Powered Toothbrush Complex Motion Mechanism
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing powered toothbrushes with oscillating or rotary bristle heads can cause damage to gums due to uneven bristle velocity and may not effectively clean all areas of the teeth and gums.
Innovation Solution
A powered toothbrush design that incorporates a bristle head capable of both rotary motion and translation, allowing the bristles to orbit and move along oval or circular paths while rotating, thereby reducing velocity differences and improving cleaning efficacy.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If the bristle head moves in a rotary manner about its axis of rotation, then the cleaning action is simplified, but the velocity of bristles at greater radial distance causes damage to gums
Solution Approach 1:
The bristle head is designed to perform both rotary motion about its own axis and translational motion along an orbital path. This dynamic combination allows the bristles to rotate for cleaning while translating to different positions, thereby reducing the velocity difference between inner and outer bristles and preventing gum damage.
Solution Approach 2:
The motion mechanism adds a second dimension of movement by orbiting the bristle head along an orbital path while it rotates. This three-dimensional motion pattern (rotation + translation) distributes the cleaning action more evenly across different radial distances, reducing the harmful velocity effects on gums.
2Productivity
If the bristle head oscillates along the distal-proximal axis, then the cleaning action is enhanced, but the motion does not effectively reach all areas of teeth and gums
Solution Approach 1:
The bristle head performs dynamic motion combining rotation about its axis with translation along an orbital path. This dynamic three-dimensional motion enables the bristles to reach and clean multiple areas of teeth and gums more effectively compared to simple oscillation, improving both productivity and adaptability.
Solution Approach 2:
By adding orbital translation to the rotational motion, the system achieves three-dimensional cleaning coverage. This allows the bristles to access hard-to-reach areas that would not be reachable with simple distal-proximal oscillation, enhancing overall cleaning effectiveness.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If the bristle head translates while rotating, then the velocity difference between inner and outer bristles is reduced, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The mechanism merges the rotary motion of the bristle head with its orbital translation into a single integrated motion system. This combination achieves velocity normalization to prevent gum damage while managing device complexity through unified mechanical design.
Solution Approach 2:
The bristle head serves multiple functions simultaneously: it rotates to provide cleaning action and translates to normalize velocity across different radial distances. This multi-functionality reduces gum damage while the integrated design helps manage the overall device complexity.
Data Source
AI summary
Embodiments of the present invention comprise a powered toothbrush comprising a bristle head, an outer gear, and a plurality of bristles. Both the bristle head and the outer gear may comprise a distal end, a proximal end, and a center. The distal end of the bristle head may mate with the proximal end of the outer gear. The outer gear may rotate about a first axis of rotation. The mating between the bristle head and the outer gear may cause the bristle head to orbit the first axis of rotation via one or more bristle paths while simultaneously completing one or more rotary movements about a second axis of rotation, which may move along the bristle paths with the bristle head.