Replaceable Toothbrush Handle With Weighted Core-Connector Structure
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing personal care implements, particularly manual toothbrushes with replaceable heads, suffer from inadequate ergonomics, comfort, and quality perception due to lightweight handles made of common plastics, which compromise maneuverability and ease of use, leading to premature product substitution.
Innovation Solution
A handle design featuring a core-connector unit made from fiber-reinforced material, with a circular collar and a second component providing a secure, hygienic, and robust connection, combined with a snap-fit mechanism for easy attachment and detachment of heads, ensuring balanced weight distribution and improved haptics.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Weight of moving object
If handles are made of common plastic materials to reduce cost and weight, then manufacturing cost and portability are improved, but comfort, maneuverability, and quality perception deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies composite materials by combining a plastic core structure with a metal coating layer. The core structure provides lightweight properties and cost-effectiveness, while the metal coating (such as zinc, aluminum, or stainless steel) adds weight for improved balance and maneuverability, as well as enhanced quality perception and corrosion resistance. This composite approach resolves the contradiction between lightweight design and operational comfort.
2Area of moving object
If handle cross-sectional area is increased to improve comfort and weight perception, then comfort and quality perception are improved, but ease of rotating the brush in the hand deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by providing the metal coating selectively on specific portions of the core structure, particularly on the gripping areas and distal portions of the handle. This localized coating approach increases the moment of inertia and improves balance without significantly increasing the overall cross-sectional area, thereby maintaining ease of rotation while enhancing comfort and quality perception.
3Loss of substance
If replaceable head mechanism is implemented to reduce waste, then environmental sustainability is improved, but structural complexity and connection reliability challenges increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies segmentation by dividing the personal care implement into separable components: a reusable handle with core structure and a replaceable head assembly. The connection mechanism includes a coupling element in the head that engages with a corresponding receptacle in the handle, allowing easy attachment and detachment. This segmentation enables waste reduction by reusing the handle while replacing only the consumable head, while the simple coupling design minimizes structural complexity.
4Reliability
If metal coating is applied to core structure, then quality perception, corrosion resistance, and comfort are improved, but manufacturing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies parameter changes by controlling the thickness and composition of the metal coating layer applied to the core structure. The coating thickness is optimized to provide sufficient corrosion resistance and quality perception while maintaining manufacturability. By selecting appropriate metal materials (zinc, aluminum, stainless steel) and controlling coating parameters, the patent achieves improved reliability without excessive manufacturing complexity.
Data Source
AI summary
A handle for a personal care implement includes a connector for repeatedly attaching and detaching a head to and from the handle, the handle having a core structure, the core structure and the connector being unitarily made to form a core-connector unit, and a second component at least partially covering the core structure, wherein a circular collar is unitarily formed with the core-connector unit between the connector and core structure.