Angled Brush Head for Sonic Toothbrush Cleaning
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional sonic toothbrush brush heads do not fully utilize the cleaning potential of sonic toothbrushes, as they are designed without a kink, resulting in limited accessibility and cleaning effectiveness, especially in hard-to-reach areas like the inside of lower front teeth and interdental spaces.
Innovation Solution
The brush head design incorporates an angled adapter axis between 91° to 120°, preferably 95° to 105°, allowing the cleaning element to bend either forward or backward, enhancing accessibility and achieving larger amplitude vibrations for improved cleaning, with the optimal angle often being 100° or 101°, and featuring a brush neck composed of two parts with different plastics for optimal vibration transmission.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If the brush head is designed without a kink (traditional design), then the structure is simple and manufacturing is easy, but the cleaning effectiveness in hard-to-reach areas is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The brush neck is designed with a specific kink angle (91°-120°) creating a curved geometry that enables the cleaning element to reach into interdental spaces and hard-to-access areas, transforming the straight linear structure into an angled configuration that improves cleaning productivity without significantly complicating manufacturing
2Adaptability or versatility
If the adapter axis angle is increased to 91°-120°, then accessibility to hard-to-reach areas is improved, but the structural complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The key parameter changed is the adapter axis angle, optimized to 91°-120° relative to the cleaning element axis. This parameter modification enables the cleaning element to oscillate effectively in previously inaccessible areas while maintaining a relatively simple overall structure that does not significantly increase device complexity
3Productivity
If the cleaning element is bent at an angle, then larger amplitude vibrations are achieved for better cleaning, but the transmission of vibrations from the vibrator may be compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The brush neck is designed with a controlled kink angle that creates an optimized curved path for vibration transmission. This curvature allows the cleaning element to achieve larger oscillation amplitudes in the desired direction while maintaining effective coupling with the vibration source, resolving the contradiction between amplitude and transmission reliability
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This design significantly enhances cleaning efficiency by allowing better access to hard-to-reach areas and achieving larger movements, resulting in a more effective cleaning experience, particularly in the lower jaw and interdental spaces, while maintaining a cost-effective and simple manufacturing process.
Implementation Method 1
an adapter for coupling the brush head to a vibration generator and for transmission in a proximal area includes vibrations of the vibrator to the cleaning element
Data Source
Figure 1a~2b
Figure 3~5b
AI summary
The invention relates to a brush head (100, 200) for an acoustic toothbrush, comprising a brush neck (110, 210). Said brush neck (110, 210) comprises, in a distal area, a cleaning element (130, 230) with an alignment axis (131, 231), in particular several filaments for cleaning teeth. The brush neck (110, 210) also comprises, in a proximal area, an adapter (120, 220) with an adapter axis (121, 221) for coupling to the brush head (100, 200) with a vibration generator (300) and for transmitting vibrations from the vibration generator (300) to the cleaning element (130, 230). The adapter axis (121, 221) forms with the alignment axis (131, 231) an angle greater than 90°, preferably an angle of between 91° - 120°, especially an angle of between 95° - 105°, in particularly preferably an angle of between 98° - 102°.