Electrically operated oscillatory toothbrush

• US 5,794,295 A
• Filed: 03/11/1996
• Issued: 08/18/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 03/11/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Chung-Shan Shen
• Original Assignee: Chung-Shan Shen
• Inventors: Shen, Chung-Shan
• Primary Examiner(s): CHIN, RANDALL E
• Application Number:
  US08/613,321
• Time in Patent Office: 890 Days
• Field of Search: 15/22.1, 15/22.4, 15/23, 15/24, 15/28, 15/29
• US Class Current: 15/22.1
• CPC Class Codes: A61C 17/3418 Rotation around the axis of the toothbrush handle
• CPC Class Codes: A61C 2204/002 using batteries

Abstract

An electrically operated oscillatory toothbrush comprises generally a housing, a motor in the housing, an actuator, an oscillator and a sleeve member sequentially secured to the top of the housing and protected by a cap member, and a toothbrush secured into the upper portion of the cap member. The character of this disclosure is that the sleeve member has a transverse slot in cooperation with a recoil spring connected between the oscillator and the sleeve member so as to limit the oscillator to swing within a certain range of angle in order that the toothbrush oscillates with intermittent elastic vibrations to an extent to perfectly clean a user'"'"'s teeth.

Claims

1. An electrically operated oscillatory toothbrush comprising:

a tubular housing, said housing having a smaller diameter bottom at an upper end of the housing including a first axial hole with peripheral threads, an externally threaded neck at a lower end thereof, a first chamber and a larger diameter second chamber defining a shoulder thereinbetween;

an electric motor axially secured in the first chamber of said housing and having a rectangular shaft eccentrically arranged on a top of the motor and exposed exterior of said housing;

a battery axially disposed in the second chamber of said housing and secured by a cover;

an actuator sleeved onto the rectangular shaft of said motor, said actuator having an annular body, a rectangular hole made in registry with the rectangular shaft and a push means laterally extending from an outer periphery of the annular body;

an oscillator covering said actuator and positioned above an upper surface of the bottom of said housing, said oscillator having an annular body, an upper end, a first transverse recess formed through a peripheral wall, a smaller diameter member centrally formed above the upper end including a rectangular central bore for securing a rectangular axle rod, and a vertical slot in the peripheral wall for securing one end of a recoil spring therein, and a pawl means inserted into the first transverse recess and positionably engageable with the push means of said actuator;

a sleeve member covering said oscillator and the other end of said recoil spring being connected to an inner wall of the sleeve member, said sleeve member having a hollow cylinder body defining a third chamber therein, an upper end including a second axial hole at a center thereof, a second transverse recess of predetermined length in a peripheral wall of the hollow cylinder body for sliding the pawl means therein, first and second circular cavities formed on opposite sides of the upper end for respectively receiving first and second bearings therein, said first and second bearings each having a rectangular central bore sizeably equal to the body of said rectangular axle rod;

a chuck member axially inserted onto said axle rod and positioned against the first bearing, said chuck member having a cylinder body, a rectangular central bore made in registry with the body of said rectangular axle rod and a tapered upper end in which a plurality of vertical slots are formed spaced apart;

a cap member having a hollow cylinder body defining a fourth chamber to receive said sleeve member therein, a tapered upper portion including a third axial hole therein for passing said chuck member therethrough and a threaded neck at an upper end, a recess in a peripheral wall of the tapered upper portion for securing a switch therein, and a flange extended outward from a lower rim of the cop member and having a diameter equal to that of the upper end of said housing so that said cap member covers said upper end and is fastened by means of a locking ring;

a third bearing sleeved on the tapered upper end of said chuck member, said bearing having a tapered central bore made in registry with the upper end of said chuck member;

a fastening means fastened on the threaded neck of said cap member with said third bearing enclosed therein, said fastening means having an annular body with peripheral threads on an internal wall and a fourth axial hole centrally formed therein;

a toothbrush axially inserted into the upper end of said chuck member and fastened by said fastening means, said toothbrush having a bristle head, a shank, a connection rod and an annular groove formed around a periphery of the shank thereof;

a waterproof means secured between the annular groove of said toothbrush and said fastening means, said waterproof means having a flexible conical body, a maximum diameter equal to the diameter of said fastening means and a minimum diameter equal to the diameter of the annular groove;

a tubular cover on said toothbrush.

2. An electrically operated oscillatory toothbrush comprising:

a tubular housing, said housing having a smaller diameter bottom at an upper end of the housing including a first axial hole with peripheral threads, an externally threaded neck at a lower end thereof, a first chamber and a larger diameter second chamber defining a shoulder thereinbetween;

an electric motor axially secured in the first chamber of said housing and having a rectangular shaft including a seat means projected from the center thereof and exposed upward exterior of said housing;

a battery axially disposed in the second chamber of said housing and secured by a cover;

an actuator sleeved onto the rectangular shaft of said motor and biased by means of spring between an under side of the actuator and said seat means, said actuator having a flat circular body, a rectangular central bore sizeably equal to the rectangular shaft, a third arcuate projection projected upward from an upper surface of the actuator and positioned between the rectangular central bore and a periphery of the flat circular body and having a conductor means perpendicular to one end thereof and a slope at other end thereof, and a fourth arcuate projection projected upward from the upper surface of the actuator opposite to the third arcuate projection and positioned along the periphery of the flat circular body, the fourth arcuate projection being sloped at each end;

a sleeve member covering said actuator on the top of said housing, said sleeve member having a hollow cylinder body defining a third chamber therein which includes a smaller diameter upper portion and a larger diameter lower portion defining a shoulder thereinbetween, the upper portion having a second axial hole at a center and a pair of circular cavities on opposite sides thereof of the upper portion for respectively securing first and second bearings therein, a first sloped arcuate projection projected outward from a circumference of the shoulder thereof made in registry with the third arcuate projection of said actuator and a second sloped arcuate projection projected outward from the shoulder positioned opposite to the first arcuate projection made in registry with the fourth arcuate projection of said actuator;

a driven member axially and rotatably secured into the third chamber of said sleeve member through the first and the second bearings, said driven member having a cylinder body, a rectangular recess at a center of an upper end of the cylinder body for securing a rectangular axial rod therein, a protrusion laterally extended from a periphery of the cylinder body and a vertical slot formed in an opposing periphery thereof for securing one end a recoil spring therein, said recoil spring an other end secured to an inner wall of the third chamber of said sleeve member;

a chuck member axially inserted onto said axle rod and positioned against the first bearing, said chuck member having a cylinder body, a rectangular central bore made in registry with the body of said rectangular axle rod and a tapered upper end in which a plurality of vertical slots are formed spaced apart;

a cap member having a hollow cylinder body defining a fourth chamber to receive said sleeve member therein, a tapered upper portion including a third axial hole therein for passing said chuck member therethrough and a threaded neck at an upper end, a recess in a peripheral wall of the tapered upper portion for securing a switch therein, and a flange extended outward from a lower rim of the cop member and having a diameter equal to that of the upper end of said housing so that said cap member covers said upper end and is fastened by means of a locking ring;

a third bearing sleeved on the tapered upper end of said chuck member, said bearing having a tapered central bore made in registry with the upper end of said chuck member;

a fastening means fastened on the threaded neck of said cap member with said third bearing enclosed therein, said fastening means having an annular body with peripheral threads on an internal wall and a fourth axial hole centrally formed therein;

a toothbrush axially inserted into the upper end of said chuck member and fastened by said fastening means, said toothbrush having a bristle head, a shank, a connection rod and an annular groove formed around a periphery of the shank thereof;

a waterproof means secured between the annular groove of said toothbrush and said fastening means, said waterproof means having a flexible conical body, a maximum diameter equal to the diameter of said fastening means and a minimum diameter equal to the diameter of the annular groove;

a tubular cover on said toothbrush.