JP2001178543A - Toothbrush - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a toothbrush, which has good cleaning effect of dental plaque accumulated between teeth, in the boundary between the teeth and gums or the like, touches softly the gums, gives good feeling when using, and has excellent durability. SOLUTION: A synthetic monofilament 1 which is tapered at the tip, wherein inequality is at least partially formed on a surface of a tapered part 2. In a bristle shape of a tip side from a planted surface, a ratio of a surface area A based on a volume V is A/V>=0.20, wherein V (mm3) is the volume of the filament of the tip side from the planted surface and A (mm2) is the surface area. Alternatingly, in a filament section cutting vertically with respect to a filament axis at an optional position, the bristle shape is specified by an expression (L/S)>(2/R), wherein S (mm2) is an area of the section, L (mm) is an outer periphery length of the section, and R (mm) is a radius of a circle circumscribing the section. The synthetic monofilament 1 specified above is used all or a part of the planted monofilament.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention has a high cleaning effect on hard-to-removal plaque accumulated between teeth and between teeth and gums, and has a soft feeling on the gums.
It relates to a toothbrush with excellent durability.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In order to prevent two major dental diseases such as periodontal disease and dental caries, it is important to remove plaque with a toothbrush. It has been found to be effective for removal. As for a toothbrush using a brush made of a synthetic monofilament, a toothbrush with a thin and soft brush has been used in order to avoid damage to the gums due to the brush tip when brushing by a bath method or the like. However, although such a brush has a soft feeling, it has a drawback that the bristle is weak, so that the power to scrape plaque is insufficient and the durability is low.

In order to increase the surface area in order to improve the plaque scraping power, irregularities are provided on the surface of the synthetic filament (Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 6-70813), and the cross-sectional shape is made polygonal. It is known to use a filament (JP-A-6-233709). However, in the case of these toothbrushes, the bristle tips are bulkier than before, so the bristle tips do not spread to every corner of the oral cavity between teeth and between teeth and gums,
The cleaning effect on plaque which is difficult to remove was not so high.

[0004] On the other hand, a toothbrush is also known in which the bristle tip is polished in a tapered shape so that the bristle tip enters a concave portion such as a boundary between a tooth and a gum, but the length of the tapered portion is at most one.
mm, the cleaning effect and the soft feeling were not improved, and there was almost no difference from a normal toothbrush having a round tip. Further, it is also known to implant a brush having a sharper and longer tapered portion formed at the tip of a synthetic filament by a chemical treatment (Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 5-158).
No. 34).

[0005]

Conventional sharp tapered brushes have a bristle shape in consideration of reachability to a part where the bristle is hard to reach. In a toothbrush using such a brush,
It may take time and techniques to completely scrape the plaque that has accumulated at such sites.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made to solve the above-mentioned problems, and has a high cleaning effect on plaque which is difficult to remove accumulated between teeth and between teeth and gums. An object of the present invention is to provide a toothbrush that is soft to the touch and has excellent usability and durability.

[0007]

In general, a conventional sharpened taper brush having no taper on the surface of the taper portion has high insertability into a very narrow portion, but scrapes dirt accumulated there. The force could be quite weak due to its tip shape. Therefore, in the toothbrush according to the present invention, by providing irregularities on at least a part of the surface of the tapered portion, the insertability is increased while the contact area with dirt is increased, and the dirt scraping force is increased. It is an increase.

That is, a toothbrush according to a first aspect of the present invention is a toothbrush in which a brush made of a synthetic monofilament is implanted on the implanted surface of a head portion, wherein all or a part of the synthetic monofilament has a tapered tip. And a synthetic monofilament having irregularities formed on at least a part of the surface of the tapered portion.

The toothbrush according to a second aspect of the present invention is the toothbrush according to the first aspect, wherein the volume of the filament on the bristle tip side from the flocking face is V ( mm ³ ), where the surface area is A (mm ² ), wherein a ratio of the surface area A to the volume V is (A / V) ≧ 0.20, and a synthetic monofilament having a brush shape is used. Is what you do.

A toothbrush according to a third aspect of the present invention is the toothbrush according to the first aspect, wherein the synthetic monofilament has a cross section cut at a plane perpendicular to a filament central axis at an arbitrary position of the filament. The sectional area of the cross section is S (mm ² ), the outer peripheral length of the cross section is L (mm), and the radius of a circle circumscribing the cross section is R (m).
m), a synthetic monofilament having a brush shape specified by (L / S)> (2 / R) is used.

In the case of a toothbrush using a synthetic monofilament having the above-mentioned shape, a sharp tapered portion well enters the interdental portion during tooth brushing operation, and particularly easily enters the periodontal pocket and the interdental triangular portion. become. For this reason, the plaque removal rates of these portions can be significantly increased. Also,
The stimulation of the gums by the hair tips is also good, a soft feel is obtained, and the feeling of use can be significantly improved,
Spreading and wear of the brush due to use can be prevented, and excellent durability can be provided.

[0012]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. 1 to 3 show a first embodiment of a toothbrush according to the present invention. FIG. 1 is a schematic enlarged plan view of a synthetic monofilament used in the first embodiment, FIG. 2 is a schematic enlarged plan view of a toothbrush constituted by using the synthetic monofilament, and FIG. It is a model expansion side view.

In the figure, 1 is a synthetic monofilament,
2 is a tapered portion formed at both ends of the synthetic monofilament 1, 3 is a toothbrush handle, 4 is a toothbrush head, 5 is a bristle bundle obtained by bundling a plurality of the synthetic monofilaments 1, and 6 is a flocking surface. In the case of the toothbrush according to the first embodiment, regarding the brush shape of the synthetic monofilament 1 having the tapered portion 2 formed at the tip thereof on the bristle tip side from the flocking face 6, the filament on the bristle tip side from the flocking face 6 is used. When the volume is V (mm ³ ) and the surface area is A (mm ² ), the ratio of the surface area A to the volume V is expressed by the following formula (1) (A / V) ≧ 0.20 ‥‥‥ (1) A toothbrush was manufactured using a synthetic monofilament 1 having a brush shape in a specified range. As long as the cross-sectional shape of the synthetic monofilament 1 satisfies the expression (1), any cross-sectional shape such as a circular shape, an elliptical shape, a square shape, a concave polygonal shape, and a multilobal shape can be adopted.

In the case of a toothbrush using the synthetic monofilament 1 having the above-mentioned shape, since the brush shape of the synthetic monofilament 1 is strictly defined, the above-described various effects are most easily exhibited. That is, since the surface area is larger than a certain level with respect to a unit volume, the probability of contact with dirt such as plaque is increased, and the tip of the sharp tapered portion 2 forms an interdental portion or a periodontal portion. It can penetrate into delicate portions of the oral cavity such as pockets and interdental triangular portions, and can efficiently scrape plaque accumulated in these portions. Further, the amount of work required for scraping off dirt can be reduced as compared with a normal brush, so that the brush can be prevented from spreading and wearing due to use, and as a result, durability can be improved. In particular, when the ratio is in the range of (A / V) ≧ 1.00, the above-described effects can be exhibited most effectively.

On the other hand, when the brush shape of the synthetic monofilament 1 is out of the range of the expression (1), ie, (A /
V) <0.20, it is difficult to exhibit the above effect. This is because if the surface area per unit volume of the brush is smaller than a certain level, the sharp tapered tip cannot efficiently scrape plaque accumulated in a fine portion in the oral cavity. In addition, the amount of work required to scrape dirt is increased, resulting in reduced durability.

With respect to the toothbrush according to the first embodiment using the synthetic monofilament 1 having the brush shape defined by the above formula (1), a use test was conducted on the feeling of use and the cleaning effect. Tables 1 and 2 show the results.
Table 1 shows the types of brush shapes of the toothbrushes used, and Table 2 shows the test results. The toothbrushes used in the test were those using synthetic monofilaments having the brush shapes shown in P to R in Table 1, and were tested by 30 test subjects for the feeling of use and the cleaning effect of each toothbrush. The cleaning effect was evaluated clinically by a dentist.

[0017]

[Table 1]

[0018]

[Table 2]

As is clear from Tables 1 and 2, when the brush shape of the synthetic monofilament 1 satisfies (A / V) ≧ 0.20, that is, in the case of the toothbrush using the brush types P and Q, the stains are generated. There was a feeling of being scratched, and the cleaning effect evaluated by the dentist was highly evaluated as "effective".

As the synthetic monofilament 1, synthetic resins such as polyester, polyamide and polyolefin can be used, but polyester is most preferable from the viewpoint of tapering. The length of the tapered portion 2 is 3 to 15
mm, preferably 8 to 12 mm, and the maximum diameter of the synthetic monofilament 1 is 0.15 to 0.25 mm, preferably 0.17 to 0.20 mm. Further, as shown in FIG. 3, the brush length (brush length) H after being implanted in the head portion 4 of the toothbrush is about 8 to 15 mm, which is the same as that of a normal toothbrush.

The toothbrush in which the synthetic monofilament 1 having the above-described brush shape is implanted has a ratio of the synthetic monofilament 1 to the total brush implanted on the implanted surface, as well as a case where only the synthetic monofilament 1 is implanted 100%. If it is substantially 25% or more, even if the synthetic monofilament 1 and the brush of another shape are mixed and tied and planted, or the hair bundle composed of only the synthetic monofilament 1 and the hair bundle composed of the filament of another shape can be used. The above-mentioned effects can be obtained in any case even if the hairs are implanted by mixing.

The method of producing the toothbrush itself is not particularly limited as long as the bristle bundle 5 is securely fixed to the head portion 4 of the toothbrush, and a conventionally known method can be used. For example, in the case of a synthetic monofilament 1 having tapered portions 2 at both ends as shown in FIG. 1, a flat wire flocking method is used in which a hair bundle is folded in two using a metal piece (flat wire) and driven into a flocking hole. FIG. 8, which will be described later,
In the case of the synthetic monofilament 1 in which the tapered portion 2 is formed only at one end as shown in FIG. 9, an in-mold method, a heat fusion method, or the like can be used.

FIGS. 4 and 5 show a second embodiment of the toothbrush according to the present invention. FIG. 4 is a schematic enlarged plan view of a synthetic monofilament used in the second embodiment, and FIG.
Is a plane F perpendicular to the filament center axis C in FIG.
It is a model expansion sectional view in -F. The same parts as those in the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals.

The toothbrush according to the second embodiment comprises:
In the synthetic monofilament 1 having the tapered portion 2 formed at the tip, the cross-sectional area of the cross-section taken along a plane FF perpendicular to the filament center axis C at an arbitrary position of the filament is S (mm). ² ) When the outer peripheral length of the cross section is L (mm) and the radius of a circle (circumscribed circle) G circumscribing the cross section is R (mm), the following equation (2) (L / S)> ( 2 / R) Synthetic monofilament 1 having a brush shape specified by (2)
A toothbrush was manufactured using the above. As long as the cross-sectional shape of the synthetic monofilament 1 satisfies the expression (2), any cross-sectional shape such as a circular shape, an elliptical shape, a square shape, a concave polygonal shape, and a multilobe can be adopted.

In the case of the toothbrush using the synthetic monofilament 1 having the above-mentioned shape, the brush shape of the synthetic monofilament 1 is strictly defined, so that the same effects as those of the first embodiment can be obtained. That is, since the cross section has a filling rate of a certain level or more with respect to the circumscribed circle, there is a stiffness as a brush, and furthermore, the tip of the sharp tapered portion which has a large contact area with plaque is an interdental portion or a tooth. It is possible to penetrate into small sites in the oral cavity such as the peripheral pocket and the interdental triangular portion, and efficiently scrape plaque accumulated in these sites. In addition, durability is good because there is a waist as a brush.

On the other hand, when the brush shape of the synthetic monofilament 1 is out of the range of the expression (2), ie, (L /
When S) ≦ (2 / R), it is difficult for a toothbrush constituted by a brush having such a brush shape to exhibit the above-described effects. This is because the filling rate of the brush section to the circumscribed circle is low, so that the waist as a brush is not felt during actual use, and the sharp tapered tip efficiently scrapes plaque accumulated in a small part in the oral cavity Because they cannot do it. In addition, the amount of work required to scrape dirt is increased, resulting in reduced durability.

With respect to the toothbrush according to the second embodiment using the synthetic monofilament 1 having the brush shape defined by the above formula (2), a use test was conducted on the feeling of use and the cleaning effect. Tables 3 and 4 show the results.
Table 3 shows the types of brush shapes of the toothbrushes used, and Table 4 shows the test results. The toothbrushes used in the test used synthetic monofilaments having the brush shapes shown in Tables H to J, respectively. Thirty subjects tested the feeling of use and the cleaning effect of each toothbrush. The cleaning effect was evaluated clinically by a dentist.

[0028]

[Table 3]

[0029]

[Table 4]

As is apparent from Tables 3 and 4, only the toothbrush whose brush shape of the synthetic monofilament 1 satisfies (L / S)> (2 / R), that is, only the toothbrush using the brush type H is used as the brush. The "stiffness" was felt very much, and the cleaning effect evaluated by the dentist was highly evaluated as "very good".

FIGS. 6 to 17 show other examples of the shape of the synthetic monofilament 1 used in the toothbrush of the present invention. In addition, these synthetic monofilaments 1 correspond to (1) described above.
It is formed in a shape that satisfies either or both of the formulas and the formula (2) at the same time.

FIG. 6 shows an example in which tapered portions 2 and 2 having the same shape are formed at both ends of a synthetic monofilament 1 and linear pattern convex portions 7 are provided on the surface of each tapered portion. FIG. Tapered portions 2 and 2 ′ having different shapes are formed at both ends, and a linear pattern convex portion 7 is provided on the left tapered surface, and a circular convex portion 8 is provided on the right tapered surface. FIG. 8 shows a synthetic monofilament 1 in which a tapered portion 2 is formed only at one end, and a ring-shaped convex portion 9 is provided on the surface thereof. FIG. 9 shows a broken patterned convex portion on the surface of the tapered portion 2. 10 is provided. The tapered portion may be formed on at least one end of the synthetic monofilament 1 as shown in FIGS.

FIG. 10 shows a circle, an ellipse,
FIG. 11 shows an example in which convex parts 11 such as ellipses are interspersed. FIG. 11 shows an example in which concave parts 12 having a fissure pattern are provided on the surface of a tapered part 2.
2 is a tapered portion 2 provided with a spiral convex portion 13 on the surface, FIG. 13 is a tapered portion 2 provided with a concave portion 14 along the filament long axis direction, and FIG. 15 shows a hexagonal cross section of the filament, FIG. 16 shows a multilobal cross section of the filament, and FIG. 17 shows an irregular strip-like projection 15 on the surface of the tapered portion 2. Is provided.

Although various embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the present invention is not limited to these embodiments.
Various modifications and changes are possible within the scope of the invention.

[0035]

According to the toothbrush of the present invention, the sharp tapered bristles having irregularities on the tapered portion surface enter the interdental portions, the boundary between the teeth and the gums, the concave portions due to incorrect tooth arrangement, and the like. Food residues and plaque adhering to the site can be efficiently removed by the unevenness formed on the surface thereof, and an extremely high cleaning effect can be exhibited. In addition, because the bristles are soft, it is also suitable for cleaning periodontal pockets with weak gingiva, giving good stimulation without damaging the gingiva, and is excellent in preventing caries as well as periodontal disease,
Usability can be enhanced. Further, spreading and abrasion of the brush due to use can be prevented, and durability can be improved.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic enlarged plan view of a synthetic monofilament used in a first embodiment.

FIG. 2 is a schematic plan view of a toothbrush configured using the synthetic monofilament of FIG.

FIG. 3 is a schematic enlarged side view of a head portion of the toothbrush of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a schematic enlarged plan view of a synthetic monofilament used in a second embodiment.

5 is a schematic enlarged cross-sectional view taken along a plane FF perpendicular to the filament center axis in FIG.

FIG. 6 is a schematic enlarged side view showing another first example of the shape of the synthetic monofilament used in the toothbrush of the present invention.

FIG. 7 is a schematic enlarged side view showing another second example of the shape of the synthetic monofilament used in the toothbrush of the present invention.

FIG. 8 is a schematic enlarged side view showing another third example of the shape of the synthetic monofilament used in the toothbrush of the present invention.

FIG. 9 is a schematic enlarged side view showing another fourth shape example of the synthetic monofilament used in the toothbrush of the present invention.

FIG. 10 shows another fifth example of the shape of the synthetic monofilament used in the toothbrush of the present invention, wherein (a) is a schematic enlarged side view of a tapered tip portion, and (b) is a schematic enlarged sectional view thereof. .

11 shows another sixth example of the shape of the synthetic monofilament used in the toothbrush of the present invention. FIG. 11 (a) is a schematic enlarged side view of a tapered tip portion, and FIG. 11 (b) is a schematic enlarged sectional view thereof. .

FIG. 12 shows another seventh example of the shape of the synthetic monofilament used in the toothbrush of the present invention, wherein (a) is a schematic enlarged side view of a tapered tip portion, and (b) is a schematic enlarged sectional view thereof. .

FIG. 13 shows another eighth example of the shape of the synthetic monofilament used in the toothbrush of the present invention, wherein (a) is a schematic enlarged side view of a tapered tip portion, and (b) is a schematic enlarged sectional view thereof. .

14A and 14B show another ninth example of the shape of the synthetic monofilament used in the toothbrush of the present invention. FIG. 14A is a schematic enlarged side view of a tapered tip portion, and FIG. 14B is a schematic enlarged sectional view thereof. .

15A and 15B show another tenth example of the shape of the synthetic monofilament used in the toothbrush of the present invention. FIG. 15A is a schematic enlarged side view of a tapered tip portion, and FIG. 15B is a schematic enlarged sectional view thereof. .

FIG. 16 shows another eleventh example of the shape of the synthetic monofilament used in the toothbrush of the present invention, wherein (a) is a schematic enlarged side view of a tapered tip portion, and (b) is a schematic enlarged sectional view thereof. .

FIG. 17 is a schematic enlarged side view of a tapered tip portion showing another twelfth example of the shape of the synthetic monofilament used in the toothbrush of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Synthetic monofilament 2, 2 'taper part 3 Toothbrush handle part 4 Toothbrush head part 5 Hair bundle 6 Flocked surface 7-11 Convex part 12 Depressed part 13 Convex part 14 Depressed part 15 Protrusion V Hair tip side from the flocked surface of synthetic monofilament Filament volume of A Synthetic monofilament Surface area of filament on hair tip side from flocked surface S Cross-sectional area of cross-section at arbitrary position of synthetic monofilament L Peripheral length of cross-section G Circumscribed circle of cross-section R Radius of circumscribed circle C Filament central axis FF Plane perpendicular to filament central axis

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. A toothbrush in which a brush made of a synthetic monofilament is implanted on an implanted surface of a head portion, wherein all or part of the synthetic monofilament is
A toothbrush characterized by using a synthetic monofilament having a tapered tip and having irregularities formed on at least a part of the surface of the tapered portion. 2. As the synthetic monofilament, for the brush shape on the hair tip side from the flocking surface, the volume of the filament on the hair tip side from the flocking surface is V (mm ³ ) and the surface area is A
When a (mm ^2), toothbrush according to claim 1, characterized by using a synthetic monofilament consisting of a brush shape ratio of the surface area A to the volume V is identified by (A / V) ≧ 0.20. 3. A cross section of the synthetic monofilament cut along a plane perpendicular to the filament central axis at an arbitrary position of the filament, and the cross section of the cross section is S (mm ² ). Length is L (mm),
2. A synthetic monofilament having a brush shape specified by (L / S)> (2 / R), where R (mm) is the radius of a circle circumscribing the cross section. The toothbrush as described.