U.S. patent number 3,733,634 [Application Number 05/147,414] was granted by the patent office on 1973-05-22 for electric skin hygiene brush.
This patent grant is currently assigned to Clairol Incorporated. Invention is credited to Alvin Victor Golbe.
United States Patent |
3,733,634 |
Golbe |
May 22, 1973 |
ELECTRIC SKIN HYGIENE BRUSH
Abstract
A skin cleansing brush including a housing with a battery
powered motor mounted therein rotating a tubular drive shaft which
removably receives the stem of a brush having soft bristles for
engaging the skin of a user. The housing has a configuration to be
gripped by a single hand of a user, and an actuator button is
disposed on a broad end of the housing to facilitate actuation of
the brush.
Inventors: |
Golbe; Alvin Victor (Englewood,
NJ) |
Assignee: |
Clairol Incorporated (New York,
NY)
|
Family
ID: |
22521483 |
Appl.
No.: |
05/147,414 |
Filed: |
May 27, 1971 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
15/28; 310/50;
D4/102; 601/114; 601/160 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A46B
13/02 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
A46B
13/02 (20060101); A46B 13/00 (20060101); A46b
013/02 () |
Field of
Search: |
;15/23,24,28,29,97,3.53
;200/159A ;310/50 ;132/73.6 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Primary Examiner: Roberts; Edward L.
Claims
I claim:
1. A skin cleansing brush comprising
a housing having side walls diverging from a narrow driving end
with a passage therein to a broad actuating end, said housing
having a configuration to be gripped by a hand of a user;
an electric motor mounted in said housing having a rotor;
a tubular drive shaft rotatably mounted in said housing in
alignment with said passage in said driving end of said
housing;
reduction gear means disposed in said housing and coupled with said
rotor and said drive shaft to drive said drive shaft at a
rotational speed less than the rotational speed of said rotor;
brush means having a stem removably received in said drive shaft
and carrying soft bristles for engaging the skin of a user;
switch means disposed in said housing connected with said motor and
adapted to be connected with a source of electricity; and
actuator means including an elongate post having one end
controlling said switch means and terminating at an opposite end at
a button extending transversely of said post external of said
housing;
said actuating end of said housing having a recess therein
extending over a substantial portion thereof and having a
configuration mating with the configuration of said button means,
said button being depressible into said recess to actuate said
switch means and energize said motor to rotate said brush
means.
2. A skin cleansing brush as recited in claim 1 wherein said switch
means includes a spring biased contact abutting said one end of
said elongate post to bias said button away from said recess.
3. A skin cleansing brush as recited in claim 2 wherein said
housing has a sleeve carried at said actuating end, said elongate
post being slidably received in said sleeve and carrying a stop
adapted to abut an end of said sleeve to limit movement of said
elongate post.
4. A skin cleansing brush as recited in claim 3 and further
comprising means disposed within said housing for supporting
batteries, said switch means connecting said battery support means
with said motor.
5. A skin cleansing brush as recited in claim 4 wherein said
reduction gear means includes a small diameter drive gear secured
to said rotor and a large diameter gear peripherally meshing with
said drive gear and secured to said drive shaft and said brush
means includes a cylindrical base with said soft bristles extending
transversely therefrom, said stem of said brush means being
centrally secured to said base and received in said drive shaft in
a forced fit.
Description
The purpose of this invention is to provide a handheld electrical
appliance for applying soaps, creams, cleansers or other skin
hygiene preparations to the skin in an efficient and convenient
manner.
Another object is to provide a battery powered rotary brush which
can be used for massaging and other functions which are necessary
to good skin hygiene.
The present invention is generally characterized in a skin
cleansing brush, including a housing having side walls diverging
from a narrow driving end to a broad actuating end, the housing
having a configuration to be gripped by a hand of a user; an
electric motor mounted in the housing; a tubular drive shaft
rotatably mounted in the housing in alignment with a passage in the
driving end; a reduction gearing system coupled with a rotor of the
motor and the drive shaft to drive the drive shaft at a rotational
speed less than the rotational speed of the rotor; a brush having a
stem removably received in the drive shaft and carrying soft
bristles for engaging the skin of a user; a switch disposed in the
housing and adapted to connect the motor with a source of
electricity; and actuator means including an elongate post having
an end controlling the switch and terminating at an opposite end at
a button extending transversely of the post external of the
housing, the actuating end of the housing having a recess therein
extending over a substantial portion thereof and having a
configuration mating with the configuration of the button, the
button being depressible into the recess to actuate the switch and
energize the motor to rotate the brush.
The details of this invention are illustrated in the following
drawings:
FIG. 1 is a side view of the appliance mounted in its case showing
the cover and base of the case in section.
FIG. 2 is a side view of the interior of the appliance showing the
housing in section.
FIG. 3 is a front sectional view of the interior of the appliance
along section lines 3.
FIG. 4 is a bottom plan view of the housing cover.
FIG. 5 is a top plan view of the appliance with the cover
removed.
The preferred embodiment of this invention consists of a housing 1
having a cover 2 which engages a body of the housing in a snap fit.
The housing has a configuration to be gripped in a single hand of a
user with side walls diverging from a narrow driving end to a broad
actuating end defined by cover 2. The cover is made readily
removable by a latch mechanism 3. The cover 2 is constructed having
a passage 4 which receives a switch actuating post 5 in slidable
engagement at the broad actuating end of the housing.
An electric motor 6 is mounted in housing 1 on a bracket 7 which is
screwed to the housing. Bracket 7 also supports battery contacts 8
which are made of a resilient electrically conductive metal. The
contacts 8 are constructed to allow batteries 9 to be forced
between them and to be maintained in electrical contact by the
resiliency of the contacts 8.
The motor may be energized by a simple series circuit comprising
two 1.5 volt batteries 8 connected in series with the motor 6 and
normally open switch contacts 10 and 11. When the contacts 10 and
11 are engaged, current flows in the circuit causing the motor 6 to
rotate.
Switch contact 10 is stationery while switch contact 11 is movable.
Contact 11 is a simple leaf spring which is normally biased in the
upward position as shown in FIG. 3. The switch contacts are
therefore normally open. position where
Contact 11 engages the switch actuating post 5 which extends upward
through cover 2 at the actuating end of the housing and carries an
actuating button 12 external of the housing, the actuating button
extending transversely of post 5 and received in a recess 31 in
cover 2 having a configuration mating with the configuration of
button 12. The recess 31 extends over a substantial portion of the
broad actuating end of the housing 1, and button 12 similarly
extends over a substantial portion of the actuating end of the
housing to facilitate actuation of the switch contacts while the
housing is gripped in the hand of a user. The spring action of
contact 11 maintains the post 5 in its uppermost positionwhere a
stop 13 carried by the post abuts the 14 end of a sleeve defining
passage 4. Pressure on actuating button 12 depresses contact 11
against the spring bias into engagement with contact 10 thereby
closing the circuit and energizing motor 6.
Attached to a rotor 15 of motor 6 is a drive gear 16 which engages
a gear 17 having a relatively large diameter so that a speed
reduction is accomplished. Gear 17 is mounted on an axial shaft 18
which in turn is journaled for rotation between bracket 7 and
housing 1. As best shown in FIG. 2, shaft 18 is tubular and extends
through a passage 19 in the narrow driving end of housing 1 to the
exterior thereby providing a socket 20 for a brush stem 21 of a
brush 23 is provided with soft bristles 24.
In operation pressure on button 12 closes switch contacts 10 and 11
to energize motor 6 rotate rotor 15 and gear 16 thereby turning
gear 17 to which is attached the brush. The brush is run under
water and then applied to the cleanser bar 22 shown in FIG. 1 until
a lather is formed. The lathered brush may be applied to the skin
to remove dirt.
The appliance may be provided with a case as shown in FIG. 1 which
consists of a base 25 having a well 26 to receive a bar of soap 22
and a well 27 to receive the appliance. The case is also provided
with a cover 28 having a socket 29 to receive brush stem 21 for
storage. To prevent rattling, the cover is also provided with
cylindrical ridge 30 which engages a depression at the top of cover
2 and holds the appliance securely during storage.
* * * * *