Oral hygiene device

• US 4,907,744 A
• Filed: 05/03/1988
• Issued: 03/13/1990
• Est. Priority Date: 05/03/1988
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Les Produits Associes Lpa-Broxo SA
• Original Assignee: Les Produits Associes Lpa-Broxo SA
• Inventors: Jousson, Pierre-Jean
• Primary Examiner(s): Kashnikow, Andres
• Assistant Examiner(s): Trainor, Christopher G.
• Application Number:
  US07/189,668
• Time in Patent Office: 679 Days
• Field of Search: 137/901, 137/872, 137/625.48, 137/625.44, 137/875, 239/586, 239/443, 239/436, 239/444, 239/446-449, 239/552, 128/66
• US Class Current: 239/449
• CPC Class Codes: A61C 17/0202 Hand-pieces
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 137/901 Biased ball valves with operators
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/86847 Pivoted valve unit
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/86879 Reciprocating valve unit
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/87788 With valve or movable deflector at junction
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/87812 Pivoted valve or deflector

Abstract

The oral hygiene device comprises a nozzle-holder connectable to a liquid source and a nozzle (1) removably attached to the nozzle-holder, the nozzle being intended for spraying either a multi-jet of liquid via a first duct or a single jet of liquid via a second duct. A two-way valve (5) makes it possible to direct the liquid towards one duct or the other and therefore the branching of the two liquid ducts are located in the nozzle itself. There is a restoring spring (27) which is such that the stable position of the device is for multi-jet spraying, while under the action of an external force exerted on the control member (6) of the valve the device assumes the single-jet position.

Claims

1. An oral hygiene device comprising a nozzle-holder connectable to a liquid source and a nozzle removably attached to the nozzle-holder, the nozzle comprising a head having a series of holes forming outlet orifices of a first liquid duct and allowing emission of a multi-jet of liquid, and a single hole forming an outlet orifice of a second liquid duct and allowing emission of a single jet of liquid, a two-way valve being provided, controlled by a control member in order to direct the liquid either into the first duct or into the second duct, wherein the said valve (5, 40, 49, 57, 68, 76) and therefore branching of the two liquid ducts (8, 9, 62, 63) are located in the nozzle itself, and the valve is subjected to the action of a restoring spring (27, 48, 54, 64, 72, 85) which is such that the stable position of the device is for emitting the multi-jet of liquid, whilst under the action of an external force exerted on the control member counter to the action of the spring, the device emits the single-jet of liquid, the nozzle head (3) having a front face and a rear face and an axial bore (7) which opens onto the front face forming a front aperture and onto the rear face forming a rear aperture;

a spray pin (11,

     13) frictionally mounted in the bore (7), the spray pin (11,

     13) having a front part and a rear part, the front part being part located in the zone of the front aperture (14), the front part having a boss (17) having the single-jet spray orifice located centrally therein (18) in communication with the second liquid ducts (8) and, the rear part being located in the zone of the rear aperture and having a shut-off piece (12), the rim of the said front aperture (14) and at least one of theperiphery of the front part of the pin being equipped with axial grooves (16) forming the multi-jet spray orifices (16a) in communication with the first liquid duct (9), said spray pin (11,

     13) being shiftable between a first and a second position, in first position the rear part (12) of the pin (11,

     13) is depressed into the bore (7) and closes the rear aperture (14a), the front part (13) of the pin being engaged in the front aperture (14), the single-jet spray orifice and the multi-jet spray orifices (16a) being operational, whilst in the second position said shut-off piece (12) is released rearwards under the effect of pressure exerted on the boss (17), and the spray pin (11,

     13) is released from the apertures (14, 14a), thus freeing the axial grooves (16) and the rear aperture (14a).

2. A device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the nozzle includes a nozzle body and the valve is a ball valve (5, 40, 57, 76), the ball (24, 47, 61, 79) of which is held freely in a cage (5'"'"', 40'"'"', 57'"'"', 76'"'"') shiftable in a distribution chamber (28, 44, 60, 84) by means of the control member (6, 26;

46;

58;

     78) in front of inlet ports forming seats (22,

     23) of the first and the second ducts (8, 9;

62,

     63), depending on the position of the said cage, the ball being pressed against one or other of these seats under the pressure of the liquid.

3. A device as claimed in claim 2, wherein the cage (76'"'"') is shiftable angularly about an axle (77), and wherein the control member is a rotary button (78).

4. A device as claimed in claim 2, wherein the cage (5'"'"') is shiftable in the nozzle body perpendicularly to the axis of the ducts (8, 9), and wherein the control member is a pushbutton (6) mounted on this nozzle body and connected to the said cage by means of a rod (26).

5. A device as claimed in claim 2, wherein the cage (40'"'"') is shiftable in the body of the nozzle parallel to the axis of the ducts (8, 9), the inlet ports of which are connected to two bent ducts (42, 43), and wherein the control member is a longitudinal rod (46).

6. A device as claimed in claim 2, wherein the cage (57'"'"') is shiftable in the head of the nozzle, the control member being a rod (58) passing through the nozzle body, and wherein the ball (61) is arranged so as to close either the inlet port of the duct (63) for the multi-jet (66) or the inlet port of the duct (62) for the single jet (65), the two ports being arranged side by side in the nozzle head.

7. A device as claimed in claim 1, wherein a movable part (49'"'"') of the valve (49) has, on two opposite sides, shut-off pieces (50) shiftable between two opposite inlet ports.

8. A device as claimed in claim 1, wherein a movable part of the valve (68) tilts about a pivot (69), one of its ends being subjected to the action of the restoring spring (72), whilst the other end is subjected to the action of the control member (70, 71).

9. A device as claimed in claim 4, wherein the control member is actuated by means of a button mounted on the nozzle.

10. A device as claimed in claim 4, wherein the control member is actuated by means of a a control bushing mounted on the nozzle-holder.

11. A device as claimed in claim 1, wherein there is a distribution bushing (10) which is mounted in said axial bore (7) in communication with the liquid ducts (8, 9) and in which said spray pin (11, 13) shifts under firm friction, and wherein the spray pin is formed from two pieces force-fitted in one another, one, forming the front part of the pin, being provided with the spray orifices, and the other (13), forming the rear part of the pin, being equipped with the shut-off piece (12), at least one axial groove (19) being provided between the two pieces, to allow the liquid to pass to the single-jet orifice (18).

13. A device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the multi-jet outlet orifices (16a) in the nozzle head are arranged along a circle, and wherein the single-jet outlet orifice (18) is the center of the circle.

12. An oral hygiene device comprising a nozzle-holder connectable to a liquid source and a nozzle removably attached to the nozzle-holder, the nozzle comprising a head having a series of holes forming outlet orifices of a first liquid duct and allowing emission of a multi-jet of liquid, and a single hole forming an outlet orifice of a second liquid duct and allowing emission of a single jet of liquid, a two-way valve being provided, controlled by a control member in order to direct the liquid either into the first duct or into the second duct, wherein the said valve (5, 40, 49, 57, 68, 76) and therefore branching of the two liquid ducts (8, 9, 62, 63) are located in the nozzle itself, and the valve is subjected to the action of a restoring spring (27, 48, 54, 64, 72, 85) which is such that the stable position of the device is for emitting the multi-jet of liquid, whilst under the action of an external force exerted on the control member counter to the action of the spring, the device emits the single-jet of liquid, the nozzle having a being equipped, at a lower end, with a retaining bushing (30) having a rear face, the rear face being inclined relative to the axis of the nozzle, and wherein there is a piece (4) for connection to the nozzle-holder, the corresponding face of which is inclined at the same angle relative to its axis, so that, in a relative position of the body (2) of the nozzle and of the connection piece (4), the two inclinations are compensated and the axes of the nozzle and of the connection piece coincide, whilst after a rotatio of one piece through 180°

relative to the other, the inclinations are added and the axes of the nozzle and of the connection piece are inclined relative to one another at an angle equal to the sum of the two angles of inclination.