Tooth whitening device

Abstract

A tooth whitening device includes a container having a cavity containing a tooth whitening composition, and an applicator assembly including a cap, a stem member coupled to the cap and protruding from a bottom end of the cap and having a longitudinal axis, an outer surface, and a distal end portion, and an applicator tip coupled to a distal end portion of the stem member. The applicator assembly is changeable between: (1) an attached state in which the cavity of the container is sealed; and (2) a detached state in which the applicator assembly is separated from the container to apply the tooth whitening composition to the teeth of the user. The outer surface of the rod member includes at least one vent groove that is elongated in the direction of the longitudinal axis to reduce pressure in the cavity of the container when changing the applicator assembly to the attached condition.

Description

[0001] CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0002] This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application Serial No. 63 / 401,759, filed on August 29, 2022, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. Background Art

[0003] Teeth whitening is an increasingly popular treatment, and dentists and patients alike are looking for techniques that are both convenient and comfortable while also being effective. Typically, to whiten a user's teeth, a composition containing hydrogen peroxide is applied to the teeth and allowed to remain in contact with the teeth to be whitened for a period of time. Existing systems and devices for whitening teeth suffer from several deficiencies, such as product effectiveness, caking of the whitening composition on the applicator, problems associated with priming the applicator, and consistent application to the teeth. Therefore, there is a need for a teeth whitening device that addresses the deficiencies of existing products. Summary of the invention

[0004] The present invention relates to a teeth whitening device, which includes a container having a cavity for accommodating a teeth whitening composition and an applicator assembly, the applicator assembly including: a cover; a rod member, which is connected to the cover and protrudes from the bottom end of the cover, and the rod member has a longitudinal axis, an outer surface and a distal portion; and an applicator tip, which is connected to the distal portion of the rod member. The applicator assembly is capable of changing between the following states: (1) an attached state, in which the cavity of the container is sealed; and (2) a disassembled state, in which the applicator assembly is separated from the container to apply the teeth of the user. The outer surface of the rod member includes at least one vent groove that is elongated in the direction of the longitudinal axis to reduce the pressure in the cavity of the container when the applicator assembly is changed to the attached state.

[0005] In one aspect, the present invention can be a teeth whitening device, the teeth whitening device comprising a container and an applicator assembly, the container comprising a first engagement feature and a cavity for containing a teeth whitening composition, the applicator assembly comprising: a cover comprising a second engagement feature; a rod member coupled to the cover and protruding from a bottom end of the cover, the rod member comprising a longitudinal axis, an outer surface and a distal portion; and an applicator tip coupled to the distal portion of the rod member; wherein the applicator assembly is capable of changing between the following states: (1) an attached state, in which the applicator assembly is in an attached state and ... The invention relates to a method of manufacturing a tooth whitening composition according to the present invention, wherein the applicator assembly is configured to be attached to the container and the applicator tip is configured to be attached to the container and to seal the cavity; and (2) a disassembled state in which at least a portion of the rod member and the applicator tip are located within the cavity of the container and the second engagement feature of the cap engages with the first engagement feature of the container to couple the applicator assembly to the container and seal the cavity; and (3) a disassembled state in which the applicator assembly is separated from the container and the applicator tip is configured to apply the tooth whitening composition to the teeth of the user; and wherein the outer surface of the rod member includes at least one vent groove that is elongated in the direction of the longitudinal axis to reduce the pressure in the cavity of the container when the applicator assembly is changed to the attached state.

[0006] In another aspect, the present invention may be a teeth whitening device comprising a container and an applicator assembly, the container comprising a first set of threads and a cavity for containing a teeth whitening composition, the applicator assembly comprising: a cover comprising an inner surface defining a cover cavity, the inner surface comprising a second set of threads, the second set of threads being configured to engage with the first set of threads to removably couple the cover to the container, thereby sealing the cavity; a rod member coupled to the inner surface of the cover and protruding from a bottom end of the cover, the rod member comprising a longitudinal axis and an outer surface having a plurality of grooves, the plurality of grooves being elongated in the direction of the longitudinal axis along most of the length of the rod member; and an applicator tip coupled to the rod member and configured to apply the teeth whitening composition directly to the user's teeth when the applicator assembly is removed from the container.

[0007] Further areas of applicability of the present invention will become apparent from the detailed description provided hereinafter.It should be understood that the detailed description and specific examples, while indicating the preferred embodiment of the invention, are for illustration purposes only and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0008] The present invention will be more fully understood based on the detailed description and accompanying drawings, in which:

[0009] Figure 1 is a perspective view of a teeth whitening device according to an embodiment of the present invention, the teeth whitening device comprising a container and an applicator assembly, wherein the applicator assembly is in an attached state;

[0010] Figure 2 yes Figure 1A perspective view of a teeth whitening device, wherein the applicator assembly is in a disassembled state;

[0011] Figure 3 yes Figure 1 An exploded perspective view of a teeth whitening device;

[0012] Figure 4A yes Figure 1 A top perspective view of a container of a teeth whitening device;

[0013] Figure 4B yes Figure 4A A bottom perspective view of a container;

[0014] Figure 5 It is along Figure 2 A cross-sectional view taken along line VV of ;

[0015] Fig. 6A yes Figure 1 a top perspective view of a rod member of an applicator assembly of a teeth whitening device;

[0016] Figure 6B is a partial front view of the rod member of FIG6;

[0017] Figure 6C It is along Figure 6B A cross-sectional view taken along line VI-VI of ;

[0018] Fig. 7A It is along Figure 2 A cross-sectional view taken along line VII-VII;

[0019] Figure 7B yes Fig. 7A A cross-sectional view of a container having a teeth whitening composition in a cavity of the container;

[0020] Figure 8 yes Fig. 7A Close-up view of region VIII;

[0021] Fig. 9 According to an embodiment of the present invention Fig. 7A A close-up view of Region IX of FIG. 1 ; and

[0022] Fig.10 is a view of an applicator tip of an applicator assembly according to an alternative embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0023] The following description of the preferred embodiment(s) is merely exemplary in nature and is in no way intended to limit the invention, its application, or uses.

[0024] The description of the illustrative embodiments according to the principles of the present invention is intended to be read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, which are considered as part of the entire written description. In the description of the embodiments of the present invention disclosed herein, any reference to direction or orientation is merely for the convenience of description and is not intended to limit the scope of the present invention in any way. Relative terms such as "lower", "upper", "horizontal", "vertical", "above", "below", "up", "down", "top" and "bottom" and their derivatives (e.g., "horizontally", "downward", "upward", etc.) should be interpreted as referring to the orientation as described subsequently or as shown in the accompanying drawings discussed. These relative terms are only for the convenience of description, and unless explicitly stated, the device is not required to be constructed or operated in a specific orientation. Unless otherwise explicitly described, terms such as "attachment", "attachment", "connection", "connection", "interconnection" refer to the relationship in which the structural members are directly or indirectly fixed or attached to each other through the intermediate structural member, and the attachment or relationship in which the two are movable or rigid. In addition, the features and benefits of the present invention are explained by referring to exemplary embodiments. Therefore, the present invention expressly should not be limited to the exemplary embodiments illustrating some possible non-limiting combinations of features, which may exist alone or in other combinations of features; the scope of the present invention is defined by the appended claims.

[0025] Reference Figures 1 to 3 , illustrates a teeth whitening device 1000 according to an embodiment of the present invention. The teeth whitening device 1000 is a device that stores a teeth whitening composition and facilitates applying the teeth whitening composition to the user's teeth to perform a teeth whitening function. In some embodiments, the teeth whitening device 1000 may be similar to a device commonly used to store and apply lip gloss, such as a stick applicator. Although described herein as a teeth whitening device, in other embodiments, the device may be an applicator device and may not be specified for applying the composition to the user's teeth. In particular, the device may be used to apply the composition to other parts of the user, such as the skin, lips, gums, hair, nose, etc.

[0026] The tooth whitening device 1000 generally includes a container 100 and an applicator assembly 200. The applicator assembly 200 is configured to be repeatedly attached to and detached from the container 100. Specifically, Figure 1 Applicator assembly 200 is illustrated in an attached state such that applicator assembly 200 is attached to container 100 . Figure 2The applicator assembly 200 is illustrated in a disassembled state in which the applicator assembly 200 is disassembled from the container 100. In the disassembled state, the applicator assembly 200 can be used to apply the teeth whitening composition to the user's teeth to perform a whitening function. When the applicator assembly 200 is in the attached state, the applicator tip 270 of the applicator assembly 200 is loaded with the teeth whitening composition stored in the container 100. Then, when the applicator assembly 200 is changed to the disassembled state, the teeth whitening composition loaded on the applicator assembly 200 can be directly applied to the user's teeth.

[0027] The user may need to dip the applicator assembly 200 into the container 100 one or more times during a single treatment session in order to fully coat each of the desired teeth with the tooth whitening composition. During a treatment session, the number of times the applicator assembly 200 needs to be dipped into the container 100 can be determined by the user's preferences and / or the instructions included with the tooth whitening device 1000. That is, the tooth whitening device 1000 can be sold with instructions that suggest that the user apply the tooth whitening composition to all visible teeth by dipping the applicator assembly 200 into the container 100 once. Alternatively, the instructions may suggest that the user dip the applicator assembly 200 into the container 100 multiple times during a single treatment session to fully coat all teeth that need to be whitened (i.e., dip between applying to each tooth, dip between applying to each group of three teeth, etc.).

[0028] In an exemplary embodiment, when the applicator assembly 200 is in an attached state, the teeth whitening device 100 has a generally cylindrical overall shape. However, in other embodiments, the container 100 and the applicator assembly 200 may have other shapes to achieve various aesthetic goals. In addition, the container 100 may be cylindrical, and the cover of the applicator assembly 200 may have different shapes. In all embodiments, the various shapes of the container 100 and the cover of the applicator assembly 200 are not limitations of the invention disclosed herein.

[0029] As in Figure 31, container 100 may include an inner shell 190 and an outer sleeve 191 surrounding the inner shell 190. The inner shell 190 may be formed by a hard plastic material, such as polypropylene. The outer sleeve 191 may be formed by a metal, such as aluminum. The outer sleeve 191 may be attached to the outer surface of the inner shell 190 using adhesives such as glue, tape, epoxy resin, via ultrasonic welding technology or using other connection technologies. The outer sleeve 191 may form a portion of the container 100 visible to the user, and therefore, if desired, the outer sleeve 191 may be decorated with decorative features, labels, words, marks, images, etc. Alternatively, the outer sleeve 191 may include one or more colors and have a smooth and sleek appearance. The outer sleeve 191 may also include a window through which the inner shell 190 may be seen. In such an embodiment, the inner shell 190 may be transparent so that the user may see the amount of the remaining composition in the container 100 through the window. Although the container 100 is illustrated herein as having an inner container 190 and an outer sleeve 191, in other embodiments, the container 100 may be formed of a single component. That is, the container 100 may include only the inner shell 190, and the outer sleeve 191 may be omitted.

[0030] The applicator assembly 200 generally includes a cap 210, a rod member 240 coupled to the cap 210, and an applicator tip 270 coupled to the rod member 240. The cap 210, the rod member 240, and the applicator tip 270 are coupled together to form an integral structure such that the components are arranged so that the applicator assembly 200 is in an attached state ( Figure 1 ) and disassembled state( Figure 2 ) between. Cover 210 can be formed by acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) or other hard plastic materials, or cover 210 can be formed by metal such as aluminum. Rod member 240 can be formed by hard plastic material, such as polybutylene terephthalate (PBT). Applicator tip 270 can include an attachment rod 271 formed by a hard plastic material, such as PBT, and a tip member 275 that can be formed by a foam material, such as polyurethane foam. Of course, other materials can be used for tip member 275, including but not limited to polyester, polyether, etc. Tip member 275 can be the following part of applicator assembly 200: this part is loaded with tooth whitening composition, and then placed in direct contact with the user's teeth to apply the tooth whitening composition to the user's teeth. The foam used for tip member 275 can be selected to be able to load tooth whitening composition, while also being compatible with tooth whitening composition. The various materials listed herein for each different component are only exemplary, and it should be understood that other materials can also be used.

[0031] In not all embodiments, the tip member 275 is formed of foam. In other embodiments, the tip member 275 can include bristles (e.g., a single tuft of PBT bristles), silicone, thermoplastic elastomer, etc.

[0032] In addition to the above components, for which additional details are provided below, the teeth whitening device 1000 can also include a wiper component 300. When the teeth whitening device 1000 is assembled, the wiper component 300 is fixedly coupled to the container 100. The wiper component 300 can be formed of polyethylene, such as low-density polyethylene or LDPE. The wiper component 300 can be positioned within the container 100 so as to be removed from the applicator assembly 200. Figure 1 The attachment state changes to Figure 2 When in the disassembled state, excess teeth whitening composition is wiped off from the rod member 240 and the applicator tip 270.

[0033] Now refer to Figure 2 , Figure 4A and Figure 4B , the container 100 will be further described. In the exemplary embodiment, the container 100 is depicted as having a cylindrical shape. However, other shapes may be used for the container 100, and the present invention is not limited to this shape in all embodiments. The container 100 includes a bottom end 101, a top end 102, an inner surface 103, and an outer surface 104. The inner surface 103 of the container 100 defines a cavity 105, which is configured to store a tooth whitening composition. The tooth whitening composition 500 is placed in Figure 7B 105 is shown as being located in the cavity 105 of the container 100, which will be described in more detail below. The top end 102 of the container 100 can define an opening that forms a passage from the surrounding environment into the cavity 105. The container 100 may include a body portion 110 and a neck portion 111. The body portion 110 can terminate in an annular shoulder 112, and the neck portion 111 can protrude from the annular shoulder 112 to the top end 102 of the container 100. The neck portion 111 may include a first engagement feature 113 that is configured to engage with an engagement feature of the applicator assembly 200 to achieve the purpose of coupling the applicator assembly 200 to the container 100. The first engagement feature 113 may include a first set of threads 114 located on an outer surface of the neck portion 111. The neck portion 111 can be completely formed by the inner shell 190, as shown in Figure 3 Best shown in .

[0034] The first set of threads 114 may be half-turn threads with multiple starting points. The term half-turn threads means that the cap 210 of the applicator assembly 200 can be fully attached to the container 100 only when the cap 210 is rotated half a turn (approximately 180°, approximately plus or minus 5°) relative to the container 100. Therefore, the threads of the first set of threads 114 can extend about 180° or half of the circumference of the neck portion 111 of the container 100. When the cap 210 is rotated half a turn relative to the container 100, the cap 210 may not be able to make any further rotation relative to the container 100, and the cap 210 can be fully attached to the container 100. This feature helps ensure that after each use of the teeth whitening device 1000, the user will fully and securely couple the applicator assembly 200 back to the container 100 to seal the cavity 105 of the container 100. Specifically, this avoids the situation where a person becomes lazy and cannot fully rotate the cap 210 relative to the container 100 to achieve a secure and complete connection. This is important to prevent the teeth whitening composition 500 in the cavity 105 of the container 100 from drying out or otherwise becoming unusable. As described below, the teeth whitening composition 500 may include hydrogen peroxide and alcohol. Therefore, complete sealing of the cavity 105 is necessary to ensure that the alcohol does not evaporate and render the teeth whitening composition 500 ineffective. By using a half turn of threads, the user will easily and quickly attach the applicator assembly 200 (specifically, the cap 210 of the applicator assembly 200) to the container 100 to seal the cavity 105 and prevent product loss due to evaporation.

[0035] The threads may include a feature at their bottom end that produces an audible and / or tactile click when the cap 210 is fully seated on the container 100, thereby serving as an indicator mechanism for the user as to the importance of the seal.

[0036] Reference Figure 2 , Figure 3 and Figure 5, the applicator assembly 200 will be described in more detail. The cap 210 of the applicator assembly 200 includes a bottom end 211, a top end 212, an inner surface 213, and an outer surface 214. The inner surface 213 of the cap 210 defines a cap cavity 215, which is open at the bottom end 211 of the cap 210 and closed at the top end 212 of the cap 210. The cap 210 may include a second engagement feature 216 located adjacent to the bottom end 211 along the inner surface 213 of the cap 210. In an exemplary embodiment, the second engagement feature 216 is a second set of threads 217. The cap 210 can be configured to be screwed onto the container 100 via engagement between the second set of threads 217 of the cap 210 and the first set of threads 114 of the container 100. Of course, other closing features and techniques can be used in other embodiments, including friction fit, interference fit, latch, mechanical locking features, etc. Cover 210 can form a handle that a user holds during use of applicator assembly 200 to apply the tooth whitening composition to the user's teeth.

[0037] The rod member 240 can be coupled to the inner surface 213 of the cover 210. The rod member 240 can include a head portion 241 fixedly coupled to the inner surface 213 of the cover 210 and an elongated rod portion 242 extending from the bottom end of the head portion 241. In various different embodiments, the head portion 241 can be coupled to the inner surface 213 of the cover 210 via ultrasonic welding, heat staking, adhesive, mechanical interference, etc. The head portion 241 can include an annular protrusion 251 that nests within an annular groove 219 formed in the inner surface 213 of the cover 210 to facilitate or assist the coupling of the rod member 240 to the cover 210. Alternatively, the protrusion can be located on the inner surface 213 of the cover 210, and the groove can be located on the head portion 241. The head portion 241 can include a downwardly facing shoulder 243 surrounding the elongated rod portion 242. With the rod member 240 coupled to the cap 210, the elongated rod portion 242 of the rod member 240 protrudes from the bottom end 201 of the cap 210. The rod member 240 extends along the longitudinal axis AA from a proximal end 244 to a distal end 245. The downward facing shoulder 243 may be oriented perpendicular to the longitudinal axis AA.

[0038] The second engagement feature 216 (e.g., the second set of threads 217) can be located between the downwardly facing shoulder 243 of the head portion 241 of the rod member 240 and the bottom end 211 of the cap 210. The second engagement feature 216 can start immediately below the downwardly facing shoulder 243 to ensure that the downwardly facing shoulder 243 seals tightly against the wiper component 300 to seal the cavity 105, as described below with reference to Fig. 7A and Figure 8The portion of the elongated stem portion 242 located in the cap cavity 215 is spaced apart from the inner surface 213 of the cap 210. When the applicator assembly 200 is coupled to the container 100, the neck portion 111 of the container 100 can be positioned in the space between the portion of the elongated stem portion 242 located in the cap cavity 215 and the inner surface 213 of the cap 210 (see FIG. Fig. 7A ).

[0039] The elongated shaft portion 242 may include a distal portion 246 including a distal end 245. In various embodiments, the distal portion 246 of the elongated shaft portion 242 may include the distal-most fifth of the elongated shaft portion 242, or the distal-most tenth of the elongated shaft portion 242, or any portion between the distal-most fifth and the distal-most tenth. The distal portion 246 of the elongated shaft portion 242 may include a hollow interior 247. The hollow interior 247 facilitates attachment of the applicator tip 270 to the shaft member 240 according to the exemplary embodiment. However, it should be understood that in other embodiments, the distal portion 246 of the elongated shaft portion 242 may be solid and non-hollow, and the applicator tip 270 may be coupled to the shaft member 240 in other ways. FIG. 6A to FIG. 6C Additional detail is provided regarding the elongated rod portion 242 .

[0040] As described above, applicator tip 270 may include attachment rod 271 and tip member 275. Attachment rod 271 may include first portion 272 nested within hollow interior 247 of rod member 242 and second portion 273 protruding from distal end 245 of elongated rod portion 242 of rod member 240. First portion 272 of attachment rod 271 may be attached to elongated rod portion 242 of rod member 240 using adhesive, welding, heat staking, etc.

[0041] Brief reference Fig. 9One exemplary process that can be used to attach the first portion 272 of the attachment rod 271 of the applicator tip 270 to the elongated rod portion 242 of the rod member 240 is a heat staking process. In such a process, after the first portion 272 of the attachment rod 271 is inserted into the hollow interior 247, two pins or corners (tools that can be used in the joining process) can be applied to the opposite sides of the elongated rod portion 242 along the distal end portion 246 of the elongated rod portion 242. Due to the application of heat or ultrasonic methods, the pins or corners may cause the material of the elongated rod portion 242 to collapse or deform. This results in the formation of two recessed welds 255, one on each side of the elongated rod portion 242. The two recessed welds 255 are physical deformations of the elongated rod portion 242 that create a certain degree of total interference between the elongated rod portion 242 and the attachment rod 270. The two recessed welds can be spaced 180° apart. While a heat riveting process is one manner in which the attachment rod 271 may be attached to the elongated rod portion 242 of the rod member 240, other techniques may be used including conventional ultrasonic welding, adhesives, or mechanical riveting or stamping or extrusion that cause one plastic material (the elongated rod portion 242 of the rod member 240) to physically deform into another plastic material (the first portion 271 of the attachment rod 270) thereby creating a certain degree of overall interference.

[0042] When the first portion 271 of the attachment rod 270 is positioned within the hollow interior 247 of the rod member 240, the second portion 272 of the attachment rod 270 protrudes from the distal end 245 of the rod member 240. In addition, a tip member 275 is coupled to the second portion 272 of the attachment rod 270. The tip member 275 can be coupled to the second portion 272 of the attachment rod 270 via an adhesive, an ultrasonic method, or the like. The tip member 275 surrounds the second portion 272 of the attachment rod 270 and forms an extension of the elongated rod portion 242 of the rod member 240. The tip member 275 can be formed of a polyurethane foam as described above or other types of foam materials that are compatible with the chemical composition of the teeth whitening composition 500 stored in the cavity 105 of the container 100. Therefore, the material used to form the foam can be determined at least in part by the specific formulation of the teeth whitening composition configured to be applied to the user's teeth. Tip member 275 may abut directly against distal end 245 of rod member 240 , or may be slightly spaced apart from distal end 245 of rod member 240 .

[0043] Also refer to FIG. 6A to FIG. 6C, other features of the rod member 240 of the applicator assembly 200 will be described. As previously described, the rod member 240 includes a head portion 241 directly coupled to the cap 210 and an elongated rod portion 242 extending downwardly from the head portion 241. The lower surface of the head portion 241 forms a downwardly facing shoulder 243 around the elongated rod portion 242. The elongated rod portion 242 of the rod member 240 includes a first portion 248 extending directly from the head portion 241 and a second portion 249 extending from the first portion 248 to the distal end 245 or the rod member 240. In an exemplary embodiment, the first portion 248 has a tapered shape with a diameter that decreases as it moves further away from the head portion 241. In an exemplary embodiment, the second portion 249 has a cylindrical shape with a constant diameter from the first portion 248 to the distal end 245. In other embodiments, the first portion 248 may be omitted so that the second portion 249 may be directly connected to the head portion 241 and extend to the distal end 245.

[0044] The elongated rod portion 242 of the rod member 240 includes an outer surface 250. In addition, there are a plurality of vent grooves 260 formed in the outer surface 250 of the elongated rod portion 242 of the rod member 240. In an exemplary embodiment, there are three vent grooves 260 formed in the outer surface 250 of the elongated rod portion 242 of the rod member 240. However, the present invention is not so limited in all embodiments. In some embodiments, there may be only one vent groove 260. In some embodiments, there may be two vent grooves 260. In some embodiments, there may be three, or four, or five, or six, or seven, or eight, or nine, or ten, etc. vent grooves 260.

[0045] The vent groove 260 is formed as an elongated groove or channel including a bottom surface 261 that is recessed relative to the outer surface 250 of the rod member 240. In addition, the vent groove 260 is elongated in the direction of the longitudinal axis AA. The vent groove 260 can extend axially from the distal end 245 of the rod member 240 in a direction toward the head portion 241 of the rod member 240. In an exemplary embodiment, the vent groove 260 terminates at the distal end 245 of the rod member 240. In an exemplary embodiment, the rod member 240 has a first length L1 measured from the proximal end 244 to the distal end 245. The vent groove 260 can extend along a majority of the first length L1 of the rod member 240 (wherein, a majority is any amount greater than half). In an exemplary embodiment, each of the vent grooves 260 has a second length L2 measured from the first end 262 of the vent groove 260 to the second end 263 of the vent groove 260. The second length L2 may be between 60% and 90% of the first length L1, or more specifically between 65% and 85% of the first length L1, or more specifically between 70% and 80% of the first length L1. Extending the vent groove 260 to the distal end 245 of the rod member 240 ensures that venting occurs from the moment the rod member 240 is inserted into the cavity 105 of the container 100.

[0046] The vent groove 260 may extend only along the second portion 249 of the elongated rod portion 242 of the rod member 240, and not along the first portion 248 of the elongated rod portion 242 of the rod member 240. In an exemplary embodiment, the second end 263 of the vent groove 260 is positioned adjacent to, but slightly spaced apart from, the first portion 248 of the elongated rod portion 242. In other embodiments, the vent groove 260 may extend along the entire second portion 249 of the elongated rod portion 242. In other embodiments, the vent groove 260 may also extend along a portion of or the entire first portion 248 of the elongated rod portion 242.

[0047] As described above, in the exemplary embodiment, there are three vent grooves 260. In addition, the vent grooves 260 are spaced equidistantly from each other along the circumference of the elongated rod portion 242 of the rod member 240. Therefore, there are three vent grooves 260 as follows: each of the vent grooves 260 is spaced 120° apart from each adjacent vent groove. In some embodiments, it is preferred to have at least two vent grooves 260 that are spaced less than 180° apart in the circumferential direction. The reason for doing this is to ensure that the position where the attachment rod 271 is attached (welded, hot riveted, etc.) to the elongated rod portion 242 does not block all of the vent grooves 260. Since the position where the attachment rod 271 is attached to the elongated rod portion 242 can be spaced 180° apart (for example, see the above Fig. 9), thereby spacing the vent grooves 260 apart by a distance different from 180° ensures that at least one of the vent grooves 260 will not be located at one of the attachment positions (i.e., the recessed weld 255) between the attachment rod 271 and the elongated rod portion 242.

[0048] As described above, the vent groove 260 extends along a majority of the length of the rod member 240. Figure 5 As shown in FIG. 2 , a portion of the vent groove 260 can be laterally aligned with the cover 210. That is, a transverse axis BB perpendicular to the longitudinal axis AA can intersect the vent groove 260 and a portion of the cover 210.

[0049] The function of the vent groove 260 is to reduce the pressure in the cavity 105 of the container 100 when the applicator assembly 200 is changed from a detached state to an attached state. During the development of the teeth whitening device 1000 and before the vent groove 260 was added to the rod member 240, it was determined that there was too much pressure in the cavity 105 of the container 100 to easily facilitate the attachment of the applicator assembly 200 to the container 100. Specifically, during an attempt to attach the applicator assembly 200 (without the vent groove 260) to the container 100, the pressure in the cavity made it difficult to facilitate the attachment of the applicator assembly 200 and would cause the applicator assembly 200 to act like a missile if the user released the applicator assembly 200 while attempting to couple the applicator assembly 200 to the container 100. That is, releasing the applicator assembly 200 while attempting to attach the applicator assembly 200 to the container 100 (without the vent groove 260) would cause the pressure in the cavity 105 to forcefully push the applicator assembly 200 away from the container 100. The vent groove 260 in the rod member 240 reduces the pressure in the cavity 105 of the container 100 during the insertion of the rod member 240 into the cavity 105 of the container 100 and facilitates easy attachment of the applicator assembly 200 to the container 100.

[0050] The pressure buildup in the cavity 105 can be driven by the tight fit of the wiper component 300 and the rod member 240 and the high vapor pressure of the ethanol in the teeth whitening composition 500 (as described below, the teeth whitening composition 500 can include hydrogen peroxide, a polar solvent (i.e., an alcohol, which can be ethanol), a copolymer, and water). In particular, the vapor pressure of ethanol is about three times higher than the vapor pressure of water. Therefore, when the rod member 240 is inserted into the cavity 105, the head space is compressed, which increases the pressure in the cavity 105 and causes the rod member 240 to react unless the atmosphere in the cavity 105 is released when the rod member 240 is inserted. According to the present invention, this is achieved by incorporating a vent groove 260 in the elongated rod portion 242 of the rod member 240. Of course, in other embodiments, the structures described herein can be used with other compositions.

[0051] Reference FIG. 7A to FIG. 8 , a teeth whitening device 1000 is illustrated with an applicator assembly 200 in an attached state. As previously described, the wiper member 300 is coupled to the container 100. The wiper member 300 includes a bottom end 301, a top end 302, and a passage 303 extending from the bottom end 301 to the top end 302. When the applicator assembly 200 is in the attached state, a portion of the rod member 240 is nested in the passage 303 of the wiper member 300. More specifically, in an exemplary embodiment, at least the first portion 248 (or a portion of the first portion 248) of the elongated rod portion 242 of the rod member 240 is nested in the passage 303 of the wiper member 300. The wiper member 300 also includes a flange portion 304 and a body portion 305 extending downward from the flange portion 304 to the bottom end 301. The body portion 305 comprises a wiper portion 306 angled inwardly towards the passage axis CC of the passage 303 moving in a direction towards the bottom end 301 of the wiper member 300. The wiper portion 306 terminates in an annular distal edge 307 forming the bottom end 301 of the wiper member 300.

[0052] In an exemplary embodiment, wiper portion 306 includes an inner diameter at annular distal edge 307 that is smaller than the diameter of elongated shaft portion 242 of shaft member 240. Thus, when applicator assembly 200 is in the attached state, annular distal edge 307 of wiper component 300 contacts outer surface 250 of shaft member 240. Then, when applicator assembly 200 is changed from the attached state to the detached state, annular distal edge 307 of wiper component 300 slides along outer surface 250 of elongated shaft member 242 and wipes excess teeth whitening composition from outer surface 250 of elongated shaft member 242 of shaft member 240 to achieve a mess-free application. When wiper component 300 contacts tip member 275, wiper component 300 wipes excess teeth whitening composition from tip member 275, so that each time applicator assembly 200 is changed from an attached state to a detached state, the same amount of teeth whitening composition is present on tip member 275, thereby allowing consistent dosing and application of the teeth whitening composition to the user's teeth.

[0053] The wiper component 300 is coupled to the container 100 and is located within the neck portion 111 of the container 100. In an exemplary embodiment, the wiper component 300 is completely located within the neck portion 111 of the container 100. However, in other embodiments, the wiper component 300 can extend into the body portion 110 of the container 100. The inner surfaces of the wiper component 300 and the neck portion 111 of the container 100 can have corresponding notches / detents 330 to facilitate attachment between the wiper component 300 and the container 100. The wiper component 300 can also be attached to the container 100 by adhesive, ultrasonic methods, etc., including other techniques described herein for attaching two components together.

[0054] The wiper member 300 is positioned so that the flange 304 of the wiper member 300 rests on top of the top end portion 102 of the container 100, and the body portion 305 of the wiper member 300 is located within the neck portion 111 of the container 100. The distal end 301 of the wiper member 300 is laterally aligned with a portion of the vent groove 260 when the applicator assembly 200 is in the attached state. When the applicator assembly 200 is fully coupled / engaged to the container 100, the vent groove 360 ​​extends beyond the distal end 307 of the wiper member 300. That is, at least a portion of the wiper portion 306 of the wiper member 300 extends axially along a portion of the vent groove 260. In other words, a portion of the vent groove 260 is located within the passage 303 of the wiper member 300. This ensures that the air in the cavity 105 can leave the cavity 105 during the entire process of attaching the applicator assembly 200 to the container 100.

[0055] When the applicator assembly 200 is in the attached state, the downwardly facing shoulder 243 of the head portion 241 of the rod member 240 is in abutting surface contact with the top end 302 of the wiper component 300. This contact between the downwardly facing shoulder 243 of the head portion 241 of the rod member 240 and the top end 302 of the wiper component 300 seals the cavity 105 and prevents the contents of the cavity 105 from evaporating. In an exemplary embodiment, a half-turn rotation of the cap 210 relative to the container 100 causes the downwardly facing shoulder 243 to contact the top end 302 of the wiper component 300 to seal the cavity 105.

[0056] Figure 7B The diagram shows Fig. 7A The tooth whitening device 1000 has the same applicator assembly 200 in an attached state, except that Figure 7B100, the tooth whitening composition 500 is located in the cavity 105 of the container 100. The tip member 275 of the applicator tip 270 is immersed in the tooth whitening composition 500 so that the tip member 275 is loaded with the tooth whitening composition 500. As described above, changing the applicator assembly 200 from the attached state to the detached state will cause the wiper component 300 to wipe off excess tooth whitening composition 500 from the tip member 275, so that the appropriate amount of tooth whitening composition 500 is present on the tip member 275 for application to one or more teeth of the user. A portion of the elongated rod member 242 is also immersed in the tooth whitening composition, at least until the tooth whitening composition 500 is mostly consumed.

[0057] In an exemplary embodiment, the tooth whitening composition 500 may include hydrogen peroxide, a polar solvent (i.e., an alcohol, which is ethanol in a preferred embodiment), a copolymer, and water. In some embodiments, the weight percentage of ethanol in the tooth whitening composition 500 may be in the range of 60wt% to 80wt%, more specifically 70wt% to 80wt%, and also more specifically about 76wt%. When the tooth whitening composition 500 is applied to the user's teeth, the alcohol evaporates rapidly. Therefore, the weight percentage of hydrogen peroxide in the tooth whitening composition 500 increases with the evaporation of alcohol, thereby obtaining a more effective tooth whitening composition 500 in terms of tooth whitening efficacy (color change per treatment) and efficiency (color change per minute of treatment time). Similarly, if the tooth whitening device 1000 is not sealed as described herein, the alcohol may evaporate, thereby rendering the tooth whitening composition 500 ineffective.

[0058] Although the invention is described herein with a tooth whitening composition 500 present in the cavity 105 of the container 100, the invention is not so limited in all embodiments. The composition or formulation or solution or agent in the cavity 105 of the container 100 may take other forms, including acne treatment compositions or other dermatological compositions, lip treatment compositions, hair treatment compositions, skin treatment compositions, nose treatment compositions, ear treatment compositions, etc. Thus, the devices described herein may be used for tooth whitening, but may also be used for other purposes in other embodiments.

[0059] The tooth whitening composition 500 may include hydrogen peroxide in a range of about 0.1% to about 10% by weight (the term "about" includes plus or minus 5% of the value provided, such as multiplying the listed percentage by 0.05, so "about 10 wt%" includes a range of 9.5 wt% to 10.5 wt%, and "about 0.1 wt%" includes a range of 0.095 wt% to 0.105 wt%). In some embodiments, the hydrogen peroxide may be in a range of about 0.1 wt% to about 35 wt%. In some embodiments, the tooth whitening composition 500 may include 0.1% or less hydrogen peroxide by weight, or in some embodiments, about 0.1%. In other embodiments, the tooth whitening composition 500 may include about 3%, or about 4.5%, or about 6%, or about 10% hydrogen peroxide by weight. In some embodiments, the copolymer of the tooth whitening composition 500 can be a film-forming hydrophobic polymer consisting essentially of a polymer of 2-methyl-2-acrylic acid-2-methylpropyl ester with 2-acrylic acid and N-(1,1,3,3-tetramethylbutyl)-2-acrylamide, an acrylate / methacrylate dimethylaminoethyl ester copolymer, or a mixture thereof. The polar solvent can be an alcohol, and more specifically ethanol. Additional details about the tooth whitening composition 500 according to one embodiment of the present invention are described in U.S. Pat. No. 10,821,066, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.

[0060] Unless otherwise specified in the claims, in other embodiments, the tooth whitening composition 500 can be a formulation different from that described above, and the present invention is not limited to the specific chemical composition of the tooth whitening composition 500.

[0061] Brief reference Fig.10 , illustrates an applicator tip 470 according to an alternative embodiment. Applicator tip 470 includes an attachment rod 471 and a tip member 475. Applicator tip 470 is identical to applicator tip 270, except that tip member 475 has a different shape than tip member 275. That is, tip member 275 has a rounded distal end, while tip member 475 has an angled application surface 476 designed to enhance the application of the teeth whitening composition to the user's teeth. Either of tip members 275, 475 may satisfactorily apply the teeth whitening composition to the user's teeth, and in fact, the tip member may take other shapes as desired to enhance the application effect.

[0062] When using the teeth whitening device 1000, the user first changes the applicator assembly 200 from the attached state to the detached state. The teeth whitening composition 500 is automatically present on the tip member 275 because the tip member 275 has been immersed in the teeth whitening composition 500 in the cavity 105 of the container 100. Then, the user directly contacts the teeth with the tip member 275, thereby applying the teeth whitening composition 500 to the teeth. During the treatment session, the user may need to immerse the tip member 275 in the teeth whitening composition 500 in the cavity 105 of the container 100 so as to properly apply all the teeth required with the teeth whitening composition 500. Once the treatment session is completed, the user changes the applicator assembly 200 back to the attached state so that the cavity 105 is sealed. By putting the applicator assembly 200 back into the attached state, any excess teeth whitening composition 500 located on the tip member 275 also has no chance to agglomerate and harden. Instead, as the applicator tip 275 is dipped back into the tooth whitening composition 500 in the cavity 105 of the container 100, any amount of tooth whitening composition 500 located on the tip member 275 that may have begun to harden as the alcohol evaporates will redissolve back into the supply of tooth whitening composition 500 in the cavity 105.

[0063] As used throughout, ranges are used as shorthand for describing individual values ​​and each value within the range. Any value within a range can be selected as the endpoint of the range. In addition, all references cited herein are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety. In the event that a definition in the present disclosure conflicts with a definition of the cited reference, the present disclosure shall prevail.

[0064] Although the present invention has been described with respect to specific examples, including currently preferred modes for carrying out the invention, it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that there are numerous variations and permutations of the above-described systems and techniques. It should be understood that other embodiments may be utilized and structural and functional modifications may be made without departing from the scope of the present invention. Therefore, the spirit and scope of the present invention should be broadly interpreted as set forth in the appended claims.

Claims

1. A teeth whitening device, comprising: a container comprising a first engagement feature and a cavity for containing a tooth whitening composition; An applicator assembly, the applicator assembly comprising: a cover comprising a second engagement feature; a rod member coupled to the cover and protruding from a bottom end of the cover, the rod member comprising a longitudinal axis, an outer surface, and a distal end portion; and an applicator tip coupled to a distal end portion of the stem member; wherein the applicator assembly is capable of changing between: (1) an attached state in which at least a portion of the rod member and the applicator tip are located within the cavity of the container and the second engagement feature of the cap engages with the first engagement feature of the container to couple the applicator assembly to the container and seal the cavity; and (2) a disassembled state in which the applicator assembly is separated from the container and the applicator tip is configured to apply the tooth whitening composition to the teeth of a user; and Wherein, the outer surface of the rod member comprises at least one vent groove which is elongated in the direction of the longitudinal axis to reduce the pressure in the cavity of the container when the applicator assembly is changed to the attached state.

2. The teeth whitening device of claim 1, further comprising a plurality of vent grooves equally spaced apart along the circumference of the outer surface of the rod member.

3. The teeth whitening device according to claim 2, wherein: The plurality of vent grooves include three vent grooves spaced 120° apart from one another along the outer surface of the rod member.

4. The teeth whitening device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein: The rod member terminates at a distal end, and wherein the at least one vent groove extends along a majority of the length of the rod member from the distal end of the rod member toward the cap.

5. The teeth whitening device according to claim 4, wherein: A portion of the at least one vent groove is transversely aligned with the cover such that a transverse axis perpendicular to the longitudinal axis intersects the cover and the at least one vent groove.

6. The teeth whitening device according to claim 5, wherein: The container includes a body portion and a neck portion, and wherein the portion of the at least one vent groove is located within the neck portion of the container when the applicator assembly is in the attached state.

7. The teeth whitening device according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein: The at least one vent groove includes a bottom surface that is recessed relative to an outer surface of the rod member.

8. The teeth whitening device according to any one of claims 1 to 7, further comprising: in, The distal end portion of the rod member includes a hollow interior; wherein the at least one vent groove comprises at least two vent grooves spaced apart at a circumferential distance of less than 180° along the outer surface of the rod member; Wherein, the applicator tip comprises: an attachment rod including a first portion nested within the hollow interior of the rod member and a second portion protruding from a distal end of the rod member; and a tip member coupled to the second portion of the attachment rod; The first portion of the attachment rod is physically connected to the distal portion of the rod member at two locations circumferentially spaced 180° apart, thereby ensuring that at least one of the vent grooves is not blocked by the physical connection between the attachment rod of the applicator tip and the rod member of the applicator assembly.

9. The teeth whitening device according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein: The container includes a body portion and a neck portion, the neck portion having an outer surface with external threads forming the first engagement feature, and wherein the cap includes an inner surface with internal threads forming the second engagement feature, and wherein the internal threads and the external threads engage with each other to attach the applicator assembly to the container.

10. The teeth whitening device according to claim 9, wherein: The outer thread of the container includes a half-turn thread with two starting points, so that the cap of the applicator assembly changes from the detached state to the attached state when the cap is rotated half a turn relative to the container.

11. A teeth whitening device according to any one of claims 1 to 10, further comprising a wiper component connected to the container, the wiper component comprising a bottom end, a top end and a passage, the passage extending from the bottom end to the top end along a passage axis so that a portion of the rod member is nested in the passage when the applicator assembly is in the attached state, the wiper component further comprising a flange portion abutting against the top end of the container and a body portion extending downward from the flange portion to the bottom end of the wiper component, the body portion comprising a wiper portion angled inwardly toward the passage axis and moving in a direction toward the bottom end of the wiper component, the wiper portion terminating in an annular distal edge forming the bottom end of the wiper component.

12. The teeth whitening device according to claim 11, wherein: The annular distal edge of the wiper portion contacts the stem member and wipes excess teeth whitening composition from the stem member and the applicator tip when the applicator assembly is changed from the attached state to the detached state.

13. A teeth whitening device according to claim 11 or claim 12, wherein: The rod member of the applicator assembly includes a head portion fixedly connected to the inner surface of the cover and an elongated rod portion extending from the head portion, the head portion having a downwardly facing annular shoulder surrounding the elongated rod portion, and wherein, when the applicator assembly is in the attached state, the downwardly facing annular shoulder of the head portion contacts the flange portion of the wiper component to seal the cavity of the container.

14. The teeth whitening device according to claim 13, wherein: The inner surface of the cap includes threads between the downwardly facing annular shoulder of the head portion of the stem member and the bottom end of the cap, wherein the threads are configured to engage with the first engagement feature of the container to couple the applicator assembly to the container.

15. A teeth whitening device according to any one of claims 1 to 14, wherein: The applicator tip includes a polyurethane foam tip member.

16. A teeth whitening device according to any one of claims 1 to 15, wherein: The tooth whitening composition comprises hydrogen peroxide and alcohol.

17. An applicator device comprising: a container comprising a first set of threads and a cavity for containing a composition; An applicator assembly, the applicator assembly comprising: a cap including an inner surface defining a cap cavity, the inner surface including a second set of threads configured to engage with the first set of threads to removably couple the cap to the container to seal the cavity; a rod member coupled to the inner surface of the cover and protruding from a bottom end of the cover, the rod member comprising a longitudinal axis and an outer surface having at least one groove, the at least one groove being elongated in the direction of the longitudinal axis along a majority of the length of the rod member; and An applicator tip is coupled to the stem member and is configured to apply the composition to a part of a user when the applicator assembly is removed from the container.

18. An applicator device according to claim 17, wherein The rod member terminates in a distal end, and wherein the at least one groove comprises a plurality of grooves extending from the distal end of the rod member toward the cover.

19. An applicator device according to claim 17 or claim 18, wherein A portion of the at least one groove is located within the cover cavity of the cover.

20. An applicator device according to any one of claims 17 to 19, wherein The rod member has a proximal end, a distal end, and a first length measured between the proximal end and the distal end, and wherein each of the at least one groove has a second length, wherein the second length is between 60% and 90% of the first length.

21. An applicator device according to any one of claims 17 to 20, further comprising a wiper member comprising a flange portion abutting the top end of the container and a body portion extending from the flange portion to a distal end, wherein The distal end of the wiper component is laterally aligned with a portion of the at least one groove when the cap is attached to the container, and wherein the rod member is in abutting contact with the flange portion of the wiper component when the cap is attached to the container to seal the cavity.

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