Power operated toothbrush

A power-operated toothbrush for cleaning and stimulating the surface of the teeth, cleaning between the teeth, cleaning between the teeth and gums, and cleaning and stimulating the gums of a user having a housing, a power means, a toothbrush extending from the housing having a bristled toothbrush head and an oscillating or movement imparting means for driving the toothbrush head in a complex motion, such as a figure-eight motion. The brush driving means of the power-operated toothbrush may comprise a rotary motor, a gear element driven by the rotary motor, a cam follower pivotally attached to the motor, and a T-bar. The T-bar is driven in a direction along the longitudinal axis of the power-operated toothbrush housing and also in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the power-operated toothbrush housing. The complex motion of the toothbrush head across the surface of the teeth is produced by driving the T-bar to move one cycle in a direction along the longitudinal axis of the housing while simultaneously driving the T-bar to move more than one cycle in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the housing. The toothbrush head is preferably driven in a figure-eight motion across the surface of the teeth by driving the T-bar to move two cycles in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the housing.

I claim:

1. A power operated toothbrush comprising:

a hollow housing having a longitudinal axis;

a power means;

a toothbrush extending from the housing and having a bristled toothbrush head;

a means for driving the toothbrush head in a figure-eight motion.

2. A power operated toothbrush as defined in claim 1, wherein the toothbrush includes a guide surface and the driving means includes a pivot pin inside the housing for contacting the guide surface for defining part of the motion of the toothbrush head.

3. A power operated toothbrush as defined in claim 2, wherein the toothbrush head driving means comprises:

a rotary motor;

a gear element driven by the rotary motor, the gear element having a crank pin and a cam surface;

a cam follower for pivoting relative to the gear element, the cam follower having a follower pin in contact with the cam surfaces of the gear element and having an output pin; and

a bar having an output pin slot for engaging the output pin of the cam follower, a crank pin slot for engaging the crank pin of the gear element, a pivot slot for engaging the pivot pin of the housing and a toothbrush slot for engaging the toothbrush.

4. A power operated toothbrush as defined in claim 2, wherein the toothbrush head driving means comprises:

a rotary motor;

a first gear element driven by the rotary motor, the first gear element having a first crank pin;

a second gear element driven by the first gear element, the second gear element having a second crank pin; and

a bar having an first crank pin slot for engaging the first crank pin, a second crank pin slot for engaging the second crank pin, a pivot slot for engaging the pivot pin of the housing and a toothbrush slot for engaging the toothbrush.

5. The power operated toothbrush of claim 1 wherein the means for driving the toothbrush head in the figure-eight motion drives the toothbrush head such that the head moves longitudinally one cycle for every two cycles of lateral movement.

6. A power operated toothbrush comprising:

a hollow housing having an opening and having a longitudinal axis;

a toothbrush support means located within the housing;

means connected to the support means and mounted within the housing for imparting translational movement to the support means along the longitudinal axis of the housing and for imparting translational movement to the support means perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the housing, wherein while the movement imparting means moves one cycle in a direction along the longitudinal axis of the housing, the movement imparting means simultaneously moves more than one cycle in a direction substantially nonparallel to the longitudinal axis of the housing;

power means operatively connected to the movement imparting means; and

a toothbrush connected to the toothbrush support means and extending through the opening of the housing, the toothbrush having a bristled head, the toothbrush head moving in a complex motion by the movement of the support means.

7. A power operated toothbrush as defined in claim 6, wherein while the movement imparting means moves one cycle in a direction along the longitudinal axis of the housing, the movement imparting means simultaneously moves two cycles in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the housing, thereby causing the toothbrush head to move in a substantially figure-eight motion.

8. A power operated toothbrush as defined in claim 6, wherein the toothbrush support means is a bar having a slot for engaging the housing.

9. A power operated toothbrush as defined in claim 8, wherein the housing includes a pivot pin located within the housing and wherein the slot includes a pivot pin slot on the bar wherein the pivot pin is engaged through the pivot pin slot.

10. A power operated toothbrush as defined in claim 9, wherein the movement imparting means comprises a gear element having a cam surface and a crank pin, the gear element being driven by a rotary motor, and comprising a cam follower pivotally attached to the motor mount, the cam follower having a follower pin coupled to the cam surface of the gear element and having an output pin.

11. A power operated toothbrush as defined in claim 10, wherein the bar further includes a crank pin slot for engaging the crank pin and further includes an output pin slot for engaging the output pin.

12. A power operated toothbrush as defined in claim 11, wherein the crank pin pushes the crank pin slot causing the bar to move in a direction along the longitudinal axis of the housing and the output pin pushes the output pin slot causing the bar to move in a direction substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the housing and wherein while the crank pin moves in a circular path one cycle, the output pin simultaneously moves more than one cycle, thereby causing the toothbrush head to oscillate in a complex motion

13. A power operated toothbrush as defined in claim 11, wherein the crank pin pushes the crank pin slot causing the bar to move in a direction along the longitudinal axis of the housing and the output pin pushes the output pin slot causing the T-bar to move in a direction substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the housing and wherein while the crank pin moves one cycle, the output pin simultaneously moves two cycles, thereby causing the toothbrush head to move in a figure-eight motion.

14. A power operated toothbrush as defined in claim 10, wherein the gear element is a cup gear.

15. A power operated toothbrush as defined in claim 9, wherein the movement imparting means comprises a first gear element having a first crank pin, the first gear element being driven by a rotary motor and a second gear element having a second crank pin, the second gear element being driven by the first gear element.

16. A power operated toothbrush as defined in claim 15, wherein the bar further includes a first crank pin slot for engaging the first crank pin and further includes a second crank pin slot for engaging the second crank pin.

17. A power operated toothbrush as defined in claim 16, wherein the first crank pin pushes the first crank pin slot causing the bar to move in a direction along the longitudinal axis of the housing and the second crank pin pushes the second crank pin slot causing the bar end to move in a direction substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the housing and wherein while the first crank pin moves one cycle, the second crank pin moves more than one cycle thereby causing the toothbrush head to move in a complex motion.

18. A power operated toothbrush as defined in claim 16, wherein the first crank pin pushes the first crank pin slot causing the bar to move in a direction along the longitudinal axis of the housing and the second crank pin pushes the second crank pin slot causing a portion of the bar to move in a direction substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the housing and wherein while the first crank pin moves one cycle, the second crank pin moves two cycles, thereby causing the toothbrush head to move in a figure-eight motion.

19. A power operated toothbrush as defined in claim 15, wherein the first gear element and the second gear element are cup gears.

20. A power operated toothbrush comprising:

a hollow housing having a pivot pin and having a longitudinal axis;

a power source;

a rotary motor;

a gear element driven by the rotary motor, the gear element having a crank pin and a cam surface;

a cam follower pivotally attached to the housing, the cam follower having a follower pin in contact with the cam surface of the gear element and an output pin;

a bar having an output pin slot for engaging the output pin of the cam follower, a crank pin slot for engaging the crank pin of the gear element, a pivot slot for engaging the pivot pin of the housing and a toothbrush slot; and

a toothbrush engaged to the toothbrush slot of the bar.

21. A power operated toothbrush as defined in claim 20, wherein the crank pin pushes the crank pin slot causing the bar to move in a direction along the longitudinal axis of the housing and the output pin pushes the output pin slot causing a portion of the bar to move in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the housing and wherein when the crank pin moves one cycle, the output pin moves more than one cycle, thereby causing the toothbrush head to move in a complex motion.

22. A power operated toothbrush as defined in claim 20, wherein the crank pin pushes the crank pin slot causing the bar to move in a direction along the longitudinal axis of the housing and the output pin pushes the output pin slot causing the bar to move in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the housing and wherein when the crank pin moves one cycle, the output pin oscillates two cycles thereby causing the bristles of the toothbrush head to move in a figure-eight motion.

23. A power operated toothbrush comprising:

a hollow housing having a pivot pin and having a longitudinal axis;

a power source;

a rotary motor;

a first gear element driven by the rotary motor, the first gear element having a first crank pin;

a second gear element driven by the first gear element, the second gear element having a second crank pin;

a bar having an first crank pin slot for engaging the first crank pin, a second crank pin slot for engaging the second crank pin, a pivot slot for engaging the pivot pin of the housing and a toothbrush slot; and

a toothbrush engaged to the toothbrush slot of the bar.

24. A power operated toothbrush as defined in claim 23, wherein the first crank pin pushes the first crank pin slot causing the bar to move in a direction along the longitudinal axis of the housing and the second crank pin pushes the second crank pin slot causing the bar to move in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the housing and wherein when the first crank pin moves one cycle, the second crank pin moves more than one cycle thereby causing the toothbrush head to move in a complex motion.

25. A power operated toothbrush as defined in claim 23, wherein the first crank pin pushes the first crank pin slot causing the bar to move in a direction along the longitudinal axis of the housing and the second crank pin pushes the second crank pin slot causing the bar to move in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the housing and wherein when the first crank pin moves one cycle, the second crank pin moves two cycles thereby causing the toothbrush head to move in a figure-eight motion.