Toothbrush Capillary Fluid Delivery Reservoir
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional toothbrushes require manual application of dentifrice or oral care solutions, which can be inconvenient and may not consistently deliver benefits during use.
Innovation Solution
A toothbrush design featuring a handle, a bristle plate with holes for bristles that extend from the plate, and a reservoir in fluid communication with the holes, allowing for capillary action to deliver a dentifrice or oral care solution directly to the teeth during brushing, with optional features like a wick, staples, a porous melt matte, and a valve to manage fluid delivery.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If manual application of dentifrice is used, then the toothbrush structure remains simple, but the convenience and consistency of delivery deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the dentifrice reservoir and delivery system directly into the toothbrush structure. The reservoir is integrated with the handle, and capillary channels are built into the bristle plate, eliminating the need for separate dentifrice tubes and manual application steps.
Solution Approach 2:
The toothbrush delivers dentifrice automatically through capillary action without requiring user intervention. The bristles themselves serve as the delivery mechanism, drawing fluid from the reservoir through capillary channels and releasing it at the tip during normal brushing movements.
2Reliability
If automated fluid delivery system is added, then the consistency of dentifrice delivery is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces complex mechanical pumping or valve systems with passive capillary action. The capillary channels in the bristle plate automatically regulate fluid flow based on surface tension and capillary pressure, eliminating the need for active mechanical control mechanisms.
Solution Approach 2:
The bristle plate incorporates porous or capillary channels that allow fluid to pass through automatically. The porous structure enables controlled fluid delivery through capillary pressure, providing consistent dentifrice application without mechanical intervention.
3Ease of operation
If reservoir is integrated into handle, then the portability is improved, but the risk of leakage increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the reservoir from the handle body and positions it at the distal end near the bristles. This separation allows the reservoir to be accessible during use while minimizing the risk of leakage into the handle, and enables easy emptying by simply bending the toothbrush.
Solution Approach 2:
The reservoir is designed to be dynamically accessible - it can be easily emptied by bending the toothbrush, and automatically refills through capillary action during normal use. This dynamic design allows the reservoir to serve its purpose without creating permanent leakage pathways.
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
Enables continuous delivery of oral care benefits without manual application, ensuring consistent distribution of the solution during brushing and minimizing leakage or wastage.
Implementation Method 1
a wick in the reservoir and in fluid communication with the bristles, the wick deliver the dentifrice or other oral care solution from the reservoir to the bristles
Implementation Method 2
a melt matte in the reservoir, the melt matte is porous and the melt matte is in fluid communication with the bristles
Data Source
AI summary
A toothbrush includes a handle, a head at a distal end of the handle comprising a bristle plate, a hole extending through the bristle plate, a plurality of bristles at least partially disposed in the hole and extending from the hole in a direction away from the head, and a reservoir in fluid communication with the hole. Fluid in the reservoir enters the tuft holes and is wicked out of the head of the toothbrushes by capillaries formed between the bristles.