Toothbrush

• US 5,625,916 A
• Filed: 05/24/1995
• Issued: 05/06/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 05/24/1995
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Colgate-Palmolive Company
• Original Assignee: Greg Mcdougall
• Inventors: McDougall, Greg
• Primary Examiner(s): Spisich, Mark
• Application Number:
  US08/449,298
• Time in Patent Office: 713 Days
• Field of Search: 15/22.1, 15/22.4, 15/28, 15/29
• US Class Current: 15/28
• CPC Class Codes: A61C 17/3436 Rotation around the axis perpendicular to the plane defined by the bristle holder
• CPC Class Codes: A61C 2204/002 using batteries

Abstract

An electrical driven toothbrush has a rotatable shaft with a remote end which fits into a slot in a bristle holder. The holder is mounted for rotation on a post supported by a head. When the shaft rotates the remote end describes a circle and driving engages the slot to cause the holder to vibrate.

Claims

1. An electrically driven toothbrush comprising:

a handle portion at a first end of said toothbrush;

a head section at a second end of said toothbrush;

a rotatable, integrally formed shaft extending from said handle portion to said head section and having a first longitudinal central axis; and

a generally circular, bristle holder pivotally mounted to said head section on a post having a second longitudinal axis and drivingly engaged by a remote-most end of said shaft, said remote-most end of said shaft bent toward an intersection of said first longitudinal central axis and said second longitudinal axis, said bristle holder having a first closed-ended slot extending radially inward from the outer circumference of said holder to less than the distance to the center of said holder to receive and retain said remote-most end of said shaft, said bristle holder having a plurality of bristle receiving and retaining holes formed in and distributed around a top surface of said holder, said slot extending inwardly between an adjacent pair of said holes.

2. An electrical driven toothbrush according to claim 1, in which the bristle holder is arranged to vibrate through an angle between 10°

and 50°

.

3. An electrical driven toothbrush according to claim 2, in which the angle is approximately 30°

.

4. A toothbrush according to claim 1 further comprising a second closed-ended slot extending radially inward from said outer circumference of said holder to less than the distance to the center of said holder, said second closed-ended slot opposite said first closed-ended slot.