Brushing – scrubbing – and general cleaning – Machines – Brushing
Reexamination Certificate
1999-07-26
2001-07-10
Spisich, Mark (Department: 1744)
Brushing, scrubbing, and general cleaning
Machines
Brushing
C015S167100, C015S180000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06256826
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to toothbrushes, and more precisely, to a rotary toothbrush. Further objects of the invention will be evident from the following description.
DESCRIPTION OF PRIOR ART
Rotary toothbrushes having an elongated grip, with a rotary disk bearing the bristles of the brush at one end are wellknown. The grip usually contains a motor controlling the rotation of the disk. When the toothbrush is commercialized for a domestic use, it generally includes an electrical micromotor, whereas when the toothbrush is to be used by dentists, it includes a fluidic or compressed air motor.
An electrical rotary toothbrush for a domestic use is described in EP-A-0,765,642.
These toothbrushes are efficient enough, but the user encounters problems when travelling, because of the presence of the motor. Besides, they are expensive as they require a micro-mechanical technology due to the motor itself, of the shaft connecting the motor with the rotary brush disk, and the gearing system between the driving shaft and the disk, if the rotary axis is the not the same as the motor's.
In order to obviate these inconveniences, the document FRA-2 590 779 discloses a “self-rotating toothbrush” in which the difference between the friction forces of the teeth against the bristles in the center of the disk and near its border generates a rotation of the disk. However, such a toothbrush forces the user to press a part of the periphery of the disk on their teeth more firmly than on the central part, which causes a non regular wear of the bristles and an insufficient cleaning of the area of the teeth covered by the outer part of the disk, as this zone does not fully profit from the rotary effect.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The invention concerns a motorless rotary toothbrush, made of an elongated grip which bears at one distal end, a freely rotating disk on an axis substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the distal end of the grip, the disk bearing the bristles of the brush.
As per the invention, the bristles are implanted symmetrically vis-à-vis the axis of rotation of the disk with, the stem of each of the bristles of at least one ring of the disk shown as the outermost ring forming a given acute angle with the radial plane going through the stem of the bristle.
If necessary, this given angle can be made to diminish with the distance between the stem of the bristle and the rotary axis of the disk.
According to one embodiment, the bristles of at least one outer ring show a slight upward curve, causing the tangent to the tip of each bristle to form an angle with the radial plane passing through the stem of the bristle, slightly larger than to the aforementioned given angle.
This is a very worthwhile way to enable the projection of each bristle of at least one outer ring on the plate to form an angle less than about 7 with the tangent of the disk passing through the radius from which the bristle is stemming, and even more conveniently, the projection is roughly parallel to this tangent.
REFERENCES:
patent: 4504998 (1985-03-01), Price et al.
patent: 268497 (1950-08-01), None
patent: 4239 (1956-10-01), None
patent: 8909949 (1989-12-01), None
patent: 765642 (1997-04-01), None
patent: 2590779 (1988-03-01), None
patent: 2622089 (1989-04-01), None
patent: 90/09121 (1990-08-01), None
Rines and Rines
Spisich Mark
Supreme Teeth Co., Ltd.
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