JP6364641B2 - toothbrush - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a toothbrush.

Generally, as a method of gripping a toothbrush, a pen grip type and a palm grip type are known.
The pen grip type is similar to how to hold a pen or the like when writing, as shown in FIG. The pen grip type is suitable for finely operating the brush part in the oral cavity.
The toothbrush suitable for the pen grip type is a position close to the joint with the neck, and has an elliptical shape in plan view at four locations on the flocked surface side, back surface side, and both side surfaces of the outer peripheral surface of the grip portion. There has been proposed a toothbrush in which a recess having a hole shape or a rectangular shape with rounded corners is provided, and a cross-sectional shape of a grip portion of the portion where the recess is formed is a substantially square with rounded corners (for example, Patent Documents) 1).

As shown in FIG. 4, the palm grip type is a way of holding the thumb with the handle while wrapping the handle with the palm and fingers. The palm grip type is easy to grip the handle portion powerfully and easily applies a strong scrubbing force when cleaning the oral cavity. For example, many infants operate a toothbrush by gripping the handle portion in a form similar to a palm grip type (so-called goo grip).
As a toothbrush suitable for the palm grip type, a dent is provided on the flocked surface side and the back surface side of the grip portion close to the joint portion with the neck portion, and the dent center is also provided on both side surfaces of the grip portion. A toothbrush that is provided with dents facing each other so as to have a center in the rear end direction of the grip part, and these dent shapes are elliptical, long hole, or rectangular with rounded corners in plan view. It has been proposed (for example, Patent Document 2).

For example, in the oral cleaning for infants who are not well-trained in the oral cavity, after the infant grasps and operates the child's toothbrush with a goo grip, an adult (for example, a parent) pens the child's toothbrush with a pen. It is often done with a grip-type gripping and finishing.
Since adults and infants have different hand sizes and different grips, children's toothbrushes are difficult for either of them to handle.
For such problems, the cross-sectional shape in the vicinity of the center of the gripping portion is made substantially octagonal, and the width of the horizontal planes of the two upper and lower surfaces parallel to the flocked surface of the head portion in the octagonal cross section is the tip of the gripping portion or the rear end of the gripping portion. There has been proposed a toothbrush in which the cross-sectional shape of the entire gripping portion is formed so as to continuously and gradually spread from either side toward the other end side (for example, Patent Document 3).

JP 2000-125937 A JP 2000-189250 A JP 2000-262329 A

However, there is a demand for a toothbrush for children that is easier to handle for both adults and infants. That is, there is a need for a toothbrush that is easy to handle, both for users who are unskilled in their own oral cleaning techniques and for users who are finishing polish for others.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention is directed to a toothbrush that is easy to handle, both for users who are unskilled in their own oral cleaning techniques and for users who are polishing other people.

The toothbrush of the present invention includes a handle portion, a neck portion extended to the handle portion, and a head portion provided at the tip of the neck portion, and a plurality of hair bundles are implanted on the flocked surface of the head portion. In the provided toothbrush, the handle portion is formed with two or more constricted portions that gradually decrease in diameter from the rear end toward the neck portion and then increase in diameter.
The constricted portion is preferably covered with a soft resin, and an area not covered with the soft resin is formed between any constricted portion and a constricted portion adjacent to the constricted portion. Preferably it is.

  According to the toothbrush of the present invention, it is easy to handle both for a user who is unskilled in the cleaning technique in his / her mouth and for a user who finishes others.

It is a top view of the toothbrush concerning a first embodiment of the present invention. It is a side view of the toothbrush concerning a first embodiment of the present invention. It is a figure which shows how to hold the toothbrush by a pen grip type. It is a figure which shows how to hold the toothbrush by a palm grip type.

In the toothbrush of the present invention, constricted portions are formed at two or more positions of the handle portion.
A toothbrush according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to FIGS.
The toothbrush 1 in FIGS. 1 and 2 is a handle in which a long handle portion 6, a neck portion 4 extending from the handle portion 6, and a head portion 2 provided at the tip of the neck portion 4 are integrally formed. A body and a plurality of hair bundles 22 planted on the hair transplantation surface 20 of the head portion 2 are provided.

  The head portion 2 has a rectangular shape in plan view with the extending direction of the handle body as the longitudinal direction. The rectangle is a concept including a shape in which corners are formed by curves and straight lines at four corners. Sixteen hair bundles 22 in which a plurality of hairs are bundled are planted in a staggered pattern on the flocked surface 20.

The handle portion 6 is directed from the rear end 8 toward the neck portion 4, and the rear portion 60, the first constricted portion 62, the enlarged diameter portion 64, the second constricted portion 66, and the front portion 68 are arranged in this order. Is formed.
The rear portion 60 has a cylindrical shape whose cross section (transverse cross section) perpendicular to the extending direction of the handle portion 6 is substantially circular, and the rear end 8 is rounded. The term “substantially circular” is not limited to a true circle or an ellipse, but is a concept including a shape in which the outline of a cross section is formed only by a curved line that bulges outward, and a shape in which a straight line is formed in a part of a circle. In the present embodiment, a flat surface portion 60 a is formed on the front and back of the rear portion 60 (the flocked surface 20 side and the back surface thereof). That is, in the cross section of the rear portion 60, the front and back of the handle body are straight. By forming the flat surface portion 60a, the toothbrush 1 can be prevented from rolling, and a sticker such as a character can be attached.
A protrusion 61 having a rectangular shape in side view is formed on the side surface of the rear portion 60. This protrusion 61 acts as a slip stopper.

  The first constricted portion 62 gradually decreases in diameter from the tip of the rear portion 60 toward the neck portion 4 and then increases in diameter. The first constricted portion 62 has a circular cross section and is recessed in an arc shape in a plan view and a side view. A protrusion 63 having a rectangular shape in a side view is formed on the side surface of the first constricted portion 62. This protrusion 63 acts as a slip stopper.

  The enlarged diameter portion 64 is a portion that is enlarged in diameter from the first constricted portion 62, and is a substantially cylindrical portion that is located between the first constricted portion 62 and the second constricted portion 66. In the present embodiment, a flat surface portion 64 a is formed on the back surface of the enlarged diameter portion 64. By forming the flat surface portion 64a, the toothbrush 1 can be prevented from rolling.

  The second constricted portion 66 is gradually reduced in diameter from the enlarged diameter portion 64 toward the neck portion 4 and then expanded. The second constricted portion 66 has a circular cross section and is recessed in an arc shape in a plan view and a side view. A protrusion 67 having a rectangular shape in a side view is formed on the side surface of the second constricted portion 66. The protrusion 67 acts as a slip stopper. In the present embodiment, the cross section of the second constricted portion 66 is similar to the cross section of the first constricted portion 62.

  The front portion 68 extends from the tip of the second constricted portion 66 toward the neck portion 4, extends with the same diameter, and then gradually decreases in diameter to reach the neck portion 4. In the present embodiment, the cross section of the front portion 68 is similar to the cross section of the first constricted portion 62.

  The neck portion 4 extends from the front end of the front portion 68 toward the head portion 2 and extends with substantially the same diameter to reach the head portion 2. In the present embodiment, the cross section of the neck portion 4 is similar to the cross section of the front portion 68.

In the present embodiment, the handle body includes a base made of a hard resin and a covering portion 70 in which the base is covered with a soft resin. The covering portion 70 is formed from the first constricted portion 62 to the second constricted portion 66. That is, the first constricted portion 62 and the second constricted portion 66 are covered with a soft resin. In the present embodiment, the covering portion 70 is formed around the first constricted portion 62 and the second constricted portion 66.
In the enlarged diameter portion 64, the base body is exposed, and an exposed portion 72 having an elliptical shape in plan view is formed. The exposed portion 72 is an area including the position of the maximum diameter in the enlarged diameter portion 64 and is formed on the front and back of the handle body.

Examples of the material of the base include hard resins having a flexural modulus (JIS K7203) of 500 to 3000 MPa.
Examples of the hard resin include polycyclohexylene dimethylene terephthalate (PCT), polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polystyrene (PS), acrylonitrile / butadiene / styrene resin (ABS), polycarbonate (PC), acrylonitrile / styrene copolymer resin ( AS), polyarylate, polypropylene (PP), polyacetal (POM), polybutylene terephthalate (PBT), and the like. These hard resins may be used alone or in a combination of two or more.

The material of the covering portion 70 is a soft resin. The soft resin is preferably one that can be deformed by a finger pressing force. For example, a resin having a Shore hardness A of 90 or less is preferable, and a resin having a Shore hardness A of 50 to 80 is more preferable. Examples of the soft resin include elastomers (for example, olefin elastomers, styrene elastomers, polyester elastomers, polyurethane thermoplastic elastomers, etc.) and silicone.
The soft resin may contain an adhesive modifier, a plasticizer, or the like as necessary.

The magnitude | size of the head part 2 is suitably determined according to the subject who cleans the intraoral area with the toothbrush 1. If the toothbrush 1 is for children, the size of the head portion 2 is preferably 8 to 11 mm in width and 13 to 22 mm in length, for example.
The thickness of the head part 2 is appropriately determined according to the subject whose mouth is cleaned with the toothbrush 1. If the toothbrush 1 is for children, the thickness of the head portion 2 is preferably 2.6 to 5 mm, for example.

  The length of the toothbrush 1, that is, the length of the handle body is appropriately determined according to the subject whose mouth is cleaned with the toothbrush 1. If the toothbrush 1 is for children, the length of the handle body is preferably, for example, 140 to 170 mm.

The hair bundle 22 may be cylindrical or prismatic.
The length (hair length) from the flocked surface 20 to the tip of the hair bundle 22 is determined in consideration of the fur and the like required for the hair bundle 22, and is preferably 6 to 13 mm, for example.
The thickness (hair bundle diameter) of the hair bundle 22 on the flocked surface 20 is determined in consideration of the hair and the like required for the hair bundle 22, and is preferably 1 to 2 mm, for example. When the hair bundle 22 has a polygonal column shape, the hair bundle diameter is the diameter of the circumscribed circle of the cross section of the hair bundle 22.

  As the hair constituting the hair bundle 22, for example, the diameter gradually decreases toward the hair tip, the hair having a sharp hair tip (tapered hair), and the diameter from the flocked surface 20 toward the hair tip. Examples include hairs that are almost the same (straight hairs). Examples of the straight hair include those in which the hair tip is a plane substantially parallel to the flocked surface 20 and those in which the hair tip is rounded into a hemisphere.

The material of the hair is, for example, polyamide such as 6-12 nylon (6-12NY), 6-10 nylon (6-10NY), PET, PBT, polytrimethylene terephthalate (PTT), polyethylene naphthalate (PEN), Examples thereof include polyesters such as polybutylene naphthalate (PBN), polyolefins such as PP, elastomer resins such as olefin elastomers and styrene elastomers. These resin materials can be used singly or in combination of two or more.
Examples of the bristle include polyester bristle having a multi-core structure having a core and at least one or more sheaths provided outside the core.

  The cross-sectional shape of the hair is not particularly limited, and may be a circle such as a perfect circle or an ellipse, a polygon, a star, a three-leaf clover, a four-leaf clover, or the like. The cross-sectional shapes of all the hairs may be the same or different.

  The thickness of the hair can be determined in consideration of the material and the like. When the cross section is circular, for example, the thickness is 6 to 9 mil (1 mil = 1/1000 inch = 0.025 mm). Further, in consideration of a feeling of use, a feeling of brushing, a cleaning effect, durability, and the like, a plurality of hairs having different thicknesses may be used in any combination.

In the present embodiment, the maximum diameters of the rear portion 60, the enlarged diameter portion 64, and the front portion 68 are the same. “Identical” means within ± 1%.
The maximum diameter R1 of the rear portion 60 is appropriately determined according to the subject whose inside of the oral cavity is cleaned with the toothbrush 1. If the toothbrush 1 is for children, the maximum diameter R1 is preferably 10 to 14 mm. If it is equal to or higher than the lower limit value, the infant can easily grip the handle portion 6, and if it is equal to or lower than the upper limit value, an adult can easily grip the handle portion 6 with the pen grip type and operate the toothbrush 1.
When the cross section of the handle body is other than a perfect circle, the minimum diameter of the neck portion 4, the maximum diameter of the front portion 68, the minimum diameter of the first constricted portion 62 and the second constricted portion 66, and the enlarged diameter portion 64 are used. The maximum diameter of the rear portion 60 is the diameter of the circumscribed circle of the cross section.

The minimum diameter R <b> 2 in the first constricted portion 62 is appropriately determined according to the subject to be cleaned in the oral cavity with the toothbrush 1. If the toothbrush 1 is for children, the minimum diameter R2 is preferably 8 to 12 mm. If it is in the said range, an adult will hold | grip the handle | steering-wheel part 6 with a pen grip type | formula, and will operate the toothbrush 1 easily.
The minimum diameter of the second constricted portion 66 is the same as the minimum diameter of the first constricted portion 62. In the present embodiment, the minimum diameter R2 of the first constricted portion 62 and the minimum diameter of the second constricted portion 66 may be the same or different, but the same is preferable from the viewpoint of easier handling.

The degree of constriction of the first constricted part 62, that is, the constriction depth D1 represented by (R1-R2) / 2 is appropriately determined according to the subject whose oral cavity is cleaned with the toothbrush 1. If the toothbrush 1 is for children, the depth D1 is preferably 1 to 2 mm. If it is in the said range, when an adult hold | grips with a pen grip type | formula, a finger will be hard to get tired.
The degree of constriction of the second constricted part 66 is the same as the degree of constriction of the first constricted part 62.
The degree of tightness of the first constricted part 62 and the degree of constriction of the second constricted part 66 may be the same or different, but the same is preferable from the viewpoint of easier handling.

  The distance L1 between the position of the minimum diameter in the first constricted portion 62 and the position of the minimum diameter in the second constricted portion 66 is appropriately determined according to the subject whose oral cavity is cleaned with the toothbrush 1. If the toothbrush 1 is for children, the distance L1 is preferably 10 to 20 mm. If it is in the said range, the infant will be easy to hold | grip the enlarged diameter part 64 with a goo grip.

  The distance L2 from the tip of the head part 2 to the center of the enlarged diameter part 64 is appropriately determined according to the subject to be cleaned in the oral cavity with the toothbrush 1. If the toothbrush 1 is for children, the distance L2 is preferably 80 to 120 mm. If it is in the said range, the infant will hold | grip the enlarged diameter part 64 with a goo grip, and will operate the toothbrush 1 easily.

  Although the minimum diameter R3 in the neck part 4 is not specifically limited, For example, 3-5 mm is preferable.

The toothbrush 1 is obtained by a conventionally known manufacturing method. An example of the manufacturing method of the toothbrush 1 is demonstrated.
In the manufacturing method of this example, a resin forming the base is injected into the primary mold to obtain the base, the base is placed in the secondary mold, and the covering portion 70 is configured in that state. A secondary molding step of injecting the resin to be injected into the secondary mold, and a planting step of planting the hair bundle 22 on the hair planting surface 20 of the head portion 2.

In the primary molding step, a known injection molding method is applied to obtain a substrate on which a concave portion corresponding to the covering portion 70 is formed.
In the secondary molding step, the base body is placed in the secondary mold, and then the resin constituting the coating portion 70 is injected into the secondary mold to form the coating portion 70 to obtain the handle body. At this time, by forming the exposed portion 72, the base body can be satisfactorily fixed in the secondary mold.
Next, the toothbrush 1 is obtained by implanting the hair bundle 22 on the flocked surface 20 of the obtained handle body. As a method of planting the hair bundle 22, for example, a flat-line type flocking in which the hair bundle is planted by folding the hair bundle in half and driving a flat wire sandwiched between them into the flocking hole, and flocking the lower end of the hair bundle In-mold method that molds the flocked part by injecting the molten resin into the mold after forming the molten lump by heating the lower end of the hair bundle into the molten resin that is pressed into the molten resin to be fixed Is mentioned.

Next, how to use the toothbrush 1 will be described by taking as an example the case of cleaning the oral cavity of an infant.
First, the infant grasps an arbitrary position of the handle portion 6 with a goo grip and cleans his or her mouth. At this time, the infant can grip the handle portion 6 with strong force by operating the toothbrush 1 by grasping the handle portion 6 around the enlarged diameter portion 64. In addition, since the exposed portion 72 from which the hard resin is exposed is formed in the enlarged diameter portion 64, the infant can grip the handle portion 6 more strongly.

  Subsequently, when the adult polishes the finish in the oral cavity of the infant, the finger is applied to the first constricted portion 62 or the second constricted portion 66 and the handle portion 6 is gripped by a pen grip type. Since the first constricted portion 62 and the second constricted portion 66 are reduced in diameter, the handle portion 6 is easily gripped by a pen grip type. In addition, since the handle portion 6 is formed with the first constricted portion 62 and the second constricted portion 66, a suitable gripping position can be selected according to the site to be cleaned, such as the front teeth and the back teeth. Furthermore, since the covering part 70 is formed in the 1st narrow part 62 and the 2nd narrow part 66, the finger | toe which grips the handle | steering-wheel part 6 is hard to get tired, and a finger is hard to slip.

As described above, in the toothbrush 1 of the present embodiment, the first narrow portion 62 and the second narrow portion 66 are formed in the handle portion 6, and the gap between the first narrow portion 62 and the second narrow portion 66 is formed. Since it is set as the enlarged diameter part 64, it is easy to handle both for users who are not skilled in cleaning their own oral cavity and for users who are finishing and polishing others.
The toothbrush 1 of this embodiment is suitable as a toothbrush for children, particularly for infants.

The present invention is not limited to the embodiment described above.
In the above-described embodiment, the constricted portion is formed at two positions of the handle portion, but the present invention only requires that the constricted portion is formed at two or more positions. However, if there are too many constricted portions, the length of the toothbrush becomes excessively long and difficult to handle, or the distance between the constricted portions may be too short, making it difficult to grasp with a goo grip. For this reason, as for a constricted part, 2-3 places are preferable.

  In the above-described embodiment, the maximum diameters of the front part, the enlarged diameter part, and the rear part are the same, but the present invention is not limited to this, and the maximum diameters of the front part, the enlarged diameter part, and the rear part are the same. They may be different from each other. However, it is preferable that at least the maximum diameter of the enlarged diameter portion is the maximum diameter of the handle portion from the viewpoint that the handle portion can be gripped more strongly by the Goo grip or palm grip type, and the maximum of the front portion, the enlarged diameter portion and the rear portion is preferred. More preferably, the diameters are the same.

In the above embodiment, the handle section has a substantially circular cross section. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the handle section may have a substantially polygonal cross section. The term “substantially polygonal” is a concept that includes one in which a corner of a curve is formed at each apex, and one in which some sides are formed by arcs.
In the above-described embodiment, the cross sections of the neck portion, the front portion, the enlarged diameter portion, the constricted portion, and the rear portion are all substantially circular, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the cross section of any of the neck portion, the front portion, the enlarged diameter portion, the constricted portion, and the rear portion may be substantially polygonal.

In the above-mentioned embodiment, the plane part is formed on the front and back of the rear part, but the present invention is not limited to this, and the plane part may be formed only on either the front or back of the rear part, The flat portion may not be formed.
In the above-described embodiment, the planar portion is formed on the back surface of the enlarged diameter portion, but the present invention is not limited to this, and the planar portion may be formed on the surface of the enlarged diameter portion, or the enlarged diameter portion. A flat surface portion may be formed on the front and back surfaces, and a flat surface portion may not be formed on the enlarged diameter portion.

  In the above-described embodiment, the constricted portion is covered with the soft resin to form the covering portion. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the covering portion may not be formed. A part may be formed. When the handle portion is gripped by the pen grip type, it is preferable that the covering portion is formed in the region including the constricted portion so that the fingers are less fatigued and the fingers are more difficult to slip.

In the above-described embodiment, the protrusions are formed on both the first and second constricted portions, but the present invention is not limited to this, and the protrusion is formed only on one of the first and second constricted portions. A part may be formed, and the projection part does not need to be formed in the 1st and 2nd constriction part.
In the above-described embodiment, the protruding portion is formed in the rear portion, but the present invention is not limited to this, and the protruding portion may not be formed in the rear portion.

  In the above-described embodiment, the exposed portion is formed in the enlarged diameter portion, but the present invention is not limited to this, and the exposed portion may not be formed in the enlarged diameter portion.

In the above-described embodiment, 16 hair bundles are planted on the flocked surface, but the present invention is not limited to this, and the number of hair bundles may be 15 or less, or 17 or more.
In the above-described embodiment, the hair bundles are arranged in a staggered manner, but the present invention is not limited to this, and any arrangement pattern of the hair bundles may be used.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Toothbrush 2 Head part 4 Neck part 6 Handle part 8 Rear end 20 Flocking surface 22 Hair bundle 62 First constricted part 64 Expanded diameter part 66 Second constricted part 70 Covering part 72 Exposed part

Claims (2)

In a toothbrush comprising a handle part, a neck part extending to the handle part, and a head part provided at the tip of the neck part, and a plurality of hair bundles are implanted on the flocking surface of the head part,
The handle portion is formed with two or more constricted portions that gradually decrease in diameter from the rear end toward the neck portion and then expand,
The constricted portion is recessed in an arc shape in a plan view and a side view ,
The toothbrush characterized in that the handle portion has a portion covered with a soft resin and a portion not covered with a soft resin, and at least the constricted portion is covered with a soft resin . In a toothbrush comprising a handle part, a neck part extending to the handle part, and a head part provided at the tip of the neck part, and a plurality of hair bundles are implanted on the flocking surface of the head part,
The handle portion is formed with two or more constricted portions that gradually decrease in diameter from the rear end toward the neck portion and then expand,
The constricted portion is covered with a soft resin,
The toothbrush characterized by forming the area | region which is not coat | covered with the said soft resin between the arbitrary said narrow part and the narrow part adjacent to this narrow part.

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