ELECTRIC TOOTHBRUSH

• US 20180008388A1
• Filed: 05/26/2016
• Published: 01/11/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 01/13/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Bluereo, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Bluereo, Inc.
• Inventors: LEE, Seung Min
• Granted Patent: US 10,022,209 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: A46B 13/02 power-driven carriers
• CPC Class Codes: A46B 13/023 with means for inducing vibration to the bristles
• CPC Class Codes: A46B 13/04 with reservoir or other means for supplying substances
• CPC Class Codes: A46B 15/00 Other brushes; Brushes with additional arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: A46B 5/00 Brush bodies; Handles integral with brushware
• CPC Class Codes: A46B 7/06 movably during use , i.e. the normal brushing action causing movement driven brush bodies A46B13/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61C 17/0202 Hand-pieces
• CPC Class Codes: A61C 17/0208 combined with means providing suction A61C17/0211 takes precedence
• 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 17/3481 Vibrating brush body, e.g. by using eccentric weights
• CPC Class Codes: A61C 17/36 with rinsing means

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to an electric toothbrush, and more particularly, to an electric toothbrush including: a main body which includes an outer case; a cleaning body which is coupled to the main body and has a cleaning head formed at one end thereof; a vibration transmission unit which couples the main body and the cleaning body, has a vibration generator mounted thereon to generate vibration, and transmits the vibration to the cleaning body; and a vibration damping unit which is provided between the outer case and the vibration transmission unit, thereby maintaining cleaning performance of the electric toothbrush, reducing magnitude of vibration to be transmitted to a user, and improving convenience for the user.

Claims

1. An electric toothbrush comprising:

a main body which includes an outer case;

a cleaning body which is coupled to the main body and has a cleaning head formed at one end thereof;

a vibration transmission unit which couples the main body and the cleaning body, has a vibration generator mounted thereon to generate vibration, and transmits the vibration to the cleaning body; and

a vibration damping unit which is provided between the outer case and the vibration transmission unit,

wherein a motor accommodating portion is formed in the vibration transmission unit, the vibration transmission unit is fixed to a bracket case, a fitting protruding portion, which protrudes outward, is formed on the motor accommodating portion, a fixing unit, which is coupled to the fitting protruding portion and fixes the vibration transmission unit, is formed on the bracket case, an opening portion, which penetrates inner and outer surfaces of the bracket case, is formed in the bracket case, and the fixing unit is positioned in the opening portion.

2. The electric toothbrush of claim 1, wherein the vibration generator is a vibration motor, and a motor accommodating portion in which the vibration motor is mounted is formed on the vibration transmission unit.

3. The electric toothbrush of claim 1, wherein the vibration damping unit is made of an elastic material.

4. The electric toothbrush of claim 1, wherein the vibration transmission unit has an insertion portion which protrudes to a predetermined height so as to be inserted into the cleaning body, and the vibration damping unit is penetratively coupled to the insertion portion.

5. The electric toothbrush of claim 4, wherein a first fastening protruding portion and a fastening guide portion, which correspond to each other, are formed on the insertion portion and the vibration damping unit, respectively, such that during a process in which the insertion portion is penetratively coupled to the vibration damping unit, the first fastening protruding portion is guided along the fastening guide portion and then caught and fixed by an end of the fastening guide portion.

6. The electric toothbrush of claim 4, wherein a coupling protruding portion, which protrudes inward, is formed at one end of the outer case, and a coupling recess, which corresponds to the coupling protruding portion, is formed at an upper end of the vibration damping unit, such that during a process in which the vibration transmission unit is coupled to the outer case, the coupling protruding portion is seated on the coupling recess.

7. The electric toothbrush of claim 1, wherein the vibration transmission unit is fixed as a first bracket and a second bracket, which constitute the bracket case, are coupled.

10. The electric toothbrush of claim 1, wherein the fixing unit includes:

a first extension portion which extends from the bracket case in a direction toward the opening portion;

a second extension portion which extends from an end of the first extension portion in a direction toward the fitting protruding portion; and

a fitting groove portion which is formed in the second extension portion and opened in a direction toward the fitting protruding portion so as to be fitted with and coupled to the fitting protruding portion.

11. The electric toothbrush of claim 7, wherein a gap portion, which is formed as the outer case and the cleaning body are spaced apart from each other, is formed around an outer surface of the vibration transmission unit.

12. The electric toothbrush of claim 7, wherein a removing portion, which is spaced apart from the motor accommodating portion, is formed on an inner surface of the bracket case.

13. The electric toothbrush of claim 7, wherein a power source unit is positioned below the motor accommodating portion, and a non-contact space portion is formed between the motor accommodating portion and the power source unit.

8. (canceled)

9. (canceled)