US 12,257,030 B2
Electric toothbrush, brush unit, and method for operating an electric toothbrush
Hideaki Yoshida, Kyoto (JP); Mamoru Katano, Kyoto (JP); Masashi Kitamura, Kyoto (JP); and Toshifumi Matsumoto, Kyoto (JP)
Assigned to Colgate-Palmolive Company, New York, NY (US); and Omron Healthcare Co., Ltd., (JP)
Filed by Colgate-Palmolive Company, New York, NY (US); and Omron Healthcare Co., Ltd., Kyoto (JP)
Filed on Aug. 5, 2020, as Appl. No. 16/985,283.
Application 16/985,283 is a division of application No. 15/735,335, granted, now 10,765,323, previously published as PCT/US2016/036604, filed on Jun. 9, 2016.
Claims priority of application No. 2015-119558 (JP), filed on Jun. 12, 2015; application No. 2015-119559 (JP), filed on Jun. 12, 2015; application No. 2015-119560 (JP), filed on Jun. 12, 2015; and application No. 2015-119563 (JP), filed on Jun. 12, 2015.
Prior Publication US 2020/0359902 A1, Nov. 19, 2020
Int. Cl. A61B 5/00 (2006.01); A46B 5/00 (2006.01); A46B 9/04 (2006.01); A46B 15/00 (2006.01); A61C 17/34 (2006.01)
CPC A61B 5/0088 (2013.01) [A46B 5/0095 (2013.01); A46B 9/04 (2013.01); A46B 15/0034 (2013.01); A46B 15/0036 (2013.01); A61C 17/34 (2013.01); A46B 2200/1066 (2013.01)] 15 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
12. An electric toothbrush comprising:
a brush unit comprising a housing having a hollow part; and
a main body comprising a stem, the hollow part of the brush unit being configured to seat on the stem; wherein:
the brush unit comprises a front surface and a plurality of tooth cleaning elements extending from the front surface in a pressing direction;
at least a first tooth cleaning element of the plurality of tooth cleaning elements is formed of an optical transmission material, the first tooth cleaning element including a fixed end coupled to the front surface of the brush unit and exposed within the hollow part of the brush unit; and
the main body unit comprises a light emitting element which emits light, a light receiving element which generates an output signal in response to received light, a light guide which guides light from the light emitting element to the fixed end of the first tooth cleaning element and which guides light from the fixed end of the first tooth cleaning element to the light receiving element, and a processor which receives the output signal from the light receiving element;
wherein the light guide is positioned within the stem such that when the brush unit is seated on the stem, the light guide is positioned opposite the first tooth cleaning element, and the light emitting element and the light receiving element are positioned within the stem.