Brush head assembly for motor powered toothbrush

• US 5,697,117 A
• Filed: 01/26/1996
• Issued: 12/16/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 01/26/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Man B & W Diesel Limited
• Original Assignee: Teledyne Industries Incorporated (Teledyne Technologies Incorporated)
• Inventors: Craft, Adam B.
• Primary Examiner(s): TILL, TERRENCE R
• Application Number:
  US08/592,043
• Time in Patent Office: 690 Days
• Field of Search: 15/21.1, 15/22.1, 15/22.2, 15/97.1, 173/162.1, 173/162.2, 173/DIG. 2, 310/47, 601/93, 601/95
• US Class Current: 15/22.1
• CPC Class Codes: A61C 17/3481 Vibrating brush body, e.g. by using eccentric weights

Abstract

A brush-head assembly for a motor driven toothbrush including an elongated handle housing a motor with a primary drive shaft extending outwardly from one end of the handle, said assembly comprising a housing sleeve attachable at one end to said handle, said sleeve having a second end defining an inner cylindrical bearing surface and an annular end surface, a brush head including a shaft journaled in said second sleeve end and defining an outer cylindrical bearing surface juxtaposed with said inner cylindrical bearing surface and an annular shoulder juxtaposed with said annular end surface of said sleeve, and a soft resilient annular bushing positioned between said brush head shoulder and said sleeve end surface.

Claims

1. A brush head assembly for a motor driven toothbrush including an elongated handle, said assembly comprising a housing sleeve attachable at one end to said handle, said sleeve having a second end defining an annular end surface and inner cylindrical journal bearing surface, a brush head including a brush head shaft journaled in said second sleeve end and defining an annular shoulder juxtaposed with said annular end surface of said sleeve and an external cylindrical journal bearing surface juxtaposed with said inner cylindrical journal bearing surface, and a resilient annular bushing positioned between said brush head shoulder and said housing sleeve end surface and defining an internal cylindrical journal bearing surface slidingly engageable with said external bearing surface on said brush head shaft.

2. A brush head assembly as defined in claim 1 wherein said bushing defines an inner periphery, and a plurality of radial prongs and intermediate radial notches are formed at said inner periphery, the inner radial end of said prongs defining said internal cylindrical journal bearing surface.

3. A brush head assembly as defined in claim 2 further comprising a lug extending from said annular sleeve end surface engageable in said bushing notches for preventing rotation of said bushing relative to said housing sleeve.

4. A brush head assembly as defined in claim 2 further comprising a plurality of lugs extending from said annular sleeve end surface and engageable in said bushing notches for preventing rotation of said bushing relative to said housing sleeve.

5. A brush head assembly for a motor driven toothbrush including an elongated handle, said assembly comprising a housing sleeve attachable at one end to said handle, said sleeve having a second end defining an annular end surface and inner cylindrical journal bearing surface, a brush head including a brush head shaft journaled in said second sleeve end and defining an annular shoulder juxtaposed with said annular end surface of said sleeve and an external cylindrical journal bearing surface juxtaposed with said inner cylindrical journal bearing surface, and a resilient annular bushing positioned between said brush head shoulder and said sleeve end surface, said bushing defining an inner periphery, and a plurality of radial prongs and intermediate radial notches formed at said inner periphery, the inner radial ends of said prongs being rounded and defining internal journal bearing surfaces slidingly engageable with said external bearing surface on said brush head shaft for journaling said brush head shaft when said brush head is not loaded.

6. A brush head assembly as defined in claim 5 further comprising a plurality of lugs extending from said annular sleeve end surface and engageable in said bushing notches for preventing rotation of said bushing relative to said housing sleeve.

7. A head assembly for a motor driven device including a handle, said assembly comprising a sleeve attachable at one end to said handle, said sleeve having a second end defining an annular end surface and inner cylindrical journal bearing surface, a head including a shaft journaled in said second sleeve end and defining an annular shoulder juxtaposed with said annular end surface of said sleeve and an external cylindrical journal bearing surface juxtaposed with said inner cylindrical journal bearing surface, and a resilient annular bushing positioned between said head shoulder and said sleeve end surface and defining an internal journal bearing surface slidingly engageable with said external bearing surface on said shaft.

8. A head assembly as defined in claim 7 wherein said bushing defines an inner periphery, with a plurality of radial prongs and intermediate radial notches formed at said inner periphery, the inner radial ends of said prongs defining said internal journal bearing surface.

9. A head assembly as defined in claim 8 further comprising a lug extending from said annular sleeve end surface engageable in said bushing notches for preventing rotation of said bushing relative to said sleeve.

10. A head assembly as defined in claim 8 further comprising a plurality of lugs extending from said annular sleeve end surface and engageable in said bushing notches for preventing rotation of said bushing relative to said sleeve.

11. A brush head assembly for a motor driven toothbrush including an elongated handle, said brush head assembly comprising a housing sleeve attachable at one end to said handle, a brush head, means journaling said brush head in said sleeve for oscillatory motion, and means for reducing vibratory noises when said brush head is not under a brushing load while being oscillated by said motion.

12. A brush head assembly as defined in claim 11 wherein said reducing means comprises a resilient bushing interposed between said brush head and said sleeve.

13. A brush head assembly as defined in claim 12 further comprising means for restraining said bushing against rotation relative to said sleeve.