Brush tip for a motorized toothbrush

• US 6,349,442 B1
• Filed: 06/23/1999
• Issued: 02/26/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 06/23/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Advanced Prosthetic Technologies, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Advanced Prosthetic Technologies, Inc.
• Inventors: Cohen, Howard, Biro, Ladislau
• Primary Examiner(s): Chin, Randall E.
• Application Number:
  US09/338,750
• Time in Patent Office: 979 Days
• Field of Search: 15/221, 15/28, 15/211, 15/971
• US Class Current: 15/22.1
• 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 17/3436 Rotation around the axis perpendicular to the plane defined by the bristle holder
• CPC Class Codes: A61C 17/349 with multiple brush bodies

Abstract

A brush tip for a motorized toothbrush has a first brush head and a second brush head. The second brush head encircles the first brush head. Means are provided for differently accelerating the first and second brush heads in response to motion produced by the toothbrush motor.

Claims

1. A brush tip for a motorized toothbrush having a toothbrush motor and a shaft with a conical gear located at a distal end of the shaft, and wherein the toothbrush produces oscillating rotational motion of the shaft and gear, comprising:

a first generally cylindrical brush head having a toothed region on the bottom surface;

a second brush head encircling the first brush head and having a central well with a toothed region on the bottom surface and also having a peripheral wall with a slot therein, the slot extending generally parallel to said bottom surface, the first brush head being located in said well, and the shaft extending into the slot in such a manner that the gear engages with the toothed regions on the first and second brush heads, thereby forming a means for differently accelerating said first and second brush heads in response to motion produced by the toothbrush motor and transmitting said motion to the brush heads in such a manner that the brush heads rotate in opposite senses about a common axis of rotation.

2. The brush tip of claim 1, wherein the first brush head is circular and wherein the second brush head is elliptical.

3. A brush tip for a motorized toothbrush having a toothbrush motor and an actuator, and wherein the toothbrush produces reciprocating linear motion of the actuator, comprising:

a cylindrical first brush head having a flat bottom surface;

a second brush head having a central cylindrical well with a flat bottom surface and a peripheral wall with a slot extending parallel to said bottom surface, the first brush head being located in said well whereby the second brush head encircles the first brush head; and

means for differently accelerating said first and second brush heads in response to linear motion produced by the toothbrush motor and transmitting said motion to the brush heads, said differently accelerating means converting said reciprocating linear motion into oscillating rotational motion of the brush heads and comprising first and second connecting rods, each passing through the slot and connecting the actuator with a corresponding one of the brush heads.

4. The brush tip of claim 3, wherein each of the connecting rods has a hook that engages a corresponding recess in the bottom surface of a corresponding one of the brush heads.

5. The brush tip of claim 4, wherein both connecting rods are formed of a single piece of wire.

6. The brush tip of claim 3, wherein the first brush head is circular and wherein the second brush head is elliptical.

7. A brush tip for a motorized toothbrush having a toothbrush motor, comprising:

a first circular brush head;

a second elliptical brush head, the second brush head encircling the first brush head; and

means for rotating said first and second brush heads in opposite senses about a common axis of rotation in response to motion produced by the toothbrush motor.

8. A brush tip for a motorized toothbrush having a toothbrush motor, comprising:

a first circular brush head;

a second non-circular brush head, the second brush head encircling the first brush head; and

means for differently accelerating said first and second brush heads in response to motion produced by the toothbrush motor.

9. The brush tip of claim 8, wherein said differently accelerating means causes the brush heads to rotate in opposite senses about a common axis of rotation.

10. The brush tip of claim 9, wherein the motorized toothbrush is of a type in which a shaft is driven to undergo oscillating rotational motion, and wherein said differently accelerating means transmits said motion to the first and second brush heads.

11. The brush tip of claim 10, wherein:

the second brush head has a central well with a toothed region on the bottom surface and a peripheral wall with a slot therein, the slot extending generally parallel to said bottom surface;

the first brush head is generally cylindrical with a toothed region on the bottom surface;

the first brush head is located in said well; and

the shaft has a conical gear at its distal end and extends into the slot in such a manner that the gear engages with the toothed regions on the first and second brush heads.

12. The brush tip of claim 8, wherein the second brush head is continuous.

13. The brush tip of claim 9, wherein the motorized toothbrush of a type in which an actuator is driven to undergo reciprocating linear motion, and wherein said differently accelerating means converts said reciprocating linear motion into oscillating rotational motion of the brush heads.

14. The brush tip of claim 13, wherein:

the second brush head has a central cylindrical well with a flat bottom surface and a peripheral wall with a slot extending parallel to said bottom surface;

the first brush head is cylindrical and has a flat bottom surface;

the first brush head is located in said well; and

further comprising first and second connecting rods, each passing through the slot and connecting the actuator with a corresponding one of the brush heads.

15. The brush tip of claim 14, wherein each of the connecting rods has a hook that engages a corresponding recess in the bottom surface of a corresponding one of the brush heads.

16. The brush tip of claim 15, wherein both connecting rods are formed of a single piece of wire.

17. A brush tip for a motorized toothbrush having a toothbrush motor, comprising:

a first circular brush head;

a second elliptical brush head, the second brush head encircling the first brush head; and

means for differently accelerating said first and second brush heads in response to motion produced by the toothbrush motor.