Automated Dental Floss Dispenser Sensor Activation

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current manual dental floss dispensers in both professional and private settings lead to cross-contamination due to manual handling, requiring frequent decontamination and increasing procedural time and material usage.

Innovation Solution

An automated dental floss dispenser that allows hands-free operation by using sensors to detect user presence, extracting dental floss from a cartridge, winding it around pins, and cutting it to a predetermined length for easy dispensing without direct contact, reducing contamination risks and saving time.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Extent of automation

If manual pull and pinch dispenser is used, then device complexity is low, but cross-contamination occurs and decontamination is required

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveautomation of floss dispensingVSAvoidcomplexity of dispenser mechanism

Core Design Contradiction:

Extent of automationVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The dispenser is divided into distinct functional modules: a floss cartridge containing the floss supply, a dispensing mechanism with rollers for floss extraction, and a control system. This segmentation allows automated operation while keeping each component relatively simple and manageable.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The dispenser automatically detects when fless is needed through sensors, extracts the required amount using motorized rollers, and dispenses it without requiring manual intervention. The system serves itself by automating the entire floss dispensing process from detection to delivery.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

2Productivity

If manual manipulation of dispenser is required, then ease of manufacture is high, but procedural time increases and materials are wasted

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvespeed of floss dispensingVSAvoidtime for decontamination and manual handling

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

Manual mechanical operations are replaced with an automated motorized system. The motorized rollers extract floss at controlled speeds, and electronic sensors detect when dispensing is needed, eliminating the time-consuming manual pull and pinch operations and subsequent decontamination procedures.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

3Object-affected harmful factors

If hands-free operation is implemented, then cross-contamination is reduced, but device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecross-contamination of dispenserVSAvoidcomplexity of hands-free mechanism

Core Design Contradiction:

Object-affected harmful factorsVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

Infrared sensors act as intermediaries between the user and the dispenser mechanism. The sensors detect the user's presence or hand position without physical contact, triggering the automated dispensing sequence. This intermediary approach enables hands-free operation while maintaining relatively simple system architecture.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Data Source

PatentUS11576761B1Automated dental floss dispenser and dental floss cartridge for an automated dental floss dispenser

Publication Date: 2023.02.14 LAM GIANG

AI summary

An automated, hands-free dental floss dispenser is provided herein. Particularly, the dispenser includes a housing and an activation sensor, such as an infrared, motion, or other sensor for detecting the presence of a hand or other object within a dental floss dispensing region and for activating the dispenser. The dispenser further includes a feeding assembly disposed at least partially within the housing, and a dispensing assembly for receiving an amount of dental floss from the feeding assembly. Specifically, the feeding assembly includes a removable and/or replaceable cartridge which at least temporarily retains the dental floss. The dispensing assembly includes a spindle and a spindle activation assembly, wherein the dental floss is fed from the feed assembly to the spindle for dispensing.