Brush tip with motion transfer and securing engagement structures

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10828137-B2
Application number	US-201815971954-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 4, 2018
Priority date	Mar 15, 2013
Publication date	Nov 10, 2020
Grant date	Nov 10, 2020

Abstract

The present disclosure is directed towards a toothbrush including a handle, a brush shaft, and a brush tip releasably connected to the brush shaft. The brush shaft includes a fluid outlet in fluid communication with a fluid source. The brush tip includes a tip outlet, one or more bristles, and one or more engagement structures to secure the brush tip to the brush shaft. The engagement structure acts to transfer motion from the brush shaft to the brush tip and defines, in part, a tip fluid passageway through the brush tip and in fluid communication with the shaft lumen of the brush shaft.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A toothbrush comprising:
a handle;
a brush shaft extending from an end of the handle and including a shaft lumen in fluid communication with a fluid source; and
a brush tip removably attached to the brush shaft, the brush tip comprising:
a fluid outlet;
one or more bristles; and
an engagement structure that releasably secures the brush tip to the brush shaft and configured to transfer motion of the brush shaft to the brush tip, wherein the engagement structure defines, in part, a tip fluid passageway in fluid communication with the shaft lumen and the engagement structure comprises:
a clip releasably securing the brush tip to the brush shaft, wherein the clip comprises a pair of arms configured to extend around a portion of the brush shaft to secure the brush tip to the brush shaft.

2. The toothbrush of claim 1 , wherein the engagement structure causes the entire brush tip to oscillate with oscillating movement of the brush shaft.

3. The toothbrush of claim 1 , wherein the engagement structure aligns the brush tip relative to the brush shaft.

4. The toothbrush of claim 1 , wherein the engagement structure further comprises:
a keyed interface between the brush shaft and the brush tip to transfer motion of the brush shaft to the brush tip.

5. The toothbrush of claim 1 , wherein the engagement structure comprises first and second elements positioned within an interior of the brush tip, wherein the first element aligns the brush tip with the brush shaft and the second element selectively secures the brush tip to the brush shaft, wherein the clip forms a part of the second element.

6. The toothbrush of claim 5 , wherein the first element comprises an alignment insert with an inner shape substantially matching an outer shape of the brush shaft to rotationally align the brush tip to the brush shaft and to transfer motion of the brush shaft to the brush tip.

7. The toothbrush of claim 5 , wherein:
the brush shaft includes one or more recesses defined therein; and
the second element comprises a shaft retainer in which the clip is received, at least portions of the clip releasably positioned within the one or more recesses to releasably secure the brush tip to the brush shaft.

8. The toothbrush of claim 5 , further comprising a seal positioned between the first and second elements, the seal forming a fluid-tight seal between the brush shaft and the brush tip.

9. A toothbrush comprising:
a handle including a brush shaft extending from an end thereof;
a brush tip; and
a first engagement member coupled to the brush tip, the first engagement member comprising:
a retainer clip releasably secured to one or more recesses defined in the brush shaft, wherein the retainer clip comprises a first arm and a second arm and in a secured position the first arm and the second arm extend around a portion of the brush shaft; and

a second engagement member coupled to the brush tip, wherein the first and second engagement members are positioned between the brush tip and the brush shaft, the first engagement member securing the brush tip to the brush shaft, and the second engagement member configured to transfer motion of the brush shaft to the brush tip.

10. The toothbrush of claim 9 , wherein the retainer clip substantially surrounds the brush shaft.

11. The toothbrush of claim 9 , wherein the first arm and the second arm are defined as lateral arms each releasably secured to a corresponding one of the one or more recesses.

12. The toothbrush of claim 11 , wherein the brush tip comprises a release button engageable by a user to release the brush tip from the brush shaft.

13. The toothbrush of claim 12 , wherein actuation of the release button by a user causes the first and second arms to move away from each other and disengage the recesses defined in the brush shaft.

14. The toothbrush of claim 9 , wherein the second engagement member comprises:
an alignment shoulder defined by an inner wall of the brush tip; and
an alignment step defined in a distal end of the brush shaft for engagement with the alignment shoulder.

15. The toothbrush of claim 14 , wherein the alignment step is formed by removal of a portion of a sidewall of the brush shaft.

16. The toothbrush of claim 9 , wherein
the brush shaft comprises a shaft lumen defined therethrough, the shaft lumen in fluid communication with a fluid source; and
the brush tip comprises a nozzle and a tip lumen in fluid communication with the shaft lumen.

17. A brush tip for connection to a toothbrush having a driven brush shaft, comprising:
a brush head including a brush outlet and a plurality of bristles;
a brush tip extending from the brush head and defining a tip passageway in fluid communication with the brush outlet;
a motion engagement structure configured to connect with the brush shaft of the toothbrush to transfer motion from the brush shaft to the brush tip; and
a securing structure configured to selectively secure the brush tip to the brush shaft comprising:
a clip comprising a pair of arms, wherein in a secured position the pair of arms extend into the tip passageway and around a portion of the brush shaft and in a release position the pair of arms disengage from the brush shaft and are positioned outwards from the tip passageway.

18. The brush tip of claim 17 , wherein the clip is actuated by a user to transition between the secured position and the release position.

19. The brush tip of claim 17 , wherein the motion engagement structure comprises an alignment mount inserted within the tip passageway, wherein the alignment mount allows the brush tip to insert onto the brush shaft in a single orientation.

Assignees

• Water Pik Inc

Inventors

• Sokol Gary L
• Luettgen Harold A

Classifications

• A61C17/36 Primary

  with rinsing means · CPC title

• A61C17/227

  with reservoirs, e.g. for toothpaste · CPC title

• A61C17/221

  Control arrangements therefor · CPC title

• A61C17/032

  using pressurised tap-water {, e.g. rinsing devices specially adapted for being connected to the main water supply} · CPC title

• A46B13/04

  with reservoir or other means for supplying substances · CPC title