CN1642494A

CN1642494A - Powered toothbrush

Info

Publication number: CN1642494A
Application number: CN 03806979
Authority: CN
Inventors: E·埃利亚夫; K·阿恩; J·J·加策迈尔; E·吉梅内兹
Original assignee: Colgate Palmolive Co
Current assignee: Colgate Palmolive Co
Priority date: 2002-01-31
Filing date: 2003-01-30
Publication date: 2005-07-20
Also published as: WO2003063722A1; BR0307363A; MXPA04007374A; NO20043609L; NZ534515A; RU2004126315A; CA2474394A1; PL370060A1; EP1471852A1

Abstract

A toothbrush head containing a first tuft block mounted for oscillating about a centrally located axis and an elongated second tuft block mounted for rotational movement about an axis eccentric to its center point. One of the tuft blocks has a recess for receiving an extension of the other tuft block to create a drive connection between the two tuft blocks, such that when one of the tuft blocks is driven by a drive structure the rotational movement of that tuft block causes the other tuft block to oscillate.

Description

A kind of electric toothbrush

Technical field

The present invention relates to a kind of electric toothbrush, it comprises swing part, and the bristle of extension is arranged on it.

Background technology

Existing various types of electric toothbrushes can provide the cleaning and the massage of soft sclerous tissues in the oral cavity in the prior art.With reference to U.S. Patent No. 5,625,916, it relates to a kind of electric toothbrush, comprises the motor that makes drive shaft turns.Driving shaft is connected to the bristle holder of brush head, and the rotation of driving shaft makes bristle holder make the front and back rotary oscillation.Also know many other structures that make the bristle holder swing that is fixed to electronic tooth head.

U.S. Patent No. 5 416 942 discloses a kind of electric toothbrush, has two groups of eccentric coaxial bristles that are supported in housing that are provided with.Bristle is subjected to being connected to the driving of the driving shaft of main shaft, and the main shaft bending forms the arm of two inclinations in the end.Each arm is arranged in the groove of bristle separately.Work as drive shaft turns, inclined arm makes and respectively organizes the bristle direction rotation opposite around its edge.

PCT international application No.WO 00/78244 disclosed electric toothbrush comprises two co-axially fixed first and second heads similarly, and head rotates relative to doing swing with different directions and/or different speed.Two different driving mechanisms have also been introduced.A driving mechanism comprises linear back and forth actuator, and two connecting rods are connected to actuator.Connecting rod is generally formed by single-piece V-arrangement silk material, and the end of each connecting rod is fixed to different heads.When actuator and connecting rod linearity move forward and backward, the end of connecting rod do mutually relative to or leave mutually and move, make head rotation.In second embodiment, each head is provided with the tooth district, in the distal engagement of rotary oscillation axle bevel gear, make the rotary oscillation of axle be delivered to each tooth district by bevel gear, make head make rotary oscillation.

U.S. Patent No. 5 836 030 discloses a kind of very complicated tooth cleaning mechanism, has two bristle holder.Be provided with pivotally connectedly between the connecting rod of bristle holder and driving mechanism, a bristle holder can be moved reciprocatingly around pivot.Connect between the actuator of bristle holder and driving mechanism, make another bristle holder also reciprocating around pivot.Although two bristle holder are adjacent to each other, the reciprocating motion of a bristle holder is not used in the reciprocating motion that produces another bristle holder.Because bristle holder is connected to driving mechanism, two bristle holder are swung.

U.S. Patent No. 6 308 358 discloses a kind of toothbrush, has bristle holder between bristle holder and tooth.This patent shows that each bristle holder does pivot along circular path and rotate, but the unexposed bristle holder that how to drive.

U.S. Patent No. 3 242 516 discloses a kind of toothbrush, has middle bristle pack and the other bristle pack that is positioned at both sides.Middle groups is activated the driving of mechanism.Middle groups comprises gear, can with other gears engaged of two groups, the rotation of middle groups toothbrush spare can make other the group toothbrush spares also rotate.Do not mention toothbrush spare and do the front and back rotation in the mode of swing.

U.S. Patent No. 5 353 460 discloses a kind of electric toothbrush, has very complex drive mechanism, comprises dissimilar gears and improved axle construction, rotatable swing toothbrush support member.The toothbrush support member is connected to the toothbrush fixture, makes the toothbrush fixture also be rotated swing.

U.S. Patent No. 5 504 959 discloses a kind of electric toothbrush, and the rotation matrix of wherein a pair of fixedly tuft is rotatably fixed on a pair of pin member that is installed to sliding part.Pinion is fixed to each matrix, engages with the tooth bar of fixture.Sliding part is fixed to can do by driving mechanism on the fixture and vertically moves.When sliding part vertically moves, pinion makes matrix rotate with reciprocating form with engaging of tooth bar, thereby makes tuft do back and forth to rotate.

Need a kind of electric toothbrush, it can provide aggregate motion, and is undocumented along the face of tooth and the fricting movement on tongue direction surface in cleaning and the massaging oral tissue, particularly prior art better, this fricting movement can strengthen retaining the cleaning of material in the gap between the tooth

Summary of the invention

The purpose of this invention is to provide a kind of electric toothbrush, can carry out aggregate motion,, also comprise the CONTACT WITH FRICTION motion that strengthens gap cleaning between the tooth except normal wash, albefaction and the massage functions of common electric toothbrush product.

According to the present invention, head is fixed with first tuft, has outer surface, and promptly surface sections generally is circular or avette.First tuft is arranged to can do to rotate swing.Head comprises second tuft, be provided with described first tuft between driving be connected; Two tufts can be swung by a driving mechanism.Second tuft has elongated shape, can swing with the form of CONTACT WITH FRICTION around off-centre or not in the axis pivot rotation of center.

The head of toothbrush of the present invention can be provided with other parts of band bristle, and bristle can be fixed or move, and for example is fixed to elastic matrix and moves to carry out independence.

If desired, other tuft is fixed to head, head can vertically move relative to the longitudinal axis of head, laterally move, rotatablely moves, or shifts near along the common direction of quadrature head outer surface and to shift out.

The second elongated tuft can have elongated outer surface or or the starting section, can be ellipse, triangle, rhombus, polygon or rectangle, be fixed on the eccentric pivots, preferably near the end that is generally the first circular or avette tuft relatively.

A described tuft comprises otch, wherein is fixed with the extension or the end of another tuft, forms driving mechanism.Therefore, the rotation of a tuft causes the rotation of another tuft.Circular tuft rotates around its central shaft, and elongated tuft is swung in the fricting movement mode, two tuft swings.The axle that is connected to motor can directly drive arbitrary tuft, drives to connect to make another tuft swing.

Description of drawings

Fig. 1 is the perspective view according to toothbrush head of the present invention;

Fig. 2 is the front view of toothbrush head shown in Figure 1;

Fig. 3 is the side view of the head shown in Fig. 1 and 2;

Fig. 4 is the top view of the head shown in Fig. 1-3;

Fig. 5 is the perspective view of toothbrush head according to another embodiment of the present invention;

Fig. 6 is the front view of head shown in Figure 5;

Fig. 7 is the side view of the head shown in Fig. 5-6; With

Fig. 8 is the top view of the head shown in Fig. 5-7.

The specific embodiment

Fig. 1-4 has shown one embodiment of the present of invention, and its toothbrush 10 comprises the cervical region 12 and the head 14 of handle 13.Head 14/ cervical region 12 is replaceable, and as using the displacement head, perhaps in embodiments of the present invention, head 14/ cervical region 12 parts for good and all are connected to handle 13.

As shown in the figure, especially shown in Figure 2, head 14 comprises elongated tufts 16, demonstrates its outermost that is positioned at head 14 or distal portion.The preferably longilineal plate-like of tuft 16, outer surface are oval, also can be elongated trianglees, rhombus, polygon or narrow rectangle.Tuft 16 is arranged on the pin that is positioned at tuft one end rotation and around pivot 18 swings.Therefore pivot 18 is decentraction or eccentric.

As shown in Figure 2, second tuft 20 is fixed to head 14.The circular discoid that tuft 20 is preferably common, it is fixed to pin, can rotate around the central shaft that is parallel to axle 18.Tuft 20 is arranged to do on the plane of general parallel head 14 outer surfaces 22 the swing rotation.Any suitable driving mechanism all can be used for swinging tuft 20.For example, U.S. Patent No. 5,625, the 916 disclosed driving mechanism types that Fig. 3 shows, its full details this paper incorporated by reference.As shown in the figure, toothbrush 10 comprises driving shaft 24, and its motor (not shown) that is subjected in the handle 13 drives.Driving shaft 24 ends at crooked drive end 26, and it is arranged in the groove of tuft 20.When axle 24 rotations, the one-directional rotation of axle 24 and its drive end 26 is delivered to tuft 20, forms reciprocal rotation as shown in arrow 32.

Clearly illustrate that as Fig. 2 tuft 20 comprises otch or recess 28, the extension of the end 30 of tuft 16 is fixing wherein.Therefore end 30 is fastener, can guarantee the mobile contact between two tufts 16,20.Because this joint forms between tuft 20 and tuft 16 and drives connection, make the swing of the tuft 20 of arrow 32 demonstrations be delivered to elongated tuft 16.Therefore, tuft 16 rotates in its end eccentric pivots away from tuft 20, and the swing that arrow 32 shows causes the wipe-off type CONTACT WITH FRICTION of tuft 16, and is as shown in arrow 34.The motion of tuft 16 occurs in the recess 35 of head 14.The CONTACT WITH FRICTION motion has superiority, because it moves up and down corresponding to the face and the tongue direction surface of toothbrush head at tooth, this is the teeth brushing way of recommending, and can strengthen the cleaning in space between the tooth.Fricting movement is enhanced by the elongated shape of tuft 16.

As depicted in figs. 1 and 2, head 14 comprises third part 36, and it is U-shaped and extend around first or tuft 16 normally.Third part 36 can be provided with many group bristles 38.Similarly, shown tuft 16 comprises many group bristles 40.Tuft 20 has the bristle 42 of external arc arrangement and the bristle 44 that interior circular arc is arranged.

Although Fig. 1-4 has shown the various bristles of traditional fibre form, term " bristle " is commonly used to represent cleaning device or massage part, the desirable shape of being arranged to circular cross-section or any kind or the resilient fingers or the wall in cross section be can comprise, straight line portion or positive string section comprised.

The special demonstration that should be known in bristle only is as exemplary illustration purpose.But the present invention can realize by the various combination of identical or different bristle configurations, wherein bristle embedding brush 14 can as staple technology or molded bristle technology, use identical or different bristle material (as nylon brush hair by known technology, the spiral bristle, rubber bristles etc.).Similarly, be orthogonal to the outer surface 22 of head 14 usually although Fig. 1-4 has shown bristle, the outer surface that the bristle of some or all can the relative head of various angles tilts.Therefore, might select the combination of bristle configurations, bristle material and bristle position,, form more motion such as the bristle head of swinging to realize specific result, to obtain other oral health benefit, as strengthening cleaning, tooth polishing, tooth albefaction and/or gum-massaging.

Bristle can have different length in head 14 various pieces.For example, interior bristle arrangements 44 comparable outer bristle arrangements 42 weak points of tuft 20 produce glass cover effect, help the toothpaste on the maintenance tuft.Similarly, bristle 40 comparable bristle 38 weak points form cup-like structure.

The amplitude of the abrasive action of tuft 16 will be in conjunction with the position of bristle 38 on part 36, and the tuft 16 bump bristles 38 of swing outwards move bristle 38, especially are fixed to the position of elastic matrix at bristle.Tuft 16 can comprise the outside protuberance that is positioned on its bristle area supported, stretches out as contact from its periphery, contacts with bristle 38.Bristle 38 can have the form of rubber finger piece, can or needn't contact with the tuft 16 of swing.

Fig. 5-8 has shown optional embodiment of the present invention, wherein the part of head 14 and shown the putting upside down of Fig. 1-4.Therefore, shown in Fig. 5-8, rotary oscillation head 20A is positioned at the distal-most end of head 14.Elongated friction tuft 16A be positioned at cervical region 12 near.Tuft 16A can do swing so that rotate around pivot 18A by axle head 26.The opposite end 30A of tuft 16A can join the recess 28A of tuft 20A to, makes the rotational oscillating motion that can be exchanged into tuft 20A as the oscillating motion of the tuft 16A of

arrow

34,34 indication, and is as shown in arrow 32.Third part 36A also can be provided with around tuft 16A.

The outer surface of head 14 each several parts is coplanar, so the outer surface 22 of head 14 can be a single plane.It is parallel plane or clinoplain that the present invention also can adopt one or more parts, and especially other part positions of standing part 36 or 36A comparability are arranged to tilt.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the driving between circular tuft 20 and the elongated tufts 16 is connected to form the recess 28 in tuft 20, and it can hold the protuberance or the end 30 of tuft 16.The present invention also can adopt the end 30 of tuft 16 that recess is set, and tuft 20 is provided with the extension that cooperates with recess.Drive and connect and to be connected to each tuft by connecting rod gudgeon.Any suitable swing transmission of the tuft structure for the swing of another tuft all can be able to employing.

The present invention preferably adopts the third part 36 or the 36A of non-moving standing part, and it can have static or fixed bristle, or by being fixed to the independent mutually bristle that moves of elastic matrix.The present invention also can adopt movably third part 36 or 36A.For example, third part can shift out along the direction shift-in of the outer surface 22 that generally is orthogonal to head 14.This will produce oscillating component.Any suitable driving mechanism can be used for realizing that this shift-in shifts out vibration, such as U.S. Patent No. Re.35, and 941 disclosed driving mechanisms.Its full content is quoted in this paper reference.Perhaps, but the oscillating component free floating is not provided with active drive.The other forms of motion of third part 36 or 36A can be the vertically moving of longitudinal axis of relative head 14, or laterally moves.Any suitable driving mechanism can be used for realizing these motions, and motion may be the plane motion that is parallel to head 14 outer surfaces 22.Can be with reference to the common pending application application No.10/066 that submitted on January 31st, 2002,459, this paper is with reference to quoting its full content.

Although accompanying drawing has shown two swing tufts, a tuft generally is circular, can rotate around its central shaft, another tuft is elongated, rotates around eccentric shaft.Other vibration also can be used for the present invention.For example, two tufts all are common circles, if a tuft is eccentric, still can realize abrasive action.Similarly, two tufts are eccentric fixing, realize the double rub effect.Use an elongated tufts, this tuft can have the shape beyond oval, and preferably include can with the synergistic structure of structure on the other tuft connect so that form to drive.

The present invention can also adopt the tuft of two elongated shapes, and a tuft is eccentric fixing, and another tuft is fixed around its central shaft.

Be arranged to around eccentric fixed tuft although accompanying drawing shows third part, the present invention also can be provided with the other part around the center fixation tuft except being provided with or replacing centering on the tuft of eccentric rotary.

Claims

1. electric toothbrush, be provided with the handle of band cervical region, head is fixed to described cervical region, described head has the outer surface of exposure, and first tuft is fixed to described head, has outward extending from the head bristle, second tuft is fixed to described head, have outward extending from the head bristle, described first tuft is fixed into and can does the swing type rotation around pivot, and described second tuft is fixed into and can does the swing type rotation around eccentric pivots; Driving between described first tuft and second tuft connects; Make the driving mechanism of a swing in described first tuft and described second tuft; Connect another swing that makes in described first tuft and described second tuft by described driving; The described swing of the tuft that described eccentric pivots is rotated is the swing of friction type.

2. toothbrush according to claim 1 is characterized in that, described head comprises the part of rotating tuft usually along circumference around described eccentric pivots.

3. toothbrush according to claim 2 is characterized in that many bristles stretch out from described part.

4. toothbrush according to claim 1 is characterized in that, described eccentric pivots is rotated tuft and had elongated shape.

5. toothbrush according to claim 1 is characterized in that, the described pivot of described first tuft is a central shaft.

6. toothbrush according to claim 1 is characterized in that, described first tuft has circle of being generally or avette outer surface.

7. toothbrush according to claim 1 is characterized in that, described driving connects the otch that is included in a described tuft periphery, and another described tuft has the fastener that is positioned at described otch, keeps joint between the described tuft between moving period at described tuft.

8. toothbrush according to claim 7 is characterized in that, described fastener is the end of described elongated tufts, and described otch is described first tuft.

9. toothbrush according to claim 1 is characterized in that, described driving mechanism comprises the motor of handling with the bonded actuator of described first tuft, and therefore the swing of described first tuft makes described second tuft swing.

10. toothbrush according to claim 1 is characterized in that, described first tuft is positioned at the described head near described cervical region.

11. toothbrush according to claim 1 is characterized in that, described driving mechanism comprises the motor of handling the actuator that engages with described second tuft, and therefore, the swing of described second tuft makes described first tuft swing.

12. toothbrush according to claim 1 is characterized in that, described second tuft be positioned at described cervical region near.

13. toothbrush according to claim 3 is characterized in that, described part is a standing part.

14. toothbrush according to claim 13 is characterized in that, the described bristle on the described standing part is a fasten bristles.

15. toothbrush according to claim 13 is characterized in that, the described bristle of described standing part is arranged to do separate motion.

16. toothbrush according to claim 4 is characterized in that, described elongated shape has ellipse, triangle, rhombus, polygon or orthogonal outer surface.