High sealing water pump for oral irrigator

Abstract

A high-sealing water pump for a dental flosser includes a pump body, a piston assembly, and a transmission rod. The pump body is equipped with an inlet valve and an outlet valve. The transmission rod drives the piston assembly to move up and down, creating positive and negative pressures within the pump body. This allows water to be drawn in unidirectionally from the inlet valve or sprayed out unidirectionally from the outlet valve. The piston assembly includes a rigid piston and a rubber head fixed thereon. The rubber head extends downwards with an elastic pleated portion, which further extends downwards, folds over, and is fixed to the outer wall of the pump body to form a skirt. By providing a piston assembly with a rubber head, elastic pleats, and a skirt, when the transmission rod drives the rigid piston upwards, the elastic pleats unfold. When the transmission rod drives the rigid piston downwards, the elastic pleats contract, and the gap between them and the inner wall of the pump body decreases. Water is squeezed by the elastic pleats and the inner wall of the pump body, thus flowing back into the pump body above the rubber head. This prevents excessive water pressure from bursting the skirt or overflowing from the fixing ring, which could damage the electrical components.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of oral irrigators, specifically a high-sealing water pump for oral irrigators. Background Technology

[0002] A water flosser is a type of oral hygiene product that primarily uses a water pump to draw liquid from a reservoir and spray it out through a nozzle to rinse teeth. Currently, most water flossers on the market use a piston-linked rod mechanism, which has advantages such as high transmission efficiency and low energy loss. However, if... Figure 3 and Figure 5 As shown, when the rubber head 21 repeatedly rubs against the inner wall of the pump body 1, the part of the rubber head 21 with the contact point between the opening 213 on the rubber head 21 and the inner wall of the pump body 1 will repeatedly deform. A small amount of water is carried into the gap between the rubber head 21 and the inner wall of the pump body 1 below the opening 213 during deformation. Therefore, when the piston reciprocates in the pump body, it may carry water out of the pump body, causing water in the pump body to enter the drive motor, circuit board, and battery, resulting in a short circuit. As a result, the service life of the water flosser is generally not long, affecting the user experience.

[0003] It should be noted that the above Figure 3 and Figure 5 This is only a part of the embodiments of the present invention and is used to illustrate the problems existing in the prior art. It is not a structural diagram of the prior art. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The main objective of this invention is to provide a high-sealing water pump for oral irrigators to solve the problems mentioned in the background art.

[0005] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention provides the following technical solution:

[0006] A high-sealing water pump for a dental flosser includes a pump body, a well-sealed piston assembly, and a transmission rod for driving the piston. The pump body is provided with an inlet valve for one-way water intake and an outlet valve for one-way water spraying. The transmission rod drives the piston assembly to move up and down, generating negative or positive pressure within the pump body, thereby drawing water in one direction from the inlet valve or spraying it out one direction from the outlet valve. The piston assembly includes a rigid piston fixedly connected to the transmission rod and a rubber head fixed to the rigid piston. The lower end of the rubber head is provided with an elastic pleated portion, and the lower end of the elastic pleated portion is provided with a skirt that is folded over and fixed to the outer wall of the pump body.

[0007] The beneficial effects of this invention are:

[0008] This invention utilizes a piston assembly comprising a rubber head, elastic pleats, and a skirt. When the transmission rod drives the rigid piston upward, it synchronously drives the rubber head, which is fixedly connected to the rigid piston, upward, creating positive pressure within the pump body above the rubber head. Water within the pump body is ejected from the pump body through the outlet valve. Simultaneously, the elastic pleats expand upward, increasing the volume of the gap between the elastic pleats and the inner wall of the pump body. A small amount of water enters and is stored in this gap. When the transmission rod drives the rigid piston downward, it synchronously drives the rubber head, which is fixedly connected to the rigid piston, downward, creating negative pressure within the pump body above the rubber head. Water outside the pump body enters the pump body through the inlet valve. Simultaneously, the elastic pleats contract downward. As the pleats overlap, the volume of water storage gradually decreases, and the water in the gap is squeezed. It then flows back into the pump body above the rubber head through deformation of the part contacting the inner wall of the pump body on the outside of the opening. This effectively prevents water from entering components such as the cylinder and battery below the pump body, which could cause a short circuit and render the pump unusable.

[0009] Other features and advantages of the present invention will be described in detail in the following detailed description section. Attached Figure Description

[0010] Figure 1 This is a three-dimensional structural diagram of Embodiment 1 of the present invention.

[0011] Figure 2 This is an exploded view of Embodiment 1 of the present invention.

[0012] Figure 3 It is a three-dimensional structural diagram of the combination of rubber head, elastic pleats, and skirt hem.

[0013] Figure 4 This is a cross-sectional schematic diagram of the usage state of Embodiment 1 of the present invention.

[0014] Figure 5 yes Figure 4 Enlarged view of point A in the middle.

[0015] Figure 6 This is a cross-sectional schematic diagram of another usage state of Embodiment 1 of the present invention.

[0016] Figure 7 yes Figure 6 Enlarged view of section B in the middle.

[0017] Figure 8 This is a three-dimensional structural diagram of the rigid piston, transmission rod, and connecting pin of Embodiment 1 of the present invention, with their components separated.

[0018] Figure 9 yes Figure 6 Another usage status diagram at point B in the middle.

[0019] Figure 10This is a three-dimensional structural diagram of Embodiment 2 of the present invention.

[0020] Figure 11 This is an exploded view of Embodiment 2 of the present invention.

[0021] Figure 12 This is a three-dimensional structural diagram of the rigid piston in Embodiment 2 of the present invention.

[0022] Figure 13 This is a cross-sectional schematic diagram of the usage state of Embodiment 2 of the present invention.

[0023] Figure 14 yes Figure 13 Enlarged view of point D.

[0024] Figure 15 This is a three-dimensional structural diagram of the rigid piston in Embodiment 3 of the present invention.

[0025] Figure 16 This is a cross-sectional schematic diagram of the usage state of Embodiment 3 of the present invention.

[0026] Figure 17 yes Figure 16 Enlarged view of point C.

[0027] The components in the attached diagram are labeled as follows: 1-Pump body; 11-Inlet valve; 12-Outlet valve; 13-Step; 2-Piston assembly; 21-Nipple; 211-Elastic corrugated part; 212-Skirt; 2121-Fixing ring; 213-Opening; 22-Rigid piston; 221-Piston head; 222-Base; 2221-Through hole one; 2222-Outward flange; 2223-Protrusion; 3-Drive rod; 31-Through hole two; 4-Connecting pin; 5-Cylinder body; 51-Guide edge. Detailed Implementation

[0028] The technical solutions of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings in the embodiments of the present invention.

[0029] Example 1: As Figure 1-3As shown, a high-sealing water pump for a dental flosser includes a pump body 1, a piston assembly 2 with good sealing performance, and a transmission rod 3 for driving the piston movement. The pump body 1 is provided with an inlet valve 11 for one-way water intake and an outlet valve 12 for one-way water spraying. The transmission rod 3 drives the piston assembly 2 to move up and down, generating negative or positive pressure inside the pump body 1, thereby drawing water in one direction from the inlet valve 11 or spraying it out one direction from the outlet valve 12. The piston assembly 2 includes a rigid piston 22 fixedly connected to the transmission rod 3 and a rubber head 21 fixed on the rigid piston 22. The rigid piston 22 can be made of rigid materials such as metal or hard plastic. The lower end of the rubber head 21 is provided with an elastic pleated part 211, and the lower end of the elastic pleated part 211 is provided with a skirt 212 folded over and fixed to the outer wall of the pump body 1.

[0030] like Figure 3 and Figure 5 As shown, the rubber head 21 in this embodiment of the invention has an opening 213. In the free state, the outer diameter of the opening 213 is larger than the inner diameter of the pump body 1. After the piston assembly 2 is installed into the pump body 1, the outer side of the opening 213 on the rubber head 21 is tightly pressed against the inner wall of the pump body 1 by elastic force. When the piston reciprocates, it can block the water in the pump body 1 above the rubber head 21 to prevent water from entering the contact cylinder, battery and other components below, which would cause the water pump to short-circuit and fail. However, in order to reduce the excessive friction between the rubber head 21 and the inner wall of the pump body 1 and the excessive load on the battery, the outer diameter of the rubber head 21 below the opening 213 is smaller than the inner diameter of the pump body 1, that is, the opening... There is a gap between the rubber head 21 under the opening 213 and the inner wall of the pump body 1. It can be understood that when the rubber head 21 moves back and forth with the piston, only the outer side of the opening 213 that is in close contact with the inner wall of the pump body 1 generates friction with the inner wall of the pump body 1, which reduces the motor load and extends the battery life. When the rubber head 21 repeatedly rubs against the inner wall of the pump body 1, the part of the rubber head 21 with the outer side of the opening 213 that contacts the inner wall of the pump body 1 will repeatedly deform. A small amount of water is carried into the gap between the rubber head 21 and the inner wall of the pump body 1 below the opening 213 during deformation, which may cause a short circuit in the product circuit or affect the product performance and life.

[0031] To solve the above problems, such as Figure 3-6As shown, in this embodiment, the rubber head 21 extends downwards with an elastic pleated portion 211 and a skirt 212 fixed to the outer wall of the pump body 1. The maximum outer diameter of the elastic pleated portion 211 is smaller than the inner diameter of the pump body 1. That is, the elastic pleated portion 211 does not have any contact friction with the inner wall of the pump body 1, so as to avoid excessive motor load caused by friction between the elastic pleated portion 211 and the inner wall of the pump body 1. When the transmission rod 3 drives the rigid piston 22 to move upward, it drives the rubber head 21, which is fixedly connected to the rigid piston 22, to move upward synchronously, so that positive pressure is generated in the pump body 1 above the rubber head 21. The water in the pump body 1 is sprayed out of the pump body 1 through the water outlet valve 12. At the same time, the elastic pleated portion 211 unfolds upward, and the gap volume between the elastic pleated portion 211 and the inner wall of the pump body 1 changes. When the pump body 1 is large, a small amount of water will enter and be stored in the gap between the elastic pleated part 211 and the inner wall of the pump body 1. When the transmission rod 3 drives the rigid piston 22 to move downward, it will drive the rubber head 21, which is fixedly connected to the rigid piston 22, to move downward synchronously. This will create a negative pressure in the pump body 1 above the rubber head 21. Water outside the pump body 1 will enter the pump body 1 through the water inlet valve 11. At the same time, the elastic pleated part 211 will contract downward. As the pleats of the elastic pleated part 211 overlap, the volume of water storage space will gradually decrease. The water in the gap will be squeezed and will flow back into the pump body 1 above the rubber head 21 through the deformation of the part of the opening 213 that contacts the inner wall of the pump body 1. This will effectively prevent water from entering the cylinder, battery and other components below the pump body 1, which would cause the water pump to short-circuit and fail.

[0032] It should be noted that, as Figure 6 and Figure 7 As shown, the skirt 212 is folded from the inside of the pump body 1 to the outer wall of the pump body 1 and fixedly connected to the outer wall of the pump body 1. The part of the skirt 212 that is fixed to the outer wall of the pump body 1 is a fixing ring 2121. The outer wall of the pump body 1 is provided with a step 13 corresponding to the fixing ring 2121. By fixing the fixing ring 2121 on the skirt 212 to the step 13, the connection between the skirt 212 and the outer wall of the pump body 1 is made tighter, and the skirt 212 is prevented from being pulled loose by the elastic pleats 211.

[0033] In this invention, the inlet valve 11 and outlet valve 12 are both one-way valve structures that only support one-way water flow and can prevent backflow, such as duckbill valves, spring-loaded one-way valves, and plastic diaphragm one-way valves. In this embodiment, the outlet valve 12 is a duckbill valve and the inlet valve 11 is a plastic diaphragm one-way valve. Both of these one-way valves are mature and commonly used existing technologies in the field, and their structural principles will not be specifically analyzed here.

[0034] like Figure 8As shown, in this embodiment of the invention, the rigid piston 22 is made of metal and includes a hollow base 222 and a piston head 221 integrally formed with the base 222 and fixed on the base 222. The outer wall of the base 222 is provided with a through hole 2221 that passes through both sides, and the transmission rod 3 is provided with a through hole 31 that corresponds to the through hole 2221. The base 222 of the rigid piston 22 is sleeved on the transmission rod 3, and the connecting pin 4 passes through the through hole 2221 on the base 222 and the through hole 31 on the transmission rod 3, so that the rigid piston 22 and the transmission rod 3 are more tightly fixed, so that when the transmission rod 3 moves up and down, it drives the rigid piston 22 to move up and down synchronously.

[0035] Example 2: Figure 10-14 As shown, in this embodiment, the lower end of the base 222 of the rigid piston 22 is provided with a flared, outwardly curved flange 2222. The flange 2222 is adapted to the shape of the skirt 212. When the transmission rod 3 drives the piston assembly 2 to move upward, the flange 2222 is located at the lower end of the skirt 212. Since the elastic pleated part 211 connected to the skirt 212 has a long stroke, when the transmission rod 3 drives the piston assembly 2 to move downward, the elastic pleated part 211 contracts and overlaps downward, reducing the volume of the gap between the elastic pleated part 211 and the inner wall of the pump body 1. The water in the gap is squeezed upward or downward. The water moving upward flows back to the pump body 1 above the rubber head 21 pump body, while the water moving downward will... Figure 9 As shown, as the water accumulates, the skirt 212 expands and the bottom of the skirt 212 droops. When the pressure is strong enough, the bottom of the skirt 212 continues to expand, which may cause the skirt 212 to break and cause water leakage, thereby causing a short circuit in the product's circuitry or affecting the product's performance and lifespan.

[0036] In this embodiment, the outer flange 2222 provided on the rigid piston 22 abuts against the skirt 212 that has been enlarged by accumulated water when it moves upward, so that the accumulated water in the skirt 212 is squeezed into the space between the elastic pleats 211 and the inner wall of the pump body 1. Then, the accumulated water is squeezed out from the space between the outside of the opening 213 on the rubber head 21 and the inner wall of the pump body 1, and flows back into the pump body 1 above the rubber head 21, thus preventing the skirt 212 from cracking and leaking due to the continuous expansion caused by the accumulated water.

[0037] It should be noted that the shape of the outer flange 2222 at the lower end of the rigid piston 22 is adapted to the skirt 212. Under normal circumstances, when there is no water accumulation at the bottom of the skirt 212, the bottom of the skirt 212 maintains its normal shape. When the outer flange 2222 at the lower end of the rigid piston 22 moves upward, it will not squeeze the bottom of the skirt 212. However, when there is water accumulation at the bottom of the skirt 212, causing it to swell, the outer flange 2222 moves upward and squeezes the bottom of the skirt 212, causing the water accumulation at the bottom of the skirt 212 to be squeezed out.

[0038] In this embodiment, the pump body 1 is provided with a cylinder 5 whose shape is adapted to the outer wall of the pump body 1 and the skirt 212 fixed to the outer wall of the cylinder 5. The cylinder 5 can be divided into two parts for easy installation. It should be noted that the cylinder 5 can be part of the mounting housing in specific applications, such as... Figure 13 and Figure 14 As shown, the fixing ring 2121 is fully sealed by the cylinder body 5 and the pump body 1 with a 360-degree interference fit, achieving a high degree of sealing effect and further preventing water from flowing out from the fixing ring 2121 fixed to the outer wall of the pump body 1.

[0039] Other features in this embodiment are the same as those in Embodiment 1, and will not be repeated here.

[0040] Example 3: Figure 15-17 As shown, in this embodiment, the rubber head 21 is a cylindrical rubber head with a flat top, and the outer diameter of the rubber head 21 is smaller than the inner diameter of the pump body 1. That is, under normal conditions, there is a gap between the rubber head 21 and the inner wall of the pump body 1. In this embodiment, the cylinder body 5 has a guide edge 51 extending downward at the corresponding skirt edge 212 position. The lower end of the base 222 of the rigid piston 22 is provided with a trumpet-shaped outward flange 2222 that curves outward. The outer periphery of the side of the outward flange 2222 is provided with several protrusions 2223. The protrusions 2223 are slidably connected to the guide edge 51 extending downward from the cylinder body 5. That is, it can be understood that the protrusions 2223 slide in contact with the inner wall of the guide edge 51, so that the lower end of the rigid piston 22 slides up and down along the guide edge 51 of the cylinder body 5.

[0041] To further explain, setting the outer diameter of the rubber head 21 to be smaller than the inner diameter of the pump body 1 is to prevent the rubber head 21 from rubbing against the inner wall of the pump body 1 when it moves up and down with the piston assembly 2, thereby reducing the motor load and extending the battery life. However, since the gear transmission structure (not shown in the figure) that provides the power for up and down movement is usually an eccentric wheel structure, when the gear transmission mechanism operates, in addition to driving the piston assembly 2 to move up and down, it will also cause the piston assembly 2 to sway left and right, thereby causing the rubber head 21 to rub against the inner wall of the pump body 1. In this embodiment, by setting a cylinder 5 with a guide edge 51 and an outer flange 2222 of a rigid piston 22 with several protrusions 2223, when the cylinder operates, the protrusions 2223 and the guide edge 51 limit the lateral displacement of the piston assembly 2 in the pump body 1, thereby reducing the swaying amplitude of the rubber head 21 on the piston assembly 2 in the pump body 1, effectively reducing the friction between the rubber head 21 and the inner wall of the pump body 1, thereby reducing the motor load, extending the battery life, and avoiding the problem of high load causing rapid battery consumption and affecting the consumer experience.

[0042] Other features in this embodiment are the same as those in Embodiment 2, and will not be repeated here.

[0043] It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the present invention is not limited to the details of the exemplary embodiments described above, and that the invention can be implemented in other specific forms without departing from its spirit or essential characteristics. Therefore, the embodiments should be considered in all respects as exemplary and non-limiting, and the scope of the invention is defined by the appended claims rather than the foregoing description. Thus, all variations falling within the meaning and scope of equivalents of the claims are intended to be included within the present invention. No reference numerals in the claims should be construed as limiting the scope of the claims.

[0044] Furthermore, it should be understood that although this specification describes embodiments, not every embodiment contains only one independent technical solution. This narrative style of the specification is merely for clarity. Those skilled in the art should consider the specification as a whole, and the technical solutions in each embodiment can also be appropriately combined to form other implementations that can be understood by those skilled in the art.

Claims

1. A high-sealing water pump for a dental flosser, characterized in that: The pump body (1), a piston assembly (2) with good sealing, and a transmission rod (3) for driving the piston movement are provided. The pump body (1) is provided with an inlet valve (11) for unidirectional water intake and an outlet valve (12) for unidirectional water spraying. The transmission rod (3) drives the piston assembly (2) to move up and down, so that negative pressure or positive pressure is generated in the pump body (1), thereby drawing water in unidirectionally from the inlet valve (11) or spraying it out unidirectionally from the outlet valve (12). The piston assembly (2) includes a rigid piston (22) fixedly connected to the transmission rod (3) and a rubber head (21) fixed on the rigid piston (22). The lower end of the rubber head (21) is provided with an elastic pleated part (211) with water storage function. The lower end of the elastic pleated part (211) is provided with a skirt (212) that is folded over and fixed on the outer wall of the pump body (1). When the elastic pleats (211) contract downwards, as the pleats of the elastic pleats (211) overlap, the volume of the space between the elastic pleats (211) and the pump body (1) gradually decreases, and the water in the space is squeezed back into the pump body (1) above the rubber head (21) to prevent water from entering the circuit and causing a short circuit. The rigid piston (22) includes a hollow base (222) and a piston head (221) that is fixed on the base (222) and integrally formed with the base (222). The rigid piston (22) has a flared flange (2222) at the lower end of its base (222), which is upturned outward and the shape of the flange (2222) is adapted to the shape of the skirt (212); The outward-turned edge (2222) moves upward to squeeze the bottom of the skirt (212), causing the water accumulated at the bottom of the skirt (212) to be squeezed back into the pump body (1) above the rubber head (21).

2. The high-sealing water pump for a dental flosser according to claim 1, characterized in that: The rubber head (21) has an opening (213). In the free state, the outer diameter of the opening (213) is larger than the inner diameter of the pump body (1). After the piston assembly (2) is installed into the pump body (1), the outer side of the opening (213) on the rubber head (21) is tightly attached to the inner wall of the pump body (1) by elastic force. The skirt (212) and the fixed part of the outer wall of the pump body (1) is a fixing ring (2121). The outer wall of the pump body (1) is provided with a step (13) corresponding to the fixing ring (2121).

3. The high-sealing water pump for a dental flosser according to claim 1, characterized in that: The outer wall of the base (222) is provided with a through hole 1 (2221) that runs through both sides, and the transmission rod (3) is provided with a through hole 2 (31) that corresponds to the through hole 1 (2221). The base (222) of the rigid piston (22) is sleeved on the transmission rod (3), and the connecting pin (4) passes through the through hole 1 (2221) on the base (222) and the through hole 2 (31) on the transmission rod (3).

4. A high-sealing water pump for a dental flosser according to claim 1, characterized in that: The rubber head (21) is a cylindrical rubber head with a flat top, and the outer diameter of the rubber head (21) is smaller than the inner diameter of the pump body (1).

5. A high-sealing water pump for a dental flosser according to claim 1 or 4, characterized in that: The pump body (1) is provided with a cylinder body (5) which is adapted to the shape of the skirt (212) fixed to the outer wall of the pump body (1) and the outer wall of the cylinder body (5). The cylinder body (5) can be divided into two parts for easy installation.

6. A high-sealing water pump for a dental flosser according to claim 5, characterized in that: The cylinder body (5) has a guide edge (51) extending downward at the corresponding skirt edge (212).

7. A high-sealing water pump for a dental flosser according to claim 1 or 6, characterized in that: The lower end of the base (222) of the rigid piston (22) is provided with a flared outward flange (2222) that curves outward, and the outer periphery of the side of the outward flange (2222) is provided with several protrusions (2223), which are slidably connected to the guide edge (51) extending downward from the cylinder (5).

8. A high-sealing water pump for a dental flosser according to claim 2, characterized in that: The maximum outer diameter of the elastic pleated part (211) is smaller than the inner diameter of the pump body (1).

9. A high-sealing water pump for a dental flosser according to claim 1, characterized in that: The outlet valve (12) is a duckbill valve, and the inlet valve (11) is a plastic diaphragm check valve.

Images