When upside down is the right way up – Tetropots store electric toothbrushes

Did you know you should always let toothbrushes dry thoroughly to prevent germs from spreading? When you stand it upright after brushing your teeth without drying it, a mixture of saliva and toothpaste often drips down the handle. Carla Otto from Frankfurt wondered whether it’d be better to store toothbrushes upside down. So she invented the Tetrapot holder, which allows electric toothbrushes to hover upside down in a container. The product is patented and will soon be on the market. The only question remaining is, how?

Source: Tetrapot

Design can offer us more options

The Tetrapot is just one of Carla’s projects. The 37-year-old works full-time at a bank in IT innovation and is currently doing an MBA in Digital Transformation Management. But she has always dreamed of inventing something. «I want to change things around me, not by banning things, but by offering new ideas,» she says. «Products should be adapted to people, not the other way around.» Carla completed a Bachelor’s degree in Integrated Design at the Cologne International School of Design (KISD). She then worked for various agencies. Although she learned a lot there, she wanted to expand her knowledge further and after a few years moved to the professional fire department and later to the bank. «The only common denominator in my career is that I’m always taking on new roles, and preferably ones where I can create something new.»

You say you’ve always wanted to invent something – when did you first properly encounter design?
Carla Otto: I grew up in my father’s workshop and my mother’s a bookbinder. I think that inspired my brother and I to make things ourselves.

What was the first thing you designed?
A leather handbag that looks like the striped tiger duck.

Today, your first patented design is monochrome, but not plain. Where did the idea of the Tetrapot come from?
I’ve noticed there are two groups of electric toothbrush users: «Team Clean» and «Team Drool». «Team Drool» doesn’t rinse the toothbrush and simply puts it down immediately after brushing. And there are more people in this category, even if nobody dares to admit it. With that in mind, hygiene could be so much simpler if you turned the toothbrush upside down. As very few people use a towel to dry their brush after each use, I thought of an object that would hold the toothbrush upside down in a container. This keeps the toothbrush and the charging station or sink clean.

Why did you decide to implement this idea of all things?
I find taboo topics interesting. Dental hygiene is often taboo, and no one around me talks about the unpleasant residue left behind when you’ve brushed your teeth. I really noticed this disgusting stuff when I switched from white to black toothpaste and saw the unsightly foam running down my toothbrush. You wouldn’t leave a toilet brush lying around without a holder, so why a dirty toothbrush? Everyone wants clean teeth, but few pay attention to how clean their toothbrush is.

Everyone wants clean teeth, but few pay attention to how clean their toothbrush is.

The Tetrapot is specially designed for electric toothbrushes. Why not manual toothbrushes?
Manual toothbrushes don’t get as dirty, perhaps because they’re angled or consist of one piece. There’s already many holders out there for manual toothbrushes, including upside-down ones. But these holders don’t work with electric toothbrushes as they’re too large and heavy. That’s why they’re stored vertically. After brushing with electric toothbrushes, water can seep into the crevices because the brush and handle are fitted so tightly. The same happens on the charging station. I’ve collected what this looks like in a Brutal Truth Gallery.

Your design fits 95 percent of all electric toothbrushes and many different containers or cups. How did you come up with this shape?
To begin with, I had many models. At first it looked like a holder for toilet brushes, but the electric toothbrush always fell out because the centre of gravity was in an awkward place. During a vacation in Greece, when I was waiting for the ferry to Patmos at Samos port, I saw some tetrapods - four-legged breakwaters. These geometric objects fascinated me because they look as light as toys, yet are always stable. I used their shape for my prototype and added the recessed fit to give the long toothbrush support. It’s funny, sometimes the best ideas come to you when you’re not looking.

The Tetrapot is currently produced from 3D printing, will this continue?
It depends what happens in the future and production volumes. I may decide to use the injection moulding process, which would mean a two-part production. I’m currently getting prices from various producers and thinking about supply chains. If a company such as Procter&Gamble or Philips were granted a license, it would remain plastic. But there could be a luxury version made of gold plated metal.

You’ve applied for a patent for Tetrapot. What does this protect?
It’s typical for a patent to develop a new technology and use it in product applications. There aren’t many private inventors like me, let alone female inventors. I first developed the product ready for the market and then patented it, including the design, as I’m a solo entrepreneur and have no investors. Patenting is the most important asset of my company. Without protection, companies such as Temu or AliExpress could simply copy my idea. By the way, other variants of the Tetrapot and the integration of a charging station I designed are also protected. I’m currently developing this into an industrial product.

How much does a Tetrapot cost?
I haven’t finalised the price yet and it heavily depends on the material, but it’ll probably be less than 20 euros.

What do you say when someone calls your design a solution to a first world problem?
Nobody has said that yet. In industrialised nations, many problems can be considered luxury problems. An electric toothbrush is certainly a luxury item, but the problem with it bothered me every day and reminded me why I studied design. As a teenager I was politically active, so it would have been obvious to go into politics after school. Politics is often based on bans, though. The beautiful thing about design is that you can change processes through ideas and give people the choice to behave differently, perhaps better.

The beautiful thing about design is that you can change processes through ideas and give people the choice to behave differently, perhaps better.

What’s surprised you the most in the last two and a half years while working on the Tetrapot?
That it’s worth pursuing your ideas. I spent a year and a half securing the patent and learned a lot about design protection, materials, production and companies with monopoly in the toothbrush industry. It’s important to seek advice, but even more important to listen to your own intuition – both privately and professionally.

What would be the ideal scenario for the future of this project?
With Tetrapot and the patent, I want to generate income in the long term in order to implement further ideas. I’m currently looking for test users via my website to gain a better understanding of the needs of my target group. Philips has bought private patents for Sonicare in the past – maybe other brands will be interested in my design. There are three possible outcomes; success, partial success or failure. The important thing for me is that the product encourages discussion. Design has the power to do this, and you can take a light-hearted approach with the Tetrapot.

What do you think of Tetrapot -

practical or unnecessary?

I really want to try it out

I find it interesting, but I don't need it

I think it is superfluous

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