Abstract:
A valve for adjusting the flow of water through an oral irrigation device is connected to a shower head by a flexible conduit. The valve is located on a handle connected to a water-dispensing pick for cleaning teeth and gums. An impeller-type pump is provided in the flexible conduit to pulsate the water.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0001]    1. Field of the Invention 
         [0002]    This invention relates to a dental hygiene device, and more particularly to a syringe for delivering a stream of water for cleaning the teeth and gums of a user while showering in combination with an accessory designed to deliver the water in a pulsating manner. 
         [0003]    2. Description of Prior Art 
         [0004]    Numerous methods and apparatus have been suggested for cleaning the teeth and gums by using a jet stream of water. 
         [0005]    One widely accepted system involves the use of a jet of water fed to a hand held syringe by an electrically driven pump placed beside a bathroom sink. This system requires a relatively expensive electrically driven pumping mechanism and the use of space adjacent the sink or water basin. 
         [0006]    Therefore, it has been suggested that it would be less time consuming and less expensive to clean one&#39;s teeth and gums with a stream of water in a shower stall rather than over a sink. Different forms of apparatus designed to utilize an oral syringe in a shower are illustrated in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,043,337; 4,265,229; 4,564,005; and 4,793,331. However, each of these systems requires a valve at the shower head to divert and redirect the stream of water through the syringe. For disabled persons in a wheelchair or for short people this is a distinct disadvantage negating their use of the device because they cannot reach the valve. Further, diverting the stream at the shower head requires some sort of pressure-lowering mechanism, so the full stream is diverted from the shower head to the cleaning unit and the shower flow is stopped. So the full stream can be used for teeth or gum cleaning. Nor are these devices readily subject to disassembly to replace worn or inoperable parts. In my copending application, Ser. No. 11/238,614, filed Sep. 29, 2005, assigned to the same assignee as this application, I disclose a shower head attachment which overcomes the deficiencies of the prior art. 
         [0007]    In my copending patent application, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference, a valve for adjusting the flow of water through the device is located on the handle connected to the water-dispensing pick. Rotation of the valve controls the amount and pressure of water dispensed through the pick in a direct stream from the shower head. The valve and its components are threadedly connected between the pick and handle of the device and can be readily disassembled to replace any worn parts. 
         [0008]    Furthermore, many users find it desirable to provide a pulsating stream, which is used to stimulate the gums of the user, without abrogating the cleaning function of the water stream. This invention discloses such a pulsator which can be used upstream of the water dispensing pick. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0009]    In accordance with the invention, a rotatable valve is placed in the water delivery line between the shower head and water streaming pick assembly. The valve includes an impeller having radially extending blades seated by a ring on a centrally located hub in a capped housing. Water from the shower head is conducted through a flexible conduit into the housing where it is directed by a pair of baffles to contact the radial impeller blades of the valve to cause the blades to rotate, which pushes the inflow into a pair of drain openings provided in the floor of the housing, which are sequentially opened and closed by the rotating impeller blades to create a pulsating effect on the water flow egressing from the drain openings and into a continuation conduit connected to the water pick upstream from the pick. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0010]    Further objects and advantages of the invention will become more apparent from the following description and claims and from the accompanying drawings, wherein: 
           [0011]      FIG. 1  is a fragmentary perspective view of a shower head attachment to which the pulsating apparatus of the present invention can be attached; 
           [0012]      FIG. 2  is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the shower head attachment of  FIG. 1 ; 
           [0013]      FIG. 3  is an exploded cross-sectional view of the components of the shower head attachment of  FIG. 3 ; 
           [0014]      FIG. 4  is a cross-sectional view of the components of the pulsating apparatus of the present invention, which can be used with the shower head attachment of  FIG. 1 , with its cover element removed; and 
           [0015]      FIG. 5  is an exploded cross-sectional view taken substantially along the plane indicated by line  5 - 5  of  FIG. 4 . 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
       [0016]    Referring now to the drawings in detail, wherein like numerals indicate like parts throughout the several views, and in particular  FIG. 1 , a shower stall is illustrated which includes a conventional shower head  10 , which receives water under pressure from inlet pipe  12 . An oral irrigating assembly  14  in accordance with the present invention is interposed between shower head  10  and inlet pipe  12 . 
         [0017]    The assembly  14  includes a fixture  16  threadedly connected to inlet pipe  12  at one end and the shower head  10  at its opposite end. A flexible conduit  18  is fixed at one end to fixture  16 , which has an opening  20  in communication with the interior of fixture  16 . The distal end of flexible conduit  18  is received within the interior of a handle component  22  and connected over the serrated end  24  of a housing  26 . 
         [0018]    The housing  26  threadedly receives a valve  28  having a threaded cylindrical portion  30 , received in threaded engagement with a complementary threaded portion  32  within housing  26 . Rotation of threaded portion  30  by means of a handle  34  moves the valve element  28  linearly, relatively out of housing  26 , while rotation in an opposite direction moves the valve linearly into the housing. 
         [0019]    At the end of valve  28  is a nipple  36  which seats within the bore  38  of housing  26  and blocks then the ingress of water from conduit  18  through the handle component  22 . Rotation of the handle to open the valve, by moving it out of the housing, moves the nipple  36  out of bore  38 . This enable water to enter the housing  26 , flow around the nipple  36 , past an O-ring seal  40  and against O-ring seal  41  on the valve and through an opening  42  into the interior of the housing. Depending on the distance of travel of the valve relative to the housing, the pressure and amount of the water delivered through opening  42  can be varied. To preclude the ingress of water from conduit  18  through valve  28 , the valve handle is turned in an opposite direction until O-ring seal  40  seats on housing valve seat  44 , effectively shutting the valve and precluding the ingress of water through the housing  26 . 
         [0020]    Connected to valve  28  by a pair of oppositely extending projections  46  received in openings  48  on valve  28  is a syringe or water pick  50  having an elongated nozzle  52 . provided with an opening  54 . Water streaming through valve  28  emanating from shower head  10  is conducted through the interior of nozzle  52  against the teeth and/or gums of a user to clean the same. 
         [0021]    It will be understood that the components of the apparatus are completely disassemble and the individual components as well as the O-ring seals may be replaced when worn as needed. 
         [0022]    Referring now to  FIGS. 4 and 5 , a valve  200  is placed in the water delivery line  18  between the shower head and water streaming pick assembly. The valve  200  includes an impeller  202  having radially extending blades  204  seated by a ring  206  on a centrally located hub  208  in a capped housing  210 . Water from the shower head is conducted through the flexible conduit  18  into the housing  210 , as indicated by the arrows A in  FIGS. 4 and 5  where it is directed by a pair of integral baffles  212 ,  214  to contact the radial impeller blades  204  of the valve  200 , which in turn pushes the inflow as indicated by the arrows B into a pair of drain openings  216 ,  218  provided in the floor  220  of the housing  210  which are sequentially opened and closed by the rotating impeller blades  204  to create a pulsating effect on the water flow egressing from the drain openings  216 ,  218  and into a continuation conduit  18  connected to the water pick upstream from the pick.