Personal health care device

• US 4,432,729 A
• Filed: 04/23/1982
• Issued: 02/21/1984
• Est. Priority Date: 04/23/1982
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Scherer Laboratories Incorporated
• Original Assignee: John B. Fattaleh
• Inventors: Fattaleh, John B.
• Primary Examiner(s): Peshock, Robert
• Application Number:
  US06/370,878
• Time in Patent Office: 669 Days
• Field of Search: 433/118, 433/122, 433/125, 128/62 A, 15/28, 15/22 R
• US Class Current: 433/118
• CPC Class Codes: A61C 17/005 Devices for dental prophylaxis

Abstract

A hand-held personal health care device for the polishing of teeth wherein the appliance containing the cleaning agent is driven in an oscillatory manner.

Claims

1. A personal health care device comprising:

(a) containment means for housing a drive mechanism therein and having an operative end and a body portion;

(b) power drive means mounted in said containment means and having an output shaft extending therefrom, the actuation of said power drive means providing rotation of said output shaft;

(c) drive means mounted for rotation about a first axis at an angle to the axis of said output shaft and operatively coupled thereto;

(d) driven means mounted in said operative end for rotation about a second axis at an angle to the axis of said output shaft;

(e) an elongated rigid link coupled to said drive means a first distance from said first axis and coupled to said driven means a second distance from said second axis, said first distance being less than said second distance whereby rotation of said drive means imparts an oscillatory motion to the rotation of said driven means;

(f) engaging means affixed to said driven means and extending outwardly of said operative end for receiving an appliance thereon.

2. The device of claim 1 wherein at least a portion of said operative end is angled from the body portion of said containment means.

3. The device of claim 2 wherein said engaging means extends outwardly of the angled portion of said operative end.

4. The device of claim 3 wherein said engaging means comprises an expanded diameter end for removably receiving an appliance thereon.

5. The device of claim 4 further comprising sealing means coupled between said engaging means and the operative end of said containment means.

6. The device of claim 5 wherein said sealing means is flexible sleeve frictionally engaging the operative end of said containment means and said engaging means.

7. The device of claim 6 wherein said elongated rigid link is non-planar and comprises first and second end segments substantially parallel with the drive means and the driven means respectively and a connecting segment therebetween.

8. The device of claim 3 further comprising a bearing means affixed to the angled portion of said operative end for rotatably receiving a portion of said engaging means therein.

9. The device of claim 8 wherein said bearing means comprises a section of reduced diameter and said engaging means has a section of reduced diameter, said sealing means being frictionally coupled to said sections of reduced diameter and extending therebetween.

10. The device of claim 9 wherein said elongated rigid link is non-planar and comprises first and second end segments substantially parallel to the drive means and the driven means respectively and a connecting segment therebetween.

11. The device of claim 10 wherein said first and second axes are non-parallel with respect to each other.

12. The device of claim 11 wherein the operative end of said containment means is removably affixed to the body portion thereof, said power drive means being mounted in said body portion and having the output shaft extending therefrom.

13. A personal health care attachment having an operative end and a securing end for use with a power drive module having an externally accessible power drive means, said attachment comprising:

(a) means for removably affixing the securing end of said attachment to the power drive module;

(b) drive means mounted for rotation about a first axis at an angle to the axis of said power drive means and operatively coupled thereto;

(c) driven means mounted in the operative end of said attachment for rotation about a second axis at an angle to the axis of said power drive means;

(d) an elongated rigid link coupled to said drive means a first distance from said first axis and coupled to said driven means a second distance from said second axis, said first distance being less than said second distance whereby rotation of said drive means imparts an oscillatory motion to the rotation of said driven means;

(e) engaging means affixed to said driven means and extending outwardly of the operative end of said attachment for receiving an appliance thereon.

14. The attachment of claim 13 wherein at least a portion of said operative end is angled from the body portion of said attachment.

15. The attachment of claim 14 wherein said engaging means extends outwardly of the angled portion of said operative end.

16. The attachment of claim 15 wherein said engaging means comprises an expanded diameter end for removably receiving an appliance thereon.

17. The attachment of claim 16 further comprising sealing means coupled between said engaging means and the operative end of said attachment.

18. The attachment of claim 17 wherein said sealing means is a flexible sleeve frictionally engaging the operative end of said attachment and said engaging means.

19. The attachment of claim 18 wherein said elongated rigid link is non-planar and comprises first and second end segments substantially parallel with the drive means and the driven means respectively and a connecting segment therebetween.

20. The attachment of claim 15 further comprising a bearing means affixed to the angled portion of said operative end for rotatably receiving a portion of said engaging means therein.

21. The attachment of claim 20 wherein said bearing means comprises a section of reduced diameter and said engaging means has a section of reduced diameter, said sealing means being frictionally coupled to said sections of reduced diameter and extending therebetween.

22. The attachment of claim 21 wherein the elongated rigid link comprises first and second end segments substantially parallel to the drive means and the driven means respectively and a connecting segment therebetween.

23. The attachment of claim 22 wherein said first and second axes are non-parallel with respect to each other.