JP2021029360A - Oral cavity sanitary device - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide a household oral cavity sanitary device capable of effectively removing a tooth plaque being a nest of anaerobic bacteria, or effectively suppressing adhesion of a tooth plaque being a nest of anaerobic bacteria.SOLUTION: A first washing nozzle unit 1 is formed of a main body 3 and an oxygen mixed washing water supply unit 5, and the main body 3 is formed of a grip part 7, and a metal or plastic nozzle 9 coupled to a tip end of the grip part 7. A washing water tube 19 is provided in the grip part 7 of the main body 3, and the washing water tube 19 and a washing water discharge tube 21 provided in the nozzle 9 are integrated. From the oxygen mixed washing water supply unit 5, oxygen mixed washing water is supplied to the washing water tube 19.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

The present invention relates to an oral hygiene device for cleaning the oral cavity.

The cause of periodontal diseases such as gingival inflammation and periodontitis is plaque, which is a nest of bacteria, but since most of the bacteria in the plaque are anaerobic, this plaque is low in oxygen. It adheres a lot to the space and the gap between the teeth and gums. To prevent periodontal disease, it is necessary to remove this plaque from the oral cavity, but since the plaque adheres to places that are difficult to remove, it may not be sufficiently removed with a household toothbrush. Therefore, it is necessary to have the dental plaque removed at a dental clinic on a regular basis, for example, by using a scaler as described in Patent Documents 1 to 7.

Special Table 2007-509714A Jikkai Sho 58-12017 Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 07-275261 Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2004-351806 Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2004-351104 Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2004-351120 Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 63-296747

However, it is often the case that ordinary people cannot secure regular visits to dental clinics due to work restrictions, etc. Therefore, it is configured so that plaque, which is the cause of periodontal disease, can be removed or plaque adhesion can be suppressed. You will need a home-use oral hygiene device.

Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a household oral hygiene device capable of effectively removing plaque, which is a nest of anaerobic bacteria, or effectively suppressing adhesion of plaque, which is a nest of anaerobic bacteria. ..

The oral hygiene device of the present invention for achieving this object is an oral hygiene device, which is a nozzle or a nozzle body, a tube passed through the nozzle or the nozzle body, and the inside of the tube or the nozzle or the nozzle body. It includes a wash water supply source for supplying wash water and an oxygen supply source (for supplying oxygen into the oral cavity) for supplying oxygen from the tip of the tube. Here, oxygen-mixed wash water can be supplied from the tip of the tube. Alternatively, oxygen can be supplied from the tip of the tube, and cleaning water can be supplied from the nozzle or the tip of the nozzle body.

The tube can be configured to protrude from the nozzle or the tip opening of the nozzle body, and the cleaning water supply source can be configured to supply the cleaning water into the nozzle or the nozzle body. Here, the tip of the tube protruding from the tip opening of the nozzle or the nozzle body is inserted between the teeth or between the teeth and the gums, and oxygen is directly sprayed from the tip opening of the tube onto the plaque to wash water. For example, the area around the plaque can be cleaned.

Further, the inside of the tip of the nozzle or the nozzle body can be formed so as to taper toward the tip. Here, the cleaning water supplied from the nozzle or the tip opening of the nozzle body can be ejected toward the center, and the oxygen supplied from the tip opening of the tube can be reliably brought into contact with the plaque.

The wash water supply source is configured to supply wash water into the tube, a connecting member having a venturi is provided between the wash water supply source and the tube, and the oxygen supply source supplies oxygen to the venturi. Oxygen can be mixed with the wash water flowing through the venturi. The oxygen mixed in the wash water from the oxygen source is preferably oxygen bubbles.

By the way, when oxygen is mixed with the washing water and sent to the discharge port at the tip of the tube, it is considered that the oxygen is usually mixed in the washing water as bubbles. Oxygen bubbles or bubbles rise due to buoyancy when they are in the wash water, but the rate of rise is expressed by the following formula (Stokes' formula) in water at 20 ° C.

U = ρgd ² / 18μ
U: Ascending speed ρ: Liquid density (= 1)
g: Gravity acceleration d: Bubble diameter μ: Dynamic viscosity coefficient (= 1)

Therefore, since the rising rate of oxygen bubbles in the liquid is proportional to the square of the bubble diameter, when the bubbles are microbubbles with a diameter of 1 μm to 100 μm, the rising rate is small and the oxygen bubbles float in the liquid for a long time. .. Then, the bubbles may disappear (dissolve) or be crushed by water pressure or hydraulic pressure before reaching the discharge port, so that oxygen may be difficult to be supplied to the plaque or may not be supplied. However, a bubble with a diameter of 100 μm rises 5.44 mm upward in 1 second. Here, when the distance between the washing water discharge port and the position where oxygen is supplied to the washing water is about 2.5 m and the flow velocity of water is 2.5 m / s, it takes 1 second from the position where oxygen is supplied. The wash water will reach the discharge port, during which the bubbles will rise 5.44 mm, and many bubbles will burst at the gas-liquid interface, just at the gas-liquid interface, or just before the burst. Can be configured to be. Then, the bursting bubble or the bursting bubble is sprayed onto the plaque and supplied. Alternatively, if the oxygen bubble reaches the discharge port 1 second after being mixed with the washing water, the bubble having a diameter of 40 μm rises only 0.87 mm during this period. Here, if the diameter of the discharge port is 1 mm to 2 mm, a large amount of oxygen that has not been dispersed in the atmosphere at the discharge position remains in the washing water or the like, and a sufficient effect for removing or killing plaque by oxygen cannot be expected. There is a risk. Therefore, the diameter of the oxygen bubbles to be mixed or generated during mixing is preferably 100 μm on average or exceeds 100 μm on average, and a diameter of at least 60 μm or more is required on average. Alternatively, the rising speed of the oxygen bubble is 5.44 mm / sec, the inner diameter (diameter) of the water flow channel (tube) is 3 mm, the length of the water flow channel (tube) (for example, the length from the bubble mixing position to the discharge port) Lm, and the water flow. Assuming that the speed is 4.5 m / sec, it takes about 0.55 seconds for the bubbles generated at the bottom of the bubble mixing position to reach the upper part of the flow channel, so that the length L of the flow channel should be about 2.5 m. For example, the bubble that has reached the discharge port has reached the upper part of the water flow channel as a whole. Further, since it takes about 0.44 seconds for the bubbles generated at a depth of about 2.4 mm at the bubble mixing position to reach the upper part of the flow channel, if the length L of the flow channel is about 2 m, the bubble will reach the discharge port. Many of the bubbles that have reached reach the top of the waterway. Then, since the time for the bubbles generated at the depth of about 1.5 mm at the bubble mixing position to reach the upper part of the flow channel is about 0.28 seconds, if the length L of the flow channel is about 1.26 m, the bubbles are discharged. For example, about half of the bubbles that reach the exit reach the upper part of the running channel.

Therefore, the optimum amount of oxygen can be supplied to the oral cavity by adjusting the length of the running channel.

The bubble generator includes a swirling liquid flow type, a static mixer type, an ejector type, and the like, and the average diameter of the generated bubbles is about 40 μm to 80 μm. Therefore, the Venturi method is most suitable for generating bubbles having an average diameter of 100 μm or more or 100 μm or more.

Here, when the time until the oxygen bubble diffuses into the atmosphere and the time to reach the discharge port match, the oxygen valve diffuses into the atmosphere at the discharge port, and is pushed by the washing water having a mass difference of 1000 times, for example, to plaque. Sufficient supply. Therefore, it is necessary to generate a large-diameter bubble with a large rising speed due to buoyancy, but since OH ^- ions tend to accumulate on the surface of the bubble and it is negatively charged, small bubbles may combine to generate a large bubble. Is few. On the contrary, large bubbles are finely divided into small bubbles due to pressure fluctuation. For example, in a Venturi pipe, large bubbles are generated when the water flow passes through the Venturi location where the pipe diameter is narrowed and the pressure decreases, and then the pipe diameter expands and the water flow passes through the location where the pressure suddenly rises. Sometimes large bubbles collapse into smaller bubbles. Therefore, it can be understood that in order to make the oxygen bubble large in diameter, it is necessary to generate a large bubble at the time of mixing, and in order to generate a large bubble, it is necessary to mix the bubble at a place where the pressure is low. I can understand that there is.

As described above, in order to generate a large bubble, it is effective to use a Venturi mechanism to supply oxygen at a low pressure to a cleaning liquid flowing at a high speed. Then, in order to secure a bubble of oxygen having a diameter of 100 μm or more or more than 100 μm, it is necessary to make the diameter of the bubble generated by the venturi larger than the diameter of the bubble to be secured, for example, 150 μm to 200 μm.

According to the present invention, oxygen and washing water can be allowed to enter between teeth and between teeth and gums to effectively remove plaque or effectively suppress the adhesion of plaque.

It is a figure explaining the 1st cleaning nozzle apparatus which concerns on this invention. It is sectional drawing of the T-shaped connector for oxygen mixing. It is a figure which shows typically the modification example of the T-shaped connector for oxygen mixing. It is a figure explaining the 2nd cleaning nozzle apparatus which concerns on this invention. It is a figure which shows the use example of the 2nd cleaning nozzle apparatus. It is a figure for demonstrating the operation mode of the 2nd cleaning nozzle apparatus.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

First, the first cleaning nozzle device, which is the first embodiment of the oral hygiene fixture of the present invention, will be described with reference to FIG.

The first cleaning nozzle device 1 includes a main body 3 and an oxygen mixed cleaning water supply device 5 for supplying cleaning water mixed with oxygen to the main body 3, and the main body 3 includes a grip portion 7 and a grip portion 7. A metal or plastic nozzle (nozzle body) 9 connected to the tip of the grip portion 7 is provided, and the oxygen-mixed washing water supply device 5 sucks air and exhausts high-concentration oxygen. It is configured to include an oxygen supply device 15 having either a vessel 11 and an oxygen cylinder 13 and a washing water supply device 17. A wash water tube 19 is provided in the grip portion 7 of the main body 3, and the tip end portion of the wash water tube 19 is connected to the rear end portion of the wash water discharge tube 21 provided in the nozzle 9. Alternatively, the wash water tube 19 and the wash water discharge tube 21 are integrally formed. The inner diameter (diameter) of the wash water tube 19 and the wash water discharge tube 21 can be 1.6 mm to 6.0 mm.

In order to mix oxygen with the washing water and supply it to the main body 3, the oxygen supply device 15 and the washing water supply device 17 are connected to the oxygen mixing T-shaped connector 23. The oxygen mixing T-shaped connector 23 has a first connecting portion 27 on one side in the length direction in which a washing water supply tube 25 extending from the washing water supply device 17 is fitted on the outer circumference and an oxygen mixing washing water tube 29 on the outer circumference. An oxygen supply extending from an oxygen supply device 15 provided by connecting a straight pipe portion 33 having a second connecting portion 31 on the other side in the length direction fitted and a second connecting portion 31 in the length direction of the straight pipe portion 33 in the length direction. A mixing portion 39 having a third connecting portion 37 into which the tube 35 is fitted on the outer circumference is provided. The oxygen-mixed wash water tube 29 is connected to the connector 41 of the grip portion 7 to supply the oxygen-mixed wash water to the wash water tube 19 passing through the grip portion 7. A washing water flow rate adjusting rotary ring 43 is provided at the rear end of the grip portion 7, and the amount of washing water supplied from the oxygen mixed washing water tube 29 to the washing water tube 19 by rotating the washing water flow rate adjusting rotary ring 43. Can be adjusted. The oxygen supply tube 35 can be extruded using polyetheretherketone resin (PEEK) to have an inner diameter (diameter) of 1.6 mm to 2.0 mm, and the oxygen mixed washing water tube 29 has an inner diameter (inner diameter (diameter). The diameter) can be 6 mm to 12 mm.

The washing water supply device 17 has a washing water tank 45 and a washing water pump 47 that sends the washing water in the washing water tank 45 to the washing water supply tube 25, and the washing water pump 47 has, for example, a flow rate adjustment in parallel. The valve 49 is arranged. At the outlet of the washing water tank 45, for example, another flow rate adjusting valve 49 is provided.

The nozzle 9 is integrally or connected to a linearly extending base 51 whose rear end is connected to the tip of the grip portion 7 and to the tip of the base 51 so as to bend at a right angle to the base 51. The insertion portion 53 provided is provided, and the entire nozzle 9 and the insertion portion 53 are formed in a tapered shape in which the inner circumference and the outer circumference gradually decrease in diameter toward the tip end. The tip 55 of the wash water discharge tube 21 extends to the same or substantially the same position as the tip opening 57 of the nozzle 9.

A wash water passage hole 59 penetrating in the length direction is formed inside the straight pipe portion 33 of the oxygen mixing T-shaped connector 23, and an oxygen passage hole 61 extending in the length direction from the tip is formed in the mixing portion 39. ing. The wash water passage hole 59 of the straight pipe portion 33 has a one-side taper hole 63 that gradually reduces in diameter from one end side toward the intermediate portion in the length direction, and a taper hole 63 that gradually reduces in diameter from the other end side toward the intermediate portion in the length direction. A mixing space 71 having a tapered hole 65 on the other side, but having a thin central portion (gap at the center) 67 and a wide outer peripheral portion 69 is formed in the intermediate portion in the length direction of the straight pipe portion 33. The one-side taper hole 63 and the other-side taper hole 65 communicate with each other by opening at the central portion 67 to form a venturi. The oxygen passage hole 61 of the mixing portion 39 has a tapered shape between the narrow tip side portion 73, the large-diameter valve accommodating portion 75 connected to the outer peripheral portion 69 of the mixing space 71, and the tip side portion 73 and the valve accommodating portion 75. It has a valve seat portion 77, and in the valve accommodating portion 75, when the gas pressure on the oxygen supply device 15 side drops, it is pushed by the washing water and pressed against the valve seat portion 77, and the washing water is discharged. A check valve 79 is inserted to prevent the oxygen supply tube 35 from flowing into the oxygen supply tube 35.

Here, when the cleaning water is supplied from the cleaning water supply device 17 to the straight pipe portion 33 via the cleaning water supply tube 25, the cleaning water flows through the tapered hole 63 on one side and passes through the central portion 67 of the mixing space 71. Although it flows into the tapered hole 65 on the other side, the water pressure at the central portion 67 of the mixing space 71 decreases due to the Venturi effect. Therefore, the oxygen supplied from the oxygen passage hole 73 of the mixing portion 39 to the outer peripheral portion 69 of the mixing space 71 passes through the central portion 67 of the mixing space 71 and merges with the flow of the washing water to become the oxygen mixed washing water. It flows into the side taper hole 65. The oxygen-mixed wash water formed when oxygen merges with the flow of wash water is wash water containing oxygen bubbles or bubbles, but the size of the oxygen bubbles is such that the oxygen-mixed wash water is the tip of the nozzle 9. It is preferable that the size of the oxygen bubbles is large, more, or totally separated from the washing water when discharged from the opening (the tip 55 of the washing water discharge tube 21). Oxygen bubbles rise in the washing water due to buoyancy and reach the gas-liquid interface to separate oxygen from the washing water, but if the oxygen bubbles are too small (for example, 40 μm or less in diameter, or inside the tapered hole 65 on the other side or (Diameter 40 μm or less at the outlet), the buoyancy acting on the bubbles is small, so the ascending rate is low, and many bubbles may not reach the gas-liquid interface at the time of discharge. Therefore, it is effective that the size of oxygen bubbles is 100 μm or more or more than 100 μm (for example, the diameter is 100 μm or more or more than 100 μm at the inside or the outlet of the taper hole 65 on the other side).

The specifications of the Venturi mechanism by the oxygen mixing T-shaped connector 23 are as follows.

Oxygen gas pressure when passing through the third connecting portion 37 of the mixing portion 39: 2.0 kPa (1/50 atm)
Water supply port diameter of the first connecting portion 27 of the straight pipe portion 33 (inner diameter of the fixing blade 28 for applying rotation to the water flow): diameter 8 mm to 12 mm
Washing water pressure when passing through the first connecting portion 27 of the straight pipe portion 33: 200 kPa
Inner diameter of the drawn portion (inner diameter at the center 67 of the tapered hole 63 on one side and the tapered hole 65 on the other side): Approximately 2.4 mm in diameter Pressure after a sudden rise inside or at the outlet of the tapered hole 65 on the other side: 150 kPa
Oxygen bubble diameter after sudden pressure rise: Average diameter 100 μm
Washing water flow velocity: 2.5 m / s

As the oxygen mixing T-shaped connector 23, as schematically shown in FIG. 3, the one-side tapered hole 63 and the other-side tapered hole 65 are formed as a continuous one (the central portion 67 is not formed). , The mixing portion 39 may be configured to be inclined with respect to the straight pipe portion 33, and the oxygen passage hole 61 may be connected to the boundary between the one-side tapered hole 63 and the other-side tapered hole 65. Here, the oxygen passage holes 61 are formed in a straight line, and oxygen is supplied at an angle in the direction in which the washing water flows.

In the first cleaning nozzle device 1 having such a configuration, for example, the insertion portion 53 of the nozzle 9 is inserted into the oral cavity, and oxygen-mixed cleaning water is supplied from the tip 55 of the cleaning water discharge tube 21 between the teeth or between the teeth. It spouts toward the periodontal pocket between the gums. Then, the anaerobic bacteria of plaque can be killed or removed by the force of the washing water and the supply of oxygen.

Next, a second cleaning nozzle device, which is a second embodiment of the oral hygiene device of the present invention, will be described with reference to FIG.

The second cleaning nozzle device 81 includes a main body 83, an oxygen supply device 15 for supplying oxygen to the main body 83, and a cleaning water supply device 17 for supplying cleaning water to the main body 83. The oxygen supply device 15 and the wash water supply device 17 each have the same configuration as that used in the first wash nozzle device 1. The main body 83 includes a grip portion 85 and a metal or plastic nozzle (nozzle body) 87 connected to the tip of the grip portion 85. A wash water / oxygen supply double tube 89 is passed through the grip portion 85 of the main body 83, and the double tube 89 has an inner oxygen tube 91 and an outer wash water tube 93. The tip 94 of the washing water tube 93 opens inside the rear end of the nozzle 87, and the oxygen tube 91 is integrally formed with the oxygen discharge tube 95 provided in the nozzle 87. .. The oxygen tube 91 and the oxygen discharge tube 95 are made of an ultrafine nylon tube, and have an inner diameter of about 0.2 mm (diameter) and an outer diameter of about 0.4 mm (diameter). Alternatively, the oxygen tube 91 and the oxygen discharge tube 95 are configured as separate bodies, the oxygen discharge tube 95 has an inner diameter of approximately 0.2 mm (diameter) and an outer diameter of approximately 0.4 mm (diameter), and the oxygen discharge tube 91 is formed. Can have a diameter larger than that of the oxygen discharge tube 95. The oxygen supply tube 35 of the oxygen supply device 15 is connected to the connector 97 of the grip portion 85 and communicates with the oxygen tube 91, and the wash water supply tube 25 of the wash water supply device 17 is connected to the connector 99 of the grip portion 85. It communicates with the washing water tube 93 and the oxygen tube 91.

The nozzle 87 is integrally or connected to a linearly extending base 101 whose rear end is connected to the tip of the grip 85 and to the tip of the base 101 so as to bend at a right angle to the base 101. The insertion portion 103 provided is provided, and the entire nozzle 87 and the inner and outer circumferences of the insertion portion 103 are formed in a tapered shape whose diameter gradually decreases toward the tip. The tip 105 of the oxygen discharge tube 95 extends outward, for example, 6 mm to 11 mm longer than the tip opening 107 of the insertion portion 103.

In the second cleaning nozzle device 81 having such a configuration, for example, the insertion portion 103 of the nozzle 87 is inserted into the oral cavity, and the tip portion 105 of the oxygen discharge tube 95 is inserted between the teeth or between teeth, as shown in FIG. It is inserted into the periodontal pocket between the teeth and gums to bring it close to or in contact with plaque A, and oxygen is ejected from the tip of the oxygen discharge tube 95 toward plaque A and washed from the tip opening 107 of the nozzle 87. Spout water B. Then, the anaerobic bacteria of plaque can be killed or removed by the force of the washing water and the sufficient supply of oxygen.

As shown in FIG. 6, when the tip of the oxygen discharge tube 95 is located at the same as or substantially the same as the tip opening 107 of the insertion portion 103, the oxygen C is outside the outer peripheral cleaning water D before hitting the plaque B. It may move (Fig. 6b). That is, the oxygen C becomes unattached jet oxygen that does not reach the plaque B because it is guarded by the flow D along the surface of the plaque B, which has a mass as much as 1000 times that of oxygen. Increasing the oxygen injection pressure solves the problem of oxygen not adhering to plaque B, but causes discomfort to the user. When the tip 105 of the oxygen discharge tube 95 protrudes from the tip opening 107 of the insertion portion 103 by, for example, 6 mm to 11 mm, the oxygen ejected from the tip of the oxygen discharge tube 95 is plaque B without injecting oxygen at a particularly high pressure. Since the oxygen C moving to the outside can be sufficiently brought into contact with the plaque B with the washing water D, a more effective plaque B removing effect can be expected.

Explanation of symbols 1 First cleaning nozzle device 9, 87 nozzle 15 Oxygen supply device 17 Cleaning water supply device 21 Cleaning water discharge tube 81 Second cleaning nozzle device 95 Oxygen discharge tube

Claims (5)

Oral hygiene equipment
Nozzle and
The tube passed through this nozzle and
A wash water supply source for supplying wash water into the tube or the nozzle,
An oral hygiene device including an oxygen supply source for supplying oxygen from the tip of the tube. The oral hygiene device according to claim 1.
The tube protrudes from the tip opening of the nozzle and
The oral hygiene fixture according to claim 1, wherein the washing water supply source supplies washing water into the nozzle. The oral hygiene device according to claim 2, wherein the inside of the tip of the nozzle is formed so as to taper toward the tip. The wash water supply source is configured to supply wash water into the tube.
A connecting member having a venturi is provided between the washing water supply source and the tube.
The oral hygiene device according to claim 1, wherein the oxygen supply source supplies the oxygen to the venturi and mixes the oxygen with the washing water flowing through the venturi. The oral hygiene fixture according to claim 4, wherein the oxygen mixed from the oxygen supply source into the washing water is an oxygen bubble.

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