Apparatus for dental irrigation

Abstract

An apparatus for dental irrigation may be provided to project fluid onto the surfaces of, and the interproximal spaces between, a user's teeth and gum-line. The apparatus may comprise two hollow U-shaped manifolds having orifices located on their interior faces used as fluid jets. The manifolds may be connected, at a central point of reflection, by a rotating inlet joint which supplies the fluid flow. When placed in the user's mouth, the apparatus may be designed to receive the top and bottom sets of teeth in each corresponding U-shaped manifold, with orifices configured to provide fluid jets aligned towards the lingual and buccal side of the teeth. The orifices may be staggered to provide staggered fluid flow. A user's teeth may be cleaned with a controlled fluid flow by moving the apparatus in a sweeping motion between each set of rear molars.

The following is claimed: 
     
         1 . An apparatus for dental irrigation, the apparatus comprising:
 a first manifold comprising:
 a first base, 
 a first substantially planar wall, 
 a second substantially planar wall extending approximately parallel to the first wall, and 
 a first plurality of outlet holes laid out on each of the first wall and the second wall, wherein the outlet holes laid out on the first wall are approximately facing the outlet holes laid out on the second wall, 
 wherein the first manifold has a first axis of symmetry located between the first wall and the second wall; and 
   a rotating inlet joint positioned adjacent to the first manifold, the rotating inlet joint comprising an inlet channel to receive fluid and channel the fluid into the first manifold towards the first plurality of outlet holes, such that the fluid is channeled to be expelled from the first plurality of outlet holes approximately towards the axis of symmetry;   wherein the rotating inlet joint connects to the first manifold via a first inlet portion at the first base,   wherein the inlet channel of the rotating inlet joint protrudes from the rotating inlet joint to form an angle relative to the axis of symmetry, and   wherein the rotating inlet joint is configured to rotate about the axis of symmetry to enable the inlet channel to turn about the axis of symmetry without blocking a flow of fluid from the inlet channel to the first manifold, and wherein the rotating inlet joint is configured to enable the flow of the fluid into the first manifold from the inlet channel at any angle of rotation about the axis of symmetry.   
     
     
         2 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the first manifold is configured to receive a portion of a user's teeth, and wherein the rotating inlet joint is designed to accommodate the user's teeth arrangement by a location of the first inlet portion. 
     
     
         3 . The apparatus of  claim 2 , wherein a combined design of the first manifold and the rotating inlet joint enables the user to sweep the apparatus from one side of the user's mouth to the other side of the user's mouth while the user's teeth are within each corresponding manifold. 
     
     
         4 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the fluid flow alternates from the first wall of the first manifold to the second wall of the first manifold. 
     
     
         5 . The apparatus of  claim 4 , wherein the alternating fluid flow is provided by a flow alternating part mounted inside the rotating inlet joint. 
     
     
         6 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a second manifold comprising:
 a second base, 
 a third wall, 
 a fourth wall approximately facing the third wall, and 
 a second plurality of outlet holes laid out on each of the third wall and the fourth wall, wherein the outlet holes laid out on the third wall are approximately facing the outlet holes laid out on the fourth wall, 
 wherein the second manifold has an axis of symmetry located between the third wall and the fourth wall, such that the axis of symmetry of the second wall is approximately aligned with the axis of symmetry of the first manifold, 
   wherein the rotating inlet joint is adjacent to the second manifold, the rotating inlet joint being further configured to channel the fluid into the second manifold towards the second plurality of outlet holes, such that the fluid is channeled to be expelled from the second plurality of outlet holes approximately towards the second axis of symmetry,   wherein the rotating inlet joint connects to the second manifold via a second inlet portion at the second base,   wherein the rotating inlet joint is configured to rotate about the second axis of symmetry to enable the inlet channel to turn about the axis of symmetry without blocking a flow of fluid from the inlet channel to the first manifold and the second manifold.   
     
     
         7 . The apparatus of  claim 6 , further comprising a flow alternating part mounted inside the rotating inlet joint, the flow alternating part configured to alternate the fluid flow between the first manifold and the second manifold. 
     
     
         8 . The apparatus of  claim 7 , wherein the flow alternating part is divided into four quadrants, such that quadrant one and quadrant three block fluid flow to the second manifold, allowing fluid flow to the first manifold, and quadrant two and quadrant four block the fluid flow to the first manifold, allowing fluid flow to the second manifold. 
     
     
         9 . The apparatus of  claim 6 , wherein the rotating inlet joint serves as a point of reflection about which the first manifold and the second manifold are reflected, such that the first manifold and the second manifold are oriented in substantially opposite directions. 
     
     
         10 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the first manifold further comprises:
 a first inner shell; and   a first outer shell.   
     
     
         11 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the first inner shell and the first outer shell are coupled together by one of the following:
 a first snap connection,   an adhesive,   a welded joint, or   a connecting means.   
     
     
         12 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the first wall of the first manifold has a different height than the second wall of the first manifold. 
     
     
         13 . An apparatus for dental irrigation, the apparatus comprising:
 a substantially U-shaped first manifold segment comprising:
 a first arm having a first plurality of outlet holes providing a plurality of openings into a hollow interior of the first arm, and 
 a second arm having a second plurality of outlet holes providing a plurality of openings into a hollow interior of the second arm, 
 wherein the first manifold segment has a first axis of symmetry located between the first arm and the second arm; and 
   a rotating inlet segment disposed along the first axis of symmetry, the rotating inlet segment being configured to rotatably couple to the first manifold segment and to enable flow of a fluid into the first manifold segment from an inlet channel at any angle of rotation.   
     
     
         14 . The apparatus of  claim 13 , wherein the first plurality of holes are larger than the second plurality of holes. 
     
     
         15 . The apparatus of  claim 13 , wherein the first arm of the first manifold segment has a different length than the second arm of the first manifold segment. 
     
     
         16 . The apparatus of  claim 13 , further comprising:
 a substantially U-shaped second manifold segment comprising:
 a third arm having a third plurality of outlet holes providing a plurality of openings into a hollow interior of the third arm, and 
 a fourth arm having a fourth plurality of outlet holes providing a plurality of openings into a hollow interior of the fourth arm, 
   wherein the second manifold segment has a second axis of symmetry located between the third arm and the fourth arm, the second axis of symmetry being substantially aligned with the first axis of symmetry, and   wherein the rotating inlet segment is further configured to rotatably couple to the second manifold segment and to enable flow of the fluid into the second manifold segment from the inlet channel at any angle of rotation.   
     
     
         17 . The apparatus of  claim 16 , wherein the third plurality of holes are larger than the fourth plurality of holes. 
     
     
         18 . The apparatus of  claim 16 , wherein the third arm of the second manifold segment has a different length than the fourth arm of the second manifold segment. 
     
     
         19 . The apparatus of  claim 16 , wherein a spring is mounted inside the rotating inlet joint, applying opposing pressure to the first manifold segment and the second manifold segment, wherein the spring enables a range of motion between the first manifold segment and the second manifold segment, such that the first manifold segment may be configured to move closer to, and further away from, the second manifold segment. 
     
     
         20 . The apparatus of  claim 16 , the rotating inlet joint further comprising a flow alternating part mounted inside the rotating inlet joint, the flow alternating part configured to alternate the fluid flow between the first manifold segment and the second manifold segment.