US 12,263,053 B2
Bypass flow assembly of an oral irrigator
Robert D. Wagner, Firestone, CO (US)
Assigned to WATER PIK, INC., Fort Collins, CO (US)
Filed by WATER PIK, INC., Fort Collins, CO (US)
Filed on Jul. 8, 2021, as Appl. No. 17/370,420.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/126,000, filed on Dec. 16, 2020.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/055,117, filed on Jul. 22, 2020.
Prior Publication US 2022/0023019 A1, Jan. 27, 2022
Int. Cl. A61C 17/02 (2006.01); A61H 13/00 (2006.01); F04B 49/24 (2006.01)
CPC A61C 17/02 (2013.01) [A61H 13/005 (2013.01); F04B 49/24 (2013.01)] 13 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. An oral irrigator comprising:
a handle positionable between a first mode and a second mode, the first mode being an operation mode of the handle, the second mode being a pause mode of the handle; and
a valve assembly comprising:
a bypass valve movable between first and second positions, the bypass valve comprises:
a hollow rod section, the hollow rod section comprising one or more bores defined therethrough to direct fluid;
a ledge extending annularly from the hollow rod section; and
an inlet valve movable between open and closed positions, wherein the first position of the bypass valve is associated with the first mode of the handle and the second position of the bypass valve is associated with the second mode of the handle, such that the bypass valve moves from the first position to the second position when the handle is positioned in the second mode and remains in the second position until the handle is positioned in the first mode, and wherein the inlet valve moves between an open and closed positions when the bypass valve is positioned in the first position and the second position; and
a spring biasing the ledge against a first stop to define the first position, wherein a fluid pressure buildup overcomes the spring to hold the bypass valve in the second position against a second stop.