Team 6 Design Project I:Sustainable Electric Toothbrush

Kelsi McKinley Lester, Leah Frederick, Steve Schweigert, Eric Sternberg

27 February 2012

Sequence of Design Activities

Analyze Customer Needs

Revise Design Statement

External Research

Internal Research (Lab Dissection)

Concept Generation

Concept Selection

Design Realization

Project Management

Divide and Conquer! Realization of individual strengths

Technology Email

Surveymonkey.com

ANGEL team space

Communication is key

Step 1:Customer Needs Assessment

1.0 Portability (.07)1.1 Size: Small (.25)1.2 Weight: Light (.43)1.3 Storage Options: Comes with cover/case (.25)1.4 Travel-Friendly: Foldable (.06)

2.0 Performance (.67)2.1 Battery Run Time: Long Battery Life (1.0)F.1 Cleanliness of teeth: Works well

3.0 User-Friendliness (.26)3.1 Comfort: Gentle on Gums/Mouth (.44)3.2 Electronic Maintenance: Easy to replace battery or charge (.13)3.3 Physical Maintenance: Easy to replace bristles (.13)3.4 Ergonomics: Comfortable Handle (.19)3.5 Noise Level: Quiet (.10)C.1 Low Cost

Step 2:Revised Problem Statement

Our design problem is to design an inexpensive electric toothbrush that, above all else, functions well. Considering customer needs, we have determined that the design must have a long battery life and must be fairly user-friendly. Our team has decided to focus on minimizing the quantity of materials used in the toothbrush body and power usage.

Step 3:Internal and External Research

   Part  Brush Head Overall

ToothbrushBattery Powered Toothbrush

Rotating Bristles

Clean the teeth

US D/268,028

     

Competitive Patent

  US6,178,579 B1

   

General Patent

    US 20060112505A1

 

Evenly Cleans teeth

      US20026735804

Patent Search

BenchmarkingFeature Oral-B Crest

SpinbrushColgate Reach

Packaging 3 5 3 2

Aesthetics 4 2 3 4

Ease to clean 4 3 3 4

Convenience of on/off switch

4 4 4 5

Travel Size 3 4 3 2

Effectiveness 4 3 4 5

Price 4 5 4 3

Step 4: Top Concepts

Morph Chart

Energy MechanismBrush Head

Design

Human Factors/Body

DesignPower Generation

Shorter rod for oscillation which leads to faster toothbrush speed

because short period of revolution.

Bristle pointing in three directions to increase brushing

ability

Package in eco-friendly materials such as recycled

cardboard

Attach a cord to the toothbrush body so the toothbrush no longer

requires a battery

Oscillation moves two independent brush head pieces

for greater cleaning power.

Bristles change color with wear so the

user knows exactly when the bristles

need to be replaced

Build body from eco-friendly

materials such as hemp/wood composite

Incorporate an on/off switch into charger so

that energy is not wasted when the device is not in

use

Free-moving brush heads that are only held in place by one pivot point so the user can still clean

their teeth without turning on the toothbrush

Removable Bristle pads that can be locked into place

through a twisting motion

Smallest possible toothbrush

diameter (size of battery)

Charge with a kinetic energy system similar to

a shakable flashlight

A sliding power intensity button on the toothbrush’s side to allow

consumers to choose their level of cleaning

Vibrating tongue cleaner on the

toothbrush’s reverse side

Hollow toothbrushHollow charger to reduce

material usage

Larger battery to reduce the charging frequency

Two brush heads that rotate in

opposite directions

Finger grips molded into the

body

Retractable charge cord in base

Pugh ChartsBrush Head Pugh Chart

Body Design Pugh Chart

Function: Body Design and Human Factors

Customer Needs Size Weight Ergonomics Sum Rank

Weighting 0.02 0.03 0.05

Concept 1: Smaller

Toothbrush Diameter

1.00 1.00 -1.00 -0.0018 3

Concept 2: Cut-Outs to

Conserve Materials

0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 2

Concept 3: Finger Grips 1.00 -1.00 1.00 0.0368 1

Function: Brushhead

Customer Needs Size ComfortPhysical

Maintainance

Sum Rank

Weighting 0.02 0.11 0.07

Concept 1: Bristles pointing in 3 different

directions -1.00 2.00 -1.00 0.143

7 2

Concept 2: Replaceable/Removable

Bristle Pads 2.00 -1.00 2.00 0.06 3

Concept 3: Bristles that change color with wear 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 4

Concept 4: Two bristle pads that rotate in

opposite directions 1.00 1.00 1.00 0.20 1

Concept 5: Vibrating tongue cleaner on

opposite side -2.00 -2.00 -2.00 -0.399 5

More Pugh Charts

Energy Mechanism Pugh Chart

Power Generation Pugh Chart

Function: Energy Mechanism

Customer Needs Performance Noise Level Sum Rank

Weighting 0.67 0.03

Concept 1: Shorter Oscillation Rod -1.00 -1.00 -0.696 3

Concept 2: Two moving bristle sets 0.00 0.00 0.00 2

Concept 3: Brushead Pivots 0.00 1.00 0.026 1

Function: Power

Customer Needs Battery Run Time

Electronic Maintainance Sum Rank

Weighting 0.67 0.03

Concept 1: Shake 0.00 1.00 0.03 1

Concept 2: Direct Cord 0.00 0.00 0.00 2

Concept 3: Switch on Charging Station -1.00 0.00 -0.67 3

Step 5: Final Design Drawing