Dental water jet

• US 10,016,254 B2
• Filed: 12/22/2014
• Issued: 07/10/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 12/20/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Water Pik Incorporated (Church & Dwight Company Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Water Pik Incorporated (Church & Dwight Company Incorporated)
• Inventors: Luettgen, Harold A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Yu, Justine
• Assistant Examiner(s): Miller, Christopher
• Application Number:
  US14/579,652
• Publication Number:
  US 20150173850A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,296 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A61C 1/0092 Pumps specially adapted therefor
• CPC Class Codes: A61C 17/0202 Hand-pieces
• CPC Class Codes: A61C 17/0205 Container filling apparatus

Abstract

A dental water jet provides a pressurized water stream for cleaning gums and teeth. The embodiment includes a base unit defining a cavity. The cavity contains a pump, which may move pressurized water from a reservoir to a tip in fluid communication with the pump. A flow control knob may be turned to selectively adjust the water pressure supplied by the tip between a minimum and a maximum value. Fluid may flow from the reservoir and ultimately into the tip to provide oral irrigation and/or cleaning of the teeth, gums, and tongue.

Claims

1. A dental water jet comprises:

a base housing enclosing a pump system driven by a piston and a motor which drives the piston, the base housing including a bottom wall;

a gear housing attached to the bottom wall of the base housing, wherein the gear housing houses a first gear and a second gear, and includes a top wall, a bottom plate, and a side wall extending between the top wall and the bottom plate, wherein the top wall and the side wall extend around the first and second gears to enclose the first and second gears therebetween, wherein the first gear is attached to a motor shaft on the motor, wherein the motor is located above the gear housing and the motor shaft passes through the top wall of the gear housing and into the first gear wherein the first gear engages the second gear which drives the piston, wherein the gear housing is positioned at least partially below the bottom wall of the base housing;

a drain hole located at the bottom of the gear housing operable to direct liquids out of the gear housing;

a handle with a removable tip fluidly connected to the pump system;

a fluid reservoir removably positioned on the base housing; and

a tube which fluidly connects the pump system to the handle.

2. The dental water jet of claim 1, wherein the base housing is supported on a bottom surface by elastomer support cushions.

3. The dental water jet of claim 1, wherein the handle having a tip ejection switch which slides longitudinally along a portion of a length of the handle.

4. The dental water jet of claim 3, wherein the tip ejection switch comprises a slide switch portion and a latch portion, wherein the latch portion engages the tip and prevents it from disconnecting from the pump system.

5. The dental water jet of claim 4, wherein the removable tip includes a retention groove which engages an engagement tab defining an aperture in the latch portion.

6. The dental water jet of claim 1, wherein the tip engages a spring loaded ejection unit.

7. The dental water jet of claim 6, wherein a proximal portion of the tip passes through an O-ring sealing the tip into the fluidly connected system.

8. The dental water jet of claim 7, wherein the ejection unit biases the tip into a latch portion which engages a groove on the tip such that in response to the latch portion being moved transversely out of the groove, the ejection unit forces the tip out of the handle.

9. The dental water jet of claim 8, wherein the proximal end of the tip includes a plurality of flat sides which engage a plurality of flat surfaces on the handle preventing the tip from rotating.

10. The dental water jet of claim 1, wherein the tube is supported by a plurality of hose retention brackets.

11. The dental water jet of claim 1, wherein the pump system is powered by a power cord supported by a strain relief wall which forms a 180 degree bend in the power cord.

12. The dental water jet of claim 1, wherein:

the first gear is a helical gear attached to the motor; and

the second gear is a helical gear engaged with the first helical gear and engaged with the piston such that the motor drives the piston through the helical gears.

13. The dental water jet of claim 1, further comprising elastomer support cushions each including a flat surface parallel with the bottom of the base housing and having annular walls which extend from the flat surface.

14. The dental water jet of claim 1, wherein the fluid reservoir comprises an elliptical step which nests with an elliptical step located on the top exterior of the base housing.

15. The dental water jet of claim 1, wherein:

the base housing includes a first aperture on an outside surface and a second aperture in a bottom surface;

the first aperture receives a power cord; and

the power cord is restrained by a zip tie that passes through the second aperture and around the power cord.

16. The dental water jet of claim 1, wherein the drain hole is defined within a recessed portion of the bottom of the gear housing.

17. The dental water jet of claim 16, wherein the drain hole is formed as part of a depression to direct liquids from the bottom of the gear housing into the drain hole.

18. The dental water jet of claim 1, wherein the gear housing is attached to a bottom shelf of the base housing.

19. The dental water jet of claim 18, wherein the bottom shelf is a recessed portion of a bottom surface of the base housing.

20. The dental water jet of claim 1, wherein the gear housing includes an aperture defined through the side wall and through which the piston passes.

21. The dental water jet of claim 20, wherein the piston moves within a piston housing, the piston housing extending through the aperture defined through the side wall of the gear housing.

22. The dental water jet of claim 1, wherein the second gear drives the piston through a connecting rod, the connecting rod positioned at least partially between the second gear and the top wall of the gear housing.

23. The dental water jet of claim 1, wherein the top wall of the gear housing is defined by the bottom wall of the base housing.

24. The dental water jet of claim 1, wherein the gear housing defines an exterior surface of the base housing.

25. The dental water jet of claim 1, wherein the first and second gears are positioned below the bottom wall of the base housing.