Electric toothbrushes

• US 20040168272A1
• Filed: 03/10/2004
• Published: 09/02/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 10/04/2001
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Frank J. Prineppi
• Original Assignee: Frank J. Prineppi
• Inventors: Prineppi, Frank J.
• Application Number:
  US10/797,899
• Publication Number:
  US 20040168272A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 15/28
• 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 17/34 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 2202/00 Packaging for dental appliances

Abstract

In a first embodiment an electric toothbrush having a housing containing an electric motor, the motor being drivingly connected to a first brush head rotatably mounted on an end of the toothbrush remote from the motor and adjacent to at least one other rotatable brush head. In a second embodiment a packaged electric toothbrush including a “try me” facility for remotely testing the operation of the toothbrush, which “try me” feature comprises a two-sided metal strip such as aluminum foil, separated by a dielectric material, respective sides of the strip being connected at one end to respective parts used to operate the electric toothbrush and the other end of the strip being folded over and including a centrally disposed aperture onto which is a bendable metal connector such that upon bending or pressing of the connector the two sides of the strip are electrically connected together to temporarily operate the toothbrush whilst still in its packaging.

Claims

1. An electric toothbrush comprising, an electric motor, a first brush head and a second brush head;

said first brush head is connected by driving structure to said motor; and

a drive pin extends from said first brush head and is received in a guide slot within said second brush head.

2. An electric toothbrush according to claim 1 wherein said electric toothbrush comprises a housing containing said motor and upon which housing said first and second brush heads are mounted for oscillation.

3. An electric toothbrush according to claim 2 wherein said motor drives said first brush head in an oscillating manner, wherein as said first brush head oscillates the drive pin extending therefrom bears against the respective sides of said guide slot to thereby drive said second head in an oscillating manner.

4. An electric toothbrush according to claim 1 wherein said drive pin has a first end secured to said first head and a second end received in said guide slot, wherein said second end is a ball and said guide slot is formed to closely receive it therein.

5. An electric toothbrush according to claim 1 wherein said first brush head is located between said electric motor and said second brush head.

6. An electric toothbrush comprising an electric motor, a first brush head capable of movement, a second brush head capable of movement, a drive shaft operatively connected to and driven by said electric motor, said drive shaft being connected to said first brush head for movably driving said first brush head, a drive pin mounted at a first end of said drive pin to one of said first brush head and said second brush head and extending toward the other of said first brush head and said second brush head, said other of said brush head and said second brush head having a guide slot, said drive pin having a second end remote from said first end, said second end of said drive pin extending into said guide slot whereby said drive pin spans said first and said second brush heads without the need for other supporting structure, said drive pin being located at said first brush head at a location displaced from the location of the drive connection of said drive shaft to said first brush head, said drive pin being separate and distinct from said drive shaft, and movement of said first brush head by being driven by said drive shaft being transmitted to said second brush head through said drive pin for joint simultaneous movement of both said first brush head and said second brush head.

7. An electric toothbrush according to claim 6 wherein said electric motor is mounted in a hollow housing at least part of said drive shaft being in said housing, said housing terminating in a brush head holder, and said first brush head and said second brush head being mounted in said brush head holder.

8. An electric toothbrush according to claim 7 wherein each of said first brush head and said second brush head is mounted on pivot structure for rotational movement.

9. An electric toothbrush according to claim 8 wherein each of said brush heads is of disc shape, said pivot structure being a pivot pin for each of said first brush head and said second brush head mounted to said brush head holder, and bristles extending outwardly from each of said brush heads.

10. An electric toothbrush according to claim 6 wherein said first end of said drive pin is fixed to said first brush head.

11. An electric toothbrush according to claim 10 wherein said drive pin is mounted to said first brush head in a cantilevered manner.

12. An electric toothbrush according to claim 10 wherein said first brush head is located between said second brush head and said motor.

13. An electric toothbrush according to claim 6 wherein each of said brush heads is movably mounted for rotational oscillation in clockwise and counterclockwise directions.

14. An electric toothbrush according to claim 6 wherein said second end of said drive pin terminates in a ball closely received in said guide slot.

15. An electric toothbrush according to claim 6 further comprising a third brush head, a guide slot in said third brush head and a further drive pin mounted to one of said first brush head and said second brush head at one end thereof with a second end being mounted in said guide slot of said third brush head.

16. An electric toothbrush according to claim 6 wherein each of said brush heads is movably mounted in a rotational manner, and said drive pin being perpendicular to the axis of rotation of said first brush head.

17. An electric toothbrush according to claim 6 wherein each of said brush heads is movable in a rotational manner, each of said brush heads having an outer surface rotatable in a plane, and said plane of said second brush head being at an angle to said plane of said first brush head.

18. An electric toothbrush according to claim 17 wherein said plane of said second brush head is inclined inwardly toward said plane of said first brush head.

19. An electric toothbrush according to claim 6 wherein said first brush head and said second brush head are mounted in a brush head holder, said electric motor being mounted in a hollow housing, and said brush head holder being detachably mounted to said housing.

20. A method of making and using an electric toothbrush comprising providing a hollow housing having an electric motor therein and a brush head holder at one end of the housing, providing two sets of pivot structure on the brush head holder, mounting a brush head to each of the pivot structures, operatively connecting a drive shaft to the electric motor and to one of the brush heads, providing a drive pin which is separate and distinct from the drive shaft, mounting one end of the drive pin to one of the brush heads, disposing the drive pin from the one brush into a guide slot of the other brush head without any underlying support structure for the drive pin between the brush heads, actuating the motor to rotate the drive shaft, causing the rotating drive shaft to rotate the brush operatively connected to the drive shaft and to thereby cause movement of the drive pin, and using the moving drive pin to rotate the other of the brush heads.

21. The method of claim 20 wherein the drive pin is fixed to the brush head which is operatively connected to the drive shaft and the guide slot is in the other brush head.

22. The method of claim 20 including operatively connecting the drive shaft to the brush head located closer to the motor than the other brush head.

23. The method of claim 20 including rotating the brush heads in an oscillating clockwise and counterclockwise directions.