Toothbrush Head Segments with Delimiting Elements

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional toothbrush heads with flexible joints are prone to breaking under strong pressure, leading to reduced lifespan and potential injury from sharp edges, and can trap oral tissues due to deflection of head segments.

Innovation Solution

A toothbrush head design featuring material recesses delimited by recess walls with protruding delimiting elements that prevent overbending and tissue entrapment, utilizing a hard supporting head body with optional additional elements for enhanced stability and elasticity, and a retraction element for shock absorption.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If flexible joints are used to enable head segments to deflect and adapt to oral contours, then adaptability is improved, but reliability deteriorates due to joint breakage under strong pressure

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveadaptability to oral contoursVSAvoidservice life of toothbrush head

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The toothbrush head is divided into multiple head segments that can deflect independently relative to one another. These segments are connected through material recesses that allow controlled movement while maintaining structural integrity, enabling adaptation to oral contours without compromising durability.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

Delimiting elements are pre-formed on the recess walls within the material recesses to establish bending limits before use. These elements proactively prevent overbending and joint breakage by physically restricting the deflection range, ensuring reliability is maintained from the outset.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

2Adaptability or versatility

If head segments are made highly flexible to adapt to contours, then adaptability is improved, but harmful factors worsen due to tissue entrapment in material recesses

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveflexibility of head segmentsVSAvoidtissue entrapment and crushing

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The material recesses that enable flexibility are converted into a safer structure by adding delimiting elements. These elements transform the potential harm of tissue entrapment into a beneficial controlled deflection system, where the recess walls guide and limit movement to prevent tissue damage while maintaining adaptability.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #22Blessing in disguise (Convert harm into benefit)

3Reliability

If delimiting elements are added to prevent overbending, then reliability is improved, but device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveprevention of breakageVSAvoidstructural complexity of head segments

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The delimiting elements are integrated directly into the recess walls of the head segments, merging the protective function with the existing structural components. This integration approach adds the necessary reliability function without significantly increasing overall device complexity, as the delimiting elements become part of the recess structure itself rather than separate additions.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

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

Extends the toothbrush head's lifespan by preventing breakage and reducing the risk of tissue entrapment, ensuring safe and effective cleaning without compromising flexibility.

Implementation Method 1

a retraction element for shock absorption

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectShock absorption: Damping

Implementation Method 2

a hard supporting head body with optional additional elements for enhanced stability and elasticity

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectStructural support:

Implementation Method 3

The head segments are equipped with delimiting elements, which protrude beyond the recess walls assigned to them in the direction of the adjacent head segment and thereby narrow the material recesses, in order to prevent the head segments from overbending

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectMechanical constraint:

Data Source

PatentEP1903906B1Toothbrush head

Publication Date: 2014.04.02 TRISA HLDG AG

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Figure 4a~5
Figure 6~9

AI summary

The inventive toothbrush head (14) is occupied on the top by bristles (18) and is articulated by material recesses (22) into head segments (24) that are flexible with regard to one another. In order to prevent the head segments (24) from being overflexed, the head segments (24) are provided with limiting elements (28) that project above recess walls (26), which are assigned thereto, toward the adjacent head section (24) thereby narrowing the material recesses (22).