Helix-Shaped Interdental Brush Handle for Grip Comfort
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional interdental brushes face challenges in comfort and ease of manipulation due to their flimsy design, making them difficult to grip and use effectively, while larger handles are bulky and hard to transport.
Innovation Solution
An interdental brush with a helix-shaped handle and bristles of varying diameters and colors, featuring a twisted wire stem with long and short bristles arranged in 'mountain' and 'valley' sections for enhanced flexibility and visibility, along with a non-cylindrical grip for user comfort and effective plaque removal.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If a small disposable interdental brush with one piece molded plastic handle is used, then the brush is easily stored and disposed, but it is flimsy and difficult to grip
Solution Approach 1:
The handle is divided into distinct functional sections: a grip portion with non-cylindrical shape for comfortable holding, a neck portion, and a head portion. This segmentation allows each part to be optimized for its specific function while maintaining overall structural integrity and ease of manufacture.
Solution Approach 2:
The grip portion features a non-cylindrical asymmetric shape with opposing grip surfaces, providing better ergonomics and grip comfort compared to conventional symmetric cylindrical handles. This asymmetric design enhances user comfort without complicating the manufacturing process.
2Ease of operation
If a larger handle style interdental brush is used, then it is more comfortable and easier to manipulate, but it is bulky and difficult to transport
Solution Approach 1:
The handle employs local quality differentiation with a non-cylindrical grip portion providing enhanced comfort where needed, while the neck and head portions maintain a more compact profile. This localized optimization delivers ergonomic benefits without significantly increasing overall brush volume.
Solution Approach 2:
The helix-shaped twisted wire stem provides dynamic flexibility, allowing the brush to adapt to different interdental spaces and user manipulation needs. This dynamic structure delivers the comfort of a larger handle while maintaining a compact form factor for easy portability.
3Ease of manufacture
If uniform bristles are used in interdental brush, then the manufacturing is simpler, but plaque removal effectiveness is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The brush head incorporates varying bristle lengths arranged in mountain and valley sections, with each section optimized for specific cleaning functions. This local differentiation enhances plaque removal effectiveness by providing both long bristles for reaching deep into interdental spaces and short bristles for surface cleaning, while remaining manufacturable through conventional processes.
Solution Approach 2:
The helix-shaped twisted wire stem creates a curved, three-dimensional bristle arrangement that conforms to the natural curvature of teeth and interdental spaces. This curved configuration improves plaque removal effectiveness by allowing bristles to access and clean surfaces that straight bristle arrangements cannot reach.
4Ease of manufacture
If single color bristles are used, then the manufacturing is simpler, but plaque removal visibility and bristle type differentiation are reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The brush incorporates multi-colored bristles with different colors indicating different bristle lengths and/or types. This color differentiation helps users visually identify which bristles are intended for specific cleaning tasks and provides visible feedback during use as colored bristles remove plaque, enhancing both usability and cleaning effectiveness without significantly complicating manufacturing.
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2~3
Figure 4~5
AI summary
An interdental brush has a handle with a helix style shape, as well as sections of long and short bristles to maximize plaque removal. The handle has a first end, a second end and a length between the first and second ends. The handle defines a longitudinal axis extending through the handle along the length. A brush extends from the handle and includes a stem projecting along the longitudinal axis and a set of bristles extending laterally outwardly from the stem. Each of the bristles has a bristle length from the stem to a bristle tip, the bristle tips collectively defining a bristle profile. In one embodiment, the bristle profile alternates along the stem between valley sections of short bristle length and mountain sections of long bristle length. The handle includes a grip portion along the length, and the grip portion is shaped such that it is twisted about the longitudinal axis in the manner of a helix.