Water powdered rotary brush

Claim 2

A water pOwered rotary brush which comprises housing means; a pair of generally cylindrical brushes rotatably mounted in said housing means in a generally parallel array with one side of the brush pair exposed outside of said housing means and the other side of the brush pair recessed in said housing means; drive means in said housing means, said drive means including a fluid motor having fluid inlet and outlet conduit means, and drive connection means from said fluid motor to said brushes arranged to drive said brushes in opposite directions of rotation so that the exposed portions of said brushes move toward each other; and drive control means associated with said drive means for selectively actuating said drive means between on and off drive conditions, said drive control means comprising clutch means in said drive connection.

Claim 3

A water powered rotary brush as defined in claim 1 wherein said fluid motor is a positive displacement motor.

Claim 4

A water powered rotary brush as defined in claim 2, wherein said positive displacement motor has a pair of axially aligned rotors rotationally offset approximately 90*.

Claim 5

A water powered rotary brush as defined in claim 2, wherein said positive displacement fluid motor is of the type having generally annular rotor means eccentrically mounted within generally annular chamber means.

Claim 6

A water powered rotary toothbrush which comprises housing means; a pair of generally cylindrical brushes rotatably mounted in said housing means in a generally parallel array with one side of the brush pair exposed outside of said housing means and the other side of the brush pair recessed in said housing means; and drive means in said housing means, said drive means including a fluid motor having fluid inlet and outlet conduit means, and drive connection means from said fluid motor to said brushes arranged to drive said brushes in opposite directions of rotation so that the exposed portions of said brushes move toward each other; said housing means comprising an elongated handle unit having said fluid motor therein and having front and rear ends and an elongated head unit having said brushes therein and having front and rear ends, the brushes being disposed proximate said front end of said head unit, and the rear end of said head unit being releasably connectable with the front end of said handle unit with the connection including a disengageable portion of said drive connection means; said disengageable portion of said drive connection means comprising a splined connection and including clutch means in said handle unit permitting selective engagement and disengagement thereof for on and off control of the toothbrush while said handle and head units are connected.

Claim 7

A water powered rotary toothbrush which comprises housing means; a pair of generally cylindrical brushes rotatably mounted in said housing means in a generally parallel array with one side of the brush pair exposed outside of said housing means and the other side of the brush pair recessed in said housing means; and drive means in said housing means, said drive means including a fluid motor having fluid inlet and outlet conduit means, and drive connection means from said fluid motor to said brushes arranged to drive said brushes in opposite directions of rotation so that the exposed portions of said brushes move toward each other; said housing means comprising an elongated handle unit having said fluid motor therein and having front and rear ends and an elongated head unit having said brushes therein and having front and rear ends, the brushes being disposed proximate said front end of said head unit, and the rear end of said head unit being releasably connectable with the front end of said handle unit with the connection including a disengageable portion of said drive connection means; said disengageable portion of said drive connection means comprising a splined connection and including clutch means in said handle unit permitting selective engagement and disengagement thereof for on and off control of the toothbrush while said handle and head units are connected.

Claim 8

A water powered rotary toothbrush comprising: housing means, said housing means including an elongated head unit having front and rear ends and a handle unit having front and rear ends; primary and secondary rotatable shafts extending lengthwise in said head unit, a pair of generally cylindrical brushes rotatably mounted in said head unit and disposed proximate said front end thereof, one brush of said pair being disposed on said primary shaft and being rotatable therewith, the other brush being disposed on said secondary shaft and being rotatable therewith, said brushes of said pair being disposed in parallel array with one side of the brush pair being exposed outside of said head unit and the other side of the brush pair being recessed in said head unit, said brushes each being in the form of a helix of bristles with adjacent turns thereof spaced apart to form a helical slot at least substantially as wide as the thickness of the bristle helix in the axial direction, said brushes being intermeshed, the bristle helix of each brush being engaged within the helical slot of the other brush, said primary and secondary shafts being synchronized to maintain the intermeshing of the bristle helixes of said brushes, means for rotationally coupling said primary and secondary shafts togetheR to maintain the synchronization of said shafts; a fluid motor in said handle unit; inlet and outlet conduit means associated with said fluid motor; a single drive connection means extending between said fluid motor and said rotational coupling means, said drive connection means including a releasable coupling; the rear end of said head unit being releasably connectable with the front end of said handle unit; whereby said head unit may be separated from said handle unit and the single drive connection means and rotational coupling means cooperate to ensure that the synchronization of the bristle helixes is maintained.

Claim 9

A water powered rotary toothbrush comprising: housing means, said housing means including an elongated head unit having front and rear ends and a handle unit having front and rear ends; primary and secondary rotatable shafts extending lengthwise in said head unit, a pair of generally cylindrical brushes rotatably mounted in said head unit and disposed proximate said front end thereof, one brush of said pair being disposed on said primary shaft and being rotatable therewith, the other brush being disposed on said secondary shaft and being rotatable therewith, said brushes of said pair being disposed in parallel array with one side of the brush pair being exposed outside of said head unit and the other side of the brush pair being recessed in said head unit, said brushes each being in the form of a helix of bristles with adjacent turns thereof spaced apart to form a helical slot at least substantially as wide as the thickness of the bristle helix in the axial direction, said brushes being intermeshed, the bristle helix of each brush being engaged within the helical slot of the other brush, said primary and secondary shafts being synchronized to maintain the intermeshing of the bristle helixes of said brushes, means for rotationally coupling said primary and secondary shafts togetheR to maintain the synchronization of said shafts; a fluid motor in said handle unit; inlet and outlet conduit means associated with said fluid motor; a single drive connection means extending between said fluid motor and said rotational coupling means, said drive connection means including a releasable coupling; the rear end of said head unit being releasably connectable with the front end of said handle unit; whereby said head unit may be separated from said handle unit and the single drive connection means and rotational coupling means cooperate to ensure that the synchronization of the bristle helixes is maintained.

Claim 10

A water powered rotary brush as defined in claim 6 wherein said releasable coupling includes a splined connection.