CLEANING APPLIANCE

• US 20180125624A1
• Filed: 11/03/2017
• Published: 05/10/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 11/04/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dyson Technology Limited (Beeswax Holdings UK Limited)
• Original Assignee: Dyson Technology Limited (Beeswax Holdings UK Limited)
• Inventors: TWEEDIE, Robert Lawrence, STICKNEY, Timothy Nicholas, VINCENT, Christopher Graham, MOLE, Alan Harold Henry, COURTNEY, Stephen Benjamin
• Granted Patent: US 11,076,940 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: A46B 13/04 with reservoir or other means for supplying substances
• CPC Class Codes: A46B 15/0004 with a controlling means
• CPC Class Codes: A61C 17/0202 Hand-pieces
• CPC Class Codes: A61C 17/028 with intermittent liquid flow
• CPC Class Codes: A61C 17/221 Control arrangements therefor
• CPC Class Codes: A61C 17/227 with reservoirs, e.g. for toothpaste
• CPC Class Codes: A61C 17/28 with rinsing means
• CPC Class Codes: A61C 17/3436 Rotation around the axis perpendicular to the plane defined by the bristle holder
• CPC Class Codes: A61C 17/3445 Translation along the axis of the toothbrush handle
• CPC Class Codes: A61C 17/3454 Translation along the axis perpendicular of the axis of toothbrush handle and in the plane defined by the bristle holder
• CPC Class Codes: A61C 17/3472 with combined movements of the brush body
• CPC Class Codes: A61C 17/36 with rinsing means
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 13/005 Hydraulic gum massage

Abstract

A dental cleaning appliance includes a handle and a fluid delivery system. The fluid delivery system includes a nozzle for delivering a burst of working fluid to the teeth of a user. A contact member for engaging the teeth of the user is moveable relative to the nozzle as the appliance is moved along the teeth of the user. A sensor provides an output which varies with movement of contact member relative to the nozzle. A control circuit actuates the delivery of working fluid to the teeth of the user depending on the output from the sensor.

Claims

1. A dental cleaning appliance comprising:

a fluid delivery system comprising a nozzle for delivering a burst of working fluid to the teeth of a user;

a contact member for engaging the teeth of the user, the contact member being moveable relative to the nozzle as the appliance is moved along the teeth of the user;

a sensor for providing an output which varies with movement of the contact member relative to the nozzle; and

a control circuit for actuating the delivery of working fluid to the teeth of the user depending on the output from the sensor.

2. The appliance of claim 1, wherein the contact member is biased for movement relative to the nozzle in a direction which urges the contact member against a user'"'"'s teeth during use of the appliance.

3. The appliance of claim 1, comprising a component connected to the contact member for movement therewith, and wherein the sensor is arranged to provide an output which varies with movement of the component relative to the nozzle.

4. The appliance of claim 3, wherein the component comprises a magnet.

5. The appliance of claim 4, wherein the sensor is arranged to generate an output which varies depending on the relative positions between the sensor and the magnet.

6. The appliance of claim 4, wherein the sensor is a Hall effect sensor.

7. The appliance of claim 3, comprising an arm connected to the contact member for movement therewith, and wherein the sensor is arranged to provide an output which varies with movement of the arm relative to the nozzle.

8. The appliance of claim 7, wherein the contact member is located at or towards one end of the arm, and the component is located at or towards the other end of the arm.

9. The appliance of claim 7, wherein the arm is mounted for pivoting movement relative to the nozzle.

10. The appliance of claim 1, comprising a handle, a head and a stem extending between the head and the handle, wherein the head comprises at least one of the contact member and the nozzle, and the handle comprises the sensor.

11. The appliance of claim 10, wherein the contact member is located adjacent to the head.

12. The appliance of claim 10, wherein the nozzle is located adjacent to the head.

13. The appliance of claim 1, wherein the sensor is located adjacent to the contact member.

14. The appliance of claim 13, wherein the contact member comprises a base and a tip for engaging the teeth of the user, and wherein the sensor is located adjacent to the base of the contact member.

15. The appliance of claim 14, wherein the sensor is arranged to generate an output which varies depending on the relative positions between the sensor and the base of the contact member.

16. The appliance of claim 13, comprising a handle, a head and a stem extending between the head and the handle, wherein the head comprises the contact member, the nozzle and the sensor.

17. The appliance of claim 10, wherein the contact member protrudes outwardly from the head beyond the nozzle.

18. The appliance of claim 17, wherein the contact member is located adjacent to the nozzle.

19. The appliance of claim 18, wherein the nozzle defines a bore through which fluid is delivered to the teeth of a user, and wherein part of the contact member is located within the bore.

20. The appliance of claim 19, wherein the contact member is coaxial with the nozzle.

21. The appliance of claim 16, wherein the contact member is moveable relative to the head.

22. The appliance of claim 21, wherein the contact member is biased for movement relative to the head in a direction extending away from the head.

23. The appliance of claim 22, wherein the contact member is biased for movement relative to the head in a direction extending substantially normal to a longitudinal axis of the stem.

24. The appliance of claim 21, wherein the contact member is moveable relative to the head between a distal position and a proximal position.

25. The appliance of claim 24, wherein the control circuit is configured to actuate the delivery of working fluid to the teeth of the user in response to movement of the contact member to or from the distal position.

26. The appliance of claim 21, wherein the head comprises means for engaging the teeth of the user during use of the appliance, and wherein the contact member is moveable relative to the engaging means.

27. The appliance of claim 26, wherein the engaging means is formed from resilient material.

28. The appliance of claim 27, wherein the engaging means comprises a plurality of resilient members arranged around at least one of the nozzle and the contact member.

29. The appliance of claim 27, wherein the engaging means comprises a plurality of bristles arranged around at least one of the nozzle and the contact member.

30. The appliance of claim 29, wherein the bristles are mounted on a bristle carrier which is moveable relative to the nozzle.

31. The appliance of claim 10, wherein the head and the stem form part of a cleaning tool connected to the handle.

32. The appliance of claim 31, wherein the cleaning tool is detachably connected to the handle.

33. The appliance of claim 1, wherein the control circuit is configured to actuate the delivery of working fluid to the teeth of the user depending on the rate of change of the output from the sensor.

34. The appliance of claim 1, wherein the fluid delivery system comprises a pump, and the control circuit is configured to operate the pump depending on the output from the sensor.

35. The appliance of claim 1, wherein the working fluid is a liquid working fluid.

36. The appliance of claim 1, comprising a fluid reservoir for supplying working fluid to the fluid delivery system.

37. The appliance of claim 36, wherein the fluid reservoir is refillable.