JP4272242B2 - toothpick - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a toothpick using bamboo.

From the standpoint of protecting forest resources in recent years, it is important to change or reexamine materials when producing toothpicks using wood, and as a result, growth is faster than wood as an alternative to conventional wood. Technical development of toothpick using bamboo is required.
A conventional toothpick 20 is cut from wood as shown in FIG. 6A and cut to form a cylindrical main body 21 and a conical tapered portion 22 with a sharpened tip. . In addition, toothpick described in Patent Literature 1 to Patent Literature 3 are known. The toothpick 23 described in Patent Literature 1 has a structure in which a tapered spatula portion 25 that is cut obliquely is formed on the tip of the cylindrical main body portion 21 as shown in FIG. The toothpick described in Patent Document 2 has a structure having a flat portion obtained by partially cutting the conical tapered portion 22 shown in FIG. 6 (a) into a flat shape. In addition, as shown in FIG. 6C, the toothpick 26 described in Patent Document 3 forms a tapered surface 28 at the protruding end of the spatula portion 27 similar to the tapered spatula portion 25 of Patent Document 2 so as to increase the strength of the tip. It is the thing of the structure made.
Moreover, the thing of patent document 4-patent document 8 is well-known as the technique of a toothpick using a bamboo material. These toothpicks described in Patent Documents 4 to 8 are configured such that the tip is sharpened and can be used as a toothpick.
Japanese Utility Model Publication No.3-3319 JP-A-10-216157 JP 2007-117769 A Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 7-42310 JP-A-8-308708 Utility Model Registration No. 3106032 Utility Model Registration No. 3115010 Utility Model Registration No. 3115189

However, in the toothpick using wood described in Patent Documents 1 to 3, saliva or the like penetrates into the wood during use, and the tension required for the toothpick is lost, and the tip is finally bent. There is a problem that cannot be used.
Moreover, in the techniques described in Patent Documents 4 to 8, although the toothpick material uses bamboo, the structure is obtained by cutting the tip obliquely, There is no technical configuration to actively use, and it is difficult to obtain a toothpick with flexibility and tension as a toothpick.
As a result, when using the toothpick of Patent Document 1 to Patent Document 8 to clean the space between the teeth, the tip of the toothpick is difficult to reach the desired part, and it is pushed in and used unreasonably. There was a risk of damaging the gums.
The present invention has been devised to solve the above-mentioned problems, and protects forest resources by using bamboo material that grows faster than wood as a material for toothpick, and the fiber reinforced material provided in the bamboo material itself As a characteristic of the skin, that is, the property that the fibers become dense as it goes from the inside to the outside, the epidermis as the bamboo skin or the epidermis tissue near the epidermis including the epidermis (hereinafter referred to as "skin tissue") An object of the present invention is to provide a toothpick that can maintain satisfactory flexibility and tension and can avoid damage to the gums by utilizing its strong characteristics.

In order to solve the above problems, the following measures are taken in the present invention.
(1) That is, the present invention is a toothpick formed of a bamboo material cut from a main body part and a tapered tip extending from the main body part along the direction of the bamboo fiber to a predetermined length, In the lower part of the tapered part, the first taper that is smoothly connected to the lower surface of the tapered part from the bottom of the main body part is formed smoothly, and at least the surface of the tapered part is made to have the surface texture of bamboo.
The taper is characterized in that a portion from the portion where the first taper is connected to the taper to the tip of the taper is formed only by the skin structure of the bamboo material .
In the present invention, the first taper provided at the lower part of the taper is formed so that the tip is sharpened, and at least the surface of the taper is placed on the surface of the bamboo material.
For this reason, even if the tapered portion is formed thin, the epidermal tissue remaining in the tapered portion has a high tissue density, so that not only the flexibility but also the tension-rich nature, in other words, the elastic strength is high, It has the property of having hardness. Therefore, the tip of the tapered portion does not bend and collapse during use. As a result, when cleaning between the teeth, including in the mouth, the tip of the tip is kept in a sharp shape and can be used repeatedly without reducing the sense of tension and efficiency without damaging the gums The toothpick can be cleaned well with a toothpick, and a toothpick with a satisfactory feeling of use can be obtained.
In addition, the toothpick according to the present invention is produced by effectively utilizing bamboo material having a faster growth rate than wood, which is advantageous for protecting forest resources.
In addition, since the toothpick is made of bamboo, the antibacterial property of the bamboo can clean the teeth hygienically.
Furthermore, it is preferable that the taper portion is formed only by the skin material of the bamboo material after the first taper is connected to the taper portion and reaches the tip of the taper portion.
As a result, there is an area where the tip of the tip of the toothpick is formed only by the epidermis tissue that is rich in flexibility and tension, so that the tip can be inserted between the teeth, so that the cleaning of the teeth can be done accordingly. You will be able to do it smoothly.

(2) In addition, the surface texture of bamboo is allowed to remain on the surface of the main body and the taper, and the taper reaches the tip of the taper after the first taper is connected to the taper. You may make it form only with the skin structure | tissue of bamboo .
According to this, since the trouble of scraping the epidermis tissue from the main body can be omitted, the toothpick can be easily manufactured and can be manufactured at low cost.

(3) Further, a second taper is provided on the side of the tapered portion so as to be inclined and extend from the side of the main body, and the tip of the tapered portion is sharpened. Even after being connected, it is preferable to form the portion up to the tip of the tapered portion only with the skin material of bamboo .
Thereby, when viewed in a plan view, the tapered detail of the toothpick becomes sharper as the tapered detail moves toward the tip due to the second taper. Moreover, because the skin material of bamboo is placed at the tip of the tip that is sharp like a needle, it is possible to avoid the tip of the tip from being crushed and bent during cleaning of the teeth, and without damaging the gums, it is efficient You can clean your teeth well.

(4) In addition, the second taper is formed on both sides of the taper, and the taper is made of bamboo material after the first taper is connected to the taper. It may be formed only by the epidermal tissue .
According to this, since the second taper is extended so that the taper is sandwiched from both sides, the taper or the tip of the taper tends to be sharper and the teeth can be cleaned efficiently. Of course, the tip or the tip thereof is not crushed because of the bamboo skin structure, and it is possible to obtain a toothpick rich in flexibility and tension indefinitely.

  According to the present invention, not only can the forest resources be protected smoothly, but also the tip of the toothpick is formed in a manner in which the skin tissue of the bamboo material having a high tissue density remains, so that it is excellent in flexibility and tension, A toothpick rich in hardness and elasticity can be obtained. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the tip of the tip from being bent during use of the toothpick, to efficiently clean the teeth, and to obtain a toothpick with high satisfaction.

  Hereinafter, the best mode for carrying out the present invention will be described in detail based on an embodiment shown in the drawings. FIG. 1 is a partial cross-sectional view showing an enlarged schematic cross-sectional view of a bamboo structure used in a toothpick according to an embodiment, FIG. 2 relates to a toothpick, (a) is an external perspective view, and (b) is an external perspective view. The front view of a toothpick, (c) is a top view of (b), (d) is a side view of (b).

The outline | summary is demonstrated about the characteristic of the bamboo material used for manufacture of the toothpick concerning this embodiment. Bamboo is known to have dense fibers as it goes from the inside to the outside (skin), and has properties as a fiber reinforced material. As shown in the cross-sectional model of bamboo in FIG. 1, the fibers of bamboo 1 are composed of vascular bundles 2 and parenchyma cells 3 that surround the periphery. The vascular bundle 2 having a relatively large cross section exists on the inside, and the vascular bundles 2 having a small cross section are arranged so as to be dense and further along the longitudinal direction toward the outside. Bamboo fibers will be present in the direction of these vascular bundles 2. The vascular bundle 2 is related to the strength of the bamboo material and extends in the longitudinal direction of the bamboo material (the direction of the bamboo fiber). Therefore, the epidermis (bamboo skin) of the bamboo material and the epidermis structure in the vicinity thereof are strengthened by the dense vascular bundle 2 and are excellent in strength, toughness (material tenacity), and become a soft tissue as it goes inward. The toothpick of this embodiment focuses on the knowledge that the epidermis tissue has the characteristics as a fiber reinforced material, and uses the bamboo material in the region S cut along the direction of the bamboo fiber in the state where the epidermis tissue is left. It is to be produced. <BR>
Next, the toothpick in this embodiment is demonstrated concretely. That is, as shown in FIG. 2, the toothpick 4 uses a bamboo material as a base material, and cuts it into a predetermined length along the bamboo fiber direction (longitudinal direction of the bamboo material). The bamboo material, which is the material of the toothpick 4, has an epidermal tissue 5 (shown by a thick line in FIG. 2) where the vascular bundle 2 is dense and dense, and a soft tissue 6 softer than the epidermal tissue 5. The toothpick 4 includes a main body portion 7 and a tapered detail 8 that is continuous with the main body portion 7. An epidermal tissue 5 is placed over the entire length of the toothpick 4 across the main body 7 and the tapered portion 8. The cross section of the main body 7 has a substantially rectangular shape.

  As shown in FIG. 2B, the taper 9 is formed with a first taper 9 that is connected while being inclined from the bottom of the main body 7 to the lower surface of the taper 8. By forming the first taper 9, the soft tissue of the tapered portion 8 is scraped off. In other words, the first taper 9 is curved with a gentle curve, and the end thereof is connected so as to smoothly connect to the back surface of the epidermal tissue 5 of the tapered portion 8. The end of the first taper 9 is connected in the middle of the taper 8, and there is no soft tissue and only the epidermal tissue 5 is present at the distal end portion 10 at the portion beyond that. The thickness dimension of the tip portion 10 is preferably 0.5 mm or less, and the tip portion 10 thus has a sharp shape, which is convenient for picking up food sandwiched between teeth.

  On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 2 (c), a pair of second tapers 11 extending from the sides of the main body 7 are formed on both sides of the taper 8, so that the tip of the taper 10 becomes closer to the tip. The tip 10 is formed to be sharp. Since the tip 10 is sharp, cleaning between the teeth becomes easier.

  Thus, the toothpick 4 has the first taper 9 and the second taper 11 formed on the tip 8, and unlike the toothpick as in the prior art, the tip 10 of the tip 8 has an extremely fine pointed shape. Is formed. At this time, since the epidermal tissue 5 is present on the surface side from the main body portion 7 to the tip 8, the tip portion 10 of the toothpick 4 is rich in flexibility and tension, in other words, can be elastically deformed. In addition, it has characteristics of high strength and hardness.

  According to the toothpick 4 according to the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 3, in the case where the body portion 7 of the toothpick 4 is held by a finger and care is performed between the teeth T, the above-described prior art toothpick In 20 (23, 26), the tip of the tip 22 (25, 27) is thick, so that it is difficult to enter between the teeth T. However, the toothpick 4 of this embodiment has the epidermal tissue 5 at the tip. The tapered portion 8 can be cut out thinly by the first taper 9 and the second taper 11, and as a result, the tip portion 10 formed to be extremely thin can be easily inserted deeply between the teeth T, and the cleaning is excellent. There are advantages you can do. In addition, since the toothpick of the prior art is made of wood, there is a risk that the tip will bend and collapse and the gums may be damaged. On the other hand, according to the toothpick 4 of the present embodiment, the tip of the fine tip is maintained in a pointed shape, and can be used repeatedly without reducing tension while maintaining flexibility, resulting in damage to the gums. There is an advantage that the tooth T can be efficiently cleaned by the toothpick without any trouble.

  In addition, the toothpick 4 is produced by effectively using bamboo material that has a faster growth rate than wood, which is advantageous for protecting forest resources.

  Further, the toothpick 4 can hygienically clean the teeth T by the antibacterial function of the bamboo material.

  The present invention has been described above with reference to an embodiment. However, the specific configuration is not limited to the above embodiment, and even if there is a design change or the like without departing from the gist of the present invention, the scope of the present invention is not limited. It is included.

  For example, in the above-described embodiment, the case where the second taper 11 is formed on the side portion of the taper 8 has been described. Instead, the second taper 11 is formed as in the modification shown in FIG. It may be a form that does not. According to the modified example, the tapered portion 8 extends with the same width as that of the main body portion 7 until reaching the tip, and has a flat edge 8a at the tip. Accordingly, the tip is pointed in side view but has a flat edge 8a. Even in this case, the teeth T can be cleaned as in the above embodiment.

In the above embodiment, the epidermal tissue 5 is placed over the entire length of the tapered portion 8 from the main body portion 7, but instead, the main body portion 7 is changed as shown in FIG. It is also possible to adopt a configuration in which the epidermal tissue 5 is omitted. That is, the epidermis tissue 5a may be placed only in the portion corresponding to the tapered portion 8. Further, in this case, the cross-sectional shape of the main body 7 is not a quadrangle, but a circular shape other than that, and the shape around the toothpick 4 is formed so as to continue to the tip 8 as the tip 8 is moved. It can be realized by processing. According to this, there is an advantage that the main body portion 7 can be easily grasped with fingers and the handling operation of the toothpick 4 can be easily performed.
The shape of the first taper 9 may not be a curved shape, but may be a linear shape like the first taper 9a shown in FIG.

  Moreover, in the said embodiment, although it was the structure which provided the front-end | tip part 10, you may make it the form which does not provide the front-end | tip part 10 in the taper 8 as shown in FIG.5 (b).

  In the above embodiment, the case where two second tapers 11 are provided as shown in FIG. 2 (c) has been described. Instead, as shown in FIG. 5 (c), either one side is provided. Only the second taper 11a may be formed.

  Moreover, although the shape of the 2nd taper 11 was formed in the linear shape, it is also possible to curve and form the 2nd taper 11b like FIG.5 (d).

  The present invention can be used not only for cleaning teeth after meals, but also for dental treatment and as a treatment instrument.

It is the fragmentary sectional view which expanded the rough model of the bamboo material structure typically in the cross section. FIG. 4 is an external perspective view, (b) is a front view of a toothpick, (c) is a plan view of (b), and (d) is a side view of (b). . It is action explanatory drawing which compared and showed cleaning of a tooth | gear. It is an external appearance perspective view of the toothpick which concerns on the modification of the said embodiment. In relation to the toothpick in the modification of the above embodiment, (a) is a front view of the first modification, (b) is a front view of the second modification, (c) is a plan view of the third modification, (d) These are the top views of a 4th modification. It is an external appearance perspective view of a toothpick in a prior art.

Explanation of symbols

4 toothpick 5, 5a epidermis tissue 6 soft tissue 7 body part 8 tapered part 9, 9a first taper 10 tip part 11, 11a, 11b second taper T tooth

Claims (4)

A toothpick formed of bamboo material cut from a main body portion and a tapered portion extending from the main body portion with a sharp tip along the direction of the bamboo fiber and cut to a predetermined length. Forming a first taper that is smoothly connected to the lower surface of the taper from the bottom of the taper, and at least on the surface of the taper, the surface structure of the bamboo material is placed,
The toothpick is characterized in that a portion from the portion where the first taper is connected to the tip detail to the tip of the tip detail is formed only by the skin material of the bamboo material . The surface texture of the bamboo material is allowed to remain on the surface of the main body and the tapered portion,
2. The taper portion is formed by only the skin material of the bamboo material from the portion where the first taper is connected to the taper portion to the tip of the taper portion. Toothpick. A second taper extending obliquely from the side of the main body is provided on the side of the taper, and the tip of the taper is sharpened.
2. The taper portion, wherein a portion from a portion where the first taper is connected to the taper portion to a tip of the taper portion is formed only by the skin structure of the bamboo material. The toothpick according to 2. Forming the second taper on both sides of the taper;
The taper portion is formed by only the skin material of the bamboo material from the portion where the first taper is connected to the taper portion to the tip of the taper portion . The toothpick according to any one of 3 above.

Images