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US 4,397,055 AGranted
Reversable shaft with rotary and selective oscillating motion
OwnerSamuel M. Cuchiarainventor
Life of this patent
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Abstract
The apparatus is a rotary shaft mechanism having selective axial oscillation and reversable rotary motion, preferably in a battery powered toothbrush. Within such a toothbrush, the user of same can easily select either a clockwise or counter clockwise rotation of the toothbrush and if desired, an axial oscillation for either rotation. The selective combinations permit the toothbrush to effectively move food particles away from the gum line independent of it's location on the teeth and to polish the teeth with its oscillation motion.
Claims3
An electrically powered toothbrush comprising:
- a tubular housing having a forward end;
- an electrical battery within said housing;
- an electrical motor with a motor shaft axially disposed within said housing and energized by said battery;
- an electrical switch on said housing for controlling said motor;
- an end cap, slidably attached to and enclosing said forward end, having a rearwardly projecting shaft guide with a helical shaped cam surface on it's most rearward end;
- a brush holder shaft traversably projecting forwardly through said end cap and slidably engaged to a coupling means, wherein said means is axially attached to said motor shaft;
- a compression spring within said means which forceably presses said shaft forwardly;
- and an axial cam on said brush holder shaft, located approximately near the cam surface, having a cam mating surface codependent with and simular to said cam surface;
- whereby rotation of said brush holder shaft rotates said cam mating surface upon the said cam surface thereby causing axial displacement of said brush holder shaft.
6 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.