Rotary electric toothbrush with stroke-type bristle movement

An electric toothbrush comprising

• a handle defining a housing in which is disposed an electric motor,
• a shaft assembly displaceably mounted in the housing and extending therefrom along a longitudinal axis, the shaft assembly being operatively connected to the electric motor to be displaced in a transverse direction to the shaft longitudinal axis,
• a bristle head mounted for rotary movement on the shaft assembly about a bristle pivot axis extending transverse to the longitudinal extent of the shaft assembly, the bristle head having at least one bristle tuft, and
• a transmission linkage disposed in the shaft assembly connected to the electric motor to drive the bristle head about its pivot axis,
• whereby bristles of the bristle head move rotatably about the bristle pivot axis and in a direction generally transverse to the shaft assembly longitudinal axis.

An electric toothbrush handle comprising

• a housing in which is disposed an electric motor,
• a shaft suspended in the housing movably mounted therein and extending therefrom along a longitudinal axis, said shaft being adapted for coupling to a body member of a toothbrush attachment having a bristle head mounted for movement relative to said body member,
• said shaft being operatively connected to the electric motor to be driven both in a first motion direction relative its said longitudinal axis and reciprocally driven in a second direction transverse to its said longitudinal axis along a transverse movement direction lying essentially in a single plane containing said longitudinal axis,
• and wherein the shaft is rotatable mounted in the housing, said first direction of motion being rotary motion about the longitudinal axis.

An electric toothbrush handle comprising

• a housing in which is disposed an electric motor,
• a shaft suspended in the housing movably mounted therein and extending therefrom along a longitudinal axis, said shaft being adapted for coupling to a body member of a toothbrush attachment having a bristle head mounted for movement relative to said body member,
• said shaft being operatively connected to the electric motor to be driven both in a first motion direction relative its said longitudinal axis and reciprocally driven in a second direction transverse to its said longitudinal axis along a transverse movement direction lying essentially in a single plane containing said longitudinal axis, and
• wherein the shaft is supported for said motion in the second direction about a pivot joint disposed in the housing, said pivot joint having an axis extending transverse to the shaft longitudinal axis and restraining the shaft against axial displacement parallel its longitudinal axis.

An electric toothbrush handle comprising

• a housing in which is disposed an electric motor,
• a shaft suspended in the housing movably mounted therein and extending therefrom along a longitudinal axis, said shaft being adapted for coupling to a body member of a toothbrush attachment having a bristle head mounted for movement relative to said body member,
• said shaft being operatively connected to the electric motor to be driven both in a first motion direction relative its said longitudinal axis and reciprocally driven in a second direction transverse to its said longitudinal axis along a transverse movement direction lying essentially in a single plane containing said longitudinal axis, and
• wherein a frequency of shaft transverse motion in the second direction is greater than a frequency of the shaft first direction motion.

An electric toothbrush handle comprising

• a housing in which is disposed an electric motor,
• a shaft suspended in the housing movably mounted therein and extending therefrom along a longitudinal axis, said shaft being adapted for coupling to a body member of a toothbrush attachment having a bristle head mounted for movement relative to said body member,
• said shaft being operatively connected to the electric motor to be driven both in a first motion direction relative its said longitudinal axis and reciprocally driven in a second direction transverse to its said longitudinal axis along a transverse movement direction lying essentially in a single plane containing said longitudinal axis, and
• further comprising a rocker arm having a sleeve within which the shaft is disposed, the sleeve being pivotally mounted within the housing about a mounting permitting pivotal motion about an axis extending transverse to the shaft longitudinal axis.

An electric toothbrush handle comprising

• a housing in which is disposed an electric motor,
• a shaft suspended in the housing movably mounted therein and extending therefrom along a longitudinal axis, said shaft being adapted for coupling to a body member of a toothbrush attachment having a bristle head mounted for movement relative to said body member,
• said shaft being operatively connected to the electric motor to be driven both in a first motion direction relative its said longitudinal axis and reciprocally driven in a second direction transverse to its said longitudinal axis along a transverse movement direction lying essentially in a single plane containing said longitudinal axis, and
• further comprising the toothbrush attachment detachably coupled to the shaft, said transverse movement direction being generally parallel to bristles of the bristle head.

An electric toothbrush handle comprising

• a housing in which is disposed an electric motor,
• a shaft assembly suspended in the housing and extending therefrom along a longitudinal axis, said shaft assembly being adapted for coupling to a body member of a toothbrush attachment having a bristle head mounted for movement relative to said body member,
• said shaft assembly comprising a rocker sleeve and an inner shaft within the sleeve, the rocker sleeve and inner shaft each being driven by the electric motor,
• said rocker sleeve being restrained from rotary motion about its longitudinal axis and being moveable in a direction transverse to the longitudinal axis, and
• said inner shaft being displaceably mounted relative to said rocker sleeve.