Patents by Inventor Douglas Hohlbein

Douglas Hohlbein has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 11930915
    Abstract: A toothbrush includes a handle, a head at a distal end of the handle comprising a bristle plate, a hole extending through the bristle plate, a plurality of bristles at least partially disposed in the hole and extending from the hole in a direction away from the head, and a reservoir in fluid communication with the hole. Fluid in the reservoir enters the tuft holes and is wicked out of the head of the toothbrushes by capillaries formed between the bristles.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 11, 2022
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2024
    Assignee: Colgate-Palmolive Company
    Inventors: Gerald Gontarz, Patrik Johansson, John Gatzemeyer, Douglas Hohlbein, Daniel Wainless, Brian Bloch, Najma Khan
  • Patent number: 11896117
    Abstract: An oral care implement used for treatment of a user's oral cavity. The oral care implement may include a body having a longitudinal axis, a first hard plastic component, and a second hard plastic component. The first hard plastic component may have a front surface having a perimeter portion and a central portion that is surrounded by the perimeter portion, the central portion being recessed relative to the perimeter portion. The second hard plastic component may be positioned on the central portion of the first hard plastic component and surrounded by the perimeter portion of the first hard plastic component. The second hard plastic component may have an outer surface with a plurality of grooves that are elongated in a direction of the longitudinal axis.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 25, 2021
    Date of Patent: February 13, 2024
    Assignee: Colgate-Palmolive Company
    Inventors: Douglas Hohlbein, Chi Shing Wong
  • 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: 11800924
    Abstract: An oral care implement having a head and a handle. A plurality of tooth cleaning elements extend from an exposed front surface of the head. The handle has an open thumb gripping passageway extending between an exposed first surface of the handle and an exposed second surface of the handle opposite the exposed first surface. The handle also has a plurality of slots defining open slot passageways from the exposed first surface of the handle to the exposed second surface of the handle. The open thumb gripping passageway may be defined by a ring component that is fitted into an aperture in a body component. The open thumb gripping passageway may be a void space in the handle. The open slot passageways may be elongated along the handle and may serve to reduce a total amount of virgin material needed to manufacture the oral care implement.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 3, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 31, 2023
    Assignee: Colgate-Palmolive Company
    Inventors: Douglas Hohlbein, Daniel Wainless
  • Patent number: 11490725
    Abstract: A package for an oral care implement. The package may have an exposed outer surface, a package portion forming a first portion of the exposed outer surface, and a reusable cap forming a second portion of the exposed outer surface. The package portion may define a first cavity and the reusable cap may define a second cavity. The package portion may be formed by a backer panel and a cover panel that are coupled together to define the first cavity. The reusable cap may have a flange that is sandwiched between the backer panel and the cover panel to secure the reusable cap to the package portion. A personal care implement may be disposed within the package so that a first portion of personal care implement is located within the first cavity and a second portion of the personal care implement is located within the second cavity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 6, 2016
    Date of Patent: November 8, 2022
    Assignee: Colgate-Palmolive Company
    Inventors: Robert Moskovich, Douglas Hohlbein
  • Publication number: 20220312949
    Abstract: An oral care implement sanitization system that includes an oral care implement and a case for storing the oral care implement and activating a sanitization or sterilization procedure. The oral care implement may include tooth cleaning elements, a light source, and a first electrical coupling element operably coupled to the light source. The case may include a housing having a cavity for holding the oral care implement, a power source, and a second electrical coupling element operably coupled to the power source. When the oral care implement is positioned within the cavity of the housing of the case, the first and second electrical coupling elements are operably coupled together. Operable coupling of the first and second electrical coupling elements initiates, either immediately or upon the occurrence of some additional action, activation of the light source for sanitizing or sterilizing the tooth cleaning elements.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 20, 2022
    Publication date: October 6, 2022
    Applicant: Colgate-Palmolive Company
    Inventors: Eduardo JIMENEZ, Douglas HOHLBEIN, Patrik JOHANSSON
  • Patent number: 11382413
    Abstract: An oral care implement sanitization system that includes an oral care implement and a case for storing the oral care implement and activating a sanitization or sterilization procedure. The oral care implement may include tooth cleaning elements, a light source, and a first electrical coupling element operably coupled to the light source. The case may include a housing having a cavity for holding the oral care implement, a power source, and a second electrical coupling element operably coupled to the power source. When the oral care implement is positioned within the cavity of the housing of the case, the first and second electrical coupling elements are operably coupled together. Operable coupling of the first and second electrical coupling elements initiates, either immediately or upon the occurrence of some additional action, activation of the light source for sanitizing or sterilizing the tooth cleaning elements.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 19, 2016
    Date of Patent: July 12, 2022
    Assignee: Colgate-Palmolive Company
    Inventors: Eduardo Jimenez, Douglas Hohlbein, Patrik Johansson
  • Patent number: 11350732
    Abstract: An oral care implement including a handle and a head. The oral care implement may be formed entirely out of a resilient or flexible material. The head may include a base structure and a monolithic cleaning unit. The monolithic cleaning unit may include a block portion extending from a front surface of the base structure and a plurality of protuberances extending from a distal end of the block portion. The block portion may have a greater height than the protuberances. The protuberances may include central protuberances that extend from a distal surface of the block portion and peripheral protuberances that surround the block portion and extend from the front surface of the base structure. The monolithic cleaning unit may include ribs extending between adjacently positioned protuberances. The oral care implement may be suitable for babies.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 15, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 7, 2022
    Assignee: Colgate-Palmolive Company
    Inventors: Eduardo Jimenez, Douglas Hohlbein
  • Patent number: 11350729
    Abstract: An oral care implement having a head and a handle. A plurality of tooth cleaning elements extend from an exposed front surface of the head. The handle has an open thumb gripping passageway extending between an exposed first surface of the handle and an exposed second surface of the handle opposite the exposed first surface. The handle also has a plurality of slots defining open slot passageways from the exposed first surface of the handle to the exposed second surface of the handle. The open thumb gripping passageway may be defined by a ring component that is fitted into an aperture in a body component. The open thumb gripping passageway may be a void space in the handle. The open slot passageways may be elongated along the handle and may serve to reduce a total amount of virgin material needed to manufacture the oral care implement.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 3, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 7, 2022
    Assignee: Colgate-Palmolive Company
    Inventors: Douglas Hohlbein, Daniel Wainless
  • Publication number: 20220142348
    Abstract: An oral care implement having a head with a bristle bearing surface. The oral care implement may include a central bristle tuft extending from a central portion of the bristle bearing surface, the central bristle tuft terminating in a domed distal surface. Furthermore, the oral care implement may include a plurality of perimetric bristle tufts extending from the bristle bearing surface and arranged to circumferentially surround the central bristle tuft. Each of the perimetric bristle tufts may have an inclined distal surface that slopes downward towards the central bristle tuft. The bristle bearing surface of the head may have a total surface area (TSA), and the toothbrush may include a tooth cleaning element field having X number of tooth cleaning elements that collectively occupy a total cleaning element area (TCEA) such that 1 X × T ? C ? E ? A T ? S ? A = Z and Z is in a range of 0.04 to 0.065.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 24, 2022
    Publication date: May 12, 2022
    Applicant: Colgate-Palmolive Company
    Inventors: Fan Gang XIE, Wen Jin XI, Yanmei JI, Jiang ZHOU, Douglas HOHLBEIN
  • Publication number: 20220133027
    Abstract: A toothbrush includes a handle, a head at a distal end of the handle comprising a bristle plate, a hole extending through the bristle plate, a plurality of bristles at least partially disposed in the hole and extending from the hole in a direction away from the head, and a reservoir in fluid communication with the hole. Fluid in the reservoir enters the tuft holes and is wicked out of the head of the toothbrushes by capillaries formed between the bristles.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 11, 2022
    Publication date: May 5, 2022
    Applicant: Colgate-Palmolive Company
    Inventors: Gerald GONTARZ, Patrik JOHANSSON, John GATZEMEYER, Douglas HOHLBEIN, Daniel WAINLESS, Brian BLOCH, Najma KHAN
  • Publication number: 20220117386
    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.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 3, 2022
    Publication date: April 21, 2022
    Applicant: Colgate-Palmolive Company
    Inventor: Douglas HOHLBEIN
  • Patent number: 11266226
    Abstract: An oral care implement having a head with a bristle bearing surface. The oral care implement may include a central bristle tuft extending from a central portion of the bristle bearing surface, the central bristle tuft terminating in a domed distal surface. Furthermore, the oral care implement may include a plurality of perimetric bristle tufts extending from the bristle bearing surface and arranged to circumferentially surround the central bristle tuft. Each of the perimetric bristle tufts may have an inclined distal surface that slopes downward towards the central bristle tuft. The bristle bearing surface of the head may have a total surface area (TSA), and the toothbrush may include a tooth cleaning element field having X number of tooth cleaning elements that collectively occupy a total cleaning element area (TCEA) such that 1 X × T ? C ? E ? A T ? S ? A = Z and Z is in a range of 0.04 to 0.065.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 13, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 8, 2022
    Assignee: Colgate-Palmolive Company
    Inventors: Fan Gang Xie, Wen Jin Xi, Yanmei Ji, Jiang Zhou, Douglas Hohlbein
  • Publication number: 20220022636
    Abstract: A personal care implement includes a treatment device having a longitudinal axis and including a treatment portion having at least one treatment element; a connection portion having a main body and a first resilient snap attachment protruding from the main body, the main body formed of a first material having a first hardness and the first resilient snap attachment formed of a second material having a second hardness, the first hardness being greater than the second hardness; and the treatment device is alterable between: (1) a detached state; and (2) an assembled state in which the treatment device is detachably coupled to a grip section such that the first resilient snap attachment cooperates with and engages a first engagement portion of the grip section to secure the treatment device to the grip section
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 4, 2021
    Publication date: January 27, 2022
    Applicant: Colgate-Palmolive Company
    Inventors: Daniel WAINLESS, Douglas HOHLBEIN, Douglas HENDERSON, Thuan Chong TAN, Pengyang FU
  • Patent number: 11229283
    Abstract: A toothbrush includes a handle, a head at a distal end of the handle comprising a bristle plate, a hole extending through the bristle plate, a plurality of bristles at least partially disposed in the hole and extending from the hole in a direction away from the head, and a reservoir in fluid communication with the hole. Fluid in the reservoir enters the tuft holes and is wicked out of the head of the toothbrushes by capillaries formed between the bristles.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 15, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 25, 2022
    Assignee: Colgate-Palmolive Company
    Inventors: Gerald Gontarz, Patrik Johansson, John Gatzemeyer, Douglas Hohlbein, Daniel Wainless, Brian Bloch, Najma Khan
  • Patent number: 11224282
    Abstract: An oral care implement (100) includes an elastomeric component and a method of forming the same. In one embodiment, the oral care implement (100) includes a handle (120) and a head (110). The elastomeric component is positioned on at least one of the handle (120) and the head (110). The elastomeric component includes a body, a plurality of the first particles (202), and a plurality of the second particles (203). The body comprises a transparent or translucent elastomeric material. The pluralities of first and second particles are embedded in the body of the elastomeric component. The plurality of first particles (202) includes a first color and the plurality of second particles (203) includes a second color. The elastomeric component may form a tissue cleanser (140) on a rear surface of the head, an elastomeric tooth cleaning element (150) on a front surface of the head, and/or a grip (121) on the handle (120).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 18, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 18, 2022
    Assignee: Colgate-Palmolive Company
    Inventors: Chi Shing Wong, Douglas Hohlbein, Bo Zhang
  • Patent number: D943283
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 23, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 15, 2022
    Assignee: Colgate-Palmolive Company
    Inventors: Fan Gang Xie, Wen Jin Xi, Yanmei Ji, Jiang Zhou, Douglas Hohlbein
  • Patent number: D956426
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 25, 2019
    Date of Patent: July 5, 2022
    Assignee: Colgate-Palmolive Company
    Inventors: Al Aquanza Sprosta, Eduardo Jimenez, Douglas Hohlbein, Michael Rooney, Yanmei Ji, Xiangji Ding
  • Patent number: D971608
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 3, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 6, 2022
    Assignee: Colgate-Palmolive Company
    Inventors: Douglas Hohlbein, Daniel Wainless
  • Patent number: D985278
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 28, 2021
    Date of Patent: May 9, 2023
    Assignee: Colgate-Palmolive Company
    Inventors: Al Aquanza Sprosta, Eduardo Jimenez, Douglas Hohlbein, Michael Rooney, Yanmei Ji, Xiangji Ding