Toothbrush

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10271934-B2
Application number	US-201113098505-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 2, 2011
Priority date	Dec 3, 2010
Publication date	Apr 30, 2019
Grant date	Apr 30, 2019

Abstract

A toothbrush provides a head with bristles, a neck and a handle. An eccentrically rotational weight is engaged for rotation with a motor. The motor and weight are disposed within the handle. The handle, neck and head each have a different intensity of vibration. The toothbrush houses an electrical circuit, which includes a processor and at least two LEDs (light emitting diodes) at least one of which illuminates the neck and optionally also the head and the ends of the bristles attached to the head. At least two of the LEDs in the circuit are capable of emitting different colored light with respect to each other. The at least two LEDs are switched on for a predetermined time in a predetermined sequence under the control of the processor.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A toothbrush, comprising:
a handle portion having opposed first and second ends, said handle portion designed to allow a user to grasp said toothbrush when the toothbrush is in a teeth-cleaning operating mode;
a head portion that is at least partially transparent or translucent and that contains bristles;
a neck portion that is at least partially transparent or translucent position between the first end of said handle portion and said head portion;
a first housing that is at least partially transparent or translucent extending from the first end of the handle portion and into the neck portion;
a first light source disposed within said first housing;
a control circuit disposed within said handle portion configured to control said first light source to interactively switch said first light source from a first color to a second color for a first predetermined time interval and a second predetermined time interval, respectively;
a second housing that is at least partially transparent or translucent extending from the second end of the handle portion;
a second light source disposed within said second housing; and
said control circuit configured to control said second light source to interactively switch said second light source from a first color to a second color for a first predetermined time interval and a second predetermined time interval, respectively.

2. The toothbrush of claim 1 wherein said control circuit is configured to control said second light source for switching said second light source to a third color different from said second color for a third predetermined time interval, and said control circuit switches said second light source to a fourth color different from said third color for a fourth predetermined time interval.

3. The toothbrush of claim 2 wherein said first and third colors of said second light source are the same and the second and fourth colors of said second light source are the same.

4. The toothbrush of claim 1 wherein said second light sources comprises two light emitting diodes.

5. The toothbrush of claim 1 wherein said translucent portion of said neck portion is illuminated when said first light source is switched on by said control circuit.

6. The toothbrush of claim 1 wherein said translucent portion is configured around substantially an entire circumference of said toothbrush.

7. The toothbrush of claim 1 wherein each of said time intervals is equal to ¼×T wherein T is equal to between 1 and 4 minutes.

8. The toothbrush to claim 1 including a battery powered motor disposed within said handle portion, said motor including an eccentrically rotational weight to cause vibrations of said bristles.

9. A toothbrush, comprising:
a handle portion having opposed first and second ends designed to allow a user to grasp said toothbrush when the toothbrush is in a teeth-cleaning operating mode, a head portion that is at least partially transparent or translucent and that contains bristles, and a neck portion that is at least partially transparent or translucent and that is positioned between the first end of said handle portion and said head portion; a first housing that is at least partially transparent or translucent extending from the first end of the handle portion and into the neck portion; a first light source disposed within said first housing; and, a control circuit disposed within said handle portion configured to control said first light source to interactively switch said first light source from a first color to a second color for a first predetermined time interval and a second predetermined time interval, respectively;
said control circuit is further configured to control said first light source for switching said first light source to a third color different from said second color for a third predetermined time interval, and said control circuit switches said first light source to a fourth color different from said third color for a fourth predetermined time interval;
a second housing that is at least partially transparent or translucent extending from the second end of the handle portion;
a second light source disposed within said second housing;
said control circuit configured to control said second light source to interactively switch said second light source from a first color to a second color for a first predetermined time interval and a second predetermined time interval, respectively; and
said control circuit is further configured to control said second light source for switching said second light source to a third color different from said second color for a third predetermined time interval, and said control circuit switches said second light source to a fourth color different from said third color for a fourth predetermined time interval.

10. The toothbrush of claim 9 wherein said first and third colors of said first or second light sources are the same and the second and fourth colors of said first and second light sources are the same.

11. The toothbrush of claim 9 wherein each of said first and second light sources comprises two light emitting diodes.

12. The toothbrush of claim 9 wherein said translucent neck portion is configured around substantially an entire circumference of said toothbrush.

13. The toothbrush of claim 9 including a battery powered motor designed with said handle portion, said motor including an eccentrically rotational weight to cause vibrations of said bristles.

14. The toothbrush of claim 1 comprising vibration means for vibrating the head portion, the neck portion and the handle portion, wherein the intensity of vibration of the neck portion is greater than the intensity of vibration of the handle portion.

Assignees

• Huy Gerhart P
• Patel Vivek M
• King Christopher B
• Kadir Abdul Rahman
• Babbs William James
• Church & Dwight Co Inc

Inventors

• Huy Gerhart P
• Patel Vivek M
• King Christopher B
• Kadir Abdul Rahman
• Babbs William James

Classifications

• A46B15/0008

  with means for controlling duration, e.g. time of brushing · CPC title

• A46B15/0044

  with light signalling means (A46B15/0034, A46B15/0036 takes precedence) · CPC title

• A61C17/3481 Primary

  Vibrating brush body, e.g. by using eccentric weights · CPC title