Powered toothbrush
First Claim
1. In a powered toothbrush having a handle, a head mounted to said handle, a primary tuft block mounted in said head, said primary tuft block having exposed bristles extending outwardly from said head, a secondary tuft block mounted in said head at a location displaced from said primary tuft block, said secondary tuft block having exposed bristles extending outwardly from said head, a drive assembly in said handle, said drive assembly including a drive connection to said primary tuft block in the form of a direct drive from a shaft axially extending from a motor to said primary tuft block to oscillate said primary tuft block back and forth, and a drive transmitting connection connecting said primary tuft block to said secondary tuft block for moving said secondary tuft block back and forth in an oscillating manner in response to the movement of said primary tuft block while said primary tuft block is being oscillated.
5 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A powered toothbrush refill head combines a typical round oscillating or primary tuft block which oscillates in a rotational manner with a secondary tuft block. The secondary tuft block may be oscillated in a rotational manner or may oscillate linearly back and forth in the same direction as the handle of the toothbrush. The secondary tuft block could be in the form of a pair of side by side plates mounted on the head adjacent to the round oscillating block. The invention could also be practice where the secondary tuft block is in the form of a plurality of sets of rows of bristles mounted for back and forth movement in a direction perpendicular to the handle.
144 Citations
44 Claims
- 1. In a powered toothbrush having a handle, a head mounted to said handle, a primary tuft block mounted in said head, said primary tuft block having exposed bristles extending outwardly from said head, a secondary tuft block mounted in said head at a location displaced from said primary tuft block, said secondary tuft block having exposed bristles extending outwardly from said head, a drive assembly in said handle, said drive assembly including a drive connection to said primary tuft block in the form of a direct drive from a shaft axially extending from a motor to said primary tuft block to oscillate said primary tuft block back and forth, and a drive transmitting connection connecting said primary tuft block to said secondary tuft block for moving said secondary tuft block back and forth in an oscillating manner in response to the movement of said primary tuft block while said primary tuft block is being oscillated.
- 16. In a powered toothbrush having a handle, a head mounted to said handle, a primary tuft block mounted in said head, said primary tuft block having exposed bristles extending outwardly from said head, said primary tuft block being rotationally mounted on a first shaft, a secondary tuft block mounted in said head at a location displaced from said primary tuft block, said secondary tuft block having exposed bristles extending outwardly from said head, said secondary tuft block being rotationally mounted on a second shaft, a drive assembly in said handle, said drive assembly including a drive connection to said primary tuft block to rotationally oscillate said primary tuft block back and forth, a drive transmitting connection connecting said primary tuft block to said secondary tuft block for moving said secondary tuft block back and forth in a rotational oscillating manner in response to the rotational oscillation movement of said primary tuft block while said primary tuft block is being oscillated, and said drive transmitting connection comprising a finger in one of said primary tuft block and said secondary tuft block located in a cutout in the other of said primary tuft block and said secondary tuft block.
- 22. In a powered toothbrush having a handle, a head mounted to said handle, a primary tuft block mounted in said head, said primary tuft block having exposed bristles extending outwardly from said head, a shaft mounted in said head, said primary tuft block being rotationally mounted on said shaft, a secondary tuft block mounted in said head at a location displaced from said primary tuft block, said secondary tuft block having exposed bristles extending outwardly from said head, a drive assembly in said handle, said drive assembly including a drive connection to said primary tuft block to oscillate said primary tuft block back and forth in a rotational direction, and a drive transmitting connection located between said primary tuft block and said secondary tuft block for moving said secondary tuft block back and forth in an oscillating manner in a linear direction while said primary tuft block is oscillated in a rotational direction.
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30. The toothbrush of claim 24 wherein the bristles on each of said plates are arranged in rows and are of ramped height, and the ramped height of each plate being inclined in an opposite direction than its adjacent plate.
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44. The toothbrush of claim 27 wherein said bristles on at least one of said primary tuft block and said secondary tuft block include bristles of different configuration and material than other bristles on said at least one of said primary tuft block and said secondary tuft block.
Specification