Patent Publication Number: US-6699208-B2

Title: Oral irrigator housing

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application is a continuation of U.S. Ser. No. 09/557,790 filed Apr. 25, 2000, entitled “Oral Irrigator Housing,” now U.S. Pat. No. 6,475,173, which is a continuation of U.S. Ser. No. 09/217,973 filed Dec. 18, 1998, now U.S. Pat. No. 6,056,710 issued May 2, 2000, the disclosures of which are hereby incorporated by reference in their entirety. 
     This application is related to U.S. Pat. No. 6,247,929 issued Jun. 19, 2001, entitled “Oral Irrigator Handle Assembly Having a Pressure Control Valve and Stop Valve Assembly,” and assigned to the assignee of this application, the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety. 
    
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     This invention relates to oral irrigator housings, and more particularly relates to oral irrigator housings that are keyed to maintain proper orientation between the base and reservoir, and provide protection of the hand piece. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Oral irrigators are very popular dental hygiene apparatus for use in maintaining healthy gums. Typically, however, oral irrigators are relatively bulky and thus difficult to set down for use. Since oral irrigators are often used in bathrooms, and typically bathrooms have little or no counter top space, their size makes them sometimes hard to use. Their size also makes oral irrigators difficult to store when not in use. 
     Where an oral irrigator includes a removable reservoir for easy filling, these reservoirs are difficult to reposition properly on the base since the reservoir and the base have to be properly engaged to insure the fluid communication from the reservoir to the base is fluid-tight and does not leak. It is sometimes very difficult to reposition the reservoir without any guide or positional guidance. 
     Further, when the hand piece is stored in the base it is often subject to inadvertent contact which can dislodge or damage the hand piece. Typical oral irrigators allow the hand piece to be stored upright next to the reservoir, but in this position the hand piece is exposed from all but one side to inadvertent and potentially damaging contact by the user. 
     What is needed in the art is an oral irrigator housing that has a positional orientation structure to make attachment of the separable reservoir to the base more easily accomplished. In addition, an oral irrigator housing that forms a protective envelope around the hand piece while stored upright on the base is needed. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The oral irrigator housing of the present invention was developed with the shortcomings of the available housings described above in mind. The present invention provides an oral irrigator with an improved reservoir placement guide to facilitate easier and more accurate positioning of the reservoir on the top of the base unit in the upright position. In addition, the reservoir in the upright position acts to protect the stored hand piece by surrounding the hand piece in an indentation in the reservoir. The reservoir is also useable as a cover to protect the handle and jet tips, and to allow the oral irrigator to be stored more easily. 
     In more detail, a housing for an oral irrigator having a hand piece includes a base unit having an upper and lower portion, the lower portion engageable with a support surface and having an upper surface defining a recess for receiving the hand piece, and the lower portion defining a peripheral shoulder. The upper portion extends upwardly from the lower portion and defines a top surface, the top surface defining a port, the upper portion being positioned inside the peripheral shoulder. A reservoir has a bottom surface defining an aperture and sidewalls extending upwardly from the bottom surface to define a cavity having a peripheral rim, the sidewalls in part defining an indentation extending from the bottom surface up to a top end adjacent the peripheral rim at a position interior to the peripheral rim. A top wall extends from the top end of the indentation to the peripheral rim, the top wall forming an overhang. 
     The reservoir is positionable on the base unit such that the peripheral rim engages the peripheral shoulder on the housing unit to encompass the upper portion of the motor housing unit in the cavity. The reservoir is also positionable on the base unit such that the bottom surface of the reservoir rests on the top surface of the upper portion with the port and the aperture in alignment and sealingly engaged. The indentation is oriented with the recess, wherein the hand piece is received in the indentation and covered by the top wall. 
     In addition, the housing can further include a key extending upwardly from the top surface of the base unit, with the bottom surface of the reservoir defining a recess having a complementary shape to the key. The key is received in the recess when the reservoir is positioned on the base unit such that the bottom surface of the reservoir rests on the top surface of the upper portion with the port and the aperture in alignment and sealingly engaged. 
     A more complete appreciation of the present invention and its scope can be obtained from understanding the accompanying drawings, which are briefly summarized below, the following detailed description of the presently preferred embodiments of the invention, and the appended claims. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the oral irrigator housing incorporating the present invention showing the reservoir in the upright position on the base unit, and the hand piece positioned in the indentation formed in the reservoir. 
     FIGS. 2 and 3 are together an exploded perspective view of the oral irrigator housing of FIG.  1 . 
     FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the oral irrigator housing of FIG. 1 with the reservoir in the cover position. 
     FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the oral irrigator showing the hand piece removed from its storage recess on the base unit. 
     FIG. 6 is a side view of the oral irrigator with the reservoir in the upright position, and the hand piece positioned in the indentation. 
     FIG. 7 is an exploded view of the oral irrigator housing showing a medicament reservoir and cover. 
     FIG. 8 is a bottom perspective view of the medicament reservoir. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     The oral irrigator housing  20  incorporating the present invention is shown in FIG.  1 . The housing  20  includes a base unit  22  and a reservoir  24  for either holding water to supply the base unit  22  or covering the base unit  22 . A hand piece  26  is attached by a tube  28  to the base unit  22 , and is used to direct a pulsated water stream. The oral irrigator is used as a part of proper dental hygiene practice. 
     As best shown in FIGS. 1 and 3, the base unit  22  has a lower portion  30  and an upper portion  32 , with the upper portion  32  extending upwardly from the lower portion  30  and leaving an exposed upper surface  34 . The lower portion  30  has a bottom  36  for resting on a support surface, such as a table, sink or dresser. The upper surface  34  defines a recess  38  (see FIG. 5) having a rectangular perimeter  40  and a curved bottom  42  for storing the tube  28  in coiled form. In addition, the upper surface  34  includes a substantially circular recess  44  for receiving the handle  46  of the hand piece  26  and holding it in an upright position adjacent to the upper portion  32  of the base unit  22 . The upper surface  34  also defines at least one recess  48  for receiving the base  50  of the jet tip portion  52  of the hand piece  26 . The lower portion  30  of the base unit  22  also includes a lower skirt  54  which defines a continuous peripheral shoulder  56  at its top edge  58 , at the intersection of the peripheral skirt  54  and the upper surface  34  of the lower portion  30 . 
     The upper portion  32  of the base unit  22  extends upwardly from the upper surface  34  of the lower portion  30  and is contained within the peripheral shoulder  56 . The upper portion  32  has curved, substantially vertical side walls  60  and a top surface  62 . The top surface  62  is relatively planar, and defines a portal  64  formed therein. A keyed protrusion  66  is formed in the top surface  62  and extends from one end of the top surface  62  toward the opposite end along the length dimension of the upper portion  32 . The keyed protrusion  66  has a first flat wide end  68  adjacent the end of the top surface  62 , and a second curved narrow end  70  opposite the first end  68 . The width between the first and second ends preferably widens slightly in the middle and then narrows to the curved second end tip  70 . 
     The base unit  22  houses a motor and pump for providing a pulsated stream of water to the hand piece  26 . A suitable pump and motor is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,989,590, entitled “Irrigation Appliance,” issued Feb. 5, 1991, and assigned to the assignee of the present application, which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety, or in U.S. Pat. No. 5,399,089, entitled “Oral Hygiene Appliance,” issued Mar. 21, 1995, and assigned to the assignee of the present application, which is also incorporated by reference herein in its entirety. The pump receives water from the fluid stored in the reservoir  24 , as described in more detail below. The motor is powered by line voltage, connected through an outlet cord  72  and plug  74  to a standard electric outlet. 
     The tube  28  is attached to the output of the pump and carries the pulsed fluid to the hand piece  26 . The hand piece  26  includes a handle  46  and a separable jet tip  52 , and is used to direct the pulsed fluid in the desired direction. A suitable hand piece  26  is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,399,089, entitled “Oral Hygiene Appliance,” issued Mar. 21, 1995, and assigned to the assignee of the present application, and in U.S. Pat. No. 6,247,929 issued Jun. 19, 2001, entitled “Oral Irrigator Handle Assembly Having a Pressure Control Valve and Stop Valve Assembly,” also assigned to the assignee in this application, both incorporated by reference herein in their entirety. The hand piece  26  can be stored in the base unit  22  in the recess  44  formed in the upper surface  34  of the lower portion  30 . The hand piece  26  is stored in an upright orientation adjacent to the upper portion  32  of the base unit  22 . 
     As best shown in FIGS. 1,  2  and  4 , the reservoir  24  has a bottom surface  76  defining an aperture  80 , and side walls  78  extending upwardly from the bottom surface  76 . The combination of the bottom surface  76  and the side walls  78  form a cavity  82  having a peripheral rim  84  defining an opening. The bottom surface  76  of the reservoir  24  also defines a recess  86  having the complementary shape to the key protrusion  66  formed on the top surface  34  of the upper portion  32  of the base unit  22 . The recess  86  extends from one end of the bottom surface  76  toward the opposite end along the length dimension of the reservoir  24 . The recess  86  is formed at the intersection of the bottom surface  76  and the side wall  78 , and thus forms a recess in the side wall  78 . The keyed recess  86  has a first flat wide end  88  adjacent the end of the bottom surface  76 , and a second curved narrow end  90  opposite the first end  88 . The width between the first and second ends preferably widens slightly in the middle and then narrows to the curved second end tip  90 . The reservoir  24  is preferably made of plastic, such as ABS or high-impact polystyrene. 
     The side walls  78  also define, at a corner of the reservoir  24 , an indentation  92  extending upwardly from the bottom surface  76  to a top end  94  adjacent the peripheral rim  84 . The indented area  92  extends inwardly from the peripheral rim  84 . A top wall  96  extends from the top end  94  of the indentation  92  to the peripheral rim  84 , and forms an overhang  98 . The walls  100  of the indentation are preferably at right angles to one another, with a rounded intersection between the walls. The walls  100  of the indentation intersect the top wall  96  in a rounded corner. 
     The reservoir  24  is positionable on the base unit  22  in two different orientations, upright and as a cover, each with its own benefits. In the upright position, the bottom surface  76  of the reservoir  24  contacts the upper surface  34  of the upper portion  32  of the base  22 . In the upright position, the reservoir  24  can hold water to supply to the pump for passage through the hand piece  26  as desired. To supply water to the pump, the aperture  80  formed in the bottom surface  76  of the reservoir  24  orients with and sealingly engages the portal  64  formed in the top surface  62  of the upper portion  32  of the base unit  22 . The structure allowing the aperture to sealingly engage the portal  64  is any known or available structure, such as that disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,399,089 referenced above. 
     The reservoir  24  is properly positioned on the base unit  22  by the positioning of the key  66  on the top surface  62  of the upper portion  32  of the base unit  22  in the complementarily shaped recess  86  formed in the bottom surface  76  of the reservoir  24 . The elongated key  66  can enter the end of the recess  86  as the reservoir  24  is moved lengthwise over the base  22  to where the tip  70  of the key  66  engages the tip  90  of the recess  86 . At this point the entire length of the key  66  is positioned within the recess  86 . The sidewalls of the key  66  engage the sidewalls of the recess  86  to help maintain the proper lateral positioning of the reservoir  24  on the top surface  62  of the base unit  22 . When the tip  70  of the key  66  engages the tip  90  of the recess  86 , the longitudinal positioning and lateral positioning of the reservoir  24  is proper, and the aperture  80  and portal  64  are aligned for sealing engagement. This guided engagement is easily initiated by the user inserting the tip  70  of the key  66  into the open end  88  of the recess  86 , and moving the reservoir  24  longitudinally along the top of the base unit  22  until the tip  70  of the key  66  and the tip  90  of the recess  86  engage. 
     This keyed orientation of the reservoir  24  and base unit  22  is important for several reasons. One important reason is that the reservoir  24  is typically mounted on the base  22  after being filled with water. The key structure acts as a guide so the user does not have to guess the proper centered position of the reservoir  24  on the base unit  22 , and also does not have to estimate where the aperture  80  is properly oriented with the portal  64 . 
     After the reservoir  24  has been properly positioned, the user actuates the motor and pump by the on-off slide switch on the base unit  22 . The pump draws water out of the reservoir  24  and pumps it through the hand piece  26  until the reservoir  24  is empty. 
     Another benefit of the placement of the reservoir  24  in the upright position on the base unit  22  is that it protects the hand piece  26  stored in the upright position in the base unit  22 . The hand piece  26  extends upwardly, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 6 at a position to extend into and be received by the indentation  92  in the reservoir  24 . The top wall  96  extends over the hand piece  26 , and two adjacent sidewalls  100  of the indentation  92  protect the hand piece from incidental vertical or lateral contact by the user. This is a distinct advantage over other oral irrigators, where the hand piece is left exposed to incidental contact and possible damage. 
     Once empty and the user has completed his or her use of the oral irrigator, the reservoir  24  can be disengaged from the top of the base unit  22  and inverted to be placed over the base unit  22 , as shown in FIG.  4 . In this cover position, the jet tip  52  of the hand piece  26  must be removed and stored in its particular storage location in the lower portion  30  of the base unit  22 , but the handle  46  of the hand piece  26  can remain in its particular recess  44 . The peripheral rim  84  of the reservoir  24  engages the peripheral shoulder  56  on the lower portion  30  of the base unit  22  to orient the reservoir  24  and hold it in place. The reservoir  24  in the cover position allows the oral irrigator to have a reduced size for storage, and helps keep the handle  46  and jet tips  52  from being dislodged, lost or damaged. 
     FIGS. 7 and 8 show an alternative embodiment of the reservoir  24  for use on the base unit  22 . This alternative reservoir  102  is smaller, for use with smaller volumes of liquid, such as when medicament is to be used in the oral irrigator. The bottom surface  104  of the medicament reservoir  102  defines an aperture  106  identical to the aperture above. The bottom surface  104  of the medicament reservoir  102  also forms a recess  108  in the same spatial orientation to the aperture as that described above. The recess  108  on the bottom surface  104  of the medicament reservoir  102  is relatively short in length and receives the tip  70  and a short length of the key  66  formed on the top of the base unit  22 . The majority of the length of the key  66  extends outside the recess. Nonetheless, the recess  108  works in combination with the key  66  as a guide to properly position the medicament reservoir  102  on the top surface  62  of the base unit  22  for proper orientation of the aperture  106  with the portal  64 . The medicament reservoir  102  includes a top cover  110  having a ridge-type handle  112  extending longitudinally along the top cover  110 . The top cover  110  is used to close the open end of the medicament reservoir if desired. 
     In operation, the present invention provides an oral irrigator with an improved reservoir placement guide to facilitate easier and more accurate positioning of the reservoir on the top of the base unit  22  in the upright position. In addition, the reservoir in the upright position acts to protect the stored hand piece by surrounding the hand piece in an indentation in the reservoir. The reservoir is also useable as a cover to protect the handle and jet tips, and to allow the oral irrigator to be stored more easily. 
     A presently preferred embodiment of the present invention and many of its improvements have been described with a degree of particularity. It should be understood that this description has been made by way of example, and that the invention is defined by the scope of the following claims.