Electric toothbrush
The electric toothbrush addresses the issues of heat dissipation and biological signal measurement by incorporating a PCB with LEDs, a vibration motor, and magnets, ensuring durability and health monitoring capabilities.
Patent Information
- Application Number
- JP2024539834
- Authority / Receiving Office
- JP · JP
- Patent Type
- Applications
- Current Assignee / Owner
- Priority Date
- 2021-12-31
- Filing Date
- 2023-01-02
- Publication Date
- 2024-12-19
- Estimated Expiration
- Not applicable · inactive patent
AI Technical Summary
Existing electric toothbrushes lack effective methods to suppress oral bacteria and efficiently dissipate heat generated by LEDs, while also failing to measure biological signals for health management.
An electric toothbrush design featuring a handle with a PCB housing LEDs, a vibration motor, and a sensor unit that measures biosignals, combined with magnets for heat dissipation and a magnetically attracted brush holder for convenience and efficiency.
The design protects the toothbrush from thermal deformation, extends LED life, and enables easy measurement of biological signals like oxygen saturation and temperature for health management.
Smart Images
Figure 2024546350000001_ABST
Abstract
Description
[Technical field]
[0001] The present invention relates to an electric toothbrush, and more particularly to an electric toothbrush for brushing teeth that can dissipate heat generated by an LED and measure the biosignals of a user of the electric toothbrush. [Background technology]
[0002] Generally, people primarily manage their oral hygiene by using a dental toothbrush to remove the oral bacteria that cause plaque and tartar formation, or by using a mouthwash containing chemical antibacterial agents after brushing. Electric toothbrushes are increasingly being used as an effective method of tooth brushing.
[0003] In addition, electric toothbrushes that emit light of specific wavelengths have been disclosed as a method for effectively removing bacteria. However, generally, only chemical removal methods using oral cleaning agents are used, and recently released electric toothbrushes, including electric toothbrushes that emit white light or blue / red LEDs, have been developed. However, there is a problem of a lack of specific methods to effectively suppress oral bacteria. In particular, conventional electric toothbrushes are limited to the convenience of vibrating the toothbrush, and only transmit the vibration of the toothbrush. Korean Patent Application Publication No. 10-0773210 is disclosed as a prior art. Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]
[0004] In order to solve the problems of the conventionally proposed methods, the present invention has been proposed. The present invention comprises a handle that can be held by a user, a body of an electric toothbrush forming the exterior of a housing including a toothbrush head attachment part, a PCB having a plurality of LEDs for irradiating light to a toothbrush head area where the toothbrush head attachment part is formed, and a PCB installed in the body of the electric toothbrush and installed to correspond to the shape of the body of the electric toothbrush. Also included are a vibration motor attached and installed in the upper area of the body of the electric toothbrush, a sensor unit for measuring the biosignals of a user by holding the electric toothbrush, and a sensor unit attached and installed in the toothbrush head area of the body of the electric toothbrush. The present invention aims to provide an electric toothbrush that protects the operating life of the LED when the heat generated from the PCB driven for oral hygiene is severe, protects the body of the electric toothbrush from deformation of the body due to heat, and measures the biosignals of a user of the electric toothbrush.
[0005] Furthermore, the object of the present invention is to provide an electric toothbrush that effectively dissipates heat generated when irradiating light for oral hygiene using low and high power LEDs, and by arranging magnets in combination with multiple LEDs arranged on a PCB, it is possible to utilize a toothbrush holder and magnets for hygienic arrangement, thereby improving the convenience and efficiency of use.
[0006] Furthermore, an object of the present invention is to provide an oxygen saturation sensor and a temperature sensor in the handle portion of the electric toothbrush body, and to place a temperature sensor in the toothbrush head area, so that a user who uses an electric toothbrush for brushing their teeth can easily measure the vital signs of oxygen saturation and temperature through the act of brushing their teeth, and use the results as health management information. [Means for solving the problem]
[0007] The electric toothbrush according to the features of the present invention for achieving the above-mentioned objectives includes, as an electric toothbrush, a body of the electric toothbrush forming an exterior of a housing including a handle that can be held by a user and a toothbrush head attachment part. A PCB having a plurality of LEDs for irradiating light to a toothbrush head area where the toothbrush head attachment part is formed is mounted in the body of the electric toothbrush so as to correspond to the shape of the body of the electric toothbrush. A vibration motor mounted and installed in the upper region of the handle of the body of the electric toothbrush is mounted and installed in the toothbrush head area of the body of the electric toothbrush. The toothbrush head mounted in the toothbrush head attachment part of the body of the electric toothbrush is mounted on the top of the LEDs formed in the toothbrush head area of the PCB. A plurality of magnets arranged to dissipate heat generated from the plurality of LEDs; A sensor unit for measuring a biosignal of a user by holding the electric toothbrush includes the above-mentioned components.
[0008] The PCB has a number of LEDs mounted thereon and positioned to illuminate a predetermined light source set in the user's mouth through the toothbrush head area of the body of the electric toothbrush. The LEDs may be positioned on one or both sides of the PCB. More preferably, the LEDs The multiple LEDs arranged on the PCB are positioned to illuminate a given light source within the user's mouth, and may consist of a combination of LEDs of different wavelengths.
[0009] Preferably, the toothbrush tip is preferably made of an elastic material capable of conducting electric current. Preferably, the magnet is arranged to dissipate heat generated from the multiple LEDs of the PCB, and is preferably arranged on one or both surfaces of the PCB on which the multiple LEDs are not arranged. Preferably, the magnet is structured to cross the LEDs when the LEDs are arranged on the back side of the PCB. Preferably, the magnet is additionally arranged behind or in front of the toothbrush head in the body of the electric toothbrush, and can function as a hygienic holder by magnetic attraction between the holder and the magnet, or between the magnet and the metal. Preferably, the sensor unit is configured to include an oxygen saturation sensor to measure a biosignal of a user holding the electric toothbrush. The sensor unit is configured to also include a temperature sensor to measure the temperature of a user using the electric toothbrush. Effect of the Invention
[0010] According to the present invention, there is provided an electric toothbrush having a handle that can be held by a user, an electric toothbrush body forming the appearance of a brush head on which a brush head attachment part is formed, and a PCB (printed circuit board) configured to correspond to the shape of the electric toothbrush body and equipped with a plurality of LEDs, which is arranged in the electric toothbrush body and configured to illuminate the area on which the brush head attachment part is formed. A vibration motor is arranged in the upper region of the handle of the electric toothbrush body and attached to the PCB, a sensor unit is installed in the brush head area of the electric toothbrush body and installed in the brush head area on which the brush head attachment part is formed, a brush head attached to the upper part of the LED formed in the brush head area of the PCB and connected to the brush head attachment part, and a plurality of magnets are arranged to dissipate heat generated from the plurality of LEDs attached to the PCB. The electric toothbrush includes a sensor unit for measuring a user's biosignal when the user holds the electric toothbrush for use, and provides an electric toothbrush that protects the operating life of the LED when the heat generated from the LED driven for oral hygiene is severe, prevents deformation of the electric toothbrush body due to heat, and measures the user's biosignal when the electric toothbrush is used.
[0011] Furthermore, according to the electric toothbrush of the present invention, by arranging multiple magnets in combination with multiple LEDs mounted on a PCB, the heat generated when using low-power and high-power LEDs for oral hygiene can be effectively dissipated, and the brush holder and magnets can be arranged in a hygienic manner, thereby improving the convenience and efficiency of use.
[0012] Furthermore, according to the electric toothbrush of the present invention, an oxygen saturation sensor and a temperature sensor are provided in the handle portion of the electric toothbrush body, and a temperature sensor is also located in the brush head area. Therefore, the user's oxygen saturation and temperature can be easily measured based on the user's actions when brushing their teeth with the electric toothbrush, and this can be used as information for health management. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Fig. 1 is a diagram showing the configuration of an electric toothbrush according to an embodiment of the present invention as a functional block, and Fig. 2 is a diagram showing a schematic perspective layout of an electric toothbrush according to an embodiment of the present invention. Fig. 3 is a diagram showing the external housing configuration of an electric toothbrush main body according to an embodiment of the present invention, and Fig. 4 is a diagram showing an approximate example of the layout configuration of an electric toothbrush main body and a PCB according to an embodiment of the present invention. Fig. 5 is a diagram showing an approximate example of the configuration of a brush head installation area of an electric toothbrush main body according to an embodiment of the present invention, and Fig. 6 is a diagram showing an example of the layout of LEDs and magnets on a PCB according to an embodiment of the present invention. Fig. 7 is a diagram showing an approximate example of the configuration of an electric toothbrush and a brush holder according to an embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0013] In the following, a detailed description of the relevant functional or structural aspects of the present invention is provided for a preferred embodiment as an example for implementing the present invention, so that a person of ordinary skill in the art to which the present invention pertains can easily implement the present invention. However, if providing a detailed description of the relevant functional or structural aspects may unnecessarily obscure the gist of the present invention, such a detailed description will be omitted. Furthermore, the term "connected" throughout the specification includes not only "directly connected" but also "indirectly connected through other components." Additionally, the term "including" means that other components may be included unless otherwise specified.
[0014] Additionally, throughout this specification, when a part is referred to as being "connected" to other parts, this includes not only "directly connected" but also "indirectly connected through other parts." Additionally, when a part is referred to as "containing" another part, this means that other parts may also be contained, unless specifically excluded.
[0015] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing the configuration of an electric toothbrush according to an embodiment of the present invention as a functional block, and FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a schematic perspective layout of an electric toothbrush according to an embodiment of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, an electric toothbrush (100) according to an embodiment of the present invention includes an electric toothbrush body (110) which forms an external housing of a brush head and in which a brush head attachment part is formed, a PCB (120) which has a shape corresponding to the electric toothbrush body (110) and is disposed inside the electric toothbrush body (110) and is provided with a plurality of LEDs (121) for illuminating an area in which the brush head attachment part is formed, a vibration motor (130) which is disposed in an upper area of the handle of the electric toothbrush body (110) and is attached to the PCB (120), and a sensor unit (160) which is installed in the brush head area in which the brush head attachment part of the electric toothbrush body (110) is formed, in order to measure a user's biosignal when using the electric toothbrush. Hereinafter, a detailed description of a specific configuration of an electric toothbrush according to an embodiment of the present invention will be provided with reference to the accompanying drawings.
[0016] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing the configuration of an electric toothbrush according to an embodiment of the present invention as a functional block, and FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an approximate perspective configuration of an electric toothbrush according to an embodiment of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, an electric toothbrush (100) according to an embodiment of the present invention includes an electric toothbrush body (110) forming an external housing of a brush head on which a brush head attachment part is formed, and is equipped with a plurality of LEDs (121) arranged corresponding to the shape of the electric toothbrush body (110) and arranged inside the electric toothbrush body (110) to illuminate the area on which the brush head attachment part is formed. In addition, the electric toothbrush body (110) is provided with a vibration motor (130) arranged in the upper region of the handle of the electric toothbrush body (110) and attached to the PCB (120), and a sensor unit (160) installed in the brush head area on which the brush head attachment part of the electric toothbrush body (110) is formed to measure a user's biological signal when using the electric toothbrush. The specific configuration of the electric toothbrush according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.
[0017] The electric toothbrush body (110) has a handle that can be held by a user, forms an external housing for the brush head, and forms a brush head attachment part. As shown in Figures 2 and 3, the handle that the user holds may have an exposed power button.
[0018] Furthermore, the electric toothbrush body (110) may be equipped with an oxygen saturation sensor (161) and a temperature sensor (162) so as to be exposed to the handle that is held by the user. Here, the temperature sensor (162) may be additionally attached to the rear of the brush head of the electric toothbrush body (110). In this case, the temperature sensor (162) attached to the brush head of the electric toothbrush body (110) may function to measure the temperature inside the user's mouth while brushing their teeth.
[0019] Furthermore, the brush head attachment portion of the electric toothbrush body (110) may be formed hollow to allow the brush head to be removably attached, and a sensor unit (160) that measures the user's biological signals when using the electric toothbrush may be attached inside.
[0020] The PCB (120) is configured to correspond to the shape of the electric toothbrush body (110) and is positioned inside the electric toothbrush body (110). As shown in FIG. 4, the PCB (120) is equipped with a number of LEDs (121) for illuminating the area where the brush head attachment portion is formed, and the vibration motor (130) is positioned in the upper region of the handle of the electric toothbrush body (110) and attached to the PCB (120).
[0021] As shown in Figure 6, multiple magnets (122) are arranged to dissipate heat generated from multiple LEDs (121) mounted on a PCB (120). Here, the magnets (122) may be embedded in the PCB (120). In this case, the LEDs (121) and the magnets (122) are preferably arranged alternately in a row or grid. Here, the magnets (122) are magnets for dissipating heat generated from the LEDs (121), and the LEDs (121) are configured to prevent the light from shining directly into the user's eyes.
[0022] As shown in Figure 7, the electric toothbrush body (110) and brush holder (170) are configured to have magnetic properties so that the brush head can be stably stored when not in use. In this case, the brush holder (170) is provided with charging terminals (171) so that the charging terminals (171) come into contact with the brush head when it is stored, thereby charging the electric toothbrush.
[0023] As described above, the electric toothbrush according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a sensor unit (160) that measures a user's biosignal when the user holds and uses the electric toothbrush, thereby providing an electric toothbrush for brushing teeth, protecting the operating life of the LED when the heat generated by the LED driven for oral hygiene is severe, and protecting the electric toothbrush body from deformation due to heat, and measuring the user's biosignal when using the electric toothbrush. The brush bristles (140) are attached to a brush bristles attachment portion formed on the brush head of the electric toothbrush body (110), and are located above and attached to the LEDs (121) formed in the brush head area of the PCB (120). Such brush bristles (140) may be made of an elastic material that is conductive for the flow of electric current. Here, the brush bristles (140) may be made of a conductive material in which metal is mixed into a common brush bristles material such as nylon or PBT (polybutylene terephthalate), or a mixture of a non-conductive material such as rubber, silicone, or elastomer and a conductive metal material, or a conductive material with elasticity.
[0024] Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 4, the brush bristles (140) are attached to the brush head area of the PCB (120) located inside the electric toothbrush body (110) using two C-clips as an SMD (surface mounted device), and a conductive transparent waterproof film is inserted into and contacts the conductive metal C-clips, so that the brush bristles (140) are fixed to the conductive transparent waterproof film, allowing the microcurrent to reach the brush bristles (140).
[0025] The magnets (150) are configured to dissipate heat generated by the multiple LEDs (121) on the PCB (120). These magnets (150) are positioned to dissipate heat generated by the multiple LEDs (121) on the PCB (120) regardless of whether multiple LEDs (121) are placed thereon. Furthermore, if the LEDs (121) are also placed on the back side of the PCB (120), the magnets (150) and the LEDs (121) may be placed in a cross-positioned configuration. Thus, the magnets (150) may be placed on the top side where the LEDs are placed or on the back side of the PCB (120), and if there are LEDs on the back side, the magnets are cross-positioned or if there are no LEDs, only the magnets are placed and aligned, providing various placement configurations.
[0026] Furthermore, as shown in Fig. 7, the magnet (150) can be additionally placed on the inside back or front of the brush head of the electric toothbrush body (110), allowing for hygienic storage by being attracted to a stand or metal, ensuring convenience and efficiency. Therefore, the magnet (150) is attached to the PCB (120) in SMT (surface mount technology) format during manufacturing, a recess for the magnet is formed on the back of the body head, and the magnet (150) is inserted into the recess, allowing contact without a separate adhesive between the PCB (120) and the magnet.
[0027] The sensor unit (160) is comprised of sensors for measuring biosignals of a user using the electric toothbrush (100). The sensor unit (160) may include an oxygen saturation sensor (121) and a temperature sensor (122) for measuring the oxygen saturation and temperature of the user while using the electric toothbrush (100). Additionally, the sensor unit (160) may additionally include a temperature sensor (162) attached to the back side of the brush head of the electric toothbrush body (110).
[0028] Furthermore, the oxygen saturation sensor (121) of the sensor unit (160) can easily measure the user's biological signals, such as oxygen saturation, heart rate, and blood pressure, simply by holding the electric toothbrush (100).
[0029] As described above, the electric toothbrush according to the embodiment of the present invention includes a handle that can be held by a user, an electric toothbrush body forming an external housing of a brush head, a PCB equipped with a plurality of LEDs arranged corresponding to the shape of the electric toothbrush body and for illuminating a brush head area on the PCB, a vibration motor attached to the upper region of the handle of the electric toothbrush body and attached to a bristle mounting part formed on the brush head of the electric toothbrush body, bristles attached on the LEDs formed on the brush head area of the PCB, a plurality of magnets arranged to dissipate heat generated by the plurality of LEDs on the PCB, and a sensor unit for measuring biosignals of a user using the electric toothbrush, forming an electric toothbrush for oral hygiene. When the heat generated from the LEDs on the PCB driven for oral hygiene increases, the present invention protects the operating life of the LEDs, protects the electric toothbrush body from thermal deformation by dissipating heat by magnets, measures the biosignals of the user during use of the electric toothbrush, ensures efficient use of low-power and high-power LEDs for oral hygiene by effective heat dissipation, ensures hygienic storage, and improves convenience and efficiency.
[0030] The above invention may be modified or adapted in various ways by those skilled in the art to which the invention pertains. The scope of the technical concept of the invention should be determined by the following claims. [Brief description of the drawings]
[0031] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a functional block diagram showing the configuration of an electric toothbrush according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a schematic perspective view of an electric toothbrush according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 3]FIG. 3 is a diagram showing the external housing configuration of the electric toothbrush body according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an approximate example of the layout of an electric toothbrush body and a PCB according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 5] FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an example of a rough configuration of a brush head installation area of an electric toothbrush body according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 illustrates an example of an LED and magnet arrangement on a PCB according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating an example of a configuration of an electric toothbrush and a brush holder according to an embodiment of the present invention.
Claims
1. The electric toothbrush (100) includes an electric toothbrush body (110) that forms an exterior housing of a toothbrush head having a brush head attachment portion formed therein and that has a handle that can be held by a user; a printed circuit board (PCB) (120) that is configured to correspond to the shape of the body (110), is disposed inside the body (110), and has a plurality of LEDs (121) for illuminating an area of the toothbrush head where the brush head attachment portion is formed; a vibration motor (130) that is disposed in an upper area of the handle of the body (110) and mounted on the PCB (120); a brush head (140) that is installed in the brush head attachment portion formed on the toothbrush head of the body (110) and is located above the LEDs (121) formed in the toothbrush head area of the PCB (120); a plurality of magnets (150) that are disposed to dissipate heat generated by the plurality of LEDs (121) on the PCB (120); and a sensor unit (160) that measures a biosignal of a user when the electric toothbrush (100) is in use.
2. In the electric toothbrush described in claim 1, the PCB (120) is equipped with a plurality of LEDs (121) so as to irradiate a predetermined light onto the user's oral cavity and gums through a brush head area in which the brush bristle attachment portion of the electric toothbrush body (110) is formed, and the plurality of LEDs (121) are attached to one or both sides of the PCB (120).
3. In the electric toothbrush described in claim 2, the multiple LEDs (121) are arranged on the PCB (120) and are configured to irradiate a predetermined light onto the user's oral cavity and gums, and are configured as a combination of LEDs of different wavelength bands.
4. 11. The electric toothbrush of claim 1, wherein the bristles (140) are made of a resilient material that is electrically conductive and allows for the flow of electrical current.
5. In the electric toothbrush of claim 1, the magnet (150) is positioned to dissipate heat generated by the multiple LEDs (121) on the PCB (120), and is positioned on one or both sides of the PCB (120) on which the multiple magnets (150) are arranged, regardless of whether the multiple LEDs (121) are arranged on the PCB (120).
6. In the electric toothbrush described in claim 1, the magnet (150) and the LED (121) are configured in a structure in which the magnet (150) is intersected by the LED (121) when the LED (121) is also arranged on the rear side of the PCB (120).
7. Claim 1: An electric toothbrush in which the magnet (150) is separately arranged on the rear or front of the brush head of the electric toothbrush body (110) and functions to enable hygienic storage by magnetic attraction between the stand and the magnet, or between the magnet and metal.
8. In the electric toothbrush of claim 1, the sensor unit (160) includes an oxygen saturation sensor (121) for measuring a biosignal of the user when the electric toothbrush (100) is gripped, and a temperature sensor (122) for measuring the temperature of the user when the electric toothbrush (100) is gripped.