Complex motion toothbrush

• US 7,124,461 B2
• Filed: 08/30/2004
• Issued: 10/24/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 11/06/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: The Procter & Gamble Company
• Original Assignee: The Procter & Gamble Company
• Inventors: Brown, Patrick W., Gall, Douglas A., Blaustein, Lawrence A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Spisich, Mark
• Application Number:
  US10/929,288
• Publication Number:
  US 20050005376A1
• Time in Patent Office: 785 Days
• Field of Search: 15/221, 15/222, 15/224, 15/28, 15/29
• US Class Current: 15/22.2
• CPC Class Codes: A46B 9/025 the bristles or the tufts being arranged in an angled position relative to each other
• CPC Class Codes: A46B 9/04 Arranged like in or for toothbrushes
• 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 detachable head for use with an electric toothbrush is provided. The electric toothbrush has a handle with a motor disposed therein at a first end of the toothbrush. The toothbrush also has a head at a second end, the head having a longitudinal axis, the head also having a first bristle holder with a plurality of bristle tufts and a second bristle holder with a plurality of bristle tufts. The motor is operatively connected to the second bristle holder to move the second bristle holder in a side-to-side direction with respect to the head. The motor is also operatively connected to the first bristle holder to oscillate the first bristle holder about an axis passing through the first bristle holder and generally perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the head.

Claims

1. An electric toothbrush, comprising:

a handle at a first end of the toothbrush having a motor disposed therein;

a head at a second end of the toothbrush, the head having a longitudinal axis, the head having a first bristle holder with a plurality of bristle tufts and a second bristle holder with a plurality of bristle tufts, each of the bristle tufts of the first and second bristle holders having a base end connected to its respective bristle holder and an opposite free end; and

a motor operatively connected to the first bristle holder to oscillate the first bristle holder about a first axis passing through the first bristle holder and generally perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the head, and wherein the motor is operatively connected to the second bristle holder to move the second bristle holder in a generally linear side-to-side direction along a second axis generally transverse to the longitudinal axis of the heads wherein the base ends of the tufts of the second bristle holder move in unison and in the same direction with the free ends thereof.

2. The electric toothbrush of claim 1, further comprising a drive system operatively connected to the motor, wherein the drive system comprises a shaft and a cam.

3. The electric toothbrush of claim 2, wherein the shaft rotates.

4. The electric toothbrush of claim 2, wherein the cam is formed separately from the shaft.

5. The electric toothbrush of claim 2, wherein the cam is rotated by the shaft.

6. The electric toothbrush of claim 2, wherein a cam follower depends from a bottom surface of the second bristle holder and is moved from side-to-side along an axis perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the head through an operative engagement with the drive system.

7. The electric toothbrush of claim 6, wherein the bottom surface of the second bristle holder and a bottom surface of the first bristle holder contact a top surface of the head.

8. The electric toothbrush of claim 7, wherein the head further comprises a first and a second aperture and wherein the first and second bristle holders are moveably mounted through the first and second apertures, respectively.

9. The electric toothbrush of claim 2, wherein the drive system is not directly coupled to the second bristle holder.

10. The electric toothbrush of claim 9, wherein the drive system engages the second bristle holder to move in a side-to-side direction.

11. The electric toothbrush of claim 2, wherein the drive system passes under an entire length of the second bristle holder.

12. The electric toothbrush of claim 2, wherein the cam is integrally formed with the shaft.

13. The electric toothbrush of claim 2, wherein the drive system comprises a plurality of shaft portions, including a first shaft portion oriented within the handle and a second shaft portion oriented within the head, wherein the plurality of shaft portions are movably coupled to each other.

14. The electric toothbrush of claim 1, further comprising a gap between the first bristle holder and the second bristle holder.

15. The electric toothbrush of claim 14, wherein the first bristle holder is generally circular and the second bristle holder is generally noncircular, and wherein the plurality of bristle tufts of the second bristle holder differ in height.

16. The electric toothbrush of claim 15, wherein a side of the second bristle holder adjacent the first bristle holder is concave.

17. The electric toothbrush of claim 16, wherein a row of bristle tufts of the second bristle holder follow the concave side of the second bristle holder, and wherein the first bristle holder comprises a first circular row of bristle tufts surrounded by a second circular row of bristle tufts.

18. The electric toothbrush of claim 17, wherein the second bristle holder is oriented between the first bristle holder and the handle.

19. The electric toothbrush of claim 17, wherein the the concave row of bristle tufts of the second bristle holder is made up of five bristle tufts and the first circular row of bristle tufts is made up of eight bristle tufts.

20. A replaceable head for an electric toothbrush, comprising:

a distal end and a connecting end for connecting to a toothbrush handle or neck;

a longitudinal axis;

a first bristle holder comprising a plurality of bristle tufts; and

a second bristle holder comprising a plurality of bristle tufts, each of the bristle tufts of the first and second bristle holders having a base end connected to its respective bristle holder and an opposite free end; and

a drive system, wherein the drive system comprises a shaft and a cam, and wherein the drive system engages the first bristle holder to oscillate the first bristle holder about a first axis passing through the first bittle holder and generally perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the head, and wherein the drive system engages the second bristle holder to move the second bristle holder in a side-to-side direction, wherein the base ends of the tufts of the second bristle holder move in unison and in the same direction with the free ends thereof, wherein the engagement between the second bristle holder and the drive system occurs between the cam and the second bristle holder.

21. The replaceable head of claim 20, wherein the shaft is rotatable.

22. The replaceable head of claim 20, wherein a depending element depends from a bottom surface of the second bristle holder and passes through a first aperture in a top surface of the head.

23. The replaceable head of claim 22, wherein the cam is in operative communication with the depending element, but the cam and depending element are not attached to each other.

24. The replaceable head of claim 22, wherein the bottom surface of the second bristle holder contacts the top surface of the head.

25. A replaceable head for an electric toothbrush, comprising:

a distal end and a connecting end for connecting to a toothbrush handle or neck;

a longitudinal axis;

a first bristle holder comprising a plurality of bristle tufts; and

a second bristle holder comprising a plurality of bristle tufts and a depending element, wherein the depending element depends from a bottom surface of the second bristle holder;

each of the bristle tufts of the first and second bristle holders having a base end connected to its respective bristle holder and an opposite free end; and

a drive system, wherein the drive system engages the first bristle holder to oscillate the first bristle holder about a first axis passing through the first bristle holder and generally perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the head, and wherein the drive system engages the second bristle holder to move the second bristle holder in a side-to-side direction, wherein the base ends of the tufts of the second bristle holder move in unison and in the same direction with the free ends thereof, wherein the engagement between the drive system and the second bristle holder is between the drive system and the depending element, wherein the depending element is not directly coupled to the drive system.

26. The replaceable head of claim 25, wherein said second bristle holder moves in a substantially linear side-to-side direction along a second axis substantially transverse to the longitudinal axis of the head.

27. The replaceable head of claim 25, wherein the depending element passes through a first aperature in a top surface of the head.

28. The replaceable head of claim 27, wherein the head further comprises a second aperature and wherein the first bristle holder is moveably mounted through the second aperature.

29. The replaceable head of claim 25, wherein the drive system comprises a shaft and a cam, wherein the cam is in operative communication with the depending element, and wherein the bottom surface of the second bristle holder contacts a top surface of the head.

30. The replaceable head of claim 29, wherein the shaft is rotatable, and wherein the drive system is operably connected to the depending element.

31. The replaceable head of claim 29, wherein the shaft completely passes under the second bristle holder and does not completely pass under the first bristle holder.

32. The replaceable head of claim 25, further comprising a gap between the first bristle holder and the second bristle holder, wherein the first bristle holder is generally circular and the second bristle holder is generally oblong, and wherein the plurality of bristle tufts of the second bristle holder differ in height.

33. The replaceable head of claim 32, wherein a side of the second bristle holder adjacent the first bristle holder is arcuate, wherein an arcuate row of bristle tufts follow the arcuate portion of the second bristle holder, and wherein the second bristle holder is oriented between the first bristle holder and the handle.