The invention relates to an electric toothbrush with a handle which is to be manually guided and with a brush member which has a brush head with several, separately rotating bristle holders which, in the brush head, are connected to gearing for driving them, and in which a component comprising the brush member is connected to the toothbrush so as to be easily exchangeable by the user. EP-O 254 397 relates to such a toothbrush.
As electric toothbrushes of this type are generally used by several people and as the bristles are subject to wear, it is necessary for them to be arranged on a component which can be easily exchanged by the user. According to the above-mentioned EP-O 254 397, the brush member is fixed detachably as a whole on the handle. In conventional electric toothbrushes, in which the brush member merely has to perform an oscillating and/or a to-and-fro movement, the brush member is a relatively simple component, so that exchange thereof involves low costs. With the toothbrush according to EP-O 254 397, however, a total of ten gear wheels driving the bristle holders are arranged in the brush head of the brush member and are driven by a toothed rack which is axially movable in the brush member. The toothed rack is provided with a coupling which, when the bristle holder is placed on the handle, couples to a connecting rod provided therein. Owing to these components which are required in the brush member and form gearing, the brush member is relatively expensive overall, exchange thereof entailing considerable costs.
USPTO Backgrounds
USPTO Backgrounds