Recycled Core Toothbrush Handle with Translucent Cover
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current oral care implements made from virgin materials consume natural resources and energy, while recycled plastic materials often contain foreign contaminants, leading to concerns about appearance and hygiene.
Innovation Solution
An oral care implement with a handle comprising a core made from recycled material completely enveloped by a translucent cover, ensuring a smooth and comfortable surface while minimizing environmental impact and addressing consumer safety concerns.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-affected harmful factors
If recycled plastic materials are used in the manufacture of toothbrush handles, then environmental impact is reduced, but the handle surface becomes unattractive and uncomfortable due to foreign materials
Solution Approach 1:
The handle is divided into two distinct parts: a core made from recycled plastic material and a separate cover made from virgin material. This segmentation allows the recycled core to provide environmental benefits while the virgin cover ensures high surface quality and comfort, resolving the contradiction between environmental impact and surface quality.
Solution Approach 2:
The handle uses a composite structure combining recycled plastic core material with a virgin plastic cover material. This composite approach allows the product to leverage the environmental advantages of recycled materials while maintaining the aesthetic and tactile qualities of virgin materials through the cover layer.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If recycled plastic materials are used in the manufacture of toothbrush handles, then environmental impact is reduced, but consumer safety concerns increase due to perceived germs
Solution Approach 1:
The virgin material cover acts as an intermediary barrier between the user and the recycled core material. This cover layer addresses consumer safety concerns by providing a fresh, clean interface that users directly contact, while the recycled core remains hidden and structurally functional, thus maintaining consumer confidence without compromising environmental benefits.
3Manufacturing precision
If virgin material is used to manufacture toothbrush handles, then surface quality and consumer confidence are maintained, but natural resources and energy are consumed
Solution Approach 1:
The invention applies local quality by using virgin material only where it is most needed - in the cover layer that provides surface quality and user contact - while using recycled material in the core where structural function is prioritized. This localized application of materials optimizes both surface quality and environmental performance.
Data Source
AI summary
An oral care implement is provided. The oral care implement may include a handle comprising a core and a cover enveloping the core. The cover may be formed from a substantially translucent first rigid material. The core may be formed from a second rigid material and a plurality of elements, the plurality of elements suspended within the second rigid material and visible through the cover. In other embodiments the core may include a foamed material.