Segmented Rocker Toothbrush Head for Contour Adaptation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional toothbrushes face difficulties in cleaning hard-to-reach areas due to excessive flexing of the bristle cluster, which reduces contact pressure and adaptability to tooth contours, leading to inefficient cleaning and reduced bristle density.
Innovation Solution
A toothbrush design featuring rockers that allow sections closer to the handle to flex more intensely while maintaining rigidity at the tip, with bristle tufts inclined inwardly to maintain compactness and control, ensuring better penetration and distribution of cleaning forces.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If the bristle support is made elastic to allow the bristle cluster to flex away under cleaning pressure, then adaptability to tooth contours is improved, but the bristle sections at the tip flex excessively which reduces cleaning effectiveness in hard-to-reach areas
Solution Approach 1:
The bristle support is divided into multiple sections with different elasticity characteristics: a first elastic section closer to the handpiece that allows flexing, and a second rigid section at the tip that maintains stability. This segmentation enables different parts of the bristle cluster to have different degrees of compliance, solving the contradiction between adaptability and cleaning effectiveness.
Solution Approach 2:
Different sections of the bristle support are given different mechanical properties (elasticity vs. rigidity) according to their functional requirements. The proximal section is made elastic to provide adaptability, while the distal section is made rigid to maintain cleaning effectiveness, applying local quality differentiation to resolve the contradiction.
2Ease of operation
If the bristle cluster is allowed to flex away under cleaning pressure, then comfort and mouth feel are improved, but the contact pressure on teeth is reduced leading to less effective cleaning
Solution Approach 1:
The bristle support is segmented into elastic and rigid sections, where the elastic section provides comfort through controlled flexing while the rigid section maintains sufficient contact pressure for effective cleaning. This segmentation allows the system to simultaneously achieve comfort and cleaning effectiveness.
Solution Approach 2:
The elasticity parameter of the bristle support is varied along its length, with higher elasticity near the handpiece and lower elasticity at the tip. This parameter change enables the proximal bristles to flex for comfort while distal bristles maintain contact pressure for cleaning.
3Adaptability or versatility
If the bristle support width is increased to accommodate rockers for flexibility, then adaptability is improved, but bristle density decreases which impairs compactness and penetration capability
Solution Approach 1:
The bristle support uses segmented rockers with different functionalities: lateral rockers provide flexibility while the central rocker maintains bristle density. This segmentation allows the system to achieve adaptability without sacrificing bristle density or compactness.
Solution Approach 2:
The rocker structure is designed asymmetrically with lateral rockers extending outward for flexibility and a central rocker maintaining the bristle cluster's compactness. This asymmetric design enables the system to achieve both flexibility and high bristle density.
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
This design enhances cleaning efficiency by maintaining bristle density and adaptability to tooth contours, allowing for effective cleaning of hard-to-reach areas while preventing excessive flexing and ensuring a pleasant oral experience.
Implementation Method 1
the free end close to the toothbrush neck is allowed to rock, move, flex, up and down, enabling the bristle tufts or cleaning or massage elements affixed thereto to resiliently spring away under the applied cleaning pressure
Data Source
AI summary
A toothbrush head with a bristle support to which a plurality of tuft-shaped cleaning elements are affixed is described. The bristle support including at least one movable rocker having a first end attached to it on the side remote from a handpiece and having a free second end which is on the side close to the handpiece. Said rocker carrying at least one row of cleaning elements. At least the cleaning elements arranged on the rocker furthest from a longitudinal center plane of the toothbrush head have their free ends inwardly tilted towards said longitudinal center plane at an acute angle.