Oral Irrigator with Massage Mode
AssigneeWater Pik, Inc.
InventorsHarold A. Luettgen, Gordon Haszier
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An irrigating device, such as an oral irrigator or a nasal irrigator. The irrigating device includes a pump and a motor connected to the pump and configured to selectively drive the pump. Additionally, the irrigating device includes a massage module in communication with the motor. During a normal mode, the pump has a first pulse rate and during a massage mode, the massage module provides a massage control signal to the motor, causing the pump to have a second pulse rate.
Claims33
An oral irrigator comprising:
- a reservoir;
- a handle including a tip, the handle and tip being in fluid communication with the reservoir;
- a pump in fluid communication with the reservoir and the handle;
- a motor assembly connected to the pump and configured to selectively actuate the pump;
- and
- a processing element in communication with the motor assembly, wherein the processing element is configured to vary at least one output characteristic of the motor assembly to vary at least one of a fluid flow rate through the tip or a pressure of a fluid flow through the tip.
An irrigating device comprising:
- a pump;
- a motor connected to the pump and configured to selectively drive the pump;
- a massage mode module in communication with the motor;
- wherein
- during a normal mode, the pump has a first pulse rate;
- and
- during a massage mode, the massage mode module provides a massage control signal to the motor, causing the pump to have a second pulse rate.
A method for varying a pulse rate of a liquid deposited into an oral cavity of a user by an oral irrigator comprising
- activating a motor connected to pump;
- determining by a processing element whether a massage mode should be activated;
- if the massage mode is activated, providing a massage signal from the processing element to the motor, causing a massage pulse rate output by the pump;
- and
- if the massage mode is not activated, providing a normal signal from the processing element to the motor, causing a normal pulse rate output by the pump.
An oral irrigator comprising:
- a reservoir defining a fluid cavity,
- a pump in fluid communication with the fluid cavity;
- a motor connected to the pump and configured to selectively activate the pump;
- a handle in fluid communication with the pump;
- and
- a signal generator in communication with the motor and configured to selectively vary a control signal provided to the motor to vary one or more output characteristics of the motor.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.