JP7076165B1 - Intertooth cleaning tool - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an interdental cleaning tool capable of easily adjusting the tension of floss. SOLUTION: This is an interdental cleaning tool 1 that holds a floss F, installs a part of the floss F, inserts it between teeth, and cleans the floss F, directly or indirectly on a handle 11 and a handle 11 gripped by a user. Three or more support points 31, 32, 33, 23 that are combined and support the floss F having a predetermined length and divide it into a plurality of sections F1, F2, F3, F4, and the length of the path through which the floss passes. A means for changing the route length to be changed is provided. The path length changing means is a support point moving means for moving at least one of the support points, has a slide piece 20 that slides along the extending direction of the handle 11, and the support point 23 is provided on the slide piece 20. Has been done. [Selection diagram] Fig. 2

Description

The present invention relates to an interdental cleaning tool for inserting and cleaning an erected floss between teeth.

As a method of cleaning the space between teeth, a method of inserting a thread called floss between the teeth and moving the floss to remove dirt is known. As a tool for inserting floss between teeth, an interdental cleaning tool for erection and holding floss is known.

Most conventional interdental cleaning tools have two arms, and are configured by fixing both ends of a taut floss to the tip of the arm. When such an interdental cleaning tool is used, the tension of the floss is large, so that it is easy to insert it between the teeth. On the other hand, since the taut floss is maintained in a straight line, there is a problem that the contact area between the floss and the teeth during cleaning becomes small and the cleaning efficiency is low. In order to increase the contact area between the floss and the teeth during cleaning, it is sufficient to clean with loose floss, but if the tension of the floss is low, it becomes difficult to insert the floss between the teeth.

On the other hand, there is known an interdental cleaning tool capable of cleaning the interdental space by separating two arms having both ends of the floss fixed from each other (see Patent Document 1). The interdental cleaning tool disclosed in Patent Document 1 can loosen the floss by separating the two arms, thereby increasing the contact area between the floss and the teeth during cleaning and improving the cleaning efficiency. be able to.

In the interdental cleaning tool disclosed in Patent Document 1, when the two arms are separated to clean the interdental space, it is necessary to hold the arms with each of the left and right hands to move the floss, and it is necessary to move the floss with one hand. I couldn't operate it. Further, the interdental cleaning tool disclosed in Patent Document 1 is configured so that the floss is taut in a state where the two arms are connected. Therefore, it is necessary to perform a complicated operation of connecting the two arms when inserting the floss between the teeth and separating the two arms when cleaning the space between the teeth.

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2020-124483

In view of the above problems, it is an object of the present invention to provide an interdental cleaning tool capable of easily adjusting the tension of floss.

The present invention has been made to solve the above problems, and the invention according to claim 1 is an interdental cleaning tool that holds floss, erections a part thereof, and inserts and cleans the floss between teeth. The floss, which extends in the anteroposterior direction and is directly or indirectly coupled to the handle held by the user and has a predetermined length and is formed in a loop shape, is supported by four sections. It is provided with four support points for separating and a slide piece that slides along the extending direction of the handle, and the erection section to be inserted between the teeth in the section extends substantially parallel to the handle, and the slide piece . Is provided with one said support point located at the rear end of the erection section and another said support point adjacent to the erection section on the opposite side of the one said support point. It is an interdental cleaning tool characterized in that the length of the erection section is changed by sliding the slide piece.

According to the first aspect of the present invention, by sliding the slide piece, the tension of the floss can be easily adjusted, the length of the erection section can be adjusted , and the floss can be easily attached and replaced. Interdental cleaning tools can be provided.

According to the present invention, it is possible to provide an interdental cleaning tool capable of easily adjusting the tension of floss.

It is a perspective view which shows the interdental cleaning tool which concerns on 1st Embodiment of this invention. It is a figure which shows the interdental cleaning tool which concerns on 1st Embodiment of this invention, (a) is the front view, (b) is the enlargement which shows the part A of (a) enlarged by omitting floss. It is a figure, (c) is a cross-sectional view which shows the cross section BB of (b). It is a figure which shows the interdental cleaning tool which concerns on the 2nd Embodiment of this invention, (a) is the front view which shows by omitting a part, (b) shows the cross section CC of (a). It is a sectional view. It is a front view which shows the interdental cleaning tool which concerns on 3rd Embodiment of this invention.

Next, an embodiment of the interdental cleaning tool to which the present invention is applied will be described with reference to the drawings. Since the embodiments described below are suitable embodiments of the present invention, various technically preferable limitations are attached, but the scope of the present invention particularly limits the present invention in the following description. Unless otherwise stated, the present invention is not limited to these aspects.

(First Embodiment)
The interdental cleaning tool according to the first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2. FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an interdental cleaning tool according to the first embodiment of the present invention. 2A and 2B are views showing an interdental cleaning tool according to the first embodiment of the present invention, where FIG. 2A is a front view and FIG. 2B is an enlarged view showing a portion A of FIG. 2A in an enlarged manner. (C) is a cross-sectional view showing a cross section BB of (b).

First, a specific configuration of the interdental cleaning tool 1 according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2. The interdental cleaning tool 1 has a main body 10 and a slide piece 20 as main components, and holds the floss F by these. The main body portion 10 has a handle 11 extending in the front-rear direction and an arm 12 extending downward from the front end portion of the handle 11. The handle 11 has a size that can be gripped by the user's fingers, and extends back and forth in a certain cross section. The main body portion 10 has a corner portion 31 on the upper side of the front end portion of the handle 11, and has a corner portion 32 on the front side of the lower end portion of the arm 12.

As shown in FIG. 2A, the slide piece 20 has an insertion hole 21 penetrating in the front-rear direction, and the handle 11 is inserted into the insertion hole 21. As a result, the slide piece 20 is configured to be slidable back and forth along the handle 11. Further, the slide piece 20 has an arm 22 extending downward and a columnar operating protrusion 23 protruding upward. The slide piece 20 has a corner portion 33 on the rear side of the lower end of the arm 22. The user can slide the slide piece 20 by touching the operation protrusion 23 with a finger while holding the handle 11. The finger for operating the operation protrusion 23 is arbitrary, but a thumb or index finger is preferable.

The floss F used in the present embodiment is formed in a loop shape with a predetermined length, and the interdental cleaning tool 1 holds the floss F so as to pass through a predetermined path. The floss F is supported by the corners 31 and 32 of the main body 10, the corner 33 of the slide piece 20, and the operation protrusion 23. The floss F is divided into four sections by being supported by these support points, and the erection section F1 is divided between the corner portion 32 and the corner portion 33, and the erection section F1 is divided between the corner portion 33 and the operation protrusion 23. The section F2 is divided into a section F3 between the operation protrusion 23 and the corner portion 31, and a section F4 is separated between the corner portion 31 and the corner portion 32. The erection section F1 is inserted between the teeth and used for cleaning. The erection section F1 extends in parallel with the handle 11.

The floss F is wound around the operating protrusion 23, whereby the floss F is fixedly supported by the operating protrusion 23. The corner portions 31, 32, 33 have holding grooves 31a, 32a, 33a for holding the floss F, respectively. Since the configurations of these holding grooves are the same, the holding groove 32a will be described as an example. As shown in FIG. 2B, the corner portion 32 is provided with a holding groove 32a so as to penetrate vertically adjacent surfaces. The floss F is housed in the holding groove 32a, but is held movably without being restricted in the extending direction of the floss F. As a result, the tension of the floss F becomes the same in all the sections.

As shown in FIG. 2 (c), the holding groove 32a is provided with a narrow portion 32b formed to have a narrow width. The floss F held by the holding groove 32a is held deeper than the narrow portion 32b, and is configured to be difficult to fall out even when the tension is low. As shown in FIG. 2A, the floss F that passes through the holding groove 32a and goes out from the end surface 12a of the arm 12 is exposed while being in contact with the end surface 12a of the arm 12. The holding grooves 31a and 33a are also configured in the same manner as the holding grooves 32a. The floss F that passes through the holding groove 33a and exits from the end surface 22a of the arm 22 is exposed while being in contact with the end surface 22a of the arm 22. Therefore, in the erection section F1, the floss F is arranged below the end faces 12a and 22a of the arms 12 and 22, respectively.

The corner portions 31 and 32 are provided in the main body portion 10, while the corner portions 33 and the operation protrusion 23 are provided in the slide piece 20. That is, the corner portions 31 and 32 are directly connected to the handle 11, and the corner portions 33 and the operation protrusion 23 are indirectly connected to the handle 11. Therefore, when the slide piece 20 is slid while the floss F is held by the interdental cleaning tool 1, the corner portion 33 and the operation protrusion 23, which are support points, move, and the length of the path through which the floss F passes changes. .. That is, when the slide piece 20 is slid forward, the length of the path through which the floss F passes becomes short, and the tension of the floss F decreases and the floss F loosens. When the slide piece 20 is slid backward, the length of the path through which the floss F passes becomes long, and the tension of the floss F increases and the floss F becomes taut.

Further, when the slide piece 20 is slid, the distance between the corner portion 32 and the corner portion 33 also changes. That is, the length of the erection section F1 formed between them can be changed by sliding the slide piece 20.

Next, a method of cleaning the interdental space using the interdental cleaning tool 1 according to the present embodiment will be described. First, the user sets the loop-shaped floss F in the interdental cleaning tool 1 (see FIGS. 1 and 2). The length of the floss F may be set based on the length of the erection section F1, and the length of the erection section F1 may be set according to the size of the teeth to be cleaned and the size of the mouth. Then, the handle 11 is grasped, and the operation protrusion 23 is operated with a finger to slide the slide piece 20 backward. Then, the tension of the floss F increases, and the erection section F1 is taut. Then, the erection section F1 is inserted between the teeth. After being inserted between the teeth, the interdental cleaning tool 1 is moved to clean the interdental space by the floss F in the erection section F1. At this time, when the user operates the operation protrusion 23 with a finger and slides the slide piece 20 forward, the tension of the floss F decreases and the erection section F1 loosens. When the erection section F1 is pressed against the teeth in a loosened state, the contact area between the floss F and the teeth becomes large, and the cleaning efficiency can be improved. When the floss F is separated from the interdental space, the slide piece 20 is slid backward to increase the tension of the floss F, so that the floss F can be easily separated.

When the interdental cleaning tool 1 is used, the tension of the floss F can be easily adjusted with one hand, and the interdental space can be efficiently cleaned. The user can switch between a loose state and a taut state of the floss F simply by moving a finger. Further, since the floss F is housed in the holding grooves 31a, 32a, 33a and is wound and held by the operating protrusion 23, there is little possibility that the floss F will be separated from the interdental cleaning tool 1 even if the floss F is loosened. Since the floss F has a loop shape, it can be easily attached to and replaced with the interdental cleaning tool 1. Further, by sliding the slide piece 20, the length of the erection section F1 can be changed.

(Second embodiment)
The interdental cleaning tool according to the second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. 3A and 3B are views showing an interdental cleaning tool according to a second embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 3A is a front view showing a part omitted, and FIG. 3B is a cross section C of FIG. 3A. It is sectional drawing which shows -C.

The only difference between the interdental cleaning tool 2 according to the present embodiment and the interdental cleaning tool 1 according to the first embodiment is the configuration of the slide piece 20. That is, the slide piece 20 of the interdental cleaning tool 2 according to the present embodiment has a set screw 24 as shown in FIG. When the set screw 24 is loosened, the slide piece 20 can freely slide with respect to the handle 11. When the set screw 24 is tightened, the end portion of the set screw 24 hits the handle 11, so that the slide piece 20 can be fixed to the handle 11 at an arbitrary position.

When the interdental cleaning tool 2 according to the present embodiment is used, the length of the erection section F1 is fixed when the set screw 24 is tightened, so that the length of the floss F can be set or the floss F can be cleaned between the teeth. It becomes easy to hold it in the tool 2. In the state where the set screw 24 is loosened, it can be used in the same manner as the interdental cleaning tool 1 according to the first embodiment. Further, even with the set screw 24 tightened, the user can change the length of the path through which the floss F passes by pressing or loosening the floss F in the section F3 from above with a finger, and the floss F can be changed. It becomes possible to adjust the tension.

(Third embodiment)
The interdental cleaning tool according to the third embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 4 is a front view showing an interdental cleaning tool according to a third embodiment of the present invention.

The difference between the interdental cleaning tool 3 according to the present embodiment and the interdental cleaning tool 1 according to the first embodiment is that the slide piece 20 is not provided with an arm and the main body 10 is provided with two arms. It is being done. That is, as shown in FIG. 4, the main body 10 of the interdental cleaning tool 3 according to the present embodiment has two arms 12 and 13 extending downward from the handle 11. The arm 12 is located at the front end of the handle 11, and the arm 13 is located behind it. The main body portion 10 has a corner portion 32 on the front side of the lower end of the arm 12, and has a corner portion 33 on the rear side of the lower end of the arm 13. Similar to the first embodiment, the slide piece 20 is configured to be slidable back and forth along the handle 11, and has a columnar operating protrusion 23 protruding upward. The user can slide the slide piece 20 by touching the operation protrusion 23 with a finger while holding the handle 11.

The floss F used in the present embodiment is formed in a loop shape with a predetermined length, and the interdental cleaning tool 3 holds the floss F so as to pass through a predetermined path. The floss F is supported by the corner portions 31, 32, 33 of the main body portion 10 and the operating protrusion 23 of the slide piece 20. The floss F is divided into four sections by being supported by these support points, and the erection section F1 is divided between the corner portion 32 and the corner portion 33, and the erection section F1 is divided between the corner portion 33 and the operation protrusion 23. The section F2 is divided into the operation protrusion 23 and the corner section F3, and the section F4 is divided between the corner portion 31 and the corner portion 32. The erection section F1 is inserted between the teeth and used for cleaning. The erection section F1 extends in parallel with the handle 11.

In the interdental cleaning tool 3 according to the present embodiment, the floss F is wound around the operation protrusion 23 and fixedly supported, and the corner portions 31, 32, and 33 hold the floss F, respectively, as in the first embodiment. It has a holding groove and supports the floss F as in the first embodiment.

The corner portions 31, 32, 33 are provided on the main body portion 10, while the operation protrusion 23 is provided on the slide piece 20. Therefore, when the slide piece 20 is slid while the floss F is held by the interdental cleaning tool 3, the operation protrusion 23, which is a support point, moves, and the length of the path through which the floss F passes changes. That is, when the slide piece 20 is slid forward, the length of the path through which the floss F passes becomes short, and the tension of the floss F decreases and the floss F loosens. When the slide piece 20 is slid backward, the length of the path through which the floss F passes becomes long, and the tension of the floss F increases and the floss F becomes taut.

That is, the interdental cleaning tool 3 according to the present embodiment can easily adjust the tension of the floss F with one hand as in the first embodiment, and can efficiently clean the interdental space. Since the erection section F1 of the interdental cleaning tool 3 according to the present embodiment is formed between the arm 12 and the arm 13 of the main body 10, the length of the section does not change.

(Other variants)
In the above-described embodiment, the erection section F1 is set parallel to the handle 11 to form a so-called "F-shaped" interdental cleaning tool, but the angle between the erection section and the handle is arbitrary. It can be set and can be configured as a so-called "Y-shaped" interdental cleaning tool that sets the erection section perpendicular to the handle. Specifically, if the arms 12 and 13 in the third embodiment described above are arranged on the left and right instead of being arranged on the front and back, the erection section extends to the left and right and is perpendicular to the direction in which the handle extends. If a fulcrum of floss is provided on the slide piece that slides along the extending direction of the handle, the length of the path through which the floss passes can be changed by sliding the slide piece, and the tension of the floss can be adjusted.

Further, in all of the above-described embodiments, the floss is formed in a loop shape, but the floss is not limited to this form, and a floss having both ends can be used. The end of the floss may be fixed to the support point at the end of the section including the erection section.

1, 2, 3 Tooth cleaning tool 10 Main body 11 Handle 12 Arm 12a End face 13 Arm 20 Slide piece (path length changing means, support point moving means)
21 Insertion hole 22 Arm 22a End face 23 Operation protrusion (support point)
24 Set screw 31, 32, 33 Square part (support point)
31a, 32a, 33a Holding groove 32b Narrow portion F Floss F1 Elevation section F2, F3, F4 section

Claims (1)

An interdental cleaning tool that holds floss, installs a part of it, inserts it between teeth, and cleans it.
A handle that extends in the front-back direction and is gripped by the user,
Four support points that are directly or indirectly coupled to the handle, support the floss of a predetermined length and formed in a loop, and divide it into four sections.
A slide piece that slides along the extending direction of the handle is provided.
Of the sections, the erection section inserted between the teeth extends substantially parallel to the handle.
The slide piece is provided with one support point located at the rear end of the erection section and another support point adjacent to the erection section on the opposite side of the one support point. And
An interdental cleaning tool characterized in that the length of the erection section is changed by sliding the slide piece.

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