Pump system for a personal care appliance
AssigneeKoninklijke Philips Electronics N.V.
InventorsJoseph Grez, Scott Hall
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A pump (10) for a personal care appliance which includes a flexible fluid cartridge member (12) having an exit opening (17) for the fluid at a forward end thereof (16), a base member (24) having a cutout portion (26) into which a fluid-filled portion (14) of the cartridge (24) can nest, and a pressing member (32) having a configuration which nests with the cutout portion over a substantial portion of its length, such that as the pressing member moves forwardly along its path, fluid in the fluid-filled portion is pressed out the exit opening and into a line connected to a workpiece element, such as a toothbrush brushhead.
Claims15
A pump system (10) for a personal care appliance, comprising:
- a fluid cartridge member (12) made of flexible material, the fluid cartridge member having a fluid-filled portion (14) and an exit opening (17) for the fluid in the cartridge, for delivery to a line which connects to a workpiece portion of the appliance;
- a base member (24) having a cutout portion (26) into which the fluid-filled portion of the cartridge member can nest;
- and
- a pressing member (32), at least a nesting portion (36) of which has a configuration which substantially matches the cross-section of the cutout portion of the base member, such that, over at least a substantial portion of the length of the cutout portion, the fluid-filled portion and the pressing member substantially nest with the cutout portion, so that as the pressing member is moved in operation forwardly over the cartridge, fluid is moved from the fluid-filled portion through the exit opening, with the flexible cartridge being flattened during such action substantially without creasing of the cartridge.
A power toothbrush, comprising:
- a handle portion (2) having a driving system and a power supply for the driver assembly;
- a driven member assembly having an arm on which a brushhead (25) is mounted and a structural element for connecting the driven assembly to the handle element;
- a pump system (10) for dispensing fluid to the brushhead (25), the pump assembly including a fluid cartridge member (12) made of flexible material, the fluid cartridge member having a fluid-filled portion (14) and an exit opening (17) for the fluid in the cartridge, for delivery to a line (32) which connects the pump to the brushhead;
- a base member (24) having a cutout portion (26) into which the fluid-filled portion of the cartridge member can nest;
- and
- a pressing member (32), at least a nesting portion of which has a configuration which substantially matches the cross-section of the cutout portion of the base member, such that, over at least a substantial portion of the length of the cutout portion, the fluid-filled portion and the pressing member substantially nest with the cutout portion, so that as the pressing member is moved in operation over the cartridge, fluid is moved from the fluid-filled portion through the exit opening into the connecting line, with the flexible cartridge being flattened during such action substantially without creasing thereof.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.