Electronic toothbrush construction

• US 6,081,957 A
• Filed: 11/05/1998
• Issued: 07/04/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 11/05/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Herbert L. Webb
• Original Assignee: Herbert L. Webb
• Inventors: Webb, Herbert L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Warden, Sr., Robert J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Olsen, Kaj K.
• Application Number:
  US09/186,807
• Time in Patent Office: 607 Days
• Field of Search: 15/105, 15/167.1
• US Class Current: 15/105
• CPC Class Codes: A46B 15/0002 Arrangements for enhancing monitoring or controlling the brushing process
• CPC Class Codes: A46B 15/0008 with means for controlling duration, e.g. time of brushing
• CPC Class Codes: A46B 15/001 with means indicating the remaining useful life of brush
• CPC Class Codes: A46B 15/0012 with a pressure controlling device
• CPC Class Codes: A46B 2200/1066 Toothbrush for cleaning the teeth or dentures A61C17/16 takes precedence; bristles arrangements for toothbrushes A46B9/04

Abstract

An electronic toothbrush construction 10 including a hollow toothbrush member 20 provided with a motion sensor 60 connected to a timer 40 which activates an LED indicator 43 after the motion sensor 60 detects movement of the toothbrush bristles 24 over a predetermined period of time. In addition, the toothbrush member 20 is further provided with a wear sensor 80 and a pressure sensor 70 which are both operatively associated with an alarm 50 and selected toothbrush bristles 24. The pressure sensor 70 will trigger an intermittent alarm signal when excess pressure is applied to the bristles 24 and the wear sensor 80 will trigger a continuous alarm signal when selected bristles 24 are worn down to the point that wear sensor rods 81 are exposed.

Claims

1. An electronic toothbrush construction comprising:

a toothbrush unit including a hollow toothbrush member having a handle portion having an enlarged end wherein the other end terminates in a hollow head portion equipped with a plurality of bristles; and

an internal control unit disposed within the hollow toothbrush member and including a power source connected to means for sensing the movement of said bristles, means for sensing the wear on said bristles, and means for sensing pressure exerted on said bristles wherein the means for sensing the wear on said bristles includes a wear sensor provided with a plurality of wear sensor rods wherein each wear sensor rod projects upwardly into a selected one of said plurality of bristles;

said means for the movement of said bristles is mounted on the wear sensor and the means for sensing pressure on said bristles is disposed both adjacent at least one of said wear sensor rods and intermediate wear sensor and the bristle associated with the at least one of said wear sensor rods.

2. The construction as in claim 1 further comprising:

a timer operatively associated with said means for sensing the movement of said bristles wherein the timer is actuated in response to the movement of said bristles.

3. The construction as in claim 2 further comprising:

indicating means operatively associated with both said timer and said means for sensing the motion of the bristles for indicating when said bristles have been in motion for a predetermined elapsed period of time.

4. The construction as in claim 1 further including:

alarm means operatively associated with said means for sensing the pressure exerted on said bristles for generating a first signal in response to excess pressure being exerted on said bristles.

5. The construction as in claim 4 wherein said alarm means are also operatively associated with said means for sensing the wear on said bristles for generating a second signal in response to excess wear being sensed on said bristles.

6. The construction as in claim 5 wherein said first and second signals are different.

7. The construction as in claim 5 wherein said first signal comprises an intermittent signal.

8. The construction as in claim 7 wherein said second signal comprises a continuous signal.

9. The construction as in claim 5 wherein said wear sensor is operatively associated with said power source and said alarm.