This invention relates generally to oral care appliances for cleaning teeth, and more specifically concerns an appliance which produces a time-sequence of liquid bursts.

Oral care appliances which produce liquid spray bursts or a continuous stream of liquid or liquid/air mixture are in general known. The bursts/stream are effective in disrupting bio film on the teeth, particularly in the interproximal areas of the teeth. The use of a sequence of liquid or liquid/air bursts overcomes the disadvantage of a continuous stream of fluid, which requires a large amount of liquid for each use, with the volume becoming uncomfortable in the mouth of the user. A sequence of bursts from the appliance can be accomplished by manual activation (firing) by the user, but which can, however, become over time monotonous for the user. Firing of the appliance can also be preprogrammed, e.g. at one-second intervals, but such a programmed sequence has been found to have disadvantages for particular users. Some users for instance feel rushed with a programmed sequence, or are unsure when the appliance will fire, resulting in anxiety over the firing sequence of the appliance. Further, a fixed automatic firing in many cases is not suited to produce the best effect for particular individuals. Still further, both manual and fixed automatic firing modes have not been well accepted when a liquid/air burst system is used as part of a power toothbrush with bristles. The liquid/air bursts often become a distraction to the user while they are brushing.

Accordingly, it is desirable to have a liquid/air burst arrangement in an oral cleaning appliance which can be programmed by the user in accordance with their particular requirements/desires.

Accordingly, the oral care appliance comprises: an appliance housing which includes therein a liquid burst system comprising a source of fluid, a nozzle assembly with an exit opening and a liquid burst generating system for delivering a sequence of liquid bursts through the exit opening for cleaning of teeth; and a controller for establishing an automatic sequence and timing of delivery of said liquid bursts through the exit opening, determined by the user.

Figures 1 and 1A are perspective views of a liquid/air burst appliance with a spray nozzle, particularly useful in cleaning interproximal areas of the teeth. Figures 2 and 2A are cross-sectional and exploded views of a power toothbrush with a liquid/air burst system.

Figure 3 is a block diagram showing the elements and sequence of steps in the user-controlled programming of an appliance of Figures 1 or 2 or other similar appliances.

Figures 1 and 1A show a teeth cleaning appliance 10 using a sequence of bursts of liquid or a liquid/air mixture (hereinafter referred to simply as liquid) to clean teeth, in particular, the interproximal areas of the teeth. Generally, appliance 10 includes a handle portion 12 and an extended nozzle portion 14, with a spray tip 16 at the distal end thereof, through which bursts of liquid exit. The handle includes conventional elements for producing the liquid bursts, including a liquid reservoir, a system for producing the sequence of liquid bursts, a power system and a microprocessor controller, shown generally at 17. The appliance includes an on/off switch 18 and an actuation button 20, which produces a manual firing of the appliance, upon each operation of which a single burst of liquid exits out spray tip 16.

Figures 2 and 2 A show an oral care appliance in the form of a power toothbrush 24, with a liquid burst system incorporated therein. The appliance includes a handle/housing portion 26 and a brushhead assembly portion 28 which includes a bristle plate 29 with bristles 30 at a distal end thereof. The handle includes a drive train system 32 for moving the brushhead in a desired oscillatory (back and forth) motion, which produces a mechanical cleansing/scrubbing of the teeth. The handle also includes a water reservoir 34 and a pump/delivery system 36 for generation of the liquid bursts. Bursts of liquid are moved to the bristle plate through a fluid path 38, which connects with the brushhead assembly 28. Positioned within the set of bristles 30 is a spray nozzle 39 (shown exploded for clarity) at the end of the fluid path. The power toothbrush is actuated by a power button 39, while the spray system to produce bursts of fluid spray is actuated by a manual actuation button 40. The operation of the appliance of Figures 2 and 2A is controlled by a microprocessor controller, shown generally at 42. A battery for power is shown at 43 and a charging coil at 45.

As discussed above, there are disadvantages with the use of a liquid burst appliance in an embodiment similar to that of Figures 1 and 1A or as part of a power toothbrush, shown in Figures 2 and 2A. There are disadvantages either when the liquid burst is initiated manually by the user, or produced in an automatic mode in a specified time sequence. In the present invention, the sequence and timing of the liquid bursts can be programmed by individual users. This is typically implemented in software in the microcontroller and selected mechanical elements of the appliance and can be accomplished in various ways/steps.

In one embodiment, for example, referring now to Figure 3, the power button on the appliance is operated by the user and held for a selected period of time, established in the controller, as shown in block 50. Figure 3 uses 3 seconds as a reasonable example. The programming sequence in the controller is initiated in a learning mode to establish the user's desired programmed sequence. The appliance then provides some indication, either audible or visual, to indicate that the program is in the learning mode. One example would be two audible beeps, as shown in block 50.

Next, in block 52 the manual fire button on the appliance (20 in Figure 1) is operated by the user at the desired pace or sequence for either an entire teeth cleaning routine (for the entire mouth) or for a shorter, repeatable sequence. One example is a series of successive firings with a particular interval, e.g. two seconds, to cover a selected number of teeth, such as the interproximal spaces for a quadrant of the mouth, or a small section of teeth, such as the molars, or the front teeth. There could then be a longer time interval used to position the appliance at the start of the next section of teeth to be cleaned, e.g. the next quadrant. This is by way of example only; the actual sequence can be determined completely by the user. The time intervals, established by manual firing by the user, establishes a firing sequence in the memory of the controller.

When the desired sequence is completed by the user, the power button is operated for a selected period of time, confirming the sequence in memory, determined by the microcontroller, as shown in block 54. This time could be for instance, until the handle beeps 3 times, as shown for example in block 54, although this can be varied. A visual or tactile indication could also be provided; the same could be provided in block 50 to indicate the learning mode. At this point, the user's desired programmed sequence has been learned by the microcontroller.

In the next step, shown at block 58, the appliance is changed to an auto-fire mode by operation of a separate button or selected operation of the on-off power button. The appliance is now ready for use with its custom programmed sequence. The reservoir of the appliance is filled with water, toothpaste is placed on the brush, if the appliance has bristles, ready to be used, as shown in block 60. When the power button is operated, the programmed firing sequence will begin, shown at block 62. If the user desires at any time to modify the original custom sequence, the steps outlined above are repeated.

Accordingly, an oral care appliance with a liquid spray burst capability having a custom-sequence program capability has been described. The custom programming capability typically uses existing elements on the device, such as the on/off power button, along with a program in the microcontroller. The appliance can be programmed to provide a custom sequence of successive bursts to assist in the cleansing of teeth, particularly the interproximal areas.

Although a preferred embodiment of the invention has been disclosed for purposes of illustration, it should be understood that various changes, modifications and substitutions may be incorporated within the embodiment without departing from the spirit of the invention, which is defined by the claims which follow: