JPH0734549U - Liquid tight battery holder - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) [Summary] [Object] To provide a liquid-tight battery holder capable of preventing entry of water or the like into the holder member due to loosening of the cap member. A cap member 20 detachably attached to one end of the holder member 10 having a holder member 10 having a female screw portion 12 formed at one end thereof and a male screw portion 21 screwed to the female screw portion 12. And the cap member 20 is mounted on the holder member 10 on the side where the engagement ends of both screw portions 12 and 21 are open, and within a predetermined angle range from the latter half of screwing of the cap member 20 to the holder member 10 to the completion of screwing. 20 is pressed into contact with the holder member 10 and the cap member 20.
A seal ring 24 that seals the space between the holder member 10 and the cap member 20 is provided, and the cap member 20 is screwed onto the holder member 10 so as to approach each other and come into contact with each other within a predetermined angle range. The holder-side contact piece 33 and the cap-side contact piece 35 that close the power feeding circuit are provided.

Description

[Detailed description of the device]

[0001]

[Industrial applications]

 The present invention relates to a liquid-tight battery holder suitable for a portable electric toothbrush, an electric toothbrush, a penlight and the like.

[0002]

[Prior art]

 Conventionally, as an electric toothbrush or an electric toothbrush cleaning brush, an interdental toothbrush or a toothbrush is detachably attached to one end of a substantially cylindrical holder member, and an electric motor and a battery for driving the electric toothbrush are mounted in the holder member. Then, the other end of the holder member is liquid-tightly sealed with a cap member, the eccentric weight is fixed to the rotating shaft of the electric motor, and vibration between the eccentric weight causes vibration between the holder member and the interdental cleaning brush. Various types have been proposed for applying vibration to the head.

Normally, the electric toothbrush and the electric interdental cleaning brush are required to have sufficient water-tightness because they are used in a washroom or the like. For example, as shown in FIG. 9, a male screw portion of a holder member 100 is required. The female screw portion 103 of the cap member 102 is screwed onto the 101, the seal ring 104 is attached to the base end portion of the male screw portion 101, and the cap member 102 is screwed into the holder member 100, whereby the seal ring 104 is pressed against the tip of the cap member 102 so as to seal between the two, and the positive electrode of the battery 105 is directly connected to one terminal of the electric motor for power supply to the electric motor. Then, the other terminal of the electric motor is extended to near the opening of the holder member 100 via the strip-shaped wiring plate 106 or the like, and the negative electrode of the battery 105 is connected to the cap member. The strip-shaped connection plate 108 connected to the spring terminal 107 installed inside the spring 102 is mounted between the wiring plate 106 and the peripheral wall portion of the holder member 100 to connect the spring terminal 107 to the wiring plate 106. In addition to being electrically connected to the power supply circuit, a switch is provided in the middle of the power supply circuit, and the electric motor is driven by operating the switch.

[0004]

[Problems to be solved by the device]

 By the way, in the electric toothbrush and the electric toothbrush cleaning brush, the power supply circuit is connected even when the cap member is slightly loose, and the electric motor is driven when the switch is operated, so it is noticed that the cap member is loose. There is a problem in that water etc. will enter the holder member and corrode the electric motor, battery, wiring etc. After turning off the switch without noticing it is loose, it may be washed with water to clean the entire body or left wet with toothpaste. In such a case, water invades inside, causing corrosion of the wiring plate, electric motor, and battery, which is a cause of failure, and the screw part of the cap part does not loosen due to the solidification of toothpaste, There is a problem that it cannot be opened and closed. An object of the present invention is to provide a liquid-tight battery holder which can prevent water and the like from entering the holder member due to loosening of the cap member.

[0005]

[Means for Solving the Problems]

 A liquid-tight battery holder according to claim 1 has a holder member capable of accommodating a battery inside a holder-side screw portion formed at one end, and a cap-side screw portion screwed into the holder-side screw portion. A cap member removably attached to one end of the holder member to close an opening at one end of the holder member; and a cap member on one of the holder member and one of the cap members on a side where the meshing ends are open, A seal ring that is pressed against the cap member or the holder member to seal between the holder member and the cap member within a predetermined angle range from the latter half of screwing the cap member to the holder member to the completion of screwing, and the holder member. And the cap member, respectively, and the cap member is screwed onto the holder member so as to come close to each other and come into contact with each other within the range of the predetermined angle and supply. It is obtained by a holder side contact piece and the cap side contact piece to close the circuit.

Here, as in claim 2, the holder side contact piece and the cap side contact piece constitute a contact of a switch of a power feeding circuit, and the cap member is rotated within the range of the predetermined angle. Thus, the power supply circuit may be configured to switch between a closed state and an open state, and the switch for switching the power supply circuit between the closed state and the open state in the holder member or the cap member according to claim 3. Or a play in the axial direction may be provided between the holder-side screw portion and the cap-side screw portion.

[0007]

[Action]

 In the liquid-tight battery holder according to claim 1, the seal ring attached to the holder member or the cap member is capped within a predetermined angle from the latter half of screwing the cap member into the holder member to the completion of screwing. The holder member and the cap member are pressed against each other to seal the gap between the holder member and the cap member, and within this predetermined angle range, the holder-side contact piece provided on the holder member comes into contact with the cap-side contact piece provided on the cap member. Then, the power supply circuit is closed and it is possible to supply power to the electric motor. In other words, the power supply circuit is not closed until the holder member and the cap member are securely sealed by screwing the cap member into the holder member within the range of the predetermined angle, and the motor Since it is not possible to drive the motor, etc., this informs the user that the seal is not securely made, and inevitably the seal cannot be used in an uncertain state. Also, since the seal ring is attached to the portion of the holder member or the cap member on the side where the meshing ends of both members are open, the seal ring prevents the toothpaste, etc., from being applied to the meshing portion of the holder side screw part and the cap side screw part. It is possible to reliably prevent intrusion.

When the holder side contact piece and the cap side contact piece constitute a switch contact of the power feeding circuit, the cap member can be rotated within a predetermined angle range. It is possible to switch the power supply circuit between the closed state and the open state with the seal between the holder member and the cap member being surely sealed.

When the holder member or the cap member is provided with the switch for switching the power feeding circuit between the closed state and the open state, the holder member and the cap member are not reliably sealed. Then, it becomes impossible to close the power supply circuit even if the switch is operated, and it becomes possible to inform the user that the seal is not surely made.

When the holder-side screw portion and the cap-side screw portion are provided with play in the axial direction, the holder-side contact piece and the cap-side contact piece can be pressed until just before they come into contact with each other. It is possible to screw the cap member into the holder member and push the cap member to close the power feeding circuit, and to interrupt the pushing operation of the cap member to open the power feeding circuit.

[0011]

【Example】

 Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. The present embodiment is a case where the present invention is applied to a portable electric interdental brush. As shown in FIG. 1, a portable electric tooth gap cleaning brush 1 is detachably attached to a main body device 5 in which a vibration generating means 3 and a battery 4 are housed in a liquid-tight battery holder 2 and a left end portion of the main body device 5. An interdental cleaning brush 6 is provided. However, instead of the interdental cleaning brush 6, a replacement toothbrush, a gingival massage tool, or a floss unit may be attached to the main body device 5.

The liquid-tight battery holder 2 includes a substantially cylindrical holder member 10 for accommodating the vibration generating unit 3 and the battery 4, a cap member 20 detachably attached to the holder member 10, and a vibration generating unit 3. And the wiring means 30 that constitutes the power feeding circuit.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the holder member 10 is a bottomed cylindrical member having a closed left end portion, and an interdental cleaning brush 6 can be attached to and detached from the left end portion of the holder member 10. Four holding claws 11 for holding the inner peripheral surface of the holder member 10 are formed on the inner wall portion near the right end of the holder member 10, and the inner peripheral surface is formed on the inner peripheral surface of the holder member 10 at the right end portion. A seal portion 14 having a seal surface 13 having a diameter larger than 12 is formed.

As shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, the cap member 20 is a substantially cylindrical member having a closed right end, and a male screw portion that is screwed into the female screw portion 12 is provided on the left portion of the cap member 20. 21 is formed, and the male screw portion 21 is divided into two via a pair of slits 22 extending in the left-right direction, and the right side of the male screw portion 21 (the meshing end of the female screw portion 12 and the male screw portion 21) is formed. A mounting portion 23 having a diameter larger than that of the male screw portion 21 is formed on the open side), and the mounting portion 23 is mounted in the sealing portion 14 with a slight gap and is pressure-contacted to the sealing surface 13 in a liquid-tight manner. A seal ring 24 is attached, and a grip portion 25 having a diameter larger than that of a mounting portion 23 for rotating the cap member 20 is formed on the right side of the cap member 20.

As shown in FIG. 1, the vibration generating means 3 is fixed to an electric motor 7 installed in the vicinity of the left end of the holder member 10 and a rotating shaft 7 a extending in a protruding manner to the left of the electric motor 7. The eccentric weight 8 is fixed, and the centrifugal force of the eccentric weight 8 acts on the holder member 10 to vibrate the interdental cleaning brush 6.

The wiring means 30 will be described. As shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, a cup-shaped contact piece 31 that comes into contact with the positive electrode of the battery 4 is provided at the right end of the electric motor 7 so as to cover the rotating shaft 7a. The cup-shaped contact piece 31 is connected to one terminal of the electric motor 7, a groove portion 32 extending in the left-right direction is formed in the inner wall portion of the holder member 10, and the other terminal of the electric motor 7 is formed in the groove portion 32. The connected strip-shaped holder-side contact piece 33 is attached, and the right end portion of the holder-side contact piece 33 extends into the seal portion 14 and is locked to the annular step portion 34 between the seal portion 14 and the female screw portion 12. ing.

A substantially disk-shaped cap-side contact piece 35 is fixed to the proximal end portion of the male screw portion 21 of the cap member 20, and the outer peripheral portion of the cap-side contact piece 35 is at the left end portion of the holder-side contact piece 33. A spring terminal 36 made up of a coil spring, which is arranged opposite to each other, is formed in the male screw portion 21 and has a diameter expanded substantially on the center side, and a middle portion of the spring terminal 36 is fixed to a portion near the left end of the male screw portion 21. The spring terminal 36 is locked through the piece 37, the right end of the spring terminal 36 is electrically connected to the cap-side contact piece 35, and the left end of the spring terminal 36 passes through the insertion hole 37 a formed in the locking piece 37 to the left. It is arranged so as to project toward one side and be pressed into contact with the negative electrode of the battery 4.

The holder-side contact piece 33 and the cap-side contact piece 35 constitute a contact for a switch of a power feeding circuit, and as shown in FIG. 4, the left end surface of the cap-side contact piece 35 and the center of the seal ring 24 are arranged. The distance L1 is set to be smaller than the distance L2 between the right end surface of the holder-side contact piece 33 and the left end surface of the seal portion 14, and the cap member 20 is screwed into the holder member 10 to allow the seal ring 24 to seal. 14, the holder-side contact piece 33 and the cap-side contact piece 35 are arranged with a gap L3 therebetween in a state where they are fitted inside 14 and the outer peripheral surface thereof is pressed against the seal surface 13, and as shown in FIG. By further screwing the member 20 into the holder member 10, the cap-side contact piece 35 is pressed against the holder-side contact piece 33 to close the power supply circuit, and the electric motor 7 is driven to rotate.

Here, the operation angle required to rotate and operate the cap member 20 to bring the cap-side contact piece 35 and the holder-side contact piece 33 into contact with each other, that is, to switch the power supply circuit ON / OFF. As a result of a monitor test, it was found that the required operation angle was 90 ° to 150 °, and the gap L3 was larger than the value obtained by multiplying the pitch of both screw parts by 150 ° / 360 °. It is set above the numerical value when set to 360 to 450 ° or higher. That is, by setting L3 as large as possible within the range where L3 + L1 does not exceed L2, the range of the sealing effect can be expanded.

Next, the operation of the electric interdental cleaning brush 1 will be described. When the cap member 20 is screwed onto the holder member 10, first, as shown in FIG. 4, the seal ring 24 is pressed against the sealing surface 13 to seal the holder member 10 in a liquid-tight manner. When 20 is screwed in at a predetermined angle, as shown in FIG. 5, with the inside of the holder member 10 sealed in a liquid-tight manner, the cap-side contact piece 35 is pressed against the holder-side contact piece 33 to close the power supply circuit. Then, the electric motor 7 is rotationally driven to apply vibration to the interdental cleaning brush 6.

On the other hand, when the cap member 20 is rotated in the opposite direction by 90 ° to 150 °, the cap-side contact piece 35 separates from the holder-side contact piece 33, and the electric motor 7 stops, as shown in FIG. . At this time, the seal ring 24 is kept in pressure contact with the seal surface 13, and the inside of the holder member 10 is kept liquid-tight. Moreover, in this state, the rotation of the cap member 20 is restricted by the seal ring 24 being pressed against the seal surface 13, and the cap member 20 is inadvertently rotated to drive the electric motor 7 or the cap member 20. Is prevented from falling off. Then, from the next time, the cap member 20 is rotated and switched between the state shown in FIG. 5 and the state shown in FIG. 2, and the power supply circuit is turned ON / OFF.

As described above, since the cap ring 20 and the holder member 10 are sealed by the seal ring 24 within the operation range of the cap member 20 for switching the electric power supply to the electric motor 7 ON / OFF, the inside of the holder member 10 is sealed. It is possible to keep the liquid tight at all times. Moreover, when the electric interdental cleaning brush 1 is used, even when the cap member 20 is loosened and the cap member 20 and the holder member 10 are not reliably sealed, as shown in FIG. As described above, it is necessary to rotate the cap member 20, which seals the gap between the cap member 20 and the holder member 10. Therefore, it is possible to reliably prevent water and the like from entering the holder member 10 during use. Is possible. Even if the cap member 20 is washed with water in a loose state, if the loosening is loose within the range where the sealing effect of the seal ring 24 is obtained, it is possible to prevent the ingress of water and the like. Is possible.

Further, since the cap side contact piece 35 is brought into contact with and separated from the holder side contact piece 33, it is possible to switch ON / OFF the energization of the electric motor 7, so that the switch structure of the power supply circuit can be realized. In addition to being simplified, the seal structure can be simplified, and the structure of the main device 5 can be greatly simplified. Furthermore, the seal ring 24 can reliably prevent the toothpaste from entering the meshing portion of the female screw portion 12 and the male screw portion 21, and the toothpaste water is hardened at the meshing portion of the screw portions 12 and 21. As a result, it is possible to prevent a problem that it becomes difficult to rotate the cap member 20.

In order to reduce the frictional resistance between the cap member 20 and the holder member 10, the seal ring 24 has its hardness set to soft eyes (hardness of about 50), and its surface is made of Teflon or the like. A low friction agent may be coated. As shown in FIG. 6, a play G is provided between the male screw portion 21 and the female screw portion 12, and the cap member 20 is screwed to a position just before the electric motor 7 is energized. By pressing, the cap-side contact piece 35 is brought into contact with the holder-side contact piece 33 through the play G between the male screw portion 21 and the female screw portion 12 to close the power supply circuit, and the cap member 20 is pushed. By suspending the operation, the cap member 20 is returned to the original position by the spring force of the spring terminal 36, the cap side contact piece 35 is separated from the holder side contact piece 33, and the power supply circuit is opened. Good.

Next, another embodiment in which the configuration of the electric interdental cleaning brush 1 is partially changed will be described. The same members as those in the above-described embodiment are designated by the same reference numerals, and detailed description thereof will be omitted. As shown in FIG. 7, this electric tooth gap cleaning brush 40 basically has a male screw portion 51 formed on the holder member 50 and a female screw portion 61 formed on the cap member 60 screwed together to form a cap. The member 60 is configured to be attached to the holder member 50.

The male screw portion 51 is formed at the right end portion of the holder member 50, a seal ring 52 is attached near the base end of the male screw portion 51, and the right end portion of the holder side contact piece 53 is the male screw portion 51. It is fixed by hooking it on the right end of the.

The cap member 60 is a cylindrical member having a bottom, and a female screw portion 61 that is screwed into the male screw portion 51 is formed on the inner wall portion near the left end of the cap member 60, and the left end portion of the cap member 60 is formed. Is formed with a seal portion 63 having a seal surface 62 having an inner diameter larger than that of the female screw portion 61, and a disc-shaped cap-side contact piece 64 faces the holder-side contact piece 53 at the rear end of the cap member 60. The spring terminal 65 is fixed to the cap-side contact piece 64. The spring terminal 65 is a coil spring whose diameter decreases toward the left.

In the electric interdental cleaning brush 1, the distance L 1 between the center of the seal ring 52 and the right end of the holder-side contact piece 53 is between the left end of the seal 63 and the left end of the cap-side contact piece 64. It is set shorter than the distance L2, the cap member 60 is screwed into the holder member 50, and the seal ring 52 is pressed against the left end of the seal, and between the holder side contact piece 53 and the cap side contact piece 64. It is configured to form a gap.

Also in the electric interdental cleaning brush 1, similar to the above-described embodiment, the electric motor 7 is turned on / off while the cap ring 60 and the holder member 50 are sealed by the seal ring 52. It is possible to effectively prevent invasion of water or the like into the holder member 50 during use, and the same operation / effect as described above can be obtained.

As shown in FIG. 8, a play G is provided between the male screw portion 51 and the female screw portion 61, and the cap member 60 is screwed to the position immediately before the electric motor 7 is energized. By pushing the cap member 60, the cap side contact piece 64 is brought into contact with the holder side contact piece 53 through the play G between the male screw portion 51 and the female screw portion 61 to close the power feeding circuit, and the cap member is closed. By stopping the pushing operation of 60, the cap member 60 is returned to the original position by the spring force of the spring terminal 65, the cap side contact piece 64 is separated from the holder side contact piece 53, and the power supply circuit is opened. You may.

Engaging projections that form long grooves in the circumferential direction on the holder members 10, 50 or the cap members 20, 60 and engage the long grooves on the cap members 20, 60 or the holder members 10, 50. And the engaging member and the long groove restrict the rotation operation range of the cap members 20 and 60, and the cap member 20 outside the rotation operation range for turning ON / OFF the energization of the electric motor 7. By restricting the turning operation of the cap member 60, the turning operation of the cap members 20 and 60 may be given a moderation feeling.

In this embodiment, the power feeding circuit is switched ON / OFF by rotating the cap members 20 and 60. However, a separate switch is provided in the power feeding circuit, and the power feeding circuit is switched by operating this switch. It may be configured to switch ON / OFF. In this embodiment, the present invention is applied to the liquid-tight battery holder 2 of the electric interdental cleaning brush 1, but the present invention can also be applied to a battery holder such as a penlight or an electric pop rubber.

[0033]

[Effect of device]

 As described in detail in the section of the action, the following effects can be obtained. According to the liquid-tight battery holder of the first aspect, the holder-side contact piece and the cap-side contact piece are separated from each other until the holder member and the cap member are reliably sealed by the seal ring, thereby dividing the power supply circuit. With such a simple structure, it is possible to prevent water from entering the holder member by prohibiting the power supply to the electric motor etc. when the cap member is loose and notifying the user of the defective seal. Is possible. In addition, the seal ring makes it possible to reliably prevent toothpaste from entering the meshing parts of the holder side screw part and the cap side screw part, and the toothpaste water hardens at the meshing parts of both screw parts, and It is possible to prevent the problem that the rotation operation of the member becomes difficult.

According to the liquid-tight battery holder of the second aspect, the contact piece of the switch of the power feeding circuit is constituted by the holder-side contact piece and the cap-side contact piece, so that the power feeding circuit can be opened and closed. It is not necessary to provide a separate switch for switching to the ON state, and it is possible to switch the power feeding circuit between the closed state and the open state with a reliable seal between the holder member and the cap member. The structure of the liquid-tight battery holder can be greatly simplified by simplifying the seal structure. Further, even if the product is washed with water in a closed state, the watertightness is maintained, so that the failure caused by the intrusion of water and the solidification phenomenon that makes it difficult to open and close the screw portion do not occur.

According to the liquid-tight battery holder of the third aspect, the power supply circuit cannot be closed even if the switch is operated unless the holder member and the cap member are securely sealed. It is possible to notify the person of the defective seal and prevent the entry of water or the like into the holder member.

According to the liquid-tight battery holder of the fourth aspect, a simple structure is provided in which a play in the axial direction is provided between the holder-side screw portion and the cap-side screw portion, while pressing the cap member. The power supply circuit can be closed, and the contact piece on the holder side and the contact piece on the cap side are also used as the contacts of the push switch, simplifying the switch structure and its sealing structure, and The configuration can be greatly simplified.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a vertical sectional view of an electric interdental cleaning brush.

FIG. 2 is a vertical cross-sectional view of an essential part of an electric interdental cleaning brush

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a cap member and members installed therein.

FIG. 4 is a view corresponding to FIG. 2 at a seal start position.

FIG. 5 is a diagram corresponding to FIG. 2 when a power supply circuit is operated in an ON state.

FIG. 6 is a vertical cross-sectional view of main parts according to a modification of the male screw part and the female screw part.

FIG. 7 is a view corresponding to FIG. 2 according to another embodiment of the electric interdental cleaning brush.

FIG. 8 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of main parts according to a modification of the male screw portion and the female screw portion of another embodiment.

FIG. 9 is a vertical cross-sectional view of a main part of an electric interdental cleaning brush according to a conventional technique.

[Explanation of symbols]

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Electric interdental cleaning brush 30 Wiring means 2 Liquid-tight battery holder 31 Cup-shaped contact piece 3 Vibration generating means 32 Groove part 4 Battery 33 Holder side contact piece 5 Main unit 34 Ring step 6 Interdental cleaning brush 35 Cap side contact piece 7 Electric motor 36 Spring terminal 7a Rotating shaft 37 Locking piece 8 Eccentric weight 37a Insertion hole 10 Holder member G play 11 Holding claw 40 Electric interdental cleaning brush 12 Female screw part 50 Holder member 13 Seal surface 51 Male screw part 14 Seal part 52 Seal ring 20 Cap member 53 Holder-side contact piece 21 Male screw portion 60 Cap member 22 Slit 61 Female screw portion 23 Mounting portion 62 Sealing surface 24 Seal ring 63 Sealing portion 25 Gripping portion 64 Cap-side contacting piece 65 Spring terminal

Claims (4)

[Scope of utility model registration request] 1. A holder member capable of accommodating a battery inside a holder-side screw portion formed at one end thereof, and a cap-side screw portion screwed into the holder-side screw portion, wherein one end portion of the holder member is provided. A cap member that is detachably attached to close the opening at one end of the holder member, and a cap member that is attached to a portion of one of the holder member and the cap member on the side where the meshing ends of the members are open and is screwed to the holder member. A seal ring which is pressed against the cap member or the holder member to seal between the holder member and the cap member within a predetermined angle range from the latter half of the insertion to the completion of screwing, and the holder ring and the cap member are provided respectively. Holder side that closes each other by screwing the cap member to the member and makes contact with each other within the range of the predetermined angle to close the power supply circuit A liquid-tight battery holder comprising: a contact piece and a cap-side contact piece. 2. The holder side contact piece and the cap side contact piece constitute a contact of a switch of a power feeding circuit, and the cap member is rotated within the range of the predetermined angle to close the power feeding circuit. The liquid-tight battery holder according to claim 1, wherein the liquid-tight battery holder is configured to be switched to an open state. 3. The liquid-tight battery holder according to claim 1, wherein the holder member or the cap member is provided with a switch for switching the power feeding circuit between a closed state and an open state. 4. The liquid-tight battery holder according to claim 1, wherein play is provided in the axial direction between the holder-side screw portion and the cap-side screw portion.