Pressure relief valve for an oral irrigator
US5993402A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Oct 27, 1997 |
| Grant date | Nov 30, 1999 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Oct 27, 2017 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC A)Human Necessities
- CPC primaryA61C1/0092
- WIPO fieldMedical technology
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
The invention is directed to an oral irrigator for the care and cleaning of teeth and gums, which is provided with a pump (1) adapted to be driven by an electric motor. The pump (1) has an inlet (2) connected in particular to a liquid reservoir and provided with an inlet valve (8), an outlet (3) connected in particular to a jet nozzle and provided with an outlet valve (21), as well as a pump cylinder (5) connected to the inlet (2) and the outlet (3). The pump cylinder (5) has a piston (4) reciprocating therein, whereby liquid can be drawn from the inlet (2) into the pump cylinder (5) following which the drawn liquid can be delivered from the pump cylinder (5) to the outlet (3). The inlet valve (8) includes a pressure relief valve (13) through which liquid can be delivered from the pump cylinder (5) to the inlet (2) in the event of excess pressure building up. It is thus sufficient to provide on the jet nozzle only a shut-off valve (25) for shutting off the water pumped to the jet nozzle. It is not necessary for the electric on-off switch of the pump (1) to be located on the jet nozzle, but it may be disposed on the housing of the oral irrigator.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.