Toothbrush assembly having an environmentally safe polymer battery

• US 7,743,447 B2
• Filed: 04/28/2005
• Issued: 06/29/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 11/08/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Colgate-Palmolive Company
• Original Assignee: Colgate-Palmolive Company
• Inventors: Kemp, James, Masters, James G.
• Primary Examiner(s): CHIN, RANDALL E
• Application Number:
  US11/117,622
• Publication Number:
  US 20050183221A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,888 Days
• Field of Search: 151/05, 151/671, 15/221
• US Class Current: 15/22.1
• CPC Class Codes: A46B 15/0002 Arrangements for enhancing monitoring or controlling the brushing process
• CPC Class Codes: A46B 15/0044 with light signalling means A46B15/0034, A46B15/0036 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A46B 2200/1066 Toothbrush for cleaning the teeth or dentures A61C17/16 takes precedence; bristles arrangements for toothbrushes A46B9/04
• 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 17/224 Electrical recharging arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: A61C 17/3436 Rotation around the axis perpendicular to the plane defined by the bristle holder
• CPC Class Codes: A61C 17/349 with multiple brush bodies
• CPC Class Codes: A61C 2204/002 using batteries

Abstract

The present invention discloses a powered or manual toothbrush having a polymer battery as a power source. The polymer battery contains no heavy metals, making it environmentally safe, and contains no alkaline, making it physically safe. The polymer battery is inexpensive and rechargeable, making it an economical power source for the toothbrush. The small size of the polymer battery saves space in the toothbrush housing, enabling the housing to be smaller and saving on materials of construction. The flexible nature of the polymer battery enables it to be shaped to fit into or around the periphery of the toothbrush housing design.

Claims

1. A toothbrush assembly, comprising:

a head connected to a handle, said head having at least one cleaning element extending outwardly therefrom;

said handle having an opaque outer covering, said handle further having an inner body comprising a transparent or translucent material;

a drive mechanism provided in said handle configured for oscillating said at least one cleaning element;

a powered element provided in at least one of said head and said handle; and

a polymer battery electrically coupled to said powered element to provide power thereto;

wherein the powered element comprises a light source, and light from said light source is reflected along an inner surface of the inner body by reflection.

2. A toothbrush assembly as recited in claim 1, wherein said light source further comprises a light-emitting diode (LED).

3. A toothbrush assembly as recited in claim 1, wherein said polymer battery is rechargeable.

4. A toothbrush assembly as recited in claim 3, wherein said polymer battery is rechargeable mechanically, chemically, or photochemically.

5. A toothbrush assembly as recited in claim 1, wherein said polymer battery comprises at least one electrode made of an electrically conductive polymer selected from the group consisting of poly(3(2-fluorophenyl)thiophene), poly(3(3-fluorophenyl)thiophene), poly(3(2,4-fluorophenyl)-thiophene), poly(3(3,4-fluorophenyl)thiophene), poly(3(3,4-difluorophenyl)thiophene), poly(3(3,5-difluoro-phenyl)thiophene), poly(3(3,4,5-trifluorophenyl)thiophene), lithium alloy/polypyrrole, tetramethyl/-ethyl/propyl/butylammonium trifluoromethane sulphonate, tetraalkyl ammonium salts, alcoholic hydroxy groups, polyaniline, polyacetylene, polyparaphenylene, poly(p-phenylene sulfide), poly(p-phenylene vinylene), and poly(2,5-thienylene vinylene).

6. A toothbrush assembly as recited in claim 1, wherein said polymer battery is flexible.

7. A toothbrush assembly as recited in claim 1, wherein the polymer battery is provided in the handle.

8. A toothbrush assembly as recited in claim 1, wherein said powered element further comprises is a drive mechanism provided in the handle.

9. A toothbrush assembly as recited in claim 8, wherein the at least one cleaning element is movable and is driven by the drive mechanism.

10. The toothbrush assembly of claim 1, wherein the outer covering has a plurality of openings, each of which exposes the inner surface of the inner body through the covering.

11. The toothbrush assembly of claim 10, wherein the exposed surfaces of the inner body are roughened to provide diffused light through the handle at the openings.

12. The toothbrush assembly of claim 10, wherein reflective particles are dispersed in an inner surface of the opaque outer covering.

13. The toothbrush assembly of claim 1, wherein the head comprises a plurality of light transmitting bristles, and reflected light from the light source enters the head and exits through a base portion of said bristles.

14. The toothbrush assembly of claim 1, wherein a plurality of optical fibers are molded into the handle, input ends of the fibers are located adjacent the light source, and output ends of the fibers terminate adjacent to selected areas of a surface the handle.

15. The toothbrush assembly of claim 14, wherein the output ends of the fibers are roughened to provide diffused light at the selected areas of the surface of the handle.

16. A personal care device, comprising:

a head having at least one cleaning element extending outwardly therefrom;

a handle connected to the head;

said handle having an opaque outer covering and an inner body comprising a transparent or translucent material;

a drive mechanism provided in said handle configured for moving said at least one cleaning element;

a powered element provided in at least one of the head and the handle;

wherein the powered element comprises a light source, and light from said light source is reflected along a length of the inner body by internal reflection; and

wherein a polymer battery is electrically coupled to the powered element to provide power thereto.

17. A personal care device as recited in claim 16, wherein the light source is a light-emitting diode (LED).

18. A personal care device as recited in claim 16, wherein the polymer battery is rechargeable.

19. A personal care device as recited in claim 16, wherein the polymer battery comprises at least one electrode made of an electrically conductive polymer selected from the group consisting of poly(3(2-fluorophenyl)thiophene), poly(3(3-fluorophenyl)thiophene), poly(3(2,4-fluorophenyl)-thiophene), poly(3(3,4-fluorophenyl)thiophene), poly(3(3,4-difluorophenyl)thiophene), poly(3(3,5-difluoro-phenyl)thiophene), poly(3(3,4,5-trifluorophenyl)thiophene), lithium alloy/polypyrrole, tetramethyl/-ethyl/propyl/butylammonium trifluoromethane sulphonate, tetraalkyl ammonium salts, alcoholic hydroxy groups, polyaniline, polyacetylene, polyparaphenylene, poly(p-phenylene sulfide), poly(p-phenylene vinylene), and poly(2,5-thienylene vinylene).

20. A personal care device as recited in claim 16, wherein the powered element further comprises a drive mechanism provided in the handle, and wherein the at least one cleaning element is movable and is driven by the drive mechanism.

21. A personal care device as recited in claim 16, wherein the personal care device is a toothbrush.

22. A personal care device, comprising:

a head having at least one consumer-beneficial element;

a handle connected to said head;

said handle having an opaque outer covering, said handle further having an inner body comprising a transparent or translucent material;

a drive mechanism provided in said handle configured for oscillating said at least one consumer-beneficial element;

a powered element provided in at least one of said head and said handle, said powered element comprising a light; and

a battery electrically coupled to said powered element to provide power thereto;

wherein the battery is an environmentally safe polymer battery;

wherein light from said light source is reflected along a length of the inner body by internal reflection.

23. A personal care device as recited in claim 22, wherein the personal care device is a toothbrush and the at least one consumer-beneficial element is at least one cleaning element.

24. A personal care device as recited in claim 23, wherein the at least one cleaning element is a toothbrush bristle.

25. A personal care device as recited in claim 23, wherein said polymer battery is rechargeable.

26. A personal care device as recited in claim 22, wherein said polymer battery comprises at least one electrode made of an electrically conductive polymer selected from the group consisting of poly(3(2-fluorophenyl)thiophene), poly(3(3-fluorophenyl)thiophene), poly(3(2,4-fluorophenyl)-thiophene), poly(3(3,4-fluorophenyl)thiophene), poly(3(3,4-difluorophenyl)thiophene), poly(3(3,5-difluoro-phenyl)thiophene), poly(3(3,4,5-trifluorophenyl)thiophene), lithium alloy/polypyrrole, tetramethyl/-ethyl/propyl/butylammonium trifluoromethane sulphonate, tetraalkyl ammonium salts, alcoholic hydroxy groups, polyaniline, polyacetylene, polyparaphenylene, poly(p-phenylene sulfide), poly(p-phenylene vinylene), and poly(2,5-thienylene vinylene).

27. A personal care device as recited in claim 22, wherein the powered element is a light-emitting diode (LED).