Powered toothbrush

Abstract

A powered toothbrush refill head combines a typical round oscillating or primary tuft block which oscillates in a rotational manner with a secondary tuft block. The secondary tuft block may be oscillated in a rotational manner or may oscillate linearly back and forth in the same direction as the handle of the toothbrush. The secondary tuft block could be in the form of a pair of side by side plates mounted on the head adjacent to the round oscillating block. The invention could also be practice where the secondary tuft block is in the form of a plurality of sets of rows of bristles mounted for back and forth movement in a direction perpendicular to the handle.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . In a powered toothbrush having a handle, a head mounted to said handle, a primary tuft block mounted in said head, said primary tuft block having exposed bristles extending outwardly from said head, a secondary tuft block mounted in said head at a location displaced from said primary tuft block, said secondary tuft block having exposed bristles extending outwardly from said head, a drive assembly in said handle, said drive assembly including a drive connection to said primary tuft block in the form of a direct drive from a shaft axially extending from a motor to said primary tuft block to oscillate said primary tuft block back and forth, and a drive transmitting connection connecting said primary tuft block to said secondary tuft block for moving said secondary tuft block back and forth in an oscillating manner in response to the movement of said primary tuft block while said primary tuft block is being oscillated.  
     
     
         2 . The toothbrush of  claim 1  including a shaft mounted in said head, and said primary tuft block being rotationally mounted on said shaft.  
     
     
         3 . The toothbrush of  claim 2  wherein said primary tuft block is a round block having a generally circular cross-sectional shape, said secondary tuft block is being round block having a general circular cross-sectional shape, and said secondary tuft block being rotationally mounted on a post whereby said back and forth movement of said secondary tuft block is a rotational oscillating movement.  
     
     
         4 . The toothbrush of  claim 3  wherein said drive transmitting connection comprises a finger in one of said primary tuft block and said secondary tuft block located in a cutout in the other of said primary tuft block and said secondary tuft block.  
     
     
         5 . The toothbrush of  claim 3  wherein said secondary tuft block is mounted outwardly of said primary tuft block with said primary tuft block being between said secondary tuft block and said handle, and said secondary tuft block being of lesser size than said primary tuft block.  
     
     
         6 . The toothbrush of  claim 3  wherein said secondary tuft block is mounted outwardly of said primary tuft block with said primary tuft block being between said secondary tuft block, and said handle, and said secondary tuft block being of the same size as said primary tuft block.  
     
     
         7 . The toothbrush of  claim 3  wherein said bristles on at least one of said primary tuft block and said secondary tuft block include bristles of different configuration and material than other bristles on said at least one of said primary tuft block and said secondary tuft block.  
     
     
         8 . The toothbrush of  claim 2  wherein said primary tuft block is a round tuft block having a generally circular cross section, said secondary tuft block comprising at least one plate disposed adjacent to said primary tuft block, and said drive transmitting connection causing said at least one plate to reciprocate linearly, in a direction parallel to said handle.  
     
     
         9 . The toothbrush of  claim 8  wherein said secondary tuft block comprises at least two side by side plates.  
     
     
         10 . The toothbrush of  claim 9  wherein said drive transmitting connection comprises a link connecting each of said plates to said primary tuft block.  
     
     
         11 . The toothbrush of  claim 9  wherein said plates are located between said primary tuft block and said handle.  
     
     
         12 . The toothbrush of  claim 11  wherein each of said plates includes an arcuate edge disposed adjacent to and parallel to said primary tuft block.  
     
     
         13 . The toothbrush of  claim 9  wherein said bristles in one of said plates are ramped and are inclined in an opposite direction and parallel to said bristles in the other of said plates.  
     
     
         14 . The toothbrush of  claim 9  wherein said bristles on at least one of said primary tuft block and said secondary tuft block include bristles of different configuration and material than other bristles on said at least one of said primary tuft block and said secondary tuft block.  
     
     
         15 . The toothbrush of  claim 9  wherein the bristles on each of said plates are arranged in rows and are of ramped height, and the ramped height of each plate being inclined in an opposite direction than its adjacent plate.  
     
     
         16 . In a powered toothbrush having a handle, a head mounted to said handle, a primary tuft block mounted in said head, said primary tuft block having exposed bristles extending outwardly from said head, said primary tuft block being rotationally mounted on a first shaft, a secondary tuft block mounted in said head at a location displaced from said primary tuft block, said secondary tuft block having exposed bristles extending outwardly from said head, said secondary tuft block being rotationally mounted on a second shaft, a drive assembly in said handle, said drive assembly including a drive connection to said primary tuft block to rotationally oscillate said primary tuft block back and forth, a drive transmitting connection connecting said primary tuft block to said secondary tuft block for moving said secondary tuft block back and forth in a rotational oscillating manner in response to the rotational oscillation movement of said primary tuft block while said primary tuft block is being oscillated, and said drive transmitting connection comprising a finger in one of said primary tuft block and said secondary tuft block located in a cutout in the other of said primary tuft block and said secondary tuft block.  
     
     
         17 . The toothbrush of  claim 16  wherein said primary tuft block is a round block having a generally circular cross-sectional shape, said secondary tuft block is being round block having a general circular cross-sectional shape, said cutout being in said secondary tuft block, and said finger being in said primary tuft block.  
     
     
         18 . The toothbrush of  claim 17  wherein said primary tuft block and said secondary tuft block are of the same size.  
     
     
         19 . The toothbrush of  claim 18  wherein said primary tuft block and said secondary tuft block each include said cutout and said finger so as to be interchangeable during assembly.  
     
     
         20 . The toothbrush of  claim 16  wherein said secondary tuft block is mounted outwardly of said primary tuft block with said primary tuft block being between said secondary tuft block and said handle, and said secondary tuft block being of lesser size than said primary tuft block.  
     
     
         21 . The toothbrush of  claim 16  wherein said bristles on at least one of said primary tuft block and said secondary tuft block include bristles of different configuration and material than other bristles on said at least one of said primary tuft block and said secondary tuft block.  
     
     
         22 . In a powered toothbrush having a handle, a head mounted to said handle, a primary tuft block mounted in said head, said primary tuft block having exposed bristles extending outwardly from said head, a shaft mounted in said head, said primary tuft block being rotationally mounted on said shaft, a secondary tuft block mounted in said head at a location displaced from said primary tuft block, said secondary tuft block having exposed bristles extending outwardly from said head, a drive assembly in said handle, said drive assembly including a drive connection to said primary tuft block to oscillate said primary tuft block back and forth in a rotational direction, and a drive transmitting connection located between said primary tuft block and said secondary tuft block for moving said secondary tuft block back and forth in an oscillating manner in a linear direction while said primary tuft block is oscillated in a rotational direction.  
     
     
         23 . The toothbrush of  claim 22  wherein said primary tuft block is a round tuft block having a generally circular cross section, said secondary tuft block comprising at least one plate disposed adjacent to said primary tuft block, and said drive transmitting connection causing said at least one plate to reciprocate linearly in a direction parallel to said handle. bristles of different configuration and material than other bristles on said at least one of said primary tuft block and said secondary tuft block.  
     
     
         30 . The toothbrush of claim  24  wherein the bristles on each of said plates are arranged in rows and are of ramped height, and the ramped height of each plate being inclined in an opposite direction than its adjacent plate.  
     
     
         31 . The toothbrush of  claim 22  wherein said primary tuft block is round and has a generally circular cross section, and said secondary tuft block having at least one horizontally disposed bar located generally perpendicular to said handle.  
     
     
         32 . The toothbrush of  claim 31  wherein said secondary tuft block comprises a plurality of side by side parallel bars, and each of said bars having bristles extending outwardly thereof.  
     
     
         33 . The toothbrush of  claim 32  wherein said plurality of bars comprises at least two sets of bars, each of said sets of bars having at least two bars in said set, and said bars of said at least two sets being mounted in an alternating manner with a bar of each set disposed adjacent to a bar of the other set.  
     
     
         34 . The toothbrush of  claim 32  wherein said plurality of bars comprises two sets of side by side parallel bars, each of said sets having two bars, and said sets of bars being mounted in an alternating manner whereby a bar of each of said sets is disposed adjacent to a bar of the other of said sets.  
     
     
         35 . The toothbrush of  claim 32  wherein said plurality of bars comprises at least two sets of bars, each of said sets of bars having at least two adjacent bars in said set, and each of said sets of adjacent bars being mounted to move in a direction opposite to the movement of its adjacent set of bars.  
     
     
         36 . The toothbrush of  claim 32  wherein said plurality of bars comprises two sets of side by side parallel bars, each of said sets having two adjacent bars, and each of said sets of adjacent bars being mounted to move in a direction opposite to the direction of movement of the other of said sets of adjacent bars.  
     
     
         37 . The toothbrush of  claim 32  wherein said drive assembly includes a rotating drive shaft, said drive connection being a crank end of said drive shaft mounted to said primary tuft block, and said drive transmitting connection being cam structure on said drive shaft engaged with said bars.  
     
     
         38 . The toothbrush of  claim 32  wherein said drive assembly includes a rotating drive shaft, said drive connection being a crank end of said drive shaft mounted to said primary tuft block, and said drive transmitting connection being cam structure on said drive shaft engaged with said bars.  
     
     
         39 . The toothbrush of  claim 32  wherein said bristles on said bars are of ramped height arranged in rows parallel to each other.  
     
     
         40 . The toothbrush of  claim 39  wherein the direction of inclination of each row of bristles is opposite to its adjacent row.  
     
     
         41 . The toothbrush of  claim 39  including stimulator bristles on said head peripherally outwardly of and at least partially around said secondary tuft block.  
     
     
         42 . The toothbrush of  claim 32  wherein said bristles on said bars are of the same height as each other.  
     
     
         43 . The toothbrush of  claim 42  including stimulator bristles on said head peripherally outwardly of and at least partially around said secondary tuft block.  
     
     
         44 . The toothbrush of claim  27  wherein said bristles on at least one of said primary tuft block and said secondary tuft block include bristles of different configuration and material than other bristles on said at least one of said primary tuft block and said secondary tuft block.