Toothbrush Support Member for Mesial Distal Cleaning
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current toothbrushes inadequately clean exposed mesial or distal surfaces of teeth or tooth prostheses due to their design, which fails to effectively translate arm and hand motions into precise brush head movements along complex tooth curvatures, leading to incomplete plaque removal and potential gingival trauma.
Innovation Solution
A toothbrush product with an elongate member and a brush head assembly that includes a support member providing a transverse distance between the handle and the brush head, allowing for precise placement and movement of tufts along mesial or distal surfaces, minimizing contact with other oral cavity parts and featuring a curved profile to mirror the shape of teeth, thus facilitating effective cleaning.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the brush head is directly attached to the handle, then the device structure is simple, but the brush head cannot be precisely positioned at transverse distances from the handle to effectively clean mesial or distal surfaces
Solution Approach 1:
The device is divided into separate functional components: the handle, the support member, and the brush head. The support member acts as an intermediate segment that can be detached or integrated, allowing the brush head to be positioned at a transverse distance from the handle. This segmentation enables precise positioning of the brush head at mesial or distal surfaces while maintaining a relatively simple overall structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The support member serves as an intermediary element between the handle and the brush head. It provides a mechanical connection that allows the brush head to be positioned at a transverse distance from the handle, facilitating precise contact with mesial or distal surfaces. The support member acts as a mediator that translates the user's cleaning motion into effective brush head movement at the target location.
2Ease of operation
If the brush is designed for direct attachment, then manufacturing is easier, but it cannot effectively translate arm motions into precise brush head movements along complex tooth curvatures
Solution Approach 1:
The support member is designed with flexibility to dynamically adapt to the complex curvatures of tooth surfaces. It can bend and deform elastically to follow the compound curves of mesial or distal surfaces, allowing the brush head to effectively translate arm motions into precise cleaning movements along the tooth contour. This dynamic flexibility is achieved through appropriate material selection and structural design.
Solution Approach 2:
The support member's physical parameters, such as its flexibility, curvature, and dimensions, are optimized to match the anatomy of tooth surfaces. By adjusting these parameters, the device can effectively translate the user's cleaning motion into appropriate brush head movement along the complex curvatures of teeth, while maintaining ease of manufacture through standardized manufacturing processes.
3Ease of operation
If the brush head is positioned close to the handle, then the device is compact, but it cannot reach plaque located at specific mesial or distal surfaces without impeding by adjacent teeth and soft tissues
Solution Approach 1:
The support member extends the brush assembly in a transverse dimension, allowing the brush head to reach mesial or distal surfaces that are laterally displaced from the handle. This dimensional extension enables the brush to access plaque sites without being blocked by adjacent teeth or soft tissues, while the overall device volume remains controlled through efficient use of space in the longitudinal dimension.
4Ease of operation
If the handle is designed for whole hand grip, then it provides stability, but it places the brush at awkward angles making it difficult to apply effective cleaning motions at delicate sites
Solution Approach 1:
The handle is designed with specific local qualities to facilitate finger and fingertip grip rather than whole-hand grip. The handle geometry, such as its diameter, shape, and surface characteristics, is optimized to be comfortably held by fingers and fingertips, providing better control and angle adjustment for cleaning delicate mesial or distal surfaces. This localized optimization of grip characteristics improves brush angle control without requiring complex handle structures.
Data Source
AI summary
A toothbrush product for cleaning an exposed mesial or distal surface of a tooth or tooth prosthesis comprising: an elongate member comprising a forward end and a backward end, wherein the elongate member comprises a handle portion and the elongate member extends in a longitudinal direction from the forward end to the backward end; a brush head, wherein the brush head comprises a plurality of tufts provided at a forward and/or a backward surface of the brush head and at least one support memberfor the brush head disposed at the forward end of the elongate member wherein the at least one support member is shaped to support the brush head at a transverse distance from the elongate member, wherein the at least one support member comprises a proximal portion and a distal portion to provide a void between the forward end and the brush head.