CN114295259A

CN114295259A - Electric toothbrush with pressure detection device

Info

Publication number: CN114295259A
Application number: CN202110588889.XA
Authority: CN
Inventors: 孙志铭; 费明淳; 柯怡贤
Original assignee: Pixart Imaging Inc
Current assignee: Pixart Imaging Inc
Priority date: 2020-10-08
Filing date: 2021-05-28
Publication date: 2022-04-08

Abstract

An electric toothbrush includes a toothbrush head, a toothbrush handle, and a pressure sensing array. The pressure detection array is configured on the toothbrush head and/or the toothbrush handle. When the pressure detection array is arranged on the toothbrush head, the pressure detection array can be used for detecting the force application uniformity of the toothbrush bristles. When the pressure detection array is configured on the toothbrush handle, the pressure detection array can be used for controlling the vibration intensity of the toothbrush bristles and detecting the pressure exerted on the teeth by the toothbrush bristles.

Description

Electric toothbrush with pressure detection device

Technical Field

The present invention relates to powered toothbrushes, and more particularly to powered toothbrushes having pressure sensing arrays disposed on the head and/or handle of the toothbrush.

Background

The known pressure detector is formed by forming a driving electrode and a detecting electrode as an independent module, and then connecting the driving electrode and the detecting electrode to a circuit board through an additional connector.

Referring to fig. 1, for example, the pressure detector disclosed in U.S. patent application No. US 2017/0350771 a1 includes an upper electrode 111, a lower electrode 121, and a pair of force-sensing

layers

112 and 122 to form an independent pressure-sensing device. The pressure detector is connected to the driving circuit 222 and the detecting circuit 223 of the system 23 through connectors.

Disclosure of Invention

The invention provides an electric toothbrush which can control the vibration intensity of a plurality of bundles of toothbrush bristles and analyze the force application distribution of the plurality of bundles of toothbrush bristles according to a plurality of pressure values detected by a pressure detection array.

The invention also provides an electric toothbrush which enables a plurality of pressure detection points of the pressure detection array to surround most of the toothbrush grip handle in 360 degrees so as to accord with various holding habits.

The invention provides an electric toothbrush comprising a pressure detection device, a toothbrush head and a processor. The pressure detection device comprises a substrate and a high polymer material layer, wherein the substrate is provided with a plurality of groups of driving electrodes and receiving electrodes in a circuit layout, and the high polymer material layer is adhered to the substrate and covers the plurality of groups of driving electrodes and the receiving electrodes to form a plurality of pressure detection points. The pressure detection device and the plurality of bundles of toothbrush bristles are arranged on the first surface of the toothbrush head and respectively correspond to the plurality of pressure detection points of the pressure detection device. The processor is coupled with the pressure detection points and is used for analyzing the force application uniformity of the plurality of bundles of toothbrush bristles according to the pressure values output by the pressure detection points.

The invention also provides an electric toothbrush comprising the pressure detection device, a toothbrush head, a toothbrush handle and a processor. The pressure detection device comprises a substrate and a high polymer material layer, wherein the substrate is provided with a plurality of groups of driving electrodes and receiving electrodes in a circuit layout, and the high polymer material layer is adhered to the substrate and covers the plurality of groups of driving electrodes and the receiving electrodes to form a plurality of pressure detection points. The first surface of the head is provided with a plurality of tufts of bristles. The toothbrush grip is provided around the plurality of pressure detection points of the pressure detection device. The processor is coupled to the pressure detection points and is used for calculating the sum or average of the pressure values output by the pressure detection points and controlling the vibration frequency of the plurality of bundles of toothbrush bristles according to the sum or average.

The invention also provides an electric toothbrush comprising the pressure detection device, a toothbrush head, a toothbrush handle and a processor. The pressure detection device comprises a substrate and a high polymer material layer, wherein the substrate is provided with a plurality of groups of driving electrodes and receiving electrodes in a circuit layout, and the high polymer material layer is adhered to the substrate and covers the plurality of groups of driving electrodes and the receiving electrodes to form a plurality of pressure detection points. The first surface of the head is provided with a plurality of tufts of bristles. The toothbrush grip is provided around the plurality of pressure detection points of the pressure detection device. The processor is coupled to the pressure detection points and is configured to calculate a first direction pressure value and a second direction pressure value according to a plurality of pressure values output by the pressure detection points, and calculate an applied pressure of the plurality of bundles of toothbrush bristles according to a pressure difference value between the first direction pressure value and the second direction pressure value.

The substrate in one embodiment of the invention may be a Printed Circuit Board (PCB) or a flexible substrate (FCB).

In order that the manner in which the above recited and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention are obtained will become more apparent, a more particular description of the invention briefly described below will be rendered by reference to the appended drawings. In the description of the present invention, the same components are denoted by the same reference numerals, and the description thereof is made herein.

Drawings

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a known pressure detector;

FIG. 2A is a schematic view of the pressure detection device according to the first embodiment of the present invention without being pressed;

fig. 2B is a schematic view of the pressure detection apparatus according to the first embodiment of the present invention pressed by an external force;

FIGS. 2C-2D are schematic diagrams of pressure sensing devices according to other embodiments of the present invention;

FIG. 3 is a top view of a pressure sensing device of an embodiment of the present invention;

FIGS. 4A-4C are schematic illustrations of electrode patterns of a pressure sensing device according to certain embodiments of the present invention;

FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating the arrangement of the electrodes and the polymer material layer of the pressure detecting device according to the embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 6 is another layout of the electrodes and the polymer material layer of the pressure detecting device according to the embodiment of the present invention;

fig. 7 is a sectional view of a pressure detecting device according to a second embodiment of the present invention;

fig. 8 is a sectional view of a pressure detecting device according to a third embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 9 is a flow chart of a method of making a pressure sensing device according to an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 10 is a block diagram of an electric toothbrush according to an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 11 is a schematic view of a toothbrush head of a power toothbrush of an embodiment of the present invention equipped with a pressure detecting device;

FIG. 12 is a schematic view of a toothbrush handle configuration pressure detection device of an electric toothbrush according to an embodiment of the present invention; and

fig. 13 is a schematic view of the operation of the electric toothbrush of fig. 12.

Description of the reference numerals

101. 200 pressure detection device

21 substrate

211 drive electrode

213 receiving electrode

23 layer of polymer material

231 adhesive layer

25 bump

215. 217 routing

102 processor

1012 pressure detecting point

103 internal memory

104 motor

105 display device

106 switch

Detailed Description

Referring to fig. 2A and 2B, cross-sectional views of a pressure detecting device 200 according to a first embodiment of the invention are shown; fig. 2A shows that the pressure detection device 200 is not pressed by an external force, and fig. 2B shows that the pressure detection device 200 is pressed by an external force F to deform the polymer material layer 23 upward. In the present invention, the material of the polymer material layer 23 is selected such that the dielectric constant of the polymer material layer 23 changes when the polymer material layer 23 is subjected to a pressure. Therefore, when the polymer material layer 23 is disposed between two energized electrodes, the capacitance of the capacitor between the two electrodes changes due to the change of the dielectric constant, so that the pressure can be sensed. For example, when the change in capacitance exceeds a threshold, the processor may then determine that an external force F is present. In the present invention, the processor is connected to the two electrodes through traces on the substrate 21.

In the embodiment of the invention, the first surface (e.g., the upper surface facing the substrate 21 in fig. 2A and 2B) of the polymer material layer 23 does not contact the substrate 21 and other circuits on the substrate 21.

The pressure detection device 200 is suitable for various input devices that detect an input by detecting a pressing signal, such as a mouse, a keyboard, a remote controller, and a touch panel, but is not limited thereto.

Please refer to fig. 3, which is a top view of a pressure detecting device 200 according to an embodiment of the present invention. The pressure detecting device 200 includes a substrate 21, a polymer layer 23 and an adhesive layer 231. In some embodiments, the pressure detection apparatus 200 further includes bumps (bump)25 disposed on a second surface (e.g., the lower surface shown in fig. 2A-2B) of the polymer material layer 23 not facing the substrate 21. The bumps 25 are provided to allow the external force F to be uniformly applied to the polymer material layer 23, but may not be optionally performed. The cross-sectional area of the bump 25 may be equal to or smaller than the polymer material layer 23, and is not particularly limited. The surface of the bump 25 not contacting the polymer material layer 23 may form a curved surface or a flat surface. The bump 25 is made of plastic or glass, and can be disposed opposite to the bottom of the device key to receive the pressure of the key.

The substrate 21 is, for example, a Printed Circuit Board (PCB) or a Flexible Circuit Board (FCB), and is not particularly limited. The substrate 21 has a circuit layout including the driving electrode 211 and the receiving electrode 213, and a plurality of traces (for example, fig. 3 shows two

traces

215 and 217, but not limited thereto) connected to the driving electrode 211 and the receiving electrode 213 respectively. The driving electrode 211 and the receiving electrode 213 are disposed on the same plane. In other words, when the substrate 21 is fabricated, the plurality of traces (conductive lines such as copper, gold, or silver) are fabricated on the substrate 21 simultaneously with the driving electrodes 211 and the receiving electrodes 215. In addition, electrical contacts (electrical contacts) for mounting other electronic components, such as a processor and a driving circuit, are also formed on the substrate 21.

The polymer material layer 23 covers the driving electrode 211 and the receiving electrode 213. In one embodiment, the polymer material layer 23 further covers a space (or gap) between the driving electrode 211 and the receiving electrode 213. The polymer material layer 23 is used for pressing a part of the polymer material layer 23 into a space between the driving electrode 211 and the receiving electrode 213 when receiving an external force F, thereby changing a capacitance value of a capacitor therebetween. That is, when the capacitance between the driving electrode 211 and the receiving electrode 213 is detected to be changed, the distance between the driving electrode 211 and the receiving electrode 213 (e.g. the lateral distance in fig. 2A and 2B) is not changed, and the capacitance is changed because the external force F causes the electrical property of the polymer material layer 23 to be changed (even though the external force F is not deformed), so as to change the detection signal of the receiving electrode 213. The polymer material layer 23 can be selected from a transparent or opaque material without any specific limitation.

The adhesive layer 231 is used for adhering the polymer material layer 23 to the substrate 21. In a non-limiting embodiment, the adhesive layer 231 is disposed on the periphery of the polymer material layer 23 (as shown in fig. 3) and is adhered to the surface of the substrate 21. Thus, when the polymer material layer 23 is bonded to the substrate 21, the capacitive pressure detecting device can be formed. Since the electrode set (including the driving and receiving electrodes) is directly fabricated on the surface of the substrate 21, the capacitive pressure detecting device does not need to be connected to the substrate 21 through an additional electrical connector. In a non-limiting embodiment, the material of the adhesive layer 231 is selected to be repeatedly adhered, so that the polymer material layer 23 can be removed from the substrate 21 and repeatedly adhered to the substrate 21 through the adhesive layer 231.

In some embodiments, the adhesive layer 231 is disposed on the surface of the substrate 21 first, as shown in fig. 2C. The polymer material layer 23 can be bonded to the substrate 21 or removed from the substrate 21 through the adhesive layer 231. For example, when the polymer material layer 23 is removed from the substrate 21, the adhesive layer 231 is not removed at the same time.

In other embodiments, the polymer material layer 23 is directly printed or plated on the surface of the substrate 21 (which may or may not cover the driving electrode 211 and the receiving electrode 213), so that the adhesive layer 231 can be omitted, as shown in fig. 2D. In this example, the external force can be directly applied to the polymer material layer 23 or applied through the bump 25 to change the dielectric constant.

It should be noted that, although fig. 2A and 2B only show one driving electrode 211 and one receiving electrode 213, the illustration is simplified to show the deformation of the polymer material layer 23 when being pressed. However, it should be noted that the polymer material layer 23 is not necessarily deformed when being pressed by the external force F to change the dielectric constant. Fig. 2B shows the pressed state by the deformation of the polymer material layer 23 for the sake of understanding only. In the present invention, the driving electrode Tx and the receiving electrode Rx may have any suitable configuration, and different configurations are shown in fig. 4A to 4C, and the distance therebetween is preferably within a predetermined distance range. The driving electrode Tx receives a driving signal from the driving circuit through a wire (e.g. 215), and the receiving electrode Rx outputs a detection signal to the processor through a wire (e.g. 217) for pressure determination.

In fig. 4A, the driving electrodes Tx and the receiving electrodes Rx are arranged in concentric circles, the electrode width is, for example, 200 micrometers, and the distance between the driving electrodes Tx and the receiving electrodes Rx is, for example, 150 micrometers. In fig. 4B, the driving electrodes Tx and the receiving electrodes Rx are also arranged in concentric circles, the electrode width is, for example, 150 micrometers, and the distance between the driving electrodes Tx and the receiving electrodes Rx is, for example, 250 micrometers. In fig. 4C, the driving electrode Tx and the receiving electrode Rx are arranged in parallel with a straight line, the electrode width is, for example, 200 micrometers, and the distance between the driving electrode Tx and the receiving electrode Rx is, for example, 200 micrometers.

Fig. 7 is a cross-sectional view of a pressure detecting device 700 according to a second embodiment of the invention. The pressure detecting device 700 is different from the pressure detecting device 200 of fig. 2A in that (1)

metal layers

712 and 714 are formed on the substrate 71 of the pressure detecting device 700 of fig. 7 for bonding with the adhesive layer 731 during the manufacturing process of the substrate, so that the thickness of the adhesive layer 731 can be reduced; and (2) the bump 75 in fig. 7 is shown as having substantially the same size as the polymer material layer 73. The components of the pressure detecting device 700, including the substrate 71, the driving electrode 711, the receiving electrode 713, the adhesive layer 731 and the polymer material layer 73, are the same as those of the first embodiment, and therefore, the description thereof is omitted.

Fig. 8 is a cross-sectional view of a pressure detecting device 800 according to a third embodiment of the present invention. The pressure detection device 800 differs from the pressure detection device 200 of fig. 2A in that (1) the pressure detection device 800 of fig. 8 further includes a carrier layer 84 bonded to a surface (lower surface in fig. 8) of the polymer material layer 83 not facing the substrate 81, for carrying the polymer material layer 83; and (2) two electrode sets 811, 813 and 815, 817 are formed on the substrate 81 of fig. 8. In this embodiment, the carrying layer 84 has a larger area than the polymer material layer 83, and the adhesive layer 831 is disposed on the carrying layer 84. The material of the carrier layer 84 may be the same as or different from the polymer material layer 83. In a non-limiting embodiment, the carrier layer 84 is, for example, an elastic plastic layer, a hard plastic layer, or a double-sided adhesive for bonding the polymer material layer 83 and the bump 85. The components of the pressure detecting device 800 including the substrate 81, the driving

electrodes

811 and 815, the receiving

electrodes

813 and 817, the bump 85, the adhesive layer 831, and the polymer material layer 83 are the same as those of the first embodiment, and therefore, the description thereof is omitted.

Fig. 5 is a layout view of an electrode and a polymer material layer of a pressure detecting device according to an embodiment of the invention. The substrate 51 is configured with a plurality of sets of driving electrodes Tx and receiving electrodes Rx, and has a plurality of traces respectively connected to the driving electrodes Tx and the receiving electrodes Rx. Each set of driving electrodes Tx and receiving electrodes Rx respectively correspond to the polymer material layers, such as 531 to 536 shown in FIG. 5, so as to form a plurality of pressure detection points on the same substrate 51. The structure of each pressure detection point is selected from fig. 2A-3 or fig. 7-8. The number and position of the pressure detecting points disposed on the substrate 51 may be determined according to practical applications, as long as the corresponding electrode sets are manufactured during the manufacturing of the circuit board. A plurality of bumps are selectively disposed on the polymer layers 531-536 corresponding to each pressure detecting point.

Fig. 6 is another layout diagram of the electrodes and the polymer material layer of the pressure detecting device according to the embodiment of the invention, which also includes a substrate 61 and a polymer material layer 63. The substrate 61 has a circuit layout thereon, which includes a plurality of sets of driving electrodes Tx and receiving electrodes Rx, for example, fig. 6 shows 6 sets of electrodes arranged in an array. The substrate 61 is further provided with a plurality of traces respectively connected to the driving electrodes Tx and the receiving electrodes Rx.

In fig. 6, a polymer material layer 63 is adhered to the substrate 61 and covers the plurality of sets of driving electrodes Tx and receiving electrodes Rx simultaneously. Fig. 6 is different from fig. 5 in that fig. 6 only covers a plurality of electrode groups with one polymer material layer 63. Similarly, the polymer material layer 63 is adhered to the substrate 61 through an adhesive layer (not shown). In this embodiment, the adhesive layer may be disposed on the periphery of the polymer material layer 63 and/or between the plurality of electrode sets. The polymer material layer 63 is also detachably bonded to the substrate 61.

Similarly, in order to apply the external force to the polymer material layer 63 uniformly, the pressure detecting device in fig. 6 further includes a plurality of bumps disposed on the surface of the polymer material layer 63 not facing the substrate 61 and aligned to a set of driving electrodes and receiving electrodes respectively, the alignment manner of the bumps is as shown in fig. 2A-3 and fig. 7-8. In a non-limiting embodiment, the pressure detecting device of fig. 6 further includes a carrier layer (as shown in fig. 8) disposed on a surface of the polymer material layer 63 not facing the substrate 61. The carrier layer may be made of the same material as or different from the polymer material layer 63. If a carrier layer is used, bumps may optionally not be used.

Fig. 9 is a flowchart of a method for manufacturing a pressure detection device according to an embodiment of the invention, including the following steps: providing a circuit board (step S91); forming a driving electrode, a receiving electrode, and traces respectively connected to the driving electrode and the receiving electrode on the circuit board (step S93); providing a polymer material layer (step S95); and covering the polymer material layer on the driving electrode and the receiving electrode and adhering the polymer material layer to the circuit board (step S97).

Referring to fig. 3 and 9, an embodiment of the present invention is described.

Step S91: firstly, a printed circuit board or a flexible substrate is provided, and circuit traces, electrodes and component electrical contacts are set on the printed circuit board or the flexible substrate.

Step S93: next, by using a circuit board manufacturing process, a driving electrode 211, a receiving electrode 213, and traces 215 and 217 connected to the driving electrode 211 and the receiving electrode 213, respectively, are formed on the substrate 21. It is understood that other traces and electrical contacts may be included on the circuit board 21. The way of manufacturing the circuit board is known, and therefore, the description thereof is omitted. Since the driving electrodes 211 and the receiving electrodes 213 are already directly formed on the circuit board 21, an additional connector is not required.

Step S95: next, at least one polymer material layer 23 is provided, and the size and shape of the polymer material layer 23 are set in advance according to the range and the pattern of the driving electrode 211 and the receiving electrode 213. Next, an adhesive layer 231 is disposed at a suitable position of the polymer material layer 23, for example, by coating or adhering. The adhesive layer 231 is disposed at different positions of the polymer material layer 23 according to different electrode patterns. In another embodiment, the adhesive layer 231 may be disposed on the substrate 21 and then bonded to the polymer material layer 23 when the substrate 21 and the polymer material layer 23 are combined.

When the polymer material layer 23 is placed on the carrier layer, as shown in fig. 8, the adhesive layer 231 may be optionally disposed on the carrier layer. The bumps 25 are selectively disposed on the surface of the carrier layer not facing the substrate 21.

Step S97: finally, the polymer material layer 23 is only required to cover the driving electrode 211 and the receiving electrode 231 and is adhered to the circuit board 21, so as to complete the pressure detection device of the present embodiment.

In addition, the surface of the polymer material layer 23 not facing the circuit board 21 may be selectively provided with an adhesive bump 25; the number, size and position of the bumps 25 are arranged with respect to the electrode group.

It should be noted that although the surface of the polymer material layer facing the substrate is shown as a plane in the present embodiment, the invention is not limited thereto. In other embodiments, when the polymer material layer is attached to the electrodes, a portion of the polymer material layer extends between the driving electrode and the receiving electrode, i.e., the surface of the polymer material layer facing the substrate is a concave-convex surface, and other portions attached to the electrodes are thinner and thicker than portions located between the electrodes.

It should be understood that the numbers of the components, such as the number of the electrodes, the number of the traces, the number of the bumps, the number of the polymer material layers, and the number of the adhesive layers, are only exemplary and not intended to limit the present invention.

As described above, the pressure detecting devices shown in fig. 5 and 6 may form a pressure detecting array to include a plurality of pressure detecting points for respectively detecting the applied pressure, wherein the structure of each pressure detecting point is selected from fig. 2A-3 or fig. 7-8, without any particular limitation. The pressure detection points respectively transmit detection signals (namely pressure signals) to the processor through the wiring on the substrate for post-processing and control.

Fig. 10 is a block diagram of an electric toothbrush using the pressure detection device of the present invention, which includes a pressure detection device 101, a processor 102, a memory 103, a motor 104, a display device 105, and a switch 106. The processor 102, memory 103, motor 104, display device 105, and switch 106 are preferably disposed on the handle of the electric toothbrush, but are not limited thereto. The pressure detecting device 101 is disposed on the toothbrush head and/or the toothbrush handle according to different applications.

The pressure detecting device 101 is selected from the pressure detecting devices shown in fig. 5 or fig. 6, and includes a substrate (e.g., 51 of fig. 5 or 61 of fig. 6) having a plurality of sets of driving electrodes Tx and receiving electrodes Rx and a polymer material layer (e.g., 531 to 536 of fig. 5 or 63 of fig. 6) adhered to the substrate and covering the plurality of sets of driving electrodes Tx and receiving electrodes Rx to form a plurality of pressure detecting points (e.g., 1012 of fig. 11 to 13), which are described above and therefore not described again.

Preferably, the polymer material layer is made of a waterproof material, or the toothbrush handle of the electric toothbrush further comprises a waterproof layer covering the pressure detection device 101 to isolate moisture from the pressure detection device 101.

The processor 102 is, for example, a Microprocessor (MCU), a Digital Signal Processor (DSP) or an Application Specific Integrated Circuit (ASIC), and is electrically connected to, for example, the plurality of pressure detecting points of the pressure detecting device 101 via the traces shown in fig. 3 or fig. 5 to fig. 6, so as to receive the plurality of voltage values (i.e., the pressing signals) outputted from the plurality of pressure detecting points and accordingly control the operation of the electric toothbrush, as illustrated later.

The memory 103 is, for example, but not limited to, an EEPROM, a Random Access Memory (RAM) or a Flash memory (Flash memory), and is used for recording at least one threshold (for example, below) and the measured pressure value for the processor 102 to access.

The motor 104 is controlled by the processor 102 for controlling the operation (e.g., vibration) of the plurality of bristles (e.g., 114 with reference to fig. 11-13) to clean the teeth.

The display device 105 is, for example, a Liquid Crystal Display (LCD), an Organic Light Emitting Diode (OLED) display, or a Micro-light emitting diode (Micro-LED) display, and displays surplus power, a state of force application by a plurality of bristles, toothbrush head replacement information, and the like, based on the calculation result of the processor 102.

The switch 106 is used to turn on and off the vibration of the plurality of bristles based on the calculation result of the processor 102. For example, the switch 106 controls whether power is provided to the motor 104. The switch 106 is, for example, a transistor switch, a relay switch, or the like.

Fig. 11 is a schematic view showing a pressure detecting device provided to a toothbrush head of an electric toothbrush according to an embodiment of the present invention. A first surface (e.g., an upper surface in FIG. 11) of the brush head 110 is provided with a pressure detecting means 101 and a plurality of bristles 114 corresponding to a plurality of pressure detecting points 1012, respectively, so that each of the pressure detecting points 1012 can detect a pressing-down force of one of the bristles 114. For example, the base end of each bundle of bristles 114 is aligned with a polymer material layer (or bump) positioned above a set of driving electrodes Tx and receiving electrodes Rx so that the dielectric constant of the corresponding polymer material layer can be changed when the bundle of bristles 114 is pressed down.

It should be noted that although fig. 11 shows one pressure detection point 1012 aligned for each bundle of bristles 114, the present invention is not limited thereto. In other embodiments, one pressure detecting point 1012 may correspond to a plurality of bristles 114, as long as a plurality of pressure detecting points 1012 of the pressure detecting device 101 can detect the downward pressure of the bristles 114 at different regions of the toothbrush head 110.

It should be noted that although the bristles of the present invention are illustrated as bundles, the present invention is not limited thereto. In the present invention, a plurality of bristles (bundled or unbundled) with respect to one pressure detecting point 1012 may be considered as one bristle bundle.

Head 110 may have electrodes 116 for electrical connection with handle 112 (see, e.g., fig. 12 and 13) to communicate data with each other. The electrode 116 is electrically connected to the plurality of pressure detecting points 1012 (e.g., by a plurality of traces) of the pressure detecting device 101 to output a plurality of pressure values detected by the plurality of pressure detecting points 1012. It is to be appreciated that the toothbrush handle 112 has an electrode corresponding electrode 116.

The processor 102 receives the plurality of pressure values outputted from the plurality of pressure detecting points 1012 of the pressure detecting device 101 through the electrodes 116 to analyze the uniformity of the force applied to the plurality of bristles 114, for example, to calculate the standard deviation of the plurality of pressure values. In the present invention, since each of the pressure detecting points 1012 outputs a respective pressure value, the processor 102 can determine the applied pressure with respect to the bristles 114 of different tufts to calculate the uniformity of the applied force. In addition, the processor 102 may control the display device 105 to display the determined uniformity of the applied force. Thus, the user can understand his or her own usage habits and the expected wear of the bristles 114.

In one non-limiting embodiment, when the plurality of bristles 114 are each vibrated at different frequencies (e.g., different bristle bundles are controlled by different motors or drive shafts), the processor 102 may control the areas of the bristles that are more pressurized to vibrate at a faster frequency and the areas of the bristles that are less pressurized to vibrate at a slower frequency to increase cleaning.

In one non-limiting embodiment, the processor 102 further calculates a sum or average of the plurality of pressure values output from the plurality of pressure detection points 1012 for long-term recording. For example, processor 102 may record daily changes in pressure summation or pressure averaging during each operation to memory 103, and control display 105 to display a message to change brushhead 110 when the cumulative value of the daily changes (e.g., continuously decreasing or continuously increasing) exceeds a change threshold. For example, when the bristles 114 are deformed or broken through prolonged use, the processor 102 may calculate different pressure sums or pressure averages. Therefore, by setting the change threshold before shipping, the user can be determined to actively notify the user to replace the toothbrush head 110 by continuously monitoring the pressure summation or pressure averaging.

It should be noted that the total or average change in pressure is not limited to daily reference, but may be recorded at different times, for example weekly.

In another non-limiting embodiment, the processor 102 is further configured to control the motor 104 of the electric toothbrush to initiate oscillation of the plurality of bristles 114 when a sum or average of the plurality of pressure values exceeds an activation threshold (e.g., pre-factory set). For example, when the user turns on the power to the electric toothbrush, the display device 105 and the pressure detection device 101 are turned on without initiating vibration of the plurality of bristles 114, and the motor 104 is controlled to initiate vibration of the plurality of bristles 114 at a predetermined vibration frequency when the user begins to apply the plurality of bristles 114 to the tooth surface such that the sum or average of the plurality of pressure values output by the pressure detection device 101 exceeds an initiation threshold. After the plurality of bristles 114 begin to vibrate, the processor 102 determines that the sum or average of the plurality of pressure values is below a predetermined time (e.g., 3 to 5 seconds, but not limited to) after the shut-off threshold (e.g., the same as or different from the start-up threshold), the vibration of the plurality of bristles 114 is shut off, i.e., not used, for the predetermined time.

Fig. 12 is a schematic view of a toothbrush handle with a pressure detection device of an electric toothbrush according to an embodiment of the present invention, wherein a toothbrush head 110 is detachably coupled to the toothbrush handle 112. The pressure detection device 101 is disposed around the toothbrush handle 112 such that the plurality of pressure detection points 1012 of the pressure detection device 101 are uniformly disposed around a portion of the surface of the toothbrush handle 112. As shown in FIG. 12, each direction of the surface of the toothbrush handle 112 is configured with pressure detection points 1012 to conform to different usage habits of different users. In the present invention, the pressure detection device 101 preferably covers a majority of the surface of the toothbrush handle 112 (e.g., 1/2-2/3 of the surface area of the toothbrush handle 112) in a surrounding manner, for example, the height H of the majority of the surface is preferably greater than 3 finger width (e.g., about 4.5 cm to 5.5 cm) so that at least a portion of the plurality of pressure detection points 1012 can be pressed no matter how the user holds the toothbrush handle 112. In this embodiment, head 110 may not be provided with pressure detecting device 101.

The processor 102 also receives the plurality of pressure values output from the plurality of pressure detection points 1012 and calculates a sum or average of the plurality of pressure values, and controls the vibration frequency of the plurality of bristles 114 based on the sum or average. In other words, in the present embodiment, the user does not need to adjust the vibration intensity of the plurality of bristles 114 through a knob, a touch pad or a switch, and only needs to change the holding force, so that the vibration frequency of the plurality of bristles 114 can be simply adjusted to enhance the user experience. For example, when the sum or the average is higher, the vibration frequency is higher; conversely, the lower the vibration frequency.

In one non-limiting embodiment, the processor 102 may also determine whether to initiate oscillation of the plurality of bristles 114 based on a sum or average of the plurality of pressure values. For example, when the user turns on the power of the electric toothbrush, turns on the display device 105 and the pressure detection device 101 without activating the vibration of the plurality of bristles 114, and when the user holds the toothbrush grip 112 such that the sum or average of the plurality of pressure values output from the plurality of pressure detection points 1012 is greater than or equal to the activation threshold, the processor 102 controls the motor 104 to activate the vibration of the plurality of bristles 114 at a predetermined vibration frequency; conversely, if the sum or the average is less than the activation threshold, the processor 102 does not activate the oscillation of the plurality of bristles 114.

Similarly, after the plurality of bristles 114 begin to vibrate, the processor 102 determines that the sum or average of the plurality of pressure values is below a predetermined time (e.g., 3 to 5 seconds, but not limited to) after the shut-off threshold (e.g., the same as or different from the start-up threshold) the vibration of the plurality of bristles 114 is shut off, i.e., not used, for the predetermined time.

In the present invention, in addition to directly calculating the pressure exerted by the plurality of bristles 114 against the teeth in the manner of FIG. 11, the pressure exerted by the plurality of bristles 114 against the teeth may also be calculated in an indirect manner. Please refer to fig. 13, which is a schematic view illustrating the electric toothbrush in fig. 12.

When the user holds the toothbrush handle 112 to clean the teeth 900, the processor 102 receives the pressure values from the pressure detection points 1012, and then calculates the first direction pressure value (e.g., F1, F3) and the second direction pressure value (e.g., F2). The processor 102 calculates the pressure applied by the plurality of bristles 114 to the tooth 900 based on the pressure difference between the first directional pressure value and the second directional pressure value. For example, in FIG. 13, since the tooth 900 applies force Ft to the plurality of bristles 114 (F1+ F3-F2), the plurality of bristles 114 applies force Ft to the tooth 900. As shown in fig. 13, the first direction pressure value and the second direction pressure value are preferably calculated based on pressure values output from at least one pressure detection point 1012 located in opposite directions (for example, left and right directions) among the plurality of pressure detection points 1012. When F1 to F3 are respectively calculated from a plurality of pressure values output from a plurality of (e.g., adjacent to each other) pressure detection points 1012, F1 to F3 are respectively the sum or average of the corresponding plurality of pressure values.

It is understood that the number and direction of the first and second directional pressure values are not limited to those shown in fig. 13, since each user can hold the toothbrush handle 112 differently. This embodiment is directed to indirectly calculating the pressures applied to the plurality of bristles 114 using the pressure sensing device 101 disposed on the handle 112 of the toothbrush, rather than directly sensing the pressures applied to the plurality of bristles 114 using the pressure sensing device 101 disposed on the head 110 of the toothbrush. That is, the pressures applied to the plurality of bristles 114 are not determined based on the pressure detection points 1012 corresponding to the plurality of bristles 114.

Similarly, the processor 102 may also calculate a pressure sum (e.g., F1+ F3+ F2) or a pressure average of the first direction pressure values and the second direction pressure values and control the vibration frequency of the plurality of bristles 114 based on the pressure sum or the pressure average. For example, the processor 102 compares the pressure sum or the pressure average to a plurality of pressure thresholds (e.g., pre-stored in the memory 103) to adjust different vibration frequencies. When the sum of the pressures or the average of the pressures is larger or smaller, the vibration frequency is changed in a stepwise manner to be larger or smaller.

Similarly, the processor 102 may also determine whether to initiate vibration of the plurality of bristles 114 based on a pressure sum or a pressure average of the first direction pressure values and the second direction pressure values. For example, when the user turns on the power of the electric toothbrush, the display device 105 and the pressure detection device 101 are turned on without starting the vibration of the plurality of bristles 114, and when the user holds the toothbrush grip 112 such that the pressure sum or the pressure average of the first direction pressure value and the second direction pressure value obtained by the processor 102 is greater than or equal to the start threshold value, the processor 102 controls the motor 104 to start the vibration of the plurality of bristles 114 at a predetermined vibration frequency; on the contrary, if the sum or average of the pressures of the first direction pressure value and the second direction pressure value is less than the activation threshold, the processor 102 does not activate the vibration of the plurality of bristles 114.

Similarly, after the plurality of bristles 114 begin to vibrate, the processor 102 determines that the sum or average of the pressures at the first direction pressure value and the second direction pressure value is below a predetermined time (e.g., 3-5 seconds, but not limited to) after the shut-off threshold (e.g., the same as or different from the start-up threshold), the vibration of the plurality of bristles 114 is shut off, i.e., not used for the predetermined time.

In a non-limiting embodiment, since the plurality of pressure detection points 1012 of fig. 12 and 13 are disposed on most surfaces of the toothbrush handle 112, the processor 102 can also identify different users based on different holding positions, so that the electric toothbrush can only be used by a specific user. For example, the electric toothbrush may be selected to enter a learning phase or a use phase. The processor 102 may identify a holding location (e.g., a plurality of locations of the pressure detection points 1012 where output pressure values are greater than a predetermined threshold) of a particular user during the learning phase and store the same in the memory 103. In the use stage, if the user does not hold the toothbrush within a predetermined deviation range of the storage position (for example, the number of pressure detection points different from the plurality of positions of the already recorded pressure detection points 1012), the vibration of the electric toothbrush cannot be started.

The embodiments of fig. 12 and 13 are also applicable to other electronic devices, such as an electric hair removal device or other electronic devices that can control the motor output intensity based on the sum or average of the overall hand pressure.

It should be noted that, although the pressure detection device 101 is disposed on the toothbrush head 110 or the toothbrush handle 112 in the above embodiment, the present invention is not limited thereto. In other embodiments, different pressure detecting devices can be configured on the toothbrush head 110 and the toothbrush handle 112 respectively for performing the operations of the above embodiments.

It should be noted that the vibration form of the electric toothbrush described in the above embodiments is not particularly limited, and the present invention is to adjust the vibration intensity according to the detection result of the pressure detecting device 101, and is not limited to the vibration frequency. For example, the vibration direction or the portion of the bristles to be vibrated may also be adjusted according to the detection result of the pressure detecting device 101, depending on the application.

In summary, the known pressure detector is not directly integrated with the circuit board, but needs to be connected to the circuit board by using an additional connector. Therefore, the present invention further provides a pressure detecting device (for example, fig. 2 to 8) and a method for manufacturing the same (for example, fig. 9), wherein the driving electrode and the receiving electrode of the pressure detecting device are simultaneously manufactured when the circuit board is manufactured. Finally, the high polymer material layer is attached to the electrode area, so that the pressure detection device is manufactured, and the manufacturing process is simple and the cost is low.

Although the present invention has been disclosed by way of examples, it is not intended to be limited thereto, and various changes and modifications can be made by one of ordinary skill in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Therefore, the protection scope of the present invention is subject to the scope defined by the appended claims.

Claims

1. An electric toothbrush, comprising:

a pressure detection device, the pressure detection device comprising:

the circuit layout on the substrate is provided with a plurality of groups of driving electrodes and receiving electrodes; and

the polymer material layer is adhered to the substrate and covers the plurality of groups of driving electrodes and the plurality of groups of receiving electrodes to form a plurality of pressure detection points;

the pressure detection device and the plurality of bundles of toothbrush bristles are arranged on the first surface of the toothbrush head and respectively correspond to the plurality of pressure detection points of the pressure detection device; and

and the processor is coupled with the plurality of pressure detection points and is used for analyzing the force application uniformity of the plurality of bundles of toothbrush bristles according to a plurality of pressure values output by the plurality of pressure detection points.

2. The electric toothbrush according to claim 1, wherein the pressure detecting device further comprises an adhesive layer for adhering the polymer material layer to the substrate.

3. The electric toothbrush according to claim 1, wherein the pressure detecting device further comprises a plurality of bumps disposed on a surface of the polymer material layer not facing the substrate and respectively aligned with a set of the driving electrodes and the receiving electrodes.

4. The electric toothbrush according to claim 1, wherein the polymer material layer is made of a waterproof material.

5. The electric toothbrush of claim 1, further comprising a display device, wherein the processor is further configured to control the display device to display the uniformity of application of force.

6. The electric toothbrush of claim 1, further comprising a memory and a display device, wherein the processor is further configured to:

calculating a sum or an average of the plurality of pressure values output from the plurality of pressure detection points,

recording daily changes to said sum or said average to said memory, and

when the cumulative value of the daily change exceeds a change threshold value, controlling the display device to display information of replacing the toothbrush head.

7. The electric toothbrush of claim 1, further comprising a motor, wherein the processor is further configured to:

calculating a sum or average of the plurality of pressure values outputted from the plurality of pressure detection points, an

Controlling the motor to initiate vibration of the plurality of tufts when the sum or the average exceeds an initiation threshold.

8. An electric toothbrush, comprising:

a pressure detection device, the pressure detection device comprising:

a head having a first surface configured with a plurality of tufts of bristles;

a toothbrush grip surrounding the plurality of pressure detection points where the pressure detection device is disposed; and

a processor, coupled to the plurality of pressure detection points, for calculating a sum or an average of a plurality of pressure values output from the plurality of pressure detection points and controlling the vibration frequency of the plurality of bristles according to the sum or the average.

9. The electric toothbrush according to claim 8 wherein the frequency of vibration is positively correlated with the sum or the average.

10. The electric toothbrush of claim 8, wherein the plurality of pressure detection points uniformly surround a portion of the surface of the toothbrush handle, and the portion of the surface has a height greater than 3 finger widths.

11. The electric toothbrush of claim 8, further comprising a motor, wherein,

when the sum or the average is less than an activation threshold, the processor does not control the motor to activate vibration of the plurality of tufts of bristles, and

when the sum or the average is greater than or equal to the activation threshold, the processor controls the motor to activate vibration of the plurality of bristles at a predetermined vibration frequency.

12. The electric toothbrush according to claim 8, wherein the pressure detecting device further comprises an adhesive layer for adhering the polymer material layer to the substrate.

13. The electric toothbrush according to claim 8, wherein the pressure detecting device further comprises a plurality of bumps disposed on a surface of the polymer material layer not facing the substrate and respectively aligned with a set of the driving electrodes and the receiving electrodes.

14. The electric toothbrush according to claim 8, wherein the polymer material layer is made of a waterproof material.

15. An electric toothbrush, comprising:

a pressure detection device, the pressure detection device comprising:

a head having a first surface configured with a plurality of tufts of bristles;

and the processor is coupled with the pressure detection points and used for calculating a first direction pressure value and a second direction pressure value according to a plurality of pressure values output by the pressure detection points and calculating the applied pressure of the plurality of bundles of toothbrush bristles according to a pressure difference value between the first direction pressure value and the second direction pressure value.

16. The electric toothbrush of claim 15, wherein the plurality of pressure detection points uniformly surround a portion of the surface of the toothbrush handle, and the portion of the surface has a height greater than 3 finger widths.

17. The electric toothbrush according to claim 15, wherein the first direction pressure value and the second direction pressure value are calculated based on the pressure values output from at least one of the plurality of pressure detection points located in opposite directions, respectively.

18. The electric toothbrush of claim 15, wherein the processor is further configured to:

calculating a pressure sum or pressure average of the first direction pressure value and the second direction pressure value, an

Controlling the vibration frequency of the plurality of bristles according to the pressure sum or the pressure average.

19. The electric toothbrush according to claim 18 wherein the processor is for comparing the pressure sum or the pressure average to a plurality of pressure thresholds to adjust the vibration frequency.

20. The electric toothbrush of claim 15, further comprising a motor, wherein the processor is further configured to:

calculating a pressure sum or pressure average of the first directional pressure values and the second directional pressure values,

when the sum or average of the pressures is less than an activation threshold, the motor is not controlled to activate vibration of the plurality of bristles, and

controlling the motor to initiate vibration of the plurality of bristles at a predetermined vibration frequency when the pressure sum or the pressure average is greater than or equal to the activation threshold.