Flexible Brushing Part with Pre-Drilled Holes for Bristle Retention
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing tooth cleaning devices, including electric toothbrushes, are not suitable for effectively fixing ultra-fine and short bristles on flexible, complex geometries, leading to inefficient brushing, particularly for populations with limited dexterity or autonomy, such as the elderly and children.
Innovation Solution
A method for manufacturing a U-shaped brushing part with through and non-through holes, allowing for the insertion and secure attachment of tufts of bristles with varying inclinations, using flexible plastic materials and a molding process to create a customized fit for the dentition, enabling effective brushing configurations on complex surfaces.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If known methods for inserting brushing bristles on usual tooth cleaning equipment are used, then the bristles can be fixed on simple geometry surfaces, but they cannot effectively fix ultra-fine and short bristles on flexible, complex geometry surfaces
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs a flexible mouth guard made of elastomeric thermoplastic material that can conform to complex dentition geometries. The flexible nature of the material allows it to adapt to the contours of teeth and gums, enabling effective bristle placement on complex surfaces while maintaining structural integrity for secure bristle fixation.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the physical parameters of the support material by using elastomeric thermoplastic with specific flexibility characteristics. This material parameter change enables the support to deform and adapt to complex geometries while providing sufficient mechanical retention for ultra-fine and short bristles that cannot be fixed by conventional rigid methods.
2Adaptability or versatility
If the mouth guard is made of flexible plastic material, then it can adapt to complex dentition shapes, but the bristles become difficult to secure firmly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates through holes in the flexible mouth guard before inserting the bristles. This preliminary action of pre-drilling holes provides predetermined secure anchoring points in the flexible material, ensuring that when bristles are inserted, they are firmly retained despite the material's flexibility and ability to conform to complex dentition shapes.
3Ease of manufacture
If through holes are drilled in the mouth guard, then bristles can be inserted and secured, but the structural integrity and flexibility of the mouth guard may be compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The use of elastomeric thermoplastic material allows the mouth guard to maintain structural integrity despite having through holes. The material's inherent flexibility and elasticity enable it to withstand the holes while retaining sufficient strength and adaptability to conform to dentition, resolving the contradiction between ease of bristle insertion and structural integrity.
Data Source
AI summary
A method for manufacturing a brushing part including the following steps: providing the support, pierced with through-holes, passing through the channel formed by the support; forming the tuft of bristles, by assembling a plurality of bristles by one end opposite the free end, so as to form a base of the tuft, so that a diameter of a section of the tuft, in a plane transverse to a direction of extension of the tuft, is greater than a diameter of a through-hole; merging the ends forming the base of the at least one tuft so that an extension of the merged zone in a direction transverse to the direction of extension of the at least one tuft is greater than an extension of the base in the transverse direction before the merging step; inserting the one tuft by force into one of the holes of the channel of the support, depositing glue and filling with resin.