Electric toothbrush

In a battery powered toothbrush having an elongated housing with a nose defined at one end thereof, said housing being shaped to be grasped by the human hand and within which housing are a battery, a motor energized by said battery, a brush shaft driven by said motor with a stub projecting through said nose of said housing and upon which a brush is secured for use, said housing comprising a generally tubular housing shell within which said battery, said motor and said shaft are mounted and which comprises:

• an upper half shell of U-shaped exterior cross section over a substantial portion of its length;
• a switch button located on said upper half shell at a location toward said nose relative to said substantial portion;
• a lower half shell mated to said upper half shell in definition of said housing and being of semi-cylindrical exterior cross section over a similar substantial portion of its length;
• and
• said substantial portions of said half shells defining a longitudinal geometric axis, in which said stub projects along a working axis parallel to but spaced in the direction away from said upper shell a predetermined distance from said geometric axis, and in which beyond said substantial portions toward said nose said half shells smoothly curve downwardly in accommodation of said predetermined distance;
• the downward curve of said upper shell beyond its substantial portion being substantially uniform along its length to said nose, the downward curve of said lower shell is completed in a distance beyond its substantial portion toward said nose to define an arcuate abutment for providing finger support opposite said switch button, and a generally flat surface defined beyond said abutment and laterally spaced from said working axis to the opposite side thereof from said geometric axis.