Abstract: An oral care implement having a tissue cleaning pad. In one aspect, the oral care implement includes a head having a front surface and an opposite rear surface. A plurality of tooth cleaning elements extend from the front surface of the head. A tissue cleaning pad is positioned on the rear surface of the head. The tissue cleaning pad has a planar top surface bounded by a perimetric edge and a plurality of protrusions extending from the planar top surface. The perimetric edge of the planar top surface of the tissue cleaning pad has a first portion that is flush with the rear surface of the head and a second portion that is raised relative to the rear surface of the head.

Abstract: An oral care device such as an oral care implement or a toothbrush. The oral care device may include a handle and a head. The head may have a plurality of cleaning elements extending therefrom. The head may comprise an open space or cavity. A plurality of electrodes may be located within the open space or cavity. The electrodes may be coupled to a voltage source. The electrodes may be used to generate a chemical agent via the application of an electrical potential across the electrodes when in communication with an electrolyte. The chemical agents may include ozone, hydrogen peroxide, peroxide, chlorine hypochlorite, ions, peroxides, and/or other chemical agents.

Abstract: An oral care system comprising a toothbrush and a dispenser is disclosed. In one embodiment, the dispenser comprises a housing having a longitudinal axis and an internal reservoir containing an oral care material; a drive component rotatably disposed within the housing and comprising a drive screw, the drive component being axially retained relative to the housing through mechanical interference; and an elevator coupled to the drive screw so that rotation of the drive component in a first rotational direction causes the elevator to axially advance along the drive screw in a first axial direction to dispense the oral care material from a dispensing orifice.

Abstract: An oral care implement has a head portion with tooth cleaning elements on a front surface thereof and a reservoir containing a fluid. A delivery member extends through at least a portion of the oral care implement to deliver the fluid from the reservoir to an applicator that may be positioned on the rear surface of the head. In one aspect, the applicator and the delivery member may be separate components that are fluidly coupled to one another. The applicator and the delivery member may both be formed of a capillary material.

Abstract: A dispenser that includes a resilient applicator that optimizes application of a subject fluid to a desired surface. In one embodiment, the invention is a dispenser comprising a housing having an internal reservoir containing the fluid. The resilient applicator is coupled to the housing and comprises a dispensing orifice. The resilient applicator comprises a working surface that is oriented at an oblique angle to a longitudinal axis of the housing and is defined by a polygonal perimeter edge, the polygonal perimeter edge comprising a plurality of apex portions and a plurality of side portions, wherein one of the plurality of side portions forms a distal most-portion of the resilient applicator.

Abstract: A handle having improved ergonomics and relatively compact low cost design is provided. In particular, the handle may include two hand grip areas which may be integral with one another. The two hand grips may be approximately perpendicular to one another. Further, one or both of the grip areas may include grip alignment mechanisms that improve the ergonomic alignment of a persons hand on the hand grip area of the handle. In another aspect the hand grip(s) may have smooth rounded grasping surfaces to provide comfort when grasped by a hand. The alignment mechanism(s) may be placed at an optimal location on the hand grip(s) area and result in improved control and comfort during use. In addition, one of the alignment mechanisms may serve a dual purpose of hand alignment and as a stop that prevents a person's hand from slipping off of the grip area during use.

Abstract: An oral care implement having a cover member. In one aspect, the invention is an oral care implement comprising: a body comprising a handle and a head, the head comprising a coupling element; a store of oral care material located within the body; an outlet located on the head and in fluid communication with the store; a cover member comprising a cap portion, a mounting portion, and a coupling element; and wherein the cover member is detachably coupled to the head via cooperation between the coupling element of the cover member and the coupling element of the head, and the mounting portion is configured to mount the oral care implement to a vertical surface.

Abstract: An oral care implement having a cover member. In one aspect, the invention is an oral care implement comprising: a body comprising a handle and a head coupled the handle, the head comprising a first coupling element, and the handle comprising a second coupling element; a store of oral care material located within the body; an outlet located on the head; a cover member comprising a cap portion, a mounting portion, and a third coupling element, the cover member alterable between: (1) a first state in which the first and third coupling elements cooperate with one another to detachably couple the cover member to the head to seal the outlet; and (2) a second state in which the second and third coupling elements cooperate with one another to detachably couple the cover member to the handle so that the mounting portion can operate as a stand.

Abstract: An oral care implement with product application. In one embodiment, the implement is a fluid dispensing toothbrush having a body comprised of a handle, a head, and an internal cavity containing an oral care material. The head includes tooth cleaning elements and an applicator in fluid communication with the internal cavity. In one embodiment, the applicator includes at least one spring-actuated valve operable to dispense the fluidic oral care material upon engagement with a user's oral tissue. The oral care material is delivered from the internal cavity upon applying a pressing force to a moveable sealing element of the valve. In certain embodiments, a pressurizer may be provided to pressurize the oral care material for positive dispensing. In one embodiment, the applicator is disposed in a soft tissue cleaner on the toothbrush head.

Abstract: The present invention is directed generally to building tools with improved comfort in gripping and/or efficient control that may be used in various manners and orientations. A handle and work object (e.g., trowel blade) may be connected together by a connecting member (or connecting means) that may be a sloped, angled, and/or substantially curved member, so that a user has increased hand orientation options and/or control over the tool while gripping the handle and/or connecting member in various manners and orientations. In various embodiment(s), the connecting member (e.g., a tang for a trowel) may be a relatively gradually and/or notably sloped, angled, and/or curved structure that may reasonably provide a comfortable extension of the handle and augment the gripping of the tool. The various tools may include a handle connecting member having construction whereby a portion of the sides of the handle connecting member are removed. Magnesium may be used.

Abstract: An oral care implement, such as a toothbrush, having a wick applicator and a method of assembling the same. The implement includes a head, a handle connected to the head by a neck portion, and a recess. The recess is arranged for receipt of the wick applicator. The handle includes an internal fluid reservoir holding a fluid in communication with the recess. The wick applicator is arranged to enable a fluid to pass therethrough by capillary action and has a first end portion and a second end portion. The second portion of the wick applicator comprises at least one projection for engaging at least one cooperating portion of the recess to secure the wick applicator in the recess at an operative position, whereupon the wick applicator is in fluid communication with the fluid in the reservoir.

Abstract: An oral care implement with a soft tissue cleaner. The inventive oral care implement comprises different kinds of soft tissue cleaners that offer expanded in-mouth cleaning. In one aspect, the invention can be an oral care implement comprising: a handle; a head having a structural body having a front surface and a rear surface opposite the front surface; a basin formed into the rear surface of the structural body, the structural body comprising a protuberance extending upward from a recessed floor of the basin, the basin surrounding the protuberance; a first cleaner formed of a resilient material for cleansing soft oral tissue located within the basin, the protuberance of the structural body extending through a central hole of the first cleaner; and a second cleaner formed of a resilient material for cleansing soft oral tissue, the second cleaner located on the protuberance of the structural body.

Abstract: An oral care implement having a tissue cleaning pad. In one aspect, the oral care implement includes a head having a front surface and an opposite rear surface. A plurality of tooth cleaning elements extend from the front surface of the head. A tissue cleaning pad is positioned on the rear surface of the head. The tissue cleaning pad has a planar top surface bounded by a perimetric edge and a plurality of protrusions extending from the planar top surface. The perimetric edge of the planar top surface of the tissue cleaning pad has a first portion that is flush with the rear surface of the head and a second portion that is raised relative to the rear surface of the head.

Abstract: A toothbrush that includes a piezochromic polymer or a proximity dye based polymer effective to emit an optical signal indicative of brushing force.

Abstract: An oral care implement having an internal reservoir. In one embodiment, the invention can be a toothbrush comprising: a handle having an internal reservoir containing an oral care fluid; a head coupled to the handle; an applicator located on the head; a partition member positioned within the internal reservoir that divides the internal reservoir into a storage chamber and an overflow chamber; a passageway extending through the partition member from the storage chamber to the overflow chamber, the passageway terminating as a first opening in a first surface of the partition member and as a second opening in a second surface of the partition member; and a wick member having a first end in fluid communication with the applicator and a second end terminating in an end surface that abuts the second surface of the partition member to prohibit axial movement of the wick member in a first axial direction.

Abstract: An oral care implement is provided, in one embodiment, with a plurality of spaced-apart tissue cleaning pads (400) radially arranged around a central axis (450) to form a grouping, each pad having an inner region (420, 430) close to the central axis and an outer region spaced away from the central axis, the inner region (420, 430) being raised relative to the outer region and having scraping surfaces along certain edge regions for improved cleaning of the soft tissue in an oral cavity Each pad further preferably includes one or more protrusions (920, 930) along an upper surface thereof.

Abstract: An oral care device such as an oral care implement or a toothbrush. The oral care device may include a handle and a head. The head may have a plurality of cleaning elements extending therefrom. The head may comprise an open space or cavity. A plurality of electrodes may be located within the open space or cavity. The electrodes may be coupled to a voltage source. The electrodes may be used to generate a chemical agent via the application of an electrical potential across the electrodes when in communication with an electrolyte. The chemical agents may include ozone, hydrogen peroxide, peroxide, chlorine hypochlorite, ions, peroxides, and/or other chemical agents.

Abstract: A dispenser that includes a resilient applicator that optimizes application of a subject fluid to a desired surface. In one embodiment, the invention is a dispenser comprising a housing having an internal reservoir containing the fluid. The resilient applicator is coupled to the housing and comprises a dispensing orifice. The resilient applicator comprises a working surface that is oriented at an oblique angle to a longitudinal axis of the housing and is defined by a polygonal perimeter edge, the polygonal perimeter edge comprising a plurality of apex portions and a plurality of side portions, wherein one of the plurality of side portions forms a distal most-portion of the resilient applicator.