Personal care apparatus

Abstract

A personal care apparatus includes a handle and a flosser attachment that is detachably coupled to the handle. The handle may have a gripping portion to be held by a user and a connection portion for coupling to the flosser attachment. The flosser attachment may include a floss holder and a floss refill. The floss holder may include a stem portion that can be detachably coupled to the connection portion of the handle. The floss holder may also include a refill attachment portion. The floss refill may include a body portion that can be detachably coupled to the refill attachment portion of the floss holder. The floss refill may also include a thread portion for cleaning a user's interproximal teeth regions. The personal care apparatus may also include a brush refill that can be coupled to the handle when the flosser attachment is not coupled to the handle.

Description

PERSONAL CARE APPARATUSCROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

[0001] This application claims the benefit of priority from U.S. Provisional Application No. 63 / 536,147, filed September 1, 2023, the contents of which are hereby incorporated herein by reference in their entirety.BACKGROUND

[0002] Many personal care products are manufactured out of plastic and are only intended to be used for a short period of time, after which they are discarded and replaced. Many plastics are not recyclable, are difficult to recycle, or are not accepted in standard local recycling streams. There is a current trend in many industries to move away from plastic as a material for product manufacture or to reduce the amount of plastic that is used to manufacture a product in order to address environmental concerns. Thus, there is a continuing need to find alternative techniques for reducing the amount of plastic used in the manufacture of personal care products.

[0003] Furthermore, personal hygiene activities are notoriously difficult for people who suffer from loss of dexterity which may result from birth defects, arthritis, age, and other underlying health issues. For example, users with reduced dexterity may have difficulty holding and manipulating a toothbrush as it requires a tight grip on the handle of the device and rapid back- and-forth movements in order to adequately clean the teeth. Such users may also have difficulty flossing their teeth due to the need to apply adequate downward pressure to force the floss strand to pass into the interproximal tooth regions. Thus, a need exists for an personal care implement that provides for improved handling by users with reduced dexterity.BRIEF SUMMARY

[0004] The present invention may be directed to a personal care apparatus which includes a handle and one or more treatment devices that are configured to be detachably coupled to the handle. The one or more treatment devices may include a brush refill that may be used to brush a user’ s teeth and gums and a flosser attachment that may be used to floss a user’s interproximal teeth regions. The flosser attachment may include a floss holder that is configured to be detachably coupled tothe handle and a floss refill that is configured to be coupled to the floss holder. The floss holder and the handle may be reusable and the floss refill may be a one-time use component.

[0005] In one aspect, the invention may be a personal care apparatus comprising: a handle comprising a gripping portion and a connection portion; a floss holder comprising a stem portion that is configured to be detachably coupled to the connection portion of the handle and a refill attachment portion; and a floss refill comprising a body portion that is configured to be detachably coupled to the refill attachment portion of the floss holder and a thread portion configured to clean a user’s interproximal teeth regions.

[0006] In another aspect, the invention may be an oral care kit comprising: a handle; a brush attachment configured to be detachably coupled to the handle, the brush attachment comprising a plurality of tooth cleaning elements for cleaning a user’s teeth and gums; and a flosser attachment comprising: a floss holder configured to be detachably coupled to the handle; and a floss refill configured to be detachably coupled to the floss holder, the floss refill comprising a thread portion for flossing the user’s teeth.

[0007] In yet another aspect, the invention may be a personal care apparatus comprising: a handle comprising a gripping portion and a connection portion, the gripping portion comprising: a bottom end, a top end, and a length measured from the bottom end to the top end; a loop structure comprising a front surface, a rear surface, a first lateral side, a second lateral side, and a transverse through-hole that extends from the first lateral side to the second lateral side, the transverse through-hole extending along greater than 50% of the length of the gripping portion; the rear surface of the loop structure comprising a first arcuate portion adjacent to the bottom end of the gripping portion, a second arcuate portion adjacent to the top end of the gripping portion, and a flat portion located between the first and second arcuate portions; at least one treatment device configured to be detachably coupled to the connection portion of the handle; and wherein when the treatment device is coupled to the connection portion of the handle, the handle is configured to be self-supporting in a horizontal orientation with the flat portion of the rear surface of the gripping portion in contact with a horizontal support surface while maintaining the treatment device and the first and second arcuate portions of the gripping portion of the handle spaced from the horizontal support surface.

[0008] In still another aspect, the invention may be an oral care kit comprising: a handle; a brush attachment configured to be detachably coupled to the handle, the brush attachment comprising aplurality of tooth cleaning elements for cleaning a user’s teeth and gums; and an oral care attachment comprising: a holder configured to be detachably coupled to the handle; and a refill configured to be detachably coupled to the holder, the refill comprising a treatment portion for treating the user’s oral cavity

[0009] In a further aspect, the invention may be a personal care apparatus comprising: a handle comprising a gripping portion and a connection portion; a holder comprising a stem portion that is configured to be detachably coupled to the connection portion of the handle and a attachment portion; and a refill comprising a body portion that is configured to be detachably coupled to the attachment portion of the holder and a treatment portion configured to treat a portion of a user’s oral cavity.

[0010] Further areas of applicability of the present invention will become apparent from the detailed description provided hereinafter. It should be understood that the detailed description and specific examples, while indicating the preferred embodiment of the invention, are intended for purposes of illustration only and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention.BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0011] The present invention will become more fully understood from the detailed description and the accompanying drawings, wherein:

[0012] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an oral care kit including a handle, a brush attachment, and a flosser attachment in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention;

[0013] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the handle of FIG. 1 ;

[0014] FIG. 3 is a side view of the handle of FIG. 2;

[0015] FIG. 4 is an exploded view of the handle of FIG. 2;

[0016] FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken along line V-V of FIG. 2;

[0017] FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the brush attachment of FIG. 1 ;

[0018] FIGS. 7A and 7B are perspective views illustrating a detachable coupling of the brush attachment to the handle;

[0019] FIG. 8 is an exploded view of the flosser attachment of FIG. 1 illustrating a floss holder and a floss refill thereof;

[0020] FIG. 9 is a perspective view of the floss holder of FIG. 8;

[0021] FIG. 10 is a front view of the floss holder of FIG. 8;

[0022] FIG. 11 is a side view of the floss holder of FIG. 8;

[0023] FIG. 12A is a bottom perspective view of the floss refill of FIG. 8;

[0024] FIG. 12B is a top perspective view of the floss refill of FIG. 8;

[0025] FIG. 13 is a bottom view of the floss refill of FIG. 8;

[0026] FIGS. 14A and 14B are perspective views illustrating a detachable coupling of the floss holder to the handle;

[0027] FIGS. 15A and 15B are perspective views illustrating a detachable coupling of the floss refill to the floss holder;

[0028] FIG. 16 is a cross-sectional view taken along line XVI-XVI of FIG. 15B; and

[0029] FIG. 17 is a cross-sectional view of a personal care apparatus which includes the handle and the flosser attachment coupled thereto with the personal care apparatus resting atop of a horizontal support surface.DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0030] The following description of the preferred embodiment(s) is merely exemplary in nature and is in no way intended to limit the invention, its application, or uses.

[0031] The description of illustrative embodiments according to principles of the present invention is intended to be read in connection with the accompanying drawings, which are to be considered part of the entire written description. In the description of embodiments of the invention disclosed herein, any reference to direction or orientation is merely intended for convenience of description and is not intended in any way to limit the scope of the present invention. Relative terms such as “lower,” “upper,” “horizontal,” “vertical,” “above,” “below,” “up,” “down,” “top” and “bottom” as well as derivatives thereof (e.g., “horizontally,” “downwardly,” “upwardly,” etc.) should be construed to refer to the orientation as then described or as shown in the drawing under discussion. These relative terms are for convenience of description only and do not require that the apparatus be constructed or operated in a particular orientation unless explicitly indicated as such. Terms such as “attached,” “affixed,” “connected,” “coupled,” “interconnected,” and similar refer to a relationship wherein structures are secured or attached to one another either directly or indirectly through intervening structures, as well as both movable or rigid attachments or relationships, unless expressly described otherwise. Moreover, the features and benefits of the invention are illustrated by reference to the exemplified embodiments. Accordingly, the invention expresslyshould not be limited to such exemplary embodiments illustrating some possible non-limiting combination of features that may exist alone or in other combinations of features; the scope of the invention being defined by the claims appended hereto.

[0032] Referring first to FIG. 1, a personal care apparatus 1000 is illustrated in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. The personal care apparatus 1000 may generally comprise a handle 100, a treatment device such as a flosser attachment 200, and a treatment device such as a brush attachment 500. The personal care apparatus 1000 may also be referred to herein as an oral care kit, such that the oral care kit includes the handle 100, the flosser attachment 200, and the brush attachment 500. In some embodiments, the personal care apparatus (or the oral care kit) 1000 may include the handle 100 and the flosser attachment 200 only without requiring the brush attachment 500. The handle 100, the flosser attachment 200, and the brush attachment 500 may be sold together as a kit, or separately such that the handle 100 may be sold with either the flosser attachment 200 or the brush attachment 500 but not both. When sold separately, the flosser attachment 200 and / or the brush attachment 500 may be sold as an added product to be used with the handle 100 as a common handle that both the flosser attachment 200 and the brush attachment 500 are configured to be coupled to, as described herein.

[0033] The flosser attachment 200 may comprise a floss holder 300 and a floss refill 400. The floss holder 300 may be detachably coupled to the handle 100 and the floss refill 400 may be detachably coupled to the floss holder 300. The floss refill 400 may be a one-time use component, whereas the handle 100 and the floss holder 300 may be multiple use components. As such, after each use (or a small number of uses) the floss refill 400 may be detached from the floss holder 300 and replaced with a new floss refill 400 for the next flossing session. Thus, the only component of the flosser attachment 200 which is discarded after each use or after a small number of uses is the floss refill 400 which is formed from a relatively small amount of plastic.

[0034] The brush attachment 500 may also be detachably coupled to the handle 100. The brush attachment 500 may include bristles 550 useful for cleaning the teeth and gums of a user. Thus, the handle 100 may first be used with the flosser attachment 200 to clean the interproximal regions of a user’s teeth. Then, the flosser attachment 200 may be detached from the handle 100 and the brush attachment 500 may be attached to the handle 100 so that the user can clean his or her teeth and gums. Of course, the brush attachment 500 may be used first, followed by the flosser attachment 200, depending on the user’s desires and / or guidance from a dental health professional.Thus, the same handle 100 may be used with the flosser attachment 200 and the brush attachment 500 to provide the user with a simple tool for cleaning interproximal tooth regions as well as the outer surfaces of the teeth and gums.

[0035] Referring to FIGS. 2 and 3, the handle 100 will be described in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. The handle 100 generally comprises a gripping portion 110 and a connection portion 150. The gripping portion 110 extends from a bottom end 111 to a top end 112 along a longitudinal axis A- A. The gripping portion 110 may be elongated along the longitudinal axis A- A. The gripping portion 110 may have a length LI measured from the bottom end 111 to the top end 112.

[0036] The connection portion 150 may comprise a handle stem 151 that protrudes from the top end 112 of the gripping portion 110. The handle stem 151 may comprise various features, such as alignment protrusions 152, downward facing shoulders 153, and the like to facilitate the connection to one of the floss holder 200 or the brush refill 500 depending on which is to be used at a given time. In alternative embodiments, the connection portion 150 may comprise a cavity or recess formed into the top end 112 of the gripping portion 110 that is configured to receive a portion of the brush refill 500 or the floss holder 200 to facilitate the attachment of the brush refill 500 or the floss holder 200 to the handle 100. The exact structure of the connection portion 150 is not intended to be limiting of the invention described herein unless so specified in the claims. Generally, the connection portion 150 of the handle 100 may have any structure that is designed to facilitate a detachable coupling to the floss holder 200 and / or the brush refill 500. In some embodiments, the floss holder 200 and the brush refill 500 may be configured for attachment to the handle 100 by translating the floss holder 200 or the brush refill 500 towards the connection portion 150 until a locking engagement is achieved. In such an embodiment, the floss holder 200 or the brush refill 500 may be detached from the handle 100 by pulling the floss holder 200 / brush refill 500 and the handle 100 in opposite directions with a pulling force sufficient to overcome the locking engagement.

[0037] The gripping portion 110 of the handle 100 may comprise a loop structure 113 that defines a through-hole 120. The loop structure 113 may have a ring-like shape, in that it forms an enclosed shape that defines an opening (i.e., the through-hole 120). As used herein, ring-like is not limited to a circular shape but may include closed geometric shapes that surround an opening and have any shape including oval, square, rectangular, triangular, or the like. The loop structure 113 maycomprise a front surface 114, a rear surface 1 15, a first lateral side 116, and a second lateral side 117. The loop structure 113 also comprises an inner surface 118 that surrounds and forms a boundary of the through-hole 120. The front surface 114 may be the surface that faces the user when the personal care implement 1000 is being used to clean the user’s teeth and gums. That is, when the brush refill 500 is attached to the handle 100, for example, the tooth cleaning elements 550 may be located on the same side as the front surface 114 of the gripping portion 110 of the handle 100.

[0038] The through-hole 120 may be a transverse through-hole that extends from the first lateral side 116 to the second lateral side 117 in a direction transverse to the longitudinal axis A- A. The through-hole 120 may have a generally oval shape, although the invention is not to be so limited and other shapes such as circular, square, triangular, or the like may be used in other embodiments. The through-hole 120 may have a length L2 that is at least 50% of the length LI of the gripping portion 110 of the handle 100. More specifically, the length L2 may be at least 60%, or at least 70%, or at least 80%, or at least 85% of the length LI of the gripping portion 110 of the handle 100. In one particular embodiment, the length L2 of the through-hole 120 may be at least 85% of the length L2 of the gripping portion 110 of the handle 100. The through-hole 120 may be sufficiently sized so that four fingers of a user’s hand (excluding the thumb) may fit through the through-hole 120 to facilitate a comfortable grip for the user. Specifically, the user may insert their fingers through the through-hole 120 and grip either the front portion (which includes the front surface 114) or the rear portion (which includes the rear surface 115) of the gripping portion 110 of the handle 100. Of course, depending on the size of the user’s hand the full hand may fit through the through-hole 120. An alternative grip may be used whereby the user grips their hand around the exterior of the handle 100 without inserting any fingers into the through-hole 120. Thus, the shape and structure of the gripping portion 110 of the handle 100 provides a user with gripping options to suit their comfort level and their dexterity level.

[0039] The rear surface 115 of the loop structure 113 may be arcuate or curved. In particular, the rear surface 115 of the loop structure 113 may comprise a first arcuate portion 121 that is adjacent to the bottom end 111 of the gripping portion 110, a second arcuate portion 122 that is adjacent to the top end 112 of the gripping portion 110, and a flat portion 123 that is located between the first and second arcuate portions 121, 122. The first and second arcuate portions 121, 122 may be convex and the flat portion may be planar. Thus, the rear surface 115 may be convex in thedirection of the longitudinal axis A-A along the first arcuate portion 121 from the bottom end 1 11 to a first end of the flat portion 123 and the rear surface 115 may be convex in the direction of the longitudinal axis A-A along the second arcuate portion 121 from the top end 111 to a second end of the flat portion 123. The flat portion 123 may be planar or flat in the direction of the longitudinal axis A-A. The flat portion 123 may be centrally located along the rear segment of the loop structure 113. The flat portion 123 may be parallel to the longitudinal axis A-A. The flat portion 123 may allow the handle 100 to be self-maintained in a horizontal orientation when positioned on a horizontal support surface, as discussed below with reference to FIG. 17.

[0040] Referring to FIGS. 4 and 5, the handle 100 may comprise an outer component 130 and an inner component 140. The outer component 130 may comprise an outer loop portion 131 of the gripping portion 110 and the connection portion 150. That is, the outer loop component 130 may be a monolithic component that comprises the outer loop portion 131 of the gripping portion 110 and the connection portion 150. The outer loop component 130 may be formed from a hard plastic material, such as polypropylene, polyethylene, acrylonitrile butadiene styrene, or similar hard plastic materials. In other embodiments, the outer loop component 130 may be formed from other hard materials, such as metal or wood. The inner component 140 may comprise an inner loop portion 141 of the gripping portion 110 of the handle 100. The inner component 140 may be formed from a resilient material, such as silicone, thermoplastic elastomers, thermoplastic polyurethane, rubbers, or the like.

[0041] The outer loop portion 131 of the outer component 130 may comprise the front and rear surfaces 114, 115 of the gripping portion 110 of the handle 100. The front and rear surfaces 114, 115 of the gripping portion 110 of the handle 100 may collectively form at least a portion of the exposed outer surface of the gripping portion 110 of the handle 100. The outer loop portion 131 of the outer component 130 may further comprise an inner surface 132 that surrounds an opening or an open space 133. The inner component 140 may be positioned within the opening or open space 133 and may be coupled to the inner surface 132 of the outer loop portion 131 of the outer component 130. Thus, the inner surface of the inner component 140 may form the inner surface 118 of the loop structure 113. The inner component 140 may be bonded to the outer component 130 during the injection molding of the handle 100. Alternatively, adhesives, ultrasonic welding, or the like may be used to facilitate the attachment of the inner component 140 to the outer component 130. The inner component 140 may form a soft, resilient interior gripping surface forthe gripping portion 110 of the handle 100 to further benefit people with dexterity limitations and assist them in achieving a better grip on the personal care apparatus 1000 during use, which may occur in wet environments.

[0042] Referring to FIG. 6, the brush refill 500 will be described. The brush refill (also referred to herein as a brush attachment) 500 generally comprises a stem portion 510 and a head portion 520. In the exemplified embodiment, the stem portion 510 is an elongated tubular structure that extends from a proximal end 511 to a distal end 512. The stem portion 510 comprises a connection feature 501 to facilitate the coupling of the brush refill 500 to the connection portion 150 of the handle 100. In the exemplified embodiment, the connection feature 501 comprises a cavity 502 in the proximal end 511 of the stem portion 510 of the brush refill 500 that is configured to receive the handle stem 151 to facilitate the coupling of the brush refill 500 to the handle 100. The cavity 502 may have a shape that is designed to receive the shape of the handle stem 151 including the alignment protrusions 152 and the like. The cavity 502 may also include structure designed to engage the downward facing shoulder of the handle stem 151 to form a locking engagement to secure the brush refill 500 to the handle 100. As described above, in other embodiments the handle 100 may comprise a cavity that receives a stem of the brush refill 500 to facilitate the coupling of the brush refill 500 to the handle 100. Further alternatives for the detachable coupling between the brush refill 500 and the handle 100 may include structures with screw threads, snap-fit features, interference fit features, or the like. In some embodiments, one of the brush refill 500 and the handle 100 comprises a male connection feature and the other one of the brush refill 500 and the handle 100 comprises a female connection feature that is configured to mate or engage with the male connection feature to facilitate the detachable coupling of the brush refill 500 to the handle 100. Either of the brush refill 500 and the handle 100 may comprise the male connection feature or the female connection feature.

[0043] The head portion 520 of the brush refill 500 comprises a structural head 521 formed integrally with the stem portion 510 and the tooth cleaning elements 550 described previously. The structural head 521 and the stem portion 510 may be integrally formed from a hard plastic material. The structural head 521 may comprise a front surface 522 and a rear surface 523 opposite the front surface 522. The tooth cleaning elements 550 may be coupled to the structural head 521 and may extend from the front surface 522 of the structural head 521. The tooth cleaning elements 550 may be arranged in any pattern and may extend from the front surface 522 of the structuralhead 521 perpendicularly or in any desired angle. Thus, the specific pattern and arrangement of the tooth cleaning elements 550 is not to be limiting of the invention in all embodiments. While not shown in the exemplified embodiment, there may be a soft tissue or tongue cleaner on the rear surface 523 of the structural head 521. The soft tissue or tongue cleaner may be formed from a resilient material such as a thermoplastic elastomer and may include nubs or ridges for engaging and cleaning the tongue and other soft tissue surfaces of the user’s e oral cavity.

[0044] The tooth cleaning elements 550 may be coupled to the structural head 521 using known techniques, including staples, in-mold tufting, anchor-free tufting, PTt, or the like. As used herein, the term "tooth cleaning elements" may be used in a generic sense to refer to any structure that can be used to clean, polish, or wipe the teeth and / or soft oral tissue (e.g., tongue, cheek, gums, etc.) through relative surface contact. Common examples of "tooth cleaning elements" include, without limitation, bristle tufts, filament 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. Thus, any combination of these tooth cleaning elements may be used as the tooth cleaning elements 550 described herein. Furthermore, where bristles are used for one or more of the tooth cleaning elements 550, such bristles can be tapered, end-rounded, spiral, or the like. In the exemplified embodiment, all of the tooth cleaning elements 550 are bristles, although this is not required any other materials such as those described above may be used.

[0045] Referring to FIGS. 7A and 7B, figures are provided to illustrate the attachment of the brush refill 500 to the handle 100. In FIG. 7A, the brush refill 500 is positioned above the distal end of the handle stem 151 with the proximal end 511 of the stem portion 510 of the brush refill 500 adjacent to and facing the handle stem 150. Next, the brush refill 500 is lowered towards the handle 100 (or the handle 100 is raised towards the brush refill 500) until the handle stem 151 of the connection portion 150 enters into the cavity 502 of the brush refill 500. Finally, a slight connecting force is applied onto the brush refill 500 and / or the handle 100 to force the brush refill 500 and the handle stem 151 to engage each other to form a detachable coupling therebetween. When attached as described above, the handle stem 151 nests within the cavity 502 of the brush refill 500. As also described above, in other embodiments the brush refill 500 may have a stem that nests within a cavity of the handle 100, or other techniques for attaching the brush refill 500 to the handle 100 in a detachable manner may be used. In the exemplified embodiment, reversingthe steps noted above will detach the brush refill 500 from the handle 100. That is, a user can grip the brush refill 500 and the handle 100 and apply a pulling force onto one or both of the brush refill 500 and the handle 100 to pull them away from one another, thereby disengaging the connection feature 501 of the brush refill 500 and the connection feature 150 of the handle 100. In this way, the brush refill 500 can be repeatedly coupled to and separated from the handle 100.

[0046] Referring to FIG. 8, the flosser attachment 200 is illustrated in an exploded or detached configuration. As noted above, the flosser attachment 200 comprises the floss handle 300 and the floss refill 400. The floss handle 300 is configured to be repeatedly attached to and detached from the handle 100 and is configured to be reused. The floss refill 400 is configured to be attached to and detached from the floss handle 300 and is configured to be one-time (or two or three time, but generally not more than that) use. This configuration may save on plastic waste since only the floss refill 400 is replaced after each use or each couple of uses, and the floss handle 300 which includes connection features to facilitate attachment to the handle 100 can be reused. The floss refill 400 comprises a small volume of plastic, especially as compared to the floss handle 300 and the handle 100 which are reusable parts. The floss refill 400 is configured to be snap-fit connected to the floss handle 300 and then separated from the floss handle 300 after use and discarded. While a snap-fit connection is used in the exemplified embodiment, the floss refill 400 may be coupled to the floss handle 300 in other ways in other embodiments. The floss refill 400 may be capable of use more than once, although after one or a couple of uses the thread or string of floss of the floss refill 400 may lose its rigidity and tautness and may therefore be of reduced effectiveness in cleaning interproximal tooth regions.

[0047] Referring to FIGS. 9-11, the floss holder 300 will be described in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. The floss holder 300 may be formed from a hard plastic material, such as polypropylene, polyethylene, acrylonitrile butadiene styrene, or other hard plastic materials with similar properties and / or characteristics. In other embodiments, the floss holder 300 may be formed from other materials, such as wood, metal, or the like. The floss holder 300 generally comprises a stem portion 310 that extends from a proximal end 311 to a distal end 312 and a refill attachment portion 320 that is coupled to the distal end 312 of the stem portion 310. The floss holder 300 may be a monolithic structure comprising the stem portion 310 and the refill attachment portion 320 as a single unitary structure.

[0048] The stem portion 310 of the floss holder 300 may be a similar structure to the stem portion 510 of the brush refill 500, although it need not have an identical shape. Specifically, the stem portion 310 of the floss holder 300 may comprise a connection feature 301 that is configured to facilitate the connection between the floss holder 300 and the handle stem 151. In the exemplified embodiment, the connection feature 301 comprises a cavity 302 in the proximal end 311 of the stem portion 310 having a shape that corresponds to the shape of the handle stem 151 so that the handle stem 151 may nest within the cavity 302 of the floss holder 300 when the floss holder 300 is coupled to the handle 100. Of course, alternative structures may be used such as having the connection feature 301 of the floss holder 300 be s stem or protuberance that nests within a cavity of the handle 100 that is used in place of the handle stem 151. Other connection features may be used, such as screw threads or the like, in other embodiments so long as the floss holder 300 is configured to be detachably coupled to the handle 100. The modifications discussed above with regard to the brush refill 500 and the handle 100 are also applicable to the floss holder 300 and the handle 100.

[0049] The refill attachment portion 320 of the floss holder 300 is coupled to and extends from the distal end 312 of the stem portion 310 of the floss holder 300. The refill attachment portion 320 of the floss holder 300 may comprise a U-shaped member 321 to which the floss refill 400 is configured to be attached. The U-shaped member 321 of the refill attachment portion 320 may comprise a first attachment arm 322 and a second attachment arm 323 that extend from the stem portion 310 of the floss holder 300 in a spaced apart manner. The first and second attachment arms 322, 323 may be integrally connected at a base portion 324 of the refill attachment portion 320 of the floss holder 300. Alternatively, each of the first and second attachment arms 322, 323 may extend separately and distinctly from the distal end 312 of the stem portion 310 of the floss holder 300. In the exemplified embodiment, the U-shaped member 321 has flat top and bottom surfaces, although the top and bottom surfaces may be rounded or the like in other embodiments. The term “U-shaped” is not intended to be limited to only a shape that looks identical to the letter U, but may include V-shapes, W shapes and other shapes that are similar to the letter U even if having different curvatures, angles, and the like.

[0050] While the refill attachment portion 320 is illustrated as the U-shaped member 321 in the exemplified embodiment, the invention is not to be so limited in all embodiments. That is, the refill attachment portion 320 may take on still other shapes in other embodiments, and may in facthave any desired shape or structure so long as it forms a location for attachment of the floss refill 400 to the floss handle 300 as described herein. For example, the refill attachment portion 320 could simply be a rod-shaped, circle shaped, semi-circle shaped, square shaped, or other shaped feature that extends from the distal end 312 of the stem portion 310 of the floss holder 300 and is intended to mate or engage with a feature on the floss refill 400 to facilitate an attachment of the floss refill 400 to the floss holder 300. In still other embodiments, the floss refill 400 may have a male feature that engages a female feature of the floss holder 300 which forms the refill attachment portion 320. The U-shaped member 321 in the exemplified embodiment is similar to the overall shape of the floss refill 400, which may allow for a robust detachable connection between the floss refill 400 and the floss holder 300. However, the refill attachment portion 320 need not have a similar shape to the overall shape of the floss refill 400 in all embodiments.

[0051] The floss holder 300 has a front surface 303 and a rear surface 304 that collectively form at least a portion of the outer surface of the floss holder. Furthermore, the floss holder 300 comprises a bottom end 305 that is formed by the proximal end 311 of the stem portion 310 and a top end 306 that is formed by a distal end of the floss attachment portion 320. In the exemplified embodiment, the front surface 303 of the floss holder 300 is continuously concave from the bottom end 305 to the top end 306. Furthermore, the rear surface 304 of the floss holder 300 is continuously convex from the bottom end 305 to the top end 306. Thus, the concave shape of the front surface 303 extends continuously along the stem portion 310 and the refill attachment portion 320. Similarly, the convex shape of the rear surface 304 extends continuously along the stem portion 310 and the refill attachment portion 320. This may create a desirable aesthetic and may also ensure that the strand of floss (which forms part of the floss refill 400 as described above) is positioned in an optimal location to allow a user to comfortably grip the handle 100 while inserting the strand of floss into the interproximal teeth regions.

[0052] Referring to FIGS. 12A, 12B, and 13, the floss refill 400 will be described. As noted above, the floss refill 400 is designed and configured to be detachably coupled to the refill attachment portion 320 of the floss holder 300. Specifically, the floss refill 400 comprises a body portion 410 that is configured to be detachably coupled to the refill attachment portion 320 of the floss holder 300 and a thread portion 450 that is configured to clean a user’s interproximal teeth regions. The thread portion 450 may be fixedly attached to the body portion 410 by the manufacturer so that the floss refill 400 is sold with the thread portion 450 already attached to the body portion 410.The body portion 410 of the floss refill 400 may be configured to be snap-fit connected to the refill attachment portion 320 of the floss holder 300, although other techniques may be used in other embodiments as described herein. The thread portion 450 may be a strand of floss and may be formed from nylon (waxed or un waxed) or other materials commonly used for floss, such as silk, polytetrafluorethylene (e.g., Teflon), or the like. The floss refill 400 may be a one-time use component, although it may be used more than once depending on the integrity of the thread portion 450 after each use.

[0053] The body portion 410 of the floss refill 400 may be U-shaped. As discussed above, the term U-shaped is not limited to a shape which is exactly like the letter U but may include V shapes, W shapes, and other shapes which include two arms that are spaced from one another like the letter U. The body portion 410 of the floss refill 400 comprises a first arm portion 411 and a second arm portion 412 that is spaced apart from the first arm portion 411. The body portion 410 is a monolithic, integral component such that the first and second arm portions 411, 412 are both attached to a base portion or bight portion 413 of the body portion 410. The first arm portion 411 has an inner surface 414 and the second arm portion 412 has an inner surface 415. The inner surfaces 414, 415 of the first and second arm portions 411, 412 face one another and are spaced apart from one another by a gap 416.

[0054] The thread portion 450 may be coupled to the first arm portion 411 and to the second arm portion 412 and may extend into the gap 416 between the inner surfaces 414, 415 of the first and second arm portions 411, 412. The thread portion 450 may be coupled to the first and second arm portions 411, 412 using various techniques, including injection molding the body portion 410 around the thread portion 450, ultrasonically welding the ends of the thread portion 450 to the first and second arm portions 411, 412, forming knots in the first and second ends of the thread portion 450, using adhesives or other bonding materials, or the like. The thread portion 450 should extend across the gap 416 in a taut manner so that the thread portion 450 is stretched or pulled tight as it extends between the inner surfaces 414, 415 of the first and second arm portions 411, 412. This will allow the thread portion 450 to be used as a dental floss. That is, if the thread portion 450 is loose it will be difficult for a user to insert the thread portion 450 into the interproximal tooth regions. Sometimes, the thread portion 450 may become loose after a single use, which may make it difficult for the floss refill 400 to be used more than one time. As such, the floss refill 400 maybe designated as a one-time use component. As discussed herein, it may be possible to use the floss refill 400 more than once in some embodiments, up to perhaps two or three times.

[0055] The body portion 410 of the floss refill 400 may comprise a first surface 420 and a second surface 421 opposite the first surface 420. The first surface 420 may be a bottom surface and the second surface 421 may be a top surface. In other embodiments, the first surface 420 may be the top surface and the second surface 421 may be the bottom surface. The importance of this distinction will be discussed below during the description of the coupling of the floss refill 400 to the floss handle 300. The first and second surfaces 420, 421 may each have the general U shape of the body portion 410.

[0056] In the exemplified embodiment, the first surface 420 of the body portion 410 comprises a cavity 422. The cavity 422 is defined by a floor 423 and a sidewall 424. The floor 423 may be U- shaped. The sidewall 424 may extend along the periphery of the floor 423 such that the sidewall 424 may substantially surround the floor 423. The sidewall 424 may comprise an inner sidewall portion 426 that forms the inner surfaces 414, 415 of the first and second arm portions 411, 412 and an outer sidewall portion 427 that faces away from the gap 416 between the first and second arm portions 411, 412. The sidewall 424 may comprise a notch 425 along the bight portion 413 of the body portion 410 for receiving the stem portion 310 of the floss holder 300 when the floss refill 400 is attached to the floss holder 300. The notch 425 may be formed in the outer portion 427 of the sidewall 424 along the bight portion 413 of the body portion 410.

[0057] The sidewall 424 may comprise an inner surface 428 that faces the cavity 422. Furthermore, the sidewall 424 may comprise a lip 429 that protrudes from the inner surface 428 of the sidewall 424 into the cavity 422. The lip 429 may be located adjacent to a distal end of the sidewall 424. The lip 429 may assist with locking the floss refill 400 to the floss handle 500 via a snap-fit type arrangement. Specifically, the lip 429 may ensure that the attachment between the floss refill 400 and the floss handle 500 is sufficiently robust such that the floss refill 400 remains attached to the floss handle 500 during use, while also ensuring that the floss refill 400 may be detached from the floss handle 500 after use for replacement with a new floss refill 400. The body portion 410 may be thin, thereby providing the body portion 410 with flexibility. In particular, the sidewall 424 of the body portion 410 may be flexible which may improve the ability of the body portion 410 of the floss refill 400 to snap-fit connect to the floss holder 300.

[0058] The floss refill 400 may comprise a tab 430 that protrudes from the second surface 421 of the body portion 410. The tab 430 may extend from the second surface 421 of the body portion 410 at a non-perpendicular angle to provide the user with a feature to grab during detachment of the floss refill 400 from the floss holder 300. Specifically, the user may be able to pull upwardly on the tab 430 to detach the floss refill 400 from the floss holder 300 after use. The tab 430 may be located centrally along the body portion 410 of the floss refill 400 and may be aligned with the notch 425. The tab 430 may be aligned with the stem portion 310 of the floss holder 300 when the floss refill 400 is coupled to the floss holder 300.

[0059] Referring to FIGS. 14A and 14B, the coupling of the floss holder 300 to the handle 100 will be described. The floss holder 300 is coupled to the handle 100 in a manner that is very similar, if not identical to the manner in which the brush refill 200 is coupled to the handle 100 as described above with reference to FIGS. 7 A and 7B. The floss holder 300 is positioned with its bottom end 305 facing and adjacent to the handle stem 151. The floss holder 300 is then moved downwardly towards the handle 100 until the handle stem 151 enters into the cavity 302 in the bottom end 305 of the floss holder. A force is applied so that the connection feature 301 of the floss holder 300 engages the connection feature 150 of the handle 100. Pulling on the floss holder 300 and the handle 100 in opposite directions may detach the floss holder 300 from the handle 100.

[0060] In the exemplified embodiment, the connection feature 150 of the handle 100 is a male feature and the connection feature 301 of the floss handle 300 is a female feature. In other embodiments, the connection feature 150 of the handle 100 may be a female feature (e.g., a cavity or the like) and the connection feature 301 of the floss handle 300 may be a male feature (e.g., a protuberance or the like). Alternative connection features and techniques have been described herein. However, the floss handle 300 should be detachably coupled to the handle 100 so that the floss handle 300 may be detached from the handle 100 when not in use, for cleaning, or for other purposes.

[0061] In FIGS. 14A and 14B, the floss holder 300 is coupled to the handle 100 prior to coupling the floss refill 400 to the floss holder 300. In other embodiments, the floss refill 400 may be coupled to the floss holder 300 prior to coupling the floss holder 300 to the handle 100.

[0062] Turning now to FIGS. 15A, 15B, and 16, the coupling of the floss refill 400 to the floss handle 300 will be described in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. Asdescribed herein, the floss refill 400 may be snap-fit connected to the refill attachment portion 320 of the floss handle 300. The floss refill 400 may be positioned with the cavity 422 in the first surface 420 facing a top surface 330 of the refill attachment portion 320. The floss refill 400 may then be moved downwardly towards the top surface 330 of the refill attachment portion 320 until the refill attachment portion 320 begins to enter into the cavity 422 of the floss refill 400. During this process, the outer edges of the refill attachment portion 320 may abut against the lip 429 of the floss refill 400. Thus, a pressing force may be required to cause the inner and outer sidewalls portions 426, 427 to flex away from one another to provide a sufficient space therebetween for the refill attachment portion 320 to enter fully into the cavity 422 of the floss refill 400. Upon the refill attachment portion 320 being fully positioned within the cavity 422 of the floss refill 400, the inner and outer sidewall portions 426, 427 may bias back to their original positions, thereby securing the refill attachment portion 320 within the cavity 422 and completing the coupling of the floss refill 400 to the floss holder 300. When the floss refill 400 is coupled to the floss holder 300, a portion of the stem portion 310 of the floss holder 300 nests within the notch 425 of the floss refill 400.

[0063] As best seen in FIG. 16, the lip 429 may extend into the cavity so as to overlie at least a portion of the floss attachment portion 320 of the floss holder 300. This may prevent the floss attachment portion 320 of the floss holder 300 from being easily removed from the cavity 422 of the floss refill 400 without some purposeful force being applied by the user. Specifically, as described above, a user may apply a force or pressure onto the tab 430 to achieve a detachment of the floss refill 400 from the floss holder 300. FIG. 16 also illustrates the first and second refill arms 411, 412 of the floss refill 400 lying atop of the first and second attachment arms 322, 323 of the floss holder 300, respectively.

[0064] In the exemplified embodiment, the cavity 422 of the floss refill 400 is formed into the first surface 420 of the floss refill 400, which is the bottom surface of the floss refill 400. Thus, when the thread portion 450 is force into the user’s interproximal teeth regions during use, a force will be applied onto the floss refill 400 in the direction required to detach the floss refill 400 from the floss holder 300. That is, the direction of the force of the force applied onto the thread portion 450 during insertion of the thread portion 450 into the user’s interproximal teeth regions is the same direction as the force required to detach the floss refill 400 from the floss holder 300. The lip portion 429 and other engagement surfaces between the floss refill 400 and the floss holder 300may nonetheless ensure that the floss refill 400 does not detach from the floss holder 300 during normal use. In an alternative embodiment, the cavity 422 may be formed into the second surface 421 of the floss refill 400 so that the direction of the force applied onto the thread portion 450 during insertion of the thread portion 450 into the user’s interproximal teeth regions is the same direction as the force required to couple the floss refill 400 to the floss holder 300.

[0065] Moreover, while the exemplified embodiment shows one way that the floss refill 400 may be coupled to the floss holder 300, other possibilities exist. For example, the inner surfaces of the first and second attachment anus 322, 323 of the floss attachment portion 320 of the floss holder 300 may be slots that are configured to receive first and second arm portions of the floss refill 400 to slidably couple the floss refill 400 to the floss holder 300. In still other embodiments, the floss attachment portion 320 of the floss holder 300 may have a cavity that receives the floss refill 400. In still other embodiments, the floss refill 400 may have a separate connector part that extends from the U-shaped body portion 410 that attaches to a feature or part or component of the floss attachment portion 320 which may not need to be U-shaped in all embodiments. Thus, variations are possible for the structure and assembly of the device in accordance with the invention described herein.

[0066] Referring to FIG. 17, the personal care apparatus 1000 is shown resting on a horizontal support surface 600. In FIG. 17, the flosser attachment 200 including the floss holder 300 and the floss refill 400 are coupled to the handle 100. However, the personal care apparatus 1000 could also be resting on the horizontal support surface with the brush refill 500 coupled thereto, or with neither the brush refill 500 or the flosser attachment 200 coupled thereto. As discussed above, the handle 100 may rest atop of the horizontal support surface 600 with the flat portion 123 of the handle 100 in contact with the horizontal support surface 600. When so positioned, the handle 100 may be self-supported in this horizontal position. Furthermore, when so positioned the first and second arcuate portions 121, 122 of the handle 100 may not be in contact with the horizontal support surface 600. Further still, no portion of the flosser attachment 200 (or the brush refill 500 if the brush refill 500 were attached to the handle 100) may be in contact with the horizontal support surface 600. This may be important to some users to prevent the parts of the device that are intended to be positioned in the user’ s mouth from contacting the surface upon which the device rests when not in use for hygienic purposes.

[0067] In some embodiments, the floss refill 400 may come in different shapes or sizes so that a user can purchase the one which fits best with the shape and comfort of a user’s oral cavity. Furthermore, different users prefer different types of floss and thus different floss refills may have different types of floss or the like for customization.

[0068] Furthermore, while the invention has been described herein with reference to the floss refill 400, in other embodiments other types of refills may be used in addition to, or instead of, the floss refill. For example, the personal care implement (or oral care kit) 1000 may include a refill that is configured to engage and be coupled to the holder 300, and the refill may comprise a treatment portion for treating the user’s oral cavity, without being limited to floss. That is, the treatment portion may comprise thread or floss, or it may comprise a tongue cleaner, an interproximal cleaner or brush, a mirror, or other types of devices commonly used during oral care or treatment. While a mirror may not directly treat a user’s oral cavity, it may be useful in the treatment of a user’s oral cavity and thus may be deemed a treatment portion for treating a user’s oral cavity. Furthermore, other treatment devices in addition to the ones mentioned herein may be used and formed as part of the refill in other embodiments.

[0069] Thus, the user may select from a set of refills including a floss refill, a tongue cleaner refill, an interproximal cleaner refill, a mirror refill, or the like and may detachably couple the selected refill to the holder at a given time during an oral care treatment. Such embodiments would still include the holder that is directly coupled to the handle, but the refill which is configured to be attached to the holder may be modified for different treatments. The oral care kit 1000 may include one type of refill or multiple types of refills. The different types of refills may also be sold separately. Moreover, not all of the refills noted need to be one-time use. For example, a mirror refill may be saved and reused over and over again, whereas a floss refill may be one or two-time use. An interproximal refill may be used once, or more than once, depending on the structural rigidity of the part and the ability to rinse it clean. A tongue cleaner refill may be reusable, particularly if it includes elastomeric materials. A tongue cleaner refill may also be one-time use, for example if the tongue cleaner refill is a tongue scraper. However, generally a tongue cleaner refill may be capable of being cleaned with water and reused.

[0070] As used throughout, ranges are used as shorthand for describing each and every value that is within the range. Any value within the range can be selected as the terminus of the range. In addition, all references cited herein are hereby incorporated by reference in their entireties. In theevent of a conflict in a definition in the present disclosure and that of a cited reference, the present disclosure controls.

[0071] While the invention has been described with respect to specific examples including presently preferred modes of carrying out the invention, those skilled in the art will appreciate that there are numerous variations and permutations of the above described systems and techniques. It is to 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. Thus, the spirit and scope of the invention should be construed broadly as set forth in the appended claims.

Claims

CLAIMSWHAT IS CLAIMED IS:

1. A personal care apparatus comprising: a handle comprising a gripping portion and a connection portion; a floss holder comprising a stem portion that is configured to be detachably coupled to the connection portion of the handle and a refill attachment portion; and a floss refill comprising a body portion that is configured to be detachably coupled to the refill attachment portion of the floss holder and a thread portion configured to clean a user’s interproximal teeth regions.

2. The personal care apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the gripping portion of the handle comprises a bottom end and a top end, wherein the connection portion of the handle comprises a handle stem protruding from the top end of the gripping portion, and wherein the stem portion of the floss holder comprises a cavity configured to receive the handle stem to facilitate detachably coupling the floss holder to the handle.

3. The personal care apparatus according to claim 1 or claim 2 wherein the gripping portion of the handle comprises a loop structure having an inner surface that surrounds a through-hole and an outer surface having a front outer surface portion and a rear outer surface portion, wherein the rear outer surface portion has a first convex portion located adjacent to a bottom end of the gripping portion of the handle, a second convex portion located adjacent to a top end of the gripping portion of the handle, and a flat portion extending between the first and second convex portions, and wherein with the floss holder and the floss refill coupled to the handle, the handle is configured to rest in a self-supporting horizontal orientation with the flat portion in contact with a horizontal support surface while maintaining the floss holder and the floss refill spaced from the horizontal support surface.

4. The personal care apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3 wherein the handle comprises an outer component formed from a hard plastic and an inner component formed from a resilient material, the outer component comprising an outer loop portion having an inner surface and theinner component comprising an inner loop portion that is coupled to the inner surface of the outer loop portion, wherein the gripping portion of the handle comprises a through-hole that is configured to receive fingers of a user’s hand.

5. The personal care apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 4 further comprising: wherein the stem portion of the floss holder comprises a first end that is adjacent to the handle when the floss holder is detachably coupled to the handle and a second end opposite the first end; wherein the refill attachment portion of the floss holder comprises a U-shaped member extending from the second end of the stem portion of the floss holder; and wherein the floss refill is configured to be snap-fit to the U-shaped member of the refill attachment portion of the floss holder.

6. The personal care apparatus according to claim 5 wherein the body portion of the floss refill is U-shaped and comprises a first arm portion and a second arm portion, the first and second arm portions having inner surfaces that face one another, and wherein the thread portion of the floss refill is coupled to the first and second arm portions and extends between the inner surfaces of the first and second arm portions.

7. The personal care apparatus according to claim 5 or claim 6 wherein the body portion of the floss refill comprises a first surface and a second surface that is opposite the first surface, the first surface comprising a cavity, and wherein when the floss refill is detachably coupled to the refill attachment portion of the floss holder at least a portion of the U-shaped member of the refill attachment portion of the floss holder nests within the cavity of the body portion of the floss refill.

8. The personal care implement according to claim 7 wherein the body portion of the floss refill comprises a tab protruding from the second surface to facilitate detachment of the floss refill from the floss holder after use.

9. The personal care implement according to claim 8 wherein the tab is aligned with the stem portion of the floss holder when the floss refill is coupled to the floss holder.

10. The personal care implement according to any one of claims 7 to 9 wherein the body portion of the floss refill comprises a floor and a sidewall that collectively define the cavity, and further comprising a notch in the sidewall for receiving the stem portion of the floss holder when the floss refill is coupled to the floss holder, the sidewall comprising an inner surface having a lip that extends into the cavity to achieve the snap-fit between the floss refill and the refill attachment portion of the floss holder and to prevent the refill attachment portion from being removed from the cavity of the body portion of the floss refill without application of a user-applied removal force.

11. The personal care implement according to any one of claims 1 to 10 further comprising a brush refill comprising a stem portion configured to be detachably coupled to the connection portion of the handle and a head portion coupled to the stem portion, the head portion comprising a plurality of tooth cleaning elements configured to clean a user’s teeth and gums.

12. The personal care implement according to any one of claims 1 to 11 wherein the floss refill is a one-time use component and the floss holder is reusable with different ones of the floss refills.

13. The personal care implement according to any one of claims 1 to 12 wherein the floss holder comprises a bottom end, a top end, a front surface, and a rear surface, wherein the front surface is continuously concave from the bottom end to the top end and wherein the rear surface is continuously convex from the bottom end to the top end.

14. The personal care implement according to any one of claims 1 to 13 wherein the refill attachment portion of the floss holder comprises a first attachment arm and a second attachment arm extending from the stem portion of the floss holder in a spaced apart manner, wherein the body portion of the floss refill comprises a first refill arm and a second refill arm that are spaced apart from one another with the thread portion extending between the first and second refill arms, wherein the first and second refill aims of the floss refill are configured to lie atop of the first and second attachment arms of the refill attachment portion of the floss holder, respectively, when the floss refill is coupled to the refill attachment portion of the floss holder.

15. An oral care kit comprising: a handle; a brush attachment configured to be detachably coupled to the handle, the brush attachment comprising a plurality of tooth cleaning elements for cleaning a user’s teeth and gums; and a flosser attachment comprising: a floss holder configured to be detachably coupled to the handle; and a floss refill configured to be detachably coupled to the floss holder, the floss refill comprising a thread portion for flossing the user’s teeth.

16. The oral care kit according to claim 15 wherein the floss refill comprises a U-shaped body portion having a cavity and wherein the floss holder comprises a U-shaped attachment member that is configured to nest within the cavity of the U-shaped body portion of the floss refill when the floss refill is coupled to the floss holder.

17. The oral care kit according to claim 16 wherein the floss refill consists of the U-shaped body portion and the thread portion, and wherein the floss refill is a one-time use component that is configured to be snap-fit connected to the floss holder in a detachable manner.

18. The oral care kit according to any one of claims 16 to 17 wherein the U-shaped body portion of the floss refill comprises a first surface and a second surface opposite the first surface, the first surface comprising the cavity, and further comprising a tab protruding from the second surface to facilitate detachment of the floss refill from the floss holder after use.

19. The oral care kit according to any one of claims 15 to 18 further comprising: wherein the handle comprises a first connection feature; wherein the brush attachment comprises a second connection feature that is configured to engage the first connection feature of the handle to detachably couple the brush attachment to the handle; and wherein the floss holder comprises a third connection feature that is configured to engage the first connection feature of the handle to detachably couple the flosser holder to the handle.

20. The oral care kit according to any one of claims 15 to 19 wherein the floss holder comprises: a stem portion comprising a first end that is located adjacent to the handle when the floss holder is coupled to the handle and a second end; and a first attachment arm and a second attachment arm extending from the second end of the stem portion, wherein the floss refill is configured to be detachably coupled to the first and second attachment arms of the floss holder.

21. A personal care apparatus comprising: a handle comprising a gripping portion and a connection portion, the gripping portion comprising: a bottom end, a top end, and a length measured from the bottom end to the top end; a loop structure comprising a front surface, a rear surface, a first lateral side, a second lateral side, and a transverse through-hole that extends from the first lateral side to the second lateral side, the transverse through-hole extending along greater than 50% of the length of the gripping portion; the rear surface of the loop structure comprising a first arcuate portion adjacent to the bottom end of the gripping portion, a second arcuate portion adjacent to the top end of the gripping portion, and a flat portion located between the first and second arcuate portions; at least one treatment device configured to be detachably coupled to the connection portion of the handle; and wherein when the treatment device is coupled to the connection portion of the handle, the handle is configured to be self-supporting in a horizontal orientation with the flat portion of the rear surface of the gripping portion in contact with a horizontal support surface while maintaining the treatment device and the first and second arcuate portions of the gripping portion of the handle spaced from the horizontal support surface.

22. The personal care apparatus according to claim 21 wherein the at least one treatment device comprises a flosser attachment comprising a strand of floss configured for cleaning a user’s interproximal teeth regions.

23. The personal care apparatus according to claim 22 wherein the flosser attachment comprises: a floss holder configured to be detachably coupled to the handle; and a floss refill configured to be detachably coupled to the floss holder, the floss refill comprising the strand of floss.

24. An oral care kit comprising: a handle; a brush attachment configured to be detachably coupled to the handle, the brush attachment comprising a plurality of tooth cleaning elements for cleaning a user’s teeth and gums; and an oral care attachment comprising: a holder configured to be detachably coupled to the handle; and a refill configured to be detachably coupled to the holder, the refill comprising a treatment portion for treating the user’s oral cavity.

25. The oral care kit according to claim 24 wherein the refill comprises one of a tongue cleaner, an interproximal cleaner, a mirror, or floss.

26. A personal care apparatus comprising: a handle comprising a gripping portion and a connection portion; a holder comprising a stem portion that is configured to be detachably coupled to the connection portion of the handle and a attachment portion; and a refill comprising a body portion that is configured to be detachably coupled to the attachment portion of the holder and a treatment portion configured to treat a portion of a user’s oral cavity.

27. The personal care apparatus according to claim 26 wherein the refill comprises one of a tongue cleaner, an interproximal cleaner, a mirror, or floss.

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