Electrical device for mouth care

An electrical base powers an attached massaging head and toothbrush. Water flows through the base into the massaging head to stimulate the gums and clean the teeth.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
1. Field of the Invention: 
This invention relates to an electrical device for mouth care with a 
movably supported part. Such devices have hitherto only been used as 
electric toothbrushes. 
2. Prior Art: 
As is known to those skilled in the art to which the present invention 
pertains, the electrical devices for mouth care have been limited to 
either a water-pick or an electric toothbrush. In the past there has been 
no combined device which incorporates the use of water flow through a 
device to serve both as a gum stimulator and toothbrush. The electrical 
mouth care device of the present invention combines the advantage of water 
flow through a device used for gun stimulation with a brushing device for 
tooth care to facilitate more effective and convenient care of the teeth 
and gums. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
The present invention defines an electrical, battery powered device which 
drives a connected massage head and/or toothbrush to move in a rotary 
direction, while circulating water through the device to the massage head 
for the purpose of stimulating the gums and cleaning the teeth. 
The massage head basically comprises a longitudinal connecting tube which 
mates with a smaller tube projecting from the base of the device, the 
tubes allowing water to flow through the base portion of the device into 
the massage head and out through an opening in the massage head. The 
massage head itself is constructed from a rubber or rubber-like material 
the surface and shape of which insures the intense massaging of the gums. 
The massage head may be of various designs comprising variations in the 
surface texture of the massage head. The massage head comprises an 
irregular surface having various patterns of projections or protuberances, 
to provide maximum stimulation of the gums and cleaning of the teeth. The 
device is battery operated, but may be charged from an electrical outlet 
as well. The electrical portion of the device contains an off/on switch 
for the motor and a gear which drives the massage heads. Also contained on 
the base of the device is an off/on switch to control the water supply 
through the device turning the water supply on or off. The device is an 
improvement over the prior art in that it fills the dual purpose of a 
water driven, gum stimulating, electrical device and an electric 
toothbrush.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
The electric device for mouth care generally comprises two main sections, 
the lower section which serves as a handle and houses the electrical 
mechanism, and the upper section which comprises the massaging heads or 
the combination massaging head-toothbrush. 
FIG. 1 shows the complete electrical device 1 wherein the motor 2 that 
drives the massage head is located in the base of the device. The motor 2 
can impart to the massage head a rotary movement. The device is powered by 
a rechargeable battery 4, located in the base of the device. Located at 
the bottom of the base is an electrical charging connector 10, which 
connects to a recharging device powered by an electrical outlet. A water 
pipe or tube 5 projects from the base of the device where it connects to a 
water supply. The tube then extends running through the length of the base 
of the device, into the tube which connects with the massage head. Water 
then flows out through a passage way in the massage head. A switch located 
on the base of the device controls the flow of water through the device, 
turning the water on or off. Also, the motor may be turned off or on by 
means of a switch located on the base of the device. A gear, 7, located 
between the motor 2 and the massage head 3 a, allows the motor to drive 
the massage head. 
The massage head 3, which can be of varying designs can be attached to the 
base of the device. The massage head is attached to the base of the device 
by means of a tubular projection to allow the insertion of an attachment 
tube projecting from the base of the device, as well as allowing water 
flow therethrough. The massage head itself is made from a rubber or 
rubber-like material, preferably plastic, and its shape ensures intense 
massaging of the gums. Massage action is achieved by the design of the 
massage head 3 which has an irregular surface. Massage head designs 
include projecting barb-like bulges or protuberances as shown in FIG. 1. 
An alternative design is shown in FIG. 2, which depicts a massage head 
having wavy, projecting, massaging surface, which run in the axial 
direction of the cylindrical massage head. Yet another alternative massage 
head design is shown in FIG. 3, wherein the massaging region of the 
massage head 12 is provided with wavy bulges running in the 
circumferential direction. As shown in FIG. 4, yet another alternative 
massage head 13 is axially sub-divided into two sections: a first section 
14 is made from rubber or a rubber-like material with axially directed 
wavy bulges for massaging the gums and a second section 15 is constructed 
as a brush used for cleaning the teeth. The axially sub-divided massage 
head provides a means for both massaging the gums and cleaning the teeth 
on the same head.