Toothbrush Fluid Dispensing System With Collapsible Bladder
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional oral care implements like toothbrushes lack the capability to effectively dispense additional oral care fluids during brushing, limiting the optimization of oral health benefits.
Innovation Solution
A toothbrush with a self-contained fluid dispensing system that includes a collapsible bladder reservoir and a manually actuated pump, utilizing check valves to deliver oral care fluids through a dispensing outlet, allowing for the simultaneous dispensing of active or inactive agents during brushing.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If a toothbrush is used with conventional dentifrice only, then the oral care implement is simple in structure, but the oral care benefits are limited and cannot be optimized with additional fluid products
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines a traditional toothbrush with a fluid dispensing system into a single integrated device. The reservoir, pump, and dispensing outlet are merged with the toothbrush handle and head, allowing simultaneous brushing and fluid application. This merging enables the toothbrush to deliver multiple oral care benefits (mechanical brushing plus fluid delivery) while maintaining a unified, portable structure that users can operate with one hand.
2Adaptability or versatility
If a fluid dispensing system is added to the toothbrush, then supplemental oral care fluids can be delivered during brushing, but the device becomes more complex with additional components
Solution Approach 1:
The toothbrush is designed as a multi-functional device that performs both mechanical brushing and fluid dispensing. The handle serves as both the grip for brushing and the housing for the reservoir and pump. The head contains both bristles for cleaning and an outlet for fluid delivery. This universality allows a single device to replace what would traditionally require separate products (toothbrush plus separate oral care fluid application), justifying the added complexity through enhanced functionality.
Solution Approach 2:
The fluid dispensing system is nested within the toothbrush structure. The collapsible reservoir is housed inside the handle, the pump mechanism is integrated into the handle's interior, and the dispensing outlet is incorporated into the toothbrush head. This nesting arrangement minimizes the external dimensions of the device, keeping it portable and easy to store while still incorporating the additional components needed for fluid dispensing.
3Ease of operation
If a manually actuated pump is used to dispense fluid, then controlled delivery of oral care fluid is achieved, but the operation becomes more complex requiring user actuation
Solution Approach 1:
The pump system is designed to be self-actuating through user interaction with the brushing motion itself. The pump mechanism responds to the natural back-and-forth motion of brushing, automatically drawing fluid from the reservoir and delivering it through the outlet during the brushing action. This self-service design means the user doesn't need to separately operate the pump - the brushing motion itself activates the fluid delivery, maintaining ease of operation while achieving controlled dispensing.
4Reliability
If check valves are incorporated to prevent backflow, then reliable unidirectional fluid flow is achieved, but the device complexity increases with additional valve components
Solution Approach 1:
The check valves serve as intermediary components that automatically regulate fluid flow without requiring active control or monitoring by the user. These passive valves respond to pressure differentials created during brushing, opening to allow forward flow and closing to prevent backflow. This intermediary function ensures reliable unidirectional flow while keeping the system simple - the valves work autonomously based on physical principles rather than requiring complex control mechanisms.
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 system provides a convenient, portable, and efficient means to deliver supplemental oral care benefits, enhancing the effectiveness of the oral care routine by integrating fluid dispensing with brushing, ensuring consistent delivery of oral care agents.
Implementation Method 1
a manually actuated pump disposed in the handle. A user actuating the pump causes the oral care fluid to flow from the bladder to the outlet
Implementation Method 2
The fluid dispensing system preferably includes at least two check valves, which in preferred exemplary embodiment includes one valve each being disposed both upstream and downstream of the pump
Data Source
AI summary
An oral care implement having a fluid dispensing system for dispensing an oral care fluid. In one embodiment, the oral care implement may be a toothbrush including a handle, a neck and a head containing a plurality of tooth cleaning elements. Embodiments of the toothbrush further include a removable container or reservoir including a collapsible bladder that holds the oral care fluid. The bladder is in fluid communication with one or more fluid dispensing outlets disposed in the head. A manually actuated pump disposed in the handle provides the motive force for dispensing the fluid.