Cleaning appliance

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9820563-B2
Application number	US-201615152146-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 11, 2016
Priority date	May 15, 2015
Publication date	Nov 21, 2017
Grant date	Nov 21, 2017

Abstract

A dental cleaning appliance includes a fluid delivery system for delivering a burst of working fluid to the teeth of a user; and a control circuit for controlling the delivery of the burst of working fluid to the teeth of a user. The appliance has a first operational mode in which the delivery of the burst of working fluid to the teeth of a user is inhibited and a second operational mode in which the burst of working fluid to the teeth of a user is permitted. During use of the appliance, the control circuit is arranged to effect a transition between the first operational mode and the second operational mode automatically depending on a detected operational parameter of the appliance.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A dental cleaning appliance comprising:
a fluid delivery system for delivering a burst of working fluid to the teeth of a user; and
a control circuit for controlling the delivery of the burst of working fluid to the teeth of a user;
wherein the appliance has a first operational mode in which the appliance is operating and the delivery of the burst of working fluid to the teeth of a user is inhibited and a second operational mode in which the burst of working fluid to the teeth of a user is permitted, and wherein, during use of the appliance, the control circuit is arranged to effect a transition between the first operational mode and the second operational mode automatically depending on a detected operational parameter of the appliance;
wherein the detected operational parameter of the appliance is the magnitude of a load applied to the appliance during use thereof.

2. The appliance of claim 1 , wherein the control circuit is arranged to effect a transition between the first operational mode and the second operational mode when the detected operational parameter of the appliance is above a non-zero threshold value.

3. The appliance of claim 1 , wherein the fluid delivery system comprises a valve, and wherein the control circuit is arranged to control the actuation of the valve depending on the detected operational parameter of the appliance.

4. The appliance of claim 3 , wherein the fluid delivery system comprises a pump, and wherein the valve is located downstream from the pump.

5. The appliance of claim 3 , wherein the valve is a solenoid valve.

6. The appliance of claim 1 , wherein the control circuit is arranged to actuate the delivery of fluid to the teeth of a user in response to a user action on the appliance during the second operational mode of the appliance.

7. The appliance of claim 6 , wherein the user action on the appliance is the actuation of a button of the appliance.

8. The appliance of claim 1 , wherein the control circuit is arranged to actuate the delivery of fluid to the teeth of a user automatically in response to an input received from a sensor during the second operational mode of the appliance.

9. The appliance of claim 1 , wherein the appliance comprises a handle and a cleaning tool connected to the handle, the cleaning tool comprising a plurality of bristles.

10. The appliance of claim 9 , wherein the cleaning tool comprises a moveable bristle carrier upon which the plurality of bristles is mounted, and the appliance comprises a drive unit for moving the bristle carrier, the drive unit comprising a motor.

11. The appliance of claim 10 , wherein the detected operational parameter of the appliance is the magnitude of the current drawn by the motor during use of the appliance.

12. The appliance of claim 10 , wherein the fluid delivery system comprises a nozzle through which a burst of working fluid is delivered to the teeth of a user, and the bristle carrier is moveable relative to the nozzle.

Assignees

• Dyson Technology Ltd

Inventors

• Follows Thomas James Dunning
• Bex-Russell William John
• Stickney Timothy Nicholas
• Courtney Stephen Benjamin
• Lemon Graham Charles
• JONES Jason Godfrey

Classifications

• A61C17/0202

  Hand-pieces · CPC title

• A46B9/04

  {Arranged like in or} for toothbrushes · CPC title

• A46B11/0041

  Flexible or deformable reservoirs, e.g. resilient bulbs, compressible tubes · CPC title

• A46B11/0096

  Indication of the level of the remaining fluid, e.g. through transparent walls · CPC title

• A46B5/0095

  Removable or interchangeable brush heads · CPC title