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).
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Publication number: 20250000739Abstract: An oral irrigator comprising a reservoir, a pump in fluid communication with the reservoir, where the pump pumps fluid from the reservoir to an outlet, a motor coupled to the pump to drive the pump, a control module in electrical communication with the motor to vary an output of the motor, wherein when a first setting corresponding to a first pressure output for the outlet is selected the control module drives the motor by applying a first voltage waveform to the motor and when a second setting corresponding to a second pressure output for the outlet is selected the control module drives the motor by applying a second voltage waveform to the motor, where the second voltage waveform is different from the first voltage waveform.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 12, 2024Publication date: January 2, 2025Applicant: WATER PIK, INC.Inventors: Harold A. Luettgen, Gordon Haszier
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Publication number: 20240041578Abstract: 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: ApplicationFiled: October 19, 2023Publication date: February 8, 2024Inventors: Harold A. Luettgen, Oscar Senff, Brian Woodard, Blaine Hanson, Jonathan Huber
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Patent number: 11826214Abstract: 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: GrantFiled: May 18, 2020Date of Patent: November 28, 2023Assignee: WATER PIK, INC.Inventors: Harold A Luettgen, Oscar Senff, Brian Woodard, Blaine Hanson, Jonathan Huber
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Publication number: 20230363872Abstract: 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: ApplicationFiled: July 26, 2023Publication date: November 16, 2023Inventors: Gary L. Sokol, Harold A. Luettgen
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Patent number: 11744690Abstract: 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: GrantFiled: June 28, 2022Date of Patent: September 5, 2023Assignee: Water Pik, Inc.Inventors: Gary L. Sokol, Harold A. Luettgen
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Publication number: 20230200959Abstract: 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: ApplicationFiled: February 28, 2023Publication date: June 29, 2023Applicant: WATER PIK, INC.Inventors: Harold A. Luettgen, Oscar Senff, Brian Woodard, Blaine Hanson, Jonathan Huber
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Publication number: 20220323188Abstract: 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: ApplicationFiled: June 28, 2022Publication date: October 13, 2022Inventors: Gary L. Sokol, Harold A. Luettgen
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Patent number: 11399925Abstract: 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: GrantFiled: March 9, 2020Date of Patent: August 2, 2022Assignee: WATER PIK, INC.Inventors: Gary L. Sokol, Harold A. Luettgen
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Patent number: 11351018Abstract: 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: GrantFiled: November 18, 2019Date of Patent: June 7, 2022Assignee: WATER PIK, INC.Inventors: Gary L. Sokol, Harold A. Luettgen
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Patent number: 11213834Abstract: 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: GrantFiled: December 10, 2019Date of Patent: January 4, 2022Assignee: WATER PIK, INC.Inventors: Michael J. Quinn, Leland C. Leber, Harold A. Luettgen, Ryan Saunders
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Patent number: 11173020Abstract: 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: GrantFiled: March 1, 2019Date of Patent: November 16, 2021Assignee: WATER PIK, INC.Inventors: Clifford J. Snyder, Gordon Haszier, Harold A. Luettgen, Kenneth A. Hair, Daniel Bernard Cover
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Publication number: 20210290338Abstract: 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: ApplicationFiled: June 7, 2021Publication date: September 23, 2021Inventors: Kurt M. Taylor, Harold A. Luettgen, Jeremy James Johnson
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Patent number: 11039906Abstract: 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: GrantFiled: June 20, 2018Date of Patent: June 22, 2021Assignee: WATER PIK, INC.Inventors: Kurt M. Taylor, Harold A. Luettgen, Jeremy James Johnson
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Publication number: 20210161754Abstract: 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: ApplicationFiled: February 9, 2021Publication date: June 3, 2021Inventors: Harold A. Luettgen, Gordon Haszier
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Patent number: 10945912Abstract: 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: GrantFiled: May 5, 2017Date of Patent: March 16, 2021Assignee: WATER PIK, INC.Inventors: Harold A. Luettgen, Gordon Haszier
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Patent number: 10918469Abstract: 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: GrantFiled: April 16, 2018Date of Patent: February 16, 2021Assignee: WATER PIK, INC.Inventors: Gary L. Sokol, Harold A. Luettgen
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Patent number: 10828137Abstract: 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: GrantFiled: May 4, 2018Date of Patent: November 10, 2020Assignee: WATER PIK, INC.Inventors: Gary L. Sokol, Harold A. Luettgen
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Publication number: 20200276003Abstract: 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: ApplicationFiled: May 18, 2020Publication date: September 3, 2020Inventors: Harold A. Luettgen, Oscar Senff, Brian Woodard, Blaine Hanson, Jonathan Huber
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Publication number: 20200205952Abstract: 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: ApplicationFiled: March 9, 2020Publication date: July 2, 2020Inventors: Gary L. Sokol, Harold A. Luettgen
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Patent number: D959840Type: GrantFiled: February 14, 2020Date of Patent: August 9, 2022Assignee: WATER PIK, INC.Inventors: Robert D. Wagner, Gary L. Sokol, Harold A. Luettgen