Floss Feeder With Funnel Tip For Orthodontic Access
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing dental flossing aids are inadequate for cleaning teeth with bone loss, fixed bridges, and dental braces, as they fail to access back teeth and areas under orthodontic appliances, and are cumbersome for users with arthritis or limited dexterity.
Innovation Solution
A floss feeder device that holds and dispenses 'Super Floss' and expanding floss, featuring a handle with a funnel tip for directing floss between teeth, under bridges, and around braces, with a built-in cutter and interchangeable handles for convenience.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If traditional floss is used, then it can clean between teeth, but it cannot access back teeth and areas under orthodontic appliances
Solution Approach 1:
The floss feeder introduces a dimensional change by adding a handle component that extends the functional reach of the floss. The handle acts as a lever arm that allows the user to access back teeth and areas under orthodontic appliances by extending the effective length and changing the angular approach, thereby solving the accessibility limitation of traditional floss without significantly increasing device complexity.
2Ease of operation
If floss threaders with thick floss are used, then they can reach inaccessible areas, but they are very hard to utilize with teeth beyond the front teeth
Solution Approach 1:
The floss feeder employs dynamic principles by making the floss itself flexible and movable within the handle structure. The floss can be fed through the handle and directed toward different teeth, allowing dynamic adjustment of the flossing angle and position. This dynamic capability enables effective use on back teeth and around orthodontic appliances, while maintaining a relatively simple handle-based device structure.
3Ease of operation
If water flossers are used, then they can clean teeth, but they are messy due to water spray and lack cloth type surface for debris removal
Solution Approach 1:
The floss feeder extracts the harmful water spray element from the cleaning process and replaces it with mechanical floss action. By removing the water delivery system entirely and using only the floss component within a handle, the device eliminates the messiness associated with water flossers while maintaining effective cleaning capability through the friction and mechanical action of the floss against teeth and debris.
4Ease of operation
If pre-loaded flossers are used, then they provide convenient flossing, but they fail to access areas with bone loss and fixed bridges
Solution Approach 1:
The floss feeder achieves universality by designing a simple handle-based platform that can accommodate different types of floss (traditional, super floss, expanding floss) and can be used for various oral hygiene needs including cleaning between teeth, around fixed bridges, and in areas with bone loss. The handle serves multiple functions: holding the floss, providing leverage, and directing the floss to different areas, making the device highly adaptable while maintaining ease of operation.
Data Source
AI summary
A “Super Floss” and expanding floss carrier which is held in a hand in a similar fashion to the way a toothbrush is held. It has a handle, which can hold extra “Super Floss” and expanding floss and act as a floss dispenser. It is wider in the center of the handle area and becomes narrow toward the ends of the handle. At the end of the floss carrier where it enters a mouth is a funnel, which is wider at the end closest to the handle and narrow toward the tip. The tip is curved so that it can point in between teeth to allow “Super Floss” and expanding floss to be directed between teeth. Fingers are used to direct floss from the dispenser portion of the floss carrier to the funnel portion of the carrier so that the “Super Floss and expanding floss can be then directed into a mouth.