Electric toothbrush

Abstract

An electric toothbrush (10), characterized in that it comprises: a handle assembly (100) with a housing (110), wherein a drive motor (111) is arranged in the housing (110); and a brush head assembly (200) which is detachably connected to a drive shaft (111a) of the drive motor (111); wherein the drive shaft (111a) is capable of driving the brush head assembly (200) to oscillate along a circumferential direction of the drive shaft (111a) with a preset oscillation centerline (300) as its center and with a first limit position (410) and a second limit position (420); wherein the angle between the first limit position (410) and the preset oscillation centerline (300) is not less than 5°, and / or the angle between the second limit position (420) and the preset oscillation centerline (300) is not less than 5°; wherein the brush head assembly (200) comprises a brush bar (210), a brush plate (220), brush bristles (230), and a damping element (240); the brush plate (220) is arranged at one end of the brush bar (210); the brush plate (220) has a front (221) and a back (222) which are opposite each other in a thickness direction; the brush plate (220) further comprises a circumferential side (223) which is arranged between the front (221) and the back (222), and the brush bristles (230) are arranged on the front (221); the damping element (240) covers at least a part of the back (222) and / or at least a part of the circumferential side (223); the damping element (240) has a hardness which is less than the hardness of the brush plate (220).

Description

Related applications

[0001] This application claims the following priority from the Chinese patent application:

[0002] The Chinese patent application with application number 2024201238919 and titled “Electric Toothbrush”, filed on January 17, 2024.

[0003] The full text of the above-mentioned patent application is hereby incorporated by reference into the present application. Technical area

[0004] The present application relates to the technical field of oral hygiene articles, in particular to an electric toothbrush. State of the art

[0005] Currently, sonic electric toothbrushes achieve teeth cleaning through high-frequency oscillation. However, due to the small oscillation angle, the cleaning area is insufficient and there is a risk of missing areas during brushing. Therefore, the oscillation angle of the toothbrush is adjusted to a larger angle to create a horizontal brushing effect, thereby solving the problem of missed brushing or the need for manual horizontal brushing. However, with related technologies, a large oscillation angle can easily cause the brush head to hit the teeth, which may cause tooth damage or extreme discomfort to the user. Contents of this application

[0006] The main purpose of the present application is to propose an electric toothbrush to solve the problem that the brush head of the electric toothbrush tends to hit the teeth when oscillating at a large angle, thereby causing damage to the teeth or causing discomfort to the user.

[0007] To achieve the above purpose, the present application proposes an electric toothbrush comprising: a handle assembly having a housing, wherein a drive motor is disposed in the housing; and a brush head assembly detachably connected to a drive shaft of the drive motor; wherein the drive shaft is capable of driving the brush head assembly to oscillate along a circumferential direction of the drive shaft with a preset oscillation center line as a center and having a first limit position and a second limit position; wherein the angle between the first limit position and the preset oscillation center line is not less than 5°, and / or the angle between the second limit position and the preset oscillation center line is not less than 5°;

[0008] wherein the brush head assembly comprises a brush bar, a brush plate, brush bristles, and a damping element; the brush plate is arranged at one end of the brush bar; the brush plate has a front side and a back side that are opposite to each other in a thickness direction; the brush plate further has a peripheral side arranged between the front side and the back side, and the brush bristles are arranged on the front side; the damping element covers at least a part of the back side and / or at least a part of the peripheral side; the damping element has a hardness that is lower than the hardness of the brush plate.

[0009] In the technical solution of the present application, the brush head assembly is driven by the drive shaft of the drive motor to oscillate along the circumferential direction of the drive shaft with the preset oscillation centerline as the center, and the angle of its unilateral oscillation is not less than 5° to ensure that the electric toothbrush has a large cleaning range. Furthermore, at least a part of the back surface and / or at least a part of the peripheral side is covered with the damping member, the hardness of which is lower than the hardness of the brush plate to prevent the hard brush plate from impacting the teeth when the brush head assembly oscillates at a large angle. This prevents damage to the teeth or discomfort to the user. Short description of the drawing

[0010] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present application or the prior art, a brief description of the drawings necessary for describing the embodiments or the prior art is provided below. Of course, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present application. A person of ordinary skill in the art can create other drawings based on these drawings without requiring any creative work. Fig. 1 is a structural schematic diagram of an electric toothbrush according to a first embodiment of the present application. Fig. 2 is a structural schematic diagram of a brush head assembly of the electric toothbrush in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is an exploded view of the brush head assembly in Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a structural schematic diagram of a drive motor according to a first embodiment of the present application. Fig. 5 is a sectional view of the drive motor in Fig. 4. Fig. 6 is a schematic diagram of a preset oscillation centerline and oscillation angle of a drive shaft according to an embodiment of the present application. Fig. 7 is a schematic diagram of a vibration angle of a drive shaft according to an embodiment of the present application.

[0011] In the drawings: 10 electric toothbrushes 100 handle assembly 110 housings 111 Drive motor 111a Drive shaft 111b Stator module 111c Rotor Module Preset 300 Oscillation center line 410 First border position 420 Second limit position First predetermined 510 Angle Second predetermined 520 angles 200 brush head assembly 210 brush bar 220 brush plate 221 Front 222 back 222a Transition surface concave curved 222b area 223 peripheral side 230 brush bristles 240 Damping element 600 oscillation angle

[0012] The realization of the purpose, the functional features, and the advantages of the present application are described in more detail in connection with the embodiments and with reference to the accompanying drawings. Detailed description of the embodiments

[0013] The descriptions of "first," "second," etc. in the embodiments of the present application are used for descriptive purposes, and the features defined as "first," "second," etc. may explicitly or implicitly include at least one such feature.

[0014] The present application proposes an embodiment of an electric toothbrush. Currently, sonic electric toothbrushes achieve tooth cleaning through high-frequency oscillation. However, due to the small oscillation angle, the cleaning area is insufficient, and there is a risk of missing areas during brushing. Therefore, the oscillation angle of the toothbrush is adjusted to a larger angle to create a horizontal brushing effect, thereby solving the problem of missed brushing or the need for manual horizontal brushing. However, in related technologies, a large oscillation angle can easily cause the brush head to hit the teeth, which may cause damage to the teeth or extreme discomfort to the user.

[0015] With reference to the Fig. 1 to 6, the electric toothbrush 10 in one embodiment of the present application includes a handle assembly 100 and a brush head assembly 200; wherein the handle assembly 100 has a housing 110 and a drive motor 111 is disposed in the housing 110; the brush head assembly 200 is detachably connected to a drive shaft 111a of the drive motor 111, and the drive shaft 111a is used to drive the brush head assembly 200 to oscillate along a circumferential direction of the drive shaft 111a with a preset oscillation center line 300 as the center and with a first limit position 410 and a second limit position 420; the angle between the first limit position 410 and the preset oscillation center line 300 is not less than 5°, and / or the angle between the second limit position 420 and the preset oscillation center line 300 is not less than 5°.The brush head assembly 200 includes a brush bar 210, a brush plate 220, brush bristles 230, and a damping element 240; wherein the brush plate 220 is arranged at one end of the brush bar 210; the brush plate 220 has a front side 221 and a back side 222 that are opposite to each other in a thickness direction; the brush plate 220 further has a peripheral side 223 arranged between the front side 221 and the back side 222, and the brush bristles 230 are arranged on the front side 221; the damping element 240 covers at least a portion of the back side 222 and / or at least a portion of the peripheral side 223; the damping element 240 has a hardness that is lower than the hardness of the brush plate 220.

[0016] Specifically, the housing 110 is further provided with a drive motor 111, a battery, a circuit board, and a sealing device (not shown), etc., and the housing 110 of the handle assembly 100 is typically waterproof and sealed to protect the internal circuitry and motor from moisture ingress. The handle of the electric toothbrush 10 is typically made of plastic, which forms the main part of the entire toothbrush. The electric toothbrush 10 typically uses rechargeable batteries, such as nickel-cadmium batteries, nickel-metal hydride batteries, lithium-ion batteries, lithium polymer batteries, and lead-acid batteries, which have a long lifespan and can be recharged with a charger.The energy supplied by the battery can cause the drive motor 111 to vibrate or oscillate and thereby cause the brush head assembly 200 to vibrate or oscillate, thereby achieving the cleaning effect.

[0017] With reference to the Fig. 4 and Fig. 5, the handle assembly 100 includes a housing 110 and a drive motor 111 disposed within the housing 110; the drive motor 111 includes a stator module 111b, a rotor module 111c, and a drive shaft 111a; the stator module 111b may be disposed on the peripheral side of the rotor module 111c, and the rotor module 111c is rotatably connected to the stator module 111b. The stator module 111b and the rotor module 111c magnetically cooperate with each other to rotate the rotor module 111c. The stator module 111b may include a permanent magnet or an electromagnet. The rotor module 111c includes a rotor shaft 111a (i.e., the drive shaft 111a), and the rotor shaft 111a is normally connected to the brush head. The reciprocating rotation of the rotor shaft 111a drives the reciprocating rotation of the brush head, thus cleaning the oral cavity. The rotor module 111c can contain a permanent magnet or an electromagnet.A portion of the drive shaft 111a extends from the housing 110, and the brush head assembly 200 is removably connected to the drive shaft 111a.

[0018] The housing 110 typically has at least one button (not shown) connected to the circuit board to control the switching and mode selection of the electric toothbrush 10. The circuit board is typically located inside the handle of the electric toothbrush 10. The circuit board integrates a control module, a wireless communication module, a power management module, etc., and the circuit board contains a variety of electronic components, such as integrated circuits, resistors, capacitors, and transistors, etc., to perform specific functions.

[0019] With reference to Fig. 6, the drive shaft 111a can drive the brush head assembly 200 to oscillate along the circumferential direction of the drive shaft 111a with the preset oscillation center line 300 as the center, and the oscillation is mainly a reciprocating motion for cleaning the teeth. The preset oscillation center line 300 is a virtual line, which can be understood as a virtual line passing through the axis of the brush head assembly 200 (that is, intersecting with the axis of the brush head assembly 200) and perpendicular to the axis of the brush head assembly 200. Note that the preset oscillation center line 300 is configured as a reference line when the drive shaft 111a oscillates, that is, the oscillation center line when the drive shaft 111a oscillates, and the preset oscillation center line 300 can be changed as desired.For example, the preset oscillation centerline 300 is centered on the button of the housing 110 of the handle assembly 100 and is set as the new preset oscillation centerline 300 by rotating the front face 221 left / right relative to the handle by a certain angle relative to the front face 221 of the handle.

[0020] With reference to Fig. 6, the brush head assembly 200 has a first limit position 410 and a second limit position 420 with respect to the preset oscillation centerline 300 when oscillating; wherein the angle between the first limit position 410 and the preset oscillation centerline 300 is not less than 5°; or, the angle between the second limit position 420 and the preset oscillation centerline 300 is not less than 5°; or, the angle between the first limit position 410 and the preset oscillation centerline 300 and the angle between the second limit position 420 and the preset oscillation centerline 300 are both not less than 5°. In this way, it can be ensured that the brush head assembly 200 can cover more areas to be cleaned when oscillating, i.e.Under the premise of ensuring the cleaning efficiency of the electric toothbrush 10, the electric toothbrush 10 can have a larger cleaning area.

[0021] With reference to the Fig. 2 and Fig. 3, generally, the front surface 221 of the brush plate 220 and the front surface of the handle assembly 100 (i.e., the side where the button is arranged) are arranged on the same side, and the brush head assembly 200 is located in a position centered on the front surface 221. This not only meets the expectations of most users regarding the position of the brush head assembly 200, but also is comfortable for the user and prevents the user from adopting an incorrect angle and posture when brushing teeth because the brush head assembly 200 is angled. This ensures an effective brushing effect. The front surface 221 of the brush plate 220 is provided with planting pores (unidentified), and the brush bristles 230 are arranged in the planting pores.The brush bristles 230, which are the part of the electric toothbrush 10 that comes into contact with the teeth, are usually made of soft nylon bristles to effectively clean the surface of the teeth and the gum line.

[0022] The cushioning member 240 covers at least a portion of the back surface 222, or at least a portion of the peripheral side 223, or both at least a portion of the back surface 222 and at least a portion of the peripheral side 223. The hardness of the cushioning member 240 is lower than the hardness of the brush plate 220. The cushioning member 240 is injection-molded to prevent the harder brush plate 220 from directly contacting the skin in the user's mouth when the user uses the electric toothbrush 10, thus improving the user's user experience. The cushioning member 240 is arranged in a transparent mold, and the cushioning member 240 is injection-molded with the brush plate 220, which can be formed on the brush plate 220 by secondary injection molding or two-color injection molding, and then performs a flocking process on the brush plate 220.Or, if the melting point of the brush bristles 230 is higher than the melting point of the damping element 240, it may first perform a flocking process on the brush plate 220 and then inject the damping element 240 onto the brush plate 220.

[0023] The damping element 240 is made of silicone, rubber, or PVC, and by wrapping the soft damping element 240 around at least a portion of the back side 222 and / or at least a portion of the peripheral side 223, it ensures that the hard brush plate 220 does not directly impact the teeth when the brush head assembly 200 oscillates at a large angle during use of the electric toothbrush 10 by the user. This prevents damage to the teeth or discomfort to the user.

[0024] In the technical solution of the present application, the brush head assembly 200 is driven by the drive shaft 111a of the drive motor 111 to oscillate along the circumferential direction of the drive shaft 111a with the preset oscillation center line 300 as the center, and the angle of its one-sided oscillation is not less than 5° to ensure that the electric toothbrush 10 has a large cleaning area. Furthermore, at least a part of the back surface 222 and / or at least a part of the peripheral side 223 is covered with the cushioning member 240, the hardness of which is lower than the hardness of the brush plate 220 to prevent the hard brush plate 220 from impacting the teeth when the brush head assembly 200 oscillates at a large angle. This prevents damage to the teeth or discomfort to the user.

[0025] With reference to Fig. 3, in one embodiment, the cushioning member 240 further covers at least a portion of the outer wall surface of the brush bar 210. Specifically, the soft cushioning member 240 is wrapped around at least a portion of the outer wall surface of the brush bar 210, which can improve the contact area of ​​the cushioning member 240 and the brush plate 220 and the brush bar 210, and can enhance the bonding force between the cushioning member 240 and the brush plate 220 and the brush bar 210. Furthermore, if the cushioning member 240 is wrapped around at least a portion of the outer wall surface of the brush bar 210, it can further prevent the hard brush bar 210 from directly impacting the brush plate 220 and the brush bar 210 during use. This prevents damage to the teeth or discomfort to the user.

[0026] Considering that, when using the electric toothbrush 10, the brush bar 210 extends at least partially into the mouth and the brush bar 210 also rotates back and forth when the user brushes their teeth, there is a possibility that the brush bar 210 may strike the teeth. In view of this, to solve this problem, optionally, in the longitudinal direction of the brush bar 210, the length of the part of the damping member 240 covering the outer wall surface of the brush bar 210 is not less than 5 mm. In this way, when the brush bar 210 rotates back and forth, the rigid brush bar 210 does not directly strike the teeth, thus avoiding damaging the teeth or causing discomfort to the user. The length of the part of the damping member 240 covering the outer wall surface of the brush bar 210 may be, for example, 5 mm, 6 mm, 7 mm, 8 mm, 9 mm, 10 mm.

[0027] In one embodiment, the length of the damping element 240 in the longitudinal direction of the brush bar 210 is not less than 25 mm. It should be understood that when using the electric toothbrush 10, the length of the part of the brush head assembly 200 extending into the oral cavity is more than 20 mm, and by setting the length of the damping element 240 in the longitudinal direction of the brush bar 210 to a length of not less than 25 mm, the hard part of the brush head assembly 200 can be reduced as much as possible to avoid damage to the user's teeth.

[0028] In one embodiment, the thickness of the damping element 240 ranges from 0.3 mm to 3 mm. For example, the thickness of the damping element 240 may be 0.3 mm, 0.4 mm, 0.5 mm, 0.6 mm, 0.7 mm, 0.8 mm, 0.9 mm, 1.0 mm, 1.1 mm, 1.2 mm, 1.3 mm, 1.4 mm, 1.5 mm, 1.6 mm, 1.7 mm, 1.8 mm, 1.9 mm, 2.0 mm, 2.1 mm, 2.2 mm, 2.3 mm, 2.4 mm, 2.5 mm, 2.6 mm, 2.7 mm, 2.8 mm, 2.9 mm, 3.0 mm. Considering that an error occurs during the manufacture of the brush head assembly 200, it is sufficient to have a thickness of the damping element 240 approximately equal to the above-mentioned range.Since the damping element 240 encloses at least a part of the back side 222 and / or at least a part of the peripheral side 223 of the brush plate 220 and the shape of the brush plate 220 is designed differently, the thickness of the damping element 240 enclosing the brush plate 220 may be the same in all places to adapt to the shape of the brush plate 220, or it may be designed to be thicker in some areas and thinner in some areas, as long as the total thickness of the shock absorber 240 is in the range of 0.3 mm to 3 mm, it falls within the scope of the present application.

[0029] In one embodiment, the distance from the part of the damping element 240 covering the peripheral side 223 to the front side 221 is no greater than 2 mm, i.e., the damping element 240 encloses the peripheral side 223 of the brush plate 220 as completely as possible to prevent the hard peripheral side 223 of the brush plate 220 from impacting the user's teeth during use of the electric toothbrush 10, which could cause discomfort to the user or damage the teeth. It should be noted that the distance from the part of the damping element 240 covering the peripheral side 223 to the front side 221 is no greater than 2 mm, which means that the shortest distance from any point of the part of the damping element 240 covering the peripheral side 223 to the front surface 221 is no greater than 2 mm.

[0030] In one embodiment, the dampening element 240 covers at least a portion of the front side 221. In particular, the dampening element 240 is wrapped over at least a portion of the front side 221 in addition to wrapping at least a portion of the back side 222 and / or at least a portion of the peripheral side 223 to further prevent the harder brush plate 220 from impacting the user's teeth during use. Optionally, the dampening element 240 covers at least a portion of the front side 221 in addition to completely wrapping the back side 222 and the peripheral side 223, wherein the wrapped at least a portion of the front side 221 is a portion extending from the peripheral side 223 to the front side 221 (i.e., the dampening element 240 is wrapped around the junction between the peripheral side 223 and the front side 221).When the user uses the electric toothbrush 10, the back surface 222, the peripheral surface 223, and the connection of the peripheral surface 223 and the front surface 221 of the brush plate 220 do not cause damage to the user's teeth or cause discomfort when they hit the user's teeth.

[0031] In one embodiment, the width of the brush head assembly 200 is no greater than 15 mm and / or the thickness of the brush head assembly 200 is no greater than 18 mm. In particular, the width of the brush head assembly 200 is no greater than 15 mm, or the thickness of the brush head assembly 200 is no greater than 18 mm, or the width of the brush head assembly 200 is no greater than 15 mm and the thickness of the brush head assembly 200 is no greater than 18 mm. If the width of the brush head assembly 200 is greater than 15 mm, the wider brush head assembly 200 tends to hit the user's teeth during use, which is uncomfortable for the user.If the thickness of the brush head assembly 200 is greater than 18 mm, on the one hand, it tends to collide with the user's teeth during use, and on the other hand, due to the angle at which the user's mouth is opened, it is difficult for the thicker brush head assembly 200 to enter the user's mouth.

[0032] With reference to the Fig. 2 and Fig. 3, in one embodiment, in the thickness direction of the brush head assembly 200, the central portion of the back surface 222 is thicker than the edge portion of the back surface 222, and the connection between the edge portion and the central portion and the peripheral side 223 is in a smooth transition. Specifically, in the thickness direction of the brush head assembly 200, the central portion of the back surface 222 of the brush plate 220 is thicker, and the edge portion is thinner. That is, the height of the central portion of the back surface 222 of the brush plate 220 is higher than that of the edge portion of the back surface 222 of the brush plate 220, and the connection between the edge portion and the central portion and the peripheral side 223 is in a smooth transition.With such a structure, the electric toothbrush 10 will be in use when the brush head assembly 200 oscillates, the smooth connecting surface (not identified in the drawings) formed from the central portion to the edge portion of the back surface 222 will form an escape space for the teeth, and the smooth connecting surface cannot contact the teeth during the oscillation of the brush head assembly 200, thereby avoiding damage to the user's teeth and at the same time giving the user a good feeling of use experience.

[0033] Furthermore, the back surface 222 includes a transition surface 222a located in the central portion of the back surface 222 and extending in the longitudinal direction of the brush plate 220, and a concave curved surface 222b located on the outer side of the transition surface 222a. Specifically, the concave curved surface 222b is a curved surface similar to the trajectory of the brush head assembly 200 when oscillating, to better avoid the teeth and prevent collision with the teeth that would cause damage to the teeth.

[0034] With reference to Fig. 6, in one embodiment, the electric toothbrush 10 has an oscillation mode in which the preset oscillation centerline 300 of the brush head assembly 200 oscillates along the circumferential direction of the drive shaft 111a, wherein a first predetermined angle 510 is formed between the first limit position 410 and the preset oscillation centerline 300, a second predetermined angle 520 is formed between the second limit position 420 and the preset oscillation centerline 300, and the first predetermined angle 510 and the second predetermined angle 520 are in the range of 5°-60°.

[0035] In particular, the preset oscillation centerline 300 is as previously described and will not be repeated here. The angles of the first predetermined angle 510 and the second predetermined angle 520 range from 5° to 60° during the oscillation of the brush head assembly 200 to ensure that the brush head assembly 200 has a specific cleaning area, but also to keep the trajectory of the ends of the brush bristles 230 approximately in a plane during the oscillation. The angle of the first predetermined angle 510 can be, for example, 5°, 10°, 15°, 20°, 25°, 30°, 35°, 40°, 45°, 50°, 55°, or 60°. Similarly, the second predetermined angle 520 may be, for example, 5°, 10°, 15°, 20°, 25°, 30°, 35°, 40°, 45°, 50°, 55°, 60°.If the angular range of the first predetermined angle 510 and / or the second predetermined angle 520 is less than 5°, the cleaning range of the brush head assembly 200 is too small, which impairs the cleaning efficiency. If the angular range of the first predetermined angle 510 and / or the second predetermined angle 520 is greater than 60°, the oscillation amplitude of the brush head assembly 200 is larger, and the trajectory of the ends of the brush bristles 230 is not in one plane, i.e., the brush bristles 230 have a limited contact time with the tooth surface during oscillation, which impairs the cleaning effect. In addition, an excessively large oscillation amplitude of the brush head assembly 200 further affects the oscillation frequency.

[0036] It should be noted that the above angular range of the first predetermined angle 510 and the second predetermined angle 520 is an angular range when the drive shaft 111a is not connected to the brush head assembly 200. When the drive shaft 111a is connected to the brush head assembly 200 (that is, when the drive shaft 111a is mounted with a load), the angular range of the first predetermined angle 510 and the second predetermined angle 520 are actually measured with a slight deviation from the above angular range, and both are within the protective range of the first predetermined angle 510 and the second predetermined angle 520 of the present application. At the same time, due to the limitations of the angle measuring device and the measurement method, a slight error occurs between the first predetermined angle 510 and the second predetermined angle 520 and the above-mentioned exemplary angles in the actual measurement.They can be rounded to the example angles mentioned above.

[0037] With reference to the Fig. 5 and Fig.6, the drive motor 111 drives the drive shaft 111a to oscillate between the first limit position 410 and the second limit position 420. For example, the position of the oscillation center of the drive shaft 111a is varied to cause the drive shaft 111a to oscillate between the first limit position 410 and the second limit position 420. It is illustrated that the drive shaft 111a oscillates back and forth with the oscillation center of the drive shaft 111a as the axis, while the position of the oscillation center is changed to cause the drive shaft 111a to oscillate at a different center. The oscillation center is deflected during the oscillation, e.g., oscillates once and then switches the position of the oscillation center to the next position, where the switching angle may be equal to the angle of the oscillation.The first limit position 410 can be reached by switching the position several times, and then the direction is changed to drive the second limit position 420. The oscillation center of the drive shaft 111a changes between the first limit position 410 and the second limit position 420, that is, the position change of the drive shaft 111a forms the oscillation trajectory of the drive shaft 111a. On the one hand, a high-frequency oscillation with a small amplitude and, on the other hand, a low-frequency oscillation with a large amplitude are performed to expand the range affected by the vibration and reduce the risk of missed brushing. Note that the comparison of small and large amplitudes is based on the oscillation and oscillation ranges, and the comparison of high and low frequencies is based on the oscillation and oscillation frequencies.

[0038] The drive motor 111 drives the drive shaft 111a to oscillate at an oscillation angle 60° of 1° to 5°, and the oscillation frequency of the drive shaft 111a is lower than the oscillation frequency of the drive shaft 111a. Specifically, the brush head assembly 200 is connected to the drive shaft 111a, and the drive shaft 111a oscillates the brush head assembly 200 while oscillating the brush head assembly 200, and its oscillation axis changes to form a sweeping motion, thereby realizing the oscillation during sweeping. The oscillation causes the calculus to detach from the tooth surface, and the sweeping motion scrapes the calculus from the tooth surface to further enhance the cleaning force of the brush head assembly 200 on the teeth, and the cleaning effect is better. In addition, the brush head assembly 200 can effectively prevent tooth impact.The oscillation angle 600 is, for example, 1°, 1.5°, 2°, 2.5°, 3°, 3.5°, 4°, 4.5°, and 5°. It should be noted that the above range of the oscillation angle 600 is an angle range when the drive shaft 111a is not connected to the brush head assembly 200. When the drive shaft 111a is connected to the brush head assembly 200 (that is, the drive shaft 111a is mounted with a load), the actual measured angle range of the oscillation angle 600 of the drive shaft 111a is slightly different from the above angle range, and both are within the scope of the oscillation angle 600 of the present application. At the same time, due to limitations of the angle measuring device and the measurement method, a slight error occurs between the oscillation angle 600 of the drive shaft 111a and the above-mentioned example angles in the actual measurement. They can be rounded to the example angles mentioned above.

[0039] Furthermore, the vibration frequency of the drive shaft 111a is in the range of 10,000 Hz / min to 40,000 Hz / min; and / or, the oscillation frequency of the drive shaft 111a is in the range of 200 Hz / min to 1,000 Hz / min. The vibration frequency of the drive shaft 111a is, for example, 11,000 Hz / min, 12,000 Hz / min, 13,000 Hz / min, 14,000 Hz / min, 15,000 Hz / min, 16,000 Hz / min, 17,000 Hz / min, 18,000 Hz / min, 19,000 Hz / min, 20,000 Hz / min, 21,000 Hz / min, 22,000 Hz / min, 23,000 Hz / min, 24,000 Hz / min, 25,000 Hz / min, 26,000 Hz / min, 27,000 Hz / min, 28,000 Hz / min, 29,000 Hz / min, 30,000 Hz / min, 31,000 Hz / min, 32,000 Hz / min, 33000Hz / min, 34000Hz / min, 35000Hz / min, 36000Hz / min, 37000Hz / min, 38000Hz / min, 39000Hz / min, 40000Hz / min. The oscillation frequency of the drive shaft 111a is, for example, 250Hz / min, 300Hz / min, 350Hz / min, 400Hz / min, 450Hz / min, 400Hz / min, 40000Hz / min, 40000Hz / min, 40000Hz / min. min, 450Hz / min, 500Hz / min, 550Hz / min, 600Hz / min, 650Hz / min, 700Hz / min, 750Hz / min, 800Hz / min, 850Hz / min, 900Hz / min, 950Hz / min, 10,000Hz / min.The vibration frequency of the drive shaft 111a is higher than the oscillation frequency, so vibration is dominant. High-frequency vibrations ensure better cleaning of the teeth, while the sweeping motion removes foreign matter or stains from the teeth.

[0040] In one embodiment, when the drive motor 111 is activated, the drive shaft 111a oscillates for a time T, T in the range of 0.05 s-2 s. Within the range of T, the drive shaft 111a oscillates and its oscillation angle is smaller than a preset angle. In particular, the electric toothbrush 10 can be designed such that when the drive motor 111 is activated, the drive shaft 111a rotates within an oscillation time T, T, for example in the range of 0.05s, 0.1s, 0.2s, 0.3s, 0.4s, 0.5s, 0.6s, 0.7s, 0.8s, 0.9s, 1.0s, 1.1s, 1.2s, 1.3s, 1.4s, 1.4s, 1.5s, 1.6s, 1.7s, 1.8s, 1.9s, 2.0s. In the range of T, the drive shaft 111a oscillates at an oscillation angle that is smaller than a preset angle that can be set by the user or a factory preset angle, wherein the preset angle is configured to be smaller than 5°.The preset angle is, for example, 4.5°, 4°, 3.5°, 3°, 2.5°, 2°, 1.5°, 1°, and 0.5°. The drive shaft 111a oscillates within the oscillation time T after the motor is activated, which can serve to remind the user that the brush head assembly 200 has started operating, and can further serve to remind the user that the position of the brush head assembly 200 has oscillated to a starting position, to remind the user that the brush head assembly 200 has been successfully aligned. QUOTES CONTAINED IN THE DESCRIPTION

[0000] This list of documents submitted by the applicant was generated automatically and is included solely for the convenience of the reader. This list is not part of the German patent or utility model application. The DPMA assumes no liability for any errors or omissions. Cited patent literature

[0000] CN 2024201238919

[0002]

Claims

[1] An electric toothbrush (10), characterized by that it includes: a handle assembly (100) having a housing (110), wherein a drive motor (111) is arranged in the housing (110); and a brush head assembly (200) detachably connected to a drive shaft (111a) of the drive motor (111); wherein the drive shaft (111a) is capable of driving the brush head assembly (200) to oscillate along a circumferential direction of the drive shaft (111a) with a preset oscillation centerline (300) as a center and with a first limit position (410) and a second limit position (420); wherein the angle between the first limit position (410) and the preset oscillation centerline (300) is not less than 5°, and / or the angle between the second limit position (420) and the preset oscillation centerline (300) is not less than 5°; wherein the brush head assembly (200) comprises a brush bar (210), a brush plate (220), brush bristles (230), and a damping element (240); the brush plate (220) is arranged at one end of the brush bar (210); the brush plate (220) has a front side (221) and a back side (222) that are opposite to each other in a thickness direction; the brush plate (220) further has a peripheral side (223) that is arranged between the front side (221) and the back side (222), and the brush bristles (230) are arranged on the front side (221); the damping element (240) covers at least a part of the back side (222) and / or at least a part of the peripheral side (223); the damping element (240) has a hardness that is lower than the hardness of the brush plate (220). [2] The electric toothbrush (10) according to claim 1, wherein the damping member (240) further covers at least a portion of the outer wall surface of the brush bar (210). [3] The electric toothbrush (10) according to claim 2, wherein the length of a part of the damping member (240) covering the outer wall surface of the brush bar (210) is not less than 5 mm in a longitudinal direction of the brush bar (210). [4] The electric toothbrush (10) according to claim 1, wherein the damping member (240) has a length of not less than 25 mm in a longitudinal direction of the brush bar (210). [5] Electric toothbrush (10) according to claim 1, wherein the thickness of the damping element (240) is in the range of 0.3 mm to 3 mm. [6] The electric toothbrush (10) according to claim 1, wherein the distance from a part of the damping member (240) covering the peripheral side (223) to the front side (221) is not greater than 2 mm. [7] Electric toothbrush (10) according to claim 1, wherein the damping element (240) covers at least a part of the front side (221). [8] Electric toothbrush (10) according to claim 1, wherein the brush head assembly (200) has a width of not more than 15 mm, and / or the brush head assembly (200) has a thickness of not more than 18 mm. [9] The electric toothbrush (10) according to claim 1, wherein a central portion of the back surface (222) in the thickness direction of the brush head assembly (200) is thicker than an edge portion of the back surface (222), and a connection between the edge portion and the central portion and the peripheral side (223) is in a smooth transition. [10] The electric toothbrush (10) according to claim 9, wherein the damping member (240) further covers at least a portion of the outer wall surface of the brush bar (210). [11] The electric toothbrush (10) according to claim 10, wherein the length of a part of the damping member (240) covering the outer wall surface of the brush bar (210) is not less than 5 mm in a longitudinal direction of the brush bar (210). [12] The electric toothbrush (10) according to claim 9, wherein the damping member (240) has a length of not less than 25 mm in a longitudinal direction of the brush bar (210). [13] Electric toothbrush (10) according to claim 9, wherein the thickness of the damping element (240) is in the range of 0.3 mm to 3 mm. [14] Electric toothbrush (10) according to claim 9, wherein the distance from a part of the damping element (240) covering the peripheral side (223) to the front side (221) is not greater than 2 mm. [15] Electric toothbrush (10) according to claim 9, wherein the damping element (240) covers at least a part of the front side (221). [16] The electric toothbrush (10) according to claim 9, wherein the back surface (222) comprises a transition surface (222a) located in the central portion of the back surface (222) and extending in a longitudinal direction of the brush plate (220), and a concave curved surface (222b) located on the outside of the transition surface (222a). [17] The electric toothbrush (10) according to claim 1, wherein the electric toothbrush (10) has an oscillation mode in which the preset oscillation centerline (300) of the brush head assembly (200) oscillates along a circumferential direction of the drive shaft (111a); a first predetermined angle (510) is formed between the first limit position (410) and the preset oscillation centerline (300), a second predetermined angle (520) is formed between the second limit position (420) and the preset oscillation centerline (300), and the first predetermined angle (510) and the second predetermined angle (520) are each in the range of 5° to 60°. [18] The electric toothbrush (10) according to claim 17, wherein the drive motor (111) is used to drive the drive shaft (111a) to oscillate between the first limit position (410) and the second limit position (420) and to oscillate at an oscillation angle of 1° to 5°; wherein the oscillation frequency of the drive shaft (111a) is lower than the oscillation frequency of the drive shaft (111a). [19] The electric toothbrush (10) according to claim 18, wherein the position of the oscillation center of the drive shaft (111a) is varied so that the drive shaft (111a) oscillates between the first limit position (410) and the second limit position (420). [20] Electric toothbrush (10) according to claim 18, wherein the oscillation frequency of the drive shaft (111a) is in the range of 10,000 Hz / min to 40,000 Hz / min; and / or the oscillation frequency of the drive shaft (111a) is in the range of 200 Hz / min to 1,000 Hz / min. [21] The electric toothbrush (10) according to claim 1, wherein the drive shaft (111a) oscillates for a time T when the drive motor (111) is activated; the time T is in the range of 0.05s to 2s; within the range of time T, the drive shaft 111a oscillates and its oscillation angle is smaller than a preset angle.

Images