Oral Care Mirror Light Pipe Heat Distribution
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current oral care tools with integrated mirrors and light sources face challenges in distributing light evenly and protecting the oral cavity from heat, leading to inadequate illumination and potential burns during use.
Innovation Solution
An oral care implement featuring a mirror and a light pipe adjacent the mirror, where the light pipe is made of a light transmissive elastomeric material to distribute light around the perimeter of the mirror, ensuring better illumination and protecting the oral cavity from heat.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Illumination intensity
If a light source is exposed and directly contacts oral surfaces, then illumination is achieved, but the oral cavity is exposed to heat and potential burns
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a light-transmissive elastomeric material as an intermediary between the light source and the oral cavity. This material allows light to pass through while providing thermal protection, effectively mediating between the need for illumination and the need to prevent heat exposure. The elastomeric material acts as a protective barrier that transmits optical energy but blocks harmful thermal energy.
2Illumination intensity
If light is focused in a specific area, then illumination intensity is increased, but light distribution becomes uneven
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by allowing different regions of the elastomeric material to have different light transmission properties. The material can be designed with varying thickness, transparency, or internal structure at different locations to optimize light distribution. This enables the system to provide both intense illumination where needed and even distribution across other areas, resolving the contradiction between focused intensity and uniform distribution.
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 solution provides improved visibility of oral surfaces with even light distribution and prevents heat-related burns by using a light pipe to disperse light and potentially embedding the light source within a heat-resistant material.
Implementation Method 1
a light pipe operably coupled to the light source to distribute light emitted by the light source through the light pipe
Implementation Method 2
a light transmissive elastomeric material coupled to the body and overlying the light source
Data Source
AI summary
An oral care implement, such as a toothbrush, that comprises a mirror and a light pipe adjacent the mirror. In one embodiment, the invention can be an oral care implement comprising: a body comprising a handle portion and a head portion; a mirror coupled to the body; a light source coupled to the body; and a light pipe coupled to the body and surrounding at least a portion of the mirror, the light pipe operably coupled to the light source to distribute light emitted by the light source through the light pipe.