Light-Transmissive End Cover for Personal Care Appliance
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing personal care appliances, such as electric toothbrushes, face challenges in incorporating light-emitting devices at the end portion due to the presence of an end cover and sealing structures, which obstruct the arrangement of light-emitting devices.
Innovation Solution
A personal care appliance with a detachable end cover assembly that includes an end cover light-emitting device. This device features a light source, such as LEDs, arranged inside the housing near the end cover, and a light transmission portion made of a light-transmissive material, allowing light to be transmitted through the side wall and peripheral portion of the end cover.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Illumination intensity
If a light-emitting device is installed in the middle of the housing, then light indication function is achieved, but the end portion cannot provide light indication
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses the light-transmissive end cover as an intermediary component to transmit light from the light-emitting device located in the middle of the housing to the end portion. The end cover acts as a mediator that allows light to pass through its side wall, enabling light indication at the end without requiring a separate light-emitting device at that location.
Solution Approach 2:
The end cover serves multiple functions: it provides sealing (working with the sealing ring), structural protection, and light transmission. By making the end cover light-transmissive and incorporating light guide surfaces, it becomes a multi-functional component that simultaneously performs sealing and light guidance functions, eliminating the need for additional dedicated light-emitting structures at the end.
2Illumination intensity
If a light-emitting device is arranged at the tail portion, then end portion light indication is achieved, but the sealing structure and matching structure obstruct the arrangement
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the light transmission function with the existing end cover structure. Instead of adding a separate light-emitting device at the end, the solution combines the light guidance function into the end cover itself by making it light-transmissive and adding light guide surfaces, thereby simplifying the overall structure and easing manufacturing.
Solution Approach 2:
The end cover is designed with different optical properties in different regions: the side wall is made light-transmissive to allow light passage, while the end wall can have light guide surfaces with specific inclinations. This local differentiation of material properties enables light indication functionality without compromising the sealing and structural integrity of the end cover.
3Illumination intensity
If the side wall is made light-transmissive, then light transmission is achieved, but water tightness may be compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs a sealing ring (O-ring) that acts as a flexible sealing element between the end cover and the housing. This flexible sealing structure accommodates the light-transmissive material of the end cover while maintaining water tightness, allowing the side wall to be made light-transmissive without compromising the sealing performance.
Solution Approach 2:
The sealing ring serves as an intermediary element that mediates between the light-transmissive end cover and the housing, ensuring water tightness while allowing the end cover to maintain its light-transmissive property. The sealing ring creates a barrier that prevents water infiltration while not interfering with the optical functionality of the end cover.
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 solution enables efficient light indication at the end portion of the appliance, avoiding the sealing ring and maintaining water tightness, while also simplifying the installation process without increasing complexity.
Implementation Method 1
a light transmission portion including at least a part of the side wall and/or at least a part of a peripheral portion, wherein a light incident portion of the light transmission portion is located at at least a part of the side wall
Implementation Method 2
light guide surfaces are formed between the central portion and the peripheral portion of the end wall, and the light guide surfaces are inclined relative to the longitudinal axis
Implementation Method 3
an incident surface located at an end surface of the side wall and/or an incident surface located at an inner peripheral surface of the side wall, wherein the LED light source is arranged relative to the surface such that an incident angle of light rays emitted from the LED light source on the incident surface is between 0 and 10 degrees
Implementation Method 4
the side wall includes reflecting surfaces for transmitting light rays to the light emission portion, wherein each of the reflecting surface forms an interface between an optically dense substance and an optically rarer substance, the optically dense substance is the first material forming the light transmission portion, and the reflecting surface is configured relative to the light rays from the light source such that an incident angle of the light rays emitted by the light source relative to the reflecting surface is greater than a total reflection angle of the reflecting surface
Data Source
Figure 1
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Figure 4~5
AI summary
A personal care appliance having a housing (11, 11', 11") and an end cover (2), the housing (11, 11', 11") forming an opening (15) at one end of the longitudinal axis, and the end cover (2) having an end wall and a side wall ; the end wall is substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis and the side wall extends out from the end wall and is inserted into the opening (15) along the longitudinal axis direction; the personal care appliance further comprises an end cover light-emitting apparatus, the end cover light-emitting apparatus comprising: light sources (41, 42, 43, 44), the light sources (41, 42, 43, 44) being arranged at positions inside the housing (11, 11', 11") close to the end cover (2); and a light transmission portion, the light transmission portion comprising at least a part of a side wall portion and/or at least a part of a peripheral portion (20), and a light incident portion of the light transmission portion being located at at least a part of the side wall portion; a light emission portion of the light transmission portion is located at at least a part of the peripheral part (20) of the end wall portion, and the light transmission portion is made of a light-transmitting first material, so that high-brightness light indications can be provided at the end cover (2) of the housing (11, 11', 11").