IP Library › Granted Patent US 12,447,693
Granted Patent B2
US 12,447,693 · App. 17/721,442 · Granted Oct 21, 2025

Support structure for a personal care product

Inventors: Robert Andrew Kearney (Reading, GB); Stephen Andrew Baldwin (Reading, GB)
Assignee: The Gillette Company LLC
B29C65/48A45D26/00A61B17/54B26B21/4012A61B2017/00526B29L2031/7186
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,447,693
App. No.
17/721,442
Granted
Oct 21, 2025
Kind
B2
Abstract

This invention relates to a novel of making a personal care product including the steps of providing a treatment sheet comprised of a first material and a first plurality of apertures and joining a support structure to the lower surface of the treatment sheet. The support structure includes a support material, a support sheet, a support ring, or any combination thereof. The support sheet includes a second plurality of apertures. The support sheet is disposed beneath the treatment sheet by aligning the first plurality of apertures and the second plurality of apertures. Fluid support material is solidified such that the treatment sheet and the support sheet are bonded together. The support ring is disposed on a housing (e.g., in a groove) below the support sheet or joined to the treatment sheet via the support material prior to solidifying.

Claims (14)

1. A method of making a personal care product comprising the steps of

providing a treatment sheet comprised of a first material and a first plurality of apertures, said treatment sheet having an upper and a lower surface;

joining a support structure to said lower surface of said treatment sheet, wherein said support structure comprises a support sheet and a support ring disposed at a perimeter of the treatment sheet, wherein the support ring is one of a flattened ring, a solid tube, or a hollow tube made from a thermoplastic, a thermoset, an elastomeric polymer, or any combination thereof; and

providing a housing and of disposing said support ring on or in an upper surface of the housing, wherein a gap is formed between the lower surface of the treatment sheet and the upper surface of the housing.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein said support sheet comprises a second plurality of apertures.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein said step of joining further comprises disposing said support sheet beneath said treatment sheet.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein said support sheet comprises a second plurality of apertures and wherein said step of joining further comprises aligning said first plurality of apertures and said second plurality of apertures.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the support structure comprises a support material in the form of a fluid and wherein said step of joining further comprises solidifying said fluid of said support material such that said treatment sheet and said support sheet are joined together forming an upper treatment unit portion.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein said support ring is disposed below said support sheet or joined to said treatment sheet via said support material prior to said solidifying step.

7. The method of claim 5 , further comprising providing a housing having a groove and disposing said support ring within said groove.

8. The method of claim 5 , further comprising placing said upper treatment unit portion onto an upper surface of said support ring.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein said support sheet is selected from a metal, a ceramic, a thermoplastic, a thermoset, or an elastomeric polymer.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein said support ring is comprised of RTV silicone rubber.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein said treatment sheet comprises silicon or ceramic.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jul 6, 2022
From: KEARNEY, ROBERT ANDREW; BALDWIN, STEPHEN ANDREW
To: THE GILLETTE COMPANY LLC
Reel/Frame 060415/0371 →
Continuity (2)
Provisional Application 63177273 · Apr 20, 2021
Related Publication 20220332055A1 · Oct 20, 2022
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Cited By (1)
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