US3420228A - Massaging and cleaning dental syringe - Google Patents

Description

Jan. 7, 1969 KALBFELD MASSAGING AND CLEANING DENTAL SYRINGE Sheet Filed Nov. 17. 1966 r l I III [/1] I 7 INVENTCR J20 1454455542 Aq o fim-zv Jan. 7, 1969 J. w. KALBFELD MASSAGING AND CLEANINGDENTAL SYRINGE Sheet 2 of 5 Filed Nov. 17, 1966 l t 4 T q INVENTOR J/ar 4245, 540

BY m 6 (57.: ATTORNEY Jan. 7, 1969 J. w. KALBFELD MASSAGING AND CLEANING DENTAL SYRINGE Sheet Filed Nov. 17, 1966 INVENTOR (/464164Z5F6ZD Unitcd StatesPatent 9 Claims The present invention relates generally to improvements in treating devices and methods, and it relates particularly to an improved dental cleaning and gum massaging apparatus and method employing a pulsating water jet.

The use of pulsating jets of water for the treatment of the oral cavity, particularly for massaging the gums and cleaning the teeth, is well known. Pulse frequencies from several hundred to many thousands of cycles per minute have been efiectively employed; however, the pulsating jet cleaning and massaging devices heretofore available possess numerous drawbacks and disadvantages. Among those drawbacks are their inconvenience, lack of versatility and inefiiciency.

It is, therefore, a principal object of the present invention to provide an improved oral cleaning apparatus.

Another object of the present invention is to provide an improved dental cleaning and gum massaging apparatus and method.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide an apparatus of the above nature characterized by its efiiciency, reliability and convenience of use.

The above and other objects of the present invention will become apparent from a reading of the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a front partially fragmentary view of an apparatus embodying the present invention, illustrated in an erected position;

FIGURE 2 is a vertical sectional view thereof taken alongline 22 in FIGURE 3;

FIGURE 3 is a horizontal sectional view taken alongline 33 in FIGURE 4;

FIGURE 4 is a sectional view taken alongline 44 in FIGURES l and 3;

FIGURE 5 is a front elevational view of the reservoir, pump and nozzle sections in extended positions;

FIGURE 6 is a vertical sectional view of the nozzle handle asembly shown in a nozzle valve closed position;

FIGURE 7 is a sectional view taken along line 7-7 in FIGURE 6; and

FIGURE 8 is a view similar to FIGURE 6 shown in a nozzle valve open position.

In a sense, the present invention contemplates the provision of a device for cleaning and massaging the oral cavity comprising a nozzle, a source of liquid, and pump means connected between said nozzle and said source of liquid for periodically delivering said liquid under pressure to said nozzle for predetermined intervals separated by dormant intervals, the period of the dormant interval being at least twice that of the delivery interval.

According to a preferred form of the present apparatus the pump means is a piston pump driven through a quick return motion translating mechanism by an electric motor so that the quick return stroke of the motion translating mechanism drives the pump piston in its advance or pressure stroke. The pump and drive are housed in a casing, and the pump has its inlet connected to an open topped tank separably mounted on the casing. The pump outlet is connected by way of an adjustable throttle valve and a tube to the nozzle through a three way valve housed in the nozzle handle, the valve having outlets connected to the nozzle and to a reservoir return tube, the outlets being selectively opened.

Another feature of the present invention resides in the provision of a three way valve which comprises a valve housing including a first end wall and a side wall, and provided with an inlet port, a first outlet port in said end wall and a second outlet port in said side wall, a valve member positioned in said housing and resiliently longitudinally urged toward a position with a first end face thereof in closing engagement with said first outlet port and a side face spaced from and exposing said outlet port and swingable about said housing end wall to a position opening said first outlet port and closing said second outlet port, and a manipulatable member projecting through said valve housing into engagement with said valve member for controlling said valve member.

Referring now to the drawings, which illustrate a preferred embodiment of the present invention,reference numeral 10 generally designates the pump and reservoir section which is connected by way of a pair of side by side joinedflexible tubes 11 and 12 to anozzle section 13,tubes 11 and 12 being of the self collapsing helically biased type and being separated at their inner ends. The pump andreservoir section 10 comprises a moldedplastic multipart casing 14 in which a pump, motor, drive and control are housed, and an open topped tank orreservoir 17 which is separably mounted atopcasing 14 and alternatively functions as a casing closure cap.

Casing 14 includes atop wall 18 provided with a circular aperture, abottom wall 19, asidewall 20 at one end thereof and is provided with a tube and nozzle handle open endedhousing cavity 21 in the opposite end thereof which is defined by anend wall 22, astepped platform wall 23 positioned abovebottom wall 19 and front andrear walls 24. Asaddle 25 is formed in the bottom rear ofcavity 21 to support the contractedtubes 11 and 12. Pivoted to an end of the lower outer section ofplatform wall 23 is a horizontallyswingable arm 26 provided adjacent its free end with an upstanding projection orpin 27 for releasably engaging the nozzle handle. In order to house a plurality of nozzle elements a ledge 28 is located along the lower front part of thecasing 14 and is provided with a plurality of longitudinally spacedsockets 29.

The pump anddrive assembly 16 is mounted oncasing bottom wall 19 and includes amounting frame 30, anelectric motor 32 secured to themounting frame 30, a quick returnmotion translating mechanism 33 and apump 34 suitably rigidly associated withmotor 32.Motor 32 is of any conventional type and is connected by way of aswitch 36 supported by themounting frame 30 to a power cord for connecting themotor 32 to a source of energizing current, theswitch 36 being provided with acontrol button 37 projecting through an opening slot in the casing andwall 20.

Pump 34 is of the conventional piston type and includes avertical cylinder 38 provided with a cooperating vertically slidable piston having apiston rod 39 depending from and connected thereto and restricted with the piston to an axial vertical movement. As is conventional,piston pump 38 has an inlet and an outlet provided with check valves permitting the flow of fluid only into the inlet and out of the outlet. An open toppedtubular coupling member 40 projects upwardly from thepump cylinder 38 and communicates with the pump inlet, coupling 40 registering with and engaging the circular aperture in casingupper wall 18. The inner end oftube 11 is connected by means of asuitable coupling 42 and by way of a flow adjusting orthrottle valve 43 to the outlet ofpump 34. Valve 43 includes a valve housing integrally formed withpump cylinder 40 and is of any conventional construction, and is provided with a rotatable threadedvalve stem 44 engaging a tapped section of thevalve 43 and having an axial adjustingshaft 46 engaged by aknob 47 which projects through an aperture incasing wall 14. Thus the back pressure to thepump 34, and hence the liquid outlet flow, may be adjusted by means of thevalve 43.

An essential feature of the present apparatus is the manner in whichpiston pump 34 is driven whereby the interval or time of the forward or pressure stroke thereof is only a minor fraction of the time of the full cycle thereof, that is the time between identical points on the pump cycle so that the pump delivery interval is less than, and advantageously less than half of the pump nondelivery or dormant interval. This mode of operation is advantageously effected bycoupling piston rod 39 to themotor 32 by way of thequick return transmission 33,transmission 33 being so coupled to piston rod 39' and so driven that the quick return stroke oftransmission 33 corresponds to the pressure or advance stroke ofpiston rod 39.

Specifically,transmission 33 includes ahousing 48 having an opening in its upper wall through whichpiston rod 39 projects.Drive shaft 49 ofmotor 32 projects intohousing 48 through an end wall thereof and has afiixed thereto apinion gear 50 located inhousing 48. Gear 50 engages alarger gear 51 mounted on ashaft 52 and having rotatable therewith asmaller gear 53, Gear 53 is coupled to a large gear 54 mounted on a shaft 58 by way of an intermediate idler gear 56,gears 50, 51, 53, 56 and 54 defining a gear reducing train frommotor shaft 49 to gear 54.

Aguide sleeve 57 is eccentrically mounted on gear 54 and is rotatable about a central diametric axis thereof parallel to shaft 58. Secured topiston rod 39 is a block 59 having formed therein atransverse channel 63 slidably engaging abar 64 which has pivoted thereto one end of a connecting rod 60. The rod 60 slidably engagessleeve 57 and is pivoted between its ends by a fixedpin 61.Motor shaft 49 is rotated in a direction to rotate the gear 54 clockwise as viewed in FIGURE 2, whereby the pressure stroke interval of thepiston rod 39 is a minor fraction, advantageously between /3 and A and preferably about /1 of a single rotation of gear 54, and hence of a full cycle ofpump 34. The interval of the pressure stroke ofpiston rod 39 is advantageously between .025 and .075 second. Moreover, the speed of the motor is such thatpump 34 is operated at between 200 and 580 cycles per minute, perferably between 530 and 580 cycles per minute. The dormant or non-pressure interval ofpump 34 should be between .077 and .225 second and advantageously between .077 and .085 second. It should he noted that the pump frequency and pressure and dormant intervals may be adjusted by varying the pump back pressure by means ofvalve 43. Moreover, whilequick return mechanism 33 described above may be employed to great advantage, other types of quick return mechanisms may be employed including cams and the like.

Nozzle section 13 includes a tubular hollow handle orvalve housing 65 having a slightly upwardly taperedperipheral wall 66, closed at its bottom end by a correspondingly tapered cup shapedplug 67.Plug 67 includes aninner end wall 68 having an upwardly directedaxial projection 69, and is provided with a dependingaxial socket 70 adapted to engagemounting projection 27. Anend partition 71 is positioned below the upper edge ofperipheral wall 66 and defines, with the upper border of thewall 66, a nozzle engaging socket.Partition 71 is provided with acentral opening 72 defining a valve first outlet port and is surrounded by a bottom taperedperipheral border 75. Integrally formed withwall 66 belowpartition 71 is ablock 73 having upper and lowerradial bores 74 and 76 formed therein communicating with the interior ofvalve housing 65 and defining a second outlet port and an inlet port respectively. The outer end ofpipe 11 is connected toinlet port 76 and the outer end ofpipe 12 is connected tooutlet port 74 in any suitable manner.

Located invalve housing 65 is a longitudinally extendingvalve member 77 including a relatively rigid axially extendingbody member 78 shorter and of lesser diameter than the minimum inside diameter ofvalve housing 65 and having a dependingaxial projection 79 corresponding tobottom projection 69. A disc-shaped washer orgasket 80 of an elastomeric material and of the diameter of the upper edge ofborder 75 is afiixed to the upper end face ofvalve body 78, and atubular sleeve 81 of an elastomeric materialencircles body member 78 at the level of theoutlet port 74. Ahelical compression spring 82 has its oppositeends engaging projections 69 and 79 and is entrapped between the confronting faces of thevalve body member 78 andplug end wall 68 to resiliently urgevalve member 77 axially into closing engagement withfirst outlet port 72 and to maintain thevalve sleeve 81 out of engagement withoutlet port 74.

A radially projecting tappedcollar 83 having an innerperipheral shoulder 84 is integrally formed withperipheral wall 66 at the level of andopposite outlet port 74. Asealing disc 86 of elastomeric material nests incollar 83 and rests onshoulder 84 and is provided with an inwardly directed integrally formedaxial projection 87 which bears onsleeve 81. Screwengaging collar 83 is a cup shapedplug 88 having a centrally aperturedend wall 89. Anaxial push button 90 projects throughapertured end wall 89 and terminates at its inner end in an enlarged circular base 91 which slideably registers withplug 88 and is provided with an axial inwardly directedprojection 92 bearing centrally on the outer face ofelastomeric disc 86. Thus, depression ofpush button 90 effects the inward movement of theprojections 92 and 87 and the deformation ofdisc 86 thereby to switchvalve member 77 from the position shown in FIGURE 6 in whichoutlet port 72 is closed andoutlet port 74 is open to the position shown in FIGURE 8 whereinoutlet port 72 is open andoutlet port 74 closed. Release ofbutton 90 under the influence of thespring 82 and the differential hydraulic pressure and area effects the return ofvalve member 77 to the position shown in FIGURE 6.

Areplaceable nozzle unit 94 includes an elongatedtubular shank 96 terminating at its outer end in anangulated outlet section 97 having a transversely directedoutlet nozzle opening 98. The inner end oftubular shank 96 has afiixed thereto an axiallybored plug 99 formed of an elastomeric material, and releasably engages the upper socket of thehandle member 65 to permit the replaceable coupling of anozzle unit 94 to thehandle member 65 in communication with thevalve outlet port 72 and prevent separation thereof under operating conditions.Plug 99 is provided with an enlargedperipheral head 100 to facilitate the manipulation thereof.

Thetank 17 includes a fiat rectangularbottom wall 101 of the dimensions of the top surface ofcasing 14, saidwall 101 having a dependingperipheral lip 102 which engages the casing upper border to properly positiontank 17 on casing 14 in the erected position of the apparatus. The peripheral wall oftank 17 is upwardly outwardly tapered so that the inverted tank can serve as a mating cover for the loadedcasing 14 to facilitate the storage of the apparatus. Formed in thebottom wall 101 is a dependingtubular coupling nipple 103 which projects through the aperture incasing wall 18 and releasably engagespump coupling 40. An elastomeric O-ring 104 registers with a peripheral groove in thenipple 103 to provide a water tight connection between thetank 17 andpump 34.

Considering now the operation of the apparatus described above, in the storedcondition tubes 11, 12 are retracted into a helix nesting incavity 21, while the nozzle handle, with the nozzle detached, is mounted on thepin 27 andarm 26 is swung inwardly, as shown in FIGURES 1 to 4 of the drawings.Nozzle elements 94 are positioned in thecavities 29 and theinverted tank 17 is applied as a cover over and enclosescasing 14.

In employing the appaartus, theinverted tank 17 is raised from thecasing 14, erected and mounted on thecasing 14 with thenipple 103 in mating engagement withcoupling member 40 and the power cord is connected to a source of current.Tank 17 is then loaded with water W, the nozzle socket or handle 65 retracted and removed frompin 27, and anozzle element 94 plugged into the handle socket. The inner end ofpipe 12 is hooked over the upper edge oftank 17 andswitch 36 is closed to energize themotor 32 and drive the pump piston in the manner previously described with a pressure stroke forming a minor fraction of the pump cycle. The apparatus is now ready for use, water intermittently delivered bypump 34 through thetube 11 intohandle 65 being returned through theport 74 andtube 12 totank 17.Nozzle 94 is then directed toward the desired area of the oral cavity andbutton 90 depressed to swingvalve member 77 whereby to openport 72 andclose port 74. The water is thus delivered in intermittent pulses to thenozzle 94 and the area to be massaged and cleaned is swept by the resulting pulsating water jet to effect the massaging of the gums and the cleaning of the teeth.

In order to effect a massaging of the gums, the surface thereof should be periodically compressed and released to permit at least a partial rebound thereof. Inasmuch as the water jet pressure may be quite high the compression of the jet exposed gum area is effected much more rapidly than a corresponding rebound. Accordingly, a high increase in efficiency is achieved by permitting a longer interval for the gum rebound than for its compression under the influence of the water jet. A further increase in efliciency is effected by reason of a decrease in the loading of themotor 32 since the pump pressure interval is decreased and a smaller motor consuming less power may be employed.

While there has been described and illustrated a preferred embodiment of the present invention, it is apparent that numerous alterations, omissions and additions may be made without departing from the spirit thereof.

I claim:

1. A dental treating device comprising a nozzle, a source of liquid, and pump means connected between said nozzle and said source of liquid for periodically delivering said liquid under pressure to said nozzle for predetermined intervals separated by dormant intervals, the period of said dormant interval being at least twice that of said delivery interval whereby exposure of a gum area to the intermittent liquid jets from said nozzle provides an interval between successive jets allowing gum rebound at least twice the interval during which said gum area is under jet pressure.

2. The treating device ofclaim 1, whereby the period of said dormant interval is at least of a second.

3. The treating device ofclaim 1, wherein the frequency of said pump means is between 200 and 580 cycles per minute.

4. The treating device ofclaim 1, wherein the time of said dormant interval to said delivery interval is between .077 and .225 second.

5. The dental treating device ofclaim 1, wherein said pump means comprises a piston pump and drive means for reciprocating said piston with the pressure stroke thereof being less than /3 of the full reciprocation cycle.

6. The dental treating device of claim 5, wherein said drive means comprises an electric motor and a quick return motion translating mechanism coupling said piston to said motor and oriented and driven to effect the piston pressure stroke during the quick return stroke of said mechanism.

7. The dental treating device ofclaim 1, including a handle supporting said nozzle, a three-way valve carried by said handle and including an inlet port and a pair of outlet ports, said pump means including an inlet con-' nected to said source of liquid and an outlet, a first tube connecting said pump outlet and said valve inlet port, a. second tube connecting a first of said valve outlets to said liquid source, the second of said valve outlets being connected to said nozzle, and a manipulatable valve member movable into positions selectively closing said valve outlet ports.

8. The dental treating device ofclaim 7, including spring means normally urging said valve member to a position closing said second outlet port.

9. The treating device ofclaim 7, including an adjustable throttle valve connected between said pump outlet and said first tube.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,995,424 3/1935 Guiness 128230' XR 3,227,158 1/1966 Mattingly 128-66 L. W. TRAPP, Primary Examiner.

US. Cl. X.R. 128234, 273

Claims (1)

1. A DENTAL TREATING DEVICE COMPRISING A NOZZLE, A SOURCE OF LIQUID, AND PUMP MEANS CONNECTED BETWEEN SAID NOZZLE AND SAID SOURCE OF LIQUID FOR PERIODICALLY DELIVERING SAID LIQUID UNDER PRESSURE TO SAID NOZZLE FOR PREDETERMINED INTERVALS SEPARATED BY DORMAT INTERVALS, THE PERIOD OF SAID DORMANT INTERVAL BEING AT LEAST TWICE THAT OF SAID DELIVERY INTERVAL WHEREBY EXPOSURE OF A GUM AREA TO THE INTERMITTENT LIQUID JETS FROM SAID NOZZLE PROVIDES AN INTERVAL BETWEEN SUCESSIVE JETS ALLOWING GUM REBOUND AT LEAST TWICE THE INTERVAL DURING WHICH SAID GUM AREA IS UNDER JET PRESSURE.

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