Toothbrush

A toothbrush has a handle assembly, a brush-head assembly and a transmitting assembly. The brush-head assembly is slidably mounted in the handle assembly and has a sliding shaft and a swing head. The sliding shaft has two supporting portions mounted on the sliding shaft opposite to the handle assembly. The swing head is mounted on the supporting portions and has a toothed part. The transmitting assembly has a transmitting shaft. The transmitting shaft is rotatably inserted in the sliding shaft and has a longitudinal restriction relative to the sliding shaft. The transmitting shaft has a toothed portion engaging the toothed part. When the transmitting shaft is rotated, the swing head is driven to swing by the toothed part and the toothed portion to provide an improved cleaning effect.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a toothbrush, and more particularly to a toothbrush that can improve a cleaning effect of the toothbrush without any electric power.

2. Description of Related Art

A conventional manual or electric toothbrush is applied for cleaning teeth of a user. The user can hold and move the toothbrush left and right or up and down relative to the teeth of the user to clean the teeth.

However, a cleaning effect of the manual toothbrush is insufficient due to an incorrect operation of the toothbrush or a poor brushing habit of the user. In addition, although a cleaning effect of the electric toothbrush is sufficient enough by rotating a brush head of the electric toothbrush, the manufacturing cost of the electric toothbrush is much higher than that of the manual toothbrush. Therefore, how to strike a balance between the manual toothbrush and the electric toothbrush needs to be considered and resolved.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The main objective of the present invention is to provide a toothbrush that can improve the cleaning effect without electric power comparing with a conventional manual toothbrush and the manufacturing cost of the toothbrush can be reduced comparing with a conventional electric toothbrush.

The toothbrush comprises a handle assembly, a brush-head assembly and a transmitting assembly. The handle assembly comprises a spiral structure mounted inside the handle assembly.

The brush-head assembly is slidably inserted into the handle assembly and comprises a sliding shaft and a swing head. The sliding shaft is elongated, is slidably inserted into the handle assembly and comprises a rear end inserted into the handle assembly, a front end that is opposite to the rear end, a top surface, and a brush-head recess formed from the top surface and adjacent to the front end of the sliding shaft. The sliding shaft further comprises two supporting portions mounted in the brush-head recess and facing each other, two pin holes being elongated, formed respectively along parts of a periphery of the sliding shaft and formed through the sliding shaft, and aligning with each other, and multiple fixing bristles mounted on the sliding shaft, located at the front end of the sliding shaft and on two sides of the brush-head recess.

The swing head is mounted on the supporting portions, is mounted swingingly in the brush-head recess and comprises a toothed part and multiple bristles. The toothed part is mounted on a bottom side of the swing head. The bristles are mounted on a top side of the swing head.

The transmitting assembly is mounted in the handle assembly and the brush-head assembly and comprises a transmitting shaft, a pin, a sliding block, and two elastic elements. The transmitting shaft is rotatably inserted into the sliding shaft and the handle assembly and comprises a front end located in the brush-head recess, a rear end opposite to the front end and located in the handle assembly, a spiral structure mounted on the rear end of the transmitting shaft and matching the spiral structure of the handle assembly, and a toothed portion mounted on the front end of the transmitting shaft and engaging with the toothed part. The pin is inserted through the transmitting shaft and the pin holes. The sliding block is mounted around and engages with the sliding shaft and is located in the handle assembly. The elastic elements are mounted around the sliding shaft, are located respectively on two sides of the sliding block and located in the handle assembly, wherein each elastic element abuts between the sliding block and the handle assembly.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

With reference toFIG. 1, a preferred embodiment of a toothbrush in accordance with the present invention comprises a handle assembly10, a brush-head assembly20, and a transmitting assembly30.

With reference toFIG. 2, the handle assembly10comprises a handle11, a positioning tube12, and a mounting tube13. The handle11is provided to be held by a user and comprises a front end, a handle space111and two engaging recesses112. The handle space111is formed in the handle11and comprises an opening that is formed at the front end of the handle11. The engaging recesses112are formed through the handle11, communicate with the handle space111and are adjacent to the opening of the handle space111. The engaging recesses112align with each other. The positioning tube12is mounted in the handle space111from the opening of the handle space111, abuts and engages with the front end of the handle11. Preferably, the positioning tube12engages with an inner wall of the handle11by two ribs121. The ribs121protrude from the positioning tube12such that an engaging structure is formed by the ribs121and the inner wall of the handle11to keep the positioning tube12from rotating relative to the handle11. The positioning tube12comprises a spiral structure122mounted on an inner wall of the positioning tube12. Preferably, the spiral structure122protrudes from the inner wall of the positioning tube12.

The mounting tube13is inserted into the handle space111, abuts the positioning tube12and engages the handle11. The mounting tube13comprises a rear end, two engaging portions131and two slits132. The rear end of the mounting tube13is inserted into the handle space111and abuts the positioning tube12. The engaging portions131are mounted on the rear end of the mounting tube13and respectively engage the engaging recesses112. The slits132are formed in an inner wall of the mounting tube13and are parallel with a longitudinal direction of the mounting tube13.

With reference toFIG. 3, the brush-head assembly20is inserted into the mounting tube13and is moveable relative to the handle assembly10. The brush-head assembly20comprises a sliding shaft21and a swing head22. The sliding shaft21is elongated, is slidably inserted into the mounting tube13and comprises a front end, a top surface, a shaft space211, a brush-head recess212, two supporting portions213, a rail structure214, a shaft recess215, two pin holes216and multiple fixing bristles217. The front end of the sliding shaft21is opposite to the mounting tube13. The shaft space211is formed in and along the sliding shaft21. The brush-head recess212is formed from the top surface of the sliding shaft21, is adjacent to the front end of the sliding shaft21and communicates with the shaft space211. The supporting portions213are mounted on an inner wall of the brush-head recess212and face each other. The rail structure214of the sliding shaft21is mounted on a bottom surface of the brush-head recess212. Preferably, the rail structure214of the sliding shaft21is a block and the top end of the block is curved. The shaft recess215is annularly formed around an outer wall of the sliding shaft21and located in the mounting tube13. The pin holes216are elongated, are formed through the sliding shaft21along the periphery of the sliding shaft21and align with each other. The pin holes216are adjacent to the shaft recess215. The fixing bristles217are mounted on the sliding shaft21and located at two sides of the brush-head recess212.

The swing head22is mounted in the brush-head recess212and comprises two supporting axles221, a rail structure222, a toothed part223, and multiple bristles224. The supporting axles221are mounted on the bottom side of the swing head22and protrude respectively from two ends of the swing head22. The supporting axles221are mounted in the supporting portions213respectively. The rail structure222of the swing head22is mounted on the bottom side of the swing head22and matches the rail structure214of the sliding shaft21. Preferably, the rail structure222of the swing head22is a rail and the bottom end of the rail is curved. The rail structure222of the swing head22engages with two sides of the rail structure214of the sliding shaft21, such that the swing head22can be swung right and left relative to the sliding shaft21by the supporting axles221. The toothed part223is mounted on the bottom side of the swing head22and teeth of the toothed part223are arranged in a curved pattern. The bristles224are mounted on a top side of the swing head22.

With reference toFIGS. 2 and 3, the transmitting assembly30is mounted in the handle assembly10and the brush-head assembly20and comprises a transmitting shaft31, a pin32, a sliding block33, and two elastic elements34. The transmitting shaft31is rotatably inserted into the shaft space211, the positioning tube12and the mounting tube13. The transmitting shaft31comprises a front end, a rear end, a spiral structure311and a toothed portion312. The front end of the transmitting shaft31is mounted in the brush-head recess212and the rear end of the transmitting shaft31is mounted in the positioning tube12. The spiral structure311of the transmitting shaft31is mounted on the rear end of the transmitting shaft31and matches the spiral structure122of the positioning tube12, such that the transmitting shaft31can be rotated relative to the positioning tube12. The toothed portion312is mounted on the front end of the transmitting shaft31and engages with the toothed part223, such that when the transmitting shaft31is rotated, the swing head22can be swung right and left with the engagement between the toothed portion312and the toothed part223.

The pin32is mounted in the transmitting shaft31and the pin holes216to fix the position of the transmitting shaft31relative to the sliding shaft21, such that the transmitting shaft31cannot be moved longitudinally relative to the sliding shaft21. When the transmitting shaft31is rotated, the two ends of the pin32can be moved in the two pin holes216, wherein the ends of the pin32protrudes out of the pin holes216respectively. The sliding block33is mounted around the sliding shaft21and engages in the shaft recess215. The sliding block33comprises two engaging ribs331. The engaging ribs331protrude from the sliding block33and are mounted in the slits132respectively. The elastic elements34are mounted around the sliding shaft21and are located in the mounting tube13and respectively on two sides of the sliding block33. One of the elastic elements34abuts between the mounting tube13and the sliding block33, and the other elastic element34abuts between the sliding block33and the positioning tube12.

With reference toFIGS. 2,5and6, when a user holds the handle11to move in a leftward direction (as shown inFIG. 5) relative to teeth of the user, the brush-head assembly20is driven to move in a leftward direction by the handle assembly10. The bristles224and the fixing bristles217abut against the cheek and the teeth of the user to provide a force to compress the sliding shaft21, such that the sliding shaft21can be moved relative to the handle assembly10in an opposite direction (rightward direction as shown inFIG. 5). The transmitting shaft31can only be rotated, but not moved, relative to the sliding shaft21since the transmitting shaft31engages with the sliding shaft21by the pin32and the pin32is mounted in the pin holes216. When the sliding shaft21is moved relative to the handle assembly10in an opposite direction, the transmitting shaft31is driven to move by the sliding shaft21; in the meantime time, the transmitting shaft31is rotated due to the spiral structure122of the positioning tube12and the spiral structure311of the transmitting shaft31. When the transmitting shaft31is rotated, the swing head22is driven to swing (inward direction as shown inFIG. 5) by the toothed portion312.

On the other hand, when the user holds the handle11to move in a rightward direction (as shown inFIG. 6) relative to the teeth of the user, one of the elastic elements34that has been compressed in the original state (located at the right side of the sliding block33as shown inFIG. 5) pushes the sliding block33to move relative to the handle11in an opposite direction (leftward direction as shown inFIG. 6). The sliding shaft21is further driven to move by the sliding block33relative to the handle11in an opposite direction. The transmitting shaft31is driven to move by the sliding shaft21. In the meantime, the transmitting shaft31is rotated relative to the positioning tube12. Then, the swing head22is driven to swing (outward direction as shown inFIG. 6) by the toothed portion312.

When the transmitting shaft31is rotated, the pin32is also rotated with the transmitting shaft31and each end of the pin32moves between the two ends of a corresponding pin hole216at position. When the two ends of the pin32are located at any two ends of the two pin holes216, the pin32is blocked to stop by the sliding shaft21. Then, the transmitting shaft31is also stopped rotating by the pin32. In the meantime, one of the elastic elements34that has been compressed pushes the sliding block33to further push the sliding shaft21. The transmitting shaft31moves with the sliding shaft21and is rotated relative to the positioning tube12to drive the swing head22to swing. Therefore, the swing head22can keep swinging (inward direction and outward direction as shown inFIGS. 5 and 6) when the handle11is held (leftward direction and right direction as shown inFIGS. 5 and 6) relative to the teeth of the user.

According to the above-mentioned operation, when the user holds the handle11to move rightward and leftward to clean the teeth, the fixing bristles217clean the teeth of the user in a linear motion (rightward and leftward) and the bristles224clean the teeth of the user in a swinging motion (upward and downward) to provide a three-dimensional cleaning effect and to improve the cleaning effect of the toothbrush. Furthermore, the manufacturing cost of the toothbrush can be reduced comparing with a conventional electric toothbrush and the user can use the toothbrush to clean teeth without electric power.