Fluid driven toothbrush

Abstract

A fluid driven toothbrush includes: a brush-mounting shank defining a fluid channel and a disc-receiving chamber that is in fluid communication with the fluid channel and that is defined by a chamber-defining surface; and a brush head including a disc that extends axially and rotatably into the disc-receiving chamber and that is rotatable about a rotation axis. The brush head further includes a plurality of angularly disposed vanes centered at the rotation axis, protruding axially from the disc, and disposed in the disc-receiving chamber. Each of the vanes has a free end face in sliding contact with the chamber-defining surface of the disc-receiving chamber. The fluid channel has a curved discharging end section extending in a tangential direction relative to the disc so as to generate a tangential flow in the disc-receiving chamber.

1 . A fluid driven toothbrush comprising: 
 a brush-mounting shank defining a fluid channel and a disc-receiving chamber that is in fluid communication with said fluid channel and that is defined by a chamber-defining surface; and    a brush head including a disc that extends axially and rotatably into said disc-receiving chamber and that is rotatable about a rotation axis, said brush head further including a plurality of angularly disposed vanes centered at the rotation axis, protruding axially from said disc, and disposed in said disc-receiving chamber;    wherein each of said vanes has a free end face in sliding contact with said chamber-defining surface of said disc-receiving chamber; and    wherein said fluid channel has a curved discharging end section terminated at said disc-receiving chamber and extending in a tangential direction relative to said disc so as to generate a tangential flow in said disc-receiving chamber to push said vanes in sequence to thereby rotate said disc.    
     
     
         2 . The fluid driven toothbrush of  claim 1 , wherein each of said vanes has a first axial end connected to said disc, and a second axial end opposite to said first axial end, and is formed with a recess extending axially from said second axial end to said first axial end and radially from said free end face toward the rotation axis, said disc being formed with a plurality of jet holes, each of which is axially aligned and is in fluid communication with said recess in a respective one of said vanes.  
     
     
         3 . The fluid driven toothbrush of  claim 2 , wherein said fluid channel is defined by a channel-defining surface that has a discharging end edge, said discharging end edge having a leading edge portion and a trailing edge portion with respect to a flowing direction of the tangential flow, said free end face of each of said vanes having a trailing edge with respect to the flowing direction of the tangential flow, said recess in each of said vanes being defined by a recess-defining surface that extends inwardly from said trailing edge of said free end face of the respective one of said vanes, said recess-defining surface of said recess in each of said vanes facing toward and being aligned with said discharging end edge of said channel-defining surface of said fluid channel in the tangential direction when said trailing edge of said free end face of the respective one of said vanes coincides with said leading edge portion of said discharging end edge of said channel-defining surface.  
     
     
         4 . The fluid driven toothbrush of  claim 1 , further comprising a handle connected detachably to said brush-mounting shank and formed with a fluid passage that is in fluid communication with said fluid channel.  
     
     
         5 . The fluid driven toothbrush of  claim 4 , wherein said handle has a connecting end portion that is formed with an inner retaining groove, said brush-mounting shank having a connecting end portion that extends into said connecting end portion of said handle and that is formed with a retaining boss engaging said inner retaining groove in said connecting end portion of said handle.  
     
     
         6 . The fluid driven toothbrush of  claim 5 , further comprising a regulator valve that is mounted in said fluid passage in said handle.  
     
     
         7 . The fluid driven toothbrush of  claim 5 , wherein said brush-mounting shank further has a circular end portion opposite to said connecting end portion and defining said disc-receiving chamber.  
     
     
         8 . The fluid driven toothbrush of  claim 7 , wherein said brush head further includes a cylindrical shaft that defines the rotation axis and that is formed with an axially extending inner threaded hole, and a cylindrical central sleeve that projects axially from said disc and that is sleeved rotatably on said shaft, each of said vanes extending radially from said central sleeve toward said chamber-defining surface of said disc-receiving chamber, said circular end portion of said brush-mounting shank having a base wall that has a peripheral edge, and a surrounding wall that extends axially from said peripheral edge of said base wall, said discharging end section of said fluid channel terminated at said surrounding wall of said circular end portion, said fluid driven toothbrush further comprising a fastener extending through said base wall of said circular end portion of said brush-mounting shank to engage threadedly said inner threaded hole in said shaft.  
     
     
         9 . The fluid driven toothbrush of  claim 1 , wherein said discharging end section of said fluid channel is tapered toward said disc-receiving chamber.