Handheld devices and related methods

• US 8,684,883 B2
• Filed: 04/19/2012
• Issued: 04/01/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 10/12/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Christopher C. Sappenfield
• Original Assignee: Christopher C. Sappenfield
• Inventors: Sappenfield, Christopher C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Wright, Dirk
• Application Number:
  US13/451,468
• Publication Number:
  US 20120202641A1
• Time in Patent Office: 712 Days
• Field of Search: 475/221, 475/337, 475/331, 173/216
• US Class Current: 475/331
• CPC Class Codes: A46B 13/02 power-driven carriers
• CPC Class Codes: A61C 17/16 Power-driven cleaning or polishing devices
• CPC Class Codes: A61C 17/26 driven by electric motor
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 1/20 involving more than two intermeshing members
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 37/0813 with only one input shaft differentials for four wheel drive vehicles B60K17/346
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 74/19121 Concentric
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 74/19642 Directly cooperating gears

Abstract

The invention relates to devices including rotary units and rotary mechanisms that are suitable for use in numerous applications. Rotary units typically include rotational components that are configured to rotate. In some embodiments, for example, multiple rotary units are assembled in rotary mechanisms such that neighboring pairs of rotational components counter-rotate or contra-rotate relative to one another during operation of the rotary mechanisms. Rotational components generally include one or more implements that are structured to perform or effect one or more types of work as the rotational components rotate relative to one another in a given rotary mechanism. In certain embodiments, implements are configured to rotate and/or to effect the movement of other components as rotational components rotate.

Claims

1. A handheld device, comprising:

a head portion comprising at least one rotary mechanism that comprises at least first and second rotational components and at least a first counter-rotational mechanism that operably engages at least the first and second rotational components, wherein at least one of the rotational components is configured to rotate at least partially around a rotational axis and comprises at least one surface that is configured to rotate substantially non-perpendicular to the rotational axis, which surface comprises at least one implement;

at least one drive mechanism component or portion thereof that operably engages, or is configured to operably engage, one or more of the rotational components and/or the first counter-rotational mechanism such that when the first rotational component rotates in a first direction and the second rotational component rotates in a second direction; and

,

a handle portion operably connected or connectable to the head portion.

2. The handheld device of claim 1, comprising more than two rotational components.

3. The handheld device of claim 1, wherein at least one of the rotational components is interchangeable with at least one other rotational component.

4. The handheld device of claim 1, wherein at least part of the drive mechanism component or portion thereof is detachable from at least another part of the drive mechanism component or portion thereof and/or the rotary mechanism.

5. The handheld device of claim 1, wherein the drive mechanism component or portion thereof is configured to oscillate at least one of the rotational components.

6. The handheld device of claim 1, comprising at least one drive mechanism positioning component configured to position at least drive mechanism components or portions thereof relative to one another.

7. The handheld device of claim 1, wherein the drive mechanism component or portion thereof comprises at least one shaft component that operably engages at least the rotary mechanism or a portion thereof.

8. The handheld device of claim 1, wherein the drive mechanism component or portion thereof is configured to effect reversible rotation of at least one of the rotational components at least partially around the rotational axis.

9. The handheld device of claim 1, wherein the drive mechanism component or portion thereof comprises at least one gear component.

10. The handheld device of claim 1, wherein the surface is configured to rotate substantially parallel to the rotational axis of the rotational components.

11. The handheld device of claim 1, wherein the handle portion comprises at east part of the drive mechanism component or portion thereof.

12. The handheld device of claim 1, wherein the head portion and/or the handle portion comprises at least one housing.

13. The handheld device of claim 1, wherein the head and handle portions are detachable from one another.

14. The handheld device of claim 1, wherein at least a portion of the implement comprises at least one cross-sectional shape selected from the group consisting of:

a circle, an oval, a square, a rectangle, a trapezoid, an irregular n-sided polygon, and a regular n-sided polygon.

15. A tooth brushing device or a cleaning device comprising the handheld device of claim 1.

16. The handheld device of claim 1, wherein the rotary mechanism comprises at least two rotary units that each comprises:

at least one rotational component that comprises at least one sun gear component and at least one ring gear component, and

at least one gear structure that comprises at least one support component and at least one planetary gear component rotatably coupled to the support component, and wherein the planetary gear component is configured to operably engage the ring gear component,

wherein the sun gear component of at least a first rotary unit operably engages the planetary gear component of at least a second rotary unit such that when the rotational component of the first rotary unit rotates in the first direction, the rotational component of the second rotary unit rotates in the second direction.

17. The handheld device of claim 16, wherein the gear structure of the first rotary unit is operably connected to the gear structure of the second rotary unit such that the support components are substantially fixedly positioned relative to one another at least when the rotational component of the first rotary unit rotates in the first direction, the rotational component of the second rotary unit rotates in the second direction.

18. The handheld device of claim 1, wherein the rotary mechanism comprises:

at least a first rotary unit that comprises at least one rotational component that comprises at least first and second sun gear components;

at least a second rotary unit that comprises at least one rotational component that comprises at least first and second ring gear components; and

,

at least a first planetary gear component that is configured to operably engage the second sun gear component of the first rotary unit and the first ring gear component of the second rotary unit such that when the rotational component of the first rotary unit rotates in the first direction, the rotational component of the second rotary unit rotates in the second direction.

19. The handheld device of claim 18, comprising at least one gear structure that comprises at least one support component, wherein the first planetary gear component is rotatably coupled to the support component, which support component is substantially fixedly positioned when the rotational component of the first rotary unit rotates in the first direction, the rotational component of the second rotary unit rotates in the second direction.

20. The handheld device of claim 1, wherein the rotary mechanism comprises at least two rotary units that each comprises:

at least one rotational component that comprises at least one ring gear component; and

,

at least one second gear component configured to operably engage the ring gear component.

21. The handheld device of claim 20, comprising one or more alignment components that align at least the rotational components relative to one another when the rotational components rotate.

22. The handheld device of claim 20, wherein the drive mechanism component or portion thereof operably engages at least the second gear components of at least first and second rotary units, which drive mechanism component or portion thereof is configured to effect rotation of the second gear components such that the rotational component of the first rotary unit rotates in a first direction and the rotational component of the second rotary unit rotates in a second direction.

23. The handheld device of claim 22, wherein the drive mechanism component or portion thereof comprises at least two shaft components, wherein at least a first shaft component operably engages at least the second gear component of the first rotary unit and at least a second shaft component operably engages at least the second gear component of the second rotary unit.

24. The handheld device of claim 23, wherein the first and second shaft components each comprises at least one drive gear component that operably engage one another.

25. The handheld device of claim 1, wherein the rotary mechanism comprises:

at least two rotational components that each comprises at least one ring gear component; and

,

at least one counter-rotational mechanism that comprises at least a first gear component that operably engages the ring gear component of at least a first rotational component, at least a second gear component that operably engages the ring gear component of at least a second rotational component, and at least a third gear component that operably engages at least the second gear component such that when the first gear component rotates in the first direction, the first rotational component rotates in the first direction and the second gear component and the second rotational component rotate in the second direction.

26. The handheld device of claim 25, comprising one or more alignment components that align at least the first and second rotational components relative to one another when the rotational components rotate.

27. The handheld device of claim 25, wherein the drive mechanism component or portion thereof operably engages at least the first gear component, which drive mechanism component or portion thereof is configured to effect rotation of at least the first gear component.

28. The handheld device of claim 27, wherein the drive mechanism component or portion thereof operably engages the third gear component.

29. The handheld device of claim 27, wherein the drive mechanism component or portion thereof comprises at least one shaft component that operably engages at least the first gear component.

30. The handheld device of claim 1, wherein the implement is rotatably coupled to the rotational component.

31. The handheld device of claim 30, wherein the implement is configured to operably engage one or more gear components of one or more other components.

32. The handheld device of claim 1, comprising:

at least one opening disposed at least proximal to the head portion;

at least one conduit that is configured to communicate with the opening and at least one material source and/or at least one material destination; and

,

at least one conveyance mechanism that is configured to convey at least one material to and/or from the material source and/or the material destination through the opening.

33. The handheld device of claim 32, wherein the head and/or handle portion comprises at least one housing that comprises and/or houses at least a portion of the opening, the conduit, and/or the conveyance mechanism.

34. The handheld device of claim 32, wherein the material source and/or the material destination is disposed external to the head and/or handle portion.

35. The handheld device of claim 32, wherein the material source and/or the material destination comprises at least one material container that is configured to contain at least one material, which material container is disposed at least proximal to the handle portion.

36. The handheld device of claim 35, wherein the material container and the handle portion are detachable from one another.

37. The handheld device of claim 1, comprising at least one sanitizing component configured to sanitize at least part of the head and/or handle portion.

38. The handheld device of claim 37, wherein the sanitizing component comprises at least one ultraviolet light source configured to selectively expose at least part of the head and/or handle portion to ultraviolet light to sanitize at least part of the head and/or handle portion.

39. The handheld device of claim 37, wherein the sanitizing component comprises at least one fluidic conveyance system configured to convey at least one sanitizing fluidic material at least proximal to at least part of the head and/or handle portion to sanitize at least part of the head and/or handle portion.

40. A method of rotating an implement, the method comprising:

providing at least one handheld device that comprises;

a head portion comprising at least one rotary mechanism that comprises at least first and second rotational components and at least a first counter-rotational mechanism that operably engages at least the first and second rotational components, wherein at least one of the rotational components is configured to rotate at least partially around a rotational axis and comprises at least one surface that is configured to rotate substantially non-perpendicular to the rotational axis, which surface comprises at least one implement;

at least one drive mechanism component or portion thereof that operably engages, or is configured to operably engage, one or more of the rotational components and/or the first counter-rotational mechanism; and

a handle portion operably connected or connectable to the head portion; and

,

rotating the first rotational component rotates in a first direction and the second rotational component rotates in a second direction, thereby rotating the implement.