Electric Toothbrush

• US 20110247153A1
• Filed: 04/08/2011
• Published: 10/13/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 04/08/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LG Innotek Company Limited (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Innotek Company Limited (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: Byeon, Daegil
• Granted Patent: US 8,499,396 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 15/22.1
• CPC Class Codes: A61C 17/32 reciprocating or oscillating
• CPC Class Codes: A61C 17/3481 Vibrating brush body, e.g. by using eccentric weights

Abstract

Disclosed is an electric toothbrush including a toothbrush plate having a cleaning brush installed thereon; a toothbrush head having a storage within which the toothbrush plate is stored; a toothbrush body that is connected to the toothbrush head and has a storage space formed therein; a flat type vibration motor that is disposed between the toothbrush plate and the toothbrush head; and a power supply unit that includes a power supply that is disposed in the storage space of the toothbrush body and supplies the vibration motor with power, a power supply switch connected to the power supply and a wire that is electrically connected to the vibration motor and the power supply switch and supplies the vibration motor with power.

Claims

1. An electric toothbrush, comprising:

a toothbrush plate having a cleaning brush installed thereon;

a toothbrush head having a storage within which the toothbrush plate is stored;

a toothbrush body that is connected to the toothbrush head and has a storage space formed therein;

a flat type vibration motor that is disposed between the toothbrush plate and the toothbrush head; and

a power supply unit that includes a power supply that is disposed in the storage space of the toothbrush body and supplies the vibration motor with power, a power supply switch connected to the power supply and a wire that is electrically connected to the vibration motor and the power supply switch and supplies the vibration motor with power.

2. The electric toothbrush according to claim 1, wherein the toothbrush head has a vibration motor storage groove to store the vibration motor.

3. The electric toothbrush according to claim 1, further comprising an adhesive member to glue the toothbrush head and the toothbrush plate together.

4. The electric toothbrush according to claim 1, further comprising a waterproof member to cover and protect the vibration motor.

5. The electric toothbrush according to claim 1, wherein the vibration motor is formed in a flat coin shape.

6. The electric toothbrush according to claim 1, wherein the power supply switch includes:

a first switch contact button disposed in the toothbrush body;

a second switch contact button disposed in the toothbrush body and facing the first switch contact button; and

a switch portion that is disposed in the storage space of the toothbrush body and is electrically connected by a pressure applied to the first and second switch buttons.

7. The electric toothbrush according to claim 1, wherein a wire storage groove to store a wire that is electrically connected to the vibration motor is formed on the surface of the toothbrush body, and the wire storage groove is engaged with a sealing member to seal the wire storage groove.

8. An electric toothbrush, comprising:

a toothbrush plate having a cleaning brush installed thereon;

a toothbrush head having a storage groove within which the toothbrush plate is stored and a vibration motor storage groove within which the vibration motor is stored;

a toothbrush body that is connected to the toothbrush head and has a storage space formed therein;

a flat type vibration motor that is disposed between the toothbrush plate and the toothbrush head;

a power supply unit that includes a power supply that is disposed in the storage space of the toothbrush body and supplies the vibration motor with power, a power supply switch connected to the power supply, and a wire that is electrically connected to the vibration motor and the power supply switch and provides the vibration with power; and

an adhesive member to glue the toothbrush head and toothbrush plate together.

9. The electric toothbrush according to claim 8, further comprising a waterproof member to cover and protect the vibration motor.

10. The electric toothbrush according to claim 9, wherein the vibration motor is formed in a flat coin shape.

11. The electric toothbrush according to claim 10, wherein the power supply switch includes:

a first switch contact button disposed in the toothbrush body;

a second switch contact button disposed in the toothbrush body and facing the first switch contact button; and

a switch portion that is disposed in the storage space of the toothbrush body and is electrically connected by a pressure applied to the first and second switch buttons.

12. The electric toothbrush according to claim 11, wherein a wire storage groove to store a wire that is electrically connected to the vibration motor is formed on the surface of the toothbrush body, and the wire storage groove is engaged with a sealing member to seal the wire storage groove.

13. The electric toothbrush according to claim 12, wherein the vibration motor includes:

a case formed in a coin shape;

a rotational axis disposed in the case and in a vertical direction of the case;

a rotor that is fixed to the rotational axis to be eccentric to the rotational axis; and

a magnet installed in the case.

14. The electric toothbrush according to claim 13, wherein the rotor includes:

a molding formed in a disc shape;

a weight installed to the rotational axis to be eccentric to the rotational axis; and

a pair of coils that is wound around the weight to generate a magnetic field needed to rotate the rotational axis.

15. The electric toothbrush according to claim 14, wherein the magnet is formed in a doughnut shape and disposed on the bottom of the case, the magnet being positioned correspondingly to the coil.

16. The electric toothbrush according to claim 15, wherein the power supply includes:

a battery that supplies power needed to drive the vibration motor and has both anode and cathode terminals;

an anode plate disposed in a position facing the anode terminal; and

a cathode plate disposed in a position facing the cathode terminal.

17. The electric toothbrush according to claim 16, wherein the battery is a nickel-cadmium battery.

18. The electric toothbrush according to claim 8, wherein the toothbrush body includes:

a first housing that is gripped by a hand when a user brushes teeth;

a second housing that is thread-engaged with the other end of the first housing; and

a sealing holder that is inserted between the first and second housings so as to prevent water from flowing into the first and second housings.

19. The electric toothbrush according to claim 18, wherein the first housing includes the storage space to store the power supply unit therein.

20. The electric toothbrush according to claim 19, wherein the first housing has a first button inserting hole formed in an upper side of an area where the storage space is formed.