# US 11,432,847 B2 · Personal care appliance > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,432,847 B2 - Document ID: US11432847B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 16/108,563 - Filed: 2018-08-22 - Published: 2018-12-13 - Granted: 2022-09-06 - Earliest claimed: 2015-03-19 - Assignees: Michael Todd Beauty LP - Applicants: Michael Todd Beauty LP - Inventors: Lewis Hendler; Nengfei Xu; Xushan Zhan - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11432847B2 ## CPC - A61B 17/54: Chiropodists' instruments {, e.g. pedicure} - A46B 13/02: power-driven {carriers} - A46B 13/008: {Disc-shaped brush bodies} - A46B 2200/102: Brush specifically designed for massaging the skin or scalp (A46B2200/1026 takes precedence) - A46B 2200/104: Hair brush - A61B 2017/00398: {using powered actuators, e.g. stepper motors, solenoids} - A61B 2017/00734: {battery operated} - A61B 2017/00747: {Dermatology} - A61B 2017/00752: {Hair removal or transplantation} - A61B 2017/00761: {Removing layer of skin tissue, e.g. wrinkles, scars or cancerous tissue} - A61B 2017/320004: {abrasive} - A61B 2017/320012: {Brushes} - A61B: DIAGNOSIS; SURGERY; IDENTIFICATION (usefulness limited to only animals A61D) - A46B: BRUSHES (handles not integral with brushware B25G) ## Abstract A personal care appliance includes a housing, a drive assembly provided in the housing, and a workpiece member. The drive assembly includes a stator and an armature adjacent the stator, wherein the stator, when energized, is structured to cause the armature to oscillate back and forth. The personal care appliance further includes a mounting assembly having a pivot arm having a shaft member and first and second mounting members. The workpiece member is coupled to the first end portion of the shaft member such that oscillation of the armature causes the workpiece member to oscillate relative to the housing. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A personal care appliance, comprising: a housing; a drive assembly provided in the housing, the drive assembly including: a stator; an armature adjacent the stator, wherein the stator, when energized, is structured to cause the armature to oscillate back and forth; a first mounting member secured to the housing, the first mounting member having a first hole extending through the first mounting member and forming part of a first bearing member; a pivot arm member including a first arm, a second arm, and a shaft member provided between the first arm and the second arm, the shaft member having a first end portion, wherein a first end of the first arm is coupled to the armature assembly and a second end of the first arm is coupled to a first side of the shaft member, wherein a first end of the second arm is coupled to a second side of the shaft member opposite the first side of the shaft member, and wherein a second end of the second arm is coupled the first mounting member, and wherein the first end portion of the shaft member is received through the first hole; and a workpiece member coupled to the first end portion of the shaft member such that oscillation of the armature causes the workpiece member to oscillate relative to the housing. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The personal care appliance according to claim 1, wherein a longitudinal axis of the shaft member is perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of the first arm and a longitudinal axis of the second arm. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The personal care appliance according to claim 1, wherein the first mounting member includes a base member having a plurality of screw cylinders extending upwardly therefrom, each of the screw cylinders being fit over and secured to a respective peg members provided as part of the housing, wherein the base member includes a mounting arm coupled to a first one or more of the screw cylinders, and wherein the second end of the second arm is coupled to the mounting arm. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The personal care appliance according to claim 3, further comprising a second mounting member secured to a second one or more of the screw cylinders, wherein a second end portion of the shaft member opposite the first end portion of the shaft member is received through the second mounting member. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The personal care appliance according to claim 1, further comprising a first elastomeric insert provided in the first hole and forming part of the first bearing member. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The personal care appliance according to claim 1, wherein the workpiece member is selectively attachable to and detachable from the first end portion of the shaft member. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The personal care appliance according to claim 1, wherein the workpiece member comprises a brush head assembly having a plurality of bristles extending therefrom. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The personal care appliance according to claim 1, wherein the workpiece member comprises one or more components made with an antimicrobial material that is both (i) safe for use on the skin, and (ii) resists and/or inhibits the growth of mold, mildew, fungus and/or bacteria. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The personal care appliance according to claim 8, wherein the workpiece member comprises a brush head assembly having a plurality of bristles extending therefrom, wherein the bristles include the antimicrobial material as an additive thereto and/or are coated with the antimicrobial material. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The personal care appliance according to claim 9, wherein the antimicrobial material includes silver ions. ### Claim 11 (depends on 9) The personal care appliance according to claim 9, wherein the antimicrobial material includes essential plant oils and/or essential minerals. ### Claim 12 (depends on 9) The personal care appliance according to claim 9, wherein the antimicrobial material includes a bacteria resistant polymer. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) The personal care appliance according to claim 1, wherein the housing includes a handle portion, and wherein the handle portion is provided with a number of overlay portions structured to prevent the personal care appliance from slipping during use. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The personal care appliance according to claim 13, wherein the overlay portions are made of a rubber material. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The personal care appliance according to claim 14, wherein the overlay portions include a plurality of protruding members extending outwardly therefrom. ### Claim 16 (depends on 1) The personal care appliance according to claim 1, further comprising control electronics structured to control operation of the stator and armature such that the armature is caused to oscillate back and forth in a pulse mode wherein the armature is caused to move back and forth between a first lateral maximum position and a second lateral maximum position with a pause at each of the first lateral maximum position and the second lateral maximum position before initiating movement in an opposite direction. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The personal care appliance according to claim 16, wherein the pause is at least 300 milliseconds. ### Claim 18 (depends on 16) The personal care appliance according to claim 16, wherein the control electronics are structured to cause the Armature to oscillate back and forth at least one of 240 cycles/second, 220 cycles/second, and 200 cycles/second. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) The personal care appliance according to claim 18, wherein the control electronics are structured to cause the armature to oscillate back and forth at 240 cycles/second, 220 cycles/second, and 200 cycles/second as selected by a user. ### Claim 20 (depends on 1) The personal care appliance according to claim 1, further comprising: (i) a power source for providing AC current, the AC current comprising a plurality of complete cycles, each complete cycle having a first half cycle and a second half cycle, (ii) control electronics structured to control operation of the stator and armature by providing only the first half cycle of each of the complete cycles to the stator to energize the stator and not providing any of the second half cycles of each of the complete cycles to the stator. ### Claim 21 (depends on 20) The personal care appliance according to claim 20, wherein the control electronics are structured to cause the armature to oscillate back and forth at 200 cycles/second or greater. ### Claim 22 (depends on 1) The personal care appliance according to claim 1, wherein the workpiece member includes a hexagonal female attachment member structured to receive the first end portion of the shaft member, the first end portion comprising a hexagonal male member.