JP2002199938A - Toothbrush - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a toothbrush with excellent cleaning effects brought by fitting the tips of the bristles to uneven shapes inside the mouth by regulating characteristic value in hardness of bundles of bristles planted to each head part specifically to enhance the cleaning effects inside the mouth, and by making at least a part of the head or a part of the bundles of the bristles flexible or movable. SOLUTION: When a toothbrush has at least two or more bundles of bristles with different hardness at the head part 1 of the toothbrush, characteristic value in hardness of at least one bundle 3 of the bristles is set at between 1.1 and 5.0 times higher than those of the other tufts 4 of bristles, and an elastic part 5 is used to join two bristled surfaces that form the head part 1. As a result, the bundles 3 of bristles of high characteristic value in hardness becomes movable.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention specifically specifies the hardness characteristics of a brush bundle or a group of brush bundles planted in each part of a head portion and at least a part of the head portion or a part of the brush bundle. To a flexible or movable toothbrush.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A conventional toothbrush has a difference in brush bundle diameter and brush diameter of each brush bundle located at a tip, a center, a side, and the like of a head portion, and a cleaning effect of each part in an oral cavity. Many of them were improved.

[0003] Further, as a toothbrush having elasticity to a head portion, a toothbrush having a convex hair cut at a longitudinal end portion of a head portion, a toothbrush having a plurality of flocked surfaces connected flexibly or elastically, With a notch in the head portion to give a hinge effect (Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 5-501221), or with a notch filled with an elastic resin (Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 10-502846).
And a space in which a spring or the like is provided between the base end of the brush bundle and the back of the head portion, and the end of the brush bundle is held by a spring structure (Japanese Utility Model Application Laid-Open No. 63-66928). .

Further, a brush bundle root portion is held by an elastic body (Japanese Utility Model Laid-Open No. 1-81924), and an elastic body is held in a frame of a hard resin portion of a head portion (Japanese Utility Model Application Laid-Open No.
No. 93829), and a method in which an enlarged portion is formed by melting an end portion of a brush bundle and the enlarged portion is pushed into a brush bundle holding hole of an elastic body (Japanese Patent Publication No. 11-500932).

[0005]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In the case of toothbrushes in which the brush bundle diameters and the brush diameters of the respective brush bundles located at the tip, center, side and the like of the head portion are different, the brush bundles of those toothbrushes are used. There was no specific reference to the hardness characteristics of the group, and it was generally determined simply empirically.

In the case of a toothbrush provided with a convex bristle at the tip end in the longitudinal direction of the head portion, the length of the brush at the convex portion becomes long, and the hardness characteristic value of the brush bundle is reduced. Although the contact of the bristle tip with the concave portion inside was improved, the actual brushing effect was not significantly improved.

In the case of a toothbrush in which a plurality of flocked surfaces are connected in a flexible or elastic manner, the tip of the head in the longitudinal direction is bent to the opposite side to the flocked surface due to the elastic effect of the head during brushing.
The brushing force was not properly applied to the brush tip of the group of brushes on the flocking surface located there, and the feeling of contact with the oral cavity was soft, but the brushing effect was often reduced.

In the case of a toothbrush having a hinge effect by making a cut in the head portion, the hinge portion may be plastically deformed during brushing, and the fit of the bristle tip to the tooth surface may be reduced. .

In the case of a toothbrush in which the cut is filled with an elastic resin, since the cut is bordered by a movable (flexible) unit of the flocked portion, a portion that does not need to be moved also moves.
The fit to the tooth surface could be reduced.

[0010] In the case of a toothbrush in which a space such as a spring is provided between the base end portion of the brush bundle and the back of the head portion, and the end portion of the brush bundle is held in a spring structure, water, food debris and the like enter the space, and the In many cases, the thickness of the head portion was increased in structure, and the operability in the oral cavity was reduced.

[0011] In the case of a toothbrush in which the root portion of the brush bundle is held by an elastic material, the brush has a structure in which the brush bundle can be moved only by the expansion and contraction of the elastic material, so that there is no device having ideal movable characteristics.

In the case of a toothbrush in which an elastic body is held in a framework of a hard resin portion of a head portion, the dimension from the side surface of the brush bundle to the side edge portion of the head portion is increased, and the operability in the oral cavity is smaller than that of a normal toothbrush. And there was little movement of the brush bundle.

Further, in the case of a toothbrush in which an enlarged portion is formed by melting an end portion of a brush bundle and the enlarged portion is pushed into a brush bundle holding hole of an elastic body, it is difficult to arbitrarily control the shape of the molten enlarged portion. Especially when you implant a brush bundle with a round cross section,
The brush bundle may rotate during brushing, and the tips of the brush bundle provided with the mountain-cut shape may not exhibit the brushing effect.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made to solve the above-mentioned problems, and in order to further improve the cleaning effect in the oral cavity, the hardness characteristics of a brush bundle or a group of brushes implanted in each part of the head portion. By specifically defining at least a part of the head portion or a part of the brush bundle so as to be flexible or movable, the brush tip can be fitted to various irregularities in the oral cavity, and the cleaning effect An object of the present invention is to provide a toothbrush which is excellent in quality.

[0015]

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention employs the following means. That is, in the toothbrush according to claim 1, in a toothbrush having at least two types of brush bundles having different hardness characteristics in a toothbrush head portion, the hardness characteristic value of at least one brush bundle is changed to the hardness characteristic value of another brush bundle. It is set to be 1.1 to 5.0 times higher than at least, and at least a part of the head part or a part of the brush bundle is made flexible or movable.

It is preferable that at least two groups of brush bundles having different hardness characteristics be provided with the brush bundles having different hardness characteristics. Occupies from 3% to 60% of the total brush bundle cross-sectional area. In addition, it is preferable that the brush bundle group having a high hardness characteristic value is located on the tip side with respect to the center in the longitudinal direction of the head.

Further, it is preferable that the brush bundle group having a low hardness characteristic value is located at the outermost portion in the width direction of the head portion. With such an arrangement, gums and interdental papillae can be gently cleaned, and the massage effect is also improved.

Further, brush bundle groups having different hardness characteristic values may be alternately constituted by rows arranged in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the head portion.

Further, the brush bundle groups having different hardness characteristic values may be constituted by rows arranged in the longitudinal direction of the head portion.

Further, it is preferable to form a brush bundle or a group of brush bundles having different hardness characteristic values at the tip portion, both side portions, and the center portion of the head portion. With such an arrangement, the brush can be fitted to any site in the oral cavity.

The difference between the hardness characteristic values is preferably 1.1.
Double to 4.0 times, more preferably 1.1 to 3.0 times. If the difference in the hardness characteristic values is too large, the balance between the brush bundles or groups of brush bundles at the time of brushing is deteriorated, and the feeling of the brush bundles or the group of brush bundles having low hardness characteristics is reduced. Control characteristics and cleaning performance at the time are reduced. It is more preferable to form a brush bundle or a group of brush bundles having a high hardness characteristic value at the head end portion in the longitudinal direction of the head portion, because the cleaning properties of the back teeth are improved.

The head section is composed of a plurality of brush bundle groups (segments).
, And each brush bundle group is connected flexibly or elastically,
By giving the difference of the hardness characteristics between the brush bundle groups,
Further, the cleaning effect can be improved. The brush bundle group is divided into a plurality in the longitudinal direction of the toothbrush head portion, or divided into a plurality in the width direction of the head portion,
Alternatively, it may be divided into a plurality in both the longitudinal direction and the width direction. Further, by adding the hair cutting shape at the tip of the brush portion, the fitting property of the uneven portion in the oral cavity is improved, and the cleaning effect is further improved.

The hardness characteristic value of the brush bundle in the present invention is a value defined by any of the following hardness measuring methods.

(1) Method of measuring hardness characteristic value in accordance with JIS S3016 A toothbrush with a brush length of 7 mm is cut horizontally and fixed so that the cut surface of the brush is horizontal and compressed. Perform a buckling test. When the length of the brush is less than 7 mm, the length of the brush manufactured by the same method is 7 mm.
Use those. H = F2 / B2 H: Hardness characteristic value of the flocked portion (N / cm ² ) F2: Maximum value of load (N) B2: Flocked area (cm ² ) (= surrounded by connecting the outside of the flocked portion with a straight line Area of part)

(2) Method of Measuring Hardness Characteristic Value A toothbrush having a brush length of 7 mm, which is cut horizontally, is fixed so that the cut surface of the brush is horizontal, and a compression buckling test is performed. . When the length of the brush is less than 7 mm, the length of the brush manufactured by the same method is 7 mm.
Use those. H = F1 / B1 H: Hardness characteristic value of planted part (N / cm ² ) F1: Maximum value of load (N) B1: Cross-sectional area of brush constituting brush bundle (cm ² )

The group of brush bundles is a group of adjacent brush bundles having the same brush diameter and the same cross-sectional area.

(3) A method of calculating the hardness characteristic value by the following formula in the measurement method of (2) above: H = F1 / B3 H: Hardness characteristic value of the flocked portion (N / cm ² ) F1: Load value Maximum value (N) B3: Total cross-sectional area of brush bundle group (cm ² )

(4) A method of calculating the hardness measured value by the measuring method of (1) or (3) in the actual length state without trimming the brush of the toothbrush H = F2 / B2 or H = F2 / B3H : Hardness characteristic value of flocked part (N / cm ² ) F2: Maximum value of load (N) F2: Maximum value of load (N) B2: Flocked area (cm ² ) (= Connect the outside of the flocked part with a straight line B3: Total cross-sectional area of the brush bundle group (cm ² )

(5) A method of calculating the hardness characteristic value from the repulsive force of the flocked portion according to the ISO 8627 method (hardness standard of toothbrush).

(6) A method of measuring a hardness characteristic value from a repulsion force of a portion having a bristle length of 7 mm by a measuring method and a measuring device according to the ISO 8627 method (hardness standard of a toothbrush) may be used.

A toothbrush according to a second aspect of the present invention is the toothbrush according to the first aspect, wherein a predetermined region on the tip end side of the head portion is formed of an elastic body.

The elastic body according to the present invention is, for example,
It has rubber elasticity at room temperature, such as thermoplastic elastomer resin and silicone resin. When the elastic body is a thermoplastic elastomer, an olefin-based or styrene-based elastomer capable of providing a resin with a soft hardness is preferable.

The softness of the elastic body is not particularly limited and is appropriately selected according to the required degree of elasticity. The hardness of the soft resin is determined according to the test method JIS K6301,
Test conditions In JIS A, 5 to 60, preferably 2
The thing of 0-50 is good. Regarding tensile strength, 10-8
It is preferable to use one having a value of 00 (Kgf / cm ² ).

It is preferable that a brush bundle or a brush is planted on the elastic portion. Further, it is preferable that at least a part of the elastic body portion is formed with a brush tip made of an elastic body made of the same or different material as the elastic body portion.

The surface of the brush tip may be smooth, may have fine irregularities or bubbles, and the tip surface may be flat, broken into a plurality of pieces, or mortar-shaped.
The shape of the chip in the longitudinal direction may have an arbitrary angle.

The ratio of the elastic region to the total area of the head flocked surface is 3% to 80%, more preferably 5 to 60%.
% Is desirable.

The flexible angles θ11 and θ12 of the elastic region during brushing (see FIG. 9A) are 0 ° to 80 °.
°, more preferably in the range of 0 ° to 70 °.

Note that the flexible angles θ11 and θ12 are the maximum of the intersection between the center line of the thickness of the hard head portion and the center line of the thickness of the front elastic head portion when the movable member is moving (curved). The angle formed by the line connecting the front points and the center line XX in the longitudinal direction of the toothbrush head portion. However, when the head portion is curved and the center line XX is a curve, the approximate straight line is used as the reference line.

Further, the inclination angle θ2 between the elastic body region and the hard resin portion in a no-load state (see FIG. 9B)
Is preferably inclined toward the flocked surface in the range of 1 ° to 60 °, more preferably 2 ° to 55 °.

The inclination angle θ2 is, like the flexible angles θ11 and θ12, the point of intersection of the hard head section thickness center line and the front elastic body head section thickness center line and the thickness center point of the front elastic body head section. Of the toothbrush head and the center line XX in the longitudinal direction of the toothbrush head. However, when the head portion is curved and the center line XX is a curve, the approximate straight line is used as the reference line.

Further, in the toothbrush according to the third aspect, in the toothbrush according to the first aspect, an elastic body having a concave portion or a through hole is embedded in the head portion, and the elastic body having the concave portion or the through hole is embedded in the elastic member. A brush bundle holding chip made of a material harder than an elastic body is embedded, and a brush bundle is implanted in the brush bundle holding chip.

The brush bundle may or may not be implanted in advance in the brush bundle holding chip, and the brush bundle may be implanted in the brush bundle holding chip after the brush bundle holding chip is pressed into the elastic body in advance. Further, the brush bundle holding tip may be exposed from the flocked surface or may be buried in the elastic body. The embedding depth of the brush bundle holding tip into the elastic body is 2.0 mm to
7.0 mm, more preferably 3.0 mm to 5.0 mm.

An undercut portion of any shape and size can be formed on the brush bundle holding tip. When the undercut portion is formed, it is possible to sufficiently secure the pull-out strength of the brush bundle holding tip held by the elastic body. The elastic body provided with the concave portion or the through hole may protrude from the front and rear surfaces of the head portion, or may be depressed in the direction of the head portion thickness center.

The side shape of the undercut of the brush bundle holding tip can be polygonal, substantially circular, substantially concave, or substantially convex. The bottom shape of the undercut of the brush bundle holding tip can be polygonal, substantially circular, substantially concave, or substantially convex.

The outer diameter of the cup portion of the brush bundle holding tip and the size of the brush bundle flocking hole can be arbitrarily selected depending on the size of the bristle bundle to be planted.

Examples of the material of the brush used in the toothbrush of the present invention include commonly used polyamides (eg, nylon 6-12, nylon 6-10, 12 nylon, etc.) and polyesters (eg, polybutylene terephthalate, polyethylene terephthalate). Etc.), polypropylene and the like. Of course, a composite material combining these may be used. In addition, the cross-sectional shape of the brush is mainly circular, but is not particularly limited. For example,
A brush having a polygonal cross section such as a triangle, a quadrangle, and a hexagon can also be used.

The brush thickness is 3 to 10 mils (0.076 to
0.254 mm), preferably 5-8 mils (0.127 mm).
０．２0.203 mm) is good for general toothbrushes.

In general, the diameter of a single brush is the same except for the rounded portion of the brush tip. It may be in the form of tapered bristles that become thinner. The shape of the brush tip may be a spatula shape, a tapered wide shape, a spherical shape, or the like. Further, brushes having different thicknesses may be mixed in the flocked portion.

Regarding the hair cutting shape, a mountain cutting, a flat cutting, a round cutting, a front convex shape, or the like may be provided similarly to a normal toothbrush. The brush bundle planted in the head is
It is not always necessary that the hairs are implanted perpendicularly to the head part implantation surface, and the hairs may be inclined with respect to the head part implantation surface. The side surface shape of the head portion may be straight or curved, and the flocked surface formed on the upper surface of the head portion may be substantially curved.

The number of the brush bundles implanted in the elastic body may be one or more, and the cross-sectional shape of the brush bundle may be substantially round, polygonal, C-shaped, U-shaped, V-shaped, or the like. It may be similar to the letter shape of the alphabet. Also, the cross-sectional shape inside the cup of the brush bundle holding chip can be the same as the cross-sectional shape of the brush bundle.

The material of the toothbrush handle (hard head portion) may be a thermoplastic resin, for example, polypropylene, polyethylene, polyester, polyamide,
Polymethyl methacrylate, cellulose propionate, ABS and the like can be used, but polypropylene is preferable in terms of physical properties and price. Also, a multicolor molded handle combining these resins with each other or with a thermoplastic elastomer can be used.

When the brush or the bundle of brushes is fixed to the head portion, a method using a metal flat wire or melting the end of the brush,
A method of welding to a flocked hole may be used. When the handle portion is injection-molded, it is also possible to insert a brush bundle into a mold and integrally mold the handle portion, or to implant a brush using a brush bundle holding tip. It is also possible to insert-mold an elastic body and integrally mold it. Also, a combination of a brush, a brush bundle, and an elastic body tip is possible.

In the case where the brush bundles are inserted into a mold and integrally molded, it is preferable to melt the ends of the plurality of brush bundles and integrate them into a substantially plate-like shape before molding, in terms of the flocking strength. preferable.

The elastic body may be molded by a multipoint gate simultaneously with the elastic region of the handle portion. Further, the elastic body region of the handle portion may be connected to the elastic body region by a groove and molded at the same time by the same gate. With such a configuration, the connecting force increases, which is more preferable.

The thickness of the handle portion is 2.0 mm to 8.0.
mm is preferable, and more preferably 4.0 mm to 6.0 m.
m. The side shape of the head part is a straight shape,
It may have a curved shape, a refraction shape, or the like, and the flocked surface may have a similar shape.

[0056]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. 1 and 2 show an embodiment of a toothbrush according to claim 1 of the present invention. In each of the embodiments shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the hardness characteristic value of at least one brush bundle is set to be 1.1 to 5.0 times higher than the hardness characteristic value of the other brush bundle. In addition, a part of the head is configured to be movable.

1 and 2, 1 is a toothbrush head, 2 is a flocked surface made of a hard resin (eg, polyethylene resin), 3 and 4 are brush bundles, and 5 is a thermoplastic elastomer or the like. For the brush bundle 3 which is an elastic body and is shown in black, the hardness characteristic value is set to be 1.1 to 5.0 times higher than the other brush bundles 4 and
By connecting the plurality of divided flocking surfaces 2 by interposing an elastic body 5 on the distal end side, near the center, or on the side of the head portion 1, the flocking surface 2 on the distal end side of the head portion 1, Alternatively, the flocked surface 2 on the side can move up and down.

In the case of the toothbrush having such a configuration, at the time of brushing, the portion of the brush bundle 3 having a high hardness characteristic value moves vertically with the elastic body 5 as a boundary according to the brushing force. For this reason, the brush bundle 3 having a high hardness characteristic value fits well on the tooth surface, thereby improving the brushing effect and the massage effect.

FIGS. 3 to 15 show an embodiment of the toothbrush according to the second aspect. The toothbrush according to claim 2 is
A predetermined region on the distal end side of the head portion is formed of an elastic body, and the distal end side of the head portion is configured to be flexible.

That is, FIG. 3 shows a first embodiment of the toothbrush according to the second aspect of the present invention, in which the area of the head portion 1 near the neck is approximately 2/3 of a hard resin portion (for example, polypropylene resin) 6. And a portion about 1/3 of the front side of the head portion is made of an elastic body (for example, a thermoplastic elastomer) 7, and the hardness characteristic value of the brush bundle 3 implanted on the elastic body 7 is set to other values. 1.1 times to 5.0 than brush bundle 4
It is set twice as high.

With such a structure, during brushing, the portion of the elastic body 7 on the tip end side of the head portion flexes in the vertical direction according to the brushing force. For this reason, the brush bundle 3 having a high hardness characteristic value implanted in the flexible elastic body 7 fits well on the tooth surface, improving the brushing effect and improving the massage effect.

FIG. 4 shows a toothbrush according to a second embodiment of the present invention, in which a portion of the elastic body 7 is inclined by a predetermined angle toward the upper side of the flocked surface, and The diameter of the brush bundle 3 having a high hardness characteristic, which is planted in the portion (3), is increased and the brush bundle 3 is collected into one brush bundle.

FIGS. 5A to 5E show third to seventh embodiments of the toothbrush according to the second aspect.
3B shows an example in which three bundles of brushes 3 having a high hardness characteristic value are implanted in the elastic body 7, FIG. 4B shows an example in which the shape of the elastic body 7 in a plan view is circular, and FIG. An example in which the planar view shape of the body 7 is a tunnel shape, (d) is an example in which the planar view shape of the elastic body 7 is a fan shape, and (e) is two small elasticities extending in parallel from the elastic body 7. This is an example of a case where the connection strength with the hard resin portion 6 is further increased by the body pieces 7a, 7a.

FIGS. 6A to 6D show examples of the back surface shape of the toothbrush head unit 1 described above. Elastic body 7 and hard resin part 6
In order to increase the connection strength, it is preferable to extend a part of the elastic body 7 into the hard resin section 6 on the back side of the head section as shown in the figure.

FIG. 7 shows an eighth embodiment of the toothbrush according to the second aspect. This embodiment is an example of a case where the elastic resin 7 covers the hard resin portion 6. Also in this example, the portion of the elastic body 7 on the tip side exhibits flexibility.

FIG. 8 shows an example of a method of implanting the brush bundle 3 into the elastic body 7 in each of the above-described embodiments. (A) is an example in which the base portion of the brush bundle 3 is melted to form a molten enlarged portion 8, and the fused enlarged portion 8 is embedded in the elastic body 7 to implant the hair. (B) is an example in which the brush bundle 3 is implanted by driving it with a metal piece 9 called a flat wire. (C) shows an example in which the brush bundle 3 is implanted in the brush bundle holding chip 10 made of a harder material than the elastic body 7 and the brush bundle holding chip 10 is embedded in the elastic body 7.

FIG. 9 is an explanatory view of the elastic state of the elastic body 7 portion. Elastic body 7 formed at the tip of the head 1
Fig. 9 shows the brushing force according to the brushing force during brushing.
As shown in (a), the flexible angles θ11 and θ12 with respect to the center line XX in the longitudinal direction of the toothbrush are set to 0 ° to 8 °.
It is preferable to set the elastic force so that it can be changed in the range of 0 °, more preferably in the range of 0 ° to 70 °.

When the elastic member 7 formed at the tip of the head portion 1 is in a no-load state, that is, in a stationary state without brushing, as shown in FIG. Inclination angle θ2 = 1 ° with respect to -X
It is preferable to incline to the flocking surface side in the range of 〜60 °, more preferably 2 ° to 55 °.

FIGS. 10 to 12 show ninth to eleventh embodiments of the toothbrush according to the second aspect. In these embodiments, instead of the above-mentioned brush bundle 3 having a high hardness characteristic value, a brush tip 11 made of an elastic body made of the same or different material as the elastic body 7 is provided on the elastic body 7 instead. It is formed.

That is, FIGS. 10A and 10B show a case where a cylindrical cleaning tip 11 having a large diameter is formed integrally with the elastic member 7 at the end of the elastic member 7 at the tip of the head portion 1. Example,
FIG. 11 shows a configuration similar to that of FIGS.
An example in which the brush tip 12 is implanted also in the hard resin portion 6,
FIG. 12 shows an example in which, in the same configuration as that of FIG. 11, the cleaning chips implanted in the hard resin portion 6 are combined into one to form a long cleaning chip 13.

FIGS. 13 and 14 show examples of the shape of the cleaning tip 11 formed at the tip of the head portion. FIG.
14 (a) to (e) are plan views showing examples of the tip surface shape of the cleaning tip 11, and FIGS. 14 (a) to (i) are schematic vertical sectional views showing examples of the tip surface shape of the cleaning tip 11. It is. As shown in the figure, the tip surface of the cleaning tip 11 has a simple smooth surface (FIG. 10).
In addition to (a)), various uneven shapes may be provided as shown in other drawings.

FIGS. 15A to 15J show still another example of the cross-sectional shape of the brush tip 11. FIG. In each of the above-described examples, the cleaning chip 11 has a circular cross-sectional shape. However, as shown in FIGS. 15A to 15J, any other cross-sectional shape other than the circular shape can be adopted. Things.

Each of the cross-sectional shapes shown in FIGS. 15A to 15J can be applied not only to the cleaning tip 11 but also to other cleaning tips 12 and 13. Further, FIGS.
The brush bundle 3 having a high hardness characteristic value employed in FIG. 5 or FIG.
May be used for the cross-sectional shape.

FIGS. 16 to 18 show a first embodiment of the toothbrush according to the third aspect. FIG. 16 is a view showing the structure of a toothbrush head, FIG. 17 is a view showing a structure for embedding a brush bundle holding chip and an elastic body portion, and FIG. 18 is a view showing a structure of a brush bundle holding chip.

In the toothbrush according to this embodiment, an elastic body 22 having a through hole 21 is buried at the tip of the hard resin part 6 constituting the head unit 1. A brush bundle holding chip 23 made of a material harder than the elastic body 22 is embedded in 21, and the brush bundle 3 having a high hardness characteristic value is implanted in the brush bundle holding chip 23.

The thickness A of the elastic body 22 (see FIG. 17)
It is preferably from 2.0 mm to 8.0 mm, more preferably from 4.0 to 6.0 mm. The embedding depth B of the brush bundle holding tip 23 in the elastic body 22 is 2.0 mm to 7.0 m.
m is preferable, and more preferably, 3.0 mm to 5.0 mm.
It is.

The thickness C (see FIG. 18) of the cup portion 24 of the brush bundle holding tip 23 is preferably 0.25 mm to 2.0 mm, and more preferably 0.5 mm to 1.0 mm. The overhang dimension D of the undercut portion 25 is 0.1
mm to 2.0 mm, more preferably 0.2 m
m to 1.0 mm, and the thickness F is 0.1 mm to 5.0 mm.
And more preferably 0.5 mm to 2.0 mm.

The height E of the cup part 24 is 1.0 mm to 8.0 mm.
0 mm is preferable, and more preferably 2.0 mm to 5.0.
mm. The hole depth G of the cup portion 24 is 1.0 mm or more.
8.0 mm is preferable, and 2.0 mm or more is more preferable.
5.0 mm.

In the case of the toothbrush having the above structure, the elastic body 22 is deformed in accordance with the brushing force during brushing.
For this reason, the brush bundle 3 having a high hardness characteristic value embedded in the brush bundle holding chip 23 is movable in the up, down, left, and right directions, so that it fits the tooth surface well. As a result, the brushing effect can be improved and the massage effect can be improved.

FIG. 19 shows a second example of the toothbrush according to the third aspect.
An embodiment will be described. This embodiment shows an example in which four brush bundle holding chips 23 are embedded in the head end portion.

FIGS. 20 and 21 show third to thirteenth embodiments of the toothbrush according to the third aspect.

In FIG. 20, (a) shows an example in which the elastic body 22 has a concave shape, and (b) shows an example in which the tip of the brush bundle holding tip 23 is embedded so as to be higher than the head portion flocked surface. Example, (c) is an example in which the tip of the brush bundle holding chip 23 is embedded so as to be lower than the head portion flocked surface, and (d) is a case where the entire brush bundle holding chip 23 is
(E) is an example in which the entirety of the brush bundle holding chip 23 is surrounded by the elastic body 22 and the elastic body 22 is embedded so that the upper surface of the elastic body 22 is higher than the head part flocking surface.

In FIG. 21, (a) shows an example in which the entirety of the brush bundle holding chip 23 is surrounded by the elastic body 22 and the elastic body 22 is embedded so that the upper and lower surfaces of the elastic body 22 protrude from the flocked surface and the back surface of the head. , (B) shows an example in which an undercut is formed at the upper edge and the lower edge of the elastic body 22 to prevent slipping off, and (c) shows an example in which an undercut is formed at the lower edge of the elastic body 22 to prevent slipping out. (D) is an example in which an undercut is formed at the upper edge of the elastic body 22 to prevent the elastic body 22 from coming off.
(E) shows an example in which the tip end side of the head portion 1 is inclined toward the flocking surface side, and the brush bundle holding chip 23 is embedded in the inclined portion. (F) is a front end side and a rear end side of the head portion 1. This shows an example in which the brush bundle holding chip 23 is embedded in the two places.

The bristle bundle 3 can be implanted in the brush bundle holding tip 23 by using, for example, a metal piece 26 called a flat wire. FIGS. 22A to 22G show examples of the case where the bristle bundle 3 is implanted on the brush bundle holding tip 23 using the metal piece 26. Each drawing has the same structure, and differs only in that the cross-sectional shape of the brush bundle holding tip 23 is different.

FIG. 23 shows a method of manufacturing a toothbrush using the brush bundle holding tip 23. This manufacturing method uses the hair bundle 3
Is implanted in the brush bundle holding chip 23 in advance, the elastic body 22 is fitted into the fitting hole 27 at the head end, and the brush bundle holding chip 23 with the bristle bundle 3 planted is attached to the head end. This is an example of a case in which the elastic member 22 is embedded in the elastic member 22.

FIG. 24 shows another example of a method of manufacturing a toothbrush using the brush bundle holding tip 23. This manufacturing method shows an example in which after the elastic body 22 and the brush bundle holding chip 23 are embedded in the head portion, the bristle bundle 3 is finally implanted in the brush bundle holding chip 23 by the flat wire 26. Things.

Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described in various ways, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments, and various modifications and changes are possible.

[0088]

As described above, with the toothbrush according to the first aspect, the hardness characteristic value of at least one brush bundle is 1.1 to 5.times.
Since it is set to be 0 times higher and at least a part of the head part or a part of the brush bundle is made flexible or movable, it is possible to fit the brush tip to various irregularities in the oral cavity, and to achieve a cleaning effect and a massage. A toothbrush with excellent effects can be provided.

Further, in the case of the toothbrush according to the second aspect, since the predetermined region on the tip end side of the head portion is made of an elastic body, the fitting property to the unevenness in the oral cavity is further improved, and the cleaning effect and the masurge effect are further improved. Can be improved.
In addition, in order to improve the cleanability of the distal surface of the posterior part, the tip of the head part may be formed in a convex shape. When brushing, the flocked surface of the elastic portion becomes substantially horizontal, and the tip of the bristles can be efficiently fitted to any tooth surface. Furthermore, since the head tip side is made of an elastic body, the brush tip has the effect of wrapping the tooth surface when brushing the distal molar surface of the last molar, and the toothbrush has a high cleanability with little unpolished residue. Can be.

Further, in the case of the toothbrush according to the third aspect, an elastic body having a recess or a through hole is embedded in the head portion, and a material harder than the elastic body is used in the recess or the through hole of the elastic body. Embed the configured brush bundle holding tip,
Since the brush bundle is implanted in the brush bundle holding chip, the brush bundle embedded in the brush bundle holding chip can move up, down, left, and right to fit the tooth surface well. For this reason, it is possible to provide a toothbrush that is more excellent in the brushing effect and the massage effect.

[Brief description of the drawings]

1 (a) to 1 (c) are schematic plan views of a toothbrush head showing an embodiment of a toothbrush according to claim 1. FIG.

FIGS. 2A to 2C are schematic plan views of a toothbrush head showing still another embodiment of the toothbrush according to claim 1;

FIG. 3 shows a first embodiment of a toothbrush according to claim 2, wherein (a) is a schematic side view of a toothbrush head,
(B) is a longitudinal sectional view thereof.

FIG. 4 shows a second embodiment of the toothbrush according to claim 2, wherein (a) is a schematic side view of a toothbrush head,
(B) is a plan view thereof.

FIGS. 5A to 5E are schematic plan views of toothbrush heads showing third to seventh embodiments of the toothbrush according to claim 2;

FIGS. 6A to 6D are diagrams showing examples of the back shape of the toothbrush head.

FIG. 7 is a schematic vertical sectional view of a toothbrush head showing an eighth embodiment of the toothbrush according to claim 2;

FIGS. 8A to 8C are diagrams illustrating an example of a method of implanting a brush bundle into an elastic body.

9A is an explanatory diagram of a flexible angle of an elastic region at the time of brushing, and FIG. 9B is an explanatory diagram of an inclination angle of the elastic region with a hard resin portion in a no-load state.

FIG. 10 shows a ninth embodiment of the toothbrush according to claim 2, wherein (a) is a schematic side view of a toothbrush head portion, and (b) is a plan view thereof.

FIG. 11 is a schematic plan view of a toothbrush head showing a tenth embodiment of the toothbrush according to claim 2;

FIG. 12 is a schematic plan view of a toothbrush head showing an eleventh embodiment of the toothbrush according to claim 2;

FIGS. 13A to 13E are plan views showing examples of the shape of the tip surface of the cleaning tip.

FIGS. 14 (a) to (i) are schematic vertical sectional views showing examples of the shape of the tip surface of a brush tip.

FIGS. 15A to 15J are diagrams illustrating examples of the cross-sectional shape of the cleaning tip.

16 (a) and 16 (b) show a first embodiment of a toothbrush according to claim 3, wherein (a) is a schematic vertical sectional view of a toothbrush head portion, and (b) is a plan view thereof.

17A and 17B show an example of a structure of a brush bundle holding tip and an embedded portion of an elastic body, wherein FIG.
(A) is a plan view thereof.

FIG. 18 shows a structural example of a brush bundle holding tip,
(A) is a schematic enlarged longitudinal sectional view, and (b) is a plan view thereof.

19 shows a second embodiment of the toothbrush according to claim 3, wherein (a) is a schematic vertical sectional view of a toothbrush head portion, and (b) is a plan view thereof. FIG.

FIGS. 20 (a) to (e) are schematic vertical sectional views showing third to seventh embodiments of the toothbrush according to claim 3;

FIGS. 21 (a) to (f) are schematic longitudinal sectional views showing eighth to thirteenth embodiments of the toothbrush according to claim 3. FIGS.

FIGS. 22A to 22G are diagrams illustrating an example of a method of implanting a hair bundle into a brush bundle holding tip.

FIG. 23 is a view showing an example of a method for manufacturing a toothbrush of the toothbrush according to claim 3;

FIG. 24 is a view showing another example of another method of manufacturing the toothbrush of the toothbrush according to claim 3;

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Head part 2 Flocked surface 3 Hair bundle with high hardness characteristic value 4 Hair bundle with low hardness characteristic value 5 Elastic body 6 Hard resin part 7 Elastic body 8 Melting enlargement part 9 Metal piece 10 Brush bundle holding tip 11-13 Printing Sweeping tip 21 Through hole 22 Elastic body 23 Brush bundle holding tip 24 Cup part 25 Undercut part 26 Metal piece (flat wire) 27 Fitting hole

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. A toothbrush having at least two types of brush bundles having different hardness characteristics in a toothbrush head portion, wherein the hardness characteristic value of at least one brush bundle is 1.1 more than the hardness characteristic value of another brush bundle. A toothbrush which is set to be higher by a factor of 5.0 to 5.0 and at least a part of a head portion or a part of a brush bundle is made flexible or movable. 2. The toothbrush according to claim 1, wherein a predetermined region on the tip end side of the head portion is made of an elastic body. 3. An elastic body having a concave portion or a through hole is embedded in the head portion, and in the concave portion or the through hole of the elastic body,
The toothbrush according to claim 1, wherein a brush bundle holding tip made of a material harder than the elastic body is embedded, and the brush bundle is implanted in the brush bundle holding tip.