Electric toothbrushes

• US 20030163882A1
• Filed: 12/03/2002
• Published: 09/04/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 03/04/2002
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: The Procter & Gamble Company
• Original Assignee: The Procter & Gamble Company
• Inventors: Brown, Patrick W., Gall, Douglas A., Blaustein, Lawrence A.
• Application Number:
  US10/308,959
• Publication Number:
  US 20030163882A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 15/22.2
• CPC Class Codes: A46B 13/008 Disc-shaped brush bodies
• CPC Class Codes: A46B 2200/1066 Toothbrush for cleaning the teeth or dentures A61C17/16 takes precedence; bristles arrangements for toothbrushes A46B9/04
• CPC Class Codes: A61C 17/34 driven by electric motor
• CPC Class Codes: A61C 17/3427 Rotation around the axis perpendicular to the axis of toothbrush handle and in the plane defined by the bristle holder
• CPC Class Codes: A61C 17/349 with multiple brush bodies
• CPC Class Codes: A61C 2204/002 using batteries

Abstract

An electric toothbrush is provided. The electric toothbrush includes a handle having an electric motor, a head, and a neck extending between the handle and the head. The head has first end disposed adjacent to the neck and a second end opposite the first end. The head has a first bristle holder with a plurality of bristles disposed therein and a second bristle holder having a plurality of bristles disposed therein. The first bristle holder is located at the second end of said head. A rotating shaft is operatively connected to the electric motor and to the first moving bristle holder to reciprocate the first moving bristle holder in a direction transverse to a longitudinal axis of the head.

Claims

1. An electric toothbrush, comprising:

a handle having an electric motor;

a head;

a neck extending between said handle and said head, said head having a first end disposed adjacent to said neck and a second end opposite said first end, said head having a first bristle holder with a plurality of bristles disposed therein and a second bristle holder having a plurality of bristles disposed therein, wherein said first moving bristle holder is located at said second end of said head; and

a rotating shaft operatively connected to said electric motor and to said first moving bristle holder to reciprocate said first moving bristle holder in a direction transverse to a longitudinal axis of said head.

2. The electric toothbrush of claim 1, wherein said bristles of said second bristle holder are static.

3. The electric toothbrush of claim 1, wherein said first bristle holder has a plurality of cam followers that depend from said first bristle holder and operatively engage a cam on said rotating shaft.

4. The electric toothbrush of claim 1, wherein said second bristle holder is located at said first end of said head.

5. The electric toothbrush of claim 1, wherein said cam followers are offset from a longitudinal axis of said first bristle holder.

6. The electric toothbrush of claim 1, said head further comprising a plurality of slots for guiding said first bristle holder.

7. The electric toothbrush of claim 6, wherein said slots are formed in said first bristle holder.

8. The electric toothbrush of claim 5, wherein said cam followers are disposed near the middle of said first bristle holder.

9. The electric toothbrush of claim 6, said head further comprises a plurality of fingers that engage said plurality of slots.

10. The electric toothbrush of claim 9, wherein said fingers depend from said first bristle holder.

11. The electric toothbrush of claim 1, wherein said second bristle holder is movable.

12. The electric toothbrush of claim 11, wherein said movement is selected from the group consisting of reciprocation, pivoting, and vertical pulsating motion.

13. The electric toothbrush of claim 11, wherein said rotating shaft engages said second bristle holder.

14. An electric toothbrush, comprising:

a handle having an electric motor;

a head;

a neck extending between said handle and said head, said head having a first end disposed adjacent to said neck and a second end opposite said first end, said head having a first bristle holder with a plurality of bristles disposed therein and a second bristle holder having a plurality of bristles disposed therein, wherein said first moving bristle holder is located at said second end of said head; and

a rotating shaft operatively connected to said electric motor and to said first moving bristle holder to reciprocate said first moving bristle holder in a direction transverse to a longitudinal axis of said head, said head further comprising a plurality of slots for guiding said first bristle holder.

15. The electric toothbrush of claim 14, wherein said bristles of said second bristle holder are static.

16. The electric toothbrush of claim 14, wherein said first bristle holder has a plurality of cam followers that depend from said first bristle holder and operatively engage a cam on said rotating shaft.

17. The electric toothbrush of claim 14, wherein said cam followers are offset from a longitudinal axis of said first bristle holder.

18. The electric toothbrush of claim 17, wherein said cam followers are disposed near the middle of said first bristle holder.

19. The electric toothbrush of claim 14, wherein said slots are formed in said first bristle holder.

20. The electric toothbrush of claim 14, wherein said head further comprises a plurality of fingers that engage said plurality of slots.

21. The electric toothbrush of claim 14, wherein said second bristle holder is movable.

22. The electric toothbrush of claim 21, wherein said rotating shaft engages said second bristle holder.