This document also discloses a member for mounting a toothbrush head to an electric toothbrush. The member includes a base having an opening for receiving a drive shaft of an electric toothbrush. The member also includes a coupling section that includes a cylindrical sidewall that surrounds a cavity for receiving the drive shaft. The member includes a spring in the coupling section. The spring is positioned to transfer vibration from the drive shaft to the toothbrush head when operated.

An electrically operated assembly includes a handle housing and a connector for repeatably attaching and detaching a head to and from the assembly. The connector is in direct proximity to a motor having an eccentric weight. The connector is made from a material having an e-modulus that is higher than an e-modulus of the material from which the handle housing is made. A ratio of an overall length extension of the handle housing extending along a longitudinal housing axis to an overall length extension of the connector extending along a longitudinal connector axis is from about 2.5 to about 4.5, and preferably from about 3.0 to about 3.5.

A connector-housing assembly for an electrically operated personal-care implement comprises a housing defining an inner cavity and a connector for repeatably attaching and detaching a head to and from the assembly. The connector has an overall length extension (Lc) extending along a longitudinal connector axis (Xc), the overall length extension (Lc) being composed of a sub-length (Li) extending within the inner cavity of the housing, and a sub-length (Lo) extending outside of the housing, wherein a ratio (Rc) of the length (Li) extending within the inner cavity of the housing to the length (Lo) extending outside of the housing is from about 1.0 to 1.7, preferably from about 1.0 to about 1.5.

Embodiments presented provide for an oral hygiene apparatus and method of cleaning such that a consumer may effectively clean dental apparatus with a water based solution to prevent recontamination of the oral cavity.

An oral care process which includes initiating a first operational sequence which includes generating an electric potential between a first sacrificial electrode and a second sacrificial electrode, the electric potential in the first operational sequence beginning with one of a first polarity and a second polarity, stopping the first operational sequence, and commencing a second operational sequence which includes generating the electric potential between the first sacrificial electrode and the second sacrificial electrode. The electric potential in the second operational sequence may begin with the other of the first polarity and the second polarity. The electric potential may be alternated between the first polarity and the second polarity at predetermined intervals during at least one of the first operational sequence and the second operational sequence.

A handle for an electrically operated personal-care implement includes a housing having a proximal end and a distal end opposite the proximal end, and an inner cavity. A connector for repeatably attaching and detaching a head to and from the handle is partially accommodated within the inner cavity at the proximal end thereof. A motor, located in the housing's inner cavity, has an eccentric weight. The connector includes a recess accommodating the motor with the eccentric weight.

An electrically operated assembly comprises a handle housing defining an inner cavity, a connector for repeatably attaching and detaching a head to and from the assembly, and a motor for operating the assembly, wherein the connector comprises a recess in which the motor is accommodated, and the connector is at least partially made from a material having an e-modulus being higher than the e-modulus of the material from which the handle housing is made.

A teeth cleaning system, which provides improved coverage or brushing area. The system includes an actuated tray comprises brushing elements. The brushing elements may be positioned to engage the front, rear, and top surfaces of the upper and lower jaw teeth. The actuation may be configured to oscillate the tray in a lateral direction which may brush all the surfaces of teeth simultaneously. Some embodiments include a higher density of bristles which increases the effectiveness of brushing. In addition, aspects of the system reduce the time spent brushing teeth.

A manual oral care implement comprises a handle, a connector and a head, the head being repeatedly attachable to and detachable from the handle via the connector. The handle has a distal end and a proximal end opposite to the distal end and adjacent to the head when the head is attached to the handle. The proximal end has an upper surface that is at least partially chamfered. The handle has a longitudinal axis and a cross-sectional area extending substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis. The chamfered surface and the cross-sectional area define therebetween an angle α from about 15° to about 30°.

An electric toothbrush is disclosed, having a handle including a drive motor and a head portion removably coupled to the handle. The head portion includes a brush, an exit port fed by an internal irrigation lumen, and a drive shaft operatively connecting the drive motor to the brush. A disposable irrigant reservoir is removably coupled directly to the head portion. The irrigant reservoir is in fluid communication with the internal irrigation lumen of the head portion. The head portion is configured to be replaceable with respect to the handle, and the irrigant reservoir is configured to be replaceable independent of the head portion. In some examples, the irrigant reservoir is a disposable bulb (e.g., a capsule), and is positioned such that the user can hold the handle while also squeezing the reservoir with the same hand. In some examples, the toothbrush head includes a suction mechanism.