Pause valve and swivel assemblies for oral irrigator handle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10779922-B2
Application number	US-201715844262-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 15, 2017
Priority date	Dec 15, 2016
Publication date	Sep 22, 2020
Grant date	Sep 22, 2020

Abstract

An oral irrigator handle through which fluid flows to a tip is described. Fluid flows from a fluidically connected hose to the tip during irrigate mode, and fluid flow may be interrupted by selecting a pause mode. The handle includes a mechanically controlled actuator for selecting the pause mode. The actuator may be operably connected to a shuttle valve that is positioned to block fluid flow to the tip during pause mode but not during irrigate mode. The handle may also include a swivel assembly. The swivel assembly prevents rotational movement of either the handle or the hose from being transmitted to the other, such that rotation of the handle will not affect the position of the hose.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An oral irrigator handle comprising
a housing;
a fluid inlet into the housing;
a fluid outlet from the housing;
a movable shuttle valve positioned between the fluid inlet and the fluid outlet, the shuttle valve comprising a valve body defining a flow lumen therethrough in fluid communication with the fluid outlet; and
a sealing member positioned between the fluid inlet and the shuttle valve; and
a pause actuator operably connected to the shuttle valve, wherein mechanical actuation of the pause actuator moves the shuttle valve from an open position where the valve body is separated from the sealing member and the fluid inlet is fluidly connected to the flow lumen to a closed position where the valve body is positioned over the sealing member such that the sealing member seals against an inner surface of the valve body and the fluid inlet is fluidly disconnected from the flow lumen to interrupt fluid flow through the handle.

2. The oral irrigator handle of claim 1 , wherein the pause actuator is movable along a longitudinal axis of the handle.

3. The oral irrigator handle of claim 1 , wherein the shuttle valve is connected to the pause actuator by a retaining ring.

4. The oral irrigator handle of claim 1 , further comprising an upper valve body configured to receive a distal end of the valve body of the shuttle valve in a cavity defined within the upper valve body.

5. The oral irrigator handle of claim 4 , wherein the distal end of the shuttle valve occupies the cavity in the open position but not in the closed position.

6. The oral irrigator handle of claim 1 , further comprising a swivel assembly connected to the valve body, wherein
the fluid inlet into the housing comprises a hose connected to the swivel assembly; and
the swivel assembly minimizes translation of rotational movement of the handle and the hose relative to each other.

7. The oral irrigator handle of claim 6 , wherein
the swivel assembly comprises a valve base and a hose connector fluidly connected with the hose; and
the swivel assembly is rotatable relative to the handle housing.

8. The oral irrigator handle of claim 7 , wherein the swivel assembly is configured to rotate 360 degrees relative to the handle housing.

9. The oral irrigator handle of claim 7 further comprising a bushing interposed between the valve base and the handle housing, wherein the swivel assembly rotates with respect to the bushing.

10. The oral irrigator handle of claim 7 , wherein the valve base, the seal, the shuttle valve, and the valve body all rotate with the swivel assembly and relative to the handle housing.

11. An oral irrigator handle comprising
a housing;
a fluid inlet into the housing;
a fluid outlet from the housing;
a swivel assembly received within the housing and rotatable with respect thereto and fluidly coupled to the fluid inlet comprising
a valve base; and
a hose connector extending from the valve base;

a movable valve body positioned between the swivel assembly and the fluid outlet and defining a fluid lumen therethrough in fluid communication with the fluid outlet and movable between a paused position and a flow position; and
a sealing member positioned between the movable valve body and the swivel assembly, wherein:
in the paused position, the movable valve body is positioned over and encloses the sealing member such that the sealing member prevents fluid communication between the swivel assembly and the fluid lumen of the movable valve body; and
in the flow position, the movable valve body is separated from the sealing member such that the sealing member does not prevent fluid communication between the swivel assembly and the fluid lumen of the movable valve body.

12. The oral irrigator handle of claim 11 , wherein the swivel assembly is configured to rotate 360 degrees relative to the handle housing.

13. The oral irrigator handle of claim 11 , wherein the fluid inlet into the housing comprises a hose and the hose connector is mechanically and fluidly connected to the hose.

14. The oral irrigator handle of claim 11 , further comprising
a pause actuator operably coupled to the movable valve body, wherein
mechanical actuation of the pause actuator moves the movable valve body from the flow position to the paused position to interrupt fluid flow through the handle.

15. An oral irrigator handle comprising
a housing having a longitudinal axis;
a fluid inlet into the housing;
a fluid outlet from the housing;
a valve seal;
a shuttle valve positioned between the fluid inlet and the fluid outlet and having a proximal end configured to receive a portion of the valve seal, the shuttle valve defining a flow lumen therethrough in fluid communication with the fluid outlet;
a lower valve body configured to receive the proximal end of the shuttle valve and the valve seal;
a pause actuator operably connected to the shuttle valve by a retaining ring; and
a swivel assembly comprising a valve base secured to the valve body, wherein
the swivel assembly permits rotation of the valve base, the retaining ring, the valve seal, the shuttle valve, and the valve body relative to the handle housing and around the longitudinal axis of the handle;
mechanical actuation of the pause actuator moves the shuttle valve and retaining ring along the longitudinal axis to move the shuttle valve between an open position where the shuttle valve is separated from the valve seal and the fluid inlet is fluidly connected to the flow lumen and a closed position where the shuttle valve is positioned over and partially encloses the valve seal and the fluid inlet is fluidly disconnected from the flow lumen to interrupt fluid flow through the handle.

16. The oral irrigator handle of claim 15 , wherein the swivel assembly and pause actuator are operable simultaneously.

Assignees

• Water Pik Inc

Inventors

• Wagner Robert
• Taylor Kurt
• Mcclard Christina

Classifications

• A61M39/225

  Flush valves, i.e. bypass valves for flushing line · CPC title

• A61M39/22

  Valves or arrangement of valves {(A61M39/02, A61M39/0247, A61M39/16 take precedence; regulating valves in infusion systems A61M5/16881; in devices worn by the patient for the reception of urine, faeces, catamenial or other discharge, or in colostomy devices A61F5/4405)} · CPC title

• A61C17/0217

  having means for manually controlling the supply of two or more fluids, e.g. water and air · CPC title

• A61C17/0202 Primary

  Hand-pieces · CPC title

• A61C17/02

  Rinsing or air-blowing devices, e.g. using fluid jets {or comprising liquid medication} (combined with receptacles for spittle A61C17/14; combined with power-driven cleaning or polishing devices A61C17/16) · CPC title