EP0129585A1

EP0129585A1 - Tooth cleaning apparatus

Info

Publication number: EP0129585A1
Application number: EP84900281A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Otto Rosenstatter
Original assignee: Duerr Dental SE
Current assignee: Duerr Dental SE
Priority date: 1982-12-24
Filing date: 1983-12-23
Publication date: 1985-01-02
Also published as: DE3346758A1; AU2415184A; US4619009A; JPS60500280A; WO1984002453A1

Abstract

L'appareil pour le nettoyage des dents à entraînement électrique possède une partie entraînement et manche (1) dotée d'un moteur d'entraînement et, le cas échéant, un interrupteur (40). Sur son prolongement est disposée une partie brosse amovible (2). On enlève la partie brosse (2) en appuyant sur les zones de pression (35.2) de la partie de déformation (35.1). La partie brosse (2) porte à sa tête repliée (6) une brosse creuse (3) dont les soies sont disposées vers le devant sur un porte-soies tournant autour de son axe. Les soies laissent un espace central libre (23) entre les touffes disposées en couronne.The electrically driven tooth cleaning device has a drive and handle part (1) with a drive motor and, if present, a switch (40). On its extension is arranged a removable brush part (2). The brush part (2) is removed by pressing on the pressure zones (35.2) of the deformation part (35.1). The brush part (2) carries at its folded head (6) a hollow brush (3) whose bristles are arranged forwards on a bristle holder rotating around its axis. The bristles leave a free central space (23) between the tufts arranged in a crown.

Description

Name: tooth cleaning device

Description:

The invention relates to a tooth cleaning device with an electric drive, with a drive and handle part and with a brush part, which carries the interchangeable brush moved by the drive, and in which liquid can be supplied via a liquid line leading into the area of the bristles. A large number of tooth cleaning devices in the form of electrically driven, mechanically movable toothbrushes and liquid supply devices are known.

Under the so-called 'electric toothbrushes' there are on the one hand brush systems swinging around an axis, which are intended to replace the back and forth movement of bristles with the normal manual toothbrush. On the other hand, there are roller brushes rotatingly driven about axes, in which the bristles protrude radially from the brush holder (US Pat _. No. 3,739,416, US Pat _. No. 3,829,922), but which do not cause a suitable movement of the bristles on the tooth and gums. Further, there is driven brushes rotating, in which the bristles in the essential loan are arranged axially parallel in a ring, wherein forming the ^'bristle ends on a respective, normally extending substantially to the axis of rotation surface and is worked end face with which (GB-A 2,008,398 A ). Details that would allow a practical implementation are not to be found in this document. An older similarly operating hand-held device according to US Pat. No. 2,252,251 with a pressure drive has a rotatingly driven cleaning body made of elastic material, but is not suitable for practical use because of the pressure drive and the lack of bristles. A device according to US Pat. No. 3,822,432 equipped with a flexible shaft has a similar dry, rotating rubber cleaning head or a roller brush, with which you can not get into hard-to-reach areas of the teeth and gums. For the handpiece of the dentist there are attachment units with rotating brushes and deformation bodies, such as, for example, according to US Pat _. No. 2,093,007 _. which, however, are not designed and suitable for the daily teeth cleaning of the user.

On the other hand, cleaning machines with relatively sharp, mostly pulsed water jets are known, especially for cleaning the interdental spaces and massaging the gums.

Mechanically moving toothbrushes and water-jet cleaning devices have also been combined, either with two separate hand-held devices or with a hand-held device on which the toothbrush or the oral irrigator nozzle is optionally placed, taking appropriate precautions for reliable function are to be met (US-PS 4,141,352, DE-AS 21 09 005, DE-AS 21 09 006, GB-OS 2 071 498 A). These devices are very complex to construct and, above all, are unsuitable for handling, because a change of the device or a change of the attachments is necessary for cleaning the teeth.

With reciprocating or swinging toothbrushes, you already have fluid in a handheld device or the brush head .integrated (US-PS 3, .273,189, DE-OS 31 19 338 AI). These systems have not found their way into practice, presumably because the reciprocating toothbrush did not bring the desired cleaning effect and because the liquid supply was unfavorable.

For a rotating dental handpiece, in particular angled piece, it is known from AT-PS 23 99 58 liquid supply from the outside to the oblique work surfaces of the tool. Such a handpiece, which is also equipped with a bevel gear drive and ball bearing, is too complex and difficult for daily self-tooth cleaning. There are also no suitable drive options in the household and the tools are unsuitable for self-cleaning.

A device for rinsing and massaging the gums is also shown in DE-OS 29 01 13β, according to which a massage tool made of rubber is oscillatingly driven via a swash plate, and the outside area of the massage tool is expelled by a central line in the rotary drive the handle part is fed. In this version, the liquid line serves as a bearing for the drive shaft in the entire area of the cleaning part, with the two couplings ... (liquid and gear coupling) directly next to each other in the area of the mechanical coupling between the drive part and cleaning part

O'vϊPI are provided. If the fluid coupling is leaking, the gear coupling will also get wet immediately since there is no local separation. In addition, the cleaning part designed with a slim device neck is very maneuverable and cannot be produced as a cheap disposable part

If you want to design a dental cleaning device that meets the practical needs, a variety of aspects must be taken into account. The invention is based on the aforementioned prior art and its claims 1 and 2 are formulated in particular on the basis of DE-OS. 16 57 287. This arrangement and essential parts of the invention have in common that. it is a tooth cleaning device with electric drive, with drive and handle part and with one

Brush part acts, which carries the replaceable brush moved by the drive and in which liquid can be supplied via a liquid line opening in the region of the bristles. In the known embodiment, the liquid is fed centrally between the bristles of a toothbrush that swings back and forth with a nozzle serving as a spray device. A frustoconical radiation guide jacket made of soft, elastic material can be provided. In a departure from the invention, the toothbrush is not driven electro-mechanically but by a compressed air vibration drive.

A similar outcome for the invention is that Tooth cleaning device according to DE-OS 31 19 338, in which a conventional electric toothbrush with an oscillating drive of the brush part has a liquid line that enters the rear of the brush part from the outside and can be coupled to a storage container, which branches into three channels in the bristle holder, via which the Liquid is sprayed approximately parallel to the bristles. There are three different media (cleaning liquid, spray liquid, mouthwash) available in the storage container, which can be fed in either selectively or according to a previously determinable program sequence during the use of the toothbrush.

In-depth investigations have shown that the constantly changing oscillating movement of the bristles is not very favorable, since impurities in the area of the gums and the interdental spaces are thereby brushed deeper into the tooth pockets or interdental spaces than removed. This leads to inflammation and bleeding of the gums. Accordingly, reciprocating hollow brushes, such as GB-PS 5 00 517, for example, are not very cheap because they also have an alternating rotation of the hollow brush; the same applies to the device according to AT-PS 35.2 864, which uses a crank mechanism works with driven bristles. According to the cleaning technique considered to be particularly favorable today, the bristles of a toothbrush should make small, continuous circular movements on the tooth surfaces. This cleaning technique is difficult to reach by hand and, above all, there are no devices available which, with a suitable training, also enable the irrigation known from the type of irrigator, which is known as cheap.

The object of the invention is therefore essentially to design a tooth cleaning device of the type mentioned at the outset in such a way that, despite the supply of at least one medium, the bristles move in the same direction, with simple replacement of the brush parts being retained or This should be made possible so that a dental cleaning device of the type mentioned at the outset can be improved in its overall cleaning effect while functioning reliably and the handling for the user can be considerably simplified.

According to the invention, a rotating front toothbrush is now combined with a liquid supply. For most countries, this can be characterized in the illustration above all by the fact that in the case of a tooth cleaning device with an electrically moving, interchangeable one

Brush and in the area of the bristles the liquid conducts the brush as a revolving around its axis of rotation the end face of the hollow brush to be placed on the teeth is designed with bristles arranged in a ring.

In a representation which is more suitable for different countries, the invention can be summarized as follows:

Dental cleaning device with electric drive, with a drive and handle part and an extension of the adjoining brush part, on the front head of which a brush is rotated about its axis and driven by the drive, which has bristles arranged on a brush holder, the bristles of which at least one plane perpendicular to the axis of rotation or - approximately similarly lying concave rotation surface, such as ^" partial sphere, partial ellipsoid, paraboloid, truncated cone, ending around bristle tips, which are to be placed on the teeth with the end face of the hollow brush and the axis of rotation toward Main direction of extension of the drive and handle part and brush part is angled in order to reach even hard-to-reach areas of the teeth and gums, and liquid can be supplied through the drive and handle part via a liquid line, the outlet opening of which lies in the cleaning area of the bristles.

By combining the rotating front toothbrush with one either alone or in cooperation with In contrast to the known proposals in the case of a vibrating toothbrush, the toothbrush usable liquid supply in a single hand-held device now enables optimal cleaning of the teeth in that, on the one hand, the bristle tips cannot remain on the tooth surface to be cleaned, even if they are unsuitable for use, which is what The main disadvantage of the vibrating toothbrush systems is, but are forced to be moved over the tooth surface and that optionally, during the rotating toothbrush treatment also liquid, either only water or water with other media for the treatment of the tooth. Surface and / or the gums can be supplied, but that on the other hand, even without driving the toothbrush, liquid can either be distributed or supplied in a targeted pulsed jet without any parts on the toothbrush having to be replaced. This optimum effect cannot be achieved with other known motor-operated tooth cleaning devices with a rotating drive shaft (US Pat. No. 2,215.03 AT-PS 1 67 438). In the device according to US Pat. No. 2,215,031, a plurality of tufts of bristles are driven in rotation in the same direction one after the other, but the effect of the overall arrangement hardly differs from the previously mentioned, rotating hollow brush, since the

Circumferential movements of adjacent tufts in the immediate vicinity are opposite. The all-round brush of AT-PS 1 67 38 is also considerably less favorable with regard to the cleaning effect, since here the bristles are radial - lo ¬

protrude bristle holder. The particularly favorable cleaning effect, which results from the simultaneous use of water or a special cleaning liquid in the working area of the surrounding bristles, cannot be achieved with the known proposals (AT-PS 348 660, EP-PS 25 456) because these result in replacing a vibrating brush part with a part with a rinsing nozzle through which the cleaning liquid is supplied. With these devices is therefore either rinsing or

Brushing the teeth possible, but not both at the same time. Rinsing with simultaneous manual brushing is further shown in AT-PS 354 616, which shows a toothbrush with a water pipe connection. However, the desired circular brush movement must be carried out here by hand, which is not possible especially in areas that are difficult to access.

There are various options for realizing a tooth cleaning device according to the invention, depending on whether one wishes to move the liquid supply to the center of the rotating brush or to the outside and whether one wants to make the entire brush part interchangeable in order to accommodate several people without the risk of Transmission of germs to be able to use one and the same drive and handle part or whether you can get a simple one-person tooth cleaning wants to create only with interchangeable brushes and, if necessary, interchangeable liquid nozzles, both of which can be operated at the same time.

In e ^'iner embodiment of the invention, the Plüssigkeits¬ line outside of the bristles adjacent to the rotationally antreib¬ cash hollow brush having at least an outlet nozzle, as is similarly known for vibrating toothbrushes. Then you are not dependent on the central feed in the inner conception of the drive and can

Design the nozzle more freely according to different needs. According to a further particularly advantageous proposal of the invention, the liquid line can be led into the bristle center space and the brush holder of the hollow brush can be designed as a sleeve and the

With its front end, the liquid line penetrate the sleeve coaxially and open into the space enclosed by bristles. The cleaning liquid is then fed to the center of the treatment and can be held together well by the bristles even when operated together. The cable routing can contribute to centering and there is a clear structure.

For the supply of different treatment liquids, at least two liquid lines can be provided, which allow the liquids to exit together at least in the outlet area. Thus, the device can carry out a wide variety of cleaning and

can only be adjusted by adding more media. The main liquid line can be surrounded by an annular space into which at least one further line for supplying a further medium opens. Mixing only takes place immediately before the treatment and a reactive mixture can be brought together directly at the treatment site. The ^• additional medium can be supplied under pressure if the treatment makes sense _. appears, this pressure can be generated inside or outside the device. According to another embodiment, however, the supply of the further medium can also be sucked in by the main liquid flow by the action of an injector. Then additional pressure sources or valves for the supply and pressure generation are not required. A very easy to produce and functional solution to achieve a rotating hollow brush with a liquid supply can be achieved in particular that an annular space is formed between the outer lateral surface of the front end of the liquid line passing through the sleeve and the inner wall of the sleeve, which provides a connecting channel to the bottom area of the Bearing hole forms, into which at least one further line for supplying medium opens. In all solutions where the liquid is fed centrally, there is the advantage that you can clean the tooth surfaces, the periodontal pockets and interdental spaces ^• quickly and effectively, with the circle of bristles helps hold back the trains led liquid at one set point longer. If

/ If at least one additional medium is additionally supplied in the area of the outlet of the first liquid line, the mixing, for example to produce a reaction mixture of the two media, can take place as close as possible to the place of use. When admixed in the bottom region of the sleeve, it takes place at a distance corresponding only to the sleeve length from the bristle ring.

A rotating hollow brush with cone drive can already be found in GB-OS 2 008 939 A. However, the brush part is not interchangeably arranged on the drive part and no liquid supply is dealt with with the resulting special design problems. In deviation from this and other solutions, the invention for devices ^' with and without

Liquid supply before that the hollow brush, which can be driven in rotation about its axis, is mounted on a brush part which can be removed from the drive and grip part and releasable coupling means are provided between the drive and grip part and the brush part, which have at least one coupling in the rotating drive and locking parts for embrace the clinging. Such a device can then be used in a multi-person household without the risk of transmission of germs and the brush part can be designed as an inexpensive Masserite part. In this case, the holding coupling can advantageously be designed in such a way that latching hooks which engage in recesses in the drive and handle part are provided on the brush part and engage behind locking webs which are formed on a latching and deformation part which is formed as a thin-walled closure of the drive and handle part and which has marked pressure areas such that when the pressure areas are depressed the deformation areas having the locking webs widen. Such a coupling can by injection molding and easily be manufactured inexpensively and ^is'

Continuous use works.

A particularly favorable solution for the interchangeable coupling of the rotating hollow brush and the favorable mounting of both the drive shaft and the brush part provides that the rotating and driven motor shaft driven and driven in the drive and handle part in one by the drive - And handle part in the main direction of extending shaft is mounted, and carries at its front end a sleeve which has a bevel gear ring, which comes into engagement with a bevel gear ring on the brush holder, which is angled in the brush part to the main direction of extension. Such an embodiment, which is expedient even for multi-person toothbrushes without the addition of excess liquid, permits a very simple design of the brush part and the mounting of the brush holder, so that inexpensive mass parts can be designed, and so a very simple, easy result Generating and functional solution to achieve a circular hollow brush for several people with a basic device, the drive being separated when changing in the head. The removable brush holder is expediently elongated with at least the entire immersion length of the cleaning device part in the mouth. It expediently has a receiving channel fitting on the shaft and a thin wall, the outer boundary of which in Close to the drive and handle part is flared. If you want to cheaply assign the especially provided liquid line to such a brush part, you can let this and possibly the further line run essentially parallel to the central receiving channel for the shaft of the drive and handle part, which is preferably inserted into the wall of the receiving channel or are. The section of the liquid line in the brush part is connected to the section of the liquid line in the drive and handle part via a plug-in coupling. This is designed as a multiple coupling for several lines. The liquid line or the liquid lines are expediently set back in the area of the coupling with respect to the connecting end face of the brush part and end in an extension for receiving the coupling part having the seal on the drive and handle. In this way, identical brush parts can be used for toothbrushes with and without liquid supply in order to rationalize mass production. Gear coupling on the one hand and holding parts and fluid coupling on the other hand are spatially far apart from one another and are therefore easy to seal against one another without interference.

For the supply of the liquid line, an external pump operating in a table or wall-mounted device in the manner of an oral irrigator or a pump in the drive and handle part can be provided. A pump in the drive and grip part is preferably coupled or can be coupled to the drive shaft of the rotating drive A particularly simple construction of the tooth cleaning device according to the invention also results from the storage of the bristle carrier. For this purpose, in a preferred embodiment it is provided that a tapered bearing section adjoins the bevel gear toothing of the brush holder, which is mounted on the outside in the bearing bore of the head of the brush holder and is axially fixed by a radially insertable locking bolt. Such storage is for tooth cleaning devices. Liquid supply and without liquid supply and also suitable for tooth cleaning devices with a replaceable whole brush part or with a fixed brush part on the drive and handle part and provided according to the invention. A one-piece element can be formed as an exchange brush, which can be designed as an inexpensive disposable part if the bevel gear tooth materials have sufficient strength for the service life of the brush. A particularly expedient design, however, provides that the brush holder is divided into a bearing and bevel gear part with the bevel gear ring and an actual bristle holder, which are connected to one another in a non-rotatable manner. Then you can design the bevel gear ring part according to the strength requirements of the small teeth and do not have to take into account the special needs of the bristle attachment, which may differ from the drive requirements, but can in turn, the brush holder under the conditions of optimal manufacture and fastening of the Design bristles ^" . This further _{reduces the} cost of producing the interchangeable brush. _/ ^ O _Ϊ ΛPI The bristle carrier can be designed as an essentially flat disc with a central opening, to which the bristles are attached. Such a toothbrush can also be used for cleaning devices without liquid supply and with liquid supply. This also applies to the brushes integrated with the bevel gear.

The sleeve for pixelizing the disk can have a flattened coaxial port set which is provided with at least one radially flexible projection which snaps into at least one recess in the corresponding axial disk surface. The projection can advantageously be formed by an elastic ring inserted into a groove in the port set. For easier removal, the outer end face of the disk carrying the bristles can be profiled, for example, by circumferential grooves or the like.

Particular attention is also paid to the design of the

Brush as such and in particular on the selection of the bristles and the design of the bristle tips. These are rounded off for gentle cleaning and massage. It can be particularly expedient according to the invention that the tips of the bristles end at different distances from the brush holder, because they can then be adapted particularly well to the anatomy and, above all, make it easier to reach tooth pockets and interdental spaces. The ends can be on different areas already mentioned above. A particularly good cleaning effect can be achieved if at least two rings of bristles are arranged on the sleeve, the bristle carrier or the disk, the bristles of at least one outer ring projecting over those of at least one inner ring, so that a step brush is used results in which the bristles, however, support each other. The protrusion of the outer bristles from the inner bristles can be up to approximately half the length of the bristles of the inner ring. The bristles are expediently inclined at an angle between 5 ° and 30 °, preferably between 15 ° and 20 ° to the axis of rotation of the hollow brush or sleeve axis. Thus, the inner bristles can be used to clean a tooth corner and the outer bristles in the interdental spaces, and there are good supporting and nevertheless individual cleaning effects even in places that are difficult to access. The hollow brushes of the above type have particularly good cleaning effects between 2500 and 300. Revolutions per minute, preferably between 1,000 and 500 revolutions per minute, if the hollow brush inner diameter is between 5 and 10 mm. A lower speed improves the penetration of the bristles into the interdental spaces, while high speeds improve the cleaning performance. A good one

Compromise therefore lies in the preferred ranges indicated. The brushes and their drive information are well suited for cleaning without liquid and with liquid. Further details and refinements of the invention also emerge from the following description given with reference to the drawings, the invention being, however, not limited to the drawings shown, but permitting different variants and, above all, the individual features not all having to be present in combination, but also individually lead to advantageous solutions in differently designed devices. The invention essentially has three aspects which, both individually and in the possible combinations with one another, offer particular advantages and inventions represent a combination of a rotating hollow brush working with the end face with the supply of liquids, with the possibility of supplying liquids outside and / or in the center and with a liquid line which opens essentially parallel to the bristles and which extends in the longitudinal direction in the brush part and options for a plurality of liquids which can be used individually and combined. 2. Design of an exchangeable brush head with mechanical coupling in the area of the bevel gear and possibly coupling of the fluid line in the connection area. As a result, a simple construction of the replacement brush part and a solid mounting of the drive shaft and a simple, safe, mechanical drive are achieved despite separation. 3. Design of the rotating brush with an easily replaceable brush holder, possibly despite the supply of liquid to the center and design of the bristle ends in different planes or

Surfaces as well as angles and materials, the bristles on the bristle carrier being arranged in a hollow cylindrical manner on the end face. Embodiments of the invention are described below with reference to the drawings.

Show it:

Fig. 1 The view of a tooth cleaning device;

Fig. 2 shows a longitudinal section through the front part of the drive and handle part with the subsequent shaft, the lower half in the drive: and handle part with respect to the housing and locking and deformation part - cut with respect to the inner parts of the motor, clutch, and cover ^{"is shown} in view.

Fig. 3 shows a longitudinal section through a brush part attachable to the shaft.

Fig. 4 shows an enlarged partial longitudinal section through the

Head of the brush part, this corresponds to the assembled state and the representation of Figures 2 and 3;

5 shows a longitudinal section through a tooth cleaning device in a second embodiment

Liquid supply to the brush head; Pig. 6 shows a longitudinal section through the brush part of the device according to FIG. 5;

7 shows an enlarged longitudinal section through the ^r head of the brush part of the embodiment according to _d e

Fig. 5 u. 6, but in the assembled Zus

8 shows a hollow brush in an oblique view;

9 shows a longitudinal section through a brush part of a further embodiment;

Fig. 10 is an enlarged cross section along the line 10-10 in Fig. 9;

15

Pig. 11 is an end view of the brush part according to FIGS

Pig. 9 and 10 in the field of mechanical -

Coupling and the fluid dome;

²⁰ Figure 12 is a longitudinal sectional view of a brush head similar to Figure 7, but with stepped brush and some variants..;

Pig. 13 the top view of a bristle disk

_-. the embodiment of FIG. 12th

25th Pig. 1 shows the external view of a tooth cleaning device _. it, as it essentially corresponds to all of the exemplary embodiments shown below. Such a tooth cleaning device has a drive and grip part 1 and an adjoining one in an extension thereof

Brush part 2, on which a rotating hollow brush 3 is arranged on the brush head 6 angled to the main direction of extension of drive and grip part 1 and brush part 2. The free brush center space 23 can be seen. An electric drive motor 15 (FIGS. 2 and 5) is arranged in the drive and handle part 1. It can be supplied with current by a rechargeable accumulator built into the handle part or by an electrical connecting cable 33 (FIG. 5). For the purpose of engaging and disengaging the mechanical coupling and separating the brush part 2, the front region of the drive and grip part is designed to be thin-walled as a latching and deforming part 35.1 with marked pressure regions 35.2. A switch is preferably protected by a cover 40, for example made of rubber,

The Pig. 2 shows the basic mechanical structure for the rotating drive of the hollow brush 3 mounted on an attachable brush part 2.

From the drive and grip part 1 there is a hollow shaft _. 14 (FIGS. 2 and 5), in which a drive shaft 17 connected to the motor 15 via a coupling 16 is rotatably mounted. The front end protruding from the shaft 14 the drive shaft 17 is equipped with a sleeve 21 having a bevel gear ring 20, which is fastened by means of a pin 22 which penetrates the drive shaft 17 diametrically (FIG. 4). A sliding and sealing ring 18 is inserted into an annular groove 28 of the drive shaft 17 between the sleeve 21 and the front end of the shaft 14.

One on the shaft 14 Aufsteckb ^'arene Bürsteπteil 2, Fig. 3 in longitudinal section. The brush part 2 has a coaxial receiving channel 5. The wall 4 of the brush part 2 is cylindrical over a large part of the length and widens conically for connection to the drive and handle part 1. For the positive, non-rotatable connection to the drive and handle part 1, latching hooks 36 are provided, which can be inserted into recesses 34 of the drive and handle part 1 and engage behind locking webs 35 arranged there in a resilient manner. The locking webs 35 are integrally formed on a thin-walled, front, conical latching and deforming part 35-1 and widen slightly under lateral pressure on the marked pressure areas 35.2 and release the latching hooks 36 of the brush part 2 so that it is pulled off the shaft 14 can be.

At the free end of the brush part 2, its head .6 is angled by 90 ° to the main direction of extension and equipped with a hollow brush 3. Under the hollow brush understood that the bristles 12 are arranged in a ring or ring shape on a bristle carrier at the end protruding therefrom and a bristle center space 23 remains free. Here the bristle carrier 31 is designed as a sleeve 32. The brush is thus designed as a rotary brush that rotates around the axis of rotation and is placed on the teeth with the end face, in which the bristle tips are located in a plane perpendicular to the axis of rotation or a concave rotational surface of approximately the same type, such as a part ball, part ellipsoid, paraboloid, truncated cone, end up. As shown below, the bristles can also end in several planes or areas. Their ends are to be designed to be suitable for the treatment, so that they enable good cleaning but do not cause any injuries, in particular on the gingiva, that is to say preferably round them off.

The head is used to hold the hollow brush 3 _. 6 is provided with a bearing bore 11 which is arranged perpendicular to the receiving channel 5. However, the two blind bores (receiving channel 5, bearing bore 11) do not completely merge into one another, but are largely separated by a web 13. As a result, the bearing bore 11 forms an outer bearing for a tapered bearing section 7 of the brush holder designed as a bristle holder 31 in this exemplary embodiment. It is provided with a bevel gear ring 10, in whose teeth the bevel gear ring 20 of the sleeve 21 of the drive shaft 17 engages. In order to enable this engagement and thus the formation of the bevel gear mechanism 19, the bearing bore 11, which is expanded to accommodate the ring gear 10, is in the latter See the area with a breakthrough in the receiving channel 5. The bearing section 7 carries an annular groove 8, into which a locking bolt 9 is radially inserted, which is anchored in the head .6. The sleeve 32 of the hollow brush 3 is thus easily exchangeably held axially immovably in the head 6. Such or similar mounting of the brush holder with bevel gear teeth and engagement in the bevel gear of the drive is common to all of the illustrated exemplary embodiments. For example, the axes of rotation are angled at 90 ° to one another. Depending on the design of the brush and the other conditions of the device, an angle other than 90 ° can also be selected.

The embodiment illustrated to 7 in FIGS. 5 ^'shows yet additional supply of liquid into the washing area of the bristles, specifically here in bevor¬ ferred embodiment in the bristle medium space 23 of the hollow brush 3, ie directly at the point of use.

Compared to the embodiment according to FIGS. 2 to 4, only minor additions in the brush part 2 are required for this, but no fundamental changes are necessary. The brush holder is here also designed as a direct bristle holder 31 and together with the bearing section 7 constitutes a sleeve 32 through which the bent end section of a liquid line 27 is guided axially into the brush center space 23. For this purpose, the bristle carrier 31 has an enlarged outlet opening 26 in which a sliding and sealing ring 24 surrounds the end of the liquid line 27 and is fixed by an insert sleeve 25. The liquid line 27 can in particular be a hose made of rubber or suitable plastic, but also a thin metal tube. In this embodiment, the liquid line is continuous and opens axially within the bearing bore 11 in the enlarged outlet opening 26. From the bearing bore 11, the liquid line 27 subsequently extends parallel to the receiving channel in the wall 4, into which it is inserted and ends in an extension 30 in the connection area of the brush part 2, which lies within the end face. In the extension 30, the end of the liquid line protrudes as a fluid coupling 29, as shown, inter alia, in FIG. 6, so that the line end is in a, in a housing recess in the head of the drive and handle; Part 1 arranged coupling sealing ring can be inserted, as illustrated in FIG. 5. The liquid line 27 extends further through the drive and grip part in all of the exemplary embodiments with a liquid supply and can be designed there in various ways. 5 it enters the rear end of the drive and handle part 1 and extends longitudinally through the same. It can be supplied from the outside or drive and storage means for liquids can be provided on the inside. The fluid coupling 29 is approximately the length of the

OMPI Shaft 14 separated from the gear coupling, the bevel gear 1 and immediately in the vicinity of the mechanical

Coupling through the locking parts, locking web 35 and

Locking hook 36, arranged. By moving the end of the line back behind the end face and the fact that the rest of the structure of the brush part 2 according to FIG. 6 corresponds entirely to that of FIG. 3, the brush part with the liquid line 27 can also be easily connected to a drive and handle part 1 according to Pig. 2, where no liquid supply is provided. The total length of the brush part is at least as long as the immersion length in the mouth in order to reach the rear teeth well and not to let the drive and handle part come into contact with the lips and mucous membranes.

The liquid supply can be implemented in various ways. According to FIG. 5, a drive and handle part 1 with a liquid supply is provided with a hose pump 37, which has two pinch wings 38 arranged on the drive shaft in a helical manner. The squeeze wings 38 continuously squeeze the liquid line 27 from the back to the front, so that the liquid sucked in from the outside is continuously passed on to the hollow brush 3. A protective layer 39 is provided to protect the liquid line 27. The electric drive motor 15, which carries the hose pump 37, is arranged in the drive and handle part 1 following the hose pump 37. Drive shaft 17 drives directly. The area accommodating the motor 15 is, however, in pig. 5 as well as the brush part 2 shortened for reasons of space and contains no construction projecting end of the hose line 27 can be immersed in a container containing the cleaning liquid, from which the liquid is conveyed by the self-priming hose pump 37. However, a reservoir could also be provided in the drive or grip part 1. As already mentioned, the electrical supply can also take place via a rechargeable accumulator, so that the line 33 is omitted. If no continuous delivery of liquid is desired, the pump can be designed differently and can be coupled and uncoupled or can be omitted entirely and replaced by an external pump.

The Pig. 8 shows in an oblique view a ^Hohlbürs' te with brush carrier 31 and ring gear 10, and Lagerabschnit 7 and annular groove 8 in which the bristles 12 are arranged in a ring around the brush means chamber 23 directly on the bristle carrier 31 the front side, as it corresponds examples the Ausführungs¬ described so far, the Interior of the bristle carrier fully as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 or hollow as shown in FIGS. 5, 6 and 7 can be designed.

In the exemplary embodiment in FIGS. 9 to 11, liquid supply is likewise provided in a manner similar to that described above. The same parts are provided with the same reference numerals. As can be seen in particular from FIGS. 10 and 11, however, two further lines 27 ′ are inserted in the wall 4 of the brush part 2 parallel to the liquid line 27, which through the web 13 in the bottom region of the Bearing bore 11 open, media supplied via lines 27 'pass from the bottom area of bearing bore 11 through an annular space 42 coaxial to end section 43 of fluid line 27 through sleeve 32 into central bristle space 23. The mixing of a liquid from line 27 with a Medium from line 27 'is therefore only possible in the bristle center space, so that a reaction mixture that may have to be generated is only achieved at the place of use. The lines can be fed individually or jointly by the various liquids, for which purpose appropriate measures must be provided in the drive and handle part 1 by means of valves and / or storage containers and possible uses for active substances to be mixed. A mixing space is formed in the head 6 for the two lines 27 '

The embodiment of FIGS. 9 to 11 shows a further variant. Previously, it was shown that the bristles 12 are fastened directly to the brush holder designed as a bristle holder 31 and thus the brush holder can be pulled out by pulling the locking bolt 9 and plugged in via the liquid line 27 by appropriate threading. There is a risk of bending and difficulty when inserting. In addition, a somewhat more complex brush holder with a bearing and sprocket is required. This is also relatively easy to replace. To make the wearing parts cheaper, however, as in the exemplary embodiment in FIGS. 9 to 11 and the variant in FIGS. 11 to 13, the bristles 12 are in a disk 44 designed as an actual brush holder

OMPI attached. This is rotatably fixed on an extension 45 of the sleeve 32, but is exchangeably fixed. Teeth or, ie in Pig. 13 Darge¬, suitable flattenings are provided. For removable axial. Fixation can be provided on the inner surface of the disc 44, two recesses 47 (FIG. 13), into which, for example, projections of the extension 45 formed by an elastic clamping ring 46 or a small metal spring ring engage. The clamping ring 46 is inserted in a circumferential groove of the extension 5. For easier removal of the disk 44 when the brush is replaced, its peripheral surface is advantageously profiled, for example provided with peripheral grooves 48 or the like.

For good effectiveness of the cleaning without the risk of damage and with good access to all areas, it is advisable to use the bristles in different planes running at right angles to the axis of rotation, for example two planes or also rotating surfaces such as pitch circle, partial ellipsoid, paraboloid or truncated cone. to end. FIG. 12 shows a preferred embodiment, for example, in which the bristles 12 are arranged in two rings 49 and 50, the bristles of the outer ring 49 projecting beyond those of the inner ring 50. Due to the different length of the bristles 12 of the two rings 49-, 5, the bristles 12 of the inner ring are stiffer and support the bristles of the outer ring 49 during the rotation of the bristle carrier 31, so that swirling the bristles to a twisted strand is avoided, which could hinder the liquid or medium from escaping into the bristle center space 23. Possibly. The bristles of the double rings 49, 50 can also consist of different materials which are to be selected, dimensioned and arranged in accordance with the various cleaning and treatment tasks.

In addition to the local separation of gear and fluid coupling 19, 2, the cleaning device according to the invention has extremely simple, replaceable brush parts 2, which are equipped with a hollow brush that enables particularly intensive cleaning.

The brush part 2 can be easily changed from the drive part 1 by the quick-release fastener, so that it can be used for several people (family) with the desired hygiene. When brushing teeth, only the plug-on brush part 2 may touch the mucous membranes and lips and not the drive and handle part 1, so it has a certain minimum length, the immersion length. Furthermore, each plug-on brush part 2 is designed extremely cost-effectively, since it contains only one bevel gear toothing and exchangeable bristle disks 44, so that they are all suitable as disposable parts for mass production.

OΓΛPI Essential parts of the invention can also be described as follows:

The tooth cleaning device with electric drive has a drive and handle part with a drive motor and, if necessary, a switch. A removable brush part is arranged in its extension. The brush part can be removed by pressing on the pressure areas of the deformation part. The angled head of the brush part carries a hollow brush, the bristles of which are arranged on the end face of a bristle carrier which rotates about its axis. The bristles leave a bristle center space between the tufts arranged in a ring. The bristle carrier can be formed by a bevel gear toothed sleeve, which is mounted on the outside in the head of the brush part, in which the bristles are arranged in a ring shape and which is connected to a shaft of the

Comprises drive part extending, bevel gear toothed drive shaft, the shaft, can be inserted into a receiving channel of the brush part, and the Plüssigkeits¬ line, which is inserted into the wall of the receiving channel for the shaft, can coaxially penetrate the sleeve with its front end and open into the space enclosed by the bristles, and with their rear end for connection to the feed line coming from the drive part emerge from the end of the brush part.

^ ÜREAj OMPI

Reference symbol list:

1 drive and grip part 27 fluid line

2 brush part 27 'line

3 hollow brush 28 ring groove

4 wall 29 liquid plug-in coupling

5 recording channels

6 head 30 extension

7 bearing section 31 ^' bristle carrier

8 ring groove 32 sleeve ^~ .

9 bolt 34 recess

10 bevel gear ring gear 35 locking bar

11 Bearing bore 35.1 locking and deformation part

12 bristle

35.2 ^' Print area

13 bridge

36 locking hooks

14 shaft

37 pump

15 engine

38 pinch wings

16 clutch

39 separating or

17 Drive shaft protective layer

18 sliding and sealing ring 40 switches

19 bevel gear 42 coaxial annulus

20 bevel gear ring 43 end section

21 sleeve 44 disc

22 pin 45 port set

23 central bristle area 46 clamping ring

24 Slide and sealing ring 47 ^• Recess

26 outlet opening 48 circumferential groove

49 outer wreath

50 inner wreath

Claims

Expectations :

1. Tooth cleaning device with an electric drive, with a drive and handle part (1) and with a brush part (2), which carries the ₃ interchangeable brush moved by the drive and in which a liquid in the area of the bristles (12) opens Pipe (27) can be supplied with liquid, characterized in that the brush is arranged as a hollow brush (3) which rotates around its axis of rotation and has the end face to be placed on the teeth

Bristles (12) is formed.

2. Tooth cleaning device according to claim 1 with an electric drive, with a drive and grip part (1) and an extension of the same adjoining brush part (2), on the front head (6) of which is driven by the drive, a brush rotating about its axis (3) is arranged, which has bristles (12) arranged in a ring on a brush holder (31, 44), the bristles (12) of which end in at least one plane perpendicular to the axis of rotation or approximately the same lying concave surface of revolution, such as a part ball, part ellipsoid, paraboloid, truncated cone bristle tips um¬ run, which are put on the teeth with the end face of the hollow brush ^• and wherein the axis of rotation to the main extension direction of drive and the handle part (1) and the brush part (2) is angled ^'to areas hardly accessible of the teeth and Zähnfleisches to achieve, and wherein through the drive and handle part (1) via a liquid line (27), the outlet opening in the cleaning area of the bristles (12), liquid can be supplied.

3. Tooth cleaning device according to claim 1 or 2, so that the liquid line (27) has at least one outlet nozzle outside the bristles in addition to the hollow brush (3) which can be driven in rotation.

- ÜREA

OMPI

4. Tooth cleaning device according to one of the preceding claims, that the liquid line (27) is guided into the bristle center space (23) and the brush holder of the hollow brush (3) is designed as a sleeve (32) and that

Liquid line (27) with its front end (43) coaxially passes through the sleeve (32) and opens into the space enclosed by the bristles.

5. Tooth cleaning device according to one of the preceding claims, that at least two liquid lines (27, 27 ') are provided which allow the liquids to escape together at least in the outlet area.

6. Tooth cleaning device according to one of the preceding claims, that the main liquid line (27) is surrounded by an annular space (42) into which at least one further line (27 ') opens for supplying a further medium.

7- tooth cleaning device according to claim 6, d a d u r c h g e k e n e z e i c h n e t that the supply of the further medium is carried out under pressure.

CMPI ^" VVIIΌ

8. Tooth cleaning device according to claim 6, so that the supply of the further medium is sucked in by the main liquid flow by the action of an injector.

9. Tooth cleaning device according to one of the preceding claims, d a d u r c h g e k e n n z e i c h n e t, • that between the outer lateral surface of the

Sleeve (32) passing through the front end (43). the liquid line (27) and the inner wall of the sleeve (32) an annular space (42) is formed, which forms a connecting channel to the bottom region of the bearing bore (11) into which at least one further line (27 ') opens for the supply of medium.

10. Tooth cleaning device in particular according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the hollow brush (3) which can be driven to rotate about its axis is mounted on a brush part (2) which can be removed from the drive and handle part (1) and between the drive and handle part ( 1) and the brush part (2) releasable coupling means are provided, which comprise at least one coupling (releasable bevel gear 19) in the rotating drive and latching parts (latching hook 36 and locking bars 35) for holding the plague.

11. Tooth cleaning device according to claim 10. ₃ characterized in that engaging locking hooks are provided on the brush part in recesses (34) in the drive and handle part (1), which behind locking webs

(35) grip, which are formed on a latching and deforming part (35.1), which is designed as a thin-walled closure of the drive and grip part (1) and which has marked pressure areas (35.2) such that when the Pressure areas (35.2) the deformation areas having the locking webs (35) widen.

12. Tooth cleaning device in particular according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that in the drive and handle part (1) mounted and rotating, driven by the motor (15) drive shaft (17) in one of the drive and handle part (1) in the main direction of extension protruding shaft (14) is mounted and at its front end carries a sleeve (21) which has a bevel gear ring (20) which with a bevel gear ring (10) on the brush holder (31), which in the brush part (2) to the main direction of extension is angled, comes into engagement.

13. Tooth cleaning device according to one of the preceding claims, that the detachable brush holder (2) is designed elongated with at least the entire immersion length of the cleaning device part in the mouth.

14. Tooth cleaning device according to one of the preceding claims, 0 d a d u r c h g e k e n n z e i c h n e t that the brush holder (2) one on the shaft. (14) has a suitable receiving channel and a thin wall (4), the outer boundary of which is essentially cylindrical and widens conically in the area of the connection to the drive and handle part (1).

15. The dental cleansing device according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in _Q that the Plüssigkeitsleitung (27) and optionally the further line (27 ') substantially parallel to the central receiving channel (5) for the shank (14) of the drive and the handle part (1 ), is preferably inserted into the wall (4) of the receiving channel (5).

16. Tooth cleaning device according to one of the preceding claims, that the section of the liquid line (27) 5 in the brush part (2) is connected via a plug-in coupling (29) to the section of the liquid line (27) in the drive and handle part (1).

17. Tooth cleaning device according to claim 16, characterized in that the fluid line (27) in the area of the coupling (29) is set back relative to the connecting face of the brush part (2) and in an extension (30) for receiving the coupling part having the '5 seal ends at the drive and handle part (1).

18. Tooth cleaning device according to one of the preceding claims, 0 d a d u r c h g e k e n n z e i c h n e t that in the drive and handle part (1) a pump (37) for supplying the liquid line (27) is provided.

5 19- tooth cleaning device according to claim 18, characterized in that the pump, or preferably with the drive shaft (17) of the rotating drive or coupled detachable hose; ^'hpumpe (37).

20. Tooth cleaning device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that a tapered bearing section (7) adjoins the bevel gear toothing (10) of the brush holder (31), which in the bearing bore (11) of the head (6) of the brush part (2) outside mounted and axially fixed by a radially insertable locking bolt (9).

21. Tooth cleaning device according to one of the preceding claims, that the brush holder is divided into a bearing and bevel gear part with the bevel gear ring (10) and an actual bristle holder which are connected to one another in a non-rotatable manner.

22. Tooth cleaning device according to claim 21, characterized in that the bristle carrier is designed as a substantially flat, provided with a central opening disc (44) to which the bristles are attached.

23. Tooth cleaning device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the sleeve (32) for fixing the disc (44) has a flattened coaxial extension (45) which is provided with at least one radially flexible projection which is in at least one off ¬ recess (47) of the corresponding axial disk surface engages.

24. Tooth cleaning device according to claim 23, so that the projection is formed by an elastic ring (46) inserted into a groove of the pores (45).

25.- Tooth cleaning device according to one of the preceding claims, d a d u r c h g e k e n n z e i c h n e t that the outer end face of the bristles (12) carrying disc (44) is profiled, for example, by circumferential grooves (48).

26. Tooth cleaning device in particular according to one of the preceding claims, d a d u r c h g e k e n n z e i c h n e t that the tips of the bristles (12) in different

End distance from the brush holder (31, 44).

27. Tooth cleaning device according to claim 26, so that at least two rings (49, 50) of bristles (12) are arranged on the sleeve (32), the bristle carrier (31) or the disk (44), the

Bristles (12) of at least one outer ring (49) over those of at least one inner ring (50). protrude.

28. Tooth cleaning device according to claim 27, so that the overhang of the outer bristles is up to approximately half the length of the bristles (12) of the inner ring (50).

29. A tooth cleaning device according to one of the preceding claims, that the bristles (12) are at an angle between 5 ° and .30 °, preferably between 15 ° and 20 °

The axis of rotation of the hollow brush (3) or the axis of the sleeve (32) protrude outwards.

OM