Patent EA-003018-B1 (EA)
Title: Toothbrush
Inventor: NIBERGALL MARTIN
IPC: A61C17/26
Filed: 2000-07-27
Abstract: 1. Toothbrush with a toothbrush head (312; 412; 512; 612) supported by a toothbrush body (310; 410; 510; 610), comprising: - a bristle carrying bristle carrier (320; 420; 520; 620), the bristle carrier (20; 220; 320; 420; 520; 620) rotatably supported for rotating about a rotation axis and adapted to be reversibly rotatably driven by an eccentric drive (50, 52), wherein - the eccentric drive has a drive shaft (50) rotating in one direction and arranged perpendicular to the rotation axis (R) of the bristle carrier (320; 420; 520; 620) and centrally extending through the toothbrush body (310; 410; 510; 610), with an end face of the drive shaft (50) having an eccentric pin (52), wherein - the bristle carrier (320; 420; 520; 620) has a guide bore or a guide channel (328; 428; 528; 628) extending in the axial direction, with the eccentric pin (52) guided in the guide bore or guide channel, characterized in - that the bristle carrier (320; 420; 520; 620) is supported on the toothbrush head (312; 412; 512; 612) for movement in the axial direction and adapted to be reversibly driven by the eccentric drive (40, 50, 52) so as to move backward and forward along a linear path, - that the bristle carrier (320; 420; 520; 620) has at least one drive pin channel (324; 424; 524; 624) which is disposed along a circumferential segment of the bristle carrier (320; 420;  520; 620) and inclined in the axial direction, and - that the at least one drive pin (314; 414; 514; 614) which is guided in the drive pin channel (324; 424; 524; 624) , is disposed on the toothbrush head (312; 412; 512; 614). 2. The toothbrush according to claim 1, characterized in - that the two diametrically opposed guide pins (314) are disposed on the toothbrush head  (310). 3. The toothbrush according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the guide channel (628) is formed directly on the bristle carrier (620). 4. The toothbrush according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the guide channel is part of a sliding block which is axially affixed to the bristle carrier. 5. The toothbrush according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in - that a sliding block (330; 430; 530) is supported for axial displacement in the guide channel (328; 428; 528), and - that sliding block (330; 430; 530) has a drive-pin bore (332; 432; 532) adapted to engage with the eccentric pin (52). 6. The toothbrush according to claim 4 or 5, characterized in that the sliding block (330; 430) has a cylindrical shape. 7. The toothbrush according to claim 4 or 5, characterized in that the sliding block (530) has a spherical shape. 8. Toothbrush with a toothbrush head (12; 212) supported by a toothbrush body (10; 210), the toothbrush head (12; 212) comprising: - a bristle carrying bristle carrier (20; 220), the bristle carrier (20; 220) rotatably supported for rotating about a rotation axis (R) and adapted to be reversibly rotatably driven by an eccentric drive (40, 50, 52), wherein - the eccentric drive has a drive shaft (50) rotating in one direction and arranged perpendicular to the rotation axis (R) of the bristle carrier (20; 220) and centrally extending through the toothbrush body (10; 210), with an end face of the drive shaft (50) having an eccentric pin (52), wherein - the bristle carrier (20; 220) has a guide bore or a guide channel (28; 228) extending in the axial direction, with the eccentric pin (52) guided in the guide bore or guide channel, characterized in - that the bristle carrier (20; 220) is supported on the toothbrush head (12; 212) for movement in the axial direction and adapted to be reversibly driven by the eccentric drive (40, 50, 52) so as to move backward and forward along a linear path, - that the eccentric pin (52) engages in a drive-pin bore (32; 232) or a guide channel (28; 228), and is mounted axially fixed in the drive-pin bore (32; 232) or is axially moveable in the guide channel (28; 228) between limit stops. 9. The toothbrush according to claim 8, characterized in that the toothbrush head (12; 212) has at least one bearing channel (14; 214) adapted to engage with at least one corresponding bearing projection (24; 224) which limits the backward and forward linear motion (stroke) of the bristle carrier (20; 220). 10. The toothbrush according to claim 8 or 9, characterized in - that a sliding block (30; 230) is provided which includes a drive-pin bore (32; 232) or a guide channel adapted to engage with the eccentric pin (52), and  - that the sliding block (30; 230) is axially affixed in the guide channel (28; 228) or axially moveable therein between limit stops. 11. The toothbrush according to claim 10, characterized in that the sliding block (130; 230; 330; 430) has a cylindrical shape. 12. The toothbrush according to claim 10, characterized in that the sliding block (530) has a spherical shape.