Ear Cleaning Device

• US 20150018861A1
• Filed: 07/15/2013
• Published: 01/15/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 07/15/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Quest Products
• Original Assignee: Olson IP Technologies, Inc.
• Inventors: Olson, Richard Carl
• Granted Patent: US 9,278,030 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 606/162
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/24 for use in the oral cavity, larynx, bronchial passages or nose for medical inspection of cavities or tubes in the body A61B1/00; Tongue scrapers
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 11/00 Methods or devices for treatment of the ears or hearing sense implantable prostheses that substitute or replace internal ear parts, e.g. ear-drums, A61F2/18; methods or devices to cause a change in the state of auditory consciousness A61M21/00; electrotherapy applying electrical stimulation of the auditory system, or circuits therefor A61N1/36; radiotherapy using optical stimulation of the auditory system A61N5/06; electro-acoustic hearing aids H04R25/00; Non-electric hearing aids; Methods or devices for enabling ear patients to achieve auditory perception through physiological senses other than hearing sense; Protective devices for the ears, carried on the body or in the hand headwear, e.g. caps or helmets, with means for protecting the ears A42B1/0188, A42B3/16
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 11/006 Ear cleaners, e.g. curettes cotton tips A61F13/38; cleaning by suction A61M1/71, by irrigation A61M3/02

Abstract

An ear cleaning device is provided for removing debris from an ear. In one form, the ear cleaning device includes a shaft, a head connected to the shaft, and a contiguous pocket structure of the head. The contiguous pocket structure includes a plurality of pockets that may be configured to receive debris. In another form, the ear cleaning device has a handle, a bulbous cleaner connected to the handle, and a solid inner core of the bulbous cleaner. The bulbous cleaner has two or more spaced, longitudinal walls disposed outward of the inner core that are configured to remove debris with turning of the ear cleaning device about a longitudinal axis of the device.

Claims

1. An elongate ear cleaning device having a predetermined length, the ear cleaning device comprising:

a shaft;

a head connected to the shaft; and

a contiguous pocket structure of the head including a plurality of pockets, the pockets including edges extending along the length of the ear cleaning device.

2. The ear cleaning device of claim 1 wherein the head has an outer surface and the contiguous pocket structure covers a majority of the outer surface of the head.

3. The ear cleaning device of claim 2 wherein the contiguous pocket structure covers all or substantially all of the outer surface of the head.

4. The ear cleaning device of claim 1 wherein the pockets include pockets having enclosed, internal cavities and outer openings in communication with the internal cavities.

5. The ear cleaning device of claim 1 wherein the plurality of pockets of the contiguous pocket structure have an alternating pattern about the head.

6. The ear cleaning device of claim 1 wherein the plurality of pockets of the contiguous pocket structure have an offset pattern about the head.

7. The ear cleaning device of claim 1 wherein the plurality of pockets of the contiguous pocket structure have an aligned pattern about the head.

8. The ear cleaning device of claim 1 wherein the pockets include pockets of different sizes.

9. The ear cleaning device of claim 1 wherein the pockets include pockets of the same size.

10. The ear cleaning device of claim 1 wherein the pockets include pockets having polygon-shaped outer openings.

11. The ear cleaning device of claim 10 wherein the pockets having polygon-shaped outer openings include a plurality of walls arranged in similar polygon shapes about the openings.

12. The ear cleaning device of claim 10 wherein the polygon-shaped openings are rectangular.

13. The ear cleaning device of claim 1 wherein the head has a bulbous shape.

14. An elongate ear cleaning device having a longitudinal axis, the device comprising:

a handle;

a bulbous cleaner connected to the handle;

a solid inner core of the bulbous cleaner; and

two or more spaced, longitudinal walls of the bulbous cleaner disposed outward of the solid inner core and oriented to extend along the longitudinal axis, the longitudinal walls configured to remove debris with turning of the ear cleaning device about the longitudinal axis thereof.

15. The ear cleaning device of claim 14 wherein the spaced, longitudinal walls comprise substantially straight walls.

16. The ear cleaning device of claim 15 wherein the substantially straight walls extend generally parallel to each other.

17. The ear cleaning device of claim 14 wherein the bulbous cleaner includes a wall oriented to extend transverse to the spaced, longitudinal walls and configured to remove debris with longitudinal movement of the device.

18. The ear cleaning device of claim 14 wherein the bulbous cleaner includes a pocket for receiving debris and the spaced, longitudinal walls form walls of the pocket.

19. The ear cleaning device of claim 14 wherein the bulbous cleaner includes a contiguous pocket structure thereon and the spaced, longitudinal walls form walls of the pocket structure.

20. The ear cleaning device of claim 14 wherein the solid inner core of the bulbous cleaner comprises an elongate body member and a pair of arm members extending away from the body member.

21. The ear cleaning device of claim 14 wherein the solid inner core of the bulbous cleaner comprises a bulbous body member.

22. The ear cleaning device of claim 14 further comprising a scoop connected to the handle.