Powder Delivery Nozzle with Flexible Membrane for Clog Prevention
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing personal care appliances face challenges in delivering dry powder particles effectively due to clogging issues within the nozzle, which hampers the delivery of oral therapeutic agents to interproximal spaces, where bacteria easily accumulate and cause oral diseases like gingivitis and cavities.
Innovation Solution
A specialized nozzle with a powder chamber and flexible membrane is integrated into the device, where an air pulse drives the powder release directly outside the nozzle, ensuring the powder is expelled in the air-liquid stream towards the teeth, and an exchangeable cartridge system allows for easy refilling and maintenance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If dry particles are fed into the air stream inside the AirFloss device, then particle delivery towards teeth is enabled, but the dry particles will attach to the insides of the nozzle and cause clogging
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the powder delivery function from the main nozzle body by adding a separate powder chamber and powder outlet port. The powder is delivered through a dedicated pathway that bypasses the main nozzle interior, preventing clogging while maintaining delivery efficiency. The powder chamber is positioned at the distal end with its own outlet port that directs powder into the air stream outside the nozzle.
Solution Approach 2:
The flexible membrane acts as an intermediary between the powder chamber and the air-liquid channel. It separates the dry powder environment from the wet air-liquid stream, allowing controlled powder release without direct contact between powder and the nozzle interior. The membrane responds to pressure changes to regulate powder delivery.
2Adaptability or versatility
If a powder delivery system is integrated into the nozzle, then powder can be delivered to interproximal spaces, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The nozzle is designed with multi-functionality by integrating both fluid delivery (air-liquid channel) and powder delivery (powder chamber with outlet port) capabilities into a single device. The guidance tip with orifice serves both fluid ejection and powder delivery functions, reducing the need for separate components while maintaining versatility.
Solution Approach 2:
The powder chamber is nested within or integrated with the nozzle body structure. The powder chamber occupies space within the nozzle assembly, and its outlet port is positioned within or near the guidance tip. This nesting approach minimizes overall device size while incorporating multiple delivery functions.
3Device complexity
If powder is released inside the nozzle, then delivery mechanism is simple, but powder adhesion to teeth is hampered
Solution Approach 1:
The powder outlet port is positioned to release powder into the air stream just before it reaches the teeth, and the flexible membrane is positioned to release powder at the optimal point in the air-liquid flow. This preliminary positioning ensures powder is delivered directly to the target area (interproximal spaces) rather than being released too early inside the nozzle where it would lose effectiveness.
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
This design ensures efficient delivery of dry powder to interproximal areas, preventing clogging and ensuring effective adhesion of therapeutic agents to teeth surfaces, thereby enhancing oral care by providing a smart sustained release of agents where needed.
Implementation Method 1
responsive to delivery of a pulse of air, liquid, or a combination of air and liquid via the air-liquid channel, a pulse of pressure is applied to the flexible membrane for actuating a release of powder
Implementation Method 2
the powder is released outside the nozzle in the stream of air/liquid as it is being expelled from the nozzle
Implementation Method 3
For dry particles this is less the case since these will immediately adhere to the saliva film present on the teeth due to capillary forces
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2(A)~2(B)
Figure 3~4
AI summary
A powder delivery nozzle (12) for a personal care appliance (10) comprises a body (28), guidance tip (38), powder chamber(50), and flexible membrane(56). The body (28) includes an air-liquid channel (30) for delivery of air and/or liquid from a proximal end to a distal end thereof. The guidance tip (38), located at the distal end of the body (28), includes an orifice (40) coupled to the air-liquid channel (30) and is configured to expel a pulse of air and/or liquid. The powder chamber (50) is configured for storing a powder (52) and having an air intake port (42) and a powder outlet port(44). The flexible membrane (56) is disposed between the powder chamber (50) and the air-liquid channel (30). Responsive to delivery of a pulse of air and/or liquid via the air-liquid channel (30), a pulse of pressure is applied to the flexible membrane (56) for actuating a release of powder expelled from the powder chamber (50) via the powder outlet port (44). A method and personal care appliance are also disclosed.