JP2006204890A - Toothbrush - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a toothbrush capable of minimizing the lowering of brushing force and the deterioration of feelings caused by the opening of bristles and also linking the open state of the bristles with a replacement time of a toothbrush and judging the replacement time of the toothbrush more accurately from the open state of the bristles. <P>SOLUTION: In a toothbrush in which a plurality of bristle bundles formed by bundling bristles are planted on a bristle planting surface 2 of a head part 1, one or more arbitrary bristle bundles 4a at least in the plurality of bristle bundles are set as an "indicator bristle bundles" meaning the bristle bundles also serving as an indicator for informing the replacement time of the toothbrush by judging from its open state, and the elongation recovery ratio of the bristles 3a constituting the indicator bristle bundles 4a is set smaller than that of the ordinary bristle bundles 4b surrounding the indicator bristle bundles 4a. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2006,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to a toothbrush provided with a bristle bundle serving as an indicator for notifying the time of replacement of a toothbrush from the open state of the brush.

Conventional toothbrushes form a flocked hole in 1.0mm or more intervals flocked surface of the head portion, a brush number 32-120 present per hole in this flocking holes is 1.0mm ² or more the total sum of the brush cross sectional area I had planted a thick hair bundle. In general, one type of brush used for toothbrushes is often used in terms of cost, and as these toothbrushes are used more frequently, the tips of the brushes open and the appearance and appearance are impaired. At the same time, there is a problem that the plaque removing power is remarkably reduced.

  On the other hand, Patent Document 1 (Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2001-314231) and Patent Document 2 (Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2003-189940) disclose a technique for narrowing the flock hole interval as a method for making the hair bundle dense. However, these specifications are not based on a premise of a so-called minority hair bundle in which the number of brushes per bundle is small.

  Conventionally, as solutions for reducing the durability of brushes, methods such as (1) planting thick brushes, (2) thickening hair bundles, and (3) shortening brush lengths have been adopted. However, such a method increases the bristle and hip strength, and not only has a poor feeling of brushing during brushing, but is also difficult to use for people with weak gums such as periodontal diseases and infants. Moreover, these methods do not provide a fundamental solution to the spread of hair ends.

  Further, as a toothbrush using brushes having different elongation recovery rates, there are toothbrushes using brushes made of natural hair such as pig hair, polyamide-based nylon, polyester-based polybutylene terephthalate (PBT), or the like. Furthermore, recently, a toothbrush using a brush made of polytrimethylene terephthalate (PTT) (Patent Document 3: JP-A-8-173244, Patent Document 4: International Publication WO 01/75200, Patent Document 5: Special Table) 2001-511379) has also been proposed.

  In addition, as a toothbrush using an indicator hair that displays the wear state of a brush, a toothbrush using a brush with a double core sheath structure (Patent Document 6: JP-A-2-152406), a brush with a core sheath structure including PTT A toothbrush using a brush (Patent Document 7: Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2004-24517) has also been proposed. In these, the color of the brush is changed by the wear of the outer resin constituting the double core sheath, so that the replacement time of the toothbrush can be known. However, in actual use, the change in color due to wear and the degree of opening of the brush do not readily match, so the indicator function is not functioning sufficiently.

  In Patent Document 4 (Pamphlet of International Publication WO 01/75200), Patent Document 5 (Japanese Patent Publication No. 2001-511379), and Patent Document 8 (Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2003-245133), the opening durability of hair is described. However, Patent Document 4 and Patent Document 8 refer to the bending recovery rate as a result. In Patent Document 5, the stress relaxation time is set in a state where strain is applied in the tensile recovery test. None of them reflect the state in which elongation and recovery act alternately as in actual brushing, and are insufficiently examined to ensure the durability of hair opening. It was.

JP 2001-314231 A (all pages, all figures) JP2003-189940 (all pages, all figures) JP-A-8-173244 (all pages, all figures) International publication WO 01/75200 pamphlet (all pages, all figures) JP-T-2001-511379 (all pages, all figures) JP-A-2-152406 (all pages, all figures) JP 2004-24517 A (all pages, all figures) JP 2003-245133 A (all pages, all figures)

  As described above, conventionally, in order to improve the durability of the brush, a thick brush diameter, a short brush length specification, and the like have been adopted. However, in recent years, brushes with higher durability than conventional products, for example, brushes made of PTT resin, have been adopted due to improvements in brush materials and development of new materials.

  On the other hand, brushing during tooth brushing varies depending on the person, such as the brushing method, number of times, pressure, type of toothpaste, etc., so the toothbrush bristles open individually and the brushing function from the bristled state It was difficult to determine how much has been reduced. For this reason, conventionally, the toothbrush was often replaced only when the feeling of use deteriorated due to the opening of the hair. Further, as described above, conventional indicator brushes and the like are not very meaningful because the correspondence between the opening of the hair and the indicator is not sufficiently taken.

  Therefore, the present invention minimizes the reduction of the cleaning force and the feeling of use due to the opening of the hair and links the state of the opening and the toothbrush replacement time, thereby more accurately determining the replacement time of the toothbrush from the open state. An object of the present invention is to provide a toothbrush that can be used.

  In order to achieve the above object, the present inventors conducted extensive experiments and research. As a result, in addition to the normal hair bundle dedicated to brushing, the present invention prepared a hair bundle serving as an indicator for notifying the timing of replacement of the toothbrush. If the elongation recovery rate of the brush used for the bunch is set smaller than that of the normal bristles used for brushing, the reduction in the brushing force and the feeling of use due to the hair opening can be minimized, and at the same time The present invention has been completed by finding that the state and the toothbrush replacement time can be linked and the toothbrush replacement time can be accurately determined from the open state of the brush.

  That is, the toothbrush according to claim 1 is a toothbrush in which a plurality of bunches of bundling brushes are planted on the flocked surface of the head portion, and at least one of the plurality of bristles is in an open state. Is set as an indicator / hair bundle that informs the replacement time of the toothbrush, and the elongation recovery rate of the brush constituting the indicator / hair bundle is determined from the elongation recovery rate of the brushes of other normal hair bundles adjacent to the indicator / hair bundle. Is also set to be small.

Here, the “elongation recovery rate” of the brush represents the ratio of the length recovery to the brush extension length after the brush is extended by a predetermined rate, and the brush is fixed to the brush fixing distance of 100 mm in the tension / compression tester. Measure the elongation and the load at the time of recovery after stretching at a predetermined rate (elongation recovery rate = 100 mm / min), and the maximum elongation (Tmax) obtained and the load is zero during recovery It is a value calculated by the following formula using the following elongation (T0). The greater the elongation recovery rate, the better the recovery to the original state.
Elongation recovery rate (%) = {(Tmax−T0) / Tmax)} × 100

  Since the elongation recovery rate may be difficult to make a difference depending on the material and structure of the brush, it should be measured in an extension range where the difference due to the material and structure is likely to appear. In the case of a brush for a toothbrush, it is desirable to adopt an elongation recovery rate at 20% or 25% elongation.

  As described above, if the extension recovery rate of the brush used for the indicator combined hair bundle is set smaller than the extension recovery rate of the brush used for the normal hair bundle, the extension recovery rate of The small indicator / hair bundle opens first. For this reason, it is possible to clearly notify that the replacement time of the toothbrush has come before the brushing force of the normal bristle bundle dedicated to brushing is greatly reduced.

The toothbrush according to claim 2 is the toothbrush according to claim 1, wherein at least a part of the hair bundles planted on the head flocked surface is between the hole edges between the flock holes of the other nearest fur bundles. The distance is set to 1.0 mm or less, and the total cross-sectional area of the brush per bundle is set to 1.0 mm ² or less.

  Note that “the total cross-sectional area of the brush per bundle of hair bundles” means that all the cross-sectional areas of each of the brushes constituting the hair bundle are added to one bundle of hairs planted in one tuft hole. It is the value. In the case of flat line type flocking, it is the sum total of the cross-sectional areas of the brushes after being folded in half.

  When the distance between the flock holes for flocking the hair bundle is too narrow, it becomes difficult for the brush to enter between the teeth, and the interdental penetration is reduced. On the other hand, when the interval is too wide, the appearance discrimination and the feeling of use are lowered. According to the experiments by the present inventors, it has been found that the distance between the hole edges between the indicator combined hair bundle and the normal hair bundle may be 1.0 mm or less, more preferably 0.25 to 0.70 mm. . When the distance between the hole edges exceeds 1.0 mm, the repulsive action of the hair bundle accompanying the brushing movement becomes strong, and the feeling of use is reduced due to the crumbly feeling of the hair bundle, and between adjacent hair bundles Continuous bending movement is not exhibited, and the plaque removal effect is also reduced.

In addition, the following 1.0 mm ² the sum of the brush cross sectional area per tuft one bundle, and more preferably a so-called minority tufts structure consisting range 0.10～0.70Mm ^2, brush that constitute the tufts Does not support the brushing pressure, and the hair tips can easily enter oral disease-prone sites such as the interdental region, the cervical region, and the pits and fissures. If the total cross-sectional area of the brushes per bundle exceeds 1.0 mm ² , the strength as the bundle is increased, resulting in a highly rigid bundle, and the flexibility of the bundle is extremely unfavorable. .

The toothbrush according to claim 3 is the toothbrush according to claim 1, wherein the toothbrush has a portion where the flock holes having a hole cross-sectional area of 1.2 mm ² or less are arranged in a staggered manner, and the flocking is carried out in the flock holes arranged in a staggered manner. The total cross-sectional area of the brush per bundle of each bundle is 1.0 mm ² or less, and among the flock holes arranged in a staggered manner, 1/3 or more of the flock holes located on the outermost side Is a hair bundle.

  “Staggered arrangement” means that the center of the line connecting the center of any two adjacent flocking holes arranged on the outermost side of the head flocking surface and the center line in the longitudinal direction of the handle. This means placing other flocking holes on a straight line. The application position of this staggered arrangement may be on the tip side, the central part, or the neck side of the head part flocking surface, or on the whole flocking surface. Normally, a staggered arrangement is generally arranged at the center of the flocked surface. However, for example, in the case of the back tooth specification, it is desirable to provide a staggered arrangement at the front end of the flocked surface to give an indicator effect to the front end. These can be arbitrarily set within the design range. Furthermore, the hair bundle to be implanted in the staggered portion arranged on the outermost side does not need to have the same physical properties for all holes, and the physical properties may be changed for each hole.

  In the case of the staggered arrangement as described above, the brushes of the indicator / hair bundle having a small extension recovery rate gradually open toward the outside through the gaps of the normal bristle bundle arranged in a staggered pattern as the toothbrush is used. For this reason, the normal hair bundle does not obstruct the opening of the indicator / hair bundle, and the replacement time can be reliably notified. The indicator function can be exhibited even in the case of other arrangements other than the staggered arrangement, for example, a grid-like arrangement. From the viewpoint of the indicator function, a staggered arrangement is desirable.

  In the case of a conventional toothbrush, about 32 to 120 brushes per hole are fixed to a flocked hole having a circular cross section having a diameter of 1.5 to 2.2 mm. However, such a thick hair bundle improves the durability but deteriorates the feeling of use. In addition, the brushes supported the brushing pressure, and not only the feeling of use worsened, but also the hair tips did not easily enter the oral disease prone part such as the interdental part, the cervical part, and the pit and fissure part.

In contrast, the toothbrush according to claim 3 of the present invention, a small flocking holes of Anadan area 1.2 mm ² or less, the total sum is 1.0 mm ² or less thin tufts of bristles cross-sectional area (so-called small tufts ) Is implanted, it becomes easier for each brush to reach the teeth and gums, and the reach of the hair tip to the site where oral disease is likely to occur is improved. In addition, such a small number of hair bundles can be implanted without causing an excessive load on the oral mucosa such as the cervical part and interdental papilla by expressing the continuous movement of a thin brush bundle that was impossible in the past. It is possible to develop plaque removal and gingival massage functions.

As mentioned in the description of the toothbrush of claim 2 wherein, the sum of the brush cross sectional area per tuft one bundle 1.0 mm ² or less, more preferably when the range of 0.10～0.70Mm ^2, hair The brushes that make up the bundle do not support the brushing pressure, and the tip of the hair is likely to enter the site of frequent occurrence of oral diseases such as the interdental part, the neck part, and the pit and fissure part. If the total cross-sectional area of the brushes per bundle exceeds 1.0 mm ² , the strength as the bundle is increased, resulting in a highly rigid bundle, and the flexibility of the bundle is extremely unfavorable. . For example, taking the case of 7 mil (0.178 mm) bristles with a circular cross section as an example, the total number of brush cross-sectional areas per hole is in the range of 0.10 to 0.70 mm ² is about 5 to 14 brushes. It is equivalent to 10 to 28 by folding when it is limited to flat line type flocking. This example of the number of brushes is one guideline for design, and can be set as needed depending on the specification of the toothbrush, the brush diameter, the cross-sectional shape of the brush, and the like.

  Furthermore, in the toothbrush according to claim 3, since 1/3 or more of the flock holes located on the outermost side among the flock holes arranged in a staggered manner are normally bundled, the cleaning power as a toothbrush is reduced. The brushing force equivalent to that of a normal toothbrush can be maintained. If the number of normal hair bundles with a high elongation recovery rate is less than 1/3, the force that supports the brushing pressure will decrease, making it easier to open the indicator / hair bundle with a low elongation recovery rate and reducing the plaque removal function. End up.

The toothbrush according to claim 4 is the toothbrush according to claim 2 or 3, wherein the number of flock holes made of a bundle of hairs having a total brush cross-sectional area of 1.0 mm ² or less is 25 or more and less than 100, more preferably. Is characterized by 40 to 80. When it is set as such a structure, the indicator function of the toothbrush of this invention can be exhibited to the maximum.

  In a toothbrush having about 20 flock holes, it is difficult to construct the toothbrush structure of the present invention on the head flock surface because the number of flock holes is too small. Further, even if the toothbrush structure of the present invention is incorporated in a part of the hair bundle arrangement, the conventionally used hair bundle is thick and the rigidity as the hair bundle is high, so the elongation recovery rate of the brush alone is not reflected. It becomes difficult to perform a sufficient indicator function, and the brush opening becomes unnatural. That is, a hair bundle having a high elongation recovery rate and a low elongation recovery rate arranged between thick hair bundles cannot be opened appropriately because the brushing pressure is supported by the surrounding hair bundle.

According to the experiments by the present inventors, in order to maximize the effect of the toothbrush of the present invention, a so-called minority hair bundle having a total cross-sectional area of the brush of 1.0 mm ² or less is used. It has been found that the number of planted holes implanted may be 25 or more and less than 100, more preferably 40 to 80. If the number of holes is less than 25, a sufficient indicator function cannot be exhibited. Conversely, if the number of holes exceeds 100, the production of the toothbrush of the present invention becomes difficult and the yield decreases.

  The toothbrush according to claim 5 is characterized in that, in the toothbrush according to any one of claims 1 to 4, the color of the brush constituting the indicator combined hair bundle is different from the color of the brush constituting the normal hair bundle. To do. In such a configuration, it is possible to more clearly display the opening degree of the indicator / hair bundle by the difference in color, and it is possible to more reliably notify the replacement timing of the toothbrush.

  The toothbrush according to claim 6 is the toothbrush according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein a brush made of polytrimethylene terephthalate (PTT) is used as a brush constituting the normal bristle bundle. It is what. Since the PTT brush is excellent in elongation / recovery characteristics, the durability of a normal hair bundle as a brush for brushing can be further increased.

  As the hole shape of the flocked hole, a normal circular hole or a square hole may be combined, but a hole shape having a major axis direction and a minor axis direction such as an elliptical hole, an oval hole, or a rectangular hole may be adopted. it can. By combining the direction of the short axis direction and the long axis direction of the flock hole, it is possible to design the specifications according to the desired hair contact feeling and brushing feeling. For example, if a rectangular hole is used and the short axis side of the rectangular hole is arranged outward so that it can be seen from the side of the toothbrush, the bristles appear to be thinner than the bunch of circular holes in which the same number of brushes are implanted. Thus, the appearance discrimination as a toothbrush can be improved.

  As a method for flocking the hair bundle, a conventionally known method such as a flat wire type flocking method, a thermal fusion method, an in-mold method, a laser method, or an ultrasonic method can be used. In the case of the flat wire type flocking method, if a flat wire is driven in the long axis direction of the flocked hole, the hair bundles are arranged in a line along the flat line in the flocked hole, so that the flocking strength can be improved. In addition, since the outermost hair bundle of the head portion looks thin depending on the direction in which the flat line is driven, the appearance discrimination can be improved. The flocking hole shape at this time is preferably a rectangular hole or an oval hole in order to reduce the gap between the hair bundle and the flocking hole. In addition, when driving a flat wire in the short axis direction, it is possible to reduce the space between the flocked bundle and the flocked hole by matching the diameter of the circumscribed circle with respect to the hair bundle cross section and the short axis dimension of the flocked hole. Thus, a flocked portion with excellent hair growth can be created. When the brush used in this case has a circular cross section, it is more preferable that the flocked hole shape is substantially elliptical or substantially oval. However, this does not apply to other flocking methods that do not use a flat wire, such as a heat fusion method, an in-mold method, a laser method, and an ultrasonic method.

  As the material of the flat wire, in addition to metals such as brass and stainless steel, biodegradable plastics and hard plastics can be used. In order to securely fix the flock hole and the hair bundle and reduce the gap, the thickness of the flat wire may be changed to adjust the gap. There is no particular limitation on the width, thickness, length, etc. of the flat wire used, and it can be set arbitrarily according to the design specifications.

  A toothbrush head part does not receive a restriction | limiting at all in the shape, a magnitude | size, and a design. As a minimum thickness of the head portion, a slight difference can be seen depending on the flocking method other than the flat wire flocking method and the flat wire flocking method, but generally the thickness is about 2 to 6 mm.

  Materials for the toothbrush handle include polystyrene resin (PS), polypropylene resin (PP), polyethylene terephthalate resin (PET), acrylonitrile butadiene styrene resin (ABS), cellulose propionate resin (CP), polyarylate resin, polycarbonate resin ( Materials such as PC), acrylonitrile styrene resin (AS), polyacetal resin (POM), saturated polyester resin (PCTA, PCTG), polybutylene terephthalate (PBT) can be used alone or in combination. A multicolor molded handle combined with a thermoplastic elastomer is also preferable. The handle material is not limited to these materials.

  Brush materials include polyester resins such as polyethylene terephthalate, polybutylene terephthalate (PBT), polytrimethylene terephthalate (PTT), and polyamides such as nylon 6, nylon 66, nylon 6-10, nylon 6-12, and nylon 12. Materials that can be melt-spun, such as resins, polyolefin resins such as polyethylene and polypropylene, and polyvinyl halides such as polyvinylidene fluoride are used. Any material may be used as long as it has a different 20% or 25% elongation recovery rate, and these materials can be formed into a multi-core sheath structure or combined with each other to be used as a composite filament.

  As the composite filament, for example, when PBT is a main component, it is preferable to use a polyester-based resin that is highly compatible with PBT among the above resins, and each resin is blended at a predetermined ratio and melt-spun. Can do. The blending ratio at this time is preferably one containing 60 wt% or more of PBT and 10 to 40 wt% of the other resin in order to maintain the rigidity of PBT. For example, a 25% elongation recovery rate of an 8 mil (0.203 mm) filament (brush) spun by mixing and melting PBT at 60% by weight and PTT at 40% by weight is about 65%. The stretch recovery rate at this time is not the stretch recovery rate of each material but the stretch recovery rate of the entire brush.

  In addition, as a core material, a polyester resin such as PBT or PTT is blended with about 5 to 30% of the same series of elastomer (Hytrel etc.), and the sheath part is made of the same series of elastomer and has a double core sheath structure. It is also possible to make a brush having a different elongation recovery rate by spinning into a filament.

  Even if a double-core sheath structure is not used, a similar high affinity polymer is used when a polyamide resin is used for the base, and a similar high affinity polymer is used when a polyester resin is used for the base. It is also possible to make a brush with appropriate blending and changing the elongation recovery rate.

  The thickness of the brush is 3 to 10 mil (0.076 to 0.254 mm), preferably 5 to 8 mil (0.125 to 0.203 mm) when the cross section is circular. Need not all have the same brush diameter and color, for example, 6 mil (0.152 mm) and 7 mil (0.178 mm), or 6 mil (0.152 mm) and 8 mil (0.203 mm). These may be used in combination in consideration of brushing feeling, cleaning effect, durability, and the like. Further, different brush materials may be combined, or may be combined with a rubber-like brush or chip such as silicon or elastomer.

  Types of brushes include normal round brushes, taper brushes, diamond brushes (Tynex® Brilliance Collection filaments), feather brushes (Tynex FEATHERED Fillaments), other irregular cross-section brushes (Tynex HEXAGONAL Fillaments, Tynex RECTANGULAR Fillaments), and Glenny Known brushes such as brushes (Tynex GRAINY filaments), spiral catch brushes and indicator brushes can be used. The brush is not limited to these brushes.

  The profile of the brush can be set freely such as a single flat shape, a chopped shape, or a concavo-convex shape by arbitrarily setting the shape of the free end and the length of the brush. Furthermore, it is good also as a different structure by the outer side and inner side, a front-end | tip part, and a rear-end part. The hair cutting shape at the tip of the brush can be combined with various shapes by modifying the shape of the cutter or a plurality of hair cutting steps, and usually the tip of each brush is rounded. Moreover, when using taper hair, a hair cutting process may not be passed, and in that case, a hair-end rounding process is not required.

  The thickness of the brush is usually the same (with the same diameter) in one brush except for the rounded ends, but it is twisted at a predetermined pitch toward the long axis of the brush, You may add a process and a crimp process. Further, in the vicinity of the root portion of the hair bundle, it may be in the form of tapered hair whose diameter gradually decreases toward the brush tip with the above-mentioned brush thickness (for example, the tip portion has a diameter of 0.01 to 0.08 mm). Further, the tip of the brush may be processed into a hair tip, such as a spatula shape, a scraper shape, or a spherical shape.

  The cross-sectional shape of the hair bundle is usually circular, but it is not necessarily circular. Depending on the design of the flocked part, an elliptical shape, an oval shape, a polygonal shape such as a triangle or a quadrangle, a straight line or a curved line It may be a combination of indefinite shapes. In particular, in the case of flat-line type flocking, an apparently continuous linear or curved hair bundle can be obtained by combining these irregularly shaped hair bundles and thin wall inter-hole flocking having a distance between hole edges of 0.1 mm or less. It can also be a group.

  For the coloring of the brush, it can be used as it is transparent (natural), or a transparent colored brush or opaque colored (including white) brush with a pigment or dye is appropriately selected in consideration of the commercial properties of the toothbrush appearance. . If necessary, two or more of them may be used in combination in the hair bundle unit or in the hair bundle, and when the brush cross section has a multi-core sheath structure, a partially different material or It can also be used in combination with a colored one. In particular, it is preferable that a brush whose color is changed in accordance with the difference in elongation recovery rate is excellent in visibility for the outermost flock hole of the head portion.

  As a method for coloring the brush, the resin itself at the time of spinning can be colored as commonly used, or it can be colored from the surface of the brush after spinning or accompanying the spinning process. Further, it is also possible to color only the tip portion of the brush or the entire brush in the state of a cut piece (filament bundle having a length of about 25 to 35 mm) before being implanted into the head portion or after the implantation into the head portion. In addition, within the range that does not impair the characteristics of the brush, heat or light stabilizers, flame retardants, fillers, surface lubricants, antistatic agents, sterilizing materials (antibacterial materials), etc. are appropriately blended or applied, Other hard resins and elastomers may be appropriately blended or applied.

  The flocking angle (the angle formed by the head flocking surface and the brush) is not necessarily perpendicular (90 degrees) to the head flocking surface. For example, for the purpose of enhancing the scraping effect in a specific direction, You may plant by inclining to about 15 to 20 degree | times with respect to the planting surface.

  The brush length (hair length) in the vertical direction from the head planting surface to the tip of the brush is appropriately selected according to the hair bundle specifications and the brush specifications in consideration of the feeling of use and the cleaning effect. -12 mm, 6-10 mm for children.

  When the toothbrush according to claim 1 is used, at least one or more arbitrary bristle bundles are set as an indicator-cum-bristle bundle that informs the timing of replacement of the toothbrush from its open state, and the brush that constitutes the indicator-cum-bristle bundle is extended. Since the recovery rate was set to be smaller than the elongation recovery rate of the brushes of other normal hair bundles adjacent to the indicator combined hair bundle, the reduction in the brushing force and the feeling of use due to the opening of the hairs can be minimized. At the same time, the state of bristles can be linked to the replacement time of the toothbrush, and the replacement time of the toothbrush can be accurately determined from the bristles of the brush.

When the toothbrush according to claim 2 is used, the distance between the hole edges between the flock holes of the other nearest fur bundles is 1.0 mm or less with respect to at least a part of the flocks flocked on the head flocking surface. In addition, since the total cross-sectional area of the brushes per bundle is 1.0 mm ² or less, thin bundles consisting of a small number of brushes, so-called minority bundles, are arranged at the most preferable intervals for the minority bundles. Each of the brushes constituting the hair bundle can easily reach the teeth and gums, and the reachability of the hair tips to the site where oral disease is likely to occur is improved. In addition, it is possible to develop a continuous movement of fine hair, which was impossible before, by removing a few hair bundles and removing plaque without overloading the oral mucosa such as the tooth neck and interdental papilla The gingival massage function can be expressed.

When using the toothbrush according to claim 3, each of the hair bundles having a flocked portion in which flock holes having a hole cross-sectional area of 1.2 mm ² or less are arranged in a staggered manner, and flocked in the flock holes arranged in a staggered manner. The total cross-sectional area of the brush per bundle is 1.0 mm ² or less, and among the flock holes arranged in a staggered pattern, 1/3 or more of the flock holes located on the outermost side are defined as normal hair bundles. Therefore, as the number of times the toothbrush is used, the brushes of the indicator / hair bundle having a small extension recovery rate gradually open outward from the gap between the outermost normal hair bundles arranged in a staggered manner. For this reason, the outermost normal hair bundle does not obstruct the opening of the indicator / hair bundle, and the replacement time can be reliably notified. In addition, since thin hair bundles consisting of a small number of brushes, so-called minority hair bundles, are arranged in a staggered manner, each of the brushes that make up the hair bundle can easily reach the teeth and gums, resulting in oral disease. The reachability of the hair tip to the recurrent site is improved. In addition, it is possible to express the continuous movement of fine hair, which was impossible in the past because of a few hair bundles, and without excessive load on the oral mucosa such as the neck and interdental papilla. It can develop plaque removal and gingival massage functions.

When the toothbrush according to claim 4 is used, since the number of flock holes made of hair bundles having a total cross-sectional area of the brush of 1.0 mm ² or less is 25 or more and less than 100, the indicator function of the toothbrush of the present invention is provided. It can be shown to the fullest.

  When using the toothbrush according to claim 5, since the color of the brush constituting the indicator combined hair bundle is different from the color of the brush constituting the normal hair bundle, it is easy to visually recognize the open state of the indicator combined hair bundle. It is possible to more reliably determine the replacement time.

  When using the toothbrush according to the sixth aspect, since a brush made of polytrimethylene terephthalate (PTT) is used as a brush constituting a normal hair bundle, it is possible to provide a toothbrush with higher durability.

FIG. 1 shows a first embodiment of a toothbrush according to the present invention.
This first embodiment corresponds to the configuration of the toothbrush according to claim 2, wherein FIG. 1 (a) is a partially enlarged plan view of a toothbrush head portion, and FIG. 1 (b) is implanted in a flocked hole. Fig. 1 (c) is an enlarged plan view of a flock hole and a hair bundle portion.

  In the first embodiment, in a toothbrush in which a plurality of hair bundles in which a brush is bundled on the hair surface 2 of the head portion 1 is planted, at least one or more arbitrary hair bundles 4a in the plurality of hair bundles are used as the hair. The hair bundle 4a also serves as an indicator for displaying the replacement time of the toothbrush from the open state (in FIG. 1 (a), a black-colored hair bundle), and the other hair bundle 4b is a normal hair bundle dedicated to brushing ( In FIG. 1 (a), the white bundle of hair), and the 20% or 25% elongation recovery rate of the brush 3b constituting the indicator / hair bundle 4a is set to the normal bundle 4b adjacent to the indicator / hair bundle 4a. It is set smaller than the 20% or 25% elongation recovery rate of the constituting brush 3b.

Further, for each of these hair bundles 4a and 4b, the distance d between hole edges between the flocking holes 5a or 5b of the other hair bundle with which each hair bundle is closest is set to 1.0 mm or less, and each hair For each of the bundles 4a and 4b, the total cross-sectional area of the brush per bundle is set to 1.0 mm ² or less. Reference numeral 6 denotes a flat line for driving the hair bundle into two.

  Here, the sum total of the cross-sectional areas of the brushes per bundle of hair bundles, as shown in FIG. 1 (c), for one bundle of hair bundles 4a (4b) planted in one tuft hole 5a (5b), This is a value obtained by adding all the cross-sectional areas of each of the brushes 3a (3b) constituting the hair bundle.

FIG. 2 shows a second embodiment of the toothbrush according to the present invention.
This 2nd Embodiment respond | corresponds to the structure of the toothbrush of Claim 3, Fig.2 (a) is an example at the time of employ | adopting a substantially rectangular flocking hole as a flocking hole, FIG.2 (b). Shows examples in the case of combining oval holes, round holes, and rhombus holes as flocking holes.

In the second embodiment, in a toothbrush in which a plurality of hair bundles each having a brush bundled on the hair surface 2 of the head portion 1 are planted, at least one arbitrary hair bundle 4a among the plurality of hair bundles is a hair. The hair bundle 4a serving as an indicator for displaying the replacement time of the toothbrush from the opened state (in FIG. 2, a black hair bundle) is set, and the other hair bundle is a normal hair bundle 4b dedicated to brushing (in FIG. 2). , White hair bundle) and 20% or 25% elongation recovery rate of the brush 3b of the indicator combined hair bundle 4a is set to be smaller than the 20% or 25% elongation recovery rate of the brush 3b of the normal hair bundle 4b, Further, the cross-sectional area of these flocked holes 5a and 5b is 1.2 mm ² or less, and the flocked holes 4a and 4b are arranged in a staggered pattern, and the flocks 4a and 4b are implanted in the staggered flocked holes 5a and 5b. Brush breakage per bundle The total area is 1.0 mm ² or less, and among the flock holes arranged in a staggered manner, at least one third of the flock holes located on the outermost side are the normal hair bundles 4b.

  As shown in FIGS. 2 (a) and 2 (b), the staggered arrangement means that two adjacent flocking holes 5 a (5 b) arranged on the outermost side of the flocking surface 2 of the head portion 1. This means that another flocked hole is arranged on a straight line perpendicular to the center line XX in the handle longitudinal direction from the position of the substantially middle point of the line connecting the centers.

  Hereinafter, test examples of the toothbrush of the present invention will be shown.

<Test Example 1>
Test Example 1 is a test example of a toothbrush having the configuration according to claim 2.
1. Flocking part opening test The present invention toothbrushes (present invention products 1 to 4) and conventional toothbrushes (comparative products 1 and 2) having the specifications shown in FIG. 3 are prepared, and the number of brushes is increased by using a model durability tester. A hair opening durability test was conducted.

  The test method is that the toothbrush head portion is positioned on a metal corrugated plate, and the brush tip is placed in parallel with the corrugated plate so that the tip of the brush is in contact with the corrugated plate surface. Immerse in warm water and reciprocate the toothbrush head in a direction perpendicular to the wave of the corrugated plate. The test condition was that the toothbrush head part was applied with a load of 300 g, and the reciprocating speed was 150 times / minute, the brushing stroke was 40 mm, and the brushing part opening rate was measured for each toothbrush.

In addition, the ratio of the flocked part opening ratio is measured by measuring the width of the flocked part of the flocked group that has been flocked to the head part before the start of use (the full width at the tip of the brush group in the direction perpendicular to the handle longitudinal direction). After a predetermined number of times (30,000 times) of wiping with a durability tester, the flocked portion width was measured again, and the difference was divided by the flocked portion width before the brushing, multiplied by 100 and displayed as a percentage. The width portion of the flocked portion to be measured at this time is the hair bundle position that spreads outward.
Flocking area opening ratio (%) = {(Flocked width after brushing−Flocked width before brushing) / (Flocked width before brushing)} × 100

2. Model plaque removal force test A model plaque removal force test was performed using the toothbrush after the 30,000-times brushing test.
The test method was to apply red paint as model plaque on the tooth neck and occlusal surface of the right buccal first molar of the adult maxillary model manufactured by Nissin Co., and load the toothbrush perpendicular to the tooth with a load of 200 g. After pressing and brushing 20 times with a reciprocating stroke of 20 mm in this state, the plaque removal rate was measured.

The plaque removal rate refers to the area occupied by the model plaque on the first neck and occlusal surface of the first molar by image analysis before the cleaning test, and again after the cleaning test. The difference is divided by the area occupied by plaque before the test, multiplied by 100, and expressed as a percentage.
Plaque removal rate (%) = {(Plaque occupation area before cleaning power test−Plaque occupation area after cleaning power test / Plaque occupation area before cleaning test)} × 100

3. Sensory evaluation test A sensory evaluation test was conducted to determine whether the open state of the toothbrush and the replacement time of the toothbrush were linked. The evaluation was based on a seven-step sensory evaluation of “well linked”, “neither”, and “not linked” by 25 general consumers. The score when judged as “well linked” is 7 points, the score when judged as “Neither” is 4 points, the score when judged as “not linked” is 1 point, The average value of the evaluation results by 25 people was taken as the evaluation result of the toothbrush.

The test results are shown in Table 1.
As is clear from Table 1, the comparative products 1 and 2 made of the conventional specifications have a large opening of the hair at the same time as the reduction of the plaque removal function of the toothbrush, whereas consumers perceive that it is still usable, In the products 1 to 4 of the present invention, the reduction in plaque removing power is suppressed, the toothbrush replacement time is linked to the open state, and the toothbrush replacement time can be notified without reducing the plaque removal function. It was confirmed that the toothbrush was excellent in improving oral hygiene awareness.

<Test Example 2>
Test Example 2 is a test example of a toothbrush having the configuration according to claim 3.
That is, the toothbrush of the present invention (the present invention products 5 to 8) and the conventional toothbrush (comparative products 3 and 4) having the specifications shown in FIG. 4 are produced, and the opening durability test is performed in the same manner as in the case of Test Example 1. A model plaque removal test and a sensory evaluation test were conducted. The results are shown in Table 2.

  As is clear from Table 2, although the comparative products 3 and 4 are linked to the open state of the toothbrush and the replacement time, the plaque removal function is significantly reduced (comparative product 3), and the toothbrush plaque is removed. At the same time as the function declines, the opening of the hair increases, but consumers recognize that it can still be used (Comparative Product 4). On the other hand, the present invention products 5 to 8 suppress the decrease in plaque removing power, the toothbrush replacement time and the bristle opening are linked, and the toothbrush replacement time can be understood without reducing the plaque removal function. It was confirmed that the toothbrush was excellent in improving awareness.

Hereinafter, the specific Example of the toothbrush which concerns on this invention is shown.
In the following examples, the first to ninth examples (FIGS. 5 to 13) correspond to the toothbrush examples of claim 2 and the tenth to twentieth examples (FIG. 14). FIG. 24) corresponds to an embodiment of the toothbrush according to claim 3.

FIG. 5 shows a first embodiment of a toothbrush according to the present invention.
In the first embodiment, 76 oval flocking holes each having a size of 0.64 mm in the short axis direction and 1.52 mm in the long axis direction are formed, and the indicator combined hair bundle 4a (filled in black in the figure). As a flocking hole, the same applies to the above, a 6-12 nylon brush with a diameter of 8 mil (0.203 mm) colored in blue was used, and other normal bristles 4b (flocking holes shown in white in the figure. Similarly, a PTT brush having a natural color (natural) and having a diameter of 8 mil is used. The 25% elongation recovery rate of the 6-12 nylon brush constituting the indicator combined hair bundle 4a = 55%, and the 25% elongation recovery rate of the PTT brush constituting the normal hair bundle 4b = 75%.

FIG. 6 shows a second embodiment of the toothbrush according to the present invention.
In this second embodiment, 64 substantially flocked holes having a size of 0.64 mm in the minor axis direction × 1.32 mm in the major axis direction are formed, and the diameter of the colored hair bundle 4a is colored blue. An 8 mil 6-12 nylon brush is used, and a PBT brush with a natural color (natural) 8 mil in diameter is used as the other normal hair bundle 4b. The 20% elongation recovery rate of the 6-12 nylon brush constituting the indicator combined hair bundle 4a was set to 55%, and the 20% elongation recovery rate of the PBT brush constituting the normal hair bundle 4b was set to 75%.

FIG. 7 shows a third embodiment of the toothbrush according to the present invention.
In this third embodiment, 74 oval flocking holes each having a size of 0.64 mm in the short axis direction and 1.52 mm in the long axis direction are formed, and PBT and PTT are set to 80 as the indicator combined hair bundle 4a. : Using a brush colored in blue with a diameter of 8 mil, resin blended at a ratio of 20, and using a PTT brush with a diameter of 8 mil in natural color (natural) as the other normal hair bundle 4b. 25% elongation recovery rate of a brush obtained by resin blending PBT and PTT constituting the indicator combined hair bundle 4a at a ratio of 80: 20 = 65%, 25% elongation recovery rate of a PTT brush constituting a normal hair bundle 4b = 75% Set to.

FIG. 8 shows a fourth embodiment of the toothbrush according to the present invention.
In the fourth embodiment, 71 holes having a substantially rectangular shape having a size of 0.64 mm in the short axis direction × 1.32 mm in the long axis direction are formed, and the diameter of the hair bundle 4 a serving as an indicator is colored green. An 8 mil 6-12 nylon brush is used, and a PTT brush with a natural color (natural) having a diameter of 8 mil is used as the other normal hair bundle 4b. The 20% elongation recovery rate of the 6-12 nylon brush constituting the indicator combined hair bundle 4a = 55%, and the 20% elongation recovery rate of the PTT brush constituting the normal hair bundle 4b = 75%.

FIG. 9 shows a fifth embodiment of the toothbrush according to the present invention.
In this fifth embodiment, 79 oval flocking holes having a size of 0.64 mm in the short axis direction and 1.52 mm in the long axis direction are formed, and a diameter colored green as the indicator combined hair bundle 4a. A 6-12 nylon hair bundle made of 6 mil (0.152 mm) brush, a hair bundle made of 6 mil diameter blue colored brush blended with PBT and PTT at a ratio of 70:30, and other than that As the normal hair bundle 4b, a PTT brush having a natural color (natural) and having a diameter of 6 mil is used. 25% elongation recovery rate of the 6-12 nylon brush constituting the indicator / hair bundle 4a = 55%, 25% elongation of the brush obtained by resin blending PBT and PTT constituting the indicator / hair bundle 4a at a ratio of 70:30 The recovery rate was set to 65%, and the 25% elongation recovery rate of the PTT brush constituting the normal hair bundle 4b was set to 75%.

FIG. 10 shows a sixth embodiment of the toothbrush according to the present invention.
In this sixth embodiment, 49 oval flocking holes each having a size of 0.64 mm in the short axis direction and 1.92 mm in the long axis direction are formed, and the diameter of the indicator-used hair bundle 4a is colored green. An 8 mil 6-12 nylon brush is used, and a white PBT taper brush having a diameter of 8 mil is used as the other normal hair bundle 4b. The 20% elongation recovery rate of the 6-12 nylon brush constituting the indicator combined hair bundle 4a was set to 55%, and the 20% elongation recovery rate of the PBT tapered brush constituting the normal hair bundle 4b was set to 75%.

FIG. 11 shows a seventh embodiment of the toothbrush according to the present invention.
In the seventh embodiment, 61 oblong flocking holes each having a size of 0.64 mm in the short axis direction and 1.52 mm in the long axis direction are formed, and the diameter of the indicator combined hair bundle 4a is colored green. While using an 8 mil 6-12 nylon brush, the other normal hair bundle 4b is a natural color (natural) brush having a resin blend of PBT and PTT at a ratio of 60:40. 20% elongation recovery rate of the 6-12 nylon brush constituting the indicator combined hair bundle 4a = 55%, 20% elongation recovery rate of the brush obtained by resin blending PBT and PTT constituting the normal hair bundle 4b at a ratio of 60:40 = 65%.

FIG. 12 shows an eighth embodiment of the toothbrush according to the present invention.
In the eighth embodiment, two circular flocking holes having a diameter of 0.8 mm, 24 circular flocking holes having a diameter of 1.0 mm, short axis direction 0.64 mm × long axis direction 1. Forty-five holes of a substantially rectangular shape having a size of 32 mm are formed, and as the indicator / hair bundle 4a, a 6-12 nylon brush having a diameter of 6 mil colored in green is used, and as other normal hair bundle 4b, A white PBT brush having a diameter of 6 mil is used. The 20% elongation recovery rate of the 6-12 nylon brush constituting the indicator combined hair bundle 4a was set to 55%, and the 20% elongation recovery rate of the PBT brush constituting the normal hair bundle 4b was set to 75%.

FIG. 13 shows a ninth embodiment of the toothbrush according to the present invention.
In this ninth embodiment, two circular flocked holes having a diameter of 1.0 mm are provided, and 39 substantially flocked holes having a size of 0.60 mm in the minor axis direction × 2.0 mm in the major axis direction are provided. A 6-12 nylon brush with a diameter of 8 mil, colored in blue, is used as the indicator combined hair bundle 4a, and a diameter of 8 mil obtained by resin blending PBT and PTT at a ratio of 65:35 as the other normal hair bundle 4b. The natural color (natural) taper brush is used. 20% elongation recovery rate of the 6-12 nylon brush constituting the indicator combined hair bundle 4a = 55%, and 20% elongation recovery of the tapered brush obtained by resin blending PBT and PTT constituting the normal hair bundle 4b at a ratio of 65:35. The rate was set to 65%.

FIG. 14 shows a tenth embodiment of the toothbrush according to the present invention.
In this tenth embodiment, 76 oval flocking holes each having a size of 0.64 mm in the short axis direction and 1.52 mm in the long axis direction are formed, and these are arranged in a staggered manner. As the hair bundle 4a, a 6-12 nylon brush having a diameter of 8 mil colored in blue is used, and as the other normal hair bundle 4b, a PTT brush having a natural color (natural) and having a diameter of 8 mil is used. The 20% elongation recovery rate of the 6-12 nylon brush constituting the indicator combined hair bundle 4a = 55%, and the 20% elongation recovery rate of the PTT brush constituting the normal hair bundle 4b = 75%.

FIG. 15 shows an eleventh embodiment of the toothbrush according to the present invention.
In this eleventh embodiment, 64 substantially flocked holes having a size of 0.64 mm in the minor axis direction and 1.32 mm in the major axis direction are formed, and these are arranged in a staggered manner. As the hair bundle 4a, a 6-12 nylon brush having a diameter of 8 mil colored in blue is used, and as the other normal hair bundle 4b, a PBT brush having a natural color (natural) and having a diameter of 8 mil is used. The 20% elongation recovery rate of the 6-12 nylon brush constituting the indicator combined hair bundle 4a was set to 55%, and the 20% elongation recovery rate of the PBT brush constituting the normal hair bundle 4b was set to 75%.

FIG. 16 shows a twelfth embodiment of the toothbrush according to the present invention.
In this twelfth embodiment, 74 oval flocking holes having a size of 0.64 mm in the short axis direction and 1.52 mm in the long axis direction are formed, and these are arranged in a staggered manner in the vertical and horizontal directions. As the indicator / hair bundle 4a, an 8 mil diameter blue colored brush obtained by resin blending of PBT and PTT at a ratio of 80:20 is used, and other normal hair bundle 4b is used from a natural color (natural). A PTT brush having a diameter of 8 mil is used. 25% elongation recovery rate of a brush obtained by resin blending PBT and PTT constituting the indicator combined hair bundle 4a at a ratio of 80: 20 = 65%, 25% elongation recovery rate of a PTT brush constituting a normal hair bundle 4b = 72% Set to.

FIG. 17 shows a thirteenth embodiment of the toothbrush according to the present invention.
In the thirteenth embodiment, 71 substantially flocked holes having a size of 0.64 mm in the short axis direction × 1.32 mm in the long axis direction are formed, and these are arranged in a staggered pattern. The hair bundle 4a is a green colored 6-12 nylon brush with a diameter of 8 mil, and the other normal hair bundle 4b is a natural color (natural) PTT brush with a diameter of 8 mil. The 20% elongation recovery rate of the 6-12 nylon brush constituting the indicator combined hair bundle 4a = 55%, and the 20% elongation recovery rate of the PTT brush constituting the normal hair bundle 4b = 75%.

FIG. 18 shows a fourteenth embodiment of the toothbrush according to the present invention.
In this fourteenth embodiment, 79 oval flocking holes each having a size of 0.64 mm in the short axis direction and 1.52 mm in the long axis direction are formed, and these are arranged in a staggered pattern, and the indicator combined hair As the bundle 4a, a hair bundle made of a 6-12 nylon brush having a diameter of 6 mils colored in green, and a hair bundle made of a brush colored in a blue color having a diameter of 6 mil obtained by resin blending PBT and PTT at a ratio of 70:30 As the other normal hair bundle 4b, a 6 mil diameter PTT brush made of natural color (natural) is used. 25% elongation recovery rate of 6-12 nylon brush constituting the hair bundle for indicator 4a = 48%, 25% elongation of brush blended with PBT and PTT constituting the hair bundle for indicator 4a in a ratio of 70:30. The recovery rate was set to 65%, and the 25% elongation recovery rate of the PTT brush constituting the normal hair bundle 4b was set to 72%.

FIG. 19 shows a fifteenth embodiment of the toothbrush according to the present invention.
In the fifteenth embodiment, 49 oval flocking holes each having a size of 0.64 mm in the short axis direction and 1.92 mm in the long axis direction are formed, and these are arranged in a staggered manner. A 6-12 nylon brush with a diameter of 8 mils colored in green is used as the hair bundle 4a, and a PBT taper brush with a diameter of 8 mils made of white is used as the other normal hair bundle 4b. The 20% elongation recovery rate of the 6-12 nylon brush constituting the indicator combined hair bundle 4a was set to 55%, and the 20% elongation recovery rate of the PBT taper brush constituting the normal hair bundle 4b was set to 75%.

FIG. 20 shows a sixteenth embodiment of the toothbrush according to the present invention.
In the sixteenth embodiment, 61 oblong flocking holes each having a size of 0.64 mm in the minor axis direction and 1.52 mm in the major axis direction are formed, and these are arranged in a staggered manner. As the hair bundle 4a, a green colored 6-12 nylon brush with a diameter of 8 mil is used, and as the other normal hair bundle 4b, a natural color (natural) with a resin blend of PBT and PTT at a ratio of 60:40 is used. ) Brush. 20% elongation recovery rate of the 6-12 nylon brush constituting the hair bundle 4a serving as an indicator = 55%, 20% elongation recovery rate of a brush obtained by resin blending PBT and PTT constituting the normal hair bundle 4b at a ratio of 60:40 = 65%.

FIG. 21 shows a seventeenth embodiment of the toothbrush according to the present invention.
In the seventeenth embodiment, two circular flocking holes having a diameter of 0.8 mm, 24 circular flocking holes having a diameter of 1.0 mm, a minor axis direction of 0.64 mm × a major axis direction of 1. 45 substantially flocked holes having a size of 32 mm are formed, and substantially rectangular flock holes and round holes are arranged in a staggered pattern, and the indicator combined hair bundle 4a has a diameter of 6 mil colored green. 6-12 nylon brush and a white PBT brush with a diameter of 6 mil as the other normal hair bundle 4b. The 20% elongation recovery rate of the 6-12 nylon brush constituting the indicator combined hair bundle 4a was set to 55%, and the 20% elongation recovery rate of the PBT brush constituting the normal hair bundle 4b was set to 75%.

FIG. 22 shows an eighteenth embodiment of the toothbrush according to the present invention.
In the eighteenth embodiment, two circular flocking holes having a diameter of 1.0 mm and 39 substantially flocking holes having a size of 0.64 mm in the short axis direction × 1.85 mm in the long axis direction are provided. Formed and arranged in a staggered pattern of substantially rectangular flock holes, as the indicator / hair bundle 4a, a 6-12 nylon brush with a diameter of 8 mils colored in blue is used, and as the other normal hair bundle 4b, A natural color (natural) taper brush having a diameter of 8 mil in which PBT and PTT are blended at a ratio of 65:35 is used. 20% elongation recovery rate of the 6-12 nylon brush constituting the indicator combined hair bundle 4a = 55%, and 20% elongation recovery of the tapered brush obtained by resin blending PBT and PTT constituting the normal hair bundle 4b at a ratio of 65:35. The rate was set to 65%.

FIG. 23 shows a nineteenth embodiment of the toothbrush according to the present invention.
In this nineteenth embodiment, there are four circular flocking holes having a diameter of 1.7 mm, and 55 elliptical flocking holes having a size of 0.64 mm in the minor axis direction and 1.52 mm in the major axis direction. The oval flock holes are formed in a staggered pattern, and a 6-12 nylon brush with a diameter of 7 mil (0.178 mm) colored blue is used as the indicator / hair bundle 4a. As the hair bundle 4b, a 7 mil diameter PTT brush made of natural color (natural) is used. The 20% elongation recovery rate of the 6-12 nylon brush constituting the indicator combined hair bundle 4a = 55%, and the 20% elongation recovery rate of the PTT brush constituting the normal hair bundle 4b = 75%.

FIG. 24 shows a twentieth embodiment of the toothbrush according to the present invention.
In the twentieth embodiment, there are two circular flocking holes having a diameter of 1.5 mm, and 54 oblong flocking holes having a size of 0.64 mm in the minor axis direction × 1.52 mm in the major axis direction. The oval flock holes are formed in a zigzag pattern, and the indicator / hair bundle 4a uses a green colored 6-12 nylon brush with a diameter of 8 mil, and other normal hair bundles 4b, A PBT brush having a natural color (natural) and having a diameter of 8 mil is used. The 20% elongation recovery rate of the 6-12 nylon brush constituting the indicator combined hair bundle 4a was set to 55%, and the 20% elongation recovery rate of the PBT brush constituting the normal hair bundle 4b was set to 75%.

1 shows a first embodiment of a toothbrush according to the present invention, (a) is a partially enlarged plan view of a toothbrush head part, (b) is a schematic enlarged perspective view of a hair bundle planted in a flocking hole, (C) is a plan view thereof. FIG. 2 is a partially enlarged plan view of a toothbrush head portion of a second embodiment of the toothbrush according to the present invention, in which (a) shows an example in which a substantially rectangular flock hole is used, and (b) shows an oval shape. Examples in which holes, round holes, and rhombus holes are combined are shown. It is a figure which shows the specification of the toothbrush used in the test example 1. FIG. It is a figure which shows the specification of the toothbrush used in Test Example 2. It is a figure which shows the 1st Example of the toothbrush which concerns on this invention. It is a figure which shows the 2nd Example of the toothbrush which concerns on this invention. It is a figure which shows the 3rd Example of the toothbrush which concerns on this invention. It is a figure which shows the 4th Example of the toothbrush which concerns on this invention. It is a figure which shows the 5th Example of the toothbrush which concerns on this invention. It is a figure which shows the 6th Example of the toothbrush which concerns on this invention. It is a figure which shows the 7th Example of the toothbrush which concerns on this invention. It is a figure which shows the 8th Example of the toothbrush which concerns on this invention. It is a figure which shows the 9th Example of the toothbrush which concerns on this invention. It is a figure which shows the 10th Example of the toothbrush which concerns on this invention. It is a figure which shows the 11th Example of the toothbrush which concerns on this invention. It is a figure which shows the 12th Example of the toothbrush which concerns on this invention. It is a figure which shows the 13th Example of the toothbrush which concerns on this invention. It is a figure which shows the 14th Example of the toothbrush which concerns on this invention. It is a figure which shows 15th Example of the toothbrush which concerns on this invention. It is a figure which shows the 16th Example of the toothbrush which concerns on this invention. It is a figure which shows the 17th Example of the toothbrush which concerns on this invention. It is a figure which shows the 18th Example of the toothbrush which concerns on this invention. It is a figure which shows the 19th Example of the toothbrush which concerns on this invention. It is a figure which shows the 20th Example of the toothbrush which concerns on this invention.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Head part 2 Hair transplantation surface 3a Brush of indicator combined hair bundle 3b Normal hair bundle brush 4a Indicator combined hair bundle 4b Normal hair bundle 5a Indicator combined hair bundle planting hole 5b Normal hair bundle planting hole 6 Flat line d Between hole edge distance

Claims (6)

In a toothbrush in which a plurality of bristles bundled with brushes are planted on the flocked surface of the head part,
Among these plural hair bundles, at least one arbitrary hair bundle is set as an indicator combined hair bundle that informs the replacement timing of the toothbrush from its open state,
A toothbrush characterized in that an extension recovery rate of a brush constituting the indicator / hair bundle is set smaller than an extension recovery rate of a brush of another normal hair bundle adjacent to the indicator / hair bundle. For at least a part of the hair bundles planted on the head-planted surface, the distance between the hole edges with the flock holes of the other nearest hair bundle is 1.0 mm or less, and the brush per bundle of hair bundles The toothbrush according to claim 1, wherein the total cross-sectional area is 1.0 mm ² or less. It has a flocked site in which flocked holes with a hole cross-sectional area of 1.2 mm ² or less are arranged in a staggered manner,
The total cross-sectional area of the brush per bundle of hair bundles planted in the staggered arrangement of flock holes is 1.0 mm ² or less, and the outermost of the flock holes arranged in a staggered arrangement The toothbrush according to claim 1, wherein 1/3 or more of the flock holes located in the normal are bundled. The toothbrush according to claim 2 or 3, wherein the number of flock holes formed of a bundle of hairs having a total cross-sectional area of the brush of 1.0 mm ² or less is 25 or more and less than 100.   The toothbrush according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein a color of the brush constituting the indicator combined hair bundle is different from that of the brush constituting the normal hair bundle.   The toothbrush according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein a brush made of polytrimethylene terephthalate is used as a brush constituting the normal bristle bundle.

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