US3570035A - Power operated gum massager and tooth brush - Google Patents

Abstract

A BRUSH MEMBER, COMPOSED OF A SHANK HAVING A TUFT OF BRISTLES ON ITS OUTER END, HAS ITS INNER END SECURED ON READILY ATTACHABLE AND DETACHABLE MEANS TO A MOUNTING PLATE AT THE FRONT OF A HOUSING. DRIVEN GEAR AND CRANK MEMBERS IN THE HOUSING IMPART TO THE PLATE A DISTINCTIVE MOVEMENT WHICH WILL MOVE THE TIPS OF THE BRISTLES IN A FIGURE EIGHT PATH. THIS MAKES IT POSSIBLE TO APPLY THE BRISTLES TO THE GUMS AND TEETH IN SUCH A MANNER THAT MOVEMENT OF THE BRISTLES, WHEN THEY ARE IN CONTACT WITH THE GUMS AND TEETH, WILL BE TOWARD THE OUTER ENDS OF THE TEETH. THIS ENABLES THE USER, AT ONE OPERATION TO BRUSH THE TEETH AND TO MASSAGE THE GUMS BY BRUSHING THEN OUTWARDLY ON THE TEETH AND TO AVOID BRUSHING THE GUMS BACK ON THE TEETH.

Description

March 16, 1971 F. H. BARNETT POWER OPERATED GUM MASSAGER AND TOOTH BRUSH Filed June 24, 1969 INVENTOR. Forest H Bar/2e tt f (I ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,570,035 POWER OPERATED GUM MASSAGER AND TOOTH BRUSH Forest H. Barnett, 625 S. Trafton, Tacoma, Wash. 98104 Filed June 24, 1969, Ser. No. 836,032 Int. Cl. A46b 13/00 US. Cl. -22 6 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A brush member, composed of a shank having a tuft of bristles on its outer end, has its inner end secured on readily attachable and detachable means to a mounting plate at the front of a housing. Driven gear and crank members in the housing impart to the plate a distinctive movement which will move the tips of the bristles in a figure eight path. This makes it possible to apply the bristles to the gums and teeth in such a manner that movement of the bristles, when they are in contact with the gums and teeth, will be toward the outer ends of the teeth. This enables the user, at one operation to brush the teeth and to massage the gums by brushing then outwardly on the teeth and to avoid brushing the gums back on the teeth.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION Ser. No. 809,303, filed by applicant Mar. 21, 1969.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION A general object of this invention is to improve the construction of the gum massager and tooth brush disclosed in my prior patent application hereinbefore identified.

The gum massager and tooth brush disclosed in my hereinbefore identified prior application has two brush members which are moved synchronously so that the tips of the bristles of each brush follows a generally oval but separate and distinct path, the oval paths followed by the bristles of the two brushes being positioned end to end and being relatively fiat, that is, of much greater length than width. An object of my present invention is to provide a gum massager and tooth brush in which a single brush member is operated by mechanism similar to that disclosed in my said prior application and in which the movement imparted to said single brush has all of the desirable characteristics of the combined movement of the two brushes of the prior application, while at the same time reducing the bulk of the parts which must be used in the mouth.

Another object is to provide a driven gum massager and tooth brush in which the bristle tips of a single brush member are moved in a path having the outline of a figure eight, thereby making it possible to stroke both the upper and lower gums and teeth in an outward direction, or toward the crowns of the teeth, at a single brushing operation.

Other objects of my invention will be apparent from the following description and accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a view partly in side elevation and partly in cross section of a power operated gum massager and tooth brush embodying my invention, part of the motor housing being broken away.

FIG. 2 is a view partly in plan and partly in section, taken substantially on broken line 22 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a sectional view, with parts in elevation, looking in the direction indicated by line 33 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 is an enlarged view in end elevation showing the brush carrying end of the device.

FIG. 5 is an enlarged detached fragmentary perspective view showing the base or inner end portion of a brush slant.

FIG. 6 is an enlargedsectional view taken on line 6-6 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 7 is a somewhat diagrammatic view in elevation showing crank means of modified form. Like reference numerals refer to like parts throughout the several views.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The power driven tooth brush comprising a main frame and housing member including side walls 15, a back wall 16, a removable front wall 17 which is secured by screws 18 to the side walls 15 and tubular hub 19 protruding from the rear or outer side of the back wall 16. Tubular shank 20 on the forward end of a combined motor case and handle 21 fits within the housing hub 19, and hub 19 and shank 20 are rigidly secured together in any suitable way. Two small enmeshed gear wheels 22 and 23 are disposed within the housing and are respectively provided with rearwardly extending bearing pins 24 and 25 which are journaled in the back wall 16 and with larger forwardly extending bearing hubs 26 and 27 which are journaled in the removable front plate 17 of the housing. The hubs 26 and 27 are preferably shouldered, FIG. 1, and they terminate approximately flush with the outer face of the housing plate 17. A driven shaft 28 of a motor contained in case 21 has a driving connection with the bearing pin 24 of gearwheel 22.

A flat brush carrying plate 30 is positioned in front of and close to the front housing wall 17 and is connected by two crank members 31 and 32, herein shown, to be screws, with the respective gearwheels 22 and 23, crank members 31 and 32 are at approximately equal distances from the axes of the respective gearwheels 22 and 23. Crank member 31 operates in a slot 33 in the plate 30. Crank member 32 operates in a snugly fitting hole in said plate 36. The gearwheels 22 and 23 are meshed so that when the crank members 31 and 32 are in a plane common to the axes of the two gearwheels they are closest together and are always at the same sides of the gearwheel axes. Obviously plate 30 will move with the crank member 32 while the other crank member 31 will slide in slot 33 and impart a swinging or rocking movement to said plate 30.

The outer side of the brush carrying plate 30 is provided with an outwardly protruding rigidly attached tubular socket 34 which is adapted to receive an enlarged inner end 35 of a brush shank or handle 36. Bristles 39 of conventional tooth brush type protrude transversely from the outer end portion of the shank 36.

The interior of the socket 34, FIG. 6, is provided with an inwardly extending rib or tooth 37 over which any one of a plurality of grooves 38 in the larger end part 35 of the brush shank 36 will fit when said part 35 is inserted in the socket 34. This prevents rotation of part 35 in socket 34 and at the same time makes possible rotative adjustment of the shank 35, 36 in the socket 34. Snap-0n type brush holding means is provided to releasably hold the brush shank part 35 in the socket 34. The shank holding means herein disclosed comprises a ball 40 movably disposed in a suitable bore in a boss 41 which is part of the socket 34 and extends outwardly therefrom. A compression spring 42 supported against a screw 43 urges the ball 40 toward the end part 35 of shank 36. A bore in which the ball 40 is guided is shaped so that it prevents the ball 40' from being pushed entirely into the socket 34 but permits part of said ball to extend into the socket 34 and into a transverse groove 44 in the enlarged inner end 35 of the shank 36 and serve as a readily releasable detent member for releasably securing the brush shank 36 to the plate 30. The devices just described serve as efiicient, readily adjustable, and readily attachable and detachable means for securing the brush member to the plate 30.

The preferred embodiment herein illustrated shows the brush shank 36 approximately straight and supported approximately perpendicular to the plate 30 by the socket 34. FIGS. 1, and 4 show the bristles 39 extending in a downward direction from the shank 36 and show a preferred position of the socket 34 by which a satisfactory figure eight shaped path of travel of the tips of the bristles 39, as indicated by c in FIG. 4, is obtained. It will be understood that the bristles 39 may extend in a different direction from that shown in FIG. 4, for instance in an opposite or upward direction. If they do then the socket 34 will be transversely offset more than illustrated in FIG. 4.

FIG. 4 shows the two crank members 31 and 32 horizontal and in a closest together position and both to the right of the axes about which they revolve. Said crank members are at their maximum distance apart when they have moved in opposite directions ninety degrees from the closest together horizontal position, in which they are shown in FIG. 4, to a vertical position.

In said FIG. 4 the line aa indicates a plane common to the axes of said two crank members and the line ff indicates a plane perpendicular to plane aa and intersecting plane aa between the two crank members and closer to crank member 31 then crank member 32, the distance along line aa from plane ff to crank member 31 preferably is between one-fourth and one-half of the distance to crank member 32 when the two crank members are closest together. The socket 34, which determines the point of attachment of brush shank 36 to plate 30 has its center on or near the plane f-f and said socket is transversely offset from plane aa a substantial distance, which preferably is equal to about one-half of the distance between the two crank members when they are closest together. If the bristles 39 extend away from plane aa, as shown then a satisfactory figure eight path of movement of the bristle tips is obtained by positioning socket 34 as just described but it will be understood that this positioning can be varied.

If the bristles 39 shown in FIG. 4 protrude upwardly toward plane aa a more satisfactory path of movement of their tips results if socket 34 is farther from plane aa.

If the crank member are screws threaded directly into the hubs of the gearwheels, as illustrated in FIGS. 1 to 6 the length of throw of each crank must be less than the diameter of the gearwheel with which it is connected. By use of an adjustable crank arm mechanism, as shown in FIG. 7, I am able to obtain some increase in the length of the crank throw and in the length and width of the brush stroke.

Said FIG. 7 shows two crank arms 46, 47 secured to the respective gearwheel hubs 22 and 23, each by two screws 48 and 49 which extend through seats 50 and 51 in the crank arms 46 and 47 and are threaded into the hubs 22 and 23.

The crank arms 46 and 47 operate between the front wall 17 of the housing and the plate 30 and the heads of the screws 48 and 49 are countersunk into said crank arms. Crank members in the form of screws 52 and 53, the heads only of which are shown, are threaded into the outer ends of the respective crank arms 46 and 47. It will be understood that screws 52 and 53 carry and operate a brush carrying plate, not shown in FIG. 7, but which is similar to plate 30, use of the adjustable crank arms shown in FIG. 7 makes it possible to obtain both a longer and a wider path of travel of the bristle tips than can be obtained with the crank structure shown in FIGS. 1 to 6. In other ways the operation of the FIG. 7 structure is similar to that of l to 6.

In the operation of the brush shown in FIGS. 1 to 6, as the two crank members 31 and 32 rotate in opposite directions and at the same rate of speed, the end portion of the plate 30 which is journaled on the crank member 32 will be moved in a circular path and the other end portion of said plate 30 will be guided on, and swingingly moved by the crank member 31 which operates in the slot 33. Thus results in movement in figure eight path, as indicated by c in FIG. 4, being imparted to at least a medial portion of plate 30 which lies between planes aa and ff.

The amplitude and shape of the figure eight path of movement of dilferent parts of or points on the central area of the plate 30 is different and the shape and length and width of the figure eight path 0 traversed by the bristle tips is to a great extent dependent on the location at which the inner end of the brush shank 36 is attached to said plate 30, this is the location of socket 34. The length of the figure eight path 0 traversed by the bristle tips also varies directly with the distance of transverse offset of the socket 34 from the plane aa. The length of bristles 39 and the direction in which they are to protrude also are factors to be considered in positioning socket 34.

When the bristle tips are being moved in a figure eight path, as indicated by c in FIG. 4 the bristles can apply to the gums and teeth so they will manage the gums and brush the teeth of both the upper and lower jaws at same operation and in such a way that they will always move from the gums outwardly toward the crowns of the teeth. This avoids brushing the gums back on the teeth, which if done, can cause them to recede.

The bristles 39 can also be applied to either upper or lower teeth in such a way that its direction of movement in one loop of the figure eight movement is from the gums toward the crowns of the teeth and in the other loop is across the crowns of the same teeth.

I claim:

1. In a power operated gum massager and tooth brush, a housing; two crank members supported by said housing in side by side relation; means operable in revolving said crank members in opposite directions and at the same rate of speed; a brush carrying plate supported on and movable by said two crank members, one of said crank members being pivotally journaled in the plate for move ment of the plate with the crank member, said plate having in it a slot spaced from and extending in a direction generally radial to said pivotally journaled crank member and the other crank member being slidably movable in said slot, said two crank members, when in operation, imparting to a part of the plate between said crank members movement along a path having the shape of a fiattened figure eight; brush shank rigid with said brush carrying plate and protruding outwardly from a part of said plate which is between the two crank members and transversely otfset perpendicularly from a plane common to the axes of said two crank members; and bristles protruding transversely from the outer end portion of said shank, the tips of said bristles being movable in a figure eight shaped path by operation of said crank members.

2. The power operated gum massager and tooth brush claimed in claim 1 in which the point of attachment of the brush shank to the brush carrying plate lies in a plane perpendicular to the plane common to the axes of the two crank members and which intersects said plane common to the axes of the two crank members closer to the crank member which operates in the slot in said brush carrying plate than to the other crank member.

3. The power operated gum massager and tooth brush as claimed in claim 1 in which the inner end of the brush shank is connected with the brush carrying plate by devices which are readily attachable and detachable and which provide for rotary adjustment of said brush shank on its axis.

4. The power operated gum massager and tooth brush as claimed in claim 1 in which a tubular socket is provided on the outer side of the brush carrying plate and is adapted to receive the inner end portion of said brush shank and support said shank, and in which said socket and the inner end portion of said brush shank are provided with cooperating means to rotatively position said shank in said socket and with cooperating means to releasably retain said brush shank in said socket.

5. The power operated gum massager and tooth brush as claimed in claim 1 in which the throw of the two crank members is equal and said crank members are revolved in opposite directions and at the same rate of speed by two enmeshed gearwheels of equal size.

6. The power operated gum massager and tooth brush as claimed in claim 1 in which the two crank members are carried by the outer end portion of two crank arms respectively, and in which the two crank arms are adjust- References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2/1931 Byers et a1 15-22(A) 2/1966 Hartmann 15-22 EDWARD L. ROBERTS, Primary Examiner US. Cl. X.R. 7450; 12862

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