Force sensitive toothbrush

摘要

A force-sensitive toothbrush incorporates a bistable mechanism into the toothbrush handle. The mechanism can alert a user to excessive brushing force by changing shape in response to brushing forces exceeding a predetermined threshold. The mechanism can also automatically return to its original state when the brushing forces are lowered back down below the predetermined level. In one aspect, the mechanism may include a force-sensitive region having a principal beam and a secondary notched hinge buckling support beam located within the handle between the bristles and the gripping portion of the toothbrush. In another aspect, the force-sensitive region includes a principal beam and a secondary un-notched buckling support beam. In another aspect, the force-sensitive region includes a principal beam and a secondary support beam with a toothed clutch. These mechanisms can advantageously be molded into an integral toothbrush body using an injection molding operation.

主权项

1. A toothbrush comprising:
a handle; a head with bristles; and a force sensitive region coupling the head to the handle, the force sensitive region including a principal beam and a secondary beam arranged in a bistable configuration to transmit normal loads from the head to the handle, wherein the principal beam elastically bends in response to a brushing force on the head thereby creating an axial force in the secondary beam, and wherein the secondary beam responds to the axial force by changing from a first state to a second state having a different end-to-end length when the brushing force on the head exceeds a predetermined amount, and further wherein the secondary beam includes a slip clutch that moves from the first state to the second state in response to the predetermined amount, and the slip clutch includes a first number of teeth on the secondary beam and a second number of teeth on the principal beam, wherein at least one of the first number of teeth is engaged with at least one of the second number of teeth.