Kit for supporting environmentally sustainable personal care routines

Abstract

A kit for supporting an environmentally sustainable personal care routine, the kit comprising: (i) a personal care appliance comprising a section made at least partially of magnetic and / or ferromagnetic material, and (ii) a magnetic personal care guide, and a magnetic personal care guide to which the personal care appliance is magnetically attachable and magnetically detachable, the magnetic personal care guide comprising a guide tool, the guidance tool is activated by detaching the personal care appliance from the magnetic personal care guide and provides guidance regarding environmentally sustainable behavior.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a kit for supporting an environmentally sustainable personal care routine, the kit comprising a personal care appliance and a personal care guide. The present disclosure also relates to a magnetic personal guide that provides guidance on environmentally sustainable behavior. Background Art

[0002] Systems for guiding a user during a personal care routine, such as brushing teeth or shaving, are well known in the art. Typically, guidance is provided using written user instructions, videos, or animations. For example, user instructions typically indicate when a user should change equipment or appliances used to perform a personal care routine, or if too much pressure is applied during use of a personal care appliance, for example.

[0003] Regarding oral care routines (such as brushing teeth), manual or electric (such as battery-driven) toothbrushes are usually used and are well known in the art. In order to effectively clean teeth, appropriate brushing techniques must be applied, including brushing and polishing all teeth in the oral cavity for a long enough time. If teeth are not brushed for a long enough period of time, this will cause the plaque removal efficiency reduced on the tooth surface. However, in order to reach and maintain good oral health, and to prevent gingivitis, it is important to thoroughly clean teeth and gums, especially in difficult-to-reach areas (such as, in the area of ​​posterior molars). Dentists usually recommend brushing teeth for at least two minutes, twice a day. In doing so, users usually focus on oral care / personal care routines, and will not notice other things, including the consumption of energy, water and other valuable resources. For example, during carrying out personal care routines (such as brushing teeth or shaving), users tend to keep water flowing and forget to turn off the faucet.

[0004] Generally speaking, external timers that track the brushing time of the user are known, however, such timers generally require a microcontroller that includes a wireless module that provides a connection between the toothbrush / personal care appliance and the timer. Such timers are relatively complex and are not suitable for use in combination with manual toothbrushes / personal care appliances. In addition, such timers are not suitable for providing guidance on environmentally sustainable behavior. Generally speaking, toothbrush guidance devices or devices that guide users during personal care routines do not provide feedback to the user, or require the combination of smart phone applications or other complex technologies that make the guidance devices complex and expensive. In addition, such guidance devices generally provide guidance on the personal care action itself, but do not provide guidance on other aspects, such as to save resources (such as energy or water).

[0005] Therefore, there is a need for a solution that helps users perform their personal care routine in an environmentally sustainable manner.

[0006] In addition, after using the oral care appliance / after brushing teeth, the user usually stores the wet appliance / toothbrush in a toothbrush cup for drying. However, in a typical toothbrush cup, the discharged fluid is collected and accumulated at the bottom of the cup, and the fluid remains in contact with the toothbrush for a long period of time. Since the cup is open only on one side, the toothbrush dries relatively slowly. Bacteria living under humid conditions / in a humid environment can grow rapidly, contaminate the toothbrush and eventually make the brush unhygienic. Therefore, a solution is needed that is not only used to guide the user during the oral / personal care routine, but also used to hygienically store and dry the toothbrush / personal care appliance so that the remaining water, toothpaste slurry and saliva can be discharged from the appliance. The appliance should dry quickly to inhibit bacterial growth.

[0007] The same is true for wet shaving devices (also known as safety scrapers / razors). Such scrapers (including scraper handles) may be disposable, or alternatively, the scraper may be in the form of a so-called system comprising a reusable handle and a removable and disposable blade cartridge that is discarded after use and can be replaced with a new blade cartridge. Such blade cartridges typically include a housing with at least one scraper blade that may be arranged between a guard in front of the blade and a cap behind the blade (in the direction of movement of the blade cartridge).

[0008] Cartridges for wet shaving razors typically include a shaving aid body that may include a shaving aid material that provides lubricity during shaving in a wet condition. After shaving, the user typically places the razor in a wet condition on a bathroom surface. As such, fluid may drain or water may accumulate between the shaving aid body and the bathroom surface. Due to the extended water exposure, the shaving aid material may soften and thus reduce the wear rate. Additionally, the shaving aid material at the area in contact with the bathroom surface may leave residue on the surface and may undesirably adhere the razor to a horizontal surface.

[0009] The object of the present disclosure is to provide a kit for supporting an environmentally sustainable personal care routine, which overcomes at least one of the above disadvantages, in particular the kit provides simple guidance and monitoring while enabling hygienic storage of personal care appliances. In addition, the kit should be suitable for use in combination with ordinary manual personal care appliances that do not include electronic components. Summary of the invention

[0010] According to one aspect, a kit for supporting an environmentally sustainable personal care routine is provided. The kit comprises:

[0011] (i) a personal care appliance comprising a section at least partially made of a magnetic and / or ferromagnetic material, and

[0012] (ii) a magnetic personal care guide to which the personal care appliance can be magnetically attached and detached, the magnetic personal care guide comprising a guidance tool that is activated by detaching the personal care appliance from the magnetic personal care guide and provides guidance on environmentally sustainable behavior.

[0013] According to one aspect, a magnetic personal care guide is provided. The guide is adapted to releasably hold a personal care appliance, the personal care appliance comprising a section at least partially made of magnetic and / or ferromagnetic material, the magnetic personal care guide comprising a guide tool that is activated by detaching the personal care appliance from the magnetic personal care guide and provides guidance on environmentally sustainable behavior. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0014] The present invention is described in more detail below with reference to various embodiments and the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0015] Figure 1 An example embodiment of a kit for supporting an environmentally sustainable personal care routine is shown;

[0016] Figure 2 showing a perspective view of a magnetic personal care guide according to the present disclosure,

[0017] Figure 3 Shows Figure 2 Exploded view of the magnetic personal care guide,

[0018] Figure 4 Shows Figure 2 a magnetic personal care guide that provides a first type of signal,

[0019] Figure 5 Shows Figure 2 a magnetic personal care guide that provides a second type of signal,

[0020] Figure 6 Shows Figure 2 a magnetic personal care guide that provides a third type of signal,

[0021] Figure 7 Shows Figure 2 a magnetic personal care guide that provides a fourth type of signal,

[0022] Figure 8 Shows Figure 2 a magnetic personal care guide that provides a fifth type of signal, and

[0023] Fig. 9 Another example embodiment of a kit for supporting an environmentally sustainable personal care routine is shown. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0024] A kit for supporting an environmentally sustainable personal care routine includes a personal care appliance and a magnetic personal care guide. The personal care appliance can be repeatedly and magnetically attached to and detached from the magnetic personal care guide using a segment at least partially made of magnetic and / or ferromagnetic material. The magnetic personal care guide includes a guide tool that is activated by detaching the personal care appliance from the magnetic personal care guide.

[0025] The personal care appliance according to the present disclosure may be any type of personal care appliance, such as a wet shaving razor, a trimmer, a beauty device, a skin treatment device, or a manually or electrically operated oral care appliance (e.g., a toothbrush). The personal care appliance may include a head and a handle, the head being permanently attached to the handle or being capable of being repeatedly attached to and detached from the handle.

[0026] The section of the personal care appliance that is at least partially made of a magnetic and / or ferromagnetic material may be a handle or a portion of a handle. If the handle is at least partially made of such a magnetic and / or ferromagnetic material, such a handle will be able to be magnetically attached to a magnetic personal care guide, allowing the appliance to be stored hygienically.

[0027] Such magnetic personal care guides may have the form of a magnetic wall holder that can be attached to a wall. Such wall holders are suitable for / adapted to hold and store personal care appliances in a hygienic manner. The magnetic wall holder may have the form of a flat disc that can be attached to a wall, such as using a double-sided adhesive tape, for safely and hygienically storing personal care appliances. Such flat discs may represent easy-to-clean surfaces. The flat disc may at least partially include a TPE layer to enhance the friction between the personal care appliance and the magnetic guide. The disc may have a circular shape having a diameter of about 30 mm to about 70 mm, or about 40 mm to about 60 mm, or about 50 mm to about 55 mm, or about 52 mm. Such sizes provide a convenient attachment feature (i.e., large enough to be easily attached) for the disc, while also being small enough not to take up too much space.

[0028] Alternatively, the magnetic personal care guide may be in the form of, for example, a magnetic holder to which the magnetic section of the personal care appliance can be repeatedly magnetically attached and detached. The magnetic holder may be adapted to be placed on a surface, such as a bathroom surface.

[0029] After using the personal care appliance, for example, in a wet condition and / or in a wet environment, the user tends to place or store the wet personal care appliance on a horizontal surface (such as a bathroom vanity, the edge of a bathtub, or a shelf of a cabinet). When so placed, the head of the personal care appliance is usually in contact with the resting surface, which can cause problems. For example, if a wet shaving razor is placed on a resting surface in a wet condition, water can drain and a portion of the water can remain between the head / blade holder and the horizontal surface. Shaving blade holders usually contain shaving aids / lubricating strips. Extended water exposure can soften the shaving aid material, and thus the shaving aid material can wear quickly. Therefore, the life of the overall blade holder can be shortened. In addition, the residual shaving aid material at the area in contact with the resting surface can stain the resting / bathroom surface.

[0030] Likewise, if the head of the oral care appliance is placed on a bathroom surface in a wet condition, bacterial growth is supported and the oral care appliance can therefore become unhygienic relatively quickly (i.e., after a relatively short period of use). However, if the personal care appliance according to the present disclosure is magnetically attached to a magnetic wall holder or bracket, such negative effects can be avoided. If the oral care appliance is magnetically attached to a magnetic guide, remaining water, toothpaste slurry, and saliva can be discharged from the oral care appliance. The oral care appliance can be dried relatively quickly. Therefore, bacterial growth can be significantly reduced, making the oral care appliance more hygienic. In addition, compared to an ordinary toothbrush stored in a toothbrush cup (where the discharged fluid is collected and accumulated at the bottom of the cup), the personal care appliance according to the present disclosure can be exposed to a wet condition in a significantly shorter period of time.

[0031] However, according to the present disclosure, the head of the personal care appliance is not limited to a razor blade cartridge or a toothbrush head, but can be any type of head, such as a beauty tool (e.g., a massage brush or a fingernail polisher), a skin treatment device, or another oral care head, including but not limited to an interdental or toothpick, a tongue / tissue cleaner, and a chemical applicator. The brush head may include at least one tooth cleaning element, such as a bristle tuft and / or an elastomeric element, fixed to a mounting surface of the head.

[0032] The personal care appliance can be an oral care appliance comprising a handle and a head to which at least one tooth cleaning element (e.g., a bristle tuft) and / or an elastomeric element can be fixed. The head can be capable of being repeatedly attached to and detached from the handle. Although the head can be made of non-magnetic or non-ferromagnetic materials, the handle can be made of magnetic and / or ferromagnetic materials. For example, the head can be injection molded from a thermoplastic polymer, such as polypropylene. The oral care appliance can be a manual toothbrush. The oral care appliance can also be a proximal pick, a plaque scraper, or a tissue / tongue cleaner.

[0033] The head of the personal care appliance may be capable of being attached to the handle via a snap-fit ​​locking mechanism. For example, the handle may include a connector that can be inserted into the hollow portion of the head, or the head may include a connector that can be inserted into the hollow portion of the handle. Alternatively, a connector may be provided as an additional (i.e., independent) component of the personal care appliance. For example, such a connector may be capable of being inserted into the hollow portion of the handle and the hollow portion of the head, respectively, thereby providing a sufficiently strong connection and stability between the head and the handle to enable a user to perform a brushing action.

[0034] Since the magnetic / ferromagnetic section is provided in the personal care appliance, the user only needs to bring the personal care appliance close to the magnetic personal care guide and then the personal care appliance is automatically attached. No precise positioning or threaded connection is required as in the case of ordinary toothbrush holders, for example.

[0035] For example, if the magnetic properties are only provided in the handle of the personal care appliance and not in the head, the head portion cannot be accidentally attached to the magnetic personal care guide, thereby reducing the risk of the personal care guide becoming soiled, thereby potentially reducing its functionality.

[0036] According to the present disclosure, the magnetic personal care guide includes a guide tool, which is activated by removing the personal care appliance from the magnetic personal care guide. For this purpose, the magnetic personal care guide may include a printed circuit board assembly (PCB-A), preferably a battery-driven printed circuit board assembly (PCB-A), which includes a microcontroller. The magnetic personal care guide may also include a device for detecting the presence of the personal care appliance. The device for detecting the presence of the personal care appliance can be a Hall sensor, a reed contact sensor, a switch, a light sensor, a proximity sensor, a stress strain gauge, a RFID tag, a micro switch and / or a movable magnet that exhibits a signal that can be detected by the microcontroller. Such a device for detecting the presence of the personal care appliance enables the guide tool of the magnetic personal care guide to be seamlessly, noiselessly and effortlessly activated and deactivated by only removing / disassembling the personal care appliance from the magnetic personal care guide and returning / attaching the personal care appliance to the magnetic personal care guide.

[0037] To improve and encourage responsible behavior in terms of sustainability, magnetic personal care guides provide sustainability-related guidance, such as using visual or audible signals (e.g., through additional (LED) illuminated symbols) to remind people to turn off the tap while performing personal care routines (e.g., during brushing or wet shaving).

[0038] For this purpose, the personal care guide may include a timer that can be activated by simply detaching the personal care appliance from the magnetic personal care guide. Such a timer may be preconfigured so that it is activated after a predetermined time period after the personal care appliance is detached from the magnetic personal care guide. Hereinafter, such a predetermined time period will be referred to as the "initial introduction phase". In other words, the timer is started after a defined waiting period, allowing the user, for example, to wet the toothbrush, add toothpaste and turn off the tap before starting the cleaning process.

[0039] Such predetermined time period can be about 2 seconds to about 20 seconds, or about 5 seconds to about 15 seconds, or about 8 seconds to about 12 seconds, or about 10 seconds. For example, if a signal reminding the user to close the faucet should be given, the predetermined time period can be about 2 seconds to about 10 seconds.

[0040] The guidance tool may also include a reward system that provides feedback and / or guidance to the user if the user confirms a specific action, for example by pressing a button that confirms that the faucet is turned off. Such a reward system can ensure and facilitate the user to act in the expected manner. For example, if an oral care appliance or a razor is involved, such a guidance tool can provide positive feedback, for example via the indication of certain emoticons, after the user confirms that, for example, the faucet is turned off. If the user confirms (for example, by pressing a specific button) that the water is turned off during several consecutive personal care routines, another signal / reward can be given, thereby indicating compliance behavior in several personal care routines.

[0041] For example, such a reward system may enable points to be collected based on the quality of performance of a particular personal care routine (e.g., based on compliance, brushing time, and / or positive habits / behaviors in the area of ​​sustainability). Such points may be exchangeable for rewards, such as vouchers, offers, and / or virtual trophies.

[0042] Additionally, if an oral care implement is involved, such guidance tools may also provide positive feedback after the user reaches, for example, two minutes of brushing time, for example, via indication of certain emoticons.

[0043] The guide tool may also include a head replacement reminder function that reminds the user to replace the head of the personal care appliance or the entire personal care appliance after a predetermined period of time. The guide tool may also include a reminder function that reminds the user to perform certain actions, such as flossing teeth, rinsing the mouth, or changing the shaving cartridge.

[0044] If a personal care appliance includes a head that can be repeatedly attached to and detached from a handle, a high-quality and relatively expensive handle of the personal care appliance can be provided for use over a longer period of time compared to a disposable personal care appliance (e.g., a manual toothbrush that is removed after about three months of use). At the same time, a relatively cheap brush replacement can be replaced regularly (e.g., after about three months of use). This can provide a cost-effective and environmentally sustainable personal care appliance, thereby also providing a high-quality handle with improved gripping properties, and a solution for purchasing only new head replacements but not the corresponding handle. However, it has been seen in the past that users tend to forget to replace the appliance / head / replacement after the recommended use time, which can cause poor quality perception when using or applying a worn / dull personal care appliance. To overcome this shortcoming, the kit may include a guide tool / functionality to remind the user to replace the appliance / head after a predetermined period of time.

[0045] For example, when it comes to oral care appliances, dentists usually recommend that toothbrushes / heads be replaced frequently (usually after regular use for about three months). After about three months of use, toothbrushes are usually worn out, and therefore need to be replaced with new toothbrushes to ensure that good oral health can be maintained. If a toothbrush is worn out, the bristle tufts are opened, and the bending rigidity of the bristles is reduced. Such worn tufts can no longer thoroughly clean teeth, and the efficiency of plaque removal decreases. Bacteria may grow faster, which can cause gingivitis. In addition, worn bristles cannot reach interdental spaces and are difficult to correctly reach regions again, which can cause the accumulation of debris, plaque and / or plaque in these regions. However, if oral care appliances / heads are replaced frequently / at the right time, such negative oral health effects can be prevented.

[0046] The magnetic personal care introducer may include a clock for providing the time to the user even when the personal care implement is not detached from the introducer.

[0047] The guidance tool can provide visual, acoustic and / or tactile signals to the user as feedback and / or guidance, thereby guiding the user during a personal care routine and / or providing guidance on environmentally sustainable behavior. For users with certain disabilities, the functionality of allowing the user to select the most appropriate type of signal can be beneficial. For example, if the user is blind or visually impaired, such a user can select acoustic and / or tactile signals instead of visual signals to receive feedback and / or guidance from the guidance tool.

[0048] In addition, for example, when the predetermined time period expires, a first signal may be given by the magnetic personal care guide without reattaching the personal care appliance to the magnetic personal care guide. If the personal care appliance is attached to the magnetic guide before the predetermined time period expires, an additional, for example, second visual, acoustic and / or tactile signal, preferably different from the first signal, may be given by the magnetic personal care guide to indicate that the personal care routine has not been fully completed.

[0049] In other words, if the user stops using the personal care appliance (e.g., brushing before the end of a predetermined total time frame of, for example, 2 minutes) and reattaches the personal care appliance to the magnetic personal care guide, a signal may be initiated. If the user puts the appliance / brush back after a predetermined time frame of, for example, 2 minutes of brushing time, another, for example, different signal may be initiated to provide the user with a reward for compliant oral care hygiene. If the user confirms that the faucet is turned off by pressing a button, another type of signal may be given. For example, if the user does not confirm that the faucet is turned off by pressing a button, another type of signal may be given.

[0050] Utilizing such magnetic personal care guides, a kit is provided that enables an effortless personal care routine / brushing guidance system, including environmentally sustainable behavior. Feedback, guidance, warnings and rewards can be given to the user even for manual devices / appliances without electronic components. At the same time, the kit allows for convenient and hygienic storage. Usage of the appliance (e.g. brushing) can be easily monitored for transparent oral health control.

[0051] The magnetic personal care guide may include a housing having a small form factor, such as a watertight housing, such as made of a hard plastic material, in which a magnet may be embedded. For example, the magnet may be a neodymium (NdFeB) magnet. The housing may be made of thermoplastic polyurethane covering an inner frame.

[0052] Removal and reattachment of the personal care appliance may be identified by an energy saving sensor, such as a reed contact sensor that opens and closes an electrical circuit by applying an electromagnetic field.

[0053] Reed contact sensor refers to an electrical switch that is operated by an applied magnetic field. A reed contact sensor comprises a pair of ferromagnetic flexible metal contacts in a sealed glass envelope. The contacts are normally open and close when a magnetic field is present.

[0054] The use of a reed contact sensor allows the magnetic personal care guide to identify differences in the magnetic field by removing and reattaching a section of the personal care appliance that is at least partially made of magnetic and / or ferromagnetic material. Attaching the personal care appliance to the magnetic personal care guide causes a closed loop of magnetic field lines, thereby adjusting the reed contact to its open position; no electrical contacts are provided.

[0055] If the personal care appliance is detached from the magnetic personal care guide, the magnetic field is "disturbed" due to the absence of the magnet body and the reed contact changes its state from open to closed. This signal can be detected by the microcontroller and activate the guide tool.

[0056] Alternatively, removal and reattachment of a personal-care appliance may be detected using a movable NdFeB magnet that has as a primary function to attract the personal-care appliance and as a secondary function to connect electrical contacts.

[0057] The magnets may be assembled into a flexible spring configuration, allowing small movement toward the personal care appliance when close to its surface, while simultaneously breaking electrical contacts or releasing a micro switch, which may be used as a trigger signal to enable or disable a software function.

[0058] Magnets (e.g., NdFeB magnets) for holding / securing / attaching personal care appliances to a magnetic personal care guide on a surface thereof and a printed circuit board assembly can be placed in a watertight housing having a small and compact form factor. The housing can be placed, for example, on a bathroom mirror, tile, or other wall element with a double-sided adhesive.

[0059] The magnetic personal care guide may be equipped with at least one or more batteries, such as 2x AAA batteries. These batteries may be primary or secondary batteries, for example, charged in an external charger or charged inside the device. For example, the battery may be charged in the magnetic personal care guide, for example, by connecting the guide to an external power source via a cable (e.g., USB), or by inductive / wireless charging, such as Qi, an open standard for wireless power transmission. If a bayonet lock is provided in the housing of the magnetic personal care guide, i.e., by twisting the housing in a clockwise or counterclockwise direction, the battery may be easily replaced. Alternatively, in order to easily open the housing of the magnetic personal care guide and to provide simple access to the battery, a threaded, dovetailed guide or clamp may be provided.

[0060] The magnets of the magnetic personal care guide may be adapted such that the pull-off force of a personal care appliance perpendicular to the magnetic personal care guide is higher or about 3N, for example.

[0061] The magnetic personal care guide may include at least one or more light sources, at least two light sources, six or twelve light sources. These light sources may activate at least one or more light indication segments. The at least one light source may be a light emitting diode (LED). The light indication segments may be used to guide the user during the personal care routine.

[0062] Such an induction process may begin with the magnetic personal care induction piece removing the personal care appliance. Before the timer is started, the initial introduction phase may allow the user to prepare for use of the personal care appliance, such as to place toothpaste on the brush head, to wet the brush head with water, and to turn off the faucet.

[0063] The magnetic guide may comprise a plurality of light indication segments. These light indication segments may be activated one after another, each light indication segment providing a visual signal to the user after a predetermined period of time. Different light indication elements may be lit with different colors, for example using six RGB-LEDs (red, green, blue LEDs), optionally in combination with additional white LEDs. In addition, different segments may be pulsed to provide specific information / instructions / guidance to the user.

[0064] The segments can be designed in various ways (e.g., 7 segments, icons, bars, words, etc.). The segments can be provided in a way that they conform to certain design rules. For example, the minimum distance between segments can be set to about 1.5 mm.

[0065] The magnetic personal care guide may include a low power display, such as at least one electrochromic display based on an organic electrochromic polymer, which builds a reflective display technology. Such electrochromic displays reflect ambient light instead of background light. Therefore, compared to LC displays that work based on background light, electrochromic displays require less energy to switch their segments. Therefore, such electrochromic displays enable a sustainable long battery life (0,28 μW / cm 2 Segment area). A group of segments can be illuminated even in the absence of a voltage source and can be present for several minutes (unless "erased" with a negative voltage). The electrochromic display acts like a capacitor that gradually disappears over time. It only requires a refresh pulse every few minutes. In addition, the electrochromic display can be designed to have relatively thin dimensions (e.g., having a thickness of about 0.3 mm) and have a flexible form factor with respect to uneven surfaces (e.g., having a bending diameter of about 10 mm). The cover of at least one electrochromic display can be made of food-compatible PET polymer. The electrochromic display can be manufactured using sheet printing that provides relatively high flexibility. Because sheet printing is relatively expensive, roller printing as a low-cost manufacturing alternative can also be used to produce electrochromic displays. Alternatively, an electronic ink display can be used.

[0066] For example, the magnetic personal care guide may be provided with a plurality of light indication segments, wherein the light indication segments are arranged in a manner to form a specific pattern. For example, once the user reaches the recommended / optimal 2-minute personal care routine time / brushing time, the user may be informed by a visual signal or "visual reward", for example, by the pleasant flashing of the indication segment, by a rotating clock effect in a variety of colors, etc. In addition or alternatively, acoustic or tactile feedback and / or guidance may be given. Acoustic feedback and / or guidance may be given by, for example, a piezoelectric buzzer, a speaker, a motor resonance beep, and / or a motor beep. Tactile feedback and / or guidance may be given using, for example, motor vibration or electromagnet vibration. The magnetic personal care guide may be customizable in such a way that the user may select the type of feedback and / or guidance by making a preselection of the following functionality: visual, acoustic and / or tactile feedback / guidance. For example, the user may only select "visual feedback / guidance" and disable "acoustic" and / or "tactile" feedback and / or guidance. In addition, the user may select only the clock to be activated. This may be beneficial for advanced / experienced users who typically follow a specific personal care routine and require only minimal guidance.The time provided by the clock may be indicated on the display.

[0067] The functionality of allowing selection of a particular type of signal is particularly useful for users with particular disabilities, as the user can select the most appropriate type of signal. For example, if the user is blind or visually impaired, such user can select acoustic and / or tactile signals rather than visual signals to receive feedback and / or guidance from the guidance tool.

[0068] Additionally, a display showing guidance elements, such as abstract representations of brushing zones, teeth (static or animated), or cartoon elements (e.g., for child training purposes) may be used to provide user feedback / guidance. Such a display may be, for example, an LED / TFT, LCD, OLED, e-ink display, electrochromic display, or electroluminescent display.

[0069] The kit may also be adapted to count the number of uses / times the personal care appliance has been removed and reattached to the magnetic personal guide and / or the number of times the user has verified / confirmed that an environmentally sustainable personal care routine (e.g., turning off the water) has been performed within a specific number of personal care routines / cycles. For example, if a wet shaving razor is involved, the number of shaving events may be tracked and indicated on the display. The number of shaving events may be indicated on the display by a digital indication. Additionally, if a preset number of shaving events has been reached, the magnetic personal care guide may provide a signal to the user that the blades of the razor have become dull and that the razor cartridge or overall razor should be replaced with a new device to enable a continued positive shaving experience.

[0070] If oral care appliances are involved, the kit can be adapted to track not only the overall life of the oral care appliances, but also the number of uses / number of cycles / number of times the oral care appliances are removed and reattached to the magnetic personal care guide. Specific preconditions can be set by the user. For example, the user can preset / customize the magnetic personal care guide in such a way that a reminder will be given after three months of the overall life of the brush. A three-month life span can be selected because the brush can be considered unhygienic due to bacterial growth. Similarly, the user can preset / customize the magnetic personal care guide in such a way that a reminder will be given after, for example, 180 cycles of use because the brush can then be considered worn (dentists generally recommend brushing twice a day and only retaining the toothbrush for about three months due to cluster wear and bacterial growth). Depending on which precondition is reached first, the guide tool can provide the user with feedback / guidance that the appliance or its head should be replaced with a new appliance or its head.

[0071] In addition to daily personal care routines / brushing routines, personal care guides can be adapted to remind users of additional tasks that usually follow a longer sequence and may therefore be easily forgotten. For example, a personal care guide can be adapted to remind users to regularly floss the interdental area every day / every other day or replace the brush head every three months. The time point for reminders can be determined based on the number of times the brush is used (for example, by assuming that the brush is used twice a day). Alternatively, the electronics in the magnetic personal care guide may include a real-time clock that can trigger a signal based on the number of days that have passed. Various visual or audible signals can be used to remind the user. For example, additional (LED) illuminated symbols can light up, or different symbols can be revealed on an integrated display at a given point in time. Using additional input elements (such as touch switches), the user can confirm that he / she follows the reminder and performs the task accordingly. After confirmation, the reminder time can be reset and the counting can be started again.

[0072] To further improve and encourage responsible behavior in terms of sustainability, the magnetic personal care guide may also provide sustainability-related reminders, such as, for example, using a visual or audible signal (such as an additional (LED) illuminated symbol) to remind to turn off the light after the personal care routine has been completed.

[0073] In other words, the magnetic personal guide may be adapted to provide another type of signal associated with another type of action. For example, the personal care guide may guide the user during a brushing routine by providing a first type of signal after a preset time period has been reached (e.g., after two minutes), and may give a second type of signal after a pre-selected time period has been reached, for example, to prompt the user to floss their teeth (e.g., after brushing has been completed). For example, the first type of signal may be a visual signal, and the second type of signal may be an acoustic signal. However, according to the present invention, any combination of signals may be selected. For example, the first type of signal may be a visual signal showing a "brush" icon indicating that the brushing cycle has been completed, and the second type of signal may be a visual signal showing a "floss" icon prompting the user to floss their teeth.

[0074] Additional (touch) switches may be used to enable such feature combinations. In addition, using such (touch) switches, the user may select from various pre-selected modes, such as brushing for 2 minutes for a "daily clean" mode, or brushing for three minutes for a "deep clean" mode. Using another / additional (touch) switch, the consumer may turn on / off additional auditory feedback. If the magnetic personal guide includes an interface for wireless data exchange, the consumer / user interaction with the device may be customized in more detail via a separate device (e.g., a smartphone with an app).

[0075] In order to further improve the quality of guidance, the magnetic personal care guide can be adapted to enable tracking and storage of data from actual personal care routines (e.g., brushing or shaving routines / behaviors). Based on the collected data, individualized suggestions can be provided, which can help users / consumers improve their (daily) personal care routines (e.g., brushing or shaving routines) or save resources (e.g., energy or water). General guidance can thus be converted into individual guidance. In addition, the magnetic personal care guide can be adapted to collect data and analyze the data in a manner that allows, for example, a dentist to understand the user's individual brushing behavior, so that professional advice can improve the user's overall oral health hygiene. Similarly, for example, by collecting and tracking water consumption data, the magnetic personal care guide can be adapted to encourage positive sustainable behavior. In addition, the magnetic personal care guide can be adapted to calculate the carbon footprint and / or carbon savings for a specific personal care routine.

[0076] Additionally, wireless connectivity for data transfer and personalization purposes may be provided in the magnetic personal care guide. For example, the magnetic personal care guide may include Bluetooth or WiFi connectivity and / or other mesh network protocols, such as Thread. The magnetic guide / timer may be customized, for example, based on the overall required brushing time, initial introduction phase, displayed colors, and predetermined time periods for segments. For this purpose, the magnetic personal care guide may include at least one button / switch for setting customized features.

[0077] Additionally, the magnetic personal care guide may include a night light function and a proximity sensor and / or a watch function, for example using low power clips such as an electrochromic display, an e-ink display, or low energy LEDs.

[0078] Typically, especially in the field of personal care, users are accustomed to products having a certain weight that guarantees high product quality and provides a comfortable feeling during product use. The magnetic / ferromagnetic material of the handle of the personal care appliance may have a relatively high density and therefore a relatively heavy weight, which provides such benefits to the personal care appliance. In addition, the magnetic / ferromagnetic material of the handle may have a higher density than the non-magnetic / ferromagnetic material of the head. Therefore, the center of mass may be located in the handle, which enables the user to perform a well-coordinated use / brushing / shaving technique with an improved sensory feeling during use / brushing / shaving.

[0079] The magnetic and / or ferromagnetic material forming at least a portion of the handle may comprise an amorphous thermoplastic resin. The magnetic and / or ferromagnetic material may comprise iron oxide. Additionally, the magnetic and / or ferromagnetic material may comprise aluminum oxide, boron nitride, or aluminum silicate. The magnetic and / or ferromagnetic material may also comprise glass fibers that may be premixed with at least a portion of the amorphous thermoplastic resin.

[0080] The amount of iron oxide used in the magnetic and / or ferromagnetic material may be up to about 70% by weight or up to about 67% by weight. Using iron oxide, such material compositions provide improved magnetic properties and thus, for example, provide a higher magnetic attraction force between the personal care appliance and the magnetic guide compared to aluminum oxide. In addition, since iron oxide is used (instead of aluminum oxide), the negative grinding effects that regularly occur in the mold during the molding step due to the abrasive properties of aluminum oxide can be significantly reduced.

[0081] Such magnetic / ferromagnetic materials may allow the weight of the handle to be controlled in any position, for example by filler variation. Due to the relatively high weight of the handle, control of the overall personal care appliance may be desired. It is now possible to use the mass / weight distribution of the material to adapt the moment of inertia of the finished appliance.

[0082] The magnetic and / or ferromagnetic material may include about 13 wt % to about 30 wt % amorphous thermoplastic resin; about 3 wt % to about 25 wt % aluminum oxide, boron nitride or aluminum silicate; and about 45 wt % to about 67 wt % iron oxide.

[0083] Alternatively, the magnetic and / or ferromagnetic material may comprise from about 13 wt % to about 30 wt % amorphous thermoplastic resin; and up to about 70 wt % iron oxide.

[0084] Such compositions provide a material density that is about three times the density of standard plastic materials (e.g., polypropylene) for toothbrushes. At higher weight and higher thermal conductivity, the material can drive value perception, particularly in combination with a plated coating. Such a coating can be made of real metal. The plated coating can be applied in a selective plating process. During this coating process for multi-component plastic parts, the metal layer is deposited only on the hard material, while the additional overmolded soft component can remain unaffected.

[0085] The amorphous thermoplastic resin may comprise a styrene resin, such as styrene acrylonitrile "SAN". The amorphous thermoplastic resin may be selected from acrylonitrile butadiene styrene, polystyrene and styrene acrylonitrile.

[0086] The amorphous thermoplastic resin may include about 17 weight percent styrene acrylonitrile and 10.5 weight percent of a mixture including polybutylene terephthalate and polyethylene terephthalate.

[0087] It has been found that such compositions provide a high specific gravity molding material suitable for injection molding or extrusion. A high specific gravity molding material having high surface hardness, excellent coating characteristics and excellent thermal conductivity can be provided.

[0088] The use of molding materials with a relatively high specific gravity is known. Such molding materials usually contain a polymer resin and a high-density filler such as iron oxide. However, in such molding materials, the amount of iron oxide that can be included is limited due to the relatively poor thermal conductivity characteristics of the molding material. Therefore, on the one hand, the lower thermal conductivity leads to relatively long cycle times during manufacturing to allow the molding material to cool after molding. On the other hand, if the heavy polymeric material is filled with high thermal conductivity additives, such as metal powders or fibers, the addition of these materials leads to a tight process window in molding because the molten material solidifies immediately when it contacts the cold wall of the tool. This rapid solidification leads to high injection speeds and a low ratio of flow length to wall thickness at the production part.

[0089] It has been found that the molding material as described above has a high specific gravity and optimally controlled thermal conductivity properties to reduce or extend the time required for the molding material to cool during or after injection molding. In addition, it has been found that a relatively high percentage of iron oxide can be maintained in the molding material while improving the thermal conductivity properties of the molding material.

[0090] The addition of aluminum oxide, boron nitride or aluminum silicate can provide improved thermal conductivity to the molding material compared to a material containing only styrene resin and iron oxide. This improved thermal conductivity can lead to shorter cycle times because the molding material may require less time to cool after molding.

[0091] Another benefit of adding aluminum oxide, boron nitride or aluminum silicate to the material is that the total amount of iron oxide in the molding material can be increased compared to iron oxide and resin in the past. The improvement in the properties of the molding material comes from the addition of relatively small amounts of aluminum oxide, boron nitride or aluminum silicate. The material composition containing a relatively high percentage (i.e., about 45% to about 67% by weight, preferably about 51% by weight) of iron oxide (magnetite) provides good magnetic properties and a relatively heavy weight of the overall material.

[0092] Styrene acrylonitrile "SAN" provides high heat resistance properties. The acrylonitrile units in the chain give SAN a glass transition temperature greater than 100°C. The properties of SAN can allow for reduced cycle times due to relatively early and faster transition temperatures. Amorphous polymers are suitable for the heavy resin composites of the present disclosure due to the glass transition temperature Tg at which amorphous polymers transition from a viscous or rubbery state to a hard state in a reversible manner. With injection molding of the heavy resin material of the present disclosure, the temperature of the material melt is above the Tg region (viscous state or rubbery state). During cooling, the composite reaches a high Tg temperature early and reaches dimensional stability (glassy state). Due to the high Tg of the material, the material remains dimensionally stable, so overmolding of the heavy resin material is possible.

[0093] Polybutylene terephthalate and polyethylene terephthalate provide high-quality surface properties for the handle, including improved optical characteristics and high impact strength. Once heated, polybutylene terephthalate and polyethylene terephthalate represent high-temperature resistant melts with low viscosity and high melt flow index (MFI). As a result, the processability of magnetic / ferromagnetic materials during molding is improved.

[0094] The material composition can be prepared by blending an amorphous thermoplastic resin with aluminum oxide powder, boron nitride powder or aluminum silicate powder with iron oxide powder. Increasing the amount of iron oxide in the material composition also has the advantage of providing a lower cost molding material because iron oxide powder is cheaper than other fillers. Amorphous thermoplastic resin, glass fiber, aluminum oxide, boron nitride or aluminum silicate powder and iron oxide powder can be blended by using a single-shaft extruder, a double-shaft extruder, a kneader, a Banbury mixer, a roller extruder or other such extruders. After blending, the material is heated to become flowable. The flowable material can then be molded into a handle or a part of the handle by injection molding or extrusion molding.

[0095] In an additional step, the handle or a portion of the handle may be plated to add an improved appearance and pleasing feel.Thermoplastic elastomers are well suited for electroplating because they allow both hard and soft composite components to be formed in one operation to be selectively plated.

[0096] For example, the handle may include a thumb rest made of a thermoplastic elastomer material and / or a polypropylene material. These materials can be easily injection molded on a heavy resin material as discussed above. Such a thumb rest can provide improved gripping properties (e.g., anti-slip properties) for the handle to improve the manipulability of the oral care appliance under a wet condition (e.g., when the user brushes or shaves his teeth). The thumb rest may be made of a thermoplastic elastomer material having a Shore A hardness of about 30 to about 60, or about 40, so as to prevent the oral care appliance from being too slippery when used under a wet condition. At least a portion of the thumb rest may have a concave shape having an angle α of about 20° to about 25° or about 24° relative to the area of ​​the rest of the thumb rest. The thumb rest or gripping area may be attached to the front surface of the handle in an area near the proximal end (i.e., closest to the head). The thumb rest may include a plurality of ribs extending substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the oral care appliance. Such ribs can allow the user / consumer to use the oral care appliance with even more control. The user / consumer can better grip and manipulate the handle of the oral care appliance during brushing. Such a handle can provide further improved control and greater comfort during brushing, especially in wet conditions.

[0097] In addition, the handle can be made of at least two or at least three different materials, each material forming a different portion of the handle. For example, a first material according to the present disclosure, i.e., a magnetic and / or ferromagnetic material, can be injection molded into a first component of the handle, thereby forming the underlying infrastructure of the oral care appliance. For example, a second component of a polypropylene material can be injection molded over the first component, and / or a third component, such as a thermoplastic elastomer material, can be at least partially injection molded over the first component and / or the second component.

[0098] The third component of thermoplastic elastomer material can form a thumb rest on the front surface of the oral care implement and / or a palm grip on the rear surface opposite the front surface for the user / consumer's fingers and thumb to grasp. This handle configuration can even further resist slipping during use. The thermoplastic elastomer material can extend through a hole provided in the underlying base structure and / or the second component of the handle.

[0099] Alternatively, the section of the personal care appliance that is at least partially made of magnetic and / or ferromagnetic material can be a magnetic ring, sheet or clamp attached to the personal care appliance, a metal ring, sheet or clamp attached to the personal care appliance, and / or a movable magnet attached to the personal care appliance. As a further alternative, the personal care appliance can include a housing, such as a handle housing, made of a magnetic metal.

[0100] The tooth cleaning element of oral care appliance, such as the filament bundle forming one or more clusters, can be attached to the head by a hot tufting process. A method for manufacturing a head with a filament cluster embedded in the head may include the following steps: in a first step, a cluster is formed by providing a desired amount of filaments. In a second step, the cluster is placed in a mold cavity so that the end of the filament that should be attached to the head extends into the cavity. The opposite end of the filament that does not extend into the cavity can be end rounding or non-end rounding. For example, in the case where the filament is a tapered filament with a sharp top, the filament can be non-end rounding. In the third step, a head is formed around the end of the filament extending into the mold cavity by an injection molding process, so that the cluster is anchored in the head. Alternatively, the cluster can be anchored by forming the first part of the head (so-called "sealing plate") around the end of the filament extending into the mold cavity by an injection molding process before the rest of the oral care appliance is formed. Before starting the injection molding process, the ends of the tufts extending into the mold cavity may be optionally melted or fusion bonded to join the filaments together in a fusion or molten ball so that the fusion or molten ball is located in the cavity. The tufts can be held in the mold cavity by a molding rod with a blind hole corresponding to the desired position of the tufts on the finished head of the oral care appliance. In other words, the tufts attached to the head by the hot tufting process are not superimposed on the middle portion along their length and are not installed in the head using anchors / pins. Tufts can be installed on the head using a tufting process without anchors.

[0101] Alternatively, the head of the oral care appliance may be provided with a bristle carrier having at least one tuft hole (e.g., a blind hole). A tuft comprising a plurality of filaments may be fixed / anchored in the tuft hole by a binding process / anchoring tufting method. This means that the filaments of the tuft are bent / folded in a substantially U-shaped manner around an anchor, such as one made of metal, such as an anchor cable or an anchor plate. The filaments are pushed into the tuft hole together with the anchor so that the anchor penetrates into the opposite side walls of the tuft hole, thereby anchoring / fixing / fastening the filaments to the bristle carrier. The anchor may be fixed in the opposite side walls by positive friction engagement. In the case where the tuft hole is a blind hole, the anchor holds the filament against the bottom of the hole. In other words, the anchor may be located above the U-shaped bend in a substantially vertical manner. Since the filaments of the tuft are bent around the anchor in a substantially U-shaped configuration, the first branch and the second branch of each filament extend from the bristle carrier in the direction of the filament. The type of filaments that can be used / adapted for use in a binding process are also referred to as “double-sided filaments.” Heads for oral care implements manufactured by a binding process can be provided in a relatively low cost and time-efficient manner.

[0102] The following is a non-limiting discussion of example embodiments of a kit for supporting an environmentally sustainable personal care routine, the kit including a personal care appliance and a magnetic personal care guide according to the present disclosure, with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0103] Figure 1 A kit 1 for supporting an environmentally sustainable personal care routine is shown. The kit 1 includes a personal care appliance 10 and a magnetic personal care guide 100 to which the personal care appliance 10 can be magnetically attached and magnetically detached. The personal care appliance includes at least one section made at least in part of a magnetic and / or ferromagnetic material 13. The magnetic personal care guide 100 includes a guide tool 110 that can be activated by detaching the personal care appliance 10 from the magnetic personal care guide 100.

[0104] In this case, the personal care appliance 10 is a manual oral care appliance 10 / toothbrush 10. However, the personal care appliance 10 can be any type of appliance that can perform a personal care routine or can support the performance of a personal care routine. For example, the personal care appliance 10 can be a wet shaving razor, a trimmer, a beauty device (such as a massage brush or a finger / toe nail polisher), a skin treatment device, or a manually or electrically operated oral care appliance, such as a toothbrush, a tongue scraper, a chemical applicator, or a toothpick. The personal care appliance 10 may include a head 14 (in this case, a toothbrush head 14) and a handle 12. The head 14 may be permanently attached to the handle 14, or it may be repeatedly attached to the handle 14 and detached from the handle. In this example, the head 14 may be repeatedly attached to the handle 12 and detached from the handle.

[0105] The handle 12 may be molded from a magnetic and / or ferromagnetic material and represents a section made at least in part from a magnetic and / or ferromagnetic material. In addition, the handle 12 may have undergone electroplating with any additional material, such as a polyethylene material or a thermoplastic elastomer, to form a soft zone, such as a thumb rest 16. The soft zone / thumb rest 16 may improve the comfort and feel of the handle 12. Alternatively or in addition, the handle 12 may be provided with a metal layer 18 directly on the magnetic and / or ferromagnetic material to further improve the appearance of the handle 12 by an additional electroplating step. For example, the metal layer 18 may have the form of a ring around the outer perimeter of the handle 12.

[0106] Alternatively, the section of the personal-care appliance 10 that is at least partially made of magnetic and / or ferromagnetic material can be a magnetic ring, sheet or clamp attached to the personal-care appliance 10, a metal ring, sheet or clamp attached to the personal-care appliance 10 and / or a movable magnet attached to the personal-care appliance 10.

[0107] exist Figure 2 100 is shown in FIG. The magnetic personal care guide 100 may have the form of a flat disc that can be attached to a wall, for example using a double-sided adhesive tape 195, for safely and hygienically storing the personal care appliance 10. The flat disc may at least partially include a TPE layer to enhance the friction between the personal care appliance 10 and the magnetic guide 100.

[0108] Figure 3 An exploded view of the magnetic personal care guide 100 is shown. Figure 3The magnetic personal care guide 100 includes a magnet 170, a housing cover 105 covering an internal frame 106, and a housing bottom 190 that can be attached to the housing cover 105 to provide a housing cavity (e.g., using a bayonet lock, a screw or a snap function). A seal 191 can be disposed between the housing cover 105 and the housing bottom 180, and at the back of the housing bottom 190. A battery-driven printed circuit board assembly (PCB-A) 111 including a microcontroller 120 is disposed in the housing cavity. At least one battery 180 (e.g., a primary battery or a secondary battery) or a solar cell that powers the PCB-A 111 is located in the battery compartment 181. In this case, the battery is a primary battery, but it can also be a secondary battery that is charged in an external charger or inside the guide 100. The magnetic personal care guide 100 also includes a device 130 for detecting the presence of the personal care appliance 10. The device 130 for detecting the presence of the personal-care appliance 10 may be a Hall sensor, a reed contact sensor, a switch, a light sensor, a proximity sensor, a stress strain gauge, an RFID tag, a micro switch, and / or a movable magnet that exhibits a signal detectable by the microcontroller 120 .

[0109] In this embodiment, the magnetic personal care guide 100 includes a low-power display, such as an electrochromic display 140 that reflects ambient light. The electrochromic display 140 can be attached to the PCB-A via an adhesive 141. Instead of the electrochromic display 140, the magnetic personal care guide can include at least one light source, such as at least one LED that illuminates at least one or more light indicating elements. Optionally, a real-time module (not shown) can also be provided in the housing cavity to enable control and monitoring of the time of timeout in the event that the battery 180 that powers the PCB-A is depleted during the personal care routine. If a new battery is inserted, the previously recorded time will be immediately able to be re-displayed.

[0110] A button / switch 142 may be provided to customize the functionality of the guide tool 110 / magnetic personal care guide 100. For example, via the button / switch 142, the type of feedback and / or guidance provided by the magnetic personal care guide 100 may be selected. For example, a pre-selection of the following functionality may be made: visual, acoustic, and / or tactile feedback / guidance. For example, a user may select only "visual feedback / guidance" and disable "acoustic" and / or "tactile" feedback / guidance. Additionally, via the switch 142, a user may select from various pre-selected modes, such as brushing for two minutes for a "daily cleaning" mode, or brushing for three minutes for a "deep cleaning" mode.

[0111] Figures 4 to 8A display 140 of the magnetic personal care guide 100 is shown, which displays various types of visual signals. Figure 4 The time is shown (8:31 in this case). Figure 5 A "manual brush" icon is shown which provides a signal to the user to brush / continue brushing with the manual brush. Figure 6 A "power brush" icon is shown which provides a signal to the user to brush with the power brush / continue brushing. Figure 7 A "wet shaving razor" icon is shown which provides a shave / continue shaving signal to the user. Figure 8 A "bar" is shown filling up from the bottom, indicating the time that has timed out during the personal care routine.

[0112] like Figure 8 As shown, when the personal care appliance 10 is detached from the magnetic personal care guide 100, the bars or bar segments are each activated one after another after a predetermined time period. For example, the predetermined time period can be about 20 seconds. For example, if the display includes six bars / bar segments, and the predetermined time period for each bar to be illuminated is set to 20 seconds, the guidance process can be adapted to a recommended 2-minute brushing time.

[0113] For example, such a timer can be preconfigured so that it is activated after a predetermined period of time after the personal care appliance 10 is removed from the magnetic personal care guide 100, thereby allowing the user to wet the toothbrush, add toothpaste, and turn off the faucet. The predetermined period of time can be about 2 seconds to about 20 seconds, about 5 seconds to about 15 seconds, or about 8 seconds to about 12 seconds, or about 10 seconds.

[0114] When all strip segments have been activated / illuminated and the predetermined time period has timed out for all strip segments, a first visual, acoustic and / or tactile signal may be given by the magnetic personal care guide 100 to the user.

[0115] Similarly, if the personal care appliance 10 is reattached to the magnetic personal care guide 100 before all strip segments have been activated / illuminated or before a predetermined time period has expired for all strip segments, a second visual, acoustic and / or tactile signal may be given by the magnetic personal care guide 100 to the user.

[0116] A further signal may be given after the user confirms that the water is turned off by pressing a button / switch. If the user does not confirm that the water is turned off by pressing a button / switch after a predetermined time period, another signal may be given. The predetermined time period may be set, for example, between 2 seconds and 10 seconds.

[0117] Fig. 9Another embodiment of a kit 200 for supporting an environmentally sustainable personal care routine is shown. The kit 200 may have the same features as the previously described kit 1 ( Figure 1 ) The kit 200 may include a shaving razor 210 and a magnetic personal care guide 300 according to the present disclosure, to which the shaving razor 210 is magnetically attached. The kit 200 is adapted to support an environmentally sustainable personal care routine, as previously described for Figure 1 The kit 200 may include a shaving razor 210 and a magnetic personal care guide 300, to which the shaving razor 210 can be magnetically attached and detached. The magnetic personal care guide 300 may be used together with the previously described magnetic personal care guide 100 ( Figure 1 ) is the same. The shaving scraper 210 may include at least one section made at least partially of a magnetic and / or ferromagnetic material 213. For example, the shaving scraper 210 may include a handle 212 made of a magnetic and / or ferromagnetic material, or include a magnetic and / or ferromagnetic material inserted into the handle 212. The magnetic personal care guide 300 may include a guide tool 310 that can be activated by removing the shaving scraper 210 from the magnetic personal care guide 300.

[0118] The shaving razor 210 may include a head, such as a shaving razor cartridge 214. In certain embodiments, the shaving razor cartridge 214 may be permanently attached to the handle 212, or may be removable from the handle 212, thereby allowing replacement with a new shaving razor cartridge 214. In this example, the shaving razor cartridge 214 may be repeatedly attached to and removed from the handle 212. The handle 212 may be molded from a magnetic and / or ferromagnetic material, and may represent a section made at least in part of a magnetic and / or ferromagnetic material. In addition, the handle 212 may have been plated with any additional material, such as a polyethylene material or a thermoplastic elastomer, to form a soft zone, such as a thumb rest 216. The soft zone / thumb rest 216 may improve the comfort and feel of the handle 212. Alternatively or additionally, by an additional electroplating step, the handle 212 may be provided with a metal layer 218 directly on the magnetic and / or ferromagnetic material to further improve the appearance of the handle 212. For example, the metal layer 218 may have the form of a ring around the outer circumference of the handle 212.

[0119] Alternatively, the section of the shaving scraper 210 that is at least partially made of magnetic and / or ferromagnetic material can be a magnetic ring, sheet or clamp attached to the shaving scraper 210, a metal ring, sheet or clamp attached to the shaving scraper 210 and / or a movable magnet attached to the shaving scraper 210.

[0120] In certain embodiments, the handle 214 (comprising Figure 1 The handle 14 shown may include a shaving blade 210 and / or a magnetic guide 300 (or Figure 1 Personal care appliances 10 and Figure 2 The shaving blade 210 and / or the magnetic guide 300 may be provided with one or more LEDs (light emitting diodes) 215 for indicating the status of the shaving blade 210 and / or the magnetic guide 300. For example, the LEDs 215 may communicate the power level of the shaving blade 210 and / or the magnetic guide 300. The LEDs 215 may communicate information about the physical connection between the shaving blade 210 and / or the magnetic personal care guide 300. The magnetic personal care guide 300 may also have one or more LEDs 315 for communicating information to the user.

[0121] In this embodiment, the magnetic personal care guide 300 may include a low power display, such as an electrochromic display 340 that reflects ambient light. The electrochromic display 340 may be the same as the electrochromic display 140 described previously. Instead of the electrochromic display 140, the magnetic guide 300 may include at least one light source, such as at least one LED that illuminates at least one or more light indicating elements. Optionally, a real-time module (not shown) may also be provided within the housing cavity to enable control and monitoring of the time that has timed out in the event that the battery power supplying PCB-A is depleted during the personal care routine. If a new battery is inserted, the previously recorded time will immediately be able to be re-displayed.

[0122] The shaving razor 210 may include a power source (not shown), such as one or more batteries positioned within the handle 212. The batteries may be rechargeable or replaceable alkaline batteries. The batteries may be recharged via a cable (not shown) inserted into the handle 212 and an external power source (e.g., a wall outlet or an external battery pack).

[0123] In the context of this disclosure, the term "substantially" refers to an arrangement of elements or features that, while theoretically expected to exhibit exact uniformity or behavior, may in practice render something somewhat less precise. Likewise, the term represents the degree to which a quantitative value, measurement, or other related representation may vary from a stated reference without resulting in a change in the basic function of the subject matter at issue.

[0124] The dimensions and values ​​disclosed herein should not be understood as being strictly limited to the exact numerical values ​​cited. Instead, unless otherwise indicated, each such dimension is intended to represent the stated value and a functionally equivalent range around that value. For example, a dimension disclosed as "40 mm" is intended to mean "about 40 mm".

Claims

1. A kit (1) for supporting an environmentally sustainable personal care routine, the kit (1) comprising: (iii) a personal care appliance (10) comprising a section at least partially made of a magnetic and / or ferromagnetic material (13), and (iv) A magnetic personal care guide (100), wherein the personal care appliance (10) is magnetically attachable to and magnetically detachable from the magnetic personal care guide (100), wherein the magnetic personal care guide (100) comprises a guidance tool (110), wherein the guidance tool (110) is activated by detaching the personal care appliance (10) from the magnetic personal care guide (100) and provides guidance on environmentally sustainable behavior.

2. The kit (1) according to claim 1, wherein the magnetic personal care guide (100) comprises a reminder function which reminds the user of the consumption of the resource after a predetermined period of time.

3. A kit (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the kit (1) is a water saving guide system (1) that supports a user in saving water during a personal care routine, and the magnetic personal care guide (100) is a magnetic water saving guide (100).

4. The kit (1) according to claim 3, wherein the magnetic water saving guide (110) comprises a timer and a reminder function, the reminder function reminding the user of water consumption after a predetermined time period.

5. A kit (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein: The channeling tool (110) is activated after a predetermined period of time after the personal care appliance (10) is detached from the magnetic personal care guide (100).

6. The kit (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the magnetic personal care guide (100) comprises a low power display (140), preferably an electrochromic display or an electronic ink display.

7. The kit (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the guiding tool (110) comprises a reward system providing feedback to the user after a predetermined period of time.

8. The kit (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the magnetic personal care guide (100) comprises a clock and / or a timer.

9. The kit (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the guidance tool (110) uses visual, tactile and / or acoustic signals to provide feedback and / or guidance to the user.

10. The kit (1) according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the guiding tool (110) comprises a printed circuit board assembly (PCB-A) (111), preferably a battery-driven printed circuit board assembly (PCB-A) (111), which comprises a microcontroller (120).

11. A kit (1) according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the magnetic personal care guide (100) comprises a device (130) for detecting the presence of the personal care appliance (10), preferably the device (130) is a Hall sensor, a reed contact sensor, a switch, a light sensor, a proximity sensor, a stress strain gauge, an RFID tag, a micro switch and / or a movable magnet, which exhibits a signal that can be detected by a microcontroller (120).

12. The kit (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the magnetic personal care guide (100) has the form of a flat disc or a bracket, the flat disc preferably being attachable to a wall.

13. The kit (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the magnetic personal care guide (100) further comprises a real-time module for controlling and monitoring time.

14. The kit (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the magnetic personal care guide (100) comprises at least one switch (142) for customizing the signal provided by the guide tool (110).

15. A magnetic personal care guide (100) adapted to releasably hold a personal care appliance (10), the personal care appliance (10) comprising a section at least partially made of a magnetic and / or ferromagnetic material (13), the magnetic personal care guide (100) comprising a guidance tool (110) activated by detaching the personal care appliance (10) from the magnetic personal care guide (100) and providing guidance on environmentally sustainable behavior.

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