Therapeutic ultrasonic toothbrush

• US 5,369,831 A
• Filed: 06/25/1993
• Issued: 12/06/1994
• Est. Priority Date: 03/25/1991
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Sonex International Corp. (Spectrum Brands Holdings, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Sonex International Corp. (Spectrum Brands Holdings, Inc.)
• Inventors: Bock, Robert T.
• Primary Examiner(s): ROBERTS JR, EDWARD
• Application Number:
  US08/084,979
• Time in Patent Office: 529 Days
• Field of Search: 15/22.1, 15/22.2, 15/167.1, 433/119, 433/118, 433/216
• US Class Current: 15/22.1
• CPC Class Codes: A46B 2200/1066 Toothbrush for cleaning the teeth or dentures A61C17/16 takes precedence; bristles arrangements for toothbrushes A46B9/04
• CPC Class Codes: A46B 7/04 interchangeably removable bristle carriers
• CPC Class Codes: A61C 17/20 using ultrasonics

Abstract

A removable brush-head for an ultrasonic toothbrush for daily dental hygiene purposes, including a plurality of bristle clusters, a substantially tubular body constructed of a flexible material and tensioning means securing the brush-head to the ultrasonic device, providing for the efficient transmission of ultrasonic frequency vibrations from the device via the brush-head to the teeth and gums and oral tissue of the user to loosen and remove soft plaque therefrom and to treat oral lesions.

Claims

1. A dental hygiene device for use with a dentifrice, comprising:

a rigid elongated member of non-conductive material having a handle end and a bristle end;

a piezoelectric transducer secured to the elongated member adjacent the bristle end for contracting and expanding volumetrically in response to a changing electrical field generating vibrations of ultrasonic frequency operative to cause mild cavitation in the dentifrice to loosen soft plaque on the surface of the teeth without appreciable relative movement of the bristle end with respect to the handle end, and to transmit ultrasonic vibrations to adjacent tissue;

means coupled to the piezoelectric transducer operative for generating ultrasonic frequency electrical signals and transmitting said signals to said piezoelectric transducer;

a plurality of bristle clusters for carrying dentifrice;

means removably supporting the bristle clusters on the bristle end of the elongated member and being removably secured to the elongated member adjacent the piezoelectric transducer, said bristle clusters to be received within the human mouth for conducting said vibrations to the dentifrice and moved across tooth and gingival surfaces for dislodging the loosened soft plaque therefrom, and said means for supporting the bristle clusters having external surfaces adjacent said bristle clusters for contacting mouth tissue inside the oral cavity for reducing the recurrence and severity of mouth sores.

2. A dental hygiene device for use in the oral cavity with a sonic medium to clean teeth and to treat adjacent tissue comprising:

an elongated substantially rigid handle member having opposite ends in spaced apart relation;

a removable bristle support secured to the handle near one end thereof;

a piezoelectric transducer secured within the handle adjacent the bristle support and responsive when energized for volumetrically contracting and expanding in response to a changing electrical field and generating vibrations of ultrasonic frequency in the sonic medium so as to cause mild cavitation in the dentifrice to loosen soft plaque on the surface of the teeth and the carry vibrations to adjacent tissue;

means coupled to the piezoelectric transducer for generating ultrasonic frequency electrical signals and transmitting said signals thereto for energizing said piezoelectric transducer;

a plurality of bristle clusters for engaging the teeth surfaces and being secured to the bristle support adjacent the piezoelectric transducer and extending transversely of the support for conducing the vibrations to the dentifrice and without appreciable relative movement between the bristle clusters and the handle and dislodging the loosened plaque from the teeth and to reduce the recurrence of various forms of ulcers and sores of the oral cavity both in frequency and severity by ultrasonic vibrations transmitted to said adjacent issue wherein the device is used as a dental hygiene device on a frequent basis.

3. The device of claim 2, wherein the bristle clusters extend laterally from the bristle support opposite the piezoelectric transducer to space said transducer from the teeth.