Replaceable head electric toothbrush and connection structure therefor
AssigneeThe Procter & Gamble Company
InventorsLawrence A. Blaustein, John Osher, Douglas A. Gall, John G. Chan, K.S. Chan, Wang Ping
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An electric toothbrush comprising an elongated body portion and a head including a static portion and a moving portion, a handle, and an angled shaft between the head and the handle. The portion of the toothbrush containing the head is detachably connected to the portion of the toothbrush containing the handle. A shaft within the head is selectively connectable to a mating shaft within the handle by a cooperating notch and peg assembly biased into a locking position by a spring member disposed to bias the head shaft into the desired position.
Claims32
An electric toothbrush comprising:
- an elongated body including a handle housing a motor, and a head having moving bristles, wherein the head is detachably connected to the handle and wherein the moving bristles are operatively connected to the motor;
- and,
- a gearing and shaft assembly for the operatively connecting of the bristles and motor comprising first and second shafts respectively associated with the motor and bristles, wherein the first shaft includes a notch at an end portion and the second shaft includes a tab sized for reception in the notch, and wherein the second shaft is biased for selective angular movement towards the first shaft by a spring member for locking engagement between the tab and the notch upon operative attachment of the head to the handle.
An electric toothbrush with a replaceable head, wherein bristle movement in the head is effected by a reciprocating head shaft powered by a motor in a handle attached to the replaceable head, the toothbrush comprising:
- mating head and handle portions including a cooperating pin and guide slot for defining a fully attached disposition of the head on the handle by a press-and-twist operator action;
- and,
- the head shaft disposed for locking engagement with a handle shaft operatively associated with the motor for communicating a desired reciprocating movement to the head shaft, wherein the head shaft is biased into the locking engagement by a spring member buttressed by a wall of the replaceable head when the head is in the fully attached disposition to engage the head shaft and urge the head shaft into a desired position relative to the handle shaft.
An electric toothbrush comprising a handle and a brush head selectively removable from the handle, wherein the head includes static and moving bristles, and the handle houses a motor operatively associated with the moving bristles.
A replaceable head including a toothbrush having moving bristles and adapted for reception onto a handle including a motor and motor shaft for driving the moving bristles of the head, wherein the head further includes a drive shaft for communicating movement from the motor the moving bristles, by an engagement between the motor shaft and the drive shaft and wherein the drive shaft is biased into a selected locking engagement of the motor shaft by a spring member disposed to contact and urge the drive shaft into the locking engagement.
A handle assembly for a replaceable head toothbrush wherein the handle assembly comprises:
- an elongated body housing a motor and a switch for operating the motor through associate control circuitry;
- and,
- an end portion configured for mating reception of the replaceable head, wherein the end portion includes a slot adopted to receive a projection in the replaceable head for effecting a press-and-twist action in the mating reception.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.