Flexible drive shaft for an eccentric weight-driven personal care appliance
First Claim
1. A personal care appliance, comprising:
- a DC motor having an output shaft which rotates;
a flexible coupling member connected to the output shaft at a proximal end thereof and having an eccentric mass mounted at a distal end thereof, wherein the flexible coupling member is capable of bending;
a workpiece assembly including a workpiece at a distal end thereof; and
a spring hub assembly driven by the coupling member and eccentric mass, which constrains the rotational movement of the coupling member to an oscillating action of the workpiece assembly, wherein the coupling member is elliptical in cross-section in an active region thereof, wherein the active portion is elliptical in configuration along the entire length thereof, having a thin dimension and a wider dimension with the thin dimension in the direction of the bending of the coupling member during operation of the appliance and the wider dimension perpendicular thereto.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
The appliance includes a DC motor (12) having a rotating output shaft (14). A flexible coupling member (22) is connected at one end to the output shaft, and at the other end is connected to an eccentric mass (24). The end of the coupling member with the eccentric mass is connected to a V-spring assembly (16) which drives a workpiece assembly (18) on a distal end of which is mounted a workpiece (19). The spring assembly constrains the rotational movement of the coupling member to produce an oscillating, back-and-forth action of the workpiece shaft and the workpiece through a desired angle. The coupling member is elongated, and is elliptical in cross-section in an active region (34), having a thin dimension (38) in the direction in which the active portion bends during operation of the motor and rotation of the motor output shaft.
23 Citations
15 Claims
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1. A personal care appliance, comprising:
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a DC motor having an output shaft which rotates; a flexible coupling member connected to the output shaft at a proximal end thereof and having an eccentric mass mounted at a distal end thereof, wherein the flexible coupling member is capable of bending; a workpiece assembly including a workpiece at a distal end thereof; and a spring hub assembly driven by the coupling member and eccentric mass, which constrains the rotational movement of the coupling member to an oscillating action of the workpiece assembly, wherein the coupling member is elliptical in cross-section in an active region thereof, wherein the active portion is elliptical in configuration along the entire length thereof, having a thin dimension and a wider dimension with the thin dimension in the direction of the bending of the coupling member during operation of the appliance and the wider dimension perpendicular thereto. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
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8. A personal care appliance, comprising:
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a DC motor having an output shaft which rotates; a flexible coupling member connected to the output shaft at a proximal end thereof and having an eccentric mass mounted at a distal end thereof, wherein the flexible coupling member is capable of bending; a workpiece assembly including a workpiece at a distal end thereof; and a spring hub assembly driven by the coupling member and eccentric mass, which constrains the rotational movement of the coupling member to an oscillating action of the workpiece assembly, wherein the coupling member is elliptical in cross-section in an active region thereof, having a thin dimension and a wider dimension with the thin dimension in the direction of the bending of the coupling member during operation of the appliance and the wider dimension perpendicular thereto, and wherein the coupling member includes two connecting portions at opposing ends thereof for connecting to the output shaft of the DC motor and to the eccentric mass, respectively, and an active region intermediate of the two connecting portions, and wherein the active portion is elliptical in configuration along the entire length thereof. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
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Specification