Illuminated electric toothbrushes emitting high luminous intensity toothbrush

• US 20070298371A1
• Filed: 08/15/2007
• Published: 12/27/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 09/09/2003
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: The Procter & Gamble Company
• Original Assignee: The Procter & Gamble Company
• Inventors: Wang, Ping, Chan, John, Ghosh, Chanchal, Pinyayev, Aleksey
• Application Number:
  US11/893,338
• Publication Number:
  US 20070298371A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 433/29
• 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 17/222 Brush body details, e.g. the shape thereof or connection to handle
• CPC Class Codes: A61C 17/225 Handles or details thereof
• CPC Class Codes: A61C 17/26 driven by electric motor
• CPC Class Codes: A61C 17/34 driven by electric motor
• CPC Class Codes: A61C 17/3427 Rotation around the axis perpendicular to the axis of toothbrush handle and in the plane defined by the bristle holder
• CPC Class Codes: A61C 17/349 with multiple brush bodies
• CPC Class Codes: A61C 19/066 Bleaching devices; Whitening agent applicators for teeth, e.g. trays or strips
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 2005/0606 Mouth
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 2005/0644 Handheld applicators
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 2005/0651 Diodes
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 5/0624 for eliminating microbes, germs, bacteria on or in the body
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/48091 Arched
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/48247 connecting the wire to a bond pad of the item
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/00012 Relevant to the scope of the group, the symbol of which is combined with the symbol of this group
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/00014 the subject-matter covered by the group, the symbol of which is combined with the symbol of this group, being disclosed without further technical details
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/181 Encapsulation

Abstract

An electric toothbrush has a handle, a neck attached to the handle, and a head attached to the neck. The head has a movable bristle holder having a plurality of bristles extending therefrom. The toothbrush further includes a light emitting element disposed in the bristle holder, wherein the light emitting element is capable of providing light having wavelengths between about 390 nm to about 770 nm and having a radiometric power of between about 5 mW/cm² to about 200 mW/cm².

Claims

1. An electric toothbrush having a handle, a neck attached to the handle, and a head attached to the neck, the toothbrush comprising:

a movable bristle holder having a plurality of bristles extending therefrom; and

a light emitting element disposed in the bristle holder, wherein the light emitting element is capable of providing light having wavelengths between about 390 nm to about 770 nm and having a radiometric power of between about 5 mW/cm² to about 200 mW/cm².

2. The toothbrush of claim 1, wherein the light emitting element is an LED.

3. The toothbrush of claim 1, wherein the light emitting element is capable of providing blue light.

4. The toothbrush of claim 1, wherein the light emitting element is capable of providing light having wavelengths between about 420 nm to about 490 nm.

5. The toothbrush of claim 1, wherein the light emitting element is capable of providing light having wavelengths between about 430 nm to about 480 nm.

6. The toothbrush of claim 1, wherein the head is made of a transparent material.

7. The toothbrush of claim 6, wherein the bristle holder is made of a transparent material.

8. The toothbrush of claim 2, further comprising a voltage driver or a current driver capable of providing a constant voltage or a constant current to the LED, respectively.

9. The toothbrush of claim 2 further comprising a DC power supply capable of providing between about 0.5 to about 5 volts to the LED.

10. The toothbrush of claim 1, wherein the bristles surround the light emitting element.

11. The toothbrush of claim 10, wherein a cylindrical volume devoid of bristles encircles the light emitting element, and wherein a diameter of the cylindrical volume is between about 2 mm to about 8 mm.

12. The toothbrush of claim 1, wherein a portion of the plurality of bristles are formed from a translucent material.

13. The toothbrush of claim 1, wherein a portion of the plurality of bristles are colored, pigmented, or dyed, such that the portion of the plurality of bristles generally match the color of the light emitted by the light emitting element.

14. The toothbrush of claim 1, wherein a portion of the plurality of bristles are formed from an elastomeric material.

15. The toothbrush of claim 1, wherein the radiometric power of the light emitting element is between about 10 mW/cm² to about 100 mW/cm².

16. The toothbrush of claim 1, wherein the radiometric power of the light emitting element is between about 20 mW/cm² to about 60 mW/cm².