Electric Toothbrush Head With Eccentric Drive Translator

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing electric toothbrush designs with separate brush holders for oscillating and pivoting motions are limited by a special drive mechanism and are not efficient for cleaning interproximal spaces due to the configuration of bristle tufts.

Innovation Solution

A toothbrush head design with two bristle supports driven by a common drive translator element, allowing for various axes of motion, including oscillating and pivoting, to enhance cleaning effectiveness by enabling relative movement of bristle sets independent of operator movement.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Device complexity

If a common drive translator element is used to drive two bristle supports, then device complexity is reduced, but the ability to achieve various axes of motion is limited

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedrive mechanism complexityVSAvoidaxes of motion variety

Core Design Contradiction:

Device complexityVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The bristle supports are designed with movable mounting arrangements that allow them to change their axis of motion dynamically. Each bristle support can oscillate about a first axis and pivot about a second axis, enabling the system to adapt its motion characteristics during operation while still being driven by a common translator element.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The drive system is segmented into multiple independent bristle supports, each capable of distinct motion patterns. This segmentation allows each support to be optimized for specific cleaning functions (e.g., one for occlusal surfaces, another for interproximal spaces) while sharing the common drive mechanism.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

2Adaptability or versatility

If separate brush holders with special drive mechanisms are used, then various axes of motion are achieved, but device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveaxes of motion varietyVSAvoiddrive mechanism complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

Multiple bristle supports that would traditionally require separate drive mechanisms are merged into a single integrated system driven by one translator element. The translator element simultaneously drives both bristle supports through coupled motion transmission, reducing the number of independent drive mechanisms while maintaining diverse motion capabilities.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

3Reliability

If bristle supports are mounted for movement about separate transverse axes, then cleaning of interproximal spaces is improved, but the drive mechanism becomes more complex

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecleaning effectivenessVSAvoiddrive mechanism complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

4Adaptability or versatility

If a cylindrical bottom side with curved guide groove is used, then the special drive mechanism is implemented, but manufacturing complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedrive mechanism functionalityVSAvoidbrush holder manufacturing

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

The translator element is designed with a universal coupling mechanism that can accommodate multiple bristle supports with different motion requirements through a standardized interface. This multi-functional design allows the same translator element to drive various bristle support configurations without requiring specialized manufacturing for each configuration.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

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 design achieves improved cleaning of teeth by allowing for a more thorough and efficient cleaning of interproximal spaces through the use of eccentric drivers and flexible couplings, which facilitate a combination of rotational and translational motions of the bristle supports.

Implementation Method 1

the bristle supports are adapted to be coupled to a common driver pin, which describes a cylindrical or conical orbit relative to the rotation axis of the translator element

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectEccentric mechanism: Eccentric

Data Source

PatentUS7765629B2Electric toothbrush and corresponding toothbrush head

Publication Date: 2010.08.03 BRAUN GMBH

AI summary

A toothbrush head of an electric toothbrush, which comprises a handpiece equipped with a drive, a brush head carrier that is connectible to the handpiece, and several bristle supports that carry a respective bristle set, are movably mounted on the brush head carrier and drivable in an oscillatory manner by the drive, each of the bristle supports being adapted to be coupled to a translator element of the drive by means of a respective drive coupling. According to the invention the bristle supports each have drive coupling means enabling them to be coupled to eccentric drivers of the drive translator element which is adapted to be driven for rotation about a longitudinal axis. Owing to the arrangement of two separately mounted bristle supports which are driven by a common drive translator element about various axes of motion, it is possible to achieve an improved cleaning effect by simple means. The relative movement of the bristle sets that are mounted on the bristle supports assists the cleaning motion so that the cleaning effect is not obtained solely by the operator's movement.