Dental cleaning device

• US 20040255409A1
• Filed: 06/18/2004
• Published: 12/23/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 12/04/2001
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Braun GmbH (The Procter & Gamble Company)
• Original Assignee: Braun GmbH (The Procter & Gamble Company)
• Inventors: Reick, Hansjorg, Stratmann, Martin, Schwarz-Hartmann, Armin, Trawinski, Peter, Hilscher, Alexander, Vorbeck, Wolfgang
• Application Number:
  US10/872,075
• Publication Number:
  US 20040255409A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• 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 17/221 Control arrangements therefor
• CPC Class Codes: A61C 17/222 Brush body details, e.g. the shape thereof or connection to handle
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49716 Converting
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49826 Assembling or joining

Abstract

An electric toothbrush with a removable brush section having a transponder communicating with a handle portion of the toothbrush via a non-contacting inductive coupling.

Claims

1. A handle section of an electrical dental cleaning device, the handle section comprising:

a mechanical drive coupling for connecting and driving a related brush section of the device;

an electric motor mechanically coupled to the drive coupling;

means for controlling the electric motor, said control means adapted to inhibit operation of the motor in response to a coupled brush section, the control means including a coil for non-contacting transmission and reading of data from a coupled brush section to enable the motor.

2. The handle section according to claim 1, including a switch operable to activate both the coil and the electric motor.

3. The handle section according to claim 1, wherein the control means is adapted to transfer and read data only when a brush section is mechanically coupled thereto.

4. The handle section according to claim 1, wherein the coil is adapted to inductively couple the handle section to a brush section for transmitting data.

5. The handle section according to claim 1, wherein the coil is disposed adjacent to the mechanical drive coupling.

6. The handle section according to claim 1, wherein the coil has turns encompassing an axis of rotation of a drive shaft driven by the electric motor.

7. The handle section according to claim 1, wherein the coil has a turn area that defines, together with a longitudinal axis of the handle section, an included angle of between about 40 and 140 degrees.

8. The handle section according to claim 7, wherein the included angle is between about 80 and 100 degrees.

9. The handle section according to claim 1, wherein the electric motor is coupled to the drive coupling to drive a drive shaft of the coupling in at least one alternating rotary motion about an axis of rotation.

10. The handle section according to claim 9 wherein the electric motor is also coupled to the drive coupling to drive the drive shaft about a swivel axis positioned essentially perpendicular to the axis of rotation.

11. The handle section according to claim 1, wherein the control means includes an ASIC and/or micro-controller.

25. An electrical dental cleaning device with a handle section according to claim. 1, in combination with a brush section according to claim 12.

26. The dental cleaning device according to claim 25, wherein data is transmitted between the brush section and the handle section, the data including data specific to the brush, section.

27. The dental cleaning device according to claim 26, wherein the transmitted data includes operating parameters for operation of the brush section.

28. The dental cleaning device according to claim 25, wherein data is transmitted between the brush section and the handle section and wherein the data is coded.

29. The dental cleaning device according to claim 25, wherein the data transmission device of the brush section comprises a transponder.

30. The dental cleaning device according to claim 29, wherein the transponder is passive, and wherein energy is transmitted from the handle section to the brush section to activate the passive transponder.

31. The dental cleaning device according to claim 25, wherein the handle section and the brush section are inductively coupled by means of their respective coils for the exchange or transmission of data or energy.

12. A brush section of an electrical toothbrush, the brush section comprising

a drivable brush head

a mechanical coupling device for coupling the brush section to a handle section of an electric toothbrush;

and

a readable data transmission device having a data carrier and a coil for the non-contacting transmission of data from the brush section to a coupled handle section of an electric toothbrush.

13. The brush section according to claim 12, wherein the data transmission device is adapted to be activated by a coupled handle section of an electric toothbrush.

14. The brush section according to claim 12, wherein the data transmission device transmits data only when the brush section is mechanically coupled to a handle section of an electric toothbrush.

15. The brush section according to claim 12, wherein the data transmission device is constructed to couple the brush section to a handle portion of an electric toothbrush inductively.

16. The brush section according to claim 15, wherein the coil operates at a resonant frequency of 13.56 MHz, plus or minus 10 percent.

17. The brush section according to claim 12, wherein the coil is disposed within, or adjacent to, the mechanical coupling device.

18. The brush section according to claim 12, wherein the coil has turns'"'"' that encompass an axis of rotation of a drivable shaft of the coupling device.

19. The brush section according to claim 12, wherein the coil defines a turn area, that defines, together with a longitudinal axis of the brush section, an included angle of between about 40 and 140 degrees.

20. The brush section according to claim 12, wherein the coupling device includes a profiled sleeve and a receiver shaft disposed within a tubular shank, and wherein the readable data transmission device is arranged on the profiled sleeve or on the shank or is connected therewith.

21. The brush section according to claim 12, wherein the data transmission device comprises a transponder.

22. The brush section according to claim 21 wherein the transponder is passive.

23. The brush section according to claim 21, wherein the transponder has a data memory for digital data.

24. The brush section according to claim 23, wherein the data memory has a storage capacity of between about 10⁰ bit and 10⁴ bit.

32. A method of operating an electric toothbrush, the method including mechanically coupling a removable brush section to a handle section of the toothbrush, such that the handle section responds to a data transmission device of the coupled brush section to enable a drive motor of the handle section for operation of the toothbrush.

33. The method of claim 32, wherein the handle section includes a reader that inductively couples to the data transmission device of the brush section, for communication between the brush and handle sections in a non-contacting manner.

34. The method of claim 33 wherein the reader and data transmission devices contain respective communication coils.