Oral Care Implement

Abstract

An oral care implement which incorporates a head detachably coupled to a handle. The head has a neck portion and a head portion. The head portion has a laminate construction whereby a base structure is encapsulated by a sheet structure and a guard structure. A plurality of bristle tufts extend from a front surface of the sheet structure, the bristle tufts formed of a plurality of filament bristles. The base structure may be a material having a greater vibration transmissibility which is plastically deformable to form a desired head shape.

1 . An oral care implement comprising:
 a handle; and   a head detachably coupled to the handle, the head comprising:   a neck portion; and   a head portion coupled to the neck portion, the head portion comprising:   a base structure;   a sheet structure in contact with the base structure, the sheet structure comprising a front surface, a rear surface, and a plurality of bristle tufts extending from the front surface of the sheet structure; and   a guard structure, the guard structure comprising a front surface and a rear surface, the front surface of the guard structure joined to at least a portion of the rear surface of the sheet structure to encapsulate the base structure between the sheet structure and the guard structure.   
     
     
         2 . The oral care implement of  claim 1  wherein the sheet structure comprises an elastomeric material. 
     
     
         3 . The oral care implement of  claim 1  wherein the guard structure comprises an elastomeric material. 
     
     
         4 . The oral care implement of  claim 1  wherein the sheet structure and the guard structure each comprise a perimeter portion, the sheet structure and the guard structure joined along their respective perimeter portions. 
     
     
         5 .- 8 . (canceled) 
     
     
         9 . The oral care implement of  claim 1  wherein the base structure comprises a front surface and a rear surface, an entirety of the front surface of the base structure joined to the rear surface of the sheet structure and an entirety of the rear surface of the base structure joined to the front surface of the guard structure. 
     
     
         10 . The oral care implement of  claim 1  wherein the plurality of bristle tufts of the sheet structure are formed of a plurality of filament bristles. 
     
     
         11 . The oral care implement of  claim 1  wherein the base structure is metallic. 
     
     
         12 . The oral care implement of  claim 1  wherein the base structure is formed of sheet metal. 
     
     
         13 . The oral care implement of  claim 1  wherein the head portion extends along an arcuate path. 
     
     
         14 . The oral care implement of  claim 1  wherein the head portion comprises a concave wall and a plurality of fingers extending from the wall, wherein the plurality of fingers each comprise a horizontal portion extending from the wall along a horizontal plane, and wherein each of the plurality of fingers comprise a bend and a tip portion, the tip portion of the fingers diverging from the horizontal plane at the bend. 
     
     
         15 .- 20 . (canceled) 
     
     
         21 . The oral care implement of  claim 14  wherein the base structure extends to a tip portion of each of the plurality of fingers. 
     
     
         22 . A head of an oral care implement comprising:
 a neck portion; and   a head portion coupled to the neck portion, the head portion comprising:   a base structure;   a sheet structure in contact with the base structure, the sheet structure comprising a front surface, a rear surface, and a plurality of bristle tufts extending from the front surface of the sheet structure; and   a guard structure, the guard structure contacting a portion of the rear surface of the sheet structure and a rear surface of the base structure.   
     
     
         23 . The head of  claim 22  wherein the sheet structure comprises an elastomeric material. 
     
     
         24 . The head of  claim 22  wherein the guard structure comprises an elastomeric material. 
     
     
         25 .- 29 . (canceled) 
     
     
         30 . The head of  claim 22  wherein the base structure comprises a front surface and a rear surface, an entirety of the front surface of the base structure in contact with a rear surface of the sheet structure and an entirety of the rear surface of the base structure in contact with a front surface of the guard structure. 
     
     
         31 . The head of  claim 22  wherein the plurality of bristle tufts of the sheet structure are formed of a plurality of filament bristles. 
     
     
         32 . (canceled) 
     
     
         33 . The head of  claim 22  wherein the base structure is formed of sheet metal. 
     
     
         34 .- 42 . (canceled) 
     
     
         43 . A method of manufacturing an oral care implement comprising:
 a) providing a sheet structure, the sheet structure comprising a plurality of bristle tufts extending from a front surface of the sheet structure; and   b) encapsulating a base structure between the sheet structure and a guard structure to form a head portion.   
     
     
         44 .- 48 . (canceled) 
     
     
         49 . The method of  claim 43  wherein, prior to step b), a step of assembling comprises securing a connector to the base structure. 
     
     
         50 . The method of  claim 49  wherein, subsequent to step b), the connector is coupled to a neck portion of the oral care implement. 
     
     
         51 .- 210 . (canceled)