Three-Sided Electric Toothbrush Head for Blind-Area Cleaning
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional electric toothbrushes with one-sided brush bristles struggle to effectively clean the blind areas on the inner sides of teeth, requiring users to change directions frequently, which is time-consuming and may develop bad brushing habits.
Innovation Solution
An electric toothbrush design featuring three-sided brush bristles that adapt to the thickness change from frontal to molar teeth, allowing the bristles to automatically attach to teeth surfaces, eliminating the need to change brushing directions by incorporating a mechanism with rotating shafts, sliding plates, and springs to expand and fit the tooth contours.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If one-sided brush bristles are used, then the structure is simple, but the cleaning coverage is insufficient and blind areas cannot be cleaned
Solution Approach 1:
The brush head is divided into three independent brushing surfaces (front, back, and side) with separate bristle arrangements. Each surface can independently contact different tooth surfaces, transforming a single-sided brush into a multi-functional cleaning tool that covers all tooth surfaces including blind areas.
Solution Approach 2:
The brush design transitions from a two-dimensional single-sided brushing surface to a three-dimensional multi-surface structure. The side brushing surface extends the cleaning capability to previously inaccessible blind areas, adding spatial dimensionality to the brushing coverage.
2Adaptability or versatility
If the brush head structure is fixed, then the manufacturing is simple, but the adaptability to different tooth thicknesses is poor
Solution Approach 1:
The brush head incorporates a movable side brushing surface that can dynamically adjust its position and angle. The side brushing surface can rotate and pivot to adapt to different tooth thicknesses and oral cavity sizes, transforming a static structure into a dynamic adaptive system.
Solution Approach 2:
The brush head allows for parameter changes in the side brushing surface position and orientation. By adjusting the rotational angle and radial position of the side brushing surface, the system adapts to varying tooth dimensions and oral cavity geometries.
3Productivity
If users must change brushing directions frequently, then one-sided bristles can cover different areas, but the brushing process becomes time-consuming
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple brushing functions into a single brush head structure. The front, back, and side brushing surfaces work simultaneously or sequentially without requiring the user to detach or reposition the brush head, consolidating multiple brushing directions into one integrated tool.
Solution Approach 2:
The side brushing surface automatically adjusts its position and orientation to contact different tooth surfaces. The mechanical design allows the brush to self-adapt to tooth geometry, eliminating the need for manual direction changes by the user.
Data Source
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AI summary
An electric toothbrush using three-sided bristles, comprising an electric toothbrush. The electric toothbrush comprises a toothbrush head; the toothbrush head comprises a toothbrush head handle (1); a first plate (4) is arranged below the toothbrush head handle (1); and a first bristle sheet (9) and a second bristle sheet (8) are longitudinally arranged below the first plate (4). Tooth cleaning demands of people different in oral cavity and tooth size can be satisfied by means of surrounding effects of the three-sided bristles and self-adaptive effects of automatic bristle fitting along with thickness changes from front teeth to molars.