Toothbrush Coupling Element Irreversible Injection Molding
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Solution Overview
Problem
The manufacturing of manual toothbrushes faces challenges in reducing production time and costs while maintaining high quality and complexity, particularly due to cooling times in injection molding and the complexity of bristle field assembly, with existing solutions either offering low-quality low-price products or impractical adaptations from electric toothbrush technologies.
Innovation Solution
A method involving a coupling element that connects the neck and handle irreversibly using injection molding, where the cleaning elements and coupling element are over-molded together with the head and neck portion, allowing for a secure and cost-effective production process.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If injection molding is used to produce the head and neck portion, then manufacturing precision and integration are improved, but production time increases due to cooling times
Solution Approach 1:
The toothbrush is divided into separable components: a head assembly (with cleaning elements and coupling element) and a handle assembly. This allows parallel production of components and reduces the need for lengthy cooling and integration processes for the entire brush, thereby reducing overall production time while maintaining integration precision within each component.
Solution Approach 2:
The coupling element is pre-integrated into the head assembly during injection molding before final assembly with the handle. This preliminary integration ensures precise positioning and secure attachment of cleaning elements and coupling element, eliminating the need for subsequent complex assembly steps and reducing total production time.
2Reliability
If anchor technology is used to fasten bristle filaments, then cleaning element attachment is improved, but production complexity and time increase due to successive steps
Solution Approach 1:
The cleaning elements and coupling element are merged into a single integrated head assembly produced by injection molding. This combines multiple functions (bristle attachment, coupling mechanism, and structural support) into one component, eliminating the need for separate anchor technology steps and significantly reducing production complexity while maintaining secure attachment.
3Reliability
If replaceable brush head system is implemented, then hygiene and reusability are improved, but manufacturing complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The toothbrush system is segmented into a reusable handle and a replaceable head assembly with integrated coupling element. This segmentation enables hygienic replacement of the brush head while keeping the handle, and the integrated coupling element simplifies the connection mechanism, reducing manufacturing complexity compared to traditional snap-fit or screw-based replaceable systems.
4Reliability
If complex bristle fields are produced, then cleaning performance is improved, but production time and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
Complex bristle field patterns and coupling element structures are merged into a single injection-molded head assembly. This allows complex geometries to be produced in one manufacturing step without requiring multiple successive operations, thereby maintaining high cleaning performance while reducing production time and cost.
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
This method enables the production of high-quality manual toothbrushes with complex designs at lower costs by reducing production time and complexity, ensuring a stable and hygienic connection without the need for complex snap-fit connections or elastic sealing.
Implementation Method 1
forming the head and the neck portion or a part thereof by injecting a first plastic material into the first injection molding cavity, wherein the first ends of the one or more cleaning elements and the first end of the coupling element are over-molded
Data Source
AI summary
A method for producing a toothbrush comprises providing a head, a neck portion, and a handle; providing a coupling element; and combining the neck portion to the handle by the coupling element so that an irreversible connection is formed. The individual parts of the toothbrush to be formed can be produced in parallel or successively, wherein some of the parts can be produced by injection molding. A toothbrush formed by the method comprises a head, a neck portion, and a handle; these elements can be produced as building blocks separately and may be connected to one another via a coupling element to form an inseparable connection.