JP2010142615A - Toothpick utilizing air pressure - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a toothpick utilizing air pressure by which not only soil between teeth can effectively be removed regardless of the age, the difference in the shape or the dimension of the inside of the oral cavity, the space between teeth and the gum of a subject, and also, even when being used for pets, but also is light-weight and portable, and has a high operability. <P>SOLUTION: The toothpick utilizing air pressure includes an air cylinder, an air control section, and an air nozzle. In this case, in the air cylinder, compressed air has been stored in advance. The air control section is air-tightly connected with the air cylinder by being fitted on the air cylinder with a needle which is arranged at the axial section by bonding including pressing or screwing. Further, for the air control section, an ON/OFF switching switch which controls the motion for making the stored compressed air discharged/shut off, and an air amount adjusting mechanism for adjusting the discharging amount of the compressed air are provided. The air nozzle is constituted to be connectable with the air control section, and discharges the compressed air which is fed from the air cylinder. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2010,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to, for example, a pneumatic toothpick, and more particularly, to an apparatus for jetting compressed air from a container filled with compressed air through a nozzle, thereby cleaning the teeth and gums.

  Conventionally, there have been interdental brushes, floss, and the like as tools for effectively removing dirt between teeth and cleaning them. However, these have to be inserted directly between the teeth in order to remove the dirt, with the result that the gums and the like can be damaged and bleed. In addition, it is difficult to reach the location where the dirt adheres well with interdental brushes and floss, etc., depending on the individual tooth shape and teeth, and if the floss is mistakenly rubbed to the tip of the tooth, the fiber of the floss will It was cut and fiber sections could remain in the mouth. Furthermore, since the width between each tooth is different even in the oral cavity of the same individual, it is necessary to use a tool in accordance with the location of each tooth in order to effectively remove dirt between the teeth.

  On the other hand, there is known a jet-flow oral cleaning device that cleans the teeth and gums by ejecting air or water between the teeth from the tip of the nozzle without using fibers or brushes. However, since a jet flow oral cleaning device requires a compressor for compressing air and a tube connecting the compressor and the nozzle, the device tends to be large and expensive, and it is a specialized facility such as a dental clinic. The main use was.

As a means for solving this problem, Patent Document 1 discloses that a compressed fluid stored compressed in a cylinder is discharged from a nozzle to remove plaque and food traps sandwiched between teeth by a jet flow. An apparatus such as this is disclosed.
JP 2004-73558 A

  In the device of Patent Document 1, since a compressed air is filled in an air cylinder by manually reciprocating a piston that is fitted in an airtight and reciprocating manner, a compressor is unnecessary, and a relatively small-scale device is used. Realization is possible.

  However, in this apparatus, an air cylinder, a piston, an air compression pump, and the like are arranged in the main body cleaning tool, and a cylinder for compressing air is also provided, so that the structure of the apparatus main body is complicated. Furthermore, since the production of compressed air is performed by reciprocating movement of a piston provided in the apparatus, the production and discharge of compressed air must be repeated at the time of cleaning in the oral cavity, which requires time and labor. In general, oral, interdental, and gum cleaning tools are supposed to be used in a wide range of subjects from children to the elderly and pets. Therefore, ease of operation has been a problem to be further pursued.

  The main object of the present invention is to remove dirt between teeth effectively, even for pets, regardless of the age of the subject, differences in oral cavity, interdental, and gum shape and dimensions. It is not only possible to provide a toothpick that uses light pressure but is light and portable and has high operability.

In order to achieve such an object, the pneumatic tooth pick according to the present invention includes an air cylinder in which compressed air is stored in advance and a connection in which a needle disposed in a shaft portion includes pressing or screwing with the air cylinder. An ON / OFF switch for controlling the operation of fitting and airtightly connecting the air cylinder and discharging / blocking the stored compressed air, and an air amount adjusting mechanism for adjusting the discharge amount of the compressed air are provided. The air control unit is configured to be connectable to the air control unit, and includes an air nozzle that discharges the compressed air supplied from the air cylinder.

In this case, the air cylinder is formed by integral molding covered with metal, and the cross section of the pressure air discharge port located at the end of the air cylinder is formed thinner than the other side surface, and the shaft of the air control unit It is also possible to adopt a configuration in which the needle disposed in the part is opened by passing therethrough and the pressurized air is discharged.

  Here, as a member for integrally molding the air cylinder main body, a metal including manganese steel, chrome molybdenum steel, and an aluminum alloy can be used. The air cylinder is filled with compressed air, and the discharge part arranged at the upper end of the air cylinder is thinner than the other side of the air cylinder and sealed with the same member as the main body so that it can withstand the internal pressure when filling with compressed air. ing.

  With such a configuration, the needle disposed at one end in the axial direction of the air control unit is fitted through the sealed portion made of metal of the air cylinder discharge unit by connection including pressing or screwing, and the air cylinder and the air control unit Connect in an airtight manner. Since the needle protruding from one end of the air control unit has a hollow structure, the air control unit communicates with a connection portion with an air nozzle provided at an end opposite to one end where the needle is disposed on the shaft portion, It becomes possible to flow the compressed air discharged from the air cylinder. Therefore, a mechanism for ejecting compressed air by inserting a tubular nozzle into a container filled with compressed air is connected to the main body control unit via the ON / OFF mechanism and strength adjustment mechanism arranged on the main body (user ) Since interdental or gums can be cleaned only by inputting a signal, operability is high. Further, since an air cylinder is used as a pneumatic supply source, it is lightweight and portable.

  In order to achieve the above object, in the pneumatic tooth pick according to the present invention, the air control unit adjusts an ON / OFF switch for executing discharge of compressed air discharged from the air cylinder and a discharge amount of the compressed air. The air control unit has an air amount adjusting mechanism, and the air control unit uses a known system including an electric power or an operation force by pressing the switch, depending on a signal input to the changeover switch and the air amount adjusting mechanism, from the discharge unit of the air cylinder. The compressed air discharge can be executed / stopped and the discharge amount of the compressed air can be increased / decreased.

  With this configuration, the signal input to the ON / OFF switch and the air amount adjusting mechanism for adjusting the discharge amount of compressed air, which are arranged in the air control unit, can be executed with one hand. Carrying a hand mirror or expanding the lips is possible, leading to more efficient oral cavity or gum cleaning. Furthermore, since the structure of the main body portion of the present invention is simple, even an inexperienced person can easily operate it, and the main body itself can be easily maintained and cleaned, and high hygiene can be ensured.

  Further, the air control unit is configured such that the needle is disposed on one end side of the shaft portion and the air nozzle is connected to the other end side of the shaft portion so as to be airtight and detachable, and the compressed air discharged from the air cylinder is A configuration may also be adopted in which the fluid flows to a connection portion with the air nozzle via the needle and the air control portion and is ejected from the other end of the air nozzle.

  With this configuration, the compressed air discharged from the air cylinder is hermetically connected at the connection portion between the needle disposed at one end of the air control unit in the axial direction and the air nozzle disposed at the other end. Compressed air that is ejected from a hole that passes through can flow to the connecting portion without impairing the strength of the airflow due to the air pressure.

  In the above configuration, the air control unit can be detachably connected to an air nozzle that discharges compressed air at the connection portion, and an attachment that can be replaced with the air nozzle can be attached to the connection portion.

  With this configuration, it is possible to clean the oral cavity according to various aspects and situations by selecting attachments that have various shapes, materials, and structures.

According to the air pressure-use toothpick according to the present invention, compressed air is ejected by fitting a needle disposed in an air control unit to an air cylinder in which compressed air is stored in advance, and the air pressure causes interdental or Cleaning of the oral cavity including gums can be performed.

More specifically, a mechanism for ejecting compressed air by inserting a tubular nozzle into a container filled with compressed air is connected to the main body control unit via an ON / OFF mechanism disposed on the main body and a strength adjustment mechanism. The operability is high because the teeth or gums can be cleaned only by inputting a signal (by the user). Further, since an air cylinder is used as a pneumatic supply source, it is lightweight and portable.

Furthermore, the pneumatic toothpick according to the present invention has a simple configuration of the main body portion. Maintaining the health of gums and teeth is a common issue for children, the elderly, and even pets, and can be easily handled even by unfamiliar people, and is effective without burden due to weight, etc. It is an effect obtained by the simple structure of the present invention that it can be operated manually.

In addition, the simplicity of the structure has an effect that not only the operation is easy, but also the main body is easy to clean and clean. In particular, with respect to a device used in the oral cavity as in the present invention, it is an indispensable element that high hygiene can be maintained. Since the pneumatic toothpick according to the present invention uses compressed air instead of water, it is less likely to be contaminated with dirt or the like than an oral cleaning device using water. When the filled compressed air is no longer used, it is used by replacing it with a new air cylinder cartridge, so that contamination and deterioration due to long-term use can be avoided.

Further, according to the present invention, the air cylinder is formed by integral molding with a metal, and the discharge portion of the pressurized air located at the upper end of the air cylinder is formed thinner than the other side surface, and is a needle disposed on the shaft portion of the air control unit In the manufacture of the air cylinder constituting the main body, the present invention is a large amount without requiring many parts and members. Inexpensive production becomes possible.

Further, according to the present invention, the air control unit has a needle disposed on one end side of the shaft portion, an air nozzle is connected to the other end side of the shaft portion in an airtight and detachable manner, and the compressed air discharged from the air cylinder is a needle The compressed air discharged from the air cylinder through the needle is a strong air current generated by the air pressure, and flows to the connection portion of the air control unit and the air nozzle via the air control unit. Since it flows to the needle arranged on the straight line in the axial direction of the control unit and further to the connecting portion, it can be ejected to the oral cavity without impairing the strength of the airflow.

Furthermore, according to the present invention, the air control unit can be detachably connected to the air nozzle that discharges compressed air at the connection portion, and the attachment portion can be equipped with an attachment that can be replaced with the air nozzle. Furthermore, there are individual differences in the shape of the teeth and the structure between the teeth, and the required shape and effect of the cleaning tool varies depending on the state of the oral cavity when using the oral cleaning tool. In the present invention, various types of attachments that can be replaced with air nozzles can be selected and used in accordance with the case and usage conditions, and thereby, an adaptive and effective cleaning effect in the oral cavity can be expected.

  The best mode for carrying out the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. In the following, the range necessary for the description for achieving the object of the present invention is schematically shown, and the range necessary for the description of this part of the present invention will be mainly described. Are according to known techniques.

  FIG. 1 is a partial cross-sectional view of a pneumatic toothpick according to a first embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a vertical cross-sectional view of such an air cylinder, and FIG. 3 is a partial cross-section when an air control unit is fitted to such an air cylinder. FIG. 4 is an enlarged partial cross-sectional view of the air control unit according to the first embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating the intraoral area using the pneumatic tooth pick according to the first embodiment of the present invention. Partial vertical sectional views showing a state of cleaning are respectively shown.

  1 to 5, the pneumatic-use toothpick 1 according to the first embodiment of the present invention includes an air cylinder 2, a needle 3, an air control unit 4, and an air nozzle 5.

  The air cylinder 2 is filled with compressed air 6 in advance, and the air cylinder body is formed by integral molding with metal. The compressed air discharge part 2 a located at the end (for example, the upper end) of the air cylinder is formed to be thin enough to withstand the internal pressure of the compressed air 6 filled therein, and is the same member as the other side constituting the air cylinder 2. It is formed.

  Further, a needle provided at one end of the air control unit 4 in the axial direction of the discharge part 2a of the air cylinder 2 is connected to the air cylinder 2 and penetrates a thin metal surface forming the discharge part 2a. At this time, the connection method between the air cylinder 2 and the air control unit 4 can be performed by a known technique including pressing, screwing, or a combination thereof. The discharge unit 2 a of the air cylinder 2 is the air control unit 4. Fits airtight and watertight.

  The needle 3 disposed so as to protrude from one end of the air control unit 4 in the axial direction has a hollow structure and communicates with a connection portion 4a disposed at the other end of the air control unit 4 in the axial direction. The compressed air 6 filled inside flows from the needle 3 penetrating the discharge part 2a to the shaft part of the air control part 4 and further to the connection part 4a without impairing the strength of the airflow due to the air pressure of the compressed air 6. Is possible.

  FIG. 4 is an enlarged view of the air control unit 4. Reference numeral 4b denotes an ON / OFF switch for executing / stopping the flow of the compressed air 6 that passes from the inside of the air cylinder 2 to the inside of the needle 3 and further through the shaft portion of the air control unit 4. 4c is an air amount adjusting mechanism for adjusting the discharge amount of the compressed air 6. The signal input to the ON / OFF switching switch 4b and the air amount adjusting mechanism 4c can be performed with one hand using a known system including electric power or an operating force by pressing the switch.

  The compressed air 6 discharged from the inside of the air cylinder 2 passes through the inside of the needle fitted in the air cylinder 2 and inserted into the air cylinder 2, reaches the air control unit 4 shaft portion, and further flows to the connection portion 4a. The connecting portion 4a has a hollow structure and is connected to the air nozzle 5 so as to be airtight and watertight by a known technique including fitting, screwing, or a combination thereof. The compressed air 6 that has flowed in from one end of the air nozzle 5 connected to the connecting portion 4 a is ejected from the other end of the air nozzle 5.

  In FIG. 1, when the compressed air in the air cylinder 2 is consumed and lost, the connection between the air cylinder 2 and the air control unit 4 is released, and the use can be resumed simply by replacing the cartridge with a new air cylinder. . Since the functions and operations in this case are the same as described above, description thereof will be omitted.

  6 and 7 illustrate a pneumatic-based toothpick 7 according to the second embodiment of the present invention. In detail, FIG. 6 shows a floss-type attachment according to the second embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 7 shows a plan view, and FIG. 7 shows a partial longitudinal sectional view when such a floss-type attachment is attached. In FIG. 1, the air nozzle 5 is removed from the connection part 4a, and the floss-type attachment 8 is fitted and assembled to the connection part 4a. The floss-type attachment 8 is formed of an inner space structure by a soft member containing nylon and silicon, and a large number of fine air holes 9 are provided on the surface. When the floss attachment 8 is inserted between the teeth and the toothpick 7 using the air pressure is operated, the compressed air 6 in the air cylinder 2 flows into the needle 3 and passes through the shaft portion of the air control unit 4, and the floss type is connected from the connection portion 4 a. It flows through the attachment 8 and is ejected from the air holes 9. Since the floss-type attachment 8 is made of a soft member, it is possible to safely clean a portion finer than the air nozzle 5 safely without fear of damaging the oral cavity.

  8 and 9 illustrate a pneumatic-use toothpick 10 according to the third embodiment of the present invention. Specifically, FIG. 8 shows an attachment for an air shower according to the third embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 9 shows a plan view, and FIG. 9 shows a partial vertical cross-sectional view when the air shower attachment is attached. In FIG. 1, the air nozzle 5 is removed from the connection part 4a, and the attachment 11 for air showers is fitted and assembled | attached to the connection part 4a. The air shower attachment 11 has a hollow structure made of a soft member containing nylon and silicon, and is provided with air holes 13 concentrically from the center of the air shower head portion 12. When the air pick toothpick 10 is operated with the air shower attachment 11 directed toward the oral cavity, the compressed air 6 inside the air cylinder 2 flows into the needle 3 and passes through the shaft portion of the air control unit 4, and from the connecting portion 4 a for the air shower. It flows through the attachment 11 and is ejected from the air holes 13 on the surface of the air shower head. A gastric massage effect can be obtained by directly injecting an airflow of compressed air pressure onto the gingiva.

Note that the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the present invention. Moreover, what was mentioned above only showed an example of embodiment for embodying the technical idea which concerns on this application, and the technical idea which concerns on this application is applicable also to other embodiment.

  According to the present invention, compressed air is ejected by fitting a needle disposed in an air control unit to an air cylinder in which compressed air is stored in advance, and the air pressure between the teeth or the oral cavity including the gums is injected. It can be washed. At this time, a mechanism for ejecting compressed air by inserting a tubular nozzle into a container filled with compressed air is applied to the main body control unit via an ON / OFF mechanism and strength adjustment mechanism arranged on the main body (utilization). Therefore, not only is the operability high, but the air cylinder is used as the air pressure supply source, so that it is lightweight and portable. Therefore, it brings great benefits to the activation of all industries related to health and human life. Specifically, it has the potential to be widely applied to the construction industry, tourism industry, pet industry, health appliance industry, space industry, machine industry, game machine industry, and the like.

1 is a partial cross-sectional view of a pneumatic-based toothpick according to a first embodiment of the present invention. It is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the air cylinder which concerns on the 1st Embodiment of this invention. It is a partial cross section figure at the time of fitting an air control part to an air cylinder concerning a 1st embodiment of the present invention. It is an expansion partial cross-sectional view of the air control part which concerns on the 1st Embodiment of this invention. It is a fragmentary longitudinal cross-section which shows the state which wash | cleans the inside of an oral cavity using the pneumatic utilization tooth pick which concerns on the 1st Embodiment of this invention. It is a top view of the floss type attachment concerning a 2nd embodiment of the present invention. It is a fragmentary longitudinal cross-sectional view at the time of attaching the floss type attachment concerning the 2nd Embodiment of the present invention. It is a top view of the attachment for air showers concerning the 3rd Embodiment of this invention. It is a partial longitudinal cross-sectional view at the time of attaching the attachment for air showers concerning the 3rd Embodiment of this invention.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Air pressure use tooth pick 2 Air cylinder 3 Needle 4 Air control part 4a Connection part 4b ON / OFF changeover switch 4c Air quantity adjustment mechanism 5 Air nozzle 6 Pressure air 7 Air pressure use tooth pick 8 Floss type attachment 9 Air hole 10 Air pressure use tooth pick 11 Attachment for air shower 12 Air shower head 13 Air hole

Claims (4)

An air cylinder in which compressed air is stored in advance;
ON to control the operation of discharging / blocking the stored compressed air by fitting the air cylinder to the air cylinder by a connection including pressing or screwing to the air cylinder and connecting the air cylinder in an airtight manner. An air control unit provided with an air amount adjusting mechanism for adjusting a discharge amount of the compressed air,
An air pressure tooth pick comprising: an air nozzle configured to be connectable to the air control unit and discharging the compressed air supplied from the air cylinder. The air cylinder is formed by integral molding covered with a metal, and the cross section of the outlet of the pressurized air located at the end of the air cylinder is formed thinner than the other side surface, and is disposed on the shaft portion of the air control unit. 2. The pneumatic-use toothpick according to claim 1, wherein the pressure air is discharged when the formed needle passes therethrough. The air control unit is configured such that the needle is disposed on one end side of the shaft portion and the air nozzle is connected to the other end side of the shaft portion in an airtight and detachable manner, and the compressed air discharged from the air cylinder is the needle And a pneumatic toothpick according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the toothpick flows through the air control section to a connection portion with the air nozzle and is injected from the other end of the air nozzle. 2. The pneumatic-use tooth according to claim 1, wherein the air control unit is detachably connected to the air nozzle at the connection portion, and an attachment that can be replaced with the air nozzle can be attached to the connection portion. pick.

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