Household appliance having plural coaxially rotatable or parallel linearly movable heads or tools
First Claim
1. A household appliance including a rotating head divided into a number n of coaxially rotatable members having respective contact areas for contacting a surface, where n is an integer greater than 1 and further comprising means for driving at least two of said n members at mutually different velocities, said velocities and contact areas of said coaxially rotatable members being selected such that a sum of torques resulting from rotation of said members in a first direction approximately equals a sum of torques resulting from rotation of said members in a second direction opposite the first direction when said heads contact said surface to balance said appliance and thereby minimize an effort needed to utilize the device.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A household appliance of the type in which a cleaning, polishing, or massaging effect is obtained by a rotating head or tool is improved by splitting the cleaning, polishing, or massaging head or tool into concentric or parallel multiple heads or tools arranged for coaxial or side-by-side differential motion.
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Citations
29 Claims
- 1. A household appliance including a rotating head divided into a number n of coaxially rotatable members having respective contact areas for contacting a surface, where n is an integer greater than 1 and further comprising means for driving at least two of said n members at mutually different velocities, said velocities and contact areas of said coaxially rotatable members being selected such that a sum of torques resulting from rotation of said members in a first direction approximately equals a sum of torques resulting from rotation of said members in a second direction opposite the first direction when said heads contact said surface to balance said appliance and thereby minimize an effort needed to utilize the device.
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28. A household appliance including a rotating head divided into n coaxially rotatable members having respective contact areas for contacting a surface, and further comprising means for driving at least two of said n members at mutually different velocities, said velocities and contact areas of said coaxially rotatable members being selected that a sum of torques resulting from rotation of said members in a first direction approximately equals a sum of torques resulting from rotation of said members in a second direction opposite the first direction when said heads contact said surface to balance said appliance and thereby minimize an effort needed to utilize the device,
wherein said n members are concentrically arranged and each of said concentrically arranged members carries a plurality of bristles to form a counter-rotating electric toothbrush, wherein said means for driving said n members drive at least two of said n members in opposite directions so as to provide a cross-cleaning effect between said at least two of said n members, wherein said means for driving said n members comprises a first ring gear attached to a first of said at least two of said n members, a second ring gear attached to a second of said at least two of said n members, and a third gear for driving said first and second ring gears in opposite directions, said third gear being rotatable about an axis perpendicular to a common axis of rotation of said first and second ring gears, and further comprising third and fourth members each having bristles attached thereto and coaxially rotatable about a second axis parallel to an axis of rotation of said first and second of said at least two of said n members, said third and fourth members being respectively attached to fourth and fifth gears, said fourth and fifth gears being ring gears coaxially rotatable about said second axis, said fourth and fifth gears being respectively driven in opposite directions by a shaft having at opposite ends sixth and seventh gears and connected by the shaft, said first and second ring gears engaging said sixth gear to thereby transmit power to said sixth gear, said shaft, and said seventh gear, and said seventh gear engaging said fourth and fifth gears to transmit power to said fourth and fifth gears, thereby transferring power from said first and second of said at least two of said n members to said third and fourth members and driving said third and fourth members in opposite directions, whereby said household appliance thereby forms a double headed electric toothbrush with counter-rotating members in each head for optimal cross-cleaning effect.
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29. A household appliance including a rotating head divided into a number n of coaxially rotatable members having respective contact areas for contacting a surface, where n is an integer greater than 1, and further comprising means for driving at least two of said n members at mutually different velocities, said velocities and contact areas of said coaxially rotatable members being selected such that a sum of torques resulting from rotation of said members in a first direction approximately equals a sum of torques resulting from rotation of said members in a second direction opposite the first direction to balance said appliance and thereby minimize an effort needed to utilize the device,
wherein the number n is 2, said two members are concentrically arranged to rotate in opposite directions an inner one of said two concentrically arranged members is affixed to a first ring gear, an outer one of said two concentrically arranged members is affixed to a second ring gear, and the two ring gears are driven by at least one pinion in engagement with both ring gears, said pinion being connected to and driven by a motor driven shaft, and further comprising at least one additional pair of concentrically arranged members, at least one additional pair of ring gears for driving said additional pair of concentrically arranged members, and an intermediate gear for transmitting power from said first and second ring gears to said additional pair of ring gears.
Specification