Oral Irrigator with Hand Conforming Housing

Abstract

An oral irrigator has a pump, a discharge nozzle and a pressure control. The pump has a generally constant operating speed and feeds the discharge nozzle. The pressure control is adapted to modify a discharge pressure at the nozzle without a significant change in pump speed. The pressure control modifies a level of fluid flow restriction between the pump and the nozzle. The modification of the level of fluid flow restriction is accomplished by modifying aspects of a fluid flow path extending through the pressure control. The aspects modified include the diameter, length and/or number of direction changes of the fluid flow path.

1 . An irrigating device comprising:
 a pump;   a reservoir fluidly connected to the pump; and   a handle portion selectively removable from the reservoir including
 a base portion configured to selectively connect to the reservoir having a first perimeter; 
 a gripping portion extending from the base having a second perimeter; and 
 a top portion extending from the gripping portion having a third perimeter; wherein 
   the first perimeter is larger than the second perimeter and the third perimeter; and   the third perimeter is larger than the second perimeter.   
     
     
         2 . The irrigating device of  claim 1 , further comprising an activation switch in communication with the pump and operably connected to the handle portion between the gripping portion and the top portion. 
     
     
         3 . The irrigating device of  claim 1 , wherein at least one of the gripping portion and the top portion is elliptically shaped. 
     
     
         4 . The irrigating device of  claim 1 , further comprising a gripping bump extending from an outer surface of the handle portion. 
     
     
         5 . The irrigating device of  claim 4 , wherein the gripping bump is positioned at a transition area between the gripping portion and the base portion. 
     
     
         6 . The irrigating device of  claim 1 , wherein the gripping portion is configured to receive a user's hand to assist a user in gripping the handle portion and the top portion is configured to stop the user's hand from sliding above the gripping portion. 
     
     
         7 . A handheld irrigating device comprising:
 a pump;   a reservoir in fluid communication with the pump; and   a housing operably connected to the reservoir including
 an end portion operably connected to the reservoir having a first major axis and a first minor axis; 
 a waist portion extending from the end portion and having a second major axis and a second minor axis; and 
 a top portion extending from the waist portion and having a third major axis and a third minor axis; wherein 
 the first major axis is longer than the second major axis and the third major axis; and 
 the second minor axis is shorter than the first minor axis and the third minor axis. 
   
     
     
         8 . The handheld irrigating device of  claim 7 , wherein in transitioning from the waist portion to the top portion, the second major axis expands to form the third major axis and the second minor axis expands to form the third minor axis, wherein the second major axis expands at a faster rate than the second minor axis in transitioning to form the third major axis and the third minor axis. 
     
     
         9 . The handheld irrigating device of  claim 7 , wherein the first major axis and the first minor axis are approximately the same length. 
     
     
         10 . The handheld irrigating device of  claim 7 , wherein the first major axis and the first major axis are not the same length. 
     
     
         11 . The handheld irrigating device of  claim 7 , wherein the reservoir is selectively detachable from the housing. 
     
     
         12 . The handheld irrigating device of  claim 7 , wherein the second major axis has a length that is longer than a length of the second minor axis; and
 the third major axis has a length that is longer than a length of the third minor axis.   
     
     
         13 . The handheld irrigating device of  claim 7 , further comprising at least one gripping bump extending from an outer surface of the housing. 
     
     
         14 . The handheld irrigating device of  claim 13 , wherein the at least one gripping bump is positioned at a transition portion between the end portion and the waist portion. 
     
     
         15 . The handheld irrigating device of  claim 7 , further comprising an activation switch in communication with the pump and operably connected to the housing between the waist portion and the top portion. 
     
     
         16 . The handheld irrigating device of  claim 7 , wherein at least one of the waist portion and the top portion is elliptically shaped. 
     
     
         17 . The handheld irrigating device of  claim 7 , wherein the waist portion is configured to receive a user's hand to assist a user in gripping the housing and the top portion is configured to stop the user's hand from sliding above the waist portion.