Wirelessly controlled oral irrigator

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2020205952-A1
Application number	US-202016813112-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Mar 9, 2020
Priority date	Mar 15, 2013
Publication date	Jul 2, 2020
Grant date	—

Abstract

An oral irrigator including a base and a handle. The base includes a fluid reservoir, a pump in fluid communication with the fluid reservoir, and a base wireless communication component in electrical communication with the pump. The handle is in fluid communication with the pump. The handle includes a handle wireless communication component and one or more control buttons in communication with the handle wireless communication component. The handle wireless communication component transmits control signals from the one or more control buttons to the base wireless communication component to adjust an operating parameter of the pump.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . An oral irrigator comprising:
a base comprising:
a fluid reservoir;
a pump in fluid communication with the fluid reservoir; and
a base wireless communication component in electrical communication with the pump; and
a handle in fluid communication with the pump comprising:
a handle wireless communication component; and
one or more control buttons in communication with the handle wireless communication component;
wherein the handle wireless communication component transmits control signals from the one or more control buttons to the base wireless communication component to adjust an operating parameter of the pump.

2 . The oral irrigator of claim 1 , wherein the handle wireless communication component transmits the control signals over one or more radio frequencies.

3 . The oral irrigator of claim 1 , wherein handle wireless communication component and the base wireless communication component communicate via Bluetooth.

4 . The oral irrigator of claim 1 , wherein the handle further comprises a jet tip in fluid communication with the pump.

5 . The oral irrigator of claim 1 , wherein the pump comprises:
a motor electrically connected to the base wireless communication component; and a piston coupled to the motor, wherein the motor drives the piston to create suction force to pump fluid from the fluid reservoir to the handle; wherein the operating parameter includes one or more of stopping the motor, starting the motor, or varying a speed of the motor.

6 . The oral irrigator of claim 1 , wherein:
the handle further comprises a circuit board; and the one or more control buttons comprise one or more control switches, the one or more control switches mounted on the circuit board.

7 . The oral irrigator of claim 6 , wherein the handle wireless communication component is coupled to the circuit board and in electrical communication with the one or more control switches.

8 . The oral irrigator of claim 8 , wherein the one or more control buttons further comprise one or more button covers positioned over and aligned with the one or more control switches, wherein when the one or more button covers are pressed by a user, the one or more button covers flex to actuate the one or more control switches.

9 . An oral irrigator handle for communication with a physically separate oral irrigator base having a pump, the handle comprising:
a housing; a fluid inlet for fluidly connecting the housing with the oral irrigator base; a fluid outlet defined on a top end of the housing and configured to receive an oral irrigator tip therein, the fluid outlet in fluid communication with the fluid inlet; and a control switch that communicates with the oral irrigator base to change fluid characteristics output by the pump.

10 . The oral irrigator handle of claim 9 , wherein control signals from the control switch are transmitted wirelessly to the oral irrigator base.

11 . The oral irrigator handle of claim 10 , wherein the control signals are transmitted via a short range wireless protocol.

12 . The oral irrigator handle of claim 9 , further comprising a control button positioned on the housing and compressible by a user, wherein the user compresses the control button to change a state of the control switch.

13 . The oral irrigator handle of claim 12 , further comprising a wireless transmitter in communication with the control switch and in communication with the oral irrigator base, wherein as the control switch changes states, the wireless transmitter transmits a control signal to the oral irrigator base.

14 . The oral irrigator handle of claim 9 , wherein the control switch acts to activate or deactivate the pump.

15 . A water flossing system comprising:
a base unit supporting a reservoir comprising:
a pump that pumps fluid from the reservoir;
a first wireless communication component in electrical communication with the pump to selectively control operation of the pump; and
a handle fluidly coupled to the pump and separate from the base unit comprising:
a jet tip releasably coupled to a top end;
a control switch actuatable by a user; and
a second wireless communication component in electrical communication with the control switch and the first wireless communication component;
wherein when the control switch is actuated by the user, the second wireless communication component transmits a control signal to the first wireless communication component that controls operational characteristics of the pump.

16 . The water flossing system of claim 15 , wherein the pump comprises a motor in electrical communication with the first wireless communication component and the operational characteristics comprise varying a voltage provided to the motor to activate/deactivate the pump or to vary a speed of the pump.

17 . The water flossing system of claim 15 , wherein the first wireless communication component and the second wireless communication component communicate via one or more short range radio frequencies.

18 . The water flossing system of claim 15 , further comprising a hose extending from the base unit to the handle, wherein the hose fluidly connects the pump to the handle.

19 . The water flossing system of claim 15 , further comprising a button positioned on the housing and aligned with the control switch, wherein the user compresses the button to actuate the control switch.

Assignees

• Water Pik Inc

Inventors

• Sokol Gary L
• Luettgen Harold A

Classifications

• A61C17/36 Primary

  with rinsing means · CPC title

• A61C17/227

  with reservoirs, e.g. for toothpaste · CPC title

• A61C17/221

  Control arrangements therefor · CPC title

• A61C17/032

  using pressurised tap-water {, e.g. rinsing devices specially adapted for being connected to the main water supply} · CPC title

• A46B13/04

  with reservoir or other means for supplying substances · CPC title