Electric toothbrush

• US 20040088807A1
• Filed: 11/05/2003
• Published: 05/13/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/1998
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Church & Dwight Company Incorporated
• Original Assignee: The Procter & Gamble Company
• Inventors: Gall, Douglas A., Spirk, John W., Blaustein, Lawrence A., Nottingham, John R., Osher, John
• Application Number:
  US10/701,694
• Publication Number:
  US 20040088807A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 15/22.1
• CPC Class Codes: A61C 17/22 with brushes, cushions, cups, or the like brush bodies, e.g. arrangements of the bristles A46B
• CPC Class Codes: A61C 17/221 Control arrangements therefor
• CPC Class Codes: A61C 17/26 driven by electric motor
• CPC Class Codes: A61C 17/34 driven by electric motor
• CPC Class Codes: A61C 17/3436 Rotation around the axis perpendicular to the plane defined by the bristle holder
• CPC Class Codes: A61C 17/349 with multiple brush bodies
• CPC Class Codes: A61C 19/02 Protective casings, e.g. boxes for instruments; Bags A61C5/44 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61C 2204/002 using batteries
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 65/02 by heating, with or without pressure
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/54 Joining several hollow-preforms, e.g. half-shells, to form hollow articles, e.g. for making balls, containers; Joining several hollow-preforms, e.g. half-cylinders, to form tubular articles
• CPC Class Codes: B29L 2031/425 Toothbrush

Abstract

An electric toothbrush comprising an elongated body portion and a head including a static portion and a moving portion, a handle, and an angled shaft between the head and the handle. The moving portion rotates or reciprocates about an axis normal to a longitudinal axis of the head. The moving portion can include stiff bristles and massaging tips and the static portion can include soft bristles and massaging tips. The elongated body portion is hollow and further includes a motor in the hollow portion, which is operatively connected to the moving portion for rotating or oscillating or reciprocating the moving portion. A battery is located within the hollow section for powering the motor. A switch is operatively connected to the motor to provide momentary and continuous operation of the toothbrush. A worm gear and a pair of step gears are located in the hollow portion. The motor is operatively connected to the worm gear and the step gears are operatively connected to the worm gear and to each other. One of the step gears is offset with respect to a longitudinal axis of the elongated body portion. A shaft which is operatively connected to the offset step gear and to a second end to the moving portion. Alternately, the toothbrush comprises a plurality of gears and swivel arms which move the brush head moving portion in a rotating, oscillating or reciprocating manner.

Claims

1. An electric toothbrush comprising:

packaging for containing the toothbrush;

an elongated body portion having opposed first and second ends, a hollow portion and a longitudinal axis;

a head attached to said first end, wherein said head includes a moving portion, said moving portion comprises bristles and massaging tips;

a motor located within said hollow portion of said elongated body portion, said motor being configured to produce a moving motion for the moving portion;

a shaft operatively connected to said motor at a first end and to the moving portion at a second end;

a handle attached to said second end of said elongated body portion; and

,

a switch which is operably connected to said motor, wherein said switch is actuated in a first manner to provide momentary operation of said toothbrush when the toothbrush is within the packaging, and is actuated in a second manner to provide continuous operation of said toothbrush when the toothbrush is out of the packaging.

2. The toothbrush as defined in claim 1 wherein when said switch is actuated in a first manner, the switch is depressed to provide the momentary operation.

3. The toothbrush as defined in claim 1 wherein when said switch is actuated in a second manner, the switch is depressed and slid in a slot in said elongated body portion.

4. An electric toothbrush comprising:

an elongated body having a handle portion, a head portion, and an elongated body shaft portion intermediate the handle portion and the head portion and wherein the elongated body shaft portion has a smaller cross-sectional dimension than the handle portion, the head portion comprising static bristles and massaging tips and moving bristles and massaging tips; and

a motor disposed in the handle portion and operatively connected to the moving bristles and massaging tips with a gearing and shaft assembly including an elongated shaft closely received in and extending along at least a portion of the length of the body shaft portion for driving the moving bristles and massaging tips.

5. The electric toothbrush of claim 4 wherein the moving bristles include stiff bristles and the static bristles include soft bristles.

6. The electric toothbrush of claim 5 wherein the stiff bristles are recessed with respect to the soft bristles.

7. The electric toothbrush of claim 4 further including a switch operatively connected to said motor which provides momentary and continuous operation of the toothbrush.

8. The electric toothbrush of claim 7 further comprising a worm gear and a pair of step gears located in said handle portion, wherein said motor is operatively connected to said worm gear and said step gears are operatively connected to said worm gear and to each other.

9. The electric toothbrush of claim 8 wherein said elongated body includes longitudinal axis and one of said step gears is offset with respect to said longitudinal axis.

10. The electric toothbrush of claim 9 further comprising a shaft located within said angled shaft and which is operatively connected at a first end to said offset step gear and at a second end to said moving bristles.

11. The electric toothbrush of claim 10 further including a battery located within said handle portion for powering said motor.

12. The electric toothbrush of claim 4 wherein said moving bristles comprise rotating bristles.

13. The electric toothbrush of claim 4 wherein said moving bristles comprise oscillating bristles.

14. The electric toothbrush of claim 4 wherein said moving massaging tips comprise rotating massaging tips.

15. The electric toothbrush of claim 4 wherein said moving massaging tips comprise oscillating massaging tips.

16. An electric toothbrush comprising:

an elongated body portion having opposed first and second ends, a hollow portion and a longitudinal axis;

a head attached to said first end;

a plurality of static bristles and massaging tips attached to said head;

a moving portion within the head;

a motor located within said hollow portion of said elongated body portion;

a gear located in said hollow portion, wherein said motor is operatively connected to said gear;

a plurality of swivel arms, wherein one swivel arm is pivotably connected to said gear and another swivel arm is connected to the moving portion; and

a shaft operatively connected to said swivel arms and disposed for translating movement in a back and forth manner to the moving portion.

17. The electric toothbrush of claim 16 wherein said moving portion further comprises a plurality of moving bristles and massaging tips attached to said moving portion.

18. The electric toothbrush of claim 17 wherein said moving bristles and massaging tips are located adjacent a first end of said head and said static bristles and massaging tips are located adjacent a second end of said head.

19. The electric toothbrush of claim 18 wherein said moving bristles and massaging tips are located at a center of said head and said static bristles and massaging tips are located on opposite sides of said head.

20. An electric toothbrush comprising:

an elongated body portion having opposed first and second ends, a hollow portion and a longitudinal axis;

a head attached to said first end;

a motor located within said hollow portion of said elongated body portion;

a first gear and a second gear located in said hollow portion, wherein said motor is operatively connected to said first gear, and said first gear is connected to said second gear;

first, second and third swivel arms, wherein said first swivel arm is connected to said second gear, said second swivel arm is pivotably connected to said first swivel arm, and said third swivel am moves in a back and forth manner generally along said longitudinal axis; and

a shaft operatively connected to said second swivel arm at a shaft first end and operatively connected to said third swivel arm at a shaft second end;

wherein said head further comprises static massaging tips and a moving portion, wherein said third swivel arm is connected to said moving portion.

21. The electric toothbrush of claim 20 wherein said moving portion rotates about an axis normal to said longitudinal axis.

22. The electric toothbrush of claim 20 wherein said moving portion oscillates about an axis normal to said longitudinal axis.

23. The electric toothbrush of claim 20 wherein said first gear rotates about said longitudinal axis and said second gear rotates about an axis generally normal to said longitudinal axis.

24. The electric toothbrush of claim 20 further including a swivel arm connected between said one swivel arm and said shaft.

25. The electric toothbrush of claim 20 wherein said moving portion comprises bristles and massaging tips.

26. The electric toothbrush of claim 20 wherein said head further comprises static bristles.