JP2022104256A - Application brush - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide an application brush that excels in operability and safety in applying medicine onto an intraoral tissue.SOLUTION: An application brush 1 for applying medicine onto an intraoral tissue includes: a head part 20 having an application projection 10; a handle part 50; and a neck part 30 that connects the head part 20 with the handle part 50 and that is elastically deformable. The neck part 30 is provided with a shaft member 60 that extends in an axial direction and with a cover member 80 that is composed of a softer material than a material composing the shaft member 60 and that covers at least a part of the shaft member 60. The shaft member 60 is provided with: a shaft part 62 that has a circular shape in the cross section orthogonal to the axial direction; a projection part 66 that protrudes in a direction crossing from the shaft part 62 in the axial direction in a part closer to the handle part 50 than a central part P of the shaft part 62 in the axial direction; and a taper part 66a that protrudes to the head part 20 side along the shaft part 62 from the projection part 66 and that has a shape in which a cross sectional area orthogonal to the axial direction becomes smaller as receding from the projection part 66.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

The present invention relates to an application brush for applying a drug to an oral tissue.

Conventionally, a toothbrush in which a hair bundle for removing plaque or the like adhering to the tooth surface is planted in a head portion has been proposed. A toothbrush is generally used to scrape plaque or the like from the tooth surface or the like by pressing the tip of a hair bundle against the tooth surface and sliding it (see, for example, Patent Documents 1 and 2). ..

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2006-180973 Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2010-253107

By the way, unlike the removal of dental plaque and the like as described above, an application brush is used for the purpose of applying a drug to oral tissues (for example, teeth, gingiva, oral inner wall, tongue, etc.). Specifically, this type of application brush is used, for example, when applying a drug containing fluoride to the teeth of infants and children, or when applying a drug containing a moisturizing component to the inner wall of the oral cavity of the elderly. Etc. are used. Since the main users of this type of application brush are infants, children, parents of infants and children, the elderly, and caregivers of the elderly (hereinafter collectively referred to as "infants, etc."). The above-mentioned toothbrush is different from the above-mentioned toothbrush in terms of operability of the application brush in the oral cavity and safety such as prevention of damage to the oral tissue by the application brush when an excessive external force is applied to the application brush. Different performance is required.

One of the objects of the present invention is to provide an application brush having excellent operability and safety when applying a drug to an oral tissue.

In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, the coating brush according to the present invention is characterized by the following [1] to [3].
[1]
An application brush for applying drugs to the tissues of the oral cavity.
It is provided with a head portion having a coating protrusion, a handle portion for coating operation, and a neck portion that connects the head portion and the handle portion and is elastically deformable.
The neck is
It has a shaft member extending in the axial direction of the coating brush, and a covering member made of a material softer than the material constituting the shaft member and covering at least a part of the shaft member.
The shaft member is
A shaft portion having a circular cross section orthogonal to the axial direction and a portion closer to the handle portion than the central portion of the shaft portion in the axial direction project from the shaft portion in a direction intersecting the axial direction. A tapered portion having a shape extending from the protruding portion toward the head portion along the shaft portion and having a shape in which the area of a cross section orthogonal to the axial direction decreases as the distance from the protruding portion increases. Have,
Must be an application brush.
[2]
In the coating brush according to the above [1],
The shaft member is
The area of the cross section extending continuously from the neck portion toward the handle portion and orthogonal to the axial direction of the shaft portion is smaller than the area of the cross section of the shaft member orthogonal to the axial direction of the handle portion. Consists of,
Must be an application brush.
[3]
In the coating brush according to the above [1] or the above [2].
The shaft portion of the shaft member is
An elliptical shape in which the width of the shaft portion in the protruding direction in which the coating protrusion protrudes from the head portion is smaller than the width of the shaft portion in the direction orthogonal to the protruding direction and the axial direction is formed in the axial direction. Having in orthogonal cross sections,
Must be an application brush.

According to the coating brush having the configuration of [1] above, the neck portion connecting the head portion and the handle portion has a shaft member having a shaft portion having a circular cross section and a soft material that covers at least a part of the shaft member. It has a covering member and. As a result, the neck has a soft touch due to the position of the soft covering member on the outer surface of the neck that may come into contact with the lips during use, and the bending hardness and elasticity due to the relatively hard shaft member. It is possible to achieve both an appropriate feeling of use (so-called elasticity). Furthermore, since the cross section of the shaft portion has a circular shape, it is almost as easy to bend in any direction intersecting the axial direction of the coating brush as compared with the case where the cross section has a square shape or the like. The neck can be curved. As a result, it is not necessary to change the handle portion according to the arrangement of the oral tissue to be applied (for example, teeth, gingiva, oral inner wall, tongue, etc.), and any oral tissue can be treated. The drug can be applied with almost the same pressing force, whereby the drug can be applied evenly to the oral tissue. In addition, regardless of the position of the application brush in the oral cavity, when an excessive external force is applied to the application brush, the neck is curved in a direction to release the external force, so that the oral tissue in the head portion. It is possible to suppress damage to the skin.

Further, the neck portion has a protrusion protruding from the shaft portion at a position closer to the handle portion than the central portion of the shaft portion in the axial direction. In addition, on the head portion side of the protrusion, a tapered portion having a shape that extends from the protrusion along the shaft portion and whose cross-sectional area becomes smaller (that is, becomes a tip squeeze) as the distance from the protrusion is increased is provided. As a result, the rigidity of the shaft portion around the portion where the protrusion is provided becomes larger than the rigidity of the shaft portion at the central portion of the shaft portion. In other words, the central portion of the neck portion is easier to bend than the base end portion on the handle portion side of the neck portion. Therefore, when the drug is applied to the tissue on the front side of the oral cavity such as the anterior teeth, the central portion of the neck is preferentially curved according to the operation, so that the load on the tissue is reduced. On the other hand, when applying the drug to the tissue on the inner side of the oral cavity such as the back teeth, when the head part is inserted between the inner wall of the oral cavity and the teeth along the dentition, the central part of the neck becomes the inner wall of the oral cavity and the teeth. The bending is naturally suppressed by being pinched, and the unintended bending is suppressed by having an appropriate rigidity at the base end side of the neck, so that the operation of inserting the application brush into the back of the oral cavity is easy. Become.

As described above, unlike a general toothbrush, the application brush having this configuration has a structure that can be easily and appropriately used even by an infant or the like. That is, the application brush having this configuration is excellent in operability and safety when applying the drug to the oral tissue.

Further, as another effect, when the covering member is molded so as to cover at least a part of the shaft member by injection molding, the tapered portion is provided adjacent to the protrusion, so that the molten resin around the protrusion is provided. It is possible to promote the flow of the plastic and suppress the generation of air bubbles (voids) around the protrusions. By suppressing the generation of such bubbles, the strength and durability of the neck can be improved. Further, it promotes that the molten resin reaches the end portion of the molding object (for example, the head portion or the coating protrusion) on the tip side (that is, the downstream side of the molten resin flow) of the protrusion, and reaches the end portion thereof. It is possible to suppress the occurrence of chipping (short shot). By suppressing such chipping, the original coating function of the coating brush can be properly exhibited, and the aesthetic appearance and productivity of the coating brush can be improved.

The above-mentioned "circular shape" represents a round shape including a perfect circle, an ellipse, an oval shape, and the like. Further, the above-mentioned "material softer than the material constituting the shaft member" is, for example, more than the material constituting the shaft member in hardness measured by a test (type A durometer) according to JIS K 6253 (2012). Represents a material with low hardness. The same applies to the above "hard".

According to the coating brush having the configuration of [2] above, the cross-sectional area of the shaft portion located at the neck portion is smaller than the cross-sectional area of the shaft member located at the handle portion. This makes it easier for the neck to bend than the handle. Therefore, the range in which the head portion is displaced during bending (in other words, the swing width of the head portion) is smaller than when the handle portion is curved, so that it is suitable for users with a small oral cavity such as infants and children. On the other hand, the above-mentioned excellent operability and safety can be properly exhibited.

According to the coating brush having the configuration of [3] above, the application projection is orthogonal to the protrusion direction and the axial direction rather than the protrusion direction in which the coating protrusion protrudes from the head portion (that is, the depth direction when the head portion is viewed from the front). In the direction (that is, the lateral direction when the head portion is viewed from the front), the neck portion becomes slightly difficult to bend. As a result, when applying the drug, when the head part is reciprocated along the axial direction with the application protrusion of the head part in contact with the teeth, gingiva, etc., the position of the head part is displaced in the lateral direction. It is moderately suppressed. Therefore, the accuracy of the coating work can be improved. Further, since the neck portion is easily bent in the protruding direction, the load on the oral tissue at the time of application can be further reduced.

According to the present invention, it is possible to provide an application brush having excellent operability and safety when applying a drug to an oral tissue.

The present invention has been briefly described above. Further, the details of the present invention will be further clarified by reading through the embodiments described below (hereinafter referred to as "embodiments") with reference to the accompanying drawings. ..

1A and 1B show a coating brush according to the present invention, FIG. 1A is a left side view thereof, and FIG. 1B is a front view thereof. 2A is a sectional view taken along the line AA of FIG. 1B, FIG. 2B is an enlarged view of a portion B of FIG. 2A, and FIG. 2C is a diagram. It is a front view of the part corresponding to the part B of 2 (a). 3A is a sectional view taken along the line CC of FIG. 2A, and FIG. 3B is a sectional view taken along the line DD of FIG. 2A. FIG. 4 (a) is a diagram showing how the neck of the coating brush according to the present invention bends in the front-rear direction, and FIG. 4 (b) shows how the neck of the coating brush according to the present invention bends in the left-right direction. It is a figure which shows.

<Embodiment>
Hereinafter, the coating brush 1 according to the embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. As shown in FIG. 1, the application brush 1 has a rod-like shape as a whole, and for example, when applying a fluoride-containing agent (gel-like agent, etc.) to the teeth of infants and children, or for the elderly. It is used when applying a drug containing a moisturizing ingredient to the inner wall of the oral cavity.

Hereinafter, for convenience of explanation, "left", "right", "front" and "rear" are defined as follows unless otherwise specified. The "left" when expressing "left-right direction" or "left-right" or the like means "left" when the coating brush 1 is viewed from the front. Similarly, the "right" when expressing "left-right direction" or "left-right" or the like means "right" when the coating brush 1 is viewed from the front. The "front view" refers to the case of looking at the coating brush 1 as shown in FIG. 1 (b). Further, the "front-back direction" represents the direction toward the "front" and the "back" when the coating brush 1 is viewed from the front, and the "front" is the "front side" when the coating brush is viewed from the front. ", And" rear "means the" back side "when the application brush is viewed from the front.

As shown in FIG. 1, the coating brush 1 includes a head portion 20 having a plurality of coating protrusions 10, an elastically deformable neck portion 30, and a handle portion 50. As shown in FIG. 2A, each of the head portion 20, the neck portion 30, and the handle portion 50 is composed of the shaft member 60 and a material softer than the material constituting the shaft member 60, and the shaft member 60. It is composed of a covering member 80 that covers the shaft portion 62 and the tapered portion 66a (details will be described later). The shaft member 60 and the covering member 80 continuously extend over the entire axial direction of the coating brush 1 from the head portion 20 to the handle portion 50.

By covering the shaft portion 62 and the like of the neck portion 30 with the soft covering member 82, the soft covering member 82 is located on the outer surface of the neck portion 30 which may come into contact with the lips and the like during use, so that it is relatively soft to the touch. It is possible to give the user an appropriate feeling of use (so-called stiffness) by having the rigid shaft member 60 inside.

The head portion 20 has a plate-shaped member 20a having a front surface 21 and a back surface 22, and has a plurality of coating protrusions 10 on both the front surface 21 and the back surface 22. When applying the drug, the drug (for example, a gel-like drug or a liquid drug) is attached to the coating protrusion 10 of the head portion 20, and the drug is applied to the teeth, gingiva, or the like. Depending on the position of the oral tissue to which the drug is applied, whether to apply the drug to the coating protrusion 11 on the front surface 21 of the head portion 20 or the coating projection 12 on the back surface 22 of the head portion 20. , It is also possible to select.

The neck portion 30 is provided between the head portion 20 and the handle portion 50. The neck portion 30 is in the front-back direction (see FIG. 4A), the left-right direction (see FIG. 4B), and any diagonal direction between the front-back direction and the left-right direction (not shown). It can be elastically deformed. As a result, when an infant or the like uses the coating brush 1, even if an unintended external force is applied to the handle portion 50 of the coating brush 1 due to a fall or collision, the neck portion 30 is directed to release the external force. Is elastically curved, so that the tip of the head portion 20 can be prevented from damaging the oral tissue.

The handle portion 50 has a first convex portion 41 provided at a connection portion between the neck portion 30 and the handle portion 50, and a second convex portion provided at an end portion 51 of the handle portion 50 on the opposite side of the head portion 20. It has a 42 and a third convex portion 43 provided between the first convex portion 41 and the second convex portion 42. By providing the first to third convex portions 41, 42, 43 on the handle portion 50, it becomes easier for the user to grip the handle portion 50, and slipping of the hand during use can be suppressed. Specifically, the first convex portion 41 is provided at the connection portion between the neck portion 30 and the handle portion 50, and the second convex portion 42 is provided at the end portion 51 of the handle portion 50 on the opposite side of the head portion 20. By providing the convex portion 43 of 3 between the first convex portion 41 and the second convex portion 42, the first to third convex portions 43 are provided regardless of how the handle portion 50 is gripped or the size of the user's hand. The user's finger will hang on at least one of the protrusions 41 to 43. Therefore, it is easy even when infants, children and the elderly use the application brush 1 by themselves, and even when infants, parents of children and elderly caregivers use the application brush 1. Moreover, the coating brush 1 can be used properly.

The plurality of coating protrusions 11 provided on the front surface 21 of the head portion 20 have different lengths in the longitudinal direction (that is, the height of the tip of the head portion 20 from the front surface 21 or the back surface 22). is doing. As a result, the front surface 21 of the head portion 20 can be used as a surface suitable for applying the drug to narrow portions such as between teeth, the cervical portion, and the back teeth. On the other hand, the plurality of coating protrusions 12 provided on the back surface 22 of the head portion 20 have substantially the same length in the longitudinal direction. Thereby, the back surface 22 of the head portion 20 can be used as a surface suitable for applying the drug to a wide portion such as the tooth surface, the gingival surface, the tongue surface, and the oral mucosa.

More specifically, the length of the coating protrusion 11 provided on the end of the front surface 21 opposite to the neck portion 30 and the end of the front surface 21 on the neck portion 30 side is the length of the front surface 21. It is longer than the length of the coating protrusion 11 provided in the central portion of the above. On the other hand, the length of the coating protrusion 11 may be determined so that the coating protrusion 11 becomes longer as it approaches the end opposite to the neck portion 30 of the front surface 21, or the neck portion 30 of the front surface 21 may be set. The length of the coating protrusion 11 may be determined so that the coating protrusion 11 becomes longer as it approaches the end on the side. Further, the coating surface formed by arranging the tips of the plurality of coating protrusions 11 has a shape having a mountain portion protruding in a direction away from the front surface 21 and a valley portion recessed in a direction approaching the front surface 21. The length of each coating protrusion 11 may be determined so as to have a so-called mountain cutting shape).

Further, the cross section orthogonal to the protruding direction of the coating protrusion 11 preferably has a perfect circular shape having a diameter of 0.5 to 1.5 mm, and has a perfect circular shape having a diameter of 0.8 to 1.0 mm. Is even more preferable. In addition, the number of the coating protrusions 11 is preferably 50 to 120, more preferably 70 to 100.

A plurality of coating protrusions 11 provided on the front surface 21 of the head portion 20 project in a direction perpendicular to the front surface 21. On the other hand, the plurality of coating protrusions 11 may protrude in a direction inclined by an arbitrary angle from the direction perpendicular to the front surface 21 of the head portion 20. Similarly, the plurality of coating protrusions 12 provided on the back surface 22 of the head portion 20 project in a direction perpendicular to the back surface 22 of the head portion 20. On the other hand, the plurality of coating protrusions 12 may protrude in a direction inclined by an arbitrary angle from a direction perpendicular to the back surface 22 of the head portion 20.

As shown in FIG. 2A, the plurality of coating protrusions 11 provided on the front surface 21 of the head portion 20 are regularly provided at predetermined intervals. On the other hand, these plurality of coating protrusions 11 may be irregularly arranged at arbitrary positions on the front surface 21. Similarly, the plurality of coating protrusions 12 provided on the back surface 22 of the head portion 20 are regularly provided at predetermined intervals. On the other hand, the plurality of coating protrusions 12 may be irregularly arranged at arbitrary positions on the front surface 21.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2A, a plurality of coating protrusions 11 are provided on substantially the entire surface of the front surface 21 of the head portion 20. On the other hand, the coating projection 11 may be provided only on a part of the front surface 21 of the head portion 20. For example, a plurality of coating protrusions 11 may be provided only on the outer peripheral portion of the front surface 21 of the head portion 20, and the coating protrusions 11 may not be provided on the central portion of the front surface 21. Further, the coating projection 11 may be provided over the entire circumference of the outer peripheral portion of the front surface 21, or the coating projection 11 may be provided only on a part of the outer peripheral portion of the front surface 21.

Similarly, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2A, a plurality of coating protrusions 12 are provided on substantially the entire surface of the back surface 22 of the head portion 20. On the other hand, the coating projection 12 may be provided only on a part of the back surface 22 of the head portion 20. For example, a plurality of coating protrusions 12 may be provided only on the outer peripheral portion of the back surface 22 of the head portion 20, and the coating projection 12 may not be provided on the central portion of the back surface 22. Further, the coating projection 12 may be provided over the entire circumference of the outer peripheral portion of the back surface 22, or the coating projection 12 may be provided only on a part of the outer peripheral portion of the back surface 22. Further, the coating projection 12 may be provided on substantially the entire surface of the head portion 20 including the side surface of the plate-shaped member 20a between the front surface 21 and the back surface 22 of the head portion 20 and the tip end portion of the plate-shaped member 20a.

Further, the ratio of the coating protrusion 11 to the plate-shaped member 20a (that is, the total cross-sectional area of the coating protrusion 11 / the area of the front surface 21 or the back surface 22 of the plate-shaped member 20a) is 15 to 40%. Is preferable, and 25 to 35% is more preferable. The areas of the front surface 21 and the back surface 22 of the plate-shaped member 20a include the area of the exposed portion of the protrusion 68 in the center of each.

The coating protrusion 11 provided on the front surface 21 of the head portion 20 and the coating protrusion 12 provided on the back surface 22 of the head portion 20 are made of an elastic material. The coating protrusions 11 and 12 are preferably made of a low-resilience elastic material, and more preferably made of a soft elastic material or a soft low-resilience elastic material. Specifically, it is preferable to configure the coating protrusions 11 and 12 with an elastic material having a rubber hardness of 30 degrees or more and 60 degrees or less. The brush hardness as an aggregate of the plurality of coating protrusions 11 provided on the front surface 21 of the head portion 20 is preferably 30 N / cm ² or less, and is preferably about 10 to 15 N / cm ² . More preferred. The brush hardness as an aggregate of the plurality of coating protrusions 12 provided on the back surface 22 of the head portion 20 is preferably 30 N / cm ² or less, and more preferably about 10 to 15 N / cm ² . The brush hardness value described above is a value measured by a measuring method using a compression tester according to JIS S 3016 (1995).

As shown in FIGS. 2A and 2B, the head portion 20, the neck portion 30, and the handle portion 50 of the coating brush 1 have a shaft member 60 made of a hard resin inside. The shaft member 60 includes the shaft member 61 (including the protrusion 68) of the head portion 20, the shaft member of the neck portion 30 (that is, the shaft portion 62, the protrusions 66, 67 and the taper portion 66a), and the handle portion 50. It is composed of a shaft member 63 and. The shaft member 61 of the head portion 20, the shaft member of the neck portion 30 (that is, the shaft portion 62, the protrusions 66, 67 and the tapered portion 66a), and the shaft member 63 of the handle portion 50 are integrally formed by using a hard resin. Is formed in. That is, the shaft member 60 is provided from the tip end to the rear end of the coating brush 1. In other words, the shaft member 60 is arranged from the tip of the head portion 20 to the rear end of the handle portion 50 on the side opposite to the tip of the head portion 20.

It is preferable that polypropylene is used as the hard resin constituting the shaft member 60. As the hard resin constituting the shaft member 60, polystyrene, polyethylene terephthalate, acrylonitrile butadiene styrene, polycarbonate, polyacetal or the like may be used.

The rigid resin constituting the shaft member 60 preferably has a flexural modulus of 1000 Mpa or more and 2500 Mpa or less. For example, as the hard resin, polypropylene having a flexural modulus of 1000 Mpa or more and 2500 Mpa or less can be used. As the hard resin, polypropylene having a flexural modulus of 1050 Mpa or more and 2050 Mpa or less is preferably used, and polypropylene having a flexural modulus of 1200 Mpa or more and 1700 Mpa or less is further preferable.

When the hardness of the coating protrusions 11 and 12 of the head portion 20 is A (N / cm ² ) and the flexural modulus of the hard resin is B (MPa), the value of A / B is 0.0003 or more and 0.03. The following is preferable. The A / B value is more preferably 0.007 or more and 0.025 or less, and further preferably 0.01 or more and 0.02 or less.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2A, the shaft member 61 of the head portion 20 has a substantially rectangular or substantially elliptical flat plate shape when viewed from the front-rear direction, corresponding to the plate-shaped member 20a. On the other hand, the shaft member 61 of the head portion 20 may have an arbitrary polygonal or circular plate shape. Further, the shape of the shaft member 61 of the head portion 20 is not limited to a plate shape, and may be a shape that includes at least a flat surface.

As shown in FIGS. 2A and 3A, the shaft portion 62 located at the neck portion 30 has a substantially columnar shape extending in the axial direction of the coating brush 1. More specifically, the cross section of the shaft portion 62 (the cross section orthogonal to the axial direction of the coating brush 1) is a protrusion in the front-rear direction (the coating protrusion 10 projects from the head portion 20) as shown in FIG. 3A. The width H1 in the direction) has an elliptical shape slightly smaller than the width H2 in the left-right direction. The neck portion 30 and the shaft portion 62 may have a curved shape or a linear shape.

Since the shaft portion 62 has a circular (elliptical) shape, the neck portion is almost as easy to bend in any direction orthogonal to the axial direction of the coating brush 1 as compared with the case where the cross section is square. 30 can be curved. Further, twisting of the neck portion 30 is unlikely to occur. As a result, the drug can be applied to any oral tissue with almost the same pressing force without the need to change the handle portion 50 according to the arrangement of the oral tissue to be applied. Allows the drug to be evenly applied to the oral tissue. Further, regardless of the position of the coating brush 1 in the oral cavity, when an excessive external force is applied to the coating brush 1, the neck portion 30 can be curved in a direction to release the external force. Therefore, even infants and the like can easily and properly use the coating brush 1.

Further, since the cross section of the shaft portion 62 has an elliptical shape shown in FIG. 3A, the neck portion is in the left-right direction than in the front-rear direction (the protruding direction in which the coating protrusion 10 protrudes from the head portion 20). 30 is a little hard to bend. As a result, when applying the drug, when the head portion 20 is reciprocated along the axial direction with the coating protrusion 10 of the head portion 20 in contact with the teeth, gingiva, etc., the head portion in the left-right direction is performed. The misalignment of 20 is less likely to occur, and the accuracy of the coating work is improved. Further, since the neck portion 30 is easily bent in the protruding direction, the load on the oral tissue at the time of application can be further reduced.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2A, the shaft member 63 of the handle portion 50 has the shaft member of the neck portion 30 (particularly, the shaft portion 62 and the protrusion 66) and the handle portion 50, similarly to the outer shape of the handle portion 50. The first shaft body convex portion 71 provided at the connection portion with the shaft member 63 of the head portion 20 and the second end portion 64 of the shaft member 63 of the handle portion 50 on the opposite side of the shaft member 61 of the head portion 20. It has a shaft body convex portion 72 of the above, and a third shaft body convex portion 73 provided between the first shaft body convex portion 71 and the second shaft body convex portion 72.

As shown in FIG. 3B, the cross section of the shaft member 63 of the handle portion 50 (the cross section orthogonal to the axial direction of the coating brush 1) has a perfect circular shape in the vicinity of the neck portion 30. The cross section of the handle portion 50 in the second shaft body convex portion 72 and the third shaft body convex portion 73 separated from the neck portion 30 is not limited to the shape of a perfect circle, but is not limited to the shape of a perfect circle, but also has an elliptical shape, a polygonal shape, and a corner. May have a rounded polygonal shape or the like. As can be understood from the comparison between FIGS. 3A and 3B, the cross-sectional area of the shaft portion 62 is smaller than the cross-sectional area of the shaft member 63 of the handle portion 50. As a result, the neck portion 30 is more likely to bend than the handle portion 50. Therefore, the range in which the head portion 20 is displaced during bending (in other words, the swing width of the head portion 20) is smaller than when the handle portion 50 is curved, so that the size of the oral cavity itself is small like infants and children. The above-mentioned excellent operability and safety can be appropriately exhibited even for the user. Further, the cross-sectional area of the connecting portion between the shaft member of the neck portion 30 (particularly, the shaft portion 62 and the protrusion 66) and the shaft member 63 of the handle portion 50 gradually increases toward the handle portion 50 side (that is,). , The diameter is expanded).

The first shaft body convex portion 71 and the third shaft body convex portion 73 of the shaft member 63 of the handle portion 50 have a substantially ellipsoidal shape. Specifically, the first shaft body convex portion 71 provided at the connection portion between the shaft member of the neck portion 30 (particularly, the shaft portion 62 and the protrusion 66) and the shaft member 63 of the handle portion 50 is a coating brush. When viewed from any direction orthogonal to the axial direction of 1, it has a convex shape protruding in a direction substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the shaft member 63 of the handle portion 50. Similarly, the third shaft body convex portion 73 provided between the first shaft body convex portion 71 and the second shaft body convex portion 72 is also from any direction orthogonal to the axial direction of the coating brush 1. Even when viewed, it has a convex shape that protrudes in a direction substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the shaft member 63 of the handle portion 50.

On the other hand, the second shaft body convex portion 72 provided at the end portion 64 of the shaft member 63 of the handle portion 50 is substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the shaft member 63 of the handle portion 50 when viewed from the left-right direction. It does not have a convex shape that protrudes toward it, and has a convex shape that protrudes in a direction substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the shaft member 63 of the handle portion 50 when viewed from the front-rear direction.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 (a), the first shaft body convex portion 71 and the third shaft body convex portion 73 of the shaft member 63 of the handle portion 50 have a substantially ellipsoidal shape. The first convex portion 41 and the third convex portion 43 of the handle portion 50 also have a substantially ellipsoidal shape.

That is, the first convex portion 41 provided at the connecting portion between the neck portion 30 and the handle portion 50 is in the longitudinal direction of the handle portion 50 when viewed from any direction orthogonal to the axial direction of the coating brush 1. It has a convex shape that protrudes in a direction substantially perpendicular to. Similarly, the third convex portion 43 provided between the first convex portion 41 and the second convex portion 42 can also be viewed from any direction orthogonal to the axial direction of the coating brush 1. The handle portion 50 has a convex shape protruding in a direction substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal direction.

On the other hand, the second convex portion 42 provided at the end portion 51 of the handle portion 50 has a convex shape that protrudes in a direction substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the handle portion 50 when viewed from the left-right direction. Moreover, when viewed from the front-rear direction, the handle portion 50 has a convex shape protruding in a direction substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the handle portion 50.

As shown in FIG. 1, the second shaft body convex portion 72 provided at the end portion 64 of the shaft member 63 of the handle portion 50 has an insertion hole 65. The second convex portion 42 provided at the end portion 51 of the handle portion 50 has an insertion hole 52. The insertion hole 52 of the second convex portion 42 corresponds to the insertion hole 65 of the second shaft body convex portion 72, and the insertion holes 52 and 65 have hooks for storing the coating brush 1 and the like. And strings can be passed through.

As shown in FIG. 2A, the shaft portion 62 is provided with a protrusion 66 protruding in both front and rear directions at a position closer to the handle portion 50 than the central portion P in the axial direction of the shaft portion 62, and the shaft portion 62 is provided. A protrusion 67 projecting in both the front-rear direction is provided at a position closer to the head portion 20 than the central portion P in the axial direction of the above. The shaft member 61 of the head portion 20 is provided with a protrusion 68 that protrudes in both front and rear directions at a substantially central portion in the axial direction of the shaft member 61.

In particular, on the head portion 20 side of the protrusion 66, as shown in FIGS. 2 (b) and 2 (c), the protrusion 66 extends from the protrusion 66 toward the head portion 20 along the axial direction of the shaft portion 62. A tapered portion 66a having a shape that becomes narrower (the area of the cross section becomes smaller) toward the head portion 20 is provided. The tapered portion 66a is continuous with the shaft portion 62 (cylindrical portion) at a portion adjacent to the head portion 20 side of the protruding portion 66. The tip end side end portion 66b of the tapered portion 66a is located between the protrusion portion 66 and the central portion P. A similar tapered portion is not provided on the base end side (the side close to the handle portion 50) of the protrusion portion 67.

By providing the tapered portion 66a in this way, the rigidity of the shaft portion 62 around the portion where the protrusion 66 is provided becomes larger than the rigidity of the shaft portion 62 at the central portion P of the shaft portion 62. In other words, the central portion P of the neck portion 30 is easier to bend than the portion closer to the handle portion 50 than the central portion P. Therefore, the neck portion 30 is used both when the head portion 20 bends in the front-rear direction (see FIG. 4A) and when the head portion 20 bends in the left-right direction (see FIG. 4B). , The center point P will be preferentially turned. Further, since the same tapered portion is not provided on the base end side of the protruding portion 67, the rigidity of the portion where the protruding portion 67 is provided is the same as that of the portion where the protruding portion 66 having the tapered portion 66a is provided. Not as great as rigidity. Therefore, the influence of the presence of the protrusion 67 on the bendability of the neck 30 can be reduced.

Therefore, when the drug is applied to the tissue on the front side of the oral cavity such as the anterior teeth, the central portion P of the neck portion 30 is appropriately bent to reduce the load on the tissue. By bending the central portion P of the neck portion 30, the displacement range (in other words, the swing width) of the head portion 20 can be reduced as compared with the case where the base end side portion of the neck portion 30 is bent. Since the displacement range of the head portion 20 is small, the application brush 1 can be suitably used for infants and children with a small mouth. On the other hand, when the drug is applied to the tissue on the inner side of the oral cavity such as the back teeth, when the head portion 20 is inserted between the inner wall of the oral cavity and the teeth along the dentition, the central portion P of the neck portion 30 is the inner wall of the oral cavity. Since the bending is naturally suppressed by being sandwiched between the teeth and the unintended bending is suppressed by having an appropriate rigidity at the base end side portion of the neck portion 30, the brush 1 for application to the back side of the oral cavity is used. The insertion operation becomes easy. Further, when the covering member 80 is molded so as to cover the shaft member 60 by injection molding, the tapered portion 66a is provided adjacent to the protrusion 66 to promote the flow of the molten resin around the protrusion 66. It is possible to suppress the generation of air bubbles (voids) around the protrusion 66. By suppressing the generation of such bubbles, the strength and durability of the neck portion 30 can be improved. In addition, the molten resin is urged to reach the end points of the head portion 20 and the coating protrusions 11 and 12 on the tip side (that is, the downstream side of the molten resin flow) of the protrusion 66, and the end portion is chipped. It is possible to suppress the occurrence of (short shot). By suppressing such chipping, the original coating function of the coating brush 1 can be properly exhibited, and the aesthetic appearance and productivity of the coating brush 1 can be improved.

The protrusions 66, 67, 68 also have a function of maintaining the posture of the shaft member 60 in the mold for molding the covering member 80 when the covering member 80 is molded so as to cover the shaft member 60. ing.

As shown in FIG. 2A and the like, the covering member 80 is composed of a covering member 81 of the head portion 20, a covering member 82 of the neck portion 30, and a covering member 83 of the handle portion 50. However, the top surfaces of the protrusions 66 and 67 provided on the shaft portion 62 located at the neck portion 30 and the top surfaces of the protrusions 68 provided on the shaft member 61 of the head portion 20 are covered with the covering member 80. It is exposed without.

The covering member 80 is made of a material softer than the material constituting the shaft member 60, and the outer periphery of the shaft member 60 is partially exposed (that is, the top surface of the protrusions 66, 67, 68 and the insertion hole 52. It covers except the inner surface of the hole). Here, the "material softer than the material constituting the shaft member 60" constitutes the shaft member 60 at a hardness measured by a test (type A durometer) according to JIS K 6253 (2012), for example. Represents a material that has a hardness smaller than that of the material.

As a material constituting the covering member 80, it is preferable to use an elastic material having low resilience. Specifically, it is preferable to use silicone rubber or a thermoplastic elastomer as the elastic material constituting the covering member 80. Examples of the thermoplastic elastomer include polyolefin-based, styrene-based, polyester-based, polyurethane-based, and other thermoplastic elastomers.

The plurality of coating protrusions 10 of the head portion 20 and the covering member 81 of the head portion 20 are integrally formed of the same elastic material. That is, the coating projection 11 on the front surface 21 of the head portion 20, the coating projection 12 on the back surface 22 of the head portion 20, and the covering member 81 of the head portion 20 are integrally formed of the same elastic material.

As described above, unlike a general toothbrush or the like, the coating protrusion 11 on the front surface 21 of the head portion 20 is not planted on the front surface 21. Similarly, the coating protrusion 12 on the back surface 22 of the head portion 20 is not planted on the back surface 22. The coating protrusions 11 and 12 project from the front surface 21 or the back surface 22 of the head portion 20 and are integrated with the front surface 21 or the back surface 22 of the head portion 20. Therefore, unlike a hair bundle such as a general toothbrush, the agent does not soak into the space between the fine hairs constituting the hair bundle or the implanted portion of the hair bundle. Therefore, the application protrusions 11 and 12 are coated with the agent. , The tip of 12 can be held in the center, and the drug can be applied without waste. Further, the coating protrusions 11 and 12 are easy to clean, and are excellent in hygiene. In addition, the coating protrusions 11 and 12 are also excellent in durability because they are unlikely to deteriorate such that hair bundles spread like a general toothbrush.

<Action / effect>
The main actions and effects of the above-mentioned coating brush 1 are summarized below.
According to the coating brush 1, the neck portion 30 connecting the head portion 20 and the handle portion 50 has a shaft portion 60 having a shaft portion 62 having a circular cross section, and a soft covering member 82 that covers the shaft portion 62 and the like. And have. As a result, the soft covering member 82 is located on the outer surface of the neck portion 30 which may come into contact with the lips and the like during use, so that it has a soft touch and has bending hardness and elasticity due to the relatively hard shaft member 60. It is possible to achieve both a moderate feeling of use and the like. Further, since the cross section of the shaft portion 62 has a circular shape, it is easy to bend in any direction orthogonal to the axial direction of the coating brush 1 as compared with the case where the cross section has a square shape or the like. Now the neck 30 is bendable. As a result, the drug can be applied to any oral tissue with almost the same pressing force without the need to change the handle portion 50 according to the arrangement of the oral tissue to be applied. Allows the drug to be evenly applied to the oral tissue. In addition, no matter where the application brush 1 is located in the oral cavity, when an excessive external force is applied to the application brush 1, the neck portion 30 bends in a direction to release the external force, so that the head portion 20 It is possible to prevent damage to the oral tissue.

Further, the neck portion 30 has a protrusion 66 protruding from the shaft portion 62 at a position closer to the handle portion 50 than the central portion P of the shaft portion 62 in the axial direction. In addition, on the head portion 20 side of the protrusion 66, a tapered portion 66a having a shape extending from the protrusion 66 along the shaft portion 62 and becoming narrower toward the head portion 20 is provided. As a result, the rigidity of the shaft portion 62 around the portion where the protrusion 66 is provided becomes larger than the rigidity of the shaft portion 62 at the central portion P. In other words, the central portion P of the neck portion 30 is more likely to bend than the proximal portion on the handle portion 50 side of the neck portion 30. Therefore, when the drug is applied to the tissue on the front side of the oral cavity such as the anterior teeth, the central portion P of the neck portion 30 is preferentially curved according to the operation, so that the load on the tissue is reduced. On the other hand, when the drug is applied to the tissue on the inner side of the oral cavity such as the back teeth, when the head portion 20 is inserted between the inner wall of the oral cavity and the teeth along the dentition, the central portion P of the neck portion 30 is the inner wall of the oral cavity. Since the bending is naturally suppressed by being sandwiched between the teeth and the unintended bending is suppressed by having an appropriate strength at the base end side portion of the neck portion 30, the brush 1 for application to the back side of the oral cavity is used. The insertion operation becomes easy.

As described above, unlike a general toothbrush, the coating brush 1 has a structure that can be easily and appropriately used even by an infant or the like. That is, the application brush 1 is excellent in operability and safety when applying the drug to the oral tissue.

Further, according to the coating brush 1, the cross-sectional area of the shaft portion 62 located at the neck portion 30 is smaller than the cross-sectional area of the shaft member 63 inside the handle portion 50. As a result, the neck portion 30 is more likely to bend than the handle portion 50. Therefore, the range in which the head portion 20 is displaced during bending (in other words, the swing width of the head portion 20) is smaller than when the handle portion 50 is curved, so that the size of the oral cavity itself is small like infants and children. The above-mentioned excellent operability and safety can be appropriately exhibited even for the user.

Further, according to the coating brush 1, the left-right direction (that is, the lateral direction when the head portion 20 is viewed from the front) is more than the front-rear direction (that is, the depth direction when the head portion 20 is viewed from the front). , The neck 30 becomes a little difficult to bend. As a result, when applying the drug, when the head portion 20 is reciprocated along the axial direction in a state where the coating protrusion 10 of the head portion 20 is in contact with the teeth, gingiva, etc., the head portion 20 is moved in the left-right direction. Positional deviation is moderately suppressed. Therefore, the accuracy of the coating work can be improved. Further, since the neck portion 30 is easily bent in the protruding direction, the load on the oral tissue at the time of application can be further reduced.

In addition, according to the coating brush 1, the coating protrusion 11 and the coating protrusion 12 project from the plate-shaped member 20a of the head portion 20 toward one side and the other side in the thickness direction, respectively. As a result, the drug can be easily applied to any oral tissue without the need for the work of changing the handle portion 50 according to the arrangement of the oral tissue to be applied.

<Other forms>
The present invention is not limited to each of the above embodiments, and various modifications can be adopted within the scope of the present invention. For example, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and can be appropriately modified, improved, and the like. In addition, the material, shape, size, number, arrangement location, etc. of each component in the above-described embodiment are arbitrary as long as the present invention can be achieved, and are not limited.

For example, in the above embodiment, each of the head portion 20, the neck portion 30, and the handle portion 50 constituting the coating brush 1 is composed of a shaft member 60 and a covering member 80 that covers the outer periphery of the shaft member 60. .. On the other hand, as long as only the neck portion 30 is composed of the shaft member 60 and the covering member 80 that covers the outer periphery of the shaft member 60, at least one of the head portion 20 and the handle portion 50 is only the shaft member 60. It may be composed of.

Further, in the above embodiment, the shaft portion 62 located at the neck portion 30 has an elliptical cross-sectional shape that is long in the lateral direction. On the other hand, the shaft portion 62 may have a perfect circular cross-sectional shape.

In addition, in the above embodiment, the head portion 20 has a coating projection 10 projecting toward both one side and the other side in the thickness direction of the plate-shaped member 20a. On the other hand, the head portion 20 may have a coating projection 10 projecting only toward either one side or the other side of the plate-shaped member 20a in the thickness direction.

In addition, in the above embodiment, the plurality of coating protrusions 10 of the head portion 20 and the covering member 81 of the head portion 20 are integrally formed of the same elastic material. On the other hand, the coating projection 10 and the covering member 81 may be formed of different types of elastic materials, or may be formed by preparing each as a separate body and then assembling them to each other.

Here, the features of the above-described embodiment of the coating brush 1 according to the present invention are briefly summarized and listed below in [1] to [3], respectively.
[1]
An application brush (1) for applying a drug to the oral tissue.
A head portion (20) having a coating protrusion (10), a handle portion (50) for coating operation, and a neck portion (30) that connects the head portion (20) and the handle portion (50) and is elastically deformable. ) And,
The neck (30) is
A covering member (60) extending in the axial direction of the coating brush and a covering member (60) that is made of a material softer than the material constituting the shaft member (60) and covers at least a part of the shaft member (60). 80) and
The shaft member (60) is
The shaft portion (62) having a circular cross section orthogonal to the axial direction and a portion closer to the handle portion (50) than the central portion (P) of the shaft portion (62) in the axial direction. A protrusion (66) protruding from the shaft portion (62) in a direction intersecting the axial direction, and extending from the protrusion (66) toward the head portion (20) along the shaft portion (62). It has a tapered portion (66a) having a shape in which the area of a cross section orthogonal to the axial direction becomes smaller as the distance from the protruding portion (66) increases.
Applying brush (1).
[2]
In the coating brush (1) described in the above [1],
The shaft member (60) is
The shaft member (60) in the handle portion (50) has an area of a cross section extending continuously from the neck portion (30) toward the handle portion (50) and orthogonal to the axial direction of the shaft portion (62). Is configured to be smaller than the area of the cross section orthogonal to the axial direction of
Applying brush (1).
[3]
In the coating brush (1) according to the above [1] or the above [2].
The shaft portion (62) of the shaft member (60) is
The shaft portion (62) in a direction in which the width (H1) of the shaft portion (62) in the protruding direction in which the coating protrusion (10) protrudes from the head portion (20) is orthogonal to the protruding direction and the axial direction. Has an elliptical shape smaller than the width (H2) of the above in a cross section orthogonal to the axial direction.
Applying brush (1).

1 Brush for application 10 Application protrusion 11 Application protrusion 12 Application protrusion 20 Head part 20a Plate-shaped member 30 Neck part 50 Handle part 60 Shaft member 62 Shaft part 66 Protrusion part 66a Tapered part 80 Covering member P Central location

Claims (3)

An application brush for applying drugs to the tissues of the oral cavity.
It is provided with a head portion having a coating protrusion, a handle portion for coating operation, and a neck portion that connects the head portion and the handle portion and is elastically deformable.
The neck is
It has a shaft member extending in the axial direction of the coating brush, and a covering member made of a material softer than the material constituting the shaft member and covering at least a part of the shaft member.
The shaft member is
A shaft portion having a circular cross section orthogonal to the axial direction and a portion closer to the handle portion than the central portion of the shaft portion in the axial direction project from the shaft portion in a direction intersecting the axial direction. A tapered portion having a shape extending from the protruding portion toward the head portion along the shaft portion and having a shape in which the area of a cross section orthogonal to the axial direction decreases as the distance from the protruding portion increases. Have,
Brush for application. In the coating brush according to claim 1,
The shaft member is
The area of the cross section extending continuously from the neck portion toward the handle portion and orthogonal to the axial direction of the shaft portion is smaller than the area of the cross section of the shaft member orthogonal to the axial direction of the handle portion. Consists of,
Brush for application. In the coating brush according to claim 1 or 2.
The shaft portion of the shaft member is
An elliptical shape in which the width of the shaft portion in the protruding direction in which the coating protrusion protrudes from the head portion is smaller than the width of the shaft portion in the direction orthogonal to the protruding direction and the axial direction is formed in the axial direction. Having in orthogonal cross sections,
Brush for application.

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