Powered toothbrush

• US 20040158944A1
• Filed: 11/04/2003
• Published: 08/19/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 11/05/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Colgate-Palmolive Company
• Original Assignee: Colgate-Palmolive Company
• Inventors: Fattori, Joseph Edward
• Granted Patent: US 7,065,821 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 15/22.1
• CPC Class Codes: A61C 17/3418 Rotation around the axis of the toothbrush handle

Abstract

A powered toothbrush provides movement of cleaning elements which replicate the preferred method of cleaning teeth, namely up-and-down movement on the surface of the user'"'"'s teeth. This preferred movement is obtained by translating rotational movement of a motor, first into reciprocation movement within the toothbrush through the interaction of a cam follower and helical tracks, and then translation of the reciprocating movement into oscillating movement of the cleaning elements through a limited arc. The translation of rotational to reciprocating movement is achieved through interaction of a cam follower in a helical track. The translation of reciprocating movement to oscillating movement is achieved through reciprocating movement of a volute through a mating groove in the head of the toothbrush.

Claims

1. A powered toothbrush comprising a handle, a head with cleaning elements thereon movable relative to the handle, a motor with a drive shaft, a first housing fixedly connected to shaft having a cam device thereon, a second housing having a cam device cooperatively engaged with the cam device on the first housing to convert rotational movement of the first housing into reciprocating motion of the second housing along the longitudinal axis of the toothbrush, a volute extension of the second housing cooperatively mating with an opening in a portion of the head to translate reciprocating movement of the second housing into oscillating motion of the cleaning elements.

2. The powered toothbrush of claim 1 wherein the cam devices on the housings are a cam follower and mating helical track for the cam follower.

3. The powered toothbrush of claim 1 wherein the head of the toothbrush is removable.

4. The powered toothbrush of claim 1 wherein the handle includes an upper conical enclosure surrounding the first and second housings, the conical enclosure having an upper sliding surface.

5. The powered toothbrush of claim 4 wherein the head includes a stem with a lower sliding surface that facilitates movement across the upper sliding surface on the upper conical enclosure of the handle.

6. The powered toothbrush of claim 5 wherein a washer is located between the sliding surfaces of the handle and head.