Toothbrush Redesign
Team 7
Chris Rinschler
ccr5077@psu.edu
1.0
2.0
3.0
4.0
5.0
Lucas Cuevas
Jean-Pierre LaGuerre
lsc5084@psu.edujfl5103@psu.edurtt5038@psu.edu
Abstract
Introduction
Mission Statement
Customer Needs Analysis
External Research
5.1 Literature Search
5.2 Patent Search
5.3 Benchmarking
5.4 Product Dissection
6.0 Concept Generation
7.0 Concept Selection
8.0 Final Design Description
9.0 Conclusion
10.0
References
11.0
FRONT, RIGHT, TOP VIEWS
Richard Ta
Descriptive image of
prototype
Glow in the
dark material
On button
Seven inches
Off button
Ergonomic grip
for comfortable
use
Power remaining
display
Lithium ion
rechargeable
battery
1.0 Abstract
Using the information we compiled regarding customer needs, we redesigned a toothbrush that was
superior to the one we were initially given. How we came about developing our new product as well
additional information regarding the project are listed below.
2.0 Introduction
On August 27, 2010, we were given the Colgate Motion Dual Action Head toothbrush and were given
the task of improving it. We dissected the specimen and recorded the parts and functions. Then we
developed a customer needs table through our toothbrush preferences and the preferences of our
respective roommates. Using this we developed different concepts to improve the function and
aesthetic appeal.
3.0 Mission Statement
Our mission is to construct an electric toothbrush that will be efficient, economically friendly,
consumer friendly, and have a strong aesthetic appeal.
4.0 Customer Needs Analysis
Considering that we ourselves are customers who buy and use toothbrushes, our initial source of
inspiration to improve the Colgate Motion came from our own discussions with each other. We analyzed
the toothbrush by stating what we liked or not and made suggestions on how to improve the design in
specific areas and as a whole. In addition, our team also surveyed residents living on the same floor in
our residence halls. All 11 subjects were between the ages of 17 and 20 (all male). Some of the ideas we
came up with were forced and quite random, but they opened the way to better concepts such as the
following.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Glow in the dark.
Tongue scraper.
Floss Dispenser.
Rechargeable battery.
Ergonomic grip
We also asked our respective roommates what features they looked for in a toothbrush on an
informal interview process. Some of the suggestions made to us are listed below.
1.
2.
3.
4.
Make the brush heads a large comfortable size, the smaller ones hurt sometimes.
The tip should be flexible.
Make a dock to keep it on.
It should be easy to use.
More mathematics based approaches were also used in assessing customer needs. Below are two
such examples that we created in order to determine how best to improve our toothbrush.
Analytical Hierarchy Process
Portable Usability Durable Price Aesthetics Packaging Total Weighting
Portable
1
0.2
0.33 0.5
2
1 5.03
0.093
Usability
5
1
1
2
4
4
17
0.313
Durable
3
1
1
3
5
1
14
0.258
Price
2
0.5
0.33
1
3
2 8.83
0.163
Aesthetics
0.5
0.25
0.2 0.33
1
0.33 2.62
0.048
Packaging
1
0.25
1 0.5
3
1 6.75
0.124
Total
54.23
Weights of Criteria
1. Portable (.093, .093)
a. Lightweight (.667, .062)
b. Slim (.333, .031)
2. User Friendly (.313, .313)
a. Simple design (.079, .025)
b. Easy to clean (.222, .069)
c. Efficient (.366, .115)
d. Safe (.262, .082)
e. Soft Bristles (.071, .022)
3. Durable (.258, .258)
a. Reliable (.750, .194)
b. Longevity (.250, .065)
4. Price (.163, .163)
a. Affordable (.163, .163)
5. Aesthetics (.048, .048)
a. Attractive (.048, .048)
6. Packaging (.124, .124)
a. Easy to open (.121, .015)
b. Protective (.420, .052)
c. Informative (.459, .057)
5.0 External Research
Research for the Colgate Motion toothbrush was performed using online search engines to find
various product pages and customer feedback. In order to compare our toothbrush with similar
products we did benchmarking which helped us to develop additional ideas on how to improve our
product.
5.1 Literature Search
As aforementioned we used internet searches to find information on our product and found
information from several sources such as Amazon, Buy, and Google Shopping. On these websites we
found prices, availability, additional specifications as well as customer reviews. We also used public
dictionary references to get a better understanding of terminology related to the toothbrush industry.
5.2 Patent Search
We used Google Patents to search for any patents relating to the Colgate Motion. Although we didn’t
find anything specifically related to our product there were several that broadly encompasses electric
toothbrushes in general. The patents we found are listed below accompanied by a brief description.
Patent Number – 5,625,916 (05/06/1997)
An electrical driven toothbrush has a rotatable shaft with a remote
end which fits into a slot in a bristle holder. The holder is mounted for
rotation on a post supported by a head.
Patent number 5,974,615 - 11/2/1999 An electric toothbrush is described
which incorporates a handle and a brush attachment. The handle
houses an electric motor. Protruding from the handle is a shaft, which
is coupled to the electric motor. The brush attachment can be
mounted on the handle.
Patent number: 5628082 An improved toothbrush with a secure grip, a more effective
bristle arrangement, and a specially shaped head is disclosed. The handle is formed with
opposed gripping portions, and fits securely in the hand of the brusher, facing either up
or down, imparting to the user a very secure and comfortable grip.
5.3 Benchmarking
In order to see how well our product would do in the market compared to other toothbrushes,
we used customer ratings on the following toothbrushes in comparison with each other.
Selection
Criteria
Oral B Tigger
Crest SpinBrush
Weight Colgate Spongebob
%
Rating (1 lowest - 5 highest)
Noise
8
2
2
4
Battery Life
7
5
4
2
Cost
3
4
3
2
Effectiveness
1
3
3
4
Comfort
4
3
3
3
Aesthetics
6
2
3
2
Travel
Convenience
10
3
3
2
Weight
9
3
3
2
Power
5
3
3
2
Durability
2
2
2
4
Of the toothbrushes tested, the Crest SpinBrush ranked higher than competitors in categories
including durability and effectiveness. On the other hand, Oral B and Colgate toothbrushes ranked
higher in battery life and travel convenience.
5.4 Product Dissection
In order to find out what our toothbrush was made of and what we had to work with in terms of a
redesign, we dissected as much of the toothbrush into individual components as we could. Pictured
below are the 15 parts that we split the toothbrush into, followed by a table with labeling and specifica
Part#
Part Name
QTY
Function
Mass
(oz, g)
Material
Dimensions
6.0
1
Big Brush
1
Normal Clean
1.5g
Plastic
1x1.6x1.1cm
2
Small Brush
1
Deep Clean
0.9g
Plastic
1.7x0.7x0.7cm
3
Rubber Band
1
Stability
0.1g
Rubber
2.5x2.5x0.1cm
4
Spring
1
Battery Connector
0.2g
Metal
0.5x0.4x1.8cm
5
Battery
Compartment
1
Hold Battery
8.0g
Plastic
4.4x2.5x3cm
6
Body
1
Grip/Material Storage
13.8g
Plastic
10x2.5x3.1cm
7
Button Panel
1
Operation Control
1.1g
Rubber
3.7x1.6x0.2cm
8
Motor
1
Brush Rotation
34.0g
Steel
6.2x2x1.4cm
9
Motor Jacket
1
Motor Stability
1.9g
Plastic
5x2.8x1.2cm
10
Head
1
Hold Brushes
3.5g
Plastic
9x1x1cm
11
Conductor
1
Conducts electricity
0.4g
Metal
1.5x1.1x.9cm
12
Shaft
Component
1
Connects brushes to motor
0.5g
Plastic
6.9x.5x.5cm
13
Switch
1
Turns motor on and off
0.6g
Plastic
3.9x.8x.6cm
14
Other
1
Attached to something
<0.1g
Metal
1.1x.6x.6cm
15
Battery
2
Powers motor
11.8g
Chemicals
4.2x.9x.9xcm
Concept Generation
Thirty-one unique and innovative concepts were developed to try and make the toothbrush more
efficient, economically friendly, consumer friendly, and to give it a strong aesthetic appeal. We used the
customer needs assessment to help decide what concepts to generate. After the preliminary concepts
were generated we chose the four concepts they felt best went along with the mission statement.
These included a grip, lithium battery, battery power display, and glow in the dark body. The four
selected concepts are boxed in red below.
Black Box Model – describes how energy is transferred throughout the system with inputs and
outputs.
Energy
Brush Head
Toothpaste
Water
On/Off
Switch
Stored in
Battery
Noise given off from
toothbrush head
rotation
Concert Energy
To Electricity In
Toothbrush
Motor
Attached
To neck of
Brush
In tube
In cup
Toothpaste
Cleans teeth
Brush heads
Rotate
Rinse Mouth
Connects/
Disconnects
The Circuit
Turns toothBrush On And
Off
Electricity
Converted
To Kinetic
Energy in
Toothbrush
Clean teeth
The brush head
rotation. Dirty water
from washing out
mouth
7.0 Concept Selection
In order to create a method of deciding on which design concepts to use we used a
concept screening table chart to weed out different design models that we came up with. For
the “weed out” criteria we used practicality of each concept, how much each would roughly
cost, how loud each one would (sound level), how safe for the teeth each one was, and how
long each product would last, and the usefulness of each. Whichever scored the highest would
be further evaluated. In the end number one became our final concept selection.
Concept
Selection
Criteria
Concept
Concept
Concept
Concept
Concept
1
2
3
4
5
6
+
+
0
-
-
+
-
+
-
+
-
+
0
-
+
+
-
+
+
-
+
-
+
-
+
-
-
+
+
0
+
0
-
-
0
0
4
2
2
3
2
3
1
1
1
0
1
2
1
3
3
3
3
1
3
-1
-1
0
-1
2
Practicality
Cost
Sound level
Safety
Product Life
Utility
Pluses
Same
Minuses
Net
Rank
6
2
1
4
3
5
yes
no
no
yes
no
yes
Continue?
Concept 1 ended up being our ultimate reference concept.
8.0 Final Design Description
We feel that our final design has succeeded in meeting customers’ needs in more effective
ways than the original “Colgate motion” toothbrush. From our research the customers wanted
a more efficient and ergonomic toothbrush, and thanks to the improvements we made on the
toothbrush a higher satisfaction from customers were reached. We incorporated and
ergonomic grip for comfortableness and a glow in the dark material for quick location in the
dark. Also we used a lithium ion battery for extended battery life and battery power remaining
display to show the consumer how much power is left. We used the same motor-to-brush head
process for brush head oscillation, and a simple button that completes/disconnects the circuit
to control motor function. Phosphorescent chemicals in the rubber grip will passively absorb
and release energy as light. Final materials include:
Rubber
Metal
Phosphorescent Chemicals
Plastic
Lithium Ion Battery
Nylon
Mini Glass Light bulbs (for power display)
AC Adaptor
9.0 Conclusion
We feel that our product redesign meets the criteria stated in the mission statement and will satisfy our
customers’ needs. We were able to incorporate many designs that are innovative, ground-breaking, and
effective. Using research collected through customer reviews, product information, and interviews we
were able to create a toothbrush design that would excel in the market.
10.0 References
"Dental Floss." Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. 27 Feb. 2008. 25 Feb. 2008
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dental_floss>.
"Electric Toothbrushes / Sonic Toothbrushes." Animated-Teeth.Com. 2003. 28 Feb. 2008
<http://www.animated-teeth.com/electric_toothbrushes/t2_sonic_toothbrushes.htm>.
"Electric Toothbrush." Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. 26 Feb. 2008. 24 Feb. 2008
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electric_toothbrush>.
“Colgate.” Colgate, World of Care. 6 Oct. 2010.
<http://www.colgate.com>.
"Amazon.com." Amazon n. pag. Web. 4 Oct 2010.
<http://www.amazon.com/>.
11.0 FRONT, RIGHT
BACK, TOP VIEW
Back