Electric Toothbrush

• US 20110083288A1
• Filed: 12/20/2010
• Published: 04/14/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 06/20/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Braun GmbH (The Procter & Gamble Company)
• Original Assignee: Braun GmbH (The Procter & Gamble Company)
• Inventors: Kressner, Gerhard
• Granted Patent: US 8,671,492 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 15/22.1
• CPC Class Codes: A61C 17/222 Brush body details, e.g. the shape thereof or connection to handle

Abstract

An attachment part for an electric toothbrush is disclosed. The attachment has a brush head, a tubular connecting piece being connected to the brush head for connecting the same to the head of a toothbrush handle, and a drive shaft for driving the working head. The connecting piece has at least one interior latching element that is arranged such that it is suitable to move into the interior of the neck of the handle and to create a disengageable connection of the attachment part to the neck of the handle, the interior latching element being radially inwardly offset, with regard to the diameter thereof, relative to an internal cylindrical surface of the connecting piece, such that a gap remains between the exterior of the interior latching element and the internal cylindrical surface, the gap being suitably made such that a wall of the neck of the handle can be moved into it.

Claims

1. An attachment part for an electric toothbrush, comprising:

a brush head, a tubular connecting piece for connecting to the brush head to a neck of a handle of a toothbrush, and a drive shaft for driving the brush head, wherein the connecting piece has at least one interior latching element that is arranged such that it is suitable to move into the interior of the neck of the handle and to create a disengageable connection of the attachment part to the neck of the handle, the interior latching element being radially inwardly offset, with regard to the diameter thereof, relative to an internal cylindrical surface of the connecting piece, such that a gap remains between the exterior of the interior latching element and the internal cylindrical surface, the gap being suitably made such that a wall of the neck of the handle can be moved into it.

2. The attachment part according to claim 1, wherein the interior latching element has at least one latching tongue that extends in the direction toward the end face of the connecting piece, the latching tongue having a latching contour.

3. The attachment part according to claim 2, having a plurality of latching tongues.

4. The attachment part according to claim 2, wherein the latching contour of the latching tongue is arranged at various axial positions.

5. The attachment part according to claim 2, wherein the latching contour is arranged on the radially outward-facing side of the interior latching element.

6. The attachment part according to claim 1, wherein the interior latching element has an undercut in the circumferential direction for preventing the attachment part from rotating on the neck of the handle.

7. The attachment part according to claim 1, wherein the drive shaft has a shaft coupling piece that is suitable for coupling to a drive shaft on the grip portion, and the shaft coupling piece has a conical clamp mating surface.

8. The attachment part according to claim 7, wherein the clamp mating surface is inclined at a tapered angle of greater than about 3.5 degrees to the longitudinal axis of the drive shaft.

9. The attachment part according to claim 1, wherein the drive shaft is movably mounted in the axial direction relative to the tubular connecting piece.

10. The attachment part according to claim 9, wherein a biasing device is provided for biasing the drive shaft toward the end face of the connecting piece.

11. A handle of an electric toothbrush having a grip portion and having a neck of the handle having a coupling device that is suitable for coupling an attachment part according to claim 1, and having a drive shaft that is suitable for driving the attachment part), wherein the neck of the handle has an internally arranged latching means for engaging with an element of the attachment part that can be moved into the interior of the neck of the handle.

12. The toothbrush handle according to claim 11, wherein a shaft coupling piece of the drive shaft has a conical clamp mating surface.

13. The toothbrush handle according to claim 12, wherein the clamp mating surface is inclined relative to the longitudinal direction of the drive shaft at a tapered angle of greater than about 3.5 degrees.

14. The toothbrush handle according claim 12, wherein the drive shaft is movably mounted in the axial direction relative to the neck of the handle.

15. The toothbrush handle according to claim 14, wherein a biasing device is provided for biasing the drive shaft away from the handle.

16. The toothbrush handle according to claim 11, wherein a coupling device having at least one engagement part that is suitable for engagement with the connecting piece of the attachment part is provided on the neck of the handle, the coupling device having a coupling piece that is axially movable in the longitudinal direction of the handle.

17. The toothbrush handle according to claim 11, wherein the coupling piece is formed such that an axial movement of the coupling piece produces a transverse movement of the engagement part transverse to the longitudinal direction of the handle.

18. The toothbrush handle according to claim 16, wherein between the neck of the handle and the engagement part a spreading mechanism is provided by which the engagement part can be spread outward, transverse to the longitudinal direction of the handle, when there is axial movement of the coupling piece toward the body of the handle, wherein the spreading mechanism is provided between the neck of the handle and the coupling piece, such that the coupling piece can be spread outward when there is axial movement toward the body of the handle.

19. The toothbrush handle according to claim 16, wherein an inhibiting means is provided for the inhibition, blocking, braking, and/or switching off of the toothbrush drive when the engagement part of the coupling device is in a position that deviates from the locking position thereof.