Brushing – scrubbing – and general cleaning – Machines – Brushing
Patent
1994-07-15
1996-11-26
Spisich, Mark
Brushing, scrubbing, and general cleaning
Machines
Brushing
15 28, A61C 1734
Patent
active
055772854
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
This invention relates to an electric toothbrush with a brush section in which a rotary shaft is received and on which a rotary bristle supporting structure is mounted, with the axis of rotation of the bristle supporting structure being angularly arranged, in particular at about right angles, to the axis of rotation of the shaft, and with means being provided enabling the shaft to drive the bristle supporting structure in alternate directions.
A toothbrush of this type is known from German published patent application DE 39 37 850 A1. In this specification, the bristle supporting structure is driven by means of a bevel gear train. While this structure has proven to be very successful in practice, it requires the shaft of the electric toothbrush to be driven in alternate directions.
Further, from German published patent application DE 17 66 651 A1 a device for cleaning and polishing teeth is known, in which a bolt projecting eccentrically from a shaft engages in an outer annular groove of a displaceable cylinder having further a conical center bore adapted to receive an implement for cleaning the teeth. Rotation of the shaft causes, through the eccentric bolt, an up-and-down motion of the cylinder and consequently also of the cleaning implement. Due to the outer annular groove, the cleaning implement is at the same time rotatable about its longitudinal axis, so that the implement adjusts itself to its angular position as it enters, for example, an interproximal space. However, the cleaning implement is not driven so as to perform an alternating motion about its longitudinal axis.
Still further, from German published patent application DE 32 33 266 A1 a device for the prophylactic treatment of caries by giving the enamel of teeth a mechanical massage is known, in which an eccentric pin projects from a disc secured to a shaft. The shank end of a massage cup is inserted in a sleeve provided with a longitudinal groove. This longitudinal groove is operatively associated with the eccentric pin such that, when the pin engages within the longitudinal groove, it causes the longitudinal groove to follow its movement as the shaft rotates, thus causing also the sleeve to perform a rotary motion. However, when the pin does not engage the longitudinal groove, as illustrated, for example, in FIG. 2a of the published patent application, this has the result that the shaft is not in coupling engagement with the sleeve. When the shaft is then caused to rotate, it may happen that the pin does not pick up the sleeve because of the lack of coupling engagement. This risk exists particularly when the shaft is driven in alternate directions, because in this event the longitudinal groove of the sleeve is decoupled from the pin precisely at the instant when the rotary motion reverses direction. At all events, this device allows only such an alternating motion of the massage head in which the angle of rotation is greatly limited. Also, the shaft cannot be driven to rotate because then the device would not be functional. Thus, the known device is of limited effect in addition to being complicated in structure.
In GB-PS 1 208 149 a cleaning apparatus is described having two concentric cleaning rings driven in relatively opposite directions by means of bevel gars.
It is an object of the present invention to provide an electric toothbrush which, while affording a straightforward construction, allows the bristle supporting structure to be driven in alternate directions over a large angle of rotation and, where applicable, also allows its shaft to perform rotary or alternating motions.
This object is essentially solved in that the shaft is provided with a driving means disposed eccentrically to its axis of rotation, that the bristle supporting structure is provided with a driven means disposed eccentrically to its axis of rotation, and that the driving means and the driven means are coupled to each other.
This arrangement ensures that the bristle supporting structure is caused to rotate in alternate directions irrespective of whether the sh
REFERENCES:
patent: 1255028 (1918-01-01), Leonard et al.
patent: 4281987 (1981-08-01), Kleesattel
patent: 4432729 (1984-02-01), Fattaleh
patent: 4479516 (1984-10-01), Hunter
patent: 4827552 (1989-05-01), Bojar et al.
Braun Aktiengesellschaft
Spisich Mark
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