Oral Care Implement

Abstract

An oral care implement is described. The oral care implement may include a head extending along a longitudinal axis and having a first surface, a second surface opposite the first surface, and a side surface extending between the first surface and the second surface. A central bristle tuft may from a central portion of the first surface. A plurality of perimetric bristle tufts may from the first surface and arranged to circumferentially surround the central bristle tuft. The perimetric bristle tufts may have distal ends that slope downwardly towards the central bristle tuft. The perimetric bristle tufts may be wedge shaped.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An oral care implement comprising:
 a head comprising a first surface, the head having a substantially elliptical outer shape in plan view;   a central bristle tuft extending from the first surface of the head; and   a plurality of perimetric bristle tufts extending from the first surface of the head and arranged to circumferentially surround the central bristle tuft, wherein each of the plurality of perimetric bristle tufts has an inner edge adjacent to the central bristle tuft and an outer edge adjacent to an outer edge of the head, and wherein for each of the plurality of perimetric bristle tufts, a length of the outer edge is greater than a length of the inner edge.   
     
     
         2 . The oral care implement according to  claim 1  wherein the inner edges of the plurality of perimeteric bristle tufts are at least partially in contact with an inner reference ring that surrounds the central bristle tuft, and wherein the outer edges of the plurality of perimetric bristle tufts are at least partially in contact with an outer reference ring that surrounds the inner reference ring. 
     
     
         3 . The oral care implement according to  claim 1  wherein the central bristle tuft is oval. 
     
     
         4 . The oral care implement according to  claim 1  wherein the inner edge of each of the plurality of perimetric bristle tufts is spaced apart from the central bristle tuft by a gap, wherein the gap has a constant width measured in a direction between an outer surface of the central bristle tuft and the inner edge of each of the plurality of perimetric bristle tufts. 
     
     
         5 . The oral care implement according to  claim 1  wherein the central bristle tuft and the plurality of perimetric bristle tufts are the only tooth cleaning elements located on the head. 
     
     
         6 . The oral care implement according to  claim 1  wherein each of the plurality of perimetric bristle tufts has a length measured from the outer edge to the inner edge that is greater than the length of the inner edge. 
     
     
         7 . The oral care implement according to  claim 1  wherein each of the plurality of perimetric tufts terminates in a distal end, and wherein the distal ends of the each of the plurality of perimetric tufts is sloped downwardly moving in a direction from the outer edge to the inner edge. 
     
     
         8 . The oral care implement according to  claim 1  wherein no bristle tufts are located between the inner edges of the plurality of perimetric bristle tufts and an outer surface of the central bristle tuft. 
     
     
         9 . The oral care implement according to  claim 8  wherein the inner edge of each of the plurality of perimetric bristle tufts is immediately adjacent the central bristle tuft and the outer edge of each of the plurality of perimetric bristle tufts is immediately adjacent an outer perimeter of the first surface of the head. 
     
     
         10 . The oral care implement according to  claim 1  wherein each of the plurality of perimetric bristle tufts is wedge shaped. 
     
     
         11 . The oral care implement according to  claim 1  wherein the plurality of perimetric bristle tufts comprises at least eight wedge shaped bristle tufts. 
     
     
         12 . An oral care implement comprising:
 a head comprising a first surface;   a plurality of bristle tufts extending from the first surface of the head, the plurality of bristle tufts consisting of:
 a central bristle tuft; and 
 a plurality of perimetric bristle tufts, each of the plurality of perimetric bristle tufts being wedge shaped and comprising an outer edge having a first length measured in a circumferential direction and an inner edge having a second length measured in the circumferential direction, the first length being greater than the second length. 
   
     
     
         13 . The oral care implement according to  claim 12  wherein each of the plurality of perimetric bristle tufts comprises an inclined distal surface that slopes downward toward the central bristle tuft. 
     
     
         14 . The oral care implement according to  claim 12  wherein the head has a substantially elliptical outer shape in plan view. 
     
     
         15 . The oral care implement according to  claim 12  wherein the central bristle tuft has an elliptical shape in plan view having a major axis and a minor axis, the major axis extending along a longitudinal axis of the head. 
     
     
         16 . The oral care implement according to  claim 12  wherein no bristle tufts are located between the inner edges of the plurality of perimetric bristle tufts and an outer surface of the central bristle tuft. 
     
     
         17 . The oral care implement according to  claim 16  wherein the inner edge of each of the plurality of perimetric bristle tufts is immediately adjacent the central bristle tuft and the outer edge of each of the plurality of perimetric bristle tufts is immediately adjacent an outer perimeter of the first surface of the head.