Adjustable Bristle Base Toothbrush for Posterior Access
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing toothbrush designs fail to effectively reach the back of the dental arch, particularly after the extraction of wisdom teeth, due to their fixed asymmetrical shape and uneven bristle wear, leading to inefficient cleaning.
Innovation Solution
A toothbrush design with a sliding rod mechanism that allows the user to adjust the curvature of the bristle base to match the individual's dental arch, enabling a convex shape for improved access to all teeth areas.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If the toothbrush uses fixed asymmetrical bristle lengths to adapt to the dental arch curve, then the brush can reach the back of the arch, but the bristles wear unevenly and do not reach properly after wisdom teeth extraction
Solution Approach 1:
The toothbrush base is designed to be dynamically adjustable rather than fixed. A sliding rod mechanism allows the user to change the curvature of the base to match different dental arch shapes and conditions (e.g., with or without wisdom teeth), ensuring consistent cleaning effectiveness across varying oral structures.
Solution Approach 2:
The curvature parameter of the toothbrush base can be changed by the user through the sliding mechanism. This allows adjustment of the base's arc shape to match the specific curvature of an individual's dental arch, improving both adaptability and cleaning reliability.
2Ease of manufacture
If the toothbrush uses symmetrical bristle lengths, then manufacturing is simpler, but the brush cannot effectively reach the back of the curved dental arch
Solution Approach 1:
Rather than manufacturing toothbrushes with different fixed asymmetrical configurations, this invention provides a single symmetrical base that can be dynamically adjusted by the user to achieve the appropriate curvature for reaching rear teeth, combining manufacturing simplicity with operational effectiveness.
3Ease of operation
If the toothbrush has a fixed convex shape, then it can reach the back of the dental arch, but one end of the bristles wears faster due to permanent asymmetry
Solution Approach 1:
The base curvature is made adjustable rather than permanently fixed. Users can modify the convex shape as needed and reset it, allowing the bristles to maintain consistent contact patterns throughout their service life, thereby extending their usable duration.
Data Source
AI summary
This toothbrush presents an independent base of support for the bristles. The bristles' base is positioned on the structure of the head of the toothbrush itself, in such a way that half of the base remains fixed to the head of the toothbrush structure, while the second half can be raised, giving to the whole base a curved-angle profile. A half of this base has this ability to be free to rise at an angle, driven by a sliding rod, which is pushed with a finger of the hand holding the toothbrush. The rod slides through an inclined opening placed underneath the head of the toothbrush. In order to return the base to its horizontal position, the rod itself is retracted, in the same way, using a finger of the hand holding the toothbrush. The lowering of the base itself is facilitated by the pressure of the toothbrush on the teeth.