JP2017205438A - electric toothbrush - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an electric toothbrush which can reduce power consumption without lowering cleanability while being constituted to be able to switch between a rotary type and a slide type, and which can constitute a head part thin.SOLUTION: In an electric toothbrush including head side conversion means 50 for converting a reciprocation linear motion of an output shaft of driving means into a reciprocation rotary motion of a brush head, the head side conversion means 50 includes: a connection rod 51 capable of performing reciprocation linear motion together with an output shaft; an oscillation lever 52 which is arranged between the connection rod 51 and a brush head body 41, and in which a base part on the connection rod 51 side is pivotally supported at a handle body 31 in a rotatable manner; a first conversion mechanism 53 for converting a reciprocation linear motion of the connection rod 51 into a reciprocation rotary motion of the oscillation lever 52; and a second conversion mechanism 54 for converting the reciprocation rotary motion of the oscillation lever 52 into the reciprocation rotary motion of the brush head body 41.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 6

Description

  The present invention relates to an electric toothbrush configured such that a brush head reciprocally rotates.

  As electric toothbrushes, a slide-type electric toothbrush configured such that the brush head reciprocates linearly and a rotary electric toothbrush configured such that the brush head reciprocally rotates are widely put into practical use.

  As the rotary electric toothbrush, an electric toothbrush (see, for example, Patent Document 1) including a head-side conversion unit that converts the reciprocating linear motion of the output shaft into the reciprocating rotational motion of the brush head is widely implemented. A first motion conversion mechanism that converts the rotational motion of the motor shaft into a swing motion at one end of the lever support shaft, and a first motion conversion mechanism that converts the swing motion at the other end portion of the lever support shaft into a reciprocating motion of the brush body. An electric toothbrush (for example, refer to Patent Document 2) including a two-motion conversion mechanism has also been proposed.

  In the head side conversion means of the electric toothbrush described in Patent Document 1, a pair of crank arms that also serve to prevent the brush head from coming off is provided on the brush head, a recess is formed in one of the crank arms, and the tip of the joint is formed in the recess. The brush head is connected via the joint by fitting and connecting the bent portion, connecting the base end of the joint to the tip of the connecting rod so as to be tiltable, and causing the connecting rod to reciprocate linearly by the output shaft of the driving means. It is comprised so that reciprocating rotational movement can be carried out.

Japanese Patent No. 3957576 Japanese Patent No. 4306230

  By the way, in the rotary electric toothbrush described in Patent Document 1, as a replacement brush, a replacement brush that does not include a head-side conversion unit that converts the reciprocating linear motion of the output shaft into the reciprocating rotational motion of the brush head can be rotated. This type of electric toothbrush can be used as a sliding electric toothbrush. For this reason, a rotary electric toothbrush and a sliding electric toothbrush can share a driving device, and the manufacturing cost of the electric toothbrush can be reduced or the replacement brush can be replaced, so that the sliding type can be changed according to the user's preference. There is an advantage that the rotary type can be properly used.

  However, if the stroke of the reciprocating linear motion of the connecting rod and the output shaft is shortened, the maximum rotation angle of the brush head is reduced. Therefore, in order to ensure sufficient cleaning performance, the stroke of the connecting rod and the output shaft is made smaller than the current stroke. It was difficult to make it smaller.

  In addition, a concave portion is formed on the rear surface side of the crank arm opposite to the flocking table, and the bent portion at the tip of the joint is fitted and connected to the concave portion, so the thickness of the head portion excluding the brush is There is a problem that the thickness of the joint is increased by at least the diameter of the joint, and the cleanability of the back side of the molar is lowered.

  On the other hand, in the electric toothbrush described in Patent Document 2, the head portion can be configured to be thin by using two motion conversion mechanisms. However, this electric toothbrush is a rotary-type electric toothbrush that can be slid by replacing the replacement brush. There is a problem that it cannot be switched to the electric toothbrush.

  An object of the present invention is to provide an electric toothbrush that can be switched between a rotary type and a slide type, can reduce power consumption without deteriorating the cleanability, and can have a thin head portion. .

  If the stroke of the reciprocating linear motion of the connecting rod and the output shaft can be shortened, the applicant can reduce the kinetic energy for moving these members, reduce the frictional energy during the movement, and be close to the brush head. By providing a peristaltic lever, even if the stroke of the reciprocating linear motion is shortened, the idea that the angle of the reciprocating rotational motion of the brush head can be sufficiently secured and the deterioration of the cleaning performance can be prevented is obtained. It came to be completed.

The present invention includes the following inventions.
(1) The reciprocating linear motion of the output means of the brush head is the reciprocating rotational motion of the brush head, the driving means built in the main body case, the handle extending from the main body case, the brush head provided on the handle body, and the output shaft of the driving means. In the electric toothbrush provided with the head side conversion means for converting into the head side, the brush head has a brush head main body and a hair bundle implanted in the brush head body, and the head side conversion means reciprocates linearly with the output shaft. A connecting rod, a sliding lever disposed between the connecting rod and the brush head body, and a base on the connecting rod side rotatably supported by the handle, and a reciprocating linear motion of the connecting rod. A first conversion mechanism for converting the reciprocating rotational motion of the peristaltic lever, and a second converting mechanism for converting the reciprocal rotational motion of the peristaltic lever into the reciprocating rotational motion of the brush head body. Toothbrush. The reciprocating rotational motion means a motion that repeatedly performs a rotational motion in which the brush head rotates by a certain angle in the forward rotation direction and then rotates by the same angle in the reverse rotation direction. Further, if the maximum rotation angle of the reciprocating rotation of the brush head is too large, the configuration of the head side conversion means becomes complicated, and if it is too small, the cleaning property is deteriorated. Preferably, it is more preferably set within the range of 45 ° to 80 °.

  Since this electric toothbrush is an electric toothbrush that converts the reciprocating linear motion of the output shaft of the driving means into the reciprocating rotational motion of the brush head, the brush head is reciprocated linearly by using a replacement brush that does not have the head side converting means. An electric toothbrush that can be switched between a rotating type and a sliding type by exchanging the replacement brush can be realized. In addition, by providing a swing lever that can rotate with respect to the handle between the connecting rod and the brush head, the maximum rotation angle of the brush head can be sufficiently secured as in the case of the conventional electric toothbrush, while the connecting rod and the output shaft. The stroke of reciprocating linear motion can be reduced. For this reason, the maximum rotation angle of the brush head is sufficiently secured, the cleaning stroke is sufficiently secured, the stroke of the reciprocating linear motion of the connecting rod and the output shaft is reduced, and the connecting rod and the output shaft are reciprocated linearly. It is possible to reduce the kinetic energy for causing the electric toothbrush to reduce power consumption of the electric toothbrush by reducing the friction energy between the connecting rod and the output shaft and the handle. If a peristaltic lever is provided, extra kinetic energy is generated for reciprocating rotational movement of the lever. However, since the kinetic energy is smaller than the reduction of the kinetic energy and the friction energy due to the shortened strokes of the connecting rod and the output shaft, the power consumption of the entire electric toothbrush can be reduced.

(2) As the first conversion mechanism, a first guide portion including a slot or a groove extending laterally is provided at a base portion of the swing lever, and the first guide portion is rotatable and movable at a distal end portion of the connecting rod. The electric toothbrush according to (1), wherein a first connecting pin that is freely fitted is provided.

(3) As the second conversion mechanism, a second guide portion including a slot or a groove extending in the radial direction is provided on the back side of the brush head body, and the second guide portion is rotatable at the tip of the peristaltic lever. The electric toothbrush according to (1) or (2), wherein a second connecting pin that is movably fitted is provided.

(4) The brush head main body is provided with a head support portion disposed on the back side of the brush head main body at the distal end portion of the handle body, and a support wall portion having a through hole on the front side of the head support portion. Is a flocking table disposed on the front side of the head support part, a fitting shaft part protruding from the back side of the flocking table and fitted in the through hole of the support wall part, and the support wall part An end portion of the fitting shaft portion is provided on the end surface of the fitting shaft portion so as to protrude outward, and the second guide portion including a groove portion is provided on the fitting shaft portion (3). ) Electric toothbrush described. In this electric toothbrush, since the second guide portion formed of the groove portion is formed in the fitting shaft portion of the brush head disposed in the through hole of the support wall portion, the tip portion of the peristaltic lever is removed from the thickness of the retaining portion. It becomes possible to arrange in the formation range of a direction, and the thickness of a head part can be made thinner than the electric toothbrush of the cited reference 1. Thus, since the thickness of a head part can be made thin, the operativity of the head part in an intraoral area can be improved, for example, the cleanability of the back side of a molar can be improved.

  According to the electric toothbrush of the present invention, it can be configured to be switchable between a rotary type and a slide type, and the maximum rotation angle of the brush head is sufficiently secured to ensure sufficient cleaning performance, and the connecting rod and the output. The electric toothbrush can reduce the kinetic energy for reciprocating linear movement of the connecting rod and output shaft by reducing the stroke of the reciprocating linear motion of the shaft, and reduce the friction energy between the connecting rod and output shaft and the handle. Power consumption can be reduced.

Perspective view of electric toothbrush Perspective view of electric toothbrush with replacement brush removed Explanatory drawing of drive means of electric toothbrush Exploded perspective view of spare brush Right side view of spare brush Sectional view taken along line VI-VI in FIG. VII-VII sectional view of FIG. 8A is a perspective view of the brush head, the swing lever, and the connecting rod in a connected state. FIG. 8B is an exploded perspective view of the brush head, the swing lever, and the connecting rod. 9 (A), 9 (B), and 9 (C) are diagrams for explaining the operation of the head side conversion means.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In the present embodiment, the vertical direction and the front / rear / left / right direction are defined with reference to the state where the electric toothbrush is arranged in the vertical posture with the brush head side on the upper side and the hair bundle planting side on the front side. explain.

  As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the electric toothbrush 10 includes a main body device 11 that also serves as a handle, and a replacement brush 30 that is detachably attached to the main body device 11.

≪Main unit≫
As shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, the main body device 11 includes a main body case 12 that can be grasped by hand, a driving means 13 that is built in the upper part of the main body case 12, and a primary battery or two batteries that are built in the lower part of the main body case 12. And a battery 14 including a secondary battery. When a primary battery is used as the battery 14, the battery 14 is installed in a replaceable manner with respect to the main body case 12, and when a secondary battery is used, an induction coil is provided in the lower end portion of the main body case 12. It can also be configured such that the battery 14 can be charged by generating an induction current in the induction coil without contact by installing the main body device 11 in a charger.

<Drive means>
As shown in FIG. 3, the driving means 13 includes an output shaft 16 provided so as to be movable in the vertical direction along a pair of upper and lower guide members 15, a motor 17 provided below the output shaft 16, and an output shaft 16. And a drive-side conversion means 20 that is disposed between the motor 17 and converts the rotational motion of the rotary shaft 18 of the motor 17 into the reciprocating linear motion of the output shaft 16 in the vertical direction.

<Drive side conversion means>
The drive side conversion means 20 will be described. A drive gear 21 is fixed to the rotation shaft 18 of the motor 17, and a gear support shaft 22 orthogonal to the rotation shaft 18 is provided above the rotation shaft 18. A ring gear 23 that meshes with the drive gear 21 is supported. The ring gear 23 is formed with a cam shaft 24 having a center protruding from the center of the gear support shaft 22 by a certain eccentric distance E, and the cam shaft 24 is fitted into the lower end portion of the output shaft 16. A driven member 25 having a long hole 25a is fixed. When the rotating shaft 18 of the motor 17 rotates, the ring gear 23 rotates through the drive gear 21, and the cam shaft 24 rotates eccentrically around the gear support shaft 22 in the elongated hole 25a of the driven member 25. Only the vertical component during rotation of the shaft 24 is transmitted to the driven member 25, and the output shaft 16 moves in the vertical direction with a stroke twice the eccentric distance E between the center of the cam shaft 24 and the center of the gear support shaft 22. It will reciprocate linearly.

  In addition, as long as the main body device 11 has a configuration in which the stroke of the reciprocating linear motion of the output shaft 16 can be adjusted to suit the present invention, a configuration other than the configuration for changing the stroke is known. Things can be used as they are. The above-described main body device 11 is also configured in the same manner as the main body device of the conventional slide type electric toothbrush except that the eccentric distance E between the center of the gear support shaft 22 and the center of the cam shaft 24 is reduced. ing. As described above, according to the present invention, it is not necessary to change the design of the main body device 11 or the manufacturing equipment, so that the present invention can be implemented easily and inexpensively. Further, as the driving means 13, any structure can be adopted as long as the output shaft 16 can reciprocate linearly. For example, as the driving means 13, a linear driving means in which a linear actuator having a coil and a permanent magnet is provided and an alternating current is supplied to the coil so that the output shaft 16 can reciprocate linearly can be adopted. .

≪Replacement brush≫
As shown in FIGS. 1, 2, and 4 to 7, the replacement brush 30 includes a handle body 31 that extends upward from the main body case 12, a brush head 40 provided at the tip of the handle body 31, and a driving unit 13. Head side conversion means 50 for converting the reciprocating linear motion of the output shaft 16 into the reciprocating rotational motion of the brush head 40.

<Pattern>
The handle 31 will be described. As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the handle 31 includes a hollow cylindrical handle main body 32 and a connecting cylinder 33 that is fitted and fixed to the lower end of the handle main body 32. In addition, the rear side of the upper part of the handle main body 32 is constituted by a detachable lid member 34, and the head side conversion means 50 and the brush head 40 can be assembled by removing the lid member 34.

  As shown in FIGS. 4 to 7, an inner fitting cylinder part 32 a is formed at the lower end of the handle body 32, and a connecting cylinder 33 is fitted around the inner fitting cylinder part 32 a. A pair of locking claws 32c is provided in the inner fitting cylinder portion 32a, and an engagement recess 33a in which the locking claws 32c can be engaged is formed on the inner peripheral surface of the connecting cylinder 33. On the other hand, the coupling cylinder 33 is externally fitted, so that the locking claw 32c is engaged with the engagement recess 33a, and the coupling cylinder 33 is attached to the handle body 32 so that it cannot rotate and cannot be detached in the axial direction. ing.

  As shown in FIG. 2, a pair of claw portions 33 b are formed in the lower end portion of the outer peripheral surface of the connecting cylinder 33 so as to protrude outwardly with a circumferential interval, and are connected to the upper end portion of the main body case 12. A cover cylinder 35 that externally fits the cylinder 33 is fixed. On the inner peripheral surface of the cover cylinder 35, a pair of engaging grooves 36 each including a longitudinal groove and a lateral groove extending in the circumferential direction from the lower end portion of the longitudinal groove are formed, and the handle 31 has a claw portion 33b of the connecting cylinder 33. The connecting cylinder 33 is inserted into the inner part of the cover cylinder 35 by fitting into the vertical groove of the cover cylinder 35, and in this state, the connecting cylinder 33 is rotated together with the handle body 32 by a predetermined angle to engage the claw portion 33b with the horizontal groove. By being combined, the main body case 12 is detachably attached so as not to move in the axial direction of the output shaft 16.

<Brush head>
As shown in FIGS. 4 to 9, the brush head 40 includes a brush head main body 41 that is rotatably provided at the distal end of the handle 31, and a plurality of hair bundles that are planted on the flocking table 42 of the brush head main body 41. The brush part 44 which consists of 43 is provided.

  The brush portion 44 has a known configuration in which one or a plurality of bristles 43 formed by bundling a plurality of synthetic resin filaments are implanted and fixed to the flocking table 42.

  The brush head body 41 is provided with a plate-like flocking table 42, a fitting shaft portion 45 provided in a protruding shape on the rear surface side of the flocking table 42, and a protruding shape radially outward on the fitting shaft portion 45. A pair of retaining portions 46, a second guide portion 47 formed of a groove portion formed in the fitting shaft portion 45 between the pair of retaining portions 46, and a rear portion of the rear end surface of the fitting shaft portion 45 from the rear. And a projecting bearing portion 48.

  The attachment structure of the brush head main body 41 to the handle main body 32 will be described. A head support portion 32b disposed on the rear surface side (back side) of the brush head main body 41 is provided at the tip of the handle main body 32, and the head support portion 32b. A support wall portion 37 is formed on the front surface side of the knives. A through hole 37a into which the fitting shaft portion 45 is fitted is formed at the center portion of the support wall portion 37, and a pair of notches 37b extending in the vertical direction from the through hole 37a is formed. The pair of retaining portions 46 are inserted into the pair of cutout portions 37b, and the retaining portion 46 is rotated by rotating the brush head body 41 with the fitting shaft portion 45 mounted in the through hole 37a. It engages with the rear surface of the support wall portion 37 and is rotatably prevented from coming off with respect to the handle body 32 within a certain angle range. As the attachment structure of the brush head main body 41, any attachment structure other than those described above can be adopted as long as the brush head main body 41 can be held so as to be capable of reciprocating rotational movement with respect to the handle main body 32.

  A head support shaft 49 protruding forward is fixed to the lid member 34 of the handle body 32, and the head support shaft 49 rotates on the bearing portion 48 of the brush head body 41 with the cover member 34 assembled to the handle body 32. The brush head main body 41 is freely mounted, and the brush head main body 41 rotates around the head support shaft 49 so that the rotation of the brush head main body 41 is stabilized.

<Head side conversion means>
As shown in FIGS. 6 to 9, the head side conversion means 50 is disposed between the connecting rod 51 that can reciprocate linearly together with the output shaft 16, and between the connecting rod 51 and the brush head main body 41. A swing lever 52 whose base is pivotally supported by the handle 31, a first conversion mechanism 53 that converts a reciprocating linear motion of the connecting rod 51 into a reciprocating rotational motion of the swing lever 52, and a reciprocating rotational motion of the swing lever 52. Is converted to the reciprocating rotational motion of the brush head main body 41.

(Connecting rod)
The connecting rod 51 will be described. As shown in FIGS. 6 to 8, a connecting rod 51 extending from the lower end portion of the handle 31 to the upper end side is mounted in the handle 31 so as to be movable up and down. The fitting cylinder part 55 which externally fits the output shaft 16 so that attachment or detachment is possible is formed in the part. The lower half part of the fitting cylinder part 55 is divided into a semi-cylindrical divided cylinder 55a by a pair of slits 56 extending in the vertical direction, and an engagement projecting inwardly in the vicinity of the lower end of the inner surface of the divided cylinder 55a. When the protrusion 57 is formed and the upper end portion of the output shaft 16 is fitted into the fitting cylinder portion 55, the engagement protrusion 57 is formed in the engagement groove 16a formed in the output shaft 16 by the elasticity of the material of the divided cylinder 55a. The connecting rod 51 is configured to be engaged with the output shaft 16 so as not to be relatively movable in the axial direction.

  In order to guide the connecting rod 51 in the handle main body 32 so as to be reciprocally movable in the vertical direction (longitudinal direction), a plurality of protrusions 55 b extending in the longitudinal direction of the connecting rod 51 are formed on the outer peripheral surface of the fitting tube portion 55. Has been. A large end 58 is provided at the distal end of the connecting rod 51, a guide groove 58 a extending in the longitudinal direction is formed on the front side of the large end 58, and the guide groove 58 a is formed in the vertical direction on the front wall of the handle body 32. A guide projection 32d is formed so as to project rearwardly so as to be relatively movable. The left and right side walls of the handle body 32 are in contact with both left and right sides of the large end portion 58 so as to be movable relative to each other in the vertical direction, and the large end portion 58 is guided to the center portion in the left and right direction (width direction) of the handle body 32 A pair of left and right side projections 32e are formed.

(Peristaltic lever)
As shown in FIGS. 6 to 9, a lever support shaft 60 extending forward is fixed to the center of the lower part of the lid member 34 in the left-right direction (width direction), and the lid member 34 is assembled to the handle body 32. The distal end portion of the lever support shaft 60 is fitted into the bearing portion 32f of the front wall portion of the handle body 32, and the lever support shaft 60 is fixed between the lid member 34 and the front wall portion of the handle body 32 in a erected shape. A swing lever 52 that extends upward is pivotally supported in the middle of the support shaft 60 at its base. However, as the pivot structure of the swing lever 52, any pivot structure can be adopted as long as the swing lever 52 can be pivotally supported by the longitudinal axis with respect to the handle body 32. .

(First conversion mechanism)
The first conversion mechanism 53 will be described. A base portion of the swing lever 52 is provided with a connecting portion 52a extending laterally, and a base portion of the connecting portion 52a has a first guide portion 61 formed of a long and narrow elongated hole. Is formed. In addition, as the 1st guide part 61, an elongate notch part can be formed in the left-right direction which opened the side edge part, and an elongate long groove can be formed in the left-right direction. Moreover, the connection part 52a can also be formed in the arm shape which protrudes to a side.

  An arm portion 58 b extending upward is formed on one side (left side) of the large end portion 58, and the arm portion 58 b is rotatable about the first guide portion 61 and movable along the first guide portion 61. The first connecting pin 62 to be fitted is fixed and the connecting rod 51 reciprocates linearly in the vertical direction so that the swing lever 52 reciprocates around the lever support shaft 60. However, as the first conversion mechanism 53, any configuration can be used as long as it can convert the reciprocating linear motion of the connecting rod 51 in the vertical direction into the reciprocating rotational motion around the axial center of the peristaltic lever 52. Can be used.

(Second conversion mechanism)
The second conversion mechanism 54 will be described. A radially central portion of the lower half portion of the rear end surface of the fitting shaft portion 45 between the both retaining portions 46 extends in the radial direction so that the outer end is opened outward. A second guide portion 47 formed of a groove portion is formed, and a second connecting pin 63 that is rotatably fitted to the second guide portion 47 and movably along the second guide portion 47 is formed at the distal end portion of the swing lever 52. The brush head 40 is configured to reciprocately rotate about the head support shaft 49 when the swing lever 52 is reciprocally rotated about the lever support shaft 60. However, the second conversion mechanism 54 has a configuration capable of converting the reciprocating rotational motion around the lever support shaft 60 of the swing lever 52 into the reciprocating rotational motion about the head support shaft 49 of the brush head body 41. Any configuration can be adopted.

  Here, the head support shaft 49, the lever support shaft 60, the first connection pin 62, and the second connection pin 63 are arranged in parallel. However, it is also possible to arrange them with an angle in any combination.

  The maximum rotation angle α of the brush head 40 around the head support shaft 49 is such that the radius of the fitting shaft portion 45 is R1, the distance between the centers of the lever support shaft 60 and the second connecting pin 63 is R2, and the lever support shaft. When the distance between the centers of the head 60 and the head support shaft 49 is L, the following equation (1) can be obtained. Note that the maximum rotation angle α of the brush head 40 needs to be set in a range in which the second connecting pin 63 does not come out of the second guide portion 47 in the radially outward direction, and therefore the center of the second connecting pin 63 is fitted. The time when the shaft 45 was disposed at the radius R1 was determined as the maximum rotation angle of the brush head 40.

α = cos ⁻¹ (c) = acos (c) (1)
From the cosine theorem, cos (α) = (L ² + R1 ² −R2 ² ) / (2 · L / R1). Therefore, when c = cos (α), Equation (1) is obtained.

  For example, if L = 10 mm, R1 = 4 mm, and R2 = 7.45 mm, α≈81.7 °.

Further, the relationship between the rotation angle θ of the brush head 40 and the stroke S of the connecting rod 51 is obtained by the following equation (2), where P is the distance between the centers of the lever support shaft 60 and the first connecting pin 62. be able to.
sin (θ / 2) = P / S
θ / 2 = asin (P / S) (2)

  For example, if P = 2.2 mm and S = 0.57 mm, θ≈30 °.

  6 and 9A, the maximum rotation angle α, the radius R1 of the fitting shaft portion 45, the center-to-center distance R2 of the lever support shaft 60 and the second connecting pin 63, the lever support shaft 60 and the head. The center distance L of the support shaft 49, the center distance P of the lever support shaft 60 and the first connecting pin 62, and the stroke S of the output shaft 16 and the connecting rod 51 are preferably set as follows.

  If the maximum rotation angle α is too large, the configuration of the head side conversion means 50 becomes complicated. If the maximum rotation angle α is too small, the cleaning property is deteriorated. Therefore, it is desirable to set the rotation angle α within the range of 40 ° to 85 °, and 45 ° to 80 °. It is more desirable to set within the range of °.

  If the radius R1 of the fitting shaft portion 45 is too large, the diameter of the brush head 40 becomes large, and the operability of the brush head 40 in the oral cavity decreases. If it is too small, the rotational torque of the brush head 40 is sufficiently increased. Since it cannot ensure, it is desirable to set to 2 mm to 5 mm, preferably 3 mm to 4 mm.

  If the distance R2 between the centers of the lever support shaft 60 and the second connecting pin 63 is too large, the rotational torque of the brush head 40 cannot be secured sufficiently, and if it is too small, the maximum rotation angle of the brush head 40 becomes small. It is preferably set to 4 mm to 10 mm, more preferably set to 5 mm to 9 mm, and most preferably set to 6 mm to 8 mm.

  If the distance L between the centers of the lever support shaft 60 and the head support shaft 49 is too large, the rotational torque of the brush head 40 cannot be sufficiently secured. If the distance L is too small, the maximum rotation angle of the brush head 40 becomes small. It is preferably set to ˜12 mm, more preferably set to 6 mm to 12 mm, and most preferably set to 8 mm to 11 mm.

  If the distance P between the centers of the lever support shaft 60 and the first connecting pin 62 is too large, the width of the handle 31 becomes wide and the operability of the replacement brush 30 is reduced. Since a sufficient torque cannot be secured, it is preferable to set to 1.5 mm to 4 mm, but it is more preferable to set to 2 mm to 3 mm.

  If the stroke S of the output shaft 16 and the connecting rod 51 is too large, the effect of reducing the power consumption is reduced. If the stroke S is too small, the rotational torque of the brush head 40 cannot be secured sufficiently, so it is set to 0.5 mm to 3 mm. Although it is preferable to set it to 1 mm-2 mm, it is still more preferable.

  In this electric toothbrush 10, the connecting rod 51 passes from the upper limit position shown in FIG. 9 (A) to the lower limit position shown in FIG. 9 (C) through the intermediate position shown in FIG. 9 (B) in the direction of arrow A1. When lowered, the swing lever 52 pivots about the lever support shaft 60 in the direction of the arrow B1 via the first connecting pin 62 and the first guide portion 61 of the first conversion mechanism 53, and the second conversion mechanism 54 is moved. The brush head 40 rotates about the head support shaft 49 in the direction of the arrow C1 through the second connecting pin 63 and the second guide portion 47, and moves to the position shown in FIG. The head 40 rotates. On the other hand, when the connecting rod 51 rises from the lower limit position shown in FIG. 9C to the upper limit position shown in FIG. 9A through the intermediate position shown in FIG. Through the first connecting pin 62 and the first guide portion 61 of the first conversion mechanism 53, the swing lever 52 rotates about the lever support shaft 60 in the direction of the arrow B2, and the second connection of the second conversion mechanism 54. The brush head 40 rotates about the head support shaft 49 in the direction of the arrow C2 through the pin 63 and the second guide portion 47, and the peristaltic lever 52 and the brush head 40 rotate to the position shown in FIG. 9A. To do. Therefore, when the connecting rod 51 reciprocates linearly in the vertical direction, the peristaltic lever 52 reciprocates by a fixed angle in the left-right direction around the lever support shaft 60, and the brush head 40 remains constant about the head support shaft 49. It will reciprocate by an angle. Thus, since the reciprocating linear motion of the connecting rod 51 is converted into the reciprocating rotational motion of the brush head 40 by the head side conversion means 50 using the swing lever 52, the maximum rotational angle α of the brush head 40 is set to the conventional electric toothbrush. 10, the stroke S of the reciprocating linear motion of the connecting rod 51 and the output shaft 16 can be reduced while ensuring sufficiently.

  For this reason, the stroke S of the reciprocating linear motion of the connecting rod 51 and the output shaft 16 is reduced while sufficiently securing the maximum rotation angle α of the brush head 40 and sufficiently ensuring the cleaning performance. The kinetic energy for causing the output shaft 16 to reciprocate linearly can be reduced, and the friction energy between the connecting rod 51 and the output shaft 16 and the handle body 32 can be reduced to reduce the power consumption of the electric toothbrush 10.

  Further, by attaching a well-known replacement brush 30 not provided with the head side conversion means 50 to the output shaft 16, the brush head 40 can be reciprocated linearly together with the output shaft 16. The electric toothbrush 10 that can be switched to the sliding type can be configured.

  Further, since the second guide portion 47 formed of a groove portion is formed in the fitting shaft portion 45 and the second connecting pin 63 is fitted to the second guide portion 47, the tip end portion of the swing lever 52 and the retaining portion are prevented. 46 can be arranged at the same position in the axial direction of the brush head 40, and the thickness T of the head portion is made thinner by 2 mm to 4 mm, for example, than the head portion having a configuration as described in Patent Document 1. can do. And since the thickness of a head part can be made thin in this way, the operativity of the head part in an oral cavity can be improved, for example, the cleanability of the back side of a molar tooth can be improved.

Next, a power consumption evaluation test will be described.
The main body apparatus has the same configuration as the main body apparatus 11 shown in FIGS. 1 to 3 except that the eccentric distance E between the gear support shaft 22 and the cam shaft 24 is changed and the stroke S of the output shaft 16 is changed. 11 was used. As shown in Table 1, in the example, a main body device in which the stroke S was set to 1.14 mm was used, and in the comparative example, two types of main body devices in which the stroke S was set to 3 mm and 4 mm were used.

  In the embodiment, the replacement brush 30 has the configuration shown in FIGS. 4 to 9 as the replacement brush, and the radius R1 of the fitting shaft portion 45 and the distance between the centers of the lever support shaft 60 and the second connecting pin 63. By setting R2, the center distance L between the lever support shaft 60 and the head support shaft 49, and the center distance P between the lever support shaft 60 and the first connecting pin 62 as shown in Table 1, the brush head is set. Two types of replacement brushes having a maximum rotation angle α of 40 ° of 70 ° and 85 °, and a replacement brush in which the hair bundle 43 is planted on the flocking table 42 and a replacement brush in which the hair bundle 43 is not implanted. Four types of replacement brushes were made.

  In the comparative example, similarly to the replacement brush described in Patent Document 1, a joint is provided as a replacement brush in place of the peristaltic lever 52, a recess is formed in one of the brush head retaining portions, and the tip of the joint is formed in the recess. It is a replacement brush formed by fitting bent portions and connecting them, and connecting the base end portion of the joint to the distal end portion of the connecting rod so as to be tiltable, and a replacement brush in which the hair bundle 43 is implanted in the hair transplant table 42; Two types of replacement brushes, that is, replacement brushes in which the hair bundle 43 is not implanted, were used. As described above, the maximum rotation angle α of the brush head is set to 70 ° by setting the stroke of the output shaft to 3 mm, and the maximum rotation angle α of the brush head is set to 85 mm by setting the stroke to 4 mm. Set to °.

  And with respect to 8 types of electric toothbrushes shown in Table 2, the voltage of 1.5V was applied to the motor with the external power supply, and the consumption current was measured with the ammeter, respectively. The results are shown in Table 2.

  From Table 2, the electric toothbrush of the example has less current consumption for each of the cases where the rotation angle of the brush head is 70 ° and 85 °, regardless of the presence or absence of the brush, as compared with the electric toothbrush of the comparative example. You can see that

  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 10 Electric toothbrush 11 Main body apparatus 12 Main body case 13 Driving means 14 Battery 15 Guide member 16 Output shaft 16a Engaging groove 17 Motor 18 Rotating shaft 20 Driving side conversion means 21 Drive gear 22 Gear support shaft 23 Ring gear 24 Cam shaft 25 Drive member 25a Long hole 30 Replacement brush 31 Handle body 32 Handle body 32a Internal fitting cylinder portion 32b Head support portion 32c Locking claw 32d Guide projection 32e Side projection 32f Bearing portion 33 Connecting cylinder 33a Engaging recess 33b Claw portion 34 Cover member 35 Cover cylinder 36 engaging groove 37 support wall part 37a through hole 37b notch part 40 brush head 41 brush head main body 42 flocking table 43 hair bundle 44 brush part 45 fitting shaft part 46 retaining part 47 second guide part 48 bearing part 49 head support Shaft 50 Head-side converting means 51 connecting rod 52 swing lever 52a connecting portion 53 first converting mechanism 5 Second conversion mechanism 55 Fitting cylinder part 55a Split cylinder 55b Projection line 56 Slit 57 Engagement projection part 58 Large end part 58a Guide groove 58b Arm part 60 Lever support shaft 61 First guide part 62 First connection pin 63 Second connection pin

Claims (4)

The drive means built in the main body case, the handle extending from the main body case, the brush head provided on the handle, and the reciprocating linear motion of the output shaft of the drive means are converted into the reciprocating rotational motion of the brush head. In the electric toothbrush provided with the head side conversion means,
The brush head has a brush head main body and a hair bundle implanted in the main body,
The head side converting means is disposed between a connecting rod that can reciprocate linearly with the output shaft, and between the connecting rod and the brush head body, and a base portion on the connecting rod side is pivotally supported by the handle body. A swing lever, a first conversion mechanism that converts the reciprocating linear motion of the connecting rod into a reciprocating rotational motion of the peristaltic lever, and a second that converts the reciprocating rotational motion of the peristaltic lever into a reciprocating rotational motion of the brush head body. With a conversion mechanism,
An electric toothbrush characterized by that.   As the first conversion mechanism, a first guide portion comprising a slot or a groove extending laterally is provided at the base portion of the swing lever, and the first guide portion is rotatably and movably fitted to the distal end portion of the connecting rod. The electric toothbrush according to claim 1, wherein a first connecting pin is provided.   As the second conversion mechanism, a second guide portion made of a slot or a groove extending in the radial direction is provided on the back side of the brush head body, and the second guide portion is rotatable and movable at the distal end portion of the sliding lever. The electric toothbrush according to claim 1, further comprising a second connecting pin that fits into the electric toothbrush.   A head support portion disposed on the back side of the brush head body is provided at the tip of the handle body, and a support wall portion having a through hole is provided on the front side of the head support portion. A flocking table disposed on the front side of the support part, a fitting shaft part that is formed to protrude on the back side of the flocking table and is fitted in the through hole of the support wall part, and to the back side of the support wall part 4. The fitting shaft portion according to claim 3, further comprising a retaining portion provided on the end surface of the fitting shaft portion so as to project outward, and the fitting shaft portion including the second guide portion including a groove portion. electric toothbrush.

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