JP3534237B2 - Ultrasonic 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 ultrasonic cleaning toothbrush, and more particularly to a toothbrush which utilizes the cleaning action of ultrasonic waves and smoothes the supply and discharge of water at that time to enhance the cleaning effect. Regarding

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art The following techniques have been conventionally proposed for a toothbrush using ultrasonic cleaning.

In Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 56-121511, an AC signal is supplied to a contact device by a generator, an alternating magnetic field is transmitted from the contact device to a piezoelectric member, and mechanical vibration due to the frequency of the AC signal is applied to the handle member. By inducing in the brush member and inducing mechanical vibration due to the frequency of the AC signal in the elongated handle member and the brush member, in general, it is possible to improve the area around the tooth that is relatively inaccessible. An ultrasonic toothbrush device is shown which provides a different cleaning effect.

Further, in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 63-109807, a brush is provided with a head body and a handle body extended to the head body, and ultrasonic waves are emitted from the head body to generate teeth. There is shown a toothbrush type oral hygiene device which enhances the effect of removing plaque and the massage effect of periodontal tissue and also synergistically improves the effect of removing the plaque of a dentifrice.

Further, in Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 1-238806, a conductor and a connecting plate are connected to a connecting device connected and fixed to an ultrasonic vibrator by using the connecting device, and the vibrating plate and the hair are attached to the tip of the conductor. An ultrasonic toothbrush is shown in which a brush composed of is brazed, water in a water tank is sent using a water pump, and nylon hair is vibrated using an ultrasonic transmitter while water is sprinkled from a water spout. .

[0006]

All of these are intended to utilize the cleaning action by ultrasonic waves in a toothbrush, and are based on the idea of further enhancing the brushing effect of the toothbrush. By the way, in cleaning with ultrasonic waves, water to transmit ultrasonic waves must be sufficiently filled in the oral cavity, and for example, the above-mentioned JP-A 1-28880.
Even in the publication No. 6, there is proposed a technique of supplying water to an ultrasonic toothbrush with a water pump. However, they have no means of draining the supplied water, and as a result,
For example, a person would put his face on the wash bowl, continue to brush while supplying water with his mouth open, and then pour the water into the wash bowl as it overflows from his mouth. Therefore, the forward bending posture is cramped, and at the same time, daily brushing is not very troublesome, and there is a possibility that the clothes may get wet. or,
The present invention has the drawback that the water in the oral cavity tends to become excessive or excessively small, and the ultrasonic cleaning effect is not truly effective, and the present invention seeks to eliminate these drawbacks.

[0007]

An ultrasonic toothbrush according to the present invention comprises a head portion in which a brush is implanted, a handle portion for supporting the head portion, and a water tank portion for storing a constant amount of water. The
On the head, follow the brush body so that it can be attached to and removed from the brush body.
Storing a certain amount of water in the center with a certain size and shape
It is possible to radiate ultrasonic waves by opening a recess that allows
It is possible to vibrate by installing a piezoelectric vibrator and
Form a water supply port that supplies water to a part of the edge surrounding the recess of
On the other hand, the base end side faces the bottom of the recess and
A head body with a discharge port for discharge is formed, and the periphery of the head is formed.
The detachable brush body is arranged along the above. An electric circuit for transmitting a high frequency to the piezoelectric vibrator is arranged in a part of the handle portion, and a water supply tank having a capacity for storing water necessary for brushing teeth at least once is arranged in the water supply tank portion. With salary
It is equipped with a pump that controls water and drainage .

[0008]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION The toothbrush of the present invention comprises a head portion 10 in which a brush is planted, a handle portion 20 for supporting the head portion, and a water supply tank portion 30 capable of storing a constant amount of water.

The head 10 is composed of a head 11 and a brush body 15. The head 11 has a size and shape along the brush body 15 so that the head body 11 can be attached to and detached from the brush body 15. A concave portion 11a capable of accumulating a certain amount of water is bored in, and a piezoelectric vibrator 12 capable of oscillating ultrasonic waves is provided so as to face the bottom surface thereof. The piezoelectric vibrator 12 is a ferroelectric substance such as barium titanate, and applies a high frequency voltage to the ferroelectric substance to generate ultrasonic vibration. Then, as described above, the concave portion 11a is formed on the piezoelectric vibrator 12, and the water supply port 13 for supplying water is formed on a part of the edge surrounding the concave portion, while the concave portion 11a is formed on the proximal end side. Forms a discharge port 14 that faces the bottom of the recess 11a and controls the discharge of water.

The brush body 15 is a recess 11 of the head body 11.
A base side 16 is formed in a shape that matches the edge portion of a, and brush bundles 17, 17 ...
A hole 18 for connecting with the peripheral edge of the head body 11 is formed between the holes 7. The brush body 15 is disposable after a certain period of use, and is preferably made of plastic or the like and can be mass-produced at a relatively low cost.

Next, in the handle portion 20, an electric circuit 21 for inducing a high frequency voltage for generating an ultrasonic wave is formed on the piezoelectric vibrator 12 facing the head portion 10. The electric circuit 21
For example, the two transistors may be SEPP-coupled to alternately perform a switching operation to transmit at the resonance frequency of the vibrator, but the present invention is not limited to this, and any circuit that generates an ultrasonic wave may be used.

Next, the water supply tank section 30 has a water supply tank 31 for ejecting water from the water supply port 13 of the head body 11 to supply water into the oral cavity, and is necessary for performing at least one tooth brushing. The amount of water shall be the capacity that can be stored. Further, as shown in FIG. 3, a drainage tank 33 for temporarily storing the drained water may be provided adjacent to the water supply tank 31 as needed. And the water supply tank 3
A pump serving as a starting force for water supply and drainage is connected to the 1 and the drainage tank 33. There are several modes of the pump. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, one pump 22 serves both as water supply and drainage by connecting the pressurizing side to the water supply side and the negative pressure side to the discharge side. It is desirable to take the form. However, when two pumps are used due to the difference in the form of the pumps, the water tank 3 storing water as shown in FIG. 3 is used.
The water supply pump 32 may be disposed on the first side, and the drainage pump 34 may be disposed inside the drainage tank 33.

A connecting rod 40 is arranged between the head portion 10 and the handle portion 20, and a water supply pipe 41 and a drain pipe 42 are built in the connecting rod 40.

Next, the operation of the embodiment of the present invention will be described.
First, in order to use the toothbrush of the present invention, the brush body 15 is connected to the head body 11, and the water tank 31 of the water tank section 30 stores therein an amount of water necessary for at least one cleaning. Then, a detergent is attached to the brush body 15 and inserted into the oral cavity, and at the same time, the ultrasonic oscillator circuit 21 and the pump 22 are attached.
Turn on the switch. Then, the water is supplied from the water supply tank 31 through the water supply pipe 41 and the like by the pump 22, the water is supplied from the water supply port 13 of the head 10, and the jetted water fills the oral cavity. In addition, when the water supply pump 32 (and the drainage pump 34) is provided in the pump, the switch of the pump is naturally input.

At the same time, an ultrasonic wave is generated from the piezoelectric vibrator 12 by the input of the electric circuit 21, and the vibration is generated by the brush body 1.
5 is vibrated finely. As a result, a frictional action due to microvibration is caused between the brush bundle 17 and the tooth that are in contact with the tooth,
Dental plaque and food waste are removed. At the same time, the ultrasonic wave causes cavitation in water, sucks and removes dirt adhering to the teeth, and also disturbs the cleaning liquid, emulsifies, etc.
In addition to the above-mentioned cleaning by the frictional action, a further cleaning effect is promoted.

Then, as the tooth cleaning action is promoted, a large amount of water is supplied into the oral cavity, and when it exceeds a certain amount, it overflows from the oral cavity and is dripped as it is. Therefore, conventionally, there has been no choice but to stop the supply of water there, or to take a posture in which the user sinks into a wash basin or the like and let the overflowing water flow down to the wash basin with the mouth open. However, in the toothbrush of the present invention, since the drain port 14 is formed at the base end of the recess 11a of the head 10, the water collected near the drain port is sucked by the suction force from the pump, and the drain pipe 42
After that, it is automatically drained to the washbasin.

Therefore, water does not overflow into the oral cavity,
A balance between water supply and water discharge is achieved, and an appropriate amount of water is supplied to the oral cavity. Therefore, it is possible to continue water supply and cleaning with ultrasonic vibration accompanying it, and at that time, it is not necessary to take a posture to bend forward toward the washbasin etc., and keep a natural posture with the back muscles stretched. You can

Further, if the drainage tank 33 is provided, the drainage can be temporarily stored even if there is no drainage equipment such as a washbasin. As a result, it is suitable for the sick person lying on the bed, the elderly caregiver, the infant and the like. Will be things.

[0019]

According to the present invention as described above, an excellent cleaning action by ultrasonic waves can be expected, and plaque removal and periodontal massage effects can be obtained. At that time, conventionally, since the mouth was opened and it was made to flow down to the washbasin etc., there was not an appropriate amount of water in excess or undersized, and it was not very effective even if ultrasonic waves were applied,
However, in the present invention, since the supply and drainage of water are balanced, there is an appropriate amount of water in the oral cavity, and a truly effective ultrasonic effect can be expected. In addition, since the brush body is easy to replace, it can be disposable, it is economical to replace only the consumable part, and the toothbrushing posture does not have to bend forward and can be in a natural posture with the back straightened Therefore, it has many advantages such as comfort.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of a brush of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an immediate sectional view of the brush of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a side cross-sectional view of a tank of a mode in which a drainage tank is provided in the brush of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

10 head 11 head 11a recess 12 Piezoelectric vibrator 13 Water inlet 14 drainage port 15 brush body 20 Handle 21 Electric circuit 22 pumps 30 Water tank section 31 Water tank 32 Water supply pump 33 drainage tank 34 drainage pump

─────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continuation of the front page (58) Fields surveyed (Int.Cl. ⁷ , DB name) A46B 15/00 A46B 11/06

Claims (2)

(57) [Claims] 1. A head comprising a brush, a handle for supporting the head, and a water tank for storing a certain amount of water . The brush is attached to and detached from the brush on the head. Along the body
It has a small size and shape and can store a certain amount of water in the center.
It is possible to make an ultrasonic wave by making a recess that allows
Oscillation is possible by providing a piezoelectric vibrator and supplying water to part of the edge surrounding the recess on the piezoelectric vibrator.
While forming the water inlet, the bottom of the recess on the base end side.
Form a head with an outlet that controls the discharge of water facing the side
The removable brush body along the periphery of the head.
An electric circuit for transmitting a high frequency to the piezoelectric vibrator is provided in a part of the handle portion, and a water supply tank having a capacity for storing water necessary for at least one brushing operation is provided in the water supply tank portion. Water supply and
An ultrasonic toothbrush characterized by comprising a pump for controlling drainage . 2. The ultrasonic toothbrush according to claim 1, wherein a drainage tank is provided along with the water supply tank portion.