Apparatus for cleaning dentures

• US 5,894,619 A
• Filed: 04/25/1997
• Issued: 04/20/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 04/25/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hougland D. Wayne, Shell R. Hougland
• Original Assignee: Hougland D. Wayne, Shell R. Hougland
• Inventors: Hougland, Shell R., Hougland, D. Wayne
• Primary Examiner(s): Graham, Gary K.
• Application Number:
  US08/840,993
• Time in Patent Office: 725 Days
• Field of Search: 15/21.1, 15/30, 15/34, 15/36, 15/77, 15/88, 15/74, 15/75, 15/76
• US Class Current: 15/21.1
• CPC Class Codes: A46B 13/001 Cylindrical or annular brush bodies
• CPC Class Codes: A46B 2200/1073 Denture toothbrush, i.e. used for dentures specifically

Abstract

An apparatus for cleaning dentures including a motor box and a cleaning unit. The cleaning unit is constructed with a rectangular configuration having a bottom face, a front face, a rear face, and a pair of end faces defining a closed interior space and a top opening. The cleaning unit further has a drive shaft coupled to the motor box and rotatably situated in apertures formed in the end faces of the cleaning unit. Such drive shaft is equipped with a drive gear coupled thereto within the interior space of the cleaning unit. Also included is a first brush assembly with a plurality of vertical brushes each having a dowel rotatably coupled between the end faces of the cleaning unit. The vertical brushes include gears for communicating with the drive gear of the drive shaft. Further, a plurality of bristles are coupled to the dowels of the vertical brushes and are radially extended therefrom. Further provided is a second brush assembly including a plurality of horizontal brushes each including a disk with a plurality of bristles extending outwardly therefrom. The second brush assembly is also equipped with gears for communicating with the drive gear of the drive shaft.

Claims

1. A new and improved apparatus for cleaning dentures comprising, in combination:

a motor box with a rectangular configuration having an interface with a female gear mechanism rotatably coupled thereto and extending outwardly therefrom, the female gear mechanism being selectively driven by a motor situated within the motor box, the motor box further having a rectangular lip integrally formed with and extending outwardly from an entire periphery of the interface wherein the periphery extends outwardly a greater distance than the female gear mechanism, the motor box further including a pair of coupling screws screwably situated in threaded apertures formed in opposite sides of the lip, the motor box further including a timer mechanism for affording the driving of the female gear mechanism only for a predetermined amount of time;

a cleaning unit with a rectangular configuration having a bottom face, a front face, a rear face, and a pair of end faces defining a closed interior space and a top opening, the cleaning unit having a drive shaft rotatably situated in apertures formed in the end faces adjacent the bottom face and the rear face of the cleaning unit, the drive shaft having a male gear mechanism coupled to a first end thereof exterior of the cleaning unit for coupling with the female gear mechanism of the motor box, a second female gear mechanism coupled to a second end of the drive shaft opposite the male gear mechanism and exterior of the cleaning unit, and a drive gear coupled to the drive shaft adjacent the first end thereof and within the interior space of the cleaning unit, the cleaning unit further having a pair of tabs extending from a first end face from which the male gear mechanism extends, each tab having a threaded aperture formed therein whereby the cleaning unit may be situated in abutment with the motor box and the screws of the motor box threadedly coupled with the tabs for the relative securement thereof;

a first brush assembly including a plurality of vertical brushes each having a dowel rotatably coupled between the end faces of the cleaning unit, a gear coupled to each dowel within the cleaning unit adjacent the first end face thereof, a first section of bristles radially extending from a portion of the associated dowel adjacent the first end face, a second section of bristles radially extending from a portion of the associated dowel adjacent a second end face of the cleaning unit with a space situated between the first section of bristles and the second section of bristles, the plurality of vertical brushes including a first vertical brush centrally situated between a lower extent of the end faces with the gear thereof being in communication with the drive gear of the drive gear, a second vertical brush situated above the first vertical brush on a first side thereof with the gear of the second vertical brush being in communication with the gear of the first vertical brush, a third vertical brush situated above the first vertical brush on a second side thereof with the gear of the third vertical brush being in communication with the gear of the first vertical brush, a fourth vertical brush situated above the second and third vertical brushes between the second vertical brush and the rear face of the cleaning unit with the gear thereof being in communication with the gear of the second vertical brush, a fifth vertical brush situated above the second and third vertical brushes between the third vertical brush and the front face of the cleaning unit with the gear thereof being in communication with the gear of the third vertical brush, whereby upon the rotation of the drive shaft, the vertical brushes rotate;

a central vertical support plate centrally coupled within the interior space of the cleaning unit for separating the interior space into two compartments, the central vertical support plate having a pair of U-shaped cut outs formed in a bottom edge thereof for allowing the passage of the dowels of the vertical brushes therethrough;

a second brush assembly including a plurality of horizontal brushes each including a disk with a plurality of bristles extending outwardly from only one entire side thereof, the horizontal brushes including a first horizontal brush rotatably coupled to a central extent of the first end face of the cleaning unit with the bristles thereof facing inwardly with a periphery of the disk of the first horizontal brush having a plurality of teeth formed therein, a second horizontal brush rotatably coupled to a central extent of the second end face of the cleaning unit with the bristles thereof facing inwardly with a periphery of the disk of the second horizontal brush having a plurality of teeth formed therein, a third horizontal brush rotatably coupled to a central extent of the vertical central support plate with the bristles thereof facing toward the second horizontal brush with a periphery of the disk of the third horizontal brush having a plurality of teeth formed therein, and a fourth horizontal brush rotatably coupled to the central extent of the vertical central support plate and further coupled to the third horizontal brush for coincident rotation therewith with the bristles thereof facing toward the first horizontal brush, wherein a plurality of gears coaxially coupled along the length of the dowel of the first vertical brush are in communication with the teeth of the first, second, and third horizontal brushes thereby effecting rotation of the first, second, third, and fourth horizontal brushes upon the rotation thereof; and

a lid hingably coupled to the rear face of the cleaning unit adjacent the top opening thereof with the lid having a top surface and a bottom surface, the lid further having a pair of denture placement mechanism each including a thin rectangular plate extending between a front and a rear edge of the lid, each plate of the denture placement mechanisms further having a pair of posts coupled thereto for being slidably situated through apertures formed in the lid, each post including a knob formed on a top end thereof for precluding the separation of the denture placement mechanisms from the lid and a plurality of springs coaxially situated about each of the posts between the bottom surface of the lid and the associated plate, whereby upon the closing of the lid, the plates reside between the horizontal brushes for maintaining dentures between the brushes during the rotation thereof.

2. An apparatus for cleaning dentures comprising:

a motor box;

a cleaning unit with a rectangular configuration having a bottom face, a front face, a rear face, and a pair of end faces defining a closed interior space and a top opening, the cleaning unit having a drive shaft coupled to the motor box and rotatably situated in apertures formed in the end faces and a drive gear coupled to the drive shaft within the interior space of the cleaning unit;

a first brush assembly including a plurality of vertical brushes each having a dowel rotatably coupled between the end faces of the cleaning unit, a first gear means coupled to each dowel within the cleaning unit for communicating with the drive gear, and a plurality of bristles radially extending from the associated dowel; and

a second brush assembly including a plurality of horizontal brushes each including a disk with a plurality of bristles extending outwardly therefrom and a second gear means for communicating with the drive gear.

3. An apparatus for cleaning dentures as set forth in claim 2 wherein the motor box has an interface with a female gear mechanism rotatably coupled thereto and extending outwardly therefrom, the female gear mechanism being selectively driven by a motor situated within the motor box, the drive shaft of the cleaning unit having a male gear mechanism for releasably coupling with the female gear mechanism, whereby the motor box is separateable from the cleaning unit.

4. An apparatus for cleaning dentures as set forth in claim 2 wherein the motor box further includes a timer mechanism for affording the driving of the female gear mechanism only for a predetermined amount of time.

5. An apparatus for cleaning dentures as set forth in claim 2 wherein the drive shaft has a female gear mechanism coupled to a second end of the drive shaft exterior of the cleaning unit for coupling with a second cleaning unit.

6. An apparatus for cleaning dentures as set forth in claim 2 wherein the vertical brushes include a first vertical brush centrally situated between a lower extent of the end faces, a second vertical brush situated above the first vertical brush on a first side thereof, a third vertical brush situated above the first vertical brush on a second side thereof, a fourth vertical brush situated above the second and third vertical brushes between the second vertical brush and the rear face of the cleaning unit, a fifth vertical brush situated above the second and third vertical brushes between the third vertical brush and the front face of the cleaning unit.

7. An apparatus for cleaning dentures as set forth in claim 2 and further including a central vertical support plate centrally coupled within the interior space of the cleaning unit for separating the interior space into two compartments, the central vertical support plate having a pair of U-shaped cut outs formed in a bottom edge thereof for allowing the passage of the dowels of the vertical brushes therethrough, the horizontal brushes including a first horizontal brush rotatably coupled to a central extent of the first end face of the cleaning unit with the bristles thereof facing inwardly, a second horizontal brush rotatably coupled to a central extent of the second end face of the cleaning unit with the bristles thereof facing inwardly, a third horizontal brush rotatably coupled to a central extent of the vertical central support plate with the bristles thereof facing toward the second horizontal brush, and a fourth horizontal brush rotatably coupled to the central extent of the vertical central support plate and further coupled to the third horizontal brush for coincident rotation therewith with the bristles thereof facing toward the first horizontal brush.

8. An apparatus for cleaning dentures as set forth in claim 2 and further including a lid hingably coupled to the rear face of the cleaning unit adjacent the top opening thereof with the lid having a top surface and a bottom surface, the lid further having a pair of denture placement mechanisms each including a thin rectangular plate extending downwardly between a front and a rear edge of the lid.

9. An apparatus for cleaning dentures as set forth in claim 8 wherein each plate of the denture placement mechanisms further has a pair of posts coupled thereto for being slidably situated through apertures formed in the lid, each post including a knob formed on a top end thereof for precluding the separation of the denture placement mechanisms from the lid and a plurality of springs coaxially situated about each of the posts between the bottom surface of the lid and the associated plate, whereby upon the closing of the lid, the plates reside between the horizontal brushes for maintaining dentures between the brushes during the rotation thereof.

10. An apparatus for cleaning dentures comprising:

a motor box;

a cleaning unit with a rectangular configuration having a bottom face, a front face, a rear face, and a pair of end faces defining a closed interior space and a top opening, the cleaning unit having a drive shaft coupled to the motor box and rotatably situated in apertures formed in the end faces and a drive gear coupled to the drive shaft within the interior space of the cleaning unit;

at least one brush assembly including a plurality of brushes each with gear means for communicating with the drive gear of the drive shaft; and

a lid hingably coupled to the rear face of the cleaning unit adjacent the top opening thereof with the lid having a top surface and a bottom surface, the lid further having a pair of denture placement mechanisms each including a thin rectangular plate extending downwardly between a front and a rear edge of the lid.

11. An apparatus for cleaning dentures as set forth in claim 10 wherein each plate of the denture placement mechanisms further has a pair of posts coupled thereto for being slidably situated through apertures formed in the lid, each post including a knob formed on a top end thereof for precluding the separation of the denture placement mechanisms from the lid and a plurality of springs coaxially situated about each of the posts between the bottom surface of the lid and the associated plate, whereby upon the closing of the lid, the plates reside between the horizontal brushes for maintaining dentures between the brushes during the rotation thereof.