Brush section for an electric toothbrush

• US 5,974,613 A
• Filed: 04/22/1997
• Issued: 11/02/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 04/01/1995
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Braun GmbH (The Procter & Gamble Company)
• Original Assignee: Braun Aktiengesellschaft
• Inventors: Herzog, Karl
• Primary Examiner(s): Spisich, Mark
• Application Number:
  US08/837,905
• Time in Patent Office: 924 Days
• Field of Search: 15/22.1, 15/22.4, 15/28
• US Class Current: 15/22.1
• CPC Class Codes: A61C 17/34 driven by electric motor
• CPC Class Codes: A61C 17/3418 Rotation around the axis of the toothbrush handle
• CPC Class Codes: A61C 17/3427 Rotation around the axis perpendicular to the axis of toothbrush handle and in the plane defined by the bristle holder
• CPC Class Codes: A61C 17/3436 Rotation around the axis perpendicular to the plane defined by the bristle holder
• CPC Class Codes: A61C 17/3463 Translation along the axis perpendicular to the plane defined by the bristle holder
• CPC Class Codes: A61C 17/3472 with combined movements of the brush body
• CPC Class Codes: A61C 17/40 orbiting, e.g. nutating

Abstract

The invention is directed to a brush section (1) for an electric toothbrush which includes a mounting tube (2) in which a shaft (7) rotatably mounted about a longitudinal axis (3) and driveable in an oscillatory or rotary fashion is received. Further, the brush section (1) includes a bristle carrier (11) which is pivotally mounted on an angled end (19) of the shaft (7) configured as crankshaft and which, in operation of the electric toothbrush, is set in a rotary motion (26) about the transverse axis (14) by a pin (23). The angle (20) formed by the longitudinal axis (3) and the angled end (19) of the shaft (7) serves the added function of causing the bristle carrier (11) to perform a pivotal motion (27) about an axis (28).

Claims

1. A brush section for an electric toothbrush, comprising

a mounting tube in which a shaft rotatable mounted and driveable about a longitudinal axis is received, and

a bristle carrier coupled to the shaft such that a rotary motion of the shaft about the longitudinal axis effects a rotary motion of the bristle carrier about a transverse axis that is transverse with respect to said longitudinal axis, wherein the bristle carrier is mounted directly on the shaft,

and wherein the shaft is configured as a crankshaft having a first end and a second end, with the first end of the shaft providing the longitudinal axis while the second end of the shaft is arranged at an angle to the longitudinal axis.

2. The brush section as claimed in claim 1, wherein the angle has a value less than 30 degrees.

3. The brush section as claimed in claim 1 wherein the bristle carrier is pivotally mounted on said second angled end of the shaft.

4. The brush section as claimed in claim 1, 2 or 3 wherein said bristle carrier is constrained to move such that said transverse axis is movable within a plane that includes said longitudinal axis, and said transverse axis is movable about a pivot axis that is transverse to said plane, and wherein the longitudinal axis, the transverse axis, the second end of the shaft and said pivot axis pass through a common point of intersection.

5. The brush section as claimed in claim 1, 2 or 3 wherein said bristle carrier is constrained to move such that said transverse axis is movable within a plane that includes said longitudinal axis, and said transverse axis is movable about a pivot axis that is transverse to said plane, and wherein the longitudinal axis, the second end of the shaft and the pivot axis pass through a common point of intersection through which the transverse axis does not pass.

6. The brush section as claimed in claim 1 wherein a pin or a trunnion projects from the bristle carrier in the direction of the transverse axis and is coupled to a guiding structure that is connected to the mounting tube.

7. The brush section as claimed in claim 6, wherein the guiding structure is structure defining a slot or an opening which is provided in a cap structure affixed to the mounting tube or in the mounting tube itself and extends approximately parallel to the longitudinal axis, with the pin or the trunnion engaging said slot or opening.

8. The brush section as claimed in claim 1 or 3 wherein the shaft is adapted to be set in a continuous or an oscillatory rotational motion.

9. The brush section as claimed in claim 1 wherein means are provided which effect an additional pivotal motion of the bristle carrier about an axis extending at an angle of 90 degrees, approximately, to the transverse axis and the longitudinal axis.

10. The brush section as claimed in claim 2 wherein said angle is approximately ten degrees.

11. The brush section of claim 1 wherein said mounting tube and shaft are adapted to be push fit onto an electric tooth brush handle.

12. An electric toothbrush having a brush section comprising

a mounting tube in which a shaft rotatable mounted and driveable about a longitudinal axis is received, and

a bristle carrier coupled to the shaft such that a rotary motion of the shaft about the longitudinal axis effects a rotary motion of the bristle carrier about a transverse axis that is transverse with respect to said longitudinal axis, wherein the bristle carrier is mounted directly on the shaft, and wherein the shaft is configured as a crankshaft having a first end and a second end, with the first end of the shaft providing the longitudinal axis while the second end of the shaft is arranged at an angle to the longitudinal axis.