CA2634853A1

CA2634853A1 - Toothbrush

Info

Publication number: CA2634853A1
Application number: CA002634853A
Authority: CA
Inventors: Alexander Landfester; Manfred Klawuhn
Original assignee: Braun Gmbh; Alexander Landfester; Manfred Klawuhn
Current assignee: Braun GmbH
Priority date: 2005-12-22
Filing date: 2006-12-13
Publication date: 2007-07-19
Also published as: US20090000048A1; EP1962637A1; CN101346076A; EP1962637B1; WO2007079884A1; CN101346076B; JP2009520534A; DE102005061491A1

Abstract

The invention relates to a preferably electric toothbrush comprising a handpiece and a detachable toothbrush head. In particular, the invention relates to the toothbrush head of the toothbrush, which head comprises a bristle field and a coupling device for coupling it to the handpiece of the toothbrush. A line for supplying a pasty, gel-type and/or liquid substance to be applied, especially toothpaste, is provided on the toothbrush head. The coupling device has a line coupling for coupling the line to a line section on the handpiece. The invention also relates to the handpiece of such a toothbrush, comprising a coupling device for coupling it to the toothbrush head. The handpiece also has a line for supplying a pasty, gel-type and/or liquid substance to be applied, especially toothpaste. The coupling device has a line coupling for coupling the line on the handpiece side to the line on the brush head side. The line coupling comprises a control valve which is opened by the action of a valve actuator when the toothbrush head is coupled to the handpiece of the toothbrush and which links a line section on the handpiece side to a line section on the brush head side and closes the line when the brush head is decoupled from the handpiece.

Description

Toothbrush This invention relates to a preferably electric toothbrush having a handpiece and a detachable toothbrush head. In this context, the present invention relates on the one hand to the toothbrush head of the toothbrush, which head has a set of bristles and a coupling device for coupling it to a handpiece of the toothbrush, with provision being made on the toothbrush head for a{ine for supplying a pasty, gel-type and/or liquid substance to be applied, in particular toothpaste, and said coupling device having a line coupling for coupling the line to a tine section on the handpiece side. On the other hand, this invention relates also to the handpiece of such a toothbrush with a coupling device for coupting the toothbrush head thereto, said handpiece including equally a line for supplying a pasty, gel-type and/or liquid substance to be applied, in particular toothpaste, and said coupling device having a line coupling for coupling the line on the handpiece side to the line on the brush head side.

From DE 197 29 516 there is known a manual toothbrush in which tooth-paste can be supplied from a reservoir in the handpiece to a set of bristles on the toothbrush head through a line provided in the interior of a detachable toothbrush head. In electric toothbrushes the space available in the toothbrush head is very limited since it serves at the same time to accommodate the drive train for transmit-ting the drive motion to the brush head. The toothpaste line and in particular its associated line coupling have to be built to very small dimensions to enable them to be accommodated in the toothbrush head. In addition, the brush heads of electric toothbrushes are exchanged frequently, for example, when a handpiece has several users, where each user plugs his or her attachment brush onto the handpiece and removes it again. Any toothpaste remaining in the detached toothbrush head, meaning in the line provided thereon, may dry up, resulting in a clogged line.

With this in mind, it is therefore an object of the present invention to provide an improved toothbrush, an improved toothbrush head and an improved handpiece of such a toothbrush, which avoid the disadvantages of the prior art and cJevelop the latter further in advantageous manner. Preferably, the object is to provide a simple, small-size line coupling which prevents toothpaste in the line from drying up.

According to the present invention, this object is accomplished by a toothbrush head according to claim 1, a toothbrush handpiece according to claim 14, and a toothbrush according to claim 27. Preferred embodiments of the invention are the subject matter of the dependent claims.

Accordingly, it is proposed configuring the line coupling which connects the line on the handpiece side with the line on the brush head side for supplying the substance to be applied in such a way that the line cross-section is automatically closed when the toothbrush head is disengaged from the handpiece and is auto-matically opened on re-engagement. To accomplish this, according to the invention the line coupling comprises a control valve which opens automatically by engage-ment of a valve actuator when the brush head is coupled to the handpiece of the toothbrush, and which connects a line section on the handpiece side with a line sec-tion on the brush head side, and which closes the line automatically on decoupling from the handpiece. In this arrangement, the control valve may be generally pro-vided either on the toothbrush head or on the handpiece, with the valve actuator being arranged on the respective other toothbrush portion. A control valve arranged on the toothbrush head is opened by a valve actuator provided on the handpiece, while a control valve arranged on the handpiece is opened by a valve actuator provided on the toothbrush head.

The valve actuator function may be performed in particular by the respective line end to be connected. When the control valve is brought into engagement with the line section to be coupled on coupling of the toothbrush head to the handpiece, this will cause the control valve to be opened.

In a further development of the invention, the control valve may include an elastic valve opener which is elastically deformable and actuatable by the line end to be coupled. When the control valve or its elastic valve opener portion is brought into engagement with the end portion of the line to be coupled on coupling the toothbrush head to the handpiece, the valve opener deforms elastically, thereby opening the valve. Conversely, when the toothbrush head is detached from the handpiece of the toothbrush, thereby causing the coupled line end to become dis-engaged from the valve opener, the latter returns, on account of its elasticity, auto-matically to its initial position, whereby the valve becomes closed again.

Advantageously, the valve opener forms at the same time a coupling section through which the line section to be coupled is adapted to be brought into fluid communication with the line section connected with the control valve in fluid-or medium-tight manner. This lends the valve opener a dual function. On the one hand, it serves to open the control valve during coupling and decoupling. On the other hand, it ensures the fluid-tight connection with the line to be coupled.

The valve opener may in particular form a neck which is adapted to be slid onto the end of the line to be coupled when the toothbrush head is coupled to the handpiece. In this arrangement, the inside diameter of the neck is advantageously smaller than the outside diameter of the line end to be inserted, which causes the neck to expand radially when it is slid onto the line end to be coupled. This elastic expanding motion is translated by the control valve into an opening motion of the valve cross-section.

In order to accomplish accurate opening and closing of the valve, provision may be made for at least one sealing lip which forms the bottom of the above-mentioned neck and is connected therewith, so that it opens on expansion of the neck and closes the valve passageway again on contraction of the neck. In this arrangement, said sealing lip is in particular integrally formed on the peripheral inner wall of the neck and protrudes therefrom inwardly into the interior of the valve pas-sageway, so that it can move through the valve on expansion of the neck in a direc-tion transverse to the direction of flow.

According to a particularly advantageous embodiment of the invention, said sealing lip for opening and closing the valve passageway may be formed by an elastic cross bar or an elastic partition wall which sits in the valve passageway of the control valve and is connected with the valve passageway wall annularly circumfer-entially and includes preferably approximately centrally a preferably approximately slot-shaped valve opening whose edges form sealing lips sitting fluid-tight one on top of the other or side-by-side in the non-open state of the control valve.
When said neck and hence the valve passageway are expanded, the elastic partition wall is pulled apart radially on its edges because of its connection with the wall of the valve passageway, as a result of which the valve lips move apart, causing the slot-shaped valve opening to open and become larger.

In order to make opening of the sealing lips easier, in a further development of the invention the cross-section of the valve body may be tapered in the area of the partition wall. In particular, the control valve may have on its outer periphery in the area of the partition wall a constriction which facilitates the expansion of the neck adjoining the constriction and hence the pulling apart of the sealing lips. In addition, the expansion of the neck is, so to speak, decoupled from the valve section arranged on the opposite side of the sealing lips, that is, only the neck with the sealing lips connected therewith is expanded, whilst the remaining part of the valve is not expanded or at least only insignificantly.

The control valve may be fixedly connected with the section of the line to which the control valve is assigned by a connecting section. In this arrangement, the connecting section of the control valve may be configured in such a way that it can be plugged onto or into the corresponding line. Advantageously, the connecting section has a circumferential bead seal enabling a fluid-tight sealing of the control valve relative to the respective line or the wall sections bounding said valve.

The control valve may be built to comprise several parts and include compo-nents made of various materials. In a further development of the invention, how-ever, the control valve is formed as a one-piece construction and is comprised of a fully elastic valve body of soft plastics, where applicable, also of rubber or a rubber-like material.

The present invention will be explained in the following with reference to an embodiment for an electric toothbrush illustrated in the accompanying drawings. In the drawings, FIG. 1 is an overall perspective view of an electric toothbrush having a line for the supply of toothpaste to the toothbrush head;

FIG. 2 is a perspective sectional view of a control valve in closed condition;
and FIG. 3 is a perspective sectional view of the control valve of FIG. 2 in open condition.

The toothbrush shown in FIG. 1 comprises a handpiece 1 and a toothbrush head 2 which sits on a brush tube 3 forming a frontal end of the handpiece I
or be-ing connected therewith. The handpiece 1 is formed by a toothbrush housing 4 which accommodates single-use or rechargeable batteries and a drive motor which can be switched on and off by means of a switch 6 arranged on the outside surface of the housing 4. Further received in the handpiece 1 is a toothpaste reservoir from which a supply of toothpaste can be fed to the brush head 2 through a line 7a pro-vided inside the brush tube 3, either by manual means or by motor means, for example, by a pump driven by the drive motor 5.

The toothbrush head 2 has a drivable set of bristles 9 which is adapted to be driven by the drive motor in an oscillatory rotational motion through a drive train, not shown in greater detail, which is received in the interior of the brush tube 3.

As FIG. 1 shows, the toothbrush head 2 can be detached from the handpiece 1 at a parting line 8. The detachable connection between the toothbrush head 2 and the handpiece 1 is accomplished by a coupling device 10. The parting line 8 may also be provided between the brush tube 3 and the toothbrush housing 4, i.e., the brush tube 3 and the toothbrush head 2 may be integrally made of one piece.

The line 7 for supplying the toothpaste continues beyond the parting line 8, with a fluid or line coupling 11 being inserted in the line 7, which coupling is part of the coupling device 10 and couples the section 7a of the line 7 on the handpiece side to the section 7b of the line 7 on the brush head side when the toothbrush head 2 is attached to the handpiece 1, while enabling on the other hand the two line sections 7a and 7b to be separated from each other when the toothbrush head 2 is detached.

In this configuration, the line coupling 11 comprises the control valve 12 shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, which in the embodiment shown is fixedly connected with the section 7b of the line 7 on the brush head side and is detachably connectible with the section 7a of the line 7 on the handpiece side. It will be understood, how-ever, that such a control valve 12 may also be mounted on the section 7a of the line 7 on the handpiece side.

The control valve 12 is comprised of a single-piece, fully elastic valve body 13 which in the embodiment shown is constructed to be essentially rotationally symmetrical about a valve longitudinal axis 14. As FIGS. 2 and 3 show, formed in the valve body 13 is a valve passageway 15 which may be closed and opened by an equally elastic control member 17. Serving as control member 17 is a diaphragm, meaning an elastic transverse wall 18 of an essentially disk- or plate-shaped con-figuration which extends substantially radially. The transverse wall 18 is integrally formed on the inner wall of the valve passageway 15 in an annular circumferential fashion, forming, so to speak, a partition wall which divides the valve passageway 15 into the valve passageway sections 15a and 15b lying coaxially one behind the other.

Provided in the transverse wall 18 is a slot-shaped valve passageway open-ing 19 so that the adjoining sections of the transverse wall 18 form sealing lips 16 which, in the closed condition of the valve according to FIG. 2, rest against one an-other, thereby closing the valve passageway opening 19.

As FIG. 2 shows, the valve body 13 has in the area of the sealing lips 16 on its outer circumference a constriction 20 where the outside diameter of the valve body 13 is reduced and the wall thickness of the valve body 13 is also reduced rela-tive to the axially adjoining sections. This makes it easier for the sealing lips 16 to open.

The entire valve body 13 in the area of the valve passageway section 15a is radially expansible. The valve passageway section 15a forms a neck into which the line section 7a on the handpiece side is insertable. In this arrangement, the inside diameter of the approximately cylindrical valve body section 13a, which surrounds and defines said valve passageway section 15a, is constructed to be somewhat smaller than the outside diameter of the line section 7a to be inserted into the valve passageway section 15a. When the toothbrush head 2 is attached to the handpiece 1 by means of the coupling device 10, the line section 7a is inserted into the under-size valve passageway section 15a, causing the valve body section 13a to expand, as shown in FIG. 3. The expansion of the valve body section 13a also pulls the par-tition wall 18 radially apart, whereby the sealing lips 16 open and the valve pas-sageway opening 19 between the sealing lips 16 is formed, as shown in FIG. 3.

Insofar, said valve body section 13a forms the valve opener by means of which the control valve 12, more accurately speaking, its elastic sealing lips 16 can be opened. At the same time, said valve body section 13a forms a coupling section by means of which the control valve 12 is detachably connectible with the line sec-tion 7a to be coupled.

As FIGS. 2 and 3 show, said valve body section 13a extends in the embodi-ment shown from the constriction 20 to the one end of the valve body 13 and is of an essentially cylindrical configuration, with a flange-shaped, radial edge rib being formed at the frontal end of the valve body section 13a, which rib may serve as seal.

The opposite valve passageway section 15b lying on the other side of the sealing lips 16 is likewise embraced by an essentially cylindrical valve body section 13b which also has at its frontai end a radially outwardly directed bead seal 22. In this configuration, the valve body section 13b serves to connect the control valve 12 with the line section 7b on the brush head side on which the control valve 12 may be mounted.

Owing to the freely selectable geometry of the valve body 13, in particular of its valve body sections 13a and 13b, it is possible to accomplish an optimal sealing function relative to the brush tube 3 and the brush head 2, respectively. The actual switching function of the valve lies in the area of the sealing lips 16 and the diameter of the neck 15a. When the toothbrush head 2 is coupled to the handpiece 1, the line section 7a on the handpiece side is introduced into said neck 15a, causing the sealing lips 16 to open and enabling the application substance, in particular the toothpaste, to flow through unhindered. Conversely, when the toothbrush head 2 is detached from the handpiece 1, said line section 7a is retracted from the neck 15a, causing the sealing lips 16 to close and preventing the toothpaste from drying out.

Claims

1. A toothbrush head which is detachable from a handpiece of a toothbrush, with a set of bristles (9) and a coupling device (10) for coupling it to the handpiece (1) of the toothbrush, with provision being made on the toothbrush head (2) for a line (7b) for supplying a pasty, gel-type and/or liquid substance to be applied, in particular toothpaste, and said coupling device (10) having a line coupling (11) for coupling the line (7b) to a line (7a) on the handpiece side, characterized in that the line coupling (11) comprises a control valve (12) which opens by engage-ment of a valve actuator (7a) provided on the handpiece (1) when the brush head (2) is coupled to the handpiece (1) of the toothbrush, and which connects a line sec-tion (7a) on the handpiece side with a line section (7b) on the brush head side, and which closes the line (7b) on decoupling from the handpiece (1).

2. The toothbrush head according to the preceding claim wherein the control valve (12) includes a valve body (13) with a valve passageway (15) extend-ing therethrough in which provision is made for an elastic partition wall (18) with an elastically closing valve passageway opening (19).

3. The toothbrush head according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the control valve (12) includes an elastic valve opener (13a, 15a) which is elastically deformable and actuatable by an end of the line (7a) on the handpiece side.

4. The toothbrush head according to the preceding claim wherein the valve opener (13a, 15a) forms a coupling section for coupling of the line (7a) on the handpiece side thereto.

5. The toothbrush head according to any one of the two preceding claims wherein the valve opener (13a, 15a) forms a neck which is elastically expan-sible radially by insertion of the line (7a) on the handpiece side.

6. The toothbrush head according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the control valve (12) includes at least one elastic sealing lip (16) which is actuatable by the valve actuator (7a) on the handpiece side.

7. The toothbrush head according to the two preceding claims wherein the at least one sealing lip (16) forms a bottom of the neck (1 5a).

8. The toothbrush head according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the at least one sealing lip (16) is connected with the valve opener (13a, 15a) in such a way that the sealing lip (16) opens by radial expansion of the valve opener (13a, 15a).

9. The toothbrush head according to any one of the preceding claims, in combination with claim 2, wherein the at least one sealing lip is formed by the elastic partition wall (18), said partition wall (18) preferably having an approximately cen-trally arranged and/or slot-shaped valve passageway opening (19).

10. The toothbrush head according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the control valve (12) has a constriction (20) on its outer periphery in the area of the at least one sealing lip (16).

11. The toothbrush head according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the control valve (12) is formed as a one-piece construction and/or is com-prised of a solid elastic body, preferably of soft plastics and/or rubber.

12. The toothbrush head according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the control valve (12) has a connecting section (15b) adapted to be plugged onto and/or into the line (7b) on the brush head side.

13. The toothbrush head according to the preceding claim wherein the connecting section (15b) has a circumferential bead seal (22).

14. A handpiece of a toothbrush having a coupling device (10) for coupling it to a toothbrush head (2) mounting a set of bristles (9), with a line (7a) for supplying a pasty, gel-type and/or liquid substance to be applied, in particular tooth-paste, to the toothbrush head (2), said coupling device (10) having a line coupling (11) for coupling the line (7a) to a line (7b) on the brush head side for supplying the substance to be applied, characterized in that the line coupling (11) comprises a control valve (12) which opens by engagement of a valve actuator (7a) provided on the toothbrush head (2) when the brush head (2) is coupled to the handpiece (1) of the toothbrush, and which connects a line section (7a) on the handpiece side with a line section (7b) on the brush head side, and which closes the line (7a) on decoup-ling from the handpiece (1).

15. The handpiece according to the preceding claim wherein the control valve (12) includes a valve body (13) with a valve passageway (15) extending there-through in which provision is made for an elastic partition wall (18) with an elastically closing valve passageway opening (19).

16. The handpiece according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the control valve (12) includes an elastic valve opener (13a, 15a) which is elastically deformable and actuatable by an end of the line (7b) on the handpiece side.

17. The handpiece according to the preceding claim wherein the valve opener (13a, 15a) forms a coupling section for coupling of the line (7b) on the brush head side thereto.

18. The handpiece according to any one of the two preceding claims wherein the valve opener (13a, 15a) forms a neck which is elastically expansible radially by insertion of the line end (7b) on the brush head side.

19. The handpiece according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the control valve (12) includes at least one elastic sealing lip (16) which is actuatable by the valve actuator (7b) on the brush head side.

20. The handpiece according to the two preceding claims wherein the at least one sealing lip (16) forms a bottom of the neck (15a).

21. The handpiece according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the at least one sealing lip (16) is connected with the valve opener (13a, 15a) in such a way that the sealing lip (16) opens by radial expansion of the valve opener (13a, 15a).

22. The handpiece according to any one of the preceding claims, in combination with claim 15, wherein the at least one sealing lip is formed by the elas-tic partition wall (18), said partition wall (18) preferably having an approximately centrally arranged and/or slot-shaped valve passageway opening (19).

23. The handpiece according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the control valve (12) has a cross-section constriction (20) on its outer periphery in the area of the at least one sealing lip (16).

24. The handpiece according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the control valve (12) is formed as a one-piece construction and/or is comprised of a solid elastic body, preferably of soft plastics and/or rubber.

25. The handpiece according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the control valve (12) has a connecting section (15b) adapted to be plugged onto and/or into the line (7a) on the handpiece side.

26. The handpiece according to the preceding claim wherein the connect-ing section (15b) has a circumferential bead seal (22).

27. An electric toothbrush having a handpiece according to any one of the claims 14 to 26 as well as a toothbrush head (2) adapted to be coupled thereto according to any one of the claims 1 to 13.