Ranir, LLC

Bryan J Dishon

Florian Hilbig

David Vondle

Heeju Kim

Michal Holcer

Kenta Kondo

Kevin J Kollar

Travis Michael Spoor

Yong Sun Simon Kang

Charles Arthur Francis Jones

A lighted toothbrush includes a handle housing with toothbrush components mounted within the internal cavity, including a power source, a printed circuit board, and a plurality of light emitting diodes (LEDs). The LEDs are mounted to the printed circuit board at generally the same position along the longitudinal length of the circuit board, with a first one of the LEDs mounted to the first surface of the printed circuit board, and a second one of the LEDs mounted to the second surface of the printed circuit board. A light ring formed of a light transmissive material is positioned on the handle housing adjacent the first and second ones of the plurality of LEDs, wherein light from the first LED is visible through the light ring at a first circumferential position on the handle housing and light from the second LED is visible through the light ring at a second circumferential position on the handle housing.

Lighted toothbrush

A replaceable brush head includes an upper surface, an outer perimeter edge, and a plurality of tufts. The upper surface includes a plurality of bristle tufts. The lower surface includes an outwardly extending knock-out button. The outer perimeter edge includes at least one protrusion. The replaceable brush head may be installed in a toothbrush body that includes a head portion having a recess sized to fit the replaceable brush head with a knock-out opening for the knock-out button and at least one channel for coupling to the at least one protrusion. The replaceable brush head can be removed from the toothbrush assembly by applying a force to the knock-out button in the direction of the tuft plate.

Replaceable brush head for toothbrush

Electric toothbrush

Charger

Toothbrush head

Toothbrush

A replacement toothbrush head includes a tubular sleeve having a brush at one end and a drive shaft receptacle at the opposite end. The receptacle extends into the sleeve from a mouth at a tube end to a shoulder spaced from the mouth within the tube. A coupling member is inserted into the receptacle, and a spring clip is positioned between the receptacle and the coupling member, the spring clip having a base positioned between the shoulder and the distal end of the coupling member and a pair of spring arms overlying the sidewall of the coupling member. At least one of the spring arms engages a flexible region of the coupling member such that the flexible region flexes to engage a drive shaft inserted into the coupling member and retain the replacement head on the drive shaft.

Attachment portion for an electric toothbrush replacement head

Toothbrush drive unit

A pressure feedback system continuously monitors the level of pressure or force on a brush head and is programmed to provide a feedback signal to a user based on the amount of pressure. The pressure level is monitored as a function of the change in the speed of the drive shaft. The system includes a housing, a motor, a drive shaft for attachment to a brush head, a feedback device, a sensor capable of detecting a change in the rotational speed of the drive shaft, and a microprocessor. The microprocessor is programmed activate the feedback device as a function of the measured change in rotational speed. The sensor may be a Hall effect sensor, or another sensor that is responsive to a magnetic field. A magnet may be positioned on the drive shaft, or another portion of the system that moves as a function of the drive shaft.

Pressure sensing system and method for an electric toothbrush

A replacement head for an electric toothbrush has a simplified drive construction and desired bristle carrier retention. The replacement head includes a neck with a head at one end and a brush shaft disposed within the neck. An eccentric extension extends from the brush shaft parallel with the longitudinal axis and an axial extension extends parallel to the eccentric extension. The eccentric extension engages an angled slot in the bristle carrier to drive the bristle carrier. The brush shaft, including the eccentric extension and the axial extension, may be formed together as a single unitary piece.

Replacement brush head for an electric toothbrush

A spring mechanism for an electromagnetic drive unit converts or translates the movement and/or actuation of the electromagnet into a desired movement of the workpiece and enables simple and efficient tuning of the workpiece movement. The spring mechanism includes a housing, a spring connected to the housing, wherein at least a section of the spring is movable with respect to the housing, a drive shaft that includes a first end having a magnet and a second end for attachment to a workpiece, and an adjustable tuning element connecting the drive shaft to the movable portion of the spring. In one embodiment, the spring may be a flat spring, and the movable section may be a positioned between a pair of cutouts defined in the spring. In one embodiment, the adjustable tuning element is connected to the spring such that the adjustable tuning element places the movable portion of the spring under a degree of tension.

Spring mechanism for power device

A spring mechanism for an electromagnetic drive unit converts or translates the movement and/or actuation of the electromagnet into a desired movement of the workpiece and enables simple and efficient tuning of the workpiece movement. The spring mechanism includes a housing, a spring connected to the housing, wherein at least two sections of the spring are movable with respect to the housing, a drive shaft that includes a first end having a magnet and a second end for attachment to a workpiece, and at least two tuning elements connecting the drive shaft to the movable portion of the spring. At least one of the tuning elements is adjustable. In one embodiment, the spring may be a flat spring, and the movable sections may each be positioned between a pair of cutouts defined in the spring.

A replacement head for an electric toothbrush has a simplified drive construction and desired bristle carrier retention. The replacement head includes a tubular neck with a head at one end and a brush shaft disposed within the neck. An eccentric extension extends from the brush shaft parallel with the longitudinal axis and an axial extension extends parallel to the eccentric extension. The eccentric extension engages the bristle carrier to drive the bristle carrier. The brush shaft, including the eccentric extension and the axial extension, may be formed together as a single unitary piece. A pin may extend through pin retention openings in the head and a pin slot in the bristle carrier in a direction transverse to both the longitudinal axis and the carrier rotation axis to retain the bristle carrier on the head.

Growing community of inventors

Alto, MI, United States of America

Bryan J Dishon