Oral Cleansing Attachment With Motion Isolation Mechanism

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current oral cleansing devices, such as sonic toothbrushes and oral irrigators, face challenges in providing a cost-effective solution for oscillating motion and integrated irrigation and brushing functions without compromising on speed or comfort.

Innovation Solution

A cleansing attachment for oral cleansing devices that includes a shaft with an internal fluid passageway, a brush head with bristles, and a nozzle, allowing for the transfer of motion and fluid delivery, while preventing motion transfer to the irrigating attachment, enabling efficient brushing and irrigation from a single unit.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Speed

If electro-magnetic drivers are used to create oscillating motion, then oscillating speed and cleaning effectiveness are improved, but production cost increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveoscillating speedVSAvoidproduction cost

Core Design Contradiction:

SpeedVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

The patent replaces electro-magnetic drivers with a mechanically-driven system using a continuously rotating output shaft. The oscillating motion is generated mechanically through the brush head design rather than through electro-magnetic fields, reducing production cost while maintaining effective cleaning speeds

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

Solution Approach 2:

The output shaft is designed to accommodate multiple types of attachments (brushing and irrigating) through a universal coupling mechanism. This allows a single drive system to perform multiple functions, reducing the need for separate electro-magnetic drivers for each function

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

2Ease of manufacture

If mechanically-driven systems are used for oscillating motion, then production cost is reduced, but oscillating speed decreases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveproduction costVSAvoidoscillating speed

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of manufactureVSSpeed

Solution Approach 1:

The brush head is designed to dynamically oscillate as it is rotated by the output shaft. The oscillating motion is not directly driven but results from the interaction between the rotating shaft and the brush head geometry, allowing high speeds to be achieved with simple mechanical驱动

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The system utilizes mechanical vibration and oscillation generated through the rotation of the output shaft. The brush head design converts continuous rotation into high-frequency oscillating motion, achieving fast cleaning speeds with a simple mechanical drive system

Inventive Principle:

Principle #18Mechanical vibration

3Reliability

If separate handles are used for toothbrush and irrigator functions, then each function can be optimized, but device complexity and number of components increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvefunction optimizationVSAvoidnumber of handles

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent creates a universal handle with an output shaft that can accept both brushing attachments and irrigating attachments. The same drive mechanism powers both functions, reducing device complexity while maintaining optimized performance for each function through dedicated attachment design

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Solution Approach 2:

The device is segmented into a universal handle/body and interchangeable attachments. This allows each attachment (brushing or irrigating) to be optimized independently while sharing the common drive system, reducing overall device complexity without sacrificing function-specific performance

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

4Ease of operation

If motion transfer is allowed to irrigating attachment, then single unit operation is simplified, but irrigating function is compromised due to unwanted motion

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesingle unit operationVSAvoidirrigating function

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent introduces a motion isolation mechanism as an intermediary between the rotating output shaft and the irrigating attachment. This intermediary allows the irrigating attachment to be mounted on the rotating shaft while preventing unwanted motion transfer, ensuring reliable irrigating function while maintaining single unit operation

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The irrigating attachment is designed to be extracted or separated from the motion transfer path. It can be mounted on the rotating output shaft but is decoupled from the rotational motion, allowing it to receive fluid without being affected by the rotation, thus maintaining both ease of operation and functional reliability

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Data Source

PatentUS20210307888A1Cleansing attachment for oral cleansing device

Publication Date: 2021.10.07 WATER PIK INC

AI summary

An oral cleansing device (e.g., an irrigating, electric toothbrush) is disclosed. The oral cleansing device includes a handle, a cleansing attachment (e.g., a brush head attachment), and an irrigating attachment (e.g., an oral irrigator tip). The handle includes one or more control buttons to activate motion of an output shaft and/or an irrigating feature of the oral cleansing device. The cleansing attachment includes a plurality of bristles and is attachable to the handle such that movement of the output shaft is transferred to the cleansing attachment. The irrigating attachment defines an internal fluid passageway for receiving fluid from the handle and is attachable to the handle such that movement of the output shaft is not transferred to the irrigating attachment.