Swivel assembly for oral irrigator handle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10835356-B2
Application number	US-201715415836-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 25, 2017
Priority date	Jan 25, 2016
Publication date	Nov 17, 2020
Grant date	Nov 17, 2020

Abstract

An oral irrigator handle has a handle housing with a swivel assembly for connection to a hose further connected to a fluid source. A tip for directing a focused stream of fluid is releasably connected to a first end of the handle. The swivel assembly is received within the housing and fluidly coupled to tip. The hose is connected to the swivel assembly and fluidly coupled to the tip via the swivel assembly. The swivel assembly prevents translation of rotational movement of the handle or the hose to the other.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An oral irrigator handle comprising
a handle housing having a first end, a second end, and an interior wall extending from the first end to the second end;
a tip for directing a focused stream of fluid releasably connected to the first end of the handle housing;
a swivel assembly received within the handle housing between the first end and the second end of the handle housing and fluidly coupled to tip, the swivel assembly comprising:
a stationary connector fixed in position relative to the housing and having an outer wall defining a reception cavity, wherein a top surface of the stationary connector is engaged with a first support extending from the interior wall of the handle housing to prevent axial motion of the swivel assembly within the handle housing in a first direction; a swivel connector
rotatable relative to the stationary connector and partially received within the reception cavity such that the outer wall surrounds an outer surface of the swivel connector, wherein a bottom surface of the swivel connector is engaged with a second support extending from the interior wall of the handle housing to prevent axial motion of the swivel assembly within the handle housing in a second direction; and a hose

connected to the swivel assembly and fluidly coupled to the tip via the swivel assembly; wherein
the swivel assembly prevents translation of rotational movement of the handle or the hose to the other.

2. The oral irrigator handle of claim 1 , wherein the swivel assembly further comprises
a fluid seal positioned between the stationary connector and the swivel connector.

3. The oral irrigator handle of claim 2 , wherein
the receiving cavity of the stationary connector defines an outlet port; and the swivel connector
defines a cylindrical disk that rotatably seats within the receiving cavity and an inlet port to which the hose is connected.

4. The oral irrigator handle of claim 3 , wherein the cylindrical disk further comprises
a first disk portion of a first diameter; and
a second disk portion of a second diameter larger than the first diameter that seats against an interior wall of the stationary connector; and further wherein
the fluid seal seats around the first disk portion and interfaces with an interior wall of the stationary connector.

5. An oral irrigator handle comprising:
a handle housing comprising:
a first ledge extending normally from an interior wall of the handle housing which defines an aperture therethrough; and
a second ledge extending normally from the interior wall of the handle housing which defines an aperture therethrough; and further wherein
the second ledge is spaced apart from the first ledge along a longitudinal dimension of the housing;

a tip for directing a focused stream of fluid releasably connected to a first end of the handle housing;
a swivel assembly received within the handle housing between the first end and a second end of the handle housing and fluidly coupled to the tip, the swivel assembly further comprising:
a stationary connector keyed to the housing, the stationary connector defines a cylindrical receiving cavity and an outlet port;
a swivel connector partially received within the stationary connector and rotatable relative thereto, the swivel connector defines a cylindrical disk that rotatably seats within the receiving cavity and an inlet port to which the hose is connected, the cylindrical disk further comprising:
a first disk portion of a first diameter;
a second disk portion of a second diameter larger than the first diameter that seats against an interior wall of the stationary connector; and

a fluid seal positioned between the stationary and the swivel connector and seated around the first disk portion interfacing with the interior wall of the stationary connector; and

a hose connected to the swivel assembly and fluidly coupled to the tip via the swivel assembly; wherein
the swivel assembly prevents translation of rotational movement of the handle or the hose to the other;
a top surface of the stationary connector abuts a bottom surface of the first ledge and the outlet port extends through the aperture in the first ledge; and
a top surface of the second ledge abuts a bottom surface of the swivel connector and the inlet port extends through the aperture in the second ledge.

6. The oral irrigator handle of claim 5 , wherein the swivel connector further comprises a third disk portion of a third diameter larger than the second diameter to extend as a flange and a bottom surface of the third disk portion abuts the top surface of the second ledge.

7. The oral irrigator handle of claim 1 , wherein the handle housing further comprises an integrated hanging feature defined on a sidewall thereof.

8. The oral irrigator handle of claim 1 , wherein the swivel connector assembly further comprises a fluid seal positioned between the stationary connector and the swivel connector, wherein the fluid seal engages an interior step formed on an interior surface of the stationary connector.

9. An oral irrigator handle configured to be fluidly coupled to an oral irrigator unit, comprising:
a handle housing having a first end and a second end, the handle comprising: first shell and a second shell coupled together, wherein the first shell and the second shell together define an interior wall of the handle housing extending from the first end to the second end;
a tip connected to the handle housing;
a hose fluidly coupled to the tip and the oral irrigator unit;
a rotational assembly received within the handle housing and fluidly coupled to the hose and the tip, the rotational assembly preventing translation of rotational movement of the handle or the hose to the other, the rotational assembly comprising:
a stationary connector fixed to the housing defining a sleeve and a fluid outlet in fluid communication with the tip, wherein a top surface of the stationary connector is engaged with a first support extending from the interior wall of the handle housing to prevent axial motion of the rotational assembly within the handle housing in a first direction; and
a rotatable connector rotatably coupled to the housing and fixed axially within the housing, the rotatable connector defining a fluid inlet in fluid communication with the fluid outlet and the hose, wherein the sleeve of the stationary connector is received over a portion of the rotatable connector, wherein a bottom surface of the rotatable connector is engaged with a second support extending from the interior wall of the handle housing to prevent axial motion of the rotational assembly within the handle housing in a second direction.

10. The oral irrigator handle of claim 9 , wherein the rotational assembly further comprises a fluid seal coupled a top portion of the rotatable connector that engages an interior surface of the stationary connector.

11. The oral irrigator handle of claim 9 , wherein the rotatable connector comprises:
a main body;
a top disk extending from a top end of the main body; and
a bottom disk extending radially outwards from a bottom end of the main body.

12. The oral irrigator handle of claim 11 , wherein rotatable connector includes a fluid passage extending through the main body, the top disk, and the bottom disk.

13. The oral irrigator handle of claim 11 , wherein the bottom disk of the rotatable connector abuts a bottom end of the sleeve of the stationary connector.

14. The oral irrigator handle of claim 11 , where in the rotational assembly comprises a fluid seal received around the top disk of the rotatable connector that engages the interior surface of

Assignees

• Water Pik Inc

Inventors

• Williams Brian R
• Johnson Jeremy
• Leber Leland C

Classifications

• A61C17/0202 Primary

  Hand-pieces · CPC title

• A61C1/0061

  Air and water supply systems; Valves specially adapted therefor (A61C1/052 takes precedence; rinsing or air-blowing devices A61C17/02) · CPC title

• F16L27/00

  Adjustable joints; Joints allowing movement (of the quick-acting type F16L37/50; for double-walled or multi-channel pipes or pipe assemblies F16L39/04 {; specially adapted to be made of plastics or to be used with pipes made of plastics F16L47/18; specially adapted for pipes of brittle material F16L49/08}) · CPC title

• A61M39/1055

  Rotating or swivel joints (in general F16L27/00) · CPC title

• A61C17/14

  Dental appliances for receiving spittle, with or without rinsing means therefor, e.g. dental basins, spittoons, cuspidors · CPC title