Oral irrigator with reservoir valve

Abstract

An oral irrigator includes a base, a reservoir supported by the base and including a bottom wall and a port defined in the bottom wall, and a valve received in the port. The valve is movable between a first position in which the port is open to allow fluid flow from the reservoir to the base and a second position in which the port is closed by the valve. The valve includes a body, a cap extending from a first end of the body, a flange extending from a second end of the body opposite the first end, a sealing member positioned around the body adjacent the cap, and a spring positioned around the body adjacent the flange.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An oral irrigator comprising:
 a base;   a reservoir supported by the base, the reservoir including a bottom wall and a port defined in the bottom wall of the reservoir; and   a valve received in the port and movable between a first position in which the port is open to allow fluid flow from the reservoir to the base and a second position in which the port is closed by the valve, the valve including a body, a cap extending from a first end of the body, a flange extending from a second end of the body opposite the first end, a sealing member positioned around the body beneath the cap, and a spring positioned around the body between the sealing member and the flange;   wherein:   the cap and the sealing member are positioned on a first side of the bottom wall, with the sealing member positioned between the cap and the bottom wall;   the flange and the spring are positioned on a second side of the bottom wall opposite the first side, with the spring positioned between the bottom wall and the flange such that the spring biases the valve toward the second position;   when the valve is in the first position, the cap and the sealing member are spaced from the bottom wall to allow water to flow through the port, and the spring is compressed between the flange and the bottom wall; and   when the valve is in the second position, the sealing member is sealed against the reservoir via the force of the spring.   
     
     
         2 . The oral irrigator of  claim 1 , wherein the sealing member is seated in an annular groove formed in the body of the valve adjacent the cap. 
     
     
         3 . The oral irrigator of  claim 1 , wherein the bottom wall includes a chamfer surrounding the port. 
     
     
         4 . The oral irrigator of  claim 3 , wherein when the valve is in the second position, the sealing member is sealed against the chamfer. 
     
     
         5 . The oral irrigator of  claim 1 , wherein when the valve is in the second position, the sealing member is compressed between the cap of the valve and the bottom wall of the reservoir. 
     
     
         6 . The oral irrigator of  claim 1 , wherein the cap and the body are dimensioned such that the cap and the body are insertable through the port for installation of the valve. 
     
     
         7 . The oral irrigator of  claim 6 , wherein the flange has a larger outer dimension than the port such that the flange is not insertable through the port. 
     
     
         8 . The oral irrigator of  claim 7 , wherein the sealing member has a larger outer dimension than the port such that the sealing member and the flange retain the valve to the bottom wall of the reservoir. 
     
     
         9 . The oral irrigator of  claim 1 , wherein the cap has a rounded top surface. 
     
     
         10 . The oral irrigator of  claim 1 , wherein the reservoir further includes a downwardly extending wall extending from the second side of the bottom wall, and wherein the spring and the flange are positioned interior of the downwardly extending wall. 
     
     
         11 . The oral irrigator of  claim 10 , wherein the base includes a wall surrounding the downwardly extending wall of the reservoir to define an annular space between the wall of the base and the downwardly extending wall of the reservoir. 
     
     
         12 . The oral irrigator of  claim 11 , wherein the sealing element comprises a first sealing element, and further comprising a second sealing element positioned in the annular space between the downwardly extending wall of the reservoir and the wall of the base and sealed against the downwardly extending wall of the reservoir and the wall of the base. 
     
     
         13 . The oral irrigator of  claim 12 , wherein the first sealing element comprises an O-ring and the second sealing element comprises a sealing cup. 
     
     
         14 . The oral irrigator of  claim 13 , wherein the sealing cup includes a bridge, a first leg extending downwardly from the bridge and sealed against an exterior surface of the downwardly extending wall of the reservoir, and a second leg extending downwardly from the bridge and sealed against an interior surface of the wall of the base. 
     
     
         15 . The oral irrigator of  claim 1 , wherein the second end of the body of the valve is hollow. 
     
     
         16 . The oral irrigator of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a handle in fluid communication with the reservoir; and   a pump positioned within the base and in fluid communication with the handle and the reservoir, the pump configured to move fluid from the reservoir to the handle.   
     
     
         17 . The oral irrigator of  claim 16 , further comprising a hose and a valve fitting, the valve fitting fluidly connecting the pump to the hose. 
     
     
         18 . The oral irrigator of  claim 17 , further comprising a check valve positioned between the valve and the valve fitting.