Electric toothbrush

• US 5,504,959 A
• Filed: 07/08/1994
• Issued: 04/09/1996
• Est. Priority Date: 03/24/1994
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Panasonic Electric Works Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Asahi Matsushita Electric Works Ltd. (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Yukawa, Kazuhiko, Kawamoto, Yoji
• Primary Examiner(s): Spisich, Mark
• Application Number:
  US08/256,153
• Time in Patent Office: 641 Days
• Field of Search: 15/22.1, 15/22.2, 15/22.4, 15/28
• US Class Current: 15/22.1
• CPC Class Codes: A61C 17/3418 Rotation around the axis of the toothbrush handle
• CPC Class Codes: A61C 17/3436 Rotation around the axis perpendicular to the plane defined by the bristle holder
• CPC Class Codes: A61C 17/3445 Translation along the axis of the toothbrush handle
• CPC Class Codes: A61C 17/3472 with combined movements of the brush body
• CPC Class Codes: A61C 17/349 with multiple brush bodies

Abstract

A brush provided on an end surface of a handle is equipped with a drive device capable of producing a reciprocating rectilinear motion in the direction of a handle axis and a reciprocating motion about the handle axis, while also producing a reciprocating motion about an axis in the direction of brush projection. The brush moves in a combination of the reciprocating rectilinear motion in the direction of the handle axis, the reciprocating motion about the handle axis, and the reciprocating motion about the axis in the direction of brush projection, and therefore scrub area increases, by virtue of the motion of the brush, the brush does not become trapped between teeth, and cleaning of the entire tooth surface is possible.

Claims

1. An electric toothbrush comprising:

a housing;

a motor located within said housing and having a motor shaft;

a connecting rod extending along an axis of said housing;

a first motion-converting means located within said housing to convert a rotary motion of said motor shaft to a combined motion of a reciprocating rectilinear-motion in an axial direction of said connecting rod and a first reciprocating rotary-motion about the axis of said connecting rod, and to transmit said combined motion to said connecting rod; and

a brush head connected to an end of said connecting rod, said brush head being supported to said housing to be rotatable about the axis of said connecting rod for effecting said first reciprocating rotary-motion;

wherein said brush head comprises;

a brush case having an opening;

a slider connected to said end of said connecting rod, said slider being incorporated in said brush case and slidably supported to said brush case to be movable in the axial direction of said connecting rod for effecting said rectilinear-motion;

at least one brush member with bristles projecting outwardly through said opening, said at least one brush member being supported to said slider to be rotatable about a longitudinal axis of said bristles; and

a second motion-converting means located between said brush case and said at least one brush member for generating a second reciprocating rotary-motion of said at least one brush member about said longitudinal axis of said bristles from said rectilinear-motion of said slider, to thereby allow said at least one brush member to operate said second reciprocating rotary-motion simultaneously with said combined motion.

2. An electric toothbrush as set forth in claim 1, wherein said first motion-converting means produces said combined motion such that said at least one brush member moves to trace a figure-O pattern.

3. An electric toothbrush as set forth in claim 1, wherein said first motion-converting means produces said combined motion such that said at least one brush member moves to trace a figure-S pattern.

4. An electric toothbrush as set forth in claim 1, wherein said first motion-converting means produces said combined motion such that said at least one brush member moves to trace a figure-eight pattern.

5. An electric toothbrush as set forth in claim 1 further comprising a means for switching between a first mode of producing said combined motion and a second mode of producing only said rectilinear-motion in response to a rotating direction of said motor shaft.

6. An electric toothbrush as set forth in claim 1 further comprising a means for switching between a first mode of producing said combined motion and a second mode of producing only said first reciprocating rotary-motion in response to a rotating direction of said motor shaft.

7. An electric toothbrush as set forth in claim 1, wherein said housing is a handle portion and said brush head is incorporated in a slip-on portion for detachably mounting on said handle portion.