Electric Toothbrush Sensor Relocation and Pattern Control

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing electric toothbrushes face challenges in preventing false operations due to unintentional touch, especially since the input apparatus is often located on the handle portion, making it difficult for users to intentionally select the input site during brushing.

Innovation Solution

An electric toothbrush design featuring a contact-type sensor unit placed on a non-gripped portion of the body, excluding the handle, which receives operations and includes a control unit to determine intended inputs, allowing for controlled operation based on predetermined patterns.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of operation

If a mechanical switch is used on the handle portion, then the input apparatus can receive user operations, but foreign matter accumulates in the gap between the switch unit and casing making cleaning difficult

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveinput receptionVSAvoidcleaning difficulty

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

The patent extracts the input apparatus from the handle portion and relocates it to the brush head portion, eliminating the gap between switch and casing that causes cleaning difficulties while preserving input reception functionality

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent replaces the mechanical switch with a contact-type sensor unit that detects contact through electrical signals rather than mechanical movement, eliminating the need for gaps and improving cleanability

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

2Ease of operation

If a mechanical switch is used, then the input apparatus can be disposed on the casing, but space is required which makes it difficult to dispose in narrow portions

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveinput receptionVSAvoidspace requirement

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The mechanical switch requiring physical space for actuation is replaced with a contact-type sensor unit that can be integrated into narrow portions of the brush head, reducing space requirements while maintaining input functionality

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

Solution Approach 2:

The input apparatus is moved from the handle portion to the brush head portion, utilizing a different spatial dimension and location that has available space and improves accessibility

Inventive Principle:

Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

3Reliability

If a capacitance-type touch switch is used, then waterproofing is improved and cost is suppressed, but false operations occur when the casing is unintentionally touched during repositioning

Engineering Contradiction:

ImprovewaterproofingVSAvoidfalse operation

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The patent introduces a control unit that acts as an intermediary between the sensor unit and the operation execution, analyzing the timing and pattern of sensor signals to distinguish intentional operations from unintentional touches

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The control unit provides feedback by analyzing the temporal pattern of sensor activations, requiring operations within specific time intervals to be recognized as intentional, thereby preventing false operations from unintentional touches

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

4Ease of operation

If the input apparatus is placed on the handle portion, then it is accessible to the user, but the user cannot view the input apparatus during brushing since the handle is close to their face

Engineering Contradiction:

ImproveaccessibilityVSAvoidvisibility

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSLoss of information

Solution Approach 1:

The input apparatus is relocated from the handle portion to the brush head portion, changing its spatial position to a location that is both accessible and visible to the user during brushing operations

Inventive Principle:

Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

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 solution effectively reduces false operations by requiring intentional user input, ensuring accurate operation control and preventing unintended activation during toothbrushing.

Implementation Method 1

Since change in capacitance is used as input with a capacitance-type input apparatus

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectCapacitance: Capacitance

Data Source

PatentUS8898843B2Electric toothbrush capable of receiving user operations

Publication Date: 2014.12.02 OMRON HEALTHCARE CO LTD

AI summary

An electric toothbrush includes a body portion, a portion of which is gripped by a user, and a brush part that is exchangeably attached to the body portion. The body portion includes a switch that is a contact-type sensor unit arranged on a portion that excludes the gripped portion, and that receives operations from the outside, and a control unit for controlling operations of the electric toothbrush in accordance with an operation received by the contact-type sensor unit. If a first operation is received by the contact-type sensor unit, the control unit outputs an indication that operations can be received for a certain time period, and if a second operation received by the contact-type sensor unit in the certain time period is an operation that corresponds to a predetermined operation pattern, the control unit controls operations of the electric toothbrush in accordance with the second operation.