Oral irrigator with magnetic attachment

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11389279-B2
Application number	US-201715843911-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 15, 2017
Priority date	Dec 15, 2016
Publication date	Jul 19, 2022
Grant date	Jul 19, 2022

Abstract

The present disclosure includes embodiments directed to an oral irrigator with a magnetic attachment. The oral irrigator may include a base unit and a handle. The base unit may include a first positioning feature. The handle may include a second positioning feature corresponding with the first positioning feature of the base unit to removably couple the handle to the base unit at any one of a plurality of desired positions, such as at any one of a plurality of vertically adjacent positions, relative to the base unit. Each of the first and second positioning features may be a magnet device to magnetically couple the handle to the base unit The magnetic attachment between the handle and the base unit may automatically align the handle into a correct storage position.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An oral irrigator assembly comprising:
a base unit including an outer housing, a tube nest received within the outer housing and extending laterally outward from the outer housing, a tube recess defined around a periphery of the tube nest within the outer housing, and a first magnet device positioned within the tube nest;
an oral irrigator handle including a second magnet device that interacts with the first magnet device to magnetically couple the oral irrigator handle to the base unit; and
a tube coupled to the oral irrigator handle and stored around the tube nest, wherein a portion of the tube is stored within the tube recess.

2. The oral irrigator assembly of claim 1 , wherein the tube nest defines a cradle configured to at least partially receive the oral irrigator handle therein.

3. The oral irrigator assembly of claim 2 , wherein the first magnet device is defined as or positioned along an interior surface of the cradle.

4. The oral irrigator assembly of claim 3 , wherein the cradle includes a shape complementary to that of the oral irrigator handle.

5. The oral irrigator assembly of claim 1 , wherein the tube recess opens to a downwardly-extending channel configured to receive a portion of the tube and route the tube toward a bottom of the base unit.

6. The oral irrigator assembly of claim 1 , wherein the oral irrigator handle automatically aligns into a correct storage position due to a magnetic engagement of the first magnet device and the second magnet device.

7. The oral irrigator assembly of claim 1 , wherein the tube nest is tapered from the front face of the base unit to a front of the tube nest.

8. The oral irrigator assembly of claim 1 , further comprising a control assembly comprising:
a first element arranged to selectively alter a first operating state of the oral irrigator assembly; and
a second element arranged to rotate at least partially about the first element to selectively alter a second operating state of the oral irrigator assembly.

9. The oral irrigator assembly of claim 8 , wherein:
the first element is a push button operable to turn the oral irrigator assembly on and off; and
the second element is a knob operably coupled to a control valve to adjust at least one of a pressure and a volume of a fluid expelled through an oral irrigator handle.

10. The oral irrigator assembly of claim 9 , wherein the knob circumferentially surrounds the push button.

11. The oral irrigator assembly of claim 8 , wherein the first element moves axially along an axis about which the second element rotates.

12. The oral irrigator assembly of claim 8 , wherein at least a portion of the first element extends through the second element.

Assignees

• Water Pik Inc

Inventors

• Wagner Robert
• Mcclard Christina

Classifications

• 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

• A61C17/22

  with brushes, cushions, cups, or the like (brush bodies, e.g. arrangements of the bristles A46B) · CPC title

• A46B15/0097

  Self supporting, e.g. brushes that stand upright or in other particular ways · CPC title

• A61C17/0202 Primary

  Hand-pieces · CPC title

• A46B9/04

  {Arranged like in or} for toothbrushes · CPC title