Illuminated electric toothbrushes emitting high luminous intensity toothbrush

• US 20070298372A1
• 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, Pinyayev, Aleksey, Ghosh, Chanchal
• Application Number:
  US11/893,339
• Publication Number:
  US 20070298372A1
• 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

A toothbrush has a handle, a neck attached to the handle, and a head attached to the neck. The toothbrush also has a bristle holder and a light emitting element. The bristle holder has a plurality of bristles extending therefrom. The light emitting element is disposed in the bristle holder and is capable of providing light having wavelengths between about 370 nm to about 770 nm and having an FDRT of greater than about 30 mW/cm² with a detector distance of greater than about 0.55 cm and a detector aperture area of less than about 3.14 cm².

Claims

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

a 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 370 nm to about 770 nm and having an FDRT of greater than about 30 mW/cm² with a detector distance of greater than about 0.55 cm and a detector aperture area of less than about 3.14 cm².

2. The toothbrush of claim 1, wherein the FDRT is less than about 300 mW/cm².

3. The toothbrush of claim 1, wherein the FDRT is less than about 100 mW/cm².

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

5. The toothbrush of claim 4, wherein the LED has a half angle which is less than about 50 degrees and greater than about 0 degrees.

6. The toothbrush of claim 4, wherein the LED has a half angle which is less than about 40 degrees and greater than about 5 degrees.

7. The toothbrush of claim 4, wherein the LED has a half angle which is less than about 32 degrees and greater than about 5 degrees.

8. The toothbrush of claim 4, wherein the LED does not consume more than about 200 mW in use.

9. The toothbrush of claim 4, wherein the LED provides the FDRT via a continuous forward current which is less than about 60 mA.