US 8,938,839 B2 · Electric toothbrush

Abstract

An elastic ring is disposed between a grip case and a trunk which is formed on an inner case of a body case to which a toothbrush head is mounted. As a result, the vibration of a motor which is contained in a motor accommodation portion of the inner case is less likely to be transmitted to the grip case because of the elastic ring, and is transmitted to the toothbrush head side in a concentrated manner. Also, the tooth cleaning performance is increased, and vibration to the hand which grips the grip case is reduced to enable the user to comfortably brush the teeth.

Drawings

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Drawings

Claims27

Dependent claims

An electric toothbrush comprising:

an oscillation generator formed by a motor including an eccentric weight;
a main body case including a motor accommodation portion, which accommodates the motor at a distal side, and a battery accommodation portion, which accommodates a motor driving battery at a basal side;
a toothbrush head attached in a removable manner to a distal end portion of the main body case;
a grip case that receives a basal end portion of the main body case and accommodates the battery accommodation portion;
and
a cap that receives the toothbrush head, which is attached to the main body case, includes an open end face that comes into contact with an open end face of the grip case, and accommodates the toothbrush head;
and
an elastic member arranged between the grip case that is attached in a removable manner to the main body case;
wherein the main body case is formed by an outer case and an inner case integrally coupled to the outer case, the outer case accommodating the inner case that accommodates electric components that apply oscillation to the toothbrush head.

6 more elements

An electric toothbrush comprising:

a toothbrush head including brush bristles;
a main body case to which the toothbrush head is attached in a removable manner;
a motor arranged in the main body case to apply oscillation to the toothbrush head;
a switch arranged in an outer wall of the main body case to start or stop driving the motor;
a grip case attached to a basal end portion of the main body case;
and
a transmission member arranged between the main body case and the motor to transmit oscillation of the motor to the main body case,
wherein the switch is arranged in the main body case at a portion opposite to a side of the transmission member with respect to a central axis of the grip case,
when a cross-sectional plane that includes a rotation shaft of the motor and the brush bristles and is parallel to the rotation shaft of the motor defines a cross-sectional side plane, a side of a center axis of the grip axis of the grip case including a distal end portion of the brush bristles in the cross-sectional side plane is defined as a front side, a side of the center axis of the grip case opposite to the front side in the cross-sectional side plane defines a rear side, walls at a front side of the main body case and the toothbrush head in the cross-sectional side plane are respectively defined as front walls, and walls at a rear side of the main body case and the toothbrush head in the cross- sectional side plan are respectively defined as rear walls;
the main body case is formed by combining an outer case, which includes an end portion of the main body case at a side of the toothbrush head, and an inner case, which includes a motor accommodation portion used to attach the motor;
and
the transmission member is arranged in direct contact with both of the rear wall of the outer case and the motor.

9 more elements

An electric toothbrush including a main body case, which accommodates a motor that serves as an oscillation source, and a toothbrush head, which is attached to a distal end portion of the main body case and has brush bristles embedded therein, and a grip case, which is attached to a basal end portion of the main body case that is an end portion opposite to the distal end portion of the main body case, the electric toothbrush being characterized in that

the brush bristles are arranged on a front surface of the toothbrush head, and
when a cross-sectional plane that includes a rotation shaft of the motor and the brush bristles and is parallel to the rotation shaft of the motor defines a cross-sectional side plane, a side of a center axis of the grip case including a distal end portion of the brush bristles in the cross-sectional side plane is defined as a front side, a side of the center axis of the grip case opposite to the front side in the cross-sectional side plane defines a rear side, a wall at a front side of the main body case in the cross-sectional side plane is defined as a front wall, and a wall at a rear side of the main body case in the cross-sectional side plane is defined as a rear wall, a length of a portion in the front wall that directly faces the grip case is represented by front length P, a length of a portion in the rear wall of the inner case that directly faces the grip case is represented by rear length Q;
the rear length Q is less than the front length P.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Description8,975 words

Summary3,537 words

#The present invention relates to an electric toothbrush.

#In the prior art, various types of electric toothbrushes (e.g., patent document 1) have been proposed in which the toothbrush rotates an eccentric weight with a motor to generate oscillation and transmit the oscillation to the toothbrush bristles so as to improve the plaque removal performance (teeth brushing performance).

#Over these recent years, people have become conscious of oral hygiene and thus have started to brush their teeth when at work or while traveling. As a result, electric toothbrushes having superior brushing functions are more frequently used when people brush their teeth at work, while traveling, or the like.

Brief description of the drawings8 figures

#FIG. 1 is a side view of an electric toothbrush in a first embodiment;

#FIG. 2 is a side view showing the electric toothbrush from which a toothbrush head is removed;

#FIG. 3 is a side view showing the electric toothbrush to which a cap is attached;

Detailed description5,320 words

#A first embodiment of the present invention will now be described with reference to the drawings.

#In the drawings, arrows L1, L2, T1, and T2 respectively indicate a distal direction L1, a basal direction L2, a frontward direction T1, and a rearward direction T2.

#Referring to FIG. 1, an electric toothbrush 1 includes a main body case 2, a grip case 4, which is fitted to a basal side of the main body case 2, a toothbrush head 5, which is fitted to a distal side of the main body case 2, and a cap 6, which is fitted to the main body case 2 attached with the toothbrush head 5 as shown in FIG. 3.

Facts

Application

13/512,531Filed 15 Dec 2010

Priority

JP 2009-29463525 Dec 2009

Published

US 2012/0233789 A120 Sep 2012

Granted

27 Jan 2015

Term ends

2 Sep 2031

Estimated · how

20 years from earliest known nonprovisional domestic filing plus recorded patent term adjustment, including 261 days of adjustment. Maintenance-fee lapses, terminal disclaimers and statutory extensions have not been checked. The continuity chain may be incomplete; this is not an enforceability determination.

Classification3 codes

A61C 17/3481
Characterized by the movement of the brush body: vibrating brush body, e.g. by using eccentric weights
A61C 17/225
With brushes, cushions, cups, or the like: handles or details thereof
A61C
Dentistry

Timeline

25 Dec 2009Priority claimedJP 2009-294635
15 Dec 2010Application filedUS 13/512,531
21 Aug 2012Assigned to Panasonic Corporationassignment of assignor's interest
20 Sep 2012PublishedUS 2012/0233789 A1
10 Nov 2014Assigned to Panasonic Intellectual Property Management Co., Ltd.assignment of assignor's interest
27 Jan 2015GrantedUS 8,938,839 B2
24 Dec 2020Assigned to Panasonic Intellectual Property Management Co., Ltd.corrective assignment to correct the erroneously filed application numbers 13/384239, 13/498734, 14/116681 and 14/301144 previously recorded on reel 034194 frame 0143. assignor(s) hereby confirms the assignment.
12 Oct 2026TodayWithin its term
2 Sep 2031Term endsEstimated, includes 261 days of adjustment

Electric toothbrush

Life of this patent

Electric toothbrush

Life of this patent

Life of this patent

Abstract

Drawings

Drawings

Claims27

Description8,975 words

Drawings

Classification3 codes

Life of this patent

Description8,975 words