JP2000004943A - Interdental brush and method for manufacturing the same - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an interdental brush which can efficiently clean and remove food remains lodged between the teeth, especially between the molar teeth, and to provide a highly productive and economical method for manufacturing the same. SOLUTION: This interdental brush has a rod-shaped handle 1 made of resin, and a brush shaft 3. The brush shaft 3 is buried in the handle 1 in the axial direction, protruding from the top of the handle 1, and bristles 2 are planted on the surrounding surface of the protrusion. The top of the handle is shaped like the top of a toothpick, with the section being spindle-shaped. The brush shaft 3 pierces through the handle 1 in the axial direction.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an interdental brush and a method for manufacturing the same, and more particularly, to an interdental brush having both the function of an interdental brush and the ease of use of a toothpick, and its excellent production and economic efficiency. About the method.

2. Description of the Related Art

Conventionally, a toothbrush has been generally used as a tool for cleaning teeth. But with a toothbrush,
There is a problem that the food residue remaining between the teeth cannot be reliably cleaned and removed. For this reason, a toothpick or a toothpick is used as a means for cleaning the food residue remaining between the teeth, but the function of cleaning and removing between teeth such as the back teeth is not sufficient.

[0003] Therefore, an interdental brush has been proposed as an effective means for cleaning and removing food residue remaining between teeth.

[0004] An example of a method of manufacturing this interdental brush is described in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. Hei 4-9774. The outline of this manufacturing method is shown in FIGS. In this manufacturing method, a guide hole 6 is provided at the tip 1b of a rod-shaped handle main body 1 made of a synthetic resin, and the other end of the striated body 3 in which a brush 2 is implanted on one peripheral surface is heated (FIG. 4). (A)), the other end is inserted into the guide hole 6, and the filament 3 is fused into the handle body 1 by heat (FIG. 4).
(B)) for producing an interdental brush.

However, such a method of manufacturing an interdental brush has the following problems. Since the striated body in which the brush is planted is mounted on the handle body by hand processing, the cost is increased. When the striated body passes the guide hole, the tip of the striated body bends (FIG. 4 (b)) due to the variation in how the force is applied, and in some cases, as shown in FIG. The tip of the striae may protrude. Therefore, the diameter of the handle body base 1a cannot be reduced. For the metal nail to pick the striatum, the striatum exposed portion 3a is 2
Approximately 3 mm is required, but since this part has nothing to reinforce the striatum, stress is applied to this part during use, and the striatum is broken or bent at this exposed part, and is used for use. No longer. In particular, such a situation appears remarkably when the interdental brush is used for the back teeth. The diameter of the handle body tip 1b cannot be reduced in order to maintain the workability of fusing the striated body to the handle body.

As another method of manufacturing the interdental brush, there is insert molding in which each of the filaments on which the brush is implanted is placed in a molding die and resin is injected. In this method as well, the work is fine and troublesome, and requires labor, resulting in poor workability and high cost.

In the interdental brushes obtained by the above-described manufacturing methods, the interdental brush cannot follow the shape of the teeth, and the brush is difficult to enter between the teeth, especially between the back teeth. For this reason, there is a problem that it is difficult to remove food residue, particularly relatively large food waste, sandwiched between the back teeth.

Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide an interdental brush capable of efficiently cleaning and removing food residue sandwiched between teeth, particularly between back teeth, and a method for manufacturing the same with excellent productivity and economy. Aim.

[0009]

According to the present invention, there is provided a rod-shaped handle body made of resin, embedded in the handle body along an axial direction, protruding from a tip end of the handle body, and provided on a peripheral surface of the protruding portion. In an interdental brush consisting of a striatum with a brush implanted,
An interdental brush, wherein the tip of the handle main body has a toothpick tip shape, the cross section of the tip is a spindle shape, and the striatum penetrates in the axial direction of the handle body. To provide.

The present invention also provides a method of manufacturing the interdental brush according to the present invention, in which a linear body having brushes continuously implanted at regular intervals is formed in a linear shape, and has a rod-like shape. The part is in the shape of a toothpick and the tip is mounted in a molding die having a plurality of cavities with a spindle-shaped cross section. The present invention also provides a method of manufacturing an interdental brush, which comprises cutting out the brush tip and the handle body end after removing the obtained molded body from the mold.

[0011]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, a preferred embodiment of an interdental brush of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG.
(A) is a cross-sectional view of the interdental brush of the present embodiment,
FIG. 1B is a vertical cross-sectional view taken along the line AA in FIG.

The interdental brush of this embodiment has a rod-shaped handle body 1 made of resin, and is embedded in the handle body along the axial direction, protrudes from the handle body tip 1b, and has a peripheral surface of the protruding portion. And a striated body 3 in which a brush 2 is implanted.

As shown in FIG. 1, a rod-shaped handle body 1 is provided.
Is composed of a base 1a and a tip 1b, and is formed of resin. The resin used here is not particularly limited, and general-purpose resins such as polyethylene and polypropylene can be used, but ABS resin, particularly Asaflex 825 manufactured by Asahi Kasei Corporation is preferably used. This ABS resin (ASAFLEX 825) is bendable and has shape retention at a desired bending position. For this reason,
The interdental brushes can follow the shape of the teeth and allow the brush to easily enter between the teeth, especially between the back teeth.

Since the tip of the striated body 3 does not bend or protrude from the stencil body 1 as described above, the handle body base 1a is slightly larger than the diameter of the striated body 3. The diameter is sufficient. Usually, it is φ2 mm or more, which is conventionally used for the base of a toothpick. The length of the handle body base 1a is about 50 mm.

The tip 1b of the handle main body has a toothpick tip shape, and a cross section of the tip is a spindle shape as shown in FIG. 1 (b). Since the handle body tip portion 1b has a toothpick tip shape and its cross section has a spindle shape,
As with the toothpick, on its sides, it is possible to remove food residue trapped between teeth, especially relatively large food waste. Therefore, it is necessary that the angle (α) formed by the handle main body tip 1b with respect to the striatum 3 is an acute angle of 10 to 15 degrees. In addition, the handle body tip 1b also has a function of reinforcing the striated body 3, so that the striated body 3 is covered with the handle body tip 1b up to just before the brush 2. In FIG. 1 (b), the uniaxial diameter of the cross section of the handle body tip 1b is about 1.0 mm.

The filament 3 having the brush 2 implanted on the peripheral surface of the protruding portion is made of a twisted iron wire or stainless wire. The brush 2 is generally made of nylon, and is implanted in the striatum 3 by a known method. The striated body exposed portion 3a is necessary for fixing the striated body 3 to a mold,
It is extremely short, 0.5 mm or less as compared with the conventional interdental brush. The striated body 3 penetrates in the axial direction of the handle body 1. Therefore, the striated body 3 does not detach from the handle main body 1 or break or bend at the striated body exposed portion 3a, so that the striated body 3 cannot be used.

Next, an embodiment of the method for manufacturing an interdental brush of the present invention will be described. FIG. 2 is a plan view showing a state in which a filament is mounted on a molding die in the manufacturing method of the present invention, and FIG. 3 is a state in which the obtained molded body is press-punched in the manufacturing method of the present invention. FIG.

In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 2, the linear body 3 having the brushes 2 continuously arranged at regular intervals is formed in a straight line shape, a rod shape, and a tip end portion. The toothpick is mounted in a molding die 4 having a plurality of cavities having a tip shape and a cross section of the tip portion having a spindle shape. At this time, the fixing of the striated body 3 is performed by exposing the striated body 3a,
Perform in. In FIG. 2, sprues, runners, gates, and the like are omitted.

Next, a resin, for example, an ABS resin (Asaflex 825) is injected into the cavity 5, the pattern main body 1 is insert-molded into the striated body 3, and the obtained molded body is removed from the mold 4. After removal, as shown in FIG.
The X portion of the brush tip and the Y portion of the handle body end are cut by press punching. At this time, it is desirable that the cutting portions (X and Y portions) of the brush tip and the handle body end are smoothed by a processing means such as polishing. Thus, the interdental brush of the present invention is obtained.

In the method for manufacturing the interdental brush of the present invention, the mounting of the striated body on the forming die, the shaping of the handle body, and the cutting by press punching are performed under the automatic control of all processes, so that the cost is greatly reduced. Become.

[0021]

As described above, the interdental brush of the present invention can efficiently clean and remove food residue between teeth, especially between back teeth. In particular, the handle body made of ABS resin (Asaflex 825) is bendable and has a shape-retaining property at a desired bending position, so that the interdental brush can follow the shape of the teeth, and the brush can move between teeth. , Especially between the back teeth. In addition, the interdental brush of the present invention can also function as a toothpick due to the shape of the handle body tip.

Further, the method for manufacturing an interdental brush of the present invention comprises:
Since the process is performed under the automatic control of the entire process as described above, the productivity and the economic efficiency are extremely excellent.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1A is a cross-sectional view of an interdental brush of the present embodiment, and FIG. 1B is a vertical cross-sectional view of an AA portion of FIG. 1A.

FIG. 2 is a plan view showing a state in which a striated body is mounted on a molding die in the manufacturing method of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a plan view showing a state in which the obtained molded body is press-punched in the production method of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a schematic view showing an example of a conventional method for manufacturing an interdental brush.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1: handle body, 1a: base, 1b: tip, 2: brush, 3: striatum, 3a, 3b, 3c: exposed part, 4: mold, 5: cavity, 6: guide hole, X, Y : Cutting part.

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. A rod-shaped handle body made of resin, and a striated body embedded in the handle body along the axial direction, protruding from a tip end of the handle body, and having a brush implanted on a peripheral surface of the protruding portion. In the interdental brush, the tip of the handle main body has a toothpick tip shape, the cross section of the tip portion has a spindle shape, and the striatum penetrates in the axial direction of the handle body. An interdental brush characterized by the following. 2. The interdental brush according to claim 1, wherein the resin is an ABS resin. 3. A linear body having brushes continuously implanted at regular intervals is formed in a linear shape, a rod shape, a tip portion having a toothpick tip shape, and a cross section of the tip portion having a spindle shape. After mounting in a molding die having a plurality of cavities, injecting resin into the cavities, insert-molding a pattern body into the striated body, and taking out the obtained molded body from the mold And cutting off the brush tip and the handle body end.