JP2550475Y2 - Toothpick - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed description of the invention]

[0001]

[Industrial application field] The present invention has a toothpick,
The present invention relates to a toothpick that can easily, reliably and safely remove food residues such as interdental parts and plaque.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A normal toothpick is, as shown in FIG.
It is composed of a round bar-shaped gripping portion 71 (omitted on the proximal end side) and a distal end portion 72 tapered toward the protruding end 73 to have a small diameter.
It is a small wooden stick, and such a toothpick is widely used because it is easy and has the advantage of being cheaper in price than the interdental brush.

[0003]

However, since the toothpick has no elasticity and does not bend at all, it does not enter into a hollow such as an interdental part, and its tip 72 has an axial symmetry (cross section). Since it has a (circular) tapered shape, it gives a feeling that it is too thick for the narrow interdental portion 8 and it is difficult to enter deeply. Further, even if the distal end portion 72 enters the interdental portion 8, the surface thereof is monotonous, so that it cannot be cleaned properly. Therefore, the toothpick was not said to be convenient for removing food residues, plaque and the like in the interdental region. In addition, the toothpick was apt to damage the gums because the tip 73 was sharp.

Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a toothpick which can easily, reliably and safely remove food residues such as interdental areas and plaque.

[0005]

According to the present invention, there is provided an elongated film-shaped toothpick having elasticity, wherein a tip portion has
The above object has been achieved by providing a toothpick having a plurality of minute projections provided on a surface thereof by printing, and a protruding end of the tip having a rounded shape.

[0006]

In the toothpick according to the present invention, the tip of the toothpick is bent elastically and enters a shaded portion such as an interdental portion. The protrusions provided on the surface of the distal end can effectively scrape food residues, plaque, and the like, and the rounded protruding tip does not damage the gums.

[0007]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS A toothpick according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 shows an embodiment of the toothpick of the present invention, wherein (a) is a plan view and (b) is a side view.

The toothpick of this embodiment is, as shown in FIG.
Has a plurality of small projections 4 provided on the surface thereof by printing, that is, a plurality of ridges provided in a direction intersecting the length direction of the tip 3, and the tip 31 of the tip 3 is It has roundness.

The toothpick of this embodiment will be further described. As shown in FIG.
And a base portion 5 having a constant width, and the distal end portion 3 is tapered in width toward the protruding end 31.
The thickness of the toothpick 1 is substantially equal everywhere.

Various materials such as acrylic, PET, nylon, polystyrene, vinylon, vinylidene chloride, polypropylene, and polyethylene can be used for the toothpick 1 of this embodiment. It is necessary to have good elasticity, and it is preferable to use a stretched film. Films of the type very often used for packing are also suitable. Above toothpick 1
Is preferably about t = 0.2 to 0.8 mm. The width of the toothpick 1 is the same as that of the tip 3
It is preferable that w ₁ = 0.5 to 1.8 mm at the protruding end 31, and it is preferable that w ₂ = 0.8 to ₂ mm at the portion 52 in contact with the base 5. Further, it is preferable that the length L of the tip 3 is approximately L = 5 to 15 mm.

As shown in FIG. 1, the protrusions 4 are provided on the upper and lower surfaces of the toothpick 1 at substantially equal intervals in the longitudinal direction of the tip portion 3 and at intervals of p.
Is preferably about p = 0.5 to 1.5 mm.
The height δ of the projection 4 is δ = 0.2 to 0.8 mm.
It is preferable that each protrusion 4 has a rounded shape.

The projections 4 are provided by curing ink or adhesive printed on both upper and lower surfaces of the toothpick 1 in a raised state. The ink or the like may be one which is cured by natural drying after printing. The above-mentioned ink or the like may be raised by some kind of processing (heating or the like) after printing, and may be cured in that state. For example, the following foaming ink can be used.

That is, the foamable ink contains a foaming agent in a vehicle, and the foaming agent is decomposed when heated at a predetermined temperature after printing due to the action of a foaming aid added thereto. Since gas is generated, the gas becomes three-dimensional. Acrylic resin, polyolefin resin, urethane resin, melamine resin, polyester resin, various elastomers and the like are used as the resin, and are selected according to the film to be used. As the foaming agent, azo-based and nitroso-based compounds are often used, but are not limited thereto. Urea, an inorganic salt, a metal soap, or the like is used as the foaming accelerator. In general, these ink compositions are further added with highly safe pigments, inorganic materials for imparting some abrasiveness, and the like, and then printed by screen printing to have a predetermined three-dimensional property. It becomes the above ink.

The toothpick of this embodiment constructed as described above has elasticity, and when used, the flat tip 3 of the toothpick 1 can be slightly bent in the thickness direction. Can be easily penetrated. In addition, due to the plurality of minute projections 4 provided on the surface of the distal end portion 3, it is easy to remove plaque and the like in the interdental portion and the like.
Further, tip 31 of the toothpick may have a moderate thickness t and width w ₁ of the above, and since the round is not square with each other put, even when applied to gums by mistake, there is no risk of damage to the gums. Therefore, in the toothpick of this embodiment,
Food residues such as interdental areas and plaque can be easily, reliably and safely removed.

FIG. 2 shows a preferred embodiment of the toothpick of the present invention, in which toothpick 1 comprises:
The base 2 includes the holder 2 into which the base end portion 51 is detachably inserted. The holder 2 has a rectangular rod shape in cross section, and a fitting hole 21 for fitting the base end portion 51 is formed in the center of one end surface thereof. It can be used repeatedly. In the preferred embodiment described above, the holder 2 makes the toothpick in the form of a film easier to handle.

FIG. 3 shows another embodiment of the toothpick of the present invention. FIGS. 3 (a) and 3 (b) are views corresponding to those of FIG. 1, respectively. In the toothpick of this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 3, each projection 4 of the toothpick 1 is formed in a granular form provided on both upper and lower surfaces of the distal end portion 3, and is the same as the first embodiment except for this point. Is configured. The toothpick of the other embodiment described above has the same effect as the first embodiment.

It should be noted that the present invention is not limited to the above embodiment, but can be variously modified without departing from the spirit of the present invention. For example, in each of the above embodiments, the thickness of the toothpick Is approximately equal everywhere, but the thickness of the central portion may be slightly thicker than the side edges along the length direction. Also, the projections can be of various forms other than the above embodiments.

[0018]

[Effect of the Invention] The toothpick of the present invention can easily, securely and safely remove food residues and plaque in the interdental region and the like.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1A is a plan view showing an embodiment of the toothpick of the present invention, and FIG. 1B is a side view thereof.

2A is a perspective view showing a state before the toothpick shown in FIG. 1 is inserted into a holder, and FIG. 2B is a perspective view showing a state after the toothpick is inserted.

FIG. 3 shows another embodiment of the toothpick of the present invention, and FIGS. 3 (a) and 3 (b) are views corresponding to those of FIG. 1, respectively.

FIG. 4 is a plan view showing a state when a conventional toothpick is used.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Toothpick 2 Holder 3 Tip 31 Protrusion 4 Projection 51 Base end

Claims (3)

(57) [Scope of request for utility model registration] 1. An elongated film toothpick having elasticity, wherein a tip has a plurality of minute projections provided on a surface thereof by printing, and a tip of the tip has a rounded shape. Toothpick characterized by being. 2. The toothpick according to claim 1, wherein each of the projections is a ridge provided in a direction crossing a length direction of the tip. 3. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a holder into which the base end of the toothpick is removably inserted.
Or the toothpick according to 2.