Oral care implement

Abstract

The invention relates to an oral care implement. An oral care implement is provided that includes a handle and an oral care replacement brushhead. Also provided is an oral care replacement brushhead for a rod removably coupled to a handle, comprising: an oral care portion, and a sleeve portion, the sleeve portion comprising: an inner surface; a window aperture; and an elongate alignment rib extending from the inner surface of the sleeve portion, at least a portion of the elongate alignment rib being aligned with and visible through the window aperture, the elongate alignment rib is configured to press against the rod of the handle to force a first sensor unit on the rod to position adjacent to the window aperture.

Description

[0001] This application is a divisional application of the Chinese patent application with application date of December 4, 2020, application number 202080087591.4, and invention name “Oral Care Appliance”. Technical Field

[0002] The present invention relates to oral care implements. Background Art

[0003] In the age of smart devices, people want to track personalized data related to their health and well-being, and many new industries have emerged. In addition, people have proposed methods to track activities that are being carried out but have not been tracked before. Brushing behavior and related oral hygiene routines are areas where such tracking has been found to be desirable. Specifically, individuals want to know how effectively they brush their teeth, how long they take to brush their teeth, and they want to be able to interact with a screen that can provide them with information about their brushing habits. However, there is still a lot of room for improvement in the way that information about the user's oral hygiene habits is provided to the user and the user's ability to control the flow of said information. In addition, there is a need to improve the mechanism for connecting replacement brush heads to the handle of a toothbrush with such tracking capabilities so as to protect any electronic components from fluid damage. The invention described below meets these and other needs. Summary of the invention

[0004] The present invention relates to an oral care system that monitors an oral care parameter of a user during an oral care session and allows the user to control whether feedback related to the oral care parameter is provided to the user in real time. The present invention also relates to an oral care implement including a handle and a replacement brush head with a unique connection mechanism. The present invention further relates to an oral care system that can generate different user-perceivable stimuli depending on the real-time detection of oral disease during an oral care session. The present invention also relates to an oral care system that can provide an indication of the amount of time that has passed during an oral care session to the user in an easily identifiable manner.

[0005] In one aspect, the present invention can be an oral care system comprising: an oral care appliance, the oral care appliance comprising an oral care tool for caring for a user's oral cavity; a control circuit, the control circuit comprising operable to cooperate with: a power source, the power source being integrated into the oral care appliance; a first sensor unit, the first sensor unit being integrated into the oral care appliance and being configured to monitor oral care parameters during an oral care session performed using the oral care appliance; a sensor indicator unit, the sensor indicator unit being integrated into the oral care appliance and being configured to generate a user-perceivable stimulus during the oral care session when the first sensor unit detects that the monitored oral care parameter meets a certain standard; a memory unit, the memory unit being configured to store data related to the monitored oral care parameter; and a mode selection unit, the mode selection unit being configured to allow A user selects between a normal mode and a silent mode for performing the oral care session; wherein when the user selects the normal mode for the oral care session: (i) the first sensor unit is active during the oral care session; (ii) the sensor indicator unit is active during the oral care session; and (iii) data related to the monitored oral care parameters during the oral care session are stored in the memory unit; and wherein when the user selects the silent mode for the oral care session: (i) the first sensor unit is active during the oral care session; (ii) the sensor indicator unit is inactive during the oral care session; and (iii) data related to the monitored oral care parameters during the oral care session are stored in the memory unit.

[0006] In another aspect, the present invention may be an oral care system comprising: an oral care appliance comprising an oral care tool for caring for a user's oral cavity; a control circuit configured to operate the oral care appliance in at least two user-selectable modes including a normal mode and a silent mode; wherein when the user selects the normal mode for an oral care session: (i) a first sensor unit configured to detect a physiological oral care symptom during the oral care session is active; and (ii) a sensor indicator unit that generates a user-perceptible stimulus in response to the detection of the physiological oral care symptom during the oral care session is active; and wherein when the user selects the silent mode for the oral care session: (i) the first sensor unit is active during the oral care session; and (ii) the sensor indicator unit is inactive during the oral care session.

[0007] In yet another aspect, the present invention may be a method for operating an oral care appliance of an oral care system during an oral care session, the oral care system comprising a control circuit configured to operate the oral care appliance in at least two user-selectable modes including a normal mode and a silent mode, the method comprising: a) receiving a user mode selection, the user mode selection selecting a desired mode from the normal mode and the silent mode from the at least two user-selectable modes; b-1) when the user mode selection is the normal mode, activating the oral care appliance so that: (i) a first sensor unit is active and monitors physiological oral care symptoms during the oral care session; and (ii) a sensor indicator unit is active during the oral care session and generates a user-perceivable stimulus in response to detection of the physiological oral care symptoms by the first sensor unit; and b-2) when the user mode selection is the silent mode, activating the oral care appliance so that: (i) the first sensor unit is active and monitors the physiological oral care symptoms during the oral care session; and (ii) the sensor indicator unit is inactive during the oral care session.

[0008] In yet another aspect, the present invention may be an oral care implement comprising: a handle comprising: a gripping portion having a distal end; and a coupling component coupled to the distal end of the gripping portion, the coupling component comprising: a plate portion comprising a top surface and an orifice; and a first coupling feature; and a rod extending through an opening in the coupling component and protruding from the plate portion so that the top surface of the plate portion forms an annular shoulder surrounding the rod; an oral care replacement brush head comprising: an oral care portion; and a sleeve portion, the sleeve portion comprising an inner surface defining a sleeve cavity having a cavity axis, the sleeve portion comprising a second engagement feature; the oral care replacement brush head being changeable between: a first state, wherein the oral care replacement brush head is separated from the handle; and a second state, wherein the rod of the handle is disposed within the sleeve cavity of the sleeve portion, wherein in the second state, the first engagement feature and the second engagement feature cooperate with each other to perform at least one of the following: (1) positioning the oral care replacement brush head and the handle in an operational alignment; and (2) locking the oral care replacement brush head to the handle.

[0009] In yet another aspect, the present invention may be an oral care replacement brush head for a rod detachably connected to a handle, the oral care replacement brush head comprising: an oral care portion comprising a plurality of tooth cleaning elements protruding from a front surface of a brush head body; and a sleeve portion extending from the oral care portion to a proximal edge, the sleeve portion comprising: a front surface facing the same direction as the front surface of the brush head body and a rear surface opposite to the front surface; an inner surface defining a sleeve cavity extending along a sleeve axis and configured to receive the rod of the handle; a window an aperture, the window aperture being formed in the front surface at a position adjacent to the plurality of tooth cleaning elements; a locking aperture being formed in the rear surface and being configured to snap-interlock with a locking protrusion of the rod of the handle; and a plurality of ribs extending from the inner surface of the sleeve portion in a circumferentially spaced manner, the plurality of ribs defining a plurality of channels, the plurality of channels including an alignment channel having a width wider than the width of the remaining channels of the plurality of channels, such that the alignment channel is the only channel of the plurality of channels capable of receiving the alignment protrusion of the handle.

[0010] In another aspect, the present invention may be an oral care replacement brush head for a rod removably connected to a handle, the oral care replacement brush head comprising: an oral care portion comprising a plurality of tooth cleaning elements; and a sleeve portion extending from the oral care portion to a proximal edge, the sleeve portion comprising: an inner surface defining a sleeve cavity extending along a sleeve axis and configured to receive the rod of the handle; a window opening adjacent to the plurality of tooth cleaning elements; and an elongated alignment rib extending from the inner surface of the sleeve portion, at least a portion of the elongated alignment rib being aligned with and visible through the window opening, the elongated alignment rib being configured to press against the rod of the handle to force a first sensor unit on the rod to extend through the window opening.

[0011] In yet another aspect, the present invention may be an oral care replacement brush head for a rod that is removably connected to a handle, the oral care replacement brush head comprising: an oral care portion, the oral care portion comprising a plurality of tooth cleaning elements protruding from a front surface of a brush head body; and a sleeve portion, the sleeve portion extending from the oral care portion to a proximal edge, the sleeve portion comprising: a front surface facing the same direction as the front surface of the brush head body and a rear surface opposite to the front surface; an inner surface, the inner surface defining a sleeve cavity extending along a sleeve axis and configured to receive the rod of the handle; a window orifice formed in the front surface at a position adjacent to the plurality of tooth cleaning elements; and a locking orifice formed in the rear surface and configured to interlock with a locking protrusion of the rod of the handle.

[0012] In yet another aspect, the present invention can be a handle for removably connecting to an oral care replacement brush head, the handle comprising: a gripping portion having a distal end; and a coupling component connected to the distal end of the gripping portion, the coupling component comprising: a plate portion comprising a top surface and an orifice; and a first coupling feature, the first coupling feature being configured to cooperate with a coupling feature of the oral care replacement brush head to perform at least one of the following: (1) positioning the oral care replacement brush head and the handle in an operational alignment; and (2) locking the oral care replacement brush head to the handle; and a rod extending along a rod axis through an opening in the coupling component and protruding from the plate portion such that the top surface of the plate portion forms an annular shoulder surrounding the rod.

[0013] In yet another aspect, the present invention may be a handle for removably connecting to an oral care replacement brush head, the handle comprising: a gripping portion having a distal end; and a rod extending from the distal end of the gripping portion so that the distal end of the gripping portion forms an annular shoulder surrounding the rod; and an alignment protrusion extending from the annular shoulder, the alignment protrusion being configured to cooperate with an alignment feature of the oral care replacement brush head to position the oral care replacement brush head and the handle in an operational alignment manner; and wherein the alignment protrusion is a separate component from the rod.

[0014] In another aspect, the present invention can be an oral care system comprising: an oral care appliance, the oral care appliance comprising an oral care tool for caring for a user's oral cavity; a control circuit, the control circuit comprising operably cooperating: a first sensor unit, the first sensor unit being coupled to the oral care appliance and being configured to detect: (1) the presence of an oral surface during an oral care session performed using the oral care appliance; and (2) the presence of an oral disease on the oral surface during the oral care session; a sensor indicator unit, the sensor indicator unit being configured to generate a user-perceivable stimulus during the oral care session; the control circuit being configured: when the first sensor unit detects When the first sensor unit detects the existence of the oral surface and the existence of the oral disease on the oral surface, a first user-perceptible stimulus is generated using the sensor indicator unit during the oral care session; when the first sensor unit detects the existence of the oral surface and the oral surface is free of the oral disease, a second user-perceptible stimulus is generated using the sensor indicator unit during the oral care session; and when the first sensor unit does not detect the existence of the oral surface, a third user-perceptible stimulus is generated using the sensor indicator unit during the oral care session, wherein the first user-perceptible stimulus, the second user-perceptible stimulus and the third user-perceptible stimulus are different from each other.

[0015] In yet another aspect, the present invention can be an oral care system comprising: an oral care appliance, the oral care appliance comprising an oral care tool for caring for a user's oral cavity; a control circuit, the control circuit comprising operable to cooperate with: a first sensor unit, the first sensor unit being coupled to the oral care appliance and being configured to detect the presence of an oral disease on an oral surface of the user's oral cavity during an oral care session performed by the oral care appliance; a timer unit, the timer unit being configured to track the time during which the oral care session is performed; a second sensor unit, the second sensor unit being configured to determine the orientation of the oral care appliance during the oral care session; and an indicator unit, the indicator unit being configured to generate a first user-perceivable stimulus during the oral care session; the control circuit being configured to: after determining that the oral care tool has begun to care for an area of ​​the user's oral cavity, activate the a zone timer of a timer unit; after a first time period has passed, if the first sensor unit does not detect the presence of the oral disease in the zone, activating the indicator unit to generate the first user-perceptible stimulus, thereby notifying the user with a signal to move the oral care tool to a next zone of the user's mouth; after the first time period has passed, if the first sensor unit detects the presence of the oral disease in the zone, continuing to run the timer unit without activating the indicator unit to generate the first user-perceptible stimulus; and after a second time period has passed, even if the first sensor unit still detects the presence of the oral disease in the zone, activating the indicator unit to generate the first user-perceptible stimulus, thereby notifying the user with a signal to move the oral care tool to a next zone of the user's mouth, wherein the second time period is greater than the first time period.

[0016] In another aspect, the present invention may be an electric oral care appliance comprising: a brush head comprising an oral care tool; a handle comprising a gripping portion; a user-operated actuator on the handle, the user-operated actuator being used to control one or more functions of the oral care appliance; an illumination ring on the handle, the illumination ring surrounding the user-operated actuator; a control circuit comprising operable to cooperate with: a power source; an actuator unit operable to cooperate with the user-operated actuator; a timer unit configured to track the time during which the oral care session is performed; a time indicator unit comprising: one or more light sources positioned to illuminate the illumination ring; and the control circuit being configured to activate the one or more light sources in a manner that notifies the user during the oral care session of the time that has elapsed during the performance of the oral care session.

[0017] In yet another aspect, the present invention may be an electric oral care appliance comprising: a brush head comprising an oral care tool; a handle comprising a gripping portion; a user-operated actuator on the handle, the user-operated actuator being used to control one or more functions of the oral care appliance; an illumination ring on the gripping portion of the handle, the illumination ring having a continuous exposed ring surface surrounding the user-operated actuator; a control circuit comprising an operably cooperative power source, an actuator unit operably cooperating with the user-operated actuator, and one or more light sources; and a beam splitter component comprising a main body having a plurality of arcuate apertures arranged in a ring and separated from each other by partition walls, the beam splitter component being mounted in a handle housing of the gripping portion so that the ring formed by the plurality of arcuate apertures is aligned with the illumination ring.

[0018] Further areas of applicability of the present invention will become apparent from the detailed description provided below.It should be understood that the detailed description and specific examples, while indicating the preferred embodiment of the invention, are intended for purposes of illustration only and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0019] The present invention will be more fully understood from the detailed description and the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0020] Figure 1 An oral care system including an oral care implement in operable communication with an electronic device according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown;

[0021] Figure 2 yes Figure 1 A block diagram of a control circuit of an oral care system;

[0022] Figure 3 Shows Figure 1 An oral care system, wherein a map of the oral cavity is depicted on a display of the electronic device;

[0023] Figure 4 is a schematic diagram showing which components of the control circuit are active and which components are inactive in various operating modes;

[0024] Figure 5 According to an embodiment of the present invention Figure 1 A perspective view of an oral care implement of an oral care system;

[0025] Figure 6 yes Figure 5 A front perspective view of an oral care implement of the present invention with the oral care replacement brush head and the engagement member separated from the handle;

[0026] Figure 7 yes Figure 6 Rear perspective view of

[0027] Fig. 8A yes Figure 7 Close-up view of region VIII;

[0028] Figure 8B yes Figure 7 Rear view of region VIII;

[0029] Fig. 9 yes Figure 5 A front view of an oral care replacement brush head of an oral care appliance;

[0030] Fig.10 yes Fig. 9 A bottom view of an oral care replacement brush head;

[0031] Fig.11 It is along Figure 5 A cross-sectional view taken along line XI-XI;

[0032] Fig.11A yes Fig.11 A close-up view of Region XIA;

[0033] Figures 12A-12C yes Figure 5 A cross-sectional view of an oral care implement of , which sequentially illustrates the process of coupling an oral care replacement brush head to a handle;

[0034] Fig.13 It is along Figure 5 A cross-sectional view taken along line XIII-XIII of ;

[0035] Fig.14 It is along Figure 5 A cross-sectional view taken along line XIV-XIV of ;

[0036] Fig.15 yes Figure 1 A front view of an oral care appliance;

[0037] Fig.16A yes Figure 1 An exploded front perspective view of an oral care appliance;

[0038] Fig. 16B yes Figure 1 An exploded perspective view of an oral care appliance;

[0039] Fig.17 yes Figure 1 A front view of a beam splitter component of an oral care appliance;

[0040] Fig.18 yes Figure 1 A front view of a circuit board of an oral care appliance;

[0041] Fig.19 yes Fig.18 A perspective view of a circuit board, where Fig.17 The optical splitter component is coupled to the circuit board;

[0042] Fig. 20 yes Fig.11 A close-up of area XX;

[0043] Figures 21A-21D yes Figure 1 A front view of an oral care appliance of , showing progressive illumination of its illumination ring over time;

[0044] Figures 22A-22D The handle housing is shown as transparent Figure 1 A perspective view of an oral care appliance of , showing the progressive illumination of a light source of a time indicator unit thereof over time;

[0045] Fig.23 yes Figure 1 a partially exploded view of a handle of an oral care implement of , wherein the collar and the engagement member are disassembled from a grip portion of the handle to expose a light source of a sensor indicator unit;

[0046] Fig.24 yes Figure 1 A perspective view of an oral care implement of , showing its halo being illuminated;

[0047] Fig.25 is a diagram showing an embodiment of the present invention Figure 1 A flowchart of the operation of the control circuit of the oral care system; and

[0048] Fig.26 is a diagram showing an embodiment of the present invention Figure 1 A flow chart of the operation of a control circuit of an oral care appliance. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0049] The following description of the preferred embodiment is merely exemplary in nature and is in no way intended to limit the invention, its application, or uses.

[0050] The description of the exemplary embodiments according to the principles of the present invention is intended to be read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, which are to be 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 intended only for 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", "upward", "downward", "top" and "bottom" and their derivatives (e.g., "horizontally", "downwardly", "upwardly", etc.) should be understood as referring to the orientation shown in the drawings described later or in the discussion. These relative terms are only for convenience of description and do not require the device to be constructed or operated in a specific orientation unless explicitly indicated. Terms such as "attachment", "attachment", "connection", "connection", "interconnection" and similar terms refer to the relationship in which structures are fixed or attached to each other or directly or indirectly through an intermediate structure, and the two can be removably or rigidly attached or related, unless otherwise explicitly described as not being the case. In addition, reference is made to exemplary embodiments to illustrate the features and beneficial effects of the present invention. Therefore, the present invention should obviously not be limited to such exemplary embodiments that illustrate some possible non-limiting combinations of features that may exist alone or in other feature combinations; the scope of the present invention is defined by the appended claims.

[0051] Features of the present invention may be implemented in software, hardware, firmware, or a combination thereof. Specifically, the various units forming a part of the control circuit described herein may include software, hardware, firmware, and a combination thereof. Each such "unit" may include its own processor, or it may be connected to a processor for all components of the control circuit, or some combination of the two may occur. The computer program described herein is not limited to any specific embodiment, and may be implemented in an operating system, an application, a foreground or background process, a driver, or any combination thereof. The computer program may be executed on a single computer or server processor or multiple computers or server processors.

[0052] The processors (also referred to as controllers) described herein may be any central processing unit (CPU), microprocessor, microcontroller, computing or programmable device, or circuitry configured to execute computer program instructions (e.g., code). The various processors may be embodied in any suitable type of computer and / or server hardware (e.g., desktop, laptop, notebook, tablet, cellular phone, etc.), and may include all conventional auxiliary components required to form a functional data processing device, including but not limited to buses, software and data storage devices (e.g., volatile and non-volatile memory), input / output devices, graphical user interfaces (GUIs), removable data storage devices, and wired and / or wireless communication interface devices including Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, LAN, etc. In a particular embodiment, the processor unit may reside on the device itself (e.g., the oral care appliance described herein), and all processing may be completed internally and integrally on the device without restriction and without the need for any external resources.

[0053] Computer executable instructions or programs (e.g., software or code) and data described herein may be programmed into and tangibly embodied in a non-transitory computer readable medium that may be accessed and retrieved by a corresponding processor as described herein to configure and direct the processor to perform desired functions and processes by executing the instructions encoded in the medium. A device that embodies a programmable processor configured to perform such non-transitory computer executable instructions or programs may be referred to as a "programmable device" or "device," and a plurality of programmable devices that communicate with each other may be referred to as a "programmable system." It should be noted that a non-transitory "computer readable medium" as described herein may include, but is not limited to, any suitable volatile or non-volatile memory that may be written to and / or read by a processor operably connected to the medium, including random access memory (RAM) and its various types, read-only memory (ROM) and its various types, USB flash memory, and magnetic or optical data storage devices (e.g., internal / external hard disks, floppy disks, tapes CD-ROMs, DVD-ROMs, optical disks, ZIP TM drives, Blu-ray discs, and other devices).

[0054] In certain embodiments, the present invention may be embodied in the form of computer-implemented processes and apparatus (e.g., processor-based data processing and communication systems or computer systems for practicing those processes). The present invention may also be embodied in the form of software or computer program code in a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium, which, when downloaded and executed by a data processing and communication system or computer system, configures a processor to generate specific logic circuits configured to implement the processes.

[0055] refer to Figure 1, showing an oral care system 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention. The oral care system 10 generally includes an oral care appliance 100 and an electronic device 500. In an exemplary embodiment, the oral care appliance 100 is a toothbrush and the electronic device 500 is a smart phone. However, the present invention is not so limited in all embodiments, and the oral care appliance 100 may take other structural forms, including an electric or manual toothbrush, a tongue scraper, a gum and soft tissue cleaner, a irrigator, an interdental device, a tooth polisher, a dedicated handle appliance with a tooth engagement element, or any other type of appliance commonly used for oral care. In addition, in other embodiments, the appliance may not be dedicated to oral care, but may be used as a personal care appliance, including various types of oral care appliances mentioned herein, and also including hairbrushes, razors, body scrubbers, skin treatment devices, etc. Therefore, it should be understood that the inventive concepts discussed herein can be applied to any type of oral care appliance or personal care appliance, unless a specific type of appliance is specified in the claims. The following will provide structural and functional details of the oral care appliance 100 according to exemplary embodiments of the present invention. Furthermore, the electronic device 500 is not limited to being a smart phone, and it may be a computer, a laptop computer, a notebook computer, a tablet computer, any type of cellular phone, or other similar device.

[0056] In embodiments including an oral care appliance 100 and an electronic device 500, the two devices are configured to be in operable communication with each other in some cases so that data monitored or acquired by one of the devices can be transmitted to the other for processing, storage, display, or other purposes. In addition, the operable communication can allow a user to interact with the electronic device 500 to control the operation of the oral care appliance 100. In addition, the operable communication can allow an application launched on the electronic device 500 to control the operation of the oral care appliance 100. For example, if the application is designed to store data about an oral care session, the electronic device 500 can power off the oral care appliance 100 when the memory in the electronic device 500 (or memory accessible to the application) is full.

[0057] Figure 1Operable communication between the oral care appliance 100 and the electronic device 500 is shown, and this can be achieved through wireless or hard-wired technology. For example, in some embodiments, a wire can be connected to the oral care appliance 100 and the electronic device 500 to place the two devices in operable communication with each other. In other embodiments, wireless technology can be used, including Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, LAN, Zigbee, infrared, RFID, etc. However, in other embodiments, the oral care system 10 may include an oral care appliance 100 without the electronic device 500 alone, and all data collection and processing can be performed within the oral care appliance 100. Therefore, although the accompanying drawings show some exemplary embodiments of the present invention, it should be understood that the present invention is not limited to those exemplary embodiments. On the contrary, the scope of the present invention as described herein covers changes that are not explicitly shown in the figures but are explicitly described and / or claimed.

[0058] like Figure 1 As shown, the oral care implement 100 includes a handle 200 and an oral care replacement brush head 300. In an exemplary embodiment, the oral care replacement brush head 300 is removably coupled to the handle 200 so that the oral care replacement brush head 300 can be replaced when its cleaning elements are worn. Details of the connection mechanism that facilitates the connection between the oral care replacement brush head 300 and the handle 200 will be provided below. In other embodiments, the oral care implement 100 can be an integral or unitary structure including the handle 200 and the brush head so that the brush head cannot be removed from the handle 200. Also as shown in FIG. Figure 1 As shown, the oral care implement 100 is in operable communication with the electronic device 500. In an exemplary embodiment, the oral care implement 100 and the electronic device 500 are wirelessly coupled, and details of how this is accomplished are provided below in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

[0059] The oral care replacement brush head 300 may include an oral care portion (also referred to herein as an oral care tool) 310 and a sleeve portion 340. In an exemplary embodiment, the oral care tool 310 includes a plurality of tooth cleaning elements 311. The term "tooth cleaning element" is used to refer to any structure that can be used to clean, polish or wipe teeth and / or oral soft tissues (e.g., tongue, cheek, gums, etc.) by contacting relative surfaces. Common examples of "tooth cleaning elements" include, but are not limited to, bristle tufts, filamentous bristles, fiber bristles, nylon bristles, polybutylene terephthalate (PBT) bristles, spiral bristles, rubber bristles, elastomeric protrusions, flexible polymer protrusions, combinations thereof, and / or structures containing such materials or combinations. Therefore, in some embodiments, any combination of these tooth cleaning elements can be used in the tooth cleaning element zone. In addition, in the case where bristles are used for one or more tooth cleaning elements 311, such bristles may be tapered, round-ended, spiral, etc. The tooth cleaning elements 311 may be coupled to the oral care implement 310 using any known technique, such as stapling, in-mold hair grafting, anchor-free hair grafting (AFT), PTT, and the like.

[0060] refer to Figure 1 and 2 , the oral care system 10 generally includes an oral care appliance 100 and a control circuit 110. The control circuit 110 includes several different "units" and other electronic components that are in operable communication or operable cooperation with each other. As mentioned above, as used herein, the term "unit" refers to an electronic component and its software, hardware, and processor, but the processor can be a separate component connected to the "unit", such as Figure 2 As will be discussed below, in an exemplary embodiment, there is a processor 111 associated with the oral care appliance 100 and a processor 121 associated with the electronic device 500, and each electronic component of the control circuit 110 is operably coupled to one of the processors 111, 121. However, in other embodiments, each "unit" may have its own controller. In such embodiments, the various "units" may still be coupled to one of the controllers 111, 121, or they may not be coupled to the controller if they are capable of processing and transmitting / receiving data required for proper operation of the control circuit 110 as described herein.

[0061] In the exemplary embodiment, some components of the control circuit 110 are shown as being in the oral care appliance 100, and other components of the control circuit 110 are shown as being in the electronic device 500. However, it should be understood that the present invention is not intended to be limited to this exact configuration in all embodiments. Specifically, some components of the control circuit 110 that are depicted as being located in the oral care appliance 100 may be located in the electronic device 500 in other embodiments, and some components that are depicted as being located in the electronic device 500 may be located in the oral care appliance 100 in other embodiments. Specific components of the control circuit 110 that are applicable hereto will be noted below.

[0062] In addition, in an exemplary embodiment, the components / units in the oral care appliance 100 are depicted as being coupled to the processor 111, and the components / units in the electronic device 500 are depicted as being coupled to the processor 121. However, the present invention is not so limited in all embodiments. Specifically, in some embodiments, there may be one processor 121 common to all components / units of the control circuit 110. In other embodiments, at least some of the components / units of the control circuit 110 located in the oral care appliance 100 may be operably coupled to the processor 121 of the electronic device 500. For example, in some embodiments, various sensors in the oral care appliance 100 may acquire data and then transmit the data to the processor 121 in the electronic device 500. In addition, in some embodiments, the processor 121 may be configured to control certain operations of the oral care appliance 100, such as powering on / off, activating components, etc.

[0063] In an exemplary embodiment, the following components of the control circuit 110 are located in an oral care appliance 100 in an operable cooperative manner: a processor 111, a power supply 112, a first sensor unit 113, a sensor indicator unit 114, a timer unit 115 (which may include a zone timer and a session timer, as discussed below), a time indicator unit 116, a second sensor unit 117, an actuator unit 130 including a mode selection unit 118 and a power supply unit 131, a motion initiation unit 119, a memory unit 127, and a first wireless communication unit 120. In an exemplary embodiment, the following components of the control circuit 110 are located in an electronic device 500 in an operable cooperative manner: a processor 121, a second wireless communication unit 122, a toothbrush application 123 including a mapping unit 124, a power supply 125, and a display unit 126. The first wireless communication unit 120 and the second wireless communication unit 122 are configured to be in operable communication with each other so that data monitored, acquired and / or processed by the control circuit 110 within the oral care implement 100 can be transmitted to the electronic device 500, and vice versa. Therefore, in a sense, the components of the control circuit 110 located in the oral care implement can be in operable communication with one or more components of the control circuit 110 located in the electronic device 500.

[0064] As mentioned above, Figure 2 An exemplary embodiment of the control circuit 110 is shown, but alternatives are possible and fall within the scope of the invention described herein. For example, in some embodiments, the memory unit 127 may be located in the electronic device 500 instead of the oral care appliance 100. In other embodiments, there may be a memory unit located in each of the electronic device 500 and the oral care appliance 100. In other embodiments, the memory unit 127 may not be located in either the oral care appliance 100 or the electronic device 500, but may be a part of a separate component entirely. In some embodiments, the processor 111, 121 may include a memory unit therein, so that there may not be any independent memory unit different from the processor 111, 121. In some embodiments, the mode selection unit 118 may be located in the electronic device 500 instead of the oral care appliance 100. In some embodiments, the second sensor unit 117 or a portion thereof may be located in the electronic device 500 instead of the oral care appliance 100. In addition, in some embodiments, the mapping unit 124 may be integrated into the oral care appliance 100 instead of the electronic device 500. Therefore, the full breadth and scope of the present invention as set forth herein should be appreciated in view of these potential modifications.

[0065] Continue to refer Figure 2, the various components of the control circuit 110 will be described in more detail. However, it should be understood that more details will be provided later in this document as some exemplary embodiments of the present invention are described. Therefore, reference is made to Figure 2 The discussion is intended to be more of a generalization, with the understanding that additional details according to one or more specific structural and functional embodiments will be provided later in this document.

[0066] In an exemplary embodiment, the power source 112 located in the oral care appliance 100 may include one or more batteries. In addition, in some embodiments, the power source 112 may be omitted and the oral care appliance 100 may be operated via a direct connection to a main power source. In other embodiments, solar or other power sources may be used to power the oral care appliance. The power source 112 may be individually connected to each component of the control circuit 110 located in the oral care appliance 100, or the power source 112 may be connected to a central processor 111, which may then transfer power from the power source 112 to each other component as needed. As needed, more than one power source 112 may be included in the oral care appliance 100 to provide sufficient power to all components of the control circuit 110.

[0067] The first sensor unit 113 is integrated into the oral care appliance 100 and can be configured to monitor oral care parameters during an oral care session performed using the oral care appliance 100. The oral care parameters can be physiological symptoms of the user. For example, the oral care parameters can be the presence (or absence) of bacteria, plaque, or tartar in the oral cavity. The oral care parameters can alternatively be the presence (or absence) of caries or cavities, bad breath, gum disease, cancer, oral manifestations of HIV, and various other diseases that may affect the oral cavity. In an exemplary embodiment, the first sensor unit 113 includes a plaque detection unit, and the monitored physiological symptom or oral care parameter can be the presence or absence of plaque on the oral surface of the user's mouth.

[0068] Thus, in an exemplary embodiment, the first sensor unit 113 includes the necessary sensors that enable it to detect the presence of plaque on the user's teeth and / or other oral surfaces. In a particular embodiment, the first sensor unit 113 may include a plaque detection unit configured to detect the presence of plaque (or tartar or calculus or other similar dental scaling) on ​​the teeth. In such embodiments, the first sensor unit 113 may include an imaging device, such as an optical sensor, which in one embodiment may be a camera or the like for obtaining a surface image of the user's oral cavity to determine the presence of plaque or other physiological oral symptoms. The first sensor unit 113 may also (or alternatively) include a light emitter, a light source transmitter, a receiver, and various other hardware required to ensure that the first sensor unit 113 is able to perform its intended sensing function (in an exemplary embodiment, it may be the detection of plaque as described herein). As described above, instead of or in addition to being connected to the processor 111, the first sensor unit 113 may include a processor. Additional information regarding the first sensor unit 113 and the manner in which plaque may be detected according to various embodiments of the present invention is disclosed in U.S. Patent No. 9,220,583, issued on December 29, 2015, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

[0069] In an exemplary embodiment, a sensor indicator unit 114 of the control circuit 110 is also integrated into the oral care appliance 100. The sensor indicator unit 114 is operably coupled to the first sensor unit 113 such that the sensor indicator unit 114 can generate a user-perceivable stimulus during an oral care session when the first sensor unit 113 detects that the monitored oral care parameter meets a certain standard or threshold. In an exemplary embodiment, the first sensor unit 113 and the sensor indicator unit 114 are coupled to the processor 111. Thus, the first sensor unit 113 monitors the oral care parameter during the performance of the oral care session and transmits data related to such monitoring to the processor 111. The processor 111 then processes this data and sends a signal to the sensor indicator unit 114 indicating whether the sensor indicator unit 114 generates any of one or more user-perceivable stimuli, and if so, which user-perceivable stimuli are generated. In other embodiments, the first sensor unit 113 may be directly coupled to the sensor indicator unit 114, particularly in embodiments where the first sensor unit 113 and / or the sensor indicator unit 114 include their own processors.

[0070] The sensor indicator unit 114 includes all the hardware and software required for it to perform the indication function. The sensor indicator unit 114 can provide an audible, visual, tactile or other indication perceived by the user of the oral care appliance 100. For example, in one embodiment, the sensor indicator unit 114 can provide different sounds to indicate different results of the monitoring of the oral care parameter performed by the first sensor unit 113 and / or indicate different time lapses, as described in more detail below. In another embodiment, the sensor indicator unit 114 can provide different visual signals, such as illuminating different colors of light, illuminating different patterns of light, illuminating different symbols, etc., to indicate different results of the monitoring of the oral care parameter performed by the first sensor unit 113 and / or indicate different time lapses, as described in more detail below. In other embodiments, the sensor indicator unit 114 can provide different vibration patterns perceived by the user of the oral care appliance 100 to indicate different results of the monitoring of the oral care parameter performed by the first sensor unit 113 and / or indicate different time lapses, as described in more detail below.

[0071] As described above, in one particular embodiment, the first sensor unit 113 is a plaque detection unit. In such embodiments, the sensor indicator unit 114 may generate a first user-perceivable stimulus when plaque is detected on the oral surface by the first sensor unit 113, a second user-perceivable stimulus when the first sensor unit 113 determines that there is no plaque on the oral surface, a third user-perceivable stimulus when the first sensor unit 113 is covered (e.g., by toothpaste slurry, etc.) and is therefore unable to perform its monitoring function, and a fourth user-perceivable stimulus when the first sensor unit 113 is not covered but is still unable to observe the teeth to perform its monitoring function (e.g., the oral care appliance 100 may be maintained at an angle that prevents the first sensor unit 113 from seeing the teeth and performing its function, or the first sensor unit 113 may be removed from the oral cavity). In other embodiments, the user-perceivable stimulus generated by the sensor indicator unit 114 may be associated with the passage of time during an oral care session, either alone or in combination with data acquired by the first sensor unit. This will be discussed in detail below. Fig.25 Describe in more detail.

[0072] Each of the first, second, third and fourth user-perceivable stimuli may be a different sound or sound pattern, a different vibration pattern, or a different color or pattern of light that can be perceived by a user. In an exemplary embodiment to be described in more detail below, the first, second, third and fourth user-perceivable stimuli may be light irradiation in different colors, different patterns, or some combination thereof. Thus, in a particular embodiment, the first user-perceivable stimulus may be light of a first color, and the second user-perceivable stimulus may be light of a second color. In embodiments including this, the third user-perceivable stimulus may be light of a third color, and the fourth user-perceivable stimulus may be light of a fourth color. In other embodiments, the fourth user-perceivable stimulus may be light of a third color, but the irradiation pattern is different from the third user-perceivable stimulus. Thus, for example, the third user-perceivable stimulus may be light of a third color irradiated in a solid state and non-flickering / flashing mode, while the fourth user-perceivable stimulus may be light of a third color irradiated in a flashing / flashing mode. Of course, these are merely examples, and there are many different possibilities for different user-perceivable stimuli. In some embodiments, a combination of auditory, tactile and visual stimuli may be used. Thus, one or more of the user-perceivable stimuli may be the emission of sound, one or more of the user-perceivable stimuli may be the emission of light, and / or one or more of the user-perceivable stimuli may be vibrations or other sensations that the user can feel (e.g., a heating sensation, a cooling sensation, etc.).

[0073] The structure and components of the sensor indicator unit 114 are indicated at least in part by the specific stimulus generated by the sensor indicator unit 114. Thus, for example, if the user-perceivable stimulus is sound, the sensor indicator unit 114 may include a speaker, if the user-perceivable stimulus is tactile such as vibration, the sensor indicator unit 114 may include a vibration generator, and if the user-perceivable stimulus is visual, the sensor indicator unit 114 may include one or more light sources, such as light emitting diodes or any other type of light emitter. Specific embodiments in which the sensor indicator unit 114 includes one or more light sources will be described in more detail below.

[0074] The control circuit 110 also includes a second sensor unit 117. In an exemplary embodiment, the second sensor unit 117 is integrated into the oral care appliance 100. However, as described above, in other embodiments, the second sensor unit 117 may be integrated into the electronic device 500. In other embodiments, the second sensor unit 117 may not be integrated into either the oral care appliance 100 or the electronic device 500.

[0075] In an exemplary embodiment, the second sensor unit 117 is configured to determine the orientation and / or position of the oral care appliance 100 within the user's oral cavity during an oral care session. Thus, when the user cleans his or her oral cavity with the oral care appliance 100, the second sensor unit 117 monitors and / or determines the orientation and / or position of the oral care appliance 100 relative to the teeth of the oral cavity. Additional details of the second sensor unit 117 according to one embodiment of the present invention are described in U.S. Patent No. 10,349,733, issued on July 16, 2019, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. However, in other embodiments, the second sensor unit 117 may take other forms. For example, the second sensor unit 117 may include an optical sensor that determines the position of the oral care appliance 100 in the oral cavity based on which tooth is within the frame of the optical sensor (e.g., a camera). The second sensor unit 117 may include an accelerometer, a gyroscope, a magnetometer, and other hardware for implementing its position detection function. In other embodiments, the second sensor unit 117 may include any one or more of an optical sensor, an accelerometer, a gyroscope, a magnetometer, a GPS, facial recognition, and the like.

[0076] As described above, in the exemplary embodiment, the memory unit 127 of the control circuit 110 is integrated into the oral care appliance 100. However, the memory unit 127 may alternatively be integrated into the electronic device 500. In addition, there may be multiple memory units, with at least one memory unit in each of the oral care appliance 100 and the electronic device 500. The memory unit 127 may be any type of memory device that is configured to store data before or after such data has been processed. Thus, the memory unit 127 may include a ROM, a PROM, a RAM, a SRAM, a DRAM, a SIMM, a DIMM, or any other type of device generally used to store data and / or other information.

[0077] In an exemplary embodiment, the first wireless communication unit 120 is integrated into the oral care implement 100 to facilitate communication between the oral care implement 100 and the electronic device 500 and / or other electronic devices. In an exemplary embodiment, the first wireless communication unit 120 is configured for Bluetooth communication, but in other embodiments, other types of wireless communication devices and other types of wireless communications may be used.

[0078] The oral care appliance 100 also includes a motion inducing unit 119, which may form part of the control circuit 110, or may be operably cooperative with the control circuit 110 without forming part of the control circuit 110. In an exemplary embodiment, the motion inducing unit 119 is operably connected to the processor 111 so that the processor 111 can direct the operation of the motion inducing unit 119. The motion inducing unit 119 may include a motor, such as an eccentric motor, or any other vibration generating device. The motion inducing unit 119 is configured to impart motion to the oral care tool 310 of the oral care appliance 100, along which the cleaning elements 311, such as bristles, are positioned. Therefore, when the motion inducing unit 119 is activated, the cleaning elements 311 vibrate to improve the cleaning effect they perform. The motion inducing unit 119 may also perform other functions, such as possibly playing a role in generating user-perceivable stimulation.

[0079] In an exemplary embodiment, the timer unit 115 and the time indicator unit 116 are both integrated into the oral care implement 100. The timer unit 115 and the time indicator unit 116 are operably coupled to the processor 111. In some embodiments, the timer unit 115 and the time indicator unit 116 may be coupled directly to each other, but their coupling to the processor 111 is sufficient in exemplary embodiments to ensure that data obtained by the timer unit 115 is transmitted to the time indicator unit 116, as further described herein. Each of the timer unit 115 and the time indicator unit 116 includes the necessary hardware, software, and processor to facilitate its operation.

[0080] The timer unit 115 may include any device configured to track the time during the performance of an oral care session. Thus, as the user cleans their mouth during an oral care session, the timer unit 115 will track the amount of time that has passed during the oral care session. Thus, the timer unit 115 may include a clock, a timer, an incrementing timer, a decrementing timer, a stopwatch, etc. The timer unit 115 may include its own processor, or it may be coupled to the processor 111, or both. The memory unit 127 is configured to store data related to the time tracked during the performance of an oral care session. Thus, as an oral care session is performed, the timer unit 115 tracks the time that has passed, and data related to the time tracked by the timer unit 115 is transmitted (directly or indirectly by the processor 111) and stored in the memory unit 127.

[0081] The timer unit 115 may include a zone timer and a session timer, details of which will be provided below. In short, the session timer can track the time that elapses during an oral care session from the start of the session to the completion of the session. The zone timer can track the time that a user performs an oral care session in a particular zone without the oral cavity. Thus, the oral cavity can be broken down into multiple zones, and the zone timer can track the time spent in each zone, so that it can be operated in conjunction with the sensor indicator unit 114 to prompt or otherwise signal the user to move between zones, so the user does not spend insufficient time or excessive time in a single zone. The following will mainly refer to Fig.25 Details of this use and operation are provided. In some embodiments, the timer unit 115 may only track the actual brushing time. Therefore, in such embodiments, if the user holds the device outside the mouth, the timer's counter will not increment.

[0082] In an exemplary embodiment, the time indicator unit 116 and the timer unit 115 are operably coupled because both are coupled to the processor 111. The time indicator unit 116 is configured to notify the user during the oral care session of the amount of time that has elapsed during the oral care session. Thus, the time indicator unit 116 preferably generates a user-perceivable signal at various time intervals to indicate to the user the amount of time that has elapsed during the oral care session. This may be desirable because it is generally accepted that one should brush one's teeth for approximately two minutes. Thus, providing the user with an indication of the amount of time that has elapsed during the oral care session helps ensure that the user continues the oral care session for the entire time period, whether it is two minutes, three minutes, or some other predetermined time period.

[0083] The time indicator unit 116 may include a speaker, etc., in the case where the user-perceivable signal it generates is sound, a vibration generator, etc., in the case where the user-perceivable signal it generates is tactile or haptic, and may include one or more lights in the case where the user-perceivable signal it generates is visual. In an exemplary embodiment, as will be described in more detail below, the time indicator unit 116 includes a plurality of light emitters, such as light-emitting diodes or other light sources, so that the time indicator unit 116 can provide a user with a visual indication of the amount of time that has passed during an oral care session. The time indicator unit 116 can provide the user with an indication of the time that has passed at predetermined intervals, such as every quarter of the total time period required. Thus, for example, if the required time for an oral care session is two minutes, the time indicator unit 116 can generate an indication (by irradiating one or more light sources) every 30 seconds. Specific details about the time indicator unit 116 according to a specific embodiment of the present invention will be provided below when discussing a specific structural embodiment of the oral care appliance 100.

[0084] The actuator unit 130 includes a mode selection unit 118 and a power supply unit 131. In an exemplary embodiment, the actuator unit 130 is integrated into the oral care appliance. In some embodiments, some or all of the actuator units 130 may be located in the electronic device 500 instead of the oral care appliance 100. Thus, for example, the mode selection unit 118 may be integrated into the electronic device 500, while the power supply unit 131 is integrated into the oral care appliance 100, or both the mode selection unit 118 and the power supply unit 131 may be integrated into the electronic device.

[0085] In an exemplary embodiment, the mode selection unit 118 includes a switch 128 located on the oral care implement 100 (see Figure 1 ). Specifically, in an exemplary embodiment, the mode selection switch 128 is a button type switch disposed on the front surface of the handle 200 of the oral care appliance 100. In addition, in an exemplary embodiment, the power supply unit 131 includes a power switch 129 located on the front surface of the handle 200. The mode selection unit 118 and the power supply unit 131 are operably coupled to the processor 111. Actuation of the power switch 129 may cause the processor 111 to power on the oral care appliance 100, which may include powering all components of the control circuit 110 integrated into the oral care appliance 100, such as Figure 2 As shown in and described herein.

[0086] The actuation of the mode selection switch 128 can change the operating mode of the oral care appliance 100. Specifically, in an exemplary embodiment, the mode selection unit 118 is configured to allow the user to select between the normal mode and the silent mode. Therefore, in some embodiments, when the power switch 129 is actuated, the oral care appliance 100 will be configured to operate in the normal mode. If the mode selection switch 128 is then actuated after the power switch 129 has been actuated, the mode will be changed from the normal mode to the silent mode. Of course, in other embodiments, the oral care appliance 100 can be initially powered on in the silent mode, so that the actuation of the mode selection switch 128 will change it to the normal mode. In some embodiments, the user must actuate the mode selection switch 128 within a predetermined time period after actuating the power switch 129, so as to change the mode from the normal mode to the silent mode, and / or vice versa. The predetermined time period can be five seconds in one embodiment, or ten seconds in another embodiment, or fifteen seconds in another embodiment, or twenty seconds in another embodiment, or thirty seconds in another embodiment.

[0087] Still refer to Figure 1 and 2In an exemplary embodiment, the control circuit 110 includes the following components integrated into the electronic device 500 or otherwise coupled to the electronic device: a processor 121, a power supply 125, a toothbrush application 123 including a mapping unit 124, and a wireless communication unit 122. The electronic device 500 may also include a display unit 126 operably coupled to the control circuit 110.

[0088] The power source 125 can be any type of device commonly used to power electronic devices such as smartphones. For example, in some embodiments, the power source 125 can be one or more batteries, but other power sources can be used in other embodiments. The wireless communication unit 122 is configured to be operable to communicate with the wireless communication unit 120 of the oral care appliance 100. Therefore, information collected or processed by the oral care appliance 100 can be transmitted to the electronic device 500 for various processing and / or storage and / or display on the display unit 126. The display unit 126 can be any type of display commonly used in electronic devices, such as a liquid crystal display (LCD) and the like. In some embodiments, the display unit 126 can allow user interaction, such as a touch screen.

[0089] The toothbrush application 123 may be a mobile application stored on a memory device (not shown) of the electronic device 500. Specifically, the toothbrush application 123 may be an application downloadable from an application store. The toothbrush application 123 may be a computer program or software application designed to run on an electronic device such as the electronic device 500. Due to the operable communication between the electronic device 500 and the oral care appliance 100, data or information collected or acquired from sensors in the oral care appliance 100 may be transmitted to the electronic device 500 and used by the toothbrush application 123 to provide data to the particular user in a manner that is valuable to the user in improving their cleaning capabilities.

[0090] The toothbrush application 123 may include a mapping unit 124, which may include all necessary software, hardware, code, etc. to enable it to function and operate as described herein. In some embodiments, the mapping unit 124 may be configured to generate an oral map in which the location of physiological symptoms in the user's oral cavity is identified based on data obtained from the first sensor unit 113 and the second sensor unit 114. Thus, when the first sensor unit 113 monitors oral care parameters during the performance of an oral care session, the second sensor unit 114 determines the orientation and / or position of the oral care implement 100 within the user's oral cavity during the oral care session, and this information may be transmitted to the mapping unit 124 of the electronic device 500.

[0091] Specifically, due to the communication between the oral care appliance 100 and the electronic device 500 (in an exemplary embodiment, wireless communication through the wireless communication units 120, 122), the information obtained by the first sensor unit 113 and the second sensor unit 114 can be sent to the electronic device 500 before or after processing. Specifically, the information collected by the first sensor 113 and the second sensor 114 can be processed by the processor 111 before being sent to the electronic device 500, or the information can be sent to the electronic device 500 for processing by the processor 121. In any case, in either manner, the information is ultimately transmitted to the mapping unit 124, which can generate an oral map to provide the user with a visual indication of the location in the oral cavity where there are physiological oral symptoms (for example, showing the location where plaque is found on the teeth). Figure 3 , an exemplary oral cavity map is shown on the display 501 of the electronic device 500. Therefore, in some embodiments, the data related to the monitored oral care parameters stored in the memory unit 127 includes data acquired from both the first sensor unit 113 and the second sensor unit 114. In some embodiments, the data related to the monitored oral care parameters also includes an oral cavity map, which can also be stored in the memory unit 127.

[0092] refer to Figure 4 , the operation change depending on whether the oral care appliance 100 is in the normal mode or the silent mode will be described. As described above, the mode selection unit 118 of the actuator unit 130 allows the user to determine whether he wants the oral care appliance 100 to operate in the normal mode or the silent mode. The oral care appliance 100 can be operated in the normal mode unless the user actuates the mode selection switch 128 within a specific period of time after powering on the oral care appliance 100, in which case the oral care appliance 100 will operate in the silent mode.

[0093] Upon activating the power switch 129, the oral care appliance 100 will be powered on and will be in normal mode. Alternatively, the user may select normal mode rather than having the oral care appliance 100 automatically operate in normal mode. For example, after powering on the oral care appliance 100, the user may be provided with the option of operating in normal mode or silent mode. When in normal mode, after the user begins cleaning the oral cavity with the oral care appliance 100 for an oral care session, the first sensor unit 113 will be active during the oral care session. This means that the first sensor unit 113 will monitor oral care parameters during the oral care session. According to an exemplary embodiment, the first sensor unit 113 will monitor the presence of plaque on the oral surfaces of the oral cavity or on the teeth.

[0094] In addition, in normal mode, the sensor indicator unit 114 will be active during the oral care session. Therefore, in normal mode, when the first sensor unit 113 detects that the monitored oral care parameters meet certain criteria, the sensor indicator unit 114 will generate a user-perceivable stimulus during the oral care session. With respect to an exemplary embodiment, when the first sensor unit 113 detects a certain amount of plaque on the teeth, the sensor indicator unit 114 will generate a user-perceivable stimulus (light, sound, vibration, etc.). More specifically, in a particular embodiment, the sensor indicator unit 114 will generate one or more colors of light to provide the user with an indication that the first sensor unit 113 has detected an amount of plaque exceeding a certain threshold. As mentioned, the sensor indicator unit 114 can be disposed on the oral care appliance 100 or otherwise integrated into the oral care appliance. Therefore, the sensor indicator unit 114 can generate light emitted from the oral care appliance 100 itself or from the oral care appliance so that the light can be seen when the user performs an oral care session. Additional details regarding the sensor-indicator unit 114 and its location and operation are described below, depending on the structural embodiments of the oral care implement.

[0095] In normal mode, data related to the monitored oral care parameters are also stored in the memory unit 127 during the oral care session. Thus, in normal mode, the first sensor unit 113 is active during the oral care session to monitor the oral care parameters, data related to the oral care parameters monitored by the first sensor unit 113 are stored in the memory unit 127 (this may occur during or after the oral care session, depending on whether the data is transmitted to the memory unit 127 in real time after the oral care session is completed), and the sensor indicator unit 114 is active.

[0096] As described above, the user may wish to operate the oral care appliance 100 in silent mode rather than in normal mode. This can be achieved by pressing the mode selection switch 129 after the oral care appliance 100 has been powered on and before starting an oral care session, or by other means as described herein and / or readily understood by those skilled in the art. The silent mode is very similar to the normal mode except for the operation of the sensor indicator unit 114. Thus, in silent mode, the first sensor unit 113 is active and monitors oral care parameters during an oral care session, and data related to the monitored oral care parameters is stored in the memory unit 127 during or after the oral care session. However, the difference between the normal mode and the silent mode is that in silent mode, the sensor indicator unit 114 is inactive during an oral care session. Therefore, when the oral care appliance 100 is in silent mode, the sensor indicator unit 114 does not generate any user-perceivable stimulation during an oral care session.

[0097] Thus, in both the normal mode and the silent mode, the first sensor unit 113 is still monitoring the oral care parameters (e.g., whether plaque is present on the teeth), and this data is still transmitted to the memory unit 127 (which may be configured as Figure 2 100, as mentioned above in the electronic device 500 or elsewhere) and stored by the memory unit. This data may also be displayed on the display unit 126 of the electronic device 500 via the toothbrush application 123 and / or the mapping unit 124 during or after an oral care session. However, while in normal mode an indication of the detection of a monitored oral care parameter is provided to the user via a user-perceivable stimulus (light, sound, vibration, etc.) on the oral care appliance 100, this does not occur in silent mode. Thus, for example, where the sensor indicator unit 114 includes one or more lights illuminated on the oral care appliance 100, these lights are inactive (i.e., not operating) when the oral care appliance 100 is in silent mode. Thus, silent mode renders the sensor indicator unit 114 on the oral care appliance 100 inactive, while all other features and electronic components are active.

[0098] Also like Figure 4As shown in , the motion inducing unit 119 can be active in both normal mode and silent mode. Therefore, the motion inducing unit 119 can impart vibratory motion to the cleaning element in both normal mode and silent mode. In this sense, the silent mode does not cause the oral care appliance 100 to operate without making a sound, because in some embodiments, the motion inducing unit 119 may produce a sound. On the contrary, the silent mode turns off or deactivates the features on the oral care appliance 100 that provide immediate, real-time feedback to the user by generating user-perceivable stimuli in the form of sound, vibration and / or light. The wireless communication unit 120 in the oral care appliance 100 and the wireless communication unit 122 in the electronic device 500 can be active in both normal and silent modes, so that data / information monitored and otherwise collected by the oral care appliance 100 and its sensors can be transmitted to the electronic device 500, regardless of whether the oral care appliance 100 is operated in normal mode or silent mode.

[0099] As described above, the timer unit 115 and the time indicator unit 116 track the time that has passed during the performance of the oral care session and notify the user of the elapsed time (by activating light, sound, and / or vibration). In an exemplary embodiment, the timer unit 115 and the time indicator unit 116 are active in both the normal mode and the silent mode. However, in other embodiments, when the oral care appliance 100 is operated in the silent mode, the timer unit 115 may be active to track the time, while the time indicator unit 116 may be inactive so that during the oral care session, no user-perceivable indication of the elapsed time is provided to the user on the oral care appliance 100.

[0100] refer to Figure 5-7 , the oral care implement 100 will be described in more detail. Specifically, Figure 5-7 , and the remaining figures in this document illustrate various portions of the oral care implement 100. This will allow for a more detailed description of some of the components mentioned above, as well as a detailed description of some new features not mentioned above. Figure 5-7 1 and the remaining figures depict one exemplary embodiment of an oral care implement 100. However, it should be understood that the present invention is not limited to the structural details of the oral care implement 100 described below in all of the embodiments.

[0101] As mentioned above, the oral care implement 100 generally includes a handle 200 and an oral care replacement brush head 300. In some embodiments, the handle 200 and the oral care replacement brush head 300 can be made of a plastic such as polypropylene, but this is not required in all embodiments and other materials can be used, including wood, metal, etc. In an exemplary embodiment, the oral care replacement brush head 300 is detachable from the handle 200 so that the oral care replacement brush head 300 can be replaced when the cleaning elements 311 are worn or for other reasons (e.g., using an oral care replacement brush head 300 having cleaning elements made of different materials or having different patterns to achieve a specific cleaning function). Therefore, the oral care replacement brush head 300 can be in a first state (e.g., see Figure 6 and 7 ) and a second state in which the oral care replacement brush head 300 is coupled to the handle 200 (e.g., see Figure 5 )

[0102] refer to Figure 7 , 9 10, the oral care replacement brush head 300 will be described in more detail. The oral care replacement brush head 300 includes an oral care tool 310 (or an oral care portion) and a sleeve portion 340. In addition, there are a plurality of tooth cleaning elements 311 (made of bristles and / or layers of nylon, rubber, etc. as mentioned above) on the oral care tool 310 for caring for and / or cleaning the user's oral cavity, especially the user's teeth, gums, and tongue.

[0103] The oral care implement 310 of the oral care replacement brush head 300 includes a brush head body 312 having a front surface 313 and a rear surface 314. A plurality of tooth cleaning elements 311 extend from the front surface 313 of the brush head body 312. The sleeve portion 340 of the oral care replacement brush head 300 is connected to the brush head body 312 of the oral care implement 310 and extends from the brush head body 312 to a proximal end 341. The proximal portion of the sleeve portion 340 projects outward in a direction toward the proximal end 341. The sleeve portion 340 has an inner surface 342 and an outer surface 343, wherein the outer surface 343 includes a front surface 344 facing the same direction as the front surface 313 of the brush head body 312 and a rear surface 345 opposite to the front surface 344.

[0104] The inner surface 342 of the sleeve portion 340 defines a sleeve cavity 346 having a cavity axis AA. The sleeve portion 340 is configured to receive the stem 270 of the handle 200 when the oral care replacement brush head 300 is coupled to the handle 200 as described herein. The sleeve portion 340 of the oral care replacement brush head 300 includes a sleeve snap element 347 that is configured to cooperate with an engagement feature of the handle 200 to couple the oral care replacement brush head 300 to the handle 200. In an exemplary embodiment, the sleeve snap element 347 is a locking aperture located on the rear surface 345 of the sleeve portion 340 of the oral care replacement brush head 300. The locking aperture extends through the thickness of the sleeve portion 340 and provides access to the sleeve cavity 346 from the external environment. In an exemplary embodiment, the locking aperture of the sleeve snap element 347 is an elliptical shape that is elongated in a direction transverse to the cavity axis AA. The locking apertures of the sleeve snap element 347 are axially spaced above the proximal end 341 of the sleeve portion 340. Although the sleeve snap element 347 of the oral care replacement brush head 300 is described herein as a locking aperture, the present invention is not limited thereto in all embodiments, and in other embodiments, the sleeve snap element 347 may be a protrusion, tab, etc., which is configured to cooperate with a feature on the handle 200 for locking the oral care replacement brush head 300 in the second state, thereby coupling the oral care replacement brush head to the handle 200.

[0105] The sleeve portion 340 of the oral care replacement brush head 300 also includes a window aperture 348 formed in the front surface 344 of the sleeve portion 340. The window aperture 348 extends through the thickness of the sleeve portion 340 and provides a passage from the external environment to the sleeve cavity 346. In addition, the window aperture 348 is positioned adjacent to the cleaning element 311 and just below the cleaning element. The window aperture 348 also has an elliptical shape, but the window aperture 348 is elongated in a direction parallel to the cavity axis AA. In an exemplary embodiment, the window aperture 348 is adjacent to the cleaning element 311 and below the cleaning element. As will be described in more detail below, when the oral care replacement brush head 300 is connected to the handle 270, the window aperture 348 is aligned with the first sensor unit 113 on the rod 270 of the handle 200 so that the first sensor unit 113 is exposed through the window aperture 348. This enables the first sensor unit113to have visual access to the oral cavity through the window aperture348during use of the oral care implement100so that the first sensor unit113can perform its monitoring function as described herein.

[0106] In addition, the oral care replacement brush head 300 includes a transparent window 370 overlying and / or covering the window aperture 348. The transparent window 370 is transparent to ensure that the first sensor unit 113 can see the interior of the oral cavity through the transparent window 370 without obstruction during an oral care session. In an exemplary embodiment, the window 370 includes at least one partition wall 371 that divides the transparent window 370 into a plurality of sections. In an exemplary embodiment, each section of the transparent window 370 is connected to a different component of the first sensor unit 113 (i.e., the optical sensor 140, the light source 141, and ... Figure 5-8B 142) is aligned with the receiver 142 described above. In one embodiment, the optical sensor 140 can be a camera. The beam splitter helps to ensure that stray light does not saturate the optical sensor to ensure normal operation. However, in other embodiments, the beam splitter can be omitted as long as it can be ensured that such stray light does not cause device failure or improper operation. In various different embodiments, the window aperture 348 can be an open aperture, the window aperture 348 can be covered by a transparent window 370 so that the first sensor unit 113 can be protected from damage from the fluid, and in other embodiments, the window aperture 348 may not be an aperture at all, but may instead include a portion of the sleeve 340 made of a transparent material.

[0107] Still refer to Figure 7 , 9 10, additional features of the oral care replacement brush head 300 will be described. In an exemplary embodiment, the oral care replacement brush head 300 includes a plurality of ribs 350 extending from the inner surface 342 of the sleeve portion 340 in a circumferentially spaced manner. In an exemplary embodiment, each of the plurality of ribs 350 extends from a position spaced apart from but adjacent to the proximal end 341 in a direction toward the brush head body 312. However, the plurality of ribs 350 do not extend over the entire length of the sleeve 340. Instead, in an exemplary embodiment, the plurality of ribs 350 terminate at (or near / adjacent to) the orifice of the sleeve snap element 347. More specifically, the ribs extend to a distal end that is laterally aligned with the locking feature 347. In other embodiments, the ribs 350 may be positioned further away from the proximal end 341 of the sleeve portion 340 than the locking feature 347.

[0108] The spaces between the plurality of ribs 350 form a plurality of channels 351, such that each channel 351 is defined by two of the ribs 350 that are adjacent to each other. Thus, each of the channels 351 extends from the proximal end 341 to where the ribs 350 terminate within the sleeve cavity 346. The width of each of the plurality of channels 351 is measured as the minimum linear distance between two adjacent ribs 350 that define that particular channel 351 therebetween.

[0109] The width of the alignment channel 352 in the plurality of channels 351 is wider than the width of the remaining channels in the plurality of channels 351, and the alignment channel is used to properly align the oral care replacement brush head 300 relative to the handle 200, as described in more detail below. In an exemplary embodiment, all channels 351 have the same width except for the alignment channel 352 having a wider width. However, the present invention is not limited to this in all embodiments, and the channels 351 may all have different widths, wherein the alignment channel 352 is the channel 351 with the widest width. In an exemplary embodiment, there is only one alignment channel 352, which ensures that the oral care replacement brush head 300 can only be connected to the handle 200 in one relative orientation. If more than one orientation is allowed, there may be multiple alignment channels 352. The alignment channel 352 may be referred to as a second engagement feature in this article because it cooperates or interacts with the engagement feature of the handle 200, as described in more detail below.

[0110] In addition, the oral care replacement brush head 300 includes an elongated alignment rib 360 extending from the inner surface 342 of the sleeve portion 340. Thus, like the rib 350, the elongated alignment rib 360 extends into the sleeve cavity 346. In an exemplary embodiment, the elongated alignment rib 360 is located between the sleeve locking element 347 (e.g., locking aperture) and the oral care implement or oral care portion 310 of the oral care replacement brush head 300. Thus, the elongated alignment rib 360 is positioned closer to the oral care portion 310 than each of the plurality of ribs 350 and the sleeve snap element or locking aperture 347.

[0111] like Fig. 9 As best seen in the figure, a portion of the elongated alignment rib 360 is aligned with a window aperture 348 formed in the front surface 344 of the sleeve portion 340 of the oral care replacement brush head 300. Therefore, when the oral care replacement brush head 300 is in the first state such that it is detached from the handle 200, the elongated alignment rib 360 is visible through the window aperture 348. The reason for this is that when the oral care replacement brush head 300 is in the second state such that it is attached to the handle 200, the elongated alignment rib 360 presses against the rod 270 of the handle 200 to force the first sensor unit 113 to extend into or near / adjacent the window aperture 348. This ensures that during use of the oral care implement 100, the first sensor unit 113 is properly located within the window aperture 348 so that it can perform its monitoring function. This will be described in more detail below during the discussion of the structural relationship between the oral care replacement brush head 300 and the handle 200 when in the assembled state.

[0112] The sleeve portion 340 includes a distal portion 355 adjacent the oral care portion 310 and a proximal portion 356 adjacent the proximal edge 341. In the exemplary embodiment, a plurality of ribs 350 and sleeve snap elements 347 are positioned along the proximal portion 356, and an elongated alignment rib 360 and a window aperture 348 are positioned along the distal portion 355.

[0113] refer to Figure 5-8B , the handle 200 will be described in more detail. The handle 200 includes a gripping portion 210 having a distal end 211, an engagement member 240 removably coupled to the distal end 211 of the gripping portion 210, and a rod 270 protruding from the engagement member 240. In an exemplary embodiment, the engagement member 240 and the rod 270 both play a role in attaching the oral care replacement brush head 300 to the handle 200, as will be described in more detail below. The gripping portion 210 of the handle 200 is a portion of the oral care implement 100 that is configured to be gripped by a user during use of the oral care implement 100 to perform its cleaning function. In an exemplary embodiment, a user-operated actuator 135 including a mode selection switch 128 and a power switch 129 is located on the gripping portion 210 of the handle 200.

[0114] As described above, the first sensor unit 113 is integrated into the oral care appliance 100. More specifically, in an exemplary embodiment, the first sensor unit 113 is located on the distal portion 271 of the rod 270. In some embodiments, the first sensor unit 113 may include an imaging device (e.g., a camera) 140, a light source 141, and a receiver 142, but this is not required in all embodiments. The first sensor unit 113 may include any components necessary for it to function as desired. In an exemplary embodiment, the first sensor unit 113 is a plaque detection unit, and therefore it includes the components necessary to detect plaque on the teeth. The imaging device 140 (alone or in conjunction with the light source 141) is configured to capture images of the teeth, and the receiver 142 is configured to receive the images and transmit them to the processor 111 for processing to determine whether plaque is present on the teeth. As Figure 5 As shown in , when the oral care replacement brush head 300 is coupled to the handle 200 , the first sensor unit 113 is aligned with and extends into (or proximate to) the window aperture 348 of the oral care replacement brush head 300 .

[0115] The user-operated actuator 135 is operably connected to the actuator unit 130 and includes a power switch 129 and a mode selection switch 128. The user-operated actuator 135 is located on the grip portion 210 of the handle 200. Therefore, a user who grasps the handle 200 can easily and easily actuate the power switch 129 to power on and off the oral care appliance 100, and actuate the mode selection switch 128 to change the operation of the oral care appliance 100 between a normal mode and a silent mode. There is also a status indicator 212 on the grip portion 210 of the handle 200. The status indicator 212 includes a connection indicator 212a and a power indicator 212b. When the oral care appliance 100 is operably connected to the electronic device 500 (for example, via Bluetooth described above, etc.), the connection indicator 212a can be illuminated. The power indicator 212b can be illuminated in different colors or different levels (i.e., height), etc., to indicate the power supply 112 (see Figure 2 ) is the amount of charge remaining in .

[0116] In an exemplary embodiment, the engagement component 240 is a separate and distinct component relative to the grip portion 210 and the stem 270 of the handle 200. In some embodiments, the engagement component 240 can be connected to the distal end 211 of the grip portion 210 with a snap fit. In other embodiments, the engagement component 240 can be coupled to the distal end 211 of the grip portion 210 in other ways, including the use of fasteners, adhesives, mechanical engagement, twist and lock, notches and protrusions, etc. In some embodiments, it may be desirable to remove the engagement component 240 from the grip portion 210 so that it can be replaced with a different engagement component 240, wherein the engagement component 240 has a specific structure designed to interact with the oral care replacement brush head 300. Therefore, as mentioned in more detail below, by changing the engagement component 240, the structure of the oral care replacement brush head 300 that can be coupled to the handle 200 can be forced to change. Thus, instead of having to replace the entire handle 200 to modify the engagement mechanism, by having a separate engagement component 240 , the engagement mechanism (or a portion thereof) that mates with the oral care replacement brush head 300 may be modified without having to replace the entire handle 200 .

[0117] In an exemplary embodiment, the engaging member 240 includes a plate portion 241 having a top surface 242 and a bottom surface 243 opposite to the top surface 242. The plate portion 241 also includes an orifice 244 extending from the top surface 242 to the bottom surface 243. Therefore, in an exemplary embodiment, the engaging member 240 has an annular shape similar to a ring nut. In an exemplary embodiment, the top surface 242 and the bottom surface 243 are flat and planar and parallel to each other. However, this is not required in all embodiments, and in other embodiments, the top surface 242 and / or the bottom surface 243 may have some contours. When the oral care appliance 100 is assembled, the bottom surface 243 of the plate portion 241 faces and contacts the distal end 211 of the grip portion 210, and the top surface 242 of the plate portion 241 faces and contacts the proximal end 341 of the oral care replacement brush head 300.

[0118] The engagement member 240 also includes a first engagement feature 245 that is configured to cooperate with a second engagement feature (i.e., alignment channel 352) of the oral care replacement brush head 300 when the oral care replacement brush head 300 is attached to the handle 200. More specifically, the first engagement feature 245 of the engagement member 240 is configured to cooperate with the second engagement feature 352 of the oral care replacement brush head 300 to at least one of: (1) position the oral care replacement brush head 300 in operational alignment; and (2) lock the oral care replacement brush head 300 to the handle 200. Since the circuitry for the oral care implement 100 is located in the handle 200, in some embodiments, the oral care replacement brush head 300 must be positioned in a specific orientation relative to the handle 200 for the circuitry to operate properly because part of the operation depends on the position sensor and determining the position of the oral care replacement brush head 300 relative to the oral cavity. In addition, the imaging sensor (i.e., optical sensor or camera 140) may require a specific orientation between the oral care replacement brush head 300 and the handle 200 to function properly. Thus, by "operationally aligned," it is meant that the oral care replacement brush head 300 is aligned with the handle 200 in a manner that enables the control circuit 110 to properly operate in accordance with the disclosure set forth herein. Thus, the first engagement feature 245 and the second engagement feature 352 can properly align the oral care replacement brush head 300 with the handle 200, and / or the first engagement feature 245 and the second engagement feature 352 can lock the oral care replacement brush head 300 to the handle 200, or both. In an exemplary embodiment, as further discussed herein, the first engagement feature 245 and the second engagement feature 252 cooperate or otherwise interact to align the oral care replacement brush head 300 with the handle 200.

[0119] In an exemplary embodiment, the first engagement feature 245 of the engagement member 240 is an alignment protrusion 246 extending from the top surface 242 of the plate portion 241 of the engagement member 240. The plate portion 240 has an inner surface 247 facing / defining the aperture 244 and an opposing outer surface 248. In an exemplary embodiment, the alignment protrusion 246 is spaced radially inward of the outer surface 248 and adjacent to the aperture 244. Thus, the alignment protrusion 246 is positioned closer to the inner surface 247 than the outer surface 248 of the plate portion 240. More specifically, in an exemplary embodiment, at least a portion of the alignment protrusion 246 is flush with the inner surface 247 of the plate portion 241. This ensures that there is sufficient space on the top surface 242 of the plate portion 240 between the alignment protrusion 246 and the outer surface 248 for engagement with the proximal end 341 of the sleeve portion 240 of the oral care replacement brush head 300.

[0120] like Figure 8B As best seen in FIG. 2 , the alignment protrusion 246 extends from the top surface 242 of the plate portion 240 to the distal end 249. The alignment protrusion 246 includes a first sidewall 250 extending from the top surface 242 of the plate portion 240 to the distal end 249 and a second sidewall 251 extending from the top surface 242 of the plate portion 240 to the distal end 249. In an exemplary embodiment, each of the first sidewall 250 and the second sidewall 251 includes a smooth outer surface without any notches or protrusions. Further, in an exemplary embodiment, the alignment protrusion 246 tapers along at least a portion of its length as it extends from the top surface 242 of the plate portion 241 to the distal end 249. In other words, as the distance from the top surface 242 of the plate portion 241 increases, the width of the alignment protrusion 246 measured between the first sidewall 249 and the second sidewall 250 decreases along at least a portion of the length of the alignment protrusion 246. This tapering of the alignment protrusion 246 allows the alignment protrusion 246 to more easily enter the alignment channel 352 of the oral care replacement brush head 350 during coupling of the oral care replacement brush head 300 to the handle 200 .

[0121] When the handle 200 is assembled, the rod 270 of the handle 200 extends through the aperture 244 of the plate portion 241 of the engagement member 240 so that the top surface 242 of the plate portion 241 of the engagement member 240 forms an annular shoulder surrounding the rod 270. The rod 270 extends from the top surface 242 of the plate portion 240 to a distal end 272. The rod 270 includes the previously mentioned distal portion 271 and a proximal portion 273, wherein the proximal portion 273 is adjacent to the engagement member 240. The rod 270 extends along a rod axis BB.

[0122] The rod 270 of the handle 200 includes a rod snap element 274, which is configured to interact with the sleeve snap element 347 to securely couple (or lock) the oral care replacement brush head 300 to the handle 200. In an exemplary embodiment, the rod snap element 274 is a protrusion extending from the rod 270. More specifically, in an exemplary embodiment, the rod snap element 274 is a protrusion having an elliptical shape that is elongated in a direction transverse to the rod axis BB. Therefore, the rod snap element 274 and the sleeve snap element 347 have similar shapes so that they can be engaged with each other to lock the oral care replacement brush head 300 to the handle 200. Specifically, when the oral care replacement brush head 300 is coupled to the handle 200, the rod snap element 274 snaps into the aperture of the sleeve snap element 347 to securely couple the oral care replacement brush head 300 to the handle 200 by snap-fit ​​interlocking. When the oral care replacement brush head 300 is coupled to the handle 200, the rod snap element 274 is nested within the aperture of the sleeve snap element 347. In an exemplary embodiment, the rod snap element 274 is positioned along the proximal portion 273 of the rod 270. In addition, as shown in FIG. Figure 8B As best seen in FIG. 2 , in the exemplary embodiment, the lever snap element 274 is circumferentially aligned with the alignment protrusion 246 of the first engagement feature 245 of the engagement component 240 .

[0123] The rod 270 of the handle 200 also includes an elongated alignment notch 275 positioned along the distal portion 272 of the rod 270. The elongated alignment notch 275 is elongated in a direction parallel to the rod axis BB. The elongated alignment notch 275 is configured to receive and / or cooperate with the elongated alignment rib 360 of the oral care replacement brush head 300 when the oral care replacement brush head 300 is coupled to the handle 200. As described above, this interaction presses the distal portion 271 of the rod 270 forwardly toward the front surface 344 of the sleeve portion 340 within the sleeve cavity 346, so that the first sensor unit 113 extends to and / or is positioned adjacent to the window aperture 348 (or the transparent window 370 covering the window aperture 348) of the oral care replacement brush head 300. As will be described further below, when the oral care replacement brush head 300 is coupled to the handle 200 , the elongated alignment rib 360 of the oral care replacement brush head 300 nests within the elongated alignment notch 275 on the stem 270 .

[0124] In the exemplary embodiment, the elongated alignment notch 275 is circumferentially aligned with the rod snap element 274 and the alignment protrusion 246. Thus, a reference plane on which the rod axis BB lies intersects each of the elongated alignment notch 275, the rod snap element 274, and the alignment protrusion 246. Furthermore, the elongated alignment notch 275 is located on the opposite surface of the rod 270 relative to the first sensor unit 113. This is desired so that the interaction between the elongated rib 360 of the oral care replacement brush head 300 and the alignment notch 275 presses forward against the first sensor unit 113 so that it is positioned adjacent to the window aperture 348 and the transparent window 370 of the oral care replacement brush head 300.

[0125] refer to Fig.11 and 11A , the interaction between the oral care replacement brush head 300 and the handle 200 when the oral care replacement brush head 300 is coupled to the handle 200 will be further described. As described above, the rod snap element 274 (a protrusion in the exemplary embodiment) protrudes into and passes through the sleeve snap element 347 (an orifice in the exemplary embodiment). As can be seen, the rod snap element 274 has chamfers on its upper and lower surfaces, making it easier to snap the rod snap element 274 into and out of the sleeve snap element 347. Although in the exemplary embodiment, the rod snap element 274 includes a locking protrusion and the sleeve snap element 347 includes a locking orifice 347, the present invention is not limited to this in all embodiments. Therefore, in some alternative embodiments, the rod snap element 274 may include an orifice and the sleeve snap element 347 may include a protrusion. Additionally, other mating features may be used as the stem snap element 274 and the sleeve snap element 347 while still achieving the functionality of locking the oral care replacement brush head 300 to the handle 200 for use with the oral care implement 100 .

[0126] Furthermore, as best seen in these views, the first engagement feature 245 (specifically, the alignment protrusion 246) extends from the top surface 242 of the plate portion 241 at an oblique angle in a direction toward the rod 270 and toward the aperture 244. Thus, the alignment protrusion 246 includes a first portion 253 including a distal end 249 and a second portion 254 positioned closer to the top surface 242 of the plate portion 241. The second portion 254 of the alignment protrusion 246 is spaced apart from the rod 270, and the first portion 253 of the alignment protrusion 246 contacts the rod 270.

[0127] In addition to the mechanical features that facilitate coupling the oral care replacement brush head 300 to the handle 200, Fig.11 and 11ASome electronic components are also depicted. Thus, for example, power source 112 is shown in grip portion 210 of handle 200. Motion inducing unit 119 is shown as a motor and centrifugal device combination located within rod 270 of handle 200. Although Fig.11 and 11A Many other components of the control circuit 110 are shown in FIG, but will not be described at this time, but will be described later in this document.

[0128] In addition, reference Fig.11A and 12A , the oral care replacement brush head 300 includes an annular recess 375 located just above the proximal end 341 of the sleeve portion 340. The plurality of ribs 350 may not extend into the annular recess 375, such as Fig. 12A Specifically, the plurality of ribs 350 may extend from a proximal end 358 to a distal end 359, wherein the proximal end 358 is spaced apart from a proximal edge 341 of the sleeve portion 340. Thus, the plurality of ribs 350 may extend from just above the annular recess 375 to the distal end thereof. Thus, the annular recess 375 may be located in a space between the proximal end 358 of the rib 350 and the proximal end 341 of the sleeve portion 340 of the oral care replacement brush head 300.

[0129] In some embodiments, the annular recess 375 is configured to receive a gasket 376 therein. The gasket 376 may be made of rubber or other elastic materials such as those commonly used for gaskets or O-rings. When assembled, the gasket 376 is located within the annular recess 375 so that the ribs 350 extend upward from the gasket 376 toward the oral care tool 310. Thus, when the assembled oral care implement (see Fig. 12C ), a gasket 376 is sandwiched between the proximal end 358 of the plurality of ribs 350 and the top surface 242 of the plate portion 241 of the engagement member 240. The gasket 376 helps prevent water and toothpaste slurry from entering the space between the oral care replacement brush head 300 and the stem 270 of the handle 200 during use, which is important to prevent the components of the first sensor unit 113 from becoming obscured or clogged. Specifically, if toothpaste slurry is able to enter the space between the oral care replacement brush head 300 and the stem 270, it may be able to flow to the distal end of the stem 270 where the components of the first sensor unit 113 (e.g., the optical sensor 140, the light source 141, and / or the receiver 142) are located, thereby blocking the visual path from the first sensor unit 113 to the oral surface.

[0130] Refer to Figures 12A-12C , showing the process of coupling the oral care replacement brush head 300 to the handle 200. Fig. 12A The oral care replacement brush head 300 is shown completely separated from the handle 200, but the two components are aligned for the purpose of coupling the two components together. Fig. 12BTo couple the oral care replacement brush head 300 to the handle 200, the oral care replacement brush head 300 is moved toward the handle 200 so that the stem 270 of the handle 200 enters the sleeve cavity 346 of the oral care replacement brush head 300. The oral care replacement brush head 300 continues to move axially relative to the handle 200 until the stem snap element 274 snaps into the sleeve snap element 346. However, before this occurs, the alignment protrusion 245 of the engagement member 240 will hit the plurality of ribs 350 of the oral care replacement brush head 300 until the alignment protrusion 245 is aligned with the alignment channel 352. Therefore, if the oral care replacement brush head 300 and the handle 200 are not properly aligned when the stem 270 is first placed into the sleeve cavity 346, the user may need to rotate the oral care replacement brush head 300 relative to the handle 200 until the alignment protrusion 245 is aligned with the alignment channel 352. Once this alignment is achieved, the oral care replacement brush head 300 can be pressed against the handle 200 until an audible click is heard as the stem snap elements 274 snap-lock with the sleeve snap elements 346 .

[0131] In addition, if Fig. 12B and 12C As seen in FIG. 1 , when the oral care replacement brush head 300 is pressed against the handle 200, the elongated rib 360 of the oral care replacement brush head 300 slides into and within the elongated alignment recess 275 of the stem 270. The elongated alignment rib 360 presses against the stem 270 and forces the first sensor unit 113 to be positioned adjacent to the window aperture 348 or transparent window 370 of the oral care replacement brush head 300.

[0132] As previously described, because the first engagement feature 245 (i.e., in the exemplary embodiment, the alignment protrusion 246) is formed as a part of the engagement member 240 that is separate and not integral with the grip portion 210 or the stem 270 of the handle 200 (i.e., the engagement member 240 is a different member from the grip portion 210 and the stem 270), the first engagement feature 245 can be replaced with another engagement feature as needed, either according to the manufacturer or according to the needs of the end user. The first engagement feature 245 is specifically designed to cooperate with the oral care replacement brush head 300. Therefore, in particular due to the configuration of the first engagement feature 245, an oral care replacement brush head 300 having a different structure may not be allowed to be coupled to the handle 200. Therefore, replacing the engagement member 240 with another engagement member will enable the handle 200 to be coupled to a different oral care replacement brush head 300.

[0133] Fig.13The mating interaction between the first engagement feature 245 (i.e., the alignment protrusion 246) and the second engagement feature (i.e., the alignment channel 352) is again shown. As can be seen in this view, the alignment protrusion 246 cannot be placed into any of the plurality of channels 351 except the alignment channel 352. Therefore, due to the corresponding width of the alignment channel 352 described above, the alignment protrusion 246 is prohibited from entering and nesting in any of the plurality of channels 351 except the alignment channel. The alignment protrusion 246 is nested within the alignment channel 352 and is sandwiched between the stem 270 of the handle 200 and the inner surface 342 of the oral care replacement brush head 300.

[0134] As seen in this view, the alignment protrusion 246 has a rounded or slightly arcuate outer surface 255 so that it confirms to the shape of the inner surface 342 of the oral care replacement brush head 300. In addition, at least a portion of the inner surface 256 of the alignment protrusion 246 is spaced apart from the stem 270. Specifically, in this embodiment, the alignment protrusion 246 has two arms protruding from opposite sides of the body. The two arms terminate at a distal end that contacts the stem 270, but the inner surface 256 of the alignment protrusion 246 is spaced apart from the stem 270 in the area between the two arms.

[0135] Fig.14 The cooperation between the elongated alignment rib 360 of the oral care replacement brush head 300 and the elongated alignment recess 275 on the stem 270 of the handle 200 is shown. As can be seen, the elongated alignment rib 360 is nested within the elongated alignment recess 275. In addition, the elongated alignment rib 360 is in direct contact with the bottom of the elongated alignment recess 275, which causes the elongated alignment rib 360 to press the stem 270 toward the front surface 344 of the sleeve portion 340 of the oral care replacement brush head 300, so that the first sensor unit 113 is exposed through the window aperture 348, as described herein.

[0136] refer to Fig.15 , shows a front view of the oral care implement 100, wherein the oral care replacement brush head 300 is coupled to the handle 200. As previously described, the first sensor unit 113 located on the rod 270 of the handle 200 is exposed through the window aperture 348 of the oral care replacement brush head 300. Therefore, the first sensor unit 113 can monitor and / or capture images or collect relevant data related to one or more physiological symptoms of the oral cavity in which the brush head body 312 of the oral care replacement brush head 300 is located.

[0137] As previously mentioned, there is a user-operated actuator 135 located on the grip portion 210 of the handle 200. The user-operated actuator 135 is Figure 2The actuator unit 130 shown and described above is operably connected. The user-operated actuator 135 is configured to control one or more functions of the oral care appliance 100. The user-operated actuator 135 includes an actuator plate 136 located in the actuator aperture 222 of the handle housing 220. In an exemplary embodiment, the user-operated actuator 135 includes a mode selection switch (or button) 128 and a power switch (or button) 129 located on the grip portion 210 of the handle 200 so that they can be easily actuated by the user. Specifically, the user can press the mode selection switch 128 to change the mode (as described above, from the normal mode to the silent mode), and the user can press the power switch 129 to power on and off the oral care appliance 100. In an exemplary embodiment, the mode selection switch 128 and the power switch 129 are push button switches, but in various different embodiments they can be slide switches, toggle switches, limit switches, throw switches, mechanical switches, electronic switches, conductive touch switches, etc.

[0138] In addition, the oral care implement 100 includes an illumination ring 150 located on the handle 200, and more specifically, on the grip portion 210 of the handle 200. Even more specifically, the illumination ring 150 is located on the handle 200 such that it surrounds the user-operated actuator 135. Thus, in the exemplary embodiment, the illumination ring 150 is an oval ring that completely surrounds the user-operated actuator 135. The illumination ring 150 can be made of a light-transmissive material so that light emitted from the interior of the handle 200 as described above can be transmitted through the illumination ring 150 to provide the user with an indication of the amount of time that has passed during an oral care session. Fig.15 Also shown are the connection indicator 212a and the power indicator 212b described above.

[0139] In an exemplary embodiment, the lighting ring 150 has a continuous exposed annular surface around the user-operated actuator 135. Thus, in an exemplary embodiment, the lighting ring 150 forms a continuous, uninterrupted annular shape. However, the present invention is not limited thereto in all embodiments, and the lighting ring 150 may include annular segments that are spaced apart but collectively define an annular shape. Regardless, the lighting ring 150 is exposed along the outer surface 215 of the grip portion 210 of the handle 200.

[0140] refer to Fig.16A and 16B, depicting an exploded front perspective view and an exploded rear perspective view of an oral care appliance 100, so that the different components that form the oral care appliance 100 can be seen. Some of these components will be shown separately and described in more detail below. The oral care appliance 100 generally includes a handle 200 and an oral care replacement brush head 300. The gripping portion 210, the engaging member 240 and the rod 270 of the handle 200 are shown in these views. The gripping portion 210 of the handle 200 includes a handle housing 220 that defines an inner cavity 221, and several components of the control circuit 110 contained in the oral care appliance 100 are located in the inner cavity. Therefore, the handle housing 220 is at least partially hollow so that it includes the inner cavity 221. The handle housing 220 has an opening 224 at its distal end and an opening 229 at its proximal end. An end cap 230 is provided to close the opening 229 at the proximal end of the handle housing 220.

[0141] The handle housing 220 also includes an actuator aperture 222 formed in the front surface of the handle housing 220 and providing access from the external environment to the interior cavity 221. Fig.15 When assembled as shown, the lighting ring 150 protrudes into the actuator aperture 222, and the user-operated actuator 135 closes the remaining portion of the actuator aperture 222 not filled by the lighting ring 150. The handle housing 220 also includes a status aperture 223 spaced apart from the actuator aperture 222. In fact, the status aperture 223 includes a first status aperture 223a and a second status aperture 223b, which are aligned with the connection indicator 212a and the power indicator 212b mentioned above.

[0142] The handle 200 also includes a collar 225 coupled to the grip portion 210. When the handle 200 is assembled, the collar 225 is located between the engagement member 240 and the grip portion 221 of the handle 200. Thus, the engagement portion 240 is directly coupled to the collar 225, which in turn is coupled to the distal end of the grip portion 210. The collar 225 may include or be made of a light-transmissive material such that the collar 225 forms a halo surrounding the longitudinal axis of the handle 200, as will be described in more detail below.

[0143] The oral care appliance 100 also includes a circuit board 160 on which one or more components of the control circuit 110 are located. Specifically, in the exemplary embodiment, the mode selection unit 118 and the power supply unit 131 of the actuator unit 130 are mounted on the circuit board 160. In addition, in this embodiment, the time indicator unit 116 is also mounted to the circuit board 160. More specifically, in the exemplary embodiment, the time indicator unit 116 includes a plurality of light sources 170 ( Fig.16AOnly one of them is labeled in the figure to avoid clutter). The multiple light sources 170 of the time indicator unit 116 are arranged in a ring or loop around the mode selection unit 118 and the power supply unit 131 of the actuator unit 130. The multiple light sources 170 are configured to illuminate or irradiate in groups to indicate the time that has passed during the oral care session, as will be discussed in more detail below. In one embodiment, the multiple light sources 170 are arranged in four groups so that each light source 170 in a single group illuminates simultaneously during the oral care session. Again, the specific illumination mode of the light source 170 of the time indicator unit 116 will be described below according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. The timer unit 115 (see Figure 2 ) (directly or indirectly by the processor 111) is operably coupled to the light source 170 of the time indicator unit 116 as described above.

[0144] In the exemplary embodiment, the sensor indicator unit 114 is also provided in the form of a plurality of light sources 180 (only one of which is labeled to avoid clutter). When the handle 200 is fully assembled, the collar 225 is adjacent to and / or covers the light source 180 of the sensor indicator unit 114. Therefore, the light generated by the light source 180 of the sensor indicator unit 114 is emitted through the collar 225. For this reason, the collar 225 is preferably made of a light-transmitting material, but the degree of light transmittance can vary, as long as the light emitted by the light source 180 can be seen through the collar 225.

[0145] The gripping portion 210 of the handle 200 also includes an illumination component 285, through which the light generated by the light source 170 of the time indicator unit 116 is emitted for visualization by the user. The illumination component 285 includes a plate body 286 and an illumination ring 150. The plate body 286 includes a front surface 287 and a rear surface 288. When the gripping portion 210 of the handle 200 is assembled, the rear surface 288 of the plate body 286 faces the circuit board 160, and the front surface 287 of the plate body 286 faces the inner surface of the handle housing 220. The illumination ring 150 protrudes from the front surface 287 of the plate body 286. In addition, the plate body 286 has an actuator aperture 289 extending from the front surface 287 to the rear surface 288. The illumination ring 150 protrudes from the front surface 287 of the plate body 286 and surrounds the actuator aperture 289 of the plate body 286.

[0146] The lighting component 285 also includes a pair of status projections, which include a connection status projection 290a and a power status projection 290b. In some embodiments, the lighting component 285 as a whole can be light-transmitting. In other embodiments, at least the lighting ring 150, the connection status projection 290a and the power status projection 290b are made of a light-transmitting material so that the light emitted from the bottom of the lighting component 285 (i.e., from the light source on the circuit board 160) irradiates those parts of the lighting component 285. However, it should be understood that the lighting ring 150, the connection status projection 290a and the power status projection 290b are the only parts of the lighting component 285 exposed along the outer surface of the gripping portion 210 of the handle 200. The rest of the lighting component 285 is hidden behind the handle housing 220. Therefore, if the handle housing 220 is opaque and the lighting component 285 is light-transmitting, only the light emitted from the various light sources described herein is visible along the exposed portion of the handle formed by the lighting component 285.

[0147] refer to Fig.16A , 16B and 17, the grip portion 210 of the handle 200 also includes a beam splitter component 260. The beam splitter component 260 includes a body 261 having a plurality of arcuate apertures 262a-d arranged in a ring. Each of the arcuate apertures 262a-d is separated from one of the adjacent arcuate apertures 262a-d by a partition wall 264a-d. When the grip portion 210 of the handle 200 is assembled as described herein, the annular arrangement of the plurality of arcuate apertures 262a-d is aligned with the illumination ring 150. The beam splitter component 260 also includes a pair of connecting elements 263 protruding from the body 261 to facilitate the beam splitter component 260 to be connected to the circuit board 160. In some embodiments, the beam splitter component 260 can be made of an opaque material.

[0148] Fig.18 A front view of the circuit board 160 and the multiple light sources 170 of the time indicator unit 116 is provided. This view best shows the multiple light sources 170 of the time indicator unit 116 surrounding the mode selection unit 118 and the power supply unit 131. In addition, as shown in FIG. Fig.18 As can be seen in FIG. 1 , a plurality of light sources 170 are arranged in a first quadrant grouping 171a, a second quadrant grouping 171b, a third quadrant grouping 171c, and a fourth quadrant grouping 171d. As previously described, the light sources 170 irradiate in groups. Specifically, the light sources 170 of the first quadrant grouping 171a irradiate simultaneously, the light sources 170 of the second quadrant grouping 171b irradiate simultaneously, the light sources 170 of the third quadrant grouping 171c irradiate simultaneously, and the light sources 171d of the fourth quadrant grouping 171d irradiate simultaneously. Therefore, the oral care session can be divided into quarters, so that after each quarter of the total expected time of the oral care session has passed, another of the quadrant groups 171a-d is irradiated to indicate the situation to the user.

[0149] The control circuit 110 also includes a connection state light source 168 mounted to the circuit board 160 and a power state light source 169 mounted to the circuit board 160. Each light source mentioned herein can be a light emitting diode or any other device configured to generate light in the manner described herein. The connection state light source 168 is aligned with the first state aperture 223a of the handle housing 220 and the connection state protrusion 290a of the lighting component 285, so that the light emitted by the connection state light source 168 can pass through the connection state protrusion 290a to form a connection indicator 212a (see FIG. 212 ) on the front surface of the grip portion 210 of the handle 200. Fig.15 Similarly, the power status light source 169 is aligned with the second status aperture 223b in the handle housing 220 and the power status protrusion 290b of the lighting component 285 so that light emitted by the power status light source 169 can pass through the power status protrusion 290b to form a power indicator 212b on the front surface of the grip portion 210 of the handle 200 (see Fig.15 ).

[0150] like Fig.19 , the beam splitter component 260 is coupled to the circuit board 160 on which the light source 170 of the time indicator unit 116 is mounted. Specifically, a pair of connecting elements 263 are wrapped around the periphery of the circuit board 160 to couple the beam splitter component 260 to the circuit board 160. In some embodiments, the beam splitter component 260 can be snap-fitted to the circuit board 160. When the beam splitter component 260 is coupled to the circuit board 160, the light sources 170 of the first quadrant grouping 171a are aligned with the first arcuate apertures of the plurality of arcuate apertures 262a in the beam splitter component 260, the light sources 170 of the second quadrant grouping 171b are aligned with the second arcuate apertures of the plurality of arcuate apertures 262b, the light sources 170 of the third quadrant grouping 171c are aligned with the third arcuate apertures of the plurality of arcuate apertures 262c, and the light sources 171d of the fourth quadrant grouping 171d are aligned with the fourth arcuate apertures of the plurality of arcuate apertures 262d.

[0151] Reference again Fig.16A Combined with Fig. 20 , the assembly of the oral care implement 100 will be described. First, the beam splitter component 260 is coupled to the circuit board 160 as described above and as shown in FIG. Fig.18As shown. Next, the lighting component 285 is coupled to the assembly of the beam splitter component 260 and the circuit board 160. The components of the user-operated actuator 135 can be attached to each other within the actuator aperture 289 of the lighting component 285, and then the lighting component 285 is attached to the assembly of the beam splitter component 260 and the circuit board 160. Once all of these components are attached together, the assembly is inserted into the inner cavity 221 of the handle housing 220 through the opening 229 in the proximal end of the handle housing 220 until the rod 270 protrudes from the distal end of the handle housing 220. Of course, in some embodiments, the handle housing 220 may include two separate parts that are simply coupled together around the assembly, rather than inserting the previously mentioned assembly through the opening 229 in the proximal end of the handle housing 220. Therefore, according to the invention described herein, there may be variations in the assembly process.

[0152] Once the above-described assembly is inserted into the interior cavity 221 of the handle housing 220, the lighting component 285 can be snap-fitted to the handle housing 220. In this regard, the lighting ring 150 extends into the actuator aperture 222 of the handle housing 220, the connected state projection 290a extends into the first state aperture 223a of the handle housing 220, and the power state projection 290b extends into the second state aperture 223b of the handle housing 220. In addition, it can be seen that the lighting ring 150, the power projection 290b, and the connected state projection 290a are flush with the outer surface of the handle housing 220, so that the lighting ring 150, the power projection 290b, and the connected state projection 290 form part of the exposed surface of the grip portion 210 of the handle 200.

[0153] refer to Figures 21A-21D 22A-22D, the operation of the multiple light sources 170 of the time indicator unit 116 during an oral care session will be described. First, when the oral care appliance 100 is first powered on, all of the light sources 170 are simultaneously illuminated in a second color (e.g., blue) so that the illumination ring 150 is illuminated in the second color. Once a start brushing command is sent to the oral care appliance (which may be automatically accomplished simply by placing the oral care tool in the user's mouth, or may require the user to activate a button, etc.) or after a set period of time, the multiple light sources 170 are all deactivated and powered off. During an oral care session, the control circuit 110 (or its processor 111) is configured to activate the light sources 170 of the time indicator unit 116 in a manner that notifies the user of the time elapsed during the oral care session. As will be understood from the description below, the control circuit 110 is configured to activate the light sources 170 of the time indicator unit 116 in a manner that sequentially illuminates segments of the illumination ring 150.

[0154] refer to Fig.21A and 22A, after expiration of a first time period during an oral care session, the control circuit 110 is configured to activate one or more light sources 170 in a manner that illuminates the first quadrant segment 151 of the illumination ring 150. This means that after expiration of the first time period, the control circuit 110 activates all light sources 170 in the first quadrant grouping 171a, which in turn causes the first quadrant segment 151 of the illumination ring 150 to illuminate when light from the light sources 170 in the first quadrant grouping 171a passes through the first quadrant segment 151 of the illumination ring 150. The first quadrant segment 151 of the illumination ring 150 is equivalent to the 12 o'clock to 3 o'clock area of ​​the illumination ring 150.

[0155] As time continues to pass during the oral care session, the first quadrant segment 151 of the illumination ring 150 remains illuminated. Fig. 21B and 22B , after the second time period during the oral care session expires, the control circuit 110 is configured to activate the one or more light sources 170 in a manner that illuminates the first quadrant segment 151 of the illumination ring 150 and the second quadrant segment 152 of the illumination ring 150. This means that after the second time period expires, the control circuit 110 activates all of the light sources 170 in the first quadrant grouping 171a and all of the light sources 170 in the second quadrant grouping 171b, which in turn causes the first quadrant segment 151 and the second quadrant segment 152 of the illumination ring 150 to be illuminated when light from the light sources 170 in the first quadrant grouping 171a and the second quadrant grouping 171b passes through the first quadrant segment 151 and the second quadrant segment 152 of the illumination ring 150. The second quadrant segment 152 of the illumination ring 150 is equivalent to the 3 o'clock to 6 o'clock area of ​​the illumination ring, so that after the second time period has passed, the 12 o'clock to 6 o'clock area of ​​the illumination ring 150 is illuminated, as shown in FIG. Fig. 21B shown.

[0156] As time continues to pass during the oral care session, the first quadrant segment 151 and the second quadrant segment 152 of the illumination ring 150 remain illuminated. Fig. 21C and 22C, after expiration of the third time period during the oral care session, the control circuit 110 is configured to activate the one or more light sources 170 in a manner that illuminates the first quadrant segment 151 and the second quadrant segment 152 of the illumination ring 150 and the third quadrant segment 153 of the illumination ring 150. This means that after expiration of the third time period, the control circuit 110 activates all light sources 170 in the first quadrant grouping 171a, all light sources 170 in the second quadrant grouping 171b, and all light sources 170 in the third quadrant grouping 171c, which in turn causes the first quadrant segment 151, the second quadrant segment 152, and the third quadrant segment 153 of the illumination ring 150 to illuminate when light from the light sources 170 in the first quadrant grouping 171a, the second quadrant grouping 171b, and the third quadrant grouping 171c passes through the first quadrant segment 151, the second quadrant segment 152, and the third quadrant segment 153 of the illumination ring 150. The third quadrant segment 153 of the lighting ring 150 is equivalent to the 6 o'clock to 9 o'clock area of ​​the lighting ring, so after the third time period has passed, the 12 o'clock to 9 o'clock area of ​​the lighting ring 150 is illuminated, such as Fig. 21C shown.

[0157] As time continues to pass during the oral care session, the first quadrant segment 151, the second quadrant segment 152, and the third quadrant segment 153 of the illumination ring 150 remain illuminated. Fig.21D and 22D , after a fourth time period during the oral care session expires, the control circuit 110 is configured to activate the one or more light sources 170 in a manner that illuminates the first quadrant segment 151, the second quadrant segment 152, and the third quadrant segment 153 of the lighting ring 150 and the fourth quadrant segment 154 of the lighting ring 150. This means that after the fourth time period expires, the control circuit 110 activates all light sources 170 in the first quadrant group 171a, all light sources 170 in the second quadrant group 171b, all light sources 170 in the third quadrant group 171c, and all light sources in the fourth quadrant group 171d, which in turn causes the first quadrant segment 151, the second quadrant segment 152, the third quadrant segment 153, and the fourth quadrant segment 154 of the lighting ring 150 to be illuminated when light from the light sources 170 in the first quadrant group 171a, the second quadrant group 171b, the third quadrant group 171c, and the fourth quadrant group 171d passes through the first quadrant segment 151, the second quadrant segment 152, the third quadrant segment 153, and the fourth quadrant segment 154 of the lighting ring 150. The fourth quadrant segment 154 of the lighting ring 150 is equivalent to the 9 o'clock to 10 o'clock area of ​​the lighting ring, so after the fourth time period has passed, the 12 o'clock to 12 o'clock area of ​​the lighting ring 150 is illuminated, such as Fig.21D shown.

[0158] In some embodiments, the fourth time period may correspond to a recommended brushing time. The recommended brushing time may be two minutes, but may be more or less than two minutes. In such embodiments, each of the first, second, third, and fourth time periods is thirty seconds. In some embodiments, the recommended brushing time may be a user-selectable parameter so that the user may determine how long the brushing time should be and may set a timer for the duration. In an exemplary embodiment, there are four time periods, so a quarter of the light source 170 is activated to illuminate a quarter of the illumination ring 150 when each time period expires. However, there may be more or less than four time periods, and the brushing time and illumination of the light source may be divided accordingly.

[0159] In addition, during an oral care session, each light source 170 may illuminate at a first color (e.g., white). Thus, during an oral care session, each light source 170 may illuminate at the same color when activated. In other embodiments, the light sources 170 in each grouping may illuminate at different colors relative to each other or relative to other groups. Thus, variations in the colors emitted from the light sources 170 may fall within the scope of the invention described herein.

[0160] The control circuit 110 is also configured to activate the connection status light source 168 and the power status light source 169 to illuminate the connection indicator 212a on the grip portion 210 of the handle 200 and the power indicator 212b on the grip portion 210 of the handle 200. These features are Figures 21A-21D shown in, but only in Fig.21A . After the status conditions are met, the control circuit 110 will activate the connection status light source 168 and / or the power status light source 169. Thus, for example, after the oral care appliance 100 is placed in operable communication with the electronic device 500, the control circuit 110 may activate the connection status light source 168. In some embodiments, the connection status light source 168 may flash when it is being connected to the electronic device 500, and then turn off once connected. In other embodiments, the connection status light source 168 may flash when it is being connected to the electronic device 500, and then continue to flash. The control circuit 110 may activate the power status light source 169 to indicate the amount of power remaining in the power supply 112. Different colors of light may be used to indicate different states of the power supply 112 (red may indicate low power or less than three uses remaining), green may depict full power or nearly full power or more than five uses remaining, yellow may indicate medium power or power between three and five uses remaining, and so on.

[0161] In addition, it should be understood that during an oral care session, the operation of the oral care appliance 100 including the time indicator unit 116 can be paused. This pause can be performed by the user activating a pause button associated with the control circuit 110 (on the oral care appliance 100 or on the electronic device 500). Alternatively, this pause can occur automatically when the control circuit 110 detects that the oral care appliance 100 has been removed from the user's oral cavity. When paused, all light sources 170 associated with the time indicator unit 116 are turned off (in an inactive state). However, once the operation is resumed by the user activating a resume button associated with the control circuit 110 or the control circuit 110 detects that the oral care appliance 100 has been placed back in the user's mouth, the light sources 170 are re-energized in the manner in which they were powered on before the operation was paused. Therefore, if the light sources 170 of the first group 171a are activated before the pause, the light sources 170 of the first group 171a will be reactivated when the operation is resumed.

[0162] In addition, in some embodiments, after the fourth time period corresponding to the recommended brushing time expires, all light sources 170 of the first to fourth groups 171a-d are activated and powered on. The user can continue to clean his oral cavity, and during this period, the light source 170 can keep irradiating. In some embodiments, the light source 170 can keep irradiating during the additional time period, and after the additional time period expires, all light sources 170 of the time indicator unit 116 can be deactivated and powered off. In some embodiments, the additional time period can be one minute. In other embodiments, the additional time period can be two minutes, three minutes, four minutes, etc.

[0163] Reference again Figure 2 , 16A and 23, the oral care appliance 100 will be further described. As previously described, the control circuit 110 includes a first sensor unit 113 and a sensor indicator unit 114 that are integrated into the oral care appliance 100 or otherwise connected to the oral care appliance. As previously described, the first sensor unit 113 may include an optical sensor 140, a light source 141, and a receiver 142, as previously described. However, the first sensor unit 113 is not limited to including those components, and may include those components in addition to other components, may include some or all of those components, or may not include any of those components and only include other components. The first sensor unit 113 includes all hardware and / or software required for it to function as described herein.

[0164] In an exemplary embodiment, the first sensor unit 113 is configured to detect: (1) the presence of an oral surface during an oral care session performed using the oral care implement 100; and (2) the presence (or absence) of an oral disease on the oral surface during the oral care session. The first sensor unit 113 can also detect whether the oral care tool 310 is located in the oral cavity or outside the oral cavity. The oral disease may be any of the oral care parameters described above, such as physiological oral symptoms. In an exemplary embodiment, the oral disease may be the presence of plaque on the teeth or other oral surfaces. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the oral disease may be in any form and may be any undesirable health characteristic that affects the oral cavity and can be detected by one or more sensors (which are in operative communication with or include a processor that can process data obtained by the sensors). As described above, in a specific embodiment of the present invention, one or more of the optical sensor 140, the light source 141, and the receiver 142 can be used to detect the presence of an oral surface and the presence or absence of an oral disease thereof.

[0165] The first sensor unit 113 is operably coupled to the sensor indicator unit 114 via a direct coupling or through an intermediate coupling by which both the first sensor unit 113 and the sensor indicator unit 114 are coupled to the processor 111. As described above, in an exemplary embodiment, the sensor indicator unit 114 includes a plurality of light sources 180 located in the handle 200 adjacent to the distal end 209 of the grip portion 210 of the handle 200. In addition, each light source 180 is directed upward toward the distal end 209 of the grip portion 210 (i.e., toward the oral care implement 310 of the oral care replacement brush head 300). Thus, the light sources 180 of the sensor indicator unit 114 are configured to emit light directly upward.

[0166] The collar 225 is coupled to the distal end 209 of the grip portion 210 of the handle 200. In an exemplary embodiment, the collar 225 is axially located directly above the light source 180 of the sensor indicator unit 114. Therefore, the collar 225 surrounds the light source 180, but it is aligned with the light source 180. In other words, there is no plane transverse to the longitudinal axis of the oral care appliance 100 that will intersect both the collar 225 and the light source 180 of the sensor indicator unit 114. However, in other embodiments, the light source 180 of the sensor indicator unit 114 can be positioned so as to be aligned with the collar 225. As described above, the collar 225 is preferably made of a light-transmissive material. Therefore, the light emitted from the multiple light sources 180 of the sensor indicator unit 114 is visible through the collar 225. The handle housing 220 of the grip portion 210 of the handle 200 may not be light-transmissive. Therefore, the light emitted from the light source 180 is only visible through the collar 225 because it cannot be seen through the opaque handle housing 220.

[0167] refer to Fig.23 and 24 In an exemplary embodiment, the light sources 180 of the sensor indicator unit 114 are arranged along a ring or loop that surrounds the longitudinal axis CC of the gripping portion 210 of the handle 200 of the oral care implement 100. Therefore, in an exemplary embodiment, the sensor indicator unit 114 including the plurality of light sources 180 and the light-transmitting collar 225 is in the form of a light ring 299 disposed on the handle 200. As described above, the light ring 299 surrounds the longitudinal axis CC of the gripping portion 210 of the handle 100. As shown in FIG. Fig.24 As shown in FIG. 1 , when one or more light sources 280 of the sensor indicator unit 114 are activated (powered on), a light ring 299 is illuminated to provide visual cues to the user during an oral care session.

[0168] The operation of the first sensor unit 113 and the sensor indicator unit 114 will now be described according to one embodiment of the present invention. Fig.25 Additional more detailed descriptions of the operations are provided.

[0169] As previously described, the control circuit 110 includes a first sensor unit 113 and a sensor indicator unit 114 in operative connection. The first sensor unit 113 can be connected to or integrated into the oral care appliance 100. The sensor indicator unit 114 can also be connected to or integrated into the oral care appliance. The first sensor unit 113 is configured to detect the presence of oral surfaces (i.e., teeth, gums, etc.) during an oral care session to determine whether the oral care tool 310 of the oral care appliance 100 is located in the user's oral cavity. The first sensor unit 113 is also configured to detect the presence of oral diseases (plaque in an exemplary embodiment) on the oral surfaces during the oral care session. Generally, since the first sensor unit 113 and the sensor indicator unit 114 are connected to the processor 111, the control circuit 110 is configured to generate different user-perceivable stimuli using the sensor indicator unit 114 during the oral care session depending on whether the first sensor unit 113 detects the presence of the oral surface and / or detects the presence of the oral disease. Additionally, the time that elapses during the oral care session also plays a role in the way the control circuitry causes the sensor indicator unit 114 to produce various user-perceivable stimuli.

[0170] As discussed in detail above, in an exemplary embodiment, the sensor indicator unit 114 includes a plurality of light sources 180, and thus the user-perceivable stimulus is visual (i.e., emitting light in one or more colors). As also discussed above, in other embodiments, the user-perceivable stimulus may take other forms, such as audible stimulus and / or tactile / tactile stimulus or any other user-perceivable stimulus. Therefore, in alternative embodiments, the sensor indicator unit 114 may include one or more of a speaker, a vibration generator, a motor with an eccentric device, a playback device with a memory storing various audible outputs, and the like.

[0171] In an exemplary embodiment, the control circuit 110 is configured to generate at least four different user-perceivable stimuli in different situations depending on what is detected by the first sensor unit 113. Therefore, the control circuit 110 is configured to generate a first user-perceivable stimulus using the sensor indicator unit 114 during an oral care session when the first sensor unit 113 detects the presence of an oral surface and the first sensor unit 113 detects that the oral surface is free of oral disease. As described above, the detection of the presence of the oral surface by the first sensor unit 113 indicates that the oral care tool 310 of the oral care appliance 100 is located in the user's oral cavity. Therefore, when the first sensor unit 113 determines that the oral care tool 310 is in the oral cavity (by detecting the presence of the oral surface) and determines that the oral surface is free of oral disease (e.g., the teeth are free of plaque), the sensor indicator unit 114 will generate a first user-perceivable stimulus. In one embodiment, the first user-perceivable stimulus can be light of a first color generated using the light source 180 of the sensor indicator unit 114. In one embodiment, the light of the first color may be white, but the present invention is not limited thereto, and the light of the first color may be any color as long as it is distinguishable from any color used as other user-perceivable stimuli described herein.

[0172] In an exemplary embodiment, the control circuit 110 may be configured to generate a second user-perceivable stimulus using the sensor indicator unit 114 when the first sensor unit 113 detects the presence of an oral surface and the first sensor unit 113 detects the presence of an oral disease on the oral surface. Therefore, when the first sensor unit 113 determines that the oral care tool 310 is located in the user's oral cavity and there is an oral disease (e.g., plaque on the teeth), the control circuit 110 will cause the sensor indicator unit 114 to generate a second user-perceivable stimulus. In an exemplary embodiment, the second user-perceivable stimulus may be light of a second color generated by the light source 180 of the sensor indicator unit 114. In one embodiment, the light of the second color may be blue, but the present invention is not limited thereto, and the light of the second color may be any color as long as it is distinguishable from the light of the first color used as the first user-perceivable stimulus. Therefore, in some embodiments, the first user-perceivable stimulus and the second user-perceivable stimulus (e.g., the light of the first color and the light of the second color) are different from each other.

[0173] In addition, in an exemplary embodiment, the control circuit 110 may be configured to generate a third user-perceivable stimulus using the sensor indicator unit 114 when the first sensor unit 113 does not detect the presence of an oral surface during an oral care session. This may occur in a variety of ways. First, the user may keep the oral care tool 310 in the oral cavity in such an orientation that prevents the first sensor unit 113 from being able to detect the presence of an oral surface. For example, the first sensor unit 113 may detect the user's palate or uvula or some other surface in the oral cavity that is not an oral surface where oral disease may exist. In addition, if the first sensor unit 113 faces the direction outside the mouth, the first sensor unit 113 may detect some other features outside the mouth. Secondly, the first sensor unit 113 may be covered or otherwise blocked or obstructed by fluids such as toothpaste and saliva (i.e., toothpaste slurry) in the mouth, thereby preventing the first sensor unit 113 from being able to detect anything. The first sensor unit 113 may need a clear visual path to the oral surface where it attempts to detect oral disease. Therefore, if the first sensor unit 113 is covered by fluids, etc., such a clear visual path may not exist. Thus, in an exemplary embodiment, when the first sensor unit 113 is unable to detect the oral surface, the oral circuit 110 may be configured to generate a third user-perceivable stimulus using the sensor indicator unit 114 .

[0174] In an exemplary embodiment, the third user-perceivable stimulus may be light of a third color generated by the light source 180 of the sensor indicator unit 114. In one embodiment, the light of the third color may be red, but the present invention is not limited thereto, and the light of the third color may be any color as long as it is distinguishable from the light of the first color used as the first user-perceivable stimulus and the light of the second color used as the second user-perceivable stimulus. Therefore, in some embodiments, the first user-perceivable stimulus, the second user-perceivable stimulus, and the third user-perceivable stimulus (e.g., the light of the first color, the light of the second color, and the light of the third color) are different from each other. This allows the user to easily understand what is being indicated to her (e.g., the user seeing the first color along the light ring 299 indicates to the user that there is no plaque on her teeth, the user seeing the second color along the light ring 299 indicates to the user that there is plaque on her teeth, and the user seeing the third color along the light ring 299 indicates to the user that the first sensor unit 113 cannot perform its detection function).

[0175] In addition, in some embodiments, depending on the reason why the first sensor unit 113 cannot detect the presence of the oral surface, the control circuit can cause the sensor indicator unit 114 to generate different user-perceivable stimuli. Thus, for example, if the first sensor unit 113 cannot detect the oral surface because the first sensor unit 113 is covered (by toothpaste slurry, etc.), the control circuit 110 can be configured to generate a third user-perceivable stimulus using the sensor indicator unit 114. However, if the first sensor unit 113 cannot detect the oral surface due to maintaining the orientation of the oral care tool 310, the control circuit 110 can be configured to generate a fourth user-perceivable stimulus using the sensor indicator unit 114. In some embodiments, the third user-perceivable stimulus can be light of a third color emitted in a solid state mode, and the fourth user-perceivable stimulus can be light of a third color emitted in a flashing or blinking mode. In any case, each user-perceivable stimulus should be different from each other, whether they are distinguishable due to the color of the light generated, the pattern of the light generated, or some other sensing function such as sound, vibration, etc.

[0176] This is valuable to the user of the oral care implement 100, providing the user with the information they need to remedy the reason why the first sensor unit 113 is unable to perform its detection function. Specifically, if the sensor indicator unit 114 generates a third user-perceivable stimulus, the user will understand that it is necessary to wash or rinse the oral care implement 310 to remove the toothpaste slurry or other substances / objects blocking and / or covering the first sensor unit 113. Alternatively, if the sensor indicator unit 114 generates a fourth user-perceivable stimulus, the indicator will understand that it is necessary to re-orient the oral care implement 310 within the oral cavity so that the first sensor unit 113 can have an unobstructed visual path to the oral surface so that it can perform its detection function.

[0177] Furthermore, as described above, in some embodiments, the control circuit 110 may use data obtained from the timer unit 115 to determine which user-perceivable stimulus the sensor indicator unit 114 should generate at a given time. Additionally, the control circuit 110 may also use data obtained from the second sensor unit 117, which is configured to determine the orientation and / or position of the oral care implement 100 within the user's oral cavity during an oral care session, to determine which user-perceivable stimulus the sensor indicator unit 114 should generate. In this regard, the control circuit 110 may be configured to determine the region of the user's oral cavity in which the oral care implement 310 is operated during an oral care session. The region of the user's oral cavity in which the oral care implement 310 is operated may be determined based on information obtained from the first sensor unit 113 and the second sensor unit 117.

[0178] The oral cavity can be divided into any number of zones as desired. In addition, as discussed above, there is a desired amount of time during which a user should perform an oral care session. The amount of time divided by the number of zones provides a general indication of the amount of time a user should keep the oral care tool 310 in a particular zone during an oral care session. In some embodiments, the amount of time that the oral care tool 310 should work in the same zone of the user's oral cavity can be approximately five seconds, in another embodiment, the amount of time can be approximately ten seconds, and in another embodiment, the amount of time can be approximately twenty seconds. Of course, the amount of time depends on how many zones the oral cavity is divided into. The user-perceivable stimulus generated by the sensor indicator unit 114 can be used to indicate to the user that it is time to move to a new zone.

[0179] Thus, in some embodiments, when the control circuit 110 determines that the oral care tool 310 has been operating in the same zone of the user's oral cavity for a predetermined period of time (i.e., a threshold period of time), the control circuit 110 may cause the sensor indicator unit 114 to switch from generating a second user-perceivable stimulus to generating a first user-perceivable stimulus. As described above, the control circuit 110 is configured to generate a second user-perceivable stimulus using the sensor indicator unit 114 when the presence of an oral disease is detected, and to generate a first user-perceivable stimulus when the presence of an oral disease is not detected. However, there is an override function because even if the first sensor unit 113 still detects an oral disease, if the oral care tool 310 has been operating in the same zone for a period of time exceeding the threshold period of time, the control circuit 110 will also cause the sensor indicator unit 114 to generate a first user-perceivable stimulus. The purpose is to ensure that the user does not spend too much time in one zone, which may result in irritation of the oral cavity surface and may also result in insufficient time spent by the user in other zones. Thus, switching from the second user-perceivable stimulus to the first user-perceivable stimulus will prompt the user to move the oral care tool 310 to a different zone of the user's oral cavity during an oral care session. Again, the control circuit 110 may operate according to the above description using the data acquired by the first sensor unit 113 , the timer unit 115 , and the second sensor unit 117 .

[0180] refer to Fig.25 , the control circuit 110 according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described. The operations described below involve user-perceivable stimuli generated by the sensor indicator unit 114 during an oral care session. As described above, there is a required total time for an oral care session (e.g., two minutes), and in this regard, there is a required amount of time that the user should spend to clean each zone of the oral cavity. The amount of time spent in each zone depends on the number of zones into which the oral cavity is divided, and the present invention is not limited to a particular number of zones in all embodiments. However, in one embodiment, there may be five to twenty zones, or five to ten zones, or ten to twenty zones, and so on. In order to Fig.25and the related disclosure, the first sensor unit 113 detects the presence of oral surfaces and the presence of oral diseases on the oral surfaces during an oral care session, the timer unit 115 tracks the time elapsed during the performance of the oral care session and the time elapsed by utilizing the oral care implement 310 in a single zone without moving to another zone, the second sensor unit 117 determines the orientation of the oral care implement during the oral care session, and the sensor indicator unit 114 generates one or more user-perceivable stimuli. In some embodiments, the sensor indicator unit 114 may be referred to herein simply as an indicator unit because its operation may be indicated by components of the control circuit 110 other than the first sensor unit 113, including but not limited to the timer unit 115 as described in more detail below.

[0181] In discussion Fig.25 Prior to the flow chart, some terminology will be explained. When the control circuit 110 determines that the user has started working / cleaning in a new zone, the control circuit 110 starts the zone timer of the timer unit 115. Therefore, the timer unit 115 may include a session timer that records the total time that has passed during an oral care session, and a zone timer that records the time that has passed when the oral care tool 310 has been working in a single zone. Therefore, at the beginning of a new cleaning session, both the session timer and the zone timer will begin recording time. The session timer will record the entire time that the oral care session is performed. Each time it is determined that the oral care tool 310 is working in a new zone, the zone timer will restart.

[0182] As described above, when the first sensor unit 113 does not detect plaque on the oral surface, a first user-perceivable stimulus is generated. The first user-perceivable stimulus can also be used as a prompt or signal to notify the user to move the oral care tool 310 to the next zone. This can occur based on the absence of plaque detection, based on the time that the oral care tool 310 has passed in the same zone, or based on some combination of the absence of plaque detection and the time that has passed. As described above, when the first sensor unit 113 detects plaque on the oral surface, a second user-perceivable stimulus is generated. The second user-perceivable stimulus can also be used as a prompt or signal to notify the user to remain in the current zone and not move to the next zone. This can occur based on the detection of plaque, based on the time that the oral care tool 310 has remained in the same zone, or based on some combination of the detection of plaque and the time that has passed, as described below.

[0183] In some embodiments, there may be two different time periods associated with the oral care implement 310 remaining in a single zone. The first time period is the minimum amount of time the oral care implement 310 should remain in the same zone. Therefore, as will be described in more detail below, the sensor indicator unit 114 will generate a user-perceivable stimulus that prompts the user not to leave the zone they are working in during the first time period, regardless of whether plaque is detected by the first sensor unit 113. This is to ensure that the user works in the same zone for a predetermined period of time, which is necessary to properly clean the oral surfaces in the zone.

[0184] The second time period is the maximum amount of time that the oral care tool 310 should remain in the same zone. In some embodiments, the second time period may be ten seconds or fifteen seconds or twenty seconds, etc. Therefore, upon expiration of the second time period, the sensor indicator unit 114 will generate a first user-perceivable stimulus. As described above, the first user-perceivable stimulus is typically generated when the first sensor unit 113 does not detect any plaque. However, even if the first sensor unit 113 detects plaque, the first user-perceivable stimulus may be generated if the zone timer determines that the oral care tool 310 has been operating in the same zone for a period exceeding the second time period.

[0185] The time between the first time period and the second time period is when the detection of plaque (or other oral diseases) using the first sensor unit 113 is more relevant to the operation of the sensor indicator unit 114. Specifically, during the time period between the first time period and the second time period, if the first sensor unit 113 does not detect an oral disease, the control circuit 110 causes the sensor indicator unit 114 to generate a first user-perceivable stimulus prompting the user to move to the next zone. During the time period between the first time period and the second time period, if the first sensor unit 113 detects an oral disease, the control circuit 110 causes the sensor indicator unit 114 to generate a second user-perceivable stimulus prompting the user to stay in the same zone and continue working in the same zone.

[0186] Now, specific reference Fig.25 , an operation flow chart according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described. First, at step 600, the zone timer of the timer unit 115 is started. This may occur automatically when the control circuit 110 (using the first sensor unit 113 and / or the second sensor unit 117) determines that the oral care tool 310 is located in the user's oral cavity. Once the control circuit 110 determines that the oral care session has begun and the zone timer has been started, the control circuit 110 will determine whether the first time period has passed (step 601).

[0187] If the first time period has not elapsed, the control circuit 110 will determine at step 602 whether the first sensor unit 113 detects the presence of an oral surface. As described above, the first sensor unit 113 may be blocked by fluid in the mouth and / or unable to see the oral surface due to the orientation or position of the oral care implement 310. If it is determined at step 602 that the first sensor unit 113 does not detect an oral care surface, the control circuit 110 will generate a third user-perceivable stimulus (step 603) using the sensor indicator unit 114 to provide a signal to the user that the oral care implement 310 should be rinsed to clear fluid from the first sensor unit 113 and / or the orientation / position of the oral care implement 310 should be changed. If the first time period has not elapsed and the first sensor unit 113 detects the presence of an oral care surface at step 602, in one embodiment, the control circuit 110 will generate a second user-perceivable stimulus (step 604) using the sensor indicator unit 114. This will signal to the user that: (1) there is plaque on the oral surfaces in the current zone, so you should not move to the next zone; and / or (2) you have not brushed long enough in the current zone, so you should not move to the next zone.

[0188] Although in the exemplary embodiment, at step 604, the oral care circuit 110 generates the second user-perceivable stimulus, the invention is not limited thereto. In other embodiments, if the first time period has not elapsed and the first sensor unit detects the presence of the oral surface, the control circuit 110 may: (1) not generate any user-perceivable stimulus using the sensor indicator unit 114; or (2) generate the second user-perceivable stimulus using the sensor indicator unit 114. For example, if during the first time period, the first sensor unit 113 detects plaque in a single zone, the control circuit 110 may generate the second user-perceivable stimulus using the sensor indicator unit 114. However, if during the first time period, the first sensor unit 113 does not detect plaque in a single zone, the control circuit 110 may not generate any user-perceivable stimulus. This is because no plaque is detected, but the control circuit 110 does not want to signal the user to allow moving to the next zone. Thus, such variations are possible, but regardless of whether plaque is detected by the first sensor unit 113, the control circuit 110 generally will not generate a first user-perceivable stimulus with the sensor indicator unit 114 until a first period of time has elapsed in a single zone.

[0189] Returning to step 601, as described above, the control circuit 110 determines whether the first time period has elapsed. If the answer is yes, i.e., the first time period has elapsed, the control circuit 110 will determine whether the second time period has elapsed (step 605). As described above, if the second time period has elapsed, it will be determined that the user has cleaned the same zone for a maximum amount of time, and therefore it is time to move to the next zone. Therefore, in some embodiments, if the second time period has elapsed, the control unit 110 will generate the first user-perceivable stimulus using the sensor indicator unit 114, regardless of whether the first sensor unit 113 detects plaque, and regardless of whether the first sensor unit 113 detects the presence of the oral surface.

[0190] However, in an exemplary embodiment, there is a slight modification to this. In an exemplary embodiment, if it is determined in step 605 that the second time period has passed, the control circuit 110 will determine in step 606 whether the first sensor unit 113 detects the presence of the oral surface. If the first sensor unit 113 does not detect the presence of the oral surface, the control circuit 110 will generate a third user-perceivable stimulus using the sensor indicator unit 114 (step 603). If the first sensor unit 113 detects the presence of the oral surface, the control circuit 110 will generate a first user-perceivable stimulus using the sensor indicator unit (step 607). As described above, in some embodiments, step 606 can be omitted, and if the answer to step 605 is affirmative, the control circuit 110 will continue to step 607 regardless of any other data acquired by the first sensor unit 113. As described above, generating the first user-perceivable stimulus using the sensor indicator unit 114 will signal or prompt the user to move the oral care tool 310 to a different area of ​​the user's oral cavity to perform work.

[0191] As described above, if the second time period has passed, the control circuit 110 does not consider whether plaque is detected by the first sensor unit 113 when determining which user-perceivable stimulus to generate with the sensor indicator unit 114. This is because once the second time period has passed, the control circuit 110 will signal the user that it is time to move to the next zone, regardless of whether plaque is detected. The first user-perceivable stimulus generated by the sensor indicator unit 114 provides the user with the necessary signal / prompt to move to the next zone.

[0192] Referring back to step 605, the control circuit 110 determines whether the second time period has elapsed. If the answer to this is negative, the control circuit 110 determines that the user has worked with the oral care tool 310 in the same zone for a period of time that exceeds the first time period (the minimum amount of time to brush teeth in a particular zone) and is less than the second time period (the maximum amount of time to brush teeth in a particular zone). Therefore, as described above, it is during this intermediate time period that the detection of oral disease (e.g., plaque) by the first sensor unit 113 becomes associated with the user-perceivable stimulus generated by the sensor indicator unit 114.

[0193] Once the control circuit 110 determines at step 601 that the first time period has elapsed, but determines at step 605 that the second time period has not elapsed, the control circuit will determine at step 608 whether the first sensor unit 113 detects the presence of an oral care surface. If the first sensor unit 113 does not detect the presence of an oral care surface, the control circuit 110 generates a third user-perceivable stimulus using the sensor indicator unit 114 (step 609). If the first sensor unit 113 detects the presence of an oral care surface, the control circuit 110 determines whether the first sensor unit 113 detects the presence of an oral disease (e.g., plaque) on the oral surface (step 610). If the first sensor unit 113 detects the presence of an oral disease at step 610, the control circuit 110 generates a second user-perceivable stimulus using the sensor indicator unit 114 (step 611). This will signal the user to continue working in the same zone because the maximum time period has not elapsed and oral disease (e.g., plaque) is still present on the oral surface. If the first sensor unit 113 does not detect the presence of oral disease at step 610 (during the time that the oral care implement 310 has been operating in the same zone for an amount of time greater than the first time period and less than the second time period), the control circuit 110 will generate a first user-perceivable stimulus (step 612) using the sensor indicator unit 114. This will signal the user that the minimum time period (the first time period) has passed and there are no signs of oral disease on the oral surface, so the user can move the oral care implement 310 to the next zone of the user's mouth to work.

[0194] As mentioned above, Fig.25 The operations described all occur while the oral care implement 310 is within a single (same) zone. Once the control circuit 110 determines that the oral care implement 310 has moved out of that zone and into a different zone, the zone timer will reset and the control operation will restart at step 600. As long as the control circuit (via the first sensor unit 113, the second sensor unit 117, or some combination thereof) determines that the oral care implement 310 remains in the same zone of the oral cavity, the zone timer will be reset. Fig.25 The operation flow shown in .

[0195] To state briefly, in one embodiment, when the zone timer is started, the sensor indicator unit 114 generates a second user-perceivable stimulus (e.g., blue light). The sensor indicator unit 114 continues to generate the second user-perceivable stimulus (e.g., blue light) for a first time period (e.g., five seconds). After the first time period (e.g., five seconds), the sensor indicator unit 114 continues to generate the second user-perceivable stimulus (e.g., blue light) only when the first sensor unit 113 detects oral disease (e.g., plaque). After the first time period (e.g., a few seconds), if the first sensor unit 113 does not detect oral disease (e.g., plaque), the sensor indicator unit 114 changes from generating the second user-perceivable stimulus (e.g., blue light) to generating the first user-perceivable stimulus (e.g., white light) to signal the user to move to a new zone. After a second period of time (e.g., ten seconds) in the same zone, the sensor indicator unit 114 generates a first user-perceivable stimulus (e.g., white light) to signal the user to move to a new zone, regardless of whether the first sensor unit 113 detects oral disease (e.g., plaque). At the same time, if the first sensor unit 113 is blocked at any time, the sensor indicator unit 114 generates a third user-perceivable stimulus (e.g., red light). Once the control circuit 110 detects or determines that the oral care implement 310 has moved to a new zone, the control circuit 110 generates a second user-perceivable stimulus (e.g., blue light) using the sensor indicator unit 114 to start the process.

[0196] In some embodiments, in addition to displaying the three-dimensional model of the oral cavity on the display of the electronic device 500 (see Figure 3 ), a three-dimensional model of the oral care appliance 100 with a halo (color-coded to display white, blue, or red light as described above) is also displayed on the display of the electronic device 500 via the toothbrush application 123. The three-dimensional model of the oral care appliance 100 may be only a portion of the oral care appliance (for example), and may be displayed in a three-dimensional model of the oral cavity map in the area currently being brushed. In some embodiments, the entire three-dimensional model of the oral care appliance or a portion thereof is color-coded to match the color of the halo 299 to provide the user with appropriate instructions, signals, and prompts as described herein.

[0197] In some embodiments, after the sensor indicator unit 114 has been activated to generate the first user-perceptible stimulus, the control circuit 110 may restart the zone timer and then immediately deactivate the generation of the first user-perceptible stimulus (and Fig.24The zone timer may be restarted at step 600 of FIG. 11 ). This is because the generation of the first user-perceptible stimulus is a signal or prompt for the user to move to a different zone, so it is assumed that this action has occurred and the zone timer should therefore be restarted. Specifically, the first user-perceptible stimulus is generated only when the minimum time period has passed and no oral disease is detected, so the user should move to another zone to work / clean. In other embodiments, the zone timer may be restarted only when the control circuit 110 determines, via data acquired by the first sensor unit and / or the second sensor unit 117, that the oral care tool 310 has moved to a different zone.

[0198] refer to Fig.26 , some additional operations of the oral care system 10, and in particular its control circuit 110, will be described. As described above, one state that is continuously monitored by the control circuit 110 is whether the oral care tool 310 is located in the user's oral cavity (step 620). If the oral care appliance 100 is powered on and it is determined that the oral care tool 310 is not located in the user's oral cavity, several results will occur. First, the motion inducing unit 119 will operate to impart a first type of motion to the oral care tool (step 621). The first type of motion can be a low power state, causing the motion inducing unit 119 to operate at a speed less than its maximum speed. Secondly, the sensor indicator unit 114 is deactivated (622). This means that regardless of any detection performed by the first sensor unit 113, when the oral care tool 310 is located outside the user's oral cavity, the sensor indicator unit 114 will not generate any output or user-perceivable stimulus. As described above, in some embodiments, the first sensor unit 113 may include an optical sensor 140, a light source 141, and a receiver 142. When it is determined that the oral care implement 310 is outside the user's oral cavity, a third operation that occurs is to deactivate the light source 141 of the first sensor unit 113 (or, if already deactivated, the light source remains in a deactivated state) (step 623).

[0199] Alternatively, if it is determined that the oral care tool 310 is located in the user's mouth, first the motion inducing unit 119 will operate to impart a second type of motion to the oral care tool 310 (step 624). The second type of motion may be different from the first type of motion described above, such that the motion inducing unit 119 imparts different types of motion depending on whether the oral care tool 310 is located in the user's mouth. The second type of motion may be a fully charged state, such that the motion inducing unit 119 operates at its maximum speed. Of course, in other embodiments, the first type of motion and the second type of motion may be different based on the motion pattern, have various on / off times in a pulse pattern, and so on. Secondly, when it is determined that the oral care tool 310 is located in the user's mouth, the light source 141 of the first sensor unit 113 is activated or remains in an activated state if previously activated.

[0200] As previously described, in some embodiments, there may be a preconfigured session time for a particular oral care session. At the end of the session time, the timer indicator unit 116 is fully illuminated (i.e., the illumination ring 150 is fully illuminated). In addition, in some embodiments, at the end of the session time, the motion inducing unit 119 may be pulsed in a number of on / off states to indicate to the user that the session time is over. For example, in one embodiment, after the session time is over, the motion inducing unit 119 will operate with an off cycle of 210ms, an on cycle of 490ms, an off cycle of 210ms, an on cycle of 490ms, and another off cycle of 210ms (of course, the specific time periods associated with the on / off cycles of the motor are merely exemplary). After the final off cycle, the motion inducing unit 119 may continue back to its normal operation (i.e., if it is in the oral cavity, the second type of motion is imparted to the oral care tool 310, and if it is not in the oral cavity, the first type of motion is imparted to the oral care tool 310). After the extended period of time, the motion inducing unit 119 may be powered off or otherwise stopped. In some embodiments, the session time period may be two minutes, and the extended time period may be three minutes, four minutes, etc.

[0201] The range used throughout the text is used as a shorthand way of expressing each value within the range. Any value within the range can be selected as the endpoint of the range. In addition, all references cited herein are hereby incorporated by reference in their entirety. If a definition in the present disclosure conflicts with a definition in the cited reference, the present disclosure shall prevail.

[0202] Although the present invention has been described with respect to specific examples (including currently preferred modes for carrying out the present invention), it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that there are numerous variations and permutations of the systems and techniques described above. 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.

[0203] The following content corresponds to the original claims in the parent application and is now incorporated herein as part of the specification:

[0204] 1. An oral care system, comprising:

[0205] An oral care appliance, the oral care appliance comprising an oral care tool for caring for a user's oral cavity;

[0206] A control circuit comprising:

[0207] a power source, the power source being integrated into the oral care appliance;

[0208] a first sensor unit integrated into the oral care implement and configured to monitor an oral care parameter during an oral care session performed using the oral care implement;

[0209] a sensor indicator unit integrated into the oral care implement and configured to generate a user-perceivable stimulus during the oral care session when the first sensor unit detects that a monitored oral care parameter meets a certain criterion;

[0210] a memory unit configured to store data related to the monitored oral care parameters; and

[0211] a mode selection unit configured to allow a user to select between a normal mode and a silent mode for performing the oral care session;

[0212] wherein when the user selects the normal mode for the oral care session: (i) the first sensor unit is active during the oral care session; (ii) the sensor indicator unit is active during the oral care session; and (iii) data related to the monitored oral care parameters during the oral care session are stored in the memory unit; and

[0213] Wherein, when the user selects the silent mode for the oral care session: (i) the first sensor unit is active during the oral care session; (ii) the sensor indicator unit is inactive during the oral care session; and (iii) data related to the monitored oral care parameters during the oral care session are stored in the memory unit.

[0214] 2. An oral care system according to item 1, wherein the oral care parameter is a physiological oral symptom of the user.

[0215] 3. The oral care system according to claim 2, wherein the control circuit further comprises:

[0216] a second sensor unit configured to determine an orientation and / or position of the oral care implement within the user's oral cavity during the oral care session; and

[0217] The data related to the monitored oral care parameter includes data from the first sensor unit and the second sensor unit.

[0218] 4. The oral care system according to claim 3, wherein the control circuit further comprises:

[0219] a mapping unit configured to generate an oral map, wherein the location of the physiological oral symptoms in the oral cavity of the user is identified based on data from both the first sensor unit and the second sensor unit; and

[0220] Wherein the data related to the monitored oral care parameters comprises the oral map.

[0221] 5. An oral care system according to any one of items 2 to 4, wherein the first sensor unit is a plaque detection unit; and wherein when the first sensor unit detects plaque on the oral surface, the sensor indicator unit generates a first user-perceivable stimulus, and when the first sensor unit determines that there is no plaque on the oral surface, the sensor indicator unit generates a second user-perceivable stimulus.

[0222] 6. The oral care system of clause 5, wherein the first user-perceptible stimulus is light of a first color and the second user-perceptible stimulus is light of a second color different from the first color.

[0223] 7. The oral care system of any one of items 1 to 6, wherein the mode selection unit comprises a switch located on the oral care implement.

[0224] 8. An oral care system according to any one of items 1 to 7, wherein the oral care appliance further comprises a motion inducing unit, which is operably cooperative with the control circuit and is configured to impart motion to the oral care tool; and wherein the motion inducing unit is active in both the normal mode and the silent mode.

[0225] 9. The oral care system according to any one of items 1 to 8, further comprising:

[0226] an electronic device separate from the oral care implement and comprising a display unit; and

[0227] The control circuit further includes a wireless communication unit integrated into the oral care implement for transmitting the data related to the monitored oral care parameter from the oral care implement to the electronic device.

[0228] 10. The oral care system of claim 9, wherein the wireless communication unit is active in both the normal mode and the silent mode.

[0229] 11. The oral care system according to any one of items 1 to 10, further comprising:

[0230] The control circuit further comprises:

[0231] a timer unit configured to track time during which the oral care session is performed;

[0232] a time indicator unit configured to inform the user during the oral care session of the time elapsed during the performance of the oral care session;

[0233] wherein after the user selects the normal mode for the oral care session, the timer unit is active and the time indicator unit is active; and

[0234] Wherein after the user selects the silent mode for the oral care session, the timer unit is in an active state and the time indicator unit is in an inactive state.

[0235] 12. The oral care system according to any one of items 1 to 11, further comprising:

[0236] The control circuit further comprises:

[0237] a timer unit configured to track time during which the oral care session is performed;

[0238] a time indicator unit configured to inform the user during the oral care session of the time elapsed during the performance of the oral care session;

[0239] In the normal mode and the silent mode, the timer unit is in an active state and the time indicator unit is in an active state.

[0240] 13. An oral care system according to any one of clauses 11 to 12, wherein the memory unit is configured to store data relating to the time tracked during performance of the oral care session.

[0241] 14. The oral care system of any one of items 11 to 13, wherein the time indicator unit is integrated into the oral care implement.

[0242] 15. The oral care system of any one of items 1 to 14, wherein the oral care implement is a toothbrush and the oral care tool comprises a plurality of tooth cleaning elements.

[0243] 16. An oral care system comprising:

[0244] An oral care appliance, the oral care appliance comprising an oral care tool for caring for a user's oral cavity;

[0245] a control circuit configured to operate the oral care implement in at least two user-selectable modes including a normal mode and a silent mode;

[0246] wherein when the user selects the normal mode for an oral care session: (i) a first sensor unit configured to detect a physiological oral care symptom during the oral care session is active; and (ii) a sensor indicator unit configured to generate a user-perceivable stimulus in response to the detection of the physiological oral care symptom during the oral care session is active; and

[0247] Wherein when the user selects the silent mode for an oral care session: (i) the first sensor unit is active during the oral care session; and (ii) the sensor indicator unit is inactive during the oral care session.

[0248] 17. The oral care system of clause 16, wherein in both the silent mode and the normal mode, data relating to monitored physiological oral care symptoms is stored in a memory unit.

[0249] 18. An oral care system according to claim 17, wherein the first sensor unit is a plaque detection unit; and wherein when the first sensor unit detects plaque on the oral surface, the sensor indicator unit generates a first user-perceptible stimulus, and when the first sensor unit determines that there is no plaque on the oral surface, the sensor indicator unit generates a second user-perceptible stimulus.

[0250] 19. An oral care system according to any one of items 16 to 18, wherein the oral care appliance further comprises a motion inducing unit, which is operably cooperative with the control circuit and is configured to impart motion to the oral care tool; and wherein the motion inducing unit is active in both the normal mode and the silent mode.

[0251] 20. A method of operating an oral care implement of an oral care system during an oral care session, the oral care system comprising control circuitry configured to operate the oral care implement in at least two user-selectable modes including a normal mode and a silent mode, the method comprising:

[0252] a) receiving a user mode selection, wherein the user mode selection selects a desired mode from among the normal mode and the silent mode from among the at least two user selectable modes;

[0253] b-1) when the user mode selection is the normal mode, activating the oral care implement so that: (i) a first sensor unit is active and monitors a physiological oral care symptom during the oral care session; and (ii) a sensor indicator unit is active and generates a user-perceivable stimulus in response to detection of the physiological oral care symptom by the first sensor unit during the oral care session; and

[0254] b-2) when the user mode is selected as the silent mode, activating the oral care appliance so that: (i) the first sensor unit is active and monitors the physiological oral care symptoms during the oral care session; and (ii) the sensor indicator unit is inactive during the oral care session.

[0255] 21. An oral care device, comprising:

[0256] A handle, the handle comprising:

[0257] a gripping portion having a distal end; and

[0258] an engagement member coupled to the distal end of the gripping portion, the engagement member comprising:

[0259] a plate portion comprising a top surface and an aperture; and

[0260] a first engagement feature; and

[0261] a rod extending through the opening in the engagement member and protruding from the plate portion,

[0262] causing said top surface of said plate portion to form an annular shoulder surrounding said rod;

[0263] An oral care replacement brush head, the oral care replacement brush head comprising:

[0264] Oral care component; and

[0265] a sleeve portion including an inner surface defining a sleeve cavity having a cavity axis, the sleeve portion including a second engagement feature;

[0266] The oral care replacement brush head can be changed between the following states:

[0267] a first state, wherein the oral care replacement brush head is separated from the handle; and

[0268] and a second state, wherein the rod of the handle is disposed within the sleeve cavity of the sleeve portion, wherein in the second state, the first engagement feature and the second engagement feature cooperate with each other to perform at least one of the following: (1) positioning the oral care replacement brush head and the handle in an operational alignment; and (2) locking the oral care replacement brush head to the handle.

[0269] 22. The oral care implement of clause 21 wherein the first engagement feature comprises an alignment protrusion extending from the top surface of the plate portion.

[0270] 23. The oral care implement of clause 22 wherein the plate portion of the engagement member has an inner surface defining the aperture and an outer surface, and wherein the alignment projection is spaced radially inwardly of the outer surface and adjacent the aperture.

[0271] 24. The oral care implement of clause 23 wherein at least a portion of the alignment protrusion is flush with the inner surface of the plate portion.

[0272] 25. An oral care implement according to any one of items 22 to 24, wherein the alignment protrusion includes a distal end and a first side wall and a second side wall extending from the top surface of the plate portion to the distal end, each of the first side wall and the second side wall comprising a smooth outer surface without any recesses or protrusions.

[0273] 26. The oral care implement of clause 25 wherein the alignment protrusion tapers along at least a portion of its length as it extends from the top surface of the plate portion to the distal end of the alignment protrusion.

[0274] 27. The oral care implement of any one of clauses 22 to 26 wherein the alignment protrusion extends from the top surface of the plate portion at an oblique angle in a direction towards the aperture.

[0275] 28. An oral care implement according to claim 27, wherein a first portion of the alignment protrusion including a distal end of the alignment protrusion contacts the rod, and a second portion of the alignment protrusion that is closer to the top surface of the plate portion than the first portion of the alignment protrusion is spaced apart from the rod.

[0276] 29. An oral care implement according to any one of items 22 to 28, wherein the second engagement feature includes an alignment channel configured to receive the alignment protrusion such that the alignment protrusion is nested within the alignment channel when the oral care replacement brush head is in the second state.

[0277] 30. An oral care device according to claim 29, further comprising a plurality of ribs extending from the inner surface of the sleeve portion and entering the sleeve cavity, wherein adjacent ones of the ribs are circumferentially spaced from each other so that a plurality of channels are formed between the plurality of ribs, the alignment channel being one of the plurality of channels, and wherein a width of the alignment channel is wider than a width of the remaining ones of the plurality of channels so that the alignment protrusion is prohibited from entering and nesting in any one of the remaining ones of the plurality of channels.

[0278] 31. An oral care implement according to claim 30, wherein the sleeve portion of the oral care replacement brush head further includes a locking orifice, wherein the locking orifice is configured to cooperate with a locking protrusion of the handle to lock the oral care replacement brush head to the handle when the oral care replacement brush head is in the second state, and wherein the alignment channel and the locking orifice are circumferentially aligned with each other along the sleeve portion of the oral care replacement brush head.

[0279] 32. The oral care implement of claim 31 , wherein each of the plurality of ribs extends from a proximal end of the sleeve portion to a distal end, the distal end being laterally aligned with the locking aperture or positioned further away from the proximal end of the sleeve portion than the locking aperture.

[0280] 33. An oral care implement according to any one of items 21 to 32, wherein the rod of the handle includes a first sensor unit, and wherein the sleeve portion of the oral care replacement brush head includes a window, and when the oral care replacement brush head is in the second state, the window is aligned with the first sensor unit so that the first sensor unit is exposed through the window.

[0281] 34. An oral care implement according to any one of items 21 to 33, wherein the rod of the handle includes a rod snap element, and the sleeve portion of the oral care replacement brush head includes a sleeve snap element, and wherein when the oral care replacement brush head is in the second state, the oral care replacement brush head is fixed to the handle by a snap-fit ​​interlocking between the rod snap element and the sleeve snap element.

[0282] 35. The oral care implement of clause 34 wherein the stem snap element comprises a locking protrusion and the sleeve snap element comprises a locking aperture.

[0283] 36. The oral care implement of clause 35 wherein the locking aperture has an elliptical shape that is elongated in a direction transverse to the cavity axis.

[0284] 37. The oral care implement of any one of clauses 21 to 36 wherein the first engagement feature is an alignment protrusion that projects from the annular shoulder and is not integral with the stem.

[0285] 38. The oral care implement of any one of clauses 21 to 37, further comprising:

[0286] The handle comprises:

[0287] The first engagement feature includes an alignment tab extending from the top surface of the plate portion;

[0288] the rod extending from the annular shoulder to a distal end along a rod axis, the rod including a locking projection and an elongated alignment recess between the locking projection and the distal end of the rod; and

[0289] The oral care replacement brush head comprises:

[0290] the second engagement feature comprising an alignment channel into which the alignment protrusion nests when the oral care replacement brush head is in the second state;

[0291] a locking aperture into which the locking projection nests to lock the oral care replacement brush head to the handle when the oral care replacement brush head is in the second state; and

[0292] An elongated alignment rib extends from the inner surface of the sleeve portion, the elongated alignment rib nesting within the elongated alignment recess when the oral care replacement brush head is in the second state.

[0293] 39. The oral care implement of clause 38, wherein the elongated alignment rib is located between the locking aperture and the oral care portion of the oral care replacement brush head.

[0294] 40. The oral care implement of any one of clauses 21 to 39, further comprising:

[0295] The oral care replacement brush head includes an annular recess in the inner surface adjacent a proximal edge of the sleeve portion; and

[0296] A gasket is disposed within the annular recess to prevent fluid from passing between an inner surface of the oral care replacement brush head and an outer surface of the stem of the handle.

[0297] 41. An oral care replacement brush head for a stem removably coupled to a handle, the oral care replacement brush head comprising:

[0298] an oral care portion comprising a plurality of tooth cleaning elements protruding from a front surface of the brush head body; and

[0299] A sleeve portion extending from the oral care portion to a proximal edge, the sleeve portion comprising:

[0300] a front surface facing the same direction as the front surface of the brush head body and a rear surface opposite to the front surface;

[0301] an inner surface defining a sleeve cavity extending along a sleeve axis and configured to receive the stem of the handle;

[0302] a window aperture formed in the front surface at a location adjacent the plurality of tooth cleaning elements, a transparent window covering the window aperture;

[0303] a locking aperture formed in the rear surface and configured to snap-interlock with a locking protrusion of the rod of the handle; and

[0304] a plurality of ribs extending from the inner surface of the sleeve portion in a circumferentially spaced apart manner, the plurality of ribs defining a plurality of channels, the plurality of channels including an alignment channel having a width wider than the width of the remaining channels of the plurality of channels such that the alignment channel is the only channel of the plurality of channels capable of receiving the alignment protrusion of the handle.

[0305] 42. The oral care replacement brush head of clause 41 wherein the locking aperture and the alignment channel are circumferentially aligned with each other.

[0306] 43. An oral care replacement brush head according to clause 41 or clause 42 wherein the locking aperture has an elliptical shape that is elongated in a direction transverse to the cavity axis.

[0307] 44. An oral care replacement brush head according to any one of items 41 to 43, wherein each of the plurality of ribs extends from the proximal end of the sleeve portion to a distal end, the distal end being aligned with the locking orifice or positioned further away from the proximal end of the sleeve portion than the locking orifice.

[0308] 45. An oral care replacement brush head according to any one of items 41 to 44, further comprising a slender alignment rib extending from the inner surface of the sleeve portion, the slender alignment rib being configured to press against the rod to force the first sensor unit on the rod to be positioned adjacent to the window opening and the transparent window.

[0309] 46. ​​The oral care replacement brush head of clause 45, wherein the elongated alignment rib is positioned closer to the oral care portion than each of the plurality of ribs and the locking aperture.

[0310] 47. The oral care replacement brush head of clause 45 or clause 46 wherein the elongate alignment rib is aligned with the window aperture such that the elongate alignment rib is visible through the transparent window.

[0311] 48. An oral care replacement brush head according to any one of items 45 to 47, wherein the sleeve portion includes a distal portion adjacent to the oral care portion and a proximal portion adjacent to the proximal edge, and wherein the plurality of ribs and the locking orifice are positioned along the proximal portion, and the elongated alignment ribs and the window orifice are positioned along the distal portion.

[0312] 49. An oral care replacement brush head according to any one of items 41 to 48, further comprising an annular recess in the inner surface of the sleeve portion, the annular recess being located between the proximal end of each of the plurality of ribs and the proximal edge of the sleeve portion, wherein the annular recess is configured to receive a gasket.

[0313] 50. An oral care replacement brush head for a stem removably coupled to a handle, the oral care replacement brush head comprising:

[0314] an oral care portion comprising a plurality of tooth cleaning elements; and

[0315] A sleeve portion extending from the oral care portion to a proximal edge, the sleeve portion comprising:

[0316] an inner surface defining a sleeve cavity extending along a sleeve axis and configured to receive the stem of the handle;

[0317] a window opening adjacent to the plurality of tooth cleaning elements, a transparent window covering the window opening; and

[0318] an elongated alignment rib extending from the inner surface of the sleeve portion, at least a portion of the elongated alignment rib being aligned with and visible through the window aperture, the elongated alignment rib being configured to press against the rod of the handle to force a first sensor unit on the rod to be positioned adjacent the window aperture.

[0319] 51. An oral care replacement brush head for a stem removably coupled to a handle, the oral care replacement brush head comprising:

[0320] an oral care portion comprising a plurality of tooth cleaning elements protruding from a front surface of the brush head body; and

[0321] A sleeve portion extending from the oral care portion to a proximal edge, the sleeve portion comprising:

[0322] a front surface facing the same direction as the front surface of the brush head body and a rear surface opposite to the front surface;

[0323] an inner surface defining a sleeve cavity extending along a sleeve axis and configured to receive the stem of the handle;

[0324] a window aperture formed in the front surface at a location adjacent the plurality of tooth cleaning elements, a transparent window at least partially covering the window aperture; and

[0325] A locking aperture is formed in the rear surface and is configured to snap-interlock with a locking protrusion of the rod of the handle.

[0326] 52. An oral care replacement brush head for a stem removably coupled to a handle, the oral care replacement brush head comprising:

[0327] an oral care portion comprising a plurality of tooth cleaning elements protruding from a front surface of the brush head body; and

[0328] A sleeve portion extending from the oral care portion to a proximal edge, the sleeve portion comprising:

[0329] an inner surface defining a sleeve cavity extending along a sleeve axis and configured to receive the stem of the handle;

[0330] a locking aperture configured to snap-interlock with a locking protrusion of the rod of the handle; and

[0331] a plurality of ribs extending from the inner surface of the sleeve portion in a circumferentially spaced apart manner, the plurality of ribs extending from a proximal end to a distal end, the proximal end being spaced apart from the proximal edge of the sleeve portion; and

[0332] An annular recess is provided in the inner surface of the sleeve portion between the proximal ends of the plurality of ribs and the proximal edge of the sleeve portion, wherein the annular recess is configured to receive a gasket.

[0333] 53. A handle for removably coupling to an oral care replacement brush head, the handle comprising:

[0334] a gripping portion having a distal end; and

[0335] an engagement member coupled to the distal end of the gripping portion, the engagement member comprising:

[0336] a plate portion comprising a top surface and an aperture; and

[0337] a first engagement feature configured to cooperate with an engagement feature of the oral care replacement brush head to at least one of: (1) position the oral care replacement brush head and the handle in operative alignment; and (2) lock the oral care replacement brush head to the handle; and

[0338] A rod extends along a rod axis through an opening in the engagement member and protrudes from the plate portion such that the top surface of the plate portion forms an annular shoulder surrounding the rod.

[0339] 54. A handle according to item 53, wherein the engagement feature includes an alignment protrusion extending from the top surface of the plate portion.

[0340] 55. A handle according to item 54, wherein the alignment protrusion includes an inner surface facing the rod, and wherein at least a portion of the inner surface of the alignment protrusion is spaced apart from the rod.

[0341] 56. A handle according to clause 54 or clause 55, wherein the alignment protrusion is non-integral to the rod such that the engagement member is a different member relative to the rod.

[0342] 57. A handle according to any one of items 53 to 56, further comprising a locking protrusion on the stem, the locking protrusion being configured to cooperate with a locking aperture of the oral care replacement brush head to couple the oral care replacement brush head to the handle.

[0343] 58. A handle according to item 57, wherein the first engagement feature and the locking protrusion are circumferentially aligned with each other.

[0344] 59. The handle of any one of items 57 to 58, further comprising a first sensor unit located on the stem, the first sensor unit being configured to monitor an oral care parameter during performance of an oral care session.

[0345] 60. A handle according to item 59, further comprising a slender alignment notch on the rod, wherein the slender alignment notch is configured to cooperate with the slender alignment rib of the oral care replacement brush head to force the first sensor unit to pass through the window opening on the oral care replacement brush head.

[0346] 61. A handle according to item 60, wherein the elongated alignment recess, the locking protrusion and the engagement feature are aligned along an axis.

[0347] 62. A handle according to any one of items 53 to 61, wherein the engagement member is a different member from the gripping portion and the shaft.

[0348] 63. A handle according to any one of items 54 to 62, wherein the plate portion of the engaging member has an inner surface and an outer surface defining the orifice, and wherein the alignment protrusion is spaced radially inwardly of the outer surface and adjacent to the orifice such that at least a portion of the alignment protrusion is flush with the inner surface of the plate portion.

[0349] 64. An oral care implement according to any one of items 54 to 63, wherein the alignment protrusion includes a distal end and a first side wall and a second side wall extending from the top surface of the plate portion to the distal end, each of the first side wall and the second side wall comprising a smooth outer surface without any recesses or protrusions, and wherein the alignment protrusion tapers along at least a portion of its length as it extends from the top surface of the plate portion to the distal end of the alignment protrusion.

[0350] 65. An oral care device according to any one of items 54 to 64, wherein the alignment protrusion extends from the top surface of the plate portion at an inclined angle in a direction toward the orifice, such that a first portion of the alignment protrusion including the distal end of the alignment protrusion contacts the rod and a second portion of the alignment protrusion closer to the top surface of the plate portion than the first portion of the alignment protrusion is spaced apart from the rod.

[0351] 66. A handle for removably coupling to an oral care replacement brush head, the handle comprising:

[0352] a gripping portion having a distal end; and

[0353] a rod extending from the distal end of the gripping portion such that the distal end of the gripping portion forms an annular shoulder surrounding the rod; and

[0354] an alignment protrusion extending from the annular shoulder, the alignment protrusion being configured to cooperate with an alignment feature of the oral care replacement brush head to position the oral care replacement brush head and the handle in operative alignment; and

[0355] Wherein the alignment protrusion is a separate component from the rod.

[0356] 67. A handle according to item 66, wherein the alignment protrusion includes an inner surface facing the rod, and wherein at least a portion of the inner surface of the alignment protrusion is spaced apart from the rod.

[0357] 68. An oral care system comprising:

[0358] An oral care appliance, the oral care appliance comprising an oral care tool for caring for a user's oral cavity;

[0359] A control circuit comprising:

[0360] a first sensor unit coupled to the oral care implement and configured to detect: (1) the presence of an oral surface during an oral care session performed using the oral care implement; and (2) the presence of an oral disease on the oral surface during the oral care session;

[0361] a sensor indicator unit configured to generate a user-perceivable stimulus during the oral care session;

[0362] The control circuit is configured to:

[0363] generating a first user-perceivable stimulus with the sensor indicator unit during the oral care session when the first sensor unit detects the presence of the oral surface and the oral surface is free of the oral disease;

[0364] generating a second user-perceivable stimulus with the sensor indicator unit during the oral care session when the first sensor unit detects the presence of the oral surface and the presence of the oral disease on the oral surface; and

[0365] Generating a third user-perceptible stimulus with the sensor indicator unit during the oral care session when the first sensor unit does not detect the presence of the oral surface, wherein the first, second, and third user-perceptible stimuli are different from one another.

[0366] 69. The oral care system of clause 68, wherein the sensor indicator unit is coupled to the oral care implement.

[0367] 70. The oral care system of item 69, wherein the sensor indicator unit comprises one or more light sources.

[0368] 71. The oral care system of clause 70, wherein the sensor indicator unit is in the form of a halo disposed on a handle of the oral care implement and surrounding a longitudinal axis of the handle.

[0369] 72. An oral care system according to any one of items 70 to 71, wherein the one or more light sources of the sensor indicator unit are configured to generate light of a first color as the first user-perceptible stimulus, light of a second color as the second user-perceptible stimulus, and light of a third color as the third user-perceptible stimulus, each of the first color of light, the second color of light, and the third color of light being different from each other.

[0370] 73. The oral care system of any one of clauses 68 to 72, further comprising:

[0371] a timer unit configured to track time during which the oral care session is performed;

[0372] The control circuit further includes a second sensor unit configured to determine an orientation of the oral care implement during the oral care session;

[0373] the control circuitry being further configured to determine a region of the user's oral cavity in which the oral care implement is operated during the oral care session based on data from the first sensor unit and the second sensor unit;

[0374] the first sensor unit being positioned and / or oriented on the oral care implement to monitor the same area of ​​the user's oral cavity on which the oral care implement is operated;

[0375] The control circuit is further configured to:

[0376] Upon detecting that the oral care tool is operating in the same area of ​​the user's mouth within a predetermined time period, the sensor indicator unit switches from generating the second user-perceptible stimulus to generating the first user-perceptible stimulus, while the first sensor unit continues to detect the presence of the oral surface and the presence of the oral disease on the oral surface, thereby prompting the user to move the oral care tool to a different area of ​​the user's mouth for operation.

[0377] 74. The oral care system of any one of items 68 to 73, further comprising the first sensor unit being further configured to detect whether the oral care tool of the oral care implement is located within the user's oral cavity.

[0378] 75. The oral care system of item 74, further comprising:

[0379] The oral care implement further comprises a motion inducing unit operatively cooperating with the control circuit and configured to impart motion to the oral care implement; and

[0380] The control circuit is further configured to:

[0381] operating the motion inducing unit to impart a first type of motion to the oral care implement when the first sensor unit detects that the oral care implement of the oral care implement is located within the user's oral cavity; and

[0382] When the first sensor unit detects that the oral care implement of the oral care implement is not located within the user's oral cavity, the motion inducing unit is operated to impart a second type of motion to the oral care implement, the first type of motion and the second type of motion being different from each other.

[0383] 76. An oral care system according to any one of items 74 to 75, wherein the control circuit is also configured to deactivate the sensor indicator unit when the first sensor unit detects that the oral care tool of the oral care implement is not located in the user's mouth.

[0384] 77. The oral care system of any one of clauses 74 to 76, wherein the first sensor unit comprises a light source and a receiver; and wherein the control circuit is further configured to:

[0385] deactivating or keeping the light source deactivated when the receiver of the first sensor unit detects that the oral care implement of the oral care implement is not located within the user's oral cavity; and

[0386] The light source is activated or remains activated when the receiver of the first sensor unit detects that the oral care implement of the oral care implement is located within the user's oral cavity.

[0387] 78. An oral care system according to any one of items 74 to 77, wherein the first sensor unit is a plaque detection sensor comprising a light source and an optical sensor.

[0388] 79. An oral care system comprising:

[0389] An oral care appliance, the oral care appliance comprising an oral care tool for caring for a user's oral cavity;

[0390] A control circuit comprising:

[0391] a first sensor unit coupled to the oral care implement and configured to detect the presence of oral disease on an oral surface of the oral cavity of the user during an oral care session performed by the oral care implement;

[0392] a timer unit configured to track time during which the oral care session is performed;

[0393] a second sensor unit configured to determine an orientation of the oral care implement during the oral care session; and

[0394] an indicator unit configured to generate a first user-perceivable stimulus during the oral care session;

[0395] The control circuit is configured to:

[0396] upon determining that the oral care tool has begun to care for a zone of the user's oral cavity, starting a zone timer of the timer unit;

[0397] after a first time period has elapsed, if the first sensor unit does not detect the presence of the oral disease in the zone, activating the indicator unit to produce the first user-perceptible stimulus, thereby signaling the user to move the oral care implement to a next zone of the user's oral cavity;

[0398] after the first time period has elapsed, if the first sensor unit detects the presence of the oral disease in the zone, continuing to run the timer unit without activating the indicator unit to produce the first user-perceptible stimulus; and

[0399] After a second time period has passed, even if the first sensor unit still detects the presence of the oral disease in the zone, the indicator unit is activated to produce the first user-perceptible stimulus, thereby signaling the user to move the oral care tool to the next zone of the user's mouth, wherein the second time period is greater than the first time period.

[0400] 80. An oral care system according to item 79, wherein the control circuit is further configured not to activate the indicator unit to generate the first user-perceptible stimulus before the first time period expires, even if the first sensor unit does not detect the presence of the oral disease in the zone.

[0401] 81. The oral care system of any one of clauses 79 to 80, further comprising:

[0402] The first sensor unit is configured to detect the presence of an oral care surface during performance of the oral care session by the oral care implement; and

[0403] The indicator unit is further configured to generate a second user-perceptible stimulus different from the first user-perceptible stimulus;

[0404] The control circuit is further configured to:

[0405] generating, with the indicator unit, the second user-perceivable stimulus for the first time period when the first sensor unit detects the presence of the oral care surface in the first zone; and

[0406] The second user-perceptible stimulus is generated with the indicator unit after expiration of the first time period but before expiration of the second time period when the first sensor unit detects the presence of the oral care surface in the zone and detects the presence of the oral disease.

[0407] 82. The oral care system of item 81, further comprising:

[0408] The indicator unit is further configured to generate a third user-perceptible stimulus different from both the first user-perceptible stimulus and the second user-perceptible stimulus;

[0409] The control circuit is further configured to:

[0410] The third user-perceivable stimulus is generated when the first sensor unit fails to detect the presence of the oral care surface in the first zone, thereby signaling the user to rinse the oral care implement.

[0411] 83. An oral care system according to any one of items 79 to 82, further comprising the first sensor unit being further configured to detect whether the oral care tool of the oral care implement is located within the user's oral cavity.

[0412] 84. The oral care system of item 83, further comprising:

[0413] The oral care implement further comprises a motion inducing unit operatively cooperating with the control circuit and configured to impart motion to the oral care implement; and

[0414] The control circuit is further configured to:

[0415] operating the motion inducing unit to impart a first type of motion to the oral care implement when the first sensor unit detects that the oral care implement of the oral care implement is located within the user's oral cavity; and

[0416] When the first sensor unit detects that the oral care implement of the oral care implement is not located within the user's oral cavity, the motion inducing unit is operated to impart a second type of motion to the oral care implement, the first type of motion and the second type of motion being different from each other.

[0417] 85. An oral care system according to any one of items 79 to 84, wherein the first sensor unit is a plaque detection sensor unit comprising a light source and an optical sensor.

[0418] 86. The oral care system of any one of clauses 79 to 85, further comprising:

[0419] The control circuit is further configured to:

[0420] restarting the zone timer to produce the first user-perceptible stimulus when the indicator unit has been activated; and

[0421] Generation of the first user-perceptible stimulus is deactivated by the indicator unit.

[0422] 87. An oral care system according to any one of items 79 to 86, wherein the control circuit is configured to determine the positioning of the oral care tool within the user's mouth based on both data from the first sensor unit and data from the second sensor unit.

[0423] 88. An electric oral care appliance, comprising:

[0424] a brush head, the brush head comprising an oral care tool;

[0425] a handle, the handle comprising a gripping portion;

[0426] a user-operated actuator on the handle, the user-operated actuator being used to control one or more functions of the oral care implement;

[0427] an illumination ring on the handle, the illumination ring surrounding the user-operated actuator;

[0428] A control circuit comprising:

[0429] power supply;

[0430] an actuator unit operable to cooperate with the user-operated actuator;

[0431] a timer unit configured to track time during which the oral care session is performed;

[0432] A time indicator unit, the time indicator unit comprising:

[0433] one or more light sources positioned to illuminate the illumination ring;

[0434] and

[0435] The control circuitry is configured to activate the one or more light sources in a manner that notifies the user during the oral care session of an elapsed time while performing the oral care session.

[0436] 89. An electric oral care appliance according to item 88, wherein the control circuit is further configured to activate the one or more light sources in a manner to sequentially illuminate segments of the illumination ring.

[0437] 90. The electric oral care appliance of clause 89, wherein the control circuit is further configured to:

[0438] activating the one or more light sources in a manner to illuminate a first quadrant segment of the illumination ring upon expiration of a first time period;

[0439] activating the one or more light sources in a manner to illuminate the first quadrant segment and the second quadrant segment of the illumination ring after expiration of a second time period;

[0440] activating the one or more light sources in a manner to illuminate the first quadrant segment, the second quadrant segment, and the third quadrant segment of the illumination ring after expiration of a third time period; and

[0441] The one or more light sources are activated after expiration of a fourth time period in a manner to illuminate the first quadrant segment, the second quadrant segment, the third quadrant segment, and a fourth quadrant segment of the illumination ring.

[0442] 91. An electric oral care appliance according to item 90, wherein the fourth time period corresponds to a recommended brushing time.

[0443] 92. The electric oral care appliance of any one of clauses 88 to 91, wherein the gripping portion of the handle further comprises:

[0444] a handle housing having an actuator aperture; and

[0445] A lighting component includes the lighting ring and a plate body, the lighting ring protruding from the plate body, the lighting component is mounted to the handle housing so that the lighting ring extends into the actuator aperture, and the lighting component is formed of a light-transmitting material.

[0446] 93. An electric oral care appliance according to item 92, wherein the lighting component is snap-fitted to the handle housing.

[0447] 94. The electric oral care appliance of any one of clauses 92 to 93, further comprising:

[0448] the handle housing including a status aperture spaced from the actuator aperture;

[0449] The lighting component further includes a status protrusion that protrudes from the plate body and enters the status aperture;

[0450] The control circuit also includes a status light source aligned with the status protrusion, the control circuit being configured to activate the status light source when a status condition is met.

[0451] 95. The electric oral care appliance of any one of clauses 92 to 94, wherein the gripping portion of the handle further comprises:

[0452] A beam splitter component including a body having a plurality of arcuate apertures arranged in a ring is mounted in a handle housing of the grip portion such that the ring formed by the plurality of arcuate apertures is aligned with the illumination ring.

[0453] 96. An electric oral care appliance according to item 95, wherein the splitter component is formed from an opaque material.

[0454] 97. An electric oral care appliance according to any one of items 95 to 96, wherein the splitter component is connected to a circuit board, and one or more light sources of the time indicator unit are mounted on the circuit board.

[0455] 98. An electric oral care appliance according to item 97, wherein the splitter component is snap-fitted to the circuit board.

[0456] 99. An electric oral care appliance according to any one of items 95 to 97, wherein the one or more light sources of the time indicator unit include a plurality of light source groups, each of the plurality of light source groups being aligned with a corresponding one of the plurality of arcuate orifices.

[0457] 100. An electric oral care appliance according to any one of items 95 to 99, further comprising the user-operated actuator comprising an actuator plate located within the actuator orifice.

[0458] 101. An electric oral care appliance, comprising:

[0459] a brush head, the brush head comprising an oral care tool;

[0460] a handle, the handle comprising a gripping portion;

[0461] a user-operated actuator on the handle, the user-operated actuator being used to control one or more functions of the oral care implement;

[0462] an illumination ring on the grip portion of the handle, the illumination ring having a continuous exposed ring surface surrounding the user-operated actuator;

[0463] control circuitry comprising a power source in operable cooperation, an actuator unit in operable cooperation with the user-operated actuator, and one or more light sources; and

[0464] A beam splitter component including a body having a plurality of arcuate apertures arranged in a ring and separated from each other by partition walls is mounted in a handle housing of the grip portion such that the ring formed by the plurality of arcuate apertures is aligned with the illumination ring.

[0465] 102. An electric oral care appliance according to item 101, wherein the splitter component is formed from an opaque material.

[0466] 103. An electric oral care appliance according to any one of items 101 to 102, wherein the splitter component is connected to a circuit board, and at least one electrical component of the actuator unit and the one or more light sources are mounted on the circuit board.

[0467] 104. An electric oral care appliance according to item 103, wherein the splitter component is snap-fitted to the circuit board.

[0468] 105. An electric oral care appliance according to any one of items 101 to 104, wherein the one or more light sources include a plurality of light source groups, each of the plurality of light source groups being aligned with a corresponding one of the plurality of arcuate apertures so that segments of the light ring can be individually illuminated.

Claims

1. An oral care replacement brush head for a stem removably coupled to a handle, the oral care replacement brush head comprising: an oral care portion comprising a plurality of tooth cleaning elements; as well as A sleeve portion extending from the oral care portion to a proximal edge, the sleeve portion comprising: an inner surface defining a sleeve cavity extending along a sleeve axis and configured to receive the stem of the handle; a window opening adjacent to the plurality of tooth cleaning elements, a transparent window covering the window opening; and an elongated alignment rib extending from the inner surface of the sleeve portion, at least a portion of the elongated alignment rib being aligned with and visible through the window aperture, the elongated alignment rib being configured to press against the rod of the handle to force a first sensor unit on the rod to be positioned adjacent the window aperture.

2. An oral care replacement brush head for a stem removably coupled to a handle, the oral care replacement brush head comprising: an oral care portion comprising a plurality of tooth cleaning elements protruding from a front surface of the brush head body; as well as A sleeve portion extending from the oral care portion to a proximal edge, the sleeve portion comprising: a front surface facing the same direction as the front surface of the brush head body and a rear surface opposite to the front surface; an inner surface defining a sleeve cavity extending along a sleeve axis and configured to receive the stem of the handle; a window aperture formed in the front surface at a location adjacent the plurality of tooth cleaning elements, a transparent window at least partially covering the window aperture; and A locking aperture is formed in the rear surface and is configured to snap-interlock with a locking protrusion of the rod of the handle.

3. An oral care replacement brush head for a stem removably coupled to a handle, the oral care replacement brush head comprising: an oral care portion comprising a plurality of tooth cleaning elements protruding from a front surface of the brush head body; as well as A sleeve portion extending from the oral care portion to a proximal edge, the sleeve portion comprising: an inner surface defining a sleeve cavity extending along a sleeve axis and configured to receive the stem of the handle; a locking aperture configured to snap-interlock with a locking protrusion of the rod of the handle; and a plurality of ribs extending from the inner surface of the sleeve portion in a circumferentially spaced apart manner, the plurality of ribs extending from a proximal end to a distal end, the proximal end being spaced apart from the proximal edge of the sleeve portion; and An annular recess is provided in the inner surface of the sleeve portion between the proximal ends of the plurality of ribs and the proximal edge of the sleeve portion, wherein the annular recess is configured to receive a gasket.

4. A handle for removably attaching to an oral care replacement brush head, the handle comprising: a gripping portion having a distal end; and an engagement member coupled to the distal end of the gripping portion, the engagement member comprising: a plate portion comprising a top surface and an aperture; and a first engagement feature configured to cooperate with an engagement feature of the oral care replacement brush head to at least one of: (1) position the oral care replacement brush head and the handle in operative alignment; and (2) lock the oral care replacement brush head to the handle; and A rod extends along a rod axis through an opening in the engagement member and protrudes from the plate portion such that the top surface of the plate portion forms an annular shoulder surrounding the rod.

5. A handle according to claim 4, wherein the engagement feature includes an alignment protrusion extending from the top surface of the plate portion; and wherein the alignment protrusion includes an inner surface facing the rod, and wherein at least a portion of the inner surface of the alignment protrusion is spaced apart from the rod.

6. The handle of claim 5, wherein the alignment projection is non-integral to the stem such that the engagement member is a distinct component relative to the stem.

7. A handle according to any one of claims 4 to 6, further comprising a locking protrusion on the rod, the locking protrusion being configured to cooperate with the locking aperture of the oral care replacement brush head to connect the oral care replacement brush head to the handle, wherein the first engagement feature and the locking protrusion are circumferentially aligned with each other.

8. The handle according to claim 7, further comprising: a first sensor unit located on the stem, the first sensor unit being configured to monitor an oral care parameter during performance of an oral care session; as well as an elongated alignment notch on the stem, wherein the elongated alignment notch is configured to cooperate with an elongated alignment rib of the oral care replacement brush head to force the first sensor unit through a window aperture on the oral care replacement brush head; Wherein the elongated alignment recess, the locking projection and the engagement feature are aligned along an axis.

9. A handle according to any one of claims 4 to 6, wherein the engagement member is a distinct member from the grip portion and the stem.

10. A handle according to any one of claims 5 to 6, wherein the plate portion of the engaging member has an inner surface and an outer surface defining the aperture, and wherein the alignment protrusion is spaced radially inwardly of the outer surface and adjacent to the aperture such that at least a portion of the alignment protrusion is flush with the inner surface of the plate portion.

11. An oral care implement according to any one of claims 5 to 6, wherein the alignment protrusion includes a distal end and a first side wall and a second side wall extending from the top surface of the plate portion to the distal end, each of the first side wall and the second side wall including a smooth outer surface without any recesses or protrusions, and wherein the alignment protrusion tapers along at least a portion of its length as it extends from the top surface of the plate portion to the distal end of the alignment protrusion.

12. An oral care device according to any one of claims 5 to 6, wherein the alignment protrusion extends from the top surface of the plate portion at an inclined angle in a direction toward the orifice, so that a first portion of the alignment protrusion including the distal end of the alignment protrusion contacts the rod, and a second portion of the alignment protrusion that is closer to the top surface of the plate portion than the first portion of the alignment protrusion is spaced apart from the rod.

13. A handle for removably coupling to an oral care replacement brush head, the handle comprising: a gripping portion having a distal end; and a rod extending from the distal end of the gripping portion such that the distal end of the gripping portion forms an annular shoulder surrounding the rod; as well as an alignment protrusion extending from the annular shoulder, the alignment protrusion being configured to cooperate with an alignment feature of the oral care replacement brush head to position the oral care replacement brush head and the handle in operative alignment; and Wherein the alignment protrusion is a separate component from the rod.

14. The handle of claim 13, wherein the alignment protrusion includes an inner surface facing the rod, and wherein at least a portion of the inner surface of the alignment protrusion is spaced apart from the rod.

15. An oral care system comprising: An oral care appliance, the oral care appliance comprising an oral care tool for caring for a user's oral cavity; A control circuit comprising: a first sensor unit coupled to the oral care implement and configured to detect the presence of oral disease on an oral surface of the oral cavity of the user during an oral care session performed by the oral care implement; a timer unit configured to track time during which the oral care session is performed; a second sensor unit configured to determine an orientation of the oral care implement during the oral care session; as well as an indicator unit configured to generate a first user-perceivable stimulus during the oral care session; The control circuit is configured to: upon determining that the oral care tool has begun to care for a zone of the user's oral cavity, starting a zone timer of the timer unit; after a first time period has elapsed, if the first sensor unit does not detect the presence of the oral disease in the zone, activating the indicator unit to produce the first user-perceptible stimulus, thereby signaling the user to move the oral care implement to a next zone of the user's oral cavity; continuing to run said timer unit without activating said indicator unit to produce said first user-perceptible stimulus if said first sensor unit detects said presence of said oral disease in said zone after said first time period has elapsed; and After a second time period has passed, even if the first sensor unit still detects the presence of the oral disease in the zone, the indicator unit is activated to produce the first user-perceptible stimulus, thereby signaling the user to move the oral care tool to the next zone of the user's mouth, wherein the second time period is greater than the first time period.

16. The oral care system of claim 15, wherein the control circuit is further configured to not activate the indicator unit to generate the first user-perceivable stimulus before expiration of the first time period even if the first sensor unit does not detect the presence of the oral disease in the zone.

17. The oral care system according to any one of claims 15 to 16, further comprising: the first sensor unit being configured to detect the presence of an oral care surface during performance of the oral care session by the oral care implement; and The indicator unit is further configured to generate a second user-perceptible stimulus different from the first user-perceptible stimulus, and to generate a third user-perceptible stimulus different from both the first user-perceptible stimulus and the second user-perceptible stimulus; The control circuit is further configured to: generating, with said indicator unit, said second user-perceivable stimulus during said first time period when said first sensor unit detects said presence of said oral care surface in said first zone; generating, with the indicator unit, the second user-perceivable stimulus after expiration of the first time period but before expiration of the second time period when the first sensor unit detects the presence of the oral care surface in the zone and detects the presence of the oral disease; and The third user-perceivable stimulus is generated when the first sensor unit fails to detect the presence of the oral care surface in the first zone, thereby signaling the user to rinse the oral care implement.

18. An oral care system according to any one of claims 15 to 16, further comprising the first sensor unit further configured to detect whether the oral care implement of the oral care implement is located within the oral cavity of the user, and a motion inducing unit operably cooperating with the control circuit and configured to impart motion to the oral care implement; The control circuit is further configured to: operating the motion inducing unit to impart a first type of motion to the oral care implement when the first sensor unit detects that the oral care implement of the oral care implement is located within the user's oral cavity; and When the first sensor unit detects that the oral care implement of the oral care implement is not located within the user's oral cavity, the motion inducing unit is operated to impart a second type of motion to the oral care implement, the first type of motion and the second type of motion being different from each other.

19. The oral care system according to any one of claims 15 to 16, wherein the first sensor unit is a plaque detection sensor unit comprising a light source and an optical sensor.

20. The oral care system of any one of claims 15 to 16, further comprising: The control circuit is further configured to: restarting the zone timer to produce the first user-perceptible stimulus when the indicator unit has been activated; and Generation of the first user-perceptible stimulus is deactivated by the indicator unit.

21. The oral care system of any one of claims 15 to 16, wherein the control circuit is configured to determine the positioning of the oral care implement within the user's oral cavity based on both data from the first sensor unit and data from the second sensor unit.

22. An electric oral care appliance, comprising: a brush head, the brush head comprising an oral care tool; a handle, the handle comprising a gripping portion; a user-operated actuator on the handle, the user-operated actuator being used to control one or more functions of the oral care implement; an illumination ring on the handle, the illumination ring surrounding the user-operated actuator; A control circuit comprising: power supply; an actuator unit operable to cooperate with the user-operated actuator; a timer unit configured to track time during which the oral care session is performed; A time indicator unit, the time indicator unit comprising: one or more light sources positioned to illuminate the illumination ring; and The control circuitry is configured to activate the one or more light sources in a manner that notifies the user during the oral care session of an elapsed time while performing the oral care session.

23. The powered oral care implement of claim 22, wherein the control circuit is further configured to activate the one or more light sources in a manner to sequentially illuminate segments of the illumination ring.

24. The powered oral care implement of claim 23, wherein the control circuit is further configured to: activating the one or more light sources in a manner to illuminate a first quadrant segment of the illumination ring upon expiration of a first time period; activating the one or more light sources in a manner to illuminate the first quadrant segment and the second quadrant segment of the illumination ring after expiration of a second time period; activating the one or more light sources in a manner to illuminate the first quadrant segment, the second quadrant segment, and the third quadrant segment of the illumination ring after expiration of a third time period; and activating the one or more light sources in a manner to illuminate the first quadrant segment, the second quadrant segment, the third quadrant segment, and a fourth quadrant segment of the illumination ring after expiration of a fourth time period; The fourth time period corresponds to the recommended brushing time.

25. The electric oral care implement of any one of claims 22 to 23, wherein the grip portion of the handle further comprises: a handle housing having an actuator aperture; as well as a lighting component, the lighting component comprising the lighting ring and a plate body, the lighting ring protruding from the plate body, the lighting component being mounted to the handle housing so that the lighting ring extends into the actuator aperture, the lighting component being formed of a light-transmitting material; Wherein the lighting component is snap-fitted to the handle housing.

26. The electric oral care appliance of claim 25, further comprising: the handle housing including a status aperture spaced from the actuator aperture; The lighting component further includes a status protrusion that protrudes from the plate body and enters the status aperture; The control circuit also includes a status light source aligned with the status protrusion, the control circuit being configured to activate the status light source when a status condition is met.

27. The powered oral care implement of claim 25, wherein the gripping portion of the handle further comprises: a beam splitter component including a body having a plurality of arcuate apertures arranged in a ring, the beam splitter component being mounted in a handle housing of the grip portion such that the ring formed by the plurality of arcuate apertures is aligned with the illumination ring; The beam splitter component is formed of an opaque material.

28. The powered oral care implement of claim 27, wherein the beam splitter component is coupled to a circuit board on which one or more light sources of the time indicator unit are mounted; Wherein the beam splitter component is snap-fitted to the circuit board.

29. The powered oral care implement of claim 27, wherein the one or more light sources of the time indicator unit comprises a plurality of light source groups, each of the plurality of light source groups being aligned with a corresponding one of the plurality of arcuate apertures.

30. The powered oral care implement of claim 27, further comprising the user-operated actuator comprising an actuator plate positioned within the actuator aperture.

31. An electric oral care appliance, comprising: a brush head, the brush head comprising an oral care tool; a handle, the handle comprising a gripping portion; a user-operated actuator on the handle, the user-operated actuator being used to control one or more functions of the oral care implement; an illumination ring on the grip portion of the handle, the illumination ring having a continuous exposed ring surface surrounding the user-operated actuator; control circuitry comprising a power source in operable cooperation, an actuator unit in operable cooperation with the user-operated actuator, and one or more light sources; as well as A beam splitter component including a body having a plurality of arcuate apertures arranged in a ring and separated from each other by partition walls is mounted in a handle housing of the grip portion such that the ring formed by the plurality of arcuate apertures is aligned with the illumination ring.

32. The powered oral care implement of claim 31 , wherein the beam splitter component is formed of an opaque material.

33. The powered oral care implement of any one of claims 31 to 32, wherein the beam splitter component is coupled to a circuit board on which at least one electrical component of the actuator unit and the one or more light sources are mounted.

34. The powered oral care implement of claim 33, wherein the beam splitter component is snap-fitted to the circuit board.

35. The powered oral care implement of any one of claims 31 to 32, wherein the one or more light sources comprise a plurality of light source groupings, each of the plurality of light source groupings being aligned with a corresponding one of the plurality of arcuate apertures so that segments of the light ring can be individually illuminated.

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