Oral-care device and system

• US 7,181,799 B2
• Filed: 10/24/2003
• Issued: 02/27/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 06/11/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Eegee LLC
• Original Assignee: Eegee LLC
• Inventors: Sun, Rickson, Loew, Christopher, Gavney, James A. Jr., Mix, Jerry, Boyle, Dennis, Kim, Daniel Sung-hwe, Soboll, Pascal Homero
• Primary Examiner(s): CHIN, RANDALL E
• Application Number:
  US10/692,837
• Publication Number:
  US 20050049155A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,222 Days
• Field of Search: 15/221, 15/28, 15/971, 151/10, 151/14, 151/17, 151/671, 152/45
• US Class Current: 15/22.1
• CPC Class Codes: A46B 13/023 with means for inducing vibration to the bristles
• CPC Class Codes: A46B 15/0002 Arrangements for enhancing monitoring or controlling the brushing process
• CPC Class Codes: A46B 2200/1066 Toothbrush for cleaning the teeth or dentures A61C17/16 takes precedence; bristles arrangements for toothbrushes A46B9/04
• CPC Class Codes: A46B 5/002 having articulations, joints or flexible portions
• CPC Class Codes: A46B 9/005 where the brushing material is not made of bristles, e.g. sponge, rubber or paper
• CPC Class Codes: A46B 9/04 Arranged like in or for toothbrushes
• CPC Class Codes: A46B 9/06 Arrangement of mixed bristles or tufts of bristles, e.g. wire, fibre, rubber
• 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 17/222 Brush body details, e.g. the shape thereof or connection to handle
• CPC Class Codes: A61C 17/3436 Rotation around the axis perpendicular to the plane defined by the bristle holder
• CPC Class Codes: A61C 17/3445 Translation along the axis of the toothbrush handle
• CPC Class Codes: A61C 17/3481 Vibrating brush body, e.g. by using eccentric weights
• CPC Class Codes: A61C 17/349 with multiple brush bodies

Abstract

A device with two or more regions configured to clean or treat a working surface is disclosed. Preferably, the device is an oral-care device with a power cleaning head. The power cleaning head comprises two or more regions, wherein at least one of the regions is configured to move and wherein at least one of the regions comprises a squeegee element. Preferably, the regions are configured to independently rotate, oscillate, vibrate or otherwise move while cleaning teeth and gums and can each include bristles, nodules, squeegee elements, or any combination thereof.

Claims

1. A device comprising a cleaning head, the cleaning head comprising:

a) a first region with a first support surface having bristles protruding therefrom, the first support surface being configured to move in a first direction; and

b) a second region with a second support surface having a first squeegee element and bristles protruding therefrom, the squeegee element having elongated walls that protrude to form a curved elongated wiping edge configured to treat a working surface,

wherein the second support surface is configured to move separately from the first support surface in a second direction that is different from the first direction and wherein a portion of the bristles protruding from the first support surface and the second support surface flank opposed sides of the elongated wiping edge formed by the elongated walls.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the first support surface has a second squeegee element protruding therefrom.

3. The device of claim 1, wherein at least one of the first support surface and second support surface is configured to rotate or oscillate.

4. The device of claim 1, wherein the elongated walls of the first squeegee element encircles an inner squeegee region and encircles at least a portion of the bristles.

5. A device comprising a motorized cleaning head, the motorized cleaning head comprising:

a) a first region with bristles protruding from a first support surface that is configured to automatically move in a first direction; and

b) a second region comprising;

i. a squeegee member with curved elongated squeegee walls that protrude from a second support surface to form a curved elongated wiping edge; and

ii. bristles that protrude from the second support surface,

wherein the second support surface is configured to automatically move in a second direction that is different from the first direction, wherein a portion of the bristles protruding from the first support surface and the second support surface flank opposed sides of the curved elongated edge formed by the curved elongated walls.

6. The device of claim 5, wherein at least one of the first support surface and the second support surface is configured to rotate or oscillate.

7. The device of claim 5, wherein the curved elongated squeegee walls encircle at least a portion of the bristles that protrude from the second support surface.

8. The device of claim 5, wherein the first support surface and the second support surface are both configured to rotate or oscillate.

9. A cleaning device comprising a detachable cleaning head comprising:

a) a first section with a first support surface with a first squeegee wiping element protruding therefrom and being configured to automatically rotate or oscillate while coupled to a motorized handle; and

b) a second section with a second support surface with a second squeegee wiping element protruding therefrom and surrounding the first section and the second section being configured to automatically rotate or oscillate while coupled to the motorized handle, wherein the second section is configured to automatically rotate or oscillate at a rate or direction that is different from that of the first section wherein the squeegee protruding from the first support surface and the squeegee protruding from the second support surface each has opposed walls that form elongated wiping edges; and

bristles protruding from positions between the first squeegee wiping element and the second squeegee wiping element.

10. A device comprising a cleaning device comprising:

a cleaning head comprising;

i) a first support; and

ii) a second support that is separate from the first support, wherein both of the first support and the second support comprise a squeegee element with elongated walls that protrude upward from a surface of the first support and a surface of the second support to form top elongated wiping edges, and, wherein both of the first support and the second support include bristles protruding upward from the surfaces of the first support and the second support; and

b) a motorized handle, wherein the motorized handle is configured to cause at least one of the first support and the second support to move automatically and independently of the other of the first support and the second support, while the cleaning head is coupled to the motorized handle and while the motorized handle is stationary.

11. A cleaning device comprising:

a) a cleaning head comprising;

i) a first support surface with a first squeegee element with a first set of curved elongated walls that protrude upward from the support surface to form a first curved elongated wiping edge and bristles that protrude upward from the first support surface; and

ii) a second support surface that is separate from the first support surface, the second support surface having a second squeegee element with a second set of curved elongated walls that protrude upward from the second support surface to form a second curved elongated wiping edge and bristles that protrude upward from the second support surface, wherein a portion of the bristles protruding upward from the first support surface and a portion of the bristles protruding upward from the second support surface border opposed sides of the second elongated curved wiping edge of the second squeegee element; and

b) a motorized handle that automatically moves the first support surface relative to the second support surface while the motorized handle is stationary.

12. The cleaning head device of claim 11, wherein the motorized handle detachably couples to the cleaning head.

13. A device comprising a cleaning head, the cleaning head comprising:

a) a first support surface with a first squeegee element with opposed walls that form a first elongated and continuous wiping edge that encircles a portion of the first support surface and is configured to treat a working surface, the first support surface being configured to move;

b) a second support surface with a second squeegee element with opposed walls that form a second elongated and continuous wiping edge that encircles a portion of the first support surface and is configured to simultaneously treat the working surface; and

c) bristles,

wherein at least one of the first support surface and the second support surface is configured to automatically move independently and separately of the other of the first support surface and the second support surface, while the cleaning head is coupled to a motorized handle.

14. The device of claim 13, wherein a portion of the bristles protrude from the first support surface.

15. The device of claim 14, wherein a portion of the bristles protrude from the second support surface.

16. An electric toothbrush with a cleaning head, the cleaning head comprising:

a) a first support surface with a first set of bristles and a squeegee element protruding therefrom; and

b) a second support surface with a second set of bristles protruding therefrom and a continuous and substantially circular squeegee element that encircles a portion of the second support surface and the second set of bristles, wherein the second support surface is coupled to a drive mechanism for automatically rotating or oscillating the second support surface independently and separately from the first support surface and wherein the first set of bristles surround at least a portion of the continuous and substantially circular squeegee element, and wherein the first support surface is configured to rotate or oscillate.

17. An electric toothbrush comprising:

a) a motorized handle; and

b) a cleaning head that couples to the motorized handle, the cleaning head comprising;

i.) a first region with a first support surface having a substantially circular squeegee element with opposed curved walls forming a substantially circular wiping edge that encircles bristles protruding from the first support surface and wherein the first support surface is configured to rotate or oscillate with the handle stationary and coupled to the cleaning head; and

ii) a second region with a second support surface configured to automatically move independently from the first support surface in at least one direction that is different from the first support surface while the handle is stationary and coupled to the cleaning head, the second support surface having at least one of a squeegee, bristle tufts and nodules protruding therefrom.