JP2009072427A - Electric toothbrush - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an electric toothbrush providing a user with the actual feeling of high cleaning, suppressing noise and vibration and having high operability in the oral cavity with its small size and lightweight. <P>SOLUTION: This electric toothbrush is provided with: a body part 2 which has a pump part 5 for generating pulsation in fluid B, and a power supply part 6 for supplying a current to the pump part 5, in its inside; a neck part 3 extending from the body part 2, having one end 31a connected to the pump part 5 and having a pulsation transmission tube 31 for circulating the fluid B in its inside; and a head part 4 attached to the tip 3a of the neck part 3, equipped with a vibration mechanism 8 connected with the other end 31b of the pulsation transmission tube 31 and vibrating along with the pulsation of the fluid B and a brush part 42 vibrated by the vibration mechanism 8; and is configured to vibrate the brush part 42 by pulsating the fluid B by the pump part 5. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2009,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to an electric toothbrush that cleans the oral cavity by electrically vibrating a brush portion.

  2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, there is an electric toothbrush that is provided with a power mechanism or a drive mechanism using a motor or the like in a toothbrush used for cleaning the oral cavity and rubs the oral cavity by vibrating a brush. Examples of such an electric toothbrush include a rotation (spin) type using a motor, a high-speed fine vibration type using a vibration motor and a linear motor, and an ultrasonic vibration type using a piezoelectric element.

As the rotation type electric toothbrush as described above, a configuration in which the rotational driving force from the motor is converted into the reciprocating motion of the head part through a complicated eccentric link mechanism or the like has been proposed (for example, Patent Documents). 1). According to the electric toothbrush described in Patent Document 1, it is possible to efficiently and carefully clean even a portion where the brush is difficult to reach in the oral cavity.
However, the configuration of the electric toothbrush disclosed in Patent Document 1 has a complicated configuration including a motor and an eccentric link mechanism, and thus there is a problem that noise and vibration that make the user feel uncomfortable are likely to occur. In addition, there is a problem that the head portion is thicker than a normal toothbrush and the operability in the oral cavity is lowered.
In addition, since the drive loss in the eccentric link mechanism is large, the energy efficiency is low, and it is necessary to increase the size of the motor and power supply. When a high-output motor and power supply are used, the size of the gripping part of the main body increases. There is a problem that the operability is lowered and the main body becomes very heavy.

Further, as a vibration motor type electric toothbrush, a configuration that generates vibration by rotating an eccentric weight with a motor has been proposed (for example, Patent Document 2). According to the electric toothbrush described in Patent Document 2, since it has a simple configuration as described above, it is excellent in manufacturing efficiency, and a small and low output motor is sufficient, so that vibration of the motor itself can be reduced. It is also possible to make the gripping part slim.
However, in the configuration of the electric toothbrush of Patent Document 2, vibration is generated in the entire electric toothbrush main body, and there is a possibility that unpleasant vibration is transmitted to the user's hand and lips. For this reason, improvements such as attaching a vibration motor to the main body via a vibration suppressing member and arranging an eccentric weight at the tip of the neck part have been made. Although reduction is possible, it is difficult to reduce the vibration of the neck portion, and therefore, the problem that unpleasant vibration is transmitted to the user's lips when using the electric toothbrush is inevitable.

In addition, as a linear motor type electric toothbrush, a configuration in which the neck portion and the entire head portion are reciprocally vibrated at high speed by a stator made of an electromagnet provided in the main body and a mover made of a permanent magnet has been proposed. (For example, patent document 3). According to the electric toothbrush described in Patent Document 3, it is possible to perform linear / rotational motion of the brush in a reciprocating manner with a simple configuration.
However, in the configuration of the electric toothbrush of Patent Document 3, in order to suppress the main body vibration, although a device such as using a spring material has been devised, for the configuration to transmit the reciprocating vibration generated in the main body to the neck portion, There is a problem when unpleasant vibrations are transmitted to the user's lips. Moreover, when it is set as the said structure, there exists a possibility that a liquid may permeate into the inside of a main body from between the housing upper part of a main body and the drive shaft of a brush part. Further, the drive shaft of the brush portion provided so as to protrude from the main body reciprocates / rotates, so it needs to have a linear shape, and it is difficult to make a curve neck shape with excellent operability in the oral cavity. There's a problem. Further, in Patent Document 3, there is a problem that the size and weight of the main body are increased and usability is lowered.

In addition, as an ultrasonic vibration type electric toothbrush, one that is configured to be able to clean plaque and the like of a part that does not reach the brush by using high-frequency vibration of the piezoelectric element itself has been proposed (for example, Patent Document 4). According to the electric toothbrush described in Patent Document 4, the configuration is simple and waterproof.
However, in the configuration of the electric toothbrush of Patent Document 4, it is necessary to keep the output within a weak range in consideration of the influence on the human body due to the high frequency vibration. In this case, the user feels slight vibration from the electric toothbrush. For this reason, there is a problem that it is difficult for the user to realize the cleaning effect in the cleaning by ultrasonic driving at a frequency exceeding the audible range. Moreover, in the electric toothbrush of patent document 4, since an ultrasonic transducer | vibrator is exposed to the brushed part of a brush, since a brush cannot be planted in that part and it becomes loose, it is inferior to a usability | use_condition. There was a problem.

Due to the above problems, the user is attracted by the cleaning effect of the electric toothbrush, but it comes from the discomfort due to vibration and noise, the size and weight of the main body, the thickness and width of the head part, etc. We feel dissatisfied with the low usability such as low operability in the oral cavity, which is not found in ordinary toothbrushes, and it has been strongly desired to solve such problems.
JP-A-6-343513 JP-A-56-500159 JP-A 63-29604 Japanese Utility Model Publication No.57-2829

  The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to provide an electric toothbrush that provides a high cleaning feeling, suppresses noise and vibration, is small and light, and has excellent operability in the oral cavity.

  As a result of intensive studies to solve the above problems, the present applicant has completed the invention having the following configuration.

  The present invention includes a pump unit that generates pulsation in a fluid, a main body unit that includes a power source unit that supplies current to the pump unit, and an end connected to the pump unit. And a pulsation transmission tube through which a fluid is circulated, and a neck portion provided inside, and attached to the tip of the neck portion, the other end of the pulsation transmission tube is connected and accompanying the pulsation of the fluid A vibration mechanism that vibrates, and a head portion provided with a brush portion that vibrates by the vibration mechanism, and the brush portion is configured to vibrate when the fluid pulsates by the pump portion. An electric toothbrush is provided.

  According to such a configuration, the brush portion provided in the head portion is vibrated by pulsating the fluid in the pump portion, so that unpleasant vibration and noise can be suppressed. In addition, the main body is mainly composed of a small pump that is sufficient to pulsate the fluid and vibrate the brush, and a small power supply that drives the pump. It is possible to improve the usability as a gripping portion. In addition, since the neck portion has a simple configuration provided with a pulsation transmission tube, the neck portion can be formed into a shape having excellent operability in the oral cavity, such as a curved shape, and the cleaning effect can be improved. . Further, since the structure is simple, an electric toothbrush that is low in cost and has few failures can be obtained.

  The electric toothbrush of the present invention is connected to the pump portion with an elastic film provided at the rear end portion of the pump portion, and is provided with a mover made of a permanent magnet and an electromagnet arranged to face the mover. It can be set as the structure provided with the pulsation generation | occurrence | production mechanism which consists of a stator.

  According to such a configuration, the mover and the stator are made of magnets, and the pulsation generating mechanism is a non-contact drive that generates pulsation using the magnetic repulsive force, so that the pump unit can be prevented from generating noise. In addition, it has excellent durability. Moreover, since the pulsation of the fluid can be applied at an arbitrary frequency, the brush portion can be vibrated at a frequency at which the user can feel the cleaning effect. In addition, since the pulsation generating mechanism has a simple configuration using a magnet, a pump unit that is easy to manufacture and low in cost can be realized.

In the electric toothbrush of the present invention, the brush portion is flocked to a flocked plate provided in the vibration mechanism, and the flocked plate is attached to the head portion via an elastic member, and the brush portion is The brush portion can be configured to vibrate in the direction of flocking.
In the electric toothbrush of the present invention, the brush portion is implanted in a flocking plate provided in the vibration mechanism, and the flocking plate is slidable in a direction perpendicular to the flocking direction of the brush portion with respect to the head portion. The brush portion can be configured to vibrate in a direction other than the flocking direction of the front brush portion.

  According to this configuration, since the brush portion is vibrated by transmitting the pulsation of the fluid with a simple configuration, the head portion can be reduced in size and the operability in the oral cavity can be improved. In addition, since the vibration is directly transmitted to the brush portion via the fluid, high energy transmission efficiency can be obtained and the cleaning effect can be improved.

In the electric toothbrush of the present invention, the fluid is more preferably silicone oil.
According to such a configuration, by using chemically stable and safe silicone oil for the fluid, the electric toothbrush becomes safer, and pulsation can be efficiently performed without generating unpleasant vibration and noise. It is possible to transmit and vibrate the brush portion.

In the electric toothbrush of the present invention, it is preferable that the vibration frequency of the brush portion is 20000 Hz or less which is an audible region.
According to such a configuration, it is possible to generate an appropriate operating sound by vibrating in the audible region, and the user can feel the cleaning effect.

The electric toothbrush of this invention can be set as the structure provided with the control part which controls the amplitude and / or vibration frequency of the said brush part.
According to such a configuration, the vibration of the brush portion can be appropriately controlled without requiring a complicated mechanism, and the brushing in the oral cavity according to the needs of each user can be performed.

  According to the electric toothbrush of the present invention, the above configuration suppresses noise and vibration that the user feels uncomfortable, and since it is small and lightweight, the operability in the oral cavity is improved, and a high detergency is obtained. . Therefore, the user can obtain a high cleaning feeling and can efficiently and comfortably clean the oral cavity.

Hereinafter, an embodiment of an electric toothbrush according to the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS.
1 and 2 show an example of the electric toothbrush of the present invention. The electric toothbrush 1 includes a pump unit 5 that generates pulsation in the fluid B, and a power supply unit 6 that supplies current to the pump unit 5. And a pulsation transmission tube 31 that extends from one end 2a of the main body 2 and is connected to the pump portion 5 and through which the fluid B flows. The neck portion 3, the vibration mechanism 8 attached to the tip 3 a of the neck portion 3, connected to the other end 31 b of the pulsation transmission tube 31, and vibrated with the pulsation of the fluid B, and the vibration mechanism 8 The head portion 4 is provided with a vibrating brush portion 42, and the brush portion 42 is configured to vibrate when the fluid B pulsates by the pump portion 5.
Moreover, the electric toothbrush 1 of the illustrated example includes a movable element 71 made of a permanent magnet coupled to an elastic film 54 provided on the pump section 5 at the rear end section 5b of the pump section 5 in the main body section 2, A pulsation generating mechanism 7 including a stator 72 made of an electromagnet disposed so as to face the mover 71 is provided, and a control unit 9 is provided in the main body 2.

  In addition, the electric toothbrush 1 of the present embodiment includes a main body 2, a neck 3 extending from one end of the main body 2, and a head 4 attached to the tip 3 a of the neck 3 in the illustrated example. Are formed in an elongated shape.

The main body 2 is a hollow member formed in an elongated shape in the illustrated example, and as described above, the pump unit 5, the power source unit 6, and the pulsation generating mechanism 7 are provided inside, and are made of an insulating material. In addition, a neck 3 is extended at one end 2 a in the longitudinal direction of the main body 2. In the illustrated electric toothbrush 1, a control unit 9 is disposed at a position near the one end 2 a inside the main body 2, and the surface of the main body 2 at the position of the control unit 9 is not illustrated. A switch is provided.
The main body 2 also has a function of a grip when the user uses the electric toothbrush 1 to clean the oral cavity, and is formed in an elongated shape in the illustrated example, but the shape of the main body 2 is The shape is not particularly limited as long as the user can easily operate the electric toothbrush 1 by gripping it by hand, and can be appropriately adopted.

The insulating material constituting the main body 2 is not particularly limited. For example, polystyrene resin (PS), polypropylene resin (PP), polyethylene terephthalate resin (PET), acrylonitrile butadiene styrene resin (ABS), cellulose propionate. Resin materials such as resin (CP), polyarylate resin, polycarbonate resin, and acrylonitrile styrene resin (AS) can be used alone or in combination. Moreover, about the material of the main-body part 2, it can determine and employ | adopt suitably, but as above-mentioned, there is no possibility that an electric current may leak to the user's body by comprising the main-body part 2 with an insulating material. This is preferable in terms of points.
Further, when the user cleans the oral cavity using the electric toothbrush 1 or when the head portion 4 of the electric toothbrush 1 after use is washed with tap water or the like, the main body 2 is attached with water, saliva, or the like. Therefore, a watertight structure is preferable.

The pump unit 5 is a pump that imparts pulsation to the fluid that is circulated in the pulsation transmission tube 31, which will be described in detail later. The internal space 52 formed in the pump body 51 has high chemical stability and safety. Fluid B is enclosed as a pulsation transmission material.
As shown in the cutaway view of FIG. 1, a discharge port 53 for discharging the fluid B to which the above-described pulsation is imparted to the outside is provided at the distal end portion 5a of the pump unit 5. A pulsation transmission tube 31 is connected to 53.
In addition, an elastic film 54 made of an elastic material is provided at the rear end portion 5 b of the pump unit 5, and a mover 71 that is made of a permanent magnet and constitutes the pulsation generating mechanism 7 is attached. Furthermore, a stator 72 made of an electromagnet is provided at a position facing the mover 71. In the illustrated example, the stator 72 is attached to the one end 6a side of the power supply unit 6 described later.

The pump body 51 is a hollow member in which the internal space 52 is formed, and is a casing member of the pump unit 5.
The material constituting the pump body 51 is not particularly limited, but it can withstand high pressure and, as the fluid B, for example, when silicon oil is used, it is preferable to use a metal material or a resin material having excellent oil resistance. .

The outer diameter of the pump unit 5, that is, the outer diameter of the pump body 51 is preferably in the range of 5 to 15 mm, and more preferably in the range of 8 to 10 mm. If the outer diameter of the pump main body 51 exceeds 15 mm, the outer diameter of the main body 2 that accommodates the pump section 5 becomes too large, making it difficult for the user to grip the main body 2 and reducing the usability. Further, if the outer diameter of the pump body 51 is less than 5 mm, it may be difficult to maintain the performance as a pump.
Further, the inner diameter of the pump body 51 can ensure a thickness within a range in which the pressure resistance of the pump body 51 can be maintained, and can secure a capacity enough to enclose an appropriate amount of fluid B in the internal space 52. There is no particular limitation.

  The total length of the pump unit 5, that is, the length of the electric toothbrush 1 in the longitudinal direction is preferably in the range of 10 to 50 mm. When the total length of the pump part 5 exceeds 50 mm, the main body part 2 becomes too long, and there is a possibility that the usability when the user uses the electric toothbrush 1 is lowered. Moreover, if the length of the pump part 5 is less than 10 mm, there exists a possibility that it may become difficult to maintain the performance as a pump.

The elastic film 54 is provided at the rear end 5b of the pump unit 5, that is, the tail end of the pump body 51, and is formed in a film shape so as to seal the pump body 51 and seal the internal space 52. It is a member.
The elastic material constituting the elastic film 54 is not particularly limited, and examples thereof include silicon resin and elastomer resin. However, the elastic material is not limited thereto, and any elastic material having a hardness of about 10 to 95A may be used. It is possible to employ without limitation.
Further, the thickness of the elastic film 54 is not particularly limited, and can be appropriately determined in consideration of the material and hardness of the elastic film 54, the pump size (size of the internal space 52), and the like.

  As described above, the pulsation generating mechanism 7 includes the mover 71 and the stator 72, and generates a pump action in the pump unit 5 by applying a pulsation to the elastic film 54 described above.

The mover 71 is composed of a permanent magnet, and is attached to the opposite side of the internal space 52 of the elastic film 54 as shown in FIG. The permanent magnet material used for the mover 71 is not particularly limited, and any conventionally known magnet material can be used without any limitation.
It is preferable that the mover 71 is coupled to approximately the center of the elastic film 54 because pulsation can be efficiently applied to the elastic film 54.

The stator 72 is composed of an electromagnet, and is arranged to face the mover 71 in the longitudinal direction inside the main body 2 as shown in FIG. In addition, the stator 72 in the illustrated example has a configuration in which an electric wire 72b is wound around a ring-shaped core body 72a, and is attached to one end 6a side of a power supply unit 6 described later.
Although the electric wire 72b of the stator 72 is not shown in detail, both ends are connected to a control unit 9 described later, and a pulse current is applied from the control unit 9.

The pulsation generating mechanism 7 configured as described above generates a magnetic repulsion between the movable element 71 and the stator 72 by applying a pulse current to the stator 72 and changing the polarity of the stator 72 at an arbitrary frequency. Then, the pulsation is applied to the elastic film 54 by pulsating the mover 71 in the direction of the arrow P shown in FIG. As a result, the capacity of the internal space 52 formed by the pump main body 51 is periodically changed, and the pump unit 5 periodically repeats the discharge and inflow of the fluid B from the discharge port 53 to express the pump action. To do.
Further, as shown in FIG. 1, the pulsation generating mechanism 7 of the present embodiment does not generate unpleasant vibrations and noises by making the mover 71 and the stator 72 non-contact with each other. The electric toothbrush 1 excellent in the above can be realized.

  In the present embodiment, the pulsation of the configuration including the mover 71 and the stator 72 using the magnet as described above is used as a mechanism for pulsating the elastic film 54 in the pump unit 5 to generate the pulsation of the fluid B. Although the generation mechanism 7 has been described as an example, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, a configuration in which the elastic film is pulsated by a piston mechanism using a motor, a gear, or the like may be adopted, or a vibration may be directly transmitted to the step film formation by a piezoelectric element or a giant magnetostrictive element. It is.

The power source unit 6 is a power source for supplying a pulse current to the pulsation generating mechanism 7 of the pump unit 5 described above via a control unit 9 described later, and is a power source of the electric toothbrush 1 of the present embodiment. The power supply unit 6 of the present embodiment is not shown in detail, but its output terminal is connected to the control unit 9.
As the power supply unit 6, by operating the pulsation generating mechanism 7 of the pump unit 5, an output voltage that can clean the inside of the oral cavity by vibrating a brush unit 42 described later, for example, an output voltage with a rated voltage of about 1 to 12V. I just need it. For example, in addition to AA or AAA dry batteries, various types of batteries such as NiCd rechargeable batteries and nickel metal hydride batteries can be used, but the size and weight can be maintained without increasing the size of the main body 2. Any other type of battery can be used without limitation.
Moreover, when using a rechargeable battery as the power supply unit 6, it is preferable to use a non-contact type device such as an IPT (Induction Power Transmission) as a charging device from the viewpoint of excellent safety and usability.

The control unit 9 converts the supply current from the power supply unit 6 into a pulse current having an arbitrary frequency and supplies the pulse current to the pulsation generation mechanism 7 of the pump unit 5.
Moreover, the control part 9 of the electric toothbrush 1 shown in FIG. 1 is arranged at a position near the one end 2a inside the main body part 2, and is electrically connected to the control part 9 on the surface side of the main body part 2 at this position. A switch (not shown) for turning the electric toothbrush 1 on and off is provided.

  The control unit 9 controls the frequency and voltage of the pulse current supplied to the pulsation generating mechanism 7 of the pump unit 5 and adjusts the frequency and magnitude of the pulsation applied to the fluid B by the pump unit 5. It is more preferable to adopt a configuration having a function capable of controlling the amplitude and vibration frequency of the brush portion 42, which will be described in detail later. Thereby, since the vibration of the brush part 42 can be controlled appropriately, the brushing in the oral cavity according to each user's needs becomes possible.

The neck portion 3 is a pipe-like member that extends from one end 2a of the main body portion 2, has a head portion attached to the tip 3a, and includes a pulsation transmission tube 31 therein. In the example shown in FIG. It is configured in an elongated straight shape.
The material constituting the neck portion 3 is not particularly limited, and the same material as that of the main body portion 2 described above can be used.
The shape of the neck portion 3 is not limited to the straight shape as shown in FIG. 1, for example, a gentle curve shape, etc., if it is a shape that can easily polish the back teeth etc. in the oral cavity using an electric toothbrush, Any shape may be used and can be adopted as appropriate.
Further, the width and thickness of the neck portion 3 are preferably in the range of 4 to 10 mm, more preferably in the range of 5 to 7 mm, in consideration of operability and strength in the oral cavity.

The pulsation transmission tube 31 is a tube-like member in which the fluid B is circulated. One end 31 a is connected to the discharge port 53 of the pump unit 5, and the other end 31 b is a vibration provided in the head unit 4 described later. Connected to the inlet 43 of the mechanism 8. With such a configuration, the pulsation transmission tube 31 transmits the pulsation imparted to the fluid B in the pump unit 5 to the vibration mechanism 8.
The material of the pulsation transmission tube 31 is not particularly limited, and any resin material can be used as long as it does not cause a chemical reaction with the fluid B flowing inside. In order to suppress the occurrence of pressure loss of the fluid B, it is preferable to use a hard resin that does not easily expand and contract.

  As shown in FIG. 1, one end 41 a side of the head body 41 is attached to the tip 3 a of the neck portion 3, and the head portion 4 includes a vibration mechanism 8 and a brush portion 42 that vibrates by the vibration mechanism 8. Further, the head body 41 is a hollow member having an internal space 44 as shown in the figure, and a vibration opening 45 communicating with the internal space 44 is provided on the surface 41b, and at one end 41a. Is provided with an inlet 43 communicating with the internal space 44, and this inlet 43 is connected to the other end 31 b of the pulsation transmission tube 31. With such a configuration, the internal space 44 communicates with the pulsation transmission tube 31 and is filled with the fluid B.

  The material constituting the head main body 41 is not particularly limited, and the same resin material as that of the main body portion 2 and the neck portion 3 described above can be used, and can be appropriately determined and used. When silicon oil is used as B, it is preferable to use a resin material having excellent oil resistance.

The vibration mechanism 8 is provided so as to cover the flocking plate 81 disposed so as to cover the vibration opening 45 of the head main body 41 and the inner surface 81b side and the peripheral portion 81c of the flocking plate 81. It comprises a damper portion (elastic member) 82 that elastically supports the flocked surface 81a in the front and back directions (in the direction of arrow F shown in FIG. 1) so as to vibrate and seals the periphery of the vibration opening 45.
The vibration mechanism 8 is applied to the fluid B by the pump unit 5, and the fluid B filled in the internal space 44 of the head main body 41 is transferred to the fluid B through the fluid B in the pulsation transmission tube 31. By making the inner surface 81b of 81 pulsate, the flocking plate 81 is configured to vibrate in the direction of arrow F shown in FIG.

Although the material which comprises the flocking plate 81 is not specifically limited, The same material as the head main body 41 can be used, and when silicon oil is used as the fluid B, a resin material having excellent oil resistance should be used. Is preferred.
The thickness of the flocking plate 81 may be appropriately determined in consideration of the size of the head portion 4 and the amplitude, etc., but is preferably about 1 to 5 mm, and preferably in the range of 2 to 4 mm. More preferred.

The elastic material constituting the damper portion 82 is not particularly limited. For example, a silicon resin, an elastomer resin, or the like can be used, and when silicon oil is used as the fluid B, an elastic material having excellent oil resistance. Is preferably used.
Further, as in the example shown in FIG. 1, by configuring the damper portion 82 so as to cover the inner surface 81 b side of the flocking plate 81, the fluid B filled in the internal space 44 of the head portion 4 is exposed to the outside. It becomes possible to seal more reliably without leaking.

  The brush portion 42 is a brush for flocking the flocked surface 81a of the flocking plate 81 and cleaning teeth and the like in the oral cavity. Although not shown in detail, the bristles formed by bundling the brushes (filaments) A plurality are provided.

  As a material of the brush portion 42, a known toothbrush brush may be used. For example, polyester resin such as polytrimethylene terephthalate (PTT), polybutylene terephthalate (PBT), polyethylene terephthalate (PET), nylon 6, nylon 66, and the like. Materials that can be melt-spun such as polyamide resins such as nylon 6-10, nylon 6-12, and nylon 12, polyolefins such as polyethylene and polypropylene, and polyvinyl halides such as polyvinylidene fluoride can be used. These materials can be used alone or in combination, and the material of the brush portion 42 may be appropriately determined and employed, such as using a conductive brush.

As described above, in the electric toothbrush 1 of the present embodiment, the pulsation imparted to the fluid B by the pulsation generating mechanism 7 in the pump unit 5 passes through the fluid B circulated to the pulsation transmission tube 31. The fluid B is transmitted to the fluid B filled in the inner space 44, and the fluid B imparts pulsation to the hair-planting plate 81 in the inner space 44, so that the brush portion 42 has the hair-implantation direction of the brush portion 42, that is, FIG. 1 is configured to vibrate in the direction of arrow F shown in FIG.
When the user uses the electric toothbrush 1 of the present embodiment to clean the teeth in the oral cavity, the head part 4 is inserted into the oral cavity while holding the main body part 2 by hand, and the brush part 42 is inserted into the teeth. The tooth is cleaned as a result of the vibration of the brush portion 42 and the operation is appropriately performed.

The vibration frequency of the brush portion 42, that is, the vibration frequency generated by the vibration mechanism 8 is preferably set to 20000 Hz or less, which is an audible range, and more preferably set to 1000 Hz (60000 rpm / min) or less. . If the vibration frequency of the brush portion 42 is 20000 Hz or less, it is possible to generate an appropriate operating sound by vibrating in the audible region, and the user can audibly obtain a feeling of cleaning effect.
If the vibration frequency of the brush portion 42 exceeds 20000 Hz, the user cannot obtain an audible cleaning effect and the vibration frequency is too high, and the user may feel uncomfortable in the oral cavity. . Further, if the vibration frequency of the brush portion 42 is less than 20 Hz, the vibration frequency is preferably 20 Hz or more because it is below the audible range.

The amplitude of the brush portion 42 is preferably about 0.1 to 10 mm at the tip of the brush, and more preferably in the range of 0.5 to 3 mm. If the amplitude of the brush portion 42 is within the above range, it is possible to achieve both an excellent cleaning effect and usability in the oral cavity.
If the amplitude of the brush portion 42 is less than 0.1 mm, it is difficult to obtain a sufficient cleaning effect in the oral cavity. Moreover, when the amplitude of the brush part 42 exceeds 10 mm, there exists a possibility that usability may fall.
Further, as described above, the vibration frequency and amplitude of the brush portion 42 can be controlled by appropriately controlling the pulse current applied from the control unit 9 to the pulsation generating mechanism 7 of the pump unit 5. Is possible.

  Moreover, in the electric toothbrush 1 of this embodiment, although fluids, such as various hydraulic fluid, can be used as the fluid B, it is preferable to use silicon oil excellent in chemical stability and safety | security among these. Accordingly, the electric toothbrush can be made highly safe, and the brush portion can be vibrated by efficiently transmitting pulsation without generating unpleasant vibration and noise.

  As described above, according to the electric toothbrush 1 of the present embodiment, the brush portion 42 provided in the head portion 4 is vibrated by causing the pump B 5 to pulsate the liquid B, so that unpleasant vibration and noise are generated. Can be suppressed. Further, the main body 2 mainly includes a small pump unit 5 that is sufficient to pulsate the fluid and vibrate the brush unit 42 and a small power source unit 6 that drives the pump unit 5. It is possible to reduce the size and weight, and it is possible to improve the usability as a grip portion. Moreover, since the neck part 3 is a simple structure provided with the tube 31 for pulsation transmission, the neck part 3 can also be made into a shape with excellent operability in the oral cavity, such as a curved shape, thereby improving the cleaning effect. It becomes possible. Moreover, since it is set as a simple structure, the electric toothbrush 1 with low cost and few failures can be obtained.

  Further, according to the electric toothbrush 1 of the present embodiment, the mover 71 and the stator 72 of the pulsation generating mechanism 7 provided in the pump unit 5 are made of magnets, and are non-contact driven to generate pulsation using a magnetic repulsive force. Since it is a mechanism, it is possible to prevent noise from being generated from the pump unit 5, and it is excellent in durability. Further, since the pulsation of the fluid B can be applied at an arbitrary frequency, the brush portion 42 can be vibrated at a frequency at which the user can feel the cleaning effect. In addition, since the pulsation generating mechanism 7 has a simple configuration using magnets, the pump unit 5 that is easy to manufacture and low in cost can be realized.

  Moreover, according to the electric toothbrush 1 of this embodiment, since the brush part 42 is vibrated by transmitting the pulsation of the fluid B with a simple configuration, the head part 4 can be reduced in size and operability in the oral cavity. Can be improved. Further, since the vibration is directly transmitted to the brush portion 42 via the fluid, high energy transmission efficiency can be obtained and the cleaning effect can be improved.

In the electric toothbrush 1 of the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 1, the flocking plate 81 vibrates in the front and back direction of the flocked surface 81a (the direction of arrow F shown in FIG. 1) as a vibration mechanism for vibrating the brush portion. However, the present invention is not limited to such a configuration. For example, like the electric toothbrush 10 of the example shown in FIG. 2, the flocking plate 85 may be configured to use the vibration mechanism 18 that vibrates by sliding in the longitudinal direction of the electric toothbrush 10.
The electric toothbrush 10 shown in FIG. 2 is provided with a flocking plate 85 provided with a piston portion 86 in which an O-ring 86a is fitted in two places on one end 85a side, and a connecting means (not shown) in the case main body 15 of the head portion 14. A vibration mechanism 18 including a slide pin 88 is provided. The slide pin 88 is inserted into the slide groove 87 formed in the flocking plate 85, and the piston portion 86 is inserted into the pulsation transmission tube 35 provided inside the neck portion 13.
With the above configuration, the electric toothbrush 10 vibrates the flocking plate 85 so as to slide in the direction of the arrow S shown in FIG. 2, that is, the longitudinal direction of the electric toothbrush, and the brush portion 89 planted on the flocking plate 85 Can vibrate in the direction. At this time, the fluid B is sealed by two O-rings 86 a fitted in the piston portion 86.

  Further, the direction of vibrating the brush portion (flocking plate) is not limited to the longitudinal direction of the electric toothbrush like the vibration mechanism 18 shown in FIG. For example, the brush portion can be configured to vibrate in a desired direction other than the flocking direction of the brush portion by appropriately arranging the pulsation transmission tube and the piston portion.

  Further, in the vibration mechanism 8 of the electric toothbrush 1 shown in FIG. 1, the damper portion 82 that elastically supports the flocking plate 81 so as to vibrate with respect to the head main body 41 provided in the head portion 4 is provided on the inner surface 81 a side of the flocking plate 81. Although configured to cover, the present invention is not limited to such a configuration. For example, as in the example illustrated in FIG. 3, the damper portion 26 that elastically supports the flocking plate 25 with respect to the head body 27 so as to vibrate can be configured to be connected only to the peripheral portion 25 a of the flocking plate 25. It is.

  Although the Example for demonstrating the electric toothbrush of this invention is described below, this invention is not limited by this Example.

[Example 1]
As Example 1, an electric toothbrush according to the present invention as shown in FIG.
The electric toothbrush of the first embodiment is elastic so as to cover the vibration opening 45 of the head portion 4 by providing a damper portion 82 made of an ethylene-based elastomer resin (hardness 30A) on the peripheral portion 81c and the inner surface 81b side of the flocking plate 81. This is an example in which the internal space 44 of the head portion 4 has a sealed structure by being supported, and the brush portion 42 is provided on the flocked surface 81 a of the flocked plate 81.
Here, the flocking plate 81 has a thickness of 2 mm as thin as possible by performing flocking of the brush portion 42 on the flocked surface 81a by using an anchorless thermal fusion method.
As shown in FIG. 1, the pump unit 5 includes an elastic film 54 for imparting pulsation to the fluid B in the internal space 52, and a movable element 71 made of a permanent magnet is attached to the elastic film 54. The stator 72 made of an electromagnet is disposed at a position facing the mover 71.

Further, as the power source unit 6, a 3 V AA battery was used, and the power source unit 6 was connected to the control unit 9.
Further, the control unit 9 has a configuration capable of converting a direct current supplied from the power supply unit 6 into a pulse current, and this output side is connected to a stator 72 provided in the pump unit 5. Here, finally, the control unit 9 was set so that the above-described flocking plate 81 and the brush unit 42 output a pulse current that vibrates at an amplitude of 0.5 mm and a vibration frequency of 200 Hz.
Further, silicon oil was used as the fluid B for transmitting the pulsation imparted by the pump unit 5 to the vibration mechanism 8 and the brush unit 42.

The electric toothbrush of Example 1 produced with the said specification has the neck part 3 of elongate and straight shape. Further, the pulsation imparted to the fluid B is transmitted by the pump unit 5, and the entire flocking plate 81 vibrates in the direction of arrow F shown in FIG. 1, so that the brush unit 42 vibrates in the flocking direction. .
In the electric toothbrush 1 of the first embodiment, the thickness of the head portion 4 (vertical direction in FIG. 1) is 4.5 mm, and is suppressed to a thickness dimension equivalent to that of a normal toothbrush.

[Example 2]
As Example 2, an electric toothbrush according to the present invention as shown in FIG.
In the electric toothbrush of the second embodiment, the vibration mechanism 18 that vibrates by sliding in the longitudinal direction is used, and this vibration mechanism 18 includes a piston portion 86 in which an O-ring 86a is fitted in two places on one end 85a side. It consists of a flocking plate 85 and a slide pin 88 provided by connection means (not shown) in the case main body 15 of the head portion 14. The piston portion 86 is configured to be inserted into the pulsation transmission tube 35 in the neck portion 13.
Moreover, in Example 2, the same thing as the electric toothbrush 1 of Example 1 is employ | adopted as a main-body part and the pump part, power supply part, and control part with which it is provided in this main-body part, and by the pulsation generating mechanism with which a pump part is equipped. The fluid B made of silicon oil to which pulsation is imparted is sealed by two O-rings 86 a provided in the piston portion 86 inserted into the pulsation transmission tube 35. Thereby, the vibration mechanism 18 vibrates the flocking plate 85 so as to slide in the arrow S direction shown in FIG. 2, that is, the longitudinal direction of the electric toothbrush, and vibrates the brush portion 89 in the longitudinal direction of the electric toothbrush.

Here, as in the case of the above-described Example 1, as for the flocking plate 85, the brush portion 42 is flocked to the flocked surface 85a by using an anchorless thermal fusion method, and the thickness is as much as 3.5 mm. The structure was thin.
Finally, the controller was set so that a pulsed current was output so that the flocking plate 85 and the brush portion 42 vibrate with an amplitude of 1.0 mm and a vibration frequency of 150 Hz.

The electric toothbrush of Example 2 produced with the above specifications has an elongated and straight neck portion as in Example 1, and the pulsation imparted to the fluid B is transmitted by the pump unit, so that the entire flocked plate 85 is transmitted. However, the brush portion 42 is configured to slide and vibrate by sliding and vibrating in the direction of the arrow S shown in FIG.
In the electric toothbrush of Example 2, the thickness of the head portion 14 (vertical direction in FIG. 2) is 4.5 mm, and is suppressed to a thickness dimension equivalent to that of a normal toothbrush.

[Comparative Example 1]
As Comparative Example 1, a rotating type electric toothbrush 100 as shown in FIG. 4 was prepared (commercially available product).
An electric toothbrush 100 according to Comparative Example 1 includes a main body 101, a neck 102, and a head 103. The main body 101 includes a power unit 104 made of AAA batteries and a motor 105 provided with a pinion gear 106 on a rotating shaft. And a crank gear 107 that is rotated by the pinion gear 6. In addition, a crankshaft 108 that is connected to the crank gear 107 and operates is provided inside the neck portion 102, so that a circular brush portion 110 provided in the head portion 103 can be driven to rotate.

[Comparative Example 2]
As Comparative Example 2, a vibration motor type electric toothbrush 200 as shown in FIG. 5 was prepared (commercially available product).
The electric toothbrush 200 of Comparative Example 2 includes a main body portion 201, a neck portion 202, and a head portion 203. The main body portion 201 is attached to a power source portion 204 made of AAA batteries, a motor 205, and a rotating shaft of the motor 205. The eccentric weight 206 is provided. The electric toothbrush 200 of Comparative Example 2 generates vibration by driving the motor 205 to rotate the eccentric weight 206 in an eccentric state, and this vibration is applied to the brush portion 210 provided in the head portion 203 via the neck portion 202. It can be transmitted to

[Comparative Example 3]
As Comparative Example 3, a linear motor type electric toothbrush 300 as shown in FIG. 6 was prepared (commercially available product).
The electric toothbrush 300 according to the comparative example 1 includes a main body portion 301, a neck portion 302, and a head portion 303. The main body portion 301 is driven by a power source portion 304 made of a nickel hydride rechargeable battery, a linear motor 305, and the linear motor 305. And a drive shaft 306 that performs a reciprocating linear motion and a rotational motion. The neck portion 302 is attached to the drive shaft 306, and the reciprocating linear motion and rotational motion of the drive shaft 306 are transmitted to the brush portion 310 provided in the head portion 303 via the neck portion 302. .

[Comparative Example 4]
As Comparative Example 4, an ultrasonic vibration type electric toothbrush 400 as shown in FIG. 7 was prepared (commercially available product).
The electric toothbrush 400 of Comparative Example 1 includes a main body portion 401, a neck portion 402, and a head portion 403. The main body portion 401 includes a power source portion 404 made of a nickel hydrogen rechargeable battery and a control circuit 405. Is provided with an ultrasonic transducer 406 that vibrates with a supply current from the control circuit 405. The brush unit 410 provided in the head unit 403 is configured to vibrate at a frequency of 1.5 kHz by the ultrasonic transducer 406.

[Evaluation methods]
Using the electric toothbrushes of the above examples and comparative examples, “cleaning feeling”, “vibration / noise”, “operability in the oral cavity”, and “easy to hold” are each described in the following manner. A sensory evaluation test was conducted.
Here, as a method of using the electric toothbrush, a toothpaste (made by Lion Corporation: Clinica toothpaste: registered trademark) is placed in an amount of about 1 g on the brush part tip (hair bundle tip) of the electric toothbrush of each example. A method was adopted in which the brush (brush portion) was uniformly abutted against the inner teeth while vibrating for about 3 minutes and washed while foaming.
In addition, as a panel (subject), an expert panel (n = 20 persons, of which, 10 males and 10 females) for oral care products were used, and evaluation was performed under the same conditions.

(Clean feeling)
Using each sample of the electric toothbrush (Examples 1 and 2, Comparative Examples 1 to 4), each panel (n = 30 people) cleans the teeth in the oral cavity and feels that the cleaning feeling in the oral cavity is good. According to the number of panelists, the evaluation was made according to the following three criteria.
(1) ○: 15 or more panelists who answered good (very good)
(2) △: 10 to 15 panelists who answered that they are good (cannot say either)
(3) X: Less than 10 panelists answered that they were good (no effect)

(Vibration / noise)
According to the number of panelists who felt uncomfortable with the vibration or noise generated in the electric toothbrush when each panel (n = 30 people) cleaned the teeth in the oral cavity using each sample of the electric toothbrush, The evaluation was made according to the following three criteria.
(1) ○: Less than 5 panelists answered that they were uncomfortable (very good)
(2) △: 5 to 10 panelists who answered that they were uncomfortable (cannot say either)
(3) ×: More than 10 panelists answered that they were uncomfortable (no effect)

(Operability in the oral cavity)
According to the number of panelists who felt that operability in the oral cavity was good when each panel (n = 30 persons) cleaned the teeth in the oral cavity using each sample of the electric toothbrush. Evaluation was performed based on the three-stage criteria.
(1) ○: 15 or more panelists who answered good (very good)
(2) △: 10 to 15 panelists who answered that they are good (cannot say either)
(3) X: Less than 10 panelists answered that they were good (no effect)

(Ease of holding)
As shown below, according to the number of panelists who felt that the main body was easy to hold when each panel (n = 30 persons) cleaned the teeth in the oral cavity using each sample of the electric toothbrush. The evaluation was made according to a three-stage standard.
(1) ○: 15 or more panelists who answered that they are easy to hold (very good)
(2) △: 10 to 15 panelists who answered it was easy to hold
(3) ×: Less than 10 panelists answered that it was easy to hold (no effect)

  For each sample of the above electric toothbrushes, a list of results is shown in Table 1 below for “cleaning feeling”, “vibration / noise”, “operability in the oral cavity”, “ease of holding”, and “comprehensive evaluation” based on these evaluation results. Shown in

[Evaluation results]
As shown in Table 1, the pump unit 5 that generates pulsation in the fluid B, the vibration mechanism 8 that vibrates with the pulsation of the fluid B, and the brush unit 42 that vibrates by the vibration mechanism 8 are provided. The electric toothbrush according to the first embodiment of the present invention, in which the brush portion 42 vibrates in the direction of the brush when the fluid B pulsates by the portion 5, includes “cleaning feeling”, “vibration / noise”, “intraoral Both “operability” and “ease of holding” were evaluated as “◯”, and “overall evaluation” was evaluated as “◯”.
In addition, a pump unit that generates pulsation in the fluid B, a vibration mechanism 18 that slides and vibrates in the longitudinal direction of the electric toothbrush in accordance with the pulsation of the fluid B, and a brush unit 89 that vibrates by the vibration mechanism 18 are provided. The electric toothbrush according to the second embodiment of the present invention, in which the brush portion 89 is configured to slide and vibrate when the fluid B pulsates by the portion, similarly to the first embodiment, “cleaning feeling”, “vibration / noise”, Both “operability in the oral cavity” and “easy to hold” were evaluated as “◯”, and “overall evaluation” was evaluated as “◯”.

On the other hand, the rotation of the motor 105 is transmitted by the pinion gear 6 and the crank gear 107, and the circular brush portion 110 is driven to rotate by the crank operation of the crankshaft 108. Thus, the conventional rotary type configuration is adopted. The electric toothbrush of Comparative Example 1 was evaluated as “O” for “cleaning feeling”, but “X” for “vibration / noise”, “operability in the oral cavity”, and “ease of holding”. “Comprehensive evaluation” became “×”.
This is because the electric toothbrush of Comparative Example 1 is provided with the crank mechanism described above, and noise and vibration that make the user feel uncomfortable are likely to be generated. Therefore, “vibration / noise” is evaluated as “x”. It is thought that it became. In addition, the above configuration increases the thickness of the head portion compared to a normal toothbrush, making it difficult to operate in a narrow oral cavity, so that “operability in the oral cavity” is evaluated as “x”. Conceivable. In the configuration using the above crank mechanism, the drive loss is large and the energy efficiency is low.Therefore, the motor and the power source are inevitably enlarged, and the main body is large and heavy. It is considered that the evaluation was “x”.

In addition, the motor 205 is driven to rotate the eccentric weight 206 in an eccentric state, and vibration generated thereby is transmitted to the brush portion 210 provided in the head portion 203 via the neck portion 202. In the electric toothbrush of the comparative example 2 configured, the “cleaning feeling”, “operability in the oral cavity” and “ease of holding” were evaluated as “◯”, but “vibration / noise” The evaluation was “x”, and the “overall evaluation” was “△”.
This is because the electric toothbrush of Comparative Example 2 is provided with the vibration motor described above, and vibration is generated in the entire electric toothbrush main body, and unpleasant vibration is transmitted to the user's hand and lips. It is considered that “Noise” was evaluated as “x”.

Further, a drive shaft 306 driven by a linear motor 305 is provided, and a linear motion or rotational motion of the drive shaft 306 is transmitted to the brush portion 310 of the head portion 303 via the neck portion 302. In the electric toothbrush of Comparative Example 3 configured as a motor type, the evaluation of “cleaning feeling” and “operability in the oral cavity” was “◯”, but “vibration / noise” was “△”. “Ease of holding” was evaluated as “x”, and “Comprehensive evaluation” was “△”.
This is because the electric toothbrush of Comparative Example 3 is provided with the linear motor, and vibration is generated in the entire electric toothbrush main body, so that unpleasant vibration is transmitted to the user's hand and lips, and the neck portion It is considered that “vibration / noise” was evaluated as “Δ” because the reciprocating vibration 302 was directly transmitted to the lips. Further, in the above configuration, the neck portion 302 is attached to the drive shaft 306 protruding from the main body portion 301 provided with the linear motor 305. The main body portion 301 is enlarged, and the neck portion 302 is reciprocally oscillated. Since it becomes a body and it is difficult for the user to hold it by hand, it is considered that “ease of holding” was evaluated as “x”.

In addition, a power source unit 404 made of a nickel metal hydride battery and a control circuit 405 are provided in the main body unit 401, an ultrasonic transducer 406 is provided in the head unit 403, and a brush unit provided in the head unit 403. The electric toothbrush of Comparative Example 4 having a configuration of a conventional ultrasonic vibration type in which 410 is vibrated by the ultrasonic vibrator 406 is evaluated as “◯” for “vibration / noise” and “operability in the oral cavity”. However, “Clean feeling” and “Ease of holding” were evaluated as “x”, and “Comprehensive evaluation” was “△”.
The electric toothbrush of the comparative example 4 is configured to include the ultrasonic transducer 406 and is configured to keep the output within a weak range in consideration of the influence on the human body due to high-frequency vibration. It is difficult to feel a slight vibration from the toothbrush, and since the ultrasonic vibration exceeds the audible range, it is difficult for the user to realize the cleaning effect. It is thought that it became. Further, in the above configuration, since the power supply unit 404 made of a nickel metal hydride battery is provided, the main body 401 becomes larger and it is difficult for the user to hold it by hand. It is thought that it became evaluation.

  From the above results, it is clear that the electric toothbrush according to the present invention provides a high cleaning feeling, suppresses noise and vibration, and is excellent in operability in the oral cavity.

It is a fracture | rupture figure explaining typically an example of the electric toothbrush which concerns on this invention. It is a principal part broken view which illustrates typically another example of the electric toothbrush which concerns on this invention. It is a principal part broken view which illustrates still another example of the electric toothbrush which concerns on this invention. It is a schematic diagram explaining the electric toothbrush of the comparative example 1, and is a fracture | rupture figure which shows a rotation type electric toothbrush. It is a schematic diagram explaining the electric toothbrush of the comparative example 2, and is a fracture | rupture figure which shows an electric toothbrush of a vibration motor type. It is a schematic diagram explaining the electric toothbrush of the comparative example 3, and is a fracture | rupture figure which shows a linear motor type electric toothbrush. It is a schematic diagram explaining the electric toothbrush of the comparative example 4, and is a fracture | rupture figure which shows an ultrasonic vibration type electric toothbrush.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1, 10 ... Electric toothbrush, 2 ... Main part, 2a ... One end (main part), 3 ... Neck part, 3a ... Tip (neck part), 31 ... Pulsation transmission tube, 31a ... One end (Pulsation transmission tube), 31b ... the other end (pulsation transmission tube) 4, 14, 24 ... head part, 42, 89, 29 ... brush part, 5 ... pump part, 5b ... rear end part, 54 ... elastic membrane, 6 ... power supply part, 7 ... Pulsation generating mechanism, 71 ... Movable element, 72 ... Stator, 8, 18 ... Vibration mechanism, 81, 85, 25 ... Flocking plate, 82, 26 ... Damper part (elastic member), 9 ... Control part, B ... fluid

Claims (7)

A pump unit that generates pulsation in the fluid, and a power source unit that supplies current to the pump unit;
A neck portion that is provided from the main body portion and includes a pulsation transmission tube in which one end is connected to the pump portion and fluid is circulated;
A vibration mechanism that is attached to the tip of the neck portion, is connected to the other end of the pulsation transmission tube and vibrates with the pulsation of the fluid, and a head portion that includes a brush portion that vibrates with the vibration mechanism; And comprising
An electric toothbrush configured to vibrate the brush portion when the fluid is pulsated by the pump portion.   The pump unit is connected to an elastic film provided at the rear end of the pump unit, and a pulsation including a mover made of a permanent magnet and a stator made of an electromagnet arranged to face the mover. The electric toothbrush according to claim 1, further comprising a generation mechanism.   The brush portion is flocked to a flocking plate provided in the vibration mechanism, and the flocking plate is attached to the head portion via an elastic member, and the brush portion vibrates in the flocking direction of the brush portion. The electric toothbrush according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the electric toothbrush is configured.   The brush portion is flocked on a flocking plate provided in the vibration mechanism, and the flocking plate is slidably attached to the head portion in a direction orthogonal to the flocking direction of the brush portion, and the brush portion The electric toothbrush according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the electric toothbrush is configured to vibrate in a direction other than the flocking direction of the brush portion.   The electric toothbrush according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the fluid is silicon oil.   The electric toothbrush according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein a vibration frequency of the brush portion is set to 20000 Hz or less which is an audible region.   The electric toothbrush according to any one of claims 1 to 6, further comprising a control unit that controls an amplitude and / or a vibration frequency of the brush unit.

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