Toothbrush With External Water Management For Oral Hygiene
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional toothbrushes require repetitive motions for cleaning and gargling, causing inconvenience, especially for disabled, elderly, or critically ill patients who struggle with oral hygiene due to swallowing dysfunctions.
Innovation Solution
A toothbrush with suctioning and cleaning functions, featuring a toothbrush rod with a through-hole portion for supplying cleaning water and suctioning dirty water, connected to an external main body that includes pumps and storage for efficient water management, reducing the weight of the toothbrush and enhancing user convenience.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If cleaning water is stored in the toothbrush for convenient oral cleaning, then user convenience is improved, but the toothbrush weight increases and becomes cumbersome
Solution Approach 1:
The system is divided into two parts: a lightweight toothbrush rod that users hold and operate, and a separate external main body that stores cleaning water and dirty water. This segmentation allows the toothbrush to remain lightweight while still providing water supply and suction functions through the connected external main body.
Solution Approach 2:
A connection tube serves as an intermediary between the toothbrush rod and the external main body, transmitting both cleaning water and suction forces. This intermediary allows the external main body to perform water storage and management functions while the toothbrush rod maintains its lightweight, portable nature.
2Ease of operation
If the toothbrush structure is simplified for ease of use, then user convenience is improved, but the functionality for water supply and suction is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The external main body is designed to perform multiple functions: storing cleaning water, storing dirty water, supplying cleaning water to the toothbrush, and suctioning dirty water from the toothbrush. This multi-functionality consolidates what would otherwise require multiple separate devices into a single universal system.
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically switches between different operational modes: cleaning mode where water flows from the external main body to the toothbrush, and suction mode where water and debris are drawn from the toothbrush to the external main body. This dynamic functionality allows the same structure to serve multiple purposes.
3Productivity
If the toothbrush stores both cleaning water and dirty water, then complete cleaning function is achieved, but sanitation is compromised due to potential contamination
Solution Approach 1:
The external main body is segmented into separate storage chambers: a first storage part for cleaning water and a second storage part for dirty water. This physical separation prevents contamination between clean and dirty water, maintaining sanitation while enabling complete cleaning functionality.
Solution Approach 2:
The suction function extracts dirty water and debris from the oral cavity and directs it to a separate storage chamber in the external main body, isolating it from the cleaning water supply. This extraction and separation mechanism prevents cross-contamination and maintains hygiene.
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 effectively supplies cleaning water and suctions dirty water, preventing water from being stored in the toothbrush, thus reducing weight and improving user convenience, particularly benefiting those with disabilities or oral hygiene challenges.
Implementation Method 1
a pump disposed in the toothbrush rod or in the external main body and configured to supply the cleaning water to the guide tube
Implementation Method 2
configured to suction in the dirty water from the oral cavity through the through-hole portion and deliver the dirty water to the external main body
Data Source
AI summary
A toothbrush with suctioning and cleaning functions according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a toothbrush rod including a head portion and a handle portion, a brush disposed at the head portion, a through-hole portion formed at the head portion to supply cleaning water to an oral cavity or suction in dirty water from the oral cavity, a guide tube disposed within the toothbrush rod and connected to the through-hole portion to deliver the cleaning water to the through-hole portion or deliver the dirty water suctioned in through the through-hole portion to the outside, and an external main body to supply the cleaning water to the guide tube and to receive the dirty water from the guide tube.