阅读说明：本技术 液压驱动刷-齿间喷射组合 (Hydraulically driven brush-interdental jet combination ) 是由 B·戈藤伯斯 M·T·J·约翰逊 于 2020-04-09 设计创作，主要内容包括：本发明涉及一种用于利用刷和齿间液体清洁的组合来清洁牙齿的口腔清洁系统(100)。口腔清洁系统(100)包括清洁头(200)以及具有用于容纳流体(110)的流体储存器(350)的支撑单元(300)。清洁头(200)包括用于刷牙的刷(240)以及用于排放用于齿间液体清洁的流体(110)的一部分的孔口(250)。第一流体通道(210)将流体从流体储存器引导到驱动刷(240)的液压马达(230),以及引导到孔口(250)。清洁头(200)还包括第二流体通道(220),被配置用于将流体(110)的至少一部分从液压马达(230)输送回支撑单元的流体储存器(350)。(The present invention relates to an oral cleaning system (100) for cleaning teeth using a combination of a brush and interdental liquid cleaning. The oral cleaning system (100) comprises a cleaning head (200) and a support unit (300) having a fluid reservoir (350) for containing a fluid (110). The cleaning head (200) comprises a brush (240) for brushing teeth and an orifice (250) for discharging a portion of the fluid (110) for interdental liquid cleaning. The first fluid channel (210) directs fluid from the fluid reservoir to a hydraulic motor (230) that drives the brush (240), and to an orifice (250). The cleaning head (200) further comprises a second fluid channel (220) configured for transporting at least a portion of the fluid (110) from the hydraulic motor (230) back to the fluid reservoir (350) of the support unit.)

1. A cleaning head (200) for an oral cleaning system (100) for cleaning teeth (120) with a combination of brush and interdental liquid cleaning, the oral cleaning system (100) comprising the cleaning head (200) and a support unit (300), the support unit (300) having a fluid reservoir (350) for containing a fluid (110), the cleaning head (200) comprising:

a brush (240) for brushing the teeth (120),

an orifice (250) for discharging a portion of the fluid (110) for interdental cleaning,

a hydraulic motor (230) for driving the brush (240),

a first fluid passage (210) for conveying the fluid (110) from the support unit (300) to the hydraulic motor (230) and the orifice (250), an

A second fluid passage (220) for conveying at least a portion of the fluid (110) from the hydraulic motor (230) back to the support unit (300).

2. The cleaning head (200) according to claim 1,

wherein the hydraulic motor (230) is configured to drive the brush (240) based on a fluid flow in the first fluid channel (210) of the cleaning head (200).

3. The cleaning head (200) according to any one of claims 1 or 2,

wherein the cleaning head (200) comprises at least one valve (260), the at least one valve (260) being connected to the aperture (250) and configured to allow fluid (110) to flow through the aperture (250) into the interdental space (130) when the valve (260) is in an open configuration.

4. The cleaning head (200) according to claim 3,

wherein the valve (260) is located within the hydraulic motor (230), an

Wherein the cleaning head (200) is configured to discharge the fluid (110) through the valve (260), through the aperture (250), and through the brush (240).

5. The cleaning head (200) according to claim 3 or 4,

wherein the cleaning head (200) comprises a sensor (270), the sensor (270) being for detecting a spatial alignment of the interdental space (130) and the aperture (250), and

wherein the cleaning head (200) is configured to open the valve (260) when the sensor (270) detects that an interdental space (130) is aligned with a space of the aperture (250).

6. The cleaning head (200) according to any one of claims 3 to 5,

wherein the valve (260) is configured to be opened by a manual, electrical or hydraulic actuator.

7. The cleaning head (200) according to claim 3 or 4,

wherein the brushes (240) are shaped to generate an increased brush friction when brushing the inter-tooth spaces (130), thereby generating an increased hydraulic pressure of the fluid (110) in the first fluid channel (210), an

Wherein the valve (260) is configured to be opened during the increased hydraulic pressure of the fluid (110).

8. The cleaning head (200) according to any of the preceding claims,

wherein the cleaning head (200) further comprises the interdental brush (290),

wherein the interdental brush (290) is configured as an entrance to an interdental space (130), an

Wherein the interdental brush (290) is configured to be activated by the fluid (110) discharged for interdental liquid cleaning.

9. A support unit (300) for an oral cleaning system (100), the oral cleaning system (100) cleaning teeth (120) with a combination of a brush and an interdental liquid cleaning, the oral cleaning system (100) having the support unit (300) and a cleaning head (200) according to any one of the preceding claims, the support unit (300) comprising:

a fluid reservoir (350) for containing a fluid (110),

a pump mechanism (340) for pumping the fluid (110) from the fluid reservoir (350) into the first fluid passage (210) of the cleaning head (200), and

wherein the support unit (300) is configured to: for receiving at least a portion of the fluid (110) from the hydraulic motor (230) through the second fluid passage (220) of the cleaning head (200), and for directing the portion of the fluid (110) towards the fluid reservoir (350) and/or directly towards a pump inlet of the pump mechanism.

10. The support unit (300) of claim 9,

wherein the support unit (300) comprises an energy source (330) for providing energy to the pump mechanism (340).

11. Support unit (300) according to claim 9 or 10,

wherein the support unit (300) comprises an attachment section,

wherein the attachment section comprises:

a first opening (310), the first opening (310) being configured to be in fluid connection with the first fluid channel (210) of the cleaning head (200) when the support unit (300) is attached to the cleaning head (200), an

A second opening (320), the second opening (320) configured to be in fluid connection with the second fluid channel (220) of the cleaning head (200) when the support unit (300) is attached to the cleaning head (200).

12. The support unit (300) according to any one of claims 9 to 11,

wherein the support unit (300) is a handle.

13. An oral cleaning system (100) for cleaning teeth (120) using a combination of brush and interdental liquid cleaning, the oral cleaning system (100) comprising:

the cleaning head (200) according to any one of claims 1 to 8, and

the support unit (300) according to any of claims 9-12, wherein the support unit (300) is attached to the cleaning head (200).

14. The oral cleaning system (100) according to claim 13,

wherein the oral cleaning system (100) comprises a plurality of cleaning heads (200) according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein each of the cleaning heads (200) is configured to clean a separate surface of a tooth (120), an

Wherein the oral cleaning system (100) is configured to clean separate surfaces of the tooth or teeth (120) simultaneously.

15. A method for cleaning teeth (120) with a combination of brush and interdental liquid cleaning, the method comprising the steps of:

pumping fluid (110) from a fluid reservoir (350) in a support unit (300) through a first fluid channel (210) to a cleaning head (200) connected to the support unit (300),

actuating a hydraulic motor (230) using the fluid (110) to drive a brush (240) of the cleaning head (200) to clean teeth (120),

directing at least a portion of the fluid (110) from the cleaning head (200) back into the fluid reservoir (350) through a second fluid channel (200), an

Discharging a portion of the fluid (110) for interdental liquid cleaning through an aperture (250) of the cleaning head (200).

Technical Field

The present invention relates to a cleaning head for an oral cleaning system for cleaning teeth with a combination of a brush and an interdental liquid cleaning, a support unit for an oral cleaning system for cleaning teeth with a combination of a brush and an interdental liquid cleaning, a tooth cleaning system for cleaning teeth with a combination of a brush and an interdental liquid cleaning, and a method.

Background

US 6602071 discloses a hand-held cleaning device comprising a cleaning portion having a discharge opening and a suction opening; and a pump for discharging the fluid through the discharge port of the cleaning part and simultaneously generating a suction force at the suction port of the cleaning part. Waste liquid and debris are drawn into the suction opening by suction through the spaces between the teeth, thereby improving cleaning.

US 2004045107 discloses a hydraulically driven toothbrush with a dental nozzle. The oral cleaning device assembly is an oral hygiene implement that is connected to a water tap and uses the normal water pressure in the system. This combined, dual-mode invention has two modes of operation, namely brushing and dental spray. In a brushing mode, a diverter in the handle directs water into a water jet impeller that drives the toothbrush. In the dental spray mode, the diverter directs water to the nozzle. The toothbrush is connected to a faucet diverter that serves as a source of water and energy. The impeller is driven by water pressure and water flows out of the connection with the faucet discharge.

KR 20090039131 discloses a rotatory toothbrush that washs, through realizing rotation function and clean function simultaneously, has removed the trouble of using from, has improved the convenience. This rotatory toothbrush that washs includes: a toothbrush part composed of a rotary blade which is integrally formed at an upper side of the rotary unit and rotates the rotary unit by water pressure; a washing water path for supplying high-pressure water to the washing water space; a water inlet passage for supplying high pressure water from the extension part to the revolution space; a pipe part including a drain pipe for discharging the high pressure water of the revolution space to the extension part; a control body inserted to cover an outer side of the extension portion; and the water connecting body is used for spraying high-pressure water from the inlet of the drainage pipeline. Specifically, high-pressure water is supplied by a water pump and is supplied to a washing water pipe inlet or an inlet pipe inlet, and is supplied to an inlet pipe inlet and circulated after an outlet pipe inlet. The high-pressure water returned to the roller is returned to the water pump.

Oral diseases, such as gum disease or dental caries, are often due to poor oral hygiene and people do not pay sufficient attention to remove plaque from their teeth. A particular problem for most people is the care for the space between the teeth, since interdental cleaning requires additional effort on a brushing basis. Therefore, it would be highly advantageous to have interdental cleaning while brushing teeth. Many patents are known in the art that combine a powered toothbrush with a mouthrinse nozzle for cleaning interdental spaces. Irrigators and droplet devices, like flossing, are known for interdental cleaning and for ensuring interdental gum health. Thus, such a combination may indeed replace a conventional electric toothbrush. However, developing a system that meets all of the user requirements (e.g., a tetherless, compact, reliable handheld device) is a complex technical challenge.

One of the challenges facing the development, manufacture and reliability of power toothbrush-oral rinse combination is to combine the mechanical transmission of the power toothbrush head motion with the pressurized jet delivery from the device handle to the head. Mechanical systems are often greatly affected by fluid systems and vice versa. Reliability problems often occur at the fluid connection and at the mechanical interface.

This problem becomes more pronounced in the multi-brush concept. While the mechanical energy transfer of a single brush may be relatively simple by vibrating the shaft (e.g. as is commonly used with acoustic wave powered brushes), and may also be used for liquid transfer when hollow, for multi-surface brushes, a simple vibrating drive of the shaft may not bring sufficient energy to all of the brushing surfaces. Many brushes on the market already require only mechanical energy transfer to be complex and prone to malfunctioning systems.

The inventors of the present invention have recognized that severely limiting the amount of fluid used is another important aspect. Large liquid volumes have the following disadvantages: the reservoir and device become bulky and large, which makes handling difficult. The alternative of having a tether is also not attractive to many consumers. In addition, the amount of liquid in the mouth can cause discomfort during use. This results in the need to spit anywhere, pour out the liquid, or keep the mouth open above the sink. In addition, the liquid dilutes fluoride in the toothpaste, thereby reducing anti-caries activity.

Too much volume is not required for the hydrodynamic cleaning of interdental spaces by the fluid. In the prior art, the known device uses 0.6ml for each interdental gap, so a total of 18ml for 30 interdental gaps. A higher spray rate setting may be found and therefore even half the aforementioned liquid volume may have similar efficacy.

In the prior art, numerous patents are known for hydraulically driven toothbrushes in combination with rinsing. Such a system limits the transfer of energy from the handle to the head to a mode that is simply a pressurized liquid. However, all of these patent designs use a faucet connection to provide hydraulic power.

This solution for connecting the water tap has a number of drawbacks. This is too complicated for most users, as it requires a reliable connection to the tap. Furthermore, the fluid jet discharge is continuous, and therefore uses a large amount of water, which brings additional disadvantages as described above. Furthermore, the tap pressure is variable, but above all limited to around 2 bar. Useful plaque removal can only be initiated above 3bar, whereas for equivalent efficacy as mechanical dental floss or interdental brush, the spray pressure needs to be greater than 5bar, preferably greater than 7bar, especially when low liquid volumes are used. Furthermore, cleaning is limited to water, and it may be advantageous to use an active agent solution, such as a fluoride solution, to counteract the dilution of the toothpaste by the liquid.

Alternative solutions have also been described in the prior art that merely bring mechanical energy into the brush head and have a micro liquid pump in the head driven by the head motion. Since the pump is small and the brush movement energy is limited, this solution can only provide a low energy rinse, which is not sufficient to achieve the same full function as dental floss.

For all these reasons identified by the inventors of the present invention, it would be advantageous to create an oral cleaning system that combines brushing and interdental liquid cleaning without the above-mentioned disadvantages.

Disclosure of Invention

It is an object of the present invention to facilitate oral cavity cleaning by a combination of hydraulically driven brushes and interdental liquid cleaning, which significantly reduces the amount of fluid consumed.

The object of the invention is solved by the subject matter of the independent claims, wherein further embodiments are incorporated in the dependent claims.

The described embodiments similarly relate to a cleaning head of an oral cleaning system for cleaning teeth in combination with a brush and an interdental liquid cleaning, a support unit of an oral cleaning system for cleaning teeth in combination with a brush and an interdental liquid cleaning, and an oral cleaning system and method in combination with a brush and an interdental liquid cleaning. Although different combinations of embodiments may not be described in detail, different combinations of embodiments may produce synergistic effects.

Furthermore, it should be noted that all embodiments of the invention relating to a method may be performed in the order of the steps described, which however is not necessarily the only and essential order of the steps of the method. The methods presented herein may be performed in another order of the steps disclosed, unless explicitly mentioned to the contrary in the following, without departing from the corresponding method embodiments.

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a cleaning head for an oral cleaning system for cleaning teeth using a combination of a brush and an interdental liquid cleaning. The cleaning head includes a brush for brushing teeth, an orifice for discharging a portion of the fluid for interdental liquid cleaning, and a hydraulic motor for driving the brush. The cleaning head also includes a first fluid channel configured to convey fluid from the support unit of the oral cleaning system to the first fluid channel of the hydraulic motor, and a second fluid channel configured to convey at least a portion of the fluid from the hydraulic motor back to the support unit.

A cleaning head for an oral cleaning system uses a combination of a brush and interdental liquid cleaning to clean the teeth of a user. The brush is driven to effect movement of the brush relative to the cleaning head and the oral cleaning system to provide effective cleaning of the tooth surfaces. However, such brushes may not reach the interdental spaces between the teeth. Accordingly, the cleaning head uses the cleaning fluid jet discharged through the orifice, thereby cleaning the interdental spaces. This cleaning is as effective as flossing. The cleaning head is configured to be supplied with pressurized fluid only through the first fluid passage. This fluid drives a hydraulic motor located in the cleaning head which transfers its motion to the brush. At least a portion of the fluid may be expelled through the apertures for interdental liquid cleaning. The portion of the fluid used to drive the hydraulic motor but not expelled through the orifice is directed back through the second fluid passage to the support unit of the oral cleaning system to be preserved. Thus, the cleaning head provides effective cleaning of the teeth and interdental spaces. This arrangement is quite simple as fluid need only be delivered from the support unit to the cleaning head and then returned to the support unit. No additional mechanical energy transfer is required to drive the brush. Furthermore, because only a portion of the fluid is expelled, the cleaning head conserves fluid, which is required for interdental cleaning. Thus, an oral cleaning system with a cleaning head according to the invention may be compact and yet provide sufficient fluid for a complete cleaning session without the need to connect the oral cleaning system to a water tap. Thus, in the case of an oral cleaning system comprising a support unit with a fluid reservoir, fluid for driving the hydraulic motor in the cleaning head without being expelled through the aperture of the cleaning head is directed back to the support unit, thereby enabling an autonomous oral cleaning system with only a medium-sized reservoir, so as not to need to be connected to an external liquid supply when in use.

In various embodiments, the cleaning head of this aspect and each of the other embodiments mentioned herein may be combined with a support unit and attached to the support unit such that they constitute an oral cleaning system. This can easily be derived from the embodiment shown in fig. 1 for example and will be explained in more detail below.

In one embodiment of the invention, the hydraulic motor is configured to drive the brush based on fluid flow within the first fluid channel of the cleaning head.

Fluid flow in the first fluid passage may be converted to mechanical motion in the cleaning head by the hydraulic motor. The hydraulic motor may include an impeller or turbine that is rotated by the flow of fluid. Rotation of the impeller or turbine may be directly transferred to rotation of the brush. Alternatively, the rotation can be easily converted into an oscillation. Depending on the design of the hydraulic motor, the fluid flow may also immediately produce side-to-side oscillations or other movements. An exemplary embodiment of such a hydraulic motor is shown for example in fig. 4a and will be explained in more detail below.

In one embodiment of the invention, the cleaning head includes at least one valve connected to the aperture and configured to allow fluid to flow through the aperture into the interdental spaces when the valve is in an open configuration.

This valve of the cleaning head may be positioned between the first fluid passage and the aperture. It is configured to open or close, thereby allowing or preventing fluid flow through the orifice; thus, if the valve is closed, the portion of fluid discharged through the orifice may be zero, so in this case, at least a portion of the fluid directed back through the second fluid passage may be the entire fluid directed through the first passage to the hydraulic motor. The valve allows the desired fluid discharge through the orifice only when the orifice is located opposite the interdental space. Only at the location of the interdental space is fluid released through the orifice, thereby providing a burst of fluid that cleans the interdental space. The burst of fluid may preferably be a low volume and high pressure burst of fluid to facilitate efficient cleaning using low consumption cleaning fluid.

Preferably, in one embodiment, less than 20ml is used to clean all interdental spaces. Dynamic cleaning of interdental spaces using liquidsThe space does not need much volume. 0.6ml per interdental space and thus a total of 18ml of 30 spaces is sufficient. For cleaning effect a minimum fluid velocity of about 25m/s is required, which corresponds to about 3.1bar in a hydraulic drive system. To ensure optimum cleaning, pressures of about 6.1 to 10.1bar, corresponding to 35 to 45m/s, are recommended when using these minimum fluid bursts. Beyond 50m/s (corresponding to about 12.5bar), discomfort and possible soft tissue damage may occur. In order to maintain a preferred fluid volume of 0.6ml per space, i.e. 0.3ml per operative side (e.g. buccal and lingual side), it is necessary to control the length of the ejection pulse. Additionally, in a preferred embodiment, the rise and fall of the ejection velocity occurs immediately, i.e. a block pulse fluid ejection is generated, so that the entire volume reaches its maximum cleaning potential. For a perfect block pulse, the volume V used depends on the pulse time t and the average velocity U, according to V ═ a x U x t, where a is the opening area of the orifice. For 0.5mm²Typical oral rinse orifice area a and liquid velocity U of 40m/s, the maximum pulse time t will be limited to 15ms to create a 0.3ml jet. However, valve opening time may not always be well controlled, particularly in embodiments where the valve opening is not electronically controlled. The volume may increase to more than 20 ml. The area a can be further reduced to reduce the amount of use. In order to still maintain a good cleaning footprint, the fluid may break or spread into the fluid sheet during spraying. Additionally, the nozzle may move with the movement of the brush, thereby increasing the fluid impact footprint.

The invention disclosed herein may alternatively be applied to a mouthpiece (mouthpiece) rather than a "standard" brush. Thus, an oral cleaning system as disclosed herein may be a mouthpiece, wherein the "cleaning head" is the first part of the mouthpiece and the "support unit" is the second part of the mouthpiece. Thus, the support unit in this embodiment is a component of a mouthpiece containing a pump mechanism and fluid reservoir as described herein. In other words, the support unit in this embodiment is not held by the user during use, but is part of the mouthpiece itself, which is placed in the mouth, which cleans the teeth in combination with the brush and interdental liquid cleaning as described in detail herein. The invention is of course also applicable to a combination of a handle and a cleaning head as described in detail in the context of the drawings.

In one embodiment of the invention, the valve is positioned in the hydraulic motor and the cleaning head is configured to discharge liquid through the valve, through the orifice and through the brush.

The valve may also be positioned in the hydraulic motor, thereby providing a fluid connection of the fluid in the hydraulic motor with the orifice. In this embodiment, the cleaning head may be configured such that the apertures are positioned in the brush so as to discharge fluid through the brush or from between the bristles of the brush. This may enable a user of the oral cleaning system to comfortably position the aperture and its position relative to the interdental spaces.

In one embodiment of the invention, the oral cleaning system comprises an attachment section, wherein the attachment section is not detachable from the support unit/body. In an exemplary embodiment thereof, the attachment is performed only by replacing the bristle plate.

The valve may alternatively be positioned such that the valve provides pressurized fluid in the first fluid passage to the orifice before the pressure of the fluid is reduced by the hydraulic motor. The valve is therefore in direct contact with the maximum pressure of the fluid. This enables the orifice to provide a fluid jet with an optimum pressure. Further, the cleaning head comprises an attachment section configured to be attached to a support unit of the oral cleaning system. In this embodiment of the invention, the attachment section allows the cleaning head to be attached to and detached from the support unit, for example for the purpose of cleaning or replacing the cleaning head. Further, the oral cleaning system may comprise an elongated neck connecting the support unit and the cleaning head. The neck facilitates gripping of the oral cleaning system and insertion of the brush portion into the mouth of the user. The cleaning head may be configured to provide an attachment section between the support unit and the neck or between the brush portion and the neck. The attachment section may also be positioned in the neck. The brush may also be configured to be removable from the cleaning head for replacement or renewal of the brush.

In an embodiment of the invention, the cleaning head comprises a sensor for detecting that the interdental space is aligned with the space of the aperture, and the cleaning head is configured to open the valve when the sensor detects that the interdental space is aligned with the space of the aperture.

In a simple system, when the tactile feedback tells the user that the nozzle is located at the interdental space, the user may actuate the valve by, for example, pressing a button to open the valve or manually opening the valve. Thus, the aperture should not be hidden inside the brush, but should extend sufficiently to obtain tactile feedback from the teeth. Alternatively, the brush has a specific tip that provides tactile feedback when it is in the interdental space, and an orifice is also located on this tip. In this embodiment of the invention, automatically actuated interdental liquid cleaning with valving may be achieved by using a suitable interproximal space sensor. Such sensors may detect a greater distance, for example, from the sensor or darker areas of the interdental space, or they may detect gum bending. The sensor may be, for example, an optical sensor, such as a 2D or 3D camera with recognition software or laser profile. Furthermore, it may be an acoustic sensor, such as ultrasonic imaging, a mechanical sensor or any of various physical measurement principles capable of detecting contrast between the tooth and the interdental space. When the sensor detects the interdental space, a pressure change may be induced by varying the power of the pumping system of the oral cleaning system, such that the valve is opened, e.g. electrically or hydraulically.

In one embodiment of the invention, the sensor as described above is comprised in another part of the oral cleaning system, such as the support unit. Accordingly, the oral cleaning system comprises a sensor for detecting alignment of the interdental spaces with the spaces of the apertures, and the oral cleaning system is configured to open the valve when the sensor detects alignment of the interdental spaces with the spaces of the apertures. In one embodiment of the invention, the system comprises one or more sensors, such as pressure sensors or pump motor power sensors inside the support unit and/or inside the cleaning head.

In one embodiment of the invention, the valve is configured to be opened by a manual, electrical or hydraulic actuator.

Many different possible valve designs are known. They can be actuated in a number of different ways. For example, a manual actuator, an electric actuator, or a hydraulically driven actuator may be used. Further, the valve may be configured to be manually actuated by a user. Manual opening (or e.g. by snapping or the like) may enable a compact valve system because no electric actuator is required, but this is less attractive to the user and may be too complex to perform well. Furthermore, there are many examples available in the art of electrically operated valves to be suitable for use in this embodiment of the invention. A disadvantage of such a valve may be the high cost and complexity associated with the need for electronics in the brushhead portion. Additionally, the valves that need to be located in the brushhead portion of the system are small. Whereas electronic valves are generally too large and therefore require miniaturization for this application. The size is primarily the motor/actuator that drives the valve open, while the closing can be accomplished by a spring system. A hydraulic system using fluid pressure may be more attractive to open a valve, as the system is anyway available and can be very compact. The hydraulic actuator that opens the valve may be hydraulically controlled. Many valve designs are known in the art that require a specific threshold pressure to open, such as a duckbill valve. The valve requires a certain threshold force or pressure to open. When the pressure in the hydraulic system rises temporarily, the force is high enough to open the valve. When the force drops, it will normally close again using a spring system. The valve may also be operated in a reverse manner, i.e. closed during normal high pressure mode in the hydraulic system and opened by a spring or spring force when the pressure in the system drops.

In one embodiment of the invention, the brush is shaped to generate an increased brush friction when brushing the inter-tooth spaces, thereby generating an increased fluid pressure in the first fluid channel, and the valve is configured to be opened by or during the increased fluid pressure.

When the brush is designed to achieve increased frictional resistance in the interdental spaces, a cleaning head with a hydraulically actuated valve without a sensor can be considered in this embodiment of the invention. For example, if the bristle trim simulates a concave shape of the interdental space, e.g. with a conical tuft line that fits well into the interdental space, this will result in an increased frictional resistance in the interdental space. Since the contact area of the bristles with the teeth is larger in the interdental space than the contact area of the bristles on the outer side surfaces of the teeth, the friction of the brush is larger at the interdental space. Increased friction can be achieved by giving the brush a specific geometry so that it is partially caught between the teeth, rather than being caught on other tooth surfaces. An alternative is to add only one or two longer bristle tufts, which would become partially lodged in the interdental spaces. The tufts may also be of a different material, such as a rubber portion that increases in friction when pushed into the interdental space. In at least a partial rotational movement or side-to-side movement of the brush, additionally, the friction force may be greater than in an up-and-down movement. The increased friction will increase the reaction force pushing the fluid in the hydraulic system, since the hydraulic motor will be subjected to a restraining force, which will increase the pressure. The valve may be configured such that this pressure increase exceeds a threshold pressure of the valve and causes automatic ejection at the interdental spaces. Preferably, for more reliable operation, a pressure sensor may also be included in the hydraulic system before the hydraulic motor to detect this pressure change. As the pressure increases due to increased friction, the pressure sensor may cause the pump mechanism to provide additional pressure rise to ensure that the proper spray pulse is generated in the interdental spaces. As an alternative to a pressure sensor, the electrical power entering the pump mechanism may be measured, which also increases with increasing pressure. The fluid jet can then be ejected by briefly increasing the pressure in the hydraulic system, which exceeds the spring force that keeps the valve closed. When the pressure drops to the normal brush drive pressure on the outer surface of the teeth, the valve closes again and the spray stops.

It will be appreciated that the feature of opening the valve "during a hydraulic pressure increase of the fluid" also includes embodiments where the pressure is detected, for example under a support unit, and subsequently an opening is triggered in another way using, for example, an increasing pressure pulse. The skilled person will understand that the opening of the valve may thus take place during the time when the increased hydraulic pressure of the fluid is present.

In an embodiment of the invention, the cleaning head further comprises an interdental brush configured to brush the entrance of the interdental space, the interdental brush being configured to be activated by the expelled fluid for interdental liquid cleaning.

In addition to the brush used for brushing, the cleaning head also includes an interdental brush configured to preferentially brush the entrance of interdental spaces between teeth, such as the visible portions of the interproximal surfaces of adjacent teeth. In this embodiment of the invention, the interdental jet of discharged fluid may also be used to actuate a separate brush element intended to brush the entrance of the interdental space. A very high pressure burst of fluid is released at the interdental space. Despite the rather small mass, the fluid is discharged at a very high velocity, resulting in a high momentum. Such pulses generated by the regular release and removal of the fluid jet can be used to further induce the brush motion of the individual interdental brushes. The forward momentum of the fluid burst also causes the rearward momentum of the orifice. When the aperture is attached to the movable interdental brush, the brush will thus start to move. In this embodiment of the invention, since these spray events occur only at the interdental spaces, a preferred feature may be to actuate the interdental brush with a burst of fluid. The pulses may additionally initiate or enhance a resonance type of motion to increase the amplitude of the specially designed inter-dentiture brush. If the bursts are repeated, the interdental brush may be mounted on a spring having a resonant frequency of the burst frequency, thereby achieving a high amplitude of the interdental brush.

According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a support unit for an oral cleaning system for cleaning teeth using a combination of a brush and interdental liquid cleaning. The support unit includes a fluid reservoir for containing a fluid for interdental liquid cleaning, and a pump mechanism for pumping the fluid from the fluid reservoir into a first fluid channel of a cleaning head of the oral cleaning system. The support unit is configured for receiving at least a portion of the backflow fluid from the second fluid passage of the cleaning head and for directing the portion of the fluid towards the fluid reservoir and/or towards a pump inlet of the pump mechanism.

As previously mentioned, the support unit may be combined with a cleaning head to form an oral cleaning system.

A support unit of an oral cleaning system for cleaning teeth in combination with a brush and interdental liquid cleaning may be attached to an attachment section of a cleaning head such that fluid provided by the support unit is forwarded to a first fluid channel of the cleaning head and such that fluid received back from a second fluid channel of the cleaning head is retained in a fluid reservoir of the support unit. To provide the fluid, the support unit includes a pump mechanism configured to receive the fluid from the fluid reservoir and deliver the fluid to a first fluid passage of a cleaning head attached to the support unit. In an alternative embodiment, the pump mechanism is configured to receive fluid from the second fluid passage of the cleaning head and provide pressurized fluid to the fluid reservoir, which in turn provides pressurized fluid to the first fluid passage of the cleaning head.

Many different pumps are known in the art and the inventors have found that they may be used as a pump mechanism in this embodiment of the invention. A reciprocating pump, such as a plunger pump commonly used in irrigators, provides pulsating pressure so that the brush movement frequency can be varied. This is not necessarily a disadvantage of cleaning, but a more constant pressure pump may be preferred for the user experience. Rotary positive displacement pumps are preferred because they are self-priming and have a continuous pressure output. Another advantage of such a rotary pump system is that it can drive the hydraulic motor more efficiently, since the return flow, which still has kinetic energy, can be used as input to the pump, thereby reusing the remaining energy in a closed loop system. Since the closed loop may lose liquid when injecting in the interdental space, it is necessary to refill the circuit from the fluid reservoir. This is a problem if the pressure in the closed loop system is everywhere above atmospheric pressure, as the reservoir will be at atmospheric pressure. To avoid the need for another pump to replenish the fluid in the pressurized fluid circuit, a Venturi design may be used.

In one embodiment of the invention, the support unit comprises an energy source for providing energy to the pump mechanism.

Preferably, the pump mechanism is an electric pump, which uses electricity to pump the fluid. As an energy source, batteries or rechargeable batteries can be used to provide the wireless oral cleaning system that most users prefer. However, electrical connections to wall sockets are also possible.

In one embodiment of the invention, the support unit comprises an attachment section comprising a first opening configured to be in fluid connection with a first fluid channel of a cleaning head of the oral cleaning system when the support unit is attached to the cleaning head, and a second opening configured to be in fluid connection with a second fluid channel of the cleaning head of the oral cleaning system when the support unit is attached to the cleaning head.

The attachment section of the support unit is configured to be attached to the attachment section of the cleaning head such that the first fluid channel of the cleaning head is fluidly connected to the first opening of the support unit and such that the second fluid channel of the cleaning head is fluidly connected to the second opening of the support unit. The first opening is configured to provide pressurized fluid from the pump mechanism. The second opening is configured to receive fluid from the second fluid channel and to deliver fluid onto the fluid reservoir of the support unit.

In one embodiment of the invention, the support unit is a handle. The handle may be configured to be held in a hand of a user of the oral cleaning system. The user may guide the cleaning head relative to the teeth by means of the handle.

According to another aspect of the present invention, an oral cleaning system for cleaning teeth using a combination of a brush and an interdental liquid cleaning is provided. The oral cleaning system comprises a cleaning head according to any of the preceding embodiments and a support unit according to any of the preceding embodiments, wherein the support unit is attached to the cleaning head. Of course, the system may have other additional components as will be described in more detail herein.

Such an oral cleaning system for cleaning teeth in combination with a brush and interdental liquid cleaning comprises a cleaning head and a support unit as described in the previous embodiments. One advantage of such an oral cleaning system over the prior art is that, for example, a large amount of energy can be transferred from the support unit to the cleaning head using hydraulic fluid, thereby eliminating the need for complex and failure-prone mechanical energy transfer. Depending on the mechanical design, the brush may be displaced in a variety of different motions. In addition, the hydraulic system delivers high pressure fluid continuously to the cleaning head, which can be easily tapped to produce short bursts of interdental fluid cleaning. Since the eruption is only generated in the interdental spaces, the fluid volume of the fluid reservoir can be limited to less than 50ml, preferably less than 20ml, for a full operation of all teeth, in particular all interdental spaces. Furthermore, the hydraulic system provides a great freedom of design to add, for example, brushes with independent brush movements, and even multi-surface brushes. A multi-surface brush may be provided in which the tongue brush moves in a different manner than the cheek/lip brush, and also in a different manner than the bite brush, thereby optimizing the motion of all of the different tooth surfaces.

In one embodiment of the invention, the oral cleaning system comprises a plurality of cleaning heads according to any of the preceding claims, each cleaning head being configured to clean a separate surface of a tooth, and the oral cleaning system being configured to clean a separate surface of a tooth or teeth simultaneously.

An oral cleaning system may be provided comprising a plurality of cleaning heads, preferably three cleaning heads, connected to a support unit. This provides the possibility of using one oral cleaning system for cleaning different surfaces of the teeth simultaneously. A multi-surface cleaning system may be provided in which the tongue brush moves differently than the cheek/lip brush and also differently than the bite brush, thereby optimizing the motion of all of the different tooth surfaces. Because magneto-electric elements are not required, the hydraulic motor or actuator can be very small. Thus, multiple hydraulic motors or actuators may be placed in the brush head driven by a single pump in the support unit to support independent movement of different brushes or brush segments. This provides a number of advantages to the multi-brush system of the present invention. For example, 3 or 6 brush systems may be designed, but brushes with different moving parts may also be designed. Even full-dentition brush mouthpieces using multiple brushes can be designed. Furthermore, this enables the use of an optimal brush motion for each tooth portion. And it allows for multi-brush flexibility because different brushes need not be rigidly connected when driven by one shaft. This may provide a more comfortable feel for the user and may improve cleaning as it better accommodates the individual anatomy in the user's mouth. Flexibility of user comfort is a great need for such oral cleaning concepts, as a complaint by the main user of the multi-brush systems on the market is discomfort during use.

Since this embodiment also covers systems for multiple teeth, this also includes larger cleaning systems, such as full oral applications.

In one embodiment of the invention, the oral cleaning system comprises two opposing brushes configured to be clamped on the teeth with a clamping force and configured to detect the interdental space, e.g. to detect the distance or the clamping angle between the brushes.

On the sides of the teeth, the two brushes are farther apart, but at the interdental spaces, they are closer together, with a smaller grip angle. This works best when using narrow vertical brush designs, such as tufted thread. If such a toothbrush is moving, the clip will start to vibrate more vigorously in the interdental spaces, which can also be detected by the vibration sensor, pressure sensor or electrical power of the pump. Such an embodiment will be described in more detail in the context of the embodiment shown in fig. 6a and 6 b.

According to another aspect of the present invention, a method for cleaning teeth using a combination of good brush and interdental liquid cleaning is provided. The method comprises the following steps: fluid is pumped from a fluid reservoir in the support unit through a first fluid passage to a cleaning head connected to the support unit, and a hydraulic motor is actuated with the fluid to drive a brush of the cleaning head to clean teeth. Discharging fluid for interdental liquid cleaning through the aperture of the cleaning head, and directing at least a portion of the fluid from the cleaning head back into the fluid reservoir through the second fluid passage.

According to a method of cleaning teeth that combines cleaning with a brush and interdental liquid, fluid is pumped by a pump mechanism from a reservoir through a first fluid channel of the cleaning head to a hydraulic motor. Pressurized fluid is used to rotate the hydraulic motor, which in turn drives the brush to clean the teeth. Controlled by the valve, a portion of the fluid may be expelled through the valve through the orifice to facilitate cleaning of interdental spaces using a fluid jet. Another portion of the fluid is directed from the hydraulic motor through the second fluid channel back into the reservoir of the support unit, where it is stored and may be directed to the pump mechanism again.

Advantageously, the advantages provided by any of the above aspects apply equally to all other aspects and vice versa.

The aspects and embodiments described above will become apparent from and elucidated with reference to the exemplary embodiments described hereinafter. Exemplary embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the following drawings.

Drawings

Figure 1 shows a schematic arrangement of an oral cleaning device according to a first exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

Figure 2 shows a schematic arrangement of a cleaning head according to a second exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 3 shows a schematic arrangement of a handle according to a third exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

Figure 4a shows a rear view of a schematic arrangement of a cleaning head according to a fourth exemplary embodiment of the invention.

Figure 4b shows a front view of a schematic arrangement of a cleaning head according to a fourth exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 5 shows a top view of a schematic arrangement of a cleaning head according to a fourth exemplary embodiment of the invention when cleaning teeth.

Fig. 6a and 6b show different views of a schematic arrangement of a multi-brush oral cleaning system comprising three cleaning heads according to a fifth exemplary embodiment of the invention when cleaning teeth.

Figure 7 shows a schematic arrangement of an interdental brush system having an interdental brush driven by a fluid jet according to a sixth embodiment of the present invention.

Detailed Description

Fig. 1 shows a schematic arrangement of an oral cleaning device 100 according to a first exemplary embodiment of the present invention. The oral cleaning device includes a cleaning head 200 and a handle 300. The handle holds an energy source 330, such as a battery, which energy source 330 powers the pump mechanism 340. An electronic circuit may be present to allow a user to control the on-off operation of the pump mechanism, different power or mode settings by means of a push button. The handle 300 also houses a fluid reservoir from which fluid flows into a pump which then pressurizes the fluid through the first liquid passage 210 towards the cleaning head 200. An elongated portion, a neck 205, extends from the handle 300 to the cleaning head 200 and allows the cleaning head 200 to be easily accessed into the oral cavity. The neck 205 can be removed with the cleaning head to replace the cleaning head 200, as with most power toothbrushes, but the neck 205 can also be permanently connected to the neck 205 of the handle 300 when only the brush 240 itself is replaced. The pressurized fluid 110 powers the hydraulic motor 230, and the hydraulic motor 230 drives the brushing motion of the brush 240. The motion may take many forms depending on the design of the motion transfer. A typical hydraulic motor 230 will have an impeller 231, the impeller 231 being driven to rotate by the pressure differential across the impeller 231. The rotation may be directly transferred to the brush 240 to rotate the brush 240, but by different configurations known in the art, the rotation may also be transferred to lateral oscillations or even pulsations. The pressure of the fluid 110 is additionally used to drive a burst jet of fluid from the cleaning head 200 intended to clean the interdental spaces 130. Preferably, the amount of fluid 110 used to clean the entire interdental space 130 is limited to no more than 100ml, but preferably less than 20ml, so that the user does not have to spit too much, lose fluoride in the toothpaste and feel discomfort. In addition, the volume of the fluid reservoir 350 needs to be small enough to allow easy handling of the toothbrush. One way to achieve low volume use is to limit the fluid spray to the location of the interdental spaces 130, and only some additional spray may be acceptable. The portion of the fluid 100 not expelled through the aperture 250 for cleaning the interdental space 130 is directed back to the handle 300 through the second fluid channel 220 and is received in the fluid reservoir 350.

Figure 2 shows a schematic arrangement of a cleaning head 200 according to a second exemplary embodiment of the present invention. In the exemplary embodiment, cleaning head 200 is separate from handle 300. The attachment section 280 is not connected to the handle 300. Further, a valve 260 is shown configured to allow the fluid 110 to flow through the aperture 250 into the interdental space 130 when the valve 260 is in an open configuration. When the valve 260 is closed, all of the fluid 110 used to drive the hydraulic motor 230 is directed back to the second fluid passage 220 to be received by the fluid reservoir 350. Further, a sensor 270 is shown, in an exemplary embodiment of the invention, the sensor 270 is mounted on the brush. The sensor 270 is configured to detect the spatial alignment of the cleaning head 200 and in particular the aperture 250 with the interdental space 130.

Fig. 3 shows a schematic arrangement of a handle 300 according to a third exemplary embodiment of the present invention. The handle 300 is shown without the cleaning head 200 attached to the handle 300. Thus, a first opening 310 and a second opening 320 are shown, which are configured to be connected to the first fluid channel 210 and the second fluid channel 220, respectively. The fluid connection is configured to enable the fluid 110 to flow from the pump mechanism 340 of the handle 300 through the first fluid passage 210 to the cleaning head 200, and to enable the fluid 100 to flow back from the cleaning head 200 through the second fluid passage 220 into the fluid reservoir 350 of the handle 300.

Figure 4a shows a rear view of a schematic arrangement of a cleaning head 200 according to a fourth exemplary embodiment of the present invention. In this rear view, the impeller 231 of the hydraulic motor 230 is shown, which is configured to be driven by the fluid flow from the first fluid channel 210 to the second fluid channel 220.

Figure 4b shows a front view of a schematic arrangement of a cleaning head according to a fourth exemplary embodiment of the present invention. A brush 240 is shown, which in this exemplary embodiment of the invention has an elongated shape. The brush is driven by the rotation of the impeller 231 of the hydraulic motor 230 and can also be rotated, for example. Located in the center of the brush 240 is an aperture 250 for discharging fluid to clean the interdental spaces 130 by means of a fluid jet.

Fig. 5 shows a top view of a schematic arrangement of a cleaning head according to a fourth exemplary embodiment of the invention when cleaning teeth. In a top view of an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, also shown in fig. 4a and 4b, the elongated brush 240 of the cleaning head 200 is shown when the elongated brush 240 is aligned with the interdental space 130 between two teeth 120. The brush 240 is free to rotate on the outside of the teeth 120, but in the interdental spaces 130, it may become trapped due to increased resistance from friction. By means of the elongated shape of the toothbrush 240 being able to cooperate with the elongated shape of the entrance of the interdental space 130, the rotation of the toothbrush 240 is hindered. As the brush rotates across the interdental spaces 130, the rotation of the brush 240 is subject to increased resistance or friction. Accordingly, the rotation of the impeller 231 of the hydraulic motor 230 is also inhibited, which results in the pressure of the fluid increasing 110. The increased pressure of the fluid 110 may exceed the threshold of the valve 260 and the liquid 110 may be expelled through the orifice 250, thereby cleaning the interdental spaces 130.

Fig. 6a and 6b show different views of a schematic arrangement of a multi-brush oral cleaning system comprising three cleaning heads 200 according to a fifth exemplary embodiment of the invention, showing a three-brush system brushing the inner, outer and occlusal flanks, wherein the three brushes 240 are each driven by a compact hydraulic motor 230. The three tooth surfaces are brushed simultaneously by the brush 240 and the interdental spaces 130 are cleaned from both sides by the fluid 110 discharged through the orifice 250. Thus, the operation time is significantly reduced. The impeller 231 of the hydraulic motor 230 is depicted as being relatively large, but may be designed to be more compact for user comfort, thus also reducing the size of the cleaner head 200. Since the neck of the cleaning head 200 does not need to transfer mechanical energy, the neck can be relatively flexible, allowing the cleaning head 200 to comfortably conform to the dentition and thus a more comfortable experience with the oral cleaning system. For example, the neck 205 of the articulating cleaning head may be rigid, which allows the user to control the pressure on the articulating surface, which does not affect comfort. The brushing pressure of the inner (lingual) and outer (buccal/labial) cleaner heads 200 can be controlled by the spring characteristics of the neck of these cleaner heads 200, which can be freely selected to optimize comfort and cleaning. For example, an optimal force of 0.5 to 2N may be provided for each brush 240, depending on the size of the brush that can be provided. This will ensure gingival comfort as the user does not apply excessive pressure to the side brush that contacts the gums. The fluid bursts may be discharged from the bottom of the side brush, but may alternatively be ejected from the middle when the brush has a hollow brush axis, or from the top down to clean the sulcus. Multiple injections may also be combined. It is also beneficial to clean the interdental spaces 130 from above, if the spray is emitted from the occlusal side. In this type of oral cleaning system 100, two opposing toothbrushes 240 are held on the teeth 120 with a certain holding force, and the interdental space 130 can also be detected by detecting the distance between the brushes 240 or the holding angle. On the side surfaces of the teeth 120, the two brushes 240 are farther apart, but at the interdental space 130, they are closer together, with a smaller grip angle. This works best when using narrow vertical brush designs, such as tufted thread. If such a brush 240 is moving, the clip will begin to vibrate more vigorously in the interdental space 130, which can also be detected by a vibration sensor, pressure sensor or power signal from a pump. The first fluid channel 210 and the second fluid channel 220, shown in fig. 6b leading from and to the handle 300, may include branches to facilitate the provision of fluid 110 to each cleaning head 200.

Figure 7 shows a schematic arrangement of an interdental brush system 400 having an interdental brush 440 driven by a fluid jet, in accordance with a sixth embodiment of the present invention. The interdental brush 440 is mounted on a spring 445 or a flexible portion of the base of the interdental brush 440. Thus, resonant movement of the interdental brush 440 is possible, which occurs when pulsed. The fluid burst may be a hydraulic actuator of the interdental brush 440. When a burst of fluid 110 is discharged from one side of the interdental brush 440 through the orifice 250, the interdental brush 440 will be pushed back and forth and will vibrate with its resonant frequency. Preferably, the resonant oscillation occurs in the direction of the interdental space, thereby providing additional brushing of the tooth surfaces at the entrance of the interdental space 130.

While the invention has been illustrated and described in detail in the drawings and foregoing description, such illustration and description are to be considered illustrative or exemplary and not restrictive. The invention is not limited to the disclosed embodiments. Other variations to the disclosed embodiments can be understood and effected by those skilled in the art in practicing the claimed invention, from a study of the drawings, the disclosure, and the appended claims.

In the claims, the word "comprising" does not exclude other elements or steps, and the indefinite article "a" or "an" does not exclude a plurality. The mere fact that certain measures are recited in mutually different dependent claims does not indicate that a combination of these measures cannot be used to advantage. Any reference signs in the claims shall not be construed as limiting the scope.

List of reference symbols:

100 oral cleaning system

110 fluid

120 teeth

130 interdental space

200 cleaning head

205 neck portion

210 first fluid path

220 second fluid passage

230 hydraulic motor

231 impeller

240 brush

250 orifice

260 valve

270 sensor

280 attachment section

290 interdental brush

300 support unit/handle

310 first opening

320 second opening

330 energy source

340 pump mechanism

350 fluid reservoir

400 interdental brush system

440 interdental brush

445 spring.