JP2005279251A - Nasal irrigator - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a nasal irrigator which can wash inside the nasal cavity comfortably and assuredly. <P>SOLUTION: This nasal irrigator that washes inside the nasal cavity by pouring a washing solution through nasal nares has a container body 2 and supply projections 4 protrudingly mounted upward at the top section of the container body 2. Each supply projection 4 has flexibility and a supply opening 41 is formed at its tip section that is inserted into the nasal cavity. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2006,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to a nasal irrigator for flushing a nasal cavity by pouring a washing liquid from an outer nostril.

  For example, a configuration disclosed in Patent Document 1 is known as a conventional nasal washer. As shown in FIG. 8, the nasal washer 50 is configured by providing a protrusion 53 at an upper opening edge 52 of a cylindrical container body 51, and an opening 54 is formed at the tip of the protrusion 53. According to this nasal washer 50, by inserting the tip of the protrusion 53 into one outer nostril while the cleaning liquid is put in the container main body 51, and tilting the container main body 51 while closing the other outer nostril, As shown in FIG. 9, the washing liquid can be poured into the nasal cavity for washing.

Patent Document 2 discloses a nasal irrigator 60 including a container body 61 and a duct 62 that curves obliquely upward from the bottom surface of the container body 61 as shown in FIG. A cover 64 having a vent hole 63 is attached to the upper part of the container body 61, and the head 65 is pressed and squeezed while the head 65 attached to the tip of the duct 62 is inserted into the outer nostril. The cleaning liquid is injected into the nasal cavity.
Utility Model Registration No. 3067963 Utility Model Registration No. 3076967

  However, in the nasal washer 50 described in Patent Document 1, the supply amount of the cleaning liquid into the nasal cavity varies depending on how the container main body 51 is tilted, so that the user suddenly tilts the container main body 51. The cleaning solution that has flowed into the nasal cavity may flow backward and blow out to the outside, or the cleaning solution may flow out of the upper opening edge 52, which is problematic in terms of workability.

  On the other hand, the nasal washer 60 described in Patent Document 2 supplies the cleaning liquid by pushing and squeezing the container body 61, so the above-mentioned problem does not occur, but the fit feeling when the head 65 is inserted into the nasal cavity is not good. There was a problem. In addition, since the cleaning liquid is jetted upward, there is a problem that the cleaning liquid does not sufficiently reach the back of the nasal cavity and the cleaning effect is not good.

  The present invention has been made to solve such a problem, and an object of the present invention is to provide a nasal irrigator capable of comfortably and surely cleaning the nasal cavity.

  The object of the present invention is a nasal irrigator for cleaning the inside of the nasal cavity by pouring a cleaning liquid from the outer nostril, comprising a container main body and a supply protrusion protruding upward from the upper part of the container main body, The supply protrusion has flexibility, and a supply port is formed at a distal end portion inserted into the nasal cavity. The distal end portion of the supply protrusion is achieved by a nasal washer having a tapered shape. The

  According to the nasal washer of the present invention, the nasal cavity can be cleaned comfortably and reliably.

  Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a nasal washer according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIGS. 2 and 3 are a side view and a plan view, respectively.

  As shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, the nasal irrigator includes a cylindrical container body 2 that stores a cleaning solution such as physiological saline. The material of the container main body 2 is not particularly limited, but it is preferable that at least the trunk portion 2a is formed of a synthetic resin having flexibility and elasticity. Specifically, thermoplastic materials such as low-density polyethylene, high-density polyethylene, polystyrene-based elastomer, polyolefin-based elastomer, and polyamide-based elastomer are preferable, and can be formed by injection molding or the like. However, it can also be formed of a thermosetting material such as natural rubber, silicone rubber, fluororubber, and urethane rubber. Moreover, you may form the container main body 2 with a transparent material so that the adhesion state of dirt may be grasped easily. Examples of the transparent material include polystyrene elastomers, polyurethane elastomers, 1,2-polybutadiene elastomers, ethylene-vinyl acetate elastomers, polyvinyl chloride elastomers, and the like. The bottom 2b of the container body 2 is configured to be placed on a horizontal plane by denting the center upward.

  The body 2a of the container body 2 is configured to be separable into an upper body 21 and a lower body 22. As shown in FIG. 4, a female screw 23 is formed on the lower inner peripheral surface of the upper body portion 21, while a male screw 24 is formed on the upper outer peripheral surface of the lower body portion 22. The upper body portion 21 and the lower body portion 22 are configured to be detachable by being screwed together. In addition, a contact portion 25 that protrudes radially inward from the inner peripheral surface is provided on the upper portion of the upper body portion 21. The upper end of the lower body 22 abuts against the upper body 21 and the lower body 22 by screwing the upper body 21 and the lower body 22 so that the upper body 21 and the lower body 22 are liquid-tight. Seal. The inner peripheral surface of the upper body portion 21 above the contact portion 25 is smoothly connected to the inner peripheral surface of the lower body portion 22 in contact with the contact portion 25 without causing a step.

  Further, two supply protrusions 4, 4 projecting upward are provided on the upper portion of the upper body portion 21. As shown in a plan view in FIG. 3, the supply protrusions 4, 4 are adjacently arranged so as to be symmetrical in the left-right direction, and the tip portions are inserted into the nasal cavity via the left and right outer nostrils. Supply ports 41, 41 for discharging the cleaning liquid are formed at the distal ends of the supply protrusions 4, 4. The supply port 41 is formed at the tip of the supply protrusion 4 in the present embodiment, but may be formed at the side surface of the tip. The diameter of the supply port 41 is preferably about 1 to 2 mm.

  As shown in a side view in FIG. 2, the supply protrusion 4 is formed so that the rear edge 4a is substantially linear from the tip to the top of the container body 2, and the container body 2 is placed on a horizontal plane. In this state, the normal line L of the supply port 41 is provided so as to be slightly inclined toward the front side upward. In addition, the front edge 4b of the supply protrusion 4 is formed to be curved inward so as not to interfere with the nose tip (nose tip) when inserted into the nasal cavity.

  As the material of the supply protrusion 4, a material having flexibility and elasticity can be used. Specifically, the material described above as the material of the container body 2 can be preferably used. Since the supply protrusion 4 is inserted into the nasal cavity, it is more preferable to use a soft material so that a comfortable feeling of use can be obtained. Specifically, the rubber hardness (JIS K6253) is preferably about A30 to A105, more preferably about A30 to A90. Such materials include polyolefin elastomers (A61-95), polyurethane elastomers (A92), polyester elastomers (A89-99), 1,2-polybutadiene elastomers (A69-98), polyvinyl chloride elastomers. (A40-90), fluoroelastomer elastomer (A61-67), chlorinated polyethylene elastomer (A60-85), etc. can be illustrated.

  According to the nasal washer configured as described above, the cleaning liquid is accommodated in the container body 2, the upper body 21 is screwed into the lower body 22, and then the distal ends of the supply protrusions 4, 4 are Insert into the nasal cavity so that the front edges 4b, 4b are on the nasal apex (nose tip) side. The neck is tilted backward while breathing from the nose as appropriate, and at the same time, the body 2a of the container body 2 is gradually pressed, so that the cleaning liquid is slowly poured into the nasal cavity from the supply ports 41, 41. Can be exhaled from the mouth.

  According to the nasal washer of this embodiment, since the supply protrusion 4 has flexibility, it can be deformed according to the shape of various nasal cavities that vary depending on the individual, and the user has a good fit. As a result, comfortable washing can be performed and insertion of the supply protrusion 4 into the nasal cavity can be ensured. Moreover, the variation of the space | interval of a right-and-left outer nasal cavity can be responded by such bending of the supply protrusion 4.

  Moreover, according to the nasal washer of this embodiment, the supply amount of the cleaning liquid to the nasal cavity can be adjusted by changing the pressing force applied to the trunk portion 2a. When the shape is restored, the supply of the cleaning liquid is stopped by the surface tension of the cleaning liquid in the vicinity of the supply ports 41 and 41. As described above, since the amount of the cleaning liquid supplied into the nasal cavity can be reliably controlled, there is a possibility that the cleaning liquid is supplied excessively as in a conventional nasal washer that adjusts the inclination angle of the container body and supplies the cleaning liquid. Therefore, the cleaning operation can be easily performed without causing discomfort.

  Further, according to the nasal washer of this embodiment, since the cleaning liquid can be poured into the nasal cavity from above and discharged from the mouth, it is compared with the conventional nasal irrigator that presses the container body and jets the cleaning liquid upward. Thus, the nasal cavity cleaning effect can be enhanced.

Although the control of the supply amount of the cleaning liquid can be performed only by adjusting the pressing force of the barrel portion 2a, when the operation procedure is familiarized to some extent, by adjusting the pressing force of the barrel portion 2a while tilting the container body 2, The cleaning operation can be completed quickly. In this case, when the container main body 2 is tilted so that the supply amount can be adjusted accurately even if the amount of the cleaning liquid remaining in the container main body 2 is small, the cleaning liquid in the container main body 2 is supplied each time. It is preferable to move smoothly toward the protrusions 4 and 4.
From this point of view, the nasal washer according to the present embodiment is formed so that the rear edge 4a of the supply protrusion 4 is substantially linear from the tip to the top of the container body 2 in a side view (see FIG. 2). The inner peripheral surface of the upper body portion 21 and the inner peripheral surface of the lower body portion 22 are configured to be smoothly connected without causing a step.

  As mentioned above, although one Embodiment of this invention was described, the specific aspect of this invention is not limited to the said embodiment. For example, in the present embodiment, two supply protrusions 4 and 4 are provided adjacent to each other in the left-right direction, so that the left and right nasal cavities can be cleaned simultaneously, but FIG. 5 (perspective view) and FIG. As shown in FIG. 6 (side view), the supply protrusion 4 may be single. In FIGS. 5 and 6, the same components as those in the above-described nasal washer are denoted by the same reference numerals.

  Moreover, in this embodiment, although it has comprised so that at least the trunk | drum 2a of the container main body 2 may have flexibility, the whole container main body 2 is made into the structure which does not have flexibility with hard glass etc. You can also. In this case, an air vent is formed on the upper front side of the container body 2 or the area of the supply port 41 of the supply protrusion 4 is increased to some extent so that the cleaning liquid can be supplied by the inclination of the container body 2. Is preferred.

  Moreover, in this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 4, although it comprises so that the upper end of the lower trunk | drum 22 may contact | abut to the contact part 25 provided in the upper trunk | drum 21, it shows in FIG. As described above, the external thread 231 is formed on the lower outer peripheral surface of the upper body 21, while the female screw 241 is formed on the upper inner peripheral surface of the lower body 22, and the upper body 21 and the lower body 22 are screwed together. By doing so, you may comprise so that the lower end of an upper trunk | drum may contact | abut to the contact part 25 provided in the lower trunk | drum 22. Even in this case, the space between the upper body portion 21 and the lower body portion 22 can be liquid-tightly sealed, and the inner peripheral surface of the upper body portion 21 and the inner peripheral surface of the lower body portion 22 are It can be smoothly connected without causing a step.

  In the present embodiment, the upper body portion 21 and the lower body portion 22 are configured to be detachable by screwing, but as shown in FIG. While the groove 232 is formed over the entire circumference, an annular rib 242 is provided on the upper inner peripheral surface of the lower body portion 22, and the rib 242 is fitted into the engagement groove 232 to be provided in the lower body portion 22. The lower end of the upper body part may be in contact with the contact part 25 formed. As described above, even in the configuration in which the upper body portion 21 and the lower body portion 22 are detachable by fitting, the lower side is placed on the contact portion 25 provided in the upper body portion 21 as in the configuration shown in FIG. It goes without saying that the upper end of the body portion 22 can be configured to be able to contact.

  A monitor test was actually performed using the above-described nasal washer. The nasal washer having the configuration shown in FIG. 1 was taken as an example, and the configuration in which the body 2a was not flexible and the configuration in which the body 2a was flexible were taken as Example 1 and Example 2, respectively. On the other hand, the case where the cleaning liquid was put into a paper cup (opening diameter 6 cm, bottom surface diameter 4.5 cm, height 7 cm) to perform nasal cleaning was used as a comparative example (Comparative Example 1). The test subjects were 10 people who had experienced nasal irrigation, 10 who had never experienced nasal irrigation, and a total of 20 people. The fit of the nasal washer (whether the container fit the nose) and irrigation (flowed into the nasal cavity) A five-level evaluation was made on whether or not the washing liquid could be ejected from the mouth without spilling, and the average value of the experienced person, the inexperienced person and the whole was calculated. The result is shown in FIG. As is clear from FIG. 7, regardless of whether the person is an experienced person or an inexperienced person, both the fit feeling and the cleaning property were better in the example than in the comparative example. Moreover, it confirmed that the structure (Example 2) in which the trunk | drum 2a has flexibility can obtain a better cleaning property compared with the structure (Example 1) in which the trunk | drum 2a does not have flexibility. .

It is a perspective view of the nasal washer concerning one embodiment of the present invention. It is a side view of the nasal washer shown in FIG. It is a top view of the nasal washer shown in FIG. It is principal part sectional drawing of the nasal washer shown in FIG. It is a perspective view of the nasal rinse device concerning other embodiments of the present invention. It is a side view of the nasal washer shown in FIG. It is a figure which shows the result of a monitor test. It is a perspective view which shows an example of the conventional nose cleaner. It is a figure which shows the use condition of the nasal washer shown in FIG. It is a perspective view which shows the other example of the conventional nose cleaner. It is principal part sectional drawing of the nasal rinser which concerns on other embodiment of this invention. It is principal part sectional drawing of the nasal rinse device which concerns on other embodiment of this invention.

Explanation of symbols

2 Container Body 2a Body 21 Upper Body 22 Lower Body 25 Abutting Portion 4 Supply Projection 4a Front Edge 4b Rear Edge 41 Supply Port

Claims (1)

A nasal washer that pours a cleaning solution from the nostril and cleans the nasal cavity,
A container body, and a supply protrusion projecting upward from the top of the container body,
The supply protrusion has flexibility, and a supply port is formed at a tip portion inserted into the nasal cavity,
The tip of the supply protrusion is a nasal washer having a tapered shape.

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