Oral healthcare personal appliance and brush head with integrated light guide along a hollow drive axis

#The present embodiments relate generally to oral healthcare personal appliances and more particularly, to an oral healthcare personal appliance or toothbrush with an integrated light guide along a hollow drive axis and a method of making the same.

#In the field of oral healthcare, a multitude of reasons exist for wanting to bring light into a user's mouth at the tip of a brush head. One reason is to illuminate an area for inspection. Another reason is to do analysis on reflected light properties. Still other reasons exist. However, to transport the light through an exchangeable or removable brush head, an interface and light path are needed to allow light to travel into, through and out of the removable brush head. In particular, such an interface and light path would be highly desirable for personal care appliances such as an electric toothbrush with a rotatable brush head that rotates about its longitudinal axis. In addition, it would be desirable to have a simple and cost effective interface and light path.

#Accordingly, an improved method and apparatus for overcoming the problems in the art is desired.

#The embodiments of the present disclosure may take form in various components and arrangements of components, and in various steps and arrangements of steps. Accordingly, the drawings are for purposes of illustrating the various embodiments and are not to be construed as limiting the embodiments. In the drawing figures, like reference numerals refer to like elements. In addition, it is to be noted that the figures may not be drawn to scale.

#FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a personal care appliance configured for use with a removable brush head having an integrated light guide, the personal care appliance including an actuator with a hollow drive shaft and a co-axially disposed second light guide, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

#FIG. 2 is a partial cross-sectional view of the personal care appliance according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

#The embodiments of the present disclosure and the various features and advantageous details thereof are explained more fully with reference to the non-limiting examples that are described and/or illustrated in the drawings and detailed in the following description. It should be noted that the features illustrated in the drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale, and features of one embodiment may be employed with other embodiments as the skilled artisan would recognize, even if not explicitly stated herein. Descriptions of well-known components and processing techniques may be omitted so as to not unnecessarily obscure the embodiments of the present disclosure. The examples used herein are intended merely to facilitate an understanding of ways in which the embodiments of the present may be practiced and to further enable those of skill in the art to practice the same. Accordingly, the examples herein should not be construed as limiting the scope of the embodiments of the present disclosure, which is defined solely by the appended claims and applicable law.

#It is understood that the embodiments of the present disclosure are not limited to the particular methodology, protocols, devices, apparatus, materials, applications, etc., described herein, as these may vary. It is also to be understood that the terminology used herein is used for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only, and is not intended to be limiting in scope of the embodiments as claimed. It must be noted that as used herein and in the appended claims, the singular forms “a,” “an,” and “the” include plural reference unless the context clearly dictates otherwise.

#Unless defined otherwise, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meanings as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which the embodiments of the present disclosure belong. Preferred methods, devices, and materials are described, although any methods and materials similar or equivalent to those described herein can be used in the practice or testing of the embodiments.