Toothbrush

• US 6,920,659 B2
• Filed: 01/12/2002
• Issued: 07/26/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 01/12/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Water Pik Incorporated (Church & Dwight Company Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Water Pik Incorporated (Church & Dwight Company Incorporated)
• Inventors: Chiles, Howell H., Cacka, Joe W.
• Primary Examiner(s): TILL, TERRENCE R
• Application Number:
  US10/045,953
• Publication Number:
  US 20020120991A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,291 Days
• Field of Search: 15/221, 15/222, 151/05
• US Class Current: 15/22.1
• CPC Class Codes: A61C 17/225 Handles or details thereof
• CPC Class Codes: A61C 17/26 driven by electric motor
• CPC Class Codes: A61C 17/32 reciprocating or oscillating
• CPC Class Codes: A61C 17/3481 Vibrating brush body, e.g. by using eccentric weights

Abstract

A power toothbrush including a handle and a brush head with bristles. In one embodiment, the toothbrush includes vibratory means for causing the brush head and the bristles to vibrate, and vibration isolation means for reducing the transfer of vibrations from the vibratory means to the handle. The vibratory means can include an eccentric motor positioned in the brush head or the brush shaft of the toothbrush. Vibration dampening material can be included in the vibration isolation means to reduce the transfer of vibrations to the handle.

Claims

1. A power toothbrush comprising:

a handle;

a brush head including bristles;

a brush shaft connected with said brush head;

a motor shaft connected with said handle and received in said brush shaft;

a vibratory means positioned within said motor shaft for causing said bristles to vibrate; and

a vibration isolation means for reducing vibrations from said vibratory means to said handle.

2. The power toothbrush of claim 1, wherein said vibration isolation means is positioned between said vibratory means and said handle.

3. The power toothbrush of claim 1, wherein said vibration isolation means includes a vibration dampening material positioned between said brush head and said handle to at least partially absorb vibrations caused by said vibratory means.

4. The power toothbrush of claim 1, wherein said vibratory means includes an eccentric motor.

5. The power toothbrush of claim 1, wherein said vibratory means is positioned near said brush head.

6. The power toothbrush of claim 1, wherein said vibration isolation means is positioned between said brush head and said handle.

7. The power toothbrush of claim 1, wherein said brush shaft and said brush head are integrally formed.

8. The power toothbrush of claim 1, wherein said vibratory means is positioned in said brush shaft.

9. The power toothbrush of claim 1, wherein said vibration isolation means is positioned between said brush shaft and said handle.

10. A power toothbrush comprising:

a handle;

a brush shaft;

a brush head including bristles, said brush head adapted to be connected with said brush shaft;

a motor shaft connected with said handle and received in said brush shaft;

a vibratory means positioned in said motor shaft for causing said brush head and said bristles to vibrate; and

a vibration isolation means positioned between said vibratory means and said handle for reducing the transfer of vibrations from said vibratory means to said handle.

11. The power toothbrush of claim 10, wherein said vibratory means includes an eccentric motor.

12. The power toothbrush of claim 10, wherein said vibratory means is positioned near said brush head.

13. The power toothbrush of claim 10, wherein said brush head and said brush shaft are integrally formed and are adapted to be connected with said handle.

14. The power toothbrush of claim 10, wherein said vibratory means is positioned in said brush shaft.

15. The power toothbrush of claim 10, wherein said vibration isolation means includes a vibration dampening material.

16. A power toothbrush comprising:

a handle;

a brush shaft;

a brush head with bristles connected with said brush shaft; and

an eccentric motor for causing the bristles to vibrate, wherein the eccentric motor is positioned entirely in said brush shaft distal from said handle and oriented parallel to a longitudinal axis of the power toothbrush;

a vibration isolation means interposed between said brush shaft and said handle for reducing the transfer of vibrations from the brush shaft to the handle; and

an annular spacing defined between said brush shaft and said handle.

17. The power toothbrush of claim 16, wherein said vibration isolation means is positioned between the brush head and the handle.

18. The power toothbrush of claim 16, wherein said vibration isolation means is positioned between the brush shaft and the handle.

19. The power toothbrush of claim 16, wherein said vibration isolation means includes a vibration dampening material.

20. The power toothbrush of claim 16, wherein said annular spacing permits said brush shaft to move with respect to said handle in a vibratory manner.

21. A power toothbrush comprising:

a handle;

a brush head including bristles, said brush head connected with said handle;

a rotary vibratory motor for causing said bristles to vibrate, said rotary vibratory motor positioned entirely in said brush head distal from said handle and oriented parallel to a longitudinal axis of said power toothbrush; and

a vibration isolation means for reducing the transfer of vibrations from said rotary vibratory motor to said handle.

22. A toothbrush, comprising:

a handle having a first open end;

a brush shaft having a first end for receipt in said first open end of said handle, and a second end having at least one bristle element extending therefrom;

a vibration means positioned in said brush shaft adjacent to said at least one bristle element; and

a vibration damping structure positioned between said first open end of said handle and said first open end of said brush shaft when received in said first open end of said handle, said vibration damping structure comprising;

a first O-ring positioned around said first end of said brush shaft;

a second O-ring positioned around said first end of said brush shaft and spaced away from said first O-ring;

said O-rings forming the sole structural connection between said brush shaft and said handle;

wherein said vibration damping structure reduces the vibrations caused by said vibration means passing to said handle from said brush shaft.