Brushing – scrubbing – and general cleaning – Machines – Brushing
Reexamination Certificate
1998-04-21
2001-07-03
Thornton, Krisanne (Department: 1744)
Brushing, scrubbing, and general cleaning
Machines
Brushing
C015S023000, C015S024000, C015S028000, C015S029000, C015S167100, C132S308000, C132S311000, C132S322000, C433S124000, C433S216000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06253404
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The invention relates to a tooth-cleaning device with a handle part provided with drive means, said handle part being connectable with an attachment provided with a cleaning tool, with the cleaning tool being capable of being given a rotary motion by the drive means. In addition, the invention relates to an attachment for a tooth-cleaning device, said tooth-cleaning device having a handle part provided with drive means, said handle being connectable with an attachment provided with a cleaning tool, with the cleaning tool being given a rotary motion by the drive means.
A tooth-cleaning device of this kind and an attachment of this kind for a tooth-cleaning device are known from international patent application WO 96/32903, which is incorporated into the content of the disclosure of the present patent application by express reference.
In that application, a tooth-cleaning device is described in which an attachment can be mounted on a handle part. An elongate, thin, and flexible cleaning tool is displaceably mounted in the attachment, said tool being suitable for cleaning the teeth, especially for cleaning the spaces between the teeth. A switch is provided on the handle part for switching the tooth-cleaning device on and off. When a user moves the switch in the direction of the attachment, the cleaning tool is caused to rotate or oscillate alternately around a lengthwise axis. In addition, the displacement of the switch causes the cleaning tool to be pushed out of the attachment. In this way, the user can clean in particular the spaces between the teeth with the aid of the driven cleaning tool. When the switch is returned to the initial position, the cleaning tool is pushed back into the attachment and the drive of the cleaning tool is switched off.
With the aid of the elongate, thin, and flexible cleaning tool it is possible to clean smaller spaces between the teeth. However, if the space between two teeth is larger, the abovementioned elongate, thin, and flexible cleaning tool is no longer suited for effective and proper interdental cleaning.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The goal of the invention is to provide an electrically driven tooth-cleaning device by which larger spaces between the teeth can also be cleaned in an optimum fashion.
This goal is achieved in a tooth-cleaning device of the species recited at the outset according to the invention by virtue of the fact that a first cleaning tool of a first attachment can be coupled directly to the drive means and that a second cleaning tool of a second attachment can be coupled by a transmission with the drive means. In an attachment for a tooth-cleaning device of the species recited at the outset, the goal is achieved according to the invention by virtue of the fact that the attachment has in particular a transmission with a pinion and a crown gear.
Therefore, according to the invention, two separate attachments with corresponding cleaning tools are provided. one for cleaning small spaces between the teeth and the other for cleaning larger spaces between the teeth. This makes it possible to adapt the individual cleaning tools optimally to the size of the space between the teeth. For smaller spaces between the teeth, an elongate, thin, and flexible cleaning tool is provided in particular. For larger spaces between the teeth, a cleaning tool resembling a brush in particular may be provided. In this manner it is possible to clean the larger spaces between the teeth in a correct and problem-free manner with the cleaning tool that resembles a brush. The smaller spaces between the teeth, for whose cleaning the cleaning tool resembling a brush is not suitable, can be cleaned effectively and properly with the thin, elongate, and flexible cleaning tool. By switching between the attachments with the respective cleaning tools, therefore, a user can optimally clean large and small spaces between the teeth without considerable effort.
In the case of the elongate, thin, and flexible cleaning tool for the smaller spaces between the teeth, it is advantageous for this cleaning tool to be driven at a high rotational speed. This rotational speed however is too high for the cleaning tool that resembles a brush. If the brush-like cleaning tool were driven at a high rotational speed, it could cause injury especially to the user's gums. The transmission according to the invention is provided for this purpose. With the aid of the transmission, it is possible for the two cleaning tools to be driven at different rotational speeds. Thus it is possible for the drive means to produce a low rotational speed and for the transmission to change this low rotational speed to a high rotational speed for the elongate, thin, and flexible cleaning tool. It is also possible for the drive means to produce a high rotational speed that is changed by the transmission to a lower rotational speed for the brush-like cleaning tool.
The user of the tooth-cleaning device according to the invention therefore can adapt the cleaning tools optimally to the existing spaces between the teeth. With the aid of the transmission, the individual cleaning tools can be driven at the optimum rotational speeds.
In a first advantageous embodiment of the invention the transmission is associated with the second attachment. Thus, the transmission is a part of the second attachment and is mounted therewith on the handle part. In this way it is possible for each cleaning tool to be driven at the optimum rotational speed by the transmission contained directly in the respective attachment. It is not necessary to change the handle part of the tooth-cleaning device. The rotational speed can be adapted especially simply and flexibly in this manner to whichever cleaning tool is being used.
In an improvement on the invention, a pinion that can be coupled with the derive means is provided in the second attachment, said pinion meshing with a crown gear connected with the second cleaning tool. This constitutes an especially simple and economically manufactured design for the transmission contained in the second attachment. With the aid of the transmission, the rotational speed is adapted to whichever cleaning tool is in use. Moreover, the abovementioned transmission can also be used to deflect the drive direction of the cleaning tool by approximately 90°. Another advantage of the transmission described consists in the fact that the axes do not have to be adjusted or fixed. The required axial retention of the crown gear can be achieved in a simple fashion with the aid of a lid or the like on the attachment.
It is especially advantageous for the second attachment to be made of plastic. In particular, manufacture of the transmission from plastic results in a considerable cost reduction.
In a second advantageous embodiment of the invention, the transmission is associated with the handle part. As a result of this design, it is no longer necessary for the transmission to be accommodated in the attachment. Improvements that also have a positive effect on function and manufacturing cost are also obtained as far as the design of the transmission is concerned.
In an advantageous improvement on the invention, a clutch is provided in the handle part, said clutch being connected nonrotatably with the drive means by gears, said clutch also being operable by the second attachment. In this way it is particularly advantageous for the actuated clutch to be connected nonrotatably with the second cleaning tool. It is possible to change the rotational speed of the cleaning tool with the aid of the clutch. In a non-actuated state of the clutch, the transmission that consists of the abovementioned gears does not operate, so that the rotational speed of the drive means is transmitted directly to the cleaning tool. On the other hand, if the clutch is in an actuated state, the rotational speed of the drive means is stepped up or down with the aid of the above gears. This means that the rotational speed of the cleaning tool will be higher or lower. In this way, the change in rotational speed for differe
Boland Bernhard
Stolper Michael
Braun GmbH
Fish & Richardson P.C.
Snider Theresa T.
Thornton Krisanne
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