Electric toothbrush
An electric toothbrush includes a driving source; a vibrating member having a brush; a transmission mechanism which converts an output of the driving source into vibration of the vibrating member; and a control unit that controls the output of the driving source. The vibrating member has a first resonance point in which the brush resonates in a first direction, and a second resonance point in which the brush resonates in a second direction; and the control unit has a first operation mode which controls the output of the driving source so that a resonance in the first direction is generated, and a second operation mode which controls the output of the driving source so that a resonance in the second direction is generated.
1. An electric toothbrush, comprising:
a motor;
a vibrating member having a brush;
a motion transmission mechanism which converts rotations of the motor into vibration of the vibrating member; and
a control unit that controls the number of rotations of the motor,
wherein the vibrating member has a first resonance point in which the brush resonates in a first direction, and a second resonance point in which the brush resonates in a second direction; and
wherein in a first operation mode, the control unit controls the number of rotations of the motor so that a resonance in the first direction is generated, and in a second operation mode, the control unit controls the number of rotations of the motor so that a resonance in the second direction is generated.
2. An electric toothbrush according to claim 1 ,
wherein the control unit repeats the first operation mode and the second operation mode.
3. An electric toothbrush according to claim 2 ,
wherein the first direction is a direction parallel to a brush face; and
the second direction is a direction perpendicular to the brush face.
4. An electric toothbrush according to claim 3 ,
wherein the first resonance point is characteristics dependent on the motion transmission mechanism; and
the second resonance point is characteristics dependent on the brush.
5. An electric toothbrush according to claim 4 ,
wherein the control unit detects a load acting on the brush, and adjusts rotations of the motor in response to the detected load.
6. An electric toothbrush according to claim 3 ,
wherein the control unit detects a load acting on the brush, and adjusts rotations of the motor in response to the detected load.
7. An electric toothbrush according to claim 2 ,
wherein the first resonance point is characteristics dependent on the motion transmission mechanism; and
the second resonance point is characteristics dependent on the brush.
8. An electric toothbrush according to claim 7 ,
wherein the control unit detects a load acting on the brush, and adjusts rotations of the motor in response to the detected load.
9. An electric toothbrush according to claim 2 ,
wherein the control unit detects a load acting on the brush, and adjusts rotations of the motor in response to the detected load.
10. An electric toothbrush according to claim 1 ,
wherein the first direction is a direction parallel to a brush face; and
the second direction is a direction perpendicular to the brush face.
11. An electric toothbrush according to claim 10 ,
wherein the first resonance point is characteristics dependent on the motion transmission mechanism; and
the second resonance point is characteristics dependent on the brush.
12. An electric toothbrush according to claim 11 ,
wherein the control unit detects a load acting on the brush, and adjusts rotations of the motor in response to the detected load.
13. An electric toothbrush according to claim 10 ,
wherein the control unit detects a load acting on the brush, and adjusts rotations of the motor in response to the detected load.
14. An electric toothbrush according to claim 1 ,
wherein the first resonance point is characteristics dependent on the motion transmission mechanism; and
the second resonance point is characteristics dependent on the brush.
15. An electric toothbrush according to claim 14 ,
wherein the control unit detects a load acting on the brush, and adjusts rotations of the motor in response to the detected load.
16. An electric toothbrush according to claim 1 ,
wherein the control unit detects a load acting on the brush, and adjusts rotations of the motor in response to the detected load.
17. An electric toothbrush according to claim 1 ,
wherein the motion transmission mechanism is encased in the vibrating member; and
the vibrating member is mounted to an electric toothbrush body through an elastic member.
18. An electric toothbrush according to claim 1 ,
wherein the motion transmission mechanism is an eccentric shaft coupled to a rotation shaft of the motor; and
the vibration member has a stem having a bearing of the eccentric shaft.