JP5557583B2 - toothbrush - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a toothbrush.

The toothbrush is required to have a function capable of effectively cleaning the oral cavity, that is, removing plaque from the interdental region and cleaning the tooth surface.
In general, by increasing the hair diameter or shortening the length (hair length) of the hair, the rigidity of the hair has been increased, and mainly the cleaning performance of the tooth surface has been improved.
Thus, although the toothbrush which made the bristle itself hard can improve a cleaning property, it will be hard to hit and may damage the gums.

Conventionally, attempts have been made to improve the cleanability of the oral cavity by combining the arrangement and shape of the flock holes, the type and shape of the hair, the hair cutting shape of the hair bundle, etc., in order to solve these problems.
For example, Patent Document 1 proposes a toothbrush having at least two brush bundles having different hardness characteristics. According to this invention, the cleaning effect and the massage effect are improved by fitting the brush tip to various irregularities in the oral cavity.
Patent Document 2 proposes a toothbrush in which hairs are planted so that adjacent hair bundles come close to each other to form a chevron. According to this invention, the effect of removing plaque at the interdental portion is improved by forming the tip of the hair bundle into a mountain shape that easily matches the shape between the teeth.
In Patent Document 3, a plurality of raised portions are provided on the flocking table in the longitudinal direction of the toothbrush, a convex portion by the raised portion and a concave portion between the raised portions are continuously formed, and a bristle bundle is formed by the convex portion. In addition, a toothbrush has been proposed in which hair is planted so as to straddle the concave portion and the surface where the ends of the bristle are continuous is uneven. According to the present invention, it is possible to prevent the bristle constituting the convex surface from being bent excessively and to clean the interdental portion satisfactorily.
Patent Document 4 proposes a toothbrush in which a bristle bundle in which bristles with a thickness of 120 μm or less are bundled is implanted, and a portion excluding the tip of the bristle bundle is covered with an elastic cylindrical body protruding from the flocking table. Has been. According to this invention, while maintaining the soft feel of the bristles of thin bristle, the stiffness of the bristle bundle is strengthened to improve the feeling of use.
Patent Document 5 proposes a toothbrush with alternating bars and tufts oriented substantially transversely to the longitudinal axis. According to this invention, the plaque removal in the surface region is improved by arranging the bars and tufts alternately.

JP 2002-199938 A JP-A-8-154740 JP 2002-345554 A JP 2002-345560 A Japanese National Patent Publication No. 11-502439

However, in the technique of Patent Document 1, since different types of hairs are implanted, the production becomes complicated. In the technique of Patent Document 2, although the tooth shape formed by the hair tips can improve the cleaning property between the teeth, the cleaning property of the tooth surface is insufficient. In addition, if the tip of the hair bundle enters the adjacent hair bundle, there is a possibility that it cannot contribute to cleaning between teeth. In the techniques of Patent Documents 3 to 5, in order to further improve the cleaning power, the hair, the hair bundle, or the bar itself is hardened, and the contact comfort in the oral cavity is deteriorated.
Therefore, the present invention is directed to a toothbrush that has a good contact feeling in the oral cavity and that provides high cleaning properties.

The cleanability in the oral cavity is improved by increasing the scraping force at the tip of the hair, and this scraping force is reduced when the hair bundle is bent too much. On the other hand, if there is too little bending of the hair bundle, the hair will feel stiff and the comfort in the oral cavity will be poor.
As a result of intensive studies, the present inventors have found that, by not changing the bristles or bristles having different hardnesses, the deflection of the bristles can be varied according to the movement of the toothbrush during oral cleaning. The knowledge that both goodness and high cleanability can be achieved has been obtained, and the present invention has been achieved.

That is, the toothbrush of the present invention is a toothbrush in which a plurality of bristle bundles are planted on the flocked surface of the head portion, and the flocked surface has any of the bristles, any of the bristles and the head portion. Between the other arbitrary hair bundles adjacent in the length direction, a raised portion that contacts one or both of the arbitrary hair bundle and the other arbitrary hair bundle is formed, and the raised portion is the flocked surface. The length from the tip to the tip is shorter than the length to the tip of the arbitrary hair bundle or the other arbitrary hair bundle.
It is preferable that the protruding portion has a length from the flocked surface to the protruding end that is 2 to 5 mm shorter than a length to the tip of the arbitrary hair bundle or the other arbitrary hair bundle.

According to the present invention, the hair of the head portion has an arbitrary hair bundle between the arbitrary hair bundle and the arbitrary hair bundle and another arbitrary hair bundle adjacent in the length direction of the head portion. Since the raised portion that is in contact with one or both of the bundle and the other arbitrary hair bundle is formed, the contact feeling in the oral cavity is good and high cleaning properties are obtained.
According to the present invention, since the length from the flocked surface to the tip end is 2 to 5 mm shorter than the length from the flocked surface to the tip of the hair bundle, the raised portion further increases the contact comfort in the oral cavity. It can be good.

It is a top view of the toothbrush concerning a first embodiment of the present invention. It is sectional drawing of the toothbrush concerning 1st embodiment of this invention. It is an enlarged view of the hair | bristle bundle in the toothbrush of this invention. It is a top view of a toothbrush concerning a second embodiment of the present invention. It is a top view to the toothbrush concerning 3rd embodiment of this invention. It is a top view of the toothbrush concerning a 4th embodiment of the present invention.

(First embodiment)
The toothbrush concerning 1st embodiment of this invention is demonstrated with reference to FIGS. 1-2 below. FIG. 1 is a plan view of the toothbrush 1 according to the first embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line II-II in FIG. 1 indicates one side surface of the head unit 12, 15 indicates the other side surface of the head unit 12, and 19 in FIG. 2 indicates the back surface of the head unit 12.
As shown in FIG. 1, in the toothbrush 1, a plurality of hair bundles 20 made of a plurality of hairs are implanted on the flocked surface 16 of the head portion 12, and an arbitrary hair bundle 20 and any other hair bundle 20 A raised portion 30a and a raised portion 30b are formed between the two.
A long grip portion (not shown) extends from the head portion 12 via a neck portion 14, and the handle body 10 is configured by the head portion 12, the neck portion 14, and the grip portion. ing.
The head portion 12 is not limited in any shape or size, and for example, the thickness of the head portion 12 is about 2 to 6 mm.

  A plurality of substantially circular flock holes 18 in which the hair bundles 20 are implanted are formed on the flocked surface 16 of the head portion 12, and substantially square columnar raised portions 30 a and 30 b are erected. The ridges 30a and 30b include an arbitrary hair bundle 20 and any other hair adjacent to the length direction of the optional hair bundle 20 and the head portion 12, that is, the direction from the neck portion 14 toward the head portion tip 11. It is formed in contact with the hair bundle 20 between the bundle 20.

  A central hair bundle row 22 in which eight hair bundles 20 are planted in two rows in the length direction of the head portion 12, and a side surface 13 along the central hair bundle row 22, at substantially the center in the width direction of the flocked surface 16. The first side hair bundle row 24 in which seven hair bundles 20 are planted in one row on the side, and the seven hair bundles are planted in one row on the side surface 15 side along the central hair bundle row 22. A second side hair bundle row 26 is provided.

Four raised portions 30a are formed on the flocked surface 16 at the position of the central hair bundle row 22, and each raised portion 30a connects the central hair bundle row 22 to the 2 × 2 rows of hair from the head portion tip 11 side. When the hair bundle block 23 is divided into four hair bundle blocks 23, the hair bundle 20 constituting each hair bundle block 23 is formed so as to be divided into the head portion tip 11 side and the neck portion 14 side. On the other hand, no protruding portion 30a is formed between any hair bundle block 23 and another hair bundle block 23 adjacent to this hair bundle block 23.
In this way, the raised portion 30a and the hair bundle 20 located in the central hair bundle row 22 have the head portion 11a and the neck portion 14 side of the raised portion 30a in contact with the hair bundle 20, and the hair bundle 20 One of the head portion tip 11 side or the neck portion 14 side is in contact with the raised portion 30a. And as shown in FIG. 2, the space is formed between the hair | bristle bundles 20 which adjoin via the protruding part 30a ahead of the protrusion 31 of the protruding part 30a.

In addition, three raised portions 30 b are formed on the flocked surface 16 at the position of the first lateral hair bundle row 24. Each of the raised portions 30b excludes the hair bundle 20 located closest to the neck portion 14 side, and the first side hair bundle row 24 is divided into three hair bundle blocks 25 composed of two hair bundles 20 from the head portion tip 11 side. The hair bundles 20 constituting each hair bundle block 25 are formed so as to be divided into the head portion tip 11 side and the neck portion 14 side. On the other hand, the protruding portion 30 b is not formed between the arbitrary hair bundle block 25 and the other hair bundle block 25 adjacent to the arbitrary hair bundle block 25.
Thus, the raised portion 30b and the hair bundle 20 located in the first side hair bundle row 24 have the head portion 11 side and the neck portion 14 side surfaces of the raised portion 30b in contact with the hair bundle 20, and Either the head portion tip 11 side or the neck portion 14 side of the hair bundle 20 is in contact with the raised portion 30b. And like the position of the center hair | bristle bundle row | line | column 22, the space is formed between the hair | bristle bundles 20 adjacent through the protruding part 30b in the tip of the protruding part of the protruding part 30b.

  Further, on the flocked surface 16, the raised portions 30 b are located at the positions of the second side hair bundle rows 26 at the positions of the second side hair bundle rows 24, and the hairs constituting each hair bundle block 27. The bundle 20 is formed so as to be divided into the head portion tip 11 side and the neck portion 14 side. On the other hand, the protruding portion 30 b is not formed between the arbitrary hair bundle block 27 and the other hair bundle block 27 adjacent to the arbitrary hair bundle block 27. And like the position of the center hair | bristle bundle row | line | column 22, the space is formed between the hair | bristle bundles 20 adjacent through the protruding part 30b in the tip of the protruding part of the protruding part 30b.

  The hair for constituting the hair bundle 20 is not particularly limited. For example, polyester such as polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polybutylene terephthalate (PBT), polytrimethylene terephthalate (PTT), nylon 6, nylon 66, nylon 6 Materials that can be melt-spun such as polyamides such as −10, nylon 6-12 and nylon 12, polyolefins such as polyethylene and polypropylene, and polyvinyl halides such as polyvinylidene fluoride are used. Moreover, the raw material of the hair may be modified within a range that does not significantly impair the properties of the hair. For example, a resin may be used alone or in combination with a stabilizer for heat and light, a flame retardant, a filler, a surface lubricant, an antistatic agent, a sterilizing material (antibacterial material), a hard resin or an elastomer. The thing mix | blended combining suitably 2 or more types, and the thing apply | coated to the monofilament are mentioned.

The thickness of the hair can be selected in consideration of usability, brushing feeling, cleaning effect, durability and the like. For example, 3 to 10 mil (0.076 to 0.254 mm) is preferable, and 5 to 8 mil (0. 125 to 0.203 mm) is more preferable. In the present invention, all the hairs may have the same thickness or a combination of two or more different hairs.
In addition, the cross-sectional shape perpendicular to the length of the hair is a circle, an ellipse, a triangle, a polygon such as a rectangle, a star, a trilobal or a four-leaf clover, etc. It may be an indeterminate shape combining curves. In the present invention, all the hairs may have the same cross-sectional shape, or a combination of two or more types of hairs having different cross-sectional shapes.
The tip shape of the hair can be any shape such as a taper shape, a spatula shape, a scraper shape, or a spherical shape.

The length of the hair bundle 20 from the flocked surface 16 to the tip of the hair, that is, the hair length L1 (FIG. 2) is determined in consideration of the material and thickness of the hair, for example, in the range of 6 to 12 mm. The toothbrush for adults is 8 to 12 mm, and the toothbrush for children is preferably 6 to 11 mm.
In the present embodiment, the surface connecting the tips of the hairs planted on the flocked surface 16 is substantially flush, that is, all the flocked hairs are substantially the same.

  The material of the handle body 10 is not particularly limited. For example, polystyrene resin (PS), polypropylene resin (PP), polyethylene terephthalate resin (PET), acrylonitrile butadiene styrene resin (ABS), cellulose propionate resin (CP), Single materials such as polyarylate resin, saturated polyester resin (PCTA, PCTG), polycarbonate resin (PC), acrylonitrile styrene resin (AS), polyacetal resin (POM), polybutylene terephthalate (PBT), biodegradable resin, etc. Or 2 or more types can be mixed and used. Moreover, it is good also as multicolor shaping | molding combined with these resin, a thermoplastic elastomer, a silicone resin, etc.

  The material of the raised portion 30a can control the bending of the hair bundle 20, and can be determined according to the hardness derived from the material, thickness, etc. of the hair constituting the hair bundle 20. The material of the raised portion 30a may be the same as or different from that of the handle body 10, and when the material is different from that of the handle body 10, for example, an olefin elastomer (TPO), a vinyl chloride elastomer (TPVC), A resin having a low hardness such as an elastomer resin such as a styrene elastomer (SBC), a urethane elastomer (TPU), a polyester elastomer (TPEE), or a polyamide elastomer (TPAE) may be used.

The height L2 that is the length from the flocked surface 16 to the protruding end 31 of the raised portion 30a is not particularly limited as long as it is shorter than the hair length L1, and can be determined in consideration of the material of the raised portion, the material of the hair, etc. For example, the difference L3 represented by (hair length L1) − (height L2) is preferably 2 to 5 mm. When the toothbrush 1 is less than 2 mm, there is a possibility that the hair on the tip of the tip 31 is not sufficiently bent when the toothbrush 1 is used, and the contact comfort may not be improved. The bend is too large, and it is difficult to obtain the effect of providing the raised portion 30a.
When the raised portion 30a is formed of a resin having high hardness, the height L2 of the raised portion 30a is such that the tip of the hair bundle 20 is brought into contact with the flat surface and a load of 200 g from the back surface 19 is applied vertically. It is preferable that the tip 31 does not come into contact with the flat surface when it is wiped out. By setting the raised portion 30a to such a height L2, it is possible to prevent the raised portion 30a from coming into contact with a tooth or the like during cleaning and causing a sense of incongruity.

The width W1, which is the length in the width direction of the head portion 12 in the raised portion 30a, can act so as to support the hair bundle 20 when the toothbrush 1 is reciprocated in the direction of arrow X or arrow Y for cleaning. Yes, it can be determined according to the diameter of the hair bundle 20 (diameter of the flock hole 18) and the interval between the hair bundles 20, that is, the width of the central hair bundle row 22.
The thickness T1 (FIG. 2), which is the length of the head portion 12 in the raised portion 30a, can be determined in consideration of the spacing between the hair bundles 20 and the like.

The material of the raised portion 30b is the same as that of the raised portion 30a.
The length from the flocked surface 16 to the protruding end of the raised portion 30b is the same as the height L2 from the flocked surface 16 to the protruding end 31 of the raised portion 30a.
The width of the raised portion 30b is the same as the width of the raised portion 30a, and the thickness of the raised portion 30b is the same as the thickness of the raised portion 30a.

  For manufacturing the toothbrush 1 of the present invention, a conventionally known technique can be used. For example, after the raised portions 30a and 30b and the head portion 12 are integrally formed by injection molding, the handle body 10 is obtained. There is a method in which the hair bundle 20 is folded in half with a wire (a retaining member) and then planted (flat wire planting). As the flat wire, in addition to metals such as brass and stainless steel, biodegradable plastics and hard plastics can be used. In addition, for example, in-mold flocking in which one end of the hair bundle 20 is joined by means such as a heat source, and the resin that becomes the head portion 12 is filled and fixed in a state where the joining portion is in the mold, one end of the hair bundle 20 and the head The heat fusing flocking which melt-bonds the part 12 by means of heat, etc., the hair 20 is melted and fixed to a pre-formed cassette by means of heat etc., and the cassette is insert-molded, heat-sealed or A method of fixing by bonding, fitting to the head portion 12, or the like, or a method of mounting a cassette in a mold and manufacturing by an in-mold method can be mentioned.

  Next, the usage mode of the toothbrush 1 of this invention is demonstrated using FIG. FIG. 3 is an enlarged view of the hair bundle 20 and the raised portion 30a in the central hair bundle row 22 as viewed from the side, and FIG. 3 (a) shows the hair bundle 20 in a state where it is not cleaned (normal state). FIG. 3B shows a state of the hair bundle 20 when the head portion 12 is moved in the direction of arrow X while the tip of the hair bundle 20 is in contact with the teeth, and FIG. The state of the hair | bristle bundle 20 at the time of moving the head part 12 to the arrow Y direction is shown, making the front-end | tip of 20 contact | abut on a tooth.

First, the head portion 12 in which the hair bundle 20 is in a normal state (FIG. 3A) is placed in the oral cavity, and the head portion 12 is in the directions of arrows X and Y while the tips of the hair bundle 20 are in contact with the teeth. The toothbrush 1 is operated so as to reciprocate. When the head portion 12 moves in the direction of the arrow X, as shown in FIG. 3 (b), the hair bundle 20 keeps its tip in contact with the tooth, and the portion that contacts the peripheral edge of the protruding portion 31 of the raised portion 30a is the base point. As shown in FIG. At this time, since a space is formed at the tip of the tip 31, the hair bundle 20 slides on the teeth while exhibiting a high scraping force as in the case where the tip of the tip 31 is bent and has a short hair length. Is done.
Next, when the head portion 12 moves in the direction of the arrow Y, as shown in FIG. 3C, the hair bundle 20 has an arrow with the boundary with the flocked surface 16 as a base point while keeping the tip in contact with the teeth. It will be in the state bent in the X direction. At this time, since the hair bundle 20 bends larger than the hair bundle 20 shown in FIG. 3B according to the hair length, the hair bundle 20 is slid onto the teeth while giving a soft feel to the oral cavity.

  In this way, the hair bundle 20 is bent along the entire length of the hair by the reciprocating movement of the head portion 12 according to the positional relationship with the raised portion 30a or the raised portion 30b. Clean the oral cavity.

 As described above, according to the toothbrush of the present invention, the arbitrary bristle bundle between the arbitrary bristle bundle and the other arbitrary bristle bundle adjacent to the arbitrary bristle bundle in the length direction of the head portion. And since the raised part which contact | connects said other arbitrary hair | bristle bundle is formed, the bending condition of a hair | bristle bundle can be controlled according to the reciprocation of a head part. For this reason, in cleaning in which the head portion is reciprocated in the length direction while the hair bundle is brought into contact with the tooth, when the hair bundle ahead of the protruding portion of the raised portion is bent, high cleaning is performed with a high scraping force. When a force is obtained and the entire hair length of the hair bundle is bent, a good contact feeling can be given to the oral cavity with a soft touch.

(Second embodiment)
The toothbrush concerning 2nd embodiment of this invention is demonstrated using FIG. Note that members similar to those in the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals, description thereof is omitted, and differences from the first embodiment are mainly described.
As shown in FIG. 4, the toothbrush 100 is obtained by forming four raised portions 130 across the width direction of the head portion 12 on the flocked surface 16.

 The hair-planting pattern of this embodiment includes a tip-side hair bundle block 122 in which two hair bundles 20 are arranged side by side in the width direction of the head portion 12 on the head portion tip end 11 side. Also, on the neck portion 14 side, three hair bundles 20 in the width direction of the head portion 12 and seven neck bundle side hair bundle blocks 124 are arranged side by side in the length direction of the head portion 12. Is.

The raised portion 130 is formed from the side surface 13 to the side surface 15 between the arbitrary hair bundle 20 and the other hair bundle 20 adjacent to the optional hair bundle 20 in the length direction of the head portion 12. There is a substantially quadrangular prism shape.
Further, the head portion 11 side and the neck portion 14 side of the raised portion 130 are in contact with the hair bundle 20 on the flocked surface 16, and either the head portion tip 11 side or the neck portion 14 side of the hair bundle 20 is the raised portion. The raised portion 130 and the hair bundle 20 are provided so as to be in contact with 130.

  According to the present embodiment, since the raised portion is formed across the width direction of the head portion, even when the reciprocating motion of the head portion is oblique with respect to the length direction of the head portion, the hair is reliably bent. Can be controlled.

(Third embodiment)
The toothbrush concerning 3rd embodiment of this invention is demonstrated using FIG. Note that members similar to those in the first to second embodiments are denoted by the same reference numerals, description thereof is omitted, and differences from the first and second embodiments are mainly described.
As shown in FIG. 5, the toothbrush 200 has twelve raised portions 230 formed on the flocked surface 16.

 In the hair transplantation pattern of the present embodiment, a tip side hair bundle block 122 in which two hair bundles 20 are arranged side by side in the width direction of the head portion 12 is formed on the head portion tip 11 side. The main hair bundle block 224 in which three hair bundles 20 are arranged in the width direction of the head portion 12 and eight in the length direction of the head portion 12 are formed closer to the neck portion 14 than 122. It is.

On the flocked surface 16, a raised portion 230 is formed at the position of the main hair bundle block 224, and no raised portion 230 is formed at a position between the main hair bundle block 224 and the front end side hair bundle block 122.
At the position of the main hair bundle block 224 on the flocked surface 16, any one hair bundle 20 and any other one hair bundle 20 adjacent to this arbitrary hair bundle 20 in the length direction of the head portion 12, Three independent raised portions 230 are formed side by side in the width direction of the head portion 12 so as to be positioned between the two.
In addition, when the two hair bundles 20 adjacent to each other through the raised portion 230 are defined as one hair bundle group, the hair bundle group is adjacent to the arbitrary hair bundle group in the length direction of the head portion 12. A raised portion 230 is not formed between any other hair bundle group.

  The raised portion 230 has a substantially quadrangular prism shape standing on the flocked surface 16 in contact with the hair bundle 20, and the surface in contact with the hair bundle 20 is a concave surface facing the hair bundle 20.

  According to this embodiment, since the raised portion has a concave surface, even when the reciprocating motion of the head portion is inclined with respect to the length direction of the head portion, the deflection of the hair can be reliably controlled. . In addition, since the raised portions are not continuous in the width direction of the head portion, the degree of freedom of arrangement of the raised portions is increased as compared with the second embodiment, and a wide range of flocking patterns can be handled.

(Fourth embodiment)
A toothbrush according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. Note that members similar to those in the first to third embodiments are denoted by the same reference numerals and description thereof is omitted, and differences from the first to third embodiments are mainly described.
As shown in FIG. 6, the toothbrush 300 has eight raised portions 330 formed on the flocked surface 16.

 The flocking pattern of the flocked surface of the toothbrush 300 is the same as that of the first embodiment, and the central bristles row 22, the first side bunch rows 24, and the second side bunch rows 26 are formed. It is.

The raised portion 330 in the present embodiment includes an arbitrary one hair bundle 20 constituting the central hair bundle row 22, and the first side hair bundle row 24 or the second lateral side adjacent to this arbitrary hair bundle 20. It is formed between the hair bundles of the hair bundle row 26.
The formation position of the raised portion 330 will be described using the hair bundle 20a constituting the central hair bundle row 22, the hair bundle 20b constituting the second side hair bundle row 26, and the raised portion 330a as examples. The raised portion 330a is formed in contact with the hair bundle 20a and the hair bundle 20b between the hair bundle 20a and the hair bundle 20b located on the side surface 15 side in the length direction of the hair bundle 20a. It is a quadrangular prism shape, and is arranged such that the surface in contact with the hair bundle 20a or the hair bundle 20b is approximately 45 ° with respect to the length direction of the head portion 12.

  According to the present embodiment, by arranging the raised portions obliquely with respect to the length direction of the head portion, not only when the head portion is reciprocated in the length direction for cleaning, but also the head portion has its width. Even in the case of cleaning by reciprocating in the direction, the deflection of some of the hairs is controlled by the raised portions, and good cleaning properties and contact comfort can be obtained.

(Other embodiments)
The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment.
For example, in the first to fourth embodiments, the surface connecting the tips of the bristles is substantially flush, but the present invention is not limited to this, for example, the tips of the bristles are connected. The surface may be a chopped shape or an uneven shape. Moreover, in 1st embodiment, a center hair | bristle bundle row | line | column, a 1st side hair bundle row | line | column, and a 2nd side hair bundle row | line | column may be made into respectively different shapes, and the 1st-4th In the embodiment, the head portion tip side and the neck portion side may have different shapes.

  In the first to fourth embodiments, the flocked hole is substantially circular in plan view, but the shape of the flocked hole is not limited to this, and for example, the plan view is a polygon such as a triangle or a quadrangle, an ellipse, or the like. May be.

  The flocking pattern in the present invention is not limited to the flocking pattern in the first to fourth embodiments, and any flocking pattern can be adopted.

  In 1st-4th embodiment, although the protruding part is formed so that either the head part front end side or neck part side of arbitrary 1 hair | bristle bundle may be formed, this invention is not limited to this. The raised portion may be formed so as to be in contact with both the head portion front end side and the neck portion side of any one hair bundle. However, from the viewpoint of comfort in the oral cavity, the raised portion is preferably formed so as to be in contact with either the head portion tip side or the neck portion side of any one hair bundle.

In 1st-2nd, 4th embodiment, although the shape of a protruding part is made into the substantially square pillar shape, the shape of a protruding part is not limited to this, What can control the bending condition of a hair | bristle bundle at the time of cleaning If it is. For example, as in the third embodiment, the surface in contact with the hair bundle may be a concave surface facing the hair bundle, or may be a convex surface. However, from the viewpoint of effectively controlling the deflection of the hair bundle, it is preferable that the surface in contact with the hair bundle is a substantially flat surface or a concave surface.
Moreover, in 3rd embodiment, although the surface of the protruding part which contact | connects a hair | bristle bundle is made into a concave surface, you may be made into a substantially plane or a convex surface, for example. However, from the viewpoint of effectively controlling the deflection of the hair bundle, it is preferable that the surface in contact with the hair bundle is a substantially flat surface or a concave surface.

  In the fourth embodiment, the surface of the raised portion that contacts the hair bundle is approximately 45 ° with respect to the length direction of the head portion, but the present invention is not limited to this, and the surface of the raised portion that contacts the hair bundle. The surface can be arbitrarily determined within a range of 45 to 90 ° with respect to the length direction of the head portion. From the viewpoint of effectively controlling the bending of the hair bundle, the raised portion is preferably formed so that the surface in contact with the hair bundle is substantially orthogonal to the length direction of the head portion.

  EXAMPLES Hereinafter, although an Example is shown and this invention is demonstrated in detail, this invention is not limited by the following description.

(Evaluation method)
<Model cleaning power evaluation>
Using the toothbrushes of each example, the following model cleaning power test was performed. First, a model in which a red paint (Sakura White Plate Marker # 19 Red, made by Sakura Crepas Co., Ltd.) is applied as a model plaque on the tooth surface of the right upper cheek side first molar of an adult upper jaw model (500 AU, made by Nissin Co., Ltd.) Prepared. The tooth on which the model plaque was formed was cleaned by reciprocating 10 times with a stroke of 20 mm in the length direction of the head portion while pressing the toothbrush vertically with a load of 200 g. After cleaning, the plaque removal rate was measured by the following method.

≪Measurement of plaque removal rate≫
Before the cleaning power test, the model plaque occupation area of the tooth surface of the first molar was measured by image analysis, and after the cleaning power test, the model plaque occupation area of the same part was measured again and calculated by the following formula (1) . The calculated plaque removal rate was classified into the following criteria, and the model cleaning power was evaluated.

 Plaque removal rate (%) = ((plaque occupation area before cleaning ability test−plaque occupation area after cleaning ability test) / (plaque occupation area before cleaning ability test)) × 100 (1 )

≪Judgment criteria≫
◎: 85% or more ○: 70% or more and less than 85% △: 50% or more and less than 70% ×: less than 50%

<Evaluation of use>
A test toothbrush was used for 1 week by a panel of 7 people, and the hit feeling against the toothpaste was evaluated in five stages according to the following evaluation criteria. And the average value of evaluation of 7 persons was classified into the following judgment criteria, and it was set as evaluation of usability.

≪Evaluation criteria≫
1: Bad 2: Slightly bad 3: Not good 4: Slightly good 5: Good

≪Judgment criteria≫
◎: Average score is 4 or more ○: Average score is 3 or more and less than 4 △: Average score is 2 or more and less than 3 ×: Average score is less than 2

<Comprehensive evaluation>
Comprehensive evaluation was determined by classifying model cleaning power evaluation and usability evaluation into the following criteria.
◎: Model cleaning power evaluation and usability evaluation are “◎” ○: Model cleaning power evaluation or usability evaluation is “○”, and model cleaning power evaluation and usability evaluation are “△” and “×” No △: There is “△” in either model cleaning power evaluation or usability evaluation, and there is no “×”. ×: Either or both of model cleaning power evaluation or usability evaluation are “×”.

(Examples 1-6)
A flocked hole having a hole diameter of 1.6 mm was formed in the head portion so as to have a flocking pattern similar to that of the toothbrush 1 shown in FIG. 1, and a raised portion was formed in accordance with “Placement of hair bundle and raised portion” in Table 1. A handle body made of polypropylene resin was obtained. After 18 hairs made of nylon having a diameter of 8 mil were planted into a flat wire for each planting hole in the head portion of the handle body, the hair length was adjusted to 10 mm to obtain a toothbrush of each example. The raised portion has a length (the height of the raised portion) from the flocked surface to the protruding end of the raised portion (height of the raised portion) of 6 mm, and the handle portion so that the head portion side surface and the neck portion side surface of the raised portion are in contact with the hair. And was integrally molded. In Table 1, “difference in hair length and height of the raised portion” is the difference L3 in FIG. 2 (the same applies hereinafter). About the obtained toothbrush of each example, model cleaning power evaluation, usability evaluation, and comprehensive evaluation are performed, and the result is shown in Table 1.

(Example 7)
A toothbrush was obtained in the same manner as in Example 1 except that the height of the raised portion was 9 mm. About the obtained toothbrush, model cleaning power evaluation, usability evaluation, and comprehensive evaluation are performed, and the results are shown in Table 1.

(Example 8)
A toothbrush was obtained in the same manner as in Example 1 except that the height of the raised portion was 8 mm. About the obtained toothbrush, model cleaning power evaluation, usability evaluation, and comprehensive evaluation are performed, and the results are shown in Table 1.

Example 9
A toothbrush was obtained in the same manner as in Example 1 except that the height of the raised portion was 5 mm. About the obtained toothbrush, model cleaning power evaluation, usability evaluation, and comprehensive evaluation are performed, and the results are shown in Table 1.

(Example 10)
A toothbrush was obtained in the same manner as in Example 1 except that the height of the raised portion was 4 mm. About the obtained toothbrush, model cleaning power evaluation, usability evaluation, and comprehensive evaluation are performed, and the results are shown in Table 1.

(Comparative Example 1)
A toothbrush was obtained in the same manner as in Example 1 except that the raised portion was not formed. About the obtained toothbrush, model cleaning power evaluation, usability evaluation, and comprehensive evaluation are performed, and the results are shown in Table 1.

(Comparative Example 2)
In accordance with “Arrangement of hair bundles and raised portions” in Table 1, substantially the same as the first embodiment except that a substantially square columnar raised portion having a height of 6 mm extending in the length direction of the head portion is formed on both sides of the central hair bundle row. A toothbrush was obtained. The raised portion of the toothbrush is formed so that both sides in the width direction of the head portion are in contact with the hair bundle. About the obtained toothbrush, model cleaning power evaluation, usability evaluation, and comprehensive evaluation are performed, and the results are shown in Table 1.

As shown in Table 1, in each of Examples 1 to 10 to which the present invention was applied, the overall evaluations were “Δ” to “」 ”. In addition, Examples 1 and 8-9 in which the difference between the hair length and the height of the raised portion was 2 to 5 mm were compared with Example 7 or 10 where the position of the raised portion was the same, and the model cleaning power and use Excellent balance with feeling.
On the other hand, in Comparative Example 1 that does not include a raised portion and Comparative Example 2 that includes a raised portion extending in the length direction of the head portion, the model cleaning power evaluation was “x”.
From the above results, it was found that the toothbrush to which the present invention is applied has good contact comfort in the oral cavity and high cleaning properties can be obtained.

1, 100, 200, 300 Toothbrush 10 Handle body 12 Head portion 16 Flocked surface 20 Hair bundle 30a, 30b, 130, 230, 330, 330a Raised portion 31 Protrusion tip

Claims (3)

In a toothbrush in which a plurality of bristle bundles are implanted on the flocked surface of the head part,
On the flocked surface, any hair bundle and any other hair bundle between any hair bundle and any other hair bundle adjacent to the optional hair bundle in the length direction of the head portion. A raised portion that contacts one or both of the hair bundles is formed, and has a hair bundle that contacts the raised portion only in one of the length directions of the head portion;
Wherein the raised portion has a length from the planted surface to the protruding end is said from flocked surface to the tip of the arbitrary bristle bundle or the any other tuft rather shorter than the length,
The toothbrush characterized by the surface which connected the front-end | tip of the bristle planted by the said flocking surface being substantially flush .   The protruding portion is characterized in that the length from the flocked surface to the tip is 2 to 5 mm shorter than the length from the flocked surface to the tip of the arbitrary hair bundle or the other arbitrary hair bundle. The toothbrush according to claim 1. At the approximate center in the width direction of the flocked surface, a central hair bundle row composed of a plurality of the hair bundles arranged in the length direction of the head is provided,
On both sides in the width direction of the central hair bundle row, a side hair bundle row composed of a plurality of the hair bundles arranged in the length direction of the head portion is provided,
The raised portions are provided at the positions of the central hair bundle row and the side hair bundle row,
The raised portion provided at the position of the central hair bundle row and the raised portion provided at the position of the side hair bundle row are shifted in the length direction of the head portion. The toothbrush according to claim 1 or 2.

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