Nesting Dental Flosser Handle Design for Compact Storage
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional dental flossers, both reusable and disposable, face challenges in efficient storage and handling, particularly in reducing packaging costs and improving user convenience during flossing, as they lack a nesting mechanism for compact stacking and efficient use.
Innovation Solution
The design of a dental flosser with a handle and curved arms that nest together, featuring a converging handle cross-section and an upwardly-opening blind cavity, allowing multiple units to be stacked compactly, and a thread extending between the arms for effective interdental cleaning.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Volume of moving object
If conventional dental flossers are designed without a nesting mechanism, then manufacturing and structural simplicity is maintained, but storage efficiency and packaging cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a nesting mechanism where the handle of one flosser is designed to fit inside the handle of another flosser. The handle includes a cavity that receives the handle wall of another flosser, enabling compact stacking and reduced storage volume without significantly complicating the manufacturing process.
2Volume of moving object
If multiple flossers are stored separately, then ease of access to individual units is improved, but packaging space and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The nesting design allows multiple flossers to be stacked compactly within packaging while maintaining easy access. Users can remove individual flossers from the stack without disturbing others, combining space efficiency with operational convenience.
3Ease of manufacture
If disposable flossers are made with integrally molded floss, then manufacturing simplicity and consistency are improved, but user convenience for replacing floss deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The floss is segmented from the handle structure, allowing it to be removed and replaced independently. The handle includes a floss retention device that secures the floss during use but permits easy removal and replacement, combining manufacturing efficiency with user adaptability.
Data Source
AI summary
An oral care device having a handle, a neck, and a pair of curved arms. The handle includes an enlarged distal end and a reduced proximal end, and a pair of downwardly-extending handle walls. The handle walls are spaced at their upper ends and converge with and join one another at their lower ends to define a substantially V-shaped cross-section and an upwardly-opening blind cavity. A neck extends distally from the handle and defines a tongue portion that is recessed relative to a top surface. A pair of curved arms extend distally and downwardly from the neck. When substantially identical oral care devices are stacked one upon the other, the upwardly-opening blind cavity of one oral care device nestingly receives the downwardly-extending handle walls of another oral care device.