Oral hygiene system

• US 9,980,793 B2
• Filed: 01/06/2015
• Issued: 05/29/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 11/27/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Water Pik Incorporated (Church & Dwight Company Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Water Pik Incorporated (Church & Dwight Company Incorporated)
• Inventors: Wagner, Robert, Taylor, Kurt M., Luettgen, Harold A., Johnson, Jeremy James
• Primary Examiner(s): Thanh, Quang D
• Application Number:
  US14/590,751
• Publication Number:
  US 20150182319A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,239 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A61C 1/0092 Pumps specially adapted therefor
• CPC Class Codes: A61C 17/0202 Hand-pieces
• CPC Class Codes: A61C 17/0205 Container filling apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: A61C 17/20 using ultrasonics
• CPC Class Codes: A61C 17/224 Electrical recharging arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: A61C 17/34 driven by electric motor

Abstract

An apparatus for oral hygiene is disclosed herein. The apparatus includes a base unit containing a reservoir, an oral irrigation handle, a sonic toothbrush, and an accessory container. The apparatus may include a pump, which may move pressurized water from a reservoir to a tip in fluid communication with the pump. The apparatus contains a drive mechanism in a gear housing that is continually drained by one or more apertures in the base. The base may include a plurality of footings that elevate the base unit above a surface supporting the base unit. The oral irrigation handle includes a pause switch that translates longitude motion into rotational motion to close a valve.

Claims

1. A dental hygiene apparatus comprising

a base housing including a toothbrush receptacle formed as a contiguous part of the base housing;

a reservoir having a volume for holding a fluid mounted on the base housing;

a pump system enclosed within the base housing and in fluid communication with the reservoir, the pump system comprising

a high voltage direct current motor;

a helical pinion gear connected to the high voltage direct current motor;

a helical driven gear in meshed engagement with the helical pinion gear;

an eccentric bushing mounted on a top surface of the helical driven gear; and

a plunger operably connected to the eccentric bushing;

an oral irrigation handle with a removable tip fluidly connected to the pump system via a tube;

a toothbrush removably positioned within the toothbrush receptacle; and

an accessory storage container connected to the base housing and positioned adjacent the reservoir;

wherein

activation of the high voltage direct current motor causes rotation the helical pinion gear, which in turn drives the helical driven gear, and causes the plunger to selectively pump the fluid from the reservoir to the tube and out the removable tip.

2. The dental hygiene apparatus of claim 1, further comprising

a first lid pivotably movable relative to the accessory storage container;

and

a second lid removably connected to and covering the reservoir.

3. The dental hygiene apparatus of claim 1, wherein the toothbrush is a sonic toothbrush driven by a motor located within a housing of the toothbrush.

4. The dental hygiene apparatus of claim 1, wherein the toothbrush receptacle further comprises

a support collar for supporting the toothbrush within the receptacle;

and

an inductive coil operable to charge a rechargeable battery within the toothbrush.

5. The dental hygiene apparatus of claim 4, further comprising a power source in electrical communication with the high voltage direct current motor and with the inductive coil.

6. The dental hygiene apparatus of claim 1, wherein the oral irrigation handle includes a sliding pause switch which translates longitudinal motion into a rotational motion which engages and disengages a valve internal to the handle.

7. The dental hygiene apparatus of claim 1, wherein the oral irrigation handle includes a tip retention aperture located below a spring loaded head portion, wherein the spring loaded head portion forces the tip against the tip retention aperture.

8. The dental hygiene apparatus of claim 7, wherein the tip retention aperture slides transversely across the handle and engages a retention groove in the tip.

9. The dental hygiene apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a lid with at least one ventilation aperture located in the lid for ventilating the accessory storage container when the lid is in a closed position.

10. The dental hygiene apparatus of claim 9, wherein the accessory storage container and the lid define a substantially enclosed volume for storing at least one item, wherein the lid includes at least one hinged position.

11. The dental hygiene apparatus of claim 10, wherein when the lid is in a closed position a gap is defined between a bottom surface of the lid and a top edge of the accessory storage container.

12. The dental hygiene apparatus of claim 10, wherein the accessory storage container includes walls formed therein that are configured to receive and retain a tip therein.

13. The dental hygiene apparatus of claim 1, wherein the pump system is powered by a power cord routed through a channel on a bottom surface of the base housing.

14. The dental hygiene apparatus of claim 13, wherein the cord is supported by internal strain relief comprising a strain relief with a plurality of walls that protrude into the channel.

15. The dental hygiene apparatus of claim 13, further comprising a gear housing that houses the helical pinion gear and the helical driven gear, wherein the high voltage direct current motor is located above the gear housing and a motor shaft passes through the gear housing and into the helical pinion gear.

16. The dental hygiene apparatus of claim 15, wherein the gear housing includes an aperture that the plunger passes through and into a cavity of the base housing that encloses the pump and the high voltage direct current motor.

17. The dental hygiene apparatus of claim 16, wherein

the cavity of the base housing receives the pump and high voltage direct current motor so as to enclose the pump and high voltage direct current motor within the base housing;

and

the gear housing includes an interior cavity into which the plunger extends via the aperture defined in the gear housing, wherein the interior cavity of the gear housing is sealed from the cavity of the base housing by an elastomer seal that contacts the gear housing and surrounds the plunger.

18. The dental hygiene apparatus of claim 17, wherein the elastomer seal is a water resistant barrier that limits contamination of the water utilized in the dental hygiene apparatus by contents of the gear housing.

19. The dental hygiene apparatus of claim 16, further comprising a drain hole located in a lower chassis that forms a bottom of the gear housing and separates the interior cavity of the gear housing from a bottom plate of the base housing, wherein the drain hole is operable to evacuate liquid and debris within the gear housing to an exterior of the base housing.