Patents by Inventor Joern Utsch

Joern Utsch has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Publication number: 20230285131
    Abstract: A handle for an oral-care implement for safe and hygienic use by multiple users includes an electrical motor and a detachable head. The handle has a display for displaying instructions to control functional operation of the handle, a microcontroller for controlling the motor and the display, and at least one switch to allow a user to control the functional operation of the handle, including causing the output element to vibrate in at least one oral-hygiene mode having an oral-hygiene frequency and causing the output element to vibrate in a disinfection mode when the handle is being disinfected before or after being used for the oral-hygiene routine. The disinfection mode has a modulated frequency, different from the oral-hygiene frequency, and alternating up and down between a low modulated frequency and a high modulated frequency, wherein the high modulated frequency is at least 50 percent greater than the low modulated frequency.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 9, 2022
    Publication date: September 14, 2023
    Inventors: Joern UTSCH, Ulrich STOERKEL, Bianka BECKER-SALZSAEULER, Boris ATLAS, Michael Anthony KAMINSKI, Todd Lynn WATTERSON, Darcie Ann OHLMAN, Andrea SCHUERING, Alexander HILSCHER, Kervin Heinrich KUECHLER, Andreas MAENNCHEN, Erwin Paul MARK
  • Publication number: 20230285616
    Abstract: A handle for an oral-care implement, the handle comprises an electrical motor arranged to drive an output element structured and configured to couple the handle and a head attachable to and detachable from the handle; and a microcontroller for controlling the motor and to cause the output element to vibrate in (a) at least one oral-hygiene mode during which the oral-care implement is being used for an oral-hygiene routine, wherein the output element is vibrating at a substantially constant frequency, and (b) a disinfection mode during which the handle is being disinfected, before or after being used for the oral-hygiene routine, wherein the output element is continuously vibrating at a modulated frequency alternating within a frequency range of between about 140 Hz and about 250 Hz, for a duration of the disinfection mode.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 9, 2022
    Publication date: September 14, 2023
    Inventors: Joern UTSCH, Ulrich STOERKEL, Bianka BECKER-SALZSAEULER, Boris ATLAS, Michael Anthony KAMINSKI, Todd Lynn WATTERSON, Darcie Ann OHLMAN, Andrea SCHUERING, Alexander HILSCHER, Kervin Heinrich KUECHLER, Andreas MAENNCHEN, Erwin Paul MARK
  • Patent number: 11399924
    Abstract: A refill for an electric toothbrush comprises a generally tubular structure formed by refill walls defining an interior space for accepting thereinto a coupling stem of a toothbrush handle. The refill includes a motion transmitter functionally connected to the brush head for driving it. The refill has a coupling device including a pair of mutually opposite and resiliently deformable cantilevered arms disposed in the interior space of the refill and adjacent to the refill walls and extending from respective roots in a circular or semi-circular manner around, and in a plane substantially perpendicular to, the refill's longitudinal axis. Each of the arms is resiliently deformable and terminates with a coupling surface for engaging a coupling pin extending from the handle's coupling stem for secure and disengageable connection therewith.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 29, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 2, 2022
    Assignee: Braun GmbH
    Inventors: Thomas Fritsch, Irina Neusser, Joern Utsch
  • Patent number: 11369462
    Abstract: An electric toothbrush, including a refill connectable to a handle via a coupling device. The handle has a drive mechanism, and the refill has a brush head and a motion transmitter functionally connected to the brush head for driving it. The handle has a coupling stem terminating with a free end and including a coupling pin extending from the stem. The refill includes a generally tubular portion formed by refill walls defining an interior space for accepting the coupling stem of the handle. The coupling device comprises a pair of mutually opposite and resiliently deformable cantilevered arms disposed adjacent to the refill walls in the interior space of the refill. Each of the cantilevered arms terminates with a coupling surface for engaging the stem's coupling pin for secure and disengageable connection between the handle and the refill.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 16, 2020
    Date of Patent: June 28, 2022
    Assignee: Braun GmbH
    Inventors: Thomas Fritsch, Irina Neusser, Joern Utsch
  • Publication number: 20210137661
    Abstract: An electric toothbrush, including a refill connectable to a handle via a coupling device. The handle has a drive mechanism, and the refill has a brush head and a motion transmitter functionally connected to the brush head for driving it. The handle has a coupling stem terminating with a free end and including a coupling pin extending from the stem. The refill includes a generally tubular portion formed by refill walls defining an interior space for accepting the coupling stem of the handle. The coupling device comprises a pair of mutually opposite and resiliently deformable cantilevered arms disposed adjacent to the refill walls in the interior space of the refill. Each of the cantilevered arms terminates with a coupling surface for engaging the stem's coupling pin for secure and disengageable connection between the handle and the refill.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 16, 2020
    Publication date: May 13, 2021
    Inventors: Thomas FRITSCH, Irina NEUSSER, Joern UTSCH
  • Publication number: 20210045857
    Abstract: A refill for an electric toothbrush comprises a generally tubular structure formed by refill walls defining an interior space for accepting thereinto a coupling stem of a toothbrush handle. The refill includes a motion transmitter functionally connected to the brush head for driving it. The refill has a coupling device including a pair of mutually opposite and resiliently deformable cantilevered arms disposed in the interior space of the refill and adjacent to the refill walls and extending from respective roots in a circular or semi-circular manner around, and in a plane substantially perpendicular to, the refill's longitudinal axis. Each of the arms is resiliently deformable and terminates with a coupling surface for engaging a coupling pin extending from the handle's coupling stem for secure and disengageable connection therewith.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 29, 2020
    Publication date: February 18, 2021
    Inventors: Thomas FRITSCH, Irina NEUSSER, Joern UTSCH
  • Patent number: 10869742
    Abstract: A coupling mechanism for an electric toothbrush includes a handle coupling portion and a refill coupling portion structured and configured to engage one another, thereby providing a secure connection between the handle and the refill. The handle coupling portion has a coupling stem disposed at one end of the handle and a coupling pin protruding from the stem. The coupling stem has outer walls terminating at a free end thereof. The refill coupling portion has a tubular structure having refill walls and an interior space for receiving therein the coupling stem, and a pair of mutually opposite and resiliently deformable cantilevered arms disposed in the interior space, each of the arms terminating with a coupling surface for engaging the coupling pin of the handle coupling portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 22, 2018
    Date of Patent: December 22, 2020
    Assignee: Braun GmbH
    Inventors: Thomas Fritsch, Irina Neusser, Joern Utsch
  • Patent number: 10869743
    Abstract: An electric toothbrush, including a refill connectable to a handle via a coupling device. The handle has a drive mechanism, and the refill has a brush head and a motion transmitter functionally connected to the brush head for driving it. The handle has a coupling stem terminating with a free end and including a coupling pin extending from the stem. The refill includes a generally tubular portion formed by refill walls defining an interior space for accepting the coupling stem of the handle. The coupling device comprises a pair of mutually opposite and resiliently deformable cantilevered arms disposed adjacent to the refill walls in the interior space of the refill. Each of the cantilevered arms terminates with a coupling surface for engaging the stem's coupling pin for secure and disengageable connection between the handle and the refill.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 22, 2018
    Date of Patent: December 22, 2020
    Assignee: Braun GmbH
    Inventors: Thomas Fritsch, Irina Neusser, Joern Utsch
  • Patent number: 10864065
    Abstract: A refill for an electric toothbrush comprises a generally tubular structure formed by refill walls defining an interior space for accepting thereinto a coupling stem of a toothbrush handle. The refill includes a motion transmitter functionally connected to the brush head for driving it. The refill has a coupling device including a pair of mutually opposite and resiliently deformable cantilevered arms disposed in the interior space of the refill and adjacent to the refill walls. Each of the arms terminates with a coupling surface for engaging a coupling pin extending from the handle's coupling stem for secure and disengageable connection therewith.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 22, 2018
    Date of Patent: December 15, 2020
    Assignee: Braun GmbH
    Inventors: Thomas Fritsch, Irina Neusser, Joern Utsch
  • Patent number: 10675132
    Abstract: An oral hygiene implement has a neck section extending along a longitudinal direction and a head section having a through hole therein extending through the head section along a through hole direction having an angle with respect to the longitudinal direction and having a head section housing surrounding the through hole. The neck section has a neck section housing surrounding a neck section cavity. The through hole defines a first and a second opening in the head section housing. A cap element, separately made from the head section housing, is connected with the head section housing to essentially cover the first opening. A carrier element, separately made from the head section housing, is arranged to cover the second opening. Between an edge of the first opening and an edge of the cap there is a circumferential gap that allows water, saliva, or toothpaste to escape an interior of the head section during use.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 22, 2017
    Date of Patent: June 9, 2020
    Assignee: BRAUN GMBH
    Inventors: Norbert Schaefer, Thomas Fritsch, Joern Utsch, Wolfgang Stegmann
  • Patent number: 10660733
    Abstract: The present disclosure is concerned with an oral hygiene implement having a longitudinal axis, a carrier element mounted for driven movement, a motion transmitter that has a first end for transferring a drive force to the carrier element, which first end is provided at a position being offset from the longitudinal axis, and the motion transmitter has a second end positioned essentially on on the longitudinal axis or is arranged for being positioned essentially on the longitudinal axis during operation, wherein the motion transmitter has a first coupling part comprising the first end, which first coupling part essentially extends along a centre axis arranged at an angle with respect to the longitudinal axis, and a second coupling part comprising the second end, which first coupling part is fixedly connected with a first connecting portion of an elastic pivot element that allows that the first coupling part and the second coupling part can pivot with respect to each other at least in a first pivoting plane span
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 2017
    Date of Patent: May 26, 2020
    Assignee: BRAUN GMBH
    Inventors: Norbert Schaefer, Jörn Utsch, Thomas Fritsch
  • Patent number: 10624726
    Abstract: An oral-care implement having a housing extending along a longitudinal-extension direction, a functional element mounted at the housing for driven motion relative to the housing, a motion-transmitter element disposed within the housing and extending along the longitudinal-extension direction. The motion-transmitter element has a first coupling portion coupled with the functional element. The motion-transmitter element has a metal-sheet portion made from a punched and bent metal sheet. The metal-sheet portion can have at least one section having a non-flat cross-sectional shape in a plane perpendicular to the longitudinal-extension direction, such as an L-shape, or U-shape, or S-shape.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 22, 2017
    Date of Patent: April 21, 2020
    Assignee: BRAUN GMBH
    Inventors: Norbert Schaefer, Joern Utsch
  • Patent number: 10470857
    Abstract: A personal care device having a handle having an engagement portion and a persona care attachment are described. The personal care attachment has a housing attached to the engagement portion and a contact element carrier. The contact element carrier is movably coupled to the housing. A plurality of contact elements is arranged on the contact element carrier, and wherein the personal care attachment is driven at a frequency of between about 150 Hz to about 175 Hz and has a sound intensity level of less than about 75 dB(A).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 25, 2011
    Date of Patent: November 12, 2019
    Assignee: Braun GmbH
    Inventors: Norbert Schaefer, Uwe Schober, Joern Utsch, Andreas Kramp, Frank Ziegler, Benedikt Heil, Marlis Hübner
  • Patent number: 10327876
    Abstract: An oral cleaning tool for an electric oral hygiene device is disclosed. The oral cleaning tool includes a housing having a head section with a head cavity for accommodating a movable oral cleaning head and a neck section with a neck cavity and a handle coupling section; a first magnetic coupling element including at least a permanent magnet or a magnetizable element being provided in the neck section for mechanical handle drive shaft connection by magnetic interaction. The first magnetic coupling element is mounted at a motion transmitter, the motion transmitter extending inside the neck cavity to the head cavity, the motion transmitter arranged so as to be movable in a linear or longitudinal direction. The motion transmitter is coupled with the oral cleaning head, the oral cleaning head arranged so as to oscillate in a rotational direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 20, 2016
    Date of Patent: June 25, 2019
    Assignee: BRAUN GMBH
    Inventors: Joern Utsch, Norbert Schaefer
  • Publication number: 20180368562
    Abstract: A refill for an electric toothbrush comprises a generally tubular structure formed by refill walls defining an interior space for accepting thereinto a coupling stem of a toothbrush handle. The refill includes a motion transmitter functionally connected to the brush head for driving it. The refill has a coupling device including a pair of mutually opposite and resiliently deformable cantilevered arms disposed in the interior space of the refill and adjacent to the refill walls. Each of the arms terminates with a coupling surface for engaging a coupling pin extending from the handle's coupling stem for secure and disengageable connection therewith.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 22, 2018
    Publication date: December 27, 2018
    Inventors: Thomas FRITSCH, Irina NEUSSER, Joern UTSCH
  • Publication number: 20180368959
    Abstract: A coupling mechanism for an electric toothbrush includes a handle coupling portion and a refill coupling portion structured and configured to engage one another, thereby providing a secure connection between the handle and the refill. The handle coupling portion has a coupling stem disposed at one end of the handle and a coupling pin protruding from the stem. The coupling stem has outer walls terminating at a free end thereof. The refill coupling portion has a tubular structure having refill walls and an interior space for receiving therein the coupling stem, and a pair of mutually opposite and resiliently deformable cantilevered arms disposed in the interior space, each of the arms terminating with a coupling surface for engaging the coupling pin of the handle coupling portion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 22, 2018
    Publication date: December 27, 2018
    Inventors: Thomas FRITSCH, Irina NEUSSER, Joern UTSCH
  • Publication number: 20180368960
    Abstract: An electric toothbrush, including a refill connectable to a handle via a coupling device. The handle has a drive mechanism, and the refill has a brush head and a motion transmitter functionally connected to the brush head for driving it. The handle has a coupling stem terminating with a free end and including a coupling pin extending from the stem. The refill includes a generally tubular portion formed by refill walls defining an interior space for accepting the coupling stem of the handle. The coupling device comprises a pair of mutually opposite and resiliently deformable cantilevered arms disposed adjacent to the refill walls in the interior space of the refill. Each of the cantilevered arms terminates with a coupling surface for engaging the stem's coupling pin for secure and disengageable connection between the handle and the refill.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 22, 2018
    Publication date: December 27, 2018
    Inventors: Thomas FRITSCH, Irina NEUSSER, Joern UTSCH
  • Publication number: 20180140404
    Abstract: An oral-care implement having a housing extending along a longitudinal-extension direction, a functional element mounted at the housing for driven motion relative to the housing, a motion-transmitter element disposed within the housing and extending along the longitudinal-extension direction. The motion-transmitter element has a first coupling portion coupled with the functional element. The motion-transmitter element has a metal-sheet portion made from a punched and bent metal sheet. The metal-sheet portion can have at least one section having a non-flat cross-sectional shape in a plane perpendicular to the longitudinal-extension direction, such as an L-shape, or U-shape, or S-shape.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 22, 2017
    Publication date: May 24, 2018
    Inventors: Norbert SCHAEFER, Joern UTSCH
  • Publication number: 20170296314
    Abstract: The present disclosure is concerned with an oral hygiene implement having a longitudinal axis, a carrier element mounted for driven movement, a motion transmitter that has a first end for transferring a drive force to the carrier element, which first end is provided at a position being offset from the longitudinal axis, and the motion transmitter has a second end positioned essentially on on the longitudinal axis or is arranged for being positioned essentially on the longitudinal axis during operation, wherein the motion transmitter has a first coupling part comprising the first end, which first coupling part essentially extends along a centre axis arranged at an angle with respect to the longitudinal axis, and a second coupling part comprising the second end, which first coupling part is fixedly connected with a first connecting portion of an elastic pivot element that allows that the first coupling part and the second coupling part can pivot with respect to each other at least in a first pivoting plane span
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 30, 2017
    Publication date: October 19, 2017
    Inventors: Norbert SCHAEFER, Jörn UTSCH, Thomas FRITSCH
  • Patent number: 9724181
    Abstract: The present disclosure is concerned with an oral hygiene implement having a longitudinal axis, a carrier element mounted for driven movement, a motion transmitter that has a first end for transferring a drive force to the carrier element, which first end is provided at a position being offset from the longitudinal axis, and the motion transmitter has a second end positioned essentially on on the longitudinal axis or is arranged for being positioned essentially on the longitudinal axis during operation, wherein the motion transmitter has a first coupling part comprising the first end, which first coupling part essentially extends along a centre axis arranged at an angle with respect to the longitudinal axis, and a second coupling part comprising the second end, which first coupling part is fixedly connected with a first connecting portion of an elastic pivot element that allows that the first coupling part and the second coupling part can pivot with respect to each other at least in a first pivoting plane span
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 30, 2015
    Date of Patent: August 8, 2017
    Assignee: BRAUN GMBH
    Inventors: Norbert Schaefer, Jörn Utsch, Thomas Fritsch