Oral hygiene instrument

• US 5,718,667 A
• Filed: 11/22/1995
• Issued: 02/17/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 05/27/1993
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sunstar Kabushikigaisha
• Original Assignee: Sunstar Kabushikigaisha
• Inventors: Kita, Seiji, Sugimoto, Tomohisa, Matsui, Tsuguo
• Primary Examiner(s): Lucchesi, Nicholas D.
• Application Number:
  US08/545,765
• Time in Patent Office: 818 Days
• Field of Search: 132/321, 132/322, 601/139, 601/141, 601/142, 15/22.1, 15/22.2
• US Class Current: 601/139
• CPC Class Codes: A61C 15/047 power-driven
• CPC Class Codes: A61C 17/32 reciprocating or oscillating
• CPC Class Codes: A61C 17/3481 Vibrating brush body, e.g. by using eccentric weights
• CPC Class Codes: A61C 2204/002 using batteries

Abstract

An oral hygiene instrument according to this invention by means of vibration generating means vibrates by way of a holder member an oral hygiene tool removably attached to the holder member and comprises a cap member having a cap side thread portion which meshes with a holder side thread portion formed at a first end of the holder member which cap member is removably attached to the first end of the holder member and closes an opening in the first end of the holder member, a seal ring fitted on a portion of the holder member or the cap member at the external end of the part where the two members mesh which seal ring is pressed upon by either the cap member or the holder member and seals the gap between the holder member and the cap member within a range of a predetermined angle of screwing of the cap member with respect to the holder member from a late stage to completion of said screwing, and a holder side contact piece and a cap side contact piece mounted in the holder member and the cap member respectively which approach each other when the cap member is screwed with respect to the holder member and in the range of the predetermined angle make contact and close a circuit supplying electricity to the vibration generating means. In order to removably attach the oral hygiene tool to the holder member, a bottomed cylindrical holding part having a plurality of axially extending first slits and second slits is formed at a second end of the holder member, and the oral hygiene tool is provided with a shaft portion which can be inserted into the holding part.

Claims

1. An oral hygiene instrument comprising:

a holder member capable of accommodating a battery and provided with a holder side thread portion at a first end thereof and watertightly closed at a second end thereof;

an oral hygiene tool removably attached to said second end of said holder member and comprising any one of a group consisting of a toothbrush, an interdental cleaning brush, a gum massaging tool and a nipple-type gum massaging tool, mounted on an end of a shaft portion thereof;

vibration generating means, housed in said second end of said holder member, for vibrating said oral hygiene tool by way of said holder member;

a cap member having a cap side thread portion for meshing with said holder side thread portion, said cap member being removably attached to said first end of said holder member and closing an opening in said first end of said holder member;

a seal ring fitted on a portion of any one of said holder member and said cap member at an external end of a part where said holder member meshes with said cap member, said seal ring being pressed upon by any one of said cap member and said holder member and seals a gap between said holder member and said cap member within a range of a predetermined angle of screwing of said cap member with respect to said holder member from a late stage to completion of said screwing; and

a holder side contact piece and a cap side contact piece mounted in said holder member and said cap member, respectively, which approach each other when said cap member is screwed with respect to said holder member and in said range of said predetermined angle make contact and close a circuit supplying electricity to said vibration generating means.

2. The oral hygiene instrument according to claim 1, wherein said holder side contact piece and said cap side contact piece constitute a switch of said circuit supplying electricity to said vibration generating means, and said circuit supplying electricity to said vibration generating means is opened and closed by said cap member being turned in said range of said predetermined angle.

3. The oral hygiene instrument according to claim 1, wherein a switch means for opening and closing said circuit supplying electricity to said vibration generating means is provided in any one of said holder member and said cap member.

4. The oral hygiene instrument according to claim 1, wherein an axial play is provided between said holder side thread portion and said cap side thread portion;

a spring terminal, which is pressed upon by one electric pole of said battery, is provided; and

an urging force of said spring terminal which urges said cap member away from said holder member.

5. An oral hygiene instrument comprising:

a holder member capable of accommodating a battery, said holder member having a first end and a second end;

a cap member capable of watertightly closing a first end of said holder member;

an oral hygiene tool comprising any one of a group consisting of a toothbrush, an interdental cleaning brush, a gum massaging tool and a nipple-type gum massaging tool, mounted on a first end of a shaft portion thereof;

a bottomed cylindrical holding part watertightly closing said second end of said holder member and capable of holding therein a second end of said shaft portion of said oral hygiene tool and provided with a plurality of first slits extending from said end to a vicinity of an inner back surface of said holding part and a plurality of second slits shorter that said first slits extending from said end toward said inner back surface of said holding part; and

vibration generating means, housed in said second end of said holder member, for vibrating said oral hygiene tool by way of said holder member.

6. The oral hygiene instrument according to claim 5, wherein an engaging projection for restricting axial movement of said shaft portion of said oral hygiene tool is provided on an inner circumferential side of a portion of said holding part near said end thereof.

7. The oral hygiene instrument according to any one of claim 5 and claim 6, wherein any one of a protrusion and an axial tongue projection for engaging with any one of said first slits and said second slits is provided on an outer circumferential surface of said shaft portion of said oral hygiene tool.

8. An oral hygiene instrument comprising:

a holder member capable of accommodating a battery and having a first end which is open and a second end which is watertightly closed;

a bottomed cylindrical cap member capable of watertightly closing an opening in said first end of said holder member and having a projecting mounting portion provided in a central portion of an inner back surface of said cap member;

an oral hygiene tool removably attached to said second end of said holder member and comprising any one of a group consisting of a toothbrush, an interdental cleaning brush, a gum massaging tool and a nipple-type gum massaging tool, mounted on a first end of a shaft portion thereof;

vibration generating means, housed in said second end of said holder member, for vibrating said oral hygiene tool by way of said holder member;

a holder side contact piece extending axially along an inner wall surface of said holder member and having a first end disposed in a vicinity of said first end of said holder member and a second end electrically connected to said vibration generating means;

a cap side contact piece mounted on a mounting portion and having an annular brim portion fitting around said mounting portion and capable of making sliding contact with said holder side contact piece and a contact portion extending from said brim portion to a front side of an end of said mounting portion;

a spring terminal having a first end electrically connected to said vibration generating means and a second end disposed contactably with a first electric pole of a battery accommodated in said holder member, wherein when said cap member is fitted to said holder member said second end of said spring terminal is pressed against said first electric pole of said battery and causes a second electric pole of said battery to press against said contact portion of said cap side contact piece.

9. The oral hygiene instrument according to claim 8, wherein an engaging projection which engages with said mounting portion is provided projecting inwardly at an opening portion in said brim portion through which said mounting portion passes.

10. The oral hygiene instrument according to claim 8, wherein said contact portion straddles said end of said mounting portion and said cap side contact piece is fixed to said cap member by a flat portion formed by melting portions of said mounting portion exposed on any one of sides of said contact portion.

11. An oral hygiene instrument comprising:

a holder member provided at a first end thereof with a holder side thread portion and capable of accommodating a battery;

a bottomed cylindrical cap member fitted to said first end of said holder member and closing an opening in said first end of said holder member and provided at an end thereof with a cap side thread portion for mating with said holder side thread portion and having a mounting portion projecting from a central portion of an inner back surface thereof;

an oral hygiene tool comprising any one of a group consisting of a toothbrush, an interdental cleaning brush, a gum massaging tool and a nipple-type gum massaging tool, mounted on a first end of a shaft portion thereof;

a bottomed cylindrical holding part watertightly closing a second end of said holder member and capable of holding therein a second end of said shaft portion of said oral hygiene tool and provided with a plurality of first slits extending from said end to a vicinity of an inner back surface of said holding part and a plurality of second slits shorter that said first slits extending from said end toward said inner back surface of said holding part;

vibration generating means, housed in said second end of said holder member, for vibrating said oral hygiene tool by way of said holder member;

a seal ring fitted on a portion of any one of said holder member and said cap member at an external end of a part where said holder member meshes with said cap member, said seal ring being pressed upon by any one of said cap member and said holder member and seals a gap between said holder member and said cap member within a range of a predetermined angle of screwing of said cap member with respect to said holder member from a late stage to completion of said screwing;

a holder side contact piece extending axially along an inner wall surface of said holder member and having a first end disposed in a vicinity of said first end of said holder member and a second end electrically connected to said vibration generating means;

a cap side contact piece mounted on a mounting portion and having an annular brim portion fitting around said mounting portion and a contact portion extending from said brim portion to a front side of an end of said mounting portion, said cap member being screwed with respect to said holder member causing said brim portion to approach said holder side contact piece and in said range of said predetermined angle, make contact with said holder side contact piece and close a circuit supplying electricity to said vibration generating means; and

a spring terminal having a first end electrically connected to said vibration generating means and a second end disposed contactably with a first electric pole of a battery accommodated in said holder member, wherein when said cap member is fitted to said holder member said second end of said spring terminal is pressed against said first electric pole of said battery and causes a second electric pole of said battery to press against said contact portion of said cap side contact piece.