JPH0147191B2 - - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to an electric toothbrush that treats and prevents dental diseases such as alveolar pyorrhea by passing electricity through the toothbrush.

There is an electric therapy device used by dentists to treat alveolar pyorrhea, which the patient holds in their hand and applies the tip to the affected area.The principle of this device is the same as that of the toothbrush of the present invention, and electricity is passed to the affected area. Its therapeutic effects have already been recognized.

However, since this treatment had to be continued over a long period of time, it was difficult for the average person to go to the hospital, and important teeth often had to be extracted.

In the past, a toothbrush that applied the principle of this treatment device was commercially available.

This toothbrush has a dry battery housed inside its handle, a current-carrying element in contact with one electrode exposed in the grip, and a front electrical path exposed from the other electrode to the tip of the brush. During use, the current-carrying element in the grip comes into contact with the hand, and a circuit is formed between the human body and the moisture in the mouth between the electric circuit exposed in the front part of the brush part, thereby sterilizing teeth, gums, and the inside of the oral cavity. It has the effect of promoting blood circulation to the gums, etc., and giving vitality.

However, with this conventional toothbrush, the toothbrush remains wet after use, and when it is placed in a toothbrush holder,
Since the brush part at the tip is forced to face upward, the moisture contained in the brush drips onto the handle and wets the current-carrying element in the grip, so this moisture forms a circuit that connects the exposed part of the front electrical circuit and the current-carrying object. The battery will be consumed until the water is completely dry.
The short lifespan of dry cell batteries made them uneconomical, and the highly effective electric toothbrushes were unpopular, and production was finally discontinued, dooming them to disappear from the market.

The inventor himself was suffering from alveolar pyorrhea and was happy to see that it was effective after using this electric toothbrush. I had been using it for a long time, but I was very disappointed that it was discontinued, so I researched various ways to make dry batteries last longer, and as a result, I completed the present invention.

The configuration of the invented product will be explained below.

A DC power source such as a dry cell battery is removably housed in the handle of the toothbrush, and the current-carrying body in contact with one electrode (assumed to be one pole) of the DC power source is exposed at the edge of the handle, and the other electrode (+ A switch device that can be opened and closed inside the handle is installed in the middle of the front electric circuit exposed to the brush portion at the tip, and a part of the handle that avoids the current-carrying body in order to open and close the switch device. The device is provided with a press-fitting portion that is recessed by grip force, and the switch device, which is normally disconnected, is repeatedly turned on and off depending on the size of the recess in the press-fit portion due to changes in grip force during use.

A description will be given below based on the attached drawings illustrating embodiments.

Reference numeral 1 denotes a handle, and a DC power source 2 (dry battery) is housed inside the rear end of the handle using a cap 3 at the rear end of the handle 1 so that it can be taken in and out.

Reference numeral 4 denotes a current carrying body which is in contact with the (-) pole of the DC power supply 2 and is exposed on a part of the outer periphery of the cap 3.

5 is the front electric circuit, and the second electric circuit is installed inside the handle 1.
The tip-side front electric path 5a leading to the exposed portion 8 exposed by the brush portion 7 at the tip by the switch device 6 whose details are shown in the figure, and the (+) terminal of the DC power source 2 from the switch device 6
It is divided into a power supply side front electric circuit 5b connected to the pole.

Reference numeral 9 denotes a press-fitting part, which is made of a thin and elastic material that bulges out to cover the opening of a space 10 provided in a part of the handle 1 that avoids the current-carrying body 4, and is dented by grip force. A cylindrical switch movable body 6a with a connection 12 of the front electric circuit 5a exposed on the inner surface of the cylindrical hole is attached to the inside of this press-fitting part 9, and a switch movable body 6a is provided protruding into a space 10 in the handle 1. The cylindrical switch fixing body 6b is inserted into the cylindrical hole of the switch movable body 6a, and a power supply side front electric circuit 5b in contact with the (+) pole of the DC power supply 2 is provided on the outer periphery of the switch fixing body 6b. several stages of parallel contacts 13 connected to
This parallel contact 13 is exposed at a position opposite to the contact 12 of the front electric circuit 5a on the distal end side, and when not in use, a spring 11 fitted to the outer periphery of the switch movable body 6a is press-fitted. The part 9 protrudes outward and bulges, and thus the second
When the press-fitting part 9 bulges out as shown in the figure, the front electric circuit 5b on the distal end side is disconnected by the switch device 6, and when the press-fitting part 9 is depressed by the grip force during use, the switch movable body 6a is activated by the spring. 11 is pressed and pushed in, the contact 12 is lowered, and the parallel contact 1
3, the front electric circuit 5 is connected or disconnected when it comes into contact with or separates from any one of them.

With the above-described configuration, the present invention has the front electric circuit 5 disconnected when not in use, but when in use, by squeezing the handle 1, the press-fitting part 9 is pressed and recessed, so the front electric circuit is disconnected by the switch device 6. It will turn on or off depending on the strength, and when the switch device 6 is turned on, the exposed part will be transferred from the hand touching the current carrying body 4 to the tip-side front electric circuit 5a via saliva and moisture in the arm and mouth. An electric circuit will be formed from 7 to the power source, and since the grip force on the handle changes constantly while brushing teeth, this electric circuit will be turned on and off repeatedly by the switch device 6. .

Therefore, electricity is repeatedly connected and disconnected to the teeth and gums, and at the moment electricity is connected, a large current flows and can give strong stimulation to the teeth and gums, so it is necessary to repeatedly turn on and off in this way. This method has a greater effect on treating problems such as alveolar pyorrhea than the conventional method of continuously applying electricity, and the prevention and treatment of dental diseases can be done naturally every time you brush your teeth. can keep the body healthy.

When the toothbrush is not in use, even if the toothbrush is wet, the front electric circuit 5 is cut off internally, so no electric circuit is formed and the DC power source 2 is not consumed.

Assuming that the DC power supply 2 uses a dry cell battery with a lifespan of 24 hours, conventional batteries could only be used for 2 to 3 days due to discharge due to water exposure, but according to this proposal, the lifespan would be 24 x 60 minutes = 1440 minutes. If the average time per tooth brushing is 3 minutes, then 1440 ÷ 3 = 480, that is, one dry battery can be used 480 times, and if you brush your teeth once a day, it will take 1
It can be used for nearly 4 months per year, and even if used twice a day, it can be used for nearly 7 months, so the battery consumption is extremely small.

Furthermore, since this product uses low DC voltage, you won't feel any pain during actual use, so you won't know if the dry cell battery is exhausted or not.

Therefore, it is convenient to use a voltage detection case 14 that serves both as a voltage detector and a case as shown in FIG.

This voltage detection case 14 includes contact parts 15 and 16 where the current-carrying body 4 and the exposed part 7 at the tip of the brush part come into contact when the electric toothbrush is inserted with the brush part 7 facing downward, and a pilot lamp 17 is interposed between them. Since the voltage detection path 18 is configured as shown in FIG. It's easy to know.

Further, although the brush portion at the tip is not shown, if it is constructed so that it can be replaced in a cassette type, it can be easily replaced when worn out, which is economical.

As stated above, this invention eliminates the drawbacks of conventional electric toothbrushes, completely prevents wasteful consumption of power, is economical for long-term use, and is easy to use. Electricity flows intermittently in response to changes in grip strength, which further strengthens the stimulation and strengthens the sterilizing power.It has a therapeutic effect comparable to that of a dentist's treatment, and a preventive effect that can be achieved through daily routine actions. It is possible to provide an extremely excellent electric toothbrush that is obtained naturally and has a wonderful effect of protecting dental health, which is a problem for all humankind, and brings great good news to many people with poor teeth.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a vertical cross-sectional view showing an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is an enlarged detailed view of the switch device portion of FIG. 1,
FIG. 3 is a cutaway plan view showing the voltage detection case. 1...Handle, 2...DC power supply, 3...Cap,
4... Current carrying body, 5... Front electric circuit, 6... Switch device, 7... Brush part, 8... Exposed part, 9... Press-fitting part.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A DC power supply is housed in the handle of the toothbrush, and the current-carrying body that contacts one electrode of the DC power supply is exposed in the grip part of the handle, and the front electrical circuit that is in contact with the other electrode is exposed in the brush part at the tip. In an electric toothbrush that forms a circuit that goes through the hand and the oral cavity, a switch device that can be opened and closed inside the handle is installed in the middle of the front electric circuit. A recessed part that is recessed by grip force is provided in a part that avoids the current-carrying body, and the size of the recess in the press-fit part due to changes in grip force during use changes.
An electric toothbrush characterized in that a switch device that is normally turned off is configured to repeatedly turn on and off.