Toothbrush

• US 6,161,244 A
• Filed: 01/07/1999
• Issued: 12/19/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 12/18/1991
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Dr Fresh LLC (HRB Winddown, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Johnson and Johnson Consumer Products Inc (Johnson & Johnson)
• Inventors: Jeannet, Roland, Leutwyler, Werner, Leutwyler, Robert
• Primary Examiner(s): Spisich, Mark
• Application Number:
  US09/479,631
• Time in Patent Office: 712 Days
• Field of Search: 15/144.1, 15/145, 15/167.1, 15/172, 15/176.1-176.6, 403/326, 403/327, 403/348, 403/349
• US Class Current: 15/167.1
• CPC Class Codes: A46B 2200/1066 Toothbrush for cleaning the teeth or dentures A61C17/16 takes precedence; bristles arrangements for toothbrushes A46B9/04
• CPC Class Codes: A46B 5/0095 Removable or interchangeable brush heads
• CPC Class Codes: B25G 3/16 comprising bayonet joints
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 403/602 by separate spring
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 403/7007 Bayonet joint

Abstract

The invention relates to a toothbrush (20) with a brush head which can be secured on a brush handle (24) by a bayonet catch (26). The bayonet catch comprises a locking pin (28) which is mounted in the front end of the brush handle (24) in such a way that it can be displaced axially to a limited extent but is non-rotatable and which is subject to the action of a prestressing device (50). The brush head (22) is provided with a recess (102) which has a locking groove pursuant to which the brush head (22) is mounted on the locking pin (28) by engagement of a bayonet stud (32) in the locking groove (106), the locking pin (28) being pulled out of the brush handle (24) counter to the prestressing device (50) until the bayonet stud (32) locks into a lock-in portion (114) of the locking groove. Since the locking groove is arranged in the bristle bed (100) of the brush head (22), a minimum use of material for the brush head, which is disposable after wearing out, is guaranteed and the brush head is reliably secured on the brush handle.

Claims

1. A toothbrush comprising a brush head and a brush handle;

wherein said brush head comprises a front end and a rear end;

wherein said brush head includes an axial recess extending along a longitudinal axis of said rear end of said brush head;

wherein said brush handle comprises a front end and a rear end; and

wherein said brush handle further comprises an axial sliding bearing extending along a longitudinal axis of said front end of said brush handle;

wherein said brush head is releasably connected to said brush handle by a bayonet catch;

wherein said bayonet catch comprises

at least one locking groove in said axial recess in said rear end of said brush head; and

a locking pin which is mounted in said axial sliding bearing;

wherein said locking pin comprises

a front end which protrudes out of said front end of said brush handle wherein said front end of said locking pin comprises at least one bayonet stud, each said bayonet stud being directed radially to the locking pin and engaging a corresponding said locking groove; and

wherein said locking pin is movable within said axial sliding bearing to a limited extent along said longitudinal axis of said front end of said brush handle and is non-rotatable about said longitudinal axis of said front end of said brush handle; and

wherein said locking pin is resiliently prestressed by a prestressing device along said longitudinal axis of said front end of said brush handle in a direction away from the brush head.

2. The toothbrush according to claim 1 wherein the axial sliding bearing is an integral component of the brush handle (24) and the locking groove is an integral component of the brush head.

3. The toothbrush according to claim 1 wherein the locking groove comprises a first curve portion parallel to the axis, a second curve portion extending in the axial direction and over a circumferential angle of the axial recess and a locking portion for engaging the bayonet stud of the locking pin, the said locking portion being angled towards the rear end of the brush head.

4. The toothbrush according to claim 1 wherein the brush handle further comprises a handle neck.

5. The toothbrush according to claim 4 wherein the brush head further comprises a bristle bed comprising a front end and rear end and wherein the locking groove is arranged in the rear end of the bristle bed of the brush head and the axial sliding bearing is arranged in the front end of the handle neck.

6. The toothbrush according to claim 1 wherein the walls of said axial sliding bearing include at least one longitudinal locking groove.

7. The toothbrush according the claim 6, wherein the locking pin further comprises at least one longitudinal rib which projects radially from the locking pin, which includes a rear end, and which engages longitudinally the at least one longitudinal locking groove.

8. The toothbrush according to claim 7

wherein the axial sliding bearing comprises a first end and a second end;

and

wherein said second end of the axial sliding bearing is bounded by a stop of the longitudinal locking groove, against which stop the rear end of the at least one longitudinal rib rests; and

wherein the locking pin includes an end shank, which end shank extends out of the second end of the axial sliding bearing into the interior of the brush handle; and

wherein the prestressing device comprising a first end and a second end is connected at its first end to the end shank and is connected at its second end within the brush handle.

9. The toothbrush according to claim 1 wherein the toothbrush further comprises an unlocking device wherein said unlocking device comprises an actuating member which is displaceably mounted on said brush handle and is connected to said bayonet catch and which is capable of unlocking said bayonet catch when actuated.

10. The toothbrush according to claim 9 wherein said locking groove includes a locking portion and wherein said actuating member is connected to the locking pin and allows the locking pin to be moved out of the locking portion in the brush head counter to the action of the prestressing device.