Electric toothbrush

• US 6,360,395 B2
• Filed: 01/22/2001
• Issued: 03/26/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Church & Dwight Company Incorporated
• Original Assignee: The Procter & Gamble Company
• Inventors: Gall, Douglas A., Spirk, John W., Blaustein, Lawrence A., Nottingham, John R., Osher, John
• Primary Examiner(s): Chin, Randall E.
• Application Number:
  US09/766,703
• Publication Number:
  US 20010004781A1
• Time in Patent Office: 428 Days
• Field of Search: 15/221, 15/222, 15/224, 15/23, 15/24, 15/28, 15/29
• US Class Current: 15/28
• 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 17/26 driven by electric motor
• CPC Class Codes: A61C 17/34 driven by electric motor
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: A61C 2204/002 using batteries
• CPC Class Codes: B29L 2031/425 Toothbrush

Abstract

An electric toothbrush having an elongated body having a handle portion, a head portion, and an elongated intermediate portion disposed between the handle portion and the head portion. The head portion includes a static bristle portion and a moving bristle portion. The static bristle portion and the moving bristle portion are disposed along a common longitudinal axis relative to the head portion. The head portion and intermediate portion are dimensioned for disposition in a human user'"'"'s mouth for brushing of teeth. A motor is disposed in the handle portion and operatively connected to the moving bristles for moving the moving bristles.

Claims

1. An electric toothbrush comprising;

an elongated body having a handle portion, a head portion, and an elongated intermediate portion disposed between the handle portion and the head portion and wherein the intermediate portion has a smaller cross-sectional dimension than the handle portion, the head portion including static and moving bristles, wherein all moving bristles are disposed in only a single moving portion that oscillates or rotates, and the static and moving bristles extend in generally the same direction from the head portion, the head portion and intermediate portion being dimensioned for disposition in a human user'"'"'s mouth for brushing of teeth; and

a motor disposed in the handle portion and operatively connected to the moving bristles for moving the moving bristles.

2. The electric toothbrush of claim 1 further comprising a gear assembly operatively connected to said motor.

3. The electric toothbrush of claim 1 wherein said moving bristles include stiff bristles include soft bristles.

4. The electric toothbrush of claim 3 wherein said stiff bristles are recessed with respect to said soft bristles.

5. The electric toothbrush of claim 1 wherein the static bristles are disposed at a first end of the head portion and the moving portion is disposed adjacent the static bristles.

6. The electric toothbrush of claim 5 wherein the moving bristles are disposed at a second end of the head portion, the second end being located at a furthest position from the handle portion.

7. The electric toothbrush of claim 1 further including a switch operatively connected to said motor which provides momentary and continuous operation of the toothbrush.

8. The electric toothbrush of claim 1 further comprising a battery located within said handle portion for powering said motor.

9. The electric toothbrush of claim 1 wherein the head portion has a longitudinal axis and the moving portion oscillates or rotates about an axis substantially normal to the longitudinal axis.

10. The electric toothbrush of claim 1 wherein the static and moving bristles are generally parallel to each other.

11. The electric toothbrush of claim 1 wherein the static and moving bristles are oriented substantially perpendicular to a surface of the head portion.

12. The electric toothbrush of claim 1, wherein the static bristles and moving bristles are disposed on a common side of the head portion.

13. The electric toothbrush of claim 1 further comprising a shaft disposed at least partially within the elongated intermediate portion on a longitudinal axis, wherein the shaft is operatively connected to the motor and to the moving portion to cause the moving bristles to rotate or oscillate about an axis approximately normal to the longitudinal axis of the shaft.

14. The electric toothbrush of claim 13 wherein the shaft rotates.

15. The electric toothbrush of claim 13 wherein the shaft reciprocates.

16. The electric toothbrush of claim 1 wherein at least some terminal ends of the static and moving bristles are disposed to form a generally planar cleaning surface.

17. An electric toothbrush comprising:

an elongated body having a handle portion, a head portion, and a elongated intermediate portion disposed between the handle portion and the head portion and wherein the intermediate portion has a smaller cross-sectional dimension than the handle portion, the head portion including static and moving bristles, the head portion and intermediate portion being dimensioned for disposition in a human user'"'"'s mouth for brushing of teeth;

a motor disposed in the handle portion and operatively connected to the moving bristles; and

wherein all of said moving bristles are disposed in only a single moving portion the rotates or oscillates about an axis substantially parallel to the moving bristles are wherein said static bristles are disposed in a static portion of said head portion and said static portion is adjacent said moving portion.

18. The electric toothbrush of claim 17 wherein the static bristles are disposed at a first end of the head portion.

19. The electric toothbrush of claim 18 wherein the moving bristles are disposed at a second end of the head portion, the second end being located at a furthest position from the handle portion.

20. The electric toothbrush of claim 17 further comprising an elongated shaft disposed at least partially within the intermediate portion and operatively connected at one end to the motor and operatively connected at another end to the moving portion.

21. The electric toothbrush of claim 20 wherein the moving portion rotates or oscillates about an axis approximately normal to a longitudinal axis of the elongated shaft.

22. The electric toothbrush of claim 17 further comprising a gear assembly operatively connected to said motor.

23. The electric toothbrush of claim 17 wherein said moving bristles include stiff bristles and static bristles include soft bristles.

24. The electric toothbrush of claim 23 wherein said stiff bristles are recessed with resect to said soft bristles.

25. The electric toothbrush of claim 17 further including a switch operatively connected to said motor which provides momentary and continuous operation of the toothbrush.

26. The electric toothbrush of claim 17 further comprising a battery located within said handle portion for powering said motor.

27. The electric toothbrush of claim 17 wherein the static and moving bristles are generally parallel to each other.

28. The electric toothbrush of claim 17 wherein the static and moving bristles are oriented substantially perpendicular to it surface of the head portion.

29. The electric toothbrush of claim 17 wherein the static bristles and moving bristles are disposed on a common side of the head portion.

30. The electric toothbrush of claim 17 wherein at least some terminal ends of the static and moving bristles are disposed to form a generally planar cleaning surface.

31. An electric toothbrush comprising:

an elongated body having a handle portion, a head portion, and an elongated intermediate portion disposed between the handle portion and the head portion, the head portion including static bristles and only a single moving bristle portion, wherein the moving portion rotates or oscillates, and at least some static bristles are disposed intermediate the moving bristle portion and the handle portion, the head portion and intermediate portion being dimensioned for disposition in a human user'"'"'s mouth for brushing of teeth; and

a motor disposed in the handle portion and operatively connected to the moving bristle portion for moving the moving portion.

32. The electric toothbrush of claim 31 wherein at least some terminal ends of the static bristles and the bristles of the moving portion are disposed to form a generally planar cleaning surface.

33. The electric toothbrush of claim 31 further comprising a gear assembly operatively connected to said motor.

34. The electric toothbrush of claim 31 wherein the bristles of the moving portion include stiff bristles and the static bristles include soft bristles.

35. The electric toothbrush of claim 34 wherein said stiff bristles are recessed with respect to said soft bristles.

36. The electric toothbrush of claim 31 further including a switch operatively connected to said motor which provides momentary and continuous operation of the toothbrush.

37. The electric toothbrush of claim 31 further comprising a battery located within said handle portion for powering said motor.

38. The electric toothbrush of claim 31 further including moving bristles and wherein the static and moving bristles are generally parallel to each other.

39. The electric toothbrush of claim 31 further including moving bristles and wherein the static and moving bristles are oriented substantially perpendicular to a surface of the head portion.

40. The electric toothbrush of claim 31 wherein the static bristles and the bristles of the moving portion are disposed on a common side of the head portion.

41. The electric toothbrush of claim 31 further comprising a shaft disposed at least partially within the elongated intermediate portion on a longitudinal axis, wherein the shaft is operatively connected to the motor and to the moving portion to cause the moving portion to rotate or oscillate about an axis approximately normal to the longitudinal axis of the shaft.

42. The electric toothbrush of claim 41 wherein the shaft rotates.

43. The electric toothbrush of claim 41 wherein the shaft reciprocates.

44. The electric toothbrush of claim 31 wherein the static bristles are are disposed at a first end of a head portion and the moving portion is disposed adjacent the static bristles.

45. The electric toothbrush of claim 44 wherein the removing bristles are disposed at a second end of the head portion, the second end being located at a furthest position from the handle portion.