Electric toothbrush

• US 5,943,723 A
• Filed: 04/28/1998
• Issued: 08/31/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 11/25/1995
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Braun GmbH (The Procter & Gamble Company)
• Original Assignee: Braun Aktiengesellschaft
• Inventors: Jung, Philipp, Hilfinger, Peter
• Primary Examiner(s): Spisich, Mark
• Application Number:
  US09/067,885
• Time in Patent Office: 490 Days
• Field of Search: 15/22.1, 15/22.2, 15/22.3, 15/22.4, 15/23, 15/28, 15/105, 15/167.1, 368/10
• 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 17/221 Control arrangements therefor
• CPC Class Codes: A61C 17/34 driven by electric motor
• CPC Class Codes: A61C 2204/002 using batteries

Abstract

The invention is directed to an electric toothbrush (1) in which a timing element (13) is provided whose purpose it is to indicate to a user the end of at least one cleaning period when the electric toothbrush (1) is activated. Still further, means (12) coupled to the timing element (13) are provided to enable the user to trigger the beginning (T4) of the cleaning period (PZD2). The effect thereby achieved is that the end (T2) of a cleaning period (PZD1) does not automatically start the beginning (T4) of the next cleaning period (PZD2), but that this particular beginning (T4) of the next cleaning period (PZD2) is freely selectable by the user.

Claims

1. An electric toothbrush comprising:

a switch for activating the electric toothbrush;

a timing element capable of indicating at least two predetermined cleaning periods and of being triggered in response to an input from a user when the electric toothbrush is activated;

wherein a subsequent of the at least two cleaning periods can be triggered by the user independently of a preceding cleaning period while the electric toothbrush is activated.

2. The electric toothbrush as claimed in claim 1, wherein the subsequent cleaning period can be triggered by the user input before the preceding cleaning period ends.

3. The electric toothbrush as claimed in claim 1, wherein a first of the at least two cleaning periods is triggered automatically by switching on the electric tooth brush.

4. The electric toothbrush as claimed in claim 1, further comprising an electric switching device adapted to trigger a beginning of the at least two cleaning periods.

5. The electric toothbrush as claimed in claim 1, wherein the timing element causes the electric toothbrush to switch off and on briefly several times to indicate an end of a cleaning period.

6. The electric toothbrush as claimed in claim 4, wherein the electric switching device is a push-button switch.