Electric Toothbrush Bristle Carrier Reciprocating Motion
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing electric toothbrush designs lack effective combinations of bristle carrier motions that enhance cleaning efficacy, with a need for reciprocating or pivotal motions in addition to rotary motions to improve brushing efficiency.
Innovation Solution
An electric toothbrush design featuring a plurality of bristle carriers, where at least one carrier undergoes a reciprocating or pivotal motion, with a drive mechanism that connects to a shaft within the toothbrush body to move the bristle carriers in complex combinations of linear, angular, and curvilinear motions, enhancing cleaning efficacy.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If multiple bristle carriers are provided with rotary motion, then cleaning coverage is improved, but cleaning efficacy is limited due to lack of reciprocating or pivotal motion
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies dynamics by transitioning from static rotary motion to dynamic reciprocating and pivotal motions. The bristle carriers are designed to perform complex motion patterns including reciprocation (back-and-forth linear motion) and pivoting (angular motion about an axis), which dynamically adapt the brushing action to better conform to tooth surfaces and enhance cleaning efficacy.
2Device complexity
If a single bristle carrier with rotary motion is used, then device simplicity is maintained, but cleaning efficacy and coverage are insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies segmentation by dividing the single bristle carrier into multiple separate bristle carriers, each capable of independent motion. This segmentation allows each carrier to target specific tooth surfaces more effectively, thereby increasing overall cleaning coverage while maintaining reasonable device complexity through modular design.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces another dimension of motion by adding reciprocating (linear) and pivotal (angular) motions to the traditional rotary motion. This multi-dimensional motion approach enables bristle carriers to access and clean various tooth surfaces more comprehensively, significantly improving cleaning coverage without excessive complexity increase.
3Reliability
If multiple bristle carriers undergo complex motions, then cleaning efficacy is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies merging by combining multiple motion functions (reciprocating, pivotal, and rotary motions) into a single integrated drive mechanism. This consolidated approach generates complex bristle carrier motions through coordinated interaction of combined mechanical elements, reducing overall device complexity compared to having separate mechanisms for each motion type.
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 toothbrush achieves improved cleaning efficacy through the combination of motions, providing a more comprehensive brushing experience by ensuring that bristle carriers move in a way that covers a wider range of tooth surfaces effectively.
Implementation Method 1
An electric motor operatively connected to a shaft, both of which are disposed in the body of the toothbrush
Implementation Method 2
The shaft is operatively connected to at least one of the bristle carriers to move that carrier and associated carriers
Data Source
AI summary
A toothbrush has a body, a brush head, and a neck extending between the body and the brush head. The toothbrush also has a massaging element, a plurality of bristles, and a plurality of massaging tips. The brush head has a front face and a rear face. The massaging element is disposed on the rear face of the brush head, while the plurality of bristles and the plurality of massaging tips extend from the front face.