Utveckling av miljövänligt hjälpmedel för användning av tandtråd : Development of an environmentally friendly tool for the use of dental floss

Sammanfattning: The thesis work is conducted during the spring semester 2017 for the university engineering program in Innovation Technology and Design at Karlstad University. The assignment starts on the project leader's own initiative.Using dental floss daily gives an improved oral health and prevents inflammation and infections that can occur inside the mouth. In order to facilitate dental thread use, the most common solution is to use so-called Plackers or similar products, a small plastic handle where the thread is clamped over the bracket. After use, the product is thrown out and that is an unnecessary burden the environment. This project is about finding a new construction that enables reuse of the bracket while also making it more user-friendly.The goal is an easy-to-use product with minimal environmental impact. During this project, the design process is used, which includes a preliminary study with various elements such as market analysis, interviews and user studies, as well as a conceptualization process that includes idea generation, concept generation and conceptual choice.A major part of the project is the construction phase, using the CAD (Computer Aided Design) program Creo Parametric 2.0. The result is presented in the form of a CAD model (3D model) and printed prototype. Many different factors have influence on the construction such as ergonomics, adjustments for future mass production and user-friendliness.Studies on appropriate materials are made and material proposals are submitted.The project results in a model and prototype. The product performs the same function as the dental brackets available today, but this can be reused and thus has a significantly lower environmental impact.