# US 2014/0154640 A1 · Dental hygiene device > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2014/0154640 A1 - Document ID: US20140154640A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 13/921,256 - Filed: 2013-06-19 - Published: 2014-06-05 - Earliest claimed: 2012-11-30 - Assignees: Techtronic Floor Care Technology Limited - Applicants: Techtronic Floor Care Technology Limited - Inventors: Kwok Ting MOK; Wai Tong CHAN - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20140154640A1 ## CPC - A61C 1/0092: {Pumps specially adapted therefor} - A61C 17/0202: {Hand-pieces} - A61C 17/028: with intermittent liquid flow - A61C: DENTISTRY; APPARATUS OR METHODS FOR ORAL OR DENTAL HYGIENE (non-driven toothbrushes A46B; {tongue scrapers A61B17/24;} preparations for dentistry A61K6/00; preparations for cleaning the teeth or mouth A61K8/00, A61Q11/00) ## Abstract A dental hygiene device includes a reservoir for storing fluid. The reservoir includes an inlet and an outlet. The dental hygiene device includes a pump having a piston driven by a motor. The pump is in fluid communication with the reservoir. The piston has a forward stroke and a backward stroke for providing a pulsating fluid flow through the outlet of the reservoir. The dental hygiene device includes a transmission connecting the pump and the motor and means to provide intermittent pauses in the pulsating fluid flow. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A dental hygiene device comprising: a reservoir for storing fluid, the reservoir having an inlet and an outlet; a pump having a piston driven by a motor, the pump in fluid communication with the reservoir, the piston having a forward stroke and a backward stroke for providing a pulsating fluid flow through the outlet of the reservoir; a transmission coupled between the pump and the motor; and means to provide intermittent pauses in the pulsating fluid flow. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The dental hygiene device of claim 1, wherein the forward stroke and the backward stroke of the piston are non-symmetrical. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The dental hygiene device of claim 2, wherein the transmission includes an elliptical gear set. ### Claim 4 (depends on 2) The dental hygiene device of claim 2, wherein the transmission includes a non-circular cam. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The dental hygiene device of claim 4, wherein the non-circular cam is an oval cam. ### Claim 6 (depends on 4) The dental hygiene device of claim 4, wherein the non-circular cam is a triangular cam. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The dental hygiene device of claim 1, further including a printed circuit board assembly configured to selectively energize and de-energize the motor. ### Claim 8 (depends on 3) The dental hygiene device of claim 3, wherein the elliptical gear set includes an elliptical drive gear coupled to the motor and an elliptical driven gear meshed with the elliptical drive gear, and wherein the elliptical drive gear and the elliptical driven gear are non-circular such that the forward stroke and the backward stroke of the piston are non-symmetrical. ### Claim 9 (depends on 4) The dental hygiene device of claim 4, wherein the non-circular cam is rotated by the motor, wherein the transmission further includes a cam follower coupled to the non-circular cam, and wherein the cam follower transmits rotation of the non-circular cam into linear movement of the piston. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The dental hygiene device of claim 9, wherein the cam follower surrounds the non-circular cam. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The dental hygiene device of claim 1, wherein the means to provide intermittent pauses in the pulsating fluid flow pauses the pulsating fluid flow during about 75 to 82 percent of a cycle of the piston. ### Claim 12 A dental hygiene device comprising: a reservoir for storing fluid, the reservoir having an inlet and an outlet; a pump having a piston driven by a motor, the pump in fluid communication with the reservoir, the piston having a forward stroke and a backward stroke for providing a pulsating fluid flow through the outlet of the reservoir; and a transmission coupled between the pump and the motor, the transmission including a cam coupled to the piston, the cam converting rotational movement of the motor into linear movement of the piston; wherein the cam moves the piston such that the forward stroke and the backward stroke are non-symmetrical to generate intermittent pauses in the pulsating fluid flow. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The dental hygiene device of claim 12, wherein a ratio of the forward stroke to the backward stroke is between about 18:82 and about 25:75. ### Claim 14 (depends on 12) The dental hygiene device of claim 12, wherein the transmission includes an elliptical drive gear coupled to the motor and an elliptical driven gear coupled to the cam, wherein the elliptical driven gear meshes with the elliptical drive gear, and wherein the elliptical drive gear and the elliptical driven gear are non-circular. ### Claim 15 (depends on 12) The dental hygiene device of claim 12, wherein the transmission includes a cam follower coupled between the cam and the piston, and wherein the cam follower transmits rotation from the cam into linear movement of the piston. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The dental hygiene device of claim 15, wherein the cam follower surrounds the cam. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The dental hygiene device of claim 16, wherein the cam is a triangular cam. ### Claim 18 (depends on 16) The dental hygiene device of claim 16, wherein the cam is an oval cam. ### Claim 19 A dental hygiene device comprising: a reservoir for storing fluid, the reservoir having an inlet and an outlet; a pump having a piston driven by a motor, the pump in fluid communication with the reservoir, the piston having a forward stroke and a backward stroke for providing a pulsating fluid flow through the outlet of the reservoir; a transmission coupled between the pump and the motor; and a printed circuit board coupled to the motor to selectively energize and de-energize the motor, the printed circuit board including a preset program that generates intermittent pauses in the pulsating fluid flow. ### Claim 20 (depends on 19) The dental hygiene device of claim 19, wherein the printed circuit board superimposes pauses on a continuous pulsating fluid stream.