Oral care implement

Abstract

An oral care implement including an elongated body having a head portion supporting plurality of tooth cleaning elements and a handle portion defining an outer surface. The handle portion may include a shell portion formed from a transparent material and a core portion that is surrounded by the shell portion. The core portion may be formed from a colored material that is visible through the shell portion. The tooth cleaning elements may include bristle tufts arranged in specific columns and rows. A grip component may be coupled to an outer surface of the handle portion.

Claims what is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An oral care implement comprising:
 a longitudinal axis;   a handle portion comprising:
 a shell portion formed from a transparent hard plastic; 
 a core portion surrounded by the shell portion and formed from a colored hard plastic, the core portion being elongated in a direction of the longitudinal axis; and being visible through the shell portion; 
   a head portion comprising a front surface;   a plurality of bristles tufts coupled to the head portion and protruding from the front surface of the head portion, the plurality of bristle tufts comprising:
 eight central rows of bristle tufts, each of the eight central rows comprising four bristle tufts; 
 one proximal row of bristle tufts located between a proximal-most one of the eight central rows of bristle tufts and the handle portion, the one proximal row of bristle tufts comprising three bristle tufts; 
 two distal rows of bristle tufts, the two distal rows of bristle tufts comprising a first distal row of bristle tufts comprising three bristle tufts and a second distal row of bristle tufts comprising two bristle tufts, the first distal row of bristle tufts located between the second distal row of bristle tufts and a distal-most one of the eight central rows of bristle tufts. 
   
     
     
         2 . The oral care implement according to  claim 1  wherein the head portion is integral with the shell portion and formed entirely from the transparent hard plastic. 
     
     
         3 . The oral care implement according to  claim 1  wherein the bristle tufts of the eight central rows of bristle tufts are aligned in four columns. 
     
     
         4 . The oral care implement according to  claim 1  wherein the three bristle tufts of the one proximal row of bristle tufts and the three bristle tufts of the first distal row of bristle tufts are offset in an axial direction from each of the four bristle tufts of the eight central rows of bristle tufts, and wherein each of the three bristle tufts of the one proximal row of bristle tufts is aligned in the axial direction with one of the three bristle tufts of the first distal row of bristle tufts. 
     
     
         5 . The oral care implement according to  claim 1  wherein each of the eight central rows of bristle tufts comprises a first side bristle tuft, a first central bristle tuft, a second central bristle tuft, and a second side bristle tuft, and wherein the two bristle tufts of the second distal row of bristle tufts comprise a first distal bristle tuft that is axially aligned with each of the first central bristle tufts of the eight central rows of bristle tufts and a second distal bristle tuft that is axially aligned with each of the second central bristle tufts of the eight central rows of bristle tufts. 
     
     
         6 . The oral care implement according to  claim 1  wherein at least a portion of the core portion of the handle portion tapers in a direction towards the head portion. 
     
     
         7 . The oral care implement according to  claim 1  further comprising:
 the shell portion having an outer surface; and 
 a grip component formed from an elastomeric material located on a portion of the outer surface of the shell portion. 
 
     
     
         8 . The oral care implement according to  claim 7  wherein the grip component defines a viewing window through which the core portion of the handle portion is visible. 
     
     
         9 . The oral care implement according to  claim 7  wherein the grip component comprises:
 a first upper edge portion located on a first side of the longitudinal axis and a second upper edge portion located on a second side of the longitudinal axis, each of the first and second upper edge portions being angled so as to diverge from one another moving in a direction towards the head portion. 
 
     
     
         10 . The oral care implement according to  claim 9  wherein the grip component comprises:
 a first lower edge portion located on the first side of the longitudinal axis and a second lower edge portion located on the second side of the longitudinal axis, each of the first and second lower edge portions being angled so as to diverge from one another moving in a direction towards a bottom end of the handle portion. 
 
     
     
         11 . The oral care implement according to  claim 7  wherein the grip component comprises a top end formed by a portion of the grip component that is located closest to the head portion, and wherein a distal portion of the core portion extends beyond the top end of the grip component in the direction of the longitudinal axis, the distal portion of the core portion being located between the top end of the grip component and the head portion. 
     
     
         12 . The oral care implement according to  claim 7  wherein the grip component comprises a V-shaped top edge that extends from a front surface of the handle portion to an apex on a rear surface of the handle portion. 
     
     
         13 . The oral care implement according to  claim 1  wherein the core portion comprises a tapered distal portion. 
     
     
         14 . An oral care implement comprising:
 a longitudinal axis;   a handle portion comprising:
 a shell portion formed from a transparent hard plastic; 
 a core portion surrounded by the shell portion and formed from a colored material, the core portion being elongated in a direction of the longitudinal axis; and being visible through the shell portion; 
   a head portion comprising a front surface;   a plurality of bristles tufts coupled to the head portion and protruding from the front surface of the head portion, the plurality of bristle tufts comprising:
 eight central rows of bristle tufts with each of the eight central rows containing four of the bristle tufts, each of the bristle tufts in each of the eight central rows of bristle tufts being aligned in an axial direction with one of the bristle tufts in each of the others of the eight central rows of bristle tufts; 
 one bottom row of bristle tufts containing three bristle tufts that are offset in the axial direction from the bristle tufts of the eight central rows; 
 one lower top row of bristle tufts containing three bristle tufts that are offset in the axial direction from the bristle tufts of the eight central rows; and 
 one upper top row of bristle tufts containing two bristle tufts that are offset in the axial direction from the bristle tufts of the one lower top row of bristle tufts and aligned in the axial direction with two of the bristle tufts of each of the eight central rows of bristle tufts. 
   
     
     
         15 . The oral care implement according to  claim 14  further comprising a grip component coupled to the shell portion. 
     
     
         16 . The oral care implement according to  claim 15  wherein the grip component defines a viewing window through which the core portion is visible. 
     
     
         17 . The oral care implement according to  claim 16  wherein the viewing window is surrounded by an inner edge portion of the grip component. 
     
     
         18 . The oral care implement according to  claim 14  wherein the head portion is integral with the shell portion and formed entirely from the transparent hard plastic.