Granted Patent B2

US 12,376,671 · App. 17/517,999 · Granted Aug 5, 2025

Inventor: Uwe Jungnickel (Königstein, DE)

Assignee: The Gillette Company LLC

A46B5/02A46B5/0095A46B2200/1066

Abstract

Claims (16)

1. A handle ( 12 ) for a personal care implement ( 10 ), the handle ( 12 ) has a longitudinal extension ( 28 ) extending between a proximal end ( 30 ) and a distal end ( 32 ), the distal end ( 32 ) being opposite the proximal end ( 30 ), the handle ( 12 ) further comprising:

a first component comprising a core structure ( 18 ) having a longitudinal extension ( 34 ) extending at least 75% along the length extension ( 28 ) of the handle ( 12 ), and a connector ( 16 ) for repeatedly attaching and detaching a head ( 14 ) to and from the handle ( 12 ), the connector ( 16 ) is unitarily made with the core structure to form a core-connector unit ( 20 ),

wherein the core-connector unit ( 20 ) is made from a fiber-reinforced material,

wherein the fiber-reinforced material is a composite material comprising a polymer base material selected from the group consisting of polyamide, styrene acrylonitrile resin, polybutylene terephthalate, polyethylene terephthalate, recycled plastic materials, and any combination thereof;

a second component ( 22 ) made from a polymeric material comprising a polymer base material and an inorganic filler material comprising zinc oxide, the second component ( 22 ) at least partially covering the core structure ( 18 ) such that the core structure ( 18 ) is partially overmolded by the second component ( 22 ), wherein the core structure ( 18 ) comprises a plurality of protrusions ( 36 ) extending outward towards the second component ( 22 ) in a substantially orthogonal direction, the plurality of protrusions are arranged along longitudinal extension ( 34 ) of the core structure ( 18 ) enabling a solid connection and mechanical interlock between the core structure ( 18 ) and the second component ( 22 ); and

a third component ( 24 ) that at least partially covers at least one of the core structure ( 18 ) and the second component ( 22 ).

2. The handle ( 12 ) of claim 1 , wherein the fiber-reinforced material comprises from 10 wt % to 50 wt % of fiber.

3. The handle ( 12 ) of claim 1 , wherein the fiber is selected from the group consisting of glass fibers, carbon fibers, aramid fibers, basalt fibers, wood fibers, and any combination thereof.

4. The handle ( 12 ) of claim 1 , wherein the fiber-reinforced material has a density of from about 1 g/cm 3 to about 1.7 g/cm 3 .

5. The handle ( 12 ) of claim 1 , wherein the polymer base material of the second component ( 22 ) is selected from the group consisting of polyamide, styrene acrylonitrile resin, polybutylene terephthalate, polyethylene terephthalate, recycled plastic materials, and any combination thereof.

6. The handle ( 12 ) of claim 1 , wherein the filler material of the second component ( 22 ) further comprises a material selected from the group consisting of iron oxide, barium sulfate, titanium dioxide, aluminium oxide, and any combination thereof.

7. The handle ( 12 ) of claim 1 , wherein the filler material of the second component ( 22 ) constitutes from 50 wt % to 80 wt % of the polymeric material.

8. The handle ( 12 ) of claim 1 , wherein the polymeric material of the second component ( 22 ) has a density of from about 2 g/cm 3 to about 3.5 g/cm 3 .

9. The handle ( 12 ) of claim 1 , wherein the third component ( 24 ) is made from at least one of thermoplastic elastomer material and polypropylene material.

10. The handle ( 12 ) of claim 1 , wherein the third component ( 24 ) forms at least one gripping area ( 44 ) on an outer surface ( 46 ) of the handle ( 12 ).

11. A personal care implement ( 10 ) comprising the handle ( 12 ) of claim 1 and a head ( 14 ).

Assignments (1)

Priority Claims (1)

Continuity (1)

References Cited (400)

Cited By (1)

US 12,691,600