HK1081093B - Electric toothbrush and corresponding toothbrush head - Google Patents

Description

Electric toothbrush and toothbrush head used thereby

Technical Field

The invention relates to a toothbrush head for an electric toothbrush, comprising a handle part with a drive, a toothbrush head carrier that can be connected to the handle part, and a plurality of bristle carriers that each have a bristle field and are mounted movably on the toothbrush head carrier and can be driven into oscillation by the drive, wherein each bristle carrier can be coupled to a transmission element of the drive by means of a drive coupling. The invention also relates to a toothbrush with such a toothbrush head.

Background

From US 5,524,312, an electric toothbrush is known, which has two separate bristle holders on the brush head, which are driven by a common drive shaft. A bristle carrier is oscillatingly rotatable about an axis perpendicular to the neck of the toothbrush. The other bristle holder oscillates back and forth about an axis parallel to the neck of the toothbrush. Although this bristle carrier configuration produces an active relative movement in the bristle bundles, it is disadvantageous because it is limited to a specific drive mechanism. The secondary bristle support, which is arranged behind the handle, requires a cylindrical base surface with a specially curved groove in which the engagement projection of the longitudinally oscillating drive shaft engages. Furthermore, the bristle tufts provided on both bristle holders are not well suited for effective cleaning of interdental spaces.

Disclosure of Invention

The object of the present invention is to provide an improved toothbrush head and a corresponding improved toothbrush which avoid the disadvantages of the prior art and which are an advantageous improvement thereof. Better cleaning of the teeth is preferably achieved with a simple and effective drive arrangement of the two bristle holders.

According to the invention, this object is achieved by a toothbrush head according to patent claim 1 and a toothbrush according to patent claim 23. The dependent claims specify preferred embodiments of the invention.

According to the invention, the bristle supports each also have a drive coupling, by means of which the bristle supports can be coupled to one or more eccentric driver elements of a drive transmission element, wherein the drive transmission element can be driven in rotation about a longitudinal axis. By means of the two separately arranged bristle support configurations, in which the bristle supports can be driven by a common drive transmission about different axes of movement, a better brushing effect can be achieved in a simple manner. The relative movement of the bristle fields, which are arranged on the bristle support, facilitates the brushing movement, so that the cleaning action is not effected solely by the movement of the toothbrush user.

The eccentric driver of the drive element for driving the bristle support can be configured in various ways. According to one embodiment of the invention, the bristle holders can be coupled to a common striking pin which moves in a cylindrical or conical path relative to the rotational axis of the drive element and is preferably attached to the hand-held part of the toothbrush. Alternatively, a respective driver pin on the drive element can be provided for each bristle holder, which driver pins move in a conical or cylindrical path. However, it is preferred to provide a common driver pin for both bristle supports, which driver pin preferably performs a cylindrical driving movement.

The tumbler pin is preferably driven to oscillate so that it moves only in a partial orbit, which may be partially cylindrical or partially conical. Corresponding oscillating movements of the two bristle supports can thus be realized in a simple manner. However, the tumbler pin can also perform a continuous, complete rotary motion like a crank, which rotary motion, as in the case of a crank drive, can also effect an oscillating motion of the bristle support. However, the transmission element and its eccentric driver preferably oscillate through an angle of ± 90 ° or less.

In a further aspect of the invention, the transmission element is firmly attached to the toothbrush head and is rotatably mounted on the toothbrush head carrier about its longitudinal axis in the toothbrush head carrier. In order to be able to remove the toothbrush head from the toothbrush handle part, the transmission element can have a coupling part at its end facing the handle part, which coupling part forms a releasable rotational coupling for rotationally fixed coupling to the drive element on the handle part side. The toothbrush head carrier, which forms the toothbrush tube, has a releasable fastening element at its end facing away from the bristle carrier for fastening to the hand-held part of the toothbrush. When the toothbrush head carrier is placed on the toothbrush handle part, the drive transmission element arranged in the toothbrush head carrier and the drive element on the handle part side are also coupled to one another at the same time.

In another aspect of the invention, the bristle carriers are all movably mounted on the toothbrush head carrier about or along axes of motion, respectively, that are perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the toothbrush, wherein each bristle carrier has its own axis of motion, which axes of motion are spaced from one another. The toothbrush head is further characterized in that the two bristle carriers, which are movably arranged about separate transverse axes, are driven by a common drive transmission element. Regardless of the particular configuration of the drive transmission element, this toothbrush head configuration is particularly advantageous in effectively cleaning teeth.

In particular, two bristle supports can be provided. The main bristle support can be arranged on the end of the toothbrush head support remote from the toothbrush handle, preferably rotatably arranged about an axis of rotation which is substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the toothbrush and substantially parallel to the main direction of the bristles arranged on the main bristle support, and can be driven into oscillation by an eccentric cam of the drive shaft. The main bristle support may be substantially planar and have a circular contour. It is preferably capable of driving rotational vibrations about its axis of symmetry. The rotationally oscillating drive movement can, if necessary, be superimposed on the poking movement along the axis of rotation of the main bristle support (Stocherbewegung) in order to clean the interdental spaces thoroughly. For this purpose, the main bristle holder is movably mounted on the toothbrush head holder in the direction of its rotational axis.

In addition to the main bristle support, a secondary bristle support is preferably provided, which is arranged immediately adjacent behind the main bristle support, i.e. closer to the hand-held part of the toothbrush. The secondary bristle holders may have different axes of motion. According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, the secondary bristle support is arranged so as to be pivotable about a pivot axis which is arranged substantially perpendicularly to the longitudinal direction of the toothbrush and can be driven into oscillation by a drive transmission element which also drives the primary bristle support.

According to one embodiment of the invention, the pivot axis is arranged eccentrically with respect to the secondary bristle support or the bristle field arranged thereon, in order to achieve a greater movement of the bristle support part opposite the pivot axis. The pivot axis of the secondary bristle support can be arranged approximately parallel to the main direction of the bristles and thus to the pivot axis of the primary bristle support. If the shaft is disposed on an edge portion of the secondary bristle holder in the longitudinal direction of the toothbrush, the opposite edge portion of the secondary bristle holder is laterally reciprocated. In principle, it is also possible for the pivot axis to be arranged centrally with respect to the secondary bristle support, so that the secondary bristle support, like the primary bristle support, rotates about its own center. It is preferred that the previously described oscillating shaft structure be located particularly at the end of the secondary bristle holder facing the primary bristle holder so that bristles attached to the secondary bristle holder closer to the handle portion can reciprocate laterally and clean the interdental spaces.

In an alternative development of the invention, the pivot axis of the bristle support lies substantially in the plane defined by the secondary bristle support and extends perpendicularly to the longitudinal direction of the toothbrush. The secondary bristle holder is correspondingly swung up and down so that the bristle bundles thereof move up and down in a stabbing manner. The oscillating shaft of the secondary bristle holder can extend centrally in the longitudinal direction of the toothbrush with respect to the longitudinal extension of the secondary bristle holder, so that the rear end and the front end of the secondary bristle holder oscillate up and down in opposite directions. In an alternative embodiment of the invention, the pivot axis of the secondary bristle holder may also be moved toward one end of the secondary bristle holder. In particular, the secondary bristle support is mounted on the toothbrush head support so as to be pivotable about its end facing the handle, so that the bristle bundles attached to the secondary bristle support and bordering the main bristle support are subjected to an upward and downward poking movement. In this way, tooth gaps bordering the tooth surface treated by the bristle field of the main bristle support can be cleaned particularly effectively.

The secondary bristle support does not have to be positively pivotably mounted. According to an advantageous embodiment of the invention, the secondary bristle holder is arranged on the toothbrush head holder so as to be translatable along the axis of movement. Preferably, the respective movement guide means of the secondary bristle holder has a degree of freedom in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the toothbrush.

In order to be able to realize a poking motion in the bristle longitudinal direction with bristles arranged on the secondary bristle holder, the translational motion axis of the secondary bristle holder may be substantially perpendicular to the plane defined by the secondary bristle holder, i.e. substantially parallel to the main bristle direction defined by the bristles. Alternatively, the axis of motion perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the toothbrush may lie in a plane defined by the secondary bristle holder such that the secondary bristle holder may reciprocate laterally. The bristles arranged on the secondary bristle support can thus move in the interdental direction and can be wiped clean accordingly.

The drive connection between the two bristle supports and the eccentric driver of the drive shaft is preferably designed as an articulation, each with an articulation axis perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the toothbrush. Since the bristle support does not perform a reciprocating translational movement, but rather an oscillation, at its point of connection to the toggle pin, which maintains the spatial orientation of the bristle support, the corresponding angular deviations can be compensated for by the articulation between the bristle support and the eccentric toggle lever.

In a development of the invention, the articulation between the drive transmission element and the bristle support has at least one further degree of freedom in addition to its articulation. The drive connection of the bristle support, in particular of the secondary bristle support, can be designed such that only forces and movements perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the toothbrush are transmitted. This advantageously makes it possible to compensate for the relative movement in the longitudinal direction of the toothbrush which occurs between the tumbler pin and the bristle carrier.

The articulation between the setting knob and the bristle support can also have a degree of freedom perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the toothbrush in order to transmit only the cylindrical or conical drive movement of the setting knob partially to the bristle support. In particular, the connection between the eccentric shift lever and the secondary bristle support and/or the main bristle support is designed to move freely in a direction perpendicular to the plane of movement, in which direction each bristle support is intended to move. Accordingly, a tumbler pin moving on a cylindrical or conical track transmits only one component of its oscillating rotational motion to each bristle holder. If, for example, the secondary bristle holder is to oscillate about an axis perpendicular to the secondary bristle holder, i.e. parallel to the bristles, the eccentric shift lever can be located in a longitudinal slot in the secondary bristle holder parallel to the bristle direction. The movement component perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the bristles is transmitted to the bristle support, while the movement component of the tumbler pin parallel to the longitudinal direction of the bristles is not transmitted. If, on the other hand, the secondary bristle holder were to oscillate up and down, the tumbler pin could be located in a transverse slot parallel to the plane of the bristle holder so that the corresponding part moves up and down, but the transverse reciprocating motion is not transmitted.

The tumbler pin need not be located in a slot-shaped recess in the secondary bristle holder. Alternatively, the secondary bristle holder can have a sliding surface as the drive connection, which sliding surface extends perpendicularly to the longitudinal direction of the toothbrush and on which the tumbler pin slides. Preferably, a pretensioning device, for example in the form of a spring, can be provided, which presses the secondary bristle support and its sliding surface against the driver and keeps it in engagement with the driver. Such a pretensioning device can be omitted if necessary, since the secondary bristle support is automatically pressed against the driver by the brushing reaction force, for example, when the secondary bristle support is to be pivoted up and down in a poking motion.

The extent of the lifting of the bristle support can be influenced by the shape of the sliding surface. In a simple development of the invention, the engagement sliding surface of the secondary bristle support is of substantially planar design. The driving movement of the eccentric shift lever has two mutually perpendicular components, so that the shift lever on the one hand slides back and forth on the sliding surface and at the same time bears perpendicularly on the sliding surface and moves the bristle support accordingly. The lifting of the bristle support corresponds to the movement component of the driver rod perpendicular to the sliding surface.

If, on the other hand, a greater (or lesser) lifting movement of the bristle support is desired, the sliding surface can have a convex cam-shaped surface perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the drive element. If the eccentric cam is moved back and forth over the sliding surface, the cam-shaped cam surface then produces the desired additional movement perpendicular to the back and forth movement.

In a further aspect of the invention, the drive coupling of one of the bristle supports, in particular the main bristle support, transmits a force both in the longitudinal direction of the toothbrush and in a direction perpendicular thereto, wherein the respective driver is arranged on the transmission element so as to be displaceable in the longitudinal direction of the toothbrush, preferably elastically pretensioned. In particular, the driver pin and the main bristle holder are pretensioned against one another and/or together against the tubular toothbrush head holder. This advantageously makes it possible that, despite the articulation and freedom of the drive coupling, no free movements and no rattling noises can be generated. The driving device runs quietly.

In a further aspect of the invention, the transmission element, which can be designed as a plastic injection-molded part, has an eccentric bearing bore, in which a driver pin, preferably designed as a metal pin, is received, is axially displaceable and rotatable about its longitudinal axis. In order to pretension the driver pin against the bristle support, a spring can be placed on the driver pin and supported on the drive element.

In order to better utilize the driven movement of the two bristle supports or bristle fields arranged thereon and to clean the teeth more effectively, groups of bristle bundles inclined in different directions can be fastened to the main bristle support and/or to the secondary bristle support. The bristle pack inclined in different directions has different cross sections and/or is designed with different properties, such as different stiffness, bristle length, bristle height and the like. Preferably, the inclination direction of the bristle bundles arranged on the main bristle support is different from the inclination direction of the bristle bundles arranged on the sub-bristle support. According to one embodiment of the present invention, bristle tufts having different inclination directions may be provided on each bristle holder.

It has proven effective here to provide bristle tufts with a circular cross section, but also bristle tufts with a non-circular cross section, in particular with an elongated, oval or rectangular cross section.

In order to be able to penetrate better into the interdental spaces, bristle tufts can be arranged on the main bristle support and/or the secondary bristle support, the free working ends of the bristle tufts differing in height above the bristle supports.

Drawings

Further advantages, applicability and advantageous features of the invention will appear from the following description of an embodiment of the invention shown in the drawings. All features described or illustrated herein form the subject matter of the invention by themselves or in any combination, independently of their generalization in the patent claims or their cross-reference, and independently of their expression or illustration in the description or in the drawings. In the drawings:

figure 1 is a top plan view of a replaceable toothbrush head for a power toothbrush according to a first preferred embodiment of the present invention,

figure 2 is a vertical longitudinal section taken along line B-B of the toothbrush head of figure 1,

fig. 3 is a horizontal longitudinal section along line D-D of the toothbrush head of fig. 2, showing the drive mechanism, in particular the coupling of the two bristle carriers on the eccentric tumbler pin of the drive transmission,

figure 4 is a longitudinal section through the drive transmission member,

fig. 5 is a partial perspective view of a toothbrush head with two movably mounted bristle carriers according to another embodiment of the invention,

figure 6 is a partial perspective view of the toothbrush head of figure 5 in another viewing orientation,

fig. 7 is a partial perspective view of a toothbrush head with two movably mounted bristle carriers according to an alternative embodiment of the invention,

figure 8 is a partial perspective view of the toothbrush head of figure 7 in another viewing orientation,

fig. 9 is a partial perspective view of a toothbrush head with two movably mounted bristle carriers according to an alternative embodiment of the invention,

figure 10 is a partial perspective view of the toothbrush head of figure 9 in another elevational view,

fig. 11 is a partial perspective view of a toothbrush head with two movably mounted bristle carriers according to another embodiment of the invention,

figure 12 is a partial perspective view of the toothbrush head of figure 11,

FIG. 13 is a perspective view of the head of the toothbrush of FIG. 1 showing the arrangement of tufts of bristles on two bristle holders.

Detailed Description

Fig. 1 is a top view of a replaceable toothbrush head of an electric toothbrush according to a first preferred embodiment of the invention, showing two movably arranged bristle holders which are each arranged pivotably about a pivot axis parallel to the main bristle direction and can be driven. The toothbrush head 2 shown in fig. 1 comprises a toothbrush tube 11 which forms a toothbrush head carrier and can be mounted by means of an end on a hand-held part of a power toothbrush, not shown in detail. The hand-held part has, in a manner known per se, a toothbrush housing in which the battery receptacle and the drive motor are arranged axially in succession.

The toothbrush head 2 has two bristle fields, namely a main bristle field 9 directly at the end of the toothbrush head and a rear secondary bristle field 8, which is located directly adjacent to the main bristle field on the side of the main bristle field facing the hand-held part.

Fig. 2 is a vertical longitudinal section taken along line B-B of the toothbrush head of fig. 1 showing the support structure for the drive transmission member driving the two bristle carriers. As shown in fig. 2, the bristle field 9 at the end of the toothbrush head is supported by a main bristle support 10, wherein the main bristle support 10 is designed substantially circularly in the bristle field direction and is fixed to the head region of the toothbrush head support 11. As shown in fig. 1 and 2, the bristle support 10 is rotatably mounted on a rotary shaft 12 anchored in a toothbrush head support 11, wherein the rotary shaft 12 extends perpendicularly to the longitudinal axis of the toothbrush substantially parallel to the main bristle direction of the main bristle field 9. The axis of rotation 12 constitutes the axis of symmetry of the plate-shaped bristle holder 10.

The bristle holder 10 is driven by an electric motor by means of a transmission 14 in the form of a drive shaft 15 to oscillate rotationally about the axis of rotation 12. The drive shaft 15 is a plastic injection-molded part and is supported in the toothbrush tube 11 in a bearing 16, which may be formed by a metal pin, which is located in the toothbrush longitudinal direction, on the one hand, in the bearing part of the toothbrush head carrier 11 and, on the other hand, its end face in the drive shaft 15. The bearing 16 allows the drive shaft 15 to rotate about its longitudinal axis parallel to the longitudinal direction of the toothbrush. The drive shaft 15 is driven by a rotationally oscillating drive element which is connected to and can be driven by a motor shaft which extends in the longitudinal direction of the toothbrush. In this case, the drive shaft 15 performs an oscillating rotation. The end of the drive shaft on the hand-held part side has a coupling section 1, by means of which the drive shaft is fitted in a rotationally fixed manner to the drive element of the hand-held part.

Fig. 4 is a longitudinal section through a drive transmission member with the eccentric tumbler pin of the previous figures arranged thereon. As shown in fig. 4, a through-hole is provided in the drive shaft 15 at a distance from its longitudinal axis, substantially parallel to its longitudinal axis, in which the tumbler pin 50 is rotatably and longitudinally movably received. The tumbler pin 50 has a pin-shaped pick-up element 51 at its front end, which extends substantially at right angles to the tumbler pin 50 and is rigidly connected to the tumbler pin, for example welded.

The driver 50 performs a rotational circulating movement about the longitudinal axis and the rotational axis of the drive shaft 15 on a part-cylindrical path, wherein the plane of symmetry of the oscillating movement forms a longitudinal plane of symmetry of the toothbrush head 2, from which the driver is pivoted to the left and to the right.

The end of the driving pin 50 facing the bristle holder 10 or the pick-up element 51 fixed thereto is located in a blind-hole-shaped recess 18 in the bristle holder 10, which recess is formed in the part of the bristle holder 10 facing the hand-held part 1 and extends substantially parallel to the axis of rotation 12 (see fig. 3). Only the drive movement component of the driver 50 perpendicular to the rotational axis 12 is transmitted to the bristle support 10 via the blind-hole recess. Since the picking member 51 is freely movable, i.e. longitudinally movable, in the recess 18 parallel to the axis of rotation 12, an up-and-down movement, i.e. a component of the circular driving movement parallel to the axis of rotation 12, is not transmitted. In addition, receipt of the picking member 51 within the recess 18 forms a rotational hinge to compensate for angular deviations in vibration between the bristle holder 10 and the shifter 50.

As shown in fig. 4, the end of the tumbler pin 50 facing away from the picking member 51 protrudes from the through hole in the drive shaft 15 and beyond the edge of the drive shaft 15 by a certain distance. In the region of the extension, a helical spring 52 is fitted over the tumbler pin 50. The free end of the tumbler pin 50 is pressed and squashed, forming a radially widened portion 55. Thus, the coil spring 52 is located on and held by the widened portion. Further, the coil spring 52 is supported at the other end thereof on the edge of the drive shaft 15. The helical spring 52 thus pretensions the driver pin 50 axially against the bristle support 10 to avoid the generation of a rattling noise during operation. Since the picking member 51 is located within the blind-hole shaped recess 18 in the bristle holder 10, the picking member 51 performs an oscillating circular orbital motion about the rotational axis 12 of the bristle holder 10. The driver pin 50 is accordingly displaced axially in an oscillating manner in the through-hole of the drive shaft 15, with the coil spring 52 being alternately compressed and expanded.

As shown in fig. 1 and 2, the bristle field 8, which is located at the rear, closer to the handle 1, is supported by a substantially plate-shaped secondary bristle support 13, which secondary bristle support 13, like the main bristle support 10, is mounted movably on the toothbrush head support 11 independently of the drive transmission element 15. As shown in fig. 2, the sub bristle holder 13 is swingably disposed around a swing shaft 19 at an edge portion of the front thereof facing the main bristle holder 10, wherein the swing shaft 19 extends substantially perpendicular to the toothbrush longitudinal direction and perpendicular to the plane defined by the sub bristle holder 13. In response, the secondary bristle support 13, and in particular the part thereof facing away from the primary bristle support 10, oscillates back and forth laterally, as indicated by arrow 20. It is obvious that the bristle holder 13 can oscillate not only in the above-mentioned plane, but also on an arc which coincides with the arc of the eccentric tumbler pin 50. In this regard, only an additional degree of freedom of movement relative to the pivot axis 19 has to be provided for the bristle support 13.

In order to drive the secondary bristle field 8 into a rotational oscillation about the pivot axis 19, the secondary bristle support 13 is connected to an eccentric cam 50, which eccentric cam 50 also drives the main bristle support 10. As shown in Figs. 2 and 3, a drive connection 21 is provided on the underside of the secondary bristle holder 13, which drive connection 21 is formed by a longitudinal groove 22 parallel to the pivot axis 19, in which groove 22 a tumbler pin 50 is guided. For this purpose, the drive shaft 15 has a recess 53 in the region of the through-opening, so that the tumbler pin 50 is suspended (see fig. 4), and the through-opening which receives the tumbler pin 50 is formed by two aligned through-opening sections. In the embodiment shown, the longitudinal groove 22 is defined by two cylindrical projections 23 and 24, between which the driver 50 is guided. The projections 23, 24 extend substantially parallel to the swing axis 19, so that the groove or gap defined between the projections 23 and 24 also extends parallel to the swing axis 19. Accordingly, only one component of the circumferential driving movement of the driver 50 is transmitted here, namely in a plane parallel to the longitudinal direction of the toothbrush perpendicular to the pivot axis 19. The vertical component of the drive movement parallel to the plane of symmetry of the toothbrush is not transmitted, since the driver 50 is movable back and forth in this direction in the longitudinal groove 22 between the projections 23 and 24. Also in the longitudinal direction of the pin-shaped shifter 50, the shifter 50 is freely reciprocally movable between the bosses 23 and 24 to allow longitudinal movement of the shifter 50 by the picking member 51. Finally, the connection between the projections 23 and 24 and the lever 50 forms a hinge which allows the lever 50 to pivot relative to the secondary bristle holder 13 about an axis parallel to the pivot axis 19 to compensate for angular deviations in the oscillation between the bristle holder 13 and the lever 50. For this purpose, the inner sides of the protrusions 23 and 24 may be rounded. The tubular toothbrush head holder 11 has a through hole below the sub-bristle holder 13 through which the protruding parts 23 and 24 of the sub-bristle holder 13 extend.

Fig. 5 to 12 show alternative support options for the secondary bristle field 8 or the secondary bristle support 13. The toothbrush head shown therein is likewise provided for the toothbrush shown in fig. 1 and otherwise corresponds to the toothbrush head described above, including the configuration of the drive transmission element 14 and its driver 50, so reference is made in this respect to the description thereof and the same reference numerals are used for corresponding components. In order to simplify the drive transmission, only the pin-shaped driver 50 is shown in the figures.

Fig. 5 is a partial perspective view of a toothbrush head with two movably mounted bristle carriers according to another embodiment of the invention, in which the rear secondary bristle carrier is mounted swingably up and down about a transverse axis at its rear end and can be driven. According to fig. 5, the secondary bristle holder 13 is mounted on the toothbrush head holder 11 so as to be pivotable about a pivot axis 25, which pivot axis 25 extends substantially parallel to the plane defined by the secondary bristle holder 13 and perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the toothbrush. The secondary bristle support 13 is mounted so that it can pivot about a pivot axis 25 with its rear end, i.e. the end or edge facing the handle 1. The part of the secondary bristle holder 13 facing the main bristle holder 10 can be swung up and down according to the arrow 26, so that the bristles of the secondary bristle field 8 perform a pricking movement.

In order to drive the secondary bristle support 13 into oscillation about the pivot axis 25, a contact surface or sliding surface 27 is provided as a drive connection on the underside thereof, via which drive connection the secondary bristle support rests on the driver 15, which driver 15 also drives the main bristle support 10. Figure 6 is a partial perspective view of the toothbrush head of figure 5 in another viewing orientation showing the drive mechanism for the two bristle carriers, and in particular the coupling of the rear secondary bristle carrier to the shifter lever. As shown in fig. 6, the engagement surface or sliding surface 27 is formed by the end surface of an elongated tappet or projection 28 extending perpendicularly to the longitudinal direction of the toothbrush and projecting in the direction of a driver 50. The surface of the tappet 28 is substantially flat. The oscillating endless shifting element 50 is moved transversely over the sliding surface 27, wherein the vertical component of the endless crank movement is transmitted to the tappet or projection 28 and causes the secondary bristle support 13 to oscillate up and down, while the brushing reaction forces acting on the secondary bristle area keep the sliding surface 27 in engagement with the shifting element 50. The secondary bristle holder can be pretensioned if necessary, for example by means of a spring which presses the secondary bristle holder against the toggle lever 50. Alternatively, the sliding surface 27 may be replaced by a channel-shaped transverse recess in the corresponding region of the secondary bristle holder 13, in which recess the shift lever 50 is located, so that the shift lever presses upwards and actively pulls the secondary bristle holder downwards. This transverse slot corresponds to the configuration of the two parallel sliding surfaces 27, between which the driver 50 is located.

Figure 7 is a partial perspective view of a toothbrush head with two movably disposed bristle carriers according to an alternative embodiment of the invention, wherein the rear secondary bristle carrier is disposed substantially in a neutral position so as to be capable of oscillating about a transverse axis. Figure 8 is a partial perspective view of the toothbrush head of figure 7 in another elevational view showing the drive mechanism for the two bristle carriers, and in particular the coupling of the rear secondary bristle carrier to the shifter lever. Referring to Figs. 7 and 8, the secondary bristle holder 13 may also be seesawingly supported about a transversely extending pivot axis 29 at about a central location. As in the previously described embodiment, the pivot axis 29 extends perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the toothbrush approximately in the plane defined by the secondary bristle holder 13 or in a plane parallel thereto, so that the portion of the secondary bristle holder 13 facing the main bristle holder 10 and the portion of the secondary bristle holder 13 facing the handle portion 1 are pivoted in opposite directions upwards and downwards. The drive connection of the secondary bristle support can be formed, as in the embodiment described above with reference to fig. 5 and 6, by a sliding surface 27 provided on the tappet 28, which sliding surface 27 slides on the shift lever 50. Since in this embodiment the toothbrush reaction forces act on both sides of the pivot axis 29, the secondary bristle support can be held in engagement with the driver 50 by means of a pretensioning device. If necessary, the above-described positive guide by means of a transverse groove can be used, in which the driver is located.

Fig. 9 is a partial perspective view of a toothbrush head with two movably mounted bristle carriers according to an alternative embodiment of the invention, wherein the rear secondary bristle carrier is mounted so as to be movable up and down about an axis of translational movement substantially parallel to the main direction of the bristles. Figure 10 is a partial perspective view of the toothbrush head of figure 9 in another elevational view showing the drive mechanism for the two bristle carriers, and in particular the coupling of the rear secondary bristle carrier to the shifter lever. According to fig. 9 and 10, the secondary bristle holder 13 can also be guided in translation on the toothbrush head holder 11. As shown in fig. 9, the secondary bristle holder 13 is guided along two axes of motion 30 that extend substantially perpendicular to the plane defined by the secondary bristle holder. The displacement guide can be formed, for example, by a cylindrical bolt guide known per se. The movement guide shaft 30 may be provided in front and rear edge portions of the sub bristle holder 13 on a longitudinal center plane of the toothbrush, as shown in fig. 9. Corresponding to the translational mobility of the secondary bristle support 13, it can be moved up and down in order to perform a pricking movement of the secondary bristle field 8 on the secondary bristle support 13.

The lifting movement of the secondary bristle support 13 is also generated here by a coupling with an eccentric cam 50. As shown in fig. 10, a sliding surface 27 perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the toothbrush can be provided under the sub-bristle holder 13, and the sliding surface 27 is formed by the surface of the tappet 28 protruding in the direction of the lever 50. More usefully, the tappet 28 is disposed or centered approximately midway below the secondary bristle field and centered between the axes of motion 30 to produce uniform force distribution and skew-free motion. The brushing reaction force acting on the secondary bristle field 8 keeps the sliding surface 27 in engagement with the driver 50.

Figures 11 and 12 show another possible support structure for the secondary bristle holder 13. Fig. 11 is a partial perspective view of a toothbrush head with two movably arranged bristle carriers according to another embodiment of the invention, wherein the rear secondary bristle carrier is arranged to be reciprocatable about a translational axis of movement perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the toothbrush and perpendicular to the main direction of the bristles. Figure 12 is a partial perspective view of the toothbrush head of figure 11 showing the drive mechanism for the two bristle carriers, and in particular the coupling of the rear secondary bristle carrier to the shifter lever. The secondary bristle holder 13 is here still supported translationally on the head holder 11 and follows two parallel displacement guide shafts 31, which guide shafts 31 extend perpendicularly to the longitudinal direction of the toothbrush in the plane defined by the secondary bristle holder 13. As shown in fig. 11, the end of the sub bristle holder 13 facing the handle 1 and the end facing the main bristle holder 10 are supported by the above-described movement guide. In this case, the sub-bristle holder 13 can undergo lateral reciprocating movement in the lateral direction, as indicated by the arrow 32.

In this case, the translatory oscillatory driving movement of the secondary bristle holder 13 is also produced by the shift lever 50. As shown in FIG. 12, the secondary bristle holder 13 rests on the shifter lever 15 by means of a lateral guide 33. Similar to the embodiment of figures 2 and 3, the lateral guide 33 is defined by two parallel cylindrical projections 23 and 24, the two projections 23 and 24 defining a gap or longitudinal recess 22 therebetween and extending substantially perpendicular to the plane of the secondary bristle holder 13. The toggle 50 is free to slide up and down vertically, i.e. in the longitudinal symmetry plane of the toothbrush, between the two bosses 23 and 24. However, in a plane perpendicular thereto, i.e., in a plane parallel to the two translational guide shafts 31, the driving motion of the shift lever 50 is transmitted to cause the sub-bristle holder 13 to oscillate reciprocally in the direction of the translational guide shafts 31.

Fig. 13 shows a preferred bristle arrangement for the two bristle supports 10 and 13. It will be apparent that in the case of each of the above-described secondary bristle holder embodiments or their supporting structures, a bristle arrangement according to fig. 13 may be provided.

The main bristle field 9, which can be driven in a rotating oscillation, is overall approximately cylindrical in contour and is formed by a plurality of bristle bundles inclined in different directions and having different heights and different cross sections.

As shown in fig. 13, the central first bristle bundle 38 is centrally disposed about the rotational axis of the main bristle holder. Which extends perpendicular to the plane defined by the bristle holder 10 and has an approximately circular or slightly oval cross-section. Four first bristle tufts 38 are provided. They are arranged centrally around the axis of rotation 19. Adjacent to the first bristle tuft 38 is a second bristle tuft 39, the bristle tuft 39 being located on the longitudinal central axis of the toothbrush and longitudinally forward or rearward of the first bristle tuft 38 when the bristle holder 10 is not rotated. As shown in figure 13, second bristle bundle 39 has an oval cross-section with its longitudinal axis perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the toothbrush. The second bristle bundles 39 are likewise arranged perpendicularly to the plane defined by the bristle support 10. Which is spaced from the rotational axis 19 a greater distance than the first bristle tufts 38. The ratio of the profile length to the profile width is about two.

The other bristle bundles of the driven bristle field are arranged obliquely and inclined in different directions. The fourth bristle tuft 40 is located radially outwardly of the first bristle tuft 38, or on the second bristle tuft ring, has an approximately circular cross section and is inclined radially outwardly, i.e. its free working end is at a greater distance from the bristle carrier rotation axis than its fixed part which is fixed to the bristle carrier 10. The inclination is acute and less than 20 °.

Third bristle tuft 41 is likewise angled radially outward. But they have an oval profile or an elongated cross section, wherein the longitudinal axis of the cross section is oriented radially. The third tuft cross-section is two to three times as long as it is wide. A third tuft 41 is adjacent to first tuft 38 radially outwardly thereof and is located on the symmetry axis of the bristle field perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the toothbrush.

The remaining bristle bundles of the bristle field 9 are likewise arranged obliquely, but they are inclined in the tangential direction about the axis of rotation 12. They constitute the outer edge or ring of the bristle field 9.

The fifth bristle bundle 42 has an oval profile or elongated cross-section which is oriented tangentially with respect to the edge of the bristle holder 10. In cross section, the bristle bundles 42 are about two to three times as long as they are wide. As shown in fig. 1, the fifth bristle bundles 42 are arranged in pairs in the region of the longitudinal axis of the toothbrush when the bristle field 9 is not rotated. They are inclined relative to one another in pairs such that their free working ends are closer together than their fixed portions anchored in the bristle carrier 10.

Finally, a sixth bristle bundle 43 is present, which is likewise located on the outer edge of the bristle field and is inclined tangentially about the axis of rotation 12. But they have an approximately circular cross-section and are arranged in pairs on either side of the third bristle tuft 41, again with an opposite inclination to the third bristle tuft 41. The angle of inclination of the tangentially inclined outer bristle bundles 43 and 42 is likewise acute, preferably at an angle of less than 20 ° to a perpendicular through the plane defined by the bristle holder 10.

As shown in fig. 2 and 13, the tufts of bristles disposed on the movable bristle holder 10 have two lengths. The longitudinally forwardmost and rearwardmost outer fifth bristle tufts 42 are longer than the remaining bristle tufts, with their free ends all in one plane. The free ends of the fifth bristle bundle 42 define a plane. The height difference between the bristle tufts is in the range of 0.5mm to 2.5mm, preferably about 1.0mm to 1.5 mm.

The bristle tufts of the secondary bristle field 8 likewise have a different cross section with respect to contour and surface and are furthermore likewise inclined in different directions. As described below, bristle tufts of different lengths are also provided.

As shown in fig. 1, roughly three rows of bristle tufts are arranged in the secondary bristle field 8, which all extend approximately in the longitudinal direction of the toothbrush. The middle row is located at the longitudinal centerline of the secondary bristle holder 13, while the outer two rows are spaced laterally therefrom.

In the middle bristle row, all bristle bundles are inclined in the direction of the main bristle field. The bristle tufts have different cross-sectional areas. The first bristle tuft 44 of the fixed bristle field 8 has an oval cross section with a longitudinal axis which is approximately twice as large as its transverse axis and is closer to the main bristle field 9 in the middle row than the bristle tuft 45, which is referred to below as the fourth bristle tuft, wherein the bristle tuft 45 is likewise inclined rearwardly in the direction of the handle. The fourth bristle bundle 45 has a circular or, if necessary, slightly oval cross-section, but is much thinner and also of small cross-sectional area compared to the first bristle bundle 44.

As shown in FIG. 1, the two outer rows of bristle tufts, which are fixed to the bristle field 8, converge slightly toward the hand-held portion and consist of the second, third, fifth and sixth bristle tufts. The second bristle bundle 46 has an oval cross-section with a thinner profile. The longitudinal axis of the elongated cross-sectional profile is about three times the width of the cross-sectional profile. Third bristle tuft 47 has an approximately circular cross-section with a cross-sectional diameter that is approximately one-half the longitudinal axis of the cross-section of second bristle tuft 46. The third bristle tuft is inclined outwardly from the longitudinal center plane. Fifth bristle bundle 57 is closest to the hand-held portion and has substantially the same cross-section as second bristle bundle 46, but is inclined inwardly in the direction of the longitudinal central plane (see fig. 1). In contrast, the remaining bristle bundles of the outer row are not inclined. Sixth bristle tuft 58 is the thickest bristle tuft and is closest to the main bristle field 9 in the outer row. The longitudinal axis of the elongate cross-section is slightly inclined to the perpendicular with respect to the longitudinal central plane.

As shown in fig. 1, the outer two rows of tufts are spaced differently from the longitudinal central axis of the head 2. The distance from the longitudinal centre axis decreases in the direction of the hand-held part 1. Bristle bundles 47 are still arranged in a row with a contour at least partially located approximately behind the contour of the bristle bundles of the next row.

As shown in fig. 2, the bristle tufts of the sub-bristle field 8 define two working planes. The third and thicker elliptical tufts 47, 58 in the outer row, and the thicker and thicker first and circular tufts 44, 45 in the middle row, are shorter and define with their free working ends a lower plane which coincides with the plane defined by the first, second, third and fourth and sixth tufts of the main bristle field 9. In contrast, the higher second plane is defined by the longer elongated oval bristle bundles 46 and 57 in the outer two rows. This higher plane coincides with the plane defined by the longer fifth bristle tufts of the main bristle field 9. Therefore, the thinner oval bristle bundles are longer than the thicker bristle bundles in the sub-bristle field 8.

Unlike the main bristle field 9, the secondary bristle field 8 is not a circular profile, but rather an overall elongated profile which surrounds the bristle field 9 at its end facing the rotating bristle field 9.

Claims (22)

1. A brush head for an electric toothbrush, comprising a handle part with a drive, which has a brush head carrier (11) that can be connected to the handle part and a plurality of bristle carriers (10, 13) having bristle fields (9, 8), wherein the bristle carriers (10, 13) are movably arranged on the brush head carrier (11) and can be driven into oscillation by the drive, wherein the bristle carriers (10, 13) can be coupled to a transmission element (14) of the drive, wherein the transmission element (14) can be driven into rotation about a longitudinal axis (60), characterized in that a main bristle carrier (10) is located at the end of the brush head carrier (11) remote from the handle part and a secondary bristle carrier (13) is arranged adjacent to the handle part, wherein the main bristle carrier (10) has a first drive coupling (18, 51) that enables it to be coupled to the transmission element (14) and rotates about a rotational axis (12), the axis of rotation (12) is essentially perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the toothbrush and/or essentially parallel to the main bristle direction of the bristle field (9) arranged on the main bristle support (10); and wherein the secondary bristle support (13) has a second drive coupling (21) which enables it to be coupled to the drive member (14), and the secondary bristle support (13) is mounted in an oscillating manner about an oscillation axis (19, 25, 29) which is arranged essentially perpendicularly to the longitudinal direction of the toothbrush.

2. A toothbrush head according to claim 1, wherein the drive coupling means (18, 50, 51; 21) of the bristle supports (10, 13) are constructed such that they can be coupled to a common driver pin (51), which driver pin (51) moves in a cylindrical or conical path relative to the axis of rotation of the drive member.

3. A toothbrush head according to claim 1 in which the drive coupling mechanisms (18, 50, 51; 21) of the bristle carriers (10, 13) are constructed so that they can be coupled to a common driver pin (51), which driver pin (51) can be driven to oscillate on a part-cylindrical or part-conical part-track relative to the axis of rotation of the drive member.

4. A toothbrush head according to one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the transmission element (14) is rotatably mounted on the toothbrush head carrier (11) about its longitudinal axis in the toothbrush head carrier (11) and has a coupling section (1) at its end facing the handle part for the rotationally fixed coupling to the drive element on the handle part side.

5. A toothbrush head according to any one of claims 1 to 3 wherein the bristle carriers (10, 13) each have an axis of movement (12; 19, 25, 29, 30, 31) which is perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the toothbrush.

6. A toothbrush head according to one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the pivot axis (19) of the secondary bristle holder (13) is substantially parallel to the main bristle direction of the secondary bristle field (8) arranged on the secondary bristle holder (13) and/or substantially perpendicular to the plane defined by the secondary bristle holder (13).

7. A toothbrush head according to claim 1 wherein the pivot axes (25, 29) of the secondary bristle holder (13) are substantially parallel to the plane defined by the secondary bristle holder (13).

8. A toothbrush head according to one of claims 1 to 3, wherein a secondary bristle holder (13), in particular a bristle holder arranged adjacent to the handle, is supported translatably along an axis of movement (30, 31), in particular perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the toothbrush.

9. A toothbrush head according to claim 8, wherein the axis of movement (30) is substantially parallel to the main bristle direction of the secondary bristle field (8) provided on the secondary bristle support (13) and/or substantially perpendicular to the plane defined by the secondary bristle support.

10. A toothbrush head according to claim 8 in which the axis of movement (31) is perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the toothbrush and approximately parallel to the plane defined by the secondary bristle support (13).

11. A toothbrush head according to one of claims 1 to 3 wherein the secondary bristle holder (13) has a hinged connection as the drive link (21), the hinged connection being configured for hinged movement about a hinge axis perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the toothbrush.

12. A toothbrush head according to one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the drive coupling between the secondary bristle holder (13) and the toggle member (50) of the transmission member (14) has a degree of translational freedom, in particular allowing translational movement in a direction perpendicular to the axis of rotation of the transmission member, wherein the toggle member (50) is preferably guided in a longitudinally slotted groove (22) of the secondary bristle holder (13).

13. A toothbrush head according to claim 12, wherein the secondary bristle support (13) has a sliding surface (27) as the drive connection (21), the sliding surface (27) extending perpendicularly to the longitudinal direction of the toothbrush and the driver (50) sliding on the sliding surface (27), wherein a pretensioning device is preferably provided, which keeps the sliding surface (27) in engagement with the driver (50).

14. A toothbrush head according to one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the drive coupling (21) of at least one of the bristle supports is constructed such that only forces and movements perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the toothbrush are transmitted, wherein the drive coupling (18, 51; 21) is preferably constructed to move freely in a plane containing the longitudinal direction and to transmit forces in a plane perpendicular thereto.

15. A toothbrush head according to one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the drive coupling (18, 51) of at least one of the bristle supports (10) is designed in such a way that forces and movements perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the toothbrush and forces in the longitudinal direction of the toothbrush are transmitted, wherein the corresponding driver (50) on the transmission element (14) is mounted movably in the longitudinal direction of the toothbrush, preferably elastically pretensioned.

16. A toothbrush head according to one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the drive coupling (18; 23, 24) is arranged directly and/or rigidly on the bristle support (10, 13) and engages in a direct form-fitting manner with the respective driver (50) fixed on the drive element (14) without intermediate inserts, such as tie rods and the like.

17. A toothbrush head according to one of claims 1 to 3 wherein the transmission element has an eccentric bearing bore, preferably constructed as a plastic injection-molded part, and the lever (50) is formed by a pin, preferably a metal pin (50), which is received in the bearing bore so as to be longitudinally movable and rotatable about its longitudinal axis.

18. A toothbrush head according to claim 17 wherein a pretensioning mechanism (52), in particular a spring device (52), is provided to pretension the transmission element or the lever (50) fixed thereto against at least one of the bristle supports (10).

19. A toothbrush head according to one of claims 1 to 3 which has a detachable fastening mechanism (61) for fastening to the hand-held part and the toothbrush head holder (11) together with the bristle holders (10, 13) can be removed from or fitted onto the hand-held part, wherein the transmission element (14) has a detachable rotary coupling (1), which rotary coupling (1) runs in line with or engages with the drive element on the hand-held part side when the toothbrush head is fitted onto the hand-held part.

20. A toothbrush head according to any one of claims 1 to 3 wherein at least one of the bristle supports (10, 13) is provided with tufts of bristles which have bristles which are inclined in different directions, have different cross-sections, have different lengths and/or have different stiffnesses.

21. A toothbrush head according to claim 20 wherein each bristle holder (10, 13) has tufts of bristles angled in different directions and the tufts of bristles angled in different directions have different cross-sections.

22. A toothbrush with a toothbrush head according to any one of the preceding claims.