Toothbrush

US4698869A · kind A · utility

Assignee

• Blendax-Werke R. Schneider GmbH & Co. · DE

Inventors

• Hans-Dieter Mierau · Würzburg, DE
• Thomas Spindler · Würzburg, DE

Key dates

• Filing date: Apr 12, 1985
• Grant date: Oct 13, 1987
• Expiry date: Apr 12, 2005

Classification

• Technology area (CPC A): Human Necessities
• CPC primary: A61C2204/002
• WIPO field: Medical technology
• WIPO sector: Instruments

Abstract

An electrically operated toothbrush comprises a housing with an electromotor inside the housing. The motor includes a rotatable shaft, means converting the rotary movement of the rotary shaft to an oscillatory movement of a brush support shaft which extends through the housing, and a toothbrush is attached to the free end of the support shaft outside of the housing. Sensing structure generates an impulse representative of the pressure exerted on the toothbrush during toothbrushing. A microprocessor or electronic device receives the impulses from the sensing structure during toothbrushing and compares those impulses with stored information representative of a predetermined optimum pressure range for toothbrushing. A signal transmittor releases a signal perceptible by the user of the toothbrush when the pressure on the toothbrush exceeds the predetermined optimum pressure range.