Powered toothbrush having three dimensional rotational head motion

• US 6,347,425 B1
• Filed: 06/28/2000
• Issued: 02/19/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 06/28/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Colgate-Palmolive Company
• Original Assignee: Colgate-Palmolive Company
• Inventors: Fattori, Joseph, Waguespack, Kenneth
• Primary Examiner(s): Till, Terrence R.
• Application Number:
  US09/605,188
• Time in Patent Office: 601 Days
• Field of Search: 15/211, 15/221, 15/224, 15/28, 15/29
• US Class Current: 15/22.1
• CPC Class Codes: A61C 17/40 orbiting, e.g. nutating

Abstract

An electrically driven toothbrush having a rotatable drive shaft with an end, off-set from the central longitudinal axis of the drive shaft and lodged in a boring in a bristle carrier, which bristle carrier is orbitally secured within a socket in the toothbrush head. When the drive shaft rotates, the end describes a circle and drivingly engages the bristle carrier to actuate the bristle carrier in a three dimensional reciprocating side-to-side and rocking up-and-down motion.

Claims

1. An electrically powered toothbrush (10) comprising:

an elongated body having a head (16) at one end and a handle (12) at the other end;

the head (16) containing a socket (28) having curved sides (46) and a bristle carrier (18) disposed therein;

the bristle carrier (18) having an upper surface with a plurality of bristle tufts (30) extending therefrom and sides (48) curved to correspond to the curved sides (46) of said socket (28);

the bristle carrier (18) having a boring (50) in a side (48);

said handle (12) containing a drive means with a drive shaft (14) extending therefrom to an end (36) which is displaced from the central longitudinal axis (38) of the drive shaft (14) and which is drivingly engaged in said boring (50);

whereby, upon rotation of said drive shaft (14) by said drive means, the end (36) actuates the bristle carrier (18) in at least two motions to effect a three dimensional movement of the bristle carrier (18) within the socket (28).

2. An electrically powered toothbrush (10) according to claim 1, wherein said socket (28) has spherically curved sides (46).

3. An electrically powered toothbrush (10) according to claim 2, wherein the end (36) is angled towards the central longitudinal axis (38) by an angle of about 77.5 degrees.

4. An electrically powered toothbrush (10) according to claim 1, wherein said drive means is a rotational drive means.

5. An electrically powered toothbrush (10) according to claim 3, wherein said rotational drive means is an electric motor (20).

6. An electrically powered toothbrush (10) according to claim 1, wherein said at least two motions are a reciprocating motion and a rocking motion.

7. An electrically powered toothbrush (10) according to claim 6, wherein said reciprocating motion is a side-to-side motion.

8. An electrically powered toothbrush (10) according to claim 6, wherein said rocking motion is an up-and-down motion.

9. An electrically powered toothbrush (10) according to claim 1, wherein

the bristle carrier (18) has a central axis (40);

the end (36) points towards the intersection of the central longitudinal axis (38) and the central axis (40) and the end (36) is angled towards the central longitudinal axis (38) by an angle of about 70 to about 85 degrees.

10. An electrically powered toothbrush (10) according to claim 1, wherein the drive shaft (14) is rotated at about 800 to about 4,500 rpm.

11. An electrically powered toothbrush (10) according to claim 1, wherein the drive shaft (14) is rotated at about 2,200 rpm.

12. An electrically powered toothbrush (10) according to claim 1, wherein the head (16) and the bristle carrier (18) is formed from a acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene or polyoxymethylene copolymer.