Patent Publication Number: US-2007101522-A1

Title: Therapeutic body brush

Description:
FILING HISTORY  
      This is a divisional application continuing from application Ser. No. 10/745,951, filed on Dec. 27, 2003. Original claims  1 ,  4 ,  7  and  9 - 14  appear as claims  1 - 11  with amendments. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
      1. Field of the Invention  
      The present invention relates generally to the field of brushes for cleaning the human body. More specifically the present invention relates to a body brush which both cleans and massages user skin with rotating and outwardly reciprocating brush heads. The body brush includes a brush housing having a handle portion, and at least two brush heads mounted on brush head mounting structures, the mounting structures in turn being mounted to rotation and reciprocation mechanisms secured to the brush housing. The brush heads may take many forms, and the brush heads preferably are mounted to be removable and replaceable with other brush heads having different characteristics. Each brush head preferably is mounted on a drive shaft, and a shaft rotation motor is mounted to the brush housing having motor drive shaft is also provided. Drive transmission means are provided between motor drive shaft and the several brush drive shafts, so that the single motor can drive all of the brush drive shafts at once. The drive transmission means preferably takes the form of a drive gear on the motor drive shaft which meshes with a brush gear on a brush drive shaft and meshes in turn with a brush gear on another bristle drive shaft. The gears have sufficient depth that they can slide axially relative to each other a distance sufficient to provide satisfactory brush head reciprocation while remaining in meshed engagement. Brush reciprocation means are provided which cyclically drive individual drive shafts and brush heads outwardly and inwardly from the brush housing. The switches control with the brush head rotation is on or off and separately and independently whether brush head reciprocation is on or off. Brush head rotation speed and reciprocation speed may be controlled by the switches and switch actuators.  
      The brush heads reciprocate inwardly and outwardly relative to the brush housing to both clean and massage. The rotating and reciprocating brush heads also, due to their reciprocating movements, fit into and clean skin surface recesses such as the hollows of a user back. In addition, the brush heads remove dead skin and stimulate blood flow.  
      2. Description of the Prior Art  
      There have long been brushes for cleaning the human body. Most have had fixed bristles which provide only a basic cleaning function. Yet an opportunity is missed to clean more thoroughly in body curves and recesses, to stimulate blood flow and to massage. What is needed to accomplish these objectives is a brush with selectable rotating and reciprocating heads.  
      Gershov, U.S. Pat. No. 6,485,444, issued on Nov. 26, 2002, discloses a back and foot care brush apparatus. Gershov includes a brush handle in the form of a hoop which is fitted around the user body so that he or she can hold and maneuver it from the front while brush heads on the hoop behind the user scrub the user back. The brush heads can be interchanged and can be mounted on a rotating structure integrated into the hoop. The brush heads can also include openings through which jets of water from a supply line can be sprayed. Reciprocating and individually rotating brush heads do not appear to be disclosed.  
      Purvis, et al., U.S. Pat. No. 6,283,930, issued on Sep. 4, 2001, teaches a travel massage brush including a handle with ball tipped bristles protruding from one face of a handle distal end. The handle distal end contains a compartment in which a motor and vibration element are mounted.  
      Wang, U.S. Pat. No. 4,969,868, issued on Nov. 13, 1990, reveals a microelectric ionizing device for curing oral cavity diseases. Wang takes the form of a brush similar to a toothbrush with a battery contained within the brush handle supplying an electric charge to a cluster of special bristles and to a metal plate adjacent the bristles, so that the bristles become a cathode and the metal plate becomes an anode. Saliva or toothpaste within a user mouth form a conductor which completes the circuit, and trace elements in the special bristles release ions to treat oral diseases and to create the effect of a physical massage.  
      Jones, U.S. Pat. No. 4,964,398, issued on Oct. 23, 1990, discloses a shampoo or massage device including a gun-shaped handle with a rotating brush head at a handle distal end and containing a brush head rotating motor and rechargeable batteries, similar in construction to some electric drills. The brush head is fitted with what are described as fingers rather than bristles per se, although the two appear to be substantially equivalent in function. A cam is provided in the drive train between the motor and the brush head and the brush head is mounted on rails to constrain the brush head to lateral movement in two opposing directions, so that as the brush head is rotated it also slides laterally back and forth. Inward and outward reciprocating brush head motion does not appear to be provided, and there is only one brush head.  
      Waters, et al., U.S. Pat. No. 3,699,952, issued on Oct. 24, 1972, reveals a skin treating appliance including an elongate and hollow brush handle with a single rotatable brush head mounted laterally at the handle distal end. The brush head is mounted off-center to essentially wobble as it rotates through what is described as an orbit. No inward and outward reciprocating mechanism appears to be provided.  
      Mabuchi, U.S. Pat. No. 3,941,618, issued on Mar. 2, 1976, teaches a battery cassette and apparatus. Mabuchi  FIGS. 13 and 14  illustrate a gun handle brush containing a motor and fitted with a rotating head.  
      It is thus an object of the present invention to provide a body brush with brush heads which both rotate and reciprocate to reach into and clean recessed areas and pores of the skin and to remove dead skin, while at the same time massaging and stimulating blood flow.  
      It is another object of the present invention to provide such a body brush which permits selection of suitable brush heads for appropriate bristle stiffness or non-bristle composition.  
      It is still another object of the present invention to provide such a body brush which optionally includes brush head vibration means and which has a sealed, waterproof housing for use in a shower.  
      It is finally an object of the present invention to provide such a body brush which provides handles shaped to permit greater reach of the user back and has rechargeable batteries and a charger to charge the batteries overnight, and is durable and relatively inexpensive to manufacture.  
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
      The present invention accomplishes the above-stated objectives, as well as others, as may be determined by a fair reading and interpretation of the entire specification.  
      A body brush is provided for use in cleaning the human body, including a brush housing; at least two brush head mounting structures each fitted with a brush head; brush head rotation mechanism mounted to the brush housing and drivably connected to the at least two brush head mounting structures for rotating the brush heads; and brush head axial reciprocation mechanism mounted to the brush housing and drivably connected to the at least two brush head mounting structures for axially reciprocating the brush heads out of unison.  
      The brush housing preferably includes a handle portion. At least one of the brush heads includes a disk with a disk outward face, the disk outward face being fitted with a cluster of bristles. The brush heads preferably are removable from the brush head mounting structures and replaceable with other the brush heads.  
      The brush head mounting structure preferably includes a brush drive shaft, the body brush additionally including a shaft rotation motor mounted to the brush housing and having a motor drive shaft. The body brush preferably additionally includes drive transmission means between the motor drive shaft and the brush drive shafts; so that the shaft rotation motor rotatably drives all of the drive shafts. The drive transmission mechanism preferably includes a motor gear on the motor drive shaft and a brush gear of each the brush drive shaft which mesh with the motor gear. Additional brush drive shafts preferably are provided and fitted with brush heads and with intermeshing gears so that all of the brush drive shafts are driven by the shaft rotation motor. The motor gear and the brush gears have sufficient thickness that they can slide axially relative to each other a distance sufficient to provide brush head reciprocation while remaining inter-meshed. The brush drive shafts have brush drive shaft inward ends, and the brush reciprocation mechanism optionally includes a disk cam rotatably mounted relative to the housing and having a circumferential cam flange with a sinusoidal edge against which the brush drive shaft inward ends ride; biasing mechanism biasing each of the brush drive shafts inwardly against the cam flange; and a disk cam motor drivably connected to the disk cam for rotating the disk cam and the cam flange relative to the drive shaft inward ends to cause the brush drive shafts to move inwardly and outwardly relative to the brush housing.  
      The shaft rotation and disk cam motors preferably are powered by a battery mounted relative to the brush housing and connected to the battery by a circuit wire linked to a control switch with a switch actuator accessible outside the brush housing, the control switch controlling one of brush head rotation and brush head reciprocation. The brush housing preferably is hollow to contain the shaft rotation and disk cam motors and the drive transmission mechanism. The brush housing preferably additionally contains the battery. The handle portion preferably includes an elongate member having substantially parabolic longitudinal curve to permit better reach of a user back. The handle portion optionally includes an elongate flexible member having substantially no elastic memory.  
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
      Various other objects, advantages, and features of the invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art from the following discussion taken in conjunction with the following drawings, in which:  
       FIG. 1  is a perspective view of the brush heads and the rotation and reciprocation mechanisms driving the brush heads, the battery and battery compartment and switches controlling the rotation and reciprocation mechanisms, with the portion of the housing wall passing underneath the brush heads broken away.  
       FIG. 2  is a side view of the brush heads and meshing brush gears, showing how the thickness of the brush gears permits brush head reciprocation while the gears remain meshed, and shows the portion of the housing wall passing underneath the brush heads and the springs which bear against the housing wall and the brush gears to bias the brush head mounting drive shafts against the sinusoidal edge of the flange on the disk cam.  
       FIG. 3  is a perspective view of the preferred long handle version of the body brush, having the laterally bowed middle segment to permit greater reach of the user back.  
       FIG. 4  is a perspective view of the preferred short handle version of the body brush. The handle optionally telescopes from short and compact, to long to more easily reach the user back.  
       FIG. 5  is a side view of the flexible handle portion and telescoping handle portion body brush, which permits the user to manually bend the handle as needed to reach various areas of the body, the flexible handle portion retaining the shape into which it is bent until manually bent again. The telescoping handle portion reduces the size of the handle somewhat for easier storage and so that the body brush may fit easily into luggage or a purse.  
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS  
      As required, detailed embodiments of the present invention are disclosed herein; however, it is to be understood that the disclosed embodiments are merely exemplary of the invention which may be embodied in various forms. Therefore, specific structural and functional details disclosed herein are not to be interpreted as limiting, but merely as a basis for the claims and as a representative basis for teaching one skilled in the art to variously employ the present invention in virtually any appropriately detailed structure.  
      Reference is now made to the drawings, wherein like characteristics and features of the present invention shown in the various FIGURES are designated by the same reference numerals.  
     First Preferred Embodiment  
      Referring to  FIGS. 1-5 , a body brush.  10  is disclosed for cleaning and massaging user skin. Body brush  10  includes at least two brush heads  20  mounted on brush head mounting structures  22 , the mounting structures  22  in turn being connected to rotation and reciprocation mechanisms  12  mounted to a brush housing  40  having a handle portion  50 . Brush heads  20  may take many forms, such as a disk  24  with an outward face fitted with a cluster of bristles  26 , or a sponge, and the brush heads  20  preferably are mounted to be removable from the mounting structure  22  and replaceable with other brush heads  20  having different characteristics, such as different bristle  24  stiffness or composition. Each brush head  20  is removably mounted with a set screw and cup  38  onto a brush drive shaft  30 . A separate rotation motor  32  mounted to the brush housing  40  having motor drive shaft  34  is also provided. Drive transmission means  60  are provided between motor drive shaft  34  and the several brush drive shafts  30 , so that the single motor  32  can drive all of the brush drive shafts  30  at once. See  FIG. 2 . The drive transmission means  60  preferably takes the form of a motor drive gear  36   a  on the motor drive shaft  30   a  meshing with a first brush gear  36  on the brush drive shaft  30  of the first brush head  20  which meshes with a second brush gear  36  on a brush drive shaft  30  of a second brush head  20 , and additional brush heads  20  may be driven by meshing gears  36  on their brush drive shafts  30 . The gears  36  preferably have sufficient thickness that they can slide axially relative to each other a distance sufficient to provide satisfactory brush head  20  reciprocation while remaining meshed.  
      Brush reciprocation means  80  are provided which cyclically drive individual brush drive shafts  30  and brush heads  20  outwardly and inwardly from the brush housing  40 . One contemplated brush reciprocation means  80  is a circular disk cam  82  rotatably mounted on a disk cam axle  82   a  connected to housing  40  and having a circumferential cam flange  84  with a sinusoidal flange edge  84   a  against which the brush drive shaft inward ends  30   b  ride, and coil springs  86  compressed between each gear  36  and the housing  40   a  wall bias the brush drive shafts  30  inwardly against the cam flange  84 . The disk cam  82  is rotated by a disk cam motor  90  and the resulting rotation of the cam flange  84  relative to the brush drive shaft inward ends  30   b  causes the brush drive shafts  30  to move inwardly and outwardly at individual times and out of unison. The rotation and cam motors  32  and  90 , respectively, preferably are powered by one or more batteries  102  mounted to the brush housing  40  and connected to the batteries  102  by circuit wires  104  linked to a brush head rotation control switch  110  with a switch actuator  112  a brush head reciprocation switch  114  with a switch actuator  116 , the switch actuators  112  and  116  being accessible outside the brush housing  40 . The switch actuators  112 , which may be buttons or slide tabs, activate and deactivate brush head  20  rotation and separately and independently activate and deactivate brush head  20  reciprocation. Brush head  20  rotation speed and reciprocation speed may be controlled by the switches  110  as well.  
      The brush housing  40  preferably is hollow to contain the motors  32  and  90  and drive transmission means  60 , exposing only the brush heads  20  and outward segments of the drive shafts  30  and the switch actuators  112 . A portion of the brush housing  40  interior space is a battery compartment  42  and having removable and replaceable battery compartment door  44 . The handle portion  50  of the brush housing  40  may take many forms, including the long handle portion  50  version shown in  FIG. 3  and the short handle portion  50  version shown in  FIG. 4 . To permit the user to better reach his or her back, the long handle portion  50  version has a progressive generally parabolic curve or bow along its length. Alternatively the handle portion  50  includes an elongate flexible member  52  having no elastic memory and a brush head portion  54  which telescopes for compact brush  10  storage and transport, as shown in  FIG. 5 .  
      The brush heads  20  reciprocate inwardly and outwardly to both clean and massage. The rotating and reciprocating brush heads  20  also, due to their reciprocating movements, fit into and clean skin surface recesses such as the hollows of a user back. In addition, the brush heads  20  remove dead skin and stimulate blood flow.  
      The batteries  102  preferably are rechargeable and a brush charger  120  is provided which may hang on a wall to recharge the batteries  102  overnight. Another optional feature is a brush head  20  vibrating mechanism (not shown).  
      While the invention has been described, disclosed, illustrated and shown in various terms or certain embodiments or modifications which it has assumed in practice, the scope of the invention is not intended to be, nor should it be deemed to be, limited thereby and such other modifications or embodiments as may be suggested by the teachings herein are particularly reserved especially as they fall within the breadth and scope of the claims here appended.