Patents by Inventor Brian R. Williams

Brian R. Williams has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Publication number: 20170252251
    Abstract: An actuation assembly for an oral irrigator includes a bezel secured to or formed as part of a housing of the oral irrigator, an actuator operably connected to the bezel and moveable relative thereto, and an augmentation fluid positioned between the bezel and the actuator. The augmentation fluid modifies a frictional relationship between the bezel and the actuator to provide a predefined resistance force between the actuator and the bezel as the actuator is rotated relative to the bezel.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 2, 2017
    Publication date: September 7, 2017
    Inventors: Brian R. Williams, Robert D. Wagner
  • Publication number: 20170209246
    Abstract: An oral irrigator handle has a handle housing with a swivel assembly for connection to a hose further connected to a fluid source. A tip for directing a focused stream of fluid is releasably connected to a first end of the handle. The swivel assembly is received within the housing and fluidly coupled to tip. The hose is connected to the swivel assembly and fluidly coupled to the tip via the swivel assembly. The swivel assembly prevents translation of rotational movement of the handle or the hose to the other.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 25, 2017
    Publication date: July 27, 2017
    Inventors: Brian R. Williams, Jeremy Johnson, Leland C. Leber
  • Patent number: 9050157
    Abstract: A dental water jet provides a pressurized water stream for cleaning gums and teeth. The embodiment includes a base unit defining a cavity. The cavity contains a pump, which may move pressurized water from a reservoir to a tip in fluid communication with the pump. A flow control knob may be turned to selectively adjust the water pressure supplied by the tip between a minimum and a maximum value. The reservoir may be removed from the base unit so that it may be filled with the fluid. The reservoir may support a container for storing tips or other items. Fluid may flow from the reservoir and ultimately into the tip to provide oral irrigation and/or cleaning of the teeth, gums, and tongue.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 29, 2010
    Date of Patent: June 9, 2015
    Assignee: WATER PIK, INC.
    Inventors: Brian Boyd, Brian R. Williams, Kurt M. Taylor
  • Publication number: 20150072303
    Abstract: An apparatus for providing a pressurized water stream for cleaning gums and teeth. The embodiment includes a base unit defining a cavity. The cavity contains a pump, which may move pressurized water from a reservoir to a tip in fluid communication with the pump. The pump may be secured within the cavity by at least one vibration reduction mount. Fluid may flow from the reservoir and ultimately into the tip to provide oral irrigation and/or cleaning of the teeth, gums, and tongue. The base may include a plurality of footings that elevate the base unit above a surface supporting the base unit. Also, the base may include a basin for receiving a reservoir. The basin may include a reservoir valve initially biased to a closed position and operationally attached to the reservoir, and a tube projection connected to the base unit and opening the valve when the reservoir is received within the basin. The basin and the reservoir are configured to guide the reservoir valve adjacent to the tube projection.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 18, 2014
    Publication date: March 12, 2015
    Inventors: Brian BOYD, Brian R. WILLIAMS, Kurt M. TAYLOR
  • Patent number: 8888752
    Abstract: A vessel for use in rinsing a user's nasal cavities includes a main body, a spout, a self-sealing nozzle, and a flow control valve actuable by the user. The spout extends off of the main body and the elastomeric nozzle attached to the spout defines an outer skirt having a deflectable free end upon contact with the walls of the user's nasal cavity. A vacuum breaker valve is formed in a top portion of the main body for actuation by the user to control the flow of a fluid positioned in the vessel out of the nozzle. The main body may include gripping indentations along opposing sidewalls thereof. The spout may be integrally formed with the main body, and the spout and the nozzle may be detachably connected.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 16, 2010
    Date of Patent: November 18, 2014
    Assignee: Water Pik, Inc.
    Inventors: Joseph W. Cacka, Kurt M. Taylor, Kenneth A. Hair, Brian R. Williams
  • Patent number: 8888727
    Abstract: An apparatus for providing a pressurized water stream for cleaning gums and teeth includes a base unit defining a cavity. The cavity contains a pump, which may move pressurized water from a reservoir to a tip in fluid communication with the pump. The pump may be secured within the cavity by at least one vibration reduction mount. Fluid may flow from the reservoir and ultimately into the tip to provide oral irrigation and/or cleaning of the teeth, gums, and tongue. The base may include a plurality of footings that elevate the base unit above a surface supporting the base unit. Also, the base may include a basin for receiving a reservoir. The basin may include a reservoir valve initially biased to a closed position and operationally attached to the reservoir, and a tube projection connected to the base unit and opening the valve when the reservoir is received within the basin. The basin and the reservoir are configured to guide the reservoir valve adjacent to the tube projection.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 25, 2010
    Date of Patent: November 18, 2014
    Assignee: Water Pik, Inc.
    Inventors: Brian Boyd, Brian R. Williams, Kurt M. Taylor
  • Patent number: 8808209
    Abstract: An irrigator handle to be used with a water jet apparatus for cleaning gums and teeth includes a visual indicator to let a user know when a tip has been properly attached to the handle. The handle in some embodiments also includes an audible indicator to let the user know when the tip has been properly attached. The handle has a pause button attached to plunger to restrict water flow when the pause button is depressed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 25, 2010
    Date of Patent: August 19, 2014
    Assignee: Water Pik, Inc.
    Inventors: Brian Boyd, Brian R. Williams, Kurt M. Taylor
  • Patent number: 8662387
    Abstract: A host-managed gift card program may enable merchants to offer and redeem gift cards without integrating a gift card program with a point of sale (POS) system used by the merchant. The merchant may rely on a host, at least in part, to issue gift cards, manage a ledger, assist in redemption of gift cards when the cards are redeemed at the merchant's location, and perform other gift card-related tasks for the merchant.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 23, 2010
    Date of Patent: March 4, 2014
    Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Michal J. Geller, Brian R. Williams
  • Patent number: 8641649
    Abstract: A pump for an oral irrigator includes a pump chassis, an eccentric end plate movably connected to the pump chassis, a first alignment shaft connected to the pump chassis, a second alignment shaft connected to the eccentric end plate, a first gear rotating around a longitudinal axis of the first alignment shaft, and a second gear engaging the first gear and rotating around a longitudinal axis of the second alignment shaft. By selectively moving the eccentric end plate relative to the pump chassis selectively moves the second gear relative to the first gear.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 25, 2010
    Date of Patent: February 4, 2014
    Assignee: Water Pik, Inc.
    Inventors: Brian Boyd, Brian R. Williams, Kurt M. Taylor
  • Patent number: 8616470
    Abstract: A showerhead system includes an arm structure adapted to couple to a water pipe to receive water flow therefrom. The arm structure includes a first fluid conduit, a second fluid conduit, and a mode selector operatively coupled to the first fluid conduit and the second fluid conduit. The mode selector transitions between a first setting to direct water flow from a first chamber to a second chamber positioned below the first chamber and a second setting to direct water flow from the first chamber to a third chamber positioned below the first chamber. The second chamber is in fluid communication with the first fluid conduit and the third chamber is in fluid communication with the second fluid conduit. The showerhead system further includes a spray head configured to distribute the water from at least one of the first and second the fluid conduits.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 25, 2010
    Date of Patent: December 31, 2013
    Assignee: Water Pik, Inc.
    Inventor: Brian R. Williams
  • Patent number: 8486029
    Abstract: A vessel for use in rinsing a user's nasal cavities includes a main body, a spout extending from the main body, a nozzle attached to the spout, and a handle forming an aperture in communication with the main body. The aperture is sealable by a user to control a flow of a fluid held in the main body out of the nozzle. The nozzle defines an outer skirt deflectable upon engagement with the walls of the user's nasal cavity. A lid is removably engageable with the main body, provides fluid ingress when removed, and creates a watertight seal between the lid and the main body when engaged with the main body. An annular raised periphery may surround the aperture for facilitating sealing of the aperture with the user's finger.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 16, 2010
    Date of Patent: July 16, 2013
    Assignee: Water Pik, Inc.
    Inventors: Joseph W. Cacka, Kurt M. Taylor, Kenneth A. Hair, Brian R. Williams
  • Patent number: 8408483
    Abstract: A dental water jet apparatus for adjusting a pressurized water stream from a pump to a tip moves pressurized water from a reservoir to a tip in fluid communication with the pump. A flow control knob may be turned to selectively adjust the water pressure supplied by the tip between a minimum and a maximum value. When the flow control knob is turned in a first direction, the volume of fluid directed towards the tip decreases and the volume of fluid returned to an inlet of the pump increases. Fluid may flow from the reservoir and ultimately into the tip to provide oral irrigation and/or cleaning of the teeth, gums, and tongue.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 25, 2010
    Date of Patent: April 2, 2013
    Assignee: Water Pik, Inc.
    Inventors: Brian Boyd, Brian R. Williams, Kurt M. Taylor
  • Patent number: 8176416
    Abstract: A method and system for presenting a document to a plurality of media device types optimized for the display medium. A document is generated in a markup language, and a plurality of style sheets are provided for formatting the document for a requesting device, with each style sheet accommodating a distinct display environment. The markup elements that reference two separate cascading style sheets (CSS) are configured differently such that they isolate the CSS reference for either high-resolution graphical display devices or small screen, low-resolution graphical display devices. A third style sheet is used as an intermediary to pass a CSS reference to small screen browsers while at the same time, shielding the CSS reference from certain high resolution browsers incapable of parsing the syntax of the reference.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 17, 2006
    Date of Patent: May 8, 2012
    Assignee: Wells Fargo Bank, N.A.
    Inventors: Brian R. Williams, Carl Lee Wilson, Jr.
  • Patent number: 8150864
    Abstract: A provider of content may provide access to portions of content from a source, but not the source content in its entirety. In some embodiments, one or more access rules or criteria may be implemented that enable users to access portions of the source content up to an allowed limit or threshold (e.g., number or percentage of pages), after which access is prevented to the remaining content that has not previously been accessed. In other embodiments, one or more access rules or criteria may be implemented that enable users to access portions of content of only a certain type (e.g., index, bibliography, introduction, certain chapters, etc.). Unauthorized portions are suppressed or access to them is denied. The content source may be a textual work, an audio work, or a video work of any form. For example, the content may be in electronic form, such as images of pages of content.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 29, 2006
    Date of Patent: April 3, 2012
    Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Brian R Williams, Matthew J Rubens, Daniel Bibireata, Varun Narang, Hilliard B Siegel
  • Patent number: 8132745
    Abstract: Output of a showerhead system is selectable between a plurality of spray modes using a control mode selector located adjacent to a shower pipe. The showerhead system also includes an adjustment mechanism located near or about the shower pipe to pivotably adjust the position of the showerhead. The showerhead system also has dual support structures in the form of arms extending between the control mode selector and the showerhead. The dual arms each house one or more hoses that may be flexible and transport water from the mode selector can be adjusted to direct water to individual hoses or simultaneously to multiple hoses.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 9, 2010
    Date of Patent: March 13, 2012
    Assignee: Water Pik, Inc.
    Inventors: Leland C. Leber, Brian R. Williams
  • Publication number: 20120048968
    Abstract: A showerhead system includes an arm structure adapted to couple to a water pipe to receive water flow therefrom. The arm structure includes a first fluid conduit, a second fluid conduit, and a mode selector operatively coupled to the first fluid conduit and the second fluid conduit. The mode selector is configured to transition between a first setting to direct water flow from a first chamber to a second chamber positioned below the first chamber and a second setting to direct water flow from the first chamber to a third chamber positioned below the first chamber. The second chamber is in fluid communication with the first fluid conduit and the third chamber is in fluid communication with the second fluid conduit. The showerhead system further includes a spray head coupled to the arm structure. The spray head is configured to receive and distribute the water flow from at least one of the first and second the fluid conduits.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 25, 2010
    Publication date: March 1, 2012
    Applicant: Water Pik, Inc.
    Inventor: Brian R. Williams
  • Patent number: 8020787
    Abstract: A showerhead system is provided. The showerhead system may provide a plurality of spray modes using a control mode selector located adjacent to a shower pipe. The showerhead system may also include an adjustment mechanism located near or about the shower pipe. The showerhead system may also have dual support structures.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 29, 2007
    Date of Patent: September 20, 2011
    Assignee: Water Pik, Inc.
    Inventors: Leland C. Leber, Brian R. Williams
  • Patent number: D687513
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 11, 2012
    Date of Patent: August 6, 2013
    Assignee: Water Pik, Inc.
    Inventors: Brian R. Williams, Harold A. Luettgen
  • Patent number: D782657
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 2, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 28, 2017
    Assignee: Water Pik, Inc.
    Inventor: Brian R. Williams
  • Patent number: D802120
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 25, 2016
    Date of Patent: November 7, 2017
    Assignee: WATER PIK, INC.
    Inventors: Brian Boyd, Brian R. Williams, Kurt M. Taylor