Patents Examined by Laura C Guidotti
  • Patent number: 11871839
    Abstract: A hair brush comprising an upper handle defining a cavity between a front surface and a back surface of the upper handle, a bristle cover positioned into the cavity and facing away from the front surface, wherein the bristle cover comprises a plurality of cavities, a bristle pad, wherein the bristle pad is positioned into the cavity and between the bristle cover and the back surface of the upper handle, a plurality of bristles positioned on the bristle pad, a brush body coupled to the bristle pad, wherein the brush body comprises a mechanical means for moving the plurality of bristles of the bristle pad through the plurality of cavities of the bristle cover.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 16, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 16, 2024
    Assignee: HUMANITY BRUSH LLC
    Inventor: Yi-Shu Chang
  • Patent number: 11857136
    Abstract: A floor mat includes a bottom layer and a top layer; the bottom layer being composed of a water tight material; and the top layer being composed of an absorbent, antibacterial material; the top layer is removably secured to the bottom layer and is disposable.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 25, 2019
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2024
    Inventor: Chris Williams
  • Patent number: 11850707
    Abstract: Pliers are provided. Pliers include an upper handle, a lower handle, an upper jaw coupled to the upper handle, and a lower jaw coupled to the lower handle. In general, the upper jaw includes workpiece engagement surface, such a first set of teeth configured to engage a workpiece, and the lower jaw includes a workpiece engagement surface, such as a second set of teeth and a third set of teeth. The lower jaw opposes the upper jaw such that the first set of teeth faces the second set of teeth and the third set of teeth. At least a section of the workpiece engagement surface of the lower jaw is movably coupled to the lower jaw such that it moves relative to the lower as torque is applied to a workpiece, thereby increasing torque applied to the workpiece.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 14, 2022
    Date of Patent: December 26, 2023
    Assignee: Milwaukee Electric Tool Corporation
    Inventors: Aaron S. Blumenthal, Christopher S. Hoppe, Aaron M. Williams
  • Patent number: 11844419
    Abstract: A cleaning element carrier for a toothbrush in a form of a disk has a back surface including a central depression covering at least 70% of the back surface and forming an edge at the border. The carrier's front surface includes at least one protrusion so that the front surface comprises two levels, wherein the area covered by the depression is larger than the area covered by the protrusion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 10, 2020
    Date of Patent: December 19, 2023
    Assignee: The Procter & Gamble Company
    Inventors: Jochen Ganninger, Ulrich Störkel, Holger Schulz, Niclas Altmann, Uwe Tretrop, Stefan Triebig, Stefan Scheurich
  • Patent number: 11844424
    Abstract: A painter edger tool includes a base structure, a handle, an applicator, and a guard. In a particular embodiment, the base structure includes a first side edge and a second side edge. The guard is configured to be transitioned from a first position adjacent the first side edge, to a second position away from the first side edge, and to a third position adjacent the second side edge. In a more particular embodiment, the painter edger tool further includes a biasing member that urges the guard against a work surface when the applicator is advanced toward the work surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 8, 2021
    Date of Patent: December 19, 2023
    Inventor: Daniel Patrick Kay
  • Patent number: 11833004
    Abstract: An oral care implement handle or a refill head therefor. The refill head may include a sleeve portion extending from a proximal end to a distal end, the sleeve portion having an inner surface that defines an internal cavity. The internal cavity may extend along a sleeve axis from an open bottom end at the proximal end of the sleeve portion to a closed top end, the internal cavity being configured to receive an attachment portion of a stem of an oral care implement handle. The internal cavity may have a proximal section adjacent the open bottom end and a distal section adjacent the closed top end. The distal section of the internal cavity may include a central portion located on the sleeve axis and at least one slot portion radially extending from the central portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 3, 2020
    Date of Patent: December 5, 2023
    Assignee: Colgate-Palmolive Company
    Inventors: Brian Bloch, Takahide Okai, John Gatzemeyer
  • Patent number: 11832714
    Abstract: Cleaning tools are mounted directly to rotary spindles of conventional string trimmers. The cleaning tools have brush channels which extend through one or more sides thereof, with each brush channel having an edge channel and a bristle channel. The edge channels are disposed interiorly within the body of respective ones of the bristle channels. Channel brush inserts are secured in respective ones of the brush channels, and each includes a mounting base and a bristle body. The mounting bases are inserted into respective ones of the edge channels and the bristle bodies extend from a respective one of the mounting bases through the bristle channels, from the one or more sides and exteriorly of the cleaning tool. One cleaning tool has three brush channels formed to extend into a laterally extending sidewall. In another cleaning tool the brush channels are formed to extend into the bottom end surface thereof.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 13, 2021
    Date of Patent: December 5, 2023
    Inventor: John D Sheppard
  • Patent number: 11832717
    Abstract: A method for producing a toothbrush head, comprising: providing at least two filament containers, each comprising a supply of loose filaments that differ in at least one of their property selected from material, diameter, cross-section, shape, and presence of additives and/or coating; picking bristle tufts from the containers and arranging them in a perforation plate comprising holes shaped and distributed according to a desired bristle field of the brush head to be produced; arranging an energy source and the ends of the tufts in a contactless arrangement, wherein the ends of the tufts to be fused are at different distances from the energy source, and wherein the distance is adjusted according to the at least one property; applying energy to the ends of the tufts until fuse balls are formed thereon; transferring the tufts to a molding position, wherein a distance between at least one fuse ball and the front surface is different from the distance between the bottom edge of said fuse ball and the front surface
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 10, 2020
    Date of Patent: December 5, 2023
    Assignee: The Procter & Gamble Company
    Inventors: Jochen Ganninger, Holger Schulz, Daniela Baum
  • Patent number: 11826879
    Abstract: There is provided a cutting machine for cutting a wafer using a cutting blade. The cutting machine includes a shape storage section, a shape measurement unit, a determination section, and an end face correction device. The shape storage section stores a cross-sectional shape of a support surface, which a mount of a cutting unit has, in an axial direction of a spindle. The shape measurement unit contactlessly measures the cross-sectional shape of the support surface in the axial direction of the spindle. Through a comparison between the cross-sectional shape stored in the shape storage section and the cross-sectional shape measured by the shape measurement unit, the determination section determines whether or not the support surface needs a correction. The end face correction device corrects a shape of the support surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 9, 2021
    Date of Patent: November 28, 2023
    Assignee: DISCO CORPORATION
    Inventor: Shun Takeda
  • Patent number: 11819114
    Abstract: A toothbrush handle includes a support structure formed of clarified polypropylene and a body formed of thermoplastic elastomer disposed on the support structure. The support structure includes a web having a thickness in a first direction orthogonal to an axis of the toothbrush handle of less than 2 millimeters and at least one rib depending from the web and having a thickness in a second direction, orthogonal to the axis and angled relative to the first direction, of less than about 2 millimeters. The body at least partially covers the web and the at least one rib. The handle has a light transmissivity of greater than 40% through a portion of the handle at which the body covers the web and the at least one rib.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 5, 2021
    Date of Patent: November 21, 2023
    Assignee: Colgate-Palmolive Company
    Inventors: Douglas Hohlbein, Chi Shing Wong
  • Patent number: 11807033
    Abstract: A tool is disclosed having an integral safety hanger. The tool has a handle including a gripping portion and a neck portion, and a channel within the handle which passes completely through the handle. A hanger assembly is provided which is mounted at a first end thereof within the channel and which includes one or more arm elements adapted to move between a position completely within the channel to positions on either a first side of the handle outside of the channel and/or a second side of the handle outside of the channel, the one or more arm elements are adapted to securely hold the tool on a lip of a container when the one or more arm elements are moved to the first position and/or to the second position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 9, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 7, 2023
    Inventor: Peter Sganga
  • Patent number: 11805959
    Abstract: A mop bucket includes a mop body with first and second compartments. The first compartment includes a sump region that is sized for receiving a portion of a floor care tool to best utilize the floor care tool and the contents of the mop bucket. A wringer assembly is attached to the mop bucket for cleaning the floor care tool and separating used cleaning supplies from unused. The mop bucket can include an insert for receiving the used cleaning supply to more easily dispose of the same. Tool hooks and floor sign attachments can also be included with the mop bucket such that the bucket provides all tools for use thereof.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 27, 2021
    Date of Patent: November 7, 2023
    Assignee: ECOLAB USA INC.
    Inventors: Eric R. Balz, Eric R. Gingras, Scott Latimer
  • Patent number: 11793618
    Abstract: Provided is an electric toothbrush head including a brush body and an inserting block. A receiving cavity is provided in a lower part of the brush body and is inserted by the inserting block; the inserting block is provide internally with a machine core channel into which a vibrating- machine core is inserted; a pin is provided in the brush body, is inserted in an upper part of the inserting block, and fixedly connects the upper part of the inserting block with the brush body; a bottom abutment ring is formed on a bottom of the inserting block and is located below the brush body; the upper part of the inserting block is in fixed connection with the brush body via the pin, and the bottom of the inserting block abuts against the bottom of the brush body via the bottom abutment ring.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 24, 2023
    Date of Patent: October 24, 2023
    Inventor: Xiangyu Huang
  • Patent number: 11793619
    Abstract: A personal hygiene device has a drive unit having a support, a stator fixedly mounted at the support, and an armature spring-mounted at the support for driven linear oscillating motion along a first longitudinal direction parallel to or coinciding with an x-axis of an x-y-z coordinate system. The armature has a center of gravity located in rest at a coordinate [xa, ya, za], and a drive shaft fixedly coupled with the armature and having a center of gravity located in rest at a coordinate [xd, yd, zd]. A first treatment head assembly, detachably connected to the drive shaft, has a center of gravity located in rest at a coordinate [xt1, yt1, zt1]. A secondary mass element, spring-mounted at the support for essentially linear oscillating motion along the first longitudinal direction, has a center of gravity located in rest at a coordinate [xm, ym, zm].
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 1, 2020
    Date of Patent: October 24, 2023
    Assignee: Braun GmbH
    Inventors: Norbert Schaefer, Uwe Schober, Robert Schäfer, Matthias Paschold, Tobias Schwarz
  • Patent number: 11786090
    Abstract: A floor nozzle for a vacuum cleaner includes a housing including a sole plate which faces a floor surface when in a working position, the sole plate having provided therein a suction opening, the suction opening being surrounded by a rear portion of the sole plate, a front portion of the sole plate, and lateral portions of the sole plate. The rear portion and the lateral portions of the sole plate are deformable.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 8, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 17, 2023
    Assignee: MIELE & CIE. KG
    Inventors: Jens Schneider, Alexander Cordes, Martin Behrenswerth
  • Patent number: 11779200
    Abstract: Endoscopic instruments, such as endoscopes, and devices and methods for cleaning endoscopic instruments are provided. A cleaning device for use with an endoscopic instrument comprises an elongate member configured for advancement through an internal lumen within the endoscopic instrument and a cleaning member removably coupled to a portion of the elongate member. The cleaning element comprises a variable pressure region shaped and configured to increase the hydrodynamic fluid friction force and fluid pressure force of a cleaner or detergent against the wall of the internal lumen of the endoscope to more effectively clean all internal surfaces of an endoscopic instrument, including crevasses, scratches or other irregularities, without further damaging these surfaces.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 21, 2022
    Date of Patent: October 10, 2023
    Inventors: Scott Miller, Frank Carter, Carl Gauger
  • Patent number: 11779102
    Abstract: An oral care implement having tooth cleaning elements and an elastomeric soft tissue cleanser. In one aspect, the oral care implement has a handle and a head coupled to the handle, an elastomeric soft tissue cleanser having a plurality of protuberances extending from a rear surface of the head, and a plurality of tooth cleaning elements extending from a front surface of the head. The protuberances of the elastomeric soft tissue cleanser collectively define a convex longitudinal side profile and comprise at least one convex transverse top profile. The plurality of tooth cleaning elements collectively define a concave longitudinal side profile and comprise at least one concave transverse top profile.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 14, 2022
    Date of Patent: October 10, 2023
    Assignee: Colgate-Palmolive Company
    Inventors: Eduardo Jimenez, Joachim Storz, Andreas Wechsler
  • Patent number: 11771293
    Abstract: A scraper apparatus, comprising a scraper blade; a scraper blade holder; wherein the scraper blade and the scraper blade holder are rotatable relative to one another about a pivot connection formable by the scraper blade and the scraper blade holder; wherein the scraper blade has at least one scraper blade fastener; wherein the scraper blade holder has at least one scraper blade holder fastener; and wherein the at least one scraper blade fastener is fastenable with the at least one scraper blade holder fastener via the scraper blade and/or the scraper blade holder being rotated about the pivot connection.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 8, 2021
    Date of Patent: October 3, 2023
    Assignee: CENTRAL GARDEN & PET COMPANY
    Inventors: Andrew Hudson, Gary Dunn
  • Patent number: 11771215
    Abstract: Disclosed is an electric toothbrush, comprising: a handle; a drive element provided in the handle, an output shaft of the drive element extending out of the handle; a brush head disposed at one end of the output shaft remote from the handle and connected to the output shaft; and a stress triggering element and a stress detecting element, which are oppositely provided on surfaces of the output shaft; wherein the stress triggering element is configured for producing stress concentration at the position where the stress triggering element is located when the output shaft motions; and the stress detecting element is configured for detecting the stress at the position where the stress triggering element is located, thereby obtaining a pressure corresponding to the stress, the electric toothbrush as provided offers a simple structure for pressure detection.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 19, 2020
    Date of Patent: October 3, 2023
    Assignee: SHENZHEN RUIHU TECHNOLOGY CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Guangrui Liao
  • Patent number: 11771295
    Abstract: Novel cleaning implements and novel components of cleaning implements are provided. Aspects relate to a cleaning implement that includes a wringer structure that is slidable along an elongate shaft member. The wringer structure further includes a removably coupled scrubbing brush structure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 7, 2022
    Date of Patent: October 3, 2023
    Assignee: The Libman Company
    Inventors: Aaron Libman, Robert Libman, Roberto Pellacini