Twin-brushes rotary toothbrush

• US 4,766,630 A
• Filed: 05/11/1987
• Issued: 08/30/1988
• Est. Priority Date: 05/11/1987
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Hegemann International Limited
• Original Assignee: Kenneth J. Hegemann
• Inventors: Hegemann, Kenneth J.
• Primary Examiner(s): ROBERTS JR, EDWARD
• Application Number:
  US07/048,086
• Time in Patent Office: 477 Days
• Field of Search: 15/22 R, 15/22 C, 15/28, 15/29, 15/25, 15/26, 128/62 R
• US Class Current: 15/21.1
• CPC Class Codes: A46B 13/08 hand-driven
• CPC Class Codes: A46B 2200/1066 Toothbrush for cleaning the teeth or dentures A61C17/16 takes precedence; bristles arrangements for toothbrushes A46B9/04

Abstract

Rotary toothbrush utilizes a longitudinally extending hollow barrel having a fore-end and a rear-end. Longitudinally extending and reciprocatable strokearm mechanism is predominately located within the hollow barrel but includes a forward-portion always located forwardly of the barrel. A pair of transversely separated, upright rotary brushes are positioned wholly forwardly of the barrel and there eccentrically journal crankshafts carried by the strokearm mechanism forward-portion so that strokearm reciprocations cause the two brushes to move together in alternating angular directions. The strokearm mechanism forward-portion might be provided with auxiliary bristles for simultaneously brushing the dental occlusial surfaces as the rotary brushes treat the bucal and lingual surfaces.

Claims

1. An improved twin-brushes rotary toothbrush comprising:

(A) a horizontally and directionally longitudinally extending hollow barrel having a fore-end and a rear-end, and also having directionally longitudinally extending topside and bottomside;

(B) a contra-directional coordinator located within said barrel, a central portion of said coordinator being pivotably attached to said barrel along a horizontal and directionally transversely extending barrel-pivot;

(C) a pair of substantially parallel, directionally longitudinally extending, and vertically offset horizontal strokearms including an upper-strokearm and a lower-strokearm, respective strokearms having a forward-portion located forwardly remote from the barrel fore-end, respective strokearms having a rearward-portion actuatably connected to said coordinator on vertically opposite sides of the barrel-pivot whereby as said coordinator is pivoted in alternating angular directions about said barrel-pivot, the strokearms simultaneously longitudinally reciprocate and respectively move in opposite longitudinal directions; and

(D) a pair of directionally transversely separated rotary brushes flanking the strokearms forward-portions and there respectively surrounding a transverse-axis, each of said brushes comprising an upright leadward-side provided with an elliptical upper-slot located above said transverse-axis and also with an elliptical lower-slot located below said transverse-axis, and each of said brushes also comprising directionally transversely extending bristles arrayed to substantially surround said transverse-axis, the upper-strokearm being provided with transversely extending crankshafts extending into and being journalled by said elliptical upper-slots, and the lower-strokearm being provided with transversely extending crankshafts extending into and being journalled by said elliptical lower-slots whereby as said contradirectional coordinator is pivoted in alternating angular directions and the respective strokearms reciprocate in opposite longitudinal directions, the said crankshafts bear directionally longitudinally against said brushes slotted portions and the brushes are caused to move in alternating angular directional synchronization with the coordinator, and there being means for maintaining a fixed transverse spacing between said brushes.

2. The rotary toothbrush of claim 1 wherein the hollow barrel at its rear-end is removably attachable to an upright and manually graspable handle member.

3. The rotary toothbrush of claim 1 wherein there are powering means adapted to simultaneously effect alternating angular directional pivoting of said coordinator about said barrel-pivot and also opposite longitudinal directional movements of said strokearms.

4. The rotary toothbrush of claim 1 wherein rearward-portions of the strokearms have a multi-teeth rack configuration;

and wherein the contra-directional coordinator comprises a pinion surrounding said barrel-pivot and actuatably connected to the multi-teeth rack portions of the strokearms.

5. The rotary toothbrush of claim 1 wherein the contra-directional coordinator comprises a rocker member extending above and below the barrel-pivot and is pivotably associated with rearward-portions of the strokearms.

6. The rotary toothbrush of claim 1 wherein the upper-strokearm forward-portion carries upwardly extending brist les and the lower-strokearm forward-portion carries downwardly extending bristles.

7. The rotary toothbrush of claim 6 wherein there are powering means adapted to simultaneously effect alternating angular directional pivoting of said coordinator about said barrel-pivot and also opposite longitudinal directional movements of said strokearms.

8. The rotary toothbrush of claim 7 wherein the barrel-pivot comprises a transversely extending barrel-pin;

and wherein the powering means comprises a trigger flanking the barrel and affirmatively attached to said barrel-pin, said trigger extending below the barrel bottomside and locatable forwardly of a manually graspable handle member that depends from the barrel rear-end.

9. The rotary toothbrush of claim 8 wherein the hollow barrel at its rear-end is removably attached to an upper portion of said handle member.

10. The rotary toothbrush of claim 1 wherein the two elliptically slotted portions of each brush are located at similar distances above and below said transverse-axis whereby the crankshafts remain at constant elevations with respect to said transverse-axis as the strokearms longitudinally reciprocate.

11. The rotary toothbrush of claim 10 wherein the means for maintaining a fixed transverse spacing between the brushes comprises affirmatively connecting the crankshafts to the brushes whereby an inter-brushes connecting axle along said transverse-axis is unnecessary

12. The rotary toothbrush of claim 11 wherein an axle member extends along said transverse-axis and connects the two brushes and thereby offers optional durability to the rotary toothbrush.

13. The rotary toothbrush of claim 10 wherein the means for maintaining a fixed transverse spacing between the brushes comprises an axle member extending along said transverse-axis and connecting the two brushes forwardly remote of the barrel fore-end whereby it is unnecessary to affirmatively connect the crankshafts to the brushes.

14. An improved twin-brushes rotary toothbrush comprising:

(A) a horizontal and directionally longitudinally extending hollow barrel having a fore-end and a rearend, and also having longitudinally extending topside and bottomside;

(B) directionally longitudinally extending and longitudinally reciprocatable strokearm means located within and connected to said barrel, said strokearm means comprising a pair of strokearms and respectively including a forward-portion always located forwardly of the barrel; and

(C) a pair of rotary brushes respectively circularly surrounding a transverse-axis, said brushes being located wholly forwardly of the barrel and flanking the strokearm means forward-portion, each strokearm of the strokearm means at the forward-portion thereof carrying directionally transversely extending crankshafts being journalled by elliptically slotted portions of said brushes, said elliptically slotted portions being radially offset from said transverse-axis, and there being means for maintaining a fixed transverse spacing between the two brushes.

15. The rotary toothbrush of claim 14 wherein there are powering means for longitudinally reciprocating the strokearm means;

and wherein each of said brushes comprises an array of bristles surrounding said transverse-axis and extending inwardly toward the strokearm means forward-portion.

16. The rotary toothbrush of claim 15 wherein the barrel rear-end is removably attached to an upper portion of an upright handle member.