Electric toothbrush

• US 6,000,083 A
• Filed: 09/30/1998
• Issued: 12/14/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Church & Dwight Company Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Dr. Johns Products Ltd (The Procter & Gamble Company)
• Inventors: Spirk, John W., Blaustein, Lawrence A., Nottingham, John R., Osher, John
• Primary Examiner(s): Chin, Randall E.
• Application Number:
  US09/163,621
• Time in Patent Office: 440 Days
• Field of Search: 15/22.1, 15/22.2, 15/28, 15/22.4, 15/23, 15/24, 15/29
• US Class Current: 15/28
• 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 17/26 driven by electric motor
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: A61C 2204/002 using batteries
• CPC Class Codes: B29L 2031/425 Toothbrush

Abstract

An electric toothbrush comprising an elongated body portion and a head including a static portion and a circular portion, a handle, and an angled shaft between the head and the handle. The circular portion rotates or oscillates about an axis normal to a longitudinal axis of the head. The circular portion includes stiff bristles and the static portion includes soft bristles. The stiff bristles are recessed with respect to the soft bristles. The elongated body portion is hollow and further includes a motor in the hollow portion, which is operatively connected to the circular portion for rotating or oscillating the circular portion. A switch is operatively connected to the motor to provide momentary and continuous operation of the toothbrush. A worm gear and a pair of step gears are located in the hollow portion. The motor is operatively connected to the worm gear and the step gears are operatively connected to the worm gear and to each other. One of the step gears is offset with respect to a longitudinal axis of the elongated body portion. A shaft which is operatively connected to the offset step gear and to a second end to the circular portion. A battery is located within the hollow section for powering the motor.

Claims

1. An electric toothbrush comprising:

an elongated body having a handle portion, a head portion, and an elongated body shaft portion intermediate the handle portion and the head portion and wherein the elongated body shaft portion has a smaller cross-sectional dimension than the handle portion, the head portion including static and moving bristles, the head portion and body shaft portions being dimensioned for disposition in a human user'"'"'s mouth for brushing of teeth; and

a motor disposed in the handle portion and operatively connected to the moving bristles with a gearing and shaft assembly including an elongated shaft closely received in and extending along at least a portion of the length of the body shaft portion for driving the moving bristles.

2. The electric toothbrush of claim 1 wherein the moving bristles include stiff bristles and the static bristles include soft bristles.

3. The electric toothbrush of claim 2 wherein the stiff bristles are recessed with respect to the soft bristles.

4. The electric toothbrush of claim 1 further including a switch operatively connected to said motor which provides momentary and continuous operation of the toothbrush.

5. The electric toothbrush of claim 4 further comprising a worm gear and a pair of step gears located in said hollow portion, wherein said motor is operatively connected to said worm gear and said step gears are operatively connected to said worm gear and to each other.

6. The electric toothbrush of claim 5 wherein said elongated body includes longitudinal axis and one of said step gears is offset with respect to said longitudinal axis.

7. The electric toothbrush of claim 6 further comprising a shaft located within said angled shaft and which is operatively connected at a first end to said offset step gear and at a second end to said moving bristles.

8. The electric toothbrush of claim 7 further including a battery located within said handle portion for powering said motor.

9. The electric toothbrush of claim 1 wherein said moving bristles comprise rotating bristles.

10. The electric toothbrush of claim 1 wherein said moving bristles comprise oscillating bristles.