Toothbrush Holder Stopper for Safe Child Brushing Depth
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Solution Overview
Problem
Traditional toothbrushes are difficult for parents and caregivers to manipulate safely when brushing young children's teeth, as they are designed for self-use and can pose risks of jamming, choking, or injury due to improper insertion.
Innovation Solution
A toothbrush holder apparatus with a cylindrical handle and a transitioning stopper at the end, designed to prevent over-insertion, featuring a dome-shaped, tapered, or curved safety feature that inhibits the toothbrush from being inserted too far into a child's mouth, and can be manufactured from rigid materials like plastic with the toothbrush affixed or separable within the handle.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a traditional toothbrush is used for brushing a child's teeth, then the toothbrush can reach all teeth, but it may cause over-insertion injury or choking hazard
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an intermediary device (the holder with stopper) between the toothbrush and the child's mouth. The stopper acts as a physical mediator that limits insertion depth, preventing the toothbrush from reaching harmful depths while still allowing effective brushing. This intermediary structure resolves the contradiction by adding a safety layer without compromising brushing functionality.
Solution Approach 2:
The stopper on the holder provides preliminary anti-action by preemptively preventing over-insertion before it can occur. The physical barrier is designed to stop the toothbrush at a safe depth prior to any potential harmful insertion, thereby eliminating the choking hazard and over-insertion injury risk before they can manifest.
2Ease of manufacture
If a traditional toothbrush is used, then it is easy to manufacture, but it is difficult to manipulate safely by caregivers
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges two functions into a single integrated device: the toothbrush holder and the safety stopper. By combining the holding function and the safety limitation function into one unified structure, the device maintains manufacturing simplicity while adding safe manipulation capabilities. The integrated design avoids complex assembly steps while providing both ease of use and safety features.
3Productivity
If the toothbrush is made longer to reach all teeth, then brushing coverage is improved, but the risk of over-insertion and choking increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the toothbrush system into two distinct parts: the functional brushing portion (toothbrush) and the safety control portion (holder with stopper). This segmentation allows the toothbrush to be sufficiently long for complete brushing coverage while the holder's stopper prevents the excessive length from becoming a choking hazard. The segmentation separates the productivity function from the safety risk.
Solution Approach 2:
The holder introduces local quality by adding a specific safety feature (stopper) at a particular location (the end of the holder) without modifying the overall toothbrush design. This localized safety intervention allows the toothbrush to maintain its full length for comprehensive brushing while the stopper provides targeted protection against over-insertion and choking hazards at the insertion point.
Data Source
AI summary
A toothbrush holder apparatus can include a toothbrush and a handle. The toothbrush can include a distal end with bristles. The handle can include a gripping portion and a cavity configured to hold the toothbrush. The handle can include a secured configuration and an unsecured configuration. In the secured configuration, the toothbrush can be secured within the handle with a support feature. In the unsecured configuration, the toothbrush is removable from the handle. A stopper can be coupled to the handle. The stopper can be located at a distance from the distal end of the toothbrush. An adapter can extend from the stopper and include an opening to the cavity. The adapter can have a convex shape extending from the stopper. The toothbrush can be located within the opening, and a support feature configured to hold the toothbrush within the handle.