Powered toothbrush

• US 6,938,293 B2
• Filed: 10/14/2004
• Issued: 09/06/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 04/23/2002
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Colgate-Palmolive Company
• Original Assignee: Colgate-Palmolive Company
• Inventors: Gatzemeyer, John J., Eliav, Eyal
• Primary Examiner(s): Spisich, Mark
• Application Number:
  US10/963,716
• Publication Number:
  US 20050097688A1
• Time in Patent Office: 327 Days
• Field of Search: 15/221, 15/222, 15/224, 15/28, 15/29, 601/142, D 4/101
• US Class Current: 15/22.1
• CPC Class Codes: A46B 15/0075 Brushes with an additional massage device
• CPC Class Codes: A46B 9/06 Arrangement of mixed bristles or tufts of bristles, e.g. wire, fibre, rubber
• 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 17/222 Brush body details, e.g. the shape thereof or connection to handle
• 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 17/349 with multiple brush bodies

Abstract

A powered toothbrush include a head containing a rotating or oscillating first bristle carrier and also containing a second bristle carrier movably connected to the head, which second bristle carrier may include elastomeric walls for enhanced cleaning and may include a weakened section to permit it to at least partially collapse during a brushing motion to couture to the teeth in use for enhanced cleaning.

Claims

1. A powered toothbrush comprising:

a handle portion having a neck formed at one end and a drive mechanism;

a head coupled to the neck, the head including (i) a base and (ii) first and second movable parts;

the first movable part being mounted for movement relative to the base and including (i) a first platform having a first upper face, and (ii) at least one bristle portion extending outward from the first upper face to contact a user'"'"'s teeth; and

the second movable part including (i) a second platform having a second upper face, (ii) at least one bristle portion extending outward from the upper face, and (iii) at least one elastomeric wall member upstanding on the second upper face, each bristle portion and elastomeric wall member being adapted to contact the user'"'"'s teeth, the second movable part being mounted for movement relative to the base in a direction generally transverse to the at least one elastomeric wall member.

2. The toothbrush of claim 1 wherein the first movable part is coupled to the drive mechanism for oscillation about an axis extending generally perpendicular to the first upper face.

3. The toothbrush of claim 1 wherein the second upper face gradually narrows to a rounded convex end at a rear end of the second movable part.

4. The toothbrush of claim 1 wherein the at least one elastomeric wall is curved.

5. The toothbrush of claim 4 wherein the at least one elastomeric wall extends at least partially in a lateral direction along the second platform.

6. The toothbrush of claim 1 wherein the at least one elastomeric wall is positioned along a perimeter portion of the second platform.

7. The toothbrush of claim 1 wherein the first upper face is generally circular, the second upper face is generally elongate and provided with a concave front end that wraps partially about the first upper face, and the at least one elastomeric wall and the at least one bristle portion are arranged to generally cover the second upper face including the portions partially wrapped about the first upper face.

8. The toothbrush of claim 7 wherein the at least one elastomeric wall includes an end portion positioned by the forward ends of the concave front end at the forward end of the second upper face.

9. The toothbrush of claim 1 wherein the base includes a longitudinal opening and the second movable part includes at least one tongue received into the opening, the tongue including flanges that extend laterally beyond the opening to hold the second movable part to the base.

10. The toothbrush of claim 9 wherein the tongue and opening are generally aligned along the longitudinal axis of the head.

11. The toothbrush of claim 1 wherein the at least one bristle portion on the second platform extends farther from the second upper face than the at last one elastomeric wall.

12. The toothbrush of claim 1 wherein the elastomeric wall is formed as an imperforate, elongate wall with an upper edge to contact the user—

s teeth.

13. The toothbrush of claim 1 wherein the first upper face is generally circular and is coupled to the drive mechanism for movement about an axis extending generally perpendicular to the first upper face, and wherein the second upper face is generally elongate and provided with a concave arc on a forward end that wraps partially about the first upper face.

14. The toothbrush of claim 1 wherein the first upper face is provided with only a plurality of bristle portions for contacting the user'"'"'s teeth.

15. A powered toothbrush comprising:

a handle portion having a neck formed at one end and a drive mechanism;

a head coupled to the neck, the head including (i) a base and (ii) first and second movable parts;

the base having a longitudinal axis and an upper surface to which the first and second movable parts are attached, the upper surface including an opening generally along the longitudinal axis;

the first movable part being mounted for movement relative to the base and including (i) a first platform having a generally circular first upper face, and (ii) at least one bristle portion extending outward from the upper face in a first direction and being adapted to contact a user'"'"'s teeth, the first movable part being coupled to the drive mechanism for oscillating movement about an axis extending generally in the first direction; and

the second movable part being mounted for movement relative to the base and including (i) a second platform having a generally elongate second upper face with a concave arc on a forward end that wraps partially about the first upper face, the second upper face gradually narrowing to a rounded convex end at the a rear end thereof, (ii) at least one bristle portion extending outward from the upper face in the first direction, (iii) at least one elastomeric curved wall member upstanding along a peripheral edge of the second upper face in the first direction, each bristle portion and elastomeric wall member being adapted to contact the user'"'"'s teeth, and (iv) a tongue extending in a second direction opposite to the first direction for receipt in the opening in the base, the tongue including flanges that extend laterally beyond the opening to hold the second movable part to the base.

16. The toothbrush of claim 15 wherein the at least one elastomeric wall and the at least one bristle portion are arranged to generally cover the second upper face including the portions partially wrapped about the first upper face.

17. The toothbrush of claim 16 wherein the at least one elastomeric wall extends into the forward portion of the arc at the forward end of the second upper face.

18. The toothbrush of claim 17 wherein the at least one elastomeric wall is formed as an imperforate, elongate wall with an upper edge to contact the user'"'"'s teeth.

19. The toothbrush of claim 17 wherein the at least one bristle portion on the second platform extends in the first direction father from the second upper face than the at least one elastomeric wall.

20. The toothbrush of claim 17 wherein the at least one elastomeric wall extends at least partially in a lateral direction along the second platform.

21. A powered toothbrush comprising:

a handle portion having a neck formed at one end and a drive mechanism;

a head coupled to the neck, the head including (i) a base and (ii) first and second movable parts;

the base having an upper side to which the first and second movable parts are attached, and a slot opening in the upper side;

the first movable part being mounted for movement relative to the base and including (i) a first platform having a first upper face, and (ii) at least one first tooth cleaning element extending outward from the upper face to contact a user'"'"'s teeth; and

the second movable part being mounted for movement relative to the base and including (i) a second platform having a second upper face, (ii) at least one second tooth cleaning element extending outward from the upper face, and (iii) a tongue extending in a direction opposite to the at least one second tooth cleaning element for receipt in the slot, the tongue including at least one flange that extends laterally beyond the opening of the slot to hold the second movable part to the head.

22. The toothbrush of claim 21 further including at least one elastomeric wall extending outward from the second upper face.

23. The toothbrush of claim 22 wherein the at least one elastomeric wall is curved.

24. The toothbrush of claim 22 wherein the at least one elastomeric wall is positioned along a perimeter portion of the second platform.

25. The toothbrush of claim 22 wherein the first upper face is generally circular, the second upper face is generally elongate and provided with a front concave end that partially wraps around the first upper face, and the at least one elastomeric wall includes an end portion positioned by the forward ends of the concave end at the forward end of the second upper face.

26. The toothbrush of claim 21 wherein the first movable part is coupled to the drive mechanism for oscillation about an axis extending outward from the first upper face.

27. The toothbrush of claim 21 wherein the tongue and the opening each has a generally T-shaped configuration.