Oral care implement having an adjustable mass centroid
An oral care implement or toothbrush includes a head and a tooth cleaning element. The oral care implement's mass centroid may be adjusted to guard against the application of excessive force against a user's teeth. Adjustment may be performed using a variety of systems and mechanisms including adjustment of a weight within a portion of the oral care implement. The location of the weight may be modified using a variety of techniques including a screw configuration and/or a slider control.
1. An oral care instrument, comprising:
a head;
a handle comprising an object adjustable to a plurality of positions along a longitudinal axis of the handle, wherein the object is configured to modify a location of a mass centroid of the oral care instrument;
one or more sensors operably coupled to a processor that provides feedback regarding an optimal location of the mass centroid; and
wherein the handle is integrally formed with the head.
2. The handle of claim 1 , wherein the object is adjustable using a slider control.
3. The handle of claim 1 , wherein the object is located within a cavity of the handle.
4. The oral care implement of claim 2 , wherein the object is located within a cavity of the handle, and wherein the slider control connects to the object via a connecting portion extending from an exterior portion of the handle into the cavity.
5. The oral care implement of claim 1 , wherein the object comprises a first material of a first density and the head comprises a second material of a second density.
6. The oral care implement of claim 1 , wherein the object is of a size such that an exterior surface of the object contacts an interior surface of the handle with a force sufficient to prevent the object from moving independently of an outside force.
7. The oral care implement of claim 5 , wherein the first density is greater than the second density.