Electric toothbrush reduction gearbox

• US 6,920,660 B2
• Filed: 08/01/2002
• Issued: 07/26/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 12/11/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Fast-Chip, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Fast-Chip, Inc.
• Inventors: Lam, Chun Shun
• Primary Examiner(s): CHIN, RANDALL E
• Application Number:
  US10/208,831
• Publication Number:
  US 20030106175A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,090 Days
• Field of Search: 15/221, 15/222, 15/28
• 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 17/26 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: B29L 2031/425 Toothbrush

Abstract

An electric toothbrush includes a handle, a bristle head and a neck extending from the handle to the bristle head. A drive shaft extends through the neck to the bristle head. A motor is situated within the handle and has a pair of spaced recesses and an output shaft situated between the recesses. A reduction gearbox receives torque from the output shaft of the motor and transmits it to the drive shaft at a reduced speed. The gearbox has a base plate having a pair of projections extending into the recesses of the motor, a cover plate fixed to the base plate and at least one gear set between the base plate and the cover plate to transmitting torque from the motor to the drive shaft.

Claims

1. An electric toothbrush comprising:

a handle,

a bristle head,

a neck extending from the handle to the bristle head,

a drive shaft extending through the neck to the bristle head,

a motor situated within the handle and having a pair of spaced apart recesses and an output shaft situated between the recesses,

a reduction gearbox receiving torque from the output shaft of the motor and transmitting it to the drive shaft at a reduced speed, the gearbox comprising a base plate having a pair of projections extending into the recesses of the motor, the base plate also having extending therefrom a pin upon which a first driven gear is rotatably mounted, a cover plate fixed to the base plate and at least one gear set between the base plate and the cover plate and transmitting torque from the motor to the drive shaft, wherein the cover plate has a pair of bridges by which the cover plate is fixed to the base plate.

2. The toothbrush of claim 1, wherein a first driving gear is mounted upon the output shaft of the motor.

3. The toothbrush of claim 1, wherein the first driven gear has fixedly associated therewith a second driving gear.

4. The toothbrush of claim 1, wherein the cover plate has a pin upon which a second driven gear is rotatably mounted.

5. The toothbrush of claim 4, wherein the second driven gear has extending therefrom an output member received by an end of the drive shaft.

6. The toothbrush of claim 5, wherein the output member passes through a retaining plate that is affixed to the cover plate.