Electric toothbrush with a replaceable head section

• US 7,222,381 B2
• Filed: 04/24/2001
• Issued: 05/29/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 04/27/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Glaxosmithkline Consumer Healthcare GmbH & Company KG (GlaxoSmithKline PLC)
• Original Assignee: Glaxosmithkline Consumer Healthcare GmbH & Company KG (GlaxoSmithKline PLC)
• Inventors: Kraemer, Hans
• Primary Examiner(s): Spisich; Mark
• Application Number:
  US10/258,655
• Publication Number:
  US 20040016067A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,226 Days
• Field of Search: 15 221- 224, 15/23, 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 17/222 Brush body details, e.g. the shape thereof or connection to handle

Abstract

An electrically driven toothbrush having a replaceable head section with a plug part which is engageable with a socket in its handle to connect its driveable head to its motor in the handle. The head section has a resiliently deformable end surface, and there is an engaging concavity and convexity in the respective meeting end surfaces of the plug part and the socket. The concavity and convexity engage to facilitate locking together of the head and handle. A separate replaceable head section for such a toothbrush is also provided.

Claims

1. A toothbrush comprising:

a handle containing an electric drive motor and having an engagement socket for a head section;

a replaceable head section being an elongate structure having a driveable toothbrush head at one end and having a plug part which is engageable with the socket at its opposite end;

the plug part having an end surface which when the plug part is engaged with the socket faces generally in the direction of the handle, and the socket having an end surface which faces generally in the direction of the head;

wherein;

the end surface of the plug part is resiliently deformable in the handle-head direction under the influence of pressure applied longitudinally to the end surface;

one of either the end surface of the plug part or the end surface of the socket has a convexity thereon projecting along the head-handle direction, and the other has a concavity therein which receives the projection when the plug part is engaged with the socket.

2. A toothbrush according to claim 1 wherein the convexity is on the end surface of the plug part, and the concavity is located in the end surface of the socket.

3. A toothbrush according to claim 1 wherein the concavity is located in the end surface of the plug part, and the convexity is located on the end surface of the socket.

4. A toothbrush according to claim 3 wherein:

the plug part of the head section which is engageable with the socket is in the form of a hollow, tubular body having an end surface which faces in the direction of the handle and is defined by a body wall, an aperture is located adjacent to the end surface and passes completely through the body wall and is bounded by a resiliently flexible bridge part bridging the aperture on the side of the aperture adjacent to the end surface, a surface of the bridge part is an end surface of the plug part of the head section, the concavity is in the end surface of the bridge part and part of the bridge part comprises a ramp surface at a sloping alignment relative to the longitudinal direction of the head section, a concave region is provided on the end surface of the plug part, the ramp surface comprising part of the concave region of the end surface of the plug part,

and when the plug part is inserted into the socket the convexity on the end surface of the socket fits into a gap between the end surface of the plug part and the end surface of the socket bounded by the concave region, relative rotation of the plug part and the socket causes the ramp surface to ride over the convexity, and further relative rotation then causes the concavity to receive the convexity.

5. A toothbrush according to claim 1 wherein the concavity in the end surface respectively of the socket or the plug part of the head conforms substantially to the shape and size of the convexity on the end surface respectively of the plug part or the socket.

6. A toothbrush according to claim 1 wherein the plug part and socket are provided with engagement features to facilitate a secure but releasable engagement of the plug part with the socket.

7. A replaceable head section for a toothbrush being an elongate structure having a driveable toothbrush head at one end and having a plug part at its longitudinally opposite end, wherein the plug part is in the form of a hollow, tubular body defined by a body wall and having an end surface, wherein the end surface of the plug part is resiliently deformable in the longitudinal direction under the influence of pressure applied longitudinally to the end surface and the end surface of the plug part has a convexity thereon projecting along the longitudinal direction, or a concavity therein.

8. A replaceable head section according to claim 7 wherein the end surface of the plug part of the head section is made resiliently deformable by means of an aperture adjacent to the end surface and passing completely through the body wall, and which is bounded by a resiliently flexible bridge part partly or wholly bridging the aperture on the side of the aperture adjacent to the end surface, a surface of the bridge part being an end surface of the plug part of the head section.

9. A replaceable head section according to claim 8 wherein the aperture is in the form of a slot having its length direction in the circumferential direction of the plug part.

10. A replaceable head section according to claim 8 wherein the convexity is on the end surface of the bridge part.

11. A replaceable head section according to claim 10 wherein the plug part of the head section is provided with bayonet connection engagement features to facilitate a locking but releasable engagement of the plug part with corresponding bayonet connection features in a socket.

12. A replaceable head section according to claim 8 wherein the concavity is in the end surface of the bridge part.

13. A replaceable head section according to claim 12, wherein there is a ramp surface on the end surface of the plug part adjacent to the concavity.

14. A replaceable head section according to claim 13, wherein the ramp surface comprises part of the bridge part circumferentially adjacent to the concavity.

15. A replaceable head section according to claim 13 wherein the ramp surface comprises part of a concave region of the end surface of the plug part.

16. A replaceable head section for a toothbrush according claim 8 wherein a concavity is in the end surface of the bridge part and part of the bridge part comprises a ramp surface at a sloping alignment relative to the longitudinal direction of the head section.