JP2017000570A - Interdental cleaner - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an interdental cleaner capable of improving functions as the interdental cleaner such as a plaque removal performance and massage effects.SOLUTION: The interdental cleaner constitutes a cleaning part 2 for interdental cleaning, of a core base material part 12 and a cleaning soft part 21. The cleaning soft part 21 includes a cover part 21a for covering the core base material part 12, and a plurality of cleaning protrusions 21b and 21c protruding outward from the cover part 21a. Out of adjacent cleaning protrusions, the length of first cleaning protrusions 21b disposed along a datum plane BS substantially orthogonal to a finger grip direction of a handle part is differentiated from the length of second cleaning protrusions 21c other than those.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 6

Description

  The present invention relates to an interdental cleaning tool having a cleaning portion covered with an elastomer.

  As an interdental cleaning tool, a base part made of synthetic resin and a soft part made of elastomer are provided, and the base part is a handle base part and an elongated shaft-like shape provided at the tip of the handle base part A core base part, and the soft part has at least a soft cleaning part for covering the core base part, and the handle base part constitutes a handle part as a handle, and the core The base material part and the cleaning soft part constitute a cleaning part for interdental cleaning, and as the cleaning soft part, a covering part that covers the core base material part, and a plurality that protrudes outward from the covering part The thing which has the projection part for cleaning of this is utilized (for example, refer patent documents 1-5).

  As a method for manufacturing the interdental cleaning tool, a base material part is manufactured by filling a first molding space of a first mold with a synthetic resin material, and the base part molded by the first mold is a second metal. Set in the second molding space of the mold, facing the first mold and the second mold of the second mold with an interval in the length direction of the second molding space (axial direction of the core base material) With a plurality of sets of holding pins provided at the center, the core base material portion is positioned and held in the center portion of the second molding space, and the soft material is molded by filling the second molding space with an elastomer material. A manufacturing method for obtaining a cleaning tool is widely adopted.

Japanese Patent No. 4236571 Japanese Patent No. 3002668 Special table 2001-506514 gazette JP2013-192866A JP 2013-188299 A

  By the way, in the conventional interdental cleaning tool, in order to improve the insertability between the teeth, the protruding length of the cleaning protrusion is configured to become shorter toward the tip side of the cleaning soft part. Although being put into practical use, a first cleaning protrusion provided in a protruding shape along a reference plane substantially orthogonal to the handle picking direction by a finger and a first protrusion provided in a protruding shape in the handle picking direction by the finger The two types of cleaning projections of the two cleaning projections are different in form, or the first cleaning projection provided in a protruding shape along the mating surface of the second mold, and the mold of the second mold There have been no proposals for different forms of the two cleaning protrusions of the second cleaning protrusion provided projecting in the opening and closing direction.

  The objective of this invention is providing the interdental cleaning tool which can improve the function as an interdental cleaning tool, such as the removal performance of a plaque, and a massage effect.

  The present inventor is able to specify a cleaning protrusion disposed on the interdental papilla side and the adjacent surface side between teeth when picking with a finger and cleaning between teeth if the handle portion is flat, for example. By adopting a shape suitable for the upper and lower parts between the teeth as the first cleaning protrusion arranged along the reference plane substantially perpendicular to the direction of picking by the finger of the handle part, The present invention has been completed with the idea that functions as an interdental cleaning tool such as removal performance (cleanability) and massage effect can be improved. In particular, when the mating surface of the second mold is the reference surface, the first cleaning protrusion provided in a protruding shape along the mating surface of the second mold is the mold opening / closing direction of the second mold. Compared with the second cleaning protrusion provided in a protruding shape, the design freedom for the shape, dimensions, etc. is high, so the moldability of the interdental cleaning tool is reduced and the mold structure is complicated The present invention has been completed by obtaining the idea that the plaque removal performance and the massage effect can be improved while preventing the above-mentioned phenomenon.

  An interdental cleaning tool according to the present invention includes a base material portion made of a synthetic resin and a soft portion made of an elastomer covering at least a part of the base material portion, and the base material portion includes a handle base material portion and An elongated shaft-shaped core base material portion provided continuously with a tip portion of the handle base material portion, and the soft portion includes at least a cleaning soft portion covering the core base material portion, and the handle An interdental cleaning tool comprising a handle portion as a handle in a base material portion, and a cleaning portion for interdental cleaning formed by the core base material portion and a soft cleaning portion, wherein the cleaning soft portion is A handle portion covered with the core base material portion, and a plurality of cleaning protrusion portions protruding outward from the cover portion, and the handle portion of the handle protrusion portion is picked by a finger. 1st cleaning projection part arrange | positioned along the reference plane substantially orthogonal to a direction, and the other 2nd cleaning protrusion It is obtained by different morphology between.

  In this interdental cleaning tool, since the first cleaning protrusion is formed along a reference plane that is substantially orthogonal to the direction of the handle portion being picked by the finger, when the handle portion is picked with the finger and the interdental space is cleaned. The first cleaning protrusions are naturally arranged on the upper side and the lower side of the interdental space. For this reason, by adjusting the form of the first cleaning protrusion, it is possible to improve the plaque removal performance (cleanability) on the adjacent surfaces of adjacent teeth, interdental spaces, gingival sulcus, periodontal pockets, cervical portions, etc. , Can improve the massage effect of interdental papilla.

  Here, it is a preferred embodiment that the protrusion length of the first cleaning protrusion is set longer than the protrusion length of the second cleaning protrusion adjacent thereto. As described above, during the interdental cleaning, the first cleaning protrusion is arranged in a protruding shape toward the upper side and the lower side of the interdental space, so that the protrusion length of the first cleaning protrusion is increased. Thus, the first cleaning protrusion can reach the upper and lower corners of the interdental space, and the plaque removal performance, the massage effect, and the like by the first cleaning protrusion can be further improved.

  In a preferred embodiment, the first cleaning protrusion is configured in a plate shape having a length in the length direction of the cleaning quality portion. By comprising in this way, since the 1st cleaning projection part can be surface-contacted with respect to a tooth | gear surface or a gum, the plaque removal performance by the 1st cleaning projection part, a massage effect, etc. can be improved further.

  It is a preferred embodiment that a bulge is formed at the tip of the first cleaning protrusion. If comprised in this way, plaque removal performance and a massage effect can be improved further according to the scraping effect by a bulging part.

  In a preferred embodiment, the second cleaning protrusion is formed in a protruding shape in a direction orthogonal to the reference surface.

  In a preferred embodiment, a finger pick surface is formed on the handle portion. Forming the knob surface in this manner is preferable because the first cleaning protrusion is naturally arranged substantially in the vertical direction when the handle portion is pinched between the thumb and index finger to clean the teeth. In order to guide the user to the picking surface, the picking surface is formed by a curved concave surface along the finger, the picking surface is formed with fine unevenness for preventing slipping, and the picking surface is formed by an elastomer. Is preferable.

  In a preferred embodiment, the handle portion is formed in a thin flat shape in the picking direction. If comprised in this way, when the handle part is pinched between the thumb and the index finger to clean the teeth, the first cleaning protrusion part is naturally arranged substantially in the vertical direction, so one of the first cleaning protrusion parts Can efficiently clean the vicinity of the adjacent surface between the teeth, and the other first cleaning protrusion can efficiently clean the gingival sulcus, periodontal pocket, etc. and efficiently remove the plaque adhering to the cervical portion between the teeth And effective massage of the interdental papilla.

  The interdental cleaning tool according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the reference surface is a mating surface of a mold for molding the soft portion. Moreover, when manufacturing this interdental cleaning tool, the synthetic resin material is filled in the first molding space of the first mold to mold the base material portion, and the base material portion molded by the first mold is used. The second mold space is set in the second molding space, and the second molding space is filled with an elastomer material to mold the soft part. The first cleaning protrusion molds the soft part at the time of molding. Since it is arranged along the mating surface of the mold to be used, it is easy to release from the mold compared to the second cleaning protrusion other than the first cleaning protrusion, and the design freedom is high. It is possible to prevent the moldability of the interim cleaning tool from being lowered and the mold structure from becoming complicated. In addition, this 2nd metal mold | die is corresponded to the metal mold | die which shape | molds a soft part.

  According to the interdental cleaning tool of the present invention, the first cleaning protrusions are naturally arranged on the upper side and the lower side of the interdental space when the handle portion is picked with a finger to clean the interdental space. By adjusting the shape of the first cleaning protrusion, it is possible to improve the plaque removal performance on adjacent surfaces of adjacent teeth, interdental space, gingival sulcus, periodontal pocket, cervical region, etc., and massage interdental papilla The effect can be improved.

Front view of interdental cleaning tool assembly (A) of the interdental cleaning tool assembly is a front view, and (b) is a side view. Front view near the connecting part of the interdental cleaning tool assembly Sectional view taken along line IV-IV in FIG. (A) of cleaning part is front view, (b) is side view Sectional view taken along line VI-VI in Fig. 5 (a) (A)-(d) is a cross-sectional view of the protrusion for cleaning FIG. 6 equivalent view of the cleaning unit of another configuration FIG. 6 equivalent view of the cleaning unit of another configuration Illustration of how to use the interdental cleaning tool Front view of the cleaning part of another configuration (A) of the cleaning part of another structure is a front view, (b) is a side view Explanatory drawing of the first mold Explanatory drawing of the second mold XV-XV sectional view of FIG.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
<Interdental cleaning tool>
The interdental cleaning tool of this invention is equipped with the base material part which consists of synthetic resins, and the soft part which consists of elastomers.

  Synthetic resin materials constituting the substrate part include polypropylene (PP), polybutylene terephthalate (PBT), polyethylene, polyethylene terephthalate, polycyclohexylene dimethylene terephthalate, saturated polyester resin, polymethyl methacrylate, cellulose propionate, heat Thermoplastic synthetic resin materials such as plastic polyurethane, polyamide, polycarbonate, and ABS (acrylonitrile / butadiene / styrene) can be employed. Moreover, as a synthetic resin material which comprises a base material part, in order to improve productivity, it is preferable to employ | adopt the thermoplastic synthetic resin material which has crystallinity whose melting | fusing point is 150 degreeC or more. In particular, polypropylene (PP), polybutylene terephthalate (PBT), and polyamide (PA) are preferable because they can prevent the base material 10 from being broken. Polypropylene has a low molding temperature, shortens the cycle time, and improves productivity. It is most preferable because it is possible and the heat load on the molding equipment is small.

  For synthetic resin materials that make up the base material part, plate-like or granular glass that can promote the bending of the base material part in order to prevent the cleaning part from breaking during interdental insertion or interdental cleaning Powder materials such as flakes, mica, and talc, and fiber materials such as glass fibers, carbon fibers, and aramid fibers can be added.

  As the elastomer constituting the soft part, thermoplastic elastomers such as styrene, olefin, and polyamide, thermosetting elastomers such as silicon rubber, urethane rubber, fluororubber, natural rubber, and synthetic rubber can be employed. In particular, a material having compatibility with the synthetic resin material constituting the base portion is preferable. For example, when the base portion is made of polypropylene, the soft portion is preferably made of a polyolefin-based elastomer or a styrene-based elastomer. . In addition, what added the additive can also be employ | adopted as an elastomer.

Next, a specific shape of the interdental cleaning tool will be described with reference to the drawings.
As shown in FIG. 1 to FIG. 6, the interdental cleaning tool 1 is provided with a cleaning part 2 for interdental cleaning and a handle part 3 as a handle when distinguished by its function. A base material portion 10 made of a synthetic resin and a soft portion 20 made of an elastomer are provided. As shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, the interdental cleaning tool 1 is manufactured in the form of an interdental cleaning tool coupling body 5 formed by connecting a plurality of interdental cleaning tools 1 in a detachable manner in parallel. A user cuts off the interdental cleaning tool 1 in order from the one side of the interdental cleaning tool connector 5 and sequentially uses it. In addition, in FIG. 1, although the 10 interdental cleaning tools 1 were connected in parallel and the interdental cleaning tool coupling body 5 was comprised, the connection number of the interdental cleaning tools 1 can be set arbitrarily. Moreover, it can also manufacture separately, without connecting the interdental cleaning tool 1. FIG.

(Base material part)
The base material portion 10 is made of a thermoplastic synthetic resin, and as shown in FIGS. 1 to 6, a flat and slender plate-like handle base material portion 11 constituting the handle portion 3, and a tip portion of the handle base material portion 11. Are provided with an elongated shaft-shaped core base material portion 12 and a connecting portion 13 for detachably connecting adjacent handle base material portions 11.

  The handle base material portion 11 is formed in an elongated plate shape that is flat in the finger picking direction (the direction indicated by the arrow A in FIG. 2B), and the handle base portion 11 includes a thumb and index finger on both sides of the handle base portion 11. A flat pick surface 11a for picking the material part 11 is formed. However, if the handle base material portion 11 is a flat shape having a pick surface that can be easily picked with fingers and easily cleaned between teeth, for example, the cross-sectional shape is an oval shape (oval, oval, rounded rectangle, egg) It can also be formed into a flat bar shape such as a teardrop shape or polygon. Further, the knob surface 11a is formed of a curved surface along the finger, an uneven portion for preventing slipping is formed on the knob surface 11a, or an anti-slip portion made of an elastomer is provided on the knob surface 11a in a laminated form. You can also. Further, in this case, since the direction in which the handle base material portion 11 is picked by the finger is clarified, the cross-sectional shape of the handle base material portion 11 does not necessarily need to be formed in a flat shape, and is configured in a circular cross-section. It is also possible to do. In the present embodiment, the handle portion 3 is composed of only the handle base portion 11, but when the handle portion 3 is composed of the handle base portion 11 and the soft portion, the cross-sectional shape of the handle portion 3 including the soft portion. Is configured as described above.

  The distal end portion of the handle base material portion 11 is configured so as to narrow toward the core base material portion 12 side, and is smoothly connected to the core base material portion 12. The handle base material portion 11 can be set to any size as long as it is easy to clean between the teeth by picking with a finger. In the handle base material portion 11 shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, for example, the length L1 is 10 mm. To 25 mm, the width W1 is set to 4 mm to 8 mm, and the thickness t1 of the grip portion is set to 1.0 mm to 2.0 mm. As described above, since the handle base material portion 11 is thin, when the base material portion 10 is molded, it is possible to reduce dimensional variations due to the shrinkage of the handle base material portion 11 and to prevent sinking. The poor loading of the base material part 10 to the second molds 40 and 41 for forming the part 20 can be prevented.

  The core base material portion 12 is formed in a substantially straight and elongated shaft shape, and the handle base material portion 11 and the core base material portion 12 are arranged in substantially the same axis, and the core base material portion 12 and the handle base material portion 11 are arranged. Are arranged in the same plane. An exposed portion 12a that is exposed to the outside is formed on the gripping portion side of the core base material portion 12, and a core body 12b that can be inserted between teeth is formed on the tip side portion of the core base material portion 12 by being covered with an elastomer. The core base material portion 12 is formed in a gently tapered shape that decreases in diameter as it goes to the tip side.

  The length L2 of the exposed portion 12a of the core base material portion 12 from the end point of the round (curved portion) on the side surface of the distal end portion of the handle base material portion 11 configured to be narrow to the base end portion of the covering portion 21a of the soft portion 20 Is set to, for example, 10 mm to 40 mm, preferably 10 mm to 25 mm in consideration of operability, and the length L3 of the cleaning soft portion 21 is set to, for example, 12 mm to 22 mm in consideration of the plaque removal performance with respect to the teeth. Has been. From the viewpoint of ease of insertion and stress concentration, the cross-sectional shape of the core base material portion 12 is preferably circular, but may be a cross-sectional shape such as an oval shape, a teardrop shape, or a polygonal shape.

  The angle θ1 formed by the taper shape of the outer surface of the core base material portion 12 with respect to the center line of the core base material portion 12 is set to 0.2 ° to 1.5 ° in consideration of the insertability between teeth. . The diameter of the distal end side portion of the core body 12b is set to 0.4 mm to 0.6 mm, the diameter of the base end portion of the core body 12b is set to 0.8 mm to 2.0 mm, and the covering of the cleaning soft portion 21 is performed. The diameter D at the end of the curved surface of the distal end portion of the portion 21a is set to 0.5 to 1.2 mm, and the distal end side portion of the core body 12b at least 5 mm or more can be reliably inserted between the teeth from the distal end portion of the core body 12b. It is configured as follows.

  However, the angle θ1 formed by the taper shape of the core base material portion 12 is set to the same angle θ1 over the entire length of the core base material portion 12, but continuously or stepwise as it goes to the tip side of the core base material portion 12. It can also be set to be smaller. Alternatively, the exposed portion 12a may be formed in a shaft shape having the same diameter over the entire length, and only the core body 12b may be formed in a gently tapered shape that decreases in diameter toward the distal end side. Further, it is possible to omit the exposed portion 12a and connect the core body 12b directly to the handle base material portion 11.

  In the present embodiment, the present invention is applied to the I-type interdental cleaning tool 1 in which the center line extending in the longitudinal direction of the handle base material portion 11 and the axis of the core base material portion 12 are arranged in substantially the same axis. However, the present invention can also be applied to an interdental cleaning tool in which the center line of the handle base material portion 11 and the axis of the core base material portion 12 are arranged in an arbitrary positional relationship, for example, the center of the handle base material portion 11 The present invention can also be applied to an interdental cleaning tool in which the wire and the axis of the core base material portion 12 are arranged in parallel with a space therebetween, and the center line of the handle base material portion 11 is used as the axis of the core base material portion 12. On the other hand, for example, the present invention can be applied to a so-called L-shaped interdental cleaning tool provided with an angle of 120 °.

  As shown in FIGS. 2 to 4, the connecting portion 13 is integrally formed with the handle base material portion 11 between the adjacent handle base material portions 11, and the base end side and the tip end side of the handle base material portion 11 are formed. As shown in phantom lines in FIG. 4, a pair of interdental cleaning tools 1 centering on the boundary portion 13a are folded in a direction to overlap each other, thereby interdental The cleaning tool 1 can be cleanly and easily separated. However, the arrangement position, shape, and number of the connecting portions 13 can be arbitrarily set.

(Soft part)
As shown in FIGS. 1 to 6, the soft portion 20 is formed by using an elastomer material so as to be integrated with the base material portion 10, and includes a cleaning soft portion 21 that is externally mounted on the core base material portion 12. ing. However, as the soft portion 20, it is also possible to provide an annular insertion restricting portion for restricting insertion between teeth at the proximal end portion of the core body 12b, or to provide a non-slip portion on the handle base portion 11. . The insertion restricting portion and the non-slip portion can be formed independently of the cleaning soft portion 21, but the mold structure becomes complicated, so that the insertion restricting portion and the anti-slip portion are formed so as to continue to the base of the cleaning soft portion 21. Is preferred.

  The cleaning soft portion 21 is a covering portion 21a covered with the core base material portion 12 and a plurality of cleaning protrusions protruding outward from the covering portion 21a, and is picked by a finger of the handle portion 3 (see FIG. 2 (b), a first cleaning protrusion 21b disposed along a reference plane BS substantially orthogonal to the direction (indicated by arrow A), and the other second cleaning protrusion 21c. As will be described later, the characteristic configuration of the present invention is that the first cleaning projection 21b and the second cleaning projection 21c have different forms. The reference surface BS can be arbitrarily set, but the second molds 40 and 41 for molding the soft portion 20 are aligned to improve the degree of freedom in designing the shape of the first cleaning protrusion 21B. The surfaces 40a and 41a (see FIG. 14) are preferably used as the reference surface BS.

  If the wall thickness of the covering portion 21a is too thick, it is necessary to reduce the diameter of the core body 12b covered with the covering portion 21a. Therefore, the rigidity of the cleaning portion 2 at the time of insertion between teeth is greatly reduced. In addition, it is not preferable because Karman vortices are likely to be generated during molding or may be greatly affected by Karman vortices, and if it is too thin, it is not preferable because the elastomer material cannot be filled up to the base end of the cleaning portion 2. For this reason, it is preferable to set the thickness of the covering portion 21a to 0.1 mm to 0.2 mm.

  The first cleaning protrusions 21b are provided so as to protrude from one side and the other side of the covering portion 21a along the reference surface BS (in the right and left directions in FIG. 6), and the covering portion 21a. Are spaced apart from each other in the longitudinal direction. The arrangement intervals of the first cleaning protrusions 21b with respect to the length direction of the covering portion 21a can be all configured at the same interval, or a part or all of the intervals can be configured at different intervals. It can comprise so that it may become narrow as it goes to the front end side of the part 21a.

  The protruding length L4 of the first cleaning protrusion 21b from the covering portion 21a is configured to increase stepwise as it goes to the distal end side of the cleaning portion 2, and ensures insertion between teeth, It is comprised so that plaque removal performance can be ensured. However, the protrusion length L4 of the plurality of first cleaning protrusions 21b can be configured to an arbitrary length, for example, can be all configured to be the same length, or the middle portion of the cleaning unit 2 in the length direction. Can be configured to be longest and shorter as it goes to both ends. The protruding length L4 means the maximum value of the distance between the distal end portion and the proximal end portion of the first cleaning projection portion 21b with respect to the length direction of the first cleaning projection portion 21b.

  The cross-sectional shape orthogonal to the protruding direction of the base end portion of the first cleaning projection 21b can be formed as a circle as shown in FIG. 7A, or as an oval shape (as shown in FIG. 7B). Oval, oval, rounded rectangle, oval, oval, cocoon, etc.) or polygonal shapes such as rectangles and hexagons as shown in FIGS. 7 (c) and 7 (d) Or can be formed. In the case of an elongate cross-sectional shape such as an oval shape or a rectangle, it is preferable to arrange the longitudinal direction of the cross-section in the length direction of the cleaning unit 2 in consideration of insertion properties between teeth. It can also be arranged at an angle with respect to the vertical direction.

  The first cleaning projection 21b is formed in a conical shape such that the cross-sectional area perpendicular to the longitudinal direction decreases continuously or stepwise from the proximal end to the distal end. However, it can also be formed in a columnar shape with the same cross-sectional area over the entire length, and it is formed in a conical shape configured so that the cross-sectional area perpendicular to the longitudinal direction increases continuously or stepwise as it goes to the tip side. It is also possible. Further, as in the cleaning portion 2A shown in FIG. 8, a bulging portion 22 having a spherical shape or a spindle shape (football shape) is formed at the tip of the first cleaning protrusion 21b, and the bulging portion 22 has a scraping effect. Therefore, it is also preferable that the plaque removal performance and the massage effect can be improved.

The specific dimensions of the first cleaning projections 21b, for example, the cross-sectional area of the proximal end portion is ^preferably set to about 0.03 mm 2 1.5 mm ^2, the protruding length L4 is 0.5mm~ It is preferable to set to about 2.0 mm, the total number is preferably set to 25 to 45, and the arrangement interval with respect to the length direction of the cleaning unit 2 is preferably set to 0.5 mm to 1.5 mm. .

  In addition, if the some 1st cleaning projection part 21b is arrange | positioned along the reference plane BS, the structure other than that can be set arbitrarily, for example, the protrusion length from 21a from a coating | coated part, a cleaning part The vertical cross-sectional shape and vertical cross-sectional dimension along the length direction of 2, the cross-sectional shape and cross-sectional dimension in the direction orthogonal to the length direction of the cleaning part 2, the arrangement interval with respect to the length direction of the cleaning part 2 are arbitrary Can be set.

  The second cleaning protrusion 21c is formed on one side and the other side of the covering portion 21a along the mold opening / closing direction of the second molds 40 and 41 that mold the soft portion 20 during molding (in FIG. (Upward and downward) are provided in a protruding form as a set of two, and are provided at intervals in the length direction of the cleaning portion 2. The arrangement intervals of the second cleaning projections 21c with respect to the length direction of the cleaning unit 2 can be all configured to be the same length, or a part or all of the intervals can be configured to be different from each other. It can comprise so that it may become narrow as it goes to the front end side of the cleaning part 2. FIG. The arrangement interval of the first cleaning projections 21b and the arrangement interval of the second cleaning projections 21c can be the same interval or different intervals. Reference numeral 14 denotes a cleaning portion recess formed by holding pins 50, 51, 53 for holding the core base material portion 12 in the central portion of the second molding space 42, and a position where the cleaning portion recess 14 is formed. The second cleaning protrusion 21c is omitted. However, instead of the two pairs of second cleaning protrusions 21c, as in the cleaning part 2B shown in FIG. 9, one second cleaning protrusion 21Bc is changed from the covering part 21a to the covering part 21a. It is also possible to provide the second molds 40 and 41 for molding the projections on one side and the other side in the mold opening / closing direction (in FIG. 9, above and below the paper surface), respectively.

  The 2nd cleaning projection part 21c is constituted so that protrusion length L5 from covering part 21a may become long in steps as it goes to the tip side of cleaning part 2, and while ensuring insertability between teeth. The plaque removal performance can be ensured. However, the projecting length L5 of the plurality of second cleaning protrusions 21c can be configured to an arbitrary length, for example, all can be configured to the same length, or the middle portion of the cleaning unit 2 in the length direction. Can be configured to be longest and shorter as it goes to both ends. The protruding length L5 means the maximum value of the distance between the distal end portion and the proximal end portion of the second cleaning projection portion 21c with respect to the length direction of the second cleaning projection portion 21c.

  The cross-sectional shape perpendicular to the protruding direction of the base end portion of the second cleaning projection 21c is a circle, an oval shape, a teardrop shape, or a polygon such as a rectangle or a hexagon, like the first cleaning projection 21b. Can be formed. In the case of an elongate cross-sectional shape such as an oval shape or a rectangle, it is preferable to arrange the longitudinal direction of the cross-section in the length direction of the cleaning unit 2 in consideration of insertion properties between teeth. It can also be arranged at an angle with respect to the vertical direction.

  The second cleaning protrusion 21c has a cross-sectional area perpendicular to the longitudinal direction as it goes from the base end to the tip so that it can be released from the second mold 40, 41 continuously or stepwise. It is formed in a cone shape configured to be small.

The specific dimensions of the second cleaning projections 21c, for example, the cross-sectional area of the proximal end portion is ^preferably set to about 0.03 mm 2 1.5 mm ^2, the projecting length L5 is 0.2mm~ It is preferable to set to about 2.5 mm, the total number is preferably set to 25 to 120, and the arrangement interval with respect to the length direction of the cleaning unit 2 is preferably set to 0.5 mm to 1.5 mm. .

  In addition, if the 2nd cleaning projection part 21c is arrange | positioned in the mold opening / closing direction of the 2nd metal mold | dies 40 and 41, for example, length, the longitudinal cross section along the length direction of the cleaning part 2 The shape and vertical cross-sectional dimension, the cross-sectional shape and cross-sectional dimension in the direction orthogonal to the length direction of the cleaning part 2, the arrangement interval with respect to the length direction and the circumferential direction of the cleaning part 2 can be arbitrarily set.

  Adjacent first cleaning projection 21b and second cleaning projection 21c are configured so that their forms are different from each other. However, all the adjacent cleaning protrusions 21b and 21c can be configured to have different forms, or one or a plurality of sets of cleaning protrusions at specific locations in the length direction of the cleaning part 2 Only the configurations of the portions 21b and 21c may be different from each other.

  Specifically, as shown in FIG. 6, the adjacent first cleaning projection 21b and second cleaning projection 21c have a projection length L4 from the covering portion 21a of the first cleaning projection 21b. The second cleaning protrusion 21c is configured to be longer than the protruding length L5 from the covering portion 21a.

  The projection length L4 of the first cleaning projection 21b and the ratio L4 / L5 of the second cleaning projection 21c and the projection length L5 can be set arbitrarily, but if it exceeds 350%, The first cleaning protrusion 21b is easily broken during cleaning, and if it is less than 120%, the effect of improving the plaque removal performance cannot be sufficiently obtained, so 120% to 350%, preferably 150% to 300%. It is preferable to set to.

  When using this interdental cleaning tool 1, like the normal interdental cleaning tool 1, the handle part 3 is picked with a finger, the cleaning part 2 is inserted between the teeth, and the cleaning part 2 has its length. The handle base material part 11 is formed in a flat shape by slightly moving in the direction, but the handle base material part 11 is picked with the thumb and index finger, and the cleaning part 2 is When directed to the inside of the oral cavity, the first cleaning protrusions 21b are naturally arranged vertically. On the other hand, since the first cleaning projection 21b has a longer projection length than the second cleaning projection 21c, the first cleaning projection 21b having a longer projection length is located between adjacent teeth during inter-tooth cleaning. For example, as shown in FIG. 10, when cleaning between the maxillary central incisors MT, the first cleaning protrusion 21 b having a long protruding length is adjacent to the contact surface CS side and the gingival GU side. The interdental gap formed between the teeth is arranged on the contact surface CS side and the gingival GU side of the intermediate incisor MT, and the first cleaning protrusions reach the upper and lower corners of the interdental gap. In addition, it is possible to improve the plaque removal performance of the gingival sulcus, periodontal pocket, and cervix, and to improve the massage effect of interdental papilla. In addition, when the reference surface BS is configured by the mating surfaces 40a and 41a of the second molds 40 and 41 for molding the soft portion 20, the reference surface BS is compared with the second cleaning protrusion 21c other than the first cleaning protrusion 21b. In addition, it is easy to release from the second molds 40 and 41, the degree of freedom in design is high, and it is possible to prevent the moldability of the interdental cleaning tool 1 from being lowered and the mold structure from becoming complicated.

  In the above-described embodiment, the protruding lengths of the adjacent first cleaning protrusion 21b and the second cleaning protrusion 21c are different. However, the dimensions of the respective parts other than the protrusion length, the tip shape, and the protrusion The vertical cross-sectional shape along the direction and the cross-sectional shape orthogonal to the protruding direction can also be made different. For example, it can be configured as follows. In addition, the same code | symbol is attached | subjected to the member same as the said embodiment, and the detailed description is abbreviate | omitted.

(1) Like the first cleaning projection 21Cb of the cleaning unit 2C shown in FIG. 11, the distal end side of the first cleaning projection 21Cb is closer to the proximal end side in the length direction of the cleaning unit 2C than the proximal end side. The first cleaning protrusion 21Cb can be formed to be inclined so as to be inclined. In this case, the insertion property of the cleaning part 2C between the teeth can be improved, and the scraping effect by the first cleaning protrusion 21Cb can be improved. The inclination angle of the first cleaning protrusion 21Cb can be arbitrarily set, and the distal end side of the first cleaning protrusion 21Cb is inclined more toward the distal end side in the length direction of the cleaning part 2C than the proximal end side. It is also possible. Moreover, the 1st cleaning projection part from which an inclination angle differs can also be mixed.

(2) As in the cleaning part 2D shown in FIG. 12, instead of the first cleaning projection part 21b, a cleaning part in which a plurality of through holes 23 that penetrate in the plate thickness direction with intervals in the length direction are formed. It is also possible to provide a plate-like first cleaning protrusion 21Db that is elongated in the 2D length direction. In this case, the plaque removal performance and the massage effect can be further improved by the first cleaning protrusion 21Db. However, as the through hole 23, a through hole having an arbitrary shape such as a circular shape, an oval shape, or a polygonal shape can be formed, or the through hole 23 can be omitted.

<Manufacturing method>
Next, the manufacturing method of the interdental cleaning tool 1 is demonstrated.
As shown in FIG. 13, the interdental cleaning tool 1 is manufactured by filling the first molding space 32 of the first mold 30, 31 with the synthetic resin material melted through the runner 33 and the gate 34. The base material part forming step for forming the part 10 and the second molds 40 and 41 having the second forming space 42 having a shape suitable for the cleaning part 2 as shown in FIGS. In the second molding space 42 of the dies 40 and 41, the base material portion 10 molded by the first dies 30 and 31 is set, and the core base material portion 12 is fixed by the three sets of holding pins 50, 51 and 53. A soft part molding step of molding the soft part 20 by filling the melted elastomer material through the runner 47 and the gate 48 into the cleaning soft part molding part 46 of the second molding space 42 in the held state. . Reference numeral 35 denotes a connecting portion forming portion for forming the connecting portion 13, and reference numerals 43, 44, and 45 are formed by the runner 33, the gate 34, and the connecting portion forming portion 35 of the first molds 30 and 31. This is a fitting space formed in the second molds 40 and 41 that accommodates the runner portion 36, the gate portion 37, and the connecting portion 13. The second molds 40 and 41 correspond to molds.

  This manufacturing method is configured in the same manner as the conventional manufacturing method, except that a mold having a cleaning soft part molding part 46 having a shape suitable for the cleaning part 2 is used as the second molds 40 and 41. Yes. As shown in FIG. 15, the soft part molding part 46 for cleaning of the second molds 40, 41 is provided with a covering part molding part 46a formed by the covering part 21a between the mating surfaces 40a, 41a. A first cleaning projection molding portion 46b that molds the cleaning projection 21b is provided so as to protrude sideways along the mating surfaces 40a and 41a from the coating portion molding portion 46a, and the second cleaning projection 21c is formed. A second cleaning projection molding portion 46c to be molded is provided so as to protrude from the covering portion molding portion 46a to both sides along the mold opening / closing direction.

  Thus, in this 2nd metal mold | die 40,41, since the 1st projection part 46b for cleaning is provided along the mating surfaces 40a and 41a as the reference surface BS, the type | mold of the 2nd metal mold | dies 40 and 41 is provided. Compared to the second cleaning projection forming part 46c provided along the opening and closing direction, the degree of freedom in design with respect to the shape and dimensions is increased. For this reason, the shape of the 1st cleaning projection part 21b shape | molded by the 1st cleaning protrusion part formation part 46b is comprised in a shape which improves a plaque removal performance and a massage performance, without reducing a moldability. Thus, plaque removal performance and massage performance can be improved.

  The embodiment of the present invention has been described above. However, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and it goes without saying that the configuration can be changed without departing from the gist of the present invention.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Interdental cleaning tool 2 Cleaning part 3 Handle part 5 Interdental cleaning tool coupling body 10 Base material part 11 Handle base material part 11a Knob surface 12 Core base material part 12a Exposed part 12b Core main body 13 Connection part 13a Boundary part 14 Cleaning part Concave part 20 Soft part 21 Cleaning soft part 21a Cover part 21b First cleaning projection part 21c Second cleaning projection part 2A Cleaning part 22 Bumping part 2B Cleaning part 21Bc Cleaning projection part 2C Cleaning part 21Cb Cleaning projection part 2D Cleaning section 21Db Cleaning projection 23 Through hole 30 First mold 31 First mold 32 First molding space 33 Runner 34 Gate 35 Connecting section molding section 36 Runner section 37 Gate section 40 Second mold 40a Matching surface 41 First 2 mold 41a mating surface 42 second molding space 43 fitting space 44 fitting space 45 fitting space 46 cleaning soft part molding part 46a covering part molding part 46b first cleaning projection part molding part 46c Second cleaning projection forming part 47 Runner 48 Gate 50 Holding pin 51 Holding pin 52 Holding pin GU Gingival MT Medium incisor

Claims (8)

A base portion made of a synthetic resin, and a soft portion made of an elastomer covering at least a part of the base portion. The base portion is provided at a handle base portion and a tip portion of the handle base portion. An elongated shaft-shaped core base material portion provided continuously, and the soft portion has at least a cleaning soft portion covering the core base material portion, and the handle base portion serves as a handle. An interdental cleaning tool comprising an interdental cleaning part with the core base material part and the cleaning soft part,
The cleaning soft part has a covering part covered by the core base part and a plurality of cleaning protrusions protruding outward from the covering part,
Of the cleaning projections, the first cleaning projection and the other second cleaning projections arranged along a reference plane that is substantially orthogonal to the picking direction of the handle portion by the finger. Different,
An interdental cleaning tool characterized by that.   The interdental cleaning tool according to claim 1, wherein the protruding length of the first cleaning protrusion is set longer than the protruding length of the second cleaning protrusion adjacent thereto.   The interdental cleaning tool according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the first cleaning protrusion is configured in a plate shape having a length in a length direction of the cleaning portion.   The interdental cleaning tool of any one of Claims 1-3 which formed the bulging part in the front-end | tip part of the said 1st cleaning projection part.   The interdental cleaning tool according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the second cleaning protrusion is formed so as to protrude in a direction orthogonal to the reference surface.   The interdental cleaning tool according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein a pinch surface by a finger is formed on the handle portion.   The interdental cleaning tool according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the handle portion is formed in a thin flat shape in the picking direction.   The interdental cleaning tool according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the reference surface is a mating surface of a mold for molding the soft portion.

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