Braun Aktiengesellschaft

Braun Gmbh

Gillette Canada Inc

Peter Hilfinger

Georges Driesen

Armin Schwarz-Hartmann

Gerhard Kressner

Bernhard Boland

Karl Herzog

Alexander Hilscher

Peter Trawinski

Werner Haczek

Dietrich Pahl

Otto Schweingruber

Thomas Craig Masterman

Roland Ullmann

Thomas Willi Fritsch

Bernhard Kraus

Uwe Schober

Jean L Spencer

Hansjörg Reick

Hans-Eberhard Heintke

Matthias Wetzel

Jeffrey S Meessmann

Michael Sauer

Klaus Oprach

Gottfried Voigt

Lothar Pacher

Gustav Gassner

Christian Junk

Philipp Jung

Wolfgang Goecking

Wolfgang Göcking

Lars Lieberwirth

This disclosure relates to toothbrushes and to methods of operating toothbrushes. In some embodiments, a method of operating a toothbrush includes measuring an actual cleaning time of a first teeth cleaning process, comparing the actual cleaning time of the first teeth cleaning process to a standard cleaning time, and determining a target cleaning time of a second, subsequent teeth cleaning process. In certain embodiments, the target cleaning time of the second teeth cleaning process is the standard cleaning time plus additional time when the actual cleaning time of the first cleaning process is less than the standard cleaning time.

Indicating teeth cleaning time

The invention relates to an electric tooth cleaning device and to a method for automatically indicating the cleaning duration when cleaning teeth, whereby a timer signal is emitted using a time element after the termination of a set cleaning duration in a tooth cleaning session. According to the invention, the set cleaning duration, whose termination prompts the emission of a timer signal, is modified. An actual cleaning duration in the tooth cleaning session is registered by a time registration device. The deviation of the actual cleaning duration from a predetermined standard cleaning duration is determined by means of an evaluation device. The set cleaning duration of a subsequent tooth cleaning session is then defined depending on the deviation that has been determined.

An electric drive unit for generating an oscillating movement, having a stator, a rotor, a torsion element and a tuning element. The tuning element acts upon the torsion element and serves to mechanically tune the resonant frequency of the drive unit.

Electric drive unit for generating an oscillating displacement

An electric toothbrush is provided, which includes a first bristle part that can be made to execute a first, continuously repeating movement. An additional bristle part, connected to the first bristle part, can be made to execute a second, continuously repeating movement, which differs from the first movement of the first bristle part.

Electric toothbrush

The invention is directed to an electrically powered dental cleansing device (,) to which a cleansing implement (,) is fitted. In this manner, the cleansing implement (,) can be rotated about its longitudinal axis. The cleansing implement (,) is configured as an integrally formed part comprising a thin and elongate cleansing shaft (,). The cleansing shaft has at least one longitudinal edge and is provided with a plurality of serrations.

Cleansing implement and electrically powered dental cleansing device

The invention is directed to an electrically operable shaving apparatus (,) including at least one short-hair cutter (,) and a long-hair trimmer unit (,) disposed on a housing, with at least one cutting edge formed by cutting teeth of an outer cutter and an inner cutter, in which a component (,), which acts as a guard protecting the skin, is associated with the cutting edge in at least one operating position, said component (,) ceasing to act as a guard protecting the skin in at least one further operating position, wherein said component (,) is displaceable in conjunction with the long-hair trimmer unit (,) into at least one operating position in which said component (,) acts as a guard protecting the skin, and wherein on displacement into a further operating position the long-hair trimmer unit (,) is released by relative opposing movements of the long-hair trimmer unit (,) and the component (,).

Electric shaver

An improved oral brush is provided that includes crimped bristles. The oral brush includes a body and, extending from the body, a plurality of crimped bristles. One such oral brush is an electric toothbrush, with a brush head having a preferred arrangement of tufts of crimped and straight bristles that are flexed by cyclic motions of the brush head toward and away from the tooth.

Crimped bristle toothbrush

Brush section for a toothbrush

An electric toothbrush (1) is described which incorporates a handle (2) and a brush attachment (3). The handle (2) houses an electric motor (8). Protruding from the handle (2) is a shaft (20), which is coupled to the electric motor (8). The brush attachment (3) can be mounted on the handle (2). The brush attachment (3) supports a bristle head (26) which can be coupled to the shaft (20), and from which protrude a multiplicity of bristles (4). In the operating mode, the bristle head (26) describes a rotary motion (49) and a stroke motion (50), with the frequency of the stroke movement (50) being higher, and preferably substantially higher, than the frequency of the rotary movement (49.) The stroke movement (50) provides a poking action of the bristles (4), which serves to loosen plaque from dental surfaces. The rotary movement (49) serves to wipe away plaque loosened from the dental surfaces.

Rotary electric toothbrush with stroke-type bristle movement

The invention is directed to an electric toothbrush (1) in which a timing element (13) is provided whose purpose it is to indicate to a user the end of at least one cleaning period when the electric toothbrush (1) is activated. Still further, means (12) coupled to the timing element (13) are provided to enable the user to trigger the beginning (T4) of the cleaning period (PZD2). The effect thereby achieved is that the end (T2) of a cleaning period (PZD1) does not automatically start the beginning (T4) of the next cleaning period (PZD2), but that this particular beginning (T4) of the next cleaning period (PZD2) is freely selectable by the user.

The invention is directed to a brush section (1) for an electric toothbrush which includes a mounting tube (2) in which a shaft (7) rotary about a longitudinal axis (3) is received. Further, the brush section (1) includes a bristle carrier (11) from which bristles (15) extend in the direction of a brush axis (14). The bristle carrier (11) is rotary about a transverse axis (19) by means of a bearing pin (21). By means of in particular a tapered disk (24), the brush axis (14) and the transverse axis (19) define between them an angle (28) departing from an apex (29). In operation of the electric toothbrush, the bristle carrier (11) performs a nutating motion about the transverse axis (19). This effects a revolving approaching/receding motion of the free ends of the bristles (15) resulting in an improved cleaning action on a user's teeth.

Brush section for an electric toothbrush

A brush section for an electric toothbrush includes a driver, a mounting tube which receives the driver, where the driver is arranged in the direction of a longitudinal axis defined by the mounting tube, a first bristle carrier mounted for rotation about a first brush axis, a second bristle carrier mounted for rotation about a second brush axis, and a mechanism to effect coupling engagement of the driver with the first and second bristle carriers. A motion of the driver effects a rotary motion of the first bristle carrier about the first brush axis and the second bristle carrier about the second brush axis. The first and second brush axes define an approximately right angle therebetween.

Growing community of inventors

Bad Homburg, Germany

Peter Hilfinger