Patent Application
20150173872
1. Technical Field
This invention relates general to dental hygiene products. More particularly, this invention relates to powered toothbrushes and to replaceable brush heads used in powered toothbrushes. Specifically, this invention is directed to a brush head for a powered toothbrush, where the brush head includes a plurality of tuft blocks operatively engaged with a rotatable camshaft. At least a first tuft block is caused to reciprocate linearly in a plane disposed at right angles to a longitudinal axis of the camshaft; and the second tuft block is caused to oscillate about an axis parallel to the camshaft's longitudinal axis.
2. Background Information
Electrical or powered toothbrushes have been available on the market for several years. These toothbrushes are superior to manual toothbrushes for several reasons, including the speed with which the bristles are caused to move across the surfaces of the teeth and because of the pattern the bristles follow as they move across the those surfaces. Most powered toothbrushes include bristle tuft blocks which rotate or oscillate in some manner.
U.S. RE35,941 (Stansbury, Jr.), the entire specification of which is incorporated herein by reference, discloses a powered toothbrush having a plurality of tuft blocks juxtaposed in the brush head. The tuft blocks are engaged with a camshaft which, when rotated, causes individual blocks to move linearly with respect to a longitudinal tuft axis. In other words, each of the blocks moves in an in-and-out motion with respect to an aperture within which the tuft blocks are seated. The bristles “chisel” plaque and food particles from the surfaces of the teeth because the bristles are rapidly moving substantially at right angles to the surfaces of the teeth.
U.S. Pat. No. 8,522,390 (Stoerkel et al) discloses a brush head/toothbrush which may be manual or powered. The brush head/toothbrush includes a first carrier and a second carrier mounted on opposite sides of the brush head. The second carrier is positioned underneath the first carrier and is configured for movement relative thereto. A plurality of bristles is fixedly engaged with the first carrier. The first carrier also defines a plurality of apertures therein and bristles provided on the second carrier extend through these apertures and are disposed adjacent the bristles on the first carrier. The first carrier may not be driven, i.e., it may remain in the same position relative to the elongate tube of the brush head. Alternatively, the first carrier may be driven so that it reciprocates in a longitudinal extension direction (L). The bristles on the first carrier do not move relative to the first carrier—it is the entire first carrier that moves. The second carrier is mounted in such a way that it is able to move in an oscillatory motion around a longitudinal axis (W) that is substantially parallel to longitudinal extension axis (L) of the brush head or toothbrush. This motion causes the bristles on the second carrier to wipe or sweep across the surfaces of the teeth being cleaned. (Again, the bristles are not moved relative to the second carrier, it is the entire second carrier that is moved.) The sweeping motion of the bristles of the second carrier pushes loose particles and plaque on the surface of the teeth off the same.
US Publication No. 2012/0159722 (Fritsch) discloses a brush head/toothbrush in which a cleaning section includes a cleaning element carrier mounted for oscillatory rotation about a carrier rotation axis. The bristles thus are arranged to sweep across the surfaces of the teeth being cleaned. A gear is coupled to a drive shaft extending from the handle and engages the cleaning element carrier to transfer motion from the drive shaft to the carrier.
US Publication No. 2013/0227804 (Fritsch) discloses a brush head which includes a head portion with a movable contact element holder which is caused to move relative to the head by a drive mechanism. A portion of this movable contact element holder is exposed on a back side of the brush head. Movable contact elements are supported within the movable contact element holder. The holder has a certain number of bristles affixed to it and the movable contact elements engaged in the holder have other bristles affixed to them. The holder oscillates about a longitudinal axis and the movable contact elements also oscillate about the longitudinal axis but out of synchrony with the holder. Thus, all of the bristles are oscillated about the longitudinal axis. All of the bristles are thus caused to sweep across the surface of the teeth being cleaned.
There is still a need in the art for a toothbrush which more effectively cleans the surfaces of teeth.
In one aspect, the invention may provide a brush head including a housing detachably securable to a handle of a powered toothbrush; and a powered toothbrush incorporating the brush head. The brush head is detachably engageable with the handle. A camshaft extends through a cavity defined in the brush head. The camshaft is operatively engaged with a motorized drive shaft in the toothbrush handle and causes independent movement in tuft blocks provided on a head region of the brush head. Bristle tufts extend outwardly from each tuft block and through an opening defined in one face of the head region. The rotating camshaft causes a first tuft block to reciprocate linearly in a plane disposed at right angles to the camshaft's longitudinal axis; and causes the second tuft block to oscillate about an axis parallel to the camshaft's longitudinal axis. The bristles on the first block chisel particulate material from the surfaces of the teeth being cleaned; and the bristles on the second block sweep particulate material from those surfaces.
In another aspect, the invention may provide a powered toothbrush comprising;
In another aspect, the invention may provide a method of removing food matter and/or plaque from teeth; said method including:
A sample embodiment of the invention, illustrative of the best mode in which Applicant contemplates applying the principles, is set forth in the following description, is shown in the drawings and is particularly and distinctly pointed out and set forth in the appended claims.
a is an exploded front view of the tuft blocks removed from the brush head for the sake of clarity;
Similar numbers refer to similar pads throughout the drawings.
Referring to
Brush head 10 comprises a housing 12 which has a first end 12a and a second end 12b. Housing 12 includes an elongate shaft 12 and a head 16 which preferably are integrally formed with each other. In particular, housing preferably 12 is an injection-molded plastic component. Shaft 14 is generally circular in cross-section and head 16 is generally U-shaped in cross-section (
Head 16 of housing 12 includes a front face 16a, a first side 16b, a second side 16c, a rear face 16d, and an end wall 16e. Shaft 14 extends outwardly from a region of head 16 opposite end wall 16e. A cavity 18 is bounded and defined by the exterior wall of housing 12. Cavity 18 originates in an opening (not numbered) defined in the second end 12b of housing 12 and extends through shaft 14 and into head 16. Cavity 18 in head is bounded by front face 16a, first and second sides 16b, 16c, rear face 16d and end wall 16e. An opening 20 is defined in a front face 16a of head 16. Opening 20 is in communication with cavity 18. A series of apertures 22 are defined in a back surface of shaft 14 and rear face 16d of head 16. Apertures 22 are also in communication with cavity 18. Apertures 22 are provided to allow any water that may enter opening 20 to escape from brush head 10.
In accordance with an aspect of the present invention, a plurality of spaced-apart ridges 23 (
Second end 12b of brush head 10 is configured to engage with a handle, as is known in the art.
Brush head 10 further includes a drive shaft assembly 24 having a first end 24a and a second end 24b. A mounting member 26 is provided at second end 24a and is configured to engage a drive shaft (not shown) extending from a motor in a handle to which brush head 10 is engaged. Mounting member 26 may therefore take any configuration which is suitable for this purpose. Drive shaft assembly 24 further includes a camshaft 28 which extends through a bore 26a defined in mounting member 26 and extends outwardly and upwardly therefrom (with reference to
In accordance with another aspect of the invention, brush head 10 includes a plurality of separate tuft blocks 34a, 34b, 34c, 34d, and 34e which are each individually mounted within head 10 and are positioned adjacent each other. A plurality of bristle tufts 36 extend outwardly from a front face of each of the tuft blocks 34a-34e. Tuft blocks 34a-34e are mounted within cavity 18 such that bristle tufts 36 of all of the blocks extend outwardly from opening 20 in head 16. No portion of blocks 34a-34e extends through rear face 16d of head 16.
Each bristle tuft 36 is represented by one of the tubular member shown in the figures, however, it should be understood that each bristle tuft 36 preferably is comprised of a plurality of bristles. Each bristle tuft 36 has a longitudinal bristle axis that extends from front face 35a to a tip of the bristles in bristle tuft 36. It should be understood that instead of tuft block 34a-34e including a plurality of bristle tufts 36, they may instead include a plurality of flexible elastomeric fingers, or a combination of bristles and elastomeric fingers which are used to clean the surfaces of the teeth when brush head 10 is engaged with a powered handle. Obviously, if the power is not switched on, the brush head can still be used as a manual teeth cleaning implement, although this is not its preferred mode of operation. The term “bristle tuft” as used herein should therefore be given the broadest interpretation to represent of any flexible component which extends outwardly from head 16 and is brought into contact with the teeth to clean the same.
Tuft block 34a includes three rows of bristle tufts 36, with the uppermost row having one bristle tuft 36, the middle row having two bristle tufts 36, and the third and lowermost row having three bristle tufts 36. Each of tuft blocks 34b, 34c, 34d, and 34e includes a single row containing four bristle tufts 36.
As is best seen in
Each tuft block 34a-34e is mounted between aligned pairs of ridges 23 and the tuft blocks are specifically configured so that ridges 23 are seated in depressions 38 (
Hole 40 is an elongate aperture that is configured in like manner to the apertures disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. RE35,941, the entire specification of which is incorporated herein by reference. Hole 40 is elongated in a direction at right angles to the camshaft's longitudinal axis “Y”. Holes 40a in tuft blocks 34b-34e are generally circular of about the same diameter as camshaft 28.
As camshaft 28 rotates it causes the end tuft block, i.e., tuft block 34a to move in a back and forth motion into and out of opening 20 in front face 16a of head 16, i.e. linearly with respect to the bristle axis. This in-and-out motion is indicated by the arrow “A” in
The in-and-out motion of tuft block 34a is caused as camshaft 28 is rotated because of the shape and orientation of hole 40. Hole 40 extends horizontally and generally parallel to interior back surface 17a of head 16 and is of a length “L”. Hole 40 also has a width “W” which is smaller than length “L”. This configuration of hole 40 causes tuft block 34a to move in the back-and-forth motion indicated by arrow “A”.
Tuft blocks 34b, 34c and 34d are similarly configured to tuft block 34e. The differently offset portions 30c, 30d, 30e, and 30f of the camshaft 28, each of which extends through a hole 40a defined in the associated one of tuft blocks 34b, 34c, 34d and 34e; causes the tuft blocks 34b-34e to tilt or sweep at different times and to varying degrees relative to tuft block 34e. Thus, as is evident from
It will be understood that if the section of camshaft 28 which passes through any of tuft blocks 34a, 34b, 34c, 34d, or 34e is aligned in the same plane as the section 28a, then when camshaft 28 rotates, that section of camshaft 28 will rotate within hole 40, 40a in the associated tuft block but no motion will be imparted to the associated tuft block—i.e., that associated tuft block will not move. It will therefore be possible to provide a brush head which includes a first tuft block which moves into-and-out of the opening 20 in head 16 as camshaft 28 rotates, along with a second tuft block that tilts back and forth; and a third tuft block which is substantially motionless. Any combination of these three tuft blocks 36 may be provided on brush head 10. In the instance of any tuft block provided which is to remain motionless during operation, i.e. not moving in-and-out or tilting back-and-forth, that motionless tuft block can be of any shape and include any number of tufts of bristles positioned in any desired configuration; including having the appearance of tuft block 34a or 34b-34e; or a block of the overall shape and size of tuft blocks 34b-34e but which lacks the protuberances 37 or is of the shape of tuft block 34a and includes protuberances on the side surfaces.
Toothbrush 50 thus comprises:
a handle 52; and
a brush head 10, where the brush head 10 comprises:
In another aspect the invention provides a method of removing food matter and/or plaque from teeth; said method including:
The method further includes chiseling food matter and/or plaque from the surface of the teeth when engaged by the bristle tufts 36 provided on first tuft block 34a; and sweeping food matter and/or plaque from the surface of the teeth when engaged by the bristle tufts 36 provided on second tuft block 34b. Since tuft blocks 34c-34e are similarly configured to second tuft block 34b, it will be understood that the bristle tufts 36 provided on blocks 34c, 34e remove food matter and/or plaque from teeth surfaces in a similar manner to second tuft block 34b.
It will be understood that some of the tuft blocks 34c, 34e which currently are shown configured in a similar manner to tuft block 34b could, instead, be configured in a manner similar to tuft block 34a and remove food matter and/or plaque in a similar manner to the same. Additionally or alternatively, some of the tuft blocks 34c-34e could be engaged so that they will remain substantially stationary when camshaft 28 is rotated.
The combination of movements in the tuft blocks 34a-34e helps to more effectively remove food material and/or plaque from the surface of the teeth and the interdental spaces as first tuft block 34a chisels away food material that is lodged adjacent the gingiva or in the interdental spaces, as well as chiseling away plaque or food material that is effectively bonded to the surface of the teeth. The sweeping or wiping motion of the bristle tufts 36 on tuft blocks 34b, 34e aids is removing the material which has been chiseled away by bristles 36 on first tuft block 34a. The ensures that the chiseling motion of first tuft block 34a continuously comes into contact with materials that remain lodged on the teeth surfaces instead of simply contact material that has already been chiseled away but not removed. Consequently, toothbrush 50 tends to be more effective at cleaning the teeth and keeping them substantially plaque free.
In the foregoing description, certain terms have been used for brevity, clearness, and understanding. No unnecessary limitations are to be implied therefrom beyond the requirement of the prior art because such terms are used for descriptive purposes and are intended to be broadly construed.
Moreover, the description and illustration of the preferred embodiment of the invention are an example and the invention is not limited to the exact details shown or described.
