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US 4,607,627 AGranted
Solenoid-actuated hygienic appliance
AssigneeTeledyne Industries, Inc.
InventorsLeland C. Leber, David Swigert
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An oral hygiene appliance combination has a housing into which liquid is fed and from which liquid is delivered into the mouth of the user. A pump within the housing is of a solenoid-actuated type and includes a chamber that inlets and outlets the liquid to be applied under the pumping action. A flexible diaphram, which effectively forms part of the chamber, sustains the pumping action. Movement of that diaphram is coupled to movement of the solenoid plunger. At least one solenoid winding is cyclically energized to move the plunger and the diaphram in connection with the pumping action.
Claims20
A hygienic appliance combination comprising:
- a housing;
- a source of liquid associated with said housing;
- delivery means coupled to said housing for launching pulses of said liquid to a point of impact;
- and a pump located within said housing and coupled to accept said liquid and provide pulses of said liquid into said delivery means, said pump including:
- enveloping means defining an elongated central bore of predetermined length;
- at least one solenoid winding positioned to deliver magnetic flux into the interior of said bore;
- a plunger of magnetic material sized to slide within said bore and of a length less than said predetermined length;
- a chamber defined in said pump;
- means for inletting liquid from said source into said chamber;
- means for outletting liquid from said chamber into said delivery means;
- check valve means effectively disposed in the path of flow of said liquid for permitting flow of said liquid at least primarily in the direction from said source, through said chamber and out of said delivery means;
- reciprocating means coupled into said chamber for alternately effecting the drawing of said liquid into said chamber and propelling said liquid from said chamber through said outletting means into said delivery means;
- means disposed within said housing and adjacent to said chamber for indirectly slaving movement of said reciprocating means to movement of said plunger;
- means for cyclically energizing said one winding to move said plunger and said reciprocating means each in a given direction;
- and means for urging said plunger and said reciprocating means each in a return direction opposite said given direction.
12 more elements
A hygienic appliance combination comprising:
- a housing;
- a source of liquid associated with said housing;
- delivery means coupled to said housing for launching pulses of said liquid to a point of impact;
- and a pump located within said housing and coupled to accept said liquid and provide pulses of said liquid into said delivery means, said pump including;
- enveloping means defining an elongated central bore of predetermined length;
- at least one solenoid winding positioned to deliver magnetic flux into the interior of said bore;
- a plunger of magnetic material sized to slide within said bore and of a length less than said predetermined length;
- a chamber defined in said pump;
- means for inletting liquid from said source into said chamber;
- means for outletting liquid from said chamber into said delivery means;
- check valve means effectively disposed in the path of flow of said liquid for permitting flow of said liquid at least primarily in the direction from said source, through said chamber and out of said delivery means;
- reciprocating means coupled into said chamber for alternately effecting the drawing of said liquid into said chamber and propelling said liquid from said chamber through said outletting means into said delivery means;
- means for slaving movement of said reciprocating means to movement of said plunger;
- means for cyclically energizing said one winding to move said plunger and said reciprocating means each in a given direction;
- means for urging said plunger and said reciprocating means each in a return direction opposite said given direction;
- said reciprocating means defining one wall of said chamber and being a flexible diaphram that defines said one wall and flexes in response to movement of said plunger with said chamber being defined within said diaphram and said fluid being inletted to said chamber through the interior of said plunger.
13 more elements
For use with an appliance that has a source of liquid and means for delivering said liquid for use, a pump comprising:
- a shell within which is defined an elongate bore of predetermined length;
- means coupled to said shell for respectively inletting and outletting said liquid into and out of said shell;
- a plunger of magnetic material sized to slide within said bore and having a length less than said predetermined length;
- an effective pair of solenoid windings each positioned to deliver magnetic flux into the interior of said bore;
- means for energizing individual ones of said windings alternatively to induce movement of said plunger in reciprocation;
- means defined within said shell that establishes a second bore;
- a piston sealingly disposed within said second bore for movement slidingly therein;
- means for coupling said piston for movement in slaving relationship to said plunger;
- a chamber effectively defined in said shell;
- means for inletting said liquid into said chamber;
- means for outletting said liquid from said chamber;
- check valve means effectively disposed in the path of flow of said liquid for permitting flow of said liquid only in the direction from said inletting means, through said chamber and out of said outletting means;
- a diaphragm effectively defining a portion of the boundary of said chamber, flexure of said diaphragm in alternate directions respectively effecting the drawing of said liquid into said chamber and propelling said liquid from said chamber;
- a cavity defined within said shell and into which said piston projects as a portion of the wall thereof with said diaphragm forming another portion of said wall;
- and a fluid contained within said cavity for coupling movement of said piston in slaving relationship to effect flexure of said diaphragm.
12 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.