WO2015171133A1

WO2015171133A1 - Oral care system

Info

Publication number: WO2015171133A1
Application number: PCT/US2014/037154
Authority: WO
Inventors: Matthew Lee KOLB
Original assignee: Colgate-Palmolive Company
Priority date: 2014-05-07
Filing date: 2014-05-07
Publication date: 2015-11-12

Abstract

An oral care system and a method of applying an oral care material. In one embodiment, the invention is an oral care system including a handle and a head. The handle comprises a body portion having an internal cavity and an end cap that is detachably coupled to the body portion. The end cap has a cup cavity that is in spatial communication with the internal cavity of the body portion when the end cap is coupled to the body portion. The oral care system also includes a plurality of storage chambers on the handle, each of which contains a dose of an oral care material. Furthermore, each of the storage chambers is individually actuatable to release the dose of oral care material into the cup cavity.

Description

ORAL CARE SYSTEM

BACKGROUND

[0001] Toothbrushes and other oral care cleaning devices are typically used daily to clean a user's teeth and other oral surfaces. People are often trying to find new, better and more effective ways to clean their teeth by using specially developed oral care materials, such as tooth whitening compositions, tooth sensitivity agents, aphthous stomatitis relief agents and the like. However, it can often be difficult to remember to use these oral care materials, particularly when an individual is traveling away from home and must pack these oral care materials separately from his or her toothbrush or other oral cleaning device. Thus, a need exists for an oral care system that includes one or more oral care materials as an integral part of an oral cleaning device and that includes a simple to use dispensing feature.

BRIEF SUMMARY

[0002] Exemplary embodiments according to the present disclosure are directed to oral care systems having a handle and a head. The head has a plurality of oral engaging elements extending therefrom and the handle comprises a body portion and an end cap detachably coupled to the body portion. The end cap has a cup cavity that is in spatial communication with an internal cavity of the handle. The handle also has a plurality of storage chambers arranged thereon, each of which contains a dose of an oral care material. Each of the storage chambers is individually actuatable to release the dose of oral care material contained therein. When released, the dose of oral care material drops directly into the cup cavity. Other embodiments according to the present disclosure are directed to methods of applying an oral care material, as discussed below.

[0003] In one aspect, the invention can be an oral care system comprising: a handle extending from a proximal end to a distal end along a longitudinal axis; a head couple to the distal end of the handle; a plurality of oral surface engaging elements extending from the head; the handle comprising: a tubular body portion comprising an internal cavity and an opening forming a passageway into the internal cavity; an end cap comprising a cup cavity having an open top end and a closed bottom end, the end cap detachably coupled to the tubular body portion so as to enclose the opening such that the cup cavity is in spatial communication with the internal cavity; a plurality of storage chambers arranged on the handle, each of the plurality of storage chambers containing a dose of an oral care material; and wherein each of the plurality of storage chambers are individually actuatable to release the dose of the oral care material into the internal cavity and into the cap cavity.

[0004] In another aspect, the invention can be an oral care system comprising: a handle extending from a proximal end to a distal end along a longitudinal axis; a head couple to the distal end of the handle; a plurality of oral surface engaging elements extending from the head; the handle comprising: a body portion comprising an internal cavity and an opening forming a passageway into the internal cavity; an end cap comprising a cup cavity having an open top end and a closed bottom end, the end cap detachably coupled to the body portion so as to enclose the opening such that the cup cavity is in spatial communication with the internal cavity; a store of an oral care material in one of the handle or the head; and an actuator configured to release at least one dose of the oral care material from the store into the cup cavity.

[0005] In yet another embodiment, the invention can be a method of applying an oral care material comprising: a) actuating a storage chamber containing a dose of the oral care material to release the dose of the oral care material into an internal cavity of a tubular body portion of a handle of an oral care implement, the dose of the oral care material falling to rest in a cup cavity of an end cap that is detachably coupled to the tubular body portion; and b) detaching the end cap from the tubular body portion, the dose of the oral care material located within the cup cavity of the end cap.

[0006] Further areas of applicability of the present invention will become apparent from the detailed description provided hereinafter. It should be understood that the detailed description and specific examples, while indicating the preferred embodiment of the invention, are intended for purposes of illustration only and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0007] The present invention will become more fully understood from the detailed description and the accompanying drawings, wherein:

[0008] Figure 1 is a front perspective view of an oral care system including a handle and a head in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention;

[0009] Figure 2 is a front perspective view of the oral care system of FIG. 1 wherein an end cap of the handle is separated from a body portion of the handle; [0010] Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along line III-III of FIG. 1;

[0011] Figure 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along line IV-IV of FIG. 1 illustrating a storage chamber being actuated to release a dose of an oral care material;

[0012] Figure 5 is the cross-sectional view of FIG. 4 with the end cap of the handle separated from the body portion of the handle; and

[0013] Figure 6 is a cross-sectional view of the end cap with a volume of water and a dose of an oral care material contained within a cup cavity thereof.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0014] The following description of the preferred embodiment(s) is merely exemplary in nature and is in no way intended to limit the invention, its application, or uses.

[0015] The description of illustrative embodiments according to principles of the present invention is intended to be read in connection with the accompanying drawings, which are to be considered part of the entire written description. In the description of embodiments of the invention disclosed herein, any reference to direction or orientation is merely intended for convenience of description and is not intended in any way to limit the scope of the present invention. Relative terms such as "lower," "upper," "horizontal," "vertical," "above," "below," "up," "down," "top" and "bottom" as well as derivatives thereof (e.g., "horizontally," "downwardly," "upwardly," etc.) should be construed to refer to the orientation as then described or as shown in the drawing under discussion. These relative terms are for convenience of description only and do not require that the apparatus be constructed or operated in a particular orientation unless explicitly indicated as such. Terms such as "attached," "affixed," "connected," "coupled," "interconnected," and similar refer to a relationship wherein structures are secured or attached to one another either directly or indirectly through intervening structures, as well as both movable or rigid attachments or relationships, unless expressly described otherwise. Moreover, the features and benefits of the invention are illustrated by reference to the exemplified embodiments. Accordingly, the invention expressly should not be limited to such exemplary embodiments illustrating some possible non-limiting combination of features that may exist alone or in other combinations of features; the scope of the invention being defined by the claims appended hereto.

[0016] Referring first to Figures 1 and 2 concurrently, an oral care system 100 will be described in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. In the exemplified embodiment, the oral care system 100 comprises a manual toothbrush. However, in certain other embodiments the oral care system 100 can take on other forms such as comprising a powered toothbrush, a tongue scraper, a gum and soft tissue cleanser, a water pick, an interdental device, a tooth polisher, a specially designed ansate implement having tooth engaging elements or any other type of implement that is commonly used for oral care. Thus, it is to be understood that the inventive concepts discussed herein can be applied to any type of oral care implement unless a specific type of oral care implement is specified in the claims.

[0017] The oral care system 100 generally comprises a head 110, a handle 120, and a plurality of storage chambers 150. The handle 120 extends from a proximal end 121 to a distal end 122 along a longitudinal axis A- A. The handle 120 is an elongated structure that provides the mechanism by which the user can hold and manipulate the device during use. In the exemplified embodiment, the handle 120 is generically depicted having various contours for user comfort. Thus, the handle 120 can take on a wide variety of shapes, contours and configurations, none of which are limiting of the present invention unless so specified in the claims.

[0018] In the exemplified embodiment, the handle 120 is formed of a rigid plastic material, such as for example without limitation polymers and copolymers of ethylene, propylene, butadiene, vinyl compounds and polyesters such as polyethylene terephthalate. Of course, the invention is not to be so limited in all embodiments and the handle 120 may include a resilient material, such as a thermoplastic elastomer, as a grip cover that is molded over portions of or the entirety of the handle 120 to enhance the gripability of the handle 120 during use. For example, portions of the handle 120 that are typically gripped by a user's palm during use may be overmolded with a thermoplastic elastomer or other resilient material to further increase comfort to a user. Furthermore, materials other than those noted above can be used including metal, wood or any other desired material that has sufficient structural rigidity to permit a user to grip the handle 120 and manipulate the oral care system 100 during toothbrushing.

[0019] The head 110 of the oral care system 100 is coupled to the distal end 122 of the handle 120 and comprises a front surface 112 and an opposing rear surface 113. In the exemplified embodiment, the head 110 is formed integrally with the handle 120 as a single unitary structure using a molding, milling, machining or other suitable process. Thus, in certain embodiments the head 110 may be formed of any of the materials discussed above with regard to the handle 120. However, in other embodiments the handle 120 and the head 110 may be formed as separate components which are operably connected at a later stage of the manufacturing process by any suitable technique known in the art, including without limitation thermal or ultrasonic welding, a tight-fit assembly, a coupling sleeve, threaded engagement, adhesion, or fasteners.

[0020] The head 110 of the oral care system 100 may include a plurality of oral surface engaging elements extending therefrom. The oral surface engaging elements may be tooth cleaning elements, soft tissue cleaning elements, combinations of tooth and soft tissue cleaning elements or any other desired elements that may be used to engage and clean an oral surface of a user. In the exemplified embodiment, the head 110 of the oral care system 100 is provided with a plurality of tooth cleaning elements 111 extending from the front surface 112. Although in the exemplified embodiments the tooth cleaning elements 111 are generically illustrated as a block, the invention is not to be so limited and in certain embodiments the exact structure, pattern, orientation and material of the tooth cleaning elements 111 are not to be limiting of the present invention.

[0021] Thus, as used herein, the term "tooth cleaning elements" is used in a generic sense to refer to any structure that can be used to clean, polish or wipe the teeth and/or soft oral tissue (e.g. tongue, cheek, gums, etc.) through relative surface contact. Common examples of tooth cleaning elements include, without limitation, bristle tufts, filament bristles, fiber bristles, nylon bristles, spiral bristles, rubber bristles, elastomeric protrusions, flexible polymer protrusions, combinations thereof and/or structures containing such materials or combinations. Suitable elastomeric materials include any biocompatible resilient material suitable for uses in an oral hygiene apparatus. To provide optimum comfort as well as cleaning benefits, the elastomeric material of the tooth or soft tissue engaging elements has a hardness property in the range of A8 to A25 Shore hardness. One suitable elastomeric material is styrene-ethylene/butylene-styrene block copolymer (SEBS) manufactured by GLS Corporation. Nevertheless, SEBS material from other manufacturers or other materials within and outside the noted hardness range could be used.

[0022] The tooth cleaning elements 111 of the present invention can be connected to the head 110 in any manner known in the art. For example, staples/anchors, in-mold tufting (IMT) or anchor free tufting (AFT) could be used to mount the cleaning elements/tooth engaging elements. In certain embodiments, the invention can be practiced with various combinations of stapled, IMT or AFT bristles. In AFT, a plate or membrane is secured to the brush head such as by ultrasonic welding. The bristles extend through the plate or membrane. The free ends of the bristles on one side of the plate or membrane perform the cleaning function. The ends of the bristles on the other side of the plate or membrane are melted together by heat to be anchored in place. Any suitable form of cleaning elements may be used in the broad practice of this invention. Alternatively, the bristles could be mounted to tuft blocks or sections by extending through suitable openings in the tuft blocks so that the base of the bristles is mounted within or below the tuft block.

[0023] Although not illustrated herein, in certain embodiments the head 110 may also include a soft tissue cleanser coupled to or positioned on its rear surface 113. As noted above, such a soft tissue cleanser may also be considered an oral surface engaging element. An example of a suitable soft tissue cleanser that may be used with the present invention and positioned on the rear surface 113 of the head 110 is disclosed in U.S. Patent No. 7,143,462, issued December 5, 2006 to the assignee of the present application, the entirety of which is hereby incorporated by reference. In certain other embodiments, the soft tissue cleanser may include protuberances, which can take the form of elongated ridges, nubs, or combinations thereof. Of course, the invention is not to be so limited and in certain embodiments the oral care system 100 may not include any soft tissue cleanser.

[0024] The handle 120 generally comprises a body portion 123 and an end cap 124 that is detachably coupled to the body portion 123 as discussed below. In the exemplified embodiment, the body portion 123 is tubular in shape, and may be referred to herein as a tubular body portion. The tubular shape of the body portion 123 may include any polygonal cross-sectional shape such that the body portion 123 is not limited to being cylindrical in shape but may be triangular, cube- shaped, spherical, hexagonal prism shaped, conical, pyramidal, or the like. The body portion 123 comprises a connector portion 125 for coupling the body portion 123 to the end cap 124. In the exemplified embodiment, the connector portion 125 is a male threaded connector and the end cap 124 has internal female threads 135 (see FIG. 5) that facilitate the coupling between the body portion 123 and the end cap 124. Of course, the invention is not limited to a threaded connection between the body portion 123 and the end cap 124 and in other embodiments the connection may be a snap-fit, interference fit, tight-fit, coupling sleeve, fasteners, hook-and-loop, recess/protrusion, lock-and-key, pop and twist, or the like. [0025] Referring to FIGS. 2, 4 and 5 concurrently, the oral care system 100 will be further described. The body portion 123 of the handle 120 comprises an inner surface 128 that defines an internal cavity 126. Furthermore, the body portion 123 comprises an opening 127 that forms a passageway into the internal cavity 126. In the exemplified embodiment, the opening 127 is defined by the distal end of the connector portion 125 of the body portion 123 of the handle 120.

[0026] The end cap 124 has an open top end 137 and a closed bottom end 138 that forms the proximal end 121 of the handle 120. Furthermore, the end cap 124 has an inner surface 129 that defines a cup cavity 130. The open top end 137 forms a passageway into the cup cavity 130. When the end cap 124 is coupled to the body portion 123, such as by screwing the end cap 124 onto the connector portion 125 of the body portion 123, the cup cavity 130 of the end cap 124 is in spatial communication with the internal cavity 126 of the body portion 123. Furthermore, when the end cap 124 is coupled to the body portion 123, the end cap 124 encloses the opening 127 into the internal cavity 126. Thus, with the end cap 124 coupled to the body portion 123, the handle 120 has a continuous cavity or empty space that is formed collectively by the internal cavity 126 of the body portion 123 and the cup cavity 130 of the end cap 124.

[0027] In the exemplified embodiment, the end cap 124 has an outer surface 131 that has the same diameter as an outer surface 132 of the body portion 123. Thus, when the end cap 124 is coupled to the body portion 123, a continuous and seamless transition between the end cap 124 and the body portion 123 is created such that there are no sharp edges, bumps or the like in the transition region between the end cap 124 and the body portion 123 of the handle 120. This seamless transition between the end cap 124 and the body portion 123 adds to user comfort during handling of the handle 120 by preventing the formation of sharp edges that could dig into the user's hand. When coupled to the body portion 123, the end cap 124 forms a proximal-most portion 133 of the handle 120. Furthermore, in the exemplified embodiment the end cap 124 comprises a dome-shaped outer surface. Thus, as discussed above, the dome-shaped outer surface 131 of the end cap 124 forms a continuous surface with the outer surface 132 of the body portion 123 of the handle 120.

[0028] Referring now to FIGS. 3-5 concurrently, the oral care system 100 will be further described. As noted above, in the exemplified embodiment the oral care system 100 includes a plurality of storage chambers 150, only some of which are labeled in the figures in order to avoid clutter. In the exemplified embodiment, the storage chambers 150 are arranged on the handle 120. However, the invention is not to be so limited in all embodiments and in certain other embodiments the storage chambers 150 may be arranged on the head 110 or on both the head 110 and the handle 120. Furthermore, in the exemplified embodiment the storage chambers 150 are arranged in a random manner on the handle 120. However, in other embodiments the storage chambers 150 may be arranged in rows and columns if desired.

[0029] In the exemplified embodiment, each of the storage chambers 150 contains a dose of an oral care material 151. Of course, in other embodiments each of the storage chambers 150 may include more than one dose of an oral care material 151 or may include more than one different type of oral care material as desired to achieve particular oral health benefits. Furthermore, in the exemplified embodiment the oral care material 151 appears to be in pill or tablet form. However, the invention is not to be so limited in all embodiments and in certain other embodiments the oral care material 151 may be in powder form, in liquid form, or the oral care material 151 may generally be a water soluble oral care material. In some embodiments, the oral care material 151 may be a water soluble oral care material and be in any one of the pill/tablet, powder or liquid forms as noted above. Furthermore, it should be appreciated that the liquid form of the oral care material 151 may include a gel or paste in some embodiments.

[0030] The oral care material 151 may be any material that provides desired oral health benefits to a user. Specifically, in certain embodiments the oral care material may be a dentifrice for use in general everyday tooth cleaning. In other embodiments, the oral care material may be a tooth whitening agent, such as peroxide containing tooth whitening compositions. Other contemplated oral care materials 151 that can be stored in the storage chambers 150 include, for example without limitation, antibacterial agents; oxidative or whitening agents; enamel strengthening or repair agents; tooth erosion preventing agents; tooth sensitivity ingredients; gum health actives; nutritional ingredients; tartar control or anti-stain ingredients; enzymes; sensate ingredients; flavors or flavor ingredients; breath freshening ingredients; oral malodor reducing agents; anti- attachment agents or sealants; diagnostic solutions; occluding agents, dry mouth relief ingredients; catalysts to enhance the activity of any of these agents; colorants or aesthetic ingredients; and combinations thereof. In certain embodiments the oral care material is free of (i.e., is not) toothpaste. Instead, the oral care material in such embodiments is intended to provide benefits in addition to merely brushing one's teeth. Furthermore, in other embodiments the oral care material can be a natural ingredient, such as for example without limitation, lotus seed; lotus flower, bamboo salt; jasmine; corn mint; camellia; aloe; gingko; tea tree oil; xylitol; sea salt; vitamin C; ginger; cactus; baking soda; pine tree salt; green tea; white pearl; black pearl; charcoal powder; nephrite or jade and Ag/Au+.

[0031] In certain embodiments, several different oral care materials 151 may be stored in the different storage chambers 150. Thus, the oral care system 100 may include one or more storage chambers 150 containing a dentifrice, one or more storage chambers 150 containing a whitening composition, one or more storage chambers 150 containing a tooth sensitivity agent, one or more storage chambers 150 containing a natural ingredient, and so on. Stated another way, one or more storage chambers 150 may contain a first oral care material, one or more storage chambers 150 may contain a second oral care material, and one or more storage chambers may contain a third oral care material (and so on) such that the first, second and third oral care materials are different.

[0032] As noted above, in certain embodiments each of the storage chambers 150 may include a dose of the oral care material 151. Thus, the pill, tablet, powder or liquid that is located within each one of the storage chambers 150 may equate to a single dose of the desired oral care material. A dose is an amount of the oral care material 151 that is intended to be taken at one time, or a measured quantity of a therapeutic or beneficial agent that is intended to be taken at one time. Thus, during use of the oral care system 100 it may be desirable to release one dose of the oral care material 151 for use. Release of a single dose of the oral care material 151 is simplified using the inventive oral care system 100 disclosed herein, as discussed in more detail below.

[0033] Furthermore, although in the exemplified embodiment the oral care system 100 includes a plurality of the storage chambers 150, in other embodiments the oral care system 100 may simply include a store of an oral care material in one of the handle 120 or the head 110. Specifically, in one embodiment the internal cavity 126 of the handle 120 may form a reservoir for storing a store of an oral care material. Thus, rather than having several separately actuatable storage chambers, the oral care system 100 may include a single chamber (or reservoir) and the oral care system 100 may be capable of dispensing the oral care material to the cup cavity 130 in desired dose amounts. Specifically, in one such embodiment, the oral care system 100 may include an actuator configured to release at least one dose of the oral care material from the store and into the cup cavity 130. For example without limitation, the actuator may be a button that actuates a pump to pump at least one dose of the oral care material from the reservoir or store directly into the cup cavity 130. After the at least one dose of the oral care material is pumped into the cup cavity 130, the end cap 124 can be used as discussed herein below to facilitate use of the dose of the oral care material to achieve oral health benefits.

[0034] Referring still to FIGS. 3-5, each of the storage chambers 150 comprises a compressible dome 152 and a rupturable floor 153. Furthermore, as depicted in the exemplified embodiment, the rupturable floors 153 of the plurality of storage chambers 150 are formed by a single sheet of a first material. As also illustrated in the exemplified embodiment, the compressible domes 152 of the plurality of storage chambers 150 are formed by a single thermo formed sheet of a second material. More specifically, in certain embodiments for each of the plurality of storage chambers 150 the rupturable floor 153 is a foil and the compressible dome 152 is a plastic film. Thus, during use as will be described in more detail below with reference solely to FIGS. 4 and 5, a user can compress the compressible dome 152 and force the oral care material 151 to puncture the rupturable floor 153 when it is desired to use the oral care material 151 for oral care health benefits.

[0035] The body portion 123 of the handle 120 comprises a plurality of apertures 136 extending therethrough from the outer surface 132 of the body portion 123 to the inner surface 128 of the body portion 123. Each of the apertures 136 forms a passageway through the body portion 123 of the handle 120 from the external environment and into the internal cavity 126. Furthermore, the compressible dome 152 of each of the storage chambers 150 extends through one of the apertures 136 in the body portion 123 of the handle 120 and protrudes from the outer surface 132 of the handle 120. Thus, each of the compressible domes 152 is exposed and accessible to a user so that the user can compress the compressible domes 152 to force the release of the oral care material 150 contained within that particular storage chamber 150.

[0036] As noted above, the collection of the compressible domes 152 may be formed by a single thermoformed sheet of material. In such an embodiment, the sheet of material may include internal sheet portions 154 that are positioned within the internal cavity 126 and adjacent to (or in surface contact with) the inner surface 128 of the body portion 123 of the handle 120. The thermoformed sheet of material may be a single layer sheet that has straight portions that form the internal sheet portions 154 and dome-shaped portions that form the compressible domes 152. Furthermore, as noted above the rupturable floors 153 may be formed collectively by a single sheet of a material such as foil. In the exemplified embodiment, this single sheet of foil is positioned adjacent to and in surface contact with the internal sheet portions 154 of the thermo formed sheet of material that forms the compressible domes 152 so as to enclose the oral care material 151 within the storage chambers 150 that are formed by the compressible domes

152 and the rupturable floors 153. Thus, in the exemplified embodiment the storage chambers

150 are formed between the dome-shaped portions of the thermoformed sheet and the foil. It should be appreciated that the combination of the compressible domes 152, the rupturable floors

153 and the storage chambers 150 forms a type of blister pack (such as those used for unit-dose packaging) or push-through-pack (PTP).

[0037] In the embodiment exemplified in FIG. 3, the foil that forms the rupturable floors 153 and the thermoformed plastic that forms the compressible domes 152 appears to cover an entirety of the inner surface 128 of the body portion 123 of the handle 120. However, the invention is not to be so limited in all embodiments and in certain other embodiments the foil and the thermoformed plastic may only cover the portions of the inner surface of the body portion 123 of the handle 120 that are near to or that surround the apertures 136 in order to reduce the costs of materials.

[0038] Referring to FIGS. 4 and 5 concurrently, the use of the oral care system 100 to release the oral care material 151 from the storage chambers 150 will be described. In the exemplified embodiment, each of the storage chambers 150 is individually actuatable to release the dose of the oral care material 151 that is contained within that particular storage chamber. In FIGS. 4 and 5, the storage chamber 150 nearest to the end cap 124 on the left viewing side of the handle 120 is illustrated after having been actuated. Thus, the use of the oral care system 100 will be described herein with reference to the storage chamber 150 nearest to the end cap 124 on the left viewing side of the handle 120, it being understood that each of the other storage chambers 150 may be individually actuated in the same manner as discussed herein.

[0039] In order to actuate the storage chamber 150 to release the dose of the oral care material

151 contained therein, a user will press the compressible dome 152 of the storage chamber 150 in the direction of the arrow B (in a direction normal to the longitudinal axis A-A and towards the internal cavity 126). Upon pressing the compressible dome 152 of the storage chamber 150 in the direction of the arrow B, the oral care material 151 contained within the storage chamber 150 will be pressed against the rupturable floor 153 of that storage chamber 150. Additional pressure in the direction of the arrow B will result in the oral care material 151 puncturing the rupturable floor 152 so as to create an opening in the rupturable floor 152 which forms a passageway from the storage chamber 150 into the internal cavity 126. In FIGS. 4 and 5, the rupturable floor 152 of the storage chamber 150 nearest to the end cap 124 on the left viewing side of the handle 120 is depicted after being punctured.

[0040] Continued pressure against the compressible dome 152 in the direction of the arrow B will result in the dose of oral care material 151 passing through the opening that was previously formed in the punctured rupturable floor 152 and into the internal cavity 126. Upon entering into the internal cavity 126, as a result of gravity the dose of the oral care material 151 will fall downwardly within the internal cavity 126 until it comes to rest within the cup cavity 130 within the end cap 124. Specifically, due to gravity and the spatial communication between the cup cavity 130 of the end cap 124 and the internal cavity 126 of the body portion 123 of the handle 120, upon being released from the storage chamber 150 the dose of the oral care material 151 will fall, flow or otherwise move towards and come to rest within the cup cavity 130.

[0041] The above is possible due to the compressible dome 152 being formed of a compressible material, such as a thermo formed plastic. More specifically, the compressible dome 152 may be formed of a thin gauge thermo formed plastic, which enables the compressible dome 152 to be compressed inwardly in the direction of the internal cavity 126. As can be seen in FIGS. 4 and 5, after the compressible dome 152 is compressed to the point where the rupturable floor 153 ruptures, the compressible dome 152 becomes deformed and remains in that deformed state. Thus, in certain embodiments the compressible dome 152 will not bias back into its undeformed state. This provides a benefit in enabling a user to readily see which of the compressible domes 152 have already been actuated and which of the compressible domes 152 remain unactuated such that they can still be actuated to release an oral care material. This will also enable a user to plan ahead when it is needed to purchase a new oral care system 100 such as when most of the compressible domes 152 have already been actuated, which can be readily determined by viewing the compressible domes 152.

[0042] In certain embodiments the material that forms the compressible dome 152 of the storage chambers 150 should be rigid and strong enough to ensure that the compressible domes 152 are not compressed so as to release the oral care material 151 contained within the storage chambers 150 during normal toothbrushing or oral hygiene activities. Specifically, a user's normal grip on the handle 120 during toothbrushing, flossing, tongue cleaning or the like should not compress any of the compressible domes 152 to the point of actuating storage chambers 150. Thus, the compressible dome 152 should be of sufficient rigidity to ensure that purposeful depressing of the compressible dome 152 is required to release the oral care material 151 from the storage chambers 150.

[0043] After being located within the cup cavity 130, the user can detach the end cap 124 from the body portion 123 of the handle 120. In the exemplified embodiment the end cap 124 may be detached from the body portion 123 of the handle 120 by twisting the end cap 124 relative to the body portion 123. However, when coupling techniques other than threaded screws are used, a user may detach or separate the end cap 124 from the body portion 123 in other manners, such as by pulling the end cap 124 and the body portion 123 in opposite directions, twisting the end cap 124 relative to the body portion 123 to align a lock on one of the end cap 124 or the body portion 123 with a key on the other one of the end cap 124 or the body portion 123, or the like.

[0044] As can be seen in FIG. 5, after the end cap 124 is detached from the body portion 123, the dose of the oral care material 151 remains located within the cup cavity 130. In the exemplified embodiment, the dose of the oral care material 151 is contained in a single tablet or pill. Of course, as noted above the dose of the oral care material 151 may be an amount of a powder or a volume of a liquid or gel-type material. Furthermore, although in the exemplified embodiment the dose of the oral care material 151 was retrieved from one of the storage chambers 150, in other embodiments the dose of the oral care material 151 may be retrieved from a common reservoir and caused to flow into the cup cavity 130 such as by a pumping action as discussed above.

[0045] The inventive oral care system 100 is advantageous in that it is very easy to keep track of the oral care material 151 and very difficult to lose the oral care material 151. Without the end cap 124 forming the cup cavity 130 for capturing the oral care material 151 after its release from the storage chamber 150, the oral care material 151 would be loose within the internal cavity 126 of the body portion 123 of the handle 124 and may easily become lost or fall into the sink and be unable to be recovered. Thus, using the end cap 124 as a cup feature for capturing the oral care material 151 ensures that the oral care material 151 will not be lost or fall into the sink after its release from the storage chamber 150. [0046] After the end cap 124 is detached from the body portion 123 of the handle 120 with the dose of the oral care material 151 therein, the user can in some embodiments simply swallow the dose of the oral care material 151 to obtain certain oral health (or other) benefits. Thus, it should be appreciated that in certain embodiments the "oral care material 151" may be any type of pill that is used to treat a user's health, such as an antibiotic pill, a vitamin, or the like.

[0047] Referring now to FIGS. 5 and 6, the oral care system 100 will be further described. In certain embodiments, the end cap 124 can be used as a type of cup in which the oral care material 151 dissolves. Thus, in certain embodiments an amount of water 140 may be poured into the cup cavity 130 after the end cap 124 having the oral care material 151 therein is removed from the body portion 123 of the handle 120. In that regard, the end cap 124 is formed of a solid, non-porous material and is free of openings or holes (other than the opening in the top end thereof) so as to be capable of retaining water and other liquids within the cup cavity 130. Upon filling the cup cavity 130 with the oral care material 151 therein with water 140, the oral care material 151 will begin to dissolve in the water to create an oral care solution. Thus, the cup cavity 130 may contain an oral care solution and the end cap 124 may form a cup or holder for the oral care solution.

[0048] During hygienic activities, a user may dip the oral surface engaging elements 111 into the oral care solution to then apply the oral care solution to the user's teeth and other oral surfaces. This can be accomplished by dipping bristles of a toothbrush into the oral care solution and then applying the oral care solution to the user's teeth, dipping a tongue cleaner of a toothbrush (or tongue cleaning device) into the oral care solution and then applying the oral care solution to a user's oral surface (e.g., teeth, tongue, gums, cheek), dipping a strand of floss into the oral care solution and then flossing with the strand of floss, or the like. Alternatively, the oral care solution can be poured onto the oral surface engaging elements 111 to achieve the same result. It may be desirable, in some embodiments, for the bottom end of the end cap 124 to have a squared-off shape (or straight edge) so that the end cap 124 can rest freely on a horizontal surface (such as a countertop) to render both hands of the user free to use the device with the oral surface engaging elements for dipping and cleaning of the oral surfaces.

[0049] Still referring to FIGS. 5 and 6, in the exemplified embodiment the end cap 124 comprises a measurement indicia 156. Specifically, in the exemplified embodiment the inner surface 129 of the end cap 124 that defines the cup cavity 130 is marked with indicia lines "1" and "2." Thus, in this embodiment the measurement indicia 156 represent a volume of water corresponding to a number of the doses of the oral care material 151 that are present in the cup cavity 130. Thus, if there is a single dose of the oral care material 151 present in the cup cavity 130, a user may fill the cup cavity 130 with water up to the line marked as "1" to ensure that a sufficient amount of the water 140 is being added to the cup cavity 130 to properly dissolve the single dose of the oral care material 151. Alternatively, if there is a double dose (i.e., two doses) of the oral care material 151 present in the cup cavity 130, a user may fill the cup cavity 130 with water up to the line marked as "2" to ensure that a sufficient amount of the water 140 is being added to the cup cavity 130 to properly dissolve the two doses of the oral care material 151. In this manner, a user can ensure that enough water (and also not too much water) is positioned into the cup cavity 130 to sufficiently dissolve the oral care material 151 in the water 140. In certain embodiments, the cup cavity 130 has a volume sufficient to hold an amount of water sufficient to completely dissolve at least one of the doses of the oral care material 151. However, in the exemplified embodiment the cup cavity 130 has a volume sufficient to hold an amount of water sufficient to completely dissolve two or more doses of the oral care material 151.

[0050] In certain embodiments there may be a sufficient number of the storage chambers 150 and a sufficient amount of the oral care material 151 to ensure that it lasts during the life cycle of the oral surface engaging elements 111. In certain embodiments, when the oral surface engaging elements are toothbrush bristles, the life cycle of the device may be approximately three months. In such embodiments, the number of storage chambers 150 may be sufficient to last for the three months, such that if the oral care material 151 is intended to be used once daily, there will be ninety of the storage chambers 150 or if the oral care material 151 is intended to be used each time a user uses the device, there may be one-hundred eighty of the storage chambers 150. Thus, upon depleting all of the storage chambers 150 of the oral care material 151, a user will know that it is time to dispose of and replace the device.

[0051] As used throughout, ranges are used as shorthand for describing each and every value that is within the range. Any value within the range can be selected as the terminus of the range. In addition, all references cited herein are hereby incorporated by referenced in their entireties. In the event of a conflict in a definition in the present disclosure and that of a cited reference, the present disclosure controls.

Claims

CLAIMS WHAT IS CLAIMED IS:

1. An oral care system comprising: a handle extending from a proximal end to a distal end along a longitudinal axis; a head coupled to the distal end of the handle; a plurality of oral surface engaging elements extending from the head; the handle comprising: a tubular body portion comprising an internal cavity and an opening forming a passageway into the internal cavity; an end cap comprising a cup cavity having an open top end and a closed bottom end, the end cap detachably coupled to the tubular body portion so as to enclose the opening such that the cup cavity is in spatial communication with the internal cavity; a plurality of storage chambers arranged on the handle, each of the plurality of storage chambers containing a dose of an oral care material; and wherein each of the plurality of storage chambers are individually actuatable to release the dose of the oral care material into the internal cavity and into the cup cavity.

2. The oral care system according to claim 1 wherein each of the plurality of storage chambers are defined by a compressible dome and a rupturable floor; and wherein for each of the plurality of storage chambers, the compressible dome extends through an aperture in the tubular body portion of the handle and protrudes from an outer surface of the handle, and the rupturable floor is located within the internal cavity.

3. The oral care system according to claim 2 wherein for each of the plurality of storage chambers, the rupturable floor is a foil and the compressible dome is a plastic film.

4. The oral care system according to any one of claims 2 to 3 wherein the rupturable floors of the plurality of storage chambers are formed by a single sheet of a first material and the compressible domes of the plurality of storage chambers are formed by a single thermoformed sheet of a second material.

5. The oral care system according to any one of claims 1 to 4 wherein the oral care material is a water soluble oral care material.

6. The oral care system according to any one of claims 1 to 5 wherein the oral care material is in pill form.

7. The oral care system according to any one of claims 1 to 5 wherein the oral care material is in powder form.

8. The oral care system according to any one of claims 1 to 5 wherein the oral care material is in liquid form.

9. The oral care system according to any one of claims 1 to 8 wherein the cup cavity has a volume sufficient to hold an amount of water sufficient to completely dissolve at least one of the doses of the oral care material.

10. The oral care system according to any one of claims 1 to 9 wherein the end cap comprises measurement indicia.

11. The oral care system according to claim 10 wherein the measurement indicia represent a volume of water corresponding to a number of the doses of the oral care material.

12. The oral care system according to any one of claims 1 to 11 wherein the end cap forms a proximal-most portion of the handle.

13. The oral care system according to claim 12 wherein the end cap comprises a dome- shaped outer surface.

14. The oral care system according to claim 13 wherein the dome-shaped outer surface forms a continuous surface with the outer surface of the tubular body portion.

15. An oral care system comprising: a handle extending from a proximal end to a distal end along a longitudinal axis; a head coupled to the distal end of the handle; a plurality of oral surface engaging elements extending from the head; the handle comprising: a body portion comprising an internal cavity and an opening forming a passageway into the internal cavity; an end cap comprising a cup cavity having an open top end and a closed bottom end, the end cap detachably coupled to the body portion so as to enclose the opening such that the cup cavity is in spatial communication with the internal cavity; a store of an oral care material in one of the handle or the head; and an actuator configured to release at least one dose of the oral care material from the store into the cup cavity.

16. The oral care system of claim 15 wherein the store of oral care material is arranged on the handle.

17. The oral care system of any one of claims 15 to 16 wherein the cup cavity has a volume sufficient to hold an amount of water sufficient to completely dissolve the at least one dose of the oral care material; wherein the end cap comprises measurement indicia; and wherein the measurement indicia represent a volume of water corresponding to a number of the at least one doses of the oral care material.

18. A method of applying an oral care material comprising: a) actuating a storage chamber containing a dose of the oral care material to release the dose of the oral care material into an internal cavity of a tubular body portion of a handle of an oral care implement, the dose of the oral care material falling to rest in a cup cavity of an end cap that is detachably coupled to the tubular body portion; and b) detaching the end cap from the tubular body portion, the dose of the oral care material located within the cup cavity of the end cap.

19. The method according to claim 18 further comprising: c) providing water into the cup cavity while the dose of the oral care material is in the cup cavity. The method according to claim 19 wherein the oral care material is water soluble, and wherein step c) further comprises the dose of oral care material completely dissolving in the water.