JP2003144227A - Toothbrush - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a toothbrush which is equipped with bristles being excellent in durability, and at the same time, of which the bristle standing state is favorable. SOLUTION: For this toothbrush, on the flocking surface of the head section 4, a plurality of bristles 1 are fixed. In such a toothbrush, the bristle 1 comprises a polytrimethylene terephthalate, and also, the thickness of the bristle 1 is set to be 0.12 mm to 0.26 mm. Also, a packing factor when the bristles are flocked is set to be 60% to 100%.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a toothbrush having excellent brush durability.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Generally, a polyamide resin (nylon 6-10, nylon 6-12, etc.) or polybutylene terephthalate resin (PBT) is used as a brush of a toothbrush, and a toothbrush handle including a toothbrush head portion is used. Hard resins such as polypropylene, polyethylene, polyethylene terephthalate, polybutylene terephthalate, polymethyl methacrylate, cellulose propionate, polyurethane, polyamide, and ABS are used.

Further, as a toothbrush for removing dirt and plaque such as dirt between fine gaps in the oral cavity, for example, between the teeth, the boundary between the teeth and the gums, interdental triangles, periodontal pockets, etc. As a typical one, a toothbrush in which a tapered brush having a cross-sectional area that continuously or discontinuously decreases toward the tip of the brush is known (Actually No. Sho 56-15).
No. 5628, Japanese Utility Model Laid-Open No. 6-154).

As a method for producing such a taper-shaped brush, a method of shaving a columnar monofilament by grinding or a method of chemically treating by dissolving with a strong alkali, a strong acid or an organic solvent is used. It has been known.

Conventionally, as the taper-shaped brush material, polyamide resin (nylon 6-10, nylon 6-
12) and polybutylene terephthalate resin (PB
T) was used. In particular, polybutylene terephthalate (PBT) is used in terms of ease of processing and smoothness of the surface of the monofilament after processing, and the monofilament composed of this polybutylene terephthalate is partially dissolved in a strong alkali to form a taper. The method of processing into a shape is common.

In the case of this chemically treated tapered brush,
It is possible to make the tip thickness of the brush as thin as about 0.02 mm, and the reachability of the tips to the gaps between the teeth, the boundary between the teeth, the tooth gap, the triangular part between teeth, the periodontal pocket, etc. Is excellent.

As a method for fixing such a brush to the bristle-implanted portion of the toothbrush head, there is a general method of fixing with a metal piece (flat wire), or another method. As shown in JP-A-61-268208 and JP-A-9-512724, the lower end of a brush or a bunch of brushes is heated to form a molten mass, and then the molten resin is injected into a mold. There are an in-mold method for manufacturing a toothbrush, and a heat-fusion method in which a melted portion of a brush bundle is press-fitted and fixed into a molten toothbrush head portion as shown in JP-A-60-241404.

[0008]

As described above, a polyamide resin or a polybutylene terephthalate resin (PBT) is conventionally used as a brush material for a toothbrush, but these materials are not suitable for oral use and hygiene. Although it is excellent in terms of durability, it has some problems in terms of durability due to brushing, and problems such as fluffing also occur depending on the packing factor setting for flocking.

The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to provide a toothbrush having a brush having excellent durability and having a good brushing property.

[0010]

A toothbrush according to claim 1 of the present invention is a toothbrush in which a plurality of brushes are fixed on a bristling surface of a head portion, the brushes being made of polytrimethylene terephthalate (PTT), and The brush has a thickness of 0.12 mm to 0.26 mm.

Further, the toothbrush according to claim 2 of the present invention is a toothbrush in which a plurality of brushes are fixed to the bristling surface of the head part, wherein the brush is made of polytrimethylene terephthalate (PTT), and the brush is It is characterized in that it has a tapered shape whose cross-sectional area decreases continuously or discontinuously from the fixed side of the head part toward the tip side of the brush.

The toothbrush according to claim 3 is the toothbrush according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the packing factor is 6
It is characterized by being 0% to 100%.

A toothbrush according to a fourth aspect of the present invention is a toothbrush in which at least a part of a head portion is made of a soft resin such as a thermoplastic resin or a silicone resin, and a plurality of brushes are fixedly mounted on the flocked surface of the head portion. The brush is made of polytrimethylene terephthalate, the thickness of the brush is 0.12 mm to 0.26 mm, and the packing factor is 60% to 120%.

The polytrimethylene terephthalate (PTT) used in the present invention is a polycondensation polymer of n-propanediol and terephthalic acid and has a high elongation recovery power and an excellent flexion recovery power. By using a monofilament brush made of polytrimethylene terephthalate (PTT) having a brush thickness of 0.12 mm to 0.26 mm as a brush for a toothbrush, it is possible to provide a toothbrush with excellent durability.

It is preferable that these brushes are monofilaments having a substantially uniform cross-sectional shape.
The cross-sectional shape is not particularly limited, and in addition to a circular shape, any shape such as an elliptical shape, a triangular shape, a quadrangular shape, a hexagonal shape, a star shape, a three-leaf clover shape, or a four-leaf clover shape can be selected as necessary.

When the tip side of the brush is formed in a taper shape, the reach of the bristle tip to the gap between the teeth, the boundary between the teeth and the gum, the triangular part between teeth, the periodontal pocket, etc. is improved. It is possible to provide a toothbrush that is both excellent and durable.

The taper-shaped brush whose cross-sectional area decreases continuously or discontinuously from the fixed side of the head toward the tip side of the brush is, for example, Japanese Utility Model Laid-Open No. 56-155628 and Japanese Utility Model Laid-Open No. 6-154. Publication, JP-A-6-141923
Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2000-14447, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 200
As shown in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 0-23746, it means a tapered bristle whose cross-sectional area continuously decreases toward the tip side of the brush, but the cross-sectional area does not necessarily have to change continuously.
It may change discontinuously.

The cross-sectional shape of the tapered brush does not have to be circular. For example, JP-A-58-15812, JP-A-60-88110 and JP-A-1-594 can be used.
It may be elliptical or polygonal as shown in Japanese Patent No. 21, and may be triangular or clover-shaped as described above. Further, it is preferable that the taper degrees of these tapered hairs are even, but they may be uneven, and there is no particular limitation. Furthermore, JP 2001
It is also possible to have a shape in which the tip of the brush is branched into a plurality and each branch is tapered as shown in Japanese Patent Publication No. 169827.

The thickness of the brush is preferably 0.12 mm to 0.26 mm from the viewpoint of usability and feeling in the oral cavity. If it is less than 0.12mm, the waist is too weak and 0.26m
When it is more than m, it becomes too hard and the usability becomes poor. The brushes may be made of the same resin, and a plurality of brushes having substantially the same thickness may be fixed to the bristling surface of the head portion, but brushes having different thicknesses may be mixed and used. For example, 0.152 mm and 0.178 mm or 0.178 mm and 0.203 mm, such as 0.12 mm to 0.2
Within the range of 6 mm, it can be appropriately selected in consideration of usability, feeling of use, cleaning effect and the like. In the case of a tapered brush, the thickness of the brush is not particularly limited, but the tip thickness is about 0.02 mm, the thickness of the brush on the head fixed side is 0.12 to 0.26 mm, preferably 0. .17 ~
What is 0.23 mm, usability and feeling in the oral cavity,
It is more preferable in terms of reachability of the tips to the gaps between the teeth, the boundaries between the teeth and the gums, the interdental triangular portions, the periodontal pockets, and the like.

As the method for producing the above-mentioned tapered brush, the conventional method described above, that is, the method of shaving a columnar monofilament by grinding, or the method of chemically treating with a strong alkali or strong acid, or an organic solvent is used. Method etc. can be used. Particularly, in the case of polytrimethylene terephthalate (PTT), a method of chemically treating with a strong alkaline solution is preferable.

Polytrimethylene terephthalate (PT
When using a brush composed of T), all the brushes may be polytrimethylene terephthalate (PTT),
Different resins such as polyamide resin (nylon 6-1
0, nylon 6-12, etc.) or a brush made of polybutylene terephthalate resin (PBT) may be mixed.

Further, the angle of the brush to be brushed (the angle between the brush fixed to the brush surface of the head portion and the brush surface) is not necessarily perpendicular to the brush surface, and the plaque scraping in a specific direction is possible. For the purpose of enhancing the removal effect, the hair may be slanted at an arbitrary angle to be transplanted.

When fixing these brushes to the hair-implanted surface of the head part, it is preferable that the packing factor is 60% to 100% from the viewpoint of fluffing. In addition, the hair length when flocking is preferably 9 mm to 12 mm for adults and 6 mm to 9 mm for children when the brush tip surface is flat so that the tip surface is flat. Those processed into a spatula shape are also preferable. Further, the tip may be melted by heat to be spherical.

The resin of the toothbrush handle used for implanting the above-mentioned brush is not particularly limited, but for example, polypropylene, polyethylene, polyethylene terephthalate, polybutylene terephthalate, polymethyl methacrylate, cellulose propionate, polyurethane. , Polyamide, ABS and the like are used. Polypropylene is more preferable in terms of cost.

In particular, when the toothbrush head is a toothbrush using a soft resin such as a thermoplastic resin or a silicone resin, the packing factor is 60%.
It is preferably 120% from the viewpoint of hairiness. In the case of a toothbrush, the tip of the brush has a high function of cleaning plaque and dirt on the tooth surface. Therefore, good or bad bristling affects the cleaning function and durability, so a toothbrush with good bristling is required. Has been.

Here, the packing factor (filling rate)
Means a method in which a brush is fixed to a hair-implanted hole formed on the hair-implanted surface of the head portion using a metal piece (flat wire), or JP-A-60-
In the case of the heat fusion method in which the brush bundle melting portion is press-fitted and fixed in the flocked hole that is being melted as in Japanese Patent No. 241,404, the total cross-sectional area of the one or more fixed bristles is determined by cutting the flocked hole. The value divided by the area is multiplied by 100 and expressed in%. However, in the case of a method using a flat wire, a value obtained by subtracting the area of the flat wire portion fixed to the hair hole from the area of the hair hole is used. Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 61-268208, Japanese Patent Publication No. 9-
As shown in Japanese Patent No. 512724, after the lower end of a brush or a bunch of brushes is heated to form a molten mass, molten resin is injected into a mold to produce a toothbrush, which is fixed in the case of an in-mold method. The value obtained by dividing the total cross-sectional area of one or a plurality of brushes by the cross-sectional area of the through hole for holding the brush provided in the mold is multiplied by 100 and expressed in%.

[0027]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 shows a first embodiment of a toothbrush according to the present invention. In FIG. 1, (a)
Is a schematic enlarged view of a tip portion of a used brush, and (b) is a schematic side view of a toothbrush head portion.

In the first embodiment, as shown in FIG. 1A, polytrimethylene terephthalate (PTT) is used.
A cylindrical monofilament having a diameter of 0.2 mm is used as a brush 1, and as shown in FIG. 1 (b), the brush 1 is bundled into a required number to form a bunch 2, and the bunch 2 is a toothbrush handle 3 A plurality of hairs are planted on the flocked surface of the head portion 4 so that the hair length is about 10 mm (flat cutting). (Specific example 1) Number of flocked → 21 flocked hole diameter (round hole) → 1.7 mmφ flat wire dimension (thickness) → 0.25 mm Packing factor (calculated value) → 73.8%

An evaluation test was carried out using the toothbrush of the first embodiment, and it was confirmed that the toothbrush has excellent cleaning properties in the oral cavity, a feeling of use, and durability. .

Similarly, a cylindrical monofilament made of polytrimethylene terephthalate (PTT) and having a diameter of 0.178 mm was used as the brush 1, and the brush 1 was bundled in a required number as shown in FIG. 1 (b). Te hair bundle 2
A plurality of the bristles 2 were flocked on the flocking surface of the head portion 4 of the toothbrush handle 3 so that the bristle length was about 10.5 mm / 8.5 mm. (Specific example 2) Number of flocked → 31 flocked diameter (square hole) → 1.4 mm × 1.8 mm Flat wire dimension (thickness) → 0.23 mm Packing factor (calculated value) → 73.1%

An evaluation test was carried out using this toothbrush, and it was confirmed that the toothbrush had excellent cleaning properties in the oral cavity, a feeling of use, and durability.

FIG. 2 shows a second embodiment of the toothbrush according to the present invention. In FIG. 2, (a) is a schematic enlarged view of a tip portion of a used brush, and (b) is a schematic side view of a toothbrush head portion.

In the second embodiment, as shown in FIG. 2 (a), polytrimethylene terephthalate (PTT) is used.
A taper-shaped monofilament having a tip thickness of 0.02 mm and a brush thickness on the head fixing side of the brush of 0.20 mm is used as the brush 1.
As shown in FIG. 2 (b), a required number of bundles are bundled into a bundle of hairs 2,
A plurality of the tufts 2 are planted on the tufted surface of the head portion 4 of the toothbrush handle 3 so that the tuft length is 11 mm.

An evaluation test was carried out using the toothbrush of the second embodiment. As a result, the feeling of use in the oral cavity, the space between the teeth, the boundary between the teeth and the gum, the interdental triangular portion, the periodontal pocket, etc. It was confirmed that this is a toothbrush with excellent hair penetration and excellent durability.

In the above embodiment, the brush made of polytrimethylene terephthalate (PTT) is used for the toothbrush, but the object of use of the brush is not limited to the toothbrush, and for example, an interdental brush, That is, the same excellent effect can be obtained by using an interdental brush having a wire portion made of a twisted wire and a brush portion made of a plurality of filaments sandwiched between the twisted wires of the wire portion. Can be demonstrated.

When used for an interdental brush, the thickness of the brush is preferably 0.05 mm to 0.13 mm in relation to the interdental gap. More specifically, depending on the size of the interdental brush, the SS and S sizes are 0.05 mm to 0.0 mm.
76 mm, 0.06 mm to 0.09 mm for M size,
The L and LL sizes preferably have a thickness of 0.076 mm to 0.10 mm.

For reference, specific examples of this interdental brush will be given below. (Specific Example 1) Polytrimethylene terephthalate (PT
T) about 250 brushes made of monofilament with a diameter of about 0.0635 mm and a diameter of about 0.25 m
It was sandwiched between twisted wires using a cobalt base metal wire of m. The length of the flocked part is about 10 mm, and the shape (outer shape) of the filament part is 2 mm at the front end and 2.5 m at the rear end.
The hair was cut into a conical shape of m, and the tip of the filament was rounded with a file to obtain an SS size interdental brush. An evaluation test was carried out using this, and it was confirmed that it had a good feeling in use and excellent durability.

(Specific Example 2) About 300 brushes made of monofilament made of polytrimethylene terephthalate (PTT) and having a diameter of about 0.0762 mm were twisted with a wire made of stainless steel having a diameter of about 0.3 mm. It was sandwiched between the wires. The length of the flocked part is about 10 mm, and the shape (outer shape) of the filament part is 3 mm at the front end and 4.
Bristles were cut into a cone shape of 5 mm, and the tip of the filament was rounded with a file to obtain an MS-sized interdental brush. When I conducted an evaluation test using this,
It was confirmed that it has a good feeling in use and is excellent in durability.

[0039]

As described above, according to the toothbrush of the present invention, polytrimethylene terephthalate (PT) is used.
Since T) has high elongation recovery and bending recovery, it is possible to obtain a toothbrush with excellent durability. In particular, in the case of a tapered brush, it is possible to obtain a toothbrush that is excellent in durability and at the same time excellent in the ability to advance the bristles, and stains in fine gaps in the oral cavity, for example, between teeth, between teeth and gums. It is possible to effectively remove dirt and plaque such as borders, interdental triangles and periodontal pockets. Further, by fixing the brush to the toothbrush head portion so that the packing factor is 60% to 100%, a toothbrush with good bristling can be obtained, and the toothbrush has excellent cleaning properties on the tooth surface and excellent durability. Can be provided. Further, particularly in the case of a toothbrush in which a part of the toothbrush head part is made of a soft resin such as a thermoplastic resin or a silicone resin, fixing of the toothbrush head part to a packing factor of 60% to 120% results in hair fluffing. A good toothbrush can be obtained, a toothbrush having excellent cleaning properties on the tooth surface and excellent durability can be provided.

[Brief description of drawings]

1A and 1B show a first embodiment of a toothbrush according to the present invention, in which FIG. 1A is a schematic enlarged view of a tip portion of a used brush, and FIG. 1B is a schematic side view of a toothbrush head portion.

FIG. 2 shows a second embodiment of the toothbrush according to the present invention, (a) is a schematic enlarged view of a tip portion of a used brush, and (b) is a schematic side view of a toothbrush head portion.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 brush 2 hair bundle 3 toothbrush handle 4 head

Claims (4)

[Claims] 1. A toothbrush in which a plurality of brushes are fixed on a bristling surface of a head portion, wherein the brushes are made of polytrimethylene terephthalate, and the thickness of the brushes is 0.12 m.
A toothbrush having a diameter of m to 0.26 mm. 2. A toothbrush in which a plurality of brushes are fixed to a bristling surface of a head portion, wherein the brush is made of polytrimethylene terephthalate, and the brush is continuous from the head portion fixing side to the brush tip side or A toothbrush characterized by having a tapered shape whose cross-sectional area is discontinuously reduced. 3. The packing factor is 60% to 100.
%, The toothbrush according to claim 1 or 2. 4. At least a part of the head portion is made of a soft resin such as a thermoplastic resin or a silicone resin,
In a toothbrush in which a plurality of brushes are fixedly mounted on the bristling surface of the head portion, the brush is made of polytrimethylene terephthalate, and the thickness of the brush is 0.12 mm to 0.26 mm.
A toothbrush having a packing factor of 60% to 120% in mm.