Personal Care Implement

Abstract

A personal care implement that uses less plastic by removing material from a handle of the oral care implement while maintaining a comfortable grip which is similar to a normal grip that a user associates with a personal care implement. That is, the handle has a recess in a rear surface thereof, such that the handle or a portion thereof has a U-shaped transverse cross-sectional area. Portions of the handle may be covered with an elastomeric material to increase gripability and comfort. The handle may also include various rib structures elongated along the recess to increase the strength of the handle so that it does not significantly deform during normal use.

1 - 34 . (canceled) 
     
     
         35 . A personal care implement comprising:
 a body extending along a longitudinal axis and comprising a head configured to perform a personal care function and a handle coupled to the head and configured to be gripped by a user during performance of the personal care function, the body comprising:
 a skeleton portion that forms a base structure of the handle and an entirety of the head, the base structure of the handle comprising a front surface, a rear surface, and a peripheral surface extending between the front and rear surfaces, the base structure of the handle comprising a recess along a distal axial portion of the handle, the rear surface of the base structure forming a floor of the recess; and 
 a monolithic overmold portion covering a portion of the front, rear, and peripheral surfaces of the base structure and comprising a rib structure that extends along the longitudinal axis and protrudes from the floor of the recess. 
   
     
     
         36 . The personal care implement according to  claim 35  wherein the skeleton portion and the overmold portion are both formed from a hard plastic. 
     
     
         37 . The personal care implement according to  claim 35  wherein the skeleton portion is formed from a hard plastic and the overmold portion is formed from an elastomeric material. 
     
     
         38 . The personal care implement according to  claim 35  wherein the skeleton portion and the overmold portion are different colors relative to one another. 
     
     
         39 . The personal care implement according to  claim 35  further comprising a through-hole extending from the front surface of the skeleton portion to the rear surface of the skeleton portion, the monolithic overmold portion extending through the through-hole. 
     
     
         40 . The personal care implement according to  claim 39  wherein the base structure of the handle comprises a neck portion, a thumb grip portion, and a finger grip portion that comprises the distal axial portion of the handle, and wherein the through-hole is located along the thumb grip portion of the base structure of the handle, wherein the monolithic overmold portion comprises a thumb grip section that covers the front surface of the thumb grip portion of the base structure of the handle, the thumb grip section of the monolithic overmold portion comprising a plurality of apertures through which protrusions of the base structure extend. 
     
     
         41 . (canceled) 
     
     
         42 . (canceled) 
     
     
         43 . The personal care implement according to  claim 35  wherein the base structure of the handle comprises first and second elongated walls protruding from the floor of the recess on opposite sides of the longitudinal axis, an elongated channel defined between the first and second elongated walls, and wherein the rib structure of the monolithic overmold portion is located within the elongated channel. 
     
     
         44 . The personal care implement according to  claim 43  wherein the base structure of the handle comprises a first sidewall portion located on a first side of the longitudinal axis and a second sidewall portion located on a second side of the longitudinal axis, the first and second sidewall portions of the base structure of the handle being covered by the monolithic overmold portion. 
     
     
         45 . The personal care implement according to  claim 44  wherein the base structure further comprises a first side channel located between the first sidewall portion of the base structure and the first elongated wall of the base structure and a second side channel located between the second sidewall portion of the base structure and the second elongated wall of the base structure, the monolithic overmold portion nesting within each of the first and second side channels of the base structure. 
     
     
         46 . (canceled) 
     
     
         47 . (canceled) 
     
     
         48 . The personal care implement according to  claim 35  wherein the rib structure of the monolithic overmold portion has a height measured from the floor of the recess to a distal end of the rib structure, the height decreasing when moving in a direction towards a distal end of the handle that is opposite the head. 
     
     
         49 . (canceled) 
     
     
         50 . The personal care implement according to  claim 35  wherein the monolithic overmold portion comprises a distal section that forms a distal-most end of the body, and wherein the rib structure is connected directly to the distal section of the monolithic overmold portion. 
     
     
         51 . (canceled) 
     
     
         52 . A personal care implement comprising:
 a body extending along a longitudinal axis and comprising a head and a handle, the handle comprising:
 a base structure comprising a front surface, a rear surface opposite the front surface, and a recess, the rear surface of the base structure forming a floor of the recess; and 
 a monolithic overmold portion comprising a rib structure that is elongated along the longitudinal axis and protrudes from the floor of the recess. 
   
     
     
         53 . The personal care implement according to  claim 52  wherein the base structure is formed from a first hard plastic material and the monolithic overmold portion is formed from a second hard plastic material, the monolithic overmold portion overmolded onto the base structure. 
     
     
         54 . The personal care implement according to  claim 52  wherein the base structure of the handle comprises first and second walls protruding from the floor of the recess on opposite sides of the longitudinal axis, the first and second walls being elongated in a direction of the longitudinal axis, and wherein an elongated channel is defined between the first and second walls, the rib structure of the monolithic overmold portion being located within the elongated channel. 
     
     
         55 . The personal care implement according to  claim 54  wherein the base structure of the handle comprises a first sidewall portion located on a first side of the longitudinal axis and a second sidewall portion located on a second side of the longitudinal axis, a first side channel located between the first sidewall portion of the base structure and the first wall of the base structure and a second side channel located between the second sidewall portion of the base structure and the second wall of the base structure, the monolithic overmold portion nesting within each of the first and second side channels of the base structure. 
     
     
         56 . The personal care implement according to  claim 52  wherein the rib structure of the monolithic overmold portion has a height measured from the floor of the recess to a distal end of the rib structure, the height decreasing when moving in a direction towards a distal end of the handle that is opposite the head. 
     
     
         57 - 59 . (canceled) 
     
     
         60 . A personal care implement having a longitudinal axis and comprising:
 a head configured to perform a personal care function;   a handle coupled to the head and configured to be gripped by a user during performance of the personal care function, the handle comprising a distal axial portion that comprises a distal end of the handle that is located furthest from the head;   wherein the distal axial portion of the handle comprises:
 a recess that is elongated in a direction of the longitudinal axis; 
 an arcuate first portion having a first sidewall located on a 
   first side of the longitudinal axis, a second sidewall located on a second side of the longitudinal axis, and a bight portion located between the first and second sidewalls; and
 a rib extending from the bight portion, the rib being elongated in a direction of the longitudinal axis, the rib being spaced apart from each of the first and second sidewalls along an entire length of the rib so that a first continuous channel exists between the rib and the first sidewall and a second continuous channel exists between the rib and the second sidewall. 
   
     
     
         61 . The personal care implement according to  claim 60  wherein the arcuate first portion of the distal axial portion of the handle comprises a front surface, a rear surface, and a distal edge extending between the front and rear surfaces, one of the front and rear surfaces forming a floor of the recess. 
     
     
         62 . The personal care implement according to  claim 61  further comprising a second portion covering and extending from the distal edge of the arcuate first portion. 
     
     
         63 . The personal care implement according to  claim 62  wherein the arcuate first portion is formed from a rigid material and wherein the second portion is formed from an elastomeric material 
     
     
         64 -  69 . (canceled)