact surface area is greater than about 100 square mm 
     
     
         7 . The oral care implement of  claim 6 , wherein the contact surface area is greater than about 150 square mm 
     
     
         8 . The oral care implement of  claim 6 , wherein the contact surface area is between about 100 square mm to about 190 square mm 
     
     
         9 . The oral care implement of  claim 1 , wherein at least a portion of the contact elements comprise an elastomer. 
     
     
         10 . The oral care implement of  claim 1 , wherein the contact elements in the first head section comprise an elastomer. 
     
     
         11 . The oral care implement of  claim 10 , wherein the contact elements in the first head section are unitary. 
     
     
         12 . The oral care implement of  claim 1 , wherein the contact elements in the second head section comprise an elastomer. 
     
     
         13 . A method of producing an oral care implement comprising the steps of:
 obtaining a plurality of filaments having a first end and a second end;   forming a melted mass of material at a second end of the filaments;   capturing the melted mass via injection molding of a first material, the injection molding of the first material forming a head having a first head section and a second head section; and   injection molding a second material over the first head section thereby forming a body having a handle, a neck, and a head support.   
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13  further comprising the step of providing a contact surface area between the first head section and the head support which is greater than about 100 square mm. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the contact surface area is greater than about 150 square mm. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the contact surface area is between about 100 square mm to about 190 square mm.