Toothbrush Staple Groove Pattern for Tuft Retention
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional toothbrush staples, especially those made of nickel-silver alloy, face challenges in securely anchoring bristle tufts without damaging them, and attempts to use cheaper metals like brass have been ineffective due to issues with tuft retention and material deformation.
Innovation Solution
The development of a staple with an optimized groove pattern on its major surfaces, where grooves extend at an acute angle of 40 to 70 degrees, allowing for effective tuft retention while using cost-effective materials like brass, and optionally featuring slanted grooves on both surfaces for enhanced retention.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional nickel-silver alloy staples are used, then tuft retention is adequate, but material cost is high
Solution Approach 1:
The invention changes the surface parameters of the staple by adding grooves with specific geometric characteristics (acute angles, spacing, depth) to the nickel-silver alloy staple. This modifies the interaction between the staple surface and bristle tufts, enhancing retention through increased surface area and mechanical interlocking, thereby allowing adequate performance with potentially optimized material usage.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention creates a composite structure by combining the nickel-silver alloy base material with a grooved surface topology. The grooves form a secondary structural layer that works synergistically with the base material to enhance tuft retention through multiple mechanisms including friction, mechanical interlocking, and distributed stress.
2Quantity of substance
If brass staples are used to reduce cost, then material cost decreases, but tuft retention becomes inadequate and deformation occurs
Solution Approach 1:
The invention applies groove patterns with specific geometric parameters (acute angles between 15-45 degrees, controlled spacing and depth) to brass staples. These parameter changes compensate for the softer nature of brass by creating mechanical interlocking features that prevent deformation and enhance retention, enabling cost-effective brass construction without sacrificing performance.
Solution Approach 2:
The groove pattern segments the continuous surface of the brass staple into multiple ridges and valleys. This segmentation increases the effective contact area with bristle tufts and creates multiple small anchoring points distributed across the staple surface, preventing localized deformation while maintaining overall structural integrity.
3Ease of manufacture
If smooth surface staples are used, then manufacturing is simple, but tuft retention is insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The invention modifies the surface parameters by introducing grooves with controlled geometry (depth, width, spacing, angle) that can be efficiently created through stamping or rolling processes. These parameter changes enhance tuft retention through increased surface area and mechanical interlocking while maintaining compatibility with high-speed manufacturing methods.
Solution Approach 2:
The groove pattern is pre-formed on the staple during the stamping or manufacturing process, before the staple is inserted into the toothbrush head. This preliminary action creates the retention-enhancing surface features in advance, allowing the staple to be mass-produced with improved retention characteristics without adding complex assembly steps.
4Object-affected harmful factors
If rounded edges are used, then filament damage is reduced, but manufacturing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The invention changes the geometric parameters of the staple edges from sharp or square to rounded contours with controlled radius. This parameter change reduces stress concentration points that could cut or damage bristle filaments during insertion and use, while the rounding can be achieved through standard forming processes without significantly increasing manufacturing complexity.
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 optimized groove pattern increases tuft retention by up to 25% compared to traditional staples, enabling the use of brass staples without deformation, thus providing a viable and cost-effective solution for securing bristle tufts in toothbrushes.
Implementation Method 1
The pressure and resulting static friction of the surrounding plastic on the staple contributes to forces maintaining the staple in place
Implementation Method 2
a plurality of substantially parallel grooves are formed into the first major surface, each of the grooves extending along a linear axis from a bottom edge of the brass staple to a top edge of the brass staple
Data Source
AI summary
An ansate implement, especially a toothbrush, having improved tuft retention and a staple for use therewith. The staple has a specially designed topography that provides reliable anchoring and creation from cost effective materials. In one embodiment, the invention is an ansate implement comprising: a handle; a head connected to said handle and having at least one hole extending into the head from a surface; at least one cleaning element positioned in the hole; and a staple located in the hole anchoring the cleaning element in the tuft hole, the staple having a longitudinal axis and a first major surface, wherein a plurality of spaced apart grooves are formed into the first major surface, each of the grooves extending along a linear axis from a bottom edge of the staple toward a top edge of the staple, the linear axis intersecting the longitudinal axis at an acute angle of 40 to 70 degrees.