Stand for an Oral Care Implement, Oral Care Implement System Including the Same, and Related Method

Abstract

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. The support feature may be a depression or cavity formed in the stand, and the engagement feature may be one or more recesses or notches formed into a top edge of the stand.

1 . 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 support the refill head component in a horizontal orientation so that upon a user simultaneously applying a pressing force onto the refill head component and a pulling force onto the handle component, the handle component detaches from the refill head component and the refill head component remains supported by the engagement feature of the stand in the horizontal orientation.   
     
     
         2 . The stand according to  claim 1  further comprising:
 a body; and 
 each of the support feature and the engagement feature formed in the body. 
 
     
     
         3 . The stand according to  claim 2  wherein the support feature comprises a depression having an open top end, the depression sized and shaped to receive a bottom portion of the handle component. 
     
     
         4 . The stand according to  claim 3  wherein the depression is defined by an annular upstanding wall of the body. 
     
     
         5 . The stand according to  claim 4  wherein the engagement feature comprises at least one recess in a top edge of the upstanding wall of the body. 
     
     
         6 . The stand according to  claim 5  wherein the engagement feature comprises a first recess in the top edge of the upstanding wall of the body and a second recess in the top edge of the upstanding wall of the body, the first and second recesses aligned with one another along an axis that is orthogonal to a central axis of the depression. 
     
     
         7 . The stand according to  claim 6  wherein the body comprises a bottom surface that is orthogonal to the central axis of the depression. 
     
     
         8 . The stand according to  claim 2  wherein the body is formed of an elastomeric gripping material. 
     
     
         9 . An oral care system comprising:
 the oral care implement having the handle component and the refill head component detachably coupled to the handle component; and   the stand according to  claim 1 .   
     
     
         10 . The oral care system according to  claim 9  further comprising:
 the refill head component comprising a proximal end and a plurality of tooth cleaning elements arranged in a tooth cleaning element field, the refill head component having a length measured from the proximal end of the refill head to a proximal end of the tooth cleaning element field; and 
 wherein the stand comprises a body comprising a top end and first and second recesses in the top end, the first and second recesses configured to receive a portion of the refill head component, and wherein the stand has an outer diameter measured along the top end that is smaller than the length of the refill head. 
 
     
     
         11 . The oral care system according to  claim 10  wherein the refill head component is configured to nest within the first and second recesses in the top end of the stand while a proximal portion and a distal portion of the refill head component protrude from an outer surface of the stand, the distal portion of the refill head comprising the plurality of tooth cleaning elements. 
     
     
         12 . 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.   
     
     
         13 . The method according to  claim 12  wherein step b) further comprises pressing the refill head component into contact with the stand. 
     
     
         14 . The method according to  claim 13  wherein step c) further comprises maintaining the refill head component in pressurized contact with the stand during the application of the pulling force. 
     
     
         15 . The method according to  claim 14  wherein the pressurized contact is achieved by applying a pressing force in a first direction that is substantially orthogonal to the pulling force. 
     
     
         16 . The method according to  claim 12  further comprising:
 d) positioning the handle component back in the stand in the upright position. 
 
     
     
         17 . The method according to  claim 12  wherein step b) comprises inserting the refill head component into one or more recesses formed in a top edge of an annular wall of the stand.