An oral care appliance and a method for controlling pressure therein

Abstract

An oral care appliance and a method of controlling pressure in the oral care appliance are disclosed. The pressure inside a mouthpiece of the oral care appliance is controlled by an actuator. The actuator is triggered when a targeted threshold value of an operational characteristic is reached. Automatic control of the pressure in the mouthpiece enhances both cleaning efficiency and user comfort.

1 .- 26 . (canceled) 
     
     
         27 . An oral care appliance comprising:
 a mouthpiece configured to deform in response to pressure variations inside a cavity during a brushing cycle, wherein the cavity is formed by at least a portion of the mouthpiece, and wherein the brushing cycle comprises at least one contraction phase and at least one relaxation phase of the mouthpiece; and   an actuator configured to control at least one of the contraction phase and the relaxation phase by regulating the pressure inside the cavity, wherein the actuator is triggered in response to at least one operational characteristic reaching a targeted threshold value.   
     
     
         28 . The oral care appliance according to  claim 27 , wherein the mouthpiece is configured to form the cavity between the mouthpiece and a dental arch. 
     
     
         29 . The oral care appliance according to  claim 27 , wherein the cavity is formed inside the mouthpiece. 
     
     
         30 . The oral care appliance according to  claim 27 , wherein the mouthpiece comprises a flexible membrane configured to deform in response to the pressure variations in the cavity. 
     
     
         31 . The oral care appliance according to  claim 27 , wherein the at least one contraction phase and the at least one relaxation phase of the mouthpiece are achieved by one of increasing the pressure inside the cavity and decreasing the pressure inside the cavity. 
     
     
         32 . The oral care appliance according to  claim 27 , wherein the brushing cycle is repeated one or more times. 
     
     
         33 . The oral care appliance according to  claim 27 , wherein the actuator regulates the pressure in the cavity via one of: a pump, a depression chamber, and a valve mechanism. 
     
     
         34 . The oral care appliance according to  claim 27 , wherein the actuator is an electronic system and comprises at least one of a sensor and a timer. 
     
     
         35 . The oral care appliance according to  claim 27 , wherein the operational characteristic comprises a plurality of operational characteristics selected from: pressure, volume, flow rate, time, and user input. 
     
     
         36 . The oral care appliance according to  claim 27 , wherein the actuator is configured to monitor the at least one operational characteristic. 
     
     
         37 . The oral care appliance according to  claim 36 , wherein the actuator triggers a means for varying pressure when the at least one operational characteristic reaches the targeted threshold value. 
     
     
         38 . The oral care appliance according to  claim 36 , wherein the actuator triggers a means for varying pressure when one of at least two operational characteristics reaches a targeted threshold, whichever occurs first. 
     
     
         39 . A method of controlling pressure in an oral care appliance, the method comprising:
 varying pressure inside a cavity to deform a mouthpiece during a brushing cycle, wherein the cavity is formed by at least a portion of the mouthpiece, wherein the brushing cycle comprises at least one contraction phase and at least one relaxation phase of the mouthpiece; and   regulating the pressure inside the cavity to control at least one of the contraction phase and the relaxation phase, wherein an actuator is triggered to regulate the pressure inside the cavity when at least one operational characteristic reaches a targeted threshold value.   
     
     
         40 . The method according to  claim 39 , wherein the pressure inside the cavity is varied by one of: a pump, a vacuuming chamber, and a valve mechanism. 
     
     
         41 . The method according to  claim 39 , wherein the mouthpiece is configured to form the cavity between the mouthpiece and a dental arch. 
     
     
         42 . The method according to  claim 39 , wherein the cavity is enclosed inside the mouthpiece. 
     
     
         43 . The method according to  claim 39 , wherein the at least one contraction phase and the at least one relaxation phase of the mouthpiece are achieved by increasing or decreasing the pressure inside the cavity. 
     
     
         44 . The method according to  claim 39 , wherein a cleaning agent can be aspirated into the mouthpiece during the brushing cycle. 
     
     
         45 . The method according to  claim 39 , wherein the brushing cycle can be repeated one or more times. 
     
     
         46 . The method according to  claim 39 , wherein the actuator is an electronic system and comprises at least one of a sensor and a timer. 
     
     
         47 . The method according to  claim 39 , wherein the operational characteristic comprises a plurality of operational characteristics selected from: pressure, volume, flow rate, time, and user input. 
     
     
         48 . The method according to  claim 39 , wherein the actuator is configured to monitor the at least one operational characteristic. 
     
     
         49 . The method according to  claim 39 , wherein the actuator triggers a means for varying pressure when the at least one operational characteristic reaches the targeted threshold value. 
     
     
         50 . The method according to  claim 39 , wherein the actuator additionally controls an injection system able to inject any of a liquid, a solid, or a gas into the mouth of the user. 
     
     
         51 . The method according to  claim 39 , wherein the actuator is triggered to extract waste from the mouthpiece when the at least one operational characteristic reaches the targeted threshold value. 
     
     
         52 . The method according to  claim 48 , wherein the actuator triggers a means for varying pressure when one of at least two operational characteristics reaches a targeted threshold, whichever occurs first.