Dental care device

• US 6,907,636 B2
• Filed: 08/22/2002
• Issued: 06/21/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 08/22/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: WIK Far East Ltd.
• Original Assignee: WIK Far East Ltd.
• Inventors: Hafemann, Klaus
• Primary Examiner(s): CHIN, RANDALL E
• Application Number:
  US10/225,888
• Publication Number:
  US 20030041397A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,034 Days
• Field of Search: 15/221, 15/222, 15/28, 15/224
• US Class Current: 15/22.4
• CPC Class Codes: A61C 17/3436 Rotation around the axis perpendicular to the plane defined by the bristle holder

Abstract

An electric dental care device with a care head 7 oscillatingly driven about a rotational axis D_V powered by a rotating driving shaft 2. One end of driving shaft 2 has a driving element 17 disposed eccentrically to the rotational axis of the driving shaft 2. The driving element 17 engages a recess of a force converter to convert the rotational force of the driving element 17 into an oscillatory turning movement of the care head 7. The force converter comprises a gymballed conversion element 6 which engages and supports the driving element 17. The rotational axes D_H, D_V of the two gymbal bearings of the conversion element 6 are disposed to form a right. The conversion element 6 is swivellably supported by a mounting 8 about a first rotational axis D_H. The mounting 8 is supported turnably about the second rotational axis D_V and carries the care head 7.

Claims

1. An electric dental care device with a care head oscillatingly driven about a rotational axis, the electric dental care device comprising:

a rotationally driven driving shaft with a driven end, said driven end having a driving element disposed eccentrically with respect to a rotational axis of the driving shaft;

a force converter having a gymbal support, said support comprising two gymbal bearings creating a first and second rotational axis each disposed such that the axes form a right angle to each other and intersect virtually in one point;

the first gymbal bearing comprising;

a mounting attached to the care head and rotatably supported about the second rotational axis;

a conversion element rotatably supported by the second gymbal bearing in the mounting about the first axis and having a recess shaped to receive the driving element;

the driving element engaged into the recess of the conversion element and supported thereby,

thereby converting a rotational driving force of the driven driving shaft into an oscillatory turning movement of the care head.

2. The dental care device of claim 1, wherein the conversion element is developed in the form of a ball with a flattened underside facing away from the care head.

3. The dental care device of claim 1, wherein the side facing the care head of the conversion element engages into an arched underside of the mounting.

4. The dental care device as claimed in claim 1, 2 or 3, wherein the second gymbal bearing further comprises formed-on axle stubs on the conversion element diametrically opposing one another, which engage into correspondingly shaped bearing openings on the mounting.

5. The dental care device as claimed in claim 4, wherein the bearing openings of the mounting are disposed in arms and wherein one or several limiting members are provided to prevent the pulling-off of the arms from the axle stubs of the conversion element.

6. The dental care device as claimed in claim 4, wherein the mounting in a housing of the dental care device and the driving shaft in a shank associated with the dental care device is supported on only one site markedly spaced apart from the care head.

7. The dental care device as claimed in claim 4, wherein the driving element is a driving pivot whose longitudinal axis is inclined relative to the rotational axis of the driving shaft and which is connected via a crank with the driving shaft, and that the driving pivot engages into the recess the conversion element.

8. The dental care device as claimed in claim 7, wherein the longitudinal axis of the driving pivot intersects the virtual intersection of the two rotational axes of the force converter.

9. The dental care device as claimed in claim 4, wherein the care head further comprises bristle tufts in a plane disposed at right angles to the first rotational axis of the force converter and which extend substantially parallel to the second rotational axis the force converter.