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ECO-FRIENDLY ELECTIRC TOOTH BRUSH

Jake Krizmanich Abdullah Alawadhi

Bold Dorjpurev Eduardo Soto

3/1/13

Team 4 - J.A.B.E. Abstract:

Our objective is to resign an electric toothbrush that is environmentally friendly. We use the engineering design process. Our results from customer needs we found that people want a toothbrush that is durable with interchangeable tooth brush heads and other accessories like a devise that will floss and clean tongue and gums. 1.0 Introduction (Times New Roman 16, Bold, left)

In today’s society, a growing focus on eco-friendliness can be observed. From cars to energy

sources to packaging, there is a focus on what can be done in order to make our products have less of an impact on the Earth. Mobile devices are no exceptions. According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, almost 789 million mobile devices are at the end of their life, but only 115 of those are recycled. For this project, we were given the task of making an electric toothbrush that will lessen the impact of toothbrushes on the environment. We are given a test electric toothbrush to run tests on in order to establish our target specifications. We also dissected the toothbrush to get an idea of how an electric toothbrush works by using hacksaws and other such tools. In this report, we will go through the steps of our design process, first stating the problem, establishing the consumers’ needs, and conducting external research. Then we go through the steps we took to generate different concepts. Finally, we describe our final design in detail and explain why it is the best solution to the problem at hand. usatoday, “Recycling of Gadgets Grow,” USATODAY.COM, n.d., http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/tech/news/story/2011-12-27/recycling-gadgets/52240824/1

1.1 Initial Problem Statement (Times New Roman, 14, left)

Design an electric toothbrush that meets the needs of the target group of the environmentally conscious population while still competing in functionality with the current market.

2.0 Customer Needs Assessment 2.1 Weighting of Customer Needs

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Customer Needs 1 Slim fit/ not Bulky 2 Time efficiency 3 Appearance/sound 4 Durability 5 Cost 6 Replacement brush heads 7 Easy maintenance 8 Low impact on the environment 9 Gum Cleaner

Table 2. Hierarchal Customer Needs List Obtained from Focus Group and Individual Interviews (Times New Roman, 12, Bold, Centred)

1. Function 1.1 Flosser 1.2 Time Efficient C.1 Able to clean in less than 2 minutes 1.3 Replaceable tips 1.4 Easily Cleaned 1.5 Tongue cleaner 2. Easy Use 2.1 Grip F.1 Able to hold while wet 2.2 Easy on/off switch F.1 Stays on 2.3 Light weight 2.4 Easy Removable tips 2.5 Stable 3. Aesthetics 3.1 Sound 3.2 Appealing to the eye 3.3 Slim 4. Environmental impacts/cost C.1 Cost 4.2 Recyclable 4.3 Less Materials

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Figure 1. AHP Pairwise Comparison Chart to Determine Weighting for Main Objective Categories

Evaluated A B C D Total Weighted A 1 5 6 3 15 0.565326633 B 0.2 1 3 1 5.2 0.195979899 C 0.166666667 0.333333333 1 0.5 2 0.075376884 D 0.333333333 1 2 1 4.333333333 0.163316583

A. Function B. Ease of use C. Aesthetics D. Environmental / Cost

Figure 2. AHP Pairwise Comparision Chart to Determine Weighting of User Friendly

Sub-Objectives Evaluated A B C D E Total Weighted A 1 0.166666667 0.142857143 0.5 1 2.80952381 0.056057007 B 6 1 1 2 6 16 0.319239905 C 7 1 1 6 7 22 0.438954869 D 2 0.5 0.166666667 1 0.333333333 4 0.079809976 E 1 0.166666667 0.142857143 3 1 5.30952381 0.105938242 A. Flosser B. Time efficient C. Replaceable tips D. Easy to clean E. Tongue

Evaluated A B C D E Total Weighted A 1 0.333333333 0.25 0.5 0.25 2.333333333 0.047708298 B 3 1 3 4 8 19 0.388481854 C 4 0.333333333 1 0.5 5 10.83333333 0.221502811 D 2 0.25 2 1 6 11.25 0.23002215 E 4 0.125 0.2 0.166666667 1 5.491666667 0.112284887

A. Grip B. Easy on/off switch C. Light(weight) D. Easy removable tips E. Stable

Evaluated A B C Total Weighted A 1 3 0.25 4.25 0.269271383 B 0.333333333 1 0.2 1.533333333 0.097148891

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C 4 5 1 10 0.633579725 A. Noise B. Appealing C. Slim

Evaluated A B C Total Weighted A 1 5 2 8 0.570071259 B 0.2 1 3 4.2 0.299287411 C 0.5 0.333333333 1 1.833333333 0.13064133

A. Cost B. Recyclable C. Less Materials Table 3. Weighted Hierarchal Customer Needs List Obtained from Focus Group and Individual Interviews

1. Function( 0.57, 0.57 ) 1.1 Flosser (0.056, 0.098) 1.2 Time Efficient (0.319, 0.559) C.1 Able to clean in less than 2 minutes 1.3 Replaceable tips(0.44, 0.772) 1.4 Easily Cleaned( 0.08,0.140) 1.5 Tongue cleaner(0.11,0.192) 2. Easy Use ( 0.19, 0.19) 2.1 Grip(0.05, 0.211) F.1 Able to hold while wet 2.2 Easy on/off switch(0.039, 0.210) F.1 Stays on 2.3 Light weight(0.022,0.115) 2.4 Easy Removable tips(0.23, 0.120) 2.5 Stable(0.011, 0.579) 3. Aesthetics (0.07, 0.07) 3.1 Sound (0.027, 0.385) 3.2 Appealing to the eye(0.010, 0.143) 3.3 Slim(0.063, 0.90) 4. Environmental impacts/cost ( 0.16, 0.16) c.1 Cost (0.57, ) 4.2 Recycleable (0.30, ) 4.3 Less Materials(0.13, )

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3.0 Revised Problem Statement Design an electric toothbrush that is versatile, lightweight, slim, appealing to the eye, and durable that is eco-friendly. 4.0 External Search

We conducted research with our electric toothbrush that we were given. With our research and experiment we had experience reverse engineering to redesign a new electric toothbrush that meets our objectives and customer needs. 4.1 Literature Review "Electric Toothbrush" Wikipedia, the free encyclopaedia. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electric_toothbrush>. "Colgate" Colgate Toothpaste | Toothbrush | Dental Care | Home & Personal Care | Pet Nutrition. <http://www.colgate.com>. History of toothbrush

• Early forms of the toothbrush have been in existence since 3000 BC. "Chew stick", which was a thin twig with a frayed end, was used as toothbrush.

• The bristle toothbrush, similar to the type used today, was invented in 1498 in China.

• The first mass-produced toothbrush was made by William Addis of Clerkenwald around 1780, in England.

• In America, H.N,Wadsworth patented the toothbrush (patent number 18653) firstly on NOV,7,1857.

• Boar bristles were replaced by nylon bristles in 1938. It is the invention of the toothbrush as we know it today.

• Swiss scientists invented the idea of electric toothbrush around 1939.

• The very first electric toothbrush was introduced in America in late 1950's, as the Broxodent by Squibb.

4.2 Patent Search

We searched similar patens to our concepts and final designed electric toothbrush. Some of the patents we found include functions of that our concepts and designs would be able to do like replaceable brush heads.

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Table 4. Art-Function Matrix for Child Car Seat

Table 4. Art-Function Matrix for Electric Toothbrush FUNCTION

ART

Brush head Plastic Casing Slim design

Brush US20060090536 US5054149 US5625916

Timer

US4450599 EP1790312 A2

Replaceable Brush Heads US20100263147

US20040016067

Slide-function EP1509164 B1 EP0862390A1

4.3 Benchmarking

The results from this section will come from your investigation of similar products. These will be compared against the extent to which you think they fulfil your customer needs as well as the constraints placed on the project, primarily cost. Subjecting evaluations (e.g., safety, appeal, etc.) should be rated on a numeric five point scale: 1- strongly disagree, 2- disagree, 3- neutral 4- agree, 5- strongly agree. The form of the table(s) should be similar to that shown in Table 5. Reduce the font size to 9 point to allow inclusion of more information per table. Recall that multiple tables may be required, as a single table should not be split over multiple pages.

Where available include picture of the benchmarked models.

Table 5. Benchmarking of Four Products Feature Oral-B Crest

Spinbrush Colgate Reach

Packaging Oral-B is ranked a 3 because it is not easy to open and not very recyclable due to the hard plastic, need scissors to cut, and not accessible for child use.

Crest Spinbrush is comparable to Oral-B with its hard plastic, need sharp object to open. However, kids toothbrushes are cardboard. I would also rank this a 4.

Colgate toothbrushes are more comparable to Reach. The plastic isn’t as heavy duty and it is ranked a 4.

Reach is a 4 like Colgate due to the softer plastic, still need scissors but not as hazardous as the other two.

Aesthetics This would be ranked a 2. There are multiple shades of blue but not any

A variety of styles and colors are available. This would be a 4

Colgate toothbrushes are mostly colored, with not a lot of white. This is the

Reach toothbrushes are predominantly white based. The only difference in soft plastic parts. I would rate this a

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other various colors.

complete opposite of Reach toothbrushes. I would rate this a 1.

1 because it doesn’t carry electric toothbrushes and it doesn’t have variety.

Ease to clean To clean this toothbrush you have to remove the top by pulling it off and running it under cold water. It is very easy I would rate it a 4.

To clean this toothbrush you have to pinch the sides, twist and pull and then run under cold water. It is very challenging if you have smaller hands. I would rank this a 1.

To clean this toothbrush you pop the top off and run under cold water. It isn’t challenging at all. I would rate it a 4.

To clean this toothbrush you have to rinse it under water. It is very easy I would rate this a 3.

Convenience of on/off switch

The switch is located in the center of the toothbrush. This is convenient, however, it would more suitable located on either side. This would make it easier for a left handed person to brush. I would rate this a 2.

The toothbrush on/off switch is located in the same position as the Oral-B. However, instead of one button there are two. One turns the toothbrush on and the other turns it off. This is more convenient. This would be rated a 3.

The toothbrush switch is located slide button in the center of the front of the brush. This is also convenient because it is just a quick wrist motion to shut off. Rated a 3.

There is no toothbrush switch located on the toothbrush. Reach company doesn’t have electric toothbrushes. It is easy to use. Rated a 2.

Bristle strength

Various heads come in different shapes and sizes so you can change the bristle strength to your own comfort. Ranked a 5.

Heads come in all sizes, hard, medium, soft, and extra soft. You get to choose the one that best works with your mouth type. Ranked a 5.

Heads come in two sizes, hard and soft. You have to choose and adjust to the one that best fits your mouth. Ranked a 4.

Toothbrushes come in two sizes -- Soft and Hard. You then have to choose which to get accustomed to. Ranked a 4.

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4.4 Product Dissection This section should contain the work you have done for Lab 2. Please present all the work in a professional way giving necessary details. All the figures, tables you needed fill in the Lab 2 handout should be presented here. Please scan your hand sketches as well. 4.4.1 Product Measurement Organize your measurements for the electronic toothbrush. 1. Noise measurement: Location: Noise level: Brush head 4 inch away from the decibel meter 68.5 db Brush head 3 inch away from the decibel meter 70.5 db Brush head 2 inch away from the decibel meter 73.0 db Brush head 1 inch away from the decibel meter 76.0 db DC motor 4 inch away from the decibel meter 65.0 db DC motor 3 inch away from the decibel meter 66.0 db DC motor 2 inch away from the decibel meter 67.5 db DC motor 1 inch away from the decibel meter 68.0 db Approximate duration of brushing per day: 4 min Average noise level during brushing: 75 db 2.Power measurement: Voltage supplied the circuit: Battery type: Volts (V): Battery 1 AA 1.5V Battery 2 AA 1.5V Total voltage: Connection type: Volts (V): Battery 1 and battery 2 series 3.0V Current measurements Averaged current value No load condition 0.313 A Load condition(s): 1 0.48 A 2 0.50 A 3 0.45 A 4 0.55 A Mean current ‘under load’ 0.495 A Power (under load) = voltage X current = 3.0V X 0.495A =1.485 W

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3. Battery life 1. Number of hours available per single battery ‘under load’ conditions: 4.04 hours 2. Estimated duration for each brushing 0.0333 hours 3. Number of days before battery replacement 60.6 days 4.4.2 Dissection

6.1 Blackbox Model, Design Drawings, Parts List and Bill of Materials

Bill of material Product manufacturer/ Model number Date: Disassembly method: Subtract and Operate Procedure (SOP): Yes, No Force (Energy) flow diagram: Yes, No Team leader name

Part#

Part name

QTY SOP effec

t

Function Mass (g)

Material Manuf. Process

Dimensions (cm)

Cost ($)

Time to complete

part dissection

1 Body case

1 Yes Holds the motor

46.0 Plastic, rubber

Molding 14.5*3.1*2.6 1.60 5 min

2 Motor casings

2 Parts Yes Holds the motor in the

body

22.0 Plastic Molding 11.2*2.6*2.1 1.00 2 min

3 Motor 1 No Turns the metal rod

76.0 Metal, plastic, rubber

Molding and

assembly line

2.0*1.5*3.0 1.50 1 min

4 On/Off switch

1 No On/Off 2.0 Plastic Assembly line and molding

0.5*0.4*0.3 0.05 1 min

5 Rod w/ connecto

r

1 No Connects to head,

connects to motor

18.0 Metal, plastic

Molding 0.3*7.3*18.0 0.25 1 min

6 Brush head

1 No Rotates with rod

16.0 Plastic, metal

Assembly line

Height=8.2, diameter=1.0

1.00 3 min

7 Batteries 2 No Power source

54.0 Metals Assembly line

Length=5.0,diameter=1.2

0.05 3 sec

8 Wire system

6 parts No Allows flow of electricity

51.5 Plastic, metal

Molding and wiring

- 0.10 1 min

9 Rubber ring

1 Yes Allows to be water right

<1 Rubber Molding Circumference length=8.8

<0.05 5 sec

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This section is a summary of what the design team learned from the external search to define their design targets, and hence will guide the upcoming concept generation, selection sections. 5.0 Concept Generation 5.1 Concept Generation For each function or customer need or user action, develop concepts that should be explained through a combination of sketches and accompanying text. Document the morphological chart that was developed from the different concepts for each function (Figure 5). All sketches should be should be in digital format (if drawn manually please add scanned sketches in your report). Idea generation Different brush heads Removable flosser head Rechargeable battery (lithium ion battery) Single battery Slimmer design Toothbrush head solenoid alternator More bristles Increase in frequency of brushes Plastic for material Grip for both left and right handed people Plug into wall UV cleaner for brush heads Timer Slider button Automatic stopper Tongue cleaner Concept Generation 1

• Solenoid Alternator- Will be the only piece moving in the body of the tooth brush, more durable, it operates by moving vertically up and down repeatedly

• Plug into wall- A thin wire that connects to the wall outlet will be the power source, Cord attached to bottom of the tooth brush, non-removable so it’s less likely to get water damage, more durable that battery operated

• No Battery- no batteries make the tooth brush more eco and money friendly because you won’t be spending extra money on batteries and no disposal of batteries either

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• Thin and slim design- the thin and slim design is caused by the solenoid alternator and the no batteries, so you’ll get the feeling of a regular toothbrush and not a bulky electric toothbrush, making it more comfortable to users.

• Plastic material- plastic material will be the best martial to use without adding extra cost • Metal rod- The same metal rod will be used as in a regular electric toothbrush that will be

alternated by the solenoid • Slide switch- the switch allows a more comfortable feeling of turning the tooth brush on

and off • Both handed grip- One of the things we noticed about the oral b electric toothbrush that we

were given is that it’s meant for right handed people by the look of the grip, ours will have the grip adjusted so you can hold it with either hand

• Replaceable tip heads- instead of replacing the entire head body of the tooth brush we can just change the tips that actually get used like the bristles component, so less materials get used making it more ecofriendly and less wasteful.

Concept Generation 2

• Battery- the power source would be 2 AAA batteries that are stacked, the batteries have 1.5 V each, they might not last as long but by stacking them on top of each other we can make the design of the electric toothbrush slimmer

• Solenoid Alternator- Will be the only piece moving in the body of the tooth brush, more durable, it operates by moving vertically up and down repeatedly

• Replaceable tip heads- instead of replacing the entire head body of the tooth brush we can just change the tips that actually get used like the bristles component, so less materials get used making it more ecofriendly and less wasteful.

• Bush button time- The same button as the old toothbrush would be used, so when you push once it turns on and stays on, but this new button the tooth brush only stays on for a limited amount of time(recommended by dentist) so the user doesn’t over brush and the life of the batteries don’t get accidently get wasted.

• Both handed grip- One of the things we noticed about the oral b electric toothbrush that we were given is that it’s meant for right handed people by the look of the grip, ours will have the grip adjusted so you can hold it with either hand

• Slim motor- A new slimmer motor that is slighty more powerful while using less energy will be used to allow the electric tooth brush to operate, that will also make the body design of the tooth brush more slim

Concept Generation 3

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• Rechargeable battery-Base station that allows the batteries to recharge that is as simple as just placing it on top of the charging dock that is also water proof. Lithium ion batteries that are light weight and last longer with more power efficiency

• Slide switch- the switch allows a more comfortable feeling of turning the tooth brush on and off

• Replaceable tip heads- instead of replacing the entire head body of the tooth brush we can just change the tips that actually get used like the bristles component, so less materials get used making it more ecofriendly and less wasteful.

• Both handed grip- One of the things we noticed about the oral b electric toothbrush that we were given is that it’s meant for right handed people by the look of the grip, ours will have the grip adjusted so you can hold it with either hand

• Thin and slim design- the thin and slim design is caused by the solenoid alternator and the no batteries, so you’ll get the feeling of a regular toothbrush and not a bulky electric toothbrush, making it more comfortable to users.

Head Concepts

• Floser head- uses dental floss and slides on the flosser head, string will be able to alternate up and down so that way all the user has to do is hold the brush in place

• Flosser head 2- uses floss sticks with a universal holder for them that can hold common floss sticks

• Removeable tooth brush heads- a new recktangular brush head, that look like typcal tooth brushes and not circular, and are double sided to you can get 2 things done at the same time

• Tongue cleaner- Rubbery type cleaner that is ment to clean your toung and vibrate up and down on the users tounge

• Gum cleaner- Rubbery head that is on the other side of the brush which is the 2nd thing you can get don’t at the same time while brush your teeth

6. Concept Selection Discuss and provide the concept selection process you use to decide which combination of concepts from the morphological table best met the customer needs. Please use the quantitative comparison techniques covered in the concept selection slides. This design concept becomes the final design that is developed further.

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Means Function Design Power source Solenoid

Alternator 1

Replaceable tip heads

1 Power outlet

Slide button

2 Battery AAA

Bush button

3 Battery Lithium ion

Hand grip

4 Flosser

5 Tougue

cleaner

6 Gum

Cleaner

Figure 5. Morphological table

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6.0 Final Design Discuss details of the final design. This should be well illustrated with multiple 3-Dimensional models, as well as dimensioned part drawings for each component redesigned. These drawings completed in SolidWorks should be placed in appendices.

Appendix

A.1 Full Toothbrush

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A.2 Body with measurements

A.3 Driven Attachment

16

A.4 Brush Head

A.5 Gum Cleaner Head

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A.6 Flosser Attachment

A.7 Solenoid

6.2 How does it work? For this device, we decided to make it both versatile and durable, by using interchangeable heads with different features to each head, a solenoid driven core, and a wall outlet as the power source. The heads of the device are easily taken off by unlatching the head from the driving rod and then just sliding the head off. It is just the reverse when trying to put a new one on. There are two heads available, one that is a twin tipped head that has the moving component to it and one that can be used to floss. The first is a long rod that has two moving connectors on each side. You are then able to attach a brush head and a gum cleaner to both sides. This allows for the user to clean

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their gums while also brushing their teeth. This also enables the device to be more eco-friendly by reducing the amount of waste the product will make when switching out brush heads. The second head will be a flosser. It is a long narrow plastic rod that allows the user to attach their own floss to the flosser and enables the user to more easily floss their teeth. This will not take advantage of the driving system and will be static. The toothbrush will be driven by a solenoid. By using this, a much simpler design for the actual moving components is created. By being simpler, the device is less likely to fail, and thus it is more durable than its more complicated counterparts. The energy source is a wall outlet. This power source has less of an impact on the environment than batteries would and would last longer than a rechargeable battery would. Also, being AC, this allows for the solenoid to work without the need of an alternator, further decreasing the complexity of the device. Also, the AC allows for the brush to have nearly 4,000 brushes per minute, which is comparable to many electric toothbrushes on the market today. 7.0 Conclusions Add a few concluding thoughts that summarizes your project. To what extent was your project successful? To what extent does it meet the customer needs? What are the truly unique features you have added to your design? Based on our results, we can conclude that our design was successful. Our design was created to meet the customers’ needs; a slim, well designed, rechargeable electric toothbrush (with the use of a solenoid outlet wall combination) that is both easy to use and at an affordable price. To remain competitive in today’s market, an additional gum cleaner was added; we have even reduced costs and increased revenue by replacing only the heads of the brushes; all to preserve our eco-friendly theme. References (Times New Roman, 16, Bold) Note: That for the author-date system, references are listed in alphabetical order. The library of congress, Everyday mysterious, http://www.loc.gov/rr/scitech/mysteries/tooth.html Cosmic smile, The history of electric the toothbrush, http://www.cosmicsmile.com/blog/archives/14-The-history-of-the-electric-toothbrush.html Prineppi, Frank Joseph. “Electric toothbrush with at least one head”. Patent EP1437982 B1. 04 October 2001 Stratmann, Martin; Trawinski, Peter. “Electric toothbrush signalling means”. Patent EP1647240A1. 31 May 2000 "Brush like a Dentist with Oral-B Toothbrushes, Dental Hygiene products and Dental Care Information." Oral-B electric toothbrushes, manual toothbrushes, and oral care products including the new Oral-B Triumph power toothbrush. 8 Oct. 2008 <http://www.oralb.com/us/home.asp>.

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