Oral Care Brush Head With Inclined Tufts
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional toothbrushes with uniform tufts are inadequate for effectively cleaning interproximal and gingival marginal regions due to insufficient penetration of filaments into small spaces between teeth.
Innovation Solution
A head for an oral care implement featuring tufts with filaments of different lengths, inclined at specific angles (65° to 80°) to facilitate better access and cleaning of interdental areas, where longer filaments penetrate into gaps and shorter filaments clean occlusal and buccal surfaces, with adjustable bending stiffness to prevent gum injury.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If uniform tufts with same-length filaments are used, then manufacturing is simple and structure is uniform, but cleaning performance in interproximal and gingival areas is insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by creating tufts with heterogeneous filament lengths where specific filaments have different lengths suited for specific cleaning functions. Longer filaments (10-15mm) penetrate interproximal spaces while shorter filaments (5-10mm) clean gingival margins, allowing each filament within the tuft to have optimized local properties for its specific cleaning task.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent segments the filament population within each tuft into distinct length groups (first group: 10-15mm, second group: 5-10mm, third group: 3-5mm). This segmentation allows different filament subsets to perform specialized functions - longer filaments for deep penetration and shorter filaments for surface cleaning - thereby resolving the contradiction between manufacturing simplicity and cleaning effectiveness.
2Reliability
If longer filaments are used to penetrate interproximal spaces, then interdental cleaning improves, but risk of gum injury increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by distributing different filament lengths throughout the tuft structure rather than using uniform length. This creates a gradient where longer filaments handle deep penetration tasks while shorter filaments provide cushioning and gum protection, locally optimizing both cleaning effectiveness and safety within the same tuft.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements beforehand cushioning by incorporating shorter filaments (5-10mm and 3-5mm groups) that surround and cushion the longer filaments (10-15mm). These shorter filaments act as a protective buffer that prevents the longer filaments from directly contacting and potentially injuring gum tissue, thereby preemptively mitigating the harmful effect while maintaining interdental cleaning capability.
3Reliability
If tufts are inclined at specific angles (65° to 80°), then penetration into interdental spaces improves, but tuft structure becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies asymmetry by inclining the tufts at specific angles (65° to 80° relative to the longitudinal axis) rather than arranging them symmetrically perpendicular to the mounting surface. This asymmetric angular arrangement optimizes the penetration trajectory of filaments into interproximal spaces, allowing them to effectively reach between teeth while maintaining a relatively simple overall brush head structure.
Data Source
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AI summary
A head for an oral care implement has at least one tuft extending from a mounting surface of the head. The tuft comprises a first group of filaments having a first length and at least a second group of filaments having a second length wherein the first length is different from the second length. The tuft is inclined with respect to the mounting surface and has an inclination angle between the tuft and the mounting surface from about 65° to about 80°.