Prophy Angle with Collapsible Bladder and Tactile Feedback
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current prophy angle designs fail to efficiently incorporate and control the dispensing of prophylaxis medium, leading to complexity, increased costs, and contamination risks, while lacking tactile and aural feedback for precise delivery.
Innovation Solution
A collapsible bladder pre-filled with prophylaxis medium integrated within the prophy angle, actuated by a push button and plunger mechanism with ridges for controlled dispensing, providing tactile and audible feedback, and a simplified design for market adaptation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If a separate dentifrice is used to complete the prophy task, then the prophy angle design is simpler, but efficiency is lost, overall costs increase, and contamination risk increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the prophy angle with an integrated dentifrice delivery system into a single unified device. The dentifrice reservoir, plunger mechanism, and application cup are merged with the prophy angle holder, eliminating the need for separate dentifrice containers and improving operational efficiency while maintaining design simplicity.
2Volume of moving object
If the dentifrice occupies the bulk of the prophy angle housing, then the delivery system is more compact, but the design becomes complex and difficult to implement
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the dentifrice delivery system into distinct functional components: a collapsible bladder for dentifrice storage, a plunger mechanism for dispensing control, and a cup for application. This segmentation allows for compact integration while simplifying manufacturing and assembly compared to monolithic designs.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs a collapsible bladder that dynamically changes volume as dentifrice is dispensed, rather than a rigid fixed-volume chamber. This dynamic design optimizes space utilization and simplifies the overall structure by eliminating the need for complex dispensing mechanisms.
3Measurement precision
If tactile and aural feedback mechanisms are added for controlled dispensing, then delivery precision is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent incorporates tactile feedback through ridges on the plunger that engage with corresponding features on the push button, providing discrete positional feedback during dentifrice dispensing. This mechanical feedback system enables precise control without requiring complex electronic sensors or actuators.
Data Source
AI summary
A disposable prophy angle with an accessible and replaceable internal collapsible prophylaxis bladder and a push button and plunger/paddle combination to force a metered amount of prophylaxis medium into the prophy angle while providing audible and/or tactile feedback.