Interdental Cleaning Tool Protruding Portion Detachment Prevention
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional interdental cleaning tools with elastomer cleaning portions often detach from the shaft during use, compromising their effectiveness.
Innovation Solution
The interdental cleaning tool features a protruding portion with strategically placed protrusions in the proximal region, providing increased rigidity to the bristles and a composite material with reinforcing elements, which enhances the tool's resistance to detachment and cleaning efficacy.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a cleaning portion made of elastomer is used, then flexibility and comfort are improved, but the cleaning portion detaches from the shaft portion
Solution Approach 1:
The cleaning portion is divided into multiple bristles rather than a single continuous elastomer structure. Each bristle acts as an independent segment that can flex individually while maintaining attachment to the shaft portion through its root, preventing detachment while preserving flexibility.
Solution Approach 2:
The bristles are pre-formed with a root portion that is integrally connected to the shaft portion before use. This preliminary integration ensures that the cleaning portion is already secured to the shaft, preventing detachment during the cleaning operation.
2Ease of operation
If the cleaning portion is made softer for comfort, then ease of operation is improved, but cleaning effectiveness on side surfaces decreases
Solution Approach 1:
Different regions of the cleaning portion have different properties. The root portion of each bristle is softer and more flexible for comfort during insertion and operation, while the tip portion is harder and more rigid to effectively clean the side surfaces of teeth. This local differentiation allows both comfort and cleaning effectiveness.
3Reliability
If the cleaning portion is made more rigid for cleaning effectiveness, then cleaning capability is improved, but insertion capability into interdental spaces decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The bristles are designed to be dynamically adaptable - they can bend and flex when subjected to insertion forces to navigate tight interdental spaces, then maintain sufficient rigidity when engaged with tooth surfaces to perform effective cleaning. This dynamic behavior allows the cleaning portion to transition between soft and rigid states as needed.
Data Source
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AI summary
An interdental cleaning tool capable of reducing possibility of a cleaning portion being detached from a shaft portion includes a base portion including a shaft portion (20) having a shape insertable in an interdental space, and a cleaning portion (50) that covers at least a portion of the shaft portion and is capable of cleaning an interdental space. The base portion further includes a protruding portion (40) that protrudes from a covered portion (22) in a direction intersecting the shaft portion (20), the covered portion (22) being a portion of the shaft portion (20) and covered by the cleaning portion (50).