US3592188A

US3592188A - Power operated gum massager and tooth brush

Info

Publication number: US3592188A
Application number: US809303A
Authority: US
Inventors: Forest H Barnett
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1969-03-21
Filing date: 1969-03-21
Publication date: 1971-07-13
Anticipated expiration: 1988-07-13

Abstract

Two brush members, each having a set of bristles are supported from a housing and driven by gear and crank means so as to move the two sets of bristles in opposite directions along two generally oval paths. This provides a brush in which the sets of bristles, when in use for massaging the gums, will always move outwardly over the gums toward the crowns of the teeth thus avoiding brushing the gums back on the teeth, which might tend to cause them to recede.

Description

United States Patent Forest ll. Barnett 2602 N. Balthnore, Tacoma, Wash. 98407 [21 Appl. No. 809,303

[22] Filed Mmnll, 1969 [45] Patented July 13, 1971 [72] Inventor [S4] POWER OPERATED GUM MASSAGER AND TOO'I'HBRUSII JChllnglZDrlWlugFlp.

[S2] U.S.CL l28/62A, l5/22R [51] llLCl. A6lh7/00 [50] FlelrlolSeueh 128/242.

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,577,751 3/1926 Paschal] 123/51 2,9l2,976 I 1/1959 Grund 128/62 3,204,469 9/1965 Spillers. 15/22 X FOREIGN PATENTS 1,365,913 5/1964 France .1 15/22 Primary Examiner-L. W. Trapp Attorney-Fred Cw Matheny ABSTRACT: Two brush members, each having a set of bristles are supported from a housing and driven by gear and crank means so as to move the two sets of bristles in opposite directions along two generally oval paths. This provides a brush in which the sets of bristles, when in use for massaging the gums, will always move outwardly over the gums toward the crowns of the teeth thus avoiding brushing the gums back on the teeth, which might tend to cause them to recede.

PATENTEDJUHSIH?! SHEET 1 BF 2 Fares! a. BQMerr PATENTEU Jun 3 m1 SHEET 2 BF 2 INVENTOR. Fares) ff. 5 am el'l" POWER OPERATED GUM MASSAGER AND TOOTH BRUSH SUM MARY OF THE INVENTION An object of my invention is to provide a power driven gum massager and tooth brush of simple and ellicient construction which can be used to massage the gums and brush the teeth at a single operation.

Another object is to provide a power operated massager and tooth brush having sets of bristles used to both massage the gums and brush the teeth and in which said sets of bristles are always moved outwardly over the gums, that is from the gums toward the crowns of the teeth thus avoiding all tendency to cause the gums to recede by pushing them back on the teeth.

Another object is to provide a power operated gum massager and tooth brush having two brush members each provided with a set of bristles, the brush members being arranged so that the bristles of one can be applied to the upper gums and teeth and the bristles of the other to the lower gums and teeth at the same time and in which the two sets of bristles, when they are in contact with the gums and teeth, alternately move toward each other in making their massaging and brushing strokes and are retracted clear of the gums and teeth in other parts of their paths of travel.

Another object is to provide a gum massager and tooth brush in which the tips of the sets of bristles move along generally oval paths, the major axes of which paths are in approximate alignment and in which the tips of the bristlesare adapted to make successive strokes in an outward direction over the gums outwardly toward the crowns ofthe teeth.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. I is a view in elevation, with parts in section, showing a power operated gum massager and tooth brush embodying my invention.

FIG. 2 is a view partly in plan and partly in section taken substantially on broken line 2-2 of FIG. I.

FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken substantially on line 3-3 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 is an end elevation looking in the direction of line 4-4 of FIG. I.

FIG. 5 is a detached small scale perspective view of a gear housing.

FIG. 6 is a side elevational view, with parts in section showing a modified form of the invention in which the brush part is of shorter length and is provided with a shield.

FIG. '7 is a view partly in side elevation and partly in section of a driven gurn m assager and tooth brush of modified form.

FIG. 8 is a view partly in plan and partly in section taken substantially on line 8-8 FIG. 7.

FIG. 9 is a view partly in elevation and partly in section taken substantially on line 9-9 of FIG. 7.

FIG. I0 is an end elevation looking in the direction indicated by line Ill-l0 FIG. 7.

FIG. 11 is an elevational view, on a larger scalethan FIGS. 7 to illustrating, partly by dash lines, the movement of parts of the device.

FIG. 12 is a fragmentary view partly in elevation and partly in section illustrating a modified form of the device shown in FIGS. 7 to II in which a shorter brush member is used and a shield is provided for said brush member.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The power driven tooth brush comprises a main frame and housing member including sidewalls IS, a back wall 16, a removable front wall 17 which is secured by screws l8 to the sidewalls I5 and a tubular hub l9 protruding from the rear or outer side of the back wall I6. A tubular shank on "the forward end of a combined motor case and handle 2! 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 joumaled 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. I, and they terminate approximately flush with the outer face of the housing plate l7. A driven shafl 28 of a motor contained in case 21 has a driving connection with the bearing pin 24 of gearwheel 22.

A brush carrying or mounting plate or cup 30 is connected by a crank member or pin 3i with forward end of each

gearwheel hub

26 and 27. Each crank member 31 is preferably a shoulder screw threaded rigidly into its hub and extending through a suitable bearing hole 29 in the plate 30 with its head on the outer or front side of said plate 30.

Each cup shaped mounting plate 30 is further provided, at a substantial distance from its crank member 3], with a rigidly attached guide pin 32 which operates in a slot 33 in the front housing plate l7. Each guide pin 32 can be a shouldered screw threaded into plate 30.

A brush comprising an enlarged base part 34, a shank 35 and a transversely extending bristle tuft or set of bristles 36 is secured to each cup-shaped plate 30. The base part 34 of each brush member fits snugly within the marginal flange of the cup-shaped plate 39 to which it is applied and is readily attached or detached by applying or removing the screw 37. The two brushes are approximately parallel to each other and their axes coincide substantially with the axes of respective crank members 3!. Each crank member 31 and guide pin 32 and the gearwheel and hub with which they cooperate have their axes parallel and in approximately in common plane with the crank members 31 and guide pin 32 positioned at opposite sides of the axis of rotation of the gearwheel and its hub. The two

gears

22 and 23 are of equal size and the crank pins 31 are at substantially equal distances from the axes of the hubs by which they are carried. The

gears

22 and 23 are meshed so that, when the two crank pins 31 are in a plane common to the axes of the two gears they will be positioned at the same sides of said gear wheel axes.

In the embodiment ofthe invention shown in FIG. 6 all parts are the same as shown in FIGS. l to 5 and previously described except that the shanks of the two brushes, one of which is shown and numbered 40, are made shorter and a brush shield 41 is secured to the housing and covers the upper or back portions of said brushes.

In operation of the brush shanks or handles 35, being in substantially axial alignment with the crank members 31, will be moving in approximately circular paths and in opposite directions. At the same time the guide pin 32 of each frame plate will be moving in a straight line in its slot 33 and imparting a swinging movement to its frame plate 30 and the brush member carried by said frame plate. The result of these two movements is that the tips of the two bristle tufts 36 will be moved or revolved in oval or approximately elliptical paths in opposite directions. This is best illustrated in FIG. 4 in which, if the point P on the tip of the brush tuft 36 shown at the left is moving in counterclockwise direction in elliptical path 38 a corresponding point P on the tip of the brush tuft 36 shown at the right will be moving in a clockwise direction in the elliptical path 39.

From the proceeding paragraph it will be apparent that as the brush tufts 35 move in their general elliptical paths 38 and 39 one of said tufts will always be moving in one direction along an outer part of its path while the other tuft will be moving in the same general direction along the inner part of its path. This makes it possible to alternately apply a downward stroke of a brush tuft to the upper gums and teeth and an upward stroke ofthe brush tuft to the lower gums and teeth. This massages the gums in the correct direction and brushes the teeth. In the outer segments of their paths of travel the two bristle tufts 36 move in opposite directions but they are not moving in these outer segments at the same time.

The modified form of invention shown in FIGS. 7 to l2 inclusive comprises a housing formed of sidewalls 45, a back wall 46 and a removable front wall 47 secured in position by screws 48. A hub 49 on back wall 46 receives a tubular part 50 on the forward end of a combined motor case and handle 51. Two small enmeshed

gear wheels

52 and 53 have axial bearing pins 54 and 55 respectively on their real sides which are journaled in suitable bushings in real housing wall 46 and said gear wheels have

axial hubs

56 and 57 respectively of relatively large size on their forward side which are journaled in the front platev The shaft 58 of a motor in case 51 has a direct driving connection with the bearing pin 54 of gear wheel 52.

The parts 45 to 58 inclusive are generally similar to prcviously described parts to 28 and they function in substan tially the same manner.

A single brush carrying plate 60 is positioned in front of and in close proximity to the front housing wall 47 and is connected by two crank members 61 and 62 herein shown to be screws, with the

respective gear wheels

56 and 57. Crank members 61 and 62 are at approximately equal distances from the axes of the gear wheels. Crank member 6l operates in a slot 63 in plate 60. Crank member 62 operates in a snugly fitting hole in said plate 60. The

gear wheels

52 and 53 are meshed so that when the crank members are in a plane common to the axes of the two gear wheels they are always at the same sides ofsaid axes.

Two brush members, each comprising a shank 64 and a set of bristles 65 are secured, each by a screw 66, to the plate 60. These brush members are spaced apart and their shanks 65 are substantially perpendicular to the plate 60 and are secured to the edge portion of the plate 60 shown lowermost in the drawings near the respective ends of said plate.

in operation, see FIG. 10, points P and P on the respective tips of the two sets of bristles 65 move in opposite directions along generally oval end to end

paths

58 and 69. In following

paths

58 and 69 the tips of the bristles 65 move in a manner similar to that of the previously described sets of bristles 36. When moving along the part of its path shown lowermost in FIG, 10 the tip of each set of bristles is in its outermost position and when in the mouth can be caused to move over the gums and teeth in an outward direction, that is from the gums toward the outer ends or crowns of the teeth. Thus it will massage the gums in the correct direction and will brush the teeth. Then moving along the retracted part of its path, shown as the upper part of ovals Y and '1" in FIG. 10, the tips of each set of bristles 65 is clear of the gums and teeth. Thus it will be apparent that while the tips of one set of bristles 65 are massaging and brushing the upper gums and teeth the tips of the other set of bristles can be massaging and brushing the lower gums and teeth and that the tips of the two sets of bristles 65 will be alternately stroking the gums and teeth by moving from the gums toward the outer ends or crowns of the teeth. Also, this toothbrush can be applied to either the upper or the lower gums and teeth at a suitable angle so that one set of bristles will move in an outward direction from the gums toward the crowns of the teeth in both massaging and brushing while the other set of bristles is moving across and brushing the crowns of the same teeth.

The embodiment of the invention shown in FIG. 12 is the same as that shown in FIGS. 7 to It except that the shanks of its two brush members, one of which is shown and numbered 67, are made shorter and a shield 68 is secured to the housing and partially covers the brushes.

I claim:

I. A power operated gum massager and tooth brush comprising a handle; a housing rigid with one end of said handle, two enmeshed gear wheels rotatively supported in said housing; driving means operatively connected with one of said gear wheels; two crank members rigid with the respective gear wheels, said crank members being at equal distances from the axes of the respective gear wheels and being positioned so they are always at the same sides of the axes of the gear wheels when both crank members are in a plane common to the axes of the two gear wheels; two brush carrying plates supported on the respective crank members for movement by said crank members; plate guide means at one side of the location where the crank member engages each plate, the plate guide means of each plate compelling a swinging movement of the plate as the plate is moved by the crank member connected therewith, and a brush member carried by each brush carrying plate, each brush member comprising a shank secured to and extending outwardly from the plate in transversely offset relation to the axis of the crank member connected with the plate; and a set of bristles carried by and extending transversely from the outer end portion of the shank, the shanks and sets of bristles of the two brush members being movable in opposite directions along generally oval paths by said plates to massage the gums and brush the teeth by moving from the gums outwardly toward the crowns of the teeth.

2. The apparatus as claimed in claim I in which the brush member carried by each plate and the guide means for compelling swinging movement of the plate are positioned at op posite sides of the axis about which the crank member connected with the plate revolves and substantially in plane coincident with said axis and in which said guide means includes a slot radial to said axis and a pin operating in said slot.

3. A power operated gum massager and toothbrush com prising a handle; a housing rigid with one end of said handle, said housing having a front wall; two enmeshed gear wheels rotatively supported in said housing, said gear wheels having hub portions journaled in said front housing wall; driving means connected with one of said gear wheels; two crank members rigid with the hubs of the respective gear wheels, said crank members being positioned so they are always at the same sides of the axis of the gear wheels when both crank members are in a plane common to said axis; a brush carrying plate supported by said crank members and positioned adjacent the outer side of said front housing wall, one of said crank members being rotatively journaled in one end portion of said plate for moving the plate with the crank member and the other crank member being slideable and rotatable within a slot in the other end portion of said plate; two generally parallel spaced-apart brush shanks connected with said plate and extending outwardly therefrom; two side-by-side sets of bristles carried by the outer end portions of said brush shanks and having tip portions adapted to contact the gums and teeth, said plate, when it is operated by said crank members, moving the tip portions of said sets of bristles in generally oval paths, thereby the tips of said sets of bristles can be applied to the gums and teeth and caused to make successive strokes in an outward direction over the gums and teeth with the brush tips moving outwardly from the gums toward the crowns of the teeth.

Claims

1. A power operated gum massager and tooth brush comprising a handle; a housing rigid with one end of said handle; two enmeshed gear wheels rotatively supported in said housing; driving means operatively connected with one of said gear wheels; two crank members rigid with the respective gear wheels, said crank members being at equal distances from the axes of the respective gear wheels and being positioned so they are always at the same sides of the axes of the gear wheels when both crank members are in a plane common to the axes of the two gear wheels; two brush carrying plates supported on the respective crank members for movement by said crank members; plate guide means at one side of the location where the crank member engages each plate, the plate guide means of each plate compelling a swinging movement of the plate as the plate is moved by the crank member connected therewith; and a brush member carried by each brush carrying plate, each brush member comprising a shank secured to and extending outwardly from the plate in transversely offset relation to the axis of the crank member connected with the plate; and a set of bristles carried by and extending transversely from the outer end portion of the shank, the shanks and sets of bristles of the two brush members being movable in opposite directions along generally oval paths by said plates to massage the gums and brush the teeth by moving from the gums outwardly toward the crowns of the teeth.

2. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1 in which the brush member carried by each plate and the guide means for compelling swinging movement of the plate are positioned at opposite sides of the axis about which the crank member connected with the plate revolves and substantially in plane coincident with said axis and in which said guide means includes a slot radial to said axis and a pin operating in said slot.

3. A power operated gum massager and toothbrush comprising a handle; a housing rigid with one end of said handle, said housing having a front wall; two enmeshed gear wheels rotatively supported in said housing, said gear wheels having hub portions journaled in said front housing wall; driving means connected with one of said gear wheels; two crank members rigid with the hubs of the respective gear wheels, said crank members being positioned so they are always at the same sides of the axis of the gear wheels when both crank members are in a plane common to said axis; a brush carrying plate supported by said crank members and positioned adjacent the outer side of said front housing wall, one of said crank members being rotatively journaled in one end portion of said plate for moving the plate with the crank member and the other crank member being slideable and rotatable within a slot in the other end portion of said plate; two generally parallel spaced-apart brush shanks connected with said plate and extending outwardly therefrom; two side-by-side sets of bristles carried by the outer end portions of said brush shanks and having tip portions adapted to contact the gums and teeth, said plate, when it is operated by said crank members, moving the tip portions of said sets of bristles in generally oval paths, thereby the tips of said sets of bristles can be applied to the gums and teeth and caused to make successive strokes in an outward direction over the gums and teeth with the brush tips moving outwardly from the gums toward the crowns of the teeth.