Oral hygiene tool

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

Existing oral hygiene tools that combine toothbrushes and tongue scrapers are either too short for use or too long for storage due to their fixed designs, lacking a telescopic engagement mechanism with a locking system.

Innovation Solution

A telescopic oral hygiene tool that integrates a toothbrush and a tongue scraper with a slide control mechanism, allowing the tongue scraper to be locked in either a collapsed or extended configuration, and featuring a support stand for upright positioning.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If a fixed design combining toothbrush and tongue scraper is used, then the device provides dual functionality, but the device becomes either too short for use or too long for storage

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedual functionalityVSAvoiddevice length

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSLength of moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The tongue scraper is designed to telescope within the toothbrush handle, with the scraper blade and connector body nesting inside the hollow toothbrush structure. This allows the combined device to maintain a compact form factor for storage while providing full functionality when extended.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #7Nested doll (Nesting)

Solution Approach 2:

The device transitions from a static fixed-length design to a dynamic telescopic structure that can adjust its length. The tongue scraper can be extended from and retracted into the toothbrush handle, allowing the device to adapt its length between storage and usage states.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

2Length of moving object

If a telescopic design is used, then the device becomes compact for storage, but the device becomes unwieldy without a locking mechanism

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedevice lengthVSAvoiddevice usability

Core Design Contradiction:

Length of moving objectVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The locking mechanism is designed to automatically engage and disengage based on the telescopic position. When the tongue scraper is extended or retracted, the mechanism self-activates to lock at the appropriate position, eliminating the need for manual locking operations by the user.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

Solution Approach 2:

A cam-ridge interaction mechanism serves as an intermediary between the telescopic motion and the locking function. The cam-shaped ridge on the tongue scraper interacts with corresponding features in the toothbrush handle to automatically lock the device at extended and retracted positions.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Data Source

PatentUS10912379B2Oral hygiene tool

Publication Date: 2021.02.09 LADVA SURESH KURJI

AI summary

A oral hygiene tool has a tongue scraper and a toothbrush. The tongue scraper includes an elongate connector body, a scraper blade being on a first end transverse to the elongate connector body. A slide control mechanism extends from a second end of the elongate connector body. An interlocking structure has a laterally extending ridge. The toothbrush includes an elongate toothbrush body that has a plurality of brushes and a bore that extends into a distal end of the elongate toothbrush body. A slot extends longitudinally along part of the elongate toothbrush body into the bore, while first and second lateral grooves extend laterally into the slot. The interlocking structure is adapted to be slidably inserted into the bore of the elongate toothbrush body such that the interlocking structure is pushed outwardly into the slot of the elongate toothbrush body.