Teeth cleaning device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10413389-B2
Application number	US-201615291807-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 12, 2016
Priority date	Oct 12, 2016
Publication date	Sep 17, 2019
Grant date	Sep 17, 2019

Abstract

A teeth cleaning device including: a first support structure comprising a first dentature channel configured to receive upper teeth; a second support structure comprising a second dentature channel configured to receive lower teeth; a first set of teeth cleaning pads located within the first dentature channel and a second set of teeth cleaning pads located within the second dentature channel; a first set of air bladders operably coupled to the first set of teeth cleaning pads and a second set of air bladders operably coupled to the second set of teeth cleaning pads; and a control unit operably coupled to an air-flow subsystem which is coupled to the bladders, the control unit configured to: (1) operate the air-flow subsystem to produce a first cleaning motion; (2) operate the air-flow subsystem to produce a second cleaning motion; and (3) operate the air-flow subsystem to produce a third cleaning motion.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A teeth cleaning device comprising:
a first support structure comprising a first dentature channel configured to receive upper teeth of a dentature of a user;
a second support structure comprising a second dentature channel configured to receive lower teeth of the dentature of the user;
a plurality of teeth cleaning pads comprising a first set of teeth cleaning pads located within the first dentature channel and a second set of teeth cleaning pads located within the second dentature channel;
a plurality of air bladders comprising a first set of air bladders operably coupled to the first set of teeth cleaning pads and a second set of air bladders operably coupled to the second set of teeth cleaning pads;
an air-flow subsystem operably coupled to the air bladders; and
a control unit operably coupled to the air-flow subsystem, the control unit configured to: (1) operate the air-flow subsystem to produce a first cleaning motion in a first direction with respect to the dentature of the user by selectively inflating different ones of the plurality of air bladders; (2) operate the air-flow subsystem to produce a second cleaning motion in a second direction with respect to the dentature of the user by selectively inflating different ones of the plurality of air bladders; and (3) operate the air-flow subsystem to produce a third cleaning motion in a third direction with respect to the dentature of the user by selectively inflating different ones of the plurality of air bladders, wherein the first, second, and third directions are different from one another.

2. The device according to claim 1 , wherein each teeth cleaning pad is integrally formed with one of the air bladders.

3. The device according to claim 1 , wherein:
the first dentature channel is defined by a first facial wall, a first glossal wall, and a first channel floor;
the second dentature channel is defined by a second facial wall, a second glossal wall, and a second channel floor; and
for each of the first and second support structures:
each facial wall comprises a first facial wall portion, a second facial wall portion, and a third facial watt portion, each glossal wall comprises a first glossal wall portion, a second glossal wall portion, and a third glossal wall portion, and each channel floor comprises a first floor portion and a second floor portion; and
the plurality of air bladders comprises a first facial air bladder located adjacent the first facial wall portion, a second facial air bladder located adjacent the second facial wall portion, a third facial air bladder located adjacent, the third facial wall portion, a first glossal air bladder located adjacent the first glossal wall portion, a second glossal air bladder located adjacent the second glossal wall portion, a third glossal air bladder located against the third glossal wall portion, a first floor air bladder located adjacent the first floor portion, and a second floor air bladder located adjacent the second floor portion.

4. The device according to claim 3 , wherein the air-flow subsystem comprises:
an air pump;
a first valve operably coupled between the first facial air bladder of each support structure and the air pump;
a second valve operably coupled between the first glossal air bladder of each support structure and the air pump;
a third valve operably coupled between the second facial air bladder of each support structure and the air pump and between the third glossal air bladder of each support structure and the air pump;
a fourth valve operably coupled between the third facial air bladder of each support structure and the air pump and between the second glossal air bladder of each support structure and the air pump;
a fifth valve operably coupled between the first and second floor air bladders of the first support structure and the air pump; and
a sixth valve operably coupled between the first and second air bladder of the second support structure and the air pump.

5. The device according to claim 1 , wherein the control unit is configured to operate the air-flow subsystem to sequentially produce the first, second, and third cleaning motions.

6. The device according to claim 1 , wherein the control unit is configured to operate the air-flow subsystem to produce two or more of the first, second, and third cleaning motions simultaneously.

7. The device according to claim 1 , wherein the air-flow subsystem comprises a pressure release valve operably coupled to the air bladders.

8. The device according to claim 1 , rein each air bladder is formed of one of a silicon rubber or a polyurethane.

9. The device according to claim 1 , wherein each air bladder as a Shore hardness between and including 15-30 A.

10. The device according to claim 1 , wherein each teeth cleaning pad comprises a plurality of teeth cleaning elements.

11. The device according to claim 10 , wherein the teeth cleaning elements are formed of a polyurethane.

12. The device according to claim 10 , wherein the teeth cleaning elements are formed of a material having a Shore hardness between and including 30-40 A.

13. A teeth cleaning device comprising:
a first support structure comprising a first dentature channel configured to receive upper teeth of a dentature of a user;
a second support structure comprising a second dentature channel configured to receive lower teeth of the dentature of the user;
a plurality of teeth cleaning pads comprising a first set of teeth cleaning pads located within the first dentature channel and a second set of teeth cleaning pads located within the second dentature channel;
a plurality of air bladders comprising a first set of air bladders operably coupled to the first set of teeth cleaning pads and a second set of air bladders operably coupled to the second set of teeth cleaning pads;
an air-flow subsystem operably coupled to the air bladders; and
a control unit operably coupled to the air-flow subsystem, the control unit configured to: (1) operate the air-flow subsystem to produce a first cleaning motion in a first direction with respect to the dentature of the user by selectively inflating different ones of the plurality of air bladders; (2) operate the air-flow subsystem to produce a second cleaning motion in a second direction with respect to the dentature of the user by selectively inflating different ones of the plurality of air bladders; and (3) operate the air-flow subsystem to produce a third cleaning motion in a third direction with respect to the dentature of the user by selectively inflating different ones of the plurality of air bladders, wherein the first, second, and third directions are different from one another;
wherein the first dentature channel is defined by a first facial wall, a first glossal wall, and a first channel floor;
wherein the second dentature channel is defined by a second facial wall, a second glossal wall, and a second channel floor;
wherein for each of the first and second support structures:
each facial wall comprises a first facial wall portion, a second facial wall portion, and a third facial wall portion, each glossal wall comprises a first glossal wall portion, a second glossal wall portion, and a third glossal wall portion, and each channel floor comprises a first floor portion and a second floor portion; and
the plurality of air bladders comprises a first facial air bladder located adjacent the first facial wall portion, a second facial air bladder located adjacent the second facial wall portion, a third facial air bladder located adjacent the third facial wall portion, a first glossal air bladder located adjacent the first glossal wall portion, a

Assignees

• Colgate Palmolive Co

Inventors

• Pierce Robert
• Jayaraman Nagarajan
• Kachko Igor
• Bakhrakh Mark
• Kolchanov Stanislav
• Karavaev Pavel
• Khorenyan Rostislav
• Sigalovsky Irina
• Kogan Semyon

Classifications

• A61C17/228 Primary

  Self-contained intraoral toothbrush, e.g. mouth-guard toothbrush without handle · CPC title

• A61C17/221

  Control arrangements therefor · CPC title

• A61C17/38

  driven by hydraulic motor, e.g. water motor · CPC title

• A61C17/222

  Brush body details, e.g. the shape thereof or connection to handle · CPC title

• A46B9/005

  where the brushing material is not made of bristles, e.g. sponge, rubber or paper · CPC title