JP2000342337A - Toothbrush - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a toothbrush that employs implanted sets of bristles with cross-sectional major and minor axes and that can transmit brushing force effectively to tooth surfaces and make the brushing efficient and gratifying. SOLUTION: At least part of sets of bristles employ bristles 1 having a major axis A and a minor axis B in the cross section. The bristle sets 2 consisting of the bristles 1 with the cross-sectional major and minor axes A and B are arranged in line-symmetric relation to the longitudinal centerline O-O of a toothbrush handle. In the symmetric arrangement, the bristles 1 of the sets 2 are oriented so that their major axis A crosses the longitudinal toothbrush handle centerline O-O at an angle θ of 10 deg. to 60 deg..

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a toothbrush in which a bristle bundle formed by bundling brushes having a major axis and a minor axis in cross section is implanted, and the brushing force by brushing is effectively transmitted to the tooth surface. The present invention relates to a toothbrush that can perform not only brushing efficiency but also brushing feeling.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, brushes used for toothbrushes are generally monofilaments of nylon or polyester, and the thickness (diameter) of the brush depends on the hardness (soft, normal, hard, etc.) of the toothbrush. Although different, 6 to 10 mil (1 mil is 1/1000 inch) cylinders are commonly used.

On the other hand, brushes having a rectangular cross section (hereinafter referred to as "rectangular hairs") have been proposed. According to the material of DuPont, which manufactures rectangular hair, a plurality of these rectangular hairs are bundled into a hair bundle,
The long axis (long side) of a brush with a rectangular cross section when using a normal flat wire type toothbrush flocking machine and using a flat metal piece called “flat wire” that is usually used in a circular flocked hole
It is shown that the direction is substantially aligned with the longitudinal direction of the flat line.
The present inventor has confirmed this fact as a result of additional tests.

A toothbrush utilizing the properties of such rectangular bristles is disclosed, for example, in Japanese Patent Publication No. Hei 8-502908. In the toothbrush of the prior application, the long axis direction of the rectangular bristle is aligned in two directions, that is, a direction parallel to a longitudinal center line of the toothbrush handle and a direction perpendicular to the center line.

As can be easily inferred from the shape of the rectangular hair, the degree of deflection (= acting force / displacement) of the rectangular cross section in the long axis (long side) direction is shorter in the short axis (short side) direction. It differs greatly from conventional columnar hairs in that it has the property of becoming larger than the degree of flexure. In other words, the rectangular hair has a larger area on the long axis side than the area on the short axis side, and has a better brushing efficiency than the conventional columnar hair, but has a smaller degree of bending of the hair in the short axis direction. Therefore, the hair split waist strength is reduced.

Therefore, when the long axis direction of the rectangular bristle is aligned in two directions, that is, a direction parallel to the longitudinal center line of the toothbrush handle and a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal center line of the toothbrush handle, as in the above-mentioned toothbrush of the prior application, it is most common. When brushing teeth with a scrubbing method (a brushing method that moves back and forth along the length of the toothbrush handle), brushing efficiency is improved compared to conventional columnar bristles, but the brushing power due to brushing However, there is a problem in that it is difficult to transmit to the tooth surface and the feeling of actual brushing is weak.

[0007]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made in order to solve the above-mentioned problems, and is directed to a toothbrush having a bristle bundle formed by bundling brushes having a major axis and a minor axis in cross section. Another object of the present invention is to provide a toothbrush capable of effectively transmitting the brushing force of brushing to a tooth surface and having excellent brushing efficiency as well as brushing feeling.

[0008]

Means for Solving the Problems To achieve the above object, the present invention provides a toothbrush in which a plurality of bristles formed by bundling a plurality of brushes are planted on a flocked surface of a toothbrush head. The bristle bundle is configured using a brush having a cross-sectional shape having a long axis and a short axis, and the bristle bundle having the cross-sectional shape formed using a brush having a long axis and a short axis is a longitudinal center line of the toothbrush handle. The brushes constituting the bristle bundle are symmetrically arranged so that their major axes intersect at an angle of 10 to 60 degrees with respect to the longitudinal center line of the toothbrush handle. It is arranged to be inclined.

The term "brush having a cross-sectional shape having a major axis and a minor axis" as used in the present invention means, for example, that the cross-sectional shape of the brush is rectangular, parallelogram, rhombic, elliptical, or a corner of these cross-sectional shapes. A brush having a long or short cross-sectional shape, such as a brush with a radius.

With this configuration, when brushing the teeth with the scrubbing method, which is the most common brushing method, the brush is inclined at an angle of 10 to 60 degrees with respect to the longitudinal direction of the toothbrush handle. The surface in the long axis direction having a large area hits the tooth surface, and dirt and plaque adhering to the tooth surface can be effectively scraped and removed. On the other hand, since the brushing force acting in the short axis direction acts obliquely, the force acting on the short axis is attenuated by the amount of the inclination and becomes small. For this reason,
Deflection in the short axis direction is reduced, and the feeling of actual cleaning can be improved.

[0011]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram of the state of implantation of the bristle bundle and the cross-sectional shape of the brush in the toothbrush according to the present invention. In the case of the illustrated example, as the brush 1, FIG.
As shown in (c), a rectangular monofilament having a cross section having a major axis direction A and a minor axis direction B is used.
A flocked hole 3 for flocking the hair bundle 2 is shown in FIG.
As shown in (a), the toothbrush handle is formed in a symmetrical position with respect to the center line OO in the longitudinal direction.
The long axis direction A of the brush 1 is at a predetermined inclination angle θ = 10 degrees to 60 degrees, more preferably θ = 15 degrees to 4 with respect to the center line OO.
The hair was planted so as to face a direction of 5 degrees.

In order to align the long axis direction A of the brush 1 having a rectangular cross section with the predetermined inclination angle θ, a predetermined number of the brushes 1 having a rectangular cross section are bundled, and a commonly used flat wire type toothbrush flocking machine is used. The flat wire 4 may be driven into the flocking hole 3 while being tilted by the tilt angle θ. As a result, the brushes 1 constituting the bristle bundle 2 are implanted in a state in which the major axis direction A is substantially aligned with the longitudinal direction of the flat wire 4.

The cross-sectional area of the brush 1 is practically 0.01 to
0.05mm²It is preferred that it is about. Also, printing
The height (hair length) of the bristles 1 depends on the operation of the toothbrush in the oral cavity
The range of 8 to 12 mm is preferable from the viewpoint of properties. Also, flocking
The size of the hole 3 is about 1.5mm ²~ 7mm²Range
Is preferred.

As a material of the brush 1, a polyamide (nylon 6-10, nylon 6-12, etc.) or a polyester (PBT, PET, etc.) is used.

The bristle bundle 2 of the present invention in which the brush 1 is provided with the inclination angle θ is applied to all the bristle bundles planted on the flocking surface 6 of the toothbrush head 5 as shown in FIG. Alternatively, as shown in FIGS. 3 to 5, the hair may be implanted in combination with a conventional hair bundle. In FIGS. 2 to 5, the brushes constituting the respective hair bundles are not shown for easy understanding of the overall arrangement.

FIG. 2 shows an example in which the hair bundle 2 of the present invention is provided with the inclination angle θ for all the hair bundles implanted on the hair implantation surface 6 of the toothbrush head portion 5. 5, the hair bundles 2 in the front four rows are given an inclination angle θ toward the front, and the hair bundles 2 in the back four rows are given the inclination angle θ toward the rear.

With such a bristle bundle configuration, the brush 1 constituting each bristle bundle 2 is inclined at an angle of 10 to 60 degrees with respect to the longitudinal direction of the toothbrush handle, so that it has a rectangular cross section. The long axis surface 1A (see FIG. 1) having a large area of the brush 1 hits the tooth surface, thereby effectively removing dirt and plaque attached to the tooth surface, and the short axis surface 1B of the brush 1 (see FIG. 1). Since the applied cleaning force is applied in an oblique direction, the deflection in the short axis direction is reduced by that amount, and the feeling of actual cleaning can be increased.

FIG. 3 shows the first row of hair bundles, the second row of left and right outer hair bundles, the third row of hair bundles, and the fifth row of hair bundles counted from the front side of the toothbrush head 5. The hair bundles on the left and right outer sides in the sixth row, and the hair bundles in the seventh row are the hair bundles 2 of the present invention given the inclination angle θ, and the other hair bundles are the conventional hair bundles 7. The conventional hair bundle 7 in FIG. 3 is a hair bundle made of columnar hair or a hair bundle made of tapered hair.
Alternatively, it refers to a bristle bundle in which the cross-sectional shape of the brush has a major axis and a minor axis but is not given the inclination angle θ as in the present invention. With such a bristle bundle configuration, a toothbrush excellent in both a tooth surface cleaning effect and an interdental portion cleaning effect can be obtained.

FIG. 4 shows a bristle bundle 2 of the present invention having the above-mentioned inclination angle θ for two rows of bristle bundles along the center line OO in the longitudinal direction of the toothbrush head portion 5. Is a conventional hair bundle 8. In the case of FIG. 4, the hair bundle 2 of the present invention having the inclination angle θ is provided.
As for, a square flocked hole is adopted. Thus, the flocking holes may be other than round holes. The conventional hair bundle 8 in FIG. 4 is a hair bundle made of tapered hair, a hair bundle made of split-end hair, or a brush having a major axis and a minor axis in cross section. And a hair bundle to which the inclination angle θ is not given. With such a bristle bundle configuration, a toothbrush excellent in both a tooth surface cleaning effect and a cervical portion cleaning effect can be obtained.

FIG. 5 shows a hair bundle 2 of the present invention in which the hair bundle group up to the fourth row counted from the front side of the toothbrush head section 5 is given the inclination angle θ, and the hair bundle group of the rear four rows is a conventional hair bundle group. This is a hair bundle 9. In addition, the conventional hair bundle 9 in FIG. 5 is a hair bundle made of columnar hair, or the cross-sectional shape of the brush has a long axis and a short axis, but the inclination angle θ is not given unlike the present invention. It refers to a hair bundle. With such a bristle bundle configuration, it is possible to provide a toothbrush having a more comfortable contact with the tooth surface than the toothbrush of FIG.

The tapered hairs mentioned in the above examples are brushes having hair tips having a shape as shown in, for example, Japanese Utility Model Application Laid-Open No. 6-154 and Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 6-141923. Any brush may be used as long as it has a shape whose diameter gradually decreases toward the tip of the bristle tip. In addition, the tip cracked hair is a brush whose tip is branched into two or more branches.

The bristle tufting method for producing the above-described toothbrush of the present invention is not limited to the above-described tufting method using a flat wire. For example, the long axis direction of each brush is set in a substantially constant direction in advance. And then heat-sealed (see Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open Nos. 60-241404 and 2-99).
002, JP-A-4-226610),
Alternatively, a known in-mold method (Japanese Patent Publication No. 6-16725)
Gazette, Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. Sho 61-268208,
503150), and may be fixed to the toothbrush head 5.

Further, by appropriately combining the cross-sectional shape and size of the brush 1, the number of hairs, the hair length, and the inclination angle θ, the feeling of actual brushing can be adjusted. FIG. 6 shows an example of the cross-sectional shape of the brush 1 used in the present invention. (A) is a rectangle, (b) a parallelogram, (c) is a rhombus, (d) is an ellipse, (e) is a rectangle with rounded corners, and (f) is a parallelogram with rounded corners. (G) is an example of a diamond-shaped cross-sectional shape with rounded corners. As described above, as the brush 1 used in the present invention, any brush having a long or short sectional shape can be applied.

[0024]

As described above, according to the present invention, in a toothbrush in which a plurality of bristle bundles formed by bundling a plurality of brushes are planted on a flocked surface of a toothbrush head portion, at least a part of the bristle bundle is The shape is configured using a brush having a long axis and a short axis, and the cross-sectional shape is symmetrical with respect to the longitudinal center line of the toothbrush handle in a bristle bundle formed using a brush having a long axis and a short axis. And the brushes constituting these bristle bundles are symmetrically inclined so that their major axes intersect at an angle of 10 to 60 degrees with respect to the longitudinal center line of the toothbrush handle. In addition, the brushing force due to the brushing can be effectively transmitted to the tooth surface, and a dirt and plaque adhering to the tooth surface can be effectively removed, and a toothbrush having an excellent brushing feeling can be provided.

[Brief description of the drawings]

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of a bristle bristle implantation state and a cross-sectional shape example of a brush in a toothbrush according to the present invention, wherein (a) is a schematic bristle implantation diagram, (b) is an enlarged end view of the brush, and (c). FIG. 2 is an enlarged perspective view of a brush.

FIG. 2 is a plan view showing a first embodiment of the toothbrush according to the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a plan view showing a second embodiment of the toothbrush according to the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a plan view showing a third embodiment of the toothbrush according to the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a plan view showing a fourth embodiment of the toothbrush according to the present invention.

FIG. 6 shows an example of a brush used in the present invention, in which (a)
Is a rectangle, (b) a parallelogram, (c) is a rhombus, (d) is an ellipse, (e) is a rectangle with rounded corners, (f) is a parallelogram with rounded corners, g) is a diagram showing an example of a rhombus with rounded corners.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF REFERENCE NUMERALS 1 A brush having a cross-sectional shape having a long axis and a short axis. Axial direction B Minor axis direction θ Angle of inclination with respect to center line OO

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A toothbrush in which a plurality of bristle bundles formed by bundling a plurality of brushes are planted on a flocking surface of a toothbrush head, wherein at least a part of the bristle bundle has a major axis and a minor axis in cross section. The cross-sectional shape is arranged symmetrically with respect to the center line in the longitudinal direction of the toothbrush handle, and the bristle bundles configured by using a brush having a long axis and a short axis, and these bristle bundles A toothbrush, wherein each of the constituent brushes is symmetrically inclined so that its major axis intersects with the longitudinal centerline of the toothbrush handle at an angle of 10 to 60 degrees.