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 extending along a longitudinal axis from a distal end to a proximal end;   tooth cleaning elements extending from the first surface of the head, the tooth cleaning elements consisting of a bristle tuft group consisting of:
 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, each of the plurality of perimetric bristle tufts comprising a curved outer edge and a curved inner edge, the curved outer edges of the plurality of perimetric bristle tufts collectively forming a substantially elliptical shape having a major axis and a minor axis, the elliptical shape having a distal portion adjacent the distal end of the head and a proximal portion adjacent the proximal end of the head; 
 wherein each of the plurality of perimetric bristle tufts is wedge shaped where the curved outer edge has a first length measured in a circumferential direction and the curved inner edge has a second length measured in the circumferential direction, the first length being greater than the second length; 
 wherein each of the plurality of perimetric bristle tufts has a distal surface that slopes downward from the curved outer edge to the curved inner edge, the curved inner edge of each of the plurality of perimetric bristle tufts being adjacent the central bristle tuft; and 
 wherein the central bristle tuft has a first height and wherein the each of the plurality of perimetric bristle tufts has a second height measured along the curved outer edge and a curved third height measure along the inner edge, the first height being greater than the second height and less than the third height. 
   
     
     
         2 . The oral care implement according to  claim 1  wherein the curved inner edges of the plurality of perimetric bristle tufts are at least partially in contact with an inner reference ring that surrounds the central bristle tuft, and wherein the curved 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 an oval. 
     
     
         4 . The oral care implement according to  claim 1  wherein each curved inner edge of each of the plurality of perimetric bristle tufts is spaced apart from the central bristle tuft by a gap. 
     
     
         5 . The oral care implement according to  claim 4  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. 
     
     
         6 . The oral care implement according to  claim 1  further comprising a referenced axis extending from the head in a direction perpendicular to the first surface, the central bristle tuft having an outer surface that is parallel to the reference axis, and each of the perimetric bristle comprising further comprising an outer surface that is parallel to the reference axis. 
     
     
         7 . The oral care implement according to  claim 1  where each distal surface of each of the plurality of perimetric distal tufts has a non-linear slope. 
     
     
         8 . The oral care implement according to  claim 1  wherein no bristle tufts are located between the curved 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 curved 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 the plurality of perimetric bristle tufts comprises at least eight wedge shaped bristle tufts. 
     
     
         11 . The oral care implement according to  claim 1  wherein the major axis of the elliptical shape has a major axis length, the minor axis of the elliptical shape has a minor axis length, the major axis length less than twice the length of the minor axis length. 
     
     
         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 comprising a:
 a central bristle tuft; and 
 a plurality of perimetric bristle tufts circumferentially surrounding the central bristle tuft, each of the plurality of perimetric bristle tufts being wedge shaped and comprising a curved outer edge having a first length measured in a circumferential direction and a curved inner edge having a second length measured in the circumferential direction, the first length being greater than the second length; 
 wherein each of the plurality of perimetric bristle tufts has a distal surface that slopes downward from the curved outer edge to the curved inner edge, the curved inner edge of each of the plurality of perimetric bristle tufts being adjacent the central bristle tuft. 
   
     
     
         13 . The oral care implement according to  claim 12  wherein the head has a substantially elliptical outer shape in plan view. 
     
     
         14 . 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. 
     
     
         15 . The oral care implement according to  claim 12  wherein no bristle tufts are located between the curved inner edges of the plurality of perimetric bristle tufts and an outer surface of the central bristle tuft. 
     
     
         16 . The oral care implement according to  claim 12  wherein the inner edge of each of the plurality of perimetric bristle tufts is immediately adjacent the central bristle tuft and the curved outer edge of each of the plurality of perimetric bristle tufts is immediately adjacent an outer perimeter of the first surface of the head. 
     
     
         17 . An oral care implement comprising:
 a head comprising a first surface, the head having an 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 a curved inner edge adjacent to the central bristle tuft and a curved 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 curved outer edge is greater than a length of the curved inner edge;   wherein the central bristle tuft has a first height and wherein the each of the plurality of perimetric bristle tufts has a second height measured along the curved outer edge and a third height measure along the curved inner edge, the first height being greater than the second height and less than the third height.   
     
     
         18 . The oral care implement of  claim 17  wherein the central bristle tuft comprises nylon bristles. 
     
     
         19 . The oral care implement of  claim 18  wherein the first height of the central bristle tuft is an average height of each of the nylon bristles. 
     
     
         20 . The oral care implement of  claim 17  wherein each of the plurality perimetric bristle tufts comprises tapered bristles.