Integrated Toothbrush Assembly With Built-In Toothpaste and Floss
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional tooth care systems are inconvenient for travel and difficult for individuals with disabilities or young children to use due to the need to pack multiple items and the complexity of traditional toothpaste tubes.
Innovation Solution
A disposable tooth care system integrating a toothbrush with a toothpaste-dispensing pouch and a spool of dental floss, allowing for easy dispensing of toothpaste onto the bristles and convenient access to floss, designed for compactness and user-friendliness.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If multiple separate dental hygiene products (toothbrush, toothpaste, dental floss) are packed for travel, then complete oral hygiene functionality is achieved, but luggage space is wasted and toothpaste may leak out
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines toothbrush, toothpaste, and dental floss into a single integrated device. The toothbrush handle contains a reservoir for toothpaste and a spool for dental floss, merging three separate hygiene products into one compact unit that provides complete oral hygiene functionality while minimizing luggage space.
Solution Approach 2:
The toothbrush device performs multiple functions: brushing teeth with bristles, dispensing toothpaste from the reservoir, and providing dental floss from the spool. This multi-functional design eliminates the need for separate products while maintaining complete oral hygiene capabilities.
2Quantity of substance
If traditional toothpaste tubes are used, then toothpaste storage is achieved, but squeezing difficulty for handicapped individuals and young children occurs
Solution Approach 1:
The toothpaste reservoir uses a dynamic dispensing mechanism where a flexible diaphragm or piston moves in response to user activation (such as pressing a button or twisting the handle). This dynamic system allows easy control of toothpaste flow, making it accessible to handicapped individuals and young children who cannot effectively squeeze traditional tubes.
Solution Approach 2:
The toothpaste dispensing system is designed to be self-regulating, where the mechanism automatically controls the flow and amount of toothpaste dispensed without requiring manual squeezing. The user simply activates the mechanism, and the system handles the dispensing process, reducing the physical effort required.
3Ease of manufacture
If conventional toothbrushes without integrated toothpaste dispensing are used, then simple manufacturing is maintained, but toothpaste application convenience is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The toothpaste reservoir and dispensing mechanism are nested within the toothbrush handle structure. The reservoir fits inside the handle, and the dispensing components are integrated into the existing brush architecture. This nesting approach adds toothpaste dispensing functionality while minimizing impact on manufacturing complexity.
Data Source
AI summary
A disposable tooth care system including: a toothbrush and floss assembly having a toothbrush having a proximate end and a distal end; a handle; a pouch located in the inner volume, the pouch is flexible and contains toothpaste; a floss spool comprising a wound-length of dental floss; and an axle. The handle includes; an outer surface; an inner volume; and a forked end; a neck; a head with at least one dispensing aperture; bristles; and a button. The toothbrush and floss assembly comprises the toothbrush; the pouch located in the inner volume of the handle of the toothbrush; the floss spool carried by the axle rotatable in the forked end, the axle fixed to the handle within the forked end, the forked end located at the proximate end of the toothbrush.