Electric power driven toothbrush

• US 5,311,633 A
• Filed: 05/01/1992
• Issued: 05/17/1994
• Est. Priority Date: 11/14/1989
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Braun Aktiengesellschaft
• Original Assignee: Braun Aktiengesellschaft
• Inventors: Gassner, Gustav, Herzog, Karl
• Primary Examiner(s): Gerrity, Stephen F.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Graham, Gary K.
• Application Number:
  US07/854,670
• Time in Patent Office: 746 Days
• Field of Search: 15/22.1, 15/28, 15/22.4, 15/22.2, 74/54, 74/25, 74/70, 74/75, 74/42, 128/45, 128/46, 128/48, 128/49, 433/118, 433/131
• US Class Current: 15/28
• CPC Class Codes: A61C 17/3418 Rotation around the axis of the toothbrush handle
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 21/40 for interconverting rotary motion and oscillating motion
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 74/18056 Rotary to or from reciprocating or oscillating
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 74/18184 Crank, pitman, and lever

Abstract

The invention is directed to an electric power driven toothbrush having a four-bar linkage (8) disposed in the handle section, the input end thereof being driven by an electric motor (2) through a train of spur gears, while the output end thereof drives in an oscillatory manner an output shaft (15) within an angular range of ±35°, approximately. The output shaft (15) is suitable for coupling engagement with a toothbrush section through a bevel gear train, and the axis of rotation of the toothbrush section forms an approximately right angle with the axis of the output shaft (15).

Claims

1. An elongated electric power driven toothbrush comprising a rotary toothbrush section coupled with an elongated drive shaft, said toothbrush further comprising a handle section, a driving mechanism, and an electric motor disposed in said handle section, wherein said driving mechanism comprises a crank, a connecting rod, and a rocker connected together as a four-bar linkage, said crank adapted to be driven by said electric motor said rocker being coupled to said drive shaft for oscillation therewith, said crank driving in an oscillatory manner at least indirectly said drive shaft of said toothbrush section through said connecting rod and said rocker, wherein said crank comprises an eccentric disk and said connecting rod includes a bearing eye receiving said eccentric disk in a rotatable relationship therethrough, said driving mechanism further comprising a spindle, a bearing block, and a bearing plate, said spindle extending through said eccentric disk and, on one side of said eccentric disk, being rotatably carried in said bearing block and, on an opposite side of said eccentric disk, being rotatably carried in said bearing plate.

2. The toothbrush as claimed in claim 1 wherein said toothbrush section is mounted for rotation about an axis that is disposed angularly to a longitudinal axis of said toothbrush.

3. The toothbrush as claimed in claim 2 wherein an axis of rotation of said rotary toothbrush section forms an angle of about 90°

with said drive shaft.

4. The toothbrush as claimed in claim 1 further comprising a train of spur gears coupled to said spindle, said train of spur gears in driving engagement with said eccentric disk and driven by said electric motor.

5. The toothbrush as claimed in claim 4 wherein said train of spur gears comprises a pinion gear and an internal gear, said pinion gear mounted on an output shaft of said electric motor and making driving connection with said internal gear, which is mounted on said spindle.

6. The toothbrush as claimed in claim 5 wherein said bearing block receives said output shaft and said bearing plate is disposed in the housing and has extending therethrough the output shaft of said electric motor.

7. The toothbrush is claimed in claim 1 wherein said drive shaft is in driving engagement with said toothbrush section through an angular driving mechanism.

8. The toothbrush as claimed in claim 7 wherein said angular driving mechanism comprises a first bevel gear mounted on said drive shaft and a second bevel gear connected to said toothbrush section, an elongated sleeve-type shank extending from the handle section and rotatably supporting the drive shaft and a bevel gear casing coupled to the free end of the sleeve-type shank and housing said first and second bevel gears.

9. The toothbrush as claimed in claim 8 further comprising an output shaft connecting said rocker, and a wherein said sleeve-type shank in combination with said drive shaft toothbrush section, and said first and second bevel gears, forms a subassembly which is adapted to be pushed onto said output shaft for detachable coupling engagement therewith.

10. The toothbrush as claimed in claim 1 wherein the drive shaft of said toothbrush section oscillates at a frequency of between 30 Hz and 60 Hz.

15. The toothbrush as claimed in claim 10, wherein the frequency is between 45 Hz and 50 Hz.

11. An electric power driven toothbrush comprising a handle section, a rotary toothbrush section mounted for rotation and coupled with an elongated drive shaft, a driving mechanism, an electric motor disposed in said handle section and driving, through said driving mechanism in an oscillatory manner, said rotary toothbrush section at a frequency of between 30 Hz and 60 Hz, said driving mechanism comprises an eccentric disk, a connecting rod and a rocker connected together as a four-bar linkage assembly, said rocker being coupled to said drive shaft for oscillation therewith, said eccentric disk adapted to be driven by said electric motor, said eccentric disk driving in an oscillatory manner at least indirectly said drive shaft of said toothbrush section by a means of said connecting rod and rocker, said connecting rod including a bearing eye receiving said eccentric disk in a rotatable relationship, a spindle extending through said eccentric disk, a bearing block and a bearing plate located on opposite sides of said eccentric disk from each other and each rotatably carrying said spindle, a train of gears on said spindle in driving engagement with said eccentric disk, said train of gears comprising a pinion mounted on the output shaft of said electric motor and an internal gear on said spindle, an axis of rotation of said rotary toothbrush section forming an angle of about 90°

with said drive shaft, and an angular driving mechanism for coupling said drive shaft in driving engagement with said toothbrush section.

12. The toothbrush as claimed in claim 11 and further including an elongated sleeve-type shank, extending from said handle section which in combination with said rotary toothbrush section and said drive shaft, forms a subassembly which is adapted to be pushed onto an output shaft of said four-bar linkage assembly for detachable coupling engagement therewith.

13. The toothbrush as claimed in claim 12 wherein said angular driving mechanism is comprised of a bevel gear mounted on said drive shaft and a bevel gear connected to said toothbrush section, said gears being accommodated in a bevel gear casing arranged at the free end of said sleeve-type shank.

14. The toothbrush as claimed in claim 11 wherein said bearing block receives said drive shaft and said bearing plate has extending therethrough the output shaft of said electric motor.