Mechanical toothbrush

• US 7,020,925 B1
• Filed: 12/22/2004
• Issued: 04/04/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 12/22/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Avtipus Patents and Inventions Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Avtipus Patents and Inventions Ltd.
• Inventors: Gitelis, Meir
• Primary Examiner(s): Graham, Gary K.
• Application Number:
  US10/905,262
• Time in Patent Office: 468 Days
• Field of Search: 15/221, 15/222, 15/224, 15/28
• US Class Current: 15/22.1
• CPC Class Codes: A61C 17/222 Brush body details, e.g. the shape thereof or connection to handle
• CPC Class Codes: A61C 17/3436 Rotation around the axis perpendicular to the plane defined by the bristle holder

Abstract

A toothbrush distal end for attachment to a handle of a mechanical toothbrush; the distal end comprising: a head; a neck having a proximal end and a distal end; a drive shaft having a driving bevelled gear fixed to distal end thereof; a brush consisting of a bristle array on a brush back plate, and a movement; the head being fixedly attached to the distal end of the neck; the neck being fixedly couplable to the handle and the drive shaft being couplable to a driving means; the neck being hollow and serving as a sleeve for the drive shaft;

the drive shaft being rotatingly drivable about its axis within the neck, by the driving means; wherein the movement is situated within a cavity in the head and is connected to the brush back plate, for moving the brush back plate along an eccentric orbital path with respect to the head when driven by the driving means via the rotating drive shaft.

Claims

1. A toothbrush distal end for attachment to a handle of a mechanical toothbrush including a driving means;

the distal end comprising;

a head;

a neck having a proximal end and a distal end;

a drive shaft having a driving bevelled gear fixed to distal end thereof;

a brush consisting of a bristle array on a brush back plate, and

a movement;

the head being fixedly attached to the distal end of the neck;

the neck being detachably couplable to the handle;

the neck being hollow and serving as a sleeve for the drive shaft;

the drive shaft being rotatingly drivable about its axis within the neck, by the driving means;

wherein the movement is situated within a cavity in the head and is connected to the brush back plate, for moving the brush back plate along an elliptical orbital path with respect to the head when driven by the driving means via the rotating drive shaft;

the movement comprising;

a driven bevelled gear;

a master gear;

a transmission system;

a slave gear;

a first eccentric pin being eccentrically attachable to the master gear;

a second eccentric pin being eccentrically attachable to the slave gear;

the first and second eccentric pins for attachment of the brush back plate to the movement;

the driven bevelled gear being drivenly coupled to the driving bevelled gear of the drive shaft,

the driven bevelled gear being coupled to the master gear, such that the driven bevelled gear drives the master gear and the master gear drives the slave gear via the transmission, for rotating the master gear and the slave gear together in the same direction;

the eccentric pins driving the brush in the elliptical orbital path.

2. The toothbrush distal end of claim 1, said transmission being an intermediate gear, said master gear, intermediate gear and slave gear rotating around axles that engage inside back wall of the cavity in the toothbrush head;

the driven bevelled gear being coaxially joined to the master gear;

each eccentric pin passing through an aperture in face of toothbrush head, and connecting to back of brush back plate.

3. The toothbrush distal end of claim 2 wherein said axles are fixedly connected to back of toothbrush head and said master, slave and intermediate gears freely rotate round their axles.

4. The toothbrush distal end of claim 2 wherein said axles are fixedly connected to master, slave and intermediate gears and loosely engage sockets on back of toothbrush head, freely rotating with respect to said sockets.

5. The toothbrush distal end of claim 2 wherein said eccentric pins are fixedly connected to said master and slave gears and loosely engage holes on brush back plate.

6. The toothbrush distal end of claim 5 wherein said eccentric pins are split pins that clip fit into the holes.

7. The toothbrush distal end of claim 2 wherein said eccentric pins are fixedly connected to said brush back plate and loosely engage socket holes in said master, slave and intermediate gears freely rotating with respect to said socket holes.

8. The toothbrush distal end of claim 7 wherein said eccentric pins are split pins that clip fit said socket holes.

9. The toothbrush distal end of claim 1, said driving means comprising a motor and power source.

10. The toothbrush distal end of claim 9, the motor and power source being situated within the handle.

11. The toothbrush distal end of claim 9, the power source being selected from the list of:

a power supply coupled to an electric main, a single use battery and a rechargeable battery.

12. The toothbrush distal end of claim 1, said driving means being selected from the list of hydraulic driving means, pneumatic driving means and electrical driving means, the distal end connecting to a handle of a professional dental tool.

13. The toothbrush distal end of claim 1 being permanently fixed to a handle.

14. The toothbrush distal end of claim 1 being removably attachable to a handle.