US 12,605,238 B2Granted

Oral irrigator with back flow prevention

AssigneeKoninklijke Philips N.V.

InventorsJoldert Maria Boersma, Jason Daniel Miller, Jay Wolfer, Le Gia Pham, Egbert Van De Veen, Jose Villar, Aaldert Geert Zijlstra, Klaas Kooijker

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Abstract

The present disclosure is directed to mechanisms for oral irrigator fluid channels which provide back flow prevention. The oral irrigator comprises: an irrigator tip; a tether having a first end and a second end, a third channel arranged between the first end and the second end, where the first end of the tether is in fluid communication with the second channel; a reservoir containing a fluid, the reservoir in fluid communication with a pump, the pump in fluid communication with the third channel and the second end of the tether; and an arrowhead check valve comprising a resilient element and an elastic head element, the arrowhead check valve arranged within the first channel, the second channel, or the third channel. The irrigator tip comprises: a nozzle comprising a first channel; and a handle comprising a second channel in fluid communication with the first channel.

Claims17

Dependent claims

An oral irrigator system comprising:

an irrigator tip, the irrigator tip comprising:
a nozzle comprising a first channel;
a handle comprising a second channel in fluid communication with the first channel;
a tether having a first end and a second end, a third channel arranged between the first end and the second end, the first end of the tether in fluid communication with the second channel;
a reservoir containing a fluid, the reservoir in fluid communication with a pump, the pump in fluid communication with the third channel and the second end of the tether;
and an arrowhead check valve comprising a resilient element and an elastic head element, the arrowhead check valve arranged within the first channel, the second channel, or the third channel, wherein the elastic head element comprises:
an elongated portion having a first end and a second end, wherein a first portion of the elongated portion of the elastic head element is arranged within a cavity of the resilient element, wherein the cavity of the resilient element is defined by and located within a bounds of the resilient element;
and wherein the circular lip or the plurality of tabs of the elastic head element comprise one or more surfaces facing the first end of the elongated portion, the one or more surfaces arranged to contact and deform when in contact with the resilient element.

5 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.