Flossing Device With Tapered Channels For Dexterity
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current dental flossing devices are limited in application, difficult to use, expensive to manufacture, and often fail to adequately clean between teeth, while also potentially damaging gums and requiring significant manual dexterity.
Innovation Solution
A flossing device comprising a pair of elongated members with a selectably extendable floss string, where the floss string is knotted at both ends and housed within channels of varying cross-sectional spacings to facilitate easy insertion and manipulation between teeth, allowing for effective flossing without the need for complex handling or manual dexterity.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If traditional dental floss is used, then it can clean between teeth, but it requires significant manual dexterity and is difficult to use for some people
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces elongated members (sticks/wands) as intermediary tools that hold and manipulate the floss string. These members act as mediators between the user's hand and the floss, making the flossing process easier to operate while maintaining cleaning effectiveness through the extended reach and controlled floss deployment.
2Ease of operation
If floss picks with rigid handles are used, then ease of operation improves, but accessibility to all teeth and angles is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The elongated members are designed to be flexible rather than rigid, allowing them to bend and adapt to different oral geometries. This dynamic flexibility enables the floss to reach all teeth and angles while the elongated members provide comfortable grip and easy operation, resolving the contradiction between ease of use and accessibility.
3Strength
If thick floss is used, then scraping effectiveness improves, but it cannot pass through tight spaces between teeth
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses a floss string with optimized thickness parameter that balances scraping effectiveness with the ability to pass through tight spaces. The elongated members provide mechanical advantage that compensates for the moderate floss thickness, enabling both strong scraping action and adaptability to various tooth gap sizes without requiring multiple floss thicknesses.
4Adaptability or versatility
If thin floss is used, then it can pass through tight spaces, but it may be too weak and break
Solution Approach 1:
The elongated members serve as strong intermediary structures that provide mechanical support and leverage. This allows the use of thinner, more flexible floss string that can pass through tight spaces without breaking, as the strength and structural integrity are provided by the elongated members rather than the floss itself.
5Ease of operation
If specialized flossing tools are manufactured, then ease of operation improves, but manufacturing cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The flossing device is segmented into simple, discrete components: elongated members and a floss string. This segmentation allows each component to be manufactured using simple, low-cost processes and then assembled, reducing overall manufacturing cost while maintaining ease of operation through the specialized design of each segment.
Data Source
AI summary
A flossing device including a first elongated member and a second elongated member each including a channel disposed at a top end, wherein each channel includes a first cross-sectional spacing and a second cross-sectional spacing, wherein the second cross-sectional spacing is less than the first cross-sectional spacing, and the second cross-sectional spacing is closer to a top edge of the first elongated member than the first cross-sectional spacing. The flossing device includes a floss string having a first end including an enlarged portion disposed within the channel of the elongated members, and sized to be substantially larger than the second cross-sectional spacing. The floss string may include a second end coupled to a top end of the second elongated member. The flossing device includes a seal and an aperture disposed on a surface of the elongated members and are disposed adjacent the channel.