Electric toothbrush with rotary bristle supporting structure

A brush section for an electric toothbrush having a rotary shaft, said brush section receiving said rotary shaft when assembled onto the electric toothbrush and comprising:

• a rotary bristle supporting structure operatively coupled to the shaft and having an axis of rotation that is at about a right angle to an axis of rotation of the shaft, said bristle supporting structure having a bore, arranged approximately parallel to the axis of rotation of the bristle supporting structure, and
• a drive mechanism coupled to the shaft to drive the bristle supporting structure, said drive mechanism comprising
• a driving member driven by the shaft and disposed eccentrically to the axis of rotation of the shaft, and
• a pin operatively connected to and disposed within said bore of said bristle supporting structure and disposed eccentrically to the axis of rotation of the bristle supporting structure, the driving member and the pin being coupled to each other so as to prevent the driving member and the pin from moving relative to each other in either direction that is parallel to the axis of the rotary shaft.

A brush section for an electric toothbrush having a rotary shaft having a bore, arranged approximately parallel to the axis of rotation of the shaft, said brush section receiving said rotary shaft when assembled onto the electric toothbrush and comprising:

• a rotary bristle supporting structure operatively coupled to the shaft and having an axis of rotation that is at about a right angle to an axis of rotation of the shaft, and
• a drive mechanism coupled to the shaft to drive the bristle supporting structure, said drive mechanism comprising
• a rod driven by the shaft and disposed eccentrically to the axis of rotation of the shaft and within said bore of said shaft, said rod being rotatable as well as axially movable inside the bore, said rod having at a free end an eyelet, and
• a pin operatively connected to said bristle supporting structure and disposed eccentrically to the axis of rotation of the bristle supporting structure and through said eyelet, said eyelet being rotatable about said pin as well as movable in the axial direction of said pin so as to prevent the rod and the pin from moving relative to each other in either direction that is parallel to the axis of the rotary shaft.

A brush section for an electric toothbrush having a rotary shaft, said brush section receiving said rotary shaft when assembled onto the electric toothbrush and comprising:

• a rotary bristle supporting structure operatively coupled to the shaft and having an axis of rotation that is at about a right angle to an axis of rotation of the shaft,
• an axle rotatable about the axis of rotation of the bristle supporting structure, said axle being pivotally mounted in the brush section and having the bristle supporting structure mounted thereon, and
• a drive mechanism coupled to the shaft to drive the bristle supporting structure, said drive mechanism comprising
• a driving member driven by the shaft and disposed eccentrically to the axis of rotation of the shaft, and
• a driven member operatively connected to said bristle supporting structure and disposed eccentrically to the axis of rotation of the bristle supporting structure, the driving member and the driven member being coupled to each other so as to prevent the driving member and the driven member from moving relative to each other in either direction that is parallel to the axis of the rotary shaft.

A brush section for an electric toothbrush having a rotary shaft having a bore, arranged approximately parallel to the axis of rotation of the shaft, said brush section receiving said rotary shaft when assembled onto the electric toothbrush and comprising:

• a rotary bristle supporting structure operatively coupled to the shaft and having an axis of rotation that is at about a right angle to an axis of rotation of the shaft, and
• a drive mechanism coupled to the shaft to drive the bristle supporting structure, said drive mechanism comprising
• a rod driven by the shaft and disposed eccentrically to the axis of rotation of the shaft and rotatably arranged in the bore of the shaft, while being non-displaceable in the axial direction along the bore of the shaft, and
• a driven member operatively connected to said bristle supporting structure and disposed eccentrically to the axis of rotation of the bristle supporting structure, the rod and the driven member being coupled to each other so as to prevent the rod and the driven member from moving relative to each other in either direction that is parallel to the axis of the rotary shaft.

A brush section for an electric toothbrush having a rotary shaft, said brush section receiving said rotary shaft when assembled onto the electric toothbrush and comprising:

• a rotary bristle supporting structure operatively coupled to the shaft and having an axis of rotation that is at about a right angle to an axis of rotation of the shaft, and
• a drive mechanism coupled to the shaft to drive the bristle supporting structure, said drive mechanism comprising
• a first driving member driven by the shaft and disposed eccentrically to the axis of rotation of the shaft,
• a first driven member in contact with said bristle supporting structure and disposed eccentrically to the axis of rotation of the bristle supporting structure, the first driving member and the first driven member being coupled to each other so as to prevent the driving member and the driven member from moving relative to each other in either direction that is parallel to the axis of the rotary shaft, and
• a second driving member and a second driven member coupled to said second driving member and wherein the bristle supporting structure includes an outer bristle ring and an inner bristle ring which are both rotatable about the axis of rotation of the bristle supporting structure, wherein the outer bristle ring is operatively associated with the first driven member and wherein the inner bristle ring is operatively associated with the second driven member.

A brush section for an electric toothbrush having a rotary shaft, said brush section receiving said rotary shaft when assembled onto the electric toothbrush and comprising:

• a rotary bristle supporting structure operatively coupled to the shaft and having an axis of rotation that is at about a right angle to an axis of rotation of the shaft, said bristle supporting structure having a bore, arranged approximately parallel to the axis of rotation of the bristle supporting structure, the bore being eccentrically disposed in the bristle supporting structure and opening toward an underside of the bristle supporting structure, and
• a drive mechanism coupled to the shaft to drive the bristle supporting structure, said drive mechanism comprising
• a driving member driven by the shaft and disposed eccentrically to the axis of rotation of the shaft, and
• a pin disposed within said bore of said bristle supporting structure, the driving member and the pin configured as an integral transmission element so as to prevent the driving member and the pin from moving relative to each other in either direction that is parallel to the axis of the rotary shaft.

A brush section for an electric toothbrush having a rotary shaft, said brush section receiving said rotary shaft when assembled onto the electric toothbrush and comprising:

• a rotary bristle supporting structure operatively coupled to the shaft and having an axis of rotation that is at about a right angle to an axis of rotation of the shaft, said bristle supporting structure having a bore, arranged approximately parallel to the axis of rotation of the bristle supporting structure, and
• a drive mechanism connected to the shaft to drive the bristle supporting structure, said drive mechanism comprising
• a driving member operatively connected to the shaft and disposed eccentrically to the axis of rotation of the shaft, and
• a driven member in contact with said bristle supporting structure and disposed eccentrically to the axis of rotation of the bristle supporting structure, the driven member and the driving member configured as an integral transmission element so as to prevent the driving member and the driven member from moving relative to each other in either direction that is parallel to the axis of the rotary shaft.

A brush section for an electric toothbrush having a rotary shaft, said brush section receiving said rotary shaft when assembled onto the electric toothbrush and comprising:

• a rotary bristle supporting structure operatively coupled to the shaft and having an axis of rotation that is at about a right angle to an axis of rotation of the shaft, said bristle supporting structure having a bore, arranged approximately parallel to the axis of rotation of the bristle supporting structure, the bore being eccentrically disposed in the bristle supporting structure and opening toward an underside of the bristle supporting structure, and
• a drive mechanism coupled to the shaft to drive the bristle supporting structure, said drive mechanism comprising
• a rod driven by the shaft and disposed eccentrically to the axis of rotation of the shaft, wherein said rod has a diameter d, and
• a pin, operatively connected to said bristle supporting structure, having a diameter D, wherein the rod and the pin are configured as an integral transmission element of a T-shaped configuration, and wherein the diameter d of the rod is smaller than the diameter D of the pin so as to prevent the pin and the rod from moving relative to each other in either direction that is parallel to the axis of the rotary shaft.

A brush section for an electric toothbrush having a rotary shaft, said brush section receiving said rotary shaft when assembled onto the electric toothbrush and comprising:

• a rotary bristle supporting structure operatively coupled to the shaft and having an axis of rotation that is at about a right angle to an axis of rotation of the shaft, and
• a drive mechanism coupled to the shaft to drive the bristle supporting structure, said drive mechanism comprising
• a driving member driven by the shaft and disposed eccentrically to the axis of rotation of the shaft,
• a driven member operatively connected to said bristle supporting structure and disposed eccentrically to the axis of rotation of the bristle supporting structure, the driving member and the driven member integrally formed as a T-piece so as to prevent the driving member and the driven member from moving relative to each other in either direction that is parallel to the axis of the rotary shaft.

A brush section for an electric toothbrush having a rotary shaft having a bore concentric with the axis of rotation of the shaft, said brush section receiving said rotary shaft when assembled onto the electric toothbrush and comprising:

• a cup-shaped socket having a second bore in a side wall thereof,
• a pin having one end disposed in the bore in the shaft and another end disposed in the second bore,
• a rotary bristle supporting structure operatively coupled to the shaft and having an axis of rotation that is at about a right angle to an axis of rotation of the shaft, and
• a drive mechanism coupled to the shaft to drive the bristle supporting structure, said drive mechanism comprising
• a driving member driven by the shaft and disposed eccentrically to the axis of rotation of the shaft, and
• a driven member operatively connected to said bristle supporting structure and disposed eccentrically to the axis of rotation of the bristle supporting structure, the driving member and the driven member being coupled to each other so as to prevent the driving member and the driven member from moving relative to each other in either direction that is parallel to the axis of the rotary shaft.

A brush section for an electric toothbrush having a rotary shaft, said brush section receiving said rotary shaft when assembled onto the electric toothbrush and comprising:

• a rotary bristle supporting structure operatively coupled to the shaft and having an axis of rotation that is at about a right angle to an axis of rotation of the shaft, and
• a drive mechanism coupled to the shaft to drive the bristle supporting structure, said drive mechanism comprising
• a driving member driven by the shaft, disposed eccentrically to the axis of rotation of the shaft, and axially displaceable along the axis of rotation of the shaft, and
• a driven member operatively connected to said bristle supporting structure and disposed eccentrically to the axis of rotation of the bristle supporting structure, the driving member and the driven member being coupled to each other so as to prevent the driving member and the driven member from moving relative to each other in either direction that is parallel to the axis of the rotary shaft.

A brush section for an electric toothbrush having a rotary shaft, said brush section receiving said rotary shaft when assembled onto the electric toothbrush and comprising:

• a rotary bristle supporting structure operatively coupled to the shaft, said rotary bristle supporting structure having a mount and an axis of rotation that is at about a right angle to an axis of rotation of the shaft, and
• a drive mechanism coupled to the shaft to drive the bristle supporting structure, said drive mechanism comprising
• a driving member driven by the shaft and disposed eccentrically to the axis of rotation of the shaft, and
• a driven member held in the mount of said bristle supporting structure, disposed eccentrically to the axis of rotation of the bristle supporting structure, and coupled thereto in respect of an axial displacement in the direction of the axis of rotation of the bristle supporting structure, the driving member and the driven member being coupled to each other so as to prevent the driving member and the driven member from moving relative to each other in either direction that is parallel to the axis of the rotary shaft.

An electric toothbrush comprising:

• a handle section including a rotary shaft and a motor which drives said rotary shaft;
• a brush section which assembles onto said handle section and receives said rotary shaft, said brush section comprising:
• a rotary bristle supporting structure operatively coupled to the shaft and having an axis of rotation that is at about a right angle to an axis of rotation of the shaft, and
• a drive mechanism coupled to the shaft to drive the bristle supporting structure, said drive mechanism comprising:
• a first driving member driven by the shaft and disposed eccentrically to the axis of rotation of the shaft, and
• a first driven member operatively connected to said bristle supporting structure and disposed eccentrically to the axis of rotation of the bristle supporting structure, the first driving member and the first driven member being coupled to each other so as to prevent the first driving member and the first driven member from moving relative to each other in either direction that is parallel to the axis of the rotary shaft.