US20130212816A1 - Curved-head electric toothbrush - Google Patents
Curved-head electric toothbrush Download PDFInfo
- Publication number
- US20130212816A1 US20130212816A1 US13/401,668 US201213401668A US2013212816A1 US 20130212816 A1 US20130212816 A1 US 20130212816A1 US 201213401668 A US201213401668 A US 201213401668A US 2013212816 A1 US2013212816 A1 US 2013212816A1
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- United States
- Prior art keywords
- brush
- curved
- mounting
- electric toothbrush
- head electric
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Classifications
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- A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
- A46—BRUSHWARE
- A46B—BRUSHES
- A46B9/00—Arrangements of the bristles in the brush body
- A46B9/02—Position or arrangement of bristles in relation to surface of the brush body, e.g. inclined, in rows, in groups
- A46B9/04—Arranged like in or for toothbrushes
- A46B9/045—Arranged like in or for toothbrushes specially adapted for cleaning a plurality of tooth surfaces simultaneously
-
- A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
- A61—MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; HYGIENE
- A61C—DENTISTRY; APPARATUS OR METHODS FOR ORAL OR DENTAL HYGIENE
- A61C17/00—Devices for cleaning, polishing, rinsing or drying teeth, teeth cavities or prostheses; Saliva removers; Dental appliances for receiving spittle
- A61C17/16—Power-driven cleaning or polishing devices
- A61C17/22—Power-driven cleaning or polishing devices with brushes, cushions, cups, or the like
- A61C17/32—Power-driven cleaning or polishing devices with brushes, cushions, cups, or the like reciprocating or oscillating
- A61C17/34—Power-driven cleaning or polishing devices with brushes, cushions, cups, or the like reciprocating or oscillating driven by electric motor
- A61C17/3409—Power-driven cleaning or polishing devices with brushes, cushions, cups, or the like reciprocating or oscillating driven by electric motor characterized by the movement of the brush body
- A61C17/3436—Rotation around the axis perpendicular to the plane defined by the bristle holder
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- A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
- A61—MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; HYGIENE
- A61C—DENTISTRY; APPARATUS OR METHODS FOR ORAL OR DENTAL HYGIENE
- A61C17/00—Devices for cleaning, polishing, rinsing or drying teeth, teeth cavities or prostheses; Saliva removers; Dental appliances for receiving spittle
- A61C17/16—Power-driven cleaning or polishing devices
- A61C17/22—Power-driven cleaning or polishing devices with brushes, cushions, cups, or the like
- A61C17/32—Power-driven cleaning or polishing devices with brushes, cushions, cups, or the like reciprocating or oscillating
- A61C17/34—Power-driven cleaning or polishing devices with brushes, cushions, cups, or the like reciprocating or oscillating driven by electric motor
- A61C17/349—Power-driven cleaning or polishing devices with brushes, cushions, cups, or the like reciprocating or oscillating driven by electric motor with multiple brush bodies
Definitions
- the present invention relates to dental hygiene devices, and particularly to a curved-head electric toothbrush that insures proper cleaning of all teeth in an efficient manner.
- Electric toothbrushes usually clean one's teeth better than conventional manual toothbrushes. Moreover, minimal physical effort is required to brush one's teeth, since the majority of the cleaning is accomplished by moving brushes. While such electric toothbrushes provide great timesaving benefits and convenience, they still suffer from similar drawbacks of manual brushes. More specifically, the design of the brush head for most toothbrushes limits how many teeth can be cleaned at a time. Thus, the user must still manipulate and spend adequate time at each point of reach for a complete clean.
- the curved-head electric toothbrush includes an elongate housing having a drive assembly contained therein.
- the housing has a handle portion and a tapering section that holds a curved brush mount.
- the curved brush mount has a plurality of rotatable brush units mounted thereon, and the brush mount is shaped to conform to the curved row of teeth of a user's mouth.
- the drive assembly drives one of the brush units, and the rest of the brush units are driven by the driving brush unit so that adjacent brush units rotate in opposite directions.
- Each brush unit includes curved outer bristles and straight inner bristles, the former for cleaning the outer side surfaces and the latter for the top surface of teeth. In use, the curved-head electric toothbrush simultaneously cleans substantially the whole row of teeth with minimal manual manipulation.
- FIG. 1 is an environmental, perspective view of a curved-head electric toothbrush according to the present invention.
- FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the curved-head electric toothbrush of FIG. 1 .
- FIG. 3 is a partially exploded view of the curved-head electric toothbrush of FIG. 2 .
- FIG. 4 is an exploded view of the curved-head electric toothbrush of FIG. 1 .
- FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a motor bracket for a curved-head electric toothbrush according to the present invention.
- FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a cam for a curved-head electric toothbrush according to the present invention.
- FIG. 7A is a perspective view of a curved brush mount for a curved-head electric toothbrush according to the present invention.
- FIG. 7B is a perspective view of an alternative embodiment of a curved brush mount for a curved-head electric toothbrush according to the present invention.
- FIG. 8A is a perspective view of a spur gear for a curved-head electric toothbrush according to the present invention.
- FIG. 8B is a perspective view of an alternative embodiment of a spur gear for a curved-head electric toothbrush according to the present invention.
- FIG. 8C is a perspective view of another embodiment of a spur gear for a curved-head electric toothbrush according to the present invention.
- FIG. 9 is a perspective view of a brush for a curved-head electric toothbrush according to the present invention.
- the curved-head electric toothbrush provides convenient and timesaving cleaning of substantially all of a row of teeth T in a single cleaning application.
- the curved-head electric toothbrush 10 includes an elongate housing having an upper, removable casing or cover 12 and a lower, base or casing 16 .
- the lower casing 16 defines a compartment that houses all of the components for operating the curved head electric toothbrush 10
- the upper casing 12 covers and protects the components within the lower casing 16 .
- the housing is substantially rectangular for about half of its length and tapers to an elongate, relatively narrow upper neck portion 14 and lower neck portion 18 , the upper and lower neck portions 14 , 18 defining the neck of the housing and extending the remainder of the length thereof.
- This overall shape provides a handle or gripping section at the rectangular portion, and the elongate neck provides an extension for unobstructed insertion and manipulation of the curved brush head 20 during use.
- the neck also encases some of the driving components for the curved brush head 20 , which will be further detailed below.
- the upper casing 12 is selectively removable from the lower casing 16 to gain access to the interior components for routine maintenance and/or change of batteries.
- the upper casing 12 can be provided with interference tabs 13 that mate with corresponding protrusions or extensions 15 in the lower casing 16 .
- Other types of fasteners, such as clips, can also be used and placed at any desired or required locations along the housing.
- the housing is preferably constructed from durable plastic that can withstand daily use. Other materials, such as lightweight metals, composites and/or combinations thereof, are viable alternatives.
- the seam between the upper and lower casings 12 , 16 can be sealed by a seal ring in order to waterproof the curved-head electric toothbrush 10 and prevent inadvertent damage to the interior components.
- the curved-head electric toothbrush 10 includes an arcuate or curved brush head 20 disposed at the terminal or distal end of the neck portions 14 , 18 .
- the curved brush head 20 is configured to facilitate brushing of a plurality of teeth or a whole row of teeth at one time.
- the curved brush head 20 includes an arcuate or curved brush mount or frame 22 .
- the curved brush mount 22 is substantially C-shaped or U-shaped to conform to the shape of the user's row of teeth T, having a bight and legs extending from the bight.
- a plurality of mounting slots or recesses 24 are formed on the bottom of the brush mount 22 .
- the mounting slots 24 accommodate insertion of brush units 30 , which will be further discussed below.
- the top of the brush mount 22 includes a centrally disposed, disc-shaped mounting boss 26 at the bight of the U-shape for attaching the brush mount 22 to the drive assembly 50 of the curved-head electric toothbrush 10 .
- the mounting boss 26 includes a drive bore 28 to accommodate a drive shaft from the drive assembly 50 and a pair of spaced stabilizing pegs 27 . When mounted, the stabilizing pegs 27 are inserted into corresponding stabilizing bores 17 formed at the distal end of the lower neck portion 18 , which fixes attachment of the brush mount 22 to the neck of the housing and prevents unwanted movement thereof during use.
- each brush unit 30 includes a circular spur gear 32 detachably mounted to a brush 40 .
- Each spur gear 32 includes two sets of gear teeth 34 formed on diametrically opposed sectors of the circular spur gear 32 .
- the remaining sectors or sections 37 are smooth, thus forming a discontinuity in the arrangement of the gear teeth 34 .
- this configuration of spur gears 32 allows for a very forgiving driving engagement between adjacent spur gears 32 without compromising rotational movement of the brush units 30 .
- Each spur gear 32 also includes an axially extending mounting shaft or rod 36 for mounting the spur gear 32 to the mounting slot 24 .
- At least the driving spur gear 32 can include the mounting shaft 36 with a notched extension 39 as shown in FIG. 8A .
- the notched extension 39 can be semi-circular in cross section so that the notched extension 39 can be mated to the camshaft 104 from the drive assembly 50 and be rotated thereby.
- the driven spur gears 32 can include similarly constructed mounting shafts 36 for ease of manufacture, or they may be formed without the notched extension 39 .
- Each spur gear 32 further includes diametrically opposed mounting slots or bores 38 for mounting the brush 40 thereon on the opposite side of the spur gear 32 from the mounting shaft 36 .
- each shaft 36 can include an annular, outer protrusion 35 that mates with an inner, circular groove 25 inside the mounting bore 24 .
- each brush 40 includes a circular mounting collar or boss 42 with integral mounting pegs 44 arranged on diametrically opposed sides on the top of the mounting collar 42 .
- the pegs 44 are configured to be insertably mounted in corresponding mounting bores 38 on the respective spur gear 32 .
- the opposite side of the mounting boss 42 includes an arrangement of bristles extending therefrom. These bristles are configured to provide thorough cleaning of all sides of the teeth T. As shown in FIG. 9 , the arrangement of bristles includes a plurality of outer, curved bristles 46 and a plurality of inner, straight bristles 48 .
- the outer, curved bristles 46 form a spherical cage around the inner, straight bristles 48 .
- the straight bristles 48 also do not extend as far as the outer bristles 46 , i.e., the straight bristles 48 are shorter than the curved bristles 46 .
- rotation of the brush 40 allows the outer bristles 46 to contact and clean the outer sides of the teeth T while the shorter straight bristles 48 contact the top of the teeth T to clean the tooth.
- the curved shape of the outer bristles 46 also allows for cleaning of the space between adjacent teeth T, i.e., the shape provides simultaneous floss-like cleaning of the teeth T.
- rotation of one driving brush unit 30 simultaneously rotates the remaining brush units 30 .
- the center brush unit 30 is directly attached to the drive assembly 50 to be rotated thereby.
- the remaining brush units 30 are mounted and arranged so that adjacent spur gears 32 are engaged with each other. With this arrangement, rotation of the center spur gear 32 rotates adjacent driven spur gears 32 in opposite directions. This type of rotational movement of the adjacent brush units 30 helps to insure thorough cleaning of the teeth T, compared to having all the brush units 30 rotating in the same direction.
- spur gears 32 are exemplarily shown in FIGS. 8B and 8C for use with the alternative curved brush mount 222 shown in FIG. 7B .
- the alternative brush mount 222 is substantially the same as the previous brush mount 22 , except that the brush mount 222 includes integral mounting pegs 236 .
- the mounting pegs 236 can be used to mount alternative driven spur gears 232 , shown in FIG. 8B , or spur gear 332 , shown in FIG. 8C .
- the spur gears 232 and 332 are similar to spur gear 32 .
- spur gear 232 includes a central mounting bore 231 having an inner, circular groove 233 that mates with a corresponding protrusion or lip in mounting peg 236 .
- the spur gear 332 includes a smooth mounting bore 331 that forms a pressure fit with the pegs 236 .
- the mounting peg 236 can be permanently attached to the mounting boss 42 on the brush 40 via adhesives and the like.
- the curved-head electric toothbrush 10 includes a drive assembly 50 disposed in the lower casing 16 .
- the drive assembly includes a motor bracket 52 for securely holding a motor 60 within the lower casing 16 .
- the motor bracket 52 is substantially U-shaped with four mounting bosses 54 disposed at the corners thereof.
- the motor bracket 52 is secured to the lower casing 16 by fasteners, such as screws 55 , inserted through bores in the mounting bosses 54 and threaded into corresponding lower mounting bosses 19 .
- the motor 60 is preferably an electric motor having a pinion 62 extending from one side of the motor 60 .
- the power for driving the motor 60 is provided by a power source, such as a battery 64 .
- the battery 64 is mounted between terminals 11 , and the battery 64 can be disposable or rechargeable.
- the motor 60 can be configured to be secure between the lower mounting bosses 19 and the motor bracket 52 , additional measures can be incorporated by utilizing a strap threaded through slots 57 to secure the motor 60 to the motor bracket 52 .
- the bottom of the motor bracket 52 includes a semi-circular cutout 56 to provide clearance for the pinion 62 .
- the pinion 62 drives a crown gear 70 rotatably mounted to the bottom of the lower casing 16 by a pin 76 .
- the pin 76 defines the axis of rotation for the crown gear 70 .
- the pin 76 is secured at one end to a boss at the bottom of the casing 16 , and the other end is secured to a triangular head portion 58 of the motor bracket 52 through a bore 59 .
- the crown gear 70 includes an eccentric drive boss 72 having a through bore 74 .
- the pin 76 extends through the bore 74 .
- the eccentric drive boss 72 helps convert rotation motion into linear movement.
- An elongate transmission arm 78 includes a rounded end having a bore 80 .
- the transmission arm 78 is rotatably mounted to the eccentric drive boss 72 via the bore 80 .
- the drive assembly 50 also includes an elongate transmission shaft 90 .
- the transmission shaft 90 lies within the neck of the housing.
- a connector 84 is attached to each end of the transmission shaft 90 via a mounting recess 88 in each connector 84 .
- Each connector 84 also includes a mounting peg 86 .
- one end of the transmission shaft 90 is rotatably connected to the opposite end of the transmission arm 78 through the mounting bore 82 via the respective mounting peg 86
- the other end of the transmission shaft 90 is rotatably connected to a crank arm 92 via the other mounting peg 86 through one of the bores 94 in the crank arm 92 .
- the crank arm 92 is, in turn, rotatably attached to a cam 100 .
- the cam 100 includes a disc-shaped body having an eccentric mounting peg 102 disposed on the top side of the main body.
- the mounting peg 102 connects the cam 100 to the other end of the crank arm 92 via the bore 94 , and the mounting peg 102 is eccentric by being disposed offset from the axis of rotation of the camshaft 100 .
- the bottom of the main body includes an axially extending camshaft 104 having a notched extension 106 .
- the camshaft 104 is configured to extend through the lower casing 16 into the drive bore 28 of the brush mount 22 to thereby mate with a corresponding notched extension 39 on the driving spur gear 32 .
- rotation of the camshaft 100 facilitates rotation of the spur gears 32 .
- the curved-head electric toothbrush 10 provides a relatively simple and efficient solution for simultaneous brushing of a row of teeth.
- the drive assembly 50 drives a single gear in one brush unit 30 , and the geared connection between all the brush units 30 allows simultaneous rotation of all from one.
- the configuration of the brush 40 also allows for a complete and thorough cleaning of the teeth with minimal manual manipulation of the curved-head electric toothbrush 10 .
- the curved-head electric toothbrush 10 is ideal for children, but it can also be used by others with simple resizing and/or number of brush units 30 included thereby.
Abstract
Description
- 1. Field of the Invention
- The present invention relates to dental hygiene devices, and particularly to a curved-head electric toothbrush that insures proper cleaning of all teeth in an efficient manner.
- 2. Description of the Related Art
- Development of oral hygiene and dental care is very important in a young person's life. If proper care is exercised, their teeth can last a lifetime. Improper care leads to cavities and other ailments that can dramatically reduce the life of one's teeth.
- One hindrance that leads to bad habits is the typical short attention span and exuberant energy of youngsters. When brushing, one must reach all areas of the teeth for a thorough clean, which requires diligence and attention. Unfortunately, a child may not have the patience or willingness to expend much effort for such an activity.
- Currently, electric or automatic toothbrushes have become very popular and help make brushing a relatively fast and efficient affair. Electric toothbrushes usually clean one's teeth better than conventional manual toothbrushes. Moreover, minimal physical effort is required to brush one's teeth, since the majority of the cleaning is accomplished by moving brushes. While such electric toothbrushes provide great timesaving benefits and convenience, they still suffer from similar drawbacks of manual brushes. More specifically, the design of the brush head for most toothbrushes limits how many teeth can be cleaned at a time. Thus, the user must still manipulate and spend adequate time at each point of reach for a complete clean.
- Thus, a curved-head electric toothbrush solving the aforementioned problems is desired.
- The curved-head electric toothbrush includes an elongate housing having a drive assembly contained therein. The housing has a handle portion and a tapering section that holds a curved brush mount. The curved brush mount has a plurality of rotatable brush units mounted thereon, and the brush mount is shaped to conform to the curved row of teeth of a user's mouth. The drive assembly drives one of the brush units, and the rest of the brush units are driven by the driving brush unit so that adjacent brush units rotate in opposite directions. Each brush unit includes curved outer bristles and straight inner bristles, the former for cleaning the outer side surfaces and the latter for the top surface of teeth. In use, the curved-head electric toothbrush simultaneously cleans substantially the whole row of teeth with minimal manual manipulation.
- These and other features of the present invention will become readily apparent upon further review of the following specification and drawings.
-
FIG. 1 is an environmental, perspective view of a curved-head electric toothbrush according to the present invention. -
FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the curved-head electric toothbrush ofFIG. 1 . -
FIG. 3 is a partially exploded view of the curved-head electric toothbrush ofFIG. 2 . -
FIG. 4 is an exploded view of the curved-head electric toothbrush ofFIG. 1 . -
FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a motor bracket for a curved-head electric toothbrush according to the present invention. -
FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a cam for a curved-head electric toothbrush according to the present invention. -
FIG. 7A is a perspective view of a curved brush mount for a curved-head electric toothbrush according to the present invention. -
FIG. 7B is a perspective view of an alternative embodiment of a curved brush mount for a curved-head electric toothbrush according to the present invention. -
FIG. 8A is a perspective view of a spur gear for a curved-head electric toothbrush according to the present invention. -
FIG. 8B is a perspective view of an alternative embodiment of a spur gear for a curved-head electric toothbrush according to the present invention. -
FIG. 8C is a perspective view of another embodiment of a spur gear for a curved-head electric toothbrush according to the present invention. -
FIG. 9 is a perspective view of a brush for a curved-head electric toothbrush according to the present invention. - Similar reference characters denote corresponding features consistently throughout the attached drawings.
- The curved-head electric toothbrush, generally referred to by the
reference number 10 in the drawings, provides convenient and timesaving cleaning of substantially all of a row of teeth T in a single cleaning application. As shown inFIGS. 1-3 , the curved-headelectric toothbrush 10 includes an elongate housing having an upper, removable casing orcover 12 and a lower, base orcasing 16. Thelower casing 16 defines a compartment that houses all of the components for operating the curved headelectric toothbrush 10, while theupper casing 12 covers and protects the components within thelower casing 16. The housing is substantially rectangular for about half of its length and tapers to an elongate, relatively narrowupper neck portion 14 andlower neck portion 18, the upper andlower neck portions curved brush head 20 during use. The neck also encases some of the driving components for thecurved brush head 20, which will be further detailed below. - The
upper casing 12 is selectively removable from thelower casing 16 to gain access to the interior components for routine maintenance and/or change of batteries. To facilitate detachable mounting of theupper casing 12, theupper casing 12 can be provided withinterference tabs 13 that mate with corresponding protrusions orextensions 15 in thelower casing 16. Other types of fasteners, such as clips, can also be used and placed at any desired or required locations along the housing. The housing is preferably constructed from durable plastic that can withstand daily use. Other materials, such as lightweight metals, composites and/or combinations thereof, are viable alternatives. Moreover, the seam between the upper andlower casings electric toothbrush 10 and prevent inadvertent damage to the interior components. - The curved-head
electric toothbrush 10 includes an arcuate orcurved brush head 20 disposed at the terminal or distal end of theneck portions curved brush head 20 is configured to facilitate brushing of a plurality of teeth or a whole row of teeth at one time. As shown inFIGS. 1-4 and 7A, thecurved brush head 20 includes an arcuate or curved brush mount orframe 22. Thecurved brush mount 22 is substantially C-shaped or U-shaped to conform to the shape of the user's row of teeth T, having a bight and legs extending from the bight. A plurality of mounting slots orrecesses 24 are formed on the bottom of thebrush mount 22. Themounting slots 24 accommodate insertion ofbrush units 30, which will be further discussed below. The top of thebrush mount 22 includes a centrally disposed, disc-shaped mountingboss 26 at the bight of the U-shape for attaching thebrush mount 22 to thedrive assembly 50 of the curved-headelectric toothbrush 10. The mountingboss 26 includes a drive bore 28 to accommodate a drive shaft from thedrive assembly 50 and a pair of spaced stabilizing pegs 27. When mounted, the stabilizingpegs 27 are inserted into corresponding stabilizing bores 17 formed at the distal end of thelower neck portion 18, which fixes attachment of thebrush mount 22 to the neck of the housing and prevents unwanted movement thereof during use. - The plurality of
brush units 30 are rotatably mounted to the underside of thebrush mount 22 and configured so that upon driving rotation of onebrush unit 30, the drivingbrush unit 30 rotates the rest of thebrush units 30. As shown inFIGS. 1-4 , 8A and 9, eachbrush unit 30 includes acircular spur gear 32 detachably mounted to abrush 40. Eachspur gear 32 includes two sets ofgear teeth 34 formed on diametrically opposed sectors of thecircular spur gear 32. The remaining sectors orsections 37 are smooth, thus forming a discontinuity in the arrangement of thegear teeth 34. During operation, this configuration of spur gears 32 allows for a very forgiving driving engagement between adjacent spur gears 32 without compromising rotational movement of thebrush units 30. - Each
spur gear 32 also includes an axially extending mounting shaft orrod 36 for mounting thespur gear 32 to the mountingslot 24. At least the drivingspur gear 32 can include the mountingshaft 36 with a notchedextension 39 as shown inFIG. 8A . The notchedextension 39 can be semi-circular in cross section so that the notchedextension 39 can be mated to thecamshaft 104 from thedrive assembly 50 and be rotated thereby. The driven spur gears 32 can include similarly constructed mountingshafts 36 for ease of manufacture, or they may be formed without the notchedextension 39. Eachspur gear 32 further includes diametrically opposed mounting slots or bores 38 for mounting thebrush 40 thereon on the opposite side of thespur gear 32 from the mountingshaft 36. To insure that the mountingshafts 36 do not slip from the respective mounting bore 24, eachshaft 36 can include an annular, outer protrusion 35 that mates with an inner,circular groove 25 inside the mountingbore 24. - Referring to
FIGS. 4 and 9 , eachbrush 40 includes a circular mounting collar orboss 42 with integral mounting pegs 44 arranged on diametrically opposed sides on the top of the mountingcollar 42. Thepegs 44 are configured to be insertably mounted in corresponding mounting bores 38 on therespective spur gear 32. - The opposite side of the mounting
boss 42 includes an arrangement of bristles extending therefrom. These bristles are configured to provide thorough cleaning of all sides of the teeth T. As shown inFIG. 9 , the arrangement of bristles includes a plurality of outer, curved bristles 46 and a plurality of inner, straight bristles 48. The outer, curved bristles 46 form a spherical cage around the inner, straight bristles 48. The straight bristles 48 also do not extend as far as the outer bristles 46, i.e., the straight bristles 48 are shorter than the curved bristles 46. During use, rotation of thebrush 40 allows the outer bristles 46 to contact and clean the outer sides of the teeth T while the shorter straight bristles 48 contact the top of the teeth T to clean the tooth. The curved shape of the outer bristles 46 also allows for cleaning of the space between adjacent teeth T, i.e., the shape provides simultaneous floss-like cleaning of the teeth T. - As mentioned previously, rotation of one driving
brush unit 30 simultaneously rotates the remainingbrush units 30. In reference toFIG. 4 , thecenter brush unit 30 is directly attached to thedrive assembly 50 to be rotated thereby. The remainingbrush units 30 are mounted and arranged so that adjacent spur gears 32 are engaged with each other. With this arrangement, rotation of thecenter spur gear 32 rotates adjacent driven spur gears 32 in opposite directions. This type of rotational movement of theadjacent brush units 30 helps to insure thorough cleaning of the teeth T, compared to having all thebrush units 30 rotating in the same direction. - Alternative configurations for the spur gears 32 are exemplarily shown in
FIGS. 8B and 8C for use with the alternativecurved brush mount 222 shown inFIG. 7B . As shown, thealternative brush mount 222 is substantially the same as theprevious brush mount 22, except that thebrush mount 222 includes integral mounting pegs 236. The mounting pegs 236 can be used to mount alternative driven spur gears 232, shown inFIG. 8B , or spur gear 332, shown inFIG. 8C . The spur gears 232 and 332 are similar tospur gear 32. However,spur gear 232 includes a central mounting bore 231 having an inner,circular groove 233 that mates with a corresponding protrusion or lip in mountingpeg 236. Alternatively, the spur gear 332 includes a smooth mounting bore 331 that forms a pressure fit with thepegs 236. With both alternative embodiments of the spur gears, the mountingpeg 236 can be permanently attached to the mountingboss 42 on thebrush 40 via adhesives and the like. - To drive the
brush units 30, the curved-headelectric toothbrush 10 includes adrive assembly 50 disposed in thelower casing 16. As shown inFIGS. 3-6 , the drive assembly includes amotor bracket 52 for securely holding amotor 60 within thelower casing 16. Themotor bracket 52 is substantially U-shaped with four mountingbosses 54 disposed at the corners thereof. Themotor bracket 52 is secured to thelower casing 16 by fasteners, such asscrews 55, inserted through bores in the mountingbosses 54 and threaded into corresponding lower mountingbosses 19. - The
motor 60 is preferably an electric motor having apinion 62 extending from one side of themotor 60. The power for driving themotor 60 is provided by a power source, such as abattery 64. Thebattery 64 is mounted betweenterminals 11, and thebattery 64 can be disposable or rechargeable. - While the
motor 60 can be configured to be secure between thelower mounting bosses 19 and themotor bracket 52, additional measures can be incorporated by utilizing a strap threaded throughslots 57 to secure themotor 60 to themotor bracket 52. The bottom of themotor bracket 52 includes asemi-circular cutout 56 to provide clearance for thepinion 62. - The
pinion 62 drives acrown gear 70 rotatably mounted to the bottom of thelower casing 16 by apin 76. Thepin 76 defines the axis of rotation for thecrown gear 70. Thepin 76 is secured at one end to a boss at the bottom of thecasing 16, and the other end is secured to atriangular head portion 58 of themotor bracket 52 through abore 59. - The
crown gear 70 includes aneccentric drive boss 72 having a throughbore 74. Thepin 76 extends through thebore 74. Theeccentric drive boss 72 helps convert rotation motion into linear movement. Anelongate transmission arm 78 includes a rounded end having abore 80. Thetransmission arm 78 is rotatably mounted to theeccentric drive boss 72 via thebore 80. Thus, as thecrown gear 70 rotates about the axis defined by thepin 76, theeccentric boss 72 drives thetransmission arm 78 in an eccentric reciprocating manner. - The
drive assembly 50 also includes anelongate transmission shaft 90. Thetransmission shaft 90 lies within the neck of the housing. Aconnector 84 is attached to each end of thetransmission shaft 90 via a mountingrecess 88 in eachconnector 84. Eachconnector 84 also includes a mountingpeg 86. When assembled, one end of thetransmission shaft 90 is rotatably connected to the opposite end of thetransmission arm 78 through the mounting bore 82 via the respective mountingpeg 86, and the other end of thetransmission shaft 90 is rotatably connected to a crankarm 92 via the other mountingpeg 86 through one of thebores 94 in thecrank arm 92. Thecrank arm 92 is, in turn, rotatably attached to acam 100. - As shown in
FIGS. 4 and 6 , thecam 100 includes a disc-shaped body having aneccentric mounting peg 102 disposed on the top side of the main body. The mountingpeg 102 connects thecam 100 to the other end of thecrank arm 92 via thebore 94, and the mountingpeg 102 is eccentric by being disposed offset from the axis of rotation of thecamshaft 100. The bottom of the main body includes anaxially extending camshaft 104 having a notchedextension 106. Thecamshaft 104 is configured to extend through thelower casing 16 into the drive bore 28 of thebrush mount 22 to thereby mate with a corresponding notchedextension 39 on the drivingspur gear 32. Thus mated with the flat surfaces of the notchedextensions camshaft 100 facilitates rotation of the spur gears 32. - To summarize, with all the components of the
drive assembly 50 assembled, activation of themotor 60 rotates thepinion 62. Thepinion 62 drives thecrown gear 70 causing thetransmission arm 78 and thetransmission shaft 90 to reciprocate in an eccentric manner due to the eccentric connection between thetransmission arm 78 and theeccentric drive boss 72. The eccentric reciprocation of thetransmission shaft 90 drives thecrank arm 92, which, in turn, rotates thecam 100. Rotation of thecam 100 rotates the spur gears 32, which facilitates the cleaning brushing action of the brushingunits 30. - Thus, it can be seen that the curved-head
electric toothbrush 10 provides a relatively simple and efficient solution for simultaneous brushing of a row of teeth. Thedrive assembly 50 drives a single gear in onebrush unit 30, and the geared connection between all thebrush units 30 allows simultaneous rotation of all from one. The configuration of thebrush 40 also allows for a complete and thorough cleaning of the teeth with minimal manual manipulation of the curved-headelectric toothbrush 10. The curved-headelectric toothbrush 10 is ideal for children, but it can also be used by others with simple resizing and/or number ofbrush units 30 included thereby. - It is to be understood that the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, but encompasses any and all embodiments within the scope of the following claims.
Claims (9)
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US13/401,668 US8516642B1 (en) | 2012-02-21 | 2012-02-21 | Curved-head electric toothbrush |
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US13/401,668 US8516642B1 (en) | 2012-02-21 | 2012-02-21 | Curved-head electric toothbrush |
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Cited By (5)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
CN104783916A (en) * | 2015-05-12 | 2015-07-22 | 刘文定 | Electric toothbrush |
US20180071064A1 (en) * | 2016-09-15 | 2018-03-15 | Metoqua Dzn Anderson | Glossal angle |
CN108969141A (en) * | 2018-06-19 | 2018-12-11 | 广东小天才科技有限公司 | Comprehensive electric toothbrush |
CN111759515A (en) * | 2020-08-07 | 2020-10-13 | 上海黑仙智能科技有限公司 | Electric toothbrush head adopting torsional spring |
USD926474S1 (en) * | 2018-08-17 | 2021-08-03 | Sunstar Americas, Inc. | Power toothbrush head |
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CN202023892U (en) * | 2011-03-17 | 2011-11-02 | 信利仪器(汕尾)有限公司 | Inclined shaft eccentric driving device and cleaning brush |
WO2013173573A1 (en) * | 2012-05-16 | 2013-11-21 | Flow Control Llc. | Compact, lightweight, battery operated, self-priming, positive displacement pump |
US20140137344A1 (en) * | 2012-11-20 | 2014-05-22 | Ronald Chaccour | Electrical toothbrush |
US8966698B2 (en) * | 2012-11-27 | 2015-03-03 | Techtronic Floor Care Technology Limited | Brush head for an electric toothbrush |
US10463464B2 (en) | 2015-10-12 | 2019-11-05 | Neluva, Inc. | Smart teethbrush |
US11330895B2 (en) | 2020-02-08 | 2022-05-17 | Joseph E Noonan, JR. | Dental cleaning apparatus |
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US2583886A (en) | 1947-10-17 | 1952-01-29 | Alvin J Schlegel | Power-driven toothbrush with demountably supported rotary brushes |
US2628377A (en) | 1950-03-21 | 1953-02-17 | Floyd M Cockriel | Mechanical toothbrush |
US4156620A (en) * | 1974-07-18 | 1979-05-29 | Clemens George S | Apparatus and method for cleaning teeth |
US4224710A (en) | 1978-11-30 | 1980-09-30 | Solow Terry S | Toothbrush for the whole mouth |
US4382309A (en) | 1980-08-05 | 1983-05-10 | Collis George C | Toothbrush |
IT1241839B (en) | 1990-11-30 | 1994-02-01 | Renzo Giunti | TOOTH BRUSH WITH ROTATING BRUSHES |
US5177827A (en) | 1991-01-14 | 1993-01-12 | Ellison Benedict M | Electric-powered dental brush |
US5337435A (en) | 1992-09-18 | 1994-08-16 | Krasner Janet H | Automatic toothbrush |
US5428855A (en) | 1994-07-11 | 1995-07-04 | Li; Raui-Long | Rotatable toothbrush |
US6343396B1 (en) | 2000-01-13 | 2002-02-05 | Marius Simovitz | Rotary tooth cleaning device |
KR100397187B1 (en) | 2000-12-12 | 2003-09-06 | 고경용 | An electro-motion toothbrush |
US7020925B1 (en) * | 2004-12-22 | 2006-04-04 | Avtipus Patents & Inventions Ltd. | Mechanical toothbrush |
US8316496B2 (en) | 2009-09-24 | 2012-11-27 | Qasem Al-Qaffas | Dental hygiene device |
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- 2012-02-21 US US13/401,668 patent/US8516642B1/en not_active Expired - Fee Related
Cited By (5)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
CN104783916A (en) * | 2015-05-12 | 2015-07-22 | 刘文定 | Electric toothbrush |
US20180071064A1 (en) * | 2016-09-15 | 2018-03-15 | Metoqua Dzn Anderson | Glossal angle |
CN108969141A (en) * | 2018-06-19 | 2018-12-11 | 广东小天才科技有限公司 | Comprehensive electric toothbrush |
USD926474S1 (en) * | 2018-08-17 | 2021-08-03 | Sunstar Americas, Inc. | Power toothbrush head |
CN111759515A (en) * | 2020-08-07 | 2020-10-13 | 上海黑仙智能科技有限公司 | Electric toothbrush head adopting torsional spring |
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