Dual motor oral hygiene device

• US 20050255427A1
• Filed: 11/23/2004
• Published: 11/17/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 07/12/2001
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Water Pik Incorporated (Church & Dwight Company Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Water Pik Incorporated (Church & Dwight Company Incorporated)
• Inventors: D'Silva, Edmund D., Julian, Daniel E., Taylor, Kurt M., Hair, Kenneth A., Shortt, Robert A.
• Application Number:
  US10/996,132
• Publication Number:
  US 20050255427A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 433/118
• 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 17/3472 with combined movements of the brush body
• CPC Class Codes: A61C 17/3481 Vibrating brush body, e.g. by using eccentric weights
• CPC Class Codes: A61C 17/40 orbiting, e.g. nutating

Abstract

An oral hygiene device is disclosed having at least two motors to simultaneously vibrate and impart motion upon the head portion of the oral hygiene device, most beneficially at the tip. A first motor is positioned in the handle portion of the device to impart a first frequency of movement to the tip. A second motor is located in a head portion, generally in a shaft of or an oral hygiene attachment to the device, to impart at least a second frequency of movement onto the tip. When both the first and second motors are activated, the resulting movement of the tip of the device may include complex, substantially random movements, depending in part on the frequencies at which the motors are operating.

Claims

1. A power oral hygiene device comprising:

a main body having a handle portion and a removable head portion, the head portion comprising one of the group consisting of a toothbrush head, a flosser head, and a tongue scraper;

a first vibratory means positioned in the handle portion;

a second vibratory means positioned in the head portion; and

a power means for providing energy to the first vibratory means and the second vibratory means.

2. The device of claim 1 further comprising a vibration focusing means attached to the first vibratory means, the vibration focusing means for imparting vibratory energy generated by the first vibratory means to the oral hygiene device in a particular direction.

3. The device of claim 1 or 2 further comprising a vibration isolation means for reducing the transfer of vibratory energy, generated by the first vibratory means, from the first vibratory means to the handle portion.

4. The device of claim 3, wherein the vibration isolation means is positioned between the first vibratory means and the handle portion.

5. The device of claim 3, wherein the vibration focusing means further comprises the vibration isolation means.

6. The device of claim 1 further comprising a vibration isolation means for reducing the transfer of vibratory energy, generated by the second vibratory means, from the second vibratory means to the handle portion.

7. The device of claim 6, wherein the vibration isolation means is positioned between the second vibratory means and the handle portion.

8. The power toothbrush of claim 1, wherein at least one of the first vibratory means and the second vibratory means comprises an eccentric motor.

9. The device of claim 1, wherein the head portion further comprises a shaft and the second vibratory means is positioned within the shaft.

10. The device of claim 9 further comprising an oral hygiene attachment attached to the shaft.

11. The device of claim 9 further comprising a vibration isolation means for reducing the transfer of vibratory energy, generated by the second vibratory means, from the second vibratory means to the handle portion, wherein the vibration isolation means is positioned between the shaft and the handle portion.

12. The device of claim 1, wherein the head portion further comprises:

a shaft; and

an oral hygiene attachment attached to the shaft, wherein

the second vibratory means is positioned within the oral hygiene attachment.

13. The device of claim 10 or 12, wherein the oral hygiene attachment comprises at least one attachment selected from a group comprising:

a toothbrush head with bristles, an interproximal flossing tip, a tongue scraper, and a prophy polishing cup.

14. The device of claim 1, wherein

the first vibratory means operates at a first frequency;

the second vibratory means operates at a second frequency; and

the first frequency is higher than the second frequency.

15. The device of claim 14, wherein a ratio of the first frequency to the second frequency is between 1.3 and 3.

16. The device of claim 1, wherein the head portion vibrates in a substantially random pattern as a result of a combination of vibratory energy generated by the first vibratory means and vibratory energy generated by the second vibratory means.

17. The device of claim 16 further comprising a frame means for holding the first vibratory means and the second vibratory means, wherein

the frame means extends between the handle portion and the head portion;

and

the frame means imparts the vibratory energy generated by the first vibratory means to the head portion.

18. The device of claim 1 further comprising a means for changing an operating speed of at least one of the first vibratory means and the second vibratory means from a first speed to a second speed.

19. The device of claim 18, wherein the first speed is higher than the second speed.

20. A power oral hygiene device comprising:

a first motor operating at a first frequency and located in a removable head portion of the oral hygiene devce;

a second motor operating at a second frequency;

a power source for providing energy to operate the first motor and the second motor;

wherein

a ratio of the first frequency to the second frequency is between 1.3 and 3.

21. The device of claim 20 further comprising a body having a handle portion and a head portion.

22. The device of claim 21, wherein the head portion further comprises a shaft and the second motor is positioned within the shaft.

23. The device of claim 22 further comprising an oral hygiene attachment attached to the shaft.

24. The device of claim 21, wherein the head portion further comprises:

a shaft; and

an oral hygiene attachment attached to the shaft, wherein

the second motor is positioned within the oral hygiene attachment.

25. The device of claim 23 or 24, wherein the oral hygiene attachment comprises at least one attachment selected from a group comprising:

a toothbrush head with bristles, an interproximal flossing tip, a tongue scraper, and a prophy polishing cup.

26. The device of claim 20 further comprising a timing system for indicating to a user that the oral hygiene device should be relocated to a different section of the user'"'"'s mouth.

27. The device of claim 26, wherein the timing system interrupts the operation of at least one of the first motor and the second motor as the indication to the user.

28. The device of claim 20, wherein the head portion vibrates in a substantially random pattern as a result of a combination of vibratory energy generated by the first motor and vibratory energy generated by the second motor.

29. The device of claim 21, wherein the head portion comprises at least one oral hygiene tool selected from a group comprising:

a toothbrush head with bristles, an interproximal flossing tip, a tongue scraper, and a prophy polishing cup.

30. The device of claim 21, wherein a first motor shaft of the first motor rotates about a first axis and a second motor shaft of the second motor rotates about a second axis.

31. The device of claim 30, wherein the first axis is offset at an angle from the second axis.

32. The device of claim 30, wherein at least one of the first axis and the second axis is parallel with a longitudinal axis of the head portion.

33. A power toothbrush comprising:

a main body having a handle portion and a removable head portion;

a first vibratory motor positioned in the handle portion;

a second vibratory motor positioned in the removable head portion; and

a power source for providing energy to the first motor and the second motor.

34. The power toothbrush of claim 33, wherein at least one of the first motor and the second motor is an eccentric motor.

35. The power toothbrush of claim 33, wherein

the first vibratory motor operates at a first frequency;

and

the second motor operates at a second frequency.

36. The power toothbrush of claim 35, wherein a ratio of the first frequency to the second frequency is between 1.3 and 3.