Personal care device

• US 10,470,857 B2
• Filed: 07/25/2011
• Issued: 11/12/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 07/23/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Braun GmbH (The Procter & Gamble Company)
• Original Assignee: Braun GmbH (The Procter & Gamble Company)
• Inventors: Schaefer, Norbert, Schober, Uwe, Utsch, Joern, Kramp, Andreas, Ziegler, Frank, Heil, Benedikt, Hubner, Marlis
• Primary Examiner(s): Spisich, Mark
• Application Number:
  US13/190,293
• Publication Number:
  US 20120036658A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,032 Days
• Field of Search: 15 221, 15 222, 15 28
• CPC Class Codes: A61C 17/222 Brush body details, e.g. the shape thereof or connection to handle
• CPC Class Codes: A61C 17/3436 Rotation around the axis perpendicular to the plane defined by the bristle holder
• CPC Class Codes: H02K 33/10 wherein the alternate energisation and de-energisation of the single coil system is effected or controlled by movement of the armatures
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 74/18992 Reciprocating to reciprocating

Abstract

A personal care device having a handle having an engagement portion and a persona care attachment are described. The personal care attachment has a housing attached to the engagement portion and a contact element carrier. The contact element carrier is movably coupled to the housing. A plurality of contact elements is arranged on the contact element carrier, and wherein the personal care attachment is driven at a frequency of between about 150 Hz to about 175 Hz and has a sound intensity level of less than about 75 dB(A).

Claims

1. A personal care device comprising:

a handle having an engagement portion;

a direct drive system disposed within the handle including a drive shaft reciprocating in a direction generally parallel to a longitudinal axis of the handle;

a personal care attachment comprising a housing attached to the engagement portion, contact element carrier and a drive member having a proximal end and a distal end, the proximal end having an attachment element, the contact element carrier being movably coupled to the housing and the drive member reciprocating in a direction generally parallel to a longitudinal axis of the personal care attachment; and

a plurality of contact elements being arranged on the contact element carrier, wherein the personal care attachment is driven at a frequency of between about 150 Hz to about 175 Hz and has a sound intensity level of less than about 75 dB (A);

wherein the attachment element includes a permanent magnet or a magetizable element; and

wherein the personal care attachment has a resonance frequency which is at least 125 percent of the driving frequency of the personal care attachment.

2. The personal care device of claim 1, wherein the personal care attachment is unloaded.

3. The personal care device of claim 1, wherein the personal care attachment is loaded at 2 N.

4. The personal care device of claim 1, wherein the personal care device comprises a toothbrush and wherein the personal care attachment comprise a refill.

5. The personal care device of claim 4, wherein the contact element carrier is rotatably coupled to the housing.

6. The personal care device of claim 5, wherein the refill is unloaded.

7. The personal care device of claim 5, wherein the refill is loaded at 2 N.