Oral care implement
An oral care implement comprises a head and a handle, the head being repeatedly attachable to and detachable from the handle. The head is made from a non-magnetic and/or non-ferromagnetic material, while the handle is at least partially made from a magnetic and/or ferromagnetic material.
1. An oral care implement ( 10 ) comprising a head ( 14 ) and a handle ( 12 ), the head ( 14 ) being repeatedly attachable to and detachable from the handle ( 12 ), the head ( 14 ) being made from a non-magnetic and/or non-ferromagnetic material, and the handle ( 12 ) being at least partially made from a magnetic and/or ferromagnetic material, wherein the magnetic and/or ferromagnetic material comprises about 27.5 weight percent of an amorphous thermoplastic resin, about 17 weight percent of aluminum oxide, about 51 weight percent of iron oxide, and about 4.5% glass fiber.
2. The oral care implement ( 10 ) of claim 1 , wherein the amorphous thermoplastic resin is selected from the group consisting of acrylonitrile butadiene styrene, polystyrene, styrene acrylonitrile, and any mixture thereof.
3. The oral care implement ( 10 ) of claim 1 , wherein the amorphous thermoplastic resin comprises about 17% weight percent styrene acrylonitrile, and 10.5 weight percent of a mixture comprising polybutylene terephthalate and polyethylene terephthalate.
4. The oral care implement ( 10 ) of claim 1 , wherein the handle ( 14 ) comprises a thumb rest ( 16 ) being made from thermoplastic elastomer material and/or from polypropylene material.
5. The oral care implement ( 10 ) of claim 1 , wherein the oral care implement ( 10 ) is a manual toothbrush ( 10 ).
6. The oral care implement ( 10 ) of claim 1 , wherein the handle ( 12 ) is formed of at least two different parts ( 12 , 16 , 18 ) made of different materials.
7. A kit ( 22 ) comprising the oral care implement ( 10 ) of claim 1 and a magnetic holder ( 24 ) for attaching and holding the oral care implement ( 10 ).
8. A method for manufacturing an oral care implement ( 10 ) of claim 1 , the method comprising steps:
providing an amorphous thermoplastic resin;
providing aluminum oxide, boron nitride or aluminum silicate;
providing iron oxide;
mixing the amorphous thermoplastic resin, aluminum oxide, boron nitride or aluminum silicate and iron oxide into a magnetic and/or ferromagnetic molding material so that the magnetic and/or ferromagnetic molding material comprises about 27.5 weight percent of an amorphous thermoplastic resin, about 17 weight percent of aluminum oxide, about 51 weight percent of iron oxide, and about 4.5% glass fiber;
heating the molding material mixture into a flowable molding material;
molding the flowable molding mixture into a handle ( 12 ) or part of a handle ( 12 );
providing a non-magnetic and/or non-ferromagnetic material; and
molding the non-magnetic and/or non-ferromagnetic material into a head ( 14 ) or part of a head ( 14 ).
9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the amorphous thermoplastic resin comprises at least one of styrene acrylonitrile, polybutylene terephthalate and polyethylene terephthalate.
10. The method of claim 8 , comprising a step of electroplating the handle ( 12 ) with a thermoplastic elastomer or a polypropylene material.
11. The method of claim 8 , wherein the head ( 14 ) and/or handle ( 12 ) is molded by injection or extrusion molding.