Abstract
The invention relates to an oral cleaning system (100) for cleaning teeth with a combination of brushing and interdental liquid cleaning. The oral cleaning system (100) comprises a cleaning head (200) as well as a support unit (300) having a fluid reservoir (350) for containing a fluid (110). The cleaning head (200) comprises a brush (240) for brushing the teeth, and an orifice (250) for emitting a part of the fluid (110) for interdental liquid cleaning. A first fluid channel (210) guides the fluid from the fluid reservoir to a hydraulic motor (230) driving the brush (240), and to the orifice (250). The cleaning head (200) further comprises a second fluid channel (220) configured for transporting at least a part of the fluid (110) back from the hydraulic motor (230) to the fluid reservoir (350) of the support unit (300).
Claims
1. A cleaning head for an oral cleaning system for cleaning teeth with a combination of brushing and interdental liquid cleaning, the oral cleaning system comprising the cleaning head and a support unit having a fluid reservoir for containing a fluid, the cleaning head comprising: a brush for brushing the teeth, an orifice for emitting a part of the fluid for interdental liquid cleaning, a hydraulic motor for driving the brush, a first fluid channel for transporting the fluid from the support unit to the hydraulic motor and the orifice, and a second fluid channel for transporting at least a part of the fluid back from the hydraulic motor to the support unit.
2. A cleaning head according to claim 1, wherein the hydraulic motor is configured for driving the brush based on a fluid flow within the first fluid channel of the cleaning head.
3. A cleaning head according to claim 1, wherein the cleaning head comprises at least one valve connected to the orifice and configured for allowing a fluid flow through the orifice into interdental space when the valve is in an open configuration.
4. A cleaning head according to claim 3, wherein the valve is located within the hydraulic motor, and wherein the cleaning head is configured for emitting the fluid through the valve, through the orifice and through the brush.
5. A cleaning head according to claim 3, wherein the cleaning head comprises a sensor for detecting a spatial alignment of an interdental space with the orifice, and wherein the cleaning head is configured for opening the valve when a spatial alignment of an interdental space with the orifice has been detected by the sensor.
6. A cleaning head according to claim 3, wherein the valve is configured to be opened by a manual, electrical or hydraulic actuator.
7. A cleaning head according to claim 3, wherein the brush is shaped to generate an increased brushing friction when brushing an interdental space thereby generating an increased hydraulic pressure of the fluid in the first fluid channel, and wherein the valve is configured to be opened during the increased hydraulic pressure of the fluid.
8. A cleaning head according to claim 1, wherein the cleaning head further comprises an interdental brush, wherein the interdental brush is configured to brush an entrance of an interdental space, and wherein the interdental brush is configured to be activated by the fluid emitted for interdental liquid cleaning.
9. A support unit for an oral cleaning system for cleaning teeth with a combination of brushing and interdental liquid cleaning, the support unit comprising: an attachment section configured to attach a cleaning head to the support unit; a fluid reservoir for containing a fluid, a pump mechanism for pumping the fluid from the fluid reservoir into a first fluid channel of the cleaning head, wherein the support unit is configured for receiving back at least a part of the fluid from the hydraulic motor through second fluid channel of the cleaning head, and for guiding said part of the fluid towards the fluid reservoir and/or directly towards a pump inlet of the pump mechanism.
10. A support unit according to claim 9, wherein the support unit comprises an energy source for providing the pump mechanism with energy.
11. A support unit according to claim 9, wherein the attachment section comprises a first opening, configured to be fluidly connected to the first fluid channel of the cleaning head when the support unit is attached to the cleaning head, and a second opening configured to be fluidly connected to the second fluid channel of the cleaning head when the support unit is attached to the cleaning head.
12. (canceled)
13. An oral cleaning system for cleaning teeth with a combination of brushing and interdental liquid cleaning, the oral cleaning system comprising: a cleaning head according to claim 1, and a support unit according to claim 9, wherein the support unit is attached to the cleaning head.
14. An oral cleaning system according to claim 13, wherein the oral cleaning system comprises a plurality of cleaning heads according to claim 1, wherein each of the cleaning heads is configured to clean a separate surface of a tooth, and wherein the oral cleaning system is configured to clean the separate surfaces of the tooth or multiple teeth simultaneously.
15. (canceled)
16. A cleaning head according to claim 2, wherein the cleaning head comprises at least one valve connected to the orifice and configured for allowing a fluid flow through the orifice into interdental space when the valve is in an open configuration.
17. A cleaning head according to claim 16, wherein the valve is located within the hydraulic motor, and wherein the cleaning head is configured for emitting the fluid through the valve, through the orifice and through the brush.
Description
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0061] FIG. 1 shows a schematic set-up of an oral cleaning device according to a first exemplary embodiment of the invention.
[0062] FIG. 2 shows a schematic set-up of a cleaning head according to a second exemplary embodiment of the invention.
[0063] FIG. 3 shows a schematic set-up of a handle according to a third exemplary embodiment of the invention.
[0064] FIG. 4a shows a rear view of a schematic set-up of a cleaning head according to a fourth exemplary embodiment of the invention.
[0065] FIG. 4b shows a front view of a schematic set-up of a cleaning head according to the fourth exemplary embodiment of the invention.
[0066] FIG. 5 shows a top view of a schematic set-up of a cleaning head according to the fourth exemplary embodiment of the invention while cleaning teeth.
[0067] FIGS. 6a and 6b show different views of a schematic set-up of a multi-brush oral cleaning system comprising three cleaning heads according to a fifth exemplary embodiment of the invention while cleaning teeth.
[0068] FIG. 7 shows a schematic set-up of an interdental brush system with an interdental brush driven by a fluid jet according to a sixth embodiment of the invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS
[0069] FIG. 1 shows a schematic set-up of an oral cleaning device 100 according to a first exemplary embodiment of the invention. The oral cleaning device comprises a cleaning head 200 and a handle 300. The handle holds the energy source 330, for example batteries, which empower the pump mechanism 340. An electronic circuit can be present to allow the user to control the pump mechanism through buttons for on-off operation, or different power or mode settings. The handle 300 also houses a fluid reservoir, from which fluid flows into the pump, which subsequently pressurizes the fluid through a first liquid channel 210 towards the cleaning head 200. An elongated part, the neck 205, extends from the handle 300 to the cleaning head 200, and allows easy access of the cleaning head 200 into the oral cavity. The neck 205 may be taken off with the cleaning head to replace the cleaning head 200, as it is custom with most power toothbrushes, but it may also be a permanently to the handle 300 connected neck 205, when only the brush 240 itself is replaced. The pressurized fluid 110 powers a hydraulic motor 230, which drives the brushing motion of the brush 240. The motion can have many forms, depending on the design of the movement transition. A typical hydraulic motor 230 will have an impeller 231 that rotates driven by the pressure difference over the impeller 231. The rotation may be directly transferred to the brush 240 thus rotating it, but through different constructions known in the art the rotation could also be transferred to sideway oscillations or even pulsations. The pressure of the fluid 110 is additionally used to drive a fluid burst ejection from the cleaning head 200, aimed at cleaning the interdental spaces 130. Preferably, the amount of fluid 110 used to clean the total of the interdental spaces 130 is limited to no more than 100 ml, but preferably less than 20 ml, so users do not have to spit too much, losing their fluoride from the toothpaste, and being in discomfort. Also 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 bursts to the position of the interdental spaces 130, whereas only some additional shooting might be acceptable. The part of the fluid 100 that is not emitted through the orifice 250 for cleaning the interdental spaces 130 is guided back through a second fluid channel 220 to the handle 300 and received in the fluid reservoir 350.
[0070] FIG. 2 shows a schematic set-up of a cleaning head 200 according to a second exemplary embodiment of the invention. In this exemplary embodiment, the cleaning head 200 is detached from the handle 300. The attachment section 280 is not connected to a handle 300. Further, the valve 260 is shown, which is configured for allowing the fluid 110 flow through the orifice 250 into 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 empower the hydraulic motor 230 is guide back through the second fluid channel 220 to be received by the fluid reservoir 350. Furthermore, a sensor 270 is shown, which is mounted in this exemplary embodiment of the invention to the brush. This sensor 270 is configured to detect a spatial alignment of the cleaning head 200 and in particular of the orifice 250 with an interdental space 130.
[0071] FIG. 3 shows a schematic set-up of a handle 300 according to a third exemplary embodiment of the invention. The handle 300 is shown with no cleaning head 200 attached to the handle 300. Thus the first opening 310 and the second opening 320 are shown in the figure, which are configured to be connected to the first fluid channel 210 and to the second fluid channel 220, respectively. This fluid connection is configured to enable the fluid 110 flow from the pump mechanism 340 of the handle 300 through the first fluid channel 210 to the cleaning head 200, and to enable the fluid 100 flow back from the cleaning head 200 through the second fluid channel 220 into the fluid reservoir 350 of the handle 300.
[0072] FIG. 4a shows a rear view of a schematic set-up of a cleaning head 200 according to a fourth exemplary embodiment of the 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.
[0073] FIG. 4b shows a front view of a schematic set-up of a cleaning head according to the fourth exemplary embodiment of the invention. The 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 for example also be rotating. In the center of the brush 240 located is the orifice 250 for emitting fluid thereby cleaning interdental spaces 130 by means of a fluid jet.
[0074] FIG. 5 shows a top view of a schematic set-up of a cleaning head according to the fourth exemplary embodiment of the invention while cleaning teeth. In this top view of the exemplary embodiment of the invention shown also in FIGS. 4a and 4b, the elongated brush 240 of the cleaning head 200 is shown when aligned with an interdental space 130 between two teeth 120. The brush 240 can freely rotate on the outside of the teeth 120, but in the interdental space 130 it can be trapped, increasing the resistance due to friction. By means of the elongated shape of the brush 240, which is fitted to the elongated shape of the entrance of the interdental space 130, a rotation of the brush 240 is obstructed. The rotation of the brush 240 experiences an increased resistance or friction, when the brush is rotated across the interdental space 130. Thus, also the rotation of the impeller 231 of the hydraulic motor 230 is inhibited, which results in a pressure increase of the fluid 110. The increased pressure of the fluid 110 can exceed the threshold of the valve 260 and can be emitted through the orifice 250, thereby cleaning the interdental space 130.
[0075] FIGS. 6a and 6b show different views of a schematic set-up of a multi-brush oral cleaning system comprising three cleaning heads 200 according to a fifth exemplary embodiment of the invention while cleaning teeth 120. A triple brush system to brush inner, outer and occlusal tooth surfaces is shown, where the three brushes 240 are driven each by a compact hydraulic motor 230. Three tooth surfaces are brushed simultaneously by the brushes 240, and the interdental space 130 is cleaned from both sides by fluid 110 emitted through the orifices 250. Thereby, the treatment time is considerably reduced. The impellers 231 of the hydraulic motors 230 are drawn quite large but may be designed more compact for user comfort, thus reducing also the size of the cleaning heads 200. As the neck of the cleaning heads 200 do not require to transfer mechanical energy, the neck can be relatively flexible, allowing a comfortable adaptation of the cleaning heads 200 to the dentition and a much more comfortable experience using this oral cleaning system. For example, the neck 205 of the occlusal cleaning head can be rigid, which allows the user to control the pressure on the occlusal surfaces, which does not compromise comfort. The inner (lingual) and outer (buccal/labial) cleaning head 200 brushing pressure can be controlled by the spring characteristics of the necks of these cleaning heads 200, which can be chosen freely to optimize both comfort and cleaning. For example, an optimized force of 0.5 to 2 N for each brush 240, depending on the brush size can be provided. This would ensure gum comfort, since the user cannot over pressure the side brushes that touch the gums. The fluid bursts can be emitted from the bottom side of the side brushes, but could also be chosen to eject from the middle when the brush has a hollow brush axis or from the top pointing downward to clean also the sulcus. Also multiple jets can be combined. It can also be beneficial if a burst ejects from the occlusal side, cleaning the interdental space 130 top-down. In this type of oral cleaning system 100 where two opposing brushes 240 clamp on the teeth 120 with a certain clamping force, sensing of the interdental space 130 can also be done by detecting the distance between the brushes 240 or the clamp angle. On the side surfaces of the teeth 120, the two brushes 240 will be further apart, but at an interdental space 130 they are closer together, having a smaller clamp angle. This works best using a narrow vertical brush design, for example a line of tufts. If such a brush 240 is moving, the clamp would start vibrating more heavily in the interdental space 130, which can also be detected by a vibration sensor, a pressure sensor, or the signal of the electrical power to the pump. The first fluid channel 210 and the second fluid channel 220 leading/guiding from and to a handle 300 depicted FIG. 6b can comprise a branching, in order to provide every cleaning head 200 with fluid 110.
[0076] FIG. 7 shows a schematic set-up of an interdental brush system 400 with an interdental brush 440 driven by a fluid jet according to a sixth embodiment of the invention. The interdental brush 440 is mounted on a spring 445 or on a flexible part of a basis of the interdental brush 440. Thus, a resonant movement of the interdental brush 440 is enabled, which will occur when excited by an impulse. A fluid burst can be a hydraulic actuator of the interdental brush 440. As the burst of fluid 110 is ejected from one side of the interdental brush 440 through the orifice 250, the interdental brush 440 will be pushed back or forth, and will vibrate with its resonance frequency. Preferably, this resonant oscillation takes place in a direction along the interdental space, thus providing additional brushing of tooth surfaces at the entrance of the interdental space 130.
[0077] 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 a claimed invention, from a study of the drawings, the disclosure, and the dependent claims.
[0078] 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 re-cited 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 should not be construed as limiting the scope.
LIST OF REFERENCE SIGNS
[0079] 100 oral cleaning system [0080] 110 fluid [0081] 120 tooth [0082] 130 interdental space [0083] 200 cleaning head [0084] 205 neck [0085] 210 first fluid channel [0086] 220 second fluid channel [0087] 230 hydraulic motor [0088] 231 impeller [0089] 240 brush [0090] 250 orifice [0091] 260 valve [0092] 270 sensor [0093] 280 attachment section [0094] 290 interdental brush [0095] 300 support unit/handle [0096] 310 first opening [0097] 320 second opening [0098] 330 energy source [0099] 340 pump mechanism [0100] 350 fluid reservoir [0101] 400 interdental brush system [0102] 440 interdental brush [0103] 445 spring
