Segmented Toothbrush Head with Elastic Pad for Contour Adaptation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing toothbrush designs with elastic pads for bristle support lack sufficient flexibility to adapt to three-dimensional tooth contours and relieve excessive brushing pressures, limiting their effectiveness in oral hygiene.
Innovation Solution
A toothbrush head design featuring a flexible elastic pad supported by multiple, resiliently connected support parts made of plastic and thermoplastic elastomer, which are connected only by the elastic material within the pad, allowing for enhanced flexibility and adaptation to tooth contours.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If the pad is supported by a rigid plastic structure, then the structural strength is improved, but the flexibility to adapt to tooth contours deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The support structure is divided into multiple discrete support parts (typically 3-7 parts) distributed across the pad rather than using a continuous rigid structure. Each support part is independently connected to the handle, allowing the pad to flex and adapt to tooth contours while maintaining structural strength through the distributed support network.
Solution Approach 2:
The pad itself acts as a flexible element that connects the support parts, allowing the structure to bend and conform to three-dimensional tooth surfaces. The combination of rigid support parts and flexible pad material creates a hybrid structure that balances strength and adaptability.
2Adaptability or versatility
If the pad is made highly flexible, then the adaptability to tooth contours is improved, but the structural stability deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
By segmenting the support structure into multiple discrete parts rather than using a single continuous support, the structure gains flexibility while maintaining stability through the distributed arrangement of support points that prevent excessive deformation.
Solution Approach 2:
The toothbrush head combines two different materials with complementary properties: a rigid plastic support structure for stability and a flexible elastic pad for adaptability. This composite construction allows each material to perform its optimal function while working together as a unified system.
3Strength
If continuous plastic material is used to support the pad, then the structural strength is improved, but the pressure relief capability deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The continuous plastic support is segmented into discrete support parts, creating gaps between them that allow the flexible pad to compress and deform under brushing pressure. This segmentation enables pressure relief by allowing the pad to conform to tooth surfaces without transmitting excessive force, while the distributed support parts maintain overall structural strength.
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 design provides improved flexibility and pressure relief, enabling better adaptation to tooth contours and reducing brushing pressure, enhancing oral hygiene by ensuring effective bristle contact with teeth.
Implementation Method 1
a pad of an elastic material such as a thermoplastic elastomer supported by a plastic material support... the pad is flexible in numerous directions, allowing the bristle tufts fixed therein to adapt themselves to the three dimensional contours of the teeth, and so that excessive tooth brushing pressures can be relieved
Data Source
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AI summary
A toothbrush head in which oral hygiene parts, in particular toothbrush bristles, are set in a flexible pad (14) . Typically the pad (14) is made of a thermoplastic elastomer or a polyurethane gel material. The pad (14) is supported on support parts (17,181-188) which are connected to the toothbrush handle in various ways, for example arms or a web structure.