Controlling a pump during operation of an oral care device
An oral care device includes an oral insert, a pump, a fluid reservoir, and a controller. The controller provides a control signal having a duty cycle to the pump in response to an actuator being engaged. Response to the control signal, the pump causes fluid to be provided from the fluid reservoir to the oral insert according to the duty cycle.
1 . An oral care device, comprising:
an oral insert;
a pump;
a back pressure sensor;
an effluence conduit;
a fluid inlet port having a plurality of manifold openings;
a fluid reservoir; and
a controller configured to provide a control signal having a duty cycle to the pump in response to an actuator being engaged and based on an output value from the back pressure sensor, wherein the output value from the back pressure sensor indicates whether the controller should turn on or turn off the pump and is indicative of back pressure in a fluid being provided by the oral insert due to the oral insert being filled with the fluid, wherein responsive to the control signal, the pump causes the fluid to be provided from the fluid reservoir to the oral insert according to the duty cycle via the fluid inlet port having the plurality of manifold openings, wherein the effluence conduit allows a previously provided portion of the fluid to drain from the oral insert, wherein an active phase of the duty cycle providing a current portion of the fluid occurs in the control signal when the output value of the back pressure sensor indicates that some or all of the previously provided portion of the fluid has drained from the oral insert via the effluence conduit and during an inactive phase of the duty cycle the some or all of the previously provided portion of the fluid is draining from the oral insert via the effluence conduit to a sink while the pump is off.
2 . The oral care device of claim 1 , wherein the actuator is a push-button actuator, a toggle button actuator, a rotary actuator, a slide actuator, or a capacitive touch actuator.
3 . The oral care device of claim 1 , wherein the actuator is located on a base that includes the pump.
4 . The oral care device of claim 1 , wherein the actuator is located on a handle that is coupled to the oral insert and a base.
5 . The oral care device of claim 1 , wherein the control signal is a square wave.
6 . The oral care device of claim 1 , wherein the control signal is a triangle wave.
7 . The oral care device of claim 1 , wherein the control signal is a rectangular wave.
8 . The oral care device of claim 1 , wherein the control signal is a sawtooth wave.
9 . The oral care device of claim 1 , wherein the control signal is periodic.
10 . The oral care device of claim 1 , wherein the control signal is aperiodic.
11 . The oral care device of claim 1 , further comprising a handle that includes a manifold disc selector and a manifold disc.
12 . The oral care device of claim 11 , wherein the manifold disc selector is configured to rotate while the oral care device is activated.
13 . The oral care device of claim 12 , wherein the manifold disc selector rotates in a clock-wise direction.
14 . The oral care device of claim 13 , wherein the duty cycle is greater than 50%.
15 . The oral care device of claim 13 , wherein the duty cycle is less than 50%.
16 . The oral care device of claim 12 , wherein the manifold disc selector rotates in a counter-clockwise direction.
17 . The oral care device of claim 1 , wherein the duty cycle is equal to 50%.
18 . The oral care device of claim 1 , wherein the oral insert includes a plurality of internal manifolds, each of the plurality of manifolds having a plurality of fluid nozzles.
19 . The oral care device of claim 1 , wherein the oral care device is active for an amount of time that is based on an amount of the fluid and a flow control value.
20 . The oral care device of claim 1 , wherein the inactive phase of the duty cycle occurs in the control signal based on the output value of the back pressure sensor.
21 . The oral care device of claim 20 , wherein the output value of the back pressure sensor indicates that the current portion of the fluid is traveling through the previously provided portion of the fluid before impacting teeth and/or gum associated with a user of the oral care device.