Vibrating toothbrush

• US 20020084707A1
• Filed: 12/27/2001
• Published: 07/04/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 12/28/2000
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Winfield & Company
• Original Assignee: Winfield & Company
• Inventors: Tang, Man Chiu
• Application Number:
  US10/026,444
• Publication Number:
  US 20020084707A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 310/81
• CPC Class Codes: A61C 17/224 Electrical recharging arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: A61C 17/3418 Rotation around the axis of the toothbrush handle
• CPC Class Codes: A61C 17/3481 Vibrating brush body, e.g. by using eccentric weights
• CPC Class Codes: A61C 2204/002 using batteries
• CPC Class Codes: H02K 7/06 Means for converting reciprocating motion into rotary motion or vice versa

Abstract

A vibrating toothbrush includes a power source with a charging coil or bobbin wrapped thereabout. The power source is attached to a motor that is directly and rotatably connected to a rotatable magnet. The rotatable magnet has a plurality of alternating pairs of magnetic poles and is adjacent a permanent magnet. The permanent magnet is disposed on a first end of a lever arm with a brush attached to the other end of the lever arm. The rotation of the motor causes the rotatable magnet to rotate. The alternating polarity of the magnetic poles on the rotating magnet results in the permanent magnet oscillating, which in turn oscillates the lever arm and vibrates the brush on the second end of the lever arm.

Claims

1. A vibrating toothbrush, comprising:

a rotatable motor;

a rotatable magnet attached to the motor, the rotatable magnet having a plurality of alternating pairs of magnetic poles; and

a lever arm having a first end positioned adjacent the rotatable magnet and a second end opposite the first end, wherein a permanent magnet is disposed on the first end of the lever arm,

wherein rotation of the motor rotates the rotatable magnet, and a position of the plurality of alternating pairs of magnetic poles changes relative to the permanent magnet,

wherein the first end of the lever arm having the permanent magnet thereon oscillates relative to a longitudinal axis of the toothbrush.

2. The toothbrush according to claim 1, further comprising a power source that provides power to the motor.

3. The toothbrush according to claim 1, further comprising a brush disposed on the second end of the lever arm, the brush vibrating when the permanent magnet oscillates.

4. The toothbrush according to claim 3, further comprising:

a hollow case within which the power source, motor, rotatable magnet, and lever arm are disposed; and

a power and speed adjuster provided on the hollow case and operatively connected to the power source to increase and/or decrease an amount of current provided to the motor to adjust a frequency of vibration of the brush.

5. The toothbrush according to claim 2, wherein the power source comprises a battery with a charging coil.

6. The toothbrush according to claim 1, wherein the rotatable magnet is disc shaped.

7. The toothbrush according to claim 1, wherein the permanent magnet is flat and arranged on the first end of the lever arm to be orthogonal relative to the rotatable magnet.

8. The toothbrush according to claim 4, wherein the lever arm further comprises a collar disposed intermediate the first and second ends of the lever arm, the collar having a mounting portion that fixedly mounts the lever arm to an interior surface of the hollow case.

9. A vibrating toothbrush, comprising:

a hollow case;

a rotatable motor;

a rotatable magnet attached to the motor, the rotatable magnet having a plurality of alternating pairs of magnetic poles;

a main stem having a first end positioned adjacent the rotatable magnet and a second end opposite the first end, wherein a permanent magnet is disposed on the first end of the main stem; and

a biasing member disposed around the main stem, a first end of the biasing member being attached to the permanent magnet and a second end of the biasing member being attached to an inner surface of the case,

wherein the motor rotates the rotatable magnet, and a position of the plurality of alternating pairs of magnetic poles changes relative to the permanent magnet,

wherein the first end of the main stem having the permanent magnet thereon oscillates relative to a longitudinal axis of the toothbrush and the biasing member dampens the oscillation of the main stem.

10. The toothbrush according to claim 9, further comprising a power source that provides a current to the motor.

11. The toothbrush according to claim 9, further comprising a lever arm having a first end and a second end, the first end of the lever arm being attached to a second end of the main stem and the second end of the lever arm having a brush.

12. The toothbrush according to claim 10, further comprising a power and speed adjuster provided on the hollow case and operatively connected to the power source to increase and/or decrease an amount of current provided to the motor to adjust a frequency of vibration of the brush.

13. The toothbrush according to claim 10, wherein the power source comprises a battery with a charging coil.

14. The toothbrush according to claim 9, wherein the rotatable magnet is disc shaped.

15. The toothbrush according to claim 9, wherein the permanent magnet is disc shaped and arranged on the first end of the lever arm to be parallel relative to the rotatable magnet.

17. The toothbrush according to claim 16, further comprising a power source that provides power to the motor.

18. The toothbrush according to claim 16, further comprising a brush disposed on the second end of the lever arm, the brush vibrating when the permanent magnet oscillates.

19. The toothbrush according to claim 18, further comprising:

a hollow case within which the power source, motor, rotatable magnet, and lever arm are disposed; and

a power and speed adjuster provided on the hollow case and operatively connected to the power source to increase and/or decrease an amount of current provided to the motor to adjust a frequency of vibration of the brush.

20. The toothbrush according to claim 17, wherein the power source comprises a battery with a charging coil.

21. The toothbrush according to claim 16, wherein the rotatable magnet is disc shaped.

22. The toothbrush according to claim 16, wherein the permanent magnet is flat and arranged on the first end of the lever arm to be orthogonal relative to the rotatable magnet.

23. The toothbrush according to claim 19, wherein the lever arm further comprises a collar disposed intermediate the first and second ends of the lever arm, the collar having a mounting portion that fixedly mounts the lever arm to an interior surface of the hollow case.

16. A vibrating toothbrush having a power source that provides a current to a rotatable motor, the toothbrush comprising:

a rotatable magnet attached to the motor, the rotatable magnet having a plurality of alternating pairs of magnetic poles; and

a lever arm having a first end positioned adjacent the rotatable magnet and a second end opposite the first end, wherein a permanent magnet is disposed on the first end of the lever arm,

wherein rotation of the motor rotates the rotatable magnet, and a position of the plurality of alternating pairs of magnetic poles changes relative to the permanent magnet,

wherein the first end of the lever arm having the permanent magnet thereon oscillates relative to a longitudinal axis of the toothbrush.