Patent ID: 6381794
Filing Date: 2002-05-07
Classification: A46B,A61C

Abstract:
A brush head portion for an electric toothbrush, said brush head portion being adapted to be removably connected to a power handle portion, including a driving mechanism located therein;said brush head portion being removably attachable at a first end thereof to a power handle portion; said brush head portion comprising a pair of opposed bristle head portions arranged so as to present two groups of opposed bundles of bristles disposed substantially perpendicularly each to the other, each of said groups of bundles of bristles on each respective bristle head portion comprising a plurality of rows and a plurality of columns of bristle bundles; said brush head portion further comprising a longitudinal hollow shaft portion and a fixed cover portion at a second end thereof remote from said first end, said cover portion being shaped and dimensioned so as to overlie said pair of opposed bristle head portions; said pair of opposed bristle head portions being mounted on a stem so as to form a pair of opposed blocks extending forwardly from said stem in a direction away from said first end of said brush head portion, said stem having a longitudinal axis, and said pair of opposed blocks being disposed at either side thereof; a longitudinal drive shaft extending through said hollow shaft portion, and having a coupling at a first end adapted to receive rotational driving force from said driving mechanism; said longitudinal drive shaft extending longitudinally through said stem along the longitudinal axis thereof, and having a crank formed at a second end remote from said first end; drive means located between each of said pair of opposed blocks and the underside of a respective region of said fixed cover portion which overlies each respective one of said pair of opposed blocks, said drive means being mounted on said crank so as to have reciprocating motion imparted thereto as said crank is driven from said drive shaft; and a wedge formed on one of the underside of the fixed cover portion in the region overlying each respective one of said pair of opposed blocks, or on the top surface of each respective block; whereby, when a reciprocating motion is imparted to said drive means by said crank, said drive means is moved from side-to-side so as to slide from the top towards the bottom of one of said wedges and from the bottom towards the top of the other of said wedges, and so as to thereby impart an oscillatory movement to said pair of opposed bristle head portions.