CLEANING APPLIANCE

• US 20180084898A1
• Filed: 09/25/2017
• Published: 03/29/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 09/26/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dyson Technology Limited (Beeswax Holdings UK Limited)
• Original Assignee: Dyson Technology Limited (Beeswax Holdings UK Limited)
• Inventors: VINCENT, Christopher Graham, TWEEDIE, Robert Lawrence, JONES, Jason Godfrey, WRONSKI, Robert Stefan, DARLING, Philip Stephen, WAUGH, Edward Michael
• Granted Patent: US 11,116,306 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: A46B 11/0006 specially adapted to feed the bristle upper surface
• CPC Class Codes: A46B 11/0055 with a reciprocating piston or plunger acting as the pressurising means
• CPC Class Codes: A46B 11/0062 Brushes where the reservoir is specifically intended for being refilled when empty
• CPC Class Codes: A46B 11/0096 Indication of the level of the remaining fluid, e.g. through transparent walls
• CPC Class Codes: A46B 15/0004 with a controlling means
• CPC Class Codes: A46B 15/0044 with light signalling means A46B15/0034, A46B15/0036 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A46B 2200/1066 Toothbrush for cleaning the teeth or dentures A61C17/16 takes precedence; bristles arrangements for toothbrushes A46B9/04
• CPC Class Codes: A61C 1/0092 Pumps specially adapted therefor
• CPC Class Codes: A61C 17/0202 Hand-pieces
• CPC Class Codes: A61C 17/028 with intermittent liquid flow
• CPC Class Codes: A61C 17/16 Power-driven cleaning or polishing devices
• CPC Class Codes: A61C 17/227 with reservoirs, e.g. for toothpaste
• CPC Class Codes: A61C 17/3427 Rotation around the axis perpendicular to the axis of toothbrush handle and in the plane defined by the bristle holder
• CPC Class Codes: F04B 19/22 of reciprocating-piston type
• CPC Class Codes: F04B 23/02 having reservoirs
• CPC Class Codes: F04B 9/02 the means being mechanical

Abstract

A pump assembly for a dental cleaning appliance includes a fluid chamber, a piston, and a drive. Magnets, connected respectively to the piston and the drive, enable the drive to couple to the piston and move it within the fluid chamber to draw fluid into the fluid chamber. A stop prevents the piston from being pulled beyond a stop position so that through continued actuation of the drive the magnets separate to allow a spring to push the piston away from the stop position to urge a burst of fluid from the fluid chamber.

Claims

1. A pump assembly for a dental cleaning appliance, the pump assembly comprising:

a positive displacement pump comprising a fluid chamber having a fluid inlet connectable to a source of fluid, a fluid outlet, and a fluid displacement member;

a drive for actuating the pump to move the fluid displacement member relative to the fluid chamber along a first linear path to draw fluid into the fluid chamber through the fluid inlet;

an energy storer that converts kinetic energy generated during actuation of the pump by the drive into potential energy, and stores the potential energy;

a first coupling member connected to the pump and a second coupling member connected to the drive, the coupling members coupling together to enable the drive to actuate the pump to draw fluid into the fluid chamber, and

a decoupler for decoupling the coupling members to enable the energy storer to use stored potential energy to actuate the pump in reverse to urge a burst of fluid from the fluid chamber through the fluid outlet;

wherein the drive is configured to move the second coupling member reciprocally along a second linear path which is co-axially aligned with the first linear path.

2. The pump assembly of claim 1, comprising a connecting rod which connects the first coupling member to the fluid displacement member.

3. The pump assembly of claim 2, wherein the fluid displacement member and the first coupling member are located at opposite ends of the connecting rod.

4. The pump assembly of claim 1, wherein the drive comprises a motor, a linear actuator connected to the motor and the second coupling member, and a control circuit for driving the motor to move the second coupling member relative to the fluid chamber.

5. The pump assembly of claim 1, wherein the fluid displacement member is moveable from a first position to a second position to draw fluid into the fluid chamber through the fluid inlet

6. The pump assembly of claim 5, wherein the decoupler comprises a stop for inhibiting movement of the fluid displacement member beyond the second position.

7. The pump assembly of claim 6, wherein, in an operational mode, the drive is configured to (a) move the second coupling member in a first direction to engage the first coupling member and so connect the pump to the drive, (b) subsequently move the second coupling member in a second direction, opposite to the first direction, to move the fluid displacement member to the second position, and (c) continue to move the second coupling member in the second direction to decouple the coupling members and so release the pump from the drive, whereupon the fluid displacement member moves towards the first position, under the action of the energy storer, to urge a burst of fluid through the fluid outlet.

8. The pump assembly of claim 6, wherein the stop is connected to the fluid chamber.

9. The pump assembly of claim 6, wherein the stop is provided by a wall of a housing of the pump.

10. The pump assembly of claim 6, comprising a drive plate which moves with the fluid displacement member as the fluid displacement member is moved from a third position, which is intermediate the first position and second position, towards the second position, and wherein the stop is arranged to engage the drive plate to inhibit movement of the fluid displacement member beyond the second position.

11. The pump assembly of claim 10, wherein the energy storer comprises a spring which engages the drive plate.

12. The pump assembly of claim 10, comprising a second stop for preventing the drive plate from engaging the fluid displacement member when the fluid displacement member is located between the first position and the third position.

13. The pump assembly of claim 12, wherein the second stop is connected to the fluid chamber.

14. The pump assembly of claim 12, wherein the second stop is provided by a wall of a housing of the pump.

15. The pump assembly of claim 11, wherein the drive is selectively operable in a purge mode, in which it is configured to reciprocally move the fluid displacement member between the first position and the third position to draw a volume of fluid through the fluid inlet and subsequently urge that volume of working fluid through the fluid outlet.

16. The pump assembly of claim 6, wherein the decoupler comprises a moveable stop which is moveable between a stowed position and a deployed position for inhibiting movement of the fluid displacement member beyond an intermediate position located between the first position and the second position.

17. The pump assembly of claim 16, comprising a spring for urging the moveable stop towards the stowed position and an actuator for selectively moving the moveable stop, against the force of the spring, towards the deployed position.

18. The pump assembly of claim 17, wherein the drive is arranged to move the actuator from a first actuator position, for allowing the spring to urge the moveable stop towards the stowed position, to a second actuator position for moving the moveable stop towards the deployed position.

19. A dental cleaning appliance comprising:

a handle;

a fluid reservoir for storing a working fluid; and

a fluid delivery system for receiving working fluid from the fluid reservoir, and for delivering a burst of working fluid to the teeth of a user;

wherein the fluid delivery system comprises the pump assembly of claim 1.