Disk Cleaning Carrier With Central Depression for Mixed Elements
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing toothbrush manufacturing methods lack flexibility in integrating different types of cleaning elements and bristle tufts, limiting the design options to meet various cleaning requirements such as deep cleaning, sensitive cleaning, and gum massage while ensuring a comfortable brushing experience.
Innovation Solution
A cleaning element carrier with a disk-like structure featuring a central depression and protrusions on the front surface, allowing for secure integration of diverse bristle tufts and elastomeric elements, combined with a method using a hole perforation plate to adjust tuft positions and distances for uniform fusing, forming consistent fuse balls for secure attachment to the brush head.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If different types of cleaning elements and bristle tufts are integrated into one brush head, then design flexibility and cleaning performance are improved, but manufacturing complexity and difficulty of secure attachment increase
Solution Approach 1:
The brush head is divided into multiple carrier plates, each dedicated to holding specific types of cleaning elements or bristle tufts. This segmentation allows each carrier plate to be optimized for its specific function while simplifying the overall manufacturing process by enabling modular assembly of different cleaning element types.
Solution Approach 2:
Carrier plates serve as intermediary components between the brush head base and the cleaning elements/bristle tufts. These carrier plates provide standardized mounting interfaces that simplify the attachment process, allowing different types of cleaning elements to be securely integrated without increasing overall manufacturing complexity.
2Reliability
If fuse balls are made larger than bristle tufts for secure anchoring, then attachment reliability is improved, but manufacturing precision requirements and process difficulty increase
Solution Approach 1:
The carrier plates are pre-equipped with recesses or cavities designed to receive and hold the fuse balls. This preliminary preparation of the mounting structure allows fuse balls of varying sizes to be securely accommodated without requiring extremely precise control of fuse ball dimensions, as the carrier plate structure provides the anchoring geometry.
Solution Approach 2:
The carrier plates feature localized recesses or cavities at specific mounting positions that are tailored to accommodate fuse balls and cleaning elements. This local adaptation of the carrier plate structure allows secure anchoring without requiring uniform high precision across all fuse balls, as each recess is optimized for its specific location and element type.
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
Enables high design flexibility in toothbrush heads by securely integrating multiple types of cleaning elements and bristle tufts, ensuring uniform fusing and secure attachment, thereby enhancing cleaning performance and comfort.
Implementation Method 1
the end of the tuft which is not intended for cleaning will be fused by application of thermal energy
Implementation Method 2
The fuse balls may be combined with the hole perforation plate as well, e.g. by the thermal energy applied or by ultrasound welding
Implementation Method 3
The fuse balls may be combined with the hole perforation plate as well, e.g. by the thermal energy applied or by ultrasound welding
Data Source
Figure 1A~1D
Figure 2A~2E
Figure 3a~3i
AI summary
A cleaning element carrier (30) for a toothbrush in form of a disk is disclosed, wherein a back surface (32) comprises a central depression (35) covering at least 70% of the back surface (32) forming an edge (34) at the border and wherein a front surface (31) comprises at least one protrusion (37) so that the front surface (31) comprises two levels, wherein the area covered by the depression (35) is larger than the area covered by the protrusion (37). Further a manual toothbrush (14) or a replacement brush head (19) for an electric toothbrush are disclosed that comprise a cleaning element carrier (30) as disclosed herein.