Brush section for an electric toothbrush

• US 5,842,244 A
• Filed: 04/04/1997
• Issued: 12/01/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 10/29/1994
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Braun GmbH (The Procter & Gamble Company)
• Original Assignee: Braun Aktiengesellschaft
• Inventors: Herzog, Karl, Driesen, Georges, Kressner, Gerhard, Hilfinger, Peter
• Primary Examiner(s): Spisich, Mark
• Application Number:
  US08/826,557
• Time in Patent Office: 606 Days
• Field of Search: 15/22.1, 15/28, 15/29
• US Class Current: 15/22.1
• CPC Class Codes: A61C 17/22 with brushes, cushions, cups, or the like brush bodies, e.g. arrangements of the bristles A46B
• CPC Class Codes: A61C 17/3436 Rotation around the axis perpendicular to the plane defined by the bristle holder
• CPC Class Codes: A61C 17/349 with multiple brush bodies

Abstract

A brush section for an electric toothbrush includes a driver, a mounting tube which receives the driver, where the driver is arranged in the direction of a longitudinal axis defined by the mounting tube, a first bristle carrier mounted for rotation about a first brush axis, a second bristle carrier mounted for rotation about a second brush axis, and a mechanism to effect coupling engagement of the driver with the first and second bristle carriers. A motion of the driver effects a rotary motion of the first bristle carrier about the first brush axis and the second bristle carrier about the second brush axis. The first and second brush axes define an approximately right angle therebetween.

Claims

1. A brush section for an electric toothbrush comprising:

a driver;

a mounting tube in which the driver is arranged along a longitudinal axis defined by the mounting tube;

a first bristle carrier mounted for rotation about a first brush axis, and a second bristle carrier mounted for rotation about a second brush axis; and

a coupling mechanism to effect coupling engagement of the driver with the first and second bristle carriers, such that a motion of the driver effects a rotary motion of the first bristle carrier about the first brush axis and the second bristle carrier about the second brush axis, wherein the first and second brush axes define an approximately right angle therebetween.

2. The brush section as claimed in patent claim 1, wherein the driver is a shaft.

3. The brush section as claimed in patent claim 1, wherein the driver is a rod.

4. The brush section as claimed, in patent claim 2, further comprising first and second connecting rods, wherein the shaft is mounted to oscillate about the longitudinal axis, and wherein the shaft and the first and second bristle carriers are in coupling engagement with one another by the first and second connecting rods.

5. The brush section as claimed in claim 4, wherein each of the first and second connecting rods is connected with the shaft at a location outside the longitudinal axis, the first connecting rod being connected to the first bristle carrier at a location outside the first brush axis, and the second connecting rod being connected to the second bristle carrier at a location outside the second brush axis.

6. The brush section as claimed in claim 4, wherein a first pin extends from the shaft approximately parallel to the longitudinal axis, a second pin extends from the first bristle carrier approximately parallel to the first brush axis, and a third pin extends from the second bristle carrier approximately parallel to the second brush axis, the first connecting rod defining a first eye and a second eye, and the second connecting rod defining a third eye and a fourth eye, the first pin being positioned in the first eye of the first connecting rod and the third eye of the second connecting rod, the second pin being positioned in the second eye of the first connecting rod, and the third pin being positioned in the fourth eye of the second connecting rod.

7. The brush section as claimed in claim 3, wherein the rod is displaceable in the direction of the longitudinal axis and is adapted to oscillate, the rod and the first and second bristle carriers being in coupling engagement with each other by a first and a second connecting rod.

8. The brush section as claimed in claim 7, wherein each of the first and second connecting rods is connected with the rod at a first end of the respective connecting rod, the first connecting rod being connected to the first bristle carrier at a location outside the first brush axis at a second end of the first connecting rod, the second connecting rod being connected to the second bristle carrier at a location outside the second brush axis at a second end of the second connecting rod.

9. The brush section as claimed in claim 7, wherein a first pin extends from the rod approximately transversely to the longitudinal axis, a second pin extends from the first bristle carrier approximately parallel to the first brush axis, and a third pin extends from the second bristle carrier approximately parallel to the second brush axis, the first connecting rod defining a first eye and a second eye, and the second connecting rod defining a third eye and a fourth eye, the first pin being positioned in the first eye of the first connecting rod and the third eye of the second connecting rod, the second pin being positioned in the second eye of the first connecting rod, and the third pin being positioned in the fourth eye of the second connecting rod.

10. The brush section as claimed in claims 6 or 9, wherein the eyes and pins have sufficient relative clearance for spatial movement.

11. The brush section as claimed in claims 4 or 7, wherein the first and second connecting rods are fabricated from a bent piece of round metal.

12. The brush section as claimed in claim 3, wherein the rod is displaceable in the direction of the longitudinal axis and is adapted to oscillate, the rod and the first and second bristle carriers being in coupling engagement with each other by a transverse rod.

13. The brush section as claimed in claim 12, wherein the rod is fixedly connected with the transverse rod, a first pin extends from the first bristle carrier approximately parallel to the first brush axis and a second pin extends from the second bristle carrier, approximately parallel to the second brush axis, the transverse rod defining a first slot at a first end of the transverse rod and a second slot at a second end of the transverse rod, the first pin being positioned in the first slot and the second pin being positioned in the second slot.

14. The brush section as claimed in claim 2, wherein the first bristle carrier is affixed to a first arm and the second bristle is affixed to a second arm, the arms being arranged so as to be pivotal about a pivot axis disposed approximately parallel to the longitudinal axis.

15. The brush section as claimed in claim 2, further comprising first and second arms, wherein the first bristle carrier is affixed to the first arm and the second bristle carrier is affixed to the second arm, the arms being arranged so as to be pivotal about the longitudinal axis.

16. The brush section as claimed in claim 14 or 15, wherein the shaft and the first and second arms are mounted on a bearing pin.

17. The brush section as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a spring which exerts a force on the first and second bristle carriers in the direction of an initial position.

18. The brush section as claimed in claim 1, wherein each of the first and second bristle carriers have an oval bulge.

19. The brush section as claimed in claim 18, wherein the oval bulges are arranged so that the oval bulge of the first bristle carrier faces the oval bulge of the second bristle carrier.

20. The brush section as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a first multiplicity of bristles which extend from the first bristle carrier and a second multiplicity of bristles which extend from the second bristle carrier, a first portion of the first multiplicity of bristles and a first portion of the second multiplicity of bristles defining an included angle therebetween.

21. The brush section as claimed in claim 20, wherein said first portion of said first multiplicity of bristles and said first portion of said second multiplicity of bristles define an acute angle therebetween, the first multiplicity of bristles having a second portion of bristles being aligned approximately parallel to the first brush axis and the second multiplicity of bristles having a second portion of bristles being aligned approximately parallel to the second brush axis.

22. The brush section as claimed in claim 21, wherein the bristles extending from each of the two bristle carriers differ in length.

23. The brush section as claimed in claim 22, wherein the length of the bristles extending from each of the two bristle carriers increase progressively as the relative distance between the first multiplicity of bristles and the second multiplicity of bristles becomes greater.