Apparatus and method for cleaning teeth
First Claim
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1. An apparatus for cleaning a surface, the apparatus comprising:
- a hand-holdable housing having a base component and a head component, the head component detachably coupled to the base component at a proximal end and also having a distal end;
a flexible membrane retaining a cleaning fluid composition within the head component of the housing;
a pump drive mechanism disposed within the base component of the housing for driving the flexible membrane, the membrane having a substantially planar dimension the pump drive mechanism and the flexible membrane comprising a pump, in such a manner as to impel the cleaning fluid composition toward the surface and to return the cleaning fluid from the vicinity of the surface to the head component.
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Abstract
An apparatus designed to clean surfaces and to recycle a cleaning fluid. The apparatus has a hand-holdable housing that includes a head with a distal end through which cleaning solution may be impelled. The apparatus further has a pump for both impelling and urging cleaning fluid back through a return path. The pump has a flexible membrane and a pump drive mechanism in which two pistons drive the flexible membrane. The cleaning fluid includes a foaming-resistant composition that has an abrasive agent; a shear thinning fluid matrix, and a non-foaming means.
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Citations
26 Claims
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1. An apparatus for cleaning a surface, the apparatus comprising:
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a hand-holdable housing having a base component and a head component, the head component detachably coupled to the base component at a proximal end and also having a distal end;
a flexible membrane retaining a cleaning fluid composition within the head component of the housing;
a pump drive mechanism disposed within the base component of the housing for driving the flexible membrane, the membrane having a substantially planar dimension the pump drive mechanism and the flexible membrane comprising a pump, in such a manner as to impel the cleaning fluid composition toward the surface and to return the cleaning fluid from the vicinity of the surface to the head component. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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21. A method for cleaning a surface in a mouth, the method comprising:
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providing a cleaning fluid in a reservoir;
impelling the fluid from the reservoir and out of an exit nozzle toward a vicinity of the surface; and
holding the exit nozzle in a position such that the pump urges the fluid from the vicinity of the surface back to the reservoir, for further impelling of the fluid toward the vicinity of the surface. - View Dependent Claims (22, 23, 24, 25, 26)
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Specification