GB2080099A

GB2080099A - Tooth brushing device

Info

Publication number: GB2080099A
Application number: GB8100248A
Authority: GB
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1980-07-17
Filing date: 1981-01-06
Publication date: 1982-02-03
Also published as: DE3027137A1; IT8083453A0; FR2486784A1; JPS5725806A; SE8007275L; DE3027137C2; IT1154750B

Abstract

Rotary brush 1, mounted on shaft 2, is drivable selectively in one direction and then in the opposite direction by means of a motor (not visible) accommodated in a housing 3. The motor, which is mains powered by way of plug 6 and lead 5 (but may be battery- powered), is manually controlled by a switch 4 which can be displaced axially of the housing 3 through an intermediate zero position. In a development, circuitry may be included for controlling the motor to rotate alternately in the two directions, each time by a predetermined number of rotations, which may be adjusted; furthermore, the shaft 2 may be a flexible drive shaft. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Tooth brushing device This invention relates to a tooth brushing device (which term, of course, includes a device which is suitable also for brushing the gums) of the kind comprising a brush adapted to be driven by an electric motor.

The use of suitable toothbrushes is absolutely necessary to prevent tooth and gum disorders such as tooth caries and parodontopathies). Traditional hand toothbrushes, known for decades, should preferably have a set of bristles which is as short as possible and a brush grip which is preferably angled.

Electrically-operated toothbrushes which perform tilting movements are also known.

What is disadvantageous in the case of such toothbrushes is the fact that they do not provide a favourable basis for achieving proper tooth cleaning. In general, mouth douches achieve a better effect. What is disadvantageous is the complexity thereof (involving relatively large apparatus and therefore being expensive); moreover, they do not guarantee satisfactory tooth cleaning.

The problem underlying the invention, therefore, is the provision of a toothbrush which will not only clean the tooth enamel and massages the gums but which enables the user to clean previously-unreachably locations, or rid them of bacteria, (such as, for example, the inner seam epithelium or pocket epithelium) and permits the user to achieve intensive and controllable gum massage.

Pursuant hereto, the present invention provides a tooth brushing device comprising a brush adapted to be driven by an electric motor, characterised in that the toothbrush is adapted to be driven rotationally alternatively in both directions of rotation (anti-clockwise/ clockwise rotation).

Advantageous optional features of the device of the invention will readily be understood from consideration of the sub-claims following at the end hereof.

The invention will be described further, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is an elevation of a preferred embodiment of the device in accordance with the invention; Figure 2 is a fragmentary perspective view illustrating a second embodiment of the device in accordance with the invention; Figure 3 is a composite figure illustrating six possible alternative configurations for the brush of the device of the invention; Figure 4 is a detached sectional end view illustrating an embodiment of the device of the invention in which the radial lengths of the bristles of the brush are greater than the radial spacing between a stem of the brush and guide plate partially surrounding the brush; and Figure 5 is a view comparable with Fig. 4 but showing an embodiment in which the bristles are of shorter radial lengths, in use cleaning a user's teeth.

As illustrated in Fig. 1, a preferred embodiment of the tooth brushing device of the invention comprises a rotary toothbrush 1, designed as a body of rotation and connected, by way of a shaft or stem 2, to an electric motor (not visible) which is conveniently accommodated in a housing 3 shaped, for example, to conform to the shape of an encircling hand (not shown); the electric motor may, however, itself be designed to provide the housing 3. Provided on the housing 3 is a switch 4 which is advantageously suitable in the axial direction, as indicated by the doubleheaded arrow in the figure, for switching-on and switching-off.

The housing 3 may be provided with a base or eye which facilitates standing-down or hanging-up of the device; moreover the device may include a holder (e.g. adapted to be fixed to a wall or other surface) into which the housing 3 is a snug fit.

What is material to the invention is the fact that the motor which device the shaft 2 is a reversible electric motor, because the rotary toothbrush 1 is intended to be driven sometimes in the one direction and at other times in the opposite direction. For instance, in general, with a rotary toothbrush, the tendency is to use the brush so that the rotation of the brush causes the bristles to move from the gums in the direction of the teeth. Therefore the rotary toothbrush 1 needs to be oppositely rotated when brushing the theeth of the upper jaw, as compared with cleaning the teeth of the lower jaw.

In the illustrated example, a connection cable 5, to which a plug 6 is fastened, is shown. Thus, in this case, the electric motor is intended to be fed with mains current.

However, a chargeable or re-chargeable storage battery or a primary element can equally well be used as the energy source.

For counterclockwise rotation of the brush 1, the switch 4 is moved for example to the left, and for clockwise rotation it is moved to the right an intermediate position, through which the switch 4 moves, being a zero position or switch-off position; the user thus has available to him the possibility of switching the desired direction of rotation of the rotary toothbrush 1 for appropriate periods of time.

However, it is also within the scope of the invention that the arrangement may be such that switching-over is effected automatically at specific intervals of time. Such switching-over mechanisms are known and require no explanation; they are used, for example, in the switching-over of windscreen wipers and comparable mechanisms, and may comprise, for instance, a relay circuit having two changeover switches, or an electronic bristable multivibrator having counter means or the like which serves to switch over the electric motor from one rotational direction to the other at selectable intervals of time (e.g. after a predetermined number of revolutions).

The housing 1 may be provided with a guide plate 7 in order to permit better guidance of the rotary toothbrush, for example when it is applied to the user's upper jaw.

Such a guide plate 7 is not essential however.

Moreover, the housing 3 itself may be designed to form or provide such a guide plate 7, i.e. a guide plate 7 of a similar kind may protrude from the housing 1 on one side or on both sides. This guide plate may be adjustable, for instance in height and in length. It may be tubular or elliptical in design and project, for example (but adjustably) as far as the start of the rotary toothbrush 1.

The rotary toothbrush which is illustrated by way of example may also be constructed differently from what has been shown. For instance, the plug 6 could be located directly at one end of the housing 3, in which case a flexible shaft (instead of the rigid shaft 2) will be provided to extend from the electric motor to the rotary toothbrush 1. The shaft 2 may, if desired, be extensible, e.g. by being drawn out in the manner of a telescope, moreover, the shaft 2 may be adapted to be inserted into the shaft of the electric motor or into a coupling piece provided on the shaft of the motor. Associated with the rotary toothbrush 1 there will then be a handle which carries a switch for switching-on and switching-off, if an automatic switch-over mechanism is not selected.Moreover, it lies within the scope of the invention to design this switch-over mesh; anism, too, to be settable, i.e. it can be set, for example, for five or ten, fifteen, twenty, or any other suitable number of revolutions in the one direction and for the same number or a different number of revolutions in the other direction.

It also lies within the scope of the invention to provide for the rotative speed of the motor to be adjustable.

The fixing of the rotary toothbrush 1 relative to the shaft 2, or directly to the shaft of the motor, so that it will rotate therewith, may be effected with known 'per se' means, for example by way of a groove and tongue, by means of spring-loaded ball which engages into an associated bore upon insertion, or by any other suitable equivalent means.

It is also within the scope of the invention to make the rotary toothbrush 1 appropriate to the bite in design. In this respect, also, different kinds of brush -may be provided as the rotary toothbrush 1. The brush may, for instance, have alternate hard and soft bristles, or comprise bristles of different length or be of any desired practical form and/or configuration. Any known materials, including plastics, are suitable for the bristles.

By providing for the rotary toothbrush to be exchangeable, use can be made, during one tooth cleaning operation, of different rotary toothbrushes 1. For example, initially use may be made of a hard toothbrush for coarse cleaning with subsequent changing to a softer toothbrush with which the user can better subject the fums to massage treatment, and so forth.

Referring now to Fig. 2, the guide plate 7 may, if desired, be shaped to define a recess in which the brush 1 is located, and to haveEa stem 20 which fits relatively loosely over the shaft 2 and provides for the holding and guiding of the brush 1. The shaft 2 can then rotate in an unobstructed manner and drive the rotary toothbrush 1 without the guide plate 7 being caused also to rotate; this kind of arrangement applies analogously to a protective cap 8 (Fig. 5) which will be described later in detail. In the arrangement of Fig. 2, provided on the base end of the guide plate 7 is a curved guard tongue 1 2. This serves to prevent the user's skin or jaw flesh from being brushed or abraded too much in the end region of the brush.Advantageously, in this region (in other words at the end of the rotary toothbrush 1) the brush 1 has correspondingly softer bristles in order to minimise this risk.

Another possibility lying within the scope of the invention provides for the mounting at the free end of the rotary toothbrush 1, a plate or disc which is located so as to rotate loosely, for example on the shaft of the toothbrush, so that this plate or disc will not co-rotate with the brush, but will come to a standstill upon contact with the user's jaw flesh. Such a plate or disc should advantageously be convexly dished.

Fig. 3 illustrates various configurations which may be adopted for the toothbrush 1.

Thus, the shape of the brush 1 may vary from a purely cylindrical design, by variation of its cross-sectional shape along its length, after the fashion the various known grips used, for instance on door handles, tool handles, and; so on.

Fig. 4 shows schematically a device conforming to the invention which has a protect tive cap 8, (comparable with the guide plate 7 of Fig. 1 or Fig. 2) which has a lesser radial spacing relative to the axis of the rotary toothbrush 1 than the radial lengths of the bristles of the brush. As a result, the bristles are stressed (in other words are bent over or deflected) and one achieves, for example, an improved cleaning effect; this effect can be enhanced if the inner surface of the cap 8 is, in the device of the invention, not smooth.

The mode of operation of another embodiment of the device of the invention is shown diagrammatically in Fig. 5. In this embodiment, the protective cap 8 extends around the rotary toothbrush 1 to such an extent that only that region of the rotary toothbrush 1 which acts on the gums 11 or on the teeth 9 is accessible, and the radial lengths of the bristles are less than the spacing of the cap 8 from the axis of the brush 1.

It is also within the scope of the invention that the guide plate 7 or the protective cap 8 may be mounted so as to be freely rotatable on the shaft. Then, when using the device, the user can rotate the guide plate 7 or the protective cap 8 in whatever way is expedient for use. If the plate 7 or cap 8 is fastened for example to the housing 3, one then rotates the housing 3 into the desired position. In order to eliminate the risk of injury, the free longitudinal edges of the protective cap 8 or of the guide plate 7 are rounded, or are rounded and reinforced or bent back, so that a wide abutment area arises.

It is furthermore within the scope of the invention to associate a spraying arrangement with the device, in order, for example, to permit the supply of water or a tooth rinsing agent continuously or in controlled manner.

For this purpose use can be made of a tube with a nozzle which is fastened for example to the guide plate 7 or the protective cap 8, with an appropriate push-button being provided to control the flow of the water or liquid. As an alternative a hollow shaft or tube may be provided for the rotary toothbrush 1, or may be introduced into the rotary toothbrush 1 from the free end thereof, for the same purpose. Perforations provided in the shaft or tube in correspondence with the bristles permit direct rinsing to be effected from the interior of the rotary toothbrush 1.

The electric motor is preferably so designed or geared that the brush revolves at a low rotative speed; however, it should preferably be capable of being switched between several diffent rotative speeds, even during operation, for example 50, 100, 150, 200 r.p.m. and so forth. The motor may be of the external rotor type. If desired the rotor of the motor may have a shaft-like extrusion, e.g. of tubular form, and the toothbrush 1 may then be in the form as a body(e.g. a sleeve-like body) which can be slipped over (or provided with a shaft which enters into) the outwardly-protruding shaft-like extension.

Claims

1. A tooth brushing device comprising a brush adapted to be driven by an electric motor, characterised in that the toothbrush is adapted to be driven rotationally alternatively in both directions of rotation (anti-clockwise/ clockwise rotation).

2. A device as claimed in claim 1, characterised in that a switch is provided to permit change-over between the two directions of rotation.

3. A device as claimed in claim 2, characterised in that the switch is arranged directly on a housing of the electric motor.

4. A device as claimed in claim 2 or 3, characterised in that the switch is displaceable for the purpose of switching between rotational directions in the axial direction of the housing for example by way of an intermediate zero position or switch-off position.

5. A device as claimed in any preceding claim, characterised in that there is, associated with the electric motor, at least one interval switching arrangement for switching over the direction of rotation of the brush (e.g.

a relay circuit having two change-over switches or a double-polar relay; an electronic bristable multivibrator having counter means or the like, such as transistors and so forth in order to switch over the electric motor from direction of rotation to the other at selectable intervals of time e.g. after a predetermined number of revolutions).

6. A device as claimed in any preceding claim, characterised in that the brush is adapted to be driven by way of a shaft which is extensible, for example by being drawn out in the manner of a telescope.

7. A device as claimed in any preceding claim, characterised in that the shaft of the toothbrush is insertable into the shaft of the electric motor, or into a coupling piece arranged on the shaft of the motor.

8. A device as claimed in any preceding claim, characterised in that a guide plate, advantageously adapted to the jaw, is associated with the device, for example by being fastened to the housing or by being formed in one piece with the housing.

9. A device as claimed in claim 8, characterised in that part of the housing is designed as the guide plate.

1 0. A device as claimed in any preceding claim, characterised in that the electric motor is arranged to be driven by means of a storage battery, primary element or mains current.

11. A device as claimed in any preceding claim, characterised in that the housing is adapted to the shape of an encircling hand.

12. A device as claimed in any preceding claim, characterised in that a base, an eye or the like is provided on the housing.

1 3. A device as claimed in any preceding claim, characterised in that it comprises a holder which is erectable or suspensible and into which the housing is insertable in a precisely-fitting manner.

14. A device as claimed in any preceding claim characterised in that the rotary toothbrush is adapted to the shape of the jaw.

1 5. A device as claimed in claim 3 characterised in that the housing is provided with a plug, a separate grip with the switch thereon, and in that a shaft (for example a flexible shaft) is provided on the rotary toothbrush.

16. A device as claimed in any preceding claim, characterised in that the rotary toothbrush is adapted to be slipped onto and is adapted for simple release from the shaft the separate grip with connection to the flexible shaft.

1 7. A device as claimed in any preceding claim, characterised in that the rotary toothbrush has a bore with a wedge, and the shaft or the separate grip with the flexible shaft is insertable in a precisely-fitting manner into the bore, having a groove or the like for the wedge (or vice versa).

1 8. A device as claimed in any preceding claim, characterised in that the rotary toothbrush is designed as a body of rotation.

1 9. A device as claimed in any preceding claim, characterised in that the electric motor is designed as a housing.

20. A device as claimed in any preceding claim, characterised in that the electric motor is a motor of the external-rotor type.

21. A device as claimed in claim 20, characterised in that the rotor of the motor has a shaft-like extension (for example as a tube), and the rotary toothbrush is designed, for example as a sleeve body, so that it can be slipped over (or provided with a shaft which enters into) the outwardly-protruding shaft-like extension.

22. A device as claimed in any preceding claim, characterised in that the rotational speed of the electric motor is adjustable.

23. A device as claimed in any preceding claim, characterised in that the circuit to the motor is adjustable to provide for the motor to rotate through a specific number of revolutions.

24. A device as claimed in any preceding claim, characterised by a protective cap which at least partially surrounds the rotary toothbrush.

25. A device as claimed in claim 24, characterised in that the radial spacing of the inner surface of the protective cap relative to the axis is less than the radial length of the bristles of the brush.

26. A device as claimed in claim 25, characterised in that the inner surface of the protective cap (analogously to the guide plate) is roughened, or is provided with prominences and depressions, knurlings or the like.

27. A device as claimed in claim 24, 25 or 26, characterised in that the protective cap is fastened to a grip of the rotary toothbrush or to the housing or fits loosely over the shaft.

28. A device as claimed in any preceding claim, characterised in that the guide plate or of the protective cap are curved concavely to form a guide for the rotary toothbrush or a guide bearing in alignment therewith.

29. A device as claimed in any preceding claim, characterised in that associated with the rotary toothbrush, indirectly or directly, is a liquid-supply tube, advantageously provided at its free end with at least one spray nozzle.

30. A device as claimed in claim 29, characterised in that the tube is held securely or displaceably, and/or easily releasably and lockably on the handle and/or guide plate or protective cap and/or housing.

31. A device as claimed in any preceding claim, characterised in that the rotational speed of the electric motor can be regulated, for example in stepless manner.

32. A tooth brushing device substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as illustrated in Fig. 1, Fig. 2, Fig. 4 or Fig. 5 of the accompanying drawings.

33. A tooth brushing device as claimed in claim 32 and modified substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as illustrated in any of the modifications shown in Fig. 3 of the accompanying drawings.