Electric Toothbrush
First Claim
1. An electric toothbrush having a central longitudinal axis and comprising:
- an elongated tubular body defining a handle having a hollow cavity formed therein, wherein a battery powered motor and a battery are disposed inside said hollow cavity;
wherein the motor includes an axially rotating motor drive shaft and a gear train having two spur gears of differing diameter, wherein a smaller spur gear of the two spur gears is attached to a motor output drive shaft and operatively connected to a bigger spur gear, and wherein the bigger spur gear is attached to a front end of a handle portion of a central drive shaft;
a brush head having a bristle roll drive shaft with a plurality of bristle tufts radially and outwardly disposed thereon, thereby forming a bristle roll;
a neck extending between the handle and the brush head;
wherein the handle portion of the central drive shaft is operatively connected to a neck portion of the central drive shaft by a core jaw coupling and a cavity jaw coupling;
wherein the neck portion of the central drive shaft is longitudinally disposed along the central longitudinal axis of the neck and is operatively connected to the bristle roll drive shaft at the brush head;
wherein the bristle roll drive shaft and the central drive shaft are operatively connected by a belt and pulley system comprising two pulleys of differing diameter and a belt, wherein the belt and pulley system is arranged such that the bristle roll drive shaft is offset from and parallel to the central drive shaft in an eccentric-in-line position; and
wherein the central drive shaft causes a one-way forward rotating motion of the bristle roll through the belt and pulley system.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An electric toothbrush having a central longitudinal axis is disclosed. The electric toothbrush has a brush head having a bristle roll drive shaft with a plurality of tufts of bristles radially and outwardly disposed thereon, thereby forming a bristle roll and a neck extending between the handle and the brush head. The bristle roll drive shaft and the central drive shaft are operatively connected by a belt and pulley system comprising two pulleys and a belt, and the belt and pulley system is arranged such that the bristle roll drive shaft is offset from and parallel to the central drive shaft of the neck in an eccentric-in-line position. The central drive shaft causes a one-way forward rotating motion of the bristle roll through the belt and pulley system. This rotating motion and direction imitates the brushing technique recommended by dentists to the conventional manual toothbrush users.
51 Citations
20 Claims
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1. An electric toothbrush having a central longitudinal axis and comprising:
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an elongated tubular body defining a handle having a hollow cavity formed therein, wherein a battery powered motor and a battery are disposed inside said hollow cavity;
wherein the motor includes an axially rotating motor drive shaft and a gear train having two spur gears of differing diameter, wherein a smaller spur gear of the two spur gears is attached to a motor output drive shaft and operatively connected to a bigger spur gear, and wherein the bigger spur gear is attached to a front end of a handle portion of a central drive shaft;a brush head having a bristle roll drive shaft with a plurality of bristle tufts radially and outwardly disposed thereon, thereby forming a bristle roll; a neck extending between the handle and the brush head;
wherein the handle portion of the central drive shaft is operatively connected to a neck portion of the central drive shaft by a core jaw coupling and a cavity jaw coupling;wherein the neck portion of the central drive shaft is longitudinally disposed along the central longitudinal axis of the neck and is operatively connected to the bristle roll drive shaft at the brush head; wherein the bristle roll drive shaft and the central drive shaft are operatively connected by a belt and pulley system comprising two pulleys of differing diameter and a belt, wherein the belt and pulley system is arranged such that the bristle roll drive shaft is offset from and parallel to the central drive shaft in an eccentric-in-line position; and wherein the central drive shaft causes a one-way forward rotating motion of the bristle roll through the belt and pulley system. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
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18. An electric toothbrush having a central longitudinal axis and comprising:
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an elongated tubular body defining a handle having a hollow cavity formed therein, wherein a motor is disposed inside said hollow cavity;
wherein the motor includes an axially rotating motor drive shaft and a gear train having two spur gears, wherein a first spur gear of the two spur gears is attached to a motor output drive shaft and operatively connected to a second spur gear, and wherein the second spur gear is attached to a front end of a handle portion of a central drive shaft;a brush head having a bristle roll drive shaft with a plurality of bristle tufts radially and outwardly disposed thereon, thereby forming a bristle roll; a neck extending between the handle and the brush head;
wherein the handle portion of the central drive shaft is operatively connected to a neck portion of the central drive shaft;wherein the neck portion of the central drive shaft is longitudinally disposed along the central longitudinal axis of the neck and is operatively connected to the bristle roll drive shaft at the brush head; wherein the bristle roll drive shaft and the central drive shaft are operatively connected by a belt and pulley system comprising two pulleys and a belt, wherein the belt and pulley system is arranged such that the bristle roll drive shaft is offset from and parallel to the central drive shaft in an eccentric-in-line position; and wherein the central drive shaft causes a one-way forward rotating motion of the bristle roll through the belt and pulley system. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20)
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Specification