Waterproof Oral Irrigator Pump With Sealed Gear Compartments
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional oral irrigators are not waterproof, leading to malfunction and potential failure when exposed to water, limiting their use in wet environments.
Innovation Solution
A waterproof oral irrigator design featuring sealed compartments, spiral gears for reduced noise and increased durability, a diaphragm seal to protect electrical components, and a magnetically connected charging system, ensuring the device operates even when submerged in water.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional oral irrigators are designed with electrical components (motor, pump, batteries), then they can provide powered fluid delivery for oral cleaning, but they are not waterproof and may malfunction when exposed to water
Solution Approach 1:
The oral irrigator is divided into separate sealed compartments (first compartment for motor, second compartment for pump, third compartment for batteries) that are isolated from water. Each compartment is sealed against water penetration, allowing electrical components to be protected while maintaining the overall functionality of the device in wet environments.
Solution Approach 2:
A waterproof seal or barrier acts as an intermediary between the water environment and the electronic components. This seal prevents water from reaching the motor, pump, and batteries while still allowing the device to operate in wet conditions such as bathrooms and showers.
2Reliability
If the oral irrigator is made waterproof with sealed compartments, then electrical components are protected from water damage, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The internal structure is segmented into multiple sealed compartments, each housing specific components (motor, pump, batteries). This segmentation provides systematic protection for each component while organizing the internal layout in a manageable way.
Solution Approach 2:
Waterproof seals and barriers (flexible membranes or thin film structures) are used to create the sealed compartments. These flexible sealing elements provide effective water protection while minimizing the added structural complexity compared to rigid sealed enclosures.
3Reliability
If a diaphragm seal is used to protect electrical components, then water protection is achieved, but the pump mechanism becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
A diaphragm seal (flexible membrane) is used to create a waterproof barrier within the pump mechanism. This flexible seal allows the pump to operate while protecting electrical components from water, and the diaphragm's flexibility enables it to deform with pump operation without adding rigid complex structures.
Solution Approach 2:
The diaphragm seal is designed to be dynamic, deforming and moving with the pump's operational cycles. This dynamic behavior allows the seal to maintain its waterproof function while accommodating the mechanical motion of the pump, avoiding the need for complex rigid sealing mechanisms.
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
The oral irrigator maintains functionality and prevents damage to internal components by being fully waterproof, allowing use in wet conditions without malfunction.
Implementation Method 1
As the connecting rod moves from the first position to the second position, the diaphragm seal deforms from a first orientation to a second orientation
Implementation Method 2
a pinion gear placed on the drive shaft and including a plurality of pinion gear teeth that curve along their length, and a driven gear including a plurality of driven gear teeth that mesh with the pinion gear teeth. In this embodiment, the pinion gear teeth and the driven gear teeth are spiral gears with beveled edges.
Implementation Method 3
a magnetically connected charging system
Data Source
AI summary
In one embodiment, an oral irrigator including a reservoir, a tip fluidly connected to the reservoir, a motor having a drive shaft, and a pump. The pump includes a pump body including a pump inlet fluidly connected to the reservoir and a pump outlet fluidly connected to the tip, a spiral pinion gear including a plurality of pinion gear teeth that curve along their length, and a spiral driven gear including a plurality of driven gear teeth that mesh with the pinion gear teeth. The pump also may include a connecting rod eccentrically connected to the driven gear and a piston and received within the pump body. Movement of the drive shaft causes the pinion gear to rotate, causing the driven gear to rotate, translating the connecting rod and moving the piston laterally within the pump body to pull fluid from the reservoir and push the fluid to the tip.