Electrical toothbrush

• US 5,381,576 A
• Filed: 03/17/1994
• Issued: 01/17/1995
• Est. Priority Date: 03/17/1994
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Dong W. Hwang
• Original Assignee: Dong W. Hwang
• Inventors: Hwang, Dong W.
• Primary Examiner(s): ROBERTS JR, EDWARD
• Application Number:
  US08/214,199
• Time in Patent Office: 306 Days
• Field of Search: 15/22.1, 15/22.2, 15/22.4, 74/25, 74/47, 74/82, 310/50, 310/80
• US Class Current: 15/22.1
• CPC Class Codes: A61C 17/3418 Rotation around the axis of the toothbrush handle
• CPC Class Codes: A61C 17/3481 Vibrating brush body, e.g. by using eccentric weights
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 74/18056 Rotary to or from reciprocating or oscillating

Abstract

An electrical toothbrush according to the present invention comprising a housing, an electric motor mounted in the housing for rotating an eccentric pin, a reciprocating vibration holding shaft mounted in the upper housing for being adapted for attachment of a toothbrush thereon, the holding shaft being drivable for oscillation about its longitudinal axis, the toothbrush being interchangeably connected to the upper end of the holding shaft, transformer structure for transforming the rotary motion of the eccentric pin into a reciprocating vibratory motion of the holding shaft, the transformer comprising a cylindrical member and an elastic deformable member connected by an integral lever member.

Claims

1. In an electrical toothbrush having,

a housing composed of an upper housing portion and a lower housing portion which are interconnected mutually,

an interior space defined by the housing,

an electric motor mounted in the housing for rotating an eccentric pin, the motor being connected from a battery, and switched on and off by an external switch,

a reciprocating vibratory toothbrush holding shaft mounted longitudinally in the upper housing being adapted for attachment of a toothbrush thereon, the holding shaft being drivable for oscillation about its longitudinal axis, the toothbrush having bristles affixed to the upper end thereof and being interchangeably connected to the upper end of the holding shaft,

means for transforming the rotary motion of the eccentric pin into a reciprocating vibratory motion of the holding shaft which carries the toothbrush,

characterized in that the motion transformer comprises:

a cylindrical member and an elastic deformable member connected by an integral lever member,

the motion transformer being formed from a plastic material having toughness and flexibility,

an intermediate portion having a central bore for receiving the eccentric pin and an extension to which a shorter transverse wall is connected, and

a deformable film wall portion having one end connected to the integral lever member and the other end connected so the shorter transverse wall.

2. An electric toothbrush according to claim 1, wherein the deformable wall portion comprises two in number formed symmetrically with respect to the extension of the intermediate portion.