Actuator and electric toothbrush utilizing same

• US 8,587,162 B2
• Filed: 11/10/2009
• Issued: 11/19/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 11/14/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Mitsumi Electric Co., Ltd. (Minebea Mitsumi, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Mitsumi Electric Co., Ltd. (Minebea Mitsumi, Inc.)
• Inventors: Kagami, Masaharu, Sakaguchi, Kazutaka, Takahashi, Yuki, Inamoto, Shigenori
• Primary Examiner(s): Kim, John K
• Assistant Examiner(s): BARANIECKI, MICHAEL R
• Application Number:
  US13/129,041
• Publication Number:
  US 20110214239A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,470 Days
• Field of Search: 310/12.14, 310 14- 37, 310/38, 15/221, 15/222, 15/224, 15/23, 15/28
• US Class Current: 310/12.14
• CPC Class Codes: A61C 17/32 reciprocating or oscillating
• CPC Class Codes: A61C 17/34 driven by electric motor
• CPC Class Codes: A61C 17/3418 Rotation around the axis of the toothbrush handle
• CPC Class Codes: H02K 33/16 with polarised armatures moving in alternate directions by reversal or energisation of a single coil system

Abstract

Disclosed is an actuator that realizes reciprocal rotational motion of an electric toothbrush, for example, without utilizing a drive transmission mechanism that is separate from the drive source. In the actuator, a fixed body (120) has a coil (128) that is disposed around a magnet (160) and faces the magnetic planes with different polarities within the magnet (160) at individual prescribed distances, and an outer yoke (150) that covers the outer periphery of the coil (128). The fixed body (120) rotatably supports a movable body (110), which holds the magnet (160), via a coil spring that is an elastic member (130) made from a wire. An alternating current supplying part (140) supplies an alternating current having roughly the same resonance frequency as that of the fixed body (120) to the coil (128) to cause the movable body (110) to vibrate in a reciprocal rotational motion. The coil spring that is the elastic member (130) uniformly disperses stress generated by the vibration.

Claims

1. An actuator comprising:

an outer yoke having inner wall planes opposing each other, the inner wall planes being placed a predetermined interval apart;

a permanent magnet that has different magnetic pole planes facing the inner wall planes respectively over air gaps therebetween;

a coil that is placed through the air gaps and surrounds the permanent magnet;

a fixed body that has one of the permanent magnet or the coil;

a movable body that has the other one of the permanent magnet or the coil and that has an output shaft that is perpendicular to both a direction in which the magnetic pole planes and the inner wall planes face each other and an axial direction of winding of the coil;

an alternating current supplying section that supplies an alternating current to the coil, the alternating current having a frequency substantially the same as a resonance frequency of the movable body; and

one coil spring that is placed between a rear wall part of the fixed body and a rear wall part of the movable body and that has an end fixed to the fixed body and another end fixed to the movable body, and that supports the movable body on the fixed body in such a way that the movable body is able to rotate about an axis along the output shaft,

wherein the coil spring connects the fixed body and the movable body in such a way that an axial center of a winding part in the coil spring is substantially matches an axial center of the output shaft, and

wherein the movable body is supported via the coil spring in such a way that the movable body is able to move in a twisting direction of the output shaft.

2. The actuator according to claim 1, wherein:

the movable body comprises the outer yoke and the permanent magnet that is provided in the outer yoke via a non-magnetic body; and

the fixed body comprises the coil.

3. The actuator according to claim 1, wherein:

the movable body comprises the coil; and

the fixed body comprises the outer yoke and the permanent magnet that is provided in the outer yoke via a non-magnetic body.

4. The actuator according to claim 1, wherein the movable body is axially supported on the fixed body in such a way that the movable body is able to rotate about the output shaft.

5. An electric toothbrush comprising:

the actuator of claim 1; and

a toothbrush part that is coaxially coupled with the output shaft of the actuator, a head of the toothbrush part being provided with bristles perpendicular to an axial direction of the output shaft.