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EP-4243651-B1 - ORAL CARE IMPLEMENT SYSTEM, AND RELATED METHOD

EP4243651B1EP 4243651 B1EP4243651 B1EP 4243651B1EP-4243651-B1

Inventors

  • JIMENEZ, EDUARDO
  • CUMMINGS, BRUCE
  • RIETHMILLER, RENEE MARIE

Dates

Publication Date
20260506
Application Date
20211101

Claims (12)

  1. An oral care system (1000) comprising: an oral care implement (100) having a handle component (110) and a refill head component (120) detachably coupled to the handle component (110); a stand (200) for the oral care implement (100), the stand (200) comprising: a body (210) comprising an annular upstanding wall (211) that extends from a bottom end (212) to a top edge (213), the body (210) defining a depression (217) that is configured to support the oral care implement (100) in an upright orientation when the stand (200) is positioned on a horizontal surface; and an engagement feature (202); characterized in that the engagement feature (202) comprises a first recess (220) and a second recess (221) formed into the top edge (213) of the body, wherein the refill head component (120) is configured to nest within the first and second recesses while in a horizontal orientation so that upon a user simultaneously applying a downward force onto the refill head component and an axial force onto the handle component (110), the handle component (110) detaches from the refill head component (120) and the refill head component (120) remains supported within the first and second recesses (220, 221) of the stand in the horizontal orientation.
  2. The oral care system (1000) according to claim 1 wherein the depression (217) is a cavity that is formed into the body (210).
  3. The oral care system (1000) according to claim 2 wherein the depression (217) extends from a floor (219) to an open top end (218).
  4. The oral care system (1000) according to any one of claims 1 to 3 wherein the first and second recesses (220, 221) are notches that extend downwardly from the top edge (213) of the annular upstanding wall (211).
  5. The oral care system (1000) according to any one of claims 1 to 4 wherein each of the first and second recesses (220, 221) are defined by an arcuate shaped floor (222).
  6. The oral care system (1000) according to any one of claims 1 to 5 wherein, the first and second recesses (220, 221) are aligned with one another along an axis that is orthogonal to a central axis of the depression (217).
  7. The oral care system (1000) according to any one of claims 1 to 6 wherein the body (210) is formed of an elastomeric gripping material.
  8. The oral care system (1000) according to claim 1 further comprising: the refill head component (120) comprising a proximal end (130) and a plurality of tooth cleaning elements (123) arranged in a tooth cleaning element field (124), the refill head component (120) having a length measured from the proximal end (130) of the refill head component (120) to a proximal end of the tooth cleaning element field (124); and wherein the stand (200) has an outer diameter (OD) measured along the top edge (213) that is smaller than the length of the refill head component (120).
  9. The oral care system (1000) according to claim 8 wherein the refill head component (120) is configured to nest within the first and second recesses (220, 221) in the top end (213) of the stand (200) while a proximal portion (135) and a distal portion (136) of the refill head component (120) protrude from an outer surface (215) of the stand (200), the distal portion (136) of the refill head component (120) comprising the plurality of tooth cleaning elements (123).
  10. A method of separating a refill head component (200) from a handle component (110) of an oral care implement (100) using the oral care system (1000) of any one of claims 1 to 9, the method comprising: a) positioning the oral care implement (100) in an upright position within a depression (217) of a body (210) of a stand (200); b) removing the oral care implement (100) from the depression (217) of the body (210) of the stand (200); c) positioning the oral care implement (100) in a horizontal orientation and translating the oral care implement (100) downwardly until a portion of the refill head component (120) nests within first and second recesses (220, 221) formed into a top edge (213) of the body (210) of the stand (200); and d) while applying a pressing force (Z) onto the refill head component (120) to press the refill head component (120) into contact with the stand (200), applying a pulling force (Y) to the handle component (110) until the refill head component (120) detaches from the handle component (110).
  11. The method according to claim 10 wherein the pressing force (Z) is substantially orthogonal to the pulling force (Y).
  12. The method according to any one of claims 10 to 11 further comprising: e) positioning the handle component (110) back in the depression (117) of the stand (200) in the upright position.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS The present application claims priority to United States Provisional Patent Application Serial No. 63/114,107, filed November 16, 2020. BACKGROUND Personal hygiene activities are notoriously difficult for people who suffer from loss of dexterity which may result from birth defects, arthritis, age, and other underlying health issues. For example, users with reduced dexterity may have difficulty holding and manipulating a toothbrush as it requires a tight grip on the handle of the toothbrush and rapid back-and-forth movements in order to adequately clean the teeth. Moreover, many toothbrushes are sold with a handle and a refill head that can be detached so that the refill head can be replaced while the user can continue using the same handle. This can save the user costs by only requiring the user to replace the refill head and not also the handle. However, persons with reduced dexterity may have difficulty separating the refill head from the handle. Thus, a need exists for an apparatus to assist a user in separating a refill head from a handle while also providing additional functions. EP 3 175 753 A1 discloses a toothbrush stand configured to hold a toothbrush and a number of toothbrush accessories. The toothbrush holder has a recess in the top plate and a recess in the front plate. GB 2 269 090 A discloses a toothbrush with a wall-mounted stand 2 for retaining the toothbrush in an upright position when it is not in use. The top edge of the wall-mounted stand is contiguous. DE 20 2018 004059 U1 discloses a holder for holding electric toothbrushes 8 that has at least one recess 3 configured to receive a charger. BRIEF SUMMARY According to the present invention, an oral care system and a method of separating a refill head component from a handle component of an oral care implement using the oral care system are set forth in the independent claims. The stand of the oral care system includes 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. In one aspect, a stand for an oral care implement has 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 engage the refill head component so that upon a user applying a force to the handle component, the refill head component detaches from the handle component. According to the invention, the oral care system comprises an oral care implement and a stand as noted above. In yet another embodiment, the invention may be a method of separating a refill head component from a handle component of an oral care implement using the oral care system, 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. 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 The present invention will become more fully understood from the detailed description and the accompanying drawings, wherein: FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an oral care system that includes an oral care implement and a stand;FIG. 2 is a bottom perspective view of the stand of FIG. 1;FIG. 3 is a front view of the stand of FIG. 1;FIG. 4 is a top plan view of the stand of FIG. 1;FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the oral care system of FIG. 1 with the oral care implement being supported by the stand in an upright orientation;FIG. 6 is a partial cross-sectional view taken along line VI-VI of FIG. 5FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the oral care system of FIG. 1 illustrating the oral care implement being detached from the stand;FIG. 8 is a perspective view of the oral care system of FIG. 1 illustrating a refill head component of the oral care implement positioned in a horizontal position and being engaged by an engagement feature of the stand;FIG. 9 is a perspective view of the oral care system of FIG. 8 whereby a force is applied onto a handle component of the oral care implement to detach the refill head component from the handle component; andFIG. 10 is a perspective view of a stand in accordance with an alternative embodiment of the present invention. DE