Oral Care Soft Tissue Cleaner with Segmented Elastomeric Components
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current oral care implements, such as toothbrushes, are inadequate in effectively removing bacteria and microdebris from the tongue's soft tissue surfaces due to limitations in design and manufacturing, particularly in reaching tight spaces and providing comfort during use.
Innovation Solution
An oral care implement with multiple soft tissue cleaners of different densities, hardness, colors, and materials, including conically shaped nubs and elongated strips, strategically positioned on the head to cover various oral surfaces, providing enhanced cleaning and sensory responses, and manufactured using injection molding techniques to accommodate multiple components.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If a single elastomeric soft tissue cleaner is applied to the head, then manufacturing is simplified, but cleaning effectiveness in tight spaces and recesses is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The soft tissue cleaner is divided into multiple separate components (first cleaner, second cleaner, third cleaner) that can be independently molded and then assembled on the head. This segmentation allows each component to be optimized for specific cleaning functions while maintaining manufacturing efficiency through modular production.
Solution Approach 2:
Different regions of the head are equipped with cleaners having different properties (density, hardness, material composition) tailored to specific cleaning needs. For example, softer cleaners for sensitive areas and harder cleaners for tougher deposits, with each cleaner optimized for its specific location and function.
2Adaptability or versatility
If multiple soft tissue cleaners with different properties are incorporated, then cleaning versatility and effectiveness are improved, but manufacturing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The cleaner system is segmented into multiple independent components that can be manufactured separately using standard injection molding processes, then assembled on the head. This reduces the complexity of any single manufacturing step while achieving overall system versatility.
Solution Approach 2:
The head structure is designed with universal features (multiple injection ports, standardized mounting locations) that can accommodate different types of cleaners with different properties. This universal design allows a single head platform to support multiple cleaner configurations for different cleaning needs.
3Reliability
If cleaners with different densities and hardness are used, then cleaning effectiveness on various oral surfaces is enhanced, but material selection and manufacturing precision requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
Each cleaner component is assigned specific material properties (density, hardness, elastomer type) optimized for its particular location and function on the head. This local optimization allows different materials to be used in different regions without requiring uniform high-precision manufacturing across all components.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention utilizes variations in material parameters (density, hardness, elastomer composition) as the primary means of differentiation between cleaners. By controlling these material parameters during standard injection molding processes, the system achieves functional diversity without requiring complex manufacturing precision.
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 design effectively removes bacteria and microdebris from oral tissues, improving hygiene and comfort by reaching recesses and providing comprehensive cleaning, while the manufacturing process allows for cost-effective production of multiple components.
Implementation Method 1
a first cleaner formed of a resilient material for cleansing soft oral tissue; and a second cleaner formed of a resilient material for cleansing soft oral tissue
Data Source
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AI summary
An oral care implement with a soft tissue cleaner. The inventive oral care implement comprises different kinds of soft tissue cleaners that offer expanded in-mouth cleaning. In one aspect, the invention can be an oral care implement comprising: a handle (110); a head (120)having a structural body having a front surface (121) and a rear surface (122) opposite the front surface; a basin formed into the rear surface of the structural body, the structural body comprising a protuberance extending upward from a recessed floor of the basin, the basin surrounding the protuberance; a first cleaner (140) formed of a resilient material for cleansing soft oral tissue located within the basin, the protuberance of the structural body extending through a central hole of the first cleaner; and a second cleaner (160) formed of a resilient material for cleansing soft oral tissue, the second cleaner located on the protuberance of the structural body.