Oral irrigator with massage mode

• US 9,642,677 B2
• Filed: 03/14/2013
• Issued: 05/09/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 03/14/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Water Pik Incorporated (Church & Dwight Company Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Water Pik Incorporated (Church & Dwight Company Incorporated)
• Inventors: Luettgen, Harold A., Haszier, Gordon
• Primary Examiner(s): Yu, Justine
• Assistant Examiner(s): TSAI, MICHAEL JASPER
• Application Number:
  US13/831,401
• Publication Number:
  US 20140272782A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,517 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A61C 1/0015 Electrical systems
• CPC Class Codes: A61C 1/0092 Pumps specially adapted therefor
• CPC Class Codes: A61C 17/0205 Container filling apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: A61C 17/028 with intermittent liquid flow
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 13/005 Hydraulic gum massage
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 2201/1223 Frequency controlled AC motor
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 2201/5005 for controlling frequency distribution, modulation or interference of a driving signal
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 2201/5043 Displays
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 2230/255 used as a control parameter for the apparatus

Abstract

An irrigating device, such as an oral irrigator or a nasal irrigator. The irrigating device includes a pump and a motor connected to the pump and configured to selectively drive the pump. Additionally, the irrigating device includes a massage module in communication with the motor. During a normal mode, the pump has a first pulse rate and during a massage mode, the massage module provides a massage control signal to the motor, causing the pump to have a second pulse rate.

Claims

1. An oral irrigator comprising:

a reservoir;

a handle including a tip, the handle and tip being in fluid communication with the reservoir;

a pump in fluid communication with the reservoir and the handle;

a motor connected to the pump and configured to selectively actuate the pump; and

a processing element in communication with the motor, wherein upon receiving a user input, the processing element provides either a first control signal or a second control signal to the motor, wherein

the first control signal supplies a constant voltage to the motor;

the second control signal supplies a voltage varying in at least one of magnitude or frequency; and

the application of the first control signal controls a first fluid flow rate over a first time duration cycled at a first pulse rate through the tip or the second control signal controls a second, variable fluid flow rate over a second time duration cycled at a plurality of pulse rates through the tip.

2. The oral irrigator of claim 1, further comprising at least one control actuator in communication with the processing element, wherein when the at least one control actuator is activated, the processing element provides either the first control signal or the second control signal.

3. The oral irrigator of claim 1, wherein the tip is releasable.

4. The oral irrigator of claim 1, wherein the reservoir is connected directly to the handle.

5. The oral irrigator of claim 1, wherein the pump is a reciprocating pump having a pulsed output and each pulse of fluid expelled by the pump has approximately the same volume.

6. An irrigating device comprising:

a pump;

a motor connected to the pump and configured to selectively drive the pump;

a massage mode module in communication with the motor, wherein the massage mode module generates a normal control signal having a constant voltage and a massage control signal having a voltage varying in at least one of magnitude or frequency;

wherein

during a normal mode, the massage module provides the normal control signal to the motor causing the pump to cycle at a first pulse rate having a first flow rate over a first time duration; and

during a massage mode, the massage mode module provides the massage control signal to the motor, causing the pump to cycle at variable pulse rate having a second flow rate for a second time duration.

7. The irrigating device of claim 6, wherein the first flow rate is faster than the second flow rate.

8. The irrigating device of claim 7, wherein the first time duration is shorter than the second time duration.

9. The irrigating device of claim 6, wherein the massage control is dynamically adjustable.

10. The irrigating device of claim 6, further comprising

a reservoir in fluid communication with the pump;

and

a handle including a selectively removable tip, the handle being in fluid communication with the pump;

wherein

the first pulse rate and the second pulse rate determine the number of pulses in a fluid flow output by the tip.

11. The irrigating device of claim 6, wherein the massage mode module further comprises a signal generator, wherein the signal generator is configured to produce the massage control signal.

12. The irrigating device of claim 6, wherein the massage control signal includes a maximum voltage and a minimum voltage.

13. The irrigating device of claim 6, wherein during the normal mode the irrigating device has a first outlet pressure and during the massage mode the irrigating device has a second outlet pressure, wherein the second outlet pressure is less than the first outlet pressure.

14. The irrigating device of claim 6, wherein the second flow rate ranges between 50 to 70 percent of the first flow rate.

15. The irrigating device of claim 6, further comprising a control actuator, wherein the control actuator selectively adjusts the massage control system.

16. A method for varying a pulse rate of a liquid deposited into an oral cavity of a user by an oral irrigator comprising

activating a motor connected to pump;

determining by a processing element whether a massage mode should be activated;

if the massage mode is activated, providing a massage signal from the processing element to the motor, causing the pump to cyclically output a massage pulse at a varying pulse rate having a first flow rate over a first time duration; and

if the massage mode is not activated, providing a normal signal from the processing element to the motor, causing the pump to cyclically output a constant pulse rate having a second flow rate over a second time duration;

wherein

the normal signal comprises a constant voltage; and

the massage signal comprises a voltage varying in at least one of frequency or magnitude.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein

the massage pulse rate causing a massage fluid pressure;

and

the constant pulse rate causing a normal fluid pressure;

wherein

the massage fluid pressure is less than the normal fluid pressure.

18. The method of claim 16, determining by the processing element whether the massage mode should be activated further comprises determining whether a user input corresponding to the massage mode has been received.

19. The method of claim 16, wherein the massage signal is generated by a signal generator in communication with the processing element.

20. An oral irrigator comprising:

a reservoir defining a fluid cavity;

a pump in fluid communication with the fluid cavity;

a motor connected to the pump and configured to selectively activate the pump;

a handle in fluid communication with the pump; and

a signal generator in communication with the motor wherein, upon receiving a user input, the signal generator provides either a first control signal supplying a voltage to the motor varying in magnitude, or frequency, or both, to control a first variable fluid flow rate with a plurality of pulse rates over a first time duration or a second control signal supplying a constant voltage to the motor to control a second, constant fluid flow rate with a constant pulse rate over a second time duration.

21. The oral irrigator of claim 20, wherein the reservoir is connected to the handle.

22. The oral irrigator of claim 20, wherein the first control signal corresponds to a first motor speed and the second control signal corresponds to a second motor speed.

23. The oral irrigator of claim 22, wherein the first control signal has a cycle that alternates between a voltage maximum and a voltage minimum.

24. The oral irrigator of claim 23, wherein the cycle determines a pulse rate of the pump.

25. The oral irrigator of claim 22, wherein the first control signal creates a first output pressure and the second control signal creates a second outlet pressure, wherein the second outlet pressure is less than the first outlet pressure.

26. The oral irrigator of claim 25, wherein the first outlet pressure ranges between 90 to 96 psi and the second outlet pressure ranges between 80 to 87 psi.

27. The oral irrigator of claim 20, wherein the first control signal is one of a sine wave or a square wave.