Body brush with rotatable head whose direction of rotation is automatically reversed

Abstract

A body brush includes a housing, a head rotatably coupled to the housing, the head being structured to hold one of a number of attachment members, a motor provided in the housing, the head being coupled to the motor for rotating the head relative to the housing in a first direction and a second direction opposite the first direction, and a processing apparatus coupled to the motor for controlling operation of the motor, the processing apparatus being structured and configured to control the motor in a manner that causes rotation of the head to be automatically switched between the first direction and the second direction.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A body brush, comprising:
 a housing;   a head rotatably coupled to the housing, the head being structured to hold one of a number of attachment members;   a motor provided in the housing, the head being coupled to the motor for rotating the head relative to the housing in a first direction and a second direction opposite the first direction;   a processing apparatus coupled to the motor for controlling operation of the motor, the processing apparatus being structured and configured to control the motor in a manner that causes rotation of the head to be automatically switched between the first direction and the second direction.   
     
     
         2 . The body brush according to  claim 1 , wherein the processing apparatus is structured and configured to: (i) detect that the body brush has been turned on and in response thereto cause rotation of the head in the first direction, and (ii) while the head is caused to be rotated in the first direction, detect that the body brush has been turned off and then on again and in response thereto cause rotation of the head in the second direction. 
     
     
         3 . The body brush according to  claim 1 , wherein during operation of the body brush in an on condition, the processing apparatus is structured and configured to: (i) cause rotation of the head in the first direction for a first period of time, (ii) following expiration of the first period of time cause rotation of the head in the second direction for a second period of time, and (iii) following expiration of the second period of time cause rotation of the head in the first direction for the first period of time. 
     
     
         4 . The body brush according to  claim 3 , wherein the first period of time is equal to the second period of time. 
     
     
         5 . The body brush according to  claim 3 , wherein each of the first period of and the second period of time is a fixed value. 
     
     
         6 . The body brush according to  claim 3 , wherein each of the first period of and the second period of time is a adjustable by a user of the body brush. 
     
     
         7 . The body brush according to  claim 1 , further comprising a torque sensor provided within the housing, wherein the torque sensor is structured and configured to measure a torque resistance to rotation of the head, and wherein the processing apparatus is structured and configured to automatically switch between the first direction and the second direction responsive to a level of the torque resistance as measured by the torque sensor exceeding a threshold. 
     
     
         8 . The body brush according to  claim 1 , wherein the processing apparatus is structured and configured to automatically and repeatedly switch from the first direction to the second direction after one full rotation of the head in the first direction and from the second direction to the first direction after one full rotation of the head in the second direction. 
     
     
         9 . The body brush according to  claim 1 , further comprising the one of the number of attachment members, wherein the one of the number of attachment members has an antimicrobial component. 
     
     
         10 . The body brush according to  claim 9 , wherein the one of the number of attachment members is a brush head having antimicrobial bristles. 
     
     
         11 . The body brush according to  claim 1 , further comprising the number of attachment members, wherein the number of attachment members is a plurality of attachment members including a body brush, a loofah, a massage head, a pedicure brush and a pumice stone. 
     
     
         12 . The body brush according to  claim 1 , further comprising a reachable battery coupled to the motor. 
     
     
         13 . The body brush according to  claim 1 , wherein a power of the motor for rotating the head is adjustable by a user of the body brush.