Brushing – scrubbing – and general cleaning – Machines – Brushing
Patent
1994-11-18
1995-10-31
Roberts, Jr., Edward L.
Brushing, scrubbing, and general cleaning
Machines
Brushing
74 99R, A61C 1732, A46B 1302
Patent
active
054617448
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The invention is directed to an attachable dental device for an electric toothbrush drive with a housing and a motion converter arranged in the housing.
2. Description of the Prior Art
An electric toothbrush with a drive mechanism is known from EP-OS 0 357 863. The drive mechanism has an electric motor, a motion converter which is arranged between the motor and the attachable shaft, and a brush body constructed as an attachment. The motion converter sets the attachable shaft in radial and longitudinal motion. The motor and motion converter are arranged in a housing. In the installed state, the attachment is connected with the housing of the toothbrush drive mechanism so as to be rotatable. A rocker arm is supported in the attachment in such a way that the rocker arm can only carry out longitudinal movements, but not radial movements. The rocker arm is detachably connected with the attachable axle of the electric drive mechanism via a catch connection. A plurality of brushes which are set in radial motion by the rocker arm by means of an eccentric drive are supported in the attachment. During operation, the movement of the attachable shaft is transmitted in such a way that the entire attachment executes radial movements, while the longitudinal movements of the rocker arm, after being converted at the eccentric drive, allow the brushes to additionally carry out radial movements. Since not only the brushes, but the entire attachment, i.e., the housing and brushes, carry out additional radial movements, it is not possible to clean the spaces between teeth or to polish the teeth even when only one brush is attached because of these radial movements. Moreover, the energy consumed by the drive mechanism is very high and is further increased when the catch connection between the drive mechanism and attachment is soiled by toothpaste.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The object of the present invention is to expand the range of application of an electric toothbrush drive while avoiding the disadvantages mentioned above by providing a treatment device which can polish teeth and clean the spaces between teeth, which device is attachable to the electric toothbrush drive. The dental treatment tool which is designed as a polishing and/or cleaning device carries out exclusively rotational oscillations.
Pursuant to this object, and others which will become apparent hereafter, one aspect of the present invention resides in a device attachable to an electric toothbrush drive, which device includes a motion converter arranged in a housing. The motion converter converts the movement of the driveshaft of the toothbrush drive into rotational oscillatory movement of a rotary oscillation plate.
The range of application of an electric toothbrush drive is expanded by the attachable device according to the invention. In addition to conventional attachable toothbrushes which already carry out radial and longitudinal movements, devices, e.g., for polishing teeth or for cleaning the spaces between teeth, which carry out exclusively rotational oscillations can be driven by the same drive mechanism. The rocker arm is supported in the interior of the attachable device according to the invention and during operation one end of the rocker arm is in a working connection with the drive shaft of the drive mechanism. The other end of the rocker arm remote of the drive shaft is in a working connection with the radial drive for a dental treatment tool. The drive shaft carries out rotational movements having axial and radial components. The motion converter, which has a rocker arm, the rotary oscillation plate, an attachable or plug-in axle and an insertion or plug-in opening, converts these rotational movements into a movement of the rotary oscillation plate, which movement carries out rotational oscillations. A polishing and/or cleaning device which executes exclusively rotational oscillations is connected with the rotary oscillation plate. The end of the attachable device remote of the drive sha
REFERENCES:
patent: 4989287 (1991-02-01), Scherer
patent: 5177826 (1993-01-01), Vrignaud
patent: 5213434 (1993-05-01), Hahn
Roberts, Jr. Edward L.
Rowenta-Werke GmbH
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