Nodal mounted system for driving a power appliance

• US 20050120496A1
• Filed: 01/10/2005
• Published: 06/09/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 06/24/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Aafke G. Koster, John W. Pace, Kevin A. Miller
• Original Assignee: Aafke G. Koster, John W. Pace, Kevin A. Miller
• Inventors: Pace, John W., Miller, Kevin A., Koster, Aafke G.
• Granted Patent: US 7,493,669 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 15/22.100
• 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 17/3445 Translation along the axis of the toothbrush handle
• CPC Class Codes: A61C 17/3481 Vibrating brush body, e.g. by using eccentric weights

Abstract

The power toothbrush, which has a rotating brushhead movement, includes a housing with a motor mounted therein having an armature which in operation rotates through an arc of predetermined magnitude. The toothbrush also includes a brushhead mounted on a shaft which is connected to an output mass. A spring assembly couples the armature to the output mass, the spring assembly including two spring portions with a node point therebetween, wherein when the armature rotates, the brushhead moves in an opposite direction. The frequency of the movement of the armature is set equal to the resonant frequency of the spring coupling system and the output assembly.

Claims

1-3. -3. (canceled)

9-17. -17. (canceled)

18. A power appliance, comprising:

an appliance housing;

a driving assembly which moves a driving mass back and forth through a distance;

an output assembly which includes a workpiece element; and

a coupling assembly which connects the driving mass to the output assembly, wherein the coupling assembly includes a torsion member having a node point therealong; and

a support element connected between the node point and the housing, wherein the driving assembly operates in such a mode that the workpiece element moves in the opposite rotational direction from the driving assembly, wherein the moments of inertia of the output assembly and the driving assembly, respectively, oppose each other, thereby substantially preventing coupling of vibrations to the housing.