초록 ▼

The invention relates to an electric tooth cleaning device and to a method for automatically indicating the cleaning duration when cleaning teeth, whereby a timer signal is emitted using a time element after the termination of a set cleaning duration in a tooth cleaning session. According to the inv

The invention relates to an electric tooth cleaning device and to a method for automatically indicating the cleaning duration when cleaning teeth, whereby a timer signal is emitted using a time element after the termination of a set cleaning duration in a tooth cleaning session. According to the invention, the set cleaning duration, whose termination prompts the emission of a timer signal, is modified. An actual cleaning duration in the tooth cleaning session is registered by a time registration device. The deviation of the actual cleaning duration from a predetermined standard cleaning duration is determined by means of an evaluation device. The set cleaning duration of a subsequent tooth cleaning session is then defined depending on the deviation that has been determined.

대표청구항 ▼

The invention claimed is: 1. A method of operating a toothbrush to specify a target length of time for cleaning teeth, the method comprising: measuring an actual cleaning time during a first cleaning process using a time determination device of the toothbrush, a duration of the first cleaning proce

The invention claimed is: 1. A method of operating a toothbrush to specify a target length of time for cleaning teeth, the method comprising: measuring an actual cleaning time during a first cleaning process using a time determination device of the toothbrush, a duration of the first cleaning process including a duration of a temporary interruption of the cleaning process that is less than a predetermined maximum interruption time limit; determining a deviation of the actual cleaning time from a standard cleaning time using an evaluation device of the toothbrush; and determining a target cleaning time for a subsequent cleaning process as a function of the determined deviation and the standard cleaning time using a control device of the toothbrush, wherein the target cleaning time is a summation of the standard cleaning time and the determined deviation. 2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising, during the subsequent cleaning process, indicating to a user a termination of the target cleaning time. 3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the determined deviation is stored in a memory. 4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the deviation is limited to a predetermined deviation limit. 5. The method according to claim 4, wherein the predetermined deviation limit is about 90 seconds. 6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the standard cleaning time is about 120 seconds. 7. The method according to claim 1, wherein the target cleaning time is adjusted to fall within a predetermined span of acceptable cleaning time. 8. The method according to claim 7, wherein the target cleaning time is limited to be greater than or equal to the standard cleaning time. 9. The method according to claim 1, wherein, in response to the actual cleaning time being greater than the standard cleaning time, the target cleaning time is less than the standard cleaning time. 10. The method according to claim 1, wherein, if the target cleaning time differs from the standard cleaning time, at the beginning of a subsequent tooth cleaning, a non-standard warning signal is emitted. 11. The method according to claim 1, wherein a sub-minimum warning signal is emitted if the actual cleaning time is determined to be less than the predetermined minimum cleaning time limit. 12. The method according to claim 1, wherein a sub-target warning signal is emitted if an actual cleaning time of the subsequent cleaning process is determined to be less than the target cleaning time. 13. The method according to claim 1, wherein the actual cleaning time is determined as a time interval between an operator activating and deactivating a tooth cleaning device. 14. The method according to claim 13, wherein, the actual cleaning time continues to be measured upon temporary interruption of operation of the tooth cleaning device if the interruption is less than a predetermined maximum interruption time limit. 15. A method of operating a toothbrush to specify a target length of time for cleaning teeth the method comprising: measuring an actual cleaning time during a first cleaning process using a time determination device of the toothbrush, a duration of the first cleaning process including a duration of a temporary interruption of the cleaning process that is less than a predetermined maximum interruption time limit; determining a deviation of the actual cleaning time from a standard cleaning time using an evaluation device of the toothbrush; and determining a target cleaning time for a subsequent cleaning process as a function of the determined deviation and the standard cleaning time using a control device of the toothbrush, wherein the deviation between the actual cleaning time and the standard cleaning time is only determined when the actual cleaning time of a tooth cleaning lies above a predetermined minimum cleaning time. 16. The method according to claim 15, wherein the predetermined minimum cleaning time is about 30 seconds. 17. A method of operating a toothbrush to specify a target length of time for cleaning teeth, the method comprising: measuring an actual cleaning time during a first cleaning process using a time determination device of the toothbrush, a duration of the first cleaning process including a duration of a temporary interruption of the cleaning process that is less than a predetermined maximum interruption time limit; determining a deviation of the actual cleaning time from a standard cleaning time using an evaluation device of the toothbrush; determining a target cleaning time for a subsequent cleaning process as a function of the determined deviation and the standard cleaning time using a control device of the toothbrush; and storing multiple deviations corresponding to multiple tooth cleanings and determining the target cleaning time of a subsequent tooth cleaning as a function of a sum of the multiple deviations. 18. The method according to claim 17, wherein the sum of deviations is limited to a predetermined limit. 19. The method according to claim 18, wherein the predetermined limit is 90 seconds. 20. An electric tooth cleaning device, comprising: a tooth cleaning element; a motor; a motor controller that controls the motor and is configured to measure an actual cleaning time during a first cleaning process, where a duration of the first cleaning process includes a duration of a temporary interruption of the cleaning process that is less than a predetermined maximum interruption time limit; determine a deviation of the actual cleaning time from a standard cleaning time; and determine a target cleaning time for a subsequent cleaning process as a function of the determined deviation and the standard cleaning time, wherein the target cleaning time is a summation of the standard cleaning time and the deviation. 21. The electric tooth cleaning device of claim 20, further comprising an indicator that indicates a termination of the target cleaning during a subsequent cleaning. 22. The electric tooth cleaning device of claim 21, wherein the indicator is an acoustic device. 23. The electric tooth cleaning device of claim 21, wherein the indicator is an optical device. 24. The electric tooth cleaning device of claim 20, wherein the controller limits the deviation to a predetermined deviation limit. 25. The electric tooth cleaning device of claim 24, wherein the predetermined deviation limit is about 90 seconds. 26. The electric tooth cleaning device of claim 20, wherein the standard tooth cleaning time is about 120 seconds. 27. The electric tooth cleaning device of claim 20, wherein the controller includes a memory in which the target cleaning time is stored. 28. The electric tooth cleaning device of claim 20, wherein the controller adjusts the target time to fall within a predetermined span of acceptable cleaning times. 29. The electric tooth cleaning device of claim 28 wherein the target cleaning time is limited to be greater than or equal to the standard cleaning time. 30. The electric tooth cleaning device of claim 20, wherein, in response to the actual cleaning time being greater than the standard cleaning, the target cleaning time is less than the standard cleaning time. 31. The tooth cleaning device of claim 20, wherein the controller is configured to initiate a sub-target warning signal upon termination of the actual cleaning time in response to measuring an actual cleaning time less than the target cleaning time. 32. The tooth cleaning device of claim 20, wherein the controller is configured to initiate a sub-minimum warning signal in response to measuring an actual cleaning time less than a predetermined minimum cleaning time. 33. The tooth cleaning device of claim 20, wherein, as a subsequent cleaning is commenced, the controller initiates a non-standard warning signal that the target time differs from the standard time. 34. The electric tooth cleaning device of claim 20, wherein the actual cleaning time is determined as a time interval between an operator activating and deactivating the cleaning device. 35. The electric tooth cleaning device of claim 34, wherein the controller is configured to continue measuring actual cleaning time during a temporary interruption of operation of the cleaning device if the interruption is less than a predetermined minimum interruption time limit. 36. An electric tooth cleaning device, comprising: a tooth cleaning element; a motor; a motor controller that controls the motor and is configured to measure an actual cleaning time during a first cleaning process, where a duration of the first cleaning process includes a duration of a temporary interruption of the cleaning process that is less than a predetermined maximum interruption time limit; determine a deviation of the actual cleaning time from a standard cleaning time; and determine a target cleaning time for a subsequent cleaning process as a function of the determined deviation and the standard cleaning time, wherein the controller determines a deviation only when the actual cleaning time is above a predetermined minimum cleaning time limit. 37. The electric tooth cleaning device of claim 36, wherein the predetermined minimum cleaning time limit is about 30 seconds. 38. An electric tooth cleaning device, comprising: a tooth cleaning element; a motor; a motor controller that controls the motor and is configured to measure an actual cleaning time during a first cleaning process, where a duration of the first cleaning process includes a duration of a temporary interruption of the cleaning process that is less than a predetermined maximum interruption time limit; determine a deviation of the actual cleaning time from a standard cleaning time; and determine a target cleaning time for a subsequent cleaning process as a function of the determined deviation and the standard cleaning time, wherein the controller is configured to store multiple deviations corresponding to multiple tooth cleanings, and to determine the target cleaning time as a function of a sum of the deviations. 39. The electric tooth cleaning device of claim 38, wherein the controller limits the sum of deviations to a predetermined limit. 40. The electric tooth cleaning device of claim 39, wherein the predetermined limit is 90 seconds.