Brush

Abstract

The present invention relates to an improved brush, in particular a brush for facial care, with several carriers including cleaning elements and each connected to a shaft, and a casing that pivotably mounts said carriers and that supports a common drive shaft for said carriers and which is drive-coupled to said shafts.

Claims

1. A brush comprising: a plurality of carriers, each of the plurality of carriers comprising multiple cleaning elements and being connected to a respective shaft; a casing pivotably mounting the shafts of the plurality of carriers; and a drive shaft for the plurality of carriers, the drive shaft being drive-coupled to each of the shafts of the plurality of carriers, wherein a bearing casing is provided for each of the shafts of the plurality of carriers, the bearing casing receiving a gear associated with the respective shaft and pivotably mounting the respective shaft.

2. The brush according to claim 1, wherein said shafts of said plurality of carriers each extend in parallel to one another.

3. The brush according to claim 1, wherein said drive shaft and said shafts of said plurality of carriers are drive-coupled to each other by way of a planetary gearing.

4. The brush according to claim 1, wherein two to six carriers are provided.

5. The brush according to claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of carriers is mounted to the casing by an elastic element, so that each of the plurality of carriers is pivotable relative to an axial direction of the respective shaft of the carrier.

6. The brush according to claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of carriers is pivotable relative to an axial direction of the respective shaft by no more than 30.

7. The brush according to claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of carriers has a circular base area with a diameter of between 10 mm and 25 mm.

8. The brush according to claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of carriers carries at least one bristle bundle, said at least one bristle bundle being formed by bristle filaments having a filament thickness of 2-8 mils.

9. The brush according to claim 1, wherein each bearing casing is pivotable via a bearing shaft about a wobble axis which extends at a right angle to the axial direction of the respective shaft.

10. The brush according to claim 9, wherein the gear associated with the respective shaft of each of the plurality of carriers comprises a toothing that is convex in an axial direction of the respective shaft and meshes with toothing of a cylindrical planetary gear.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) FIG. 1 is a partially sectioned side view of an embodiment of the brush according to the invention;

(2) FIG. 2 is a top view onto the embodiment shown in FIG. 1;

(3) FIG. 3 is an enlarged detail view of detail III according to FIG. 1;

(4) FIG. 4 is a schematic view of a gearing for a second embodiment modified over the first embodiment; and

(5) FIG. 5 is a top view onto the second embodiment according to FIG. 4.

DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

(6) According to a further preferred embodiment of the present invention, the carriers are mounted elastically relative to the casing, and in such a way that each carrier is pivotable relative to an axial direction of the shaft. Accordingly, the plate-shaped carrier can pivot depending on the external load actually acting upon the carrier, so that the cleaning elements provided on the carrier abut as completely as possible against the surface to be over-swept. The ends of the shafts which mesh with the drive shaft remain in engagement with the drive shaft. The shaft can then be curved during the drive operation due to its elasticity. The carrier typically projecting over the shaft accordingly has an axis of rotation which is pivoted relative to the axis of rotation of the drive-side end of the shaft. The pivot angle can be at most 30, if necessary, also only at most 20. The shaft of the carrier can also be supported in an elastic sleeve which allows certain movability of the shaft mounted in the casing relative to the casing and, accordingly, the desired pivot motion.

(7) Preferably, a bearing casing is provided for each shaft and accommodates a gear associated with the shaft and rotatably mounts the shaft. Further preferably, each bearing casing is pivotable via a bearing shaft about a wobble axis which extends at a right angle to the axial direction of the associated shaft. According to this preferred embodiment, the bearing casing can perform a wobble motion about the wobble axis, which causes the shaft mounted in the bearing casing to pivot. The wobble axis is preferably fixed, i.e. not coupled to the rotational motion of the shaft. As a result, the orientation of the wobble axis of each bearing casing can be optimally defined relative to the number of existing carriers or bearing casings, respectively, in order to obtain the best possible adaptation to the facial contours when the brush is applied. Particularly preferably, each gear associated with a shaft comprises a toothing which is convex in the axial direction of the shaft and which meshes with the toothing of a cylindrical planetary gear of the planetary gearing. It can thereby be ensured that even with a wobble motion of the bearing casing, the gear associated with the shaft remains engaged with the gear of the planetary gearing and that the drive coupling does not break off.

(8) At the brush, the carriers preferably have a circular base area and are formed to be plate-shaped. The diameter of the carriers is between 10 and 25 mm. The cleaning elements provided on the carrier are preferably bristle bundles formed by bristle filaments having a filament thickness of 2 to 8 mils.

(9) Further details and advantages of the present invention shall become apparent from the following description of two embodiments in combination with the drawing, in which:

(10) FIG. 1 is a partially sectioned side view of an embodiment of the brush according to the invention;

(11) FIG. 2 is a top view onto the embodiment shown in FIG. 1;

(12) FIG. 3 is an enlarged detail view of detail III according to FIG. 1;

(13) FIG. 4 is a schematic view of a gearing for a second embodiment modified over the first embodiment and

(14) FIG. 5 is a top view onto the second embodiment according to FIG. 4.

(15) In the drawing, FIG. 1 shows a longitudinal sectional view of an embodiment with a holder 2 which is adapted and configured such that it can be grasped by the hand of a user. The holder 2 is configured as a hollow body and accommodates batteries or an accumulator and a drive drawn in a stylized manner in the form of an electric motor 4. The batteries or the accumulator(s) are typically exchangeable, for which purpose a removable cover is provided on the holder 2, typically at the grip end of the holder 2. At the oppositely disposed end, the holder 2 forms a gearing casing 6. This gearing casing 6 receives the drive-side end of a drive shaft 8 which is provided with a planetary gear 10 as a drive gear. The other end of the drive shaft 8 is connected to the drive 4. The gearing casing 6 further accommodates the drive-side ends of the shafts 12 which are provided with the gears 14 which mesh with the planetary gear 10. The planetary gear 10 and the gears 14 are toothed bevel gears which are mounted in a fixed manner but rotatably on the casing 2, 6. The shafts 12 at their ends facing away from the gears 14 each carry a plate-shaped carrier 16 with a circular cross-sectional shape which is presently formed having a diameter d of 20 mm. Each carrier 16 carries a plurality of bristle bundles 18 as cleaning elements. The bristle bundles 18 extend parallel to the longitudinal extension direction of the shaft 12 or the drive shaft 8, respectively. The shafts 12 are supported against the gearing casing 6 by way of an elastic bearing bush 20 illustrated in FIG. 3. The bearing bush 20 can be made, for example, of soft elastic material, such as TPE, and connected to the material of the gearing casing 6, for example, be connected in a positive-fit or positive substance-fit manner thereto. In particular an adhesive connection is considerable as a connection in a positive substance-fit manner.

(16) FIG. 1 defines several parameters. Drawn in as R is the radial distance between the drive shaft 8 and the shaft 12. This distance R in the present invention is preferably between 15 mm and 35 mm. d is the aforementioned diameter of the plate-shaped carrier 16. D is the outer circumference formed by a circular envelope surface, the center of which coincides with the axis of rotation of the drive shaft 8 and which is tangentially applied to the outer circumferential surface of the individual carriers 16. This diameter D is between 30 mm and 80 mm.

(17) Due to the meshing connection between the gears 14 and the planetary gear 10, a rotational motion of the carriers 16 arises during operation of the drive 4. This can be a smoothly rotating or an oscillating motion. The carriers 16 are formed together with the shafts 12 and the gear 14 as integrated injection-molded members. This integrated injection-molded member can accommodate the cleaning elements 18 and be attached thereto. Alternatively, a platelet carrying the cleaning elements can first be provided with the cleaning elements and then connected to the injection-molded member consisting of the carrier 16, the shaft 12 and the gear 14. The diameter and/or the material nature of at least the shaft 12 can there be such that the carrier 16 can be pivoted relative to an axis direction indicated by A in FIG. 1. In FIG. 1, the surface of the carrier 16 extends at a right angle to this axial direction A. This initial position is drawn in using solid lines in FIG. 3. Shown by the dashed lines is an orientation of the carrier 16 pivoted by 30 relative thereto, which is made possible by the elasticity of the shaft 12 and/or the elasticity of the bearing bush 20. Also in this inclined orientation, the shaft 12 is driven by way of the drive shaft 8, so that the plate-shaped carrier 16 with the cleaning elements 18 is rotated. The pivot angle of the carrier 16 relative to the initial position is indicated by .

(18) In the second embodiment shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, same components are designated by the same reference numerals. The gears 14 have a convex toothing in the axial direction which mesh with the toothing of a cylindrical planetary gear 10. The gears 14 are accommodated in a bearing casing 22 which rotatably supports the shaft 12 associated with the respective gear 14. A bearing casing 22 is provided for each of the shafts 12 with the associated gear 14. Each bearing casing 22 is mounted via a bearing shaft 24 pivotable relative to a gearing casing, presently not shown. The bearing casing 22 is pivotable via a bearing shaft 24 about a wobble axis T which extends at a right angle to the axial direction A of the associated shaft 12. Where the wobble axis T intersects the respective shaft 12 at the center. Due to the convexity of the toothing of the gears 14, which are curved having a radius RZ in the axial direction, the gears 14 remain in engagement with the planetary gear 10 at angle during this wobble motion. The gearing casing 6 can comprise stops which interact with the bearing casing 22 to limit the wobble motion within a predetermined wobble angle .

(19) The carrier 16 can comprise various functional areas. The bristle bundles can there be attached to bristle carrier elements made of a hard plastic component such as PP or ABS. These hard bristle carrier elements can be embedded in a soft elastic mass and connected therewith, so that the individual bristle bundles can pivot on the attachment side relative to a base, as can be gathered from EP 1 603 429 B1. The bristle carrier elements can then float freely in the thermoplastic elastomer or else be connected to one another by way of relatively thin webs. This configuration can be held within a ring formed from a hard component that forms the outer circumferential surface of the carrier 16. In addition to bristle bundles, also cleaning elements made of thermoplastic elastomer can be attached to the carrier. These cleaning elements can extend substantially parallel to the direction of extension of the bristle bundles. Thermoplastic elastomer can also be applied to the circumferential edge of a hard component of the carrier 16. This thermoplastic elastomer constitutes a shock protection. The outer circumferential edge of the carrier 16 can also have cleaning elements, for example, made of TPE. These cleaning elements can be arranged in the form of nubs or ribs on the outer circumferential surface of the carrier 16.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMERALS

(20) 2 holder 4 drive 6 gearing casing 8 drive shaft 10 planetary gear 12 shaft 14 gear 16 carrier 18 bristle bundle 20 bearing bush 22 bearing casing 24 bearing shaft A axial direction R spatial distance between drive shaft 8 and shaft 12 RZ radius of curvature of gear 14 T wobble axis D outer diameter brush d outer diameter carrier pivot angle