Abstract: An oral healthcare personal appliance (10), configured for use with a removable brush head (20) having a first light guide (28), comprises a handle (16), an actuator (14) with a hollow drive shaft (18), a second light guide (36) disposed co-axially between first and second ends of the hollow drive shaft, a rear stop connection adapter (62) coupled to the second ends of the hollow drive shaft and the second light guide, a light source (66) to emit light into the second light guide, and an optional front stop connection adapter (34) coupled to the first ends of the hollow drive shaft and the second light guide. Physically coupling the brush head to the handle enables both (i) a rotation of the brush head via a rotation of the hollow drive shaft and (ii) a transmission of light from the light source through the second light guide and into the first light guide.

Abstract: An oral healthcare personal appliance (10), configured for use with a removable brush head (20) having a first light guide (28), comprises a handle (16), an actuator (14) with a hollow drive shaft (18), a second light guide (36) disposed co-axially between first and second ends of the hollow drive shaft, a rear stop connection adapter (62) coupled to the second ends of the hollow drive shaft and the second light guide, a light source (66) to emit light into the second light guide, and an optional front stop connection adapter (34) coupled to the first ends of the hollow drive shaft and the second light guide. Physically coupling the brush head to the handle enables both (i) a rotation of the brush head via a rotation of the hollow drive shaft and (ii) a transmission of light from the light source through the second light guide and into the first light guide.

Abstract: The present application relates to a system (10, 60) for treating a part of a body of a person to be treated. The system includes a treating device (20, 70) having a treating unit (22, 72) and a reference member (40, 80) adapted to be mountable to a person in fixed relationship to a part of the body. The treating device (20, 70) has a first motion identifier (28) configured to generate information indicative of the acceleration and/or angular orientation of the treating device (20, 70). The reference member (40, 80) has a second motion identifier (48) configured to generate information indicative of the acceleration and/or angular orientation of the reference member (40, 80). A controller (27, 47) is adapted to produce information indicative of the trajectory and/or orientation of the treating unit (22, 72) relative to the part of the body to be treated based on the information provided by the first and second motion identifiers (28, 48).

Abstract: A semi-free rotating crankshaft actuator (80) for an oral healthcare appliance comprises a chamber (82), a spring loadable plunger (85), and a crank mechanism (88). The crank mechanism (88) comprises at least a drive pin (90) rotatably driven about a drive axis (96), and a crank shaft (94) semi-freely rotatable about the drive axis, wherein the crank shaft (94) couples to the spring loadable plunger (85) and is partially driven about the drive axis (96) via (i) the drive pin (90) in a first operational mode, (ii) the spring loadable plunger (85) in a second operational mode, and (iii) the drive pin (90) in a third operational mode that comprises at least completing an incomplete actuation of the plunger (84) from an undesired end position to the desired end position in response to the crank shaft (94) pushing the plunger (84) from the undesired end position to the desired end position.

Abstract: A method (300) for localizing an oral cleaning device within a user's mouth. The method includes the steps of: (i) providing (310) an oral cleaning device (10) with a motion identifier (28); (ii) estimating (335), based on sensor information received from the motion identifier, a probability of a first location of the oral cleaning device within the user's mouth; (iii) receiving (340) information from the motion identifier regarding a completed transition to a second state within the user's mouth; (iv) comparing (350) the completed transition to a defined set of possible transitions between each of a plurality of possible states within the user's mouth to determine a transition probability; and (v) determining (350), using a probabilistic graphical model comprising the first location probability and the transition probability, a probability of the location of the second state.

Abstract: A method (300) for localizing an oral cleaning device within a user's mouth. The method includes the steps of: (i) determining (830), based on sensor information received from a motion identifier (28), a first location of the oral cleaning device within the user's mouth; (ii) measuring (850), using sensor information received from the motion identifier, an amount of time elapsing between a start and a stop of a movement of the oral cleaning device within the user's mouth at the first location; (iii) calculating (850), using Fitt's law and the measured elapsed amount of time, the number of teeth the oral cleaning device was displaced during the elapsed amount of time; and (iv) determining (850), based on the first location and the number of teeth the oral cleaning device was displaced during the elapsed amount of time, which of the user's teeth were included in the displacement.

Abstract: A liquid containing system for a floor cleaning device, the liquid containing system comprising an outlet having a plurality of openings (H) to allow a liquid (W) to be extracted by means of capillary force when a mopping substrate, e.g. a cloth (C), is mounted against the plurality of openings (H), after filling the liquid containing system being substantially closed but for the plurality of openings (H).

Abstract: An integrated fluid connection/drive train interface (12) for an oral healthcare appliance (10) having a fluid connection interface (22) mechanically coupled with the drive shaft (28) and further configured to couple to a removable brushhead (30). The fluid connection interface includes a fluid inlet coupling (42) coupled, via a fluid channel (24), to the fluid reservoir, and a fluid outlet coupling (44). Responsive to the brushhead being removably coupled, the fluid outlet coupling of the fluid connection interface establishes a water/air tight sealing arrangement with a fluid interface receiver port (36) of the brushhead. In addition, the drive shaft is configured for driving the brushhead and the fluid connection interface while maintaining the water/air tight seal between the fluid outlet coupling and the fluid interface receiver port of the brushhead.

Abstract: A semi-free rotating crankshaft actuator (80) for an oral healthcare appliance comprises a chamber (82), a spring loadable plunger (85), and a crank mechanism (88). The crank mechanism (88) comprises at least a drive pin (90) rotatably driven about a drive axis (96), and a crank shaft (94) semi-freely rotatable about the drive axis, wherein the crank shaft (94) couples to the spring loadable plunger (85) and is partially driven about the drive axis (96) via (i) the drive pin (90) in a first operational mode, (ii) the spring loadable plunger (85) in a second operational mode, and (iii) the drive pin (90) in a third operational mode that comprises at least completing an incomplete actuation of the plunger (84) from an undesired end position to the desired end position in response to the crank shaft (94) pushing the plunger (84) from the undesired end position to the desired end position.

Abstract: A method (300) for localizing an oral cleaning device within a user's mouth. The method includes the steps of: (i) determining (830), based on sensor information received from a motion identifier (28), a first location of the oral cleaning device within the user's mouth; (ii) measuring (850), using sensor information received from the motion identifier, an amount of time elapsing between a start and a stop of a movement of the oral cleaning device within the user's mouth at the first location; (iii) calculating (850), using Fitt's law and the measured elapsed amount of time, the number of teeth the oral cleaning device was displaced during the elapsed amount of time; and (iv) determining (850), based on the first location and the number of teeth the oral cleaning device was displaced during the elapsed amount of time, which of the user's teeth were included in the displacement.

Abstract: A method (300) for localizing an oral cleaning device within a user's mouth. The method includes the steps of: (i) providing (310) an oral cleaning device (10) with a motion identifier (28); (ii) estimating (335), based on sensor information received from the motion identifier, a probability of a first location of the oral cleaning device within the user's mouth; (iii) receiving (340) information from the motion identifier regarding a completed transition to a second state within the user's mouth; (iv) comparing (350) the completed transition to a defined set of possible transitions between each of a plurality of possible states within the user's mouth to determine a transition probability; and (v) determining (350), using a probabilistic graphical model comprising the first location probability and the transition probability, a probability of the location of the second state.

Abstract: A liquid containing system for a floor cleaning device, the liquid containing system comprising an outlet having a plurality of openings (H) to allow a liquid (W) to be extracted by means of capillary force when a mopping substrate, e.g. a cloth (C), is mounted against the plurality of openings (H), after filling the liquid containing system being substantially closed but for the plurality of openings (H).

Abstract: The present application relates to a system (10, 60) for treating a part of a body of a person to be treated. The system includes a treating device (20, 70) having a treating unit (22, 72) and a reference member (40, 80) adapted to be mountable to a person in fixed relationship to a part of the body. The treating device (20, 70) has a first motion identifier (28) configured to generate information indicative of the acceleration and/or angular orientation of the treating device (20, 70). The reference member (40, 80) has a second motion identifier (48) configured to generate information indicative of the acceleration and/or angular orientation of the reference member (40, 80). A controller (27, 47) is adapted to produce information indicative of the trajectory and/or orientation of the treating unit (22, 72) relative to the part of the body to be treated based on the information provided by the first and second motion identifiers (28, 48).

Abstract: An iron (1), comprising: —a water reservoir (16), configured to hold liquid water; —a heatable soleplate (20); —at least one water outlet opening (24); —a water atomization and distribution unit (30), configured to atomize water from the water reservoir and to distribute the atomized water to the at least one water outlet opening; —at least one sensor (40,42), configured to monitor at least one motion dependent variable of the iron and to generate a reference signal reflecting said variable; —a control unit (50), operatively connected to both the water atomization and distribution unit (30) and the at least one sensor (40, 42), and configured to control a water outflow rate of the at least one water outlet opening (24) by controlling the operation of the water atomization and distribution unit in dependence of the reference signal generated by the at least one sensor.

Abstract: An iron (1), comprising: —a water reservoir (16), configured to hold liquid water; —a heatable soleplate (20); —at least one water outlet opening (24); —a water atomization and distribution unit (30), configured to atomize water from the water reservoir and to distribute the atomized water to the at least one water outlet opening; —at least one sensor (40,42), configured to monitor at least one motion dependent variable of the iron and to generate a reference signal reflecting said variable; —a control unit (50), operatively connected to both the water atomization and distribution unit (30) and the at least one sensor (40, 42), and configured to control a water outflow rate of the at least one water outlet opening (24) by controlling the operation of the water atomization and distribution unit in dependence of the reference signal generated by the at least one sensor.