Electric Toothbrush Bi-Material Protective Lip Design

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

Existing electric toothbrushes often prioritize brushing efficiency over comfort and tissue protection, leading to discomfort, bruising, and pain, while also suffering from durability and reliability issues.

Innovation Solution

The electric toothbrush features a protective piece made of a softer material than the cover, which clads the internal face and projects to form a peripheral lip surrounding the cover, providing a bi-material protective guard that enhances comfort and minimizes traumatic risk.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Strength

If a hard cover material is used for structural strength, then durability is improved, but comfort and tissue protection deteriorate

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecover strengthVSAvoidtissue trauma

Core Design Contradiction:

StrengthVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies composite materials by combining a hard cover (first material) with a soft protective piece (second material). The cover provides structural strength and durability, while the protective piece made of softer material directly contacts the brushing roller to prevent tissue trauma. This composite structure resolves the contradiction by having each material perform its optimal function.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #40Composite materials

Solution Approach 2:

The patent applies local quality by making different parts of the cover have different material properties. The external face maintains hard material for protection, while the internal face contacting the brushing roller is covered with soft material. This localized material differentiation allows the same component to provide both strength and comfort.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

2Device complexity

If the protective piece forms a bearing ring, then manufacturing complexity is reduced, but manufacturing precision requirements increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvebearing structureVSAvoidring geometry

Core Design Contradiction:

Device complexityVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The patent merges the protective piece and bearing functions into a single integrated component. The protective piece simultaneously provides tissue protection and forms the bearing ring that guides the drive shaft. This consolidation reduces the number of separate parts and assembly steps, resolving the device complexity issue while the soft material's compliance naturally accommodates manufacturing tolerances.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Data Source

PatentUS20250176703A1Electric toothbrush with optimized mechanical design

Publication Date: 2025.06.05 CONCEPTEETH

AI summary

The invention concerns a toothbrush comprising a brushing roller (4), a drive shaft with a first end secured to said brushing roller (4), said toothbrush comprising a first casing (30) within which runs said drive shaft, as well as a cover (8), made of a first material, having an internal face facing said roller (4), said drive shaft comprising an extremal segment emerging from said first casing (30) and including said first end, said brush comprising a bearing receiving said extremal segment, said toothbrush comprising a protective piece (9) made of a second material softer than said first material, said protective piece (9) cladding said internal face and projecting from the latter to form a lip (90), said protective piece (9) forming said bearing.Oral hygiene instruments.