JPS5943177B2 - oral cleaning device - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention uses high-pressure pulsating fluid to drive a toothbrush and eject a jet of water at the same time.
The present invention relates to an oral cavity cleaning device that is characterized in that it can effectively prevent tooth decay by removing foreign substances and prevent and treat alveolar pyorrhea by pine surge effect in a short period of time.

In general, there are two types of oral cleaning devices: a toothbrush type and a type that uses a pump device to spray high-pressure water from the nozzle tip.The former toothbrush type is easy to clean and has an excellent effect on removing plaque. Due to its structure, it has the disadvantage that plaque and foreign matter remain in areas that are difficult to reach with a brush, such as in the gaps between teeth.

On the other hand, the latter type, which sprays high-pressure water, is excellent at removing foreign substances such as food particles stuck between the teeth and between the teeth and gums, and also promotes better blood circulation in the gums with a pulsating jet. Although it is effective in preventing and treating alveolar pyorrhea, unfortunately, it is less effective and insufficient in removing plaque attached to the tooth surface.

In this way, there are advantages and disadvantages to both, and as seen in reports from the Oral Hygiene Society, etc., in order to obtain a satisfactory cleaning effect,
It is necessary to use both together.

By the way, using both of the above separately is not only time consuming but also extremely troublesome.

In addition, manual toothbrushes have problems such as individual differences in cleaning effectiveness and tiring hands.

Recently, electric toothbrushes that move automatically have become available on the market, but in order to obtain a satisfactory cleaning effect, it is necessary to use a high-pressure water jet type in combination with an electric toothbrush, as mentioned above. Therefore, it is less effective in saving time and reducing trouble, and it is a heavy economic burden to have expensive products such as a high-pressure water jet type and an electric brush.

However, there is relatively little storage space for these devices in the washrooms of ordinary homes, and it takes a considerable amount of space to equip and use each of the above devices, which is inconvenient.

Furthermore, products that integrate a high-pressure water jet type and an electric brush, and those that integrate a high-pressure water jet and a water-pressure driven brush have been devised, but these all include a pick with a nozzle for high-pressure water jet, Prepare two types of toothbrushes separately.
As mentioned above, in order to improve the cleaning effect, it is necessary to replace both of them, which not only causes the trouble of attaching and detaching them, but also takes time and is inefficient.

In this case, the user ends up using only one of the two functions, and the two functions are practically unable to exert their effects.

Furthermore, a major drawback is that using only a high-pressure jet and not using a toothbrush does not remove enough plaque, as mentioned above, and is not useful for preventing dental diseases.

From this point of view, the all-in-one toothbrush and toothpick type that requires replacing the toothbrush and picks impose unnecessary trouble and financial burden on the user, while at the same time making it difficult for an unspecified number of users to thoroughly learn how to use the toothbrush, it is not as effective as it should be. cannot be fully demonstrated.

Furthermore, it is clear that problems such as dental problems may occur even though the user constantly uses the product.

The present invention solves the above-mentioned drawbacks at once, and provides an oral cavity cleaning device that has a satisfactory oral cavity cleaning effect and a gum surge effect in an extremely short period of time.

In addition, the present invention provides a reliable cleaning effect using a toothbrush and a pulsating jet stream to remove plaque and remove plaque from the teeth, even for an unspecified number of users.
To provide an oral cavity cleaning device configured to exhibit a foreign body removal effect and a pine surge effect.

Furthermore, the present invention does not cause any trouble or inefficiency to an unspecified number of users when using it, and allows it to be used more easily and reliably than any of the above types, and for a shorter time. The purpose of the present invention is to provide an oral cavity cleaning device that can clean the mouth extremely efficiently.

The present invention provides an oral cavity cleaning device which has excellent advantages and novelty as described above, and which makes a great contribution to oral cavity cleaning.

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 shows the external configuration of the present invention.

In the figure, a pump mount 1 generating a high pressure pulsating flow is connected to a toothbrush unit 3 by a single flexible conduit 2 .

The flexible conduit 2 connects the pump device 1 and the toothbrush unit 3.
There is a reciprocating flow path for high-pressure pulsating flow between the two.

The pump device 1 includes a water tank 4, a pump inside an outer case 5, and a driving section.

The exterior case 5 is provided with an operating knob 6 for a power switch, a flexible conduit 2, and a holding section 7 for the toothbrush section unit 3.

A lid 4' is provided on the top of the water tank 4 to keep the inside of the water tank 4 clean when not in use.

A toothbrush 8 capable of ejecting a high-pressure pulsating jet is detachably inserted into the toothbrush unit 3.

In addition, during actual use, it is desirable to adjust the flow rate of the pulsating jet ejected from the toothbrush 8. While holding the toothbrush unit 3, the toothbrush is placed above the case 9 so that it can be easily rotated with the thumb and forefinger. A flow rate adjustment knob 10 is provided at a position close to 8.

In actual use, after inserting the toothbrush 8 into the toothbrush unit 3 and supplying water to the water tank 4, turn the operating knob 6 to turn on the power.The pump device 1 generates a high-pressure pulsating flow. The toothbrush 8 is driven by supplying the pulsating flow to the toothbrush section unit 3 via the flexible conduit 2.

By operating the flow rate control knob 10, the toothbrush 8 can be driven while ejecting a pulsating jet from the toothbrush 8. The aforementioned toothbrush 8 and high-pressure water jet can be used simultaneously, and both functions can be reliably exerted. The desired excellent cleaning effect and pine surge effect can be obtained.

Normally, the cleaning effect is sufficient with just water, but if water brushing or the like is added to the water supply, a refreshing feeling can be obtained after cleaning.

Also, if you want to use a kneaded toothbrush due to habit, you can set the flow rate of the pulsating jet ejected from the toothbrush 8 to 0 using the flow rate adjustment knob 10, and the toothbrush becomes a stand-alone toothbrush.You can use it like a conventional electric toothbrush, and then adjust the flow rate. Since the toothbrush 8 can be driven while adding a pulsating jet with the knob 10, the above-mentioned functions are not hindered at all, and it is possible to provide an excellent cleaning effect and pine surge effect to an unspecified number of users in a reliable and simple manner. It is.

2 and 3 specifically show the structure of the pump device 1. FIG.

Normally, the water tank 4 is provided with a filter 41 for filtering out foreign substances in the wash water, and a valve 42 made of a ball is provided at the water supply port to prevent leakage during water supply.

When the water tank 4 is placed on the upper part of the case 5 and its water supply port is inserted into the insertion part 51 formed on the upper part of the case 5, the valve 42 is pushed up by the valve pushing part 52 provided in the insertion part 51. Cleaning water flows into the pump chamber 44 provided below the insertion portion 51.

A sealing material 43 is provided between the water tank 4 and the insertion part 51 of the case 5.
This prevents leakage.

A check valve 45 is provided above the pump chamber 44,
During suction into the pump chamber 44, the upper check valve 45 is lowered, and cleaning water flows in from the gap between the check valve 45 and the valve seat 46 above it.

Also, during discharge, the check valve 45 rises due to the pressure in the pump chamber 44 and forms a close seal with the valve seat 46.
The pressurized wash water within is discharged through a flexible conduit 2'.

By repeating this stroke, a high pressure pulsating flow is supplied from the pump device 1 to the toothbrush unit 3 via the flexible conduit 2.

The piston part in the pump chamber 44 has a piston valve 53 made of an elastic material such as a folded verofram, which is held in place by a retainer plate 47 that also serves to prevent eccentricity of the piston valve 53 at the tip attachment part 48 of a piston rond 50. , screw 49
It is configured in a fixed manner.

The retainer plate 47 has an outer periphery connected to the pump case 64.
Since it is brought into light contact with the inside of the piston valve 53, there is no eccentricity, and the repeat durability of the piston valve 53 is improved, which has a significant effect on the durability of the device in this structure.

Furthermore, the piston valve 53 is sandwiched and fixed at its periphery by pump cases 64 and 65, and forms a part of the pump chamber 44.

The torque of the drive motor 54 is increased to a magnitude corresponding to the reduction ratio by a drive pinion 56 fixed to the shaft 55 and a driven gear 57.

The aforementioned piston portion rotates μ at the same time as the driven gear 57, and reciprocates with a stroke corresponding to twice the amount of eccentricity by the eccentric portion 58 which is eccentric with respect to the center axis 59 thereof.

In response to the movement of this piston part, the check valve 45 moves up and down,
A pulsating pressure is created in the pump chamber 44 and the high pressure pulsating flow is supplied to the toothbrush unit 3 via the flexible conduits 2', 2.

In order to simplify the assembly and stabilize the starting torque, the driven gear 57 and the eccentric part 58 are made to rotate at the same time, and the center shaft 59 thereof is press-fitted into a frame 61 and held by another frame 60.

This structure not only simplifies assembly and reduces component costs, but also ensures the most important accuracy.
This has the advantage that the starting torque of the motor 54 can be kept low.

In addition, the impact of toothbrushes on teeth and gums, cleaning effects,
From the point of view of usability, it is desirable that the toothbrush's sliding speed be approximately 2,000 cycles per minute or less, and in order to set the appropriate reciprocating circuit and appropriate torque for the piston part, taking into consideration the market needs for reducing the power consumption of the device. , a combination of the drive motor 54 and a speed reduction mechanism with an appropriate speed reduction ratio is required.

In the embodiment shown in FIG. 2, a one-stage gear reduction is used.

A bending moment acts on the fly 61 due to the unbalanced load at the time of pulsation, which causes vibrations in the mechanism section in the direction of movement of the piston section.

In order to reduce vibration and noise of the product, the frame 61 and case 64 of the pump section are covered with cushioning materials 66 and 67, respectively.
It is elastically held in the exterior case 5.

A power switch 62 is shown for reference.

Next, the toothbrush section unit 3 will be explained with reference to FIGS. 4 to 8 showing examples.

A chamber 15 is provided in the lower part of the toothbrush unit 30 case 9 through which a high-pressure pulsating flow enters and exits via a flexible conduit 2 and a water passage 14.

This chamber 15 is constructed by attaching a member 12 with a water passage 14 and a seal 11.

A valve body 16 is provided in the upper part of the chamber 15, and a taper valve 18 provided at one end of the valve body 16 and a valve seat portion 17 of the case 9 constitute a valve portion for adjusting the flow rate.

The valve body 16 is pressed by a spring 19 so that the taper valve 18 and the valve seat portion 17 are always in contact with each other.

Further, the valve body 16 is provided so that the contact force with the valve seat portion 17 increases in response to positive fluid pressure generated in the chamber 15.

Thereby, stable flow rate adjustment can be performed against changes in pulsating pressure occurring in the chamber 15.

The flow rate is adjusted using the flow rate adjustment knob 10 provided on the top of the case.
, to move the valve pressing rod 24 up and down, and to move the valve body 16 located at the bottom of this valve pressing rod 24 up and down,
By changing the gap between the taper valve 18 and the valve seat 17, the flow rate flowing out from the jet port 35' of the toothbrush 8 can be adjusted arbitrarily from 0 to the maximum.

The flow rate adjustment knob 10 is rotated around the outer periphery of the holding member 21 that holds the motion transmission member 33 that drives the toothbrush 8 and the spring 68 that presses and biases the first actuating piston of the hydraulic actuating section. It is inserted so that it can be easily rotated with the thumb.

In addition, in order to reduce vertical play in the axial direction during rotation, the case lid 23 is restricted from above via a washer 22.

The valve pressing rod 24 is provided to convert the power of turning the flow rate adjustment knob 100 times into vertical movement of the valve body 16.

The valve pressing rod 24 has an internal thread 20 partially formed at its upper end screwed into a threaded portion 20' provided on the lower outer periphery of the flow rate adjustment knob 10, and a valve at the lower end of the valve pressing rod 24. The pressing part 26 is always in contact with the end face of the valve body 16 and is inserted through an O-ring 25 so as to slide using a part of the inner wall of the case 9 as a guide.

Note that in FIG. 4, in order to make the case 9 more compact, the axis of the insertion part of the 01J ring 25 of the valve pressing rod 24 and the axis of the valve pressing part 26 are not aligned, but this does not pose any problem in terms of adjustment. do not have.

In the above-described configuration, when the flow rate adjustment knob 10 is rotated, the flow rate adjustment section adjusts the threaded portion 20' of the knob 10.
The valve body 16 is pressed by the valve pressing rod 24 partially screwed together with the valve body 16.
can be moved up and down to change the passageway between the taper valve 18 and the valve seat 17, thereby adjusting the flow rate from the jet port 35' of the toothbrush 8.

Moreover, if a stopper or the like is provided between the flow rate adjustment knob 10 and the case 9 to regulate the flow rate, the upper end of the valve pressing rod 24 will rotate more than necessary and the end face of the knob 10 will come into contact with the upper end of the valve press rod 24.
It is possible to easily prevent damage or deformation due to an abnormal load being applied to the fitting part of the threaded part 20, 20'.

Next, the structure of the passage through which the pulsating high-pressure fluid that has flowed into the chamber 15 passes through the passage 35 of the toothbrush 8 and flows out from the jet port 35' will be described.

When a flow passage corresponding to the rotation angle of the flow rate adjustment knob 10 is formed between the taper valve 18 and the valve seat part 17 by the flow rate adjustment part, the passage from the chamber 15 to the case 9 and the valve pressing part 26 is formed. It passes through a chamber formed by the O-ring 25, a water passage hole 27 provided in the case 9, a side hole 29 of a cylinder 28 that constitutes a hydraulic actuating section, which will be described later, and the inner wall of the cylinder 28 and the first actuating piston 74. , into the piston chamber 31 formed by the second working piston 30.

A water passage hole 32 is formed in the first working piston 74, and a motion transmission member 33 having a water passage 34 is coaxially integrated with the working piston 74, and the water passage hole 32 is formed in the first working piston 74. The piston chamber 31 and the movement transmission member 330 passageway 34 are configured to communicate through the hole 32.

A toothbrush 8 having a water passage 35 and a jet port 35' is inserted into the tip of the motion transmission member 33 via an O-ring 37.

With the above configuration, the chamber 15 and the jet port 3 of the toothbrush 8
5', and therefore, the pulsating high-pressure fluid flows through the passageway 14 of the member 12 according to the rotational adjustment of the flow rate adjustment knob 10.
It flows into the piston chamber 31 via the chamber 15, the water passage between the taper valve 18 and the valve seat 17, the water hole 27 of the case 9, and the side hole 29 of the cylinder 28, and the first working piston 74.
The water passes through the water hole 32 of the toothbrush 8, the water flow path 34 of the motion transmission member 33, and the water flow path 35 of the toothbrush 8, and is ejected from the jet port 35'.

According to the configuration of the water passage as described above, when brushing the teeth, the toothbrush 8 can be easily adjusted with the thumb or index finger while it is inserted into the oral cavity. It is possible to completely stop the jet flow from the jet nozzle 35' and use only the toothbrush 8 as described later, and it is possible to keep the amount of sliding of the toothbrush 8 constant between 0 and the maximum jet amount. can.

Next, the structure and operation of the hydraulic pressure operating section and the motion transmission member 33 will be explained.

The hydraulic actuator drives the motion transmitting member 33 and the toothbrush 8 inserted in the member 33 in response to pulsating pressure supplied from the pump device 1 to the chamber 15 via the flexible conduit 2. It is something.

The hydraulic actuation section is composed of a cylinder 28, a first actuation piston 74, a second actuation piston 30 arranged in series with the cylinder 28, and a sealing material 38 that is inserted into each piston and abuts the cylinder 28. .

Further, the second actuating piston 30 is provided so that the pressure receiving surface 71 corresponds to the chamber 15 and forms a part of the chamber 15.

The piston chamber 31 communicates with the pressure receiving surface 71 via the water passage between the taper valve 18 and the valve seat portion 17, the water passage hole 27 of the case 90, and the side hole 29 of the cylinder 28.

The first actuating piston 74 is a spring 68 inserted with the holding member 21 as a seat, and the cylinder 28 is biased so as to resist the pulsating fluid pressure generated in the piston chamber 31.
It is held by a protrusion 29'.

Furthermore, the above-mentioned No. 1. The second working piston 74.30 is
A spring 73 inserted into the piston chamber 31 biases them in opposite directions.

That is, the first working piston 74 is urged by the spring 73 so as to resist the urging load of the spring 68, and the second working piston 30 is urged by the spring 73 so as to resist the pulsating fluid pressure generated in the chamber 15. has been done.

Now, when the flow rate adjustment knob 10 is rotated to bring the taper valve 18 into contact with the valve seat 17 and close the water passage, the piston chamber 31 will flow through the jet port 35' of the toothbrush 8. It communicates with the atmosphere.

Also, the chamber in which the first actuating piston 74 is inserted is also
It is configured to communicate with the atmosphere at all times.

Therefore, in this state, when the pump chamber 44 is in the discharge process, that is, when the piston portion of the pump 44 is in the ascending state, the second working piston 30 is activated by the positive pressure of the pulsating high-pressure fluid acting on the chamber 15. It receives a force proportional to the effective action area of the pressure receiving surface 71 and slides against the biasing load of the springs 73 and 680 to a position corresponding to the peak value of the pulsating fluid pressure.

The spring constant of the spring 68 is made larger than that of the spring 73, and the first actuating piston T4 is connected to the protrusion 2 of the cylinder 28.
The load applied to the piston 9' is set to be greater than the pressing force of the spring γ3 applied between it and the second actuating piston 30.

Therefore, only the second actuating piston 30 slides relative to the spring 73 in response to the pressing force acting on the pressure receiving surface 71.

During this time, the first working piston 74 does not operate.

Furthermore, if the second working piston 30 slides and the pressing force of the spring 73 is not equal to the initial biasing load of the spring 68 biasing the first working piston 74, then the first working piston 30 slides. The second pistons each have an abutment spring 68
against the pressure receiving surface 71 of the second working piston 30 to a position corresponding to the peak value of the pulsating fluid pressure acting on the pressure receiving surface 71 of the second working piston 30,
Drive the toothbrush 8.

Next, a case will be described when the pump chamber 44 is in the suction process, that is, when the piston portion of the pump is in the downward process.

When the pump chamber is in the suction process, the water that filled chamber 15,
In other words, only the water pressurized by the springs 68, 73 flows back through the flexible conduit 2 and into the pump chamber 44.

At first glance, it appears that water is also flowing into the pump chamber 44 from the water tank 4, but the water in the pump chamber 4 is under only atmospheric pressure, whereas the water in the chamber 15 is As above, spring 68. Since it is biased by γ3,
Since the pressure is positive, when the pump chamber 44 is in the suction process, water does not flow from the water tank 4, but the water in the chamber 15
It is forced back into the pump chamber 4 via the flexible conduit 2.

Further, when a water passage is formed between the taper valve 18 and the valve seat portion 17 by the flow rate adjusting portion, the second working piston 30 is moved between both end surfaces due to the pressure difference between the piston chamber 31 and the chamber 15. The first actuating piston 74 slides against the spring 68 in response to the pressure in the piston chamber 31 and drives the toothbrush 8 .

In this case, the fluid pressure acting on the second working piston 30 actually hardly contributes to the pressing force of the first working piston 74.

Thus, the amount of sliding of the first actuating piston 74 depends on the initial biasing load of the spring 68, 73, the spring constant, the peak pressure per stroke of the pump device, the discharge flow rate, and the first actuating piston 74.
．． Since it is defined by the effective pressure acting area of the second actuating piston 74°30, by appropriately setting these specifications, the flow rate from 0 to the maximum flowing out from the jet port 35' of the toothbrush 8 can be kept the same. A certain amount of sliding can be obtained.

That is, at the flow rate from 0 to the maximum, the sliding amount of the second working piston 30 is corrected by the pressure difference between the chamber 15 and the piston chamber 31, and the sliding amount of the first working piston 74 is the same. maintained at a certain level.

With the above configuration, the amount of sliding of the toothbrush 8 can be defined within a range of approximately the same range from 0 to the maximum flow rate of the jet port 35' of the brush 8.

Furthermore, in order to impart reciprocating spiral motion to the toothbrush 8, a motion conversion section is provided in the hydraulic pressure operating section and the motion transmission member.

The motion converter includes a helical guider 70 and a first actuating piston 74.
and a motion transmitting member 33, and a member 69 that provides rotation to the piston 14 and the member 33.

This will be explained below. First working piston 74
is provided with at least one pair of members 69 for providing rotation, and is engaged with a pair of helical guide grooves 75 of the helical guider 70 .

The helical guider 70 partially contacts the cylinder 28 and is fixed from above by the holding member 21.

It also serves as a guide for the spring 68.

According to the vertical movement of the first working piston 74, the member 69 is forced to engage the guide groove 75, so that the first working piston 74 performs a helical reciprocating movement;
The motion transmitting member 33 connected to the actuating piston 74 and the toothbrush 8 inserted into the member 33 necessarily perform a helical reciprocating motion.

In the present invention, as described above, from the pump device 1 to the flexible conduit 2.
The pulsating high-pressure fluid supplied to the toothbrush section unit 3 is regulated to a desired flow rate by the flow rate adjusting section, and the toothbrush 8
The toothbrush 8 is given a spiral reciprocating motion in response to the pulsating fluid pressure by the configuration of a hydraulic pressure operating section, a motion transmitting section, and a motion converting section.

That is, as described above, the present invention can easily and reliably provide the cleaning effect of a toothbrush, the removal effect of plaque and foreign matter, and the pine surge effect of a pulsating jet water stream to an unspecified number of users. In addition, we have created an oral cleaning device that does not cause any trouble or inefficiency when used, is easy to use, can be used reliably, can be cleaned extremely efficiently in a short period of time, and can exhibit extremely excellent cleaning effects. It is a product that can be provided and makes a great contribution in terms of oral hygiene.

Especially for toothbrush drive systems. providing a second piston;
Due to the mutual movement of the two pistons, the movement of the toothbrush remains constant even when the ejection flow rate of the high-pressure flow changes from zero to maximum, making the toothbrush convenient to use.

[BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS] Fig. 1 is a side view of an oral cavity cleaning device according to an embodiment of the present invention;
The figure is a sectional view of the pump device, FIG. 3 is a sectional view of the main part of the pump device, and FIG. 4 is a sectional view of the toothbrush unit.
5 is a perspective view of the valve pressing rod, FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the second actuating piston, FIG. 7 is a sectional view of the toothbrush, and FIG. 8 is a perspective view of the helical guider. DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1... Pump device, 2... Flexible conduit, 3... Toothbrush unit, 4...
Ice tank, 5... Exterior case, 6... Operation knob, 8... Toothbrush, 9... Case, 10... Flow rate adjustment Knob, 15...
・Chamber, 16... Valve body, 17... Valve seat portion, 18... Taper valve, 24... Valve pressing rod, 27... ...Water hole, 28...
Cylinder, 29... Side hole, 30... Second working piston, 31... Piston chamber, 32.
・・１．・Water hole, 33. , , , - Motion transmission member, 3
4. ,,,,, Water passage, 35... Water passage, 35
'... Jet port, 68... Spring,
70... Spiral guider, 71. ...Pressure receiving surface, 73 ...Spring, 74 ...1st
operating piston, 75... guide groove.

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claims] 1. A pump device that supplies a water storage tank and a high-pressure pulsating fluid, a hydraulic actuator that is connected to the pump device through a flexible conduit and reciprocates depending on changes in the fluid pressure of the high-pressure pulsating fluid, and A first brush unit comprising a motion transmitting member driven by a pressure actuating member and a toothbrush driven by the motion transmitting member, the first brush unit having the hydraulic actuating portions arranged in tandem. a second actuating piston, the pressure receiving surface of the first actuating piston facing a chamber for high-pressure pulsating fluid, the second actuating piston being connected to the motion transmitting member, and the second actuating piston being configured to be moved by the second actuating piston; A water passage communicating with the transmission member and the toothbrush is formed, and the first. A spring is provided between the second working pistons to urge them apart from each other, and the second working piston is urged in the direction of the first working piston by another spring. An oral cavity cleaner configured to drive a piston and supply high-pressure pulsating fluid to be ejected between a second spring. 2. The oral cavity cleaner according to claim 1, wherein the second piston is integrated with the motion transmission member. 3. The second piston or the motion transmitting member is configured to engage with a motion converting portion made of a spiral guider, convert reciprocating motion into a rolling motion, and transmit the motion to the toothbrush. Oral cleaning device.