CN209074977U - Cleaning appliance - Google Patents

Abstract

A kind of tooth cleaning device, comprising: nozzle, for transportation work fluid jet stream to user tooth；Fluid storage, for storing working fluid, the fluid storage includes fluid inlet, and fluid storage is added by fluid inlet；And flexible sleeve, it is mounted on fluid storage.Sleeve can deform between the first configuration and the second configuration, and fluid inlet is exposed by sleeve to allow fluid storage to refill in the first configuration, stop fluid inlet in the second configuration middle sleeve.

Description

cleaning utensils

technical field

The utility model relates to a cleaning appliance. The cleaning appliance is preferably a hand-held cleaning appliance, and preferably a surface treatment appliance. In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the appliance is a tooth cleaning appliance. In a preferred embodiment, the appliance is an electric toothbrush having a fluid delivery system for delivering fluid to the user's teeth. This fluid is a dentifrice, or fluid used for improved interdental cleaning. Alternatively, the appliance may not include any bristles or other elements for brushing teeth, and may be in the form of a dedicated interdental cleaning appliance. The utility model also relates to a cleaning tool for cleaning appliances for teeth.

Background technique

Electric toothbrushes typically include a cleaning tool that is attached to the handle. The cleaning tool includes a stem and a brush head carrying bristles for brushing teeth. The brush head includes a fixed section and at least one movable section, the fixed section being connected to the rod, the movable section being movable relative to the fixed section, such as reciprocating, oscillating, vibrating, pivoting or rotating One of the movements to impart brushing movement to the bristles mounted on it. The lever accommodates the drive shaft, which is coupled to a transmission unit within the handle. The transmission unit is in turn connected to a motor, which is driven by a battery housed in the handle. The drive shaft and transmission unit convert the rotational or vibratory motion of the motor into the desired movement of the movable section of the brush head relative to the fixed section of the brush head.

An assembly is known to be incorporated into electric toothbrushes for generating a jet of fluid for interdental cleaning. For example, US 8,522,384 describes an electric toothbrush in which the handle of the toothbrush defines a fluid chamber for storing fluid, such as water, and a sliding cover for making the fluid chamber accessible for user replenishment. The fluid path connecting the fluid chamber to the nozzle is located on the stationary part of the brush head. A pump positioned within the fluid path is actuated upon user manipulation of an actuator on the handle to pump liquid from the fluid chamber to the nozzle for release from the nozzle under pressure.

Utility model content

In a first aspect, the utility model provides a tooth cleaning appliance, comprising:

a nozzle for delivering a jet of working fluid to the user's teeth;

a fluid reservoir for storing working fluid, the fluid reservoir including a fluid inlet through which the fluid reservoir is replenished; and

a sleeve extending around the fluid reservoir and movable between a first configuration in which the fluid inlet is exposed by the sleeve to allow refilling of the fluid reservoir and a second configuration in which the sleeve blocks the fluid inlet .

The sleeve is preferably formed of an elastomeric material, preferably a rubber material, which allows the sleeve to flex between the first and second configurations. The sleeve may be inherently biased towards the second configuration such that the user must force the sleeve away from the second configuration to expose the fluid inlet so that the fluid reservoir can be filled.

The sleeve is preferably arranged to be pulled from the second configuration to the first configuration by a user. The sleeve may be provided with tabs, which are preferably integrally formed with the sleeve, and which may be grasped by a user to pull the sleeve from the second configuration to the first configuration. The tab is preferably positioned at or near one end of the sleeve, and is preferably positioned adjacent the fluid inlet when the sleeve is in its second configuration.

The working fluid is preferably a liquid working fluid, and preferably water, and thus the fluid reservoir can be accessed by the user by positioning the fluid inlet below the household faucet, with the sleeve in the first configuration, opening the faucet so that water travels from the faucet through the fluid inlet fluid reservoir while being replenished.

The user can keep the sleeve in the first configuration during filling. In this case, after the fluid reservoir has been filled, the user only needs to release the sleeve so that it automatically returns to the second configuration. The fluid reservoir is automatically blocked by the sleeve, preventing leakage of working fluid from the fluid reservoir through the fluid inlet.

Alternatively, the sleeve can be moved between a stable first configuration and a stable second configuration, which prevents the user from having to keep the sleeve in the first configuration during filling of the fluid reservoir.

In the first configuration, at least a portion of the sleeve is elastically deformed or these such that the portion of the sleeve moves away from the fluid reservoir to expose the fluid inlet. The sleeve may include a hinge about which a portion of the sleeve moves relative to another portion of the sleeve to expose the fluid inlet.

When the sleeve is in the second configuration, the fluid inlet may engage a seal that prevents leakage of working fluid from the fluid inlet. The seal may be located on a surface of the sleeve that faces the fluid inlet when the sleeve is in the second configuration. The seal may be provided by a raised portion of the sleeve provided on a surface of the sleeve that engages the fluid reservoir when the sleeve is in the second configuration. The seal may be an annular seal surrounding the fluid inlet when the sleeve is in its second configuration. Alternatively, the sleeve may include a raised portion for at least partially entering the fluid inlet to form a seal with the periphery of the fluid inlet when the sleeve is in the second configuration.

One end of the sleeve preferably moves relative to the other end of the sleeve when the sleeve is moved between its first and second configurations. For example, the sleeve may be peeled away from the one end of the sleeve to expose the fluid inlet. The tabs are preferably positioned at or near said one end of the sleeve.

The sleeve can surround the outer wall of the fluid reservoir and can be partially peeled away from the outer wall to expose the fluid inlet. The other end of the sleeve may be connected to the fluid reservoir, for example using an adhesive, for example, the other end of the sleeve may be connected to a portion of the outer wall in which the fluid inlet is formed, or to a fluid reservoir positioned to be connected to the fluid reservoir. The base or bottom wall adjacent to the fluid inlet. At least a portion of the outer wall of the fluid reservoir is preferably transparent, and preferably formed from a transparent plastic material, to allow a user to see the amount of working fluid within the fluid reservoir. In a preferred embodiment, the outer wall preferably has one of a curved shape, a convex shape and a faceted shape. The outer wall may have a curvature that is one of ellipsoidal, spheroidal, and spherical. The sleeve may be formed of a transparent material. The outer wall of the fluid reservoir may be configured such that, when the sleeve is in its second configuration, in which the sleeve surrounds a portion of the outer wall, the outer surface of the sleeve is substantially flush with the outer surface of the exposed portion of the outer wall of the fluid reservoir . When the sleeve is peeled from the outer surface of the fluid reservoir, the sleeve may hang down from the bottom wall of the fluid reservoir.

The appliance preferably includes a handle and a stem extending between the handle and the nozzle, and the fluid reservoir is preferably mounted on the stem. The fluid reservoir preferably extends at least partially around the rod. Preferably, the fluid reservoir surrounds the rod. Instead of connecting the other end of the sleeve to the fluid reservoir, the other end of the sleeve may be connected to the rod. The rod is detachably attached to the handle.

The nozzle preferably forms part of the fluid delivery system of the appliance. The fluid delivery system preferably includes a pump and a control circuit for actuating the pump to draw working fluid from the fluid reservoir and send a burst of working fluid toward the nozzle. As the nozzle moves between the user's adjacent teeth, the user may press a button of the user interface provided on the handle of the appliance to activate the pump assembly to fire the working fluid from the nozzle. Alternatively, the appliance may be configured to automatically actuate the delivery of the working fluid to the user's teeth based on the magnitude of the output of the sensor for detecting the nozzle located within the interdental space. For example, the sensor may be in the form of a light detector (such as a camera or light sensor) for receiving light (such as visible light or infrared light reflected from a user's teeth). As another alternative, the appliance may be configured to automatically actuate the delivery of working fluid to the user's teeth at a fixed frequency (eg, between 0.5 and 5 Hz).

The nozzle, wand and fluid reservoir preferably form part of a cleaning tool that is removably connected to the handle.

The appliance may be in the form of a dedicated interdental cleaning appliance for cleaning the spaces between the teeth of a user. Alternatively, the appliance may be in the form of a toothbrush with the additional function of improving interdental cleaning by sending working fluid to the interdental spaces. Where the implement is in the form of a toothbrush, the cleaning implement or wand preferably comprises a plurality of bristles. The bristles are preferably arranged around the nozzle, and may be arranged circumferentially around the nozzle. A plurality of bristles may be attached to a stationary section of the cleaning tool, which is not movable relative to the handle. Alternatively, or in addition, a plurality of bristles may be attached to a movable section of the cleaning tool, the section of which is movable relative to the handle. In a preferred embodiment, the appliance comprises a brush unit comprising a bristle carrier and a plurality of bristles mounted on the bristle carrier, wherein the bristle carrier is movable relative to the handle.

As mentioned above, the rod or the entire cleaning tool is preferably detachably connected to the handle. This may allow the appliance to be provided with a set of similar cleaning tools, each with their own distinct markers. This also allows the appliance to be provided with a different set of wands or cleaning tools. For example, the set of cleaning tools may be selected from a first type of cleaning tool having a nozzle and a movable brush unit, a second type of cleaning tool having a nozzle and a fixed brush unit, and a third type of cleaning tool having a nozzle and no bristles Choose from two or more. A number of correspondingly different cleaning implements of the same type may be provided, eg, a first type of cleaning implement in which the bristles have correspondingly different stiffnesses, or in which the nozzles have correspondingly different fluid outlet sizes.

The appliance is preferably a hand-held appliance comprising all the above-mentioned components of the appliance.

The cleaning tool may be sold as a stand-alone item, eg, as a spare accessory or as a replacement cleaning tool for use with an existing handle.

In a second aspect, the present invention provides a cleaning tool for a tooth cleaning appliance comprising a handle, the cleaning tool being detachably connected to the handle, the cleaning tool comprising:

a nozzle for delivering a jet of working fluid to the user's teeth;

a fluid reservoir for storing working fluid, the fluid reservoir including a fluid inlet through which the fluid reservoir is replenished; and

a sleeve extending around the fluid reservoir and movable between a first configuration in which the fluid inlet is exposed by the sleeve to allow refilling of the fluid reservoir and a second configuration in which the sleeve blocks the fluid inlet .

The features described above in relation to the first aspect of the present invention also apply to the second aspect of the present invention, and vice versa.

Description of drawings

Preferred features of the invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 (a) is a right side view of the tooth cleaning appliance, Figure 1 (b) is a front view of the appliance, and Figure 1 (c) is a left side view of the appliance;

Figure 2 schematically illustrates components of a fluid delivery system for delivering a stream of working fluid to a user's teeth;

Figure 3 is a right side perspective view from above of the first embodiment of the cleaning tool of the appliance;

Figure 4 is a right side perspective view of the handle of the appliance from above;

Figure 5 is a side cross-sectional view of a portion of the cleaning tool of Figure 3;

Figure 6(a) is a schematic cross-sectional view of the fluid reservoir of the cleaning tool of Figure 3 with the diaphragm of the fluid reservoir in a fully retracted configuration, and Figure 6(b) is a view similar to Figure 6(a) but with the diaphragm In the partially deployed configuration, Figure 6(c) is a view similar to Figure 6(a), but with the septum in an almost fully deployed configuration;

Figure 7 is a perspective view of the appliance with the cleaning tool of Figure 3 separated from the handle;

Figure 8 is a perspective view from below of a second embodiment of a cleaning tool connectable to a handle;

9 is a perspective view from above of the cleaning tool of FIG. 8 with the flexible sleeve of the cleaning tool in a first configuration; and

10 is a perspective view from above of the cleaning tool of FIG. 8 with the flexible sleeve of the cleaning tool in a second configuration.

Detailed ways

1(a) to 1(c) show external views of an embodiment of a tooth cleaning appliance 10. FIG. In this embodiment, the appliance is in the form of a hand-held appliance, which is in the form of an electric toothbrush with integrated components for dispensing a working fluid for improved interdental cleaning.

The appliance 10 includes a handle 12 and a cleaning tool 14 . The handle 12 includes an outer body 16 that is gripped by the user during use of the appliance 10 . The body 16 is preferably formed from a plastics material and is preferably generally cylindrical in shape. The handle 12 includes a plurality of user-operable buttons 18, 20, 22 located in corresponding holes formed in the body 16 for access by the user. The handle 12 may include a display positioned to be visible to the user during use of the appliance.

The cleaning tool 14 includes a stem 26 and a head 28 . The stem 26 is elongated in shape and serves to space the head 28 from the handle 12 to facilitate user maneuverability of the appliance 10 . In this embodiment, the head of the cleaning tool 14 includes a brush unit 29 that includes a bristle carrier 30 and a plurality of bristles 32 mounted on the bristle carrier 30 . However, in other embodiments, the cleaning implement 14 may be provided without the brush unit 29 so that the implement is in the form of a dedicated interdental cleaning implement for cleaning the spaces between the teeth of the user.

The cleaning implement 14 also includes a fluid reservoir 34 for storing working fluid and a nozzle 36 for delivering one or more bursts of working fluid to a user's teeth during use of the appliance 10 . The fluid reservoir 34 is connected to the rod 26 . The fluid reservoir 34 extends at least partially around the rod 26 . In this embodiment, it includes a brush unit 29 extending at least partially around the nozzle 36 .

The nozzle 36 forms part of the fluid delivery system 40 for receiving working fluid from the fluid reservoir 34 and for delivering a burst of working fluid to the user's teeth during use of the appliance 10 . The tip of the nozzle 36 includes a fluid outlet 42 through which a burst of working fluid is delivered to the user's teeth. The fluid delivery system 40 is shown schematically in FIG. 2 . In general, the fluid delivery system 40 includes a fluid inlet 44 for receiving working fluid from the fluid reservoir 34 . In this embodiment, the working fluid is a liquid working fluid, which is preferably water. The fluid delivery system 40 includes a pump assembly 46 for drawing working fluid from the fluid reservoir 34 through the fluid inlet 44 and for delivering a burst of working fluid to the nozzle 36 . The pump assembly 46 is located within the handle 12 and includes a positive displacement pump 48 and a driver for driving the pump 48 . The drive preferably includes a motor 50 . A battery 52 for supplying power to the motor 50 is also located in the handle 12 . The battery 52 is preferably a rechargeable battery.

The first conduit 54 connects the fluid inlet 44 of the fluid delivery system 40 to the fluid inlet 56 of the pump 48 . A first one-way valve 58 is located between the fluid inlet 44 and the pump 48 to prevent backflow of water from the pump 48 to the fluid reservoir 34 . The second conduit 60 connects the fluid outlet 62 of the pump 48 to the nozzle 36 . A second one-way valve 64 is located between the pump 48 and the nozzle 34 to prevent backflow of water to the pump 48 . The control circuit 66 controls the actuation of the motor 50 , and thus the motor 50 and the control circuit 66 provide the driving force for operating the pump 48 . The battery 52 supplies power to the control circuit 66 . The control circuit 66 includes a motor controller that supplies power to the motor 50 .

In this embodiment, the control circuit 66 receives signals generated when the user presses the buttons 18 , 20 , 22 located on the handle 12 of the appliance 10 . Alternatively, or in addition, the control circuit 66 may receive signals generated by sensors located within the appliance, or signals from a remote control device such as a display or personal device. For the sake of brevity, in the following description, the control circuit 66 receives a signal generated when a user operates one of the buttons 18 , 20 , 22 .

The cleaning tool 14 is removably connected to the handle 12 . 3 to 5 , the handle 12 includes a male connector, preferably in the form of a plug 70 , which is received by a complementary female connector, preferably in the form of a female connector 72 of the cleaning tool 14 . The female connector 72 defines a generally cylindrical recess 73 for receiving the plug 70 . The plug 70 preferably projects outwardly from the end surface 74 of the body 16 and preferably in a direction parallel to the longitudinal axis of the handle 12 . The end surface 74 defines an annular seat 76 for receiving the annular bottom wall 78 of the fluid reservoir 34 when the cleaning tool 14 is mounted on the handle 12 . The annular seat 76 includes the fluid inlet 44 of the fluid delivery system 40 . The fluid inlet 44 receives fluid from the fluid outlet 80 of the fluid reservoir 34 when the cleaning tool 14 is mounted on the handle 12 .

The second conduit 60 , which connects the fluid outlet 62 of the pump 48 to the nozzle 36 , includes a handle conduit section located within the handle 12 and a cleaning tool conduit section located within the cleaning tool 14 . A handle conduit section extends from the fluid outlet 62 of the pump 48 to a handle fluid outlet port 82 positioned adjacent to the plug 70 . The cleaning tool conduit section 84 extends from the cleaning tool fluid inlet port 86 to the nozzle 36 . The cleaning tool fluid inlet port 86 protrudes from the bottom of the female connector 72 . The female connector 72 is received within and connected to the relatively wide bottom section 88 of the rod 26 .

As mentioned above, the cleaning tool 14 includes a bristle carrier 30 that is movable relative to the stem portion 26 . The appliance includes a drive mechanism for driving movement of the bristle carrier 30 relative to the rod 26 . The drive mechanism includes a transmission unit (connected to the bristle carrier 30) and a drive unit (for driving the transmission unit 52 to move the bristle carrier 30 relative to the stem 26).

The handle 12 includes the drive unit of the drive mechanism. The drive unit includes a motor, preferably in the form of a DC motor, which is activated by the control circuit in response to the user pressing one or more of the buttons of the handle 12 . The motor of the drive unit is connected by a gear set to a rotatable drive unit coupling member 90 (which protrudes outwardly from the plug 70 and rotates relative to the body 16 when the motor of the drive unit is actuated).

The cleaning tool 14 includes the transmission unit of the drive mechanism. The drive unit includes a drive unit coupling member 92 that couples with and preferably receives the drive unit coupling member 90 when the cleaning tool 14 is connected to the handle 12 . The transmission unit coupling member 92 is connected to, and preferably integrally formed with, one end of a connecting rod 94 housed in the rod 26 . The other end of the connecting rod 94 is attached to the side surface of the bristle carrier 30 so that periodic rotation of the connecting rod 94 through an angle of about 15 degrees results in a 15 degree angular sweeping motion of the bristle carrier 30 relative to the rod 26 .

The fluid reservoir 34 is mounted to the stem 26 of the cleaning tool 14 and extends at least partially around it. In this embodiment, the fluid reservoir 34 is annular in shape and thus surrounds the rod 26 . The fluid reservoir 34 is preferably positioned at or near the end of the rod 26 remote from the head 28 and thus extends around the bottom section 88 of the rod 26 in this embodiment. The fluid reservoir 34 preferably has a capacity in the range of 5 to 50 ml, and in this embodiment has a capacity of 25 ml.

The fluid reservoir 34 is filled through the reservoir fluid inlet port 100 (which is formed in the outer wall of the fluid reservoir 34). The fluid inlet port 100 is preferably formed in the annular outer sidewall 110 of the fluid reservoir 34 . The reservoir fluid inlet port 100 is sealed by a closure member 102 . The closure member 102 is movable relative to the fluid reservoir 34 between a closed position (as shown in FIG. 3 , where the closure member 102 prevents leakage of working fluid from the reservoir fluid inlet port 100 ) and an open position. In this embodiment, the closure member 102 is pivotally connected to the fluid reservoir 34 . The closure member 102 may be located within the reservoir fluid inlet port 100 and form a fluid seal against the container fluid inlet port 100 . The closure member 102 includes a head 104 that can be grasped by the user to move the closure member 102 from the closed position to the open position, and which can be pushed by the user toward the reservoir fluid inlet port 100 to push the closure member 102 back to the closed position.

The closure member 102 may be connected to the fluid reservoir 34 by a pair of arms 106 . One end of each arm 106 is connected to the closure member 102 and the other end of each arm 106 is connected to the fluid reservoir 34 . In this embodiment, the arms 106 are integrally formed with the closure member 102, with the portion of each arm remote from the closure member 102 being connected to the bottom wall 78 of the fluid reservoir 34, eg, using adhesive or by welding. Each arm 106 includes a hinge 108 that may be formed from a portion of the arm 106 having a locally reduced thickness to enable the portion of the arm 106 (which is connected to the closure member 102 ) to be able to relative to the rest of the arm 106 ( It is connected to the fluid reservoir 34) to pivot.

To fill the fluid reservoir 34, the user detaches the cleaning tool 14 from the handle 12, as described in more detail below, grasps the head 104 of the closure member 102 between the fingers and thumb and pulls it outward from the reservoir fluid inlet port 100. The fluid reservoir 34 can then be filled by a user, for example by positioning the reservoir fluid inlet port 100 under a tap that delivers water. Once the fluid reservoir 34 has been filled, the user pushes the head 104 of the closure member 102 back into the reservoir fluid inlet port 100 and reconnects the cleaning tool 14 to the handle 12 . When the cleaning tool 14 is mounted on the handle 12, the pivotal connection between the closure member 102 and the bottom wall 78 of the fluid reservoir 34 prevents accidental loss of the closure member 102 when the reservoir fluid inlet port 100 is exposed and allows the closure member The junction between 102 and fluid reservoir 34 can be located between handle 12 and fluid reservoir 34 . As shown in FIG. 3 , when the closure member 102 is in its closed position, the lower portion of the arm portion 106 of the closure member 102 is located within the recessed section of the bottom wall 78 of the fluid reservoir 34 such that the lower portion of the arm portion 106 The bottom surface of the portion is generally flush with the bottom wall 78 of the fluid reservoir 34 .

At least a portion of the outer wall 110 of the fluid reservoir 34 is preferably transparent to allow a user to view the interior of the fluid reservoir 34 and thereby assess whether the fluid reservoir 34 needs to be replenished before the appliance 10 is expected to be used. The outer wall 110 preferably has a symmetrical shape with respect to the longitudinal axis of the cleaning tool 14 . The outer wall 110 preferably has a curved shape, more preferably a convex curved shape, but alternatively the outer wall 110 may have a polygonal or faceted shape. In this embodiment, the outer wall 110 has a spherical curvature. As described below, the fluid reservoir 34 is mounted on the relatively wide bottom section 88 of the rod 26 and thus the outer wall 110 has opposing circular holes centered on the longitudinal axis of the cleaning tool 14 to allow the bottom of the rod 26 Section 88 passes therethrough.

The fluid reservoir 34 also includes an inner wall 112 that is connected to the outer wall 110 . The inner wall 112 has a tubular shape. The ends of the inner wall 112 are preferably circular in shape and are connected to the outer wall 110 so as to form a liquid tight seal between the outer wall 110 and the inner wall 112 . In this embodiment, the fluid reservoir 34 is formed from two housing parts. The first housing portion 114 includes an outer wall 110 and an upper section of the inner wall 112 , and thus the upper end of the inner wall 112 is integrally formed with the upper section of the outer wall 110 . The second housing portion 116 includes the lower section of the outer wall 110 and the bottom wall 78 of the fluid reservoir 34 .

The fluid reservoir 34 also includes a diaphragm 118 . The septum 118 is tubular in shape and surrounds the inner wall 112 of the fluid reservoir 34 . The ends 120 , 122 of the septum 118 may be connected to the outer wall 110 or to the inner wall 112 . The membrane 118 thus has an outer surface which faces the outer wall 110 of the fluid reservoir 34 and which together with the outer wall 110 defines the volume of the fluid reservoir 34 . Since the diaphragm 118 is viewable by the user through at least a portion of the outer wall 110 , the outer surface 124 of the diaphragm 118 may have indicia for the user to identify the cleaning tool 14 . For example, the indicia may be a colored portion of the outer surface 124 of the diaphragm 118 , or one or more alphanumeric characters molded or otherwise formed on the outer surface 124 of the diaphragm 118 .

Figures 5 and 6(a) show the fluid reservoir 34 when the fluid reservoir is full of working fluid. The thickness of diaphragm 118 and the material forming diaphragm 118 are selected such that when working fluid is drawn from fluid reservoir 34 by pump 48, at least a portion of diaphragm 118 can move relative to outer wall 110 in response to a pressure differential that builds up across diaphragm 118. In this embodiment, the diaphragm 118 may expand in response to creating a pressure differential across the surfaces 124 , 126 of the diaphragm 118 as the working fluid is drawn from the fluid reservoir 34 . Fig. 6(a) shows the diaphragm 118 in a fully retracted configuration or state in which the capacity of the fluid reservoir 34 is maximized.

In this embodiment, the cleaning tool 14 includes an expansion chamber 128 positioned adjacent the inner wall 112 . The expansion chamber 128 has a volume that increases as the volume of the fluid reservoir 34 decreases. In this embodiment, the expansion chamber 128 is open to air to allow atmospheric air to enter the expansion chamber 128 as the inner wall 112 moves toward the outer wall 110 when the working fluid is supplied to the fluid delivery system 100 . The expansion chamber 128 is shown in Figures 6(b) and 6(c), which show the diaphragm 118 in a partially expanded configuration, and an almost fully expanded configuration, respectively. The expansion chamber 128 is defined by the inner surface 126 of the diaphragm 118 and the outer surface 130 of the inner wall 112 . One or more holes or ports 132 are formed in the inner wall 112 to allow atmospheric air (eg, from an air flow path extending between the stem 26 and the inner wall 112 ) to enter the expansion chamber 128 as the diaphragm 118 expands.

When the diaphragm 118 is expanded toward its fully expanded configuration, the size and shape of the diaphragm 118 approximates the size and shape of the outer wall 110 . In other words, when the diaphragm 118 is in the fully expanded configuration, which occurs when the fluid reservoir 34 is substantially empty, the diaphragm 118 is substantially the same size and shape as the outer wall 110 of the fluid reservoir 34 . Accordingly, the maximum volume of expansion chamber 128 is preferably substantially the same as the maximum volume of fluid reservoir 34 .

As mentioned above, the fluid reservoir 34 is mounted on the relatively wide bottom section 88 of the rod 26 . To mount the fluid reservoir 34 on the rod 26, a circular hole formed in the first housing portion 114 of the fluid reservoir 34 is aligned with the free end of the bottom section 88 of the rod 26, and the fluid reservoir 34 is pushed to the rod 26 on. The inner surface of the inner wall 112 of the fluid reservoir 34 abuts the bottom section 88 of the rod 26 so that friction therebetween prevents the fluid reservoir 34 from falling off the rod 26 . Movement of the fluid reservoir 34 along the rod 26 is limited by a flange 140 that extends radially outward from the rod 26 and is located at the upper end of the bottom section 88 of the rod 26 . The flange 140 is annular in shape and is arranged to engage an annular planar end portion or recess 142 of the first housing portion 114 of the fluid reservoir 34 . When the recess 142 of the fluid reservoir 34 engages the flange 140 of the stem 26, the fluid reservoir 34 is in the correct axial position along the stem 26 for subsequent fluid from the fluid outlet 80 of the fluid reservoir 34 to the fluid delivery system 40 Connection of Inlet 44. To aid in angular alignment of the fluid reservoir 34 with respect to the stem 26, the flange 140 and recess 142 may be provided in a non-annular shape, such as a C-shaped shape. Additionally, the fluid reservoir 34 may be visually aligned angularly with respect to the head 28 by a user, eg, so that the head 104 of the closure member 102 is aligned with the nozzle 36 .

To mount the cleaning tool 14 on the handle 12, as shown in FIG. 82 is aligned with the cleaning tool fluid inlet port 86 of the cleaning tool 14 . The cleaning tool 14 is then pushed onto the plug 70 so that the handle fluid outlet port 82 connects to the cleaning tool fluid inlet port 86 and so that the fluid reservoir 34 engages the annular seat 76 to connect the fluid outlet 80 of the fluid reservoir 34 to the fluid delivery system 40 of fluid inlet 44 . The inner surface 150 of the connector 72 of the rod 26 abuts the outer surface of the plug 70 so that friction therebetween keeps the rod 26 on the handle 12 . The connector 72 is preferably formed of a resilient plastic material that flexes when the connector 72 is pushed onto the plug 70 to increase friction therebetween. A spring clip 152 may be provided at least partially around the connector 72 for urging the inner surface 150 of the connector 72 against the plug 70 . To prevent accidental disengagement of the cleaning tool 14 from the handle 12, the connector 73 may include a stop 154 mounted on the arm 156 (which is hingedly connected to the connector 72). For example, the arm portion 156 may be integrally formed with the connector 72 and connected to the remainder of the connector 72 by a resilient hinge. When the cleaning tool 14 is pushed onto the plug 70 , the stopper 154 enters a recess (not shown) formed on the outer surface of the plug 70 . 3 and 4, in order to inhibit accidental rotation of the fluid reservoir 34 relative to the handle 12, the bottom wall 78 of the fluid reservoir 34 may be provided with a male connector 160 that engages a female connection disposed on the annular seat 76 of the handle 12 device 162. In this embodiment, the male connector 160 at least partially surrounds the cleaning tool fluid inlet port 86 and the female connector 162 surrounds the handle fluid outlet port 82 . Alternatively, the fluid reservoir 34 may be provided with a female connector that receives a male connector on the handle 12 when the cleaning tool 14 is connected to the handle 12 .

To operate the appliance 10 , the user presses buttons 18 , 20 , 22 located on the handle 12 . The user turns on the appliance 10 by pressing the button 18 , which is detected by the control circuit 66 . The user can select the operating mode of the appliance 10 by pressing the button 20 . For example, by pressing the button 20 once, the control circuit 66 can activate the motor to move the brush unit 29 relative to the handle 12 . Press button 20 again to switch off the motor. When the button 22 is pressed, a stream of water is emitted from the nozzle 36 . The control circuit 66 activates the pump 48 to cause a substantial flow of water from the fluid chamber of the pump 48 to the nozzle 36 and to replenish the fluid chamber by drawing a volume of water from the fluid reservoir 34 .

The various connections between the handle 12, the rod 26 and the fluid reservoir 34 enable the appliance 10 to be easily disassembled by the user, eg, allowing components of the appliance 10 to be replaced, eg, due to wear. To replace the cleaning tool 14 , the user grasps the rod 26 or fluid reservoir 34 with one hand and the handle 12 with the other hand, pulling the cleaning tool 14 away from the handle 12 , as shown in FIG. 7 . Under the action of a user-applied force, the stopper 154 moves away from the recess on the outer surface of the plug 70 to enable the cleaning tool 14 to be removed from the handle 12 .

FIG. 8 shows a second embodiment of a cleaning tool 160 that is removably attached to the handle of the appliance 10 . Cleaning tool 160 has much of the same structure as cleaning tool 14 ; cleaning tool 160 includes the same stem 26 , head 28 , fluid reservoir 34 and connector 72 as cleaning tool 14 . In this second embodiment, the closure member 102 of the fluid reservoir 34 is replaced by a sleeve 162 for selectively blocking the fluid inlet 100 of the fluid reservoir 34 to prevent the passage of working fluid from the fluid inlet 100 during appliance use. leakage.

The sleeve 162 is formed of an elastomeric material, preferably a rubber material, and preferably a transparent or translucent material. The sleeve 162 is annular in shape. The first end 164 of the sleeve 162 is attached to the periphery of the bottom wall 78 of the fluid reservoir 34 and the second end 166 of the sleeve 162 is movable relative to the first end 164 .

The sleeve 162 is shown in a first configuration in FIG. 9 and in a second configuration in FIGS. 8 and 10 . In the second configuration, the sleeve 162 surrounds the lower section of the outer wall 100 , which is defined by the second housing portion 116 , and thereby blocks the fluid inlet 100 of the fluid reservoir 34 . As shown in FIG. 9 , the lower section of the outer wall 110 may be formed with a reduced thickness, or a reduced diameter, such that the outer surface of the sleeve 162 is substantially in line with the outer surface of the upper section of the outer wall 110 defined by the first housing portion 114 Flush surface.

In this configuration, the sleeve 162 exposes the fluid inlet 100 to enable a user to replenish the fluid reservoir 34 through the exposed fluid inlet 100 . Sleeve 162 includes tabs 168 positioned at second end 166 of sleeve 162 adjacent fluid inlet 100 that can be pulled by a user to partially peel sleeve 162 away from outer wall 110 to expose fluid inlet 100 . The sleeve 162 is preferably inherently biased toward the second configuration such that the sleeve 162 automatically returns to the second configuration when the tab 168 is released by the user after replenishment of the fluid reservoir 34 . As shown in FIG. 9 , the inner surface 170 of the sleeve 162 includes a raised portion 172 that at least partially enters the fluid inlet 100 to form a seal with the perimeter of the fluid inlet 100 when the sleeve 162 is returned to the second configuration.

Claims (27)

1. a kind of tooth cleaning device characterized by comprising

Nozzle, for transportation work fluid jet stream to user tooth；

Fluid storage, for storing working fluid, the fluid storage includes fluid inlet, and fluid storage passes through fluid Entrance is added；And

Sleeve streams body memory extension, and is arranged between the first configuration and the second configuration and is bent, in the first configuration Fluid inlet is exposed by sleeve to allow fluid storage to refill, and stops fluid inlet in the second configuration middle sleeve.

2. utensil according to claim 1, which is characterized in that sleeve is arranged to be drawn from the second configuration to first by user Configuration.

3. utensil according to claim 1, which is characterized in that sleeve includes lug, can be grasped by user with by sleeve It draws from the second configuration to the first configuration.

4. utensil according to claim 1, which is characterized in that hub being mounted is on fluid storage.

5. utensil according to claim 4, which is characterized in that the end of sleeve is connected to the bottom wall of fluid storage.

6. utensil according to claim 1, which is characterized in that fluid storage includes outer wall, and wherein fluid inlet is formed In the outer wall, and at least part of sleeve is arranged to engage outer wall when it is in the second configuration, and works as sleeve from second Configuration buckles away from outer wall when moving to the first configuration.

7. utensil according to claim 6, which is characterized in that outer wall is annular shape.

8. utensil according to claim 7, which is characterized in that outer wall has curved shape, convex shape and faceted One in shape.

9. utensil according to claim 8, which is characterized in that outer wall has elliposoidal, spherical and one of spherical Curvature.

10. utensil according to claim 1, which is characterized in that sleeve includes convex portion, for matching when sleeve second It is formed and is sealed with fluid inlet when setting.

11. utensil according to claim 1, which is characterized in that the bar extended including handle and between handle and nozzle, And wherein fluid storage is mounted on bar.

12. utensil according to claim 11, which is characterized in that at least partly around rod extends fluid storage.

13. utensil according to claim 11, which is characterized in that fluid storage surrounds bar.

14. utensil according to claim 11, which is characterized in that bar is detachably connected to handle.

15. a kind of burnisher for including the tooth cleaning device of handle, burnisher are detachably connected to the hand Handle, which is characterized in that the burnisher includes:

Nozzle, for transportation work fluid jet stream to user tooth；

Fluid storage, for storing working fluid, the fluid storage includes fluid inlet, and fluid storage passes through fluid Entrance is added；And

Sleeve streams body memory extension, and is arranged between the first configuration and the second configuration and is bent, in the first configuration Fluid inlet is exposed by sleeve to allow fluid storage to refill, and stops fluid inlet in the second configuration middle sleeve.

16. burnisher according to claim 15, which is characterized in that sleeve is arranged to be drawn by user from the second configuration To the first configuration.

17. burnisher according to claim 15, which is characterized in that sleeve includes lug, can be grasped by user with Sleeve is drawn from the second configuration to the first configuration.

18. burnisher according to claim 15, which is characterized in that hub being mounted is on fluid storage.

19. burnisher according to claim 15, which is characterized in that the end of sleeve is connected to fluid storage Bottom wall.

20. burnisher according to claim 15, which is characterized in that fluid storage includes outer wall, and wherein fluid enters Mouth is formed in the outer wall, and at least part of sleeve is arranged to engage outer wall when it is in the second configuration, and works as sleeve Outer wall is buckled away from when moving to the first configuration from the second configuration.

21. burnisher according to claim 20, which is characterized in that outer wall is annular shape.

22. burnisher according to claim 21, which is characterized in that outer wall has curved shape, convex shape and has One in the shape of facet.

23. burnisher according to claim 22, which is characterized in that outer wall is in elliposoidal, spherical and spherical shape A kind of curvature.

24. burnisher according to claim 15, which is characterized in that sleeve includes convex portion, for existing when sleeve It is formed and is sealed with fluid inlet when the second configuration.

25. burnisher according to claim 15, which is characterized in that including bar, and wherein, fluid storage is mounted Onto bar.

26. burnisher according to claim 25, which is characterized in that at least partly around rod extends fluid storage.

27. burnisher according to claim 25, which is characterized in that fluid storage surrounds bar.