VIBRATING TOOTHBRUSH AND A REPLACEABLE BRUSH HEAD FOR USE WITH THE SAME

• US 20110010874A1
• Filed: 07/16/2009
• Published: 01/20/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 07/16/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ranir LLC (Perrigo Company PLC)
• Original Assignee: Brushpoint Innovations Incorporated (Perrigo Company PLC)
• Inventors: Dickie, Robert G.
• Granted Patent: US 8,453,285 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 15/22.1
• CPC Class Codes: A46B 2200/1066 Toothbrush for cleaning the teeth or dentures A61C17/16 takes precedence; bristles arrangements for toothbrushes A46B9/04
• CPC Class Codes: A46B 5/0062 being flexible or resilient during use
• CPC Class Codes: A46B 5/007 Inserts made of different material, e.g. springs, plates
• CPC Class Codes: A46B 5/0095 Removable or interchangeable brush heads
• 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 17/222 Brush body details, e.g. the shape thereof or connection to handle
• CPC Class Codes: A61C 17/3481 Vibrating brush body, e.g. by using eccentric weights

Abstract

A vibrating toothbrush comprising a handle including a body with a tubular member extending outwardly from one end. A replaceable sleeve slides over the tubular member and detachably engages the body. One or more of the sleeve, tubular member and body incorporates a vibration damping zone for reducing vibration transmission from the sleeve to the handle. The damping zone is one of a material that differs in damping properties to the material of the rest of the toothbrush; a hole defined in the one of the sleeve, tubular member and body, and a toothbrush where that hole is filled with an elastomeric material.

Claims

1. A vibrating toothbrush comprising:

a handle having a first end and a second end and a longitudinal axis extending therebetween;

a generally tubular member extending longitudinally outwardly from the first end of the handle and terminating in a tip remote therefrom;

the tubular member being fixedly secured to the first end of the handle;

a cavity defined within the tubular member;

a motor mounted within the handle;

a drive shaft extending outwardly from the motor and into the cavity of the tubular member;

said drive shaft having an eccentric weight secured thereto;

a replaceable sleeve having an outer wall with a first end and a second end;

a plurality of bristles extending outwardly from the first end of the sleeve;

an aperture defined in the second end of the sleeve, said aperture being complementary to the tubular member;

whereby said sleeve is slidingly engaged over said tubular member; and

at least one vibration damping zone provided in one of the body, the sleeve and the tubular member.

2. The toothbrush as defined in claim 1, wherein the one of the body, sleeve and tubular member is made from a first material and the at least one vibration damping zone is one of a hole and a groove cut into the first material.

3. The toothbrush as defined in claim 2, wherein the at least one vibration damping zone further includes a second material injected into the one of the hole and the groove, wherein the second material differs in vibration transmission properties to the first material.

4. The toothbrush as defined in claim 3, wherein the second material is more flexibly resilient than the first material.

5. The toothbrush as defined in claim 4, wherein the second material is an elastomer.

6. The toothbrush as defined in claim 1, wherein the one of the sleeve and tubular member is made from a first material and the at least one vibration damping zone is made from a second material that has different vibration transmission properties to the first material.

7. The toothbrush as defined in claim 6, wherein the second material is more flexibly resilient than the first material.

8. The toothbrush as defined in claim 7, wherein the second material is an elastomer.

9. The toothbrush as defined in claim 8, wherein the at least one vibration damping zone is provided at one of the first end of the body and the second end of the sleeve, and is disposed substantially at right angles to the longitudinal axis of the toothbrush.

10. The toothbrush as defined in claim 9, further comprising a second vibration damping zone provided in the sleeve, said second vibration damping zone being disposed a distance away from the second end of the sleeve;

and wherein the second vibration damping zone comprises;

a plurality of first regions oriented at right angles to the longitudinal axis of the handle;

a plurality of second regions oriented at right angles to the longitudinal axis of the handle and spaced a distance further away from the second end of the sleeve than the first regions;

a plurality of third regions oriented substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of the handle, said third regions connecting each first region to two second regions; and

wherein each of the first, second, and third regions includes an elastomeric material therein.

11. The toothbrush as defined in claim 8, wherein the at least one vibration damping zone is provided in the tubular member;

and the elastomeric second material used in the at least one vibration damping zone is an annular layer applied around an exterior surface of an end of the tubular member adjacent the handle.

12. The toothbrush as defined in claim 1, wherein the at least one vibration damping zone is provided in the tubular member, where said tubular member includes a peripheral wall that originates proximate the handle and terminates in the tip;

and wherein said at least one vibration damping zone is a first hole cut into a first side of the peripheral wall.

13. The toothbrush as defined in claim 12, further comprising a second vibration damping zone;

where said second vibration damping zone is a second hole cut into a second side of the peripheral wall; and

said second side is opposed to said first side.

14. The toothbrush as defined in claim 13, wherein each of the first and second holes further includes a quantity of an elastomeric material therein.

15. The toothbrush as defined in claim 13, further comprising a third and a fourth damping zone;

where said third vibration damping zone comprises a third hole cut into a front face of the peripheral wall and said fourth vibration damping zone comprises a fourth hole cut into a back face of the peripheral wall; and

wherein said third and fourth holes are opposed to each other.

16. The toothbrush as defined in claim 15, wherein the third and fourth holes are disposed on the peripheral wall one of closer to and further from the handle than are the first and second holes.

17. The toothbrush as defined in claim 15, wherein each of the third and fourth holes further includes a quantity of an elastomeric material therein.

18. The toothbrush as defined in claim 17, wherein the at least one vibration damping zone is provided in the tubular member, where said tubular member includes a peripheral wall that originates proximate the handle and terminates in the tip;

and wherein said at least one vibration damping zone is a first hole cut into the peripheral wall and disposed substantially at right angles to the longitudinal axis of the handle, and wherein the first hole includes a quantity of an elastomeric material therein.

19. The toothbrush as defined in claim 18, further comprising a second vibration damping zone provided in the tubular member, wherein said second vibration damping zone comprises a second hole cut into a second side of the peripheral wall opposite the first hole;

and wherein the second hole includes a second quantity of elastomeric material therein.

20. The toothbrush as defined in claim 19 further comprising a third and fourth damping zone provided in the tubular member, wherein said third vibration damping zone comprises a third hole cut into the peripheral wall;

and the fourth vibration damping zone comprises a fourth hole cut into the peripheral wall in a location opposite the third hole; and

wherein the first and second holes are disposed a first spaced distance away from the handle, and the third and fourth holes are disposed a second spaced distance away from the handle; and

wherein each of the third and fourth holes includes an additional quantity of elastomeric material therein.

21. The toothbrush as defined in claim 20, wherein the third hole is cut into the first side of the peripheral wall a spaced distance away from the first hole, and the fourth hole is cut into the second side of the peripheral wall a spaced distance away from the second hole.

22. The toothbrush as defined in claim 21, wherein each of the first, second, third and fourth holes are substantially semicircular in shape.

23. The toothbrush as defined in claim 21, wherein each of the first, second, third and fourth holes are substantially diamond-shaped.

24. The toothbrush as defined in claim 20, wherein the third hole is cut into a front face of the peripheral wall, where the front face is disposed between the first and second sides;

and wherein the fourth hole is cut into a back face of the peripheral wall, wherein the back face is disposed between the first and second sides and is opposed to the front face.

25. The toothbrush as defined in claim 24, wherein each of the first, second, third and fourth holes are diamond shaped.

26. The toothbrush as defined in claim 25, wherein the first and second holes are of a narrower dimension in a direction aligned with the longitudinal axis of the handle than are the third and fourth holes.

27. The toothbrush as defined in claim 26, further comprising a plurality of additional first, second, third and fourth holes cut into the peripheral wall of the tubular member, wherein these additional holes are arranged in a pattern of rows extending outwardly in a direction away from the handle.

28. The toothbrush as defined in claim 1, wherein the plurality of bristles that extend outwardly from the first end of the sleeve comprises:

a first set of bristles that extend outwardly from a front face of the first end, said first set of bristles being adapted to clean a U-shaped groove in a set of dentures; and

a second set of bristles that extend outwardly from a rear face of the first end, said second set of bristles being adapted to clean a plurality of teeth surfaces on the set of dentures.

29. A brush head for use with a vibrating toothbrush, wherein said brush head comprises:

a sleeve having an outer wall with a first end and a second end;

a plurality of bristles extending outwardly from the first end of the sleeve;

an aperture defined in the second end of the sleeve, said aperture being complementary to a generally tubular member that extends longitudinally outwardly from a first end of a handle of the toothbrush; and

wherein said sleeve is adapted to slide over said tubular member and the second end of the sleeve is adapted to engage the first end of the handle; and

at least one vibration damping zone is provided in the outer wall of the sleeve.

30. The brush head as defined in claim 29, wherein the sleeve is made from a first material and the at least one vibration damping zone is one of a hole and a groove cut into the first material.

31. The brush head as defined in claim 30, wherein the at least one vibration damping zone further includes a second material injected into the one of the hole and the groove, and wherein the second material differs in vibration transmission properties to the first material.