Toothbrush Handle with Grip Constraining Portion
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing toothbrushes require significant skill and fine motor control to maintain a 45-degree angle for effective cleaning, as their handles allow multiple gripping orientations, increasing complexity and reducing effectiveness.
Innovation Solution
A toothbrush design with a grip constraining portion that restricts user grip to a specific area, featuring an angled extending length with a curved portion to naturally position the toothbrush head at a 45-degree angle relative to the gum line, eliminating the need for special dexterity or skill.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If the toothbrush handle allows multiple gripping orientations, then the user can grip the toothbrush in many different regions, but this increases the complexity of maintaining a 45-degree angle and reduces cleaning effectiveness
Solution Approach 1:
The handle is segmented into distinct functional zones: a grip constraining portion with specific dimensions that limits gripping to certain regions, a gripping portion with enhanced grip features, and an angled extending length. This segmentation guides the user to grip only at the gripping portion, eliminating the problem of multiple gripping orientations while maintaining ease of operation.
2Ease of operation
If the toothbrush handle is designed with a grip constraining portion, then the user is induced to hold the toothbrush at a specific region, but this may increase manufacturing complexity
Solution Approach 1:
The handle features local quality variations through the grip constraining portion with specific dimensions and the gripping portion with enhanced grip features. These localized structural modifications guide user gripping behavior without requiring complex overall handle design, thus achieving ease of operation while minimizing manufacturing complexity.
3Reliability
If the toothbrush requires skill and fine motor control to maintain a 45-degree angle, then effective cleaning can be achieved, but this reduces accessibility for users with limited dexterity
Solution Approach 1:
The handle is pre-configured with a curved portion that automatically positions the toothbrush head at the correct 45-degree angle relative to the gum line. This preliminary structural action eliminates the need for users to actively maintain the angle through skill or dexterity, making effective cleaning accessible to all users regardless of motor control abilities.
Solution Approach 2:
The angled extending length with its curved portion serves itself by automatically providing the correct brushing angle through its geometry. The handle structure itself performs the function of angle maintenance without requiring user skill, thereby improving reliability of cleaning effectiveness while reducing user skill requirements.
Data Source
AI summary
A toothbrush that includes a handle having a grip constraining portion which prevents users from gripping the toothbrush along a grip constraining region when they are brushing their teeth. The toothbrush is configured to induce the user to hold the toothbrush on a gripping portion in a specific grip. An angled extending length is positioned adjacent to the gripping portion and extends to the head of the toothbrush. When the user holds the toothbrush at the gripping portion, the angled extending length is configured so that the bristles on the brush head extend onto the user's gums at a desired angle, such as a 45° angle.