Apparatus and method for cleaning teeth

Claim 1

An apparatus for cleaning surfaces and crevices of teeth comprising: a brush head; at least one tuft of filaments, said tuft rotatably mounted in said brush head; means for rotating said tuft about its central axis in a controlled reciprocating manner whereby said tuft is rotated a number of revolutions in one direction and then rotated a the same number of revolutions in the opposite direction.

Claim 2

An apparatus for cleaning surfaces and crevices of teeth comprising: a brush head; at least one tuft of filaments, said tuft rotatably mounted in said brush head; means for rotating said tuft about its central axis in a controlled reciprocating manner whereby said tuft is rotated a number of revolutions in one direction and then rotated a the same number of revolutions in the opposite direction.

Claim 8

An apparatus for cleaning surfaces and crevices of teeth, comprising: a brush head; a plurality of first tufts of filaments, each of said first tufts rotatably mounted in said brush head; a plurality of second tufts of filaments, each of said second tufts rotatably mounted in said brush head and shorter in length than each of said first tufts, said first tufts and said second tufts alternately arranged in two staggered rows of equal lengths; a plurality of driven spur gears, each of which is connected to one of said first tufts; a plurality of idler spur gears, each of which is connected to one of said second tufts and meshes with at least two of said driven spur gears whereby each of said first tufts is rotated in a direction opposite each of said second tufts; a rack meshing with at least two of said driven spur gears; and means for uniformly reciprocating said rack whereby said first tufts and said second tufts are rotated, each about its own central axis, in a controlled reciprocating manner.

Claim 9

An apparatus for cleaning surfaces and crevices of teeth, comprising: a brush head; a plurality of first tufts of filaments, each of said first tufts rotatably mounted in said brush head; a plurality of second tufts of filaments, each of said second tufts rotatably mounted in said brush head and shorter in length than each of said first tufts, said first tufts and said second tufts alternately arranged in two staggered rows of equal lengths; a plurality of driven spur gears, each of which is connected to one of said first tufts; a plurality of idler spur gears, each of which is connected to one of said second tufts and meshes with at least two of said driven spur gears whereby each of said first tufts is rotated in a direction opposite each of said second tufts; a rack meshing with at least two of said driven spur gears; and means for uniformly reciprocating said rack whereby said first tufts and said second tufts are rotated, each about its own central axis, in a controlled reciprocating manner.

Claim 18

A method for cleaning surfaces and crevices of teeth using a plurality of filaments in a plurality of tuft configurations wherein said tufts are rotatably mounted so that each of said tufts contrarotates with respect to an adjacent tuft comprising: rotating each of said tufts about its central axis in a controlled reciprocating manner whereby each of said tufts is rotated a number of revolutions in one direction and then rotated the same number of revolutions in the opposite direction; and contacting said rotating tufts with tooth surfaces and crevices to be cleaned.

Claim 19

A method for cleaning surfaces and crevices of teeth using a plurality of filaments in a plurality of tuft configurations wherein said tufts are rotatably mounted so that each of said tufts contrarotates with respect to an adjacent tuft comprising: rotating each of said tufts about its central axis in a controlled reciprocating manner whereby each of said tufts is rotated a number of revolutions in one direction and then rotated the same number of revolutions in the opposite direction; and contacting said rotating tufts with tooth surfaces and crevices to be cleaned.

Claim 20

A method of cleaning surfaces and crevices of teeth using a plurality of filaments in a plurality of tuft configurations wherein said tufts are mounted so that each of said tufts contrarotates with respect to each adjacent tuft and wherein each of said tufts is staggered with respect to each adjacent tuft, comprising: rotating each of said tufts about its central axis through a controlled reciprocating cycle wherein each of said tufts is rotated about one and one-half revolutions in each of two opposite directions during each cycle; contacting said rotating tufts with tooth surfaces and crevices to be cleaned.

Claim 21

A method of cleaning surfaces and crevices of teeth using a plurality of filaments in a plurality of tuft configurations wherein said tufts are mounted so that each of said tufts contrarotates with respect to each adjacent tuft and wherein each of said tufts is staggered with respect to each adjacent tuft, comprising: rotating each of said tufts about its central axis through a controlled reciprocating cycle wherein each of said tufts is rotated about one and one-half revolutions in each of two opposite directions during each cycle; contacting said rotating tufts with tooth surfaces and crevices to be cleaned.

Claim 23

An apparatus for cleaning surfaces and crevices of teeth, comprising: a brush head; a plurality of first tufts of filaments, each of said first tufts rotatably mounted in said brush head; a plurality of second tufts of filaments, each of said second tufts rotatably mounted in said brush head and shorter in length than each of said first tufts, said first tufts and said second tufts alternately arranged in two staggered rows of equal lengths; a plurality of driven spur gears, each of which is connected to one of said first tufts; a plurality of idler spur gears, each of which is connected to one of said second tufts and meshes with at least two of said driven spur gears whereby each of said first tufts is rotated in a direction opposite each of said second tufts; a rack meshing with at least two of said driven spur gears; and means for uniformly reciprocating said rack whereby said first tufts and said second tufts are rotated, each about its own central axis, in a controlled reciprocating manner, said rack reciprocating means including an electrically-powered motor having a rotatable output shaft, a pinion attached to said output shaft in rotary engagement therewith, a crown gear engaging said pinion, a crank arm pivotally and eccentrically attached at a first end to the crown gear, and a rack drive shaft pivotally attached at a first end to a second end of the crank arm, and connected to an end of said rack at a second end of said rack drive shaft.

Claim 24

An apparatus for cleaning surfaces and crevices of teeth, comprising: a brush head; a plurality of first tufts of filaments, each of said first tufts rotatably mounted in said brush head; a plurality of second tufts of filaments, each of said second tufts rotatably mounted in said brush head and shorter in length than each of said first tufts, said first tufts and said second tufts alternately arranged in two staggered rows of equal lengths; a plurality of driven spur gears, each of which is connected to one of said first tufts; a plurality of idler spur gears, each of which is connected to one of said second tufts and meshes with at least two of said driven spur gears whereby each of said first tufts is rotated in a direction opposite each of said second tufts; a rack meshing with at least two of said driven spur gears; and means for uniformly reciprocating said rack whereby said first tufts and said second tufts are rotated, each about its own central axis, in a controlled reciprocating manner, said rack reciprocating means including an electrically-powered motor having a rotatable output shaft, a pinion attached to said output shaft in rotary engagement therewith, a crown gear engaging said pinion, a crank arm pivotally and eccentrically attached at a first end to the crown gear, and a rack drive shaft pivotally attached at a first end to a second end of the crank arm, and connected to an end of said rack at a second end of said rack drive shaft.

Claim 25

A method of cleaning surfaces and crevices of teeth using a plurality of filaments in at least one tuft configuration wherein the filaments are held together at one end, comprising: placing the tuft on an exposed tooth surface; rotating the tuft about its central axis in a first direction from a neutral position of maximum projected tuft length to a position of maximum filament twist so that the projected length of the tuft diminishes and the tuft is stiffened for effective power transmission; reciprocally rotating the tuft about its central axis from the position of maximum filament twist so that in each reciprocating cycle the filaments move from a position of maximum twist in a first direction and a minimum projected length to a position of maximum twist in a second direction and the same minimum projected length and then back to a position of maximum twist in a first direction and minimum projected length while twice passing through a neutral position of maximum projected length, whereby the tufts produce both an axially oscillating cleaning motion of the filament tips and a circular sweeping cleaning motion as free ends of the filaments are flared to sweep along crevices between the gingiva and the teeth.

Claim 26

A method of cleaning surfaces and crevices of teeth using a plurality of filaments in at least one tuft configuration wherein the filaments are held together at one end, comprising: placing the tuft on an exposed tooth surface; rotating the tuft about its central axis in a first direction from a neutral position of maximum projected tuft length to a position of maximum filament twist so that the projected length of the tuft diminishes and the tuft is stiffened for effective power transmission; reciprocally rotating the tuft about its central axis from the position of maximum filament twist so that in each reciprocating cycle the filaments move from a position of maximum twist in a first direction and a minimum projected length to a position of maximum twist in a second direction and the same minimum projected length and then back to a position of maximum twist in a first direction and minimum projected length while twice passing through a neutral position of maximum projected length, whereby the tufts produce both an axially oscillating cleaning motion of the filament tips and a circular sweeping cleaning motion as free ends of the filaments are flared to sweep along crevices between the gingiva and the teeth.