CLEANING APPLIANCE
First Claim
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, and a fluid outlet;
a drive for actuating the pump 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; and
a first coupling member connected to the pump and a second coupling member connected to the drive, the second coupling member being rotatable relative to the first coupling member;
wherein one of the coupling members comprises a track for receiving a detent disposed on the other coupling member, the detent being moveable between a first track position, in which the drive is coupled to the pump, and a second track position with relative movement between the coupling members;
whereby as the second coupling member rotates in a rotational direction from a first angular position, in which the detent is in the first track position, to a second angular position which is angularly spaced from the first angular position, the detent remains in the first track position so that the pump is actuated by the drive to draw fluid into the fluid chamber, and as the second coupling member rotates in the rotational direction from the second angular position towards the first angular position, the detent becomes spaced from the first track position to enable the energy storer to use stored potential energy to actuate the pump to urge a burst of fluid from the fluid chamber through the fluid outlet.
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
Abstract
A pump assembly for a dental cleaning appliance includes a fluid chamber, a piston, and a drive. The drive rotates a coupling member having two angularly opposed pins. An arm pivotably connected to the piston has a seat for receiving one of the pins to couple the piston to the drive. Through continued rotation of the coupling member, the piston moves within the fluid chamber to draw fluid into the fluid chamber until the second detent contacts the arm to push it away from the first detent to decouple the drive from the piston. This allows a compressed spring to actuate the piston to urge a burst of fluid from the fluid chamber.
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Citations
28 Claims
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1. A pump assembly for a dental cleaning appliance, the pump assembly comprising:
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a positive displacement pump comprising a fluid chamber having a fluid inlet connectable to a source of fluid, and a fluid outlet; a drive for actuating the pump 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; and a first coupling member connected to the pump and a second coupling member connected to the drive, the second coupling member being rotatable relative to the first coupling member; wherein one of the coupling members comprises a track for receiving a detent disposed on the other coupling member, the detent being moveable between a first track position, in which the drive is coupled to the pump, and a second track position with relative movement between the coupling members; whereby as the second coupling member rotates in a rotational direction from a first angular position, in which the detent is in the first track position, to a second angular position which is angularly spaced from the first angular position, the detent remains in the first track position so that the pump is actuated by the drive to draw fluid into the fluid chamber, and as the second coupling member rotates in the rotational direction from the second angular position towards the first angular position, the detent becomes spaced from the first track position to enable the energy storer to use stored potential energy to actuate the pump to urge a burst of fluid from the fluid chamber through the fluid outlet. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28)
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Specification