Cleaning and nursing equipment

Abstract

The cleaning and nursing tool includes a housing (1), a motor (10) that performs a rotational motion, a drive shaft (11) having a second axis and protruding from a chamber, and a link mechanism (7) that is connected to the output shaft of the motor (10) and the drive shaft (11) and is configured to convert the rotational motion of the output shaft about a first axis into a reciprocating rotation about a second axis of the drive shaft (11). The link mechanism (7) includes a main drive wheel (16) connected to the output shaft. The cleaning and nursing tool includes a rack (20). The rack (20) is a housing. The rack (20) is installed adjacent to the motor (10) in the housing, the rack (20) has a rack bottom wall (27) and a first boss (24) and a second boss (23) protruding from the rack bottom wall (27), the main driving wheel (16) is accommodated in the first boss chamber (30) of the first boss (24), the drive shaft (11) is accommodated in the hole (21) of the second boss (23) and rotates back and forth, and the second boss (23) is stacked above the first boss (24) so ​​that the hole (21) is located directly above the first boss chamber (30). The rack (20) provides a compact arrangement structure by providing two overlapping bosses (23, 24) to which the link mechanism (7) and the drive shaft (11) are attached.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a cleaning and nursing tool such as an electric toothbrush, and more particularly to a cleaning and nursing tool, such as an electric toothbrush, having a link mechanism that converts the rotational motion of a drive unit into the reciprocating rotation of a drive shaft. [Background technology]

[0002] Currently, there are various handheld electric cleaning and care tools on the market, such as electric toothbrushes. An electric toothbrush has a handle and a brush head attached to a drive shaft protruding from the handle. A rotating electric motor is attached inside the handle. The driving force supplied by the rotating electric motor is output through the output shaft and converted into reciprocating rotation of the drive shaft via a planar four-link structure, causing the brush head mounted thereon to oscillate back and forth.

[0003] In conventional electric toothbrushes that use a motor as a drive device, the longitudinal axis of the rotating electric motor and the longitudinal axis of the drive shaft to which the brush head is directly attached are both offset from each other by an equal distance, usually 5 mm or more. In this case, in order to reduce the volume of the product, the brush head of the electric toothbrush is positioned eccentrically with respect to the central longitudinal axis of the handle.

[0004] However, due to the limitations of the conventional planar four-link structure and drive shaft mounting structure, the overall outline of a conventional motor-driven electric toothbrush is relatively large, and the appearance design is limited by the offset between the brush head and the central longitudinal axis of the handle. Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] Therefore, there is a need to improve the conventional motor-driven cleaning and nursing tools to reduce the volume and improve the design aesthetics of the appearance. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] In order to overcome the shortcomings of the prior art, the present invention provides a cleaning and nursing tool, the cleaning and nursing tool comprising: a housing having a chamber formed therein; a motor, the motor having an output shaft with a first axis, the output shaft performing a rotational movement, the motor being disposed in the chamber, the output shaft being provided with a main driving wheel; a drive shaft having a second axis and protruding from the chamber; and a drive shaft connected to the main driving wheel of the output shaft and the drive shaft, respectively, and configured to rotate the output shaft about the first axis and reciprocate the drive shaft about the second axis. and a link mechanism configured to convert the drive shaft into a drive shaft having a first boss cavity formed in the first boss and a second boss having a hole portion, the drive shaft being received in the hole portion to perform the reciprocating rotation, and the second boss being stacked above the first boss with the hole portion positioned above the first boss cavity.

[0007] According to another aspect of the invention, the second boss is stacked above the first boss such that the first axis of the output shaft and the second axis of the drive shaft are essentially aligned, i.e., the longitudinal axes of the output shaft and the drive shaft are in line or parallel offset by less than 1 mm, and the distal end of the drive shaft is located directly above the output shaft.

[0008] Such a positional relationship between the drive shaft and the output shaft reduces the size of the handle portion, prevents the brush head from being offset relative to the handle portion, and allows for greater flexibility in external design.

[0009] A rack with two overlapping bosses allows both the output shaft and the drive shaft of the motor to be held via the same rack, with the output shaft essentially aligned with the axis of the drive shaft.

[0010] According to yet another aspect of the present invention, a boss hole bottom is provided between the first boss and the second boss, the boss hole bottom abuts against an end of the drive shaft, and the boss hole bottom is formed integrally with at least one of the first boss and the second boss.

[0011] According to yet another aspect of the present invention, the output shaft of the motor is provided with a main driving wheel at least partially housed within the first boss chamber, and the link mechanism further includes a driven wheel meshing with the main driving wheel, a driven wheel eccentric rod connected to the driven wheel, the center axis of the driven wheel eccentric rod being eccentrically disposed with respect to the rotation axis of the driven wheel, a link having one end connected to the driven wheel eccentric rod, a drive shaft eccentric rod connected to the other end of the link, and a drive shaft connecting rod having one end connected to the drive shaft eccentric rod and the other end fixed to the drive shaft.

[0012] According to yet another aspect of the present invention, the first boss has a first boss wall that circumferentially surrounds the main driving wheel, and the first boss wall has a notch portion, at which the driven wheel and the main driving wheel mesh.

[0013] According to yet another aspect of the present invention, the other end of the drive shaft connecting rod is fixed to the drive shaft above the second boss.

[0014] According to yet another aspect of the present invention, the rack further includes a rack outer wall, which extends from the rack bottom wall and is integrally formed with the rack bottom wall to surround the link mechanism, and the rack bottom wall has a first opening between the first boss and the outer wall, and the first opening accommodates one end of the driven wheel eccentric rod.

[0015] According to yet another aspect of the present invention, the second boss is formed as a separate body from the first boss, and the second boss engages with the first boss.

[0016] According to yet another aspect of the present invention, the rack bottom wall has a boss bottom hole formed on the side of the first boss closer to the motor, and the output shaft of the motor passes through the boss bottom hole and enters the first boss cavity. [Effects of the Invention]

[0017] According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the rack has two overlapping bosses to mount the linkage and the drive shaft, thereby providing a compact arrangement. Particularly advantageously, in the present invention, the longitudinal axis of the brush head of the electric toothbrush and the longitudinal axis of the handle are essentially aligned, and the drive shaft is essentially aligned with the output shaft of the motor through the same rack, which is accurate in positioning and convenient in installation. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0018] For a more complete understanding of the present invention, the following description of illustrative embodiments may be considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0019] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an electric toothbrush according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the internal structure of the electric toothbrush shown in FIG. 1 according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, with a portion of the handle housing removed. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a front view showing a link mechanism according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing a motor and linkage mechanism according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 5] FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing a link mechanism according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, and schematically shows a four-link structure. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 shows a perspective view of a rack housing a linkage according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is another perspective view of a rack housing a linkage in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention, with a drive shaft attached to the rack. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0020] The present invention will be described in detail below with reference to specific embodiments and drawings. In the following description, various details are described to facilitate a thorough understanding of the present invention. However, it is clear that the present invention can be embodied in other forms different from the above description, and those skilled in the art can extend or infer the present invention according to actual application situations without departing from the spirit of the present invention. Therefore, it goes without saying that the scope of protection of the present invention is not limited to the specific embodiments described above.

[0021] Hereinafter, exemplary embodiments of the present invention will be described in more detail with reference to the accompanying drawings, using an electric toothbrush 100 as a typical example of a personal cleaning and care tool. While the following description will be given using the electric toothbrush 100 as an example, the present invention is not limited thereto. The present invention may also be applied to cleaning and care tools that provide cleaning action using a drive device, such as an electric shaver, an electric facial cleanser, or an electric bathing device.

[0022] For clarity, this specification uses spatially relative terminology, such as "proximal end / proximal side," "distal end / distal side," etc., to simply describe the interrelationship of one element or feature to another element(s) or feature(s) as shown in the figures, where "proximal end / proximal side" means the end or side that is closer to the position where a cleaning force acts when the cleaning care tool is in use, and "distal end / distal side" means the end or side that is further from the position where a cleaning force acts when the cleaning care tool is in use.

[0023] Furthermore, as used herein, the term "and / or" includes any one or all combinations of one or more of the associated listed terms.

[0024] In this specification, multiple elements or components are described using terms such as "first," but these elements or components should not be limited by these terms. These terms are used merely to distinguish one element or component from other elements or components and do not imply "order." Therefore, even if the ordinal terms of the elements or components described below are interchanged, the concept and scope of the present invention will not be exceeded.

[0025] FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of a cleaning and nursing tool according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, which is an electric toothbrush 100. As shown in FIG.

[0026] The electric toothbrush 100 mainly comprises a handle unit 1 and a brush head 2 detachably attached to the handle unit 1. The handle unit 1 comprises a handle housing 6 and various functional components attached to the handle housing 6. The brush head 2 is provided with cleaning elements 4 such as brush bristles. A switch unit 3 is provided near the central portion of the handle housing 6, near the proximal end. By pressing the switch unit 3, the user can turn on various functional components inside the electric toothbrush 100 and cause the brush head 2 to move back and forth.

[0027] Figure 2 further illustrates the internal configuration of the electric toothbrush 100 according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention. As shown in Figure 2, from the distal end to the proximal end along the longitudinal direction of the electric toothbrush 100, the electric toothbrush 100 includes a battery 5 provided in a chamber formed in the handle housing 6, a wiring board 8, a motor 10, a link mechanism 7, and a drive shaft 11. Also, as shown in Figure 2, the handle housing 6 includes a rack 20 that houses and holds the link mechanism 7 and the drive shaft 11, and a rack cover 26 that is assembled integrally with the rack 20 on the proximal end side of the rack 20.

[0028] In a preferred embodiment, a battery 5 is disposed at the distal end of the chamber in the handle portion 1 and supplies power to the motor 10 of the electric toothbrush 100. A wiring board 8 is disposed between the battery 5 and the motor 10 and has a switch and associated control means mounted thereon. The wiring board 8 is located at the distal end of the motor 10, while the output shaft of the motor 10 extends to a linkage 7 at the proximal end of the motor 10. When the motor 10 is operated, the output shaft can rotate about its longitudinal axis L2 (first axis). The linkage 7 is connected to the main wheel 16 of the output shaft of the motor 10 and to the drive shaft 11, respectively, to convert the rotational motion of the output shaft into reciprocating rotation about the longitudinal axis L1 (second axis) of the drive shaft 11. At the proximal end of the handle housing 6 of the electric toothbrush 100, the drive shaft 11, connected to the linkage 7, partially extends from a chamber formed in the handle housing 6 of the handle to connect the brush head 2.

[0029] Fig. 3 is a plan view showing a link mechanism 7 according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, and Fig. 4 is a perspective view showing a motor 10 and link mechanism 7 according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention. As shown in Figs. 3 and 4, link mechanism 7 includes a driven wheel 15, a driven wheel eccentric rod 17, a link 14, a drive shaft eccentric rod 13, and a drive shaft connecting lever 12, and these members form a four-link mechanism.

[0030] Specifically, in a preferred embodiment, the main driving wheel 16 is a cylindrical gear attached to the output shaft of the motor 10, the rotation axis of the main driving wheel 16 and the longitudinal axis L2 of the output shaft being aligned on a straight line, and rotation of the output shaft of the motor 10 rotates the main driving wheel 16. The driven wheel 15 is also a cylindrical gear and meshes with the main driving wheel 16, the rotation axis of the driven wheel 15 being parallel to but spaced apart from the rotation axis of the main driving wheel 16. The driven wheel eccentric rod 17 in the link mechanism 7 is essentially arranged in the longitudinal direction and is connected to the driven wheel 15 and the link 14, respectively.

[0031] Link 14 is disposed transversely to the longitudinal direction and is connected to driven wheel eccentric rod 17 and drive shaft eccentric rod 13, respectively. As can be seen from FIG. 5 , link 14 has a first hole 18 and a second hole 19, one end of driven wheel eccentric rod 17 is inserted into first hole 18, the center of first hole 18 is offset from the rotation center of driven wheel 15, and driven wheel eccentric rod 17 is configured to connect first hole 18, the center of which is offset, with driven wheel 15, thereby also configuring the drive arm of the planar four-link mechanism.

[0032] The drive shaft eccentric rod 13 is connected to the link 14 and the drive shaft connecting rod 12. The distal end of the drive shaft eccentric rod 13 is inserted into the second hole 19 of the link 14. The drive shaft eccentric rod 13 is also essentially longitudinally disposed and offset to one side of the drive shaft 11.

[0033] The drive shaft connecting rod 12 is connected to the drive shaft eccentric rod 13 and the drive shaft 11. Similar to the link 14, the drive shaft connecting rod 12 also has a first hole and a second hole spaced a certain distance apart, with the drive shaft eccentric rod 13 inserted into the first hole and the distal end of the drive shaft 11 inserted through the second hole.

[0034] 3 and 4, in the present invention, the central axis of the second hole of the drive shaft connecting rod 12 of the link mechanism 7 is essentially aligned with the rotation axis of the main driving wheel 16, i.e., the longitudinal axis L1 of the drive shaft 11 inserted into the second hole is essentially aligned with the longitudinal axis connected to the output shaft of the motor 10. It is particularly important to note that in the present invention, the phrase "essentially aligned" between two axes means that the two axes are on the same straight line or have a parallel offset distance of less than 1 mm.

[0035] Figure 5 shows a schematic diagram of a four-link device consisting of the above-mentioned link mechanism 7. In Figure 5, point O is the center of the drive shaft 11, point A is the center of the second hole of link 14, point B is the center of the first hole of link 14 (i.e., the position where the central axis of the driven wheel eccentric shaft is located), and point C is the rotation center of driven wheel 15. Rotation of the output shaft of the motor 10 rotates the driving wheel 16, and engagement of the driving wheel 16 rotates the driven wheel 15 around point C. The driven wheel 15 is fixed to the driven wheel eccentric rod 17, and rotation of the driven wheel 15 rotates the driven wheel eccentric rod 17 around point C. Furthermore, since the center point B of the first hole of the link 14 is offset from point C and the position of point O is fixed, as the driven wheel eccentric rod 17 rotates around point C, the rotation of the driven wheel eccentric rod 17 causes the link 14, drive shaft eccentric rod 13, and drive shaft connecting rod 12 to move back and forth around point C, and causes the drive shaft 11 to rotate back and forth around point O, thereby realizing the reciprocating motion of the brush head 2 attached to the drive shaft 11. In short, the drive shaft 11, drive shaft connecting rod 12, link 14, driven wheel 15 and driven wheel eccentric rod 17 constitute a planar four-link structure, and as shown in Figure 5, the connecting line from the center C of the driven wheel 15 to the center of the hole 18 of the link 14 constitutes a drive arm of the planar four-link structure, which can rotate continuously through 360 degrees, thereby realizing reciprocating rotation of the drive shaft 11 around the longitudinal axis.

[0036] The rack 20 is disposed adjacent to the motor 10 within the housing. As shown in FIGS. 6 and 7 , the rack 20 includes a rack bottom wall and a rack outer wall. The rack outer wall includes a first boss 24 and a second boss 23 protruding from the rack bottom wall along a substantially longitudinal direction. The first boss 24 has a first boss wall surrounding it to form a first boss cavity 30, and the second boss 23 has a second boss wall surrounding it to form a hole 21. The first boss chamber 30 mainly houses the main driving wheel 16, which can rotate within the first boss chamber 30. The hole 21 houses an end of the drive shaft 11, which can rotate within the hole of the second boss. As shown in FIG. 6 , the second boss 23 is longitudinally stacked above the first boss 24 so that the hole 21 is located above the first boss chamber 30. Preferably, the hole 21 is located directly above the first boss chamber 30, i.e., the entire hole 21 is located within the spatial region longitudinally above the first boss chamber 30, thereby allowing the output shaft and drive shaft 11, whose axes are essentially aligned, to be held and accommodated via the same rack 20.

[0037] 3, a boss hole bottom 22 is provided between the first boss 24 and the second boss 23, and the upper surface of this bottom 22 abuts against the end of the drive shaft 11, serving to position and support the drive shaft 11. In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the boss hole bottom 22 is formed integrally with the second boss wall and thereby becomes part of the second boss 23. However, it should be understood that in other alternative embodiments, the boss hole bottom may be formed integrally with the first boss 24, for example as part of the top of the second boss 23. Obviously, the first boss 24, the second boss 23, and the boss hole bottom may be formed integrally.

[0038] 6, the rack bottom wall 27 defines a boss bottom hole 25 on the side of the first boss 24 closest to the motor 10, and the output shaft of the motor 10 enters the first boss cavity 30 through the boss bottom hole 25. As shown in FIG. 3, in a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the diameter of the boss bottom hole 25 is set to be slightly larger than the diameter of the main driving wheel 16, and a portion of the main driving wheel 16 extends through the bottom hole 25. It should be understood that in other alternative embodiments, the boss bottom hole 25 may be set to be smaller so as to allow only the output shaft of the motor 10 to pass therethrough.

[0039] In addition, the first boss wall 28 is particularly provided with a notch, and as is clear from Figures 3 and 6, the space provided by this notch allows the main driving wheel 16 located inside the first boss chamber 30 and the driven wheel 15 located basically outside the boss chamber 30 to mesh with each other.

[0040] In addition, the rack bottom wall 27 and the rack cover 26 are each provided with two openings, preferably aligned vertically, which accommodate the proximal and distal ends of the driven wheel eccentric rod 17, respectively, and allow the driven wheel eccentric rod 17 to rotate under the driving of the driven wheel 15.

[0041] When the link mechanism 7 is mounted in the rack 20, the driving wheel 16 mounted on the motor output shaft is located in the first boss chamber 30, and the driven wheel 15 is located in the space between the outside of the first boss chamber 30 and the rack outer wall 29. The link 14 and the drive shaft eccentric rod 13 are located in the space between the second boss wall and the rack outer wall 29. The drive shaft connecting rod 12 extends laterally in the space between above the second boss 23 and below the rack cover 26, and one end of the hole through which the drive shaft 11 is drilled is located above the second boss 23.

[0042] 3, the second boss 23 and the first boss 24 preferably form separate members, with the bottom of the second boss 23 engaging and attached to the top of the first boss 24. It should be understood that in other alternative embodiments, the first boss 24 and the second boss 23 may be integrally formed and fixedly attached to the bottom wall of the rack. The first boss 24 and the second boss 23 may also be injection molded integrally with the rack 20.

[0043] According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the rack 20 provides a compact arrangement by providing two overlapping bosses to mount the linkage 7 and the drive shaft 11. Particularly advantageously, in the present invention, the longitudinal axis of the brush head 2 of the electric toothbrush 100 and the longitudinal axis of the handle are essentially aligned, and the drive shaft 11 is essentially aligned with the output shaft of the motor 10 via the same rack 20, which provides accurate positioning and convenient installation.

[0044] Although the present invention has been disclosed in the above preferred embodiments, it is not intended to limit the present invention, and those skilled in the art can make possible changes and modifications without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. Therefore, any modifications, equivalent changes and alterations made to the above embodiments based on the contents that do not deviate from the technical solution of the present invention and the technical essence of the present invention fall within the scope of protection defined in the claims of the present invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0045] 1 Handle 2 brush heads 3 Switch section 4 Cleaning Elements 5 Battery 6 Handle housing 7 Link mechanism 8. Wiring board 10 Motor 11 Drive shaft 12 Drive shaft connecting rod 13 Drive shaft eccentric rod 14 Links 15 Driven wheels 16 Main drive wheel 17 Driven wheel eccentric rod 18 2nd hole 19 Hole 1 20 racks 21 Hole 22 Boss hole bottom 23 Second Boss 24 First Boss 25 Boss bottom hole 26 Rack cover 27 Bottom wall of rack 28 First Boss Wall 29 Rack exterior wall 30 First Boss Chamber 100 electric toothbrushes L1 Longitudinal axis of drive shaft L2 Longitudinal axis of output shaft O Drive shaft center A Link 1st hole center B Link 2nd hole center C Center of rotation of driven wheel

Claims

1. a housing (1) in which a chamber is formed; a motor (10) having an output shaft with a first axis, the output shaft performing rotational motion, the motor disposed within the chamber; a drive shaft (11) having a second axis and projecting from the chamber; a link mechanism connected to the output shaft and the drive shaft, respectively, and configured to convert rotational motion of the output shaft about the first axis into reciprocating rotation of the drive shaft about the second axis, a rack (20) disposed adjacent to the motor (10) in the extension direction of the drive shaft is provided in the housing; The rack (20) a rack bottom wall positioned adjacent to the motor in the extension direction and intersecting the extension direction; a first boss (24) protruding from the bottom wall of the rack along the extending direction; a second boss (23) protruding from the first boss along the extension direction; and the output shaft has an end located near the drive shaft in the extension direction, The end of the output shaft is accommodated in a first boss cavity (30) formed in the first boss (24), The second boss (23) has a hole (21) provided at the top of the second boss, The drive shaft (11) performs the reciprocating rotation in a state in which it extends into the second boss through the hole portion (21), The cleaning and nursing tool is characterized in that the second boss (23) is stacked above the first boss (24) so ​​that the hole (21) is located above the first boss cavity (30).

2. 2. The cleaning and nursing equipment according to claim 1, wherein the second boss (23) is stacked above the first boss (24) so ​​that the first axis of the output shaft and the second axis of the drive shaft are essentially aligned.

3. The cleaning and nursing tool of claim 1, characterized in that a boss hole bottom (22) is provided between the first boss and the second boss, the boss hole bottom (22) abuts against the end of the drive shaft (11), and the boss hole bottom (22) is formed integrally with at least one of the first boss (24) and the second boss (23).

4. The output shaft of the motor (10) is provided with a main driving wheel at least partially housed within a first boss chamber; The link mechanism includes: a driven wheel (15) meshing with the driving wheel and having a rotation axis extending along the extension direction; a driven wheel eccentric rod (17) fixed to the driven wheel and extending along the extension direction; a link (14) having one end connected to the driven wheel eccentric rod (17); A drive shaft eccentric rod (13) connected to the other end of the link; a drive shaft connecting rod (12) having one end connected to the drive shaft eccentric rod (13) and the other end fixed to the drive shaft; Furthermore, The center axis of the driven wheel eccentric rod is eccentrically disposed with respect to the rotation axis of the driven wheel. The cleaning and nursing tool according to claim 1.

5. The cleaning and nursing tool according to claim 4, characterized in that the first boss has a first boss wall that circumferentially surrounds the main driving wheel, the first boss wall has a notch portion, and the driven wheel and the main driving wheel mesh with each other at the notch portion.

6. The cleaning and nursing tool according to claim 4, wherein the other end of the drive shaft connecting rod (12) is fixed to the drive shaft above the second boss.

7. the rack further includes a rack outer wall extending from the rack bottom wall and integrally formed with the rack bottom wall to surround the link mechanism; The cleaning and nursing equipment according to claim 4, characterized in that the bottom wall of the rack has a first opening between the first boss and the outer wall of the rack, and the first opening accommodates one end of the driven wheel eccentric rod (17).

8. The cleaning and nursing equipment described in claim 7, characterized in that the rack further comprises a rack cover fixed to the outer wall of the rack and having an opposite end fixed to the bottom wall of the rack, the rack cover having a second opening formed therein, the second opening accommodating the other end of the driven wheel eccentric rod (17).

9. 2. The cleaning and nursing tool according to claim 1, wherein the second boss is formed separately from the first boss, and the second boss engages with the first boss.

10. The cleaning and nursing equipment according to claim 1, characterized in that the rack bottom wall has a boss bottom hole (25) formed on the side of the first boss closer to the motor, and the output shaft of the motor passes through the boss bottom hole and enters the first boss cavity (30).

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