Oral Irrigator Dual Fluid Delivery with Blocking Valve
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Current oral irrigators require an electric pump to deliver high pressure, pulsatile cleaning water and mouth rinse, which can lead to dilution of the mouth rinse and inefficient cleaning.
Innovation Solution
An oral irrigator with a high pressure water delivery system and a low pressure mouth rinse delivery system, using a blocking valve and hand pump to alternately deliver fluids to a common pick, allowing for full-strength mouth rinse and high pressure cleaning without an electric pump, with a pressure oscillator for pulsing action.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If an electric pump is used to deliver high pressure water and mouth rinse, then cleaning effectiveness is improved, but mouth rinse becomes diluted and device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system is divided into two separate delivery systems: a high pressure water delivery system and a low pressure mouth rinse delivery system. These systems operate independently and alternately, allowing each to maintain its optimal pressure and concentration without interference from the other, thus preventing mouth rinse dilution while maintaining cleaning effectiveness
Solution Approach 2:
The blocking valve alternates between the two delivery systems in periodic cycles. During each cycle, the high pressure water system operates first to clean, then the blocking valve switches to allow the mouth rinse system to operate. This periodic alternation ensures that mouth rinse is delivered at low pressure without dilution while maintaining effective cleaning action
2Productivity
If an electric pump is used to deliver high pressure water and mouth rinse, then fluid delivery capability is improved, but device complexity and power requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The electric pump is extracted and replaced with a manual hand pump mechanism. The hand pump uses mechanical advantage through a piston and pump chamber design to generate sufficient pressure for both high pressure water and mouth rinse delivery without requiring electrical power, thus reducing device complexity and eliminating power requirements while maintaining fluid delivery capability
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses the user's own hand pressure to operate the pump, eliminating the need for external power sources. The spring-loaded piston in the hand pump automatically returns to its initial position after each pumping action, allowing continuous operation without additional mechanical complexity
3Reliability
If high pressure water is continuously delivered to the pick, then cleaning action is maintained, but mouth rinse cannot be delivered to the pick
Solution Approach 1:
The blocking valve is designed to dynamically switch between the high pressure water system and the mouth rinse system. The valve responds to user input (pump button pressure) and automatically transitions between states, enabling the system to adapt between cleaning mode and mouth rinse mode without manual intervention, thus maintaining both cleaning action and fluid delivery flexibility
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Enables effective, undiluted delivery of mouth rinse and high pressure cleaning to teeth and gums, improving cleaning efficiency without the need for an electric pump, while preventing backflow and siphoning.
Implementation Method 1
The water delivery system in the handle comprises a blocking valve with a spring loaded valve button. The spring loaded valve button is biased normally open.
Implementation Method 2
The hand pump has a spring loaded piston that is biased to a normally expanded configuration. A pump button is attached to the spring loaded piston so that a user can compress the piston by hand and thus pump mouth rinse into the pick.
Implementation Method 3
A pressure oscillator may be present in the handle to cause the high pressure water to oscillate in pressure and thus provide a pulsing action to the user's teeth and gums.
Implementation Method 4
When the pick is removed from the mouth, it is desirable to be able to quickly turn off the water to the pick so that water does not siphon through the pick and into the user's mouth.
Data Source
AI summary
An oral irrigator has a separate high pressure water system and low pressure mouth rinse system to deliver two different fluids to a pick or other accessories. The water system and mouth rinse system are combined in a handle. The pick is connected to the handle. The water system has a blocking valve located in the handle and the mouth rinse system has a hand pump located in the handle. The hand pump sits next to a valve button for closing the blocking valve. When the hand pump is pressed, it presses against the valve button of the blocking valve to shut off the source of high pressure water to the pick. The pressure in the pick drops so that the hand pump can then introduce mouth rinse into the pick. When the hand pump is released, the blocking valve opens up and high pressure water returns to the pick.