Foam Toothbrush Head Geometry for Gentle Interdental Cleaning
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional toothbrushes face challenges in providing high cleaning performance on tooth surfaces and interdental spaces while minimizing stress on tooth enamel and gum tissue.
Innovation Solution
A dental cleaning product featuring a cleaning pad made of elastically deformable foam material with geometric designs such as inwardly curved recesses and notches, combined with support structures and cleaning bristles, to optimize force distribution and cleaning efficiency.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If conventional toothbrushes use a large number of cleaning bristles, then cleaning performance on tooth surfaces is improved, but stress on tooth enamel and gum tissue increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the physical state and parameters of the cleaning element from rigid bristles to elastically deformable foam material. This transformation allows the cleaning surface to adapt its hardness and compliance parameters, providing effective cleaning while reducing stress on dental structures through controlled elasticity and deformation characteristics.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention employs foam material with controlled porosity and cellular structure as the cleaning element. The porous foam structure provides numerous contact points for plaque removal while the material's compressibility and elasticity allow it to conform to tooth surfaces without exerting excessive localized pressure, thereby maintaining cleaning effectiveness while minimizing harm.
2Productivity
If a thorough cleaning effect is achieved, then cleaning performance is improved, but wear on the brush head increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent utilizes foam material as a composite structure combining polymeric matrix with cellular voids, creating a cleaning surface that distributes mechanical stress across numerous cells. This composite structure allows the cleaning pad to maintain its shape and cleaning effectiveness over time while experiencing reduced wear compared to traditional bristle assemblies, as the foam's cellular structure absorbs and distributes abrasive forces.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If minimal stress on gum tissue is achieved, then gentleness is improved, but cleaning performance in interdental spaces may be reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The invention creates a dynamic cleaning surface through elastically deformable foam material that adapts its properties during use. The foam's elasticity allows it to dynamically conform to the contours of teeth and gums, increasing contact area and cleaning effectiveness in interdental spaces while simultaneously distributing pressure to minimize stress on sensitive gum tissue. This dynamic adaptation resolves the contradiction between gentleness and cleaning performance.
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
The design achieves effective and gentle cleaning on both tooth surfaces and interdental spaces, allowing precise adjustment of cleaning performance and minimizing abrasion and stress on teeth and gums.
Implementation Method 1
a cleaning pad (30), which has an elastically deformable foam material and is arranged on the carrier element (20)
Data Source
Figure 1a
Figure 1b
Figure 1c~1d
AI summary
A dental cleaning product (10) comprises a carrier element (20) and a cleaning pad (30), which cleaning pad comprises an elastically deformable foam material and is arranged on the carrier element (20), wherein the cleaning pad (30) comprises a first main surface region 30-A, which acts as a cleaning face, and a peripheral lateral face region 30-B, which extends to the carrier element (20). An inwardly curved recess (32) is provided in the lateral face region 30-B, which recess extends, starting from the first main surface region 30-A, at least partially or completely vertically through the cleaning pad (30).