Toothbrush with kinetic plate

• US 7,140,058 B2
• Filed: 09/27/2002
• Issued: 11/28/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 09/27/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Colgate-Palmolive Company
• Original Assignee: Colgate-Palmolive Company
• Inventors: Gatzemeyer, John J., Eliav, Eyal, Jimenez, Eduardo J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Spisich, Mark
• Application Number:
  US10/260,585
• Publication Number:
  US 20040060135A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,523 Days
• Field of Search: 15/221, 15/222, 15/224, 15/28, 151/10, 601/142
• US Class Current: 15/22.1
• CPC Class Codes: A46B 13/008 Disc-shaped brush bodies
• 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 17/3436 Rotation around the axis perpendicular to the plane defined by the bristle holder
• CPC Class Codes: A61C 17/3445 Translation along the axis of the toothbrush handle
• CPC Class Codes: A61C 17/349 with multiple brush bodies

Abstract

A powered toothbrush is provided and includes a handle portion having a neck formed at one end and a head coupled to neck. The head includes a first carrier that is coupled to the head and is operatively connected to a first drive for moving the first carrier in a first direction. The first carrier has bristles, elastomeric cleaning members, or a combination thereof extending outwardly therefrom. The head also includes a second carrier that is coupled to the head and is in selective engagement with a protrusion extending in a recess defined by the first carrier to impart movement in a second direction. The second carrier has bristles, elastomeric cleaning members or a combination thereof extending outwardly therefrom. In an exemplary embodiment, the first carrier oscillates in a rotational direction and the second carrier moves in a direction parallel to the head.

Claims

1. A powered toothbrush comprising:

a handle portion and

a head coupled to the handle portion, the head further including;

abase;

a first carrier coupled to the base and operatively connected to a first drive feature for moving the first carrier in a first direction, the first carrier having at least one first cleaning member extending outwardly therefrom; and

a second carrier coupled to the base, the second carrier having a plurality of second cleaning members separated by a respective spacing and extending outwardly from the second carrier, the second carrier engaging the first carrier so that the movement of the first carrier in the first direction is translated into movement of the second carrier in a second direction;

wherein the second carrier comprises an elastomeric material such that the spacing between the plurality of second cleaning members changes with the movement of the second carrier.

2. The powered toothbrush as defined in claim 1, wherein the first direction is a direction defined radially about a center point of said first carrier.

3. The powered toothbrush as defined in claim 1, wherein the first carrier oscillates in a back and forth manner.

4. The powered toothbrush as defined in claim 1, wherein the first carrier oscillates in a rotational direction.

5. The powered toothbrush as defined in claim 1, wherein the second direction is a direction defined radially about a center point of said first carrier.

6. The powered toothbrush as defined in claim 1, wherein the second direction is a direction along a longitudinal axis of the head.

7. The powered toothbrush as defined in claim 1, wherein the first carrier comprises a disc shaped member.

8. The powered toothbrush as defined in claim 1, wherein the second carrier includes a platform having at least one leg extending outwardly therefrom to couple the second carrier to the base.

9. The powered toothbrush as defined in claim 8, wherein the at least one leg is formed at an end of the platform that is opposite an end of the platform that is engaged to the first carrier.

10. The powered toothbrush as defined in claim 8, wherein the at least one leg is formed of one of a rigid material and an elastomeric material.

11. The powered toothbrush as defined in claim 8, wherein the platform is formed of one of a rigid material and an elastomeric material.

12. The powered toothbrush as defined in claim 8, wherein said second carrier engages said first carrier in accordance with a protrusion disposed at an end of the platform of the second carrier that faces the first carrier, said first carrier defining a complementary recess to receive the protrusion.

13. The powered toothbrush as defined in claim 12, wherein the protrusion of the platform is rigidly received in the recess.

14. The powered toothbrush as defined in claim 12, wherein the protrusion of the platform is frictionally received in the recess.

15. The powered toothbrush as defined in claim 8, wherein said second carrier engages said first carrier in accordance with an elastomeric member that extends outwardly from an end of the platform of the second carrier that faces the first carrier and is received within a complementary recess defined by the first carrier such tat when the first carrier moves in the first direction, the elastomeric member remains in the recess, resulting in the second carrier moving in the second direction.

16. The powered toothbrush as defined in claim 1, wherein the first drive feature comprises a drive shaft that is part of a drive mechanism.

17. The powered toothbrush as defined in claim 1, wherein the first direction and the second direction are the same.

18. The powered toothbrush as defined in claim 1, wherein the second carrier is coupled to the base by a first leg that is formed at one of a midpoint of a first end of the second carrier that faces and is adjacent the first carrier and a midpoint of a second end that is opposite the first end and positioned apart from the first carrier.

19. The powered toothbrush as defined in claim 18, wherein the second earner moves in the second direction about the first leg.

20. The powered toothbrush as defined in claim 18, wherein the second carrier includes a second leg that is disposed at a midpoint of an end of the second carrier opposite the end at which the first leg is disposed.

21. The powered toothbrush as defined in claim 1, wherein said second carrier engages said first carrier in accordance with a recess defined by the second carrier at a location which faces the first carrier and a member coupled to said first carrier that is received into the recess.

22. The powered toothbrush as defined in claim 21, wherein the recess is formed in an end wall that faces the first carrier and the member comprises a protrusion that extends outwardly from the first carrier.

23. The powered toothbrush as defined in claim 22, wherein the protrusion is formed of a rigid material and the second carrier is formed of an elastomeric material to permit movement of the first carrier to be translated into movement of the second carrier through movement of the protrusion.

24. The powered toothbrush as defined in claim 1, wherein the second carrier is an elastomeric body disposed proximate to the first carrier, the second carrier having at least one surface that faces the first carrier and the first carrier including an edge that selectively contacts the at least one surface when the first carrier moves in the first direction, resulting in the second carrier being moved in the second direction.

25. The powered toothbrush as defined in claim 24, wherein a first end of the second carrier faces the first carrier, the at least one surface being a lateral section of the first end and the edge of the first carrier that selectively contacts the at least one surface is in the form of an extension protruding outwardly from the first carrier.

26. The powered toothbrush as defined in claim 1, wherein the movement in the second direction comprises rotation about a member that couples the second carrier to the base, said movement being lateral to the first carrier.

27. The powered toothbrush as defined in claim 1, wherein the movement in the second direction comprises rotation about a member that couples the second carrier to the base, said movement being longitudinal and lateral relative to the first carrier.

28. The powered toothbrush as defined in claim 1, wherein the second carrier is operatively connected to a second drive feature for moving the second carrier in a third direction different from the first and second directions.

29. The powered toothbrush as defined in claim 28, wherein the third direction is a direction perpendicular to a surface of the base.

30. The powered toothbrush as defined in claim 28, wherein the second drive feature comprises at least one cam surface that selectively contacts the second carrier to cause movement of the second carrier in the third direction.

31. The powered toothbrush as defined in claim 30, wherein the second carrier includes a platform that is operatively connected to the second drive feature for moving the second carrier in the third direction, the at least one cam surface selectively contacting a bottom surface of platform to cause movement of platform in the third direction.

32. A powered toothbrush comprising:

a handle portion and

a head coupled to handle portion, the head further including;

a first carrier coupled to the head and operatively connected to a first drive feature for moving the first carrier in a first direction, the first carrier having at least one first cleaning member extending outwardly therefrom; and

a second carrier coupled to the head at a first location, the second carrier being an elastomeric member in selective contact with the first carrier at a second location such that movement of the first carrier imparts movement to the second carrier, the second carrier having a plurality of second cleaning members extending outwardly from an upper surface thereof, wherein a spacing between the plurality of second cleaning members on the second carrier changes with the movement of the second carrier.

33. A powered toothbrush comprising:

a handle portion and

a head coupled to the handle portion, the head further including;

a first carrier coupled to the head and operatively connected to a first drive feature for moving the first carrier in a first direction, the first carrier having at least one first cleaning member extending outwardly therefrom; and

a second carrier including a member that couples the second carrier to the head, the second carrier having a section that extends outwardly therefrom and engages the first carrier such that movement of the first carrier in the first direction is translated into movement of the second carrier in a second direction, the second carrier having at least a plurality of elastomeric cleaning members spaced from each other by a spacing and extending outwardly from the second carrier,

wherein the spacing between the plurality of elastomeric cleaning members on the second carrier changes with the movement of the second carrier.

34. The powered toothbrush as defined in claim 33, wherein the second carrier pivots about the member when the second carrier moves in the second direction.

35. The powered toothbrush as defined in claim 33, wherein the member comprises at least one leg extending from the second carrier and being attached to the head.

36. The powered toothbrush as defined in claim 33, wherein the section comprises a protrusion that is received within a recess defined by the first carrier, the protrusion being retained in the recess when the first carrier moves in the first direction.

37. The powered toothbrush as defined in claim 33, wherein the second carrier includes an upstanding elastomeric wall extending outwardly from an upper surface, the upstanding elastomeric wall having a shape selected from the group consisting of linear, zigzag, and serpentine.

38. A brush section for use in a powered toothbrush having a handle portion, the brush section comprising:

a head adapted to be coupled to the handle portion, the head further including;

a first carrier coupled to the head and operatively connected to a first drive feature for moving the first carrier in a first direction, the first carrier having at least one first cleaning member extending outwardly therefrom; and

a second carrier coupled to head, the second carrier having a plurality of second cleaning members separated by a spacing and extending outwardly from the second carrier, the second carrier engaging the first carrier so that the movement of the first carrier in the first direction is translated into movement of the second carrier in a second direction;

wherein the spacing between the plurality of second cleaning members changes with the movement of the second carrier.