Dual motor oral hygiene device

• US 6,821,119 B2
• Filed: 07/12/2002
• Issued: 11/23/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 07/12/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Water Pik Incorporated (Church & Dwight Company Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Water Pik Incorporated (Church & Dwight Company Incorporated)
• Inventors: Taylor, Kurt M., Hair, Kenneth A., Julian, Daniel E., Shortt, Robert A., DʼSilva, Edmund D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Shaver, Kevin
• Assistant Examiner(s): BUMGARNER, MELBA N
• Application Number:
  US10/194,201
• Publication Number:
  US 20030031979A1
• Time in Patent Office: 865 Days
• Field of Search: 433/118, 433/119, 433/125, 433/117, 433/114, 433/166, 433/124, 433/131, 433/133, 132/322, 132/309, 151/671
• US Class Current: 433/118
• 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 17/34 driven by electric motor
• CPC Class Codes: A61C 17/3472 with combined movements of the brush body
• CPC Class Codes: A61C 17/3481 Vibrating brush body, e.g. by using eccentric weights
• CPC Class Codes: A61C 17/40 orbiting, e.g. nutating

Abstract

An oral hygiene device (2) is disclosed having at least two motors (30, 36) to simultaneously vibrate and impart motion upon the head portion of the oral hygiene device (2), most beneficially at the tip (12). A first motor (30) is positioned in the handle housing (3) of the device (2) to impart a first frequency of movement to the tip (12). A second motor (36) is located in a head portion, generally in a shaft (8) of or an oral hygiene attachment to the device (2), to impart at least a second frequency of movement onto the tip (12). When both the first and second motors (30, 36) are activated, the resulting movement of the tip (12) of the device (2) may include complex, substantially random movements, depending in part on the frequencies at which the motors (30, 36) are operating.

Claims

1. A power oral hygiene device comprising:

a main body having a handle portion and a head portion, the head portion comprising at least one of the group consisting of a shaft and an oral hygiene attachment;

a first vibratory means positioned in the handle portion;

a second vibratory means positioned in the head portion; and

a power means for providing energy to the first vibratory means and the second vibratory means.

2. The device of claim 1 further comprising a vibration focusing means attached to the first vibratory means, the vibration focusing means for imparting vibratory energy generated by the first vibratory means to the oral hygiene device in a particular direction.

3. The device of claim 2 further comprising a vibration isolation means for reducing the transfer of vibratory energy, generated by the first vibratory means, from the first vibratory means to the handle portion.

4. The device of claim 3, wherein the vibration focusing means further comprises the vibration isolation means.

5. The device of claim 1 further comprising a vibration isolation means for reducing the transfer of vibratory energy, generated by the second vibratory means, from the second vibratory means to the handle portion.

6. The device of claim 5, wherein the vibration isolation means is positioned between the second vibratory means and the handle portion.

7. The device of claim 1, wherein at least one of the first vibratory means and the second vibratory means comprises an eccentric motor.

8. The device of claim 1, wherein the head portion further comprises a shaft and the second vibratory means is positioned within the shaft.

9. The device of claim 8 further comprising an oral hygiene attachment attached to the shaft.

10. The device of claim 8 further comprising a vibration isolation means for reducing the transfer of vibratory energy, generated by the second vibratory means, from the second vibratory means to the handle portion, wherein the vibration isolation means is positioned between the shaft and the handle portion.

11. The device of claim 1, wherein the head portion further comprises:

a shaft; and

an oral hygiene attachment attached to the shaft, wherein

the second vibratory means is positioned within the oral hygiene attachment.

12. The device of claim 9 or 11, wherein the oral hygiene attachment comprises at least one attachment selected from a group comprising:

a toothbrush head with bristles, an interproximal flossing tip, a tongue scraper, and a prophy polishing cup.

13. The device of claim 1, wherein

the first vibratory means operates at a first frequency;

the second vibratory means operates at a second frequency; and

the first frequency is higher than the second frequency.

14. The device of claim 13, wherein a ratio of the first frequency to the second frequency is between 1.3 and 3.

15. The device of claim 1, wherein the head portion vibrates in a substantially random pattern as a result of a combination of vibratory energy generated by the first vibratory means and vibratory energy generated by the second vibratory means.

16. The device of claim 15 further comprising a frame means for holding the first vibratory means and the second vibratory means, wherein

the frame means extends between the handle portion and the head portion;

and

the frame means imparts the vibratory energy generated by the first vibratory means to the head portion.

17. The device of claim 1 further comprising a means or changing an operating speed of at least one of the first vibratory means and the second vibratory means from a first speed to a second speed.

18. The device of claim 17, wherein the first speed is higher than the second speed.

19. The device of claim 1 further comprising a vibration isolation means for reducing the transfer of vibratory energy, generated by the first vibratory means, from the first vibratory means to the handle portion.

20. The device of claim 3 or 19, wherein the vibration isolation means is positioned between the first vibratory means and the handle portion.

21. A power oral hygiene device comprising:

a body having a handle portion and a head portion, the head portion comprising at least one of the group consisting of a shaft and an oral hygiene attachment;

a first motor operating at a first frequency;

a second motor operating at a second frequency; and

a power source for providing energy to operate the first motor and the second motor;

wherein

the first motor is positioned in the handle portion and the second motor is positioned in the head portion; and

a ratio of the first frequency to the second frequency is between 1.3 and 3.

22. The device of claim 21 wherein the head portion further comprises a shaft and the second motor is positioned within the shaft.

23. The device of claim 22 further comprising an oral hygiene attachment attached to the shaft.

24. The device of claim 22 further comprising an elastomeric fitting around the shaft and tightly fitted against an interior surface of the handle portion, wherein

the second motor generates vibratory energy and imparts the vibratory energy to the oral hygiene device; and

the elastomeric fitting compresses and decompresses in response to the vibratory energy and alters the effect of the vibratory energy of the second motor on the oral hygiene device.

25. The device of claim 24, wherein the elastomeric fitting further reduces the transfer of the vibratory energy generated by the second motor to the handle portion.

26. The device of claim 21, wherein the head portion further comprises:

a shaft; and

an oral hygiene attachment attached to the shaft, wherein

the second motor is positioned within the oral hygiene attachment.

27. The device of claim 23 or 26, wherein the oral hygiene attachment comprises at least one attachment selected from a group comprising:

a toothbrush head with bristles, an interproximal flossing tip, a tongue scraper, and a prophy polishing cup.

28. The device of claim 21 further comprising a motor mount attached to the first motor and tightly fitted against an interior surface of the handle portion, wherein

the first motor generates vibratory energy and imparts the vibratory energy to the oral hygiene device;

and

the motor mount focuses the vibratory energy generated by the first motor and imparts the vibratory energy to the oral hygiene device in at least one direction.

29. The device of claim 28, wherein the motor mount further dampens the vibratory energy generated by the first motor and imparted to the oral hygiene device in at least one direction.

30. The device of claim 28 wherein the motor mount is comprised of an elastomer.

31. The device of claim 28, wherein the motor mount further reduces the transfer of the vibratory energy generated by the first motor to the handle portion.

32. The device of claim 21 further comprising a frame for holding the first motor and the second motor, wherein

the frame extends between the handle portion and the head portion;

and

the frame imparts vibratory energy generated by the first motor to the head portion.

33. The device of claim 21, wherein at least one of the first motor and the second motor comprises an eccentric motor.

34. The device of claim 33, wherein both the first motor and the second motor are eccentric motors, and wherein

the first motor and the second motor are positioned such that

a first weight on the first motor is oriented in a first direction;

a second weight on the second motor is oriented in a second direction; and

the first direction is opposite the second direction.

35. The device of claim 21 further comprising timing system for indicating to a user that the oral hygiene device should be relocated to a different section of the user'"'"'s mouth.

36. The device of claim 35, the timing system comprises a microprocessor operating under instructions of a timing program.

37. The device of claim 35, wherein the timing system interrupts the operation of at least one of the first motor and the second motor as the indication to the user.

38. The device of claim 21, wherein the head portion vibrates in a substantially random pattern as a result of a combination of vibratory energy generated by the first motor and vibratory energy generated by the second motor.

39. The device of claim 21 further comprising a circuit for changing an operating speed of at least one of the first motor and the second motor from a first speed to a second speed.

40. The device of claim 39, wherein the first speed is higher than the second speed.

41. The device of claim 21, wherein a first motor shaft of the first motor rotates about a first axis and a second motor shaft of the second motor rotates about a second axis.

42. The device of claim 41, wherein the first axis and the second axis comprise a common axis.

43. The device of claim 41, wherein the first axis is offset at an angle from the second axis.

44. The device of claim 41, wherein at least one of the first axis and the second axis is parallel with a longitudinal axis of the head portion.

45. A power toothbrush comprising:

a main body having a handle portion and a head portion, the head portion comprising at least one of the group consisting of a shaft and an oral hygiene attachment;

a first vibratory motor positioned in the handle portion;

a second vibratory motor positioned in the head portion; and

a power source for providing energy to the first motor and the second motor.

46. The power toothbrush of claim 45, wherein at least one of the first motor and the second motor is an eccentric motor.

47. The power toothbrush of claim 45, wherein the second vibratory motor is positioned in the brush head portion.

48. The power toothbrush of claim 45, wherein

the first vibratory motor operates at a first frequency; and

the second motor operates at a second frequency.

49. The power toothbrush of claim 48, wherein a ratio the first frequency to the second frequency is between 1.3 and 3.