Monolithic Oral Care Bristles with Longitudinal Ribs
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional toothbrushes with injection molded bristles have fewer contact points due to larger bristle diameters, resulting in reduced effectiveness in cleaning teeth and oral surfaces compared to traditional filament bristles.
Innovation Solution
The development of an oral care implement with a monolithic cleaning unit featuring a plurality of bristles that have longitudinally elongated ribs, providing increased contact points for effective cleaning, where the bristles are formed as a single unitary structure with a base portion and extending from a support structure, potentially using elastomeric materials for enhanced cleaning efficacy.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If injection molded bristles are used, then manufacturing efficiency is improved, but the number of contact points is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies dimensionality change by adding longitudinal ribs to the bristle structure. Instead of increasing the number of bristles in the traditional plane, the invention creates additional contact surfaces by extending the bristle geometry into a new dimensional aspect (longitudinal ridges), thereby increasing contact points without requiring more individual bristles.
Solution Approach 2:
The bristle is segmented into multiple functional surfaces through the addition of longitudinal ribs. Each rib creates additional edges and surfaces that can contact teeth and oral surfaces, effectively dividing a single bristle into multiple contact-generating elements.
2Device complexity
If fewer, larger bristles are used, then device complexity is reduced, but cleaning effectiveness is worsened
Solution Approach 1:
The invention applies local quality by modifying specific regions of the bristle (adding longitudinal ribs to certain bristles) rather than changing the entire brush head design. This allows enhanced cleaning effectiveness in critical areas while maintaining the overall simplicity of having fewer, larger bristles.
Solution Approach 2:
The bristle structure combines different geometric features (cylindrical body with longitudinal ribs) to create a composite form that integrates multiple functions: the cylindrical shape provides flexibility and coverage, while the longitudinal ribs add contact points and mechanical action for enhanced cleaning.
Data Source
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AI summary
An oral care implement that includes a handle and a head. The head may include a support structure and a monolithic cleaning unit coupled thereto. The monolithic cleaning unit may include a base portion coupled to the support structure and a plurality of bristles extending therefrom. At least one, or each, of the plurality of bristles may comprise a body having an outer surface and a rib extending from the outer surface. The rib may be longitudinally elongated in some embodiments and it may be helical in other embodiments. Furthermore, there may be more than one rib extending from the outer surface of the body. The monolithic cleaning unit may be formed of an elastomeric material.