Fluid Reservoir as Light-Emitting Surface for Dental Appliance Alerts
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Solution Overview
Problem
Dental cleaning appliances, such as electric toothbrushes, often have LEDs for visual alerts that are obscured by the user's hand, making it difficult to see charging status, battery level, or other alerts during use.
Innovation Solution
Incorporating a light source within the fluid reservoir of the dental cleaning appliance, which is illuminated to serve as a large light-emitting surface for visual alerts, and a control circuit to activate the light source, ensuring the user can easily see alerts without additional components or cost increases.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Illumination intensity
If LEDs are located in the handle for visual alerts, then the alert function is provided, but the illuminated LEDs are difficult for the user to see when the handle is being gripped
Solution Approach 1:
The patent moves the light-emitting surface from the handle to the fluid reservoir, utilizing the reservoir's surface as a new dimension for alert visibility. This allows the alert function to be displayed on a different part of the appliance that remains visible during use, resolving the contradiction between providing visual alerts and maintaining grip comfort.
2Illumination intensity
If a larger light-emitting surface is provided for better visibility, then alert visibility is improved, but component parts and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent makes the fluid reservoir serve multiple functions: it stores fluid and simultaneously acts as the light-emitting surface for visual alerts. By integrating the alert function into an existing component, the patent achieves a larger visible surface area without adding separate light-emitting components, thus avoiding increased device complexity and cost.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent combines the fluid reservoir and light-emitting surface into a single integrated component. The reservoir itself becomes the medium through which light is emitted or displayed, merging the storage function with the visual alert function and eliminating the need for separate lighting components.
3Reliability
If the light source is located in the handle, then the alert function is provided, but the light source may be exposed directly to the user's eyes
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the light source from the handle and relocates it to the fluid reservoir. This separation removes the potential harmful effect of direct eye exposure from the handle area while maintaining the alert notification function in a location that is naturally protected during use.
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
Enhances user experience by improving visibility of alerts and allowing a larger light-emitting surface without increasing component or cost, while also enabling UV sterilization and efficient fluid delivery systems.
Implementation Method 1
a light source for illuminating at least part of the fluid reservoir
Implementation Method 2
A pump located within the fluid path is actuated upon user operation of an actuator on the handle to pump fluid from the fluid chamber to the nozzle for release under pressure from the nozzle
Data Source
AI summary
A dental cleaning appliance includes a fluid reservoir for storing working fluid, a nozzle for delivering working fluid to the teeth of a user, a light source for illuminating the fluid reservoir and a control circuit for activating the light source to generate an alert which is conveyed to the user through the illumination of the fluid reservoir.