Oral care element and oral care device

Abstract

The present disclosure discloses an oral care element and an oral care device, where the oral care element at least includes a brush handle, a contact element carrier, and a surface covering element. The brush handle extending along a main extension line defines a flow guide channel and a first inlet and a first outlet communicating with the flow guide channel. The contact element carrier is mounted at one end of the brush handle adjacent to the first outlet along a direction intersecting with the main extension line, and the contact element carrier is provided with a bristle cluster extending along the direction intersecting with the main extension line and a water spray part communicating with the first outlet. The surface covering element is soft in texture.

Description

CROSSREFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

[0001] This application is a continuation of International Application No. PCT / CN 2025 / 114391, filed on Aug. 13, 2025, which claims priority to Chinese Patent Application No.2024223925561 titled “ORAL CARE ELEMENT AND ORAL CARE DEVICE” and filed to the State Patent Intellectual Property Office on Sep. 27, 2024, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.TECHNICAL FIELD

[0002] The present disclosure relates to the field of personal care technology, and more particularly, to an oral care element and an oral care device.BACKGROUND

[0003] With the increasing awareness of oral health, integrated flushing machines have become preferred oral care devices for many families. The integrated flushing machines integrate toothbrushing functions of electric toothbrushes and flushing functions of oral irrigators, and thus can effectively improve cleaning effect and user experience.

[0004] Oral care elements related to the oral care devices may include contact element carriers and brush handles with support bases, where the brush handles are connected to the contact element carriers through the support bases. The contact element carriers and the support bases typically are hard bases. When brushing teeth, the contact element carriers and the support bases are prone to collision with teeth during high-speed vibration, resulting in a phenomenon of “tooth striking” and adversely affecting the user experience.SUMMARY

[0005] An objective of the present disclosure is to provide an oral care element and an oral care device.

[0006] To achieve the above objective, in one aspect the present disclosure provides an oral care element, which at least includes a brush handle, a contact element carrier, and a surface covering element. The brush handle extending along a main extension line defines a flow guide channel and a first inlet and a first outlet communicating with the flow guide channel, where the first inlet and the first outlet are positioned at two opposite ends of the brush handle on the main extension line. The contact element carrier is mounted at one end of the brush handle adjacent to the first outlet along a direction intersecting with the main extension line, and the contact element carrier at least partially protrudes from the brush handle. The contact element carrier is provided with a bristle cluster extending along the direction intersecting with the main extension line and a water spray part communicating with the first outlet. The surface covering element is soft in texture, and covers around a side surface of an entirety formed by one end of the brush handle adjacent to the first outlet and the contact element carrier, and the contact element carrier is connected to the brush handle.

[0007] Optionally, the brush handle has a support base at one end along the main extension line; and the support base is provided with a mounting slot along one side of the main extension line, where the first outlet is formed at a bottom of the mounting slot, and the contact element carrier is mounted in the mounting slot along a direction perpendicular to the main extension line.

[0008] Optionally, the surface covering element further covers at least portion of a surface of the support base away from the contact element carrier.

[0009] Optionally, the contact element carrier has a first segment and a second segment connected to each other, where a side surface of the first segment is positioned within a range of a side surface of the second segment, and a first step surface is formed between the side surface of the first segment and the side surface of the second segment. When the contact element carrier is mounted in the mounting slot along the direction perpendicular to the main extension line, the first segment is inserted into the mounting slot, and the first step surface is attached to a surface of the support base adjacent to the second segment. The side surface of the second segment and the side surface of the support base together constitute the side surface of the entirety formed by one end of the brush handle adjacent to the first outlet and the contact element carrier.

[0010] Optionally, a surface of the second segment away from the first segment is provided with an attachment slot inwardly extending from the side surface of the second segment; and the surface covering element is filled in the attachment slot, such that the surface covering element partially covers the surface of the contact element carrier away from the support base.

[0011] Optionally, the attachment slot includes a continuous annular slot extending along an edge of the contact element carrier.

[0012] Optionally, the attachment slot also includes a plurality of inwardly extending slots inwardly extending from a side surface of the annular slot.

[0013] Optionally, the water spray part and the contact element carrier form an integrated structure.

[0014] Optionally, the water spray part protrudes from a surface of the contact element carrier away from the support base, and the water spray part does not exceed the bristle cluster in height.

[0015] Optionally, the water spray part has a first through hole; and the bottom of the mounting slot is provided with a convex portion extending towards the contact element carrier, where the convex portion is provided with a second through hole communicating with the flow guide channel, and the first outlet is formed at one end of the second through hole away from the flow guide channel. When the contact element carrier is mounted in the mounting slot along the direction perpendicular to the main extension line, the convex portion is inserted into the first through hole, and the flow guide channel communicates with the first through hole through the second through hole.

[0016] Optionally, a sealing member is provided on an outer wall surface of the convex portion and an inner wall surface of the first through hole.

[0017] Optionally, the bristle cluster is fixed to the contact element carrier by means of staple tufting or staple-less tufting.

[0018] To achieve the above objective, in another aspect the present disclosure also provides an oral care device, which includes a brush handle assembly and the oral care element mentioned above. The brush handle assembly includes a grip housing and a drive apparatus mounted inside the grip housing, where a power output shaft of the drive apparatus extends out of the grip housing, and the power output shaft has an axial channel. The oral care element is connected to the power output shaft and is driven by the power output shaft to perform a displacement motion, and a fluid outlet of the axial channel communicates with the first inlet, and the oral care device outputs water flow impact by means of the water spray part.BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0019] To describe the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present disclosure more clearly, the accompanying drawings required for describing the embodiments will be briefly introduced below. Apparently, the accompanying drawings in the following description are merely some embodiments of the present disclosure. To those of ordinary skills in the art, other accompanying drawings may also be derived from these accompanying drawings without creative efforts.

[0020] FIG. 1 is a schematic front view of an oral care element according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0021] FIG. 2 is a schematic exploded view of an oral care element according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0022] FIG. 3 is a schematic half-sectional view of an oral care element according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0023] FIG. 4 is a schematic half-sectional view of a brush handle according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0024] FIG. 5 is a schematic perspective view of a brush handle according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0025] FIG. 6 is a schematic half-sectional view of a contact element carrier according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0026] FIG. 7 is a schematic perspective view of a contact element carrier connected to a bristle cluster according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0027] FIG. 8 is a schematic top view showing a partial structure of an oral care element according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0028] FIG. 9 is a schematic half-sectional view showing a partial structure of an oral care element according to an embodiment of the present disclosure; and

[0029] FIG. 10 is a schematic structural diagram of an oral care device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0030] Reference numerals in the accompanying drawings:

[0031] oral care element 1000;

[0032] brush handle 100; flow guide channel 110; first inlet 111; first outlet 112; support base 120; mounting slot 121; convex portion 130; second through hole 131; upper holder 140; Y-shaped ring 150; lower holder 160;

[0033] contact element carrier 200; water spray part 210; first through hole 211; first segment 220; second segment 230; attachment slot 231; annular slot 2311; inwardly extending slot 2312; first step surface 240;

[0034] surface covering element 300;

[0035] bristle cluster 400;

[0036] sealing member 500;

[0037] brush handle assembly 2000;

[0038] grip housing 610; drive apparatus 620; power output shaft 621; axial channel 622; liquid storage chamber 630; and fluid pumping unit 640.DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0039] An oral care element of an integrated flushing machine in related technologies is typically comprised of a contact element carrier and a support base, where the contact element carrier is fixed to a bristle cluster and is connected to a brush handle by means of the support base. Because the integrated flushing machine integrates a toothbrushing function and a flushing function, to form a fixed fluid channel inside the contact element carrier and the support base to provide stable fluid output to achieve the flushing function, the contact element carrier and the support base typically are made of hard materials. Moreover, because the contact element carrier and the support base are made of the hard materials, it is ensured that high-frequency vibration of a built-in motor can be effectively transmitted to the bristle cluster, and stability and durability of the structure can be ensured.

[0040] However, the use of the hard materials also brings some problems. When the integrated flushing machine is used to brush teeth, due to the high-speed vibration of the oral care element, the contact element carrier or the support base may collide with the teeth. This type of collision is referred to as a phenomenon of “tooth striking”, which not only causes unnecessary pressure to the teeth, but also adversely affects the user experience, or even leads to gum discomfort or tooth sensitivity.

[0041] Therefore, in the present disclosure, a soft rubber layer is wrapped on outer surfaces of the support base and the contact element carrier to form a soft protective layer, thereby reducing direct collisions between the hard materials such as the support base or contact element carrier and oral organs such as the teeth, to improve user comfort and the user experience. Furthermore, it is ensured that the soft protective layer does not penetrate through a contact surface between the contact element carrier and the support base, such that when a liquid is poured to form a surface soft rubber, the liquid may be prevented from overflowing to a front surface of the contact element carrier through tuft holes, and the liquid may be prevented from permeating into the fluid channel inside the contact element carrier and the support base, thereby avoiding causing product defects. In this way, comfort of toothbrushing and yield of products can be improved.

[0042] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of the embodiments of the present disclosure clearer, the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present disclosure will be described clearly and completely below, in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in the embodiments of the present disclosure. Apparently, the described embodiments are some but not all of the embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0043] The present disclosure provides an oral care element 1000, which may be detachably or fixedly connected to a brush handle assembly 2000 of an oral care device (i.e., the integrated flushing machine). Taking an example where the oral care element 1000 is detachably connected to the brush handle assembly 2000 of the integrated flushing machine, a user may hold the brush handle assembly 2000 to drive the oral care element 1000 to perform a cleaning operation. The brush handle assembly 2000 my drive the oral care element 1000 to vibrate and deliver impact water flow to the oral care element 1000, such that the toothbrushing function and the water flow flushing function can be simultaneously or successively achieved, to improve the cleaning effect. When the oral care element 1000 is damaged, it is easy to replace the oral care element 1000, to reduce replacement costs.

[0044] Specifically, referring to FIGS. 1 to 3, in one implementable embodiment, the oral care element 1000 may include a brush handle 100, a contact element carrier 200, and a surface covering element 300. The brush handle 100 extends along a direction of a main extension line, and the brush handle 100 defines a flow guide channel 110 for a fluid to flow through and a first inlet 111 and a first outlet 112 communicating with the flow guide channel 110, where the first inlet 111 and the first outlet 112 are positioned at two opposite ends (left and right ends as shown in FIG. 3) of the brush handle 100 on the main extension line. The fluid may flow into the flow guide channel 110 through the first inlet 111 and flow out of the first outlet 112 under the guidance of the flow guide channel 110. It is to be pointed out that the main extension line defined in the present disclosure refers to a straight line (as shown in FIG. 2) formed by a main extension direction of an overall structure of the brush handle 100. For example, when the brush handle 100 is roughly cylindrical, the main extension line of the brush handle 100 is an axis of the brush handle 100.

[0045] In this embodiment, the contact element carrier 200 is mounted at one end of the brush handle 100 adjacent to the first outlet 112 along a direction intersecting with the main extension line, the contact element carrier 200 at least partially protrudes from the brush handle 100, and accordingly the contact element carrier 200 is provided with a bristle cluster 400 extending along the direction intersecting with the main extension line and a water spray part 210 communicating with the first outlet 112. In this way, when performing oral cleaning, as the brush handle 100 extends into the oral cavity, the bristle cluster 400 and the water spray part 210 are directly facing the teeth and / or part of inner walls of the oral cavity, such that the bristle cluster 400 may brush and rinse the teeth and / or part of the inner walls of the oral cavity, making it easier for the user to perform an oral cleaning operation.

[0046] In this embodiment, the surface covering element 300 is soft in texture, and the surface covering element 300 covers around a side surface of an entirety formed by one end of the brush handle 100 adjacent to the first outlet 112 and the contact element carrier 200, and the contact element carrier 200 is connected to the brush handle 100. In this way, when brushing the teeth, the surface covering element 300 may block between the brush handle 100 or contact element carrier 200 and the inner wall of the oral cavity or teeth, thereby providing a buffering effect between the brush handle 100 or contact element carrier 200 and the inner wall of the oral cavity or teeth, avoiding direct collision between the brush handle 100 or contact element carrier 200 and the teeth, thereby preventing a phenomenon of “tooth striking”, improving comfort of the user's oral cavity and the oral care element 1000, and thus improving the user experience.

[0047] In practical applications, the surface covering element 300 may cover on the side surface of the entirety formed by one end of the brush handle 100 adjacent to the first outlet 112 and the contact element carrier 200 by means of overmolding or insert molding. For example, in a first injection molding process, the brush handle 100 is formed, and then the contact element carrier 200 is loaded into a mold for the overmolding, to form the surface covering element 300 in the overmolding. Of course, the surface covering element 300 may also be formed by means of two-shot molding. For example, the brush handle 100 and the contact element carrier 200 are separately molded and then spliced together, and next the spliced entirety is subjected to the two-shot molding to form the surface covering element 300. The surface covering element 300 may be made of a type of polymer material with soft texture and elasticity, such that the surface covering element 300 is soft in texture. The material may be a natural material, or may be a synthetic material such as silicone, rubber, polyurethane elastomer, or the like.

[0048] The brush handle 100 and the contact element carrier 200 may be connected together only by means of an overmolded bonding effect of the surface covering element 300. The brush handle 100 and the contact element carrier 200 can also be connected together by means of a combined effect of the overmolded bonding of the surface covering element 300 and ultrasonic welding, to further improve reliability and stability of the connection between the brush handle 100 and the contact element carrier 200.

[0049] Regarding fixation of the bristle cluster 400, in one implementable embodiment, the bristle cluster 400 may be fixed to the contact element carrier 200 by means of staple tufting.

[0050] In another alternative embodiment, the bristle cluster 400 may also be fixed to the contact element carrier 200 by means of staple-less tufting. Specifically, the contact element carrier 200 is provided with a plurality of tuft holes for mounting the bristle cluster 400. The tuft holes penetrate two opposite surfaces of the contact element carrier 200, and the tuft holes limit the bristle cluster 400 in a radial direction. One end of the bristle cluster 400 passing through a back surface of the contact element carrier 200 may be sintered onto the back surface of the contact element carrier 200 to achieve fixation. Sintering ends of a plurality of bristle clusters 400 may be independent of each other or may be at least partially sintered together. It is to be pointed out that a surface of the contact element carrier 200 adjacent to a free end of the bristle cluster 400 is the front surface, and a surface of the contact element carrier 200 adjacent to a fixed end of the bristle cluster 400 is the back surface.

[0051] It is worth mentioning that when the bristle cluster 400 is fixed to the contact element carrier 200 by means of staple-less tufting, the surface covering element 300 covers around the side surface of the entirety formed by one end of the brush handle 100 adjacent to the first outlet 112 and the contact element carrier 200. Moreover, when molding the surface covering element 300, or when pouring the liquid to form the surface covering element 300, the liquid is prevented from entering the back surface of the contact element carrier 200 and from overflowing to the front surface of the contact element carrier 200 through the tuft holes, thereby avoiding causing product defects and improving yield of products.

[0052] As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, in one implementable embodiment, the brush handle 100 has a support base 120 at one end along the main extension line, where the support base 120 is used to attach to the contact element carrier 200 to provide support for the contact element carrier 200 and transmit vibration energy from the brush handle assembly 2000. Specifically, the support base 120 is provided with a mounting slot 121 along one side (an upper side as shown in FIG. 4) of the main extension line, the flow guide channel 110 extends to the support base 120 and is at least partially positioned below the mounting slot 121, the first outlet 112 is formed at a bottom of the mounting slot 121, and the contact element carrier 200 is mounted in the mounting slot 121 along a direction perpendicular to the main extension line.

[0053] Through the above method, the contact element carrier 200 may be mounted onto the brush handle 100 according to a shape of the mounting slot 121, thereby facilitating installation operation of the contact element carrier 200. Furthermore, the contact element carrier 200 is mounted into the mounting slot 121, and the mounting slot 121 may also fit with the contact element carrier 200 to limit the contact element carrier 200, thereby reducing freedom of movement of the contact element carrier 200 with respect to the support base 120. Correspondingly, the surface covering element 300 only needs to limit the contact element carrier 200 in a vertical direction from the perspective of FIG. 4, thereby improving the reliability and stability of connecting the brush handle 100 to the contact element carrier 200 only by means of the overmolded bonding effect of the surface covering element 300.

[0054] In practical applications, the brush handle 100 may drive, by means of the support base 120, the contact element carrier 200 to vibrate. In this way, the contact element carrier 200 may transmit the vibration received to the bristle cluster 400 to drive the bristle cluster 400 to vibrate, such that the vibrating bristle cluster 400 may help to better transfer toothpaste and water on the bristle cluster 400 to a tooth surface and a gingival margin, to more thoroughly remove food residue, bacteria, and dental plaque. Moreover, the vibrating bristle cluster 400 also can more easily enter interproximal tooth and gingival lines, to improve a cleaning range.

[0055] In one implementable embodiment, the surface covering element 300 may also cover at least portion of the surface of the support base 120 away from the contact element carrier 200. That is, the surface covering element 300 also covers the back surface of the support base 120, such that the surface covering element 300 covers more surfaces of the support base 120, and thus the surface covering element 300 may provide a more comprehensive barrier between the support base 120 and the inner wall of the oral cavity or the teeth, thereby further avoiding the direct collision between the brush handle 100 or contact element carrier 200 and the teeth, thereby preventing the phenomenon of “tooth striking”, improving the comfort of the user's oral cavity and the oral care element 1000, and thus improving the user experience.

[0056] As shown in FIGS. 6 to 8, in one implementable embodiment, the contact element carrier 200 has a first segment 220 and a second segment 230 that are connected to each other, where along the direction perpendicular to the main extension line, the first segment 220 is positioned between the second segment 230 and the support base 120. A side surface of the first segment 220 is positioned within a range of a side surface of the second segment 230. That is, a size of the side surface of the second segment 230 is larger than that of the side surface of the first segment 220. The side surface of the first segment 220 shrinks inward from the side surface of the second segment 230 by a certain distance, such that a first step surface 240 is formed between the side surface of the first segment 220 and the side surface of the second segment 230. When the contact element carrier 200 is mounted in the mounting slot 121 along the direction perpendicular to the main extension line, the first segment 220 is inserted into the mounting slot 121, and the first step surface 240 is attached to a surface of the support base 120 adjacent to the second segment 230. Correspondingly, the side surface of the second segment 230 and the side surface of the support base 120 together constitute the side surface of the entirety formed by one end of the brush handle 100 adjacent to the first outlet 112 and the contact element carrier 200.

[0057] In the above way, possibility of the liquid for forming the surface covering element 300 entering between the side surface of the support base 120 and the inner wall of the mounting slot 121 or entering between the front surface of the support base 120 and the back surface of the contact element carrier 200 can be reduced by attaching the first step surface 240 to the surface of the support base 120 adjacent to the second segment 230. In this way, the liquid is prevented from overflowing to the front surface of the contact element carrier 200 through the tuft holes, thereby avoiding causing product defects and ensuring yield of products. That is, the surface covering element 300 does not exist between the front surface of the support base 120 and the back surface of the contact element carrier 200, but the surface covering element 300 may likely exist between the side surface of the first segment 220 and an inner wall surface of the mounting slot 121, and the surface covering element 300 also likely does not exist between the side surface of the first segment 220 and the inner wall surface of the mounting slot 121.

[0058] Furthermore, the first step surface 240 is attached to the surface of the support base 120 adjacent to the second segment 230, such that when brushing the teeth, pressure applied to the contact element carrier 200 may also be transmitted to the support base 120 through the first step surface 240, thereby reducing the pressure applied by the contact element carrier 200 to the first outlet 112, reducing the possibility of causing damage to the first outlet 112 under the pressure, and thus prolonging service life of the product.

[0059] In practical applications, at least portion of the first segment 220 gradually converges inward towards the direction away from the second segment 230, such that the size of one end of the first segment 220 away from the second segment 230 is smaller than an opening size of the mounting slot 121, to make it easier for a first end of the contact element carrier 200 to insert into the mounting slot 121.

[0060] Referring to FIGS. 7 and 8 again, in one implementable embodiment, a surface of the second segment 230 away from the first segment 220 is provided with an attachment slot 231 inwardly extending from the side surface of the second segment 230. The surface covering element 300 is filled in the attachment slot 231, such that the surface covering element 300 may also partially cover the surface of the contact element carrier 200 away from the support base 120. That is, the surface covering element 300 may also partially cover portion of the front surface of the contact element carrier 200. In this way, a bonding area between the surface covering element 300 and the contact element carrier 200 may be increased, thereby ensuring the reliability of the connection between the surface covering element 300 and the contact element carrier 200.

[0061] In practical applications, the surface of the second segment 230 away from the first segment 220 is provided with the attachment slot 231 inwardly extending from the side surface of the second segment 230. A corresponding boss portion is formed on the surface of the second segment 230 away from the first segment 220, and the tuft holes may be formed on the boss portion, such that the tuft holes have enough depth to provide better support to the bristle cluster 400, thereby ensuring that the bristle cluster 400 can maintain an upright state after being inserted into the tuft holes. When the surface covering element 300 is filled in the attachment slot 231, the surface covering element 300 may be roughly flush with a top surface of a protrusion portion, or the surface covering element 300 may be slightly lower than the top surface of the protrusion portion, thereby ensuring aesthetic degree and preventing overflow of the surface covering element 300 into the tuft holes from adversely affecting normal movement of the bristle cluster 400.

[0062] Regarding the specific structure of the attachment slot 231, the present disclosure provides three implementable embodiments for reference.

[0063] In Embodiment I, the attachment slot 231 may include a continuous annular slot 2311 extending along an edge of the contact element carrier 200. That is, the annular slot 2311 is arranged at the edge of the contact element carrier 200 and surrounds the edge of the contact element carrier 200. In this way, it is ensured that the surface covering element 300 covering in the annular slot 2311 exerts relatively uniform force to the contact element carrier 200, which may reduce the possibility of the contact element carrier 200 upwarping at one end and detaching from the surface covering element 300, thus improving the stability and reliability of the connection between the surface covering element 300 and the contact element carrier 200.

[0064] In Embodiment II, on the basis of Embodiment I, the attachment slot 231 may also include a plurality of inwardly extending slots 2312, which inwardly extend from a side surface of the annular slot 2311, thereby further increasing the bonding area between the surface covering element 300 and the contact element carrier 200, and improving the stability and reliability of the connection between the surface covering element 300 and the contact element carrier 200.

[0065] In Embodiment III, the attachment slot 231 may only include the plurality of inwardly extending slots 2312, which are spaced apart along the edge of the contact element carrier 200.

[0066] As shown in FIG. 9, in one implementable embodiment, the water spray part 210 protrudes from a surface of the contact element carrier 200 away from the support base 120, and the water spray part 210 does not exceed the bristle cluster 400 in height. That is, the water spray part 210 is positioned below the free end of the bristle cluster 400. In this way, the water spray part 210 can be close enough to the teeth to achieve better cleaning effect, and the probability of contact between the water spray part 210 and the teeth can be reduced when brushing the teeth, thereby reducing discomfort caused by contact and friction between the water spray part 210 and the teeth, and thus improving the user experience.

[0067] In practical applications, the water spray part 210 may be made of elastic materials such as rubber, silicone, or the like. In this way, in one aspect, when the water spray part 210 comes into contact with the teeth because the user exerts a larger force during brushing the teeth, the problem of poor experience caused by the water spray part 210 hitting the teeth can be avoided. In another aspect, installed on a toothbrush, the water spray part 210 is exquisite and compact in structure and is made of the elastic materials easy for processing, to avoid the problem of cracks occurring when processing axial through holes.

[0068] The water spray part 210 and the contact element carrier 200 may form an integrated structure, and the water spray part 210 may be integrally mounted into the mounting slot 121 along with the contact element carrier 200.

[0069] The water spray part 210 and the contact element carrier 200 may be separate structures. The water spray part 210 may be fixed to the contact element carrier 200 by means of insertion connection, threaded connection or other connections, or the water spray part 210 may be fixed at the bottom of the mounting slot 121 and may protrude from the front surface of the contact element carrier 200 to form a protrusion.

[0070] To install the water spray part 210 and the contact element carrier 200, the present disclosure preferably adopts the integrated structure for the water spray part 210 and the contact element carrier 200, and the following description is made on this basis.

[0071] As shown in FIG. 9, in one implementable embodiment, the water spray part 210 has a first through hole 211. The bottom of the mounting slot 121 is provided with a convex portion 130 extending towards the contact element carrier 200, where the convex portion 130 is provided with a second through hole 131 communicating with the flow guide channel 110, and the first outlet 112 is formed at one end of the second through hole 131 away from the flow guide channel 110. When the contact element carrier 200 is mounted in the mounting slot 121 along the direction perpendicular to the main extension line, the water spray part 210 is sleeved on the convex portion 130, or the convex portion 130 is inserted into the first through hole 211, and the flow guide channel 110 communicates with the first through hole 211 through the second through hole 131. In this way, the fluid from the flow guide channel 110 may be sprayed out of the water spray part 210 sequentially through the second through hole 131 and the first through hole 211.

[0072] Moreover, it is to be understood that through the above solutions, when the contact element carrier 200 is mounted, the contact element carrier 200 may be positioned and mounted by inserting the convex portion 130 into the first through hole 211 to ensure accuracy of interconnection between the water spray part 210 and the first outlet 112.

[0073] In practical applications, the first through hole 211 may be a through hole with a constant aperture. The first through hole 211 may also be a through hole with a variable aperture. Specifically, the first through hole 211 may include a first hole segment and a second hole segment communicating with each other. The aperture of the first hole segment is smaller than that of the second hole segment, and the second hole segment is adjacent to the first outlet 112 and communicates with the first outlet 112. In this way, after flowing out through the first outlet 112, the fluid may be sprayed out sequentially through the second hole segment and the first hole segment. Because an inner diameter of the first hole segment is smaller than that of the second hole segment, when a flow rate is constant, a flow velocity of the fluid in the first hole segment is greater than that of the fluid in the second hole segment, thereby increasing a spraying speed of the fluid and improving the cleaning effect of the fluid on the teeth. Of course, the aperture of the first through hole 211 may also gradually decrease towards the direction away from the first outlet 112, which may also increase the spraying speed of the fluid and improve the cleaning effect of the fluid on the teeth.

[0074] To ensure leakproofness of a communication between the first through hole 211 and the second through hole 131, in one implementable embodiment, a sealing member 500 is provided on an outer wall surface of the convex portion 130 and an inner wall surface of the first through hole 211, such that the sealing member 500 seals up a gap between the outer wall surface of the convex portion 130 and the inner wall surface of the first through hole 211.

[0075] In practical applications, the sealing member 500 may be a sealing ring, which may be first sleeved onto the convex portion 130. When the contact element carrier 200 is mounted in the mounting slot 121, the sealing ring is squeezed between the convex portion 130 and the inner wall surface of the first through hole 211.

[0076] Based on the same inventive concept, as shown in FIG. 10, the present disclosure also provides an oral care device that integrates the toothbrushing and flushing functions. Specifically, the oral care device may include the brush handle assembly 2000 and the oral care element 1000. The brush handle assembly 2000 may include a grip housing 610 and a drive apparatus 620 mounted inside the grip housing 610. A power output shaft 621 of the drive apparatus 620 extends out of the grip housing 610, and the power output shaft 621 has an axial channel 622. The oral care element 1000 is connected to the power output shaft 621 and is driven by the power output shaft 621 to perform a displacement motion. A fluid outlet of the axial channel 622 communicates with the first inlet 111, and the oral care device outputs water flow impact by means of the water spray part 210.

[0077] In this embodiment, a liquid storage chamber 630 and a fluid pumping unit 640 may also be provided inside the grip housing 610. A fluid inlet of the axial channel 622 may communicate with the liquid storage chamber 630, and the fluid pumping unit 640 is connected in series with the fluid inlet of the axial channel 622 and a flow channel of the liquid storage chamber 630, such that the fluid pumping unit 640 can pump the fluid in the liquid storage chamber 630, and the fluid flows out of the fluid outlet of the axial channel 622 through the axial channel 622, and then is sprayed out of the water spray part 210 sequentially through the first inlet 111, the flow guide channel 110, and the first outlet 112.

[0078] In practical applications, to make it easier for the user to grip, the grip housing 610 may be shaped like a slender body, and a cross-sectional shape of the grip housing 610 may be circular or non-circular (such as D-shaped, elliptical, or polygonal). The brush handle 100 may have a first end and a second end arranged opposite to each other on the main extension line, and the support base 120 is positioned at the second end of the brush handle 100. The first end of the brush handle 100 may be provided with an upper holder 140, a Y-shaped ring 150, and a lower holder 160, which are sequentially assembled into the brush handle 100 from an opening at the second end of the brush handle 100. When the oral care element 1000 is inserted on the power output shaft 621, a guide surface positioned on an outer surface of the power output shaft 621 is attached to an inner surface of the upper holder 140 to guide and align. An elastic buckle portion of the upper holder 140 is engaged with a groove on the outer surface of the power output shaft 621, thereby fixing the oral care element 1000. In this case, an inner end surface of the Y-shaped ring 150 is fitted with the outer surface of the power output shaft 621, and an outer end surface of the Y-shaped ring 150 is attached to an inner wall surface of the brush handle 100, thereby forming a seal at the first end of the brush handle 100 and preventing the liquid in the flow guide channel 110 from overflowing from the first end of the brush handle 100. When the oral care element 1000 is subjected to an acting force along the direction away from the brush handle assembly 2000, the acting force may break through a clamping force of the elastic buckle, causing the power output shaft 621 of the brush handle assembly 2000 to separate from the upper holder 140, thereby making it convenient for replacement of the oral care element 1000.

[0079] Reference may be made to the detailed description in the above embodiments for the specific structure of the oral care element 1000, which is not to be described in detail herein.

[0080] The terms such as “upper” and “lower” for describing relative positional relationships of various structures in the drawings are merely for the purpose of concise description rather than limiting the implementable scope of the present disclosure. The changes or adjustments of the relative relationship without a substantial modification to the technical solutions are regarded as being covered by the implementable scope of the present disclosure.

[0081] It is to be noted that in the present disclosure, unless specified or limited otherwise, a first feature “on” or “below” a second feature may include an embodiment in which the first feature is in direct contact with the second feature, and may also include an embodiment in which the first feature and the second feature are in indirect contact via an intermediary. Furthermore, a first feature “on,”“above,” or “on top of” a second feature may include an embodiment in which the first feature is right or obliquely “on,”“above,” or “on top of” the second feature, or just means that the first feature is at a height higher than that of the second feature. A first feature “below,”“under,” or “on bottom of” a second feature may include an embodiment in which the first feature is right or obliquely “below,”“under,” or “on bottom of” the second feature, or just means that the first feature is at a height lower than that of the second feature.

[0082] In addition, in the present disclosure, unless specified or limited otherwise, terms “mounted”, “connected”, “coupled”, “fixed” and so on should be understood in a broad sense, which may be, for example, a fixed connection, a detachable connection or integrated connection, a direct connection or indirect connection by means of an intermediary, an internal communication between two elements or an interaction relationship between two elements. The specific significations of the above terms in the present disclosure may be understood in the light of specific conditions by persons of ordinary skill in the art.

[0083] Reference throughout this specification to the terms “an embodiment,”“some embodiments,”“an exemplary embodiment,”“an example,”“a specific example,” or “some examples,” means that a specific feature, structure, material, or characteristic described in connection with the embodiment or example is included in at least one embodiment or example of the present disclosure. The schematic representation of the above terms throughout this specification is not necessarily referring to the same embodiment or example. Furthermore, the specific features, structures, materials, or characteristics set forth may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments or examples.

[0084] Finally, it is to be noted that the foregoing embodiments are merely intended for describing the technical solutions of the present disclosure, but not for limiting the present disclosure. Although the present disclosure is described in detail with reference to the foregoing embodiments, persons of ordinary skill in the art should understand that they may still make modifications to the technical solutions described in the foregoing embodiments or make equivalent replacements to some or all technical features thereof, which does not make corresponding technical solutions in essence depart from the scope of the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present disclosure.

Claims

1. An oral care element at least comprising a brush handle (100), a contact element carrier (200), and a surface covering element (300), wherein:the brush handle (100) extending along a main extension line defines a flow guide channel (110) and a first inlet (111) and a first outlet (112) communicating with the flow guide channel (110), and the first inlet (111) and the first outlet (112) are positioned at two opposite ends of the brush handle (100) on the main extension line;the contact element carrier (200) is mounted at one end of the brush handle (100) adjacent to the first outlet (112) along a direction intersecting with the main extension line, the contact element carrier (200) at least partially protrudes from the brush handle (100), and the contact element carrier (200) is provided with a bristle cluster (400) extending along the direction intersecting with the main extension line and a water spray part (210) communicating with the first outlet (112); andthe surface covering element (300) is soft in texture, and covers around a side surface of an entirety formed by one end of the brush handle (100) adjacent to the first outlet (112) and the contact element carrier (200), and the contact element carrier (200) is connected to the brush handle (100).

2. The oral care element according to claim 1, wherein the brush handle (100) has a support base (120) at one end along the main extension line; andthe support base (120) is provided with a mounting slot (121) along one side of the main extension line, the first outlet (112) is formed at a bottom of the mounting slot (121), and the contact element carrier (200) is mounted in the mounting slot (121) along a direction perpendicular to the main extension line.

3. The oral care element according to claim 2, wherein the surface covering element (300) further covers at least portion of a surface of the support base (120) away from the contact element carrier (200).

4. The oral care element according to claim 2, wherein the contact element carrier (200) has a first segment (220) and a second segment (230) connected to each other;a side surface of the first segment (220) is positioned within a range of a side surface of the second segment (230), and a first step surface (240) is formed between the side surface of the first segment (220) and the side surface of the second segment (230); andwhen the contact element carrier (200) is mounted in the mounting slot (121) along the direction perpendicular to the main extension line, the first segment (220) is inserted into the mounting slot (121), and the first step surface (240) is attached to a surface of the support base (120) adjacent to the second segment (230), wherein the side surface of the second segment (230) and the side surface of the support base (120) together constitute the side surface of the entirety formed by one end of the brush handle (100) adjacent to the first outlet (112) and the contact element carrier (200).

5. The oral care element according to claim 4, wherein a surface of the second segment (230) away from the first segment (220) is provided with an attachment slot (231) inwardly extending from the side surface of the second segment (230); andthe surface covering element (300) is filled in the attachment slot (231), such that the surface covering element (300) partially covers the surface of the contact element carrier (200) away from the support base (120).

6. The oral care element according to claim 5, wherein the attachment slot (231) comprises a continuous annular slot (2311) extending along an edge of the contact element carrier (200).

7. The oral care element according to claim 6, wherein the attachment slot (231) further comprises a plurality of inwardly extending slots (2312) inwardly extending from a side surface of the annular slot (2311).

8. The oral care element according to claim 2, wherein the water spray part (210) and the contact element carrier (200) form an integrated structure.

9. The oral care element according to claim 2, wherein the water spray part (210) protrudes from a surface of the contact element carrier (200) away from the support base (120), and the water spray part (210) does not exceed the bristle cluster (400) in height.

10. The oral care element according to claim 9, wherein the water spray part (210) has a first through hole (211);the bottom of the mounting slot (121) is provided with a convex portion (130) extending towards the contact element carrier (200), the convex portion (130) is provided with a second through hole (131) communicating with the flow guide channel (110), and the first outlet (112) is formed at one end of the second through hole (131) away from the flow guide channel (110); andwhen the contact element carrier (200) is mounted in the mounting slot (121) along the direction perpendicular to the main extension line, the convex portion (130) is inserted into the first through hole (211), and the flow guide channel (110) communicates with the first through hole (211) through the second through hole (131).

11. The oral care element according to claim 10, wherein a sealing member (500) is provided on an outer wall surface of the convex portion (130) and an inner wall surface of the first through hole (211).

12. The oral care element according to claim 1, wherein the bristle cluster (400) is fixed to the contact element carrier (200) by means of staple tufting or staple-less tufting.

13. An oral care device comprising a brush handle assembly (2000) and an oral care element (1000) according to claim 1, wherein:the brush handle assembly (2000) comprises a grip housing (610) and a drive apparatus (620) mounted inside the grip housing (610), a power output shaft (621) of the drive apparatus (620) extends out of the grip housing (610), and the power output shaft (621) has an axial channel (622); andthe oral care element (1000) is connected to the power output shaft (621) and is driven by the power output shaft (621) to perform a displacement motion, and a fluid outlet of the axial channel (622) communicates with the first inlet (111), and the oral care device outputs water flow impact by means of the water spray part (210).

Images