Oral Care Implement Support and Oral Care System Comprising the Same

Abstract

Disclosed is an oral care implement support, comprising: a body having formed therein an opening for receiving a portion of an oral care implement; an affixion device connected to the body for affixing the oral care implement support to a surface; and a restrictor for restricting movement of the portion of the oral care implement in the opening, wherein the restrictor is fastened to, or is located within, the body. Also disclosed is an oral care system, comprising: the oral care implement support; and an oral care implement, a portion of which oral care implement is receivable in the opening.

1 . An oral care implement support, comprising:
 a body having formed therein an opening for receiving a portion of an oral care implement;   an affixion device connected to the body for affixing the oral care implement support to a surface; and   a restrictor for restricting movement of the portion of the oral care implement in the opening, wherein the restrictor is fastened to, or is located within, the body.   
     
     
         2 . The oral care implement support of  claim 1 , wherein the affixion device comprises a suction cup. 
     
     
         3 . The oral care implement support of  claim 1 , wherein the restrictor is located within the body. 
     
     
         4 . The oral care implement support of  claim 1 , wherein the restrictor comprises a magnet generating a magnetic field that extends into the opening. 
     
     
         5 . The oral care implement support of  claim 1 , wherein the affixion device is at a first end of the body and the opening is at a second end of the body, the second end being opposite from the first end. 
     
     
         6 . The oral care implement support of  claim 1 , wherein the affixion device is for affixing the oral care implement support to a planar surface with the opening being elongate in a direction that is at an angle of 0 to 15 degrees to the surface. 
     
     
         7 . The oral care implement support of  claim 1 , wherein the opening is a channel. 
     
     
         8 . The oral care implement support of  claim 7 , wherein the channel has two open axial ends. 
     
     
         9 . The oral care implement support of  claim 7 , wherein the channel is substantially concave. 
     
     
         10 . The oral care implement support of  claim 7 , wherein the body comprises one or more projections extending into the channel. 
     
     
         11 . The oral care implement support of  claim 4 , wherein the magnet is a permanent magnet, optionally wherein the permanent magnet comprises ferromagnetic material, further optionally wherein the ferromagnetic material comprises one or more of iron, nickel, cobalt, lodestone, a compound of rare earth elements, an alloy of rare earth elements, an alloy of iron, an alloy of nickel, and an alloy of cobalt. 
     
     
         12 . The oral care implement support of  claim 1 , wherein the body is substantially rigid. 
     
     
         13 . The oral care implement support of  claim 1 , wherein the body is formed from a plastic, such as a thermoplastic polymer, such as polypropylene or polyethylene terephthalate. 
     
     
         14 . An oral care system, comprising:
 an oral care implement support according to any preceding claim; and   an oral care implement, a portion of which oral care implement is receivable in the opening.   
     
     
         15 . The oral care system of  claim 14 , wherein the restrictor comprises a magnet generating a magnetic field that extends into the opening, and wherein the oral care implement comprises a second magnet or a metal portion that is magnetically attracted to the magnet of the oral care implement support when the portion of the oral care implement is received in the opening. 
     
     
         16 . The oral care system of  claim 14 , wherein the oral care implement comprises a handle and a head, and wherein the portion of the oral care implement comprises, or is comprised in, one of the handle and the head. 
     
     
         17 . The oral care system of  claim 16 , wherein the second magnet or the metal portion is comprised in one of the handle and the head. 
     
     
         18 . The oral care system of  claim 14 , wherein the affixion device is oriented relative to the opening, and the oral care implement is configured, so that a centre of mass of the oral care implement is within or above the opening, when the oral care implement support is affixed to an upwardly-facing horizontal surface by the affixion device and the portion of the oral care implement is received in the opening. 
     
     
         19 . The oral care system of  claim 14 , wherein the oral care implement has cleaning elements extending therefrom; and wherein the portion of the oral care implement is receivable in the opening with the cleaning elements extending from the oral care implement in a direction extending away from the surface. 
     
     
         20 . The oral care system of  claim 14 , wherein a surface profile of a portion of the body that defines the opening is a negative of a surface profile of the portion of the oral care implement. 
     
     
         21 . The oral care system of  claim 20 , wherein the oral care implement has a first side and a second side opposite from the first side;
 wherein cleaning elements are located on the first side of the oral care implement; and   wherein the surface profile of the portion of the oral care implement is on the second side of the oral care implement.   
     
     
         22 . The oral care system of  claim 20 , wherein the oral care implement comprises a handle and a head, the head having cleaning elements extending therefrom; and
 wherein the cleaning elements extend from the head in a direction extending away from the surface, when the portion of the oral care implement is received in the opening with the surface profile of the portion of the oral care implement in contact with the surface profile of the portion of the body that defines the opening.   
     
     
         23 . The oral care system of  claim 14 , wherein the oral care implement is a toothbrush.