Hinged Dental Flosser Attachment With Replaceable Working End
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Solution Overview
Problem
Orthodontic treatments and existing oral care tools are difficult to clean and maintain, and existing tools are not sufficiently reusable or of sufficient quality to meet user needs.
Innovation Solution
A double-ended dental tool with interchangeable and durable tool attachments, including scrapers, mirrors, and brushes, equipped with a light source for illumination, allowing users to customize their cleaning tools and ensuring multiple uses before replacement.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If existing oral care tools are used, then cleaning function is provided, but they are difficult to clean and maintain, and not sufficiently reusable
Solution Approach 1:
The flosser attachment is designed as a segmented structure with a handle portion and a working end portion that can be separated. The working end portion with the flossing element can be removed and replaced, allowing the main handle to be reused while the disposable working end is discarded after use, thus improving reusability while maintaining ease of cleaning.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs a disposable working end portion that is discarded after a single use or limited uses. This disposable component contains the flossing element that comes into contact with oral cavity, eliminating the need to clean and maintain this portion while allowing the expensive handle to be reused multiple times.
2Reliability
If orthodontic treatments are applied, then dental alignment is improved, but cleaning and maintenance become difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The flosser attachment features a localized working end with specifically designed flossing elements tailored for orthodontic cleaning needs. The working end includes notched or contoured flossing tips that can navigate around brackets and wires, providing targeted cleaning capability where it is most needed without requiring the entire device to be complex.
Solution Approach 2:
By separating the orthodontic-specific working end from the universal handle, the patent allows users to obtain specialized cleaning capability for orthodontic treatments while maintaining a simple, reusable handle. The disposable working end can be replaced with different types suited for various orthodontic conditions.
3Reliability
If existing spot cleaning tools are used, then some cleaning function is provided, but they are not of sufficient quality to fulfill user needs
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple cleaning functions into a single integrated attachment. The working end incorporates both flossing capability and scraping functionality in one disposable component, allowing users to perform multiple cleaning tasks without needing separate tools, thereby improving cleaning quality without proportionally increasing device complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The handle is designed as a universal platform that can accommodate different types of working ends for various cleaning needs. This multi-functional design allows a single handle to provide high-quality cleaning across different scenarios (flossing, scraping, orthodontic cleaning) by simply changing the disposable working end, avoiding the need for multiple complex specialized tools.
Data Source
AI summary
A dental flosser includes a flosser member configured to secure a piece of dental floss. The flosser member includes a shoulder portion comprising a hinge and two arms coupled to the shoulder portion, each arm configured to secure a respective end of the piece of dental floss. The flosser also includes an adjustment body coupled to the flosser member, whereby linear movement of the adjustment body causes the flosser member arms to articulate about the hinge.