Oral Care Tool Container With Pivoting Side-Wall Access
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional containers for oral care tools, such as interdental cleaning tools, are either cumbersome for consumers to use or costly and time-consuming to manufacture and load, lacking an efficient mechanism for easily retrieving individual tools.
Innovation Solution
A container design featuring a first and second portion with pivotable side walls that allow access to stored oral care tools, where the connecting portion is inserted into a first cavity and the tools extend into a second cavity, enabling easy separation of individual tools while retaining the connecting portion within the first cavity.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If conventional simple containers are used for storing oral care tools, then manufacturing cost is low and structure is simple, but consumer ease of operation deteriorates due to cumbersome tool extraction
Solution Approach 1:
The container is divided into a stationary first portion and a movable second portion that can pivot relative to each other. The second portion includes side walls that can be pivoted independently to provide selective access to different tools, allowing easy extraction of individual tools without disturbing others.
Solution Approach 2:
The second portion of the container is designed with movable side walls that can pivot between closed and open positions. This dynamic structure allows the container to transition from a closed protective state to an accessible state for tool extraction, improving ease of operation.
2Device complexity
If conventional containers without separating mechanisms are used, then device complexity is low, but productivity deteriorates due to time-consuming tool retrieval processes
Solution Approach 1:
The container structure segments the tool storage space with movable side walls that create separate access paths to different tools. This allows users to quickly access specific tools without retrieving the entire set, improving retrieval efficiency.
Solution Approach 2:
The movable second portion acts as an intermediary mechanism between the user and the stored tools. By pivoting this portion, users can selectively access tools without direct manipulation of the entire container contents, streamlining the retrieval process.
3Ease of operation
If containers with easy access features are designed, then consumer ease of operation improves, but manufacturing cost and time increase
Solution Approach 1:
The container uses a segmented design where the second portion with movable side walls is separated from the stationary first portion. This segmentation allows for modular manufacturing processes, potentially reducing overall manufacturing complexity while maintaining ease of operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The dynamic pivoting mechanism uses simple hinge connections between the first and second portions, allowing for straightforward assembly and manufacturing. The movable side walls provide easy access functionality through simple rotational movement rather than complex mechanisms.
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3~4
Figure 5
AI summary
A container for storing a set of oral care tools in which multiple oral care tools are removably connected to connecting portion. The container includes a first portion that defines a first cavity configured to receive and capture the connecting portion therein and a second portion including first and second side walls defining a second cavity in which the oral care tools are stored. At least one of the first or second side walls can be pivoted to an open position to allow a consumer to access and separate an oral care tool from the connecting portion while the connecting portion is retained within the first cavity.