1. Team 6 Design Project I: Sustainable Electric Toothbrush
Kelsi McKinley Lester, Leah Frederick, Steve Schweigert, Eric Sternberg
27 February 2012

2. Sequence of Design Activities
Analyze Customer Needs
Revise Design Statement
External Research
Internal Research (Lab Dissection)
Concept Generation
Concept Selection
Design Realization
Kelsi/Leah

3. Project Management Divide and Conquer! Technology Communication is key
Realization of individual strengths
Technology
Surveymonkey.com
ANGEL team space
Communication is key
Kelsi

4. 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
Leah

5. 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.
Leah

6. Step 3: Internal and External Research
Patent Search
 Part
Brush Head
Overall Toothbrush
Battery Powered Toothbrush
Rotating Bristles
Clean the teeth US
D/268,028
Competitive Patent
6,178,579 B1
General Patent
US A1
Evenly Cleans teeth
Steve
Benchmarking
Feature
Oral-B
Crest Spinbrush
Colgate
Reach
Packaging 3 5 2
Aesthetics 4
Ease to clean
Convenience of on/off switch
Travel Size
Effectiveness
Price

7. Step 4: Top Concepts Each do area: Steve-Energy Mechanism
Leah- Human Factors
Kelsi-Brush Head
Eric-Power

8. Human Factors/Body Design
Morph Chart
Energy Mechanism
Brush Head Design
Human Factors/Body Design
Power 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 toothbrush
Hollow 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
(already covered in previous slide)

9. Pugh Charts Brush Head Pugh Chart Body Design Pugh Chart
Function: Brushhead
Customer Needs
Size
Comfort
Physical Maintainance
Sum
Rank
Weighting
0.02
0.11
0.07
Concept 1: Bristles pointing in 3 different directions
-1.00
2.00
0.1437 2
Concept 2: Replaceable/Removable Bristle Pads
0.06 3
Concept 3: Bristles that change color with wear
0.00 4
Concept 4: Two bristle pads that rotate in opposite directions
1.00
0.20 1
Concept 5: Vibrating tongue cleaner on opposite side
-2.00
-0.399 5
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 3
Concept 2: Cut-Outs to Conserve Materials
0.00 2
Concept 3: Finger Grips
0.0368 1
Each do area

10. More Pugh Charts Power Generation Pugh Chart
Energy Mechanism Pugh Chart
Function: Energy Mechanism
Customer Needs
Performance
Noise Level
Sum
Rank
Weighting
0.67
0.03
Concept 1: Shorter Oscillation Rod
-1.00
-0.696 3
Concept 2: Two moving bristle sets
0.00 2
Concept 3: Brushead Pivots
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 1
Concept 2: Direct Cord 2
Concept 3: Switch on Charging Station
-1.00
-0.67 3
Each do area

11. Step 5: Final Design Drawing
Eric and rest of team