Electric oral cleaning device

• US 20050284501A1
• Filed: 11/12/2004
• Published: 12/29/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 06/25/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Rehco LLC
• Original Assignee: Rehco LLC
• Inventors: Rehkemper, Steven
• Granted Patent: US 7,140,373 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 132/322
• CPC Class Codes: A61C 15/047 power-driven
• CPC Class Codes: A61C 15/048 with heads removable from handle, e.g. interchangeable heads
• CPC Class Codes: A61C 17/3436 Rotation around the axis perpendicular to the plane defined by the bristle holder
• CPC Class Codes: A61C 17/3463 Translation along the axis perpendicular to the plane defined by the bristle holder
• CPC Class Codes: A61C 17/3481 Vibrating brush body, e.g. by using eccentric weights
• CPC Class Codes: A61C 17/349 with multiple brush bodies

Abstract

In one embodiment of the present invention, an electric oral cleaning device is provided and includes a handle and a power supply contained therein. The device has a motor that drives a motor linkage, which includes a push rod that has one end that engages and moves a dental cleaning head about a center pin to cause an oscillation motion of the head. The entire head assembly is also interchangeable such that a flossing tool and various brushing tools may be utilized by the same device. In one aspect of the invention, the flossing tool includes a piece of slacked flossing material held between two arms defined by the flossing tool.

Claims

1. An electric flosser comprising:

a body having a handle portion and a head portion, the head portion including a movable section rotatably connected thereto;

an electrically operated motor in said handle portion;

a means interconnecting said motor and said movable section to oscillate said movable section in a clockwise and counterclockwise direction;

a channel defined on said movable section; and

a flossing tool having a section in removable engagement with said channel, the flossing tool having a piece of slacked flossing material held between two arms defined by said flossing tool,

whereby when said motor is operated the flossing tool is oscillated in a clockwise and counterclockwise direction.

2. The electric flosser of claim 1, wherein the head portion includes a locking flange and the body includes a notch that receives said locking flange to place the head portion in removable engagement with the body.

3. The electric flosser of claim 1 further comprising a cap hinged to said movable section, said cap and said movable section include a means to secure the cap in a closed position over said channel when the section of said flossing tool is in engagement with said channel, wherein said closed position prevents the flossing tool from separating from said movable section.

4. The electric flosser of claim 3, wherein the cap includes a pad on an outside portion defined by the cap, such that the pad is positioned within the cavity of the flossing tool when the cap is in the closed position.

5. The electric flosser of claim 1, wherein the two arms of the flossing tool are flexible such that during oscillation of the flexibility of the arm tends to pull the slacked flossing material to a taut position.

6. An electric flosser comprising:

a body having a handle portion and a head portion, the head portion including a movable section connected thereto;

an electrically operated motor in said handle portion;

a means interconnecting said motor and said movable section to move said movable section; and

the movable section including a flossing tool that has a piece of slacked flossing material held between two arms defined by said flossing tool,

whereby when said motor is operated the flossing tool is moved.

7. The electric flosser of claim 6, wherein the flossing tool includes flexible arms.

8. The electric flosser of claim 6, wherein the movable section includes a channel and the flossing tool has a section in removable engagement with said channel such that the flossing tool is replaceable.

9. The electric flossing of claim 8 further comprising a cap hinged to said movable section, said cap and said movable section include a means to secure the cap in a closed position over said channel when the section of said flossing tool is in frictional engagement with the channel, wherein said closed position prevents the flossing tool from separating from said movable section.

10. The electric flosser of claim 9, wherein the cap includes a pad on an outside portion defined by the cap such that the pad is positioned within the cavity of the flossing tool when the cap is in the closed position.

14. The electric flosser of claim 6 further comprising a lower portion defined by the body, the lower portion having a means to store at least one flossing tool.

15. The improvement of claim 14, wherein the storing means is further defined by having a section of the lower portion being recessed to create a recessed compartment to accommodate at least one flossing tool and door movably attached to the recessed compartment.

16. The improvement of claim 15, wherein the door includes a projecting member that is sized to frictionally engage the opposable arms defined by the flossing tool, wherein a flossing tool in engagement with the projecting member is secured to the door.

17. The electric flosser of claim 6 further comprising:

a button positioned through a front casing defined by the body, the button operative by the user to connect the motor to a power source while the button is pushed inwardly, and a switch positioned through a back casing defined by the body, the switch having first and second positions, the switch when moved to the first position by the user connects the motor to the power source, and the switch when moved to the second position by the user disconnects the motor to the power source.

11. An electric oral cleaning device having a body and a movable section, a motor disposed in the body and operative to drive the movable section, a flossing tool in removable engagement with the movable section, the flossing tool having a cavity defined between a pair of opposing arms extending from a center region and a piece of material secured between the pair of opposing arms, the improvement comprising:

a cap hinged to said movable section, said cap and said movable section include a means to secure the cap in a closed position through said cavity of the flossing tool that is in engagement therewith, wherein said dosed position prevents the flossing tool from separating from said movable section.

12. The improvement of claim 11, wherein the cap includes a pad on an outside portion defined by the cap such that the pad is positioned within the cavity of the flossing tool when the cap is in the closed position.

13. The improvement of claim 11, wherein the piece of material secured between the pair of opposable arms has a predetermined length such that the piece of material is slightly longer than a distance defined between the opposable arms to provide a slacked piece of flossing material.

18. A flossing tool comprising a pair of flexible opposable arms extending outwardly from a center region, and a piece of slacked flossing material extending between the pair of opposable arms.

19. An electric oral cleaning device to aid a user in dental cleaning, the device having a body and a movable section, a motor and a power source disposed in the body and operative to drive the movable section, an oral cleaning tool in engagement with the movable section, the improvement comprising:

a momentary button when activated by the user alternates the connectivity of the motor to the power source such that when the device is turned on the momentary button turns the device off and when the device is turned off the momentary button turns the device on; and

a switch having first and second positions, the switch when moved to the first position turns the device on and when moved to the second position turns the device off.