JPH0739573U - Electric toothbrush and electric toothbrush device - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) [Abstract] [Purpose] To obtain an electric toothbrush and an electric toothbrush device which do not require battery replacement, can be made more compact and integrated in a case to ensure more waterproof property, and do not require a charging circuit. [Structure] A shaft provided at the tip of a cylindrical toothbrush case, to which the toothbrush is attached at the end, a motor provided in the toothbrush case, and the rotation of the motor converted into a predetermined motion. And a power transmission mechanism that transmits the shaft to the shaft, and a side portion of the toothbrush case,
In an electric toothbrush including a changeover switch for performing a changeover operation of the motor and the power transmission mechanism, a capacitor provided in the toothbrush case and connected to the motor via the changeover switch, and each of the capacitors. An electric toothbrush device comprising: a pair of contact terminals connected to a terminal and provided on a peripheral surface of a base end portion of the toothbrush case. An electric toothbrush device including a charging unit that charges the capacitor.

Description

[Detailed description of the device]

[0001]

[Industrial applications]

 The present invention relates to an electric toothbrush in which a drive power source for a rechargeable motor is installed in a toothbrush case, and an electric toothbrush device including an electric toothbrush and a charging unit.

[0002]

[Prior art]

 Generally, in an electric toothbrush, a motor and a driving power source for the motor are installed inside a toothbrush case, and a power transmission mechanism that transmits the rotational force of the motor to a shaft is built in, and a toothbrush portion is attached to the tip of the shaft. ing. In this type of electric toothbrush, the motor is driven by the motor drive power supply provided inside the case in response to the operation of the switch provided outside the case, and the rotation of the motor is reciprocated by the shaft through the power transmission mechanism. It is converted into a linear motion or a rolling motion, which drives the toothbrush and is used for tooth brushing.

Conventionally, in this type of electric toothbrush, a dry battery is used as a driving power source for driving a motor, but the dry battery has a small battery capacity and a short life, and must be replaced in a relatively short period of time. Therefore, recently, a rechargeable type using a rechargeable secondary battery (for example, a nickel-cadmium battery) has become mainstream.

In the case of the rechargeable type, two types, a contact type and a non-contact type using an AC 100V power source, are used between the electric toothbrush and the charging portion. In the contact type, the power cord of the charging section is connected to an AC power source, and the electrical energy obtained from this is charged by directly contacting the contact plate of the charging section with the contact terminals of the toothbrush case base of the electric toothbrush. In the non-contact type, charging is performed, for example, by electromagnetic induction using an induction coil without bringing the contact plate and the contact terminal into contact with each other. Recently, the non-contact type has become the mainstream due to the problem of rust on the contacts.

[0005]

[Problems to be solved by the device]

 In the conventional electric toothbrush, although the number of times of replacement is smaller than that of the conventional dry battery, even in the case of the secondary battery, the battery is forced to be replaced every few months due to deterioration of the battery. It was necessary to prepare and replace them.

In the case of the electric toothbrush of the type in which the battery is replaced as described above, firstly, the toothbrush case must be provided in a structure that allows the battery to be replaced, and therefore, the handling of the battery when replacing the battery is required. Since both ease and watertightness contrary to this easiness of handling must be provided at the same time, there is a drawback that the structure becomes complicated and the manufacturing cost rises. Secondly, at the base end of the toothbrush case, as mentioned above, the conductive part for the charging part is provided for both contact and non-contact, so that the part that stores the battery is the center of the toothbrush case. As a result, the battery is normally installed and removed by removing the power transmission mechanism including the internal motor and shaft. Therefore, this type of electric toothbrush has to be provided with a structure in which the power transmission mechanism can be removed, so that the degree of freedom in manufacturing is low, and since this power transmission mechanism is removed by a general user, This was often the cause of failure. Thirdly, since the portion for accommodating the battery is provided as a so-called battery box in which the battery is to be attached / detached, the conduction between the battery and the battery box is normally a contact pressure contact method, and vibration occurs during use. In the case of this type of electric toothbrush, contact failure may occur due to deterioration of contact pressure contact force due to aging. Fourthly, when a secondary battery is used, a charging circuit is required, which requires space in a narrow case, which is an obstacle to miniaturization. Fifth, the charging of the secondary battery is done by a contact type or a non-contact type with an AC 100V power source as described above. Therefore, this kind of electric toothbrush is convenient when the AC 100V power source is not nearby. Is a bad thing.

Therefore, the present invention uses a battery as a power source, but does not need to replace the battery in the electric toothbrush, and further, does not use a dry battery or a secondary battery as a power source for driving the motor, thus eliminating the need for battery replacement. The purpose is to eliminate the above-mentioned drawbacks in this type of electric toothbrush and an electric toothbrush device composed of an electric toothbrush and a charging section, such as eliminating the need to remove the internal mechanism of the toothbrush case. is there.

[0008]

[Means for Solving the Problems]

 An electric toothbrush according to claim 1 of the present application is provided with a shaft provided at a distal end portion of a tubular toothbrush case, the toothbrush portion being attached to the end portion, a motor provided in the toothbrush case, and the toothbrush. A power transmission mechanism that is provided inside the case and converts the rotation of the motor into a predetermined motion and transmits it to the shaft; and a side portion of the toothbrush case that switches between the motor and the power transmission mechanism. An electric toothbrush provided with a changeover switch for performing an operation, a capacitor provided in the toothbrush case and connected to the motor via the changeover switch, and connected to each terminal of the capacitor, And a pair of contact terminals provided on the peripheral surface of the base end portion of the toothbrush case.

An electric toothbrush device according to a second aspect of the present application is provided with a shaft provided at a tip end portion of a cylindrical toothbrush case, the toothbrush portion being attached to the end portion, and a motor provided in the toothbrush case. A power transmission mechanism provided in the toothbrush case for converting the rotation of the motor into a predetermined motion and transmitting the rotation to the shaft; and a power transmission mechanism provided on a side portion of the toothbrush case for the motor and the power transmission mechanism. An electric toothbrush device comprising: an electric toothbrush having a changeover switch for performing a switching operation; a drive power source for the motor; and a charging unit for charging the drive power source for the electric toothbrush, wherein the electric toothbrush is the toothbrush. A capacitor provided in the case as a drive power source connected to the motor through the switch, and the capacitor. A pair of contact terminals connected to the respective terminals of the toothbrush case and provided on the peripheral surface of the base end portion of the toothbrush case, wherein the charging section includes a charging battery provided in the charging section case, A support part provided on the charging part case and supporting the toothbrush case when the base end part of the toothbrush case of the electric toothbrush is mounted, and a contact part arranged on the inner peripheral surface of the support part and the contact terminals. And a pair of contact terminal plates connected to the respective poles of the battery, the electric toothbrush case of the electric toothbrush when the toothbrush case of the electric toothbrush is mounted in the support section of the charging section case. The capacitor is an electric toothbrush device which is rechargeable by the battery through the contact terminal and the contact terminal plate.

[0010]

[Action]

 When the toothbrush is attached to the tip of the shaft and the changeover switch is operated, the motor is driven by the power source charged in the capacitor, the shaft performs a predetermined operation, and tooth brushing can be performed.

When charging, when the changeover switch is turned off and the base end of the toothbrush case is attached to the support part of the charging part, each contact terminal and the contact terminal plate of the base end of the toothbrush case are connected to charge The battery is charged to the capacitor.

In this case, since the charging speed of the capacitor is high, the capacitor can be charged in a short time and does not require a long time as in the conventional case. Further, since the capacitor is used as the drive power source for the motor, the circuit for charging the secondary battery as in the conventional case is unnecessary, and the extra space is not required. Furthermore, since the capacitor can be charged and discharged indefinitely, there is no need for replacement, and the toothbrush case can be integrated.

[0013]

【Example】

 An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

The electric toothbrush device 1 of the present embodiment includes an electric toothbrush 2 and a charging unit 3 that charges the electric toothbrush 2. The electric toothbrush 2 has a toothbrush case 5 as shown in FIG. , A cylindrical case central part 6 provided at the center, an end cap 7 attached to the base end part of the case central part 6, and a case head 8 attached to the tip part of the case central part 6. ing.

A capacitor 9, a motor 10, a power transmission mechanism 11, and a shaft 12 as a driving power source are provided in the case central portion 6 from the base end side to the tip end side on the center axis of the case central portion 6. The shaft 12 is disposed so as to extend through the case central portion 6 and the case head 8 and to the outside, and a tooth brush portion 66 as shown in FIG. 7 is attached to the shaft 12.

A changeover switch 13 for performing various operations such as on / off and locking of the motor 10 is provided at a slightly distal end side of the central portion 6 of the case, and a pinion gear 14 is attached to a rotary shaft of the motor 10. The pinion gear 14 is connected to a power transmission mechanism 11 composed of a crown gear 15, a cam 16, a cam holder 17, etc., which is similar to the conventional one, and the base end portion of the shaft 12 is connected to the power transmission mechanism 11. ing. The shaft 12 is configured to perform forward / backward and forward movements in response to the operation of the changeover switch 13.

In FIG. 1, 18 is a mechanical case, 19 is a ball bearing which supports the shaft 12, 20 is a mechanical case head, and 21 is a head packing for ensuring the waterproofness of the tip of the case central portion 6.

The capacitor 9 is supported in a capacitor case 23 inserted in the case center portion 6, and the base end side of the motor 10 is supported by the capacitor case 23.

That is, as shown in FIG. 2, the capacitor case 23 is provided with a semi-cylindrical capacitor accommodating portion 31 for accommodating the capacitor 9, and a front support plate is provided on the tip side of the capacitor accommodating portion 31. 24 is provided, and a substantially half circumference of the capacitor 9 mounted in the capacitor housing 31 is supported.

The front support plate 24 of the capacitor housing 31 includes a motor holding portion 25 including four projecting pieces 29 holding the periphery of the base end portion of the motor 10 and a flexible tubular portion 30. The base end side of the motor 10 is held by these four protrusions, and a lead wire 47 and a lead piece 49 described later are connected to the plus terminal 10a and the minus terminal 10b provided on the base end side of the motor 10, respectively. Has been done. As shown in FIG. 1, the tubular portion 30 holds the rear bearing portion 10c of the motor 10 while the tip of the tubular portion 30 contacts the rear portion of the motor 10. The shaft center of the shaft is reliably positioned, and the dimensional error in the shaft center direction that may occur when the motor or the like is housed in the toothbrush case is absorbed by the flexible tubular portion 30. It is possible to avoid rattling due to an error.

At the base end side of the capacitor housing portion 31, there is provided a pressing portion 28 that presses and supports the tip end surface of the capacitor 9 and has elasticity, and the pressing portion 28 has a pair of terminals 9 A, A cutout groove 28a for guiding 9A is formed. Due to the presence of this notch groove 28a, it is possible to avoid a short circuit between both terminals 9A, 9A.

A bottom plate 27 is provided on the base end side of the holding portion 28 of the capacitor housing portion 31. A pole plate 32 (see FIG. 5) connected to the plus and minus capacitor terminals 9A and 9A of the capacitor 9 is fixedly mounted on the bottom plate 27. The electrode plates 32 are connected to the capacitor terminals 9 A and 9 A of the capacitor 9.

At the center of the bottom plate 27, there is provided a protrusion base 33 protruding toward the base end direction, and at the tip of the protrusion base 33 is provided a cylindrical engagement protrusion 34. A female screw hole 35 is formed on the central axis of the engaging protrusion 34 and the protrusion base 33, and the end cap 7 is attached to this portion.

Further, a pair of locking claws 27 A are protruded toward the base end direction on the peripheral edge of the bottom plate 27, and when the end cap 7 is attached, it is provided on the inner peripheral surface of the end cap 7. The capacitor case 23 is positioned in the axial direction by being locked in the fitting recess.

Further, the bottom plate 27 and the front support plate 24 are formed in a circular shape, and their outer shapes are formed to have dimensions corresponding to the inner shape of the case central portion 6 of the toothbrush case 5. By simply inserting the capacitor case 23 into the case central portion 6, the rotation shaft of the motor 10 supported by the motor supporting portion 25 and the engaging projection 34 are positioned on the axis of the tooth brush case 5. , Are provided so that they can be aligned.

Further, an end cap 7 as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 is attached to the base end of the case central portion 6. The mating surfaces of the end cap 7 and the case center portion 6 are formed in a stepped portion that fits with each other, and a waterproof O-ring 36 is attached to the mating surface of the end cap 7. Further, a cylindrical screw insertion portion 37 into which the tapping screw 40 is inserted is projectingly provided in the central portion of the bottom surface of the end cap 7, and the tip end portion of this screw insertion portion 37 is formed in a projecting shape. The tip end portion 38 is provided with a concave fitting concave portion 39 into which the engaging projection portion 34 of the condenser case 23 can be fitted, and a tapping screw 40 is inserted through the central axis of the protruding tip end portion 38. A hole 41 is formed.

Then, when the end cap 7 is attached to the base end of the case central portion 6, the engaging projection 34 of the capacitor case 23 is fitted into the engaging recess 39, and then the tapping from the screw insertion portion 37 is performed. By inserting the screw 40 and tightening the same part of the tapping screw 40 through the insertion hole 41, the tapping screw 40 is screwed into the screw hole 35 of the engaging projection 34 of the capacitor case 23, and the case central part 6 is attached. The end cap 7 is fixed. An O-ring 42 is provided between the tapping screw 40 and the projecting tip portion 38 to ensure the waterproofness of the insertion hole 41.

A pair of connection terminals 44 corresponding to plus and minus are attached to the side portions of the end cap 7 with an O-ring 45 interposed therebetween, and have a spherical shape that bulges outward. The head portion of each formed connection terminal 44 is provided so as to slightly project from the peripheral surface of the end cap 7.

Further, as shown in FIG. 5, the connection terminals 44 are connected to the respective electrode plates 32 of the capacitor case 23 by the lead wires 46 in the toothbrush case 2, respectively. One electrode plate 32 of the capacitor case 23 is connected through a lead wire 47 to one terminal of a reed switch 50 supported by the mechanical case 18 at the tip of the central portion 6 of the case via a reed switch 48. The other terminal of 50 is connected to the plus terminal 10 a of the motor 10 via another lead piece 49. The other electrode plate 32 of the capacitor case 23 is connected to the minus terminal 10b of the motor 10 through another conductor wire 47. That is, the motor 10, the capacitor 9, the reed switch 50, the electrode plates 32, and the terminals 10a and 10b are connected so as to form the circuit shown in FIG.

Further, the reed switch 50 is arranged at a position corresponding to the changeover switch 13, and a permanent magnet 51 for driving the reed switch 50 is attached inside the changeover switch 13, The reed switch 50 is configured to be turned on and off by the movement of the permanent magnet 51 in accordance with the operation of 13.

Next, the charging unit 3 that charges the capacitor 9 of the electric toothbrush 2 will be described.

As shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, the charging unit 3 is provided with a battery housing unit 62 for housing two dry batteries 61 in series, which are power sources for charging, in the lower portion of the charging unit case 60. The bottom of the case 60 is closed by a back cover 63, and the battery housing portion 62 is provided with electrode plates 64 and 65 connected to the terminals of the dry battery 61. A toothbrush accommodating portion 67 for accommodating a plurality of toothbrush portions 66 of the electric toothbrush 2 side by side is provided on the upper portion of the case 60. A plurality of support portions 68 that stand up and support the toothbrush portion 66 are provided in the toothbrush storage portion 67, and a transparent or translucent deep lid 69 that covers the stored toothbrush portion 66 is opened and closed in the charging portion case 60. It is installed as possible.

Further, a stand portion 70 is integrally provided on a side portion of the case 60, and the electric toothbrush 2 described above is erected on the stand portion 70 and the end cap 7 is attached to the electric toothbrush. It is configured so that the second capacitor 9 can be charged.

That is, as shown in FIG. 9, the stand portion 70 is provided with a cylindrical support portion 71 having a diameter into which a part of the central portion 6 of the case of the electric toothbrush 2 and the end cap 7 can be inserted. The support portion 71 is formed to a depth such that the electric toothbrush 2 can be supported in an upright state when the end cap 7 and the case central portion 6 of the electric toothbrush 2 are inserted.

Further, a drainer 72 projecting in an annular shape is provided in the upper peripheral portion of the support portion 71 so that water does not easily enter the support portion 71, and the bottom portion 73 of the support portion 71 is formed to be one step lower. A water drainage hole 74 is provided at the center of the bottom portion 73. On the other hand, at the bottom of the end cap 7 of the electric toothbrush 2 described above, as shown in FIG. 4, a drainer 52 protruding in an annular shape is provided.

Further, a positioning protrusion 75 is provided on a side portion of the support portion 71. The positioning protrusion 75 is formed in an elongated semi-cylindrical shape and is provided with a predetermined length in the vertical direction, and a positioning recess 53 fitted therein is provided on the peripheral surface of the end cap 7 of the electric toothbrush 2. The electric toothbrush 2 inserted into the support portion 71 is positioned by engaging both of them.

Further, a window portion 76 is formed in the support portion 71. The window portion 76 is formed at a position corresponding to each contact terminal 44 of the end cap 7 of the electric toothbrush 2 which is positioned and inserted in the support portion 71. Then, inside the window portion 76, contact terminal plates 77 that are respectively connected to the contact terminals 44 are arranged. These contact terminal plates 77 are provided in the case 60 of the stand portion 70. The contact terminal plates 77 are fixed to the respective fixing claw portions 78, and are connected to the electrode plates 64 and 65 of the battery housing portion 62 through the lead wires 79, as shown in the circuit of FIG. It is connected to the.

In such an electric toothbrush device 1, when the toothbrush portion 66 is attached to the tip of the shaft 12 of the electric toothbrush 2 and the changeover switch 13 is operated, the motor 10 is driven by the power source charged in the capacitor 9. The shaft 12 can perform a predetermined operation to brush the teeth.

At the time of charging, when the changeover switch 13 of the electric toothbrush 2 is locked to OFF and the end cap 7 is inserted into the support portion 71 of the charging portion 3 and stood up, the contact terminals 44 and the contact points of the end cap 7 are contacted. The terminal board 77 is connected, and the capacitor 9 is charged by the battery 61 of the charging section 3.

In this case, since the charging speed of the capacitor is high, the capacitor can be charged in a short time, and it does not take a long time as in the conventional case. In addition, since the capacitor is used as the motor drive power supply, the charging circuit for the secondary battery is no longer required as in the conventional case, no extra space is required, the size is reduced, and the charging circuit is not required, resulting in an increase in weight. Absent. Furthermore, since the capacitor can be charged and discharged indefinitely, it does not need to be replaced, and thus the special structure for attaching and detaching the dry battery or the secondary battery, which was provided in the conventional one, is unnecessary. Become.

[0041]

[Effect of device]

 Since the present invention is configured as described above, it has the following unique effects. That is, since the capacitor is used as the power source for driving the motor, the capacitor can be charged at a high speed, so that the capacitor can be charged in a short time and does not require a long time as in the conventional case.

Further, since the capacitor is used as the driving power source of the motor, the charging circuit for the secondary battery is not required unlike the conventional case, and an extra space is not needed, which contributes to downsizing and the charging circuit. Since it is unnecessary, there is no increase in cost and weight.

Further, since the capacitor can be charged and discharged indefinitely, it is not necessary to replace it, and the conventional structure for replacement is not necessary, and the device can be simplified.

As described above, the present invention has the following advantages over the electric toothbrush of the type in which the battery is replaced.

That is, first, in the conventional case, the toothbrush case must be provided in a structure that allows the battery to be replaced, and therefore, the ease of handling when replacing the battery and the ease of handling Since it is necessary to have both watertightness contrary to the above, the structure is complicated and the manufacturing cost is increased, but the present invention can solve such a defect.

Secondly, at the base end of the toothbrush case, a conductive part for the charging part is provided for both contact and non-contact, so that the part for accommodating the battery is provided near the center of the toothbrush case. As a result, in the conventional structure, the battery must be installed and removed normally without removing the power transmission mechanism including the internal motor and shaft. Therefore, the conventional electric toothbrush has to be provided in a structure in which the power transmission mechanism can be removed, so that the degree of freedom in manufacturing is low, and this power transmission mechanism is removed by a general user. It often caused a breakdown. On the other hand, in the case of the present invention, as described above, the structure uses a capacitor, and since the capacitor can be charged and discharged indefinitely, it is not necessary to replace it, and the conventional structure for replacement is unnecessary. Therefore, the device can be simplified, and the above-mentioned conventional drawbacks can be solved.

Thirdly, in the conventional device, the portion for accommodating the battery is provided as a so-called battery box in which attachment / detachment of the battery is planned. Therefore, the conduction between the battery and the battery box is usually a contact pressure welding method. In addition, in the case of this type of electric toothbrush that causes vibration during use, conduction failure may occur due to deterioration of the contact pressure contact force over time, whereas in the case of the present invention, a capacitor that does not need replacement is used. Therefore, the conduction around the capacitor and the motor can be ensured by using fixing means such as soldering.

Fourthly, when a secondary battery is used as in the conventional case, a charging circuit is required, which requires space in a narrow case, which is an obstacle to miniaturization. On the other hand, in the case of the present invention, as described above, the charging circuit is unnecessary, and the cost and weight are not increased accordingly.

Fifthly, in the conventional case, the secondary battery is charged by the contact type or the non-contact type by the AC 100V power source as described above. Therefore, the conventional electric toothbrush of this kind is While this is not convenient if a 100V power source is not nearby, this proposal is to be charged by a battery and can be used even in places where an AC 100V power source is not nearby.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a vertical sectional view showing an electric toothbrush according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a capacitor case.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of an end cap.

FIG. 4 is a vertical sectional view of an end cap.

FIG. 5 is a physical wiring diagram in the electric toothbrush.

FIG. 6 is a discharge and charging circuit diagram of the electric toothbrush device.

FIG. 7 is a perspective view showing a charging unit.

FIG. 8 is a rear perspective view of a charging unit.

FIG. 9 is a perspective view showing a crushed charging portion.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 Electric Toothbrush Device 2 Electric Toothbrush 3 Charging Part 5 Toothbrush Case 9 Capacitor 10 Motor 11 Power Transmission Mechanism 12 Shaft 13 Changeover Switch 44 Contact Terminal 60 Charging Part Case 61 Dry Battery 71 Support Part 77 Contact Terminal Plate

Claims (2)

[Scope of utility model registration request] 1. A shaft provided at the tip of a tubular toothbrush case, to which the toothbrush portion is attached at the end, a motor provided in the toothbrush case, and a motor provided in the toothbrush case, A power transmission mechanism that converts the rotation of the motor into a predetermined motion and transmits it to the shaft; and a changeover switch that is provided on a side portion of the toothbrush case and that performs a switching operation of the motor and the power transmission mechanism. In the electric toothbrush, the capacitor is provided in the toothbrush case, is connected to the motor through the changeover switch, and is connected to each terminal of the capacitor, and is provided on the peripheral surface of the base end portion of the toothbrush case. An electric toothbrush, comprising: 2. A shaft provided at the tip of a tubular toothbrush case, the toothbrush part being mounted at the end, a motor provided in the toothbrush case, and a motor provided in the toothbrush case, A power transmission mechanism that converts the rotation of the motor into a predetermined motion and transmits it to the shaft; a changeover switch that is provided on a side portion of the toothbrush case and that performs a switching operation between the motor and the power transmission mechanism; An electric toothbrush device comprising: an electric toothbrush having: a driving power source; and a charging unit for charging the driving power source of the electric toothbrush, wherein the electric toothbrush is provided in the toothbrush case, and A capacitor as a driving power source connected via a changeover switch, and the toothbrush case connected to each terminal of the capacitor. A pair of contact terminals provided on the peripheral surface of the base end portion; and the charging section, which is provided in the charging section case and a charging battery provided in the charging section case, of the electric toothbrush. A support portion that supports the toothbrush case when the base end portion of the toothbrush case is mounted, and a support portion that is disposed on the inner peripheral surface of the support portion and that corresponds to each contact terminal and that is provided in each of the batteries. A pair of contact terminal plates connected to the poles, and when the toothbrush case of the electric toothbrush is mounted in the support portion of the charging portion case, the capacitor of the electric toothbrush passes through the contact terminal and the contact terminal plate. An electric toothbrush device provided so as to be rechargeable by the battery.