Flexible Drive Shaft Electric Toothbrush for Multi-Orientational Brushing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing electric brushes, such as toothbrushes, require complex transducers or gearing mechanisms to achieve rotational drive in multiple orientations, increasing complexity, reducing reliability, and raising manufacturing costs due to size constraints and high wear rates.
Innovation Solution
An electric utility brush with a flexible drive shaft, preferably a helical coil spring, allows the brush head to be rotated in at least two orientations by maintaining drive engagement through a flexible portion that deforms to accommodate different axis positions, using an actuator and guide assembly to facilitate displacement between orientations.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If complex transducers or gearing mechanisms are employed to enable rotational drive in multiple orientations, then the brush can achieve multiple brushing modes, but the device complexity increases and reliability decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The drive shaft is designed as a flexible component that can dynamically change its orientation and accommodate different rotational positions of the brush head. This dynamic flexibility eliminates the need for complex mechanical transducers or gearings, as the flexible drive shaft naturally adapts to various orientations through its inherent flexibility, thereby reducing device complexity while maintaining multiple brushing modes
Solution Approach 2:
The invention changes the physical state of the drive shaft from rigid to flexible, allowing it to bend and deform as needed. This parameter change enables the drive shaft to transmit rotational force across multiple orientations without requiring complex mechanical mechanisms, thus achieving versatility with simpler construction
2Adaptability or versatility
If complex transducers or gearing mechanisms are employed to enable rotational drive in multiple orientations, then the brush can achieve multiple brushing modes, but the manufacturing cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts and eliminates the complex transducer or gearing mechanisms from the system, replacing them with a simple flexible drive shaft. This removal of unnecessary complex components directly reduces manufacturing cost while preserving the capability to achieve multiple brushing modes through the flexible shaft's ability to accommodate different orientations
Solution Approach 2:
The flexible drive shaft is a simple, inexpensive component compared to complex mechanical transducers or gearings. By using this cheaper component, the overall manufacturing cost is reduced while the component's flexibility ensures it can still transmit drive effectively across multiple orientations
3Volume of moving object
If the brush is designed in diminutive size suitable for electric toothbrushes, then it is compact and portable, but the wear rate of parts increases and reliability decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The invention replaces complex mechanical transducers or gearings with a flexible drive shaft, which has fewer moving parts and contact points. This substitution reduces mechanical wear in the compact toothbrush design, thereby improving reliability while maintaining the diminutive size necessary for portability
4Measurement precision
If rigid drive shafts are used to impart rotational drive to the head, then the drive transmission is precise, but the head cannot be displaced into multiple orientations
Solution Approach 1:
The drive shaft transitions from a rigid, fixed-orientation component to a dynamic, flexible component that can adapt its shape and orientation. This flexibility allows the drive shaft to maintain precise rotational drive transmission while simultaneously accommodating the brush head in multiple orientations, thus resolving the contradiction between precision and versatility
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 enables multiple brushing modes with reduced complexity and increased reliability by maintaining drive to the head across orientations, minimizing wear and manufacturing costs while ensuring effective brushing capabilities.
Implementation Method 1
the flexible portion comprises a spring. Preferably, the spring comprises a helical coil spring
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention is concerned with an electric utility brush having a flexible drive shaft, and in particular an electric toothbrush having a substantially spherical head mounted on the flexible drive shaft and which can be driven rotationally in at least two different orientations in order to provide comprehensive brushing capabilities.