ORAL CARE SYSTEM INCLUDING AN ORAL CARE IMPLEMENT AND A TRACKING FIXTURE, TRACKING FIXTURE THEREOF AND METHOD FOR ASSEMBLING THE SAME

Abstract

An oral care system (1000) comprising an oral care implement and a tracking attachment (200). The oral care implement may include a handle (110) and a head (120). The tracking attachment (200) is detachably coupled to the oral care implement. The tracking attachment (200) may include a housing (201) comprising a first housing portion (210) having an inner surface defining a first cavity and a second housing portion (250) having an inner surface defining a second cavity. The tracking attachment (200) may also include a tracking unit (202) configured to facilitate tracking at least one position, orientation, or movement of the oral care implement to which it is connected.A first part of the handle (107) can be located inside the first cavity and a second part of the handle (110) can be located inside the second cavity.

Description

ORAL CARE SYSTEM INCLUDING AN ORAL CARE IMPLEMENT AND A TRACKING FIXTURE, TRACKING FIXTURE THEREOF AND METHOD FOR ASSEMBLING THE SAME FIELD OF INVENTION The present description relates to the field of oral care systems, specifically to an oral care implement and a tracking attachment, the tracking attachment thereof, and a method for assembling the same. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION There's a current trend where people want more data about their daily habits readily available to them. For example, many people use watches and smartphones to track their daily activity, including counting steps, distance traveled, calories burned, and so on. However, this desire for information isn't limited to exercise and movement; it extends to all aspects of life, including oral care. One reason for this desire to gather information about a user's hygiene habits is to help parents ensure their children are brushing their teeth correctly. Consequently, expensive electronic oral care devices have been developed to track this data.However, there remains a need to improve these devices, both aesthetically and functionally, and in terms of price points. Therefore, there is a need for an oral care system that includes an oral care implement and a tracking attachment that easily clips onto the oral care implement in a removable manner. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to an oral care system comprising an oral care implement and a tracking attachment. In one embodiment, the invention relates to the tracking attachment itself. In another embodiment, the invention relates to a method of assembling the oral care system. In one aspect, the invention may be a tracking attachment for an oral care implement, the tracking attachment comprising: a housing defining a receiving cavity configured to receive a portion of an oral care implement, the housing comprising: a first portion of the housing extending from a first end to a second end and comprising a first connecting element, the first portion of the housing having an inner surface defining a first portion of the receiving cavity that is open at the first and second ends of the first portion of the housing;and a second housing portion extending from a first end to a second end and having a second connecting element corresponding to the first connecting element of the first housing portion for removably coupling the second housing portion to the first housing portion, the second housing portion having an inner surface defining a second receiving cavity portion that is open at the second end of the second housing portion; and a tracking unit configured to facilitate tracking at least one of the position, orientation, or movement of the oral care implement. In another aspect, the invention may be a tracking attachment for an oral care implement, the tracking attachment comprising: a housing composed of a rigid material, the housing having an outer surface and an inner surface defining a receiving cavity having an open upper end configured to receive a portion of the oral care implement; a plurality of visual markers composed of a tough material, each of the multiple visual markers being attached to the housing and projecting from the outer surface of the housing; and wherein the plurality of visual markers is configured to facilitate the tracking of at least one of a position, orientation, or movement of the oral care implement. In yet another aspect, the invention may be an oral care system comprising: an oral care implement comprising a handle and a head; and a tracking attachment coupled to the oral care implement, the tracking attachment comprising: a housing defining a receiving cavity within which a portion of the oral care implement is positioned, the housing comprising: a first portion of the housing having an inner surface defining a first portion of the receiving cavity; and a second portion of the housing having an inner surface defining a second portion of the receiving cavity, the second portion of the housing being removably coupled to the first portion of the housing; a tracking unit configured to facilitate the tracking of at least one position, orientation, or movement of a portion of the oral care implement;and wherein a first part of the handle is located within the first portion of the receiving cavity and a second part of the handle is located in the second part of the receiving cavity.; In yet another aspect, the invention may be an oral care system comprising: an oral care implement extending from a proximal end to a distal end along a longitudinal axis and having a proximal portion including the proximal end, the proximal portion of the oral care implement having a cross-sectional profile; a tracking attachment coupled to the oral care implement, the tracking attachment comprising: a housing extending from a first end to a second end and having an inner surface defining a cavity IVIA / a / ^UZl / UU1 U11 receiver, a first end of the receiving cavity is closed and a second end of the receiving cavity is open; and a tracking unit configured to facilitate tracking at least one of the oral care implement's positions, orientations, or movements; wherein a portion of the oral care implement is placed within the receiving cavity of the tracking attachment to couple the tracking attachment to the oral care implement, the second end of the tracking attachment being closer to the distal end of the oral care implement than the first end of the tracking attachment; and wherein the cross-sectional profile of the proximal portion of the oral care implement does not fit through the opening in the second end of the tracking attachment. In yet another aspect, the invention may be an oral care system comprising: an oral care implement comprising a handle and a head, the handle having a first alignment feature; a tracking attachment coupled to the oral care implement, the tracking attachment comprising: a housing having a second alignment feature; and a tracking unit configured to facilitate tracking at least one of the position, orientation, or movement of a part of the oral care implement; and wherein the first and second alignment features coincide with each other to maintain the tracking attachment and the oral care implement in a predetermined relative angular orientation. In yet another aspect, the invention may be an oral care system comprising: an oral care implement; a tracking attachment coupled to the oral care implement, the tracking attachment comprising: a housing having an inner surface defining a receiving cavity having a closed lower end and an open upper end, a support bolt extending from the lower end to a distal end; and a tracking unit configured to facilitate tracking at least one of the position, orientation, or movement of a part of the oral care implement; and wherein a part of the oral care implement is placed in the receiving cavity of the housing with a proximal end of the oral care implement resting on the distal end of the support bolt. In a further aspect, the invention may be a method of assembling an oral care system that includes an oral care implement and a tracking attachment, the tracking attachment comprising a tracking unit configured to facilitate the tracking of at least one position, orientation, or movement of a part of the oral care implement, the method comprising: aligning a first opening in a first end of a first portion of the tracking attachment housing with a distal end of the oral care implement, the first portion of the housing comprising a first part of a receiving cavity;insert the distal end of the oral care implement through the first opening at the first end of the first housing portion and into the first portion of the receiving cavity and move the first housing portion in a first direction towards a proximal end of the oral care implement until the first housing portion is prevented from moving further in the first direction due to contact between the first housing portion and the oral care implement; and removably attach a second housing portion to the first housing portion to close the first opening at the first end of the first housing portion, the first and second housing portions collectively forming a housing that defines the receiving cavity. Other 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 for illustrative purposes only and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES The present invention will be more fully understood from the detailed description and accompanying figures, where: Figure 1 is a front perspective view of an oral care system that includes an oral care implement and a tracking attachment coupled thereto in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 2 is a rear perspective view of the oral care system in Figure 1; Figure 3 is a front view of the oral care system in Figure 1; Figure 4 is an exploded front perspective view of the oral care system in Figure 1; Figure 5A is a front perspective view of a first portion of the tracking attachment housing of the oral care system of Figure 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 5B is a rear perspective view of the first component of Figure 5A; Figure 5C is a view of the underside of the first component of Figure 5A; Figure 5D is a cross-sectional view taken along line VD-VD of Figure 5A; Figure 6A is a top perspective view of a second portion of the tracking attachment housing of the oral care system of Figure 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention; IVIA / a / ¿U41 / UU1U11 Figure 6B is a perspective view of the underside of the second casing in Figure 6A; Figure 6C is a top view of the second housing in Figure 6A; Figure 6D is a cross-sectional view taken along the VID-VID line of Figure 6C; Figure 6E is a cross-sectional view taken along the VIE-VIE line of Figure 6C; Figures 7A and 7B are front and perspective views, respectively, of a first type of visual tracking fixation marker; Figures 8A and 8B are front and perspective views, respectively, of a second type of visual marker for tracking fixation; Figures 9A-9C schematically illustrate the process of coupling one of the visual markers of Figure 8A to the second portion of the tracking attachment housing of Figure 6A, according to an embodiment of the present invention; Figures 10A-10C illustrate the process of attaching the tracking attachment to the oral care implement, according to one embodiment of the present invention; Figure 11 is a partially cropped view of the oral care system as shown in Figure 10C; Figure 12 is a cross-sectional view taken along line XII-XII of Figure 3; and Figure 13 is a cross-sectional view along line XIII-XIII of Figure 3. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The following description of the preferred embodiment(s) is merely illustrative and in no way intends to limit the invention, its application or its uses. The description of the illustrative embodiments according to the principles of the present invention is intended to be read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, which are to be considered an integral part of the written description. In the description of the embodiments of the invention herein, any reference to direction or orientation is for the sake of descriptive convenience only and is not intended to limit the scope of the present invention. Relative terms such as “lower,” “upper,” “horizontal,” “vertical,” “on,” “below,” “above,” “down,” “superior,” and “inferior,” as well as derivatives thereof (e.g., “horizontally,” “downward,” “upward,” etc.), are to be construed as referring to the orientation being described or as shown in the figure under discussion.These relative terms are for the convenience of description only and do not require the apparatus to be constructed or operated. IVIA / a / ZUZ I / UU I U11 in a particular orientation unless explicitly stated otherwise. Terms such as “attached,” “fixed,” “connected,” “coupled,” “interconnected,” and the like refer to a relationship where the structures are secured or joined together, either directly or indirectly through intermediate structures, and also to both movable and rigid attachments or relationships, unless expressly described otherwise. Furthermore, the features and benefits of the invention are illustrated by reference to the exemplary embodiments. Accordingly, the invention is not expressly 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 is defined by the appended claims hereto. As used throughout this description, "ranges" is used as abbreviation to describe each and every value within the range. Any value within the range may be selected as the range term. Additionally, all references cited in this description are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety. In the event of a conflict between a definition in this description and that in a cited reference, this description shall prevail. Referring to Figures 1-4, an oral care implement 1000 according to one embodiment of the present invention will be described. The oral care system 1000 generally comprises an oral care implement 100 and a tracking attachment 200 that is removably coupled to the oral care implement 100. The tracking attachment 200 can be configured, alone or in combination with an external electronic device, such as a camera, processor, memory device, and software and / or algorithms, to track the position, orientation, movement, location in the oral cavity, or the like, of the oral care implement 100 to which it is attached. In some embodiments, the invention may be directed to the tracking attachment 200 itself, without the oral care implement 100 being a feature of the invention.In still other embodiments, the invention may be directed to a method of assembling the oral care system 1000 by attaching the tracking attachment 200 to the oral care implement 100. The tracking attachment 200 comprises a tracking unit 202 configured to track at least one position, orientation, movement, location in the oral cavity, or the like, of the oral care implement to which the tracking attachment 200 is attached. In the exemplary embodiment, the tracking unit 202 comprises a plurality of visual markers that are displayed by a camera to perform the tracking function. However, the invention is not to be limited, and in other embodiments, the tracking unit 202 may comprise an accelerometer, a gyroscope, IVIA / a / ^UZl / UU1 Olí sensors, or other electronic components that facilitate position, orientation, movement, or location tracking. In still other embodiments, the tracking unit 202 may include both visual markers as described herein, as well as one or more accelerometers, gyroscopes, or other sensors. In the example modality, oral care implement 100 is in the form of a manual toothbrush. However, in certain other modalities, oral care implement 100 may take other forms such as an electric toothbrush (with a vibrating cleaning head / section or some other type of movement), a tongue cleaner, a gum and soft tissue cleaner, a water jet dental cleaner, an interdental device, a dental polisher, a specially designed handled implement with tooth-connecting elements, or any other type of commonly used oral care implement.Furthermore, although described herein as an oral care implement, the device of the invention can also be a personal care implement, such that it is an implement used for personal care but not necessarily for oral care, such as a razor, a hairbrush, a makeup applicator, or the like. Therefore, it shall be understood that the inventive concepts described herein may be applied to any type of oral or personal care implement, unless a specific type of oral or personal care implement is specified in the claims. Oral care implement 100 extends from a proximal end 101 to a distal end 102 along a longitudinal axis AA. Oral care implement 100 includes a handle 110 that is normally held by a user during oral hygiene activities and a head 120 that includes features that perform the oral hygiene activities. The handle 110 includes the proximal end 101 of oral care implement 100, and the head 120 includes the distal end 102 of oral care implement 100. As noted previously, the handle 110 is the part of the oral care implement 100 that is typically held by a user during oral hygiene activities such as brushing. Therefore, the handle 110 is an elongated structure that provides the mechanism by which the user can hold and manipulate the oral care implement 100 during use. In the example embodiment, the handle 110 is generally illustrated with various contours for user comfort. In the example embodiment, the handle 110 is made of a rigid plastic material, such as, but not limited to, polymers and copolymers of ethylene, propylene, butadiene, vinyl compounds, and polyesters such as polyethylene terephthalate.More specifically, in the illustrative / uih u 11 modality, the handle 110 includes a base portion 111 made of a rigid plastic material such as polypropylene and a durable grip component 112 that covers parts of the base portion 111 to enhance user comfort. The durable grip component 112 may be made of a thermoplastic elastomer or similar material. The oral care implement 100 includes a protrusion 114 (i.e., an alignment feature) that interacts with a portion of the tracking attachment 200 to help secure the tracking attachment 200 to the oral care implement 100 and prevent relative axial and rotational movement between them when the tracking attachment 200 is engaged with the oral care implement 100. In the example embodiment, the protrusion 114 is integrally formed with the resilient gripping component 112, and is therefore composed of the resilient material, such as a thermoplastic elastomer. Of course, the invention is not limited, and in other embodiments, the protrusion 114 may be composed of the more rigid material of the base portion 111 of the handle 110. Furthermore, in still other embodiments, the protrusion 114 may be omitted. In the example embodiment, the oral care implement 100 includes a flexible support element 115 that forms the proximal end 101 of the handle 110. The flexible support element 115, which may be in the form of a suction cup, may be integrally formed with the robust gripping component 112, or it may be formed separately from the robust gripping component 112. In either case, the flexible support element 115 may be made of a robust material such as a thermoplastic elastomer. The flexible support element 115 may be configured to support the oral care implement 100 on a horizontal surface, such as a countertop or similar, in a vertical orientation.As can be seen (perhaps best in Figure 12), the flexible support element 115 is wider, in a direction transverse to the longitudinal axis AA, than the rigid base portion 111 of the handle 110 at the location where the flexible support element 115 connects to the rigid base portion 111. This will be discussed later, when we talk about the method of attaching the tracking attachment 200 to the oral care implement 100. The base portion 111 of the handle 110 is integrally formed with the head 120, and therefore the head 120 is also formed from a rigid plastic material such as polypropylene. Thus, in the example embodiment, the head 120 is integrally formed with the handle 110 as a single unit structure by means of molding, milling, machining, or another suitable process. However, in other embodiments, the handle 110 and the head 120 may be formed as separate components that are operatively connected at a later stage of the manufacturing process by any suitable technique known in the art, including, but not limited to, thermal or ultrasonic welding, a press fit, a coupling sleeve, threaded connection, adhesion, or fasteners. The head 120 has a front surface 121 from which dental cleaning elements 122 extend. Although in the exemplary embodiment all the dental cleaning elements 122 appear to be identical in material, structure, shape, and length, the invention is not to be limited in this respect in all embodiments. Therefore, the exact structure, pattern, orientation, and material of the dental cleaning elements 122 shall not limit the present invention unless so specified in the claims. Accordingly, as used herein, the term “dental cleaning elements” is used in a broad, generic sense to refer to any type of structure that can be used to clean, polish, or scrub the teeth and / or soft oral tissues (e.g., tongue, cheeks, gums, etc.) by relative surface contact.Common examples of “dental cleaning elements” include, but are not limited to, tufts of bristles, filament bristles, fiber bristles, nylon bristles, multi-component bristles (including spiral bristles and core-and-sheath bristles), rubber bristles, elastomeric protrusions, flexible polymer protrusions, combinations of these, and / or structures containing these materials or combinations thereof. Suitable elastomeric materials include any resilient, biocompatible material suitable for use in oral hygiene appliances. To provide optimal comfort and cleaning benefits, the elastomeric material of elements that bond with teeth or soft tissues has a hardness property in the Shore hardness range of A8 to A25. One suitable elastomeric material is the styrene-ethylene / butylene-styrene block copolymer (SEBS) manufactured by GLS Corporation.However, SEBS material from other manufacturers or other materials within and outside the stated hardness range can be used. The dental cleaning elements 122 of the present invention can be connected to the brush head 120 in any manner known in the art. For example, staples / anchors, in-mold insertion (IMT), or unattached insertion (AFT) can be used to mount the cleaning elements / tooth-bonding elements. In certain embodiments, the invention can be implemented with various combinations of stapled, IMT, or AFT bristles. In AFT, a plate or membrane is secured to the brush head, such as by ultrasonic welding. The bristles extend through the plate or membrane. The free ends of the bristles on one side of the plate or membrane perform the cleaning function. The ends of the bristles on the other side of the plate or membrane are heat-fused to anchor them in place. Any suitable form of cleaning element can be used in the broad practice of the present invention.Alternatively, the bristles could be mounted in blocks or sections of tufts by extending through suitable openings in the tuft blocks. IVIA / a / ^UZl / UU1 U11 so that the base of the bristles would be mounted inside or below the tuft block. The tracking attachment 200 is coupled to the oral care implement 100, as noted above. In the example embodiment, the tracking attachment 200 is purely structural and does not include any electrical components. Therefore, the tracking attachment 200 is free of a power supply, battery, processor, controller, sensors, electrodes, chips, printed circuit boards, circuits, resistors, capacitors, inductors, transistors, transformers, switches, fuses, conductors, or any other type of device that could be considered an electrical component.In contrast, the tracking attachment 200 is composed entirely of non-electrical components, and it does not house any electrical components (although in some embodiments, the oral care implement 100 may be powered and therefore house electrical components). However, even in such a situation, electrical components are not part of the tracking attachment 200, which remains free of any electrical components. Of course, alternative embodiments are possible where the tracking attachment 200 may include electrical components, such as any one or more of the components mentioned above, or specifically an accelerometer, gyroscope, or similar device. Although the tracking attachment 200 in the example configuration is free of electrical components, in some configurations the tracking attachment 200 may include visual markers that aid in tracking (described in more detail below). These visual markers can be lights, such as light-emitting diodes, or similar devices. In such configurations, the tracking attachment 200 may include electrical components. The Tracking Attachment 200 is configured to operate by tracking the movement characteristics of the oral care device 100 to which it is attached. The Tracking Attachment 200 is capable of doing this despite being free of electrical components in the example mode. When the Tracking Attachment 200 is attached to the oral care device and used in conjunction with a camera and specially formulated software and algorithms, the Tracking Attachment 200 assists in tracking the movement, position, orientation, or similar characteristics of the oral care device 100 of which it is a part.Specifically, one or more external electronic devices, including a camera, processor, memory device, and the necessary software and algorithms, can track the movement of the oral care implement 100 based on the location of various visual markers (described below) that are part of the tracking unit 202 of the tracking attachment 200. The structural features of the tracking attachment 200 will be described in detail herein. However, the algorithms, software, and processors used for this purpose... IVIA / a / 4U41 / UU1U11 tracking the movement of the oral care implement based on the visual markers of the tracking attachment 200 will not be described in great detail herein as it is not the focus of the present invention. In one embodiment, the algorithms, software, and processing that results are similar to those described in U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62 / 611,112, filed December 28, 2017, the entirety of which is incorporated herein by reference. The tracking attachment 200 comprises a housing 201 and a tracking unit 202. The housing 201 defines a receiving cavity having a closed lower end and an open upper end. In the example embodiment, the housing 201 comprises a first housing portion 210 and a second housing portion 250 that are removably joined together. Portions of the receiving cavity are formed by each of the first and second housing portions 210, 250, such that the receiving cavity is formed when the first and second housing portions 210, 250 are coupled together. In certain embodiments as described herein, the first housing portion 210 forms a first component of the tracking attachment 200, and the second housing portion 250 and the tracking unit 202 together form a second component of the tracking attachment.Therefore, in some embodiments, the tracking unit 202 is coupled to the second portion of the housing 250. In some embodiments, the tracking unit 202 may be integrated into the housing 201, and more specifically, integrated into the second portion of the housing 250. However, the invention is not to be limited in all embodiments, and the tracking unit 202 may also be alternatively coupled to the first portion of the housing 210, or the tracking unit 202 may be independent of the first and second portions of the housing 210, 250. In the modality example, the first and second housing portions 210, 250 are alterable between: (1) a fixed state, as shown in Figures 1-3, wherein the first and second housing portions 210, 220 are coupled together to form the housing 201 having a receiving cavity containing a portion of the handle 110 of the oral care implement 100; and (2) a disconnected state, as shown in Figure 4, wherein the first and second housing portions 210, 250 are independent of each other and of the oral care implement 100. The tracking attachment 200 can be easily coupled to and decoupled from the oral care implement 100.As a result, the same 200 tracking attachment can be used with multiple different 100 oral care implements belonging to the same user (for example, when the user needs to replace their oral care implement) or different users (for example, family members living together can share the 200 tracking attachment). The 200 tracking attachment is not inserted into a user's mouth, but rather held in place. IVIA / a / ^UZl / UU1 U11 in the hand of a user, and therefore the 200 tracking fixation will not spread germs when used by multiple users. Returning to Figures 5A-5D, the first portion of the housing 210 of the tracking attachment 200 will be described in detail. The first portion of the housing 210 extends from a first end 211 to a second end 212 along a shaft BB. In the example modality, the first portion of the housing 210 is formed from a rigid material. These rigid materials may include hard plastics such as acrylonitrile butadiene styrene or any of the materials indicated above to form the handle 110. As can be seen from the description below, the first portion of the housing 210 generally forms a sleeve that circumferentially surrounds a portion of the oral care implement 100, with other portions of the oral care implement 100 protruding from both the first and second ends 211, 212 of the first portion of the housing 210. This will be discussed and described in further detail later.The first portion of the housing 210 has an outer surface 213 and an inner surface 214, the inner surface 214 defining a first portion of the receiving cavity 215. The first portion of the housing 210 includes a first opening 216 at the first end 211 and a second opening 217 at the second end 212. Therefore, the first portion of the receiving cavity 215 is open at both the first and second ends 211, 212 of the first portion of the housing 210. In the modality example, the first portion of the receiving cavity 215 (or at least a part of it) is generally shaped like a Reuleaux triangle (or a rounded triangle), as best seen in Figure 5C.However, the invention is not to be limited, and the shape of the first part of the receiving cavity 215 may be modified as desired or necessary to facilitate proper coupling of the first portion of the housing 210 to the oral care implement 100, either by interference fit as described herein or by other means. Therefore, the first portion of the receiving cavity 215 may be circular, square, triangular, or similar as desired. The first housing portion 210 comprises a first connecting element 218 that facilitates coupling the first housing portion 210 to the second housing portion 250, described in more detail below. In the example embodiment, the first connecting element 218 comprises a plurality of tabs extending inward from the inner surface 214 of the first housing portion 210 into the first receiving cavity portion 215 at the first end 211 of the first housing portion 210. The plurality of tabs is circumferentially spaced from one another and engages similar tabs on the second housing portion 250 to facilitate attaching the first housing portion 210 to the second housing portion 250, as described in more detail below. The first housing portion 210 also comprises a locking protrusion 222 adjacent to one end of the first connecting element 218. The locking protrusion 222 projects from the inner surface 214 of the first housing portion 210 and extends from each of the tabs of the first connecting element 218 in an outward direction from the first end 211 of the first housing portion 210. During coupling of the first housing portion 210 to the second housing portion 250, the locking protrusion 222 passes through a locking protrusion of the second housing portion 250 to lock the first and second housing portions 210, 250 together in a mated state.As the locking protrusion 222 passes over the locking protrusions of the second housing portion 250 (discussed in more detail below), an audible click sound will be heard, letting the user know that the two housing parts have been properly locked together. In the example modality, the first portion of the receiving cavity 215 has a cross-sectional area that decreases with the distance from the first end 211 of the first portion of the housing 210 to the second end 212 of the first portion of the housing 210. In other words, the first portion of the receiving cavity 215 tapers from the first end 211 of the first portion of the housing 210 to the second end 212 of the first portion of the housing 210. In the example modality, the decrease in cross-sectional area is continuous from the first end 211 to the second end 212, although this is not necessary in all modalities. Specifically, in some other modalities, the first part of the receiving cavity 215 may be conical in some regions and non-conical in others.In the example configuration, the first part of the receiving cavity 215 has a minimum cross-sectional area at the second end 212 of the first portion of the housing 210. Therefore, the second opening 217 at the second end 212 of the first portion of the housing 210 has a smaller cross-sectional area than the first opening 216 at the first end 211 of the first portion of the housing 210. As described below, this facilitates attachment between the first portion of the housing 210 and the oral care implement 100 by using an interference fit. The first portion of the housing 210 has a flared portion 219 that terminates at the first end 211. The slope of the inner surface 214 of the first portion of the housing 210 is steeper along the flared portion 219 than along the rest of the first portion of the housing 210.The flared portion 219 facilitates the creation of a wash-off connection between the first and second housing portions 210, 250, as described in more detail below. Furthermore, the first housing portion 210 comprises an alignment pin 249 extending downward from the inner surface 214 and protruding past the first end 211 of the first housing portion 210. The alignment pin 249 extends in a direction parallel to the BB axis, although this is not required in all embodiments. The alignment pin 249 ensures that the first and second housing portions 210 are correctly angularly aligned when mated together. Specifically, the alignment pin 249 interacts with an alignment recess in the second housing 250 (described below) such that the first and second housing portions 210, 250 only mate with each other in a single angular alignment with respect to one another.This may be necessary to ensure that the visual markers 290 (described below) are in a specific position relative to the dental cleaning elements 122 to allow precise tracking of a user's brushing movements. In the example embodiment, the alignment pin 249 is an L-shaped pin. However, the invention is not limited in all embodiments, and the alignment pin 249 may have other cross-sectional shapes in other embodiments without affecting its function in aligning the first and second housing portions 210, 250. The first portion of the housing 210 also comprises an alignment feature 220 configured to interact with a feature (such as the protrusion 114) on the handle 110 of the oral care implement 100 to prevent relative rotation between the oral care implement 100 and the first portion of the housing 210. More specifically, in the exemplary embodiment, the alignment feature 220 is an opening extending through the first portion of the housing 210 from the inner surface 214 to the outer surface 213 in a direction transverse to axis BB. In the exemplary embodiment, the opening of the alignment feature 220 is shaped like a horizontally oriented figure eight. However, the invention is not limited, and the shape of the opening may be modified to be any shape, provided it corresponds to the protrusion 114 on the handle 110.The opening is located along the wall of the first portion of the housing 210 in a position that allows the protrusion 114 on the handle 110 to extend into the opening when the tracking attachment 200 is coupled to the oral care implement 100. Therefore, the interaction between the protrusion 114 of the handle 110 and the opening / alignment feature 220 prevents axial and rotational movement between the oral care implement 100 and the tracking attachment 200 when they are properly coupled together. The interaction / positioning of the protrusion 114 of the handle 110 and the opening / alignment feature 220 of the first portion of the housing 210 of the tracking attachment 200 is best seen in Figure 13. In certain embodiments, the protrusion 114 of the handle 110 and the opening 220 of the first portion of the housing 210 of the tracking attachment 200 function as an anti-rotation feature. Specifically, the protrusion 114 of the handle 110 can be a first feature The anti-rotation feature and the opening 220 of the tracking module 200 can be a second anti-rotation feature such that the interaction / correspondence between the first and second anti-rotation features prevents the tracking attachment 200 from rotating relative to the handle 110. Furthermore, in some embodiments, these anti-rotation features prohibit the tracking module 200 from attaching to the handle 110 in any orientation other than a single one. Specifically, due to the first and second anti-rotation features, it is possible for the tracking module 200 to attach to the handle 110 when it is in a very specific angular orientation relative to the handle 110.This may be important in some modalities, as it could be important for the visual markers (described below, and indicated by the number 290) to be placed in specific locations in relation to the head 120 and dental cleaning elements 122 to ensure that these visual markers can be read well by a camera for tracking position, orientation, and movement during the use of the oral care implement, as described above. In other embodiments, the first anti-rotation feature may be the cross-sectional shape of the handle 110 and the second anti-rotation feature may be the cross-sectional shape of the receiving cavity of the tracking module 200. Therefore, the handle 110 and the cavity may be cross-sectional shapes that only allow the tracking module 200 to be coupled to the handle 110 in a single orientation with respect to the handle 110. Although in the example embodiment the alignment feature 220 is an opening that corresponds to a protrusion 114 in the handle 110, the invention is not to be limited in all embodiments. In other embodiments, the tracking attachment 200 and the oral care implement 100 may have any matching feature that cooperates to prevent rotational and axial movement between the oral care implement 100 and the tracking attachment 200. This may take the form of matching grooves and retainers, tabs and notches, recesses and protrusions, handles, fasteners, hooks, or the like. Therefore, any structural / mechanical feature in the tracking attachment 200 and the oral care implement 100 that serves to prevent axial and rotational movement between the two components when connected may serve as the alignment features of the components. The first portion of the housing 210 also includes a first visual alignment feature 221 (see also Figure 2). In the embodiment, the first visual alignment feature 221 is a depression formed on the outer surface 213 of the first portion of the housing 210 and is elongated in a direction about the BB axis. Of course, the invention is not to be limited, and the first visual alignment feature 221 could be a protrusion instead of a depression and can take any desired shape and configuration and need not be elongated as shown in all embodiments. The first visual alignment feature 221 assists a user in correctly aligning the first and second housings 210, 250 during the coupling of the two components. With brief reference to Figures 1-4, the tracking unit 202 comprises a plurality of visual markers 290. In the exemplary embodiment, the plurality of visual markers 290 is coupled, attached, affixed, or fixed to the second part of the outer housing 250 of the housing 201 of the tracking attachment 200. Of course, as noted above, the invention is not to be limited in all embodiments, and the plurality of visual markers 290 could instead, or in addition, be coupled to the first portion of the housing 210 of the housing 201. Alternatively, the plurality of visual markers 290 could be independent of (and not coupled to) the first and second housing portions 210, 250 of the housing 201. In yet another embodiment, the plurality of visual markers 290 could be light sources, such as LEDs or the like, and the different visual markers 290 could emit different colors of light.In other embodiments, the visual markers 290 may be integrally formed with the housing 201, made of the same material as the housing 201. Specifically, the visual markers 290 may be formed as spherical or other shaped protrusions on the outer surface of the housing 201. In such embodiments, the housing 201 and the visual markers 290 may be formed of a hard plastic material, and in other embodiments, the housing 201 and the visual markers 290 may be formed of a tough material such as a thermoplastic elastomer. In embodiments where the visual markers 290 are integrally formed with the housing 201, the visual markers 290 may be painted or otherwise colored to provide the visual markers 290 with different colors that may be required for the proper functioning of the tracking function. Figures 6A-6E, which will now be described in this document, illustrate the second portion of the housing 250 without the plurality of visual markers 290 attached to it. The visual markers 290 will be described in Figures 7A-8B, and the manner in which the visual markers 290 are attached to the second portion of the housing 250 will be described in Figures 9A-9C. The second portion of the 250 housing may be formed from a rigid material. This rigid material may include hard plastics such as acrylonitrile butadiene styrene or any of the materials previously specified for forming the 110 handle. The second portion of the 250 housing is generally formed from the same material as the first portion of the 210 housing, although this is not required in all models. In any case, the first and second 210 and 250 housings may be formed from a rigid material. Therefore, the housing 201 can be formed from a rigid material. Furthermore, in the example embodiment, the multiple visual markers 290 can be formed from a tough material, such as silicone or a thermoplastic elastomer. This will be discussed in more detail later with specific reference to Figures 7A-8B. However, in other embodiments, the visual markers 290 can be formed from a rigid material such as hard plastics, including polypropylene, without affecting their function in the tracking operation. The second portion of the housing 250 extends from a first end 251 to a second end 252 along an axis CC. Furthermore, the second portion of the housing 250 has an outer surface 253 and an inner surface 254, the inner surface 254 defining a second part of the receiving cavity 255. When the first and second components 201, 202 are coupled together, the first and second cavities 215, 255, together, form a receiving cavity that contains a portion of the handle 110 of the oral care implement 100. The second portion of the housing 250 comprises a main part 256 having a domed or hemispherical shape, extending from the first end 251 to a distal end 257. The second portion of the housing 250 also comprises a neck portion 258 extending from the distal end 257 of the main part 256 to the second end 252 of the second portion of the housing 250. The second portion of the housing 250 comprises a second connecting element 260 that cooperates with the first connecting element 218 of the first portion of the housing 210 to couple the first and second housings 210, 250 to each other. In the example embodiment, the second connecting element 260 comprises a plurality of tabs extending outward from an outer surface of the neck portion 258 of the second portion of the housing 250 in a circumferentially spaced manner.The tabs of the second connecting element 260 interact / cooperate with the tabs of the first connecting element 218 to couple the first and second housing portions 210, 250 together to form the housing 201, as further described below. Of course, the tabs are simply one example of a modality of the first and second connecting elements 218, 260, and these elements may have other forms, such as corresponding threads, structures that achieve an interference fit, retainers and grooves, recesses and protrusions, and key and lock, fasteners, tabs and notches, or the like. In addition to the tabs of the second connecting element 260, the second housing portion 250 comprises a plurality of locking protrusions 268, such that one of the locking protrusions 268 is adjacent to and slightly separated from each of the tabs of the second connecting element 260. The locking protrusions 268 interact with the locking protrusions 222 to lock the first and second housing portions 210, 250 to each other. Specifically, during the coupling of the second portion of housing 250 to the first portion of housing 210, the second portion of housing 250 is rotated relative to the first portion of housing 210. During this rotation, the first locking protrusions 222, 268 pass over each other and make an audible clicking sound, indicating to the user that the first and second housing portions 210, 250 are locked together.Once this clicking sound is heard, the locking protrusions 268 of the second housing portion 250 engage within the gap between the locking protrusions 222 and the connecting elements 218 of the first housing portion 210. This engagement prevents the second housing portion 260 from easily rotating relative to the first housing portion 210 without the user applying sufficient force to push the locking protrusions 222 and 268 back over each other. Furthermore, the first and second connecting elements (i.e., tabs 218 and 260) are axially aligned, preventing the first and second housing portions 210 and 250 from simply separating axially. Furthermore, the second housing portion 250 comprises an alignment recess 259 that corresponds to / interacts with the alignment pin 249 of the first housing portion 210. Specifically, unless the first and second housing portions 210, 250 are in a specific angular orientation relative to each other, the alignment pin 249 will strike the second housing portion 250 and prevent the first and second housing portions 210, 250 from mating with each other. Once the correct relative angular orientation between the first and second housing portions 210, 250 is achieved, the alignment pin 249 will engage the alignment recess 259 and remain there during the rotation of the second housing portion 250 relative to the first housing portion 210 during the mating of the two housing portions.Therefore, the alignment pin 249 and the alignment recess 259 will also ensure that the first and second housing portions 210, 250 are in proper angular alignment with each other when mated together. The alignment pin 249 is illustrated in the alignment recess 259 in the cut-out view shown in Figure 11. In the example embodiment, the second end 252 of the second housing portion 250 has an opening 261, and therefore the second receiving cavity portion 255 is open at the second end 252 of the second housing portion 250. The second receiving cavity portion 255 of the second housing portion 250 comprises a floor 262 that closes off a lower end of the second receiving cavity portion 255. Furthermore, the second housing portion 250 comprises a support pin 263 extending from the floor 262 to the second end 252, the support pin 263 terminating in a distal end 264. The distal end 264 of the support pin 263 is recessed relative to the second end 252 of the second housing portion 250, and therefore the support pin 263 is entirely within the second receiving cavity portion. 255.The support pin 263, and more specifically its distal end 264, provides a surface on which the proximal end 101 of the oral care implement 100 rests when the tracking attachment 200 is engaged with the oral care implement 100. Therefore, as described in more detail below, the oral care implement 100 extends into the second part of the receiving cavity 255 of the second portion of the housing 250 when the tracking attachment 200 is engaged with the oral care implement 100. In the example modality, the support pin 263 is aligned and elongated along the CC axis of the second portion of the housing 250. Similar to the first housing portion 210, the second housing portion 250 comprises a second visual alignment feature 269 (see also Figure 2). In the embodiment, the second visual alignment feature 269 is a depression formed on the outer surface 253 of the second housing portion 250 and is elongated in a CC-axis direction. Of course, the invention is not to be limited, and the second visual alignment feature 269 could be a protrusion instead of a depression and can take any desired shape and configuration and need not be elongated as shown in all embodiments. The second visual alignment feature 269 is simply intended to assist a user in correctly aligning the first and second housings 210, 250 by aligning the first and second visual alignment features 221, 269 during the coupling of the first and second components 201, 202. The second portion of the housing 250 comprises a plurality of holes 265 extending through the thickness of the second portion of the housing 250 from the outer surface 253 to the inner surface 254. Each of the holes 265 thus forms a passage in the second part of the receiving cavity 255 from the atmosphere or external environment. The holes 265 are arranged separately and include a first set of holes 266 aligned along a first plane DD that is orthogonal to the CC axis and a second set of holes 267 aligned along a second plane EE that is orthogonal to the CC axis. The first and second planes DD, EE are parallel in the example embodiment. In the example mode, each of the first and second hole sets 266, 267 includes four independent and separate holes, although more or fewer than four holes may be included within each hole set 266, 267.Holes 265 provide a location where markers 290, described below with reference to Figures 7A-8B, attach to the second portion of housing 250. With reference now to Figures 7A-8B, the different visual markers 290 are IVIA / a / ^UZl / UU1 U11 will describe. In the example modality, there are two types of visual markers 290, including a first type 290a as illustrated in Figures 7A and 7B and a second type 290b as illustrated in Figures 8A and 8B. Of course, more than two types of visual markers can be provided in other modalities, and in still other modalities all the visual markers 290 can be structurally identical. In the example modality, the first and second types 290a, 290b of the visual markers 290 are identical except that the second type 290b is longer than the first type 290a. Otherwise, their structure, shape, and parts are the same.Visual markers 290 of the first type 290a are intended to engage with the second portion of the housing 250 at the second set of holes 267, and visual markers 290 of the second type 290b are intended to engage with the second portion of the housing 250 at the first set of holes 266. Each visual marker 290 of the first type 290a may be a different color from the others, and each visual marker 290 of the second type 290b may be a different color from the others. In some embodiments, for each visual marker 290 of the first type 290a, there is a corresponding visual marker 290 of the second type 290b that is the same color. Each visual marker 290 comprises an anchoring portion 291, a protruding portion 292, and an intermediate portion 293 extending between the anchoring and protruding portions 291, 292. The intermediate portions 293 of the second type 290b of visual markers 290 are longer than the intermediate portions 293 of the first type 290a of visual markers 290, but otherwise the first and second types 290a, 290b are identical, as mentioned above. For each visual marker 290, a lower surface of the anchoring portion 291 forms a flange 294 extending radially at one end of the intermediate portion 293 to facilitate coupling the visual markers 290 to the second housing portion 250.Specifically, as described below with reference to Figures 9A-9C, the flange 294 engages with a portion of the second housing portion 250 to secure the visual marker 290 to the second housing portion 250. An upper surface 295 of the anchoring portion 291 extending from the flange 294 is chamfered to facilitate manual engagement of the visual marker 290 to the second housing portion 250. The protruding portions 292 are dome-shaped or bulbous portions that project from the outer surface 253 of the second housing 210 when the visual markers 290 are engaged. In other words, the protruding portions 292 are spherical or hemispherical in shape. With reference to Figures 9A-9C, the method of attaching the visual markers 290 to the second portion of the housing 250 will be described according to an illustrative embodiment of the present invention. In the exemplary embodiment, the second portion of the housing 250 and the visual markers 290 are manufactured separately from each other, and then the visual markers 290 are attached manually (or through an autonomous process using a controller and / or robotic machine) to the second portion of the housing 250. This process will be described with reference to Figures 9A-9C. However, in alternative embodiments, the visual markers 290 may be formed first, and then the second portion of the housing 250 may be injection-molded around the visual markers 290.In still other embodiments, the second portion of the housing 250 can be formed first, and then the visual markers 290 can be injection molded into the openings 265 in the second portion of the housing 250. Therefore, variations in the form of manufacturing the second portion of the housing 250 are possible and fall within the scope of the invention claimed herein. To manually attach the visual markers 290 to the second portion of the housing 250 according to the example method, one of the visual markers 290 is moved alongside one of the holes 265 with the anchoring portion 291 of the visual marker 290 closest to the second portion of the housing 250 and the protruding portion 293 of the visual marker 290 farthest from the second portion of the housing 250. The anchoring portion 291 is then inserted into the hole 265 in the second portion of the housing 250. Because the visual marker 290 is made of a tough material, such as silicone or a thermoplastic elastomer, the anchoring portion 291 of the visual marker 290 will bend and curve as it rubs against the wall defining the hole 265. The beveled surface 295 makes this insertion process easier by providing a greater degree of flex in the anchoring portion. 291. The visual marker 290 continues to be inserted into the hole 265 until the anchoring portion 291 is positioned on the side of the hole 265 facing the outer surface 253 of the second housing portion 250. In other words, the visual marker 290 is inserted into the hole 265 until the anchoring portion 291 is fully seated in the second part of the receiving cavity 255 (see Figure 9C). At this point, the flange 294 defined by the lower surface of the anchoring portion 291 engages with a surface of the second housing portion 250 within which the hole 265 is defined. This engagement prevents the visual marker 290 from being removed through the hole 265. Furthermore, the contact between the protruding portion 292 of the visual marker 290 and the second housing portion 250 prevents the visual marker 290 from being pressed further into the hole 265.This same process can be used to attach each of the 290 visual markers to the second portion of the 250 housing. When attached to the second housing, the anchoring parts 291 of the visual markers 290 are located in the second part of the receiving cavity 255, the intermediate parts 293 of the visual markers 290 are located in one of the plurality of holes 265, and the protruding portions 292 of the visual markers 290 protrude from the outer surface 253 of the second housing portion 250. The protruding parts 292 are domed (or spherical, semi-spherical, hemispherical) and thus have a circular appearance when viewed from the outside of the second housing portion 250. Of course, the foregoing is only according to one illustrative embodiment, and the invention is not to be limited to all embodiments. In alternative embodiments, the holes 265 may be replaced with basins having a floor, and the visual markers 290 may be injected into the basin cavities to attach the visual markers to the second part of the housing 250. In such embodiments, the material of the visual markers 290 may be chemically bonded to the material of the second housing 250 to facilitate attachment between them. In still other embodiments, the second housing 250 may have a basin (or a blind hole) with an annular channel extending from it such that the parts of the visual marker 290 may be inserted into the annular channel to facilitate proper attachment of the visual markers 290 to the second housing 250.In summary, the openings 265 are simply one way in which the visual markers 290 can be coupled to the second housing 250, but other manufacturing techniques are possible, while still enabling the visual markers 290 to operate and function as the tracking unit 202 as described in this document. With reference to Figures 10A-10C sequentially, the method of assembling the oral care system 1000 by coupling the tracking attachment 200 to the oral care implement 100 will be described according to an embodiment of the present invention. As mentioned previously, the first portion of the housing 210 has a first opening 216 and a second opening 217. When the tracking attachment 200 is attached to the oral care implement 100, the second end 212 of the first portion of the housing 210 is closer to the head 120 and distal end 102 of the oral care implement 100 than the first end 211 of the first portion of the housing 210. In other words, the second end 212 of the first portion of the housing 210 is located between the first end 211 of the first portion of the housing 210 and the distal end 102 of the oral care implement 100.The first opening 216 has a larger cross-sectional area than the second opening 217, and therefore parts of the oral care implement 100 that cannot be fitted through the second opening 217 are able to fit through the first opening 216. Specifically, a proximal portion of the oral care implement 100 has a cross-sectional shape or profile that does not fit through the second opening 217 in the second end 212 of the first portion of the housing 210. In the example embodiment, the proximal portion of the oral care implement 100 is formed, at least in part, by the flexible support element 115. In some embodiments, the proximal portion of the oral care implement 100 that does not fit through the second opening 217 may be located at the proximal end 101 of the oral care implement 100, while in other embodiments, the proximal portion of the oral care implement 100, or a portion thereof, that does not fit through the second opening 217 may be located some distance from the proximal end 101 of the oral care implement 100.This distance may be less than half the length of oral care implement 100, more specifically less than one-third of the length of oral care implement 100, even more specifically less than one-quarter, fifth, sixth, seventh, eighth, ninth, or tenth of the length of oral care implement 100. Therefore, the proximal portion is located closer to the proximal end 101 than the distal end 102, and preferably next to or near the proximal end 101 if not located at the proximal end 101. Regardless of whether the portion that does not fit through the opening 217 is located at or near the proximal end 101, the second component 201 cannot be coupled to the oral care implement 100 by sliding the first portion of the housing 210 upward along the oral care implement 100 from the proximal end 101 to the distal end 102 because the proximal portion of the oral care implement 100 cannot fit through the second opening 217. Instead, to couple the first portion of the housing 210 to the oral care implement 100, the first portion of the housing 210 is positioned such that the first end 211 of the first portion of the housing 210 is adjacent to the distal end 102 of the oral care implement 100. The first portion of the housing 210 is then moved downward in the axial direction toward the proximal end 101 of the oral care implement. oral care 100.During this process, the distal end 102 and the head 120 of the oral care implement 100 pass through the first opening 216, in the first portion of the receiving cavity 215, and then through the second opening 217 so that the first portion of the housing 210 forms a sleeve over the handle 120 of the oral care implement 100 that circumferentially surrounds a portion of the oral care implement 100. This is possible because the distal end 102 of the oral care implement 100 has a cross-sectional shape or profile that fits through the first and second openings 216, 217. The first portion of the housing 210 continues to be moved axially until further axial movement is prevented by a pillar that occurs between the inner surface 214 of the first portion of the housing 210 and an outer surface of the handle 110 of the oral care implement 100. Specifically, as the part of the smaller cross-sectional area of ​​the first portion of the receiving cavity 215 near the second The first portion of the housing 210 moves downward along the handle 110, eventually contacting a part of the handle 110 that has a cross-sectional area that does not fit through the second opening 217. At this point, the first portion of the housing 210 can no longer move toward the proximal end 101 of the oral care implement 100 due to interference / interaction / contact between the inner surface 214 of the first housing 215 and the outer surface of the oral care implement 100. This is best shown in Figure 12. The interaction between the protrusion 114 on the handle 110 and the opening of the alignment feature 220 also helps to lock the tracking module 200 to the oral care implement 100. Although described herein as incapable of further movement in the axial direction, it may be possible to continue moving the first portion of the housing 210 relative to the oral care implement 100 by using excessive pulling force. This is because a portion of the handle 110 of the oral care implement 100 is formed from a tough material (i.e., the tough grip component 112), and tough material compresses when a force is applied to it. Therefore, the word "avoid," as used in this context, does not necessarily mean that it would be impossible to move the first portion of the housing 210 in the axial direction, but rather that it would be difficult. The user should understand the correct stopping point for moving the first portion of the housing 210 relative to the oral care implement 100 when this movement becomes more difficult and strained.For example, if the first portion of the housing 210 was simply dropped onto the oral care implement 100 from the distal end 102 of the oral care implement 100 with the oral care implement 100 oriented vertically, the stopping point will be the point at which gravity, by itself and without any external force being applied, can no longer move the first portion of the housing 210 downwards along the oral care implement 100. Therefore, in some embodiments, it may be desirable to simply place the head 120 of the oral care implement 100 into the first portion of the receiving cavity 215 and then release the first portion of the housing 210 while holding the oral care implement 100 to allow gravity to move the first portion of the housing 210 into the correct location relative to the oral care implement 100. Gravity will allow the first portion of the housing 210 to fall downwards towards the proximal end 101 of the oral care implement 100 until contact between the outer surface of the handle 110 of the oral care implement 100 and the inner surface 214 of the first portion of the housing 210 creates a friction or interference force that exceeds the force of gravity and prevents gravity from moving the first portion of the housing 210 further.This occurs at least in part due to the conical shape of the first portion of the receiving cavity 215 of the first portion of the housing 210. At this point, an additional gentle pull of the first portion of the housing 210 relative to the oral care implement 100 can be used to secure the first portion of the housing 210 in place over the oral care implement 100. At the point where axial movement of the first portion of the housing 210 relative to the oral care implement 100 in the direction of the proximal end 101 of the oral care implement 100 is prevented (or made more difficult), a first portion 107 of the oral care implement 100 is located in the first portion of the receiving cavity 215 of the first portion of the housing 210, a second portion 108 of the oral care implement 100 projects from the first end 211 of the first portion of the housing 210, and a third portion 109 of the oral care implement 100 projects from the second end 212 of the first portion of the housing 210. The second portion 108 of the oral care implement 100 includes the flexible support member 115, the proximal portion, and the proximal end 101. The third portion 109 of the oral care implement 100 includes the head 120 and the distal end 102.Therefore, a portion of the oral care implement 100 is located in the first portion of the receiving cavity 215 of the first portion of the housing 210 and a portion of the oral care implement 100 protrudes from the first portion of the receiving cavity 215 (and from the first end 211 of the first portion of the housing 210). Next, the second portion of the housing 250 of the tracking attachment 200 is positioned with the second end 252 of the second portion of the housing 250 adjacent to the proximal end 101 of the oral care implement 100. The second portion of the housing 250 is axially displaced toward the distal end 102 of the oral care implement 100 until the proximal end 101 of the oral care implement 100 passes through the opening 261 of the second portion of the housing 250 and into the second part of the receiving cavity 255. The second portion of the housing 250 is moved until the distal end 257 of the main part 256 abuts the first end 211 of the first portion of the housing 210, and the neck portion 258 of the second portion of the housing 250 extends through the first opening 216 in the first end 211 of the first portion of the housing 210 and in the first portion of the receiving cavity 215.As noted above, the second portion of the housing 250 will be in a specific angular orientation with respect to the first portion of the housing 210 because in order to move the second portion of the housing 250 at the boundary with the first portion of the housing 210, the alignment bolt 249 must be placed inside the alignment recess 259. Next, as shown in Figure 10C, the second housing portion 250 is rotated relative to the first housing portion 210 to facilitate coupling between the first connecting element 218 of the first housing portion 210 and the second connecting element 260 of the second housing portion 250. During this rotation, the locking protrusions 222, 268 of the first and second housing portions 210, 250 pass over each other and create an audible click, thus informing the user that the first and second housing portions 210, 250 have been locked (in a removable manner) together. Furthermore, during the rotation of the second portion of the housing 250 relative to the first portion of the housing 210, the alignment pin 249 of the first portion of the housing 210 remains located within the alignment recess 259 of the second portion of the housing 250.As can be seen in Figure 10C and Figure 12, when the first and second housing portions 210, 250 are coupled together to form housing 201, an outer surface of the first housing portion 210 is level with the outer surface of the second housing portion 250, so that an outer surface of the housing 201 of the tracking attachment 200, especially at the interface of the first and second housing components 210, 250, is a smooth, uninterrupted surface. Figure 11 illustrates a partially cropped view of system 1000 to show the coupling between the first and second connecting elements 218, 260. Specifically, as the second housing portion 250 rotates, the tabs of the first connecting element 218 slide under the tabs of the second connecting element 260 so that an axial force on either the first or second housing portions 210, 250 relative to each other will not separate the first and second housing portions 210, 250. Instead, to separate the first and second housing portions 210, 250, the second housing portion 250 must first be rotated relative to the first housing portion 210 in the opposite direction, and then pulled axially relative to the first housing portion 210. Although the first and second connecting elements 218, 260 are shown and described herein as tabs, in other embodiments the first and second connecting elements 218, 260 may take other forms. For example, the first and second connecting elements 218, 260 may comprise threads that engage coincidentally with each other during rotation of the second housing portion 250 relative to the first housing portion 210. In other embodiments, the first and second connecting elements 218, 260 may consist of a cooperating protrusion / retainer, key / lock, or the like. In still other embodiments, the first and second housing portions 210, 250 may be coupled to each other by means of an interference fit or the like.Therefore, the invention is not to be particularly limited by the way in which the first and second housing components 210, 250 are coupled together in all embodiments and variants of what is described herein are possible. Figure 12 shows a cross-sectional view of the fully assembled oral care system 1000. As noted above, the first part 107 of the oral care implement 100 is located in the first portion of the receiving cavity 215 of the first portion of the housing 210, the second part 108 of the oral care implement 100 protrudes from the first end 211 of the first portion of the housing 210, and the third part 109 of the oral care implement 100 protrudes from the second end 212 of the first portion of the housing 210. Furthermore, the second portion 108 of the oral care implement 100 is located in the second part of the receiving cavity 255 of the second portion of the housing 250. The second part 108 of the oral care implement 100 includes the flexible support member 115.In other words, the first and second portions of the receiving cavity 215, 255 of the first and second housings 210, 250 collectively define a receiving cavity that surrounds a portion of the handle 110 of the oral care implement 100. The portion of the handle 110 of the oral care implement 100 is located in both the first and second portions of the receiving cavity 215, 255. As stated above, the proximal end 101 of the oral care implement 100 rests on the support pin 263 of the second portion of the housing 250. Axial movement of the tracking attachment 200 relative to the oral care implement 100 is essentially prevented unless the first and second housing portions 210, 250 are disconnected from each other. Specifically, the tracking attachment 200 cannot be moved axially toward the distal end 102 of the oral care implement 100 due to the coupling between the proximal end 101 of the oral care implement 100 and the support pin 263. Furthermore, the tracking attachment 200 cannot be moved axially away from the distal end 102 of the oral care implement 100 due to the coupling between the outer surface of the handle 110 and the inner surface of the first housing portion 210 at or near the second end 212 of the first housing portion 210. The coupling between the alignment features (e.g.The protrusion 114 in the handle 110 and the opening 220 in the housing 201 also help to prevent axial movement of the tracking attachment 200 relative to the oral care implement 100. In addition, the coupling of the alignment features also prevents angular or rotational movement between the tracking attachment 200 and the oral care implement 100. Once the tracking attachment 200 is coupled to the oral care implement 100, the tracking attachment 200 generally remains in a static position on the oral care implement 100. Specifically, the contact / coupling between the proximal end 101 of the oral care implement 100 and the support pin 263 prevents the tracking attachment 200 from moving axially toward the distal end 102 of the oral care implement 100. The coupling / contact / interaction between the outer surface of the handle 110 and the inner surface 214 of the first portion of the housing 210 generally prevents the tracking attachment 200 from moving axially toward the proximal end 101 of the oral care implement 100.The interaction between the protrusion 114 on the handle 110 of the oral care implement 100 and the retention feature / opening 220 on the first portion of the housing 210 prevents relative rotation between the tracking attachment 200 and the oral care implement 100 and also prevents axial movement / translation of the tracking attachment 200 relative to the oral care implement 100.Of course, the tracking attachment 200 can be removed from the oral care implement 100 by separating the first and second components 201,202 from each other, pulling the second component 201 out of the oral care implement 100, and then sliding the first portion of the housing 210 upward along the oral care implement 100 toward the proximal end 102 of the oral care implement 100 until neither of the oral care implements 100 remains in the first portion of the receiving cavity 215 (i.e., by reversing the oral care system assembly steps described herein). In certain embodiments, an outer surface of the handle 110 of the oral care implement 100 is a first color, the outer surface 213 of the first portion of the housing 210 is a second color, and the outer surface 253 of the second portion of the housing 250 is a third color; the first, second, and third colors are the same. Therefore, the tracking attachment 200 has a color that matches the color of the handle 110 of the oral care implement 100, giving the oral care system 1000 a seamless appearance. Furthermore, in some embodiments, there is a design feature located on the outer surface 253 of the second portion of the housing 250. The design feature may be a plurality of stars, squares, triangles, irregular shapes, separate non-circular shapes, or similar (see, for example, the star design shown in Figure 11).The design feature may be a fourth color that differs from the first, second, and third colors, thus highlighting the design feature. Furthermore, as previously stated, handle 110 may include a base portion 111 and a heavy-duty grip component 112. The heavy-duty grip component 112 may be a fifth color, and the fifth color may be the same as the fourth color. Finally, as previously stated, the visual markers 290 each have a color, and the visual markers 290 are arranged in groups such that no two visual markers 290 in the same group have the same color. Additionally, the visual markers 290 each have a different color than the outer surface 253 of the second portion of the housing 250 and the design feature on the outer surface 253 of the second portion of the housing 250. As mentioned previously, when the tracking attachment 200 is attached to the oral care implement and used in conjunction with the specifically formulated software and algorithms, the tracking attachment 200 assists in tracking the movement, position, orientation, and location within the oral cavity (i.e., upper left quadrant, upper right quadrant, lower left quadrant, lower right quadrant, etc.) of the oral care implement 100 to which it is attached. Specifically, during use, a camera is positioned such that the tracking attachment 200, and more specifically its tracking unit 202 (which, in the example mode, are the visual markers 290), are within the camera's field of view.Algorithms associated with an external electronic device may be able to track the movement, position, orientation, location within the oral cavity, or similar characteristics of the oral care implement 100 based on the colors of visual markers 290 perceived by the camera. Therefore, the tracking attachment 200 is detachably coupled to the oral care implement 100 and operates in tandem with a camera, processor, memory, software, and / or algorithms to track the movement, position, location, orientation, or similar characteristics of the oral care implement 100 to which the tracking element 200 is attached during a brushing or oral care session.Although the tracking element 200 does not include any electronic components or sensors such as accelerometers or gyroscopes in the example mode, it could include these components in other modes to assist in the tracking movement of the oral care implement 100. Although the invention has been described with respect to specific examples, including currently preferred modes of carrying out the invention, those skilled in the art will appreciate that numerous variations and permutations of the systems and techniques described above exist. It should be understood that other embodiments may be used and structural and functional modifications may be made without departing from the scope of the present invention. Therefore, the spirit and scope of the invention should be interpreted generally as set forth in the appended claims. NOVELTY OF THE INVENTION Having described the present invention as above, it is considered novel and, therefore, the contents contained in the following are claimed as property:

Claims

1. A tracking attachment for an oral care implement, the tracking attachment comprising: a housing defining a receiving cavity configured to receive a part of an oral care implement, the housing comprising: a first housing portion extending from a first end to a second end and comprising a first connecting element, the first housing portion having an inner surface defining a first receiving cavity portion that is open at both the first and second ends of the first housing portion;and a second housing portion extending from a first end to a second end and having a second connecting element corresponding to the first connecting element of the first housing portion for removably coupling the second housing portion to the first housing portion, the second housing portion having an inner surface defining a second receiving cavity portion that is open at the second end of the second housing portion; and a tracking unit configured to facilitate tracking at least one of the position, orientation, or movement of the oral care implement within a user's oral cavity.

2. The tracking attachment according to claim 1, wherein the first and second housing portions are switchable between: (1) a disconnected state wherein the first and second housing portions are independent of each other; and (2) a connected state wherein the first and second housing portions are coupled together and the first and second housing portions of the receiving cavity collectively form the receiving cavity that is configured to receive the oral care implement portion.

3. The tracking attachment according to claim 2, wherein, in the connected state, an outer surface of the first housing portion is level with the outer surface of the second housing portion so that an outer surface of the housing is a smooth, uninterrupted surface.

4. The tracking attachment according to any of claims 1 to 3 wherein the receiving cavity extends along a longitudinal axis and the first part of the receiving cavity has a cross-sectional area that decreases with the distance from the first end of the first housing portion to the second end of the first housing portion such that the first cavity has a minimum cross-sectional area at the second end of the first housing portion, and wherein the first end of the first housing portion is adjacent to the second end of the second housing portion.

5. The tracking attachment according to any of claims 1 to 4 wherein the housing comprises an alignment feature that is configured to interact with a feature on a handle of the oral care implement to prevent relative axial and rotational movement between the oral care implement and the housing.

6. The tracking attachment according to claim 5 wherein the alignment feature comprises an opening formed through the first housing portion from an outer surface of the first housing portion to the inner surface of the first housing portion.

7. The tracking attachment according to any of claims 1 to 6 wherein the second portion of the housing has an outer surface and an inner surface and a plurality of holes extending separately from the outer surface to the inner surface, and wherein the tracking unit comprises a plurality of visual markers, each of the visual markers being attached to the second portion of the housing at one of the plurality of holes.

8. The tracking attachment according to claim 7 wherein each of the visual markers comprises an anchoring portion, a protruding portion, and an intermediate portion extending between the anchoring and protruding portions, the anchoring portions being located within the second part of the receiving cavity, the intermediate portions being located within one of multiple holes, and the protruding portions projecting from the outer surface of the second part of the housing.

9. The tracking attachment according to claim 8 wherein the protruding parts of each of the visual markers have a spherical or semi-spherical shape.

10. The tracking attachment according to any of claims 7 to 9 wherein the second portion of the housing extends from the first end to the second end along a longitudinal axis, wherein the plurality of visual markers comprises a first set of visual markers aligned along a first plane that is orthogonal to the longitudinal axis and a second set of visual markers aligned along a second plane that is orthogonal to the longitudinal axis and parallel to the first plane.

11. The tracking fixation according to claim 10 wherein each of the visual markers in the first set of visual markers is a different color IVIA / a / 4U41 / UU1U11 32 and wherein each of the visual markers in the second set of visual markers is a different color.

12. The tracking attachment according to any of claims 7 to 11 wherein each of the first and second housing parts is composed of a rigid material and wherein each of the multiple visual markers is composed of a resistant material.

13. The tracking attachment according to claim 12 wherein the rigid material is a hard plastic and the resistant material is silicone or a thermoplastic elastomer.

14. The tracking attachment according to any of claims 1 to 13 wherein the second part of the receiving cavity extends from a floor of the second housing portion to the second end of the second housing portion, and further comprising a support bolt extending from the floor to the second end of the second housing portion to support a proximal end of the oral care implement.

15. The tracking attachment according to any of claims 1 to 14 wherein at least a portion of the first part of the receiving cavity is generally Reuleaux triangle shaped.

16. The tracking attachment according to any of claims 1 to 15 wherein the first portion of the housing comprises a flared part that terminates at the first end.

17. The tracking attachment according to any of claims 1 to 16 wherein the second housing portion comprises a main part terminating in a distal end and a neck portion extending from the distal end of the main part to the second end of the second housing portion, and wherein when the first and second housing portions are coupled together, the neck portion of the second housing portion nests within the first cavity and the first end of the first housing portion is in contact with the distal end of the main part of the second housing portion.

18. The tracking attachment according to any of claims 1 to 17 wherein the tracking unit comprises at least one of a plurality of visual markers, an accelerometer, and a gyroscope.

19. The tracking attachment according to any of claims 1 to 17 wherein the tracking attachment is free of electronic components.

20. A tracking attachment for an oral care implement, the tracking attachment comprising: a housing formed of a rigid material, the housing having an outer surface and an inner surface defining a receiving cavity having an open upper end configured to receive a portion of an oral care implement; a plurality of visual markers formed of a tough material, each of the multiple visual markers being attached to the housing and projecting from the outer surface of the housing; and wherein the plurality of visual markers is configured to facilitate the tracking of at least one of a position, orientation, or movement of the oral care implement within a user's oral cavity.

21. The tracking attachment according to claim 20, wherein the housing comprises a first housing portion having a first connecting element and a second housing portion having a second connecting element that facilitate the modification of the first and second housing portions between: (1) a disconnected state wherein the first and second housing portions are independent of each other; and (2) a connected state wherein the first and second housing portions are coupled together to define the receiving cavity configured to hold the oral care implement portion.

22. The tracking attachment according to claim 21 wherein the plurality of visual markers is attached to the second portion of the housing, the first portion of the housing being free of any visual marker.

23. The tracking attachment according to any of claims 20 to 22 wherein the rigid material is a hard plastic and the resistant material is silicone or thermoplastic elastomer.

24. The tracking attachment according to any of claims 20 to 23 wherein the housing comprises a first housing portion defining a first receiving cavity part, the first receiving cavity portion tapering from a first end of the first housing portion to a second end of the first housing portion, the open upper end of the receiving cavity being located at the second end of the first housing portion.

25. The tracking attachment according to any of claims 20 to 24 wherein the housing comprises an alignment opening that is configured to interact with a protrusion on a handle of the oral care implement to prevent relative axial and rotational movement between the oral care implement and the housing.

26. The tracking attachment according to any of claims 20 to 25 wherein the tracking attachment is free of electronic components.

27. An oral care system comprising: an oral care implement comprising a handle and a head; and a tracking attachment coupled to the oral care implement, the tracking attachment comprising: a housing defining a receiving cavity within which a portion of the oral care implement is positioned, the housing comprising: a first portion of the housing having an inner surface defining a first portion of the receiving cavity; and a second portion of the housing having an inner surface defining a second portion of the receiving cavity, the second portion of the housing being removably coupled to the first portion of the housing; a tracking unit configured to facilitate the tracking of at least one position, orientation, or movement of the oral care implement within a user's oral cavity;and wherein a first part of the handle is located in the first portion of the receiving cavity and a second part of the handle is located in the second part of the receiving cavity.; 28. The oral care system according to claim 25 wherein the first portion of the housing comprises an alignment opening and the oral care implement comprises a protrusion extending within the alignment opening to prevent relative rotational and axial movement between the oral care implement and the tracking attachment.

29. The oral care system according to claim 28 wherein the handle comprises a base portion and a sturdy grip component covering portions of the base portion, and wherein the sturdy grip component includes the protrusion.

30. The oral care system according to any of claims 27 to 29 wherein the receiving cavity extends along a longitudinal axis, and wherein the first part of the receiving cavity tapers from a first end of the first housing portion to a second end of the first housing portion, the first portion of the receiving cavity having a minimum cross-sectional area at the second end of the first housing portion.

31. The oral care system according to claim 30, wherein the handle of the oral care implement comprises an outer surface that is in contact with surfaces conforming to a portion of the inner surface of the first housing portion located adjacent to the second end of the first housing portion. IVIA / a / ^UZl / UU1 U11 32. The oral care system according to any of claims 27 to 31 wherein the oral care implement comprises a suction cup at a proximal end thereof, the suction cup being located in the second part of the receiving cavity.

33. The oral care system according to any of claims 27 to 32 wherein the second part of the receiving cavity consists of a floor and the second portion of the housing comprises a bolt extending from the floor, and wherein a proximal end of the oral care implement rests on a distal end of the bolt.

34. The oral care system according to any of claims 27 to 33 wherein the second portion of the housing comprises an outer surface and a plurality of holes extending from the outer surface to the inner surface separately, and wherein the tracking unit comprises a plurality of visual markers, each of the visual markers being coupled to the second portion of the housing at one of the plurality of holes.

35. The oral care system according to claim 34 wherein each of the visual markers comprises an anchoring portion, a protruding portion, and an intermediate portion extending between the anchoring and protruding portions, the anchoring portions being located within the second cavity, the intermediate portions being located within one of multiple holes, and the protruding portions projecting from the outer surface of the second housing portion.

36. The oral care system according to claim 35 wherein the protruding parts of each of the visual markers have a spherical or semi-spherical shape.

37. The oral care system according to any of claims 34 to 36 wherein the second portion of the housing extends from a first end to a second end along an axis, wherein the plurality of visual markers comprises a first set of visual markers aligned along a first plane that is orthogonal to the axis and a second set of visual markers aligned along a second plane that is orthogonal to the axis and parallel to the first plane.

38. The oral care system according to claim 37 wherein each of the visual markers in the first set of visual markers is a different color and wherein each of the visual markers in the second set of visual markers is a different color.

39. The oral care system of any of claims 28 to 38 wherein an outer surface of the handle of the oral care implement is a first color, an outer surface of the first portion of the housing is a second color, and an outer surface of the second portion of the housing is a third color, the first, second, and third colors being the same.

40. The oral care system according to claim 39 further comprising a design feature of the outer surface of the second portion of the housing having a fourth color, the fourth color being different from the first, second and third colors.

41. The oral care system according to claim 40 wherein the design feature consists of one or more non-circular shapes.

42. The oral care system according to either claim 40 or claim 41 further comprising a sturdy grip component located on the handle, the sturdy grip component being a fifth color, and wherein the fourth and fifth colors are the same.

43. The oral care system according to claim 42 wherein the tracking unit comprises a plurality of visual markers having a spherical or semi-spherical portion protruding from the second portion of the housing.

44. The oral care system according to any of claims 27 to 43 wherein the first portion of the housing has a first end having a first opening and a second end having a second opening, wherein the oral care implement has a proximal end and a distal end, the head being located at the distal end, wherein the proximal portion of the oral care implement has a cross-sectional profile that does not fit through the second opening of the first portion of the housing.

45. The oral care system according to claim 44 wherein the distal end of the oral care implement has a cross-sectional profile that fits through the first and second openings of the first portion of the housing.

46. ​​The oral care system according to any of claims 44 to 45 wherein the second portion of the housing has a first end and a second end, the second end having an opening therein, and wherein the cross-sectional profile of the proximal part of the oral care implement fits through the opening in the second end of the second portion of the housing.

47. The oral care system according to any of claims 44 to 46 wherein the second end of the first housing portion is located closer to the distal end of the oral care implement than the first end of the first housing portion. IVlA / a / ¿vt 1 / vvl U11 48. The oral care implement according to any of claims 27 to 47 wherein the first portion of the housing extends from a first end having a first opening to a second end having a second opening, and wherein the handle protrudes from the first and second ends of the first portion of the housing.

49. The tracking attachment according to any of claims 27 to 48 wherein the tracking unit comprises at least one of a plurality of visual markers, an accelerometer, and a gyroscope.

50. The oral care system according to any of claims 27 to 49 wherein the tracking attachment is free of electronic components.

51. An oral care system comprising: an oral care implement extending from a proximal end to a distal end along a longitudinal axis and having a proximal portion including the proximal end, the proximal portion of the oral care implement having a cross-sectional profile; a tracking attachment for an oral care implement, the tracking attachment comprising: a housing extending from a first end to a second end and having an inner surface defining a receiving cavity, a first end of the receiving cavity being closed and a second end of the receiving cavity being open; and a tracking unit configured to facilitate the tracking of at least one position, orientation, or movement of the oral care implement within a user's oral cavity;wherein a portion of the oral care implement is placed within the receiving cavity of the tracking attachment to couple the tracking attachment to the oral care implement, the second end of the tracking attachment is located closer to the distal end of the oral care implement than the first end of the tracking attachment; and wherein the cross-sectional profile of the proximal portion of the oral care implement does not fit through the opening at the second end of the tracking attachment.

52. The oral care system according to claim 51 wherein the housing comprises an alignment opening and the oral care implement comprises a protrusion extending within the alignment opening to prevent rotational and axial movement between the oral care implement and the attachment of IVIA / a / ^UZl / UU1 Olí 38 tracking.

53. The oral care system according to any of claims 51 to 52 wherein at least a portion of the receiving cavity tapers towards the second end of the receiving cavity.

54. The oral care system according to any of claims 51 to 53 wherein the monitoring unit comprises a plurality of visual markers that attach to the housing, portions of the plurality of visual markers protruding from an outer surface of the housing.

55. The oral care system according to any of claims 51 to 54 wherein the tracking attachment is free of electronic components.

56. An oral care system comprising: an oral care implement comprising a handle and a head, the handle having a first alignment feature; a tracking attachment coupled to the oral care implement, the tracking attachment comprising: a housing having a second alignment feature; and a tracking unit configured to facilitate at least one position, orientation, or movement of the oral care implement within a user's oral cavity; and wherein the first and second features coincide with each other to maintain the tracking attachment and the oral care implement in a predetermined relative angular orientation.

57. The oral care system according to claim 56 wherein the first alignment feature is a protrusion and the second alignment feature is an opening such that the handle protrusion nests within the opening of the tracking attachment to prevent the tracking module from rotating relative to the oral care implement.

58. The oral care system according to claim 57 wherein the handle comprises a base portion and a durable grip component overmolded onto the base portion, and wherein the protrusion comprises the durable grip component.

59. The oral care system according to any of claims 56 to 58 wherein the housing of the tracking attachment defines a cavity and a portion of the handle of the oral care implement is placed within the cavity of the housing to couple the tracking attachment to the oral care implement.

60. The oral care system according to claim 59 wherein the first alignment feature is determined by the cross-sectional shape of the handle and the second alignment feature is determined by a cross-sectional shape of the cavity.

61. An oral care system comprising: an oral care implement; a tracking attachment coupled to the oral care implement, the tracking attachment comprising: a housing having an inner surface defining a receiving cavity having a closed lower end and an open upper end, a support bolt extending from the closed lower end to a distal end; and a tracking unit configured to facilitate tracking at least one of the position, orientation, or movement of the oral care implement within a user's oral cavity; and wherein a portion of the oral care implement is placed in the receiving cavity of the housing with a proximal end of the oral care implement resting on the distal end of the support bolt.

62. The oral care system according to claim 61 wherein the housing comprises an alignment opening and the oral care implement comprises a protrusion extending into the alignment opening to prevent rotational and axial movement between the oral care implement and the tracking attachment.

63. The oral care system according to any of claims 61 to 62 wherein at least a portion of the receiving cavity tapers towards the open upper end.

64. The oral care system according to claim 63 wherein an outer surface of the oral care implement is in contact with a portion of the inner surface of the housing located adjacent to the open upper end of the receiving cavity.

65. The oral care system according to any of claims 61 to 64 wherein the distal end of the support pin is located within the receiving cavity.

66. A method of assembling an oral care system that includes an oral care implement and a tracking attachment, the tracking attachment comprising a tracking unit configured to facilitate tracking at least one position, orientation, or movement of the oral care implement within a user's oral cavity, the method comprising: aligning a first opening in a first end of a first portion of the tracking attachment housing with a distal end of the oral care implement, the first portion of the housing comprising a first part of a receiving cavity;insert the distal end of the oral care implement through the first opening at the first end of the first housing portion and into the first portion of the receiving cavity and move the first housing portion in a first direction towards a proximal end of the oral care implement until the first housing portion is prevented from moving further in the first direction due to contact between the first housing portion and the oral care implement; and removably attach a second housing portion to the first housing portion to close the first opening at the first end of the first housing portion, the first and second housing portions collectively forming a housing that defines the receiving cavity.

67. The method according to claim 66 wherein, after preventing the first portion of the housing from being moved further in the first direction due to contact between the first portion of the housing and the oral care implement, a first part of the oral care implement is located in the first portion of the receiving cavity, a second part of the oral care implement including the proximal end protrudes from the first end of the first portion of the housing, and a third part of the oral care implement including the distal end protrudes from a second end of the first portion of the housing.

68. The method according to claim 67 wherein the second portion of the housing comprises a second part of the receiving cavity, and wherein the second part of the oral care implement is located in the second part of the receiving cavity.

69. The method according to claim 68 wherein the oral care implement comprises a handle and a head, and wherein the handle consists of the first and second portions of the oral care implement.

70. The method according to any of claims 66 to 69 wherein inserting the distal end of the oral care implement through the first opening in the first end of the first portion of the housing comprises inserting the head of the oral care implement through the first opening in the first end of the first portion of the housing.

71. The method according to any of claims 66 to 70 wherein the coupling of the second housing portion to the first housing portion IVlA / a / ¿vt 1 / vvl U11 41 comprises rotating the second housing portion about the first housing portion so that the coupling elements of the first and second housing portions engage with each other.

72. The method according to any of claims 66 to 71 wherein a proximal portion of the oral care implement does not fit through a second opening in a second end of the first portion of the tracking attachment housing.

73. The method according to any of claims 66 to 72 wherein during the transfer of the first portion of the housing in the first direction, the distal end of the oral care implement passes through a second opening in a second end of the first portion of the housing.

74. The method according to any of claims 66 to 73 wherein the tracking attachment is free of electronic components.

75. The method according to any of claims 66 to 74 wherein during the insertion step an alignment protrusion in the handle enters an alignment opening in the first portion of the housing to prevent rotational and axial movement between the oral care implement and the first portion of the housing.

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