Brushing – scrubbing – and general cleaning – Machines – Brushing
Reexamination Certificate
2001-04-02
2003-06-24
Till, Terrence R. (Department: 1744)
Brushing, scrubbing, and general cleaning
Machines
Brushing
C015S022100
Reexamination Certificate
active
06581234
ABSTRACT:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
Not Applicable
STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT
Not Applicable
INCORPORATED-BY-REFERENCE OF MATERIAL SUBMITTED ON A COMPACT DISC or REFERENCE TO A MICROFICHE APPENDIX
Not Applicable
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to replaceable dental brush units useful in an electric toothbrush. In particular, the invention provides for a replaceable dental brush unit useful in an electric toothbrush that uses gear links for connecting and driving motions of bristle head by motors.
Electric toothbrushes are known and widely used (See e.g., U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,289,604 and 5,974,615). U.S. Pat. No. 5,289,604 discloses an electric toothbrush having a brush section which is demountable from a handle section that has a protruding brush drive shaft. Radial and axial securing of the brush section to the handle section is accomplished by structure separated by function, including radial securing structure at the base of the brush section that engages cooperating structure at the end of the handle section from which the drive shaft protrudes, and axial securing structure housed within the brush section that engages the protruding drive shaft of the handle section.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,974,615 discloses, referring FIG. 1 therein, an electric toothbrush (1) which incorporates a handle (2) and a brush attachment (3). The handle (2) houses an electric motor (8). Protruding from the handle (2) is a shaft (20), which is coupled to the electric motor (8). The brush attachment (3) can be mounted on the handle (2). The brush attachment (3) supports a bristle head (26) which can be coupled to the shaft (20), and from which protrude a multiplicity of bristles (4). In the operating mode, the bristle head (26) describes a rotary motion (49) and a stroke motion (50), with the frequency of the stroke movement (50) being higher, and preferably substantially higher, than the frequency of the rotary movement (49). The stroke movement (50) provides a poking action of the bristles (4), which serves to loosen plaque from dental surfaces. The rotary movement (49) serves to wipe away plaque loosened from the dental surfaces.
However, replaceable dental brush unit useful in an electric toothbrush that uses gear links for connecting and driving motions of bristle head by motors can be useful and/or desirable. For example, shift often has to be made of hard, expansive materials, e.g., metals. With proper design, e.g., groove thickness, gear links and components comprising such gear links can be made of relatively inexpensive materials, e.g., plastics, while still satisfying connecting and driving functions for dental brush unit useful in an electric toothbrush.
Accordingly, there is a need in the art for dental brush unit useful in an electric toothbrush using at least some gear links for connecting and driving motions of bristle head by motors. The present invention addresses this and other related needs in the art.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Unless defined otherwise, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as is commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this invention belongs. All patents, applications, published applications and other publications and sequences from GenBank and other databases referred to herein are incorporated by reference in their entirety. If a definition set forth in this section is contrary to or otherwise inconsistent with a definition set forth in applications, published applications and other publications and sequences from GenBank and other data bases that are herein incorporated by reference, the definition set forth in this section prevails over the definition that is incorporated herein by reference.
As used herein, “a” or “an” means “at least one” or “one or more.”
In one aspect, the present invention provides for a replaceable dental brush unit useful in an electric toothbrush using at least some gear links for connecting and driving motions of bristle head by motors. The gear links and components comprising such gear links can be made of any suitable materials or composite materials. Preferably, the gear links and components comprising.such gear links are not made of metals. More preferably, the gear links and components comprising such gear links are made of plastics such as nylon, e.g., Ashlene nylons
6
and
66
, toughened nylons, reinforced nylons, specialty-nylons and economy nylons or an acetal resin (e.g., Ashley Polymers, Inc., Brooklyn, N.Y.). Other resins such as polycarbonates, polyphenylene ethers, PBT and PET polyester can also be used.
In one specific embodiment, the present invention provides for a replaceable dental brush unit useful in an electric toothbrush, which replaceable dental brush unit comprises: a) a main body suitable for housing, form top to bottom, a gear unit connected to a bristle unit, a three-way exchange head, a moving rod and a base unit, said main body having a top opening transverse to the longitudinal axis of said main body for receiving said bristle unit and a bottom opening along the longitudinal axis of said main body for receiving said base unit, the wall opposing said top opening having a first protruding for receiving said gear unit; b) said bristle unit having a recess therein for connecting said bristle unit to said gear unit via a second protruding of said gear unit, said bristle unit also having attached bristles suitable for dental cleaning; c) said gear unit having a base plate, gear grooves attached to said base plate, a recess in said base plate at the side opposite to said gear grooves for securing said gear unit into said first protruding of main body, and a second protruding on said base plate at the side having attached gear grooves, said second protruding surrounded by and projecting beyond said gear grooves for securing said gear unit into said bristle unit; d) said three-way exchange head having a top portion and a bottom portion, said top portion having gear grooves that movably connected to said grooves of said gear unit, wherein the thickness of grooves of said three-way exchange head is less than or equal to the thickness of grooves of said gear unit, and said bottom portion having a recess for receiving and securing a third protruding of said moving rod; e) said moving rod having said top third protruding that fits into said bottom recess of said three-way exchange head, a middle opening, and preferably having a lug, for receiving and securing said moving rod to a corresponding linking element of an electric toothbrush, and a bottom portion having a recess for receiving a shaft connected to a motor unit of said electric toothbrush; and f) said base unit to secure said three-way exchange head and moving rod within said main body by providing an upward pressure, said base unit having a hollow space along the longitudinal axis of said main body allowing said shaft to pass by and connect to said moving rod, wherein, in operation, the linkages among said three-way exchange head, moving rod, base unit and shaft ensure that these units move as a single unit, said motor unit actuates said single unit, via said shift, to have an oscillating movement in a substantially singular plane that is parallel to said longitudinal axis of said main body, and said planar oscillating movement actuating said gear unit, via said gear connections between said three-way exchange head and said gear unit, to have a rotary movement, and said rotary movement, in turn, actuating said bristle unit to have a rotary movement.
The main body can be in any suitable shape, e.g., cylinder, rod, cubic, etc. The main body can be tapered or non-tapered, and can be enlarged at top, and/or bottom opening(s). The top and bottom openings can be in any suitable shape, e.g., cycle, square, rectangle or any other regular or irregular shapes. The top and bottom openings can have same or different shapes and/or sizes. The first protruding of the main body that is used for receiving the gear unit can be in any suitable shape and/or s
Chiang Cheng-Chieh
Lee Jin Po
Morrison & Foerster / LLP
Till Terrence R.
LandOfFree
Dental brush unit comprising gear connections does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Dental brush unit comprising gear connections, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Dental brush unit comprising gear connections will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-3141522