Motor driven toothbrush

April 9, 1935.

1,997,352

F. M. VAN FLEET

MOTOR DRIVEN TOOTHBRUSH

<img file="US1997352A_D0001.tif" />

<img file="US1997352A_D0002.tif" />

Patented Apr. 9, 1935

1,997,352

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE

1,997,352

MOTOR DRIVEN TOOTHBRUSH Francis M. Van Fleet, Washington, D. C.

Application September 13,1934, Serial No. 743,914 (Cl. 15—22)

The portable hand motor is of usual construction and embodies a casing 10 side wall 11 to permit access to the of the electric motor, the shaft of the electric _gmotor being equipped with ^a knurled staitmg wheel 12 that projects through a slotted ope ing in the casing 10 and the cover II.

One of the novel features of the present invention is to provide a ®^®“rov_ided 10 at one end of the motor casing 10 that is provide at its outer end with a laterally offset ^ιοη U for purposes presently to appear, one side of the tubular extension 13 and offset portion comprising a removable section 1? to permit access to the toothbrush operating mechanism inward ly of said removable section. It is intended tha the motor casing with the extension ¹³movable section 15 be constructed of Bakelite or «.SerM, and this » extension are lined with metallic bearings for movable parts of the brush operating mechanism ' as shown more clearly in Figure 3, shaft lb of the motor 17 adjacent the extension 13I is nrovided with a key end 18 that is received within toe key socket 19 of a shaft 20 extending through 25 the casing extension 13. A metallic bearing within the extension 13 receives the key socket, 19 and shaft 20, the bearing 21 being suitably annhnrpri within th© extension 13. «λ

A recess is formed in the adjacent faces of the outer tod of toe extension &lt;3, the offset.portion 14 and the removable section 15. and these cesses are lined with metallic bearings 22 as , shoX in Figures 3 and 5 for the rotative reception of a stub shaft 23. The inner end of the “ — is provided with a key socket 24 ; lilic UUUUi avj V1AW - ,.

A worm 26 is fixed to the stub shaft 23 at toe _e- outer end of the extension 13. ₄₀

As shown in Figures 3, 4 and 6 the shaft 27 is journaled in the top and bottom wallsoff^ set portion 14 of the extension 1.3, and has a worm wheel 28 fixed thereto that is in mesh with the worm 26 The shaft 27 extends through the outer 4 and 7 is eccentrically connected to a disk 29 tott is freely mounted within a cup-shaped cap 30 that has its free edge spun at 31 to overlie the inner face of .the disk 291 for retention thereon, the annular wall of the cap 30 being screw-threaded. A brush head 32 is car ried by a cup-shaped backing 33 that ^1S mternally threaded for threaded engagement with toe movable to permit replacement or the like. A

Claims. I

This invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in motor driven toothbrushes.

The primary object of the invention is to P vide a toothbrush wherein a brush head is causea to travel through a circular .or orbital- path with toe toothbrush restrained from rotary movement and in operative engagement with a portable electric motor of the hand type for imp ing movement thereto. _Wnvidp

A further object of the. invention is to provide a motor driven toothbrush of toe foregomg character wherein the motor casing and thereof housing the motor and nism of the toothbrush is formed of ’ hard rubber, or other similar substance with m tallic bearings within the casing ^ίοΓ *£θ movab elements of the brush operating mechanism for the reduction of wear on the parts.

A still further object of toe invention is to provide a motor driven toothbrush wherein a disk is rotatably supported in the brush backing with an eccentric pin connection between the disk and a rotatable member and a slotted arm and pin connection between toe brush backing ; and an immovable part of the device, for causing the toothbrush to travel in a non-rotative circular or orbital path. . .___ .

With the above and other objects m view that will become apparent as toe nature of the m30 vention is better understood, the same consists in the novel construction, combmation and ar rangement of parts to be hereinafter more clearly described and then claimed. _a

In the accompanying drawing which shows a preferred embodiment of the present invention- _ provided witn a xey *'

Figure 1 is a bottom plan view of a motor driven stub shat « is P _end „ _{of the shaft 20}.

toothbrush constructed in accordance with the tormvetiw _ _ present invention, . . . .

Figure 2 is a side elevational view of the de-

Figure 3 is a longitudinal sectional view taken ^Figure 4³is*a'detail ’sectional view taken on ^Figure T^a fragmentary longitudinal sectionfl view of the brush end of the device showing the slotted arm and pin connection between the eccentrically mounted brush head and cas^Figure 6 is a cross sectional view taken on line e__θ _of Figure 3, showing the worm and worm wheel drive for the brush head, and wmre 7 is a plan view of the eccentrically mounted disk carrying toe stub shaft of toe brush head.

1,997,352 f ^{Μ proJ}.^ects laterally of the brush backing 3S and a pin 35 projecting outwardly of the thellotrf th^{the tU}^_f^{ar extension 13} extends into the slot of the arm 34 for preventing rotary move⁶ to^r«v^fv^{he b}™^{sh head}’ ^but Permitting the latter to travei m a circular or orbital path.

^electric piotor is adapted to be connected to the source of energy by the usual flexible con10 shafMfi^{IS initiaUy} imparted to the ¹ 15 ^f *^h® ^el??^tnc motor by the starting wheel 2 that projects through the casing i Q. Rotation of the motor shaft 17 is communicated to the ZLft T™ ^{Wheel 28}’ ^{the Iatter} rotating η an ^{27 an}? ^centric disk 29 within the cap ^{the eccen}tric mounting of the brush backing 33 with respect to the shaft 27 and tne slotted arm and pin connection 34 and 35 of ^bru?^{h backin}8 and the outer end „ tabular extension 13, the brush head 32 is ^to t^ravel ⁱⁿ a non-rotative circular or orbital path and this action or movement is especially effective for the brushing or cleaning of teeth. It is to be understood that other devices may be engaged with the cap 30, such as devices for massaging the gums or for other purposes.

Bkom the above detailed description of the invention, it is believed that the construction and operation thereof will at once be apparent and while there is herein shown and described the preferred embodiment of the invention, it is nevertheless to be understood that minor changes may be made therein without departing from the spirit and. scope of the invention as claimed.