Importance

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Abstract

A power-operated toothbrush for cleaning and stimulating the surface of the teeth, cleaning between the teeth, cleaning between the teeth and gums, and cleaning and stimulating the gums of a user having a housing, a power means, a toothbrush extending from the housing having a bristled toothbrush head and an oscillating or movement imparting means for driving the toothbrush head in a complex motion, such as a figure-eight motion. The brush driving means of the power-operated toothbrush may comprise a rotary motor, a gear element driven by the rotary motor, a cam follower pivotally attached to the motor, and a T-bar. The T-bar is driven in a direction along the longitudinal axis of the power-operated toothbrush housing and also in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the power-operated toothbrush housing. The complex motion of the toothbrush head across the surface of the teeth is produced by driving the T-bar to move one cycle in a direction along the longitudinal axis of the housing while simultaneously driving the T-bar to move more than one cycle in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the housing. The toothbrush head is preferably driven in a figure-eight motion across the surface of the teeth by driving the T-bar to move two cycles in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the housing.

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First Claim