JP3514643B2 - toothbrush - Google Patents

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an improvement of a toothbrush capable of efficiently removing plaque, food scraps and the like adhering to teeth and stimulating the gums to produce healthy gums.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, as this type of toothbrush,
Although various kinds of forms are used, basically, as shown in the toothbrush 1 of FIG. 1, a handle part 2 is provided on one side and a brush part 3 is integrally provided on the other side, and It has a structure in which the brush 5 is planted on the surface of the brush portion, and when brushing teeth with this configuration, only the tooth row side on which the brush portion 3 hits is sequentially brushed from a predetermined position, and as a result, the entire tooth is brushed. It is usual to try to polish.

That is, as a general toothbrushing method,
When brushing teeth using the conventional toothbrush 1, normally, the tip of the brush 5 of the brush portion 3 lightly gripped by the fingertip with the grip portion 2 is pressed against the surface of the tooth exposed by opening the oral cavity. The brush portion 3 is finely rubbed in a certain direction, that is, a so-called brushing operation is performed for polishing.

Recently, an electric toothbrush (not shown) is used.
In some cases, the toothbrushing is performed by using, but basically, the brush portion is finely oscillated in a certain direction similarly to the brushing operation of the toothbrush 1 to be brushed.

[0005]

As described above, even in the case of the normal toothbrush 1 or the electric toothbrush,
The brush portion 3 is attached to the surface or side surface of the tooth and the brush 5
While the tip of the tooth is pressed, it is frictionally slid in a certain direction to polish, and when brushing the gap between teeth, the toothbrush is rolled or brushed. ) Only brushing the whole tooth, including the back side, takes a considerable amount of time, which is very inconvenient.

On the other hand, in the toothbrush 1, since the sliding operation is performed by pressing the tip side of the brush 5 against the surface or the side surface of the tooth in a state similar to that in which the tip side of the brush 5 is bent, the toothbrush 1 is attached to the tooth or is sandwiched between the teeth. It is relatively difficult to sufficiently remove plaque and food waste, and it is not preferable because too strong polishing may damage the dentin of the teeth. Further, since it is also difficult to sufficiently stimulate the gums by friction, it is likely to cause gingivitis or alveolar pyorrhea due to the blood circulation disorder.

According to the present invention, the front side and the back side of a tooth are simultaneously brushed with a toothbrush at the same time, and the tip or the side of the tooth is surely hit with the brush to effectively remove plaque and food residue. An object of the present invention is to provide a toothbrush which is removed and is capable of sufficiently stimulating the gum portion by friction to promote blood circulation.

[0008]

[Means for Solving the Problems]

A toothbrush according to a first aspect of the present invention is provided with a pair of operating rods that are symmetrically formed by being curved in a relatively long substantially S-shape, and a base end portion of each operating rod. A finger ring portion is formed on each of the outer sides, and a brush portion having a brush planted on one surface is integrally formed or detachably disposed on each of the tip portions, and the tip ends of the respective operating rods are brought close to each other. The substantially intermediate portions are intersected so that the brushes of the brush portions are opposed to each other, and the intersected portions are pivotally supported by a pivot shaft so that the opposed brush portions can be opened and closed. A spring for urging each brush portion in the opening direction is attached to the inside of the base end portion of each of the operating rods, and the finger-hooking ring portion side of each of the operating rods is pressed against the elastic force of the spring in the closing direction. The feature is that the brush portion can be operated in the closing direction.

According to the toothbrush of the first aspect, the front surface and the back surface of the tooth can be brushed at the same time, so that the tooth brushing operation can be performed quickly. Further, by applying the tip of the brush of the brush portion to the surface or the side surface of the tooth as perpendicularly as possible, it is possible to easily remove the plaque and food scraps attached to the surface of the tooth due to the impact caused by the brush operation. Further, it is possible to brush the teeth while arbitrarily adjusting the impact force of the brush tip that comes into contact with the teeth of each brush portion by the elastic force of the spring that biases each brush portion in the opening direction.

A toothbrush according to a second aspect of the present invention is provided with a pair of operating rods which are formed symmetrically by being curved in a relatively long substantially dogleg shape, and the base ends of the operating rods. A finger ring is formed on the outside of each part, and a brush part with a brush on one surface is integrally formed or detachably arranged on the tip part, and it is brought close to the tip side of each operating rod. The substantially intermediate portions are intersected so that the brushes of the brush portions are opposed to each other, and the intersecting portions are pivotally supported by a pivot shaft so that the opposed brush portions can be opened and closed. A spring for urging each brush portion in the closing direction is attached to the inner side of the base end portion of the support portion, and the finger hooking ring side of each of the operating rods is pressed against the elastic force of the spring in the opening direction to perform the operation. It is characterized in that each brush part can be operated in the opening direction. .

According to the toothbrush of the second aspect of the present invention, as in the case of the first aspect of the present invention, the front surface and the back surface of the tooth can be polished at the same time, so that the toothbrushing operation can be performed quickly, and the tip of the brush of the brush portion is the tooth. By applying it to the surface or the side surface of the tooth as perpendicularly as possible, it is possible to easily remove the plaque and food scraps attached to the tooth surface due to the impact caused by the brush operation. Further, the elastic force of the spring for urging each brush portion in the closing direction, in the case of this section, the elastic force acts in the direction opposite to that of the first aspect, so that the brush tip of each brush portion is moved. It can be applied to the surface or the side of the tooth naturally and correspondingly, and can easily brush for a long time.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the toothbrush according to the first or second aspect, each brush portion is provided with a mounting portion having a slit groove with a tip being a front crack. Further, at least one or more brush pieces in which the surface of the brush is planted in various forms are used, and a fitting portion that can be fitted into each of the slit grooves is formed on the back surface side of each brush piece. In addition, the fitting portion of the brush piece arbitrarily selected from the brush pieces is configured to be attachable to and detachable from the attachment portion of the brush portion.

According to the toothbrush of the third aspect of the present invention, by forming the brush pieces so as to be replaceable and removable, it is possible to use a wide variety of brush pieces, and it is possible to replace a worn brush piece over a long period of use.

According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, in the toothbrush according to any one of the first to third aspects, each brush portion is bent at a required angle with respect to a neck portion of each operating rod. It is characterized by

According to the toothbrush of the fourth aspect, by bending the brush portion, it is easy to hold even when the toothbrush is inserted deep into the oral cavity for use, and the back teeth can be easily brushed.

A toothbrush according to a fifth aspect of the present invention is the toothbrush according to any one of the first to third aspects, wherein one of the brush portions is replaced by a pressing table piece having elasticity instead of the flocked brush. It is characterized by being formed.

According to the toothbrush of the fifth aspect of the present invention, the tip of the brush can be surely applied to the tooth surface by polishing only one side while pressing one of the teeth.

A toothbrush according to a sixth aspect of the present invention is characterized in that, in the configuration according to any one of the first to third aspects, the brush portions are formed so as to be inclined toward the tooth tips.

According to the toothbrush of the sixth aspect, not only the front surface and the back surface of the tooth can be simultaneously polished, but also the upper surface of the tooth can be polished.

[0021]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION A first embodiment of a toothbrush according to the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 2 and 3. A toothbrush 11 of the first embodiment has a pair of operating rods 12a formed of a synthetic resin material or the like. 12b are formed in a relatively long and substantially S-shape, and are symmetrically bent, and the operating rods 12a, 1
The support shaft 15 is provided with a substantially central intersection 14 that is close to the tip side of 2b.
It pivots so that it can be opened and closed. A spring 21 for constantly urging the tip end side in the opening direction is attached between the inner surface parts on the base end side of the intersecting portion 14 so that the base end side of each of the operating rods 12a and 12b can be repelled in the opening direction. It is formed on.

The actuating rods 12a and 12b have locking spheres 16 and 16 formed in a spherical shape at their base ends, and finger ring portions 1 formed in a ring shape substantially outside the base end.
7 and 17 are provided, and the abutting protrusions 18 and 18 for preventing excessive pinching by the brush portions 23 and 23, which will be described later, are integrally formed corresponding to the inner side between the finger hooking ring portions 17 and 17, respectively. It is formed on. Further, one operating rod 12a
A long ring-shaped retaining ring 19 extending outward is rotatably attached to the base end side of the finger hanging ring portion 17, and the retaining ring 19 can be attached to and detached from the distal end side base portion of the finger hanging ring portion 17 on the same side. A wheel stop protrusion 20 for locking is formed.

That is, depending on the snap ring 19, each locking ball portion 1 provided at the base end of each of the finger hooking ring portions 17, 17.
By locking beyond 6 and 16, it is possible to prevent unnecessary opening of the operating rods 12a and 12b when not in use, and to use the stop ring 19 on the opposite side of the wheel stop projection 2 when in use.
Since it can be locked to 0, it is convenient without disturbing.

At the tips of the operating rods 12a and 12b,
The brush portions 23, 23 are integrally provided on the respective neck portions 22, 22 having a small diameter.
The brushes 24, 24 are planted so that the tips of the brushes 24, 24 are formed in a series of sawtooth shapes on the inner surfaces of the brushes 3, 23 facing each other.

The brushes 24 of the brush portions 23, 23,
As one form example of 24, as shown in the brush portion 26 of FIG. 4, when the toothbrush is viewed from the front end side, it is possible to form a mountain shape in which the center of the brush 27 row is high and both sides are low,
In this case, the tips of the tops of the brushes 27 can be inserted into the interdental spaces to easily remove the plaque and food waste between the teeth.

Further, as shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, when the toothbrushes are formed by inclining each other in a V-shape when the toothbrush is viewed from the tip side, the inclined tooth tips are toothed portions. By contacting the upper surface of the tooth, you can evenly brush the entire tooth.

Next, a second embodiment of the toothbrush according to the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. 7. The toothbrush 31 of the second embodiment has a pair of operating rods 32 formed of a synthetic resin material or the like.
Each of a and 32b is symmetrically bent to form a longer V shape, and at the same time, a substantially central overlapping portion 34 near the tip ends of the operating rods 32a and 32b is pivotally supported by a support shaft 35. To do. A spring 36 for constantly biasing the tip end side in the closing direction is attached between the inner surface parts on the base end side of the overlapping portion 34, and the base end side of each of the operating rods 32a and 32b can be resiliently opened in the opening direction. It is formed on.

The actuating rods 32a, 32b have locking spheres 37, 37 formed in a spherical shape at the base end portions thereof, and finger ring portions 3 formed in a ring shape substantially outside the base end portions.
8 and 38 are provided, and the abutting protrusions 39 and 39 are integrally formed so as to correspond to the inner side between the finger hooking ring portions 38 and 38, respectively.

Further, reference numeral 40 is a long ring-shaped retaining ring which is rotatably attached to the base end portion of the finger hooking ring portion 38 of the one actuating rod 32a and which extends toward the outside. A wheel stopper projection 41 is provided on the side base portion so that the stopper ring 40 can be attached and detached. Further, reference numerals 42, 42 are brush portions integrally or detachably formed at the tips of the operating rods 32a, 32b, respectively.
42 includes brush portions 23, 2 of the first toothbrush 11.
As in the case of No. 3, a variety of brushes 43, 4 formed
3 is planted.

Next, the first and second toothbrushes 11 and 3
As a first modification example of the brush portions 23 and 23, 42 and 42 of FIG. 1, each of the brush portions 23 and 23 can be formed by obliquely bending from the horizontal direction, as shown in FIG. Even when the toothbrush is inserted deeply, it is not necessary to raise the elbow portion of the arm that handles the toothbrush. That is, this makes it easier to hold the toothbrush, and the back teeth can be easily brushed. In addition, the bending angle of each brush part 23, 23, 42, 42 can be formed, for example, at about 10 to 20 degrees from the horizontal direction.

The first and second toothbrushes 11 and 3 are also provided.
As a second modification of the brush portions 23 and 23, 42 and 42 of FIG. 1, as shown in FIGS.
2a and 12b and 32a and 32b are respectively attached to the brush mounting portion 4 via thin neck portions 22 and 42, respectively.
6 is provided, and the engaging groove portion 48 and the slit groove 47 of the tip crack are formed at the tip end portion of the brush attaching portion 46, and then the brush piece 50 is separately provided, and the brush piece 50 is fitted on both sides in the longitudinal direction of the back surface. The mating groove portion 51 is formed in advance, and the fitting groove portion 51 can be detachably attached to the slit groove 47. In this case, the bristles of the brush 52 to be flocked on the surface of the brush piece 50 are prepared by variously flocking the bristles, such as hard bristles, soft bristles, short bristles, and long bristles. It is possible to replace at least one or more brush pieces 50 with each hair transplant.

Further, in the third modification shown in FIG. 12, the operating rod 12a of each of the first and second toothbrushes 11 and 31 is used.
And 12b, 32a and 32b, the other operating rod 12b, 32b is provided with a brush portion 23 or 42 as in the previous example, and the operating rod 12a, 32a is provided with the brush portion 23 or 42a. The pressing base piece 60 formed of an elastic member such as rubber is attached to the surface facing the 42. That is, according to this toothbrush, by forming the pressing base piece 60 made of a rubber material or the like on one of the brush portions, it is possible to press only one of the tooth surfaces and polish only the other surface.

Next, the operation of each of the embodiments will be described. When brushing teeth using the first toothbrush 11 shown in FIG. 2, first, the thumb is used to hold the finger-holding ring portion 17 of one operating rod 12a. , And by inserting the middle finger or the ring finger into the finger hanging ring portion 17 of the other actuating rod 12b,
As a result, the respective operating rods 12a, 12 of the first toothbrush 11 are
Hold b so that it can be pivotally opened and closed with both fingers. That is,
After inserting the fingertip portions corresponding to the fingerhold ring portions 17 and 17 of each other and holding the operating rods 12a and 12b so as to be pivotable, as shown by the arrows in FIG. The tips of the brushes 23, 23 are inserted into the oral cavity with the tips slightly opened.

Next, as shown in FIG. 13, after the brush portions 23, 23 are positioned on both front and back sides of the tooth X, the forces of the fingers holding the finger-holding ring portions 17, 17 are strongly or weakly applied to each other. As a result, the brush portions 23, 23 come close to each other, and the brush 2 is attached to the front surface and the back surface of the tooth X, respectively.
The tips of 4, 24 can be simultaneously applied from the right angle direction.

As shown in FIGS. 14 and 15, when the tips of the brushes 24, 24 are applied to both the front and back surfaces of the tooth X, the impact at the time of contact and the pressing force applied to the brush portions 23, 23 are Then, the bristle tips of the brushes 24, 24 are curved in an arbitrary direction, and a part thereof enters between the teeth X, X to crush the plaque and food scraps sandwiched between the teeth X, X.

Subsequently, when the pressing force applied to the brush portions 23, 23 is released and the bristle tips of the brushes 24, 24 separate from the tooth X surface, the elastic force of the bristle tips is released. Removes the plaque and food scraps adhering to the surface of the tooth X, and in this way, by opening and closing while moving the operation between the teeth X, it is possible to brush the tooth easily and surely. .

Next, when brushing teeth using the second toothbrush 31 shown in FIG. 7, the first toothbrush 11 is used.
7, the thumb is first inserted into the finger hooking ring portion 38 of one actuating rod 32a, and the middle finger or the ring finger is inserted into the finger hooking ring portion 38 of the other actuating rod 32b. As shown in FIG. 5, the finger hooking ring portions 38, 38 are brought close to each other against the elastic force of the spring 36, and the brush portions 42,
42 is opened, and the brushes 43, 43 are inserted into the oral cavity.

Next, each brush portion 4 is provided on both sides of the tooth X.
2 and 42 are located and each finger ring 3
By removing the force of each finger that holds 8, 38, the spring 3
The brush parts 42, 42 approach each other by the urging force of 6, and the tooth X
The tips of the brushes 43, 43 can be simultaneously applied to the front surface and the back surface, respectively, from the right angle direction.

Therefore, also in this case, each of the brushes 4
When the tips of the teeth 3, 43 are applied to the front and back surfaces of the tooth X, the bristle tips of the brushes 43, 43 follow an arbitrary direction due to the impact when they strike and the pressing force applied to the brushes 42, 42. And is curved, and a part thereof enters between the teeth X, X, and grinds plaque and food scraps sandwiched between the teeth X, X.

Subsequently, by applying a force against the elastic force of the spring 36 to each finger holding the finger hooking ring portions 38, 38, the pushing force applied to the brush portions 23, 23 is again applied here. When the pressure is released and the bristle tips of the brushes 24, 24 separate from the tooth X surface, the elastic force of the bristle tips separates the plaque and food scraps attached to the surface of the tooth X. Then, by performing the opening / closing operation while moving the operation between the teeth X, it is possible to brush the teeth easily and surely.

When the toothbrushes 11 and 31 are stored when not in use, one of the operating rods 12a and 32a is used.
Of the finger hook ring portions 17, 17, 3 by detaching the retaining rings 19, 40 of the respective ones from the wheel stopper projections 20, 41 and hooking them on the locking portions 16, 37 of the other operating rods 12b, 32b.
The spread of 8 and 38 can be easily prevented, and
At the time of use, the respective snap rings 19 and 40 are hooked to the snap ring projections 20 and 41 formed on the opposite sides of the finger hook ring portions of the operating rods 12a and 32a on which the snap rings are attached. , You can easily prevent it from getting in the way when you brush your teeth.

The present invention is not limited to the above embodiments, and various modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the present invention. For example, the shape of the brush is a saw-tooth shape, a mountain shape when viewed from the front,
It is not limited to the one inclined in a V shape when viewed from the front, and various modifications such as a flat shape and a symmetrical one-sided shape when viewed from the front can be made. . Also, regarding the attachment / detachment structure of the brush piece at the tip of the brush part, for example, one using a magnetic material,
Various modifications are possible, such as using male and female threads.

[0044]

As described above in detail with respect to each embodiment, according to the toothbrush of the present invention, the brushes of the tip brush portions of the respective operating rods which are symmetrically formed and pivotally supported so as to oppose each other. Since the front and back surfaces of the teeth are polished at the same time, the impact of applying the brush tip to the front and / or side surfaces of the teeth at a right angle makes it possible to remove plaque and food scraps attached to each surface. Can be removed reliably,
Moreover, the gums can be sufficiently stimulated to improve blood circulation.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is an overall side view showing a schematic configuration of a conventional toothbrush.

FIG. 2 is an overall side view showing a schematic configuration of the first embodiment toothbrush according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a plan view showing the toothbrush of the first embodiment shown in FIG. 2 above.

FIG. 4 is a front view showing a first another example of a state where the brush configuration of each brush portion of the toothbrush of the first embodiment of FIG. 2 is formed in a mountain shape.

FIG. 5 is a front view showing a second another example of a state in which the brush configurations of the brush parts of the toothbrush of the first embodiment of FIG. 2 are formed in a V shape with respect to each other.

FIG. 6 is a partial explanatory view showing a usage state of each brush portion in FIG. 5 above.

FIG. 7 is an overall side view showing a schematic configuration of a second embodiment toothbrush according to the second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 8 is a plan view showing a first modified example of a state in which each brush portion of the toothbrush of the first mode (or the second mode) is bent in the horizontal direction from the neck portion and formed.

FIG. 9 is a plan view showing a second modified example of the state in which the brush pieces are detachably attached to the brush attachment portions of the toothbrush of the first form (or the second form).

10 is an enlarged cross-sectional view taken along line AA of FIG. 9 above.

FIG. 11 is an explanatory plan view showing how the brush pieces are attached to and detached from the brush attachment portions in FIG.

FIG. 12 is a plan view showing a third modified example of the toothbrush of the first mode (or the second mode) in which the brush of one of the brush portions is formed of a pressing table piece having elasticity.

FIG. 13 is a cross-sectional explanatory view showing a state before contact between each brush portion and teeth in the toothbrush of the first form (or second form).

FIG. 14 is a cross-sectional explanatory view showing a toothbrushing state in which each brush portion comes into contact with teeth from the aspect of FIG. 13 above.

FIG. 15 is an explanatory plan view showing the toothbrushing state of FIG. 14 above.

[Explanation of symbols]

11 First form toothbrush 12a, 12b A pair of operating rods 14 intersection 15 Support shaft 16 Locking ball 17 Finger ring 18 Butt protrusion 19 snap ring 20 wheel stop projection 21 spring 22 Neck 23 Brush section 24 brushes 26 Brush section 27 brushes 30 Brush section 31 Second form toothbrush 32a, 32b A pair of operating rods 34 Overlap 35 Support shaft 36 springs 37 Locking ball 38 Finger ring 39 bumping protrusion 40 snap ring 41 Wheel stop protrusion 42 Neck 43 Brush 44 brushes 46 Brush attachment part 47 slit groove 48 Cracked groove 50 brush pieces 51 Fitting groove 60 Pressing piece X tooth

Claims (6)

(57) [Claims] 1. A pair of actuating rods, which are symmetrically formed by being curved in a substantially S-shape, are provided, and finger hooking ring portions are formed on the outer sides of the base end portions of the respective actuating rods, and the distal end portions are formed. The brush parts having brushes brushed on one surface are integrally formed or detachably arranged on each side, and the brushes of the brush parts face each other at a substantially intermediate part near the tip side of each of the operating rods. After intersecting with each other, the intersecting portion is pivotally supported by a pivot shaft so that each of the opposing brush portions can be opened and closed,
Further, a spring for urging each brush portion in the opening direction is attached to the inside of the base end portion of the shaft support portion, and the finger hooking ring side of each operating rod is pressed in the closing direction against the elastic force of the spring. A toothbrush characterized in that the toothbrush is configured to be operated in a closing direction. 2. A pair of actuating rods, which are symmetrically formed by being bent in a substantially V shape, are provided, and finger hanging ring portions are formed on the outer sides of the base end portions of the respective actuating rods, and the tips are provided. The brush parts having brushes brushed on one surface are integrally formed or detachably arranged on each part, and the brushes of the brush parts face each other at a substantially intermediate part near the tip end side of each of the operating rods. After intersecting as described above, the intersecting portions are pivotally supported by a pivot shaft so that the opposing brush portions can be opened and closed.Furthermore, the brush portions are closed inside the base end portion of the pivot portion in the closing direction. A biasing spring is attached, and the finger hook ring side of each actuating rod is configured to be able to actuate each brush portion in the opening direction by pressurizing in the opening direction against the elastic force of the spring. Toothbrush characterized by. 3. Each of the brush parts is provided with a mounting part having a slit groove with a tip end being split, respectively.
Further, at least one or more brush pieces in which the brush is planted on the surface in various forms are used, and a fitting portion which can be fitted into each slit groove is formed on the back surface side of each brush piece. 3. The fitting portion of a brush piece arbitrarily selected from the brush pieces with respect to the mounting portion of the brush portion is configured to be attachable / detachable and engageable. toothbrush. 4. Each of the brush parts is bent obliquely from the horizontal direction.
The toothbrush according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the toothbrush is formed by bending . 5. One of the brush parts is formed by an elastic pressing base piece in place of the flocking brush, and the one of the brush parts is formed by an elastic pressing base piece. toothbrush. 6. When the toothbrush is viewed from the tip, the
The toothbrush according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the brush portions are formed to be inclined in a V shape .