Patents by Inventor Harold A. Luettgen

Harold A. Luettgen 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: 20240041578
    Abstract: An oral irrigator includes a drive assembly, a pump assembly, and a flexible membrane seal. The drive assembly is received within a housing. The pump assembly is positioned at least partially within a pump chamber. The pump assembly includes a piston and a connecting rod coupled to the drive assembly, the connecting rod movable between first and second positions through operation of the drive assembly. The flexible membrane seal extends from an interior surface of the pump chamber to the connecting rod to fluidly seal an open end of the pump chamber. The flexible membrane seal deforms from a first orientation to a second orientation as the connecting rod moves from the first position to the second position.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 19, 2023
    Publication date: February 8, 2024
    Inventors: Harold A. Luettgen, Oscar Senff, Brian Woodard, Blaine Hanson, Jonathan Huber
  • Patent number: 11826214
    Abstract: In one embodiment, an oral irrigator including a reservoir, a tip fluidly connected to the reservoir, a motor having a drive shaft, and a pump. The pump includes a pump body including a pump inlet fluidly connected to the reservoir and a pump outlet fluidly connected to the tip, a spiral pinion gear including a plurality of pinion gear teeth that curve along their length, and a spiral driven gear including a plurality of driven gear teeth that mesh with the pinion gear teeth. The pump also may include a connecting rod eccentrically connected to the driven gear and a piston and received within the pump body. Movement of the drive shaft causes the pinion gear to rotate, causing the driven gear to rotate, translating the connecting rod and moving the piston laterally within the pump body to pull fluid from the reservoir and push the fluid to the tip.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 18, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 28, 2023
    Assignee: WATER PIK, INC.
    Inventors: Harold A Luettgen, Oscar Senff, Brian Woodard, Blaine Hanson, Jonathan Huber
  • Publication number: 20230363872
    Abstract: The present disclosure includes embodiments directed to an oral cleansing device. The device may include a handle housing and a hose connector. The handle housing may include an end defining an aperture and the hose connector may be releasably coupled to the end. The hose connector may include a hose fluidly coupled to a reservoir and a body defining an inlet and an outlet. The hose may be coupled to the body and be in fluid communication with the inlet. The hose connector may include a collar coupled to the body and positioned around the hose at the inlet. In a first configuration, the outlet of the body may be positioned within the aperture of the handle housing and in a second configuration the outlet of the body may be separated from the handle housing.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 26, 2023
    Publication date: November 16, 2023
    Inventors: Gary L. Sokol, Harold A. Luettgen
  • Patent number: 11744690
    Abstract: A toothbrush tip includes a brush head, a plurality of bristle tufts extending from the brush head, a water jet nozzle extending from the brush head, and a cover panel arranged on a rear of the toothbrush tip opposite the bristle tufts.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 2022
    Date of Patent: September 5, 2023
    Assignee: Water Pik, Inc.
    Inventors: Gary L. Sokol, Harold A. Luettgen
  • Publication number: 20230200959
    Abstract: An oral irrigator may include a body, a reservoir connected to the body, a tip connected to the body, a motor positioned within the body and including a drive shaft, a pinion gear connected to the drive shaft, a driven gear engaged with the pinion gear, a pump body positioned within the body and defining a pump chamber for receiving fluid from the reservoir, a piston positioned within the pump body, wherein the piston slidably engages an interior surface of the pump body to form a fluid-tight seal, and a connecting rod including a first end connected to the piston, a second end eccentrically connected to the driven gear, and a shaft extending from the first end to the second end. The shaft includes a first rib and a second rib spaced apart from the first rib along a length of the shaft.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 28, 2023
    Publication date: June 29, 2023
    Applicant: WATER PIK, INC.
    Inventors: Harold A. Luettgen, Oscar Senff, Brian Woodard, Blaine Hanson, Jonathan Huber
  • Publication number: 20220323188
    Abstract: A toothbrush tip includes a brush head, a plurality of bristle tufts extending from the brush head, a water jet nozzle extending from the brush head, and a cover panel arranged on a rear of the toothbrush tip opposite the bristle tufts.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 28, 2022
    Publication date: October 13, 2022
    Inventors: Gary L. Sokol, Harold A. Luettgen
  • Patent number: 11399925
    Abstract: An oral irrigator including a base and a handle. The base includes a fluid reservoir, a pump in fluid communication with the fluid reservoir, and a base wireless communication component in electrical communication with the pump. The handle is in fluid communication with the pump. The handle includes a handle wireless communication component and one or more control buttons in communication with the handle wireless communication component. The handle wireless communication component transmits control signals from the one or more control buttons to the base wireless communication component to adjust an operating parameter of the pump.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 9, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 2, 2022
    Assignee: WATER PIK, INC.
    Inventors: Gary L. Sokol, Harold A. Luettgen
  • Patent number: 11351018
    Abstract: A toothbrush or oral cleaning implement including a handle defining a first fluid conduit and a handle inlet port, a brush tip extending from a first end of the handle and defining a second fluid conduit, the second fluid conduit in fluid communication with the first fluid conduit, a brush head supported on an end of the brush tip including a fluid outlet in fluid communication with the second fluid conduit, a handle valve positioned between the handle inlet port and the first fluid conduit, and a base removably connected to the second end of the handle. The base including a base fluid inlet port that connects with an external fluid source, a base fluid outlet port in fluid communication with the base fluid inlet port, and a base valve that selectively opens and closes the base fluid outlet port.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 18, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 7, 2022
    Assignee: WATER PIK, INC.
    Inventors: Gary L. Sokol, Harold A. Luettgen
  • Patent number: 11213834
    Abstract: A showerhead bracket including a bracket body, a spool rotatable relative to the bracket body, and a flow control knob non-rotatably connected to the spool such that the flow control knob and the spool rotate together relative to the bracket body. The flow control knob non-slidably connected to the spool to inhibit axial disengagement of the flow control knob from the spool.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 10, 2019
    Date of Patent: January 4, 2022
    Assignee: WATER PIK, INC.
    Inventors: Michael J. Quinn, Leland C. Leber, Harold A. Luettgen, Ryan Saunders
  • Patent number: 11173020
    Abstract: An oral irrigator includes a base having a pump mechanism, a reservoir housed within the base and fluidically connected with the pump mechanism. A handle with a jet tip is connected with an outlet from the pump mechanism to receive a pressurized fluid stream from the reservoir to direct a fluid at a surface inside an oral cavity. The oral irrigator also includes a radiant energy source and delivery system for directing radiant energy at a surface inside an oral cavity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 1, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 16, 2021
    Assignee: WATER PIK, INC.
    Inventors: Clifford J. Snyder, Gordon Haszier, Harold A. Luettgen, Kenneth A. Hair, Daniel Bernard Cover
  • Publication number: 20210290338
    Abstract: An oral irrigator including a base, a reservoir supported by the base, a tip coupled to the base and the reservoir, and multiple control actuators. A first control actuator is configured to selectively power the oral irrigator. Second, third, and fourth control actuators are configured to vary the fluid pressure of the oral irrigator.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 7, 2021
    Publication date: September 23, 2021
    Inventors: Kurt M. Taylor, Harold A. Luettgen, Jeremy James Johnson
  • Patent number: 11039906
    Abstract: An oral irrigator including a handle housing defining a cavity, a tip removably connected to the handle housing, and a tip release assembly connected to the handle housing. The tip release assembly includes a tip eject button slidably connected to the handle housing and movable between a first position and a second position and a latch connected to the handle housing and positioned within the cavity. Movement of the tip eject button from the first position to the second position moves the latch laterally across the cavity from an engage position to a disengage position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 20, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 22, 2021
    Assignee: WATER PIK, INC.
    Inventors: Kurt M. Taylor, Harold A. Luettgen, Jeremy James Johnson
  • Publication number: 20210161754
    Abstract: An oral irrigator includes a base, a reservoir supported by the base and including a bottom wall and a port defined in the bottom wall, and a valve received in the port. The valve is movable between a first position in which the port is open to allow fluid flow from the reservoir to the base and a second position in which the port is closed by the valve. The valve includes a body, a cap extending from a first end of the body, a flange extending from a second end of the body opposite the first end, a sealing member positioned around the body adjacent the cap, and a spring positioned around the body adjacent the flange.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 9, 2021
    Publication date: June 3, 2021
    Inventors: Harold A. Luettgen, Gordon Haszier
  • Patent number: 10945912
    Abstract: An oral irrigator including a reservoir, a tip in fluid communication with the reservoir, a pump in fluid communication with the tip and the reservoir, where the motor drives the pump. The oral irrigator also includes a control module electrically coupled to the motor to vary an output of the motor. During a normal mode, the control module drives the motor to output a normal pulse rate, a normal flow rate, and a normal fluid pressure as the fluid exits the tip and during a massage mode, the control module drives the motor to output a massage pulse rate, a massage flow rate, and a massage fluid pressure as the fluid exits the tip. The massage pulse rate is lower than the normal pulse rate, the massage fluid pressure is lower than the normal fluid pressure, and the massage fluid pressure is lower than the normal fluid pressure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 5, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 16, 2021
    Assignee: WATER PIK, INC.
    Inventors: Harold A. Luettgen, Gordon Haszier
  • Patent number: 10918469
    Abstract: A toothbrush with fluid directing drive assembly is provided. The toothbrush may include a handle including an end surface, a brush shaft extending from the end surface of the handle, a drive assembly positioned within the handle and causing the brush shaft to oscillate upon actuation of a motor, a brush tip removably coupled to the brush shaft and positioned adjacent to the end surface of the handle, and a fluid passage defined within the drive assembly within the handle. The brush tip may include a fluid conduit therein. Oscillation of the brush shaft may cause the entire brush tip to oscillate correspondingly. Fluid may be transported through the drive assembly and to the fluid conduit of the brush tip by the fluid passage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 16, 2018
    Date of Patent: February 16, 2021
    Assignee: WATER PIK, INC.
    Inventors: Gary L. Sokol, Harold A. Luettgen
  • Patent number: 10828137
    Abstract: The present disclosure is directed towards a toothbrush including a handle, a brush shaft, and a brush tip releasably connected to the brush shaft. The brush shaft includes a fluid outlet in fluid communication with a fluid source. The brush tip includes a tip outlet, one or more bristles, and one or more engagement structures to secure the brush tip to the brush shaft. The engagement structure acts to transfer motion from the brush shaft to the brush tip and defines, in part, a tip fluid passageway through the brush tip and in fluid communication with the shaft lumen of the brush shaft.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 4, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 10, 2020
    Assignee: WATER PIK, INC.
    Inventors: Gary L. Sokol, Harold A. Luettgen
  • Publication number: 20200276003
    Abstract: In one embodiment, an oral irrigator including a reservoir, a tip fluidly connected to the reservoir, a motor having a drive shaft, and a pump. The pump includes a pump body including a pump inlet fluidly connected to the reservoir and a pump outlet fluidly connected to the tip, a spiral pinion gear including a plurality of pinion gear teeth that curve along their length, and a spiral driven gear including a plurality of driven gear teeth that mesh with the pinion gear teeth. The pump also may include a connecting rod eccentrically connected to the driven gear and a piston and received within the pump body. Movement of the drive shaft causes the pinion gear to rotate, causing the driven gear to rotate, translating the connecting rod and moving the piston laterally within the pump body to pull fluid from the reservoir and push the fluid to the tip.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 18, 2020
    Publication date: September 3, 2020
    Inventors: Harold A. Luettgen, Oscar Senff, Brian Woodard, Blaine Hanson, Jonathan Huber
  • Publication number: 20200205952
    Abstract: An oral irrigator including a base and a handle. The base includes a fluid reservoir, a pump in fluid communication with the fluid reservoir, and a base wireless communication component in electrical communication with the pump. The handle is in fluid communication with the pump. The handle includes a handle wireless communication component and one or more control buttons in communication with the handle wireless communication component. The handle wireless communication component transmits control signals from the one or more control buttons to the base wireless communication component to adjust an operating parameter of the pump.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 9, 2020
    Publication date: July 2, 2020
    Inventors: Gary L. Sokol, Harold A. Luettgen
  • Publication number: 20200156091
    Abstract: A showerhead bracket including a bracket body, a spool rotatable relative to the bracket body, and a flow control knob non-rotatably connected to the spool such that the flow control knob and the spool rotate together relative to the bracket body. The flow control knob non-slidably connected to the spool to inhibit axial disengagement of the flow control knob from the spool.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 10, 2019
    Publication date: May 21, 2020
    Inventors: Michael J. Quinn, Leland C. Leber, Harold A. Luettgen, Ryan Saunders
  • Patent number: D959840
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 14, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 9, 2022
    Assignee: WATER PIK, INC.
    Inventors: Robert D. Wagner, Gary L. Sokol, Harold A. Luettgen