US20050278878A1

US20050278878A1 - Tooth brush having rotary brush device

Info

Publication number: US20050278878A1
Application number: US10/871,422
Authority: US
Inventors: Li Wen Liao; Chung Min Liao; Brad Wang
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2004-06-18
Filing date: 2004-06-18
Publication date: 2005-12-22

Abstract

A tooth brush includes a handle, a shank attached to the handle and having a housing, a casing disposed in the housing, and a paddle wheel rotatably received in the casing and having a shaft extended out of the casing. A rotary brush device is attached to the shaft of the paddle wheel, and includes a number of brush members for teeth brushing purposes. A water supplying device may be used to supply water into the casing, to drive and to rotate the paddle wheel relative to the casing, and to drive the brush members of the rotary brush device to brush teeth. The casing includes a cover having one or more orifices for allowing water to flow out through the orifices of the cover of the casing.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a tooth brush, and more particularly to a tooth brush having a rotary brush device and having a water jet for cleaning teeth.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Various kinds of typical tooth brushes have been developed and comprise a brush device for brushing or cleaning teeth of users. For allowing the typical tooth brushes to easily brush or clean the teeth of the users, some of the typical tooth brushes provide a water spraying nozzle coupled to the brush device, for supplying water into the mouth of the users while conducting teeth brushing or cleaning operations.
For example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,273,189 to Levinson et al., and U.S. Pat. No. 3,593,707 to Pifer disclose two of the typical tooth brushes and each also comprising a brush device for brushing or cleaning teeth of users, and each further comprising a water spraying nozzle coupled to the brush device, for supplying water into the mouth of the users while conducting teeth brushing or cleaning operations. However, the brush devices may not be rotated to brush or clean the teeth of the users.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,927,434 to Burgess discloses another typical tooth brush comprising a pair of parallel rotary brushes synchronously driven by a fluid motor in opposite directions of rotation, to brush or clean the teeth of the users. However, no water may be supplied to clean the teeth of the users.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,181,997 to O'Rourke discloses a further typical tooth brush comprising a brushing unit provided with rotating brushes, a dentifrice carrying cartridge attachable to a water faucet, and supporting an impeller operated by water pressure to rotate the brushes. The cartridge unit has a passage for conducting water from the faucet to the rotating brushes.
However, the impeller is disposed far away from the rotating brushes of the brushing unit, and may not be used to directly or effectively rotate or drive the rotating brushes.
The present invention has arisen to mitigate and/or obviate the afore-described disadvantages of the conventional tooth brush devices.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The primary objective of the present invention is to provide a tooth brush including a rotary brush device for suitably cleaning teeth of users.
The other objective of the present invention is to provide a tooth brush including a water jet for spraying water and for suitably cleaning the teeth of the users.
In accordance with one aspect of the invention, there is provided a tooth brush comprising a handle, a shank attached to the handle, and including a housing provided thereon, a casing disposed in the housing, a paddle wheel rotatably received in the casing, and including a shaft extended out of the casing, a rotary brush device attached to the shaft of the paddle wheel, and including a plurality of brush members provided on for teeth brushing purposes, and a water supplying device for supplying water into the casing, to drive and to rotate the paddle wheel relative to the casing, and to drive the brush members of the rotary brush device to brush teeth.
The rotary brush device includes a base having a central hub provided thereon, and engaged onto the shaft of the paddle wheel, to attach the rotary brush device to the shaft of the paddle wheel. The shaft of the paddle wheel includes a peripheral groove formed therein, the rotary brush device includes at least one projection extended into the central hub thereof, to engage into the peripheral groove of the shaft of the paddle wheel, to attach the rotary brush device to the shaft of the paddle wheel.
The rotary brush device includes an outer peripheral rim, and at least one bar coupled between the central hub and the outer peripheral rim, to form at least one opening in the base, and to allow water to flow through the opening of the base. The bar of the rotary brush device includes an inclined surface formed therein, and facing toward the paddle wheel.
The casing includes a cover attached thereon, and having at least one orifice formed therein, for allowing water to flow out through the orifice of the cover and to flow onto the bar.
The casing includes an inlet port directed toward an outer peripheral portion of the paddle wheel, to allow water to flow onto the outer peripheral portion of the paddle wheel, and to effectively rotate the paddle wheel relative to the casing.
The water supplying device includes a water pump received in the handle, and coupled to the inlet port of the casing, to pump water into the inlet port of the casing.
The housing includes a plate attached thereto and having a plurality of stationary brush members provided on, for teeth brushing purposes. The housing includes a recess formed therein, and a partition extended into the recess thereof, to form a peripheral shoulder in the housing, and to receive the plate.
Further objectives and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from a careful reading of the detailed description provided hereinbelow, with appropriate reference to the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a partial exploded view of a tooth brush in accordance with the present invention;
FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the tooth brush;
FIG. 3 is a perspective view illustrating a rotary brush device;
FIG. 4 is a cross sectional view of the tooth brush, taken along lines 4-4 of FIG. 2;
FIG. 5 is a partial cross sectional view of the tooth brush; and
FIG. 6 is an enlarged partial cross sectional view, taken along lines 6-6 of FIG. 4.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Referring to the drawings, and initially to FIGS. 1-4, a tooth brush in accordance with the present invention comprises a handle 10 including a chamber 11 formed therein (FIG. 4), and including a front portion 12 having a conduit 13 laterally disposed therein. A shank 20 includes one end detachably secured to the front portion 12 of the handle 10 with such as one or more spring latches 21 (FIGS. 1, 4), and includes a head or a housing 22 formed or provided on the other end thereof.
The housing 22 of the shank 20 includes a recess 23 formed therein, and a rib or partition 24 extended into the recess 23 thereof, to form or define a circular space 25 therein. The partition 24 is not completely extended through the recess 23 of the housing 22, in order to form a notch 26 in the housing 22 and communicated between the recess 23 and the space 25 of the housing 22. It is preferable that the partition 24 includes a thickness less then the thickness of the depth of the recess 23 of the housing 22, to form or define a peripheral shoulder 27 in the housing 22.
A water pump 30 is disposed in the chamber 11 of the handle 10, and is coupled to the conduit 13 with a pipe 31, and a tube 32 is coupled to the water pump 30 and includes one end 33 extended out through the handle 10, for coupling to a water reservoir, and for allowing water to be pumped through the conduit 13 and the pipe 31 by the water pump 30. One or more batteries 34 may be disposed in the chamber 11 of the handle 10, and coupled to the water pump 30, for energizing the water pump 30. The handle 10 may include one or more switch buttons 14 provided thereon (FIG. 2) for operating the water pump 30.
A casing 40 is received in the space 25 of the housing 22, and secured to the housing 22 with adhesive materials, fasteners (not shown), or by welding processes, and includes an inlet port 41 extended therefrom, and extended through the notch 26 of the housing 22, and includes a chamber 42 formed therein. A hose 35 has one end 36 coupled to the conduit 13 of the handle 10, and the other end 37 coupled to the inlet port 41 of the casing 40, to allow the water to be pumped into the chamber 42 of the casing 40 by the water pump 30.
A cover 43 is attached onto the casing 40, and secured to the casing 40 with adhesive materials, fasteners (not shown), or by welding processes, to enclose the chamber 42 of the casing 40, and includes a center hole 44 and one or more orifices 45 formed therein. It is preferable that the orifices 45 of the cover 43 are aligned with each other, and located distal to the inlet port 41 of the casing 40 and the water pump 30.
A paddle wheel 50 is rotatably received in the space 25 of the housing 22, and includes a shaft 51 extended therefrom, and extended through the center hole 44 of the cover 43 of the casing 40, for allowing the paddle wheel 50 to be stably and rotatably received in the space 25 of the housing 22 by the cover 43. It is preferable that the inlet port 41 of the casing 40 is directed toward the outer peripheral portion 53 of the paddle wheel 50 (FIGS. 4, 5), to allow the water to flow onto the outer peripheral portion 53 of the paddle wheel 50, and to allow the paddle wheel 50 to be effectively rotated or driven by the water jet supplied through the inlet port 41 of the casing 40 by the water pump 30.
A rotary brush device 6 is further provided and includes a base 60 having a central hub 61 provided thereon, to engage onto the shaft 51 of the paddle wheel 50 (FIG. 6), and includes one or more projections 62 extended into the central hub 61 thereof, to engage into a peripheral groove 52 of the shaft 51 of the paddle wheel 50 (FIG. 6), and to attach the rotary brush device 6 to the shaft 51 of the paddle wheel 50. The rotary brush device 6 may either be solidly secured to or rotatably secured to the shaft 51 of the paddle wheel 50 by the engagements of the projections 62 into the peripheral groove 52 of the shaft 51 of the paddle wheel 50.
As shown in FIG. 3, the rotary brush device 6 includes a number of brush members 63 provided on or extended from the base 60, and includes one or more ribs or bars 64 coupled between the central hub 61 and an outer peripheral rim 67 thereof, to form or define one or more openings 65 in the base 60, and to allow water to flow through the openings 65 of the base 60. It is preferable that each of the bars 64 includes a tapered or inclined surface 66 formed or provided in the lower portion thereof, and facing toward the cover 43 and the paddle wheel 50.
In operation, as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, when water is supplied into the chamber 42 of the casing 40, via the pipe 31 and the hose 35, by the water pump 30, the water may flow in a fast speed into the chamber 42 of the casing 40 as a water jet, to drive or to rotate the paddle wheel 50 and/or the rotary brush device 6 relative to the housing 22, for brushing or cleaning the teeth of the users with the brush members 63.
The water flowing into the chamber 42 of the casing 40 may then flow out of the casing 40 via the orifices 45 of the cover 43, and may then flow or impact onto the tapered or inclined surfaces 66 of the bars 64 of the rotary brush device 6, and then sprayed into the mouths of the users, for further cleaning the teeth of the users. The flowing or impacting of the water onto the tapered or inclined surfaces 66 of the bars 64 of the rotary brush device 6 may further facilitate the rotating of the rotary brush device 6 relative to the housing 22.
As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, a plate 70 may further be provided and engaged into the peripheral shoulder 27 of the housing 22, and may be secured to the housing 22 with adhesive materials, fasteners (not shown), or by welding processes, to enclose the recess 23 of the housing 22. The plate 70 may include a number of stationary brush members 71 provided on or extended from, for allowing the users to selectively brush their teeth with the stationary brush members 71 in addition to the brush members 63 of the rotary brush device 6. The plate 70 may also be engaged with the casing 40, to further stably secure or retain the casing 40 in the housing 22.
The rotary brush device 6 may be changeably or replaceably attached to and driven by the shaft 51 of the paddle wheel 50, and/or may be driven by the water flowing onto the inclined surfaces 66 of the bars 64 of the rotary brush device 6. The cover 43 may also be directly attached to the housing 22, to enclose the space 25 of the housing 22, and to retain the paddle wheel 50 within the space 25 of the housing 22 without the casing 40. The shank 20 may be attached to various handles 10 or other tooth brush apparatuses (not shown).
Accordingly, the tooth brush includes a rotary brush device for suitably cleaning teeth of users, and includes a water jet for spraying water and for suitably cleaning the teeth of the users.
Although this invention has been described with a certain degree of particularity, it is to be understood that the present disclosure has been made by way of example only and that numerous changes in the detailed construction and the combination and arrangement of parts may be resorted to without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as hereinafter claimed.

Claims

1. A tooth brush having a handle, said tooth brush comprising:

a shank for attaching to the handle, and including a housing provided thereon and having a space formed in said housing,

a cover attached to said housing to enclose said space of said housing, and said cover including at least one orifice formed therein, for allowing water to flow out through said at least one orifice of said cover,

a paddle wheel rotatably received in said space of said housing, and including a shaft extended out of said cover,

a rotary brush device attached to said shaft of said paddle wheel, and including a plurality of brush members provided on for teeth brushing purposes, and

water supplying means for supplying water into said space of said housing, to drive and to rotate said paddle wheel relative to said housing, and to drive said brush members of said rotary brush device to brush teeth.

2. The tooth brush as claimed in claim 1, wherein said rotary brush device includes a base having a central hub provided thereon, and engaged onto said shaft of said paddle wheel, to attach said rotary brush device to said shaft of said paddle wheel.

3. The tooth brush as claimed in claim 2, wherein said shaft of said paddle wheel includes a peripheral groove formed therein, said rotary brush device includes at least one projection extended into said central hub thereof, to engage into said peripheral groove of said shaft of said paddle wheel, to attach said rotary brush device to said shaft of said paddle wheel.

4. The tooth brush as claimed in claim 2, wherein said rotary brush device includes an outer peripheral rim, and at least one bar coupled between said central hub and said outer peripheral rim, to form at least one opening in said base, and to allow water to flow through said at least one opening of said base.

5. The tooth brush as claimed in claim 4, wherein said at least one bar of said rotary brush device includes an inclined surface formed therein, and facing toward said paddle wheel.

6. The tooth brush as claimed in claim 1, wherein said housing includes a casing received in said space thereof, and said cover is attached to said casing.

7. The tooth brush as claimed in claim 6, wherein said casing includes an inlet port directed toward an outer peripheral portion of said paddle wheel, to allow water to flow onto said outer peripheral portion of said paddle wheel, and to effectively rotate said paddle wheel relative to said casing.

8. The tooth brush as claimed in claim 7, wherein said water supplying means includes a water pump coupled to said inlet port of said casing, to pump water into said inlet port of said casing.

9. The tooth brush as claimed in claim 1, wherein said housing includes a plate attached thereto and having a plurality of stationary brush members provided on, for teeth brushing purposes.

10. The tooth brush as claimed in claim 9, wherein said housing includes a recess formed therein, and a partition extended into said recess thereof, to form a peripheral shoulder in said housing, and to receive said plate.