KR100821587B1 - Electronic toothbrush and electronic brush - Google Patents

Abstract

A brush head portion having a brush portion and inserted into the oral cavity to clean the tooth, a grip portion exposed to the outside of the mouth, an N-type semiconductor installed to receive external light, and an N-type semiconductor provided to overlap potentials Electronic toothbrush that holds a battery.

Description

ELECTRONIC TOOTHBRUSH AND ELECTRONIC BRUSH}

1 is a schematic partial cross-sectional view of one embodiment of an electronic toothbrush in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a II-II cross-sectional view of FIG. 1; FIG.

3 is a graph showing changes over time for lactic acid decomposition of the electronic toothbrush according to the present invention;

4 is a graph showing the relationship of the battery voltage for lactic acid decomposition of the electronic toothbrush according to the present invention;

5 is a graph showing the relationship of irradiation time for sterilization of the tooth decay (Streptoco㏄us mutans IFO 13955) of the electronic toothbrush according to the present invention; And

6 is a schematic partial cross-sectional view of an embodiment of an electronic brush according to the present invention.

The present invention relates to an electronic toothbrush and an electronic brush, and more particularly, to an electronic toothbrush and an electronic brush using the photocatalytic reaction of the N-type semiconductor.

As a preventive method for oral diseases such as tooth decay or periodontitis, fluoride is applied to the tooth surface or contains fluoride to enhance the prevention effect than to brush toothpaste by simply attaching toothpaste to the toothbrush. It is conventionally used to use the toothpaste to make. However, this method is questionable in terms of inferior penetration of fluorine ions into diuretic tissues, and in order to enhance the effect of fluorine ions, fluorine ion permeability is increased by operating an external power source such as a battery or a home power supply. It is also proposed to increase the.

However, this method also uses a metal as a conductor in the toothbrush part, which causes a problem that metal ions due to the generation of current flow out, and in addition, current, electromagnetic waves, or electric fields may adversely affect the human body by prolonged use. It is not preferred because it is considered.

Therefore, there is no problem as described above, and an electronic toothbrush using TiO ₂ photocatalytic reaction, which is an N-type semiconductor, was invented by the present inventors (Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 58-41549). TiO ₂ generates photoelectron voltage even under relatively light irradiation conditions, and when inserted into the oral cavity, TiO ₂ generates OH radicals from moisture such as saliva, neutralizes it by raising the pH in the oral cavity, and lowers the activity of the causative agent of caries. At the same time it acts to decompose calculus.

However, when only the TiO ₂ photocatalytic reaction is used, the method of lowering the activity of the causative agent of a highly active tooth decay in an acidic atmosphere by raising the pH by itself has a predetermined effect, but it takes time until the effect is achieved. can not avoid. In other words, direct caries is caused by the lactic acid generated when the causative agent of caries in the oral cavity ferments the food waste, which invades its hard tissue. There is a problem that continues.

The present inventors have made a deep study to effectively decompose the resulting lactic acid and found that, when using the photocatalytic reaction of the N-type semiconductor, the effective decomposition of the lactic acid is achieved by supplying a predetermined potential or more. They found that they also work effectively on the decomposition of organic matter.

Accordingly, an object of the present invention, in view of the problems of the prior art, by using the photocatalytic reaction of the N-type semiconductor, to reduce the activity of the causative bacteria, and to promote the decomposition of the resulting lactic acid more effectively caries, etc. The present invention provides an electronic brush that can effectively clean body parts as compared to the case where an electronic waste brush to prevent and organic wastes such as those generated in each part of the body are decomposed and only washed with soapy water.

This object is achieved by the invention described in each claim. That is, the characteristic configuration of the electronic toothbrush according to the present invention includes a brush head portion holding the brush portion and inserting it into the oral cavity and wiping the tooth, and a gripping portion exposed out of the mouth, and an N-type semiconductor is installed to receive external light. At the same time, a battery capable of superposing a potential on the N-type semiconductor is provided.

According to this constitution, OH radicals generated by decomposing water such as saliva when inserted into the oral cavity by the photocatalytic action of the N-type semiconductor, increase the pH in the oral cavity to neutralize it, thereby lowering the activity of the causative agent of caries. In addition, the prevention of tooth decay can be achieved by reliably and quickly decomposing lactic acid generated by fermentation of food by lactic acid bacteria. That is, by overlapping the potential of the battery as compared with only the photocatalytic action of the N-type semiconductor by external light (for example, a fluorescent lamp in a washroom), the energy level required for lactic acid and water decomposition can be achieved, and the N-type The photocatalytic effect of a semiconductor can be raised synergistically. Therefore, the wiping operation can increase the production efficiency of the OH radicals and at the same time increase the pH. In addition, in actually performing a brushing operation in a washroom or the like, for example, a battery in which the electric potential of the N-type semiconductor is set to a predetermined level or higher even under a condition in which illuminance such as a fluorescent lamp in the washroom is low and light irradiation is weak. Therefore, a predetermined effect can be exhibited stably. As a result, according to the present invention, it was possible to provide an electronic toothbrush that more effectively prevents oral diseases such as caries.

It is preferable that the N-type semiconductor is Ti0 ₂ and the output of the battery is more than 0.5V and less than 3.0V.

According to this configuration, since Ti0 ₂ has a large photocatalytic effect even in the N-type semiconductor, it is effective in lactic acid decomposition or pH increase, and maintains the potential required for causing photocatalytic action to be above a certain level, The current flowing in the human body is kept very weak, there is no adverse effect on the human body is good to use. That is, if the output of the battery is 0.5V or less, it is not sufficient to dissolve the lactic acid. If it is 3.0V or more, lactic acid decomposition is promoted, but when the toothbrush is held by wet hands, the current flowing to the human body increases, causing discomfort. Not desirable

When Ti0 ₂ is used as the N-type semiconductor, a reaction formula for decomposing lactic acid into water and carbon dioxide by the photocatalytic action is shown below.

            hν

TiO ₂ → p ^{+ +} e ^-

H ₂ O + 2p ⁺ → 1 / 2O ₂ + 2H ⁺

_{^{2e - + O 2 + 2H +}} → 2 · OH

CH ₃ CH (OH) COOH + 2OH → CH ₃ CHO + 2H ₂ O + CO ₂

·

· OH

·

→ H ₂ O + CO ₂

Here, p ⁺ is a hole, e is an electron, and 0H is 0H radical.

It is preferable that the said battery is any one or a combination of a primary battery, a secondary battery, and a solar cell.                     

According to this structure, the battery output of more than 0.5V and less than 3.0V can be easily ensured, and it is durable and can be low cost. An alkaline battery, a silver oxide battery, an air-zinc battery, etc. can be used as a primary battery, and a nickel / hydrogen battery, a lithium battery, etc. can be used as a secondary battery.

It is preferable that Ti0 ₂ is anatase crystal.

According to this configuration, Ti0 ₂ is particularly large photocatalytic effect, it can effectively yiyeoseo. In addition, crystals of the anatase type are easily obtained by, for example, heating pure Ti to 1200 to 1500 ° C. for several minutes in an oxidizing atmosphere.

In addition, a characteristic constitution of the electronic brush according to the present invention includes a brush head portion having a brush portion, an N-type semiconductor being provided to receive external light, and a battery capable of superposing a potential on the N-type semiconductor. Is installed.

According to this constitution, when the body parts are washed with soapy water or the like by the photocatalytic action of the N-type semiconductor, organic waste such as OH radicals generated by decomposing moisture on the skin surface can be reliably and quickly. Decomposes easily, and a higher cleaning effect can be achieved than with only soapy water. In other words, compared with the case of only photocatalytic action of an N-type semiconductor by external light (for example, a fluorescent lamp in a bathroom or a bathroom), the potential of the battery is superimposed so that the energy level required for decomposition of organic waste or water on the skin surface is increased. This can be achieved, and the photocatalytic effect of the N-type semiconductor can be raised synergistically. Therefore, the operation of rubbing the skin can increase the production efficiency of OH radicals. In addition, in the cleaning operation in the bathroom or the like, even if the lighting fixture is low in the bathroom and the light irradiation is weak, for example, even if the lighting device is not a fluorescent lamp or an incandescent lamp, the potential of the N-type semiconductor is more than a certain level. Since the battery to be provided is provided, the predetermined effect can be exhibited stably. As a result, according to the present invention, it is possible to provide an electronic brush capable of washing the body parts more effectively than in the case of simply washing with soapy water.

Embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. 1 shows a schematic cross-sectional structure of an electronic toothbrush (hereinafter, referred to as a toothbrush) according to the present embodiment. This toothbrush 1 consists of the brush head part 2 which directly installed the brush 2a, and the holding part 3 which exposed only the oral cavity. It is preferable that these brush head parts 2 and the gripping parts 3 are separated from each other. That is, if only the head 2 having the brush 2a consumed according to use can be replaced as a consumable, it is not only economical but also has the advantage that the waste can be reduced as compared with the case where the entire toothbrush is disposed of. have.

In the holding part 3, a TiO ₂ bar 4, which is an N-type semiconductor, is built therein, and a button-type alkaline battery 5 of 1.5 V is built in. The battery 5 and the TiO ₂ bar 4 And conductive wires 6 such as copper wires. As shown in Fig. 2, grooves 7 are formed by partially reducing the cross section at the boundary between the brush head 2 and the gripping portion 3 so that external light is easily irradiated to the N-type semiconductor. The battery 5 is replaceable depending on consumption.

The Ti0 ₂ bar 4 heats a pure Ti bar for several minutes in an oxidizing atmosphere at 1200 to 1500 ° C to form a TiO ₂ layer on the surface. In this case, since Ti0 ₂ represents anatase crystals, the photocatalytic ability is particularly large. The battery 5 increases or maintains the potential of TiO ₂ , which is an N-type semiconductor, when the Ti0 ₂ bar 4 receives external light to cause a photocatalytic reaction.

(Example)

5 ml of 2 mM calcium lactate was placed in a vial bottle, and a plurality of Ti rods formed on the surface of a TiO ₂ layer forming an anatase type crystal were prepared, and a plurality of Ti rods were prepared, and under irradiation with a 6 W fluorescent lamp (distance about 3 cm), The voltage loads of the batteries of 0.75V, 1.5V and 3.0V, respectively, were given. Lactic acid degradation after a lapse of time was measured by Keplerary electrophoresis. The results are shown in Figs. 3 and 4 in comparison with the case of irradiating a fluorescent lamp with a battery, the case of irradiating only a fluorescent lamp without using a battery, and the case of not irradiating a fluorescent lamp.

Fig. 3 shows the relative amount of lactic acid decreased on the vertical axis and the elapsed time on the horizontal axis, while the 1.5 V battery voltage was loaded, and the superimposition effect by irradiation of fluorescent lamps (in 0.5 hour irradiation, About 50% was decomposed). However, it can be seen that the decomposition of lactic acid is not sufficient for the structure using only an N-type semiconductor without using a battery.

Fig. 4 similarly shows the influence of the voltage load of the battery, and already shows the same effect of lactic acid decomposition at O.75V.

In addition, since the dental caries sterilization test of the said electronic toothbrush was performed, the result is demonstrated.

Fig. 5 shows the same TiO ₂ layer as that of the electronic toothbrush as a negative electrode (a stainless steel plate is used for the positive electrode), and a solar cell (2.4 V) is connected to this circuit, and the degradation of lactic acid bacteria (Streptocous mutans IF0 13955) The change was investigated. In other words, inoculated so that the concentration of S. Mutans is about 1 to 20,000 / mL in 4 mL of physiological saline, and after 1 to 30 minutes at room temperature under 6W fluorescent lamp irradiation, the number of viable cells in 1 mL in a cold dark room. Was measured. On the other hand, the control was made only with physiological saline without using a Ti0 ₂ layer or a solar cell.

As a result, the viable cell count was hardly changed even after 30 minutes under the fluorescent lamp, whereas in the present embodiment using the TiO ₂ layer and the solar cell, the viable cell count decreased by 1 minute even under a weak fluorescent lamp of about 6 W. It was found that the killing effect on the causative bacteria of caries is remarkable.

(Another Embodiment of the Present Invention)

(1) In the above embodiment, N-type semiconductor, was shown an electronic toothbrush using TiO ₂ as an example, N-type may be used for semiconductor electronic brush 10 shown in Figure 6 the TiO _2. That is, in this electromagnetic brush 10, the sole 10a is directly provided in the front part side which comprises a brush head part, and the back part is a grip part, and the button battery 5 is embedded in this grip part. It is. Although not shown in the drawing, the button battery 5 is covered with a lid member and embedded in a watertight seal. On the front side where the sole 10a is directly installed, the same Ti0 ₂ as shown in the above embodiment is mounted, and a groove 11 serving as a channel is formed in the periphery thereof so that soapy water and the like can flow. have. The groove 11 is formed by forming a through hole toward the base portion of the sole 10a. By rubbing the sole 10a onto the body, Ti0 ₂ and the surface of the body are connected through moisture to be present on the body surface. Organic matters, such as soil, are decomposed by Ti0 ₂ photocatalytic action to facilitate peeling, and at the same time, organic matters such as soil are decomposed. And, TiO ₂ and the battery, and is conducted by a conductor wire (6) as shown in Fig. N-type semiconductors, batteries, conductors and the like can be used the same as those used in the above embodiment.

The shape of the electronic brush can be adopted in a variety of shapes other than those shown in Fig. 6, and what is necessary is just to be formed into a shape that can be cleaned by holding the grip portion by hand and rubbing the brush to the body parts. The body part to be cleaned is not particularly limited, and therefore can be used as a so-called body brush, hair brush, face brush, and the like.

(2) In the above embodiment, the TiO ₂ , which is an N-type semiconductor, is formed by heating a Ti rod to form an example in the form of a layer on the surface thereof. However, the present invention is not limited to this structure, and the whole sinters TiO ₂ powder. good even if it is formed, it may be important if the TiO ₂ layer is generated on the surface of light-receiving. The manufacturing method may also be formed by a CVD method, a PVD method, or the like, to form a TiO ₂ layer on the conductor surface other than the pure Ti bar, or may produce an TiO ₂ layer on the surface by anodizing the pure Ti bar.

(3) As the electronic toothbrush according to the above embodiment, the groove 7 is formed at the boundary between the brush head portion 2 and the grip portion 3 so as to easily irradiate external light to Ti0 _{2, which} is an N-type semiconductor. However, the brush head portion and the grip portion of the toothbrush may be formed of a transparent or translucent acrylic resin, urethane resin, PET resin, or other light-transmitting material to form a grooveless structure. In addition, the use of biodegradable resins as the resin constituting the brush head 2 is preferable because the adverse effects on the environment are reduced even if discarded as consumable parts.

According to the present invention, by using the photocatalytic reaction of the N-type semiconductor, as well as to reduce the activity of the causative agent bacteria, as well as to promote the decomposition of the resulting lactic acid and more effectively prevent tooth decay, etc. When compared with the case where organic waste is decomposed and only washed with soapy water, etc., an electronic brush capable of cleaning the body parts more effectively can be provided.

Claims (12)

A brush head portion for holding the brush portion and inserting it into the mouth to brush the tooth; A gripping portion exposed out of the mouth; An N-type semiconductor provided to receive external light; And It includes a battery which is provided to overlap the potential in the N-type semiconductor, An electronic toothbrush, wherein a negative electrode of a battery is connected to the N-type semiconductor. The method of claim 1, And the N-type semiconductor is Ti0 ₂ , and the output of the battery is greater than 0.5V and less than 3.0V. The method of claim 1, Electronic toothbrush, characterized in that the battery is any one or combination of primary cells, secondary batteries, solar cells. The method of claim 2, An electronic toothbrush, wherein said TiO ₂ is anatase crystal. The method of claim 4, wherein Electronic toothbrush, characterized in that the battery is any one or combination of primary cells, secondary batteries, solar cells. The method of claim 5, The TiO ₂ is rod-shaped and embedded in the brush head, while the battery is button-shaped, and these batteries and Ti0 ₂ are electrically connected through the conductor wires embedded in the brush head. . A brush head portion for holding a brush; An N-type semiconductor provided to receive external light; And It includes a battery which is provided to overlap the potential in the N-type semiconductor, An electronic brush, characterized in that the negative electrode of the battery is connected to the N-type semiconductor. The method of claim 7, wherein And the N-type semiconductor is Ti0 ₂ , and the output of the battery is more than 0.5V and less than 3.0V. The method of claim 7, wherein Electronic brush, characterized in that the battery is any one or a combination of primary battery, secondary battery, solar cell. The method of claim 8, The electronic brush, wherein the TiO ₂ is anatase crystals. The method of claim 10, Electronic brush, characterized in that the battery is any one or a combination of primary battery, secondary battery, solar cell. The method of claim 10, The battery is embedded in the gripping portion connected to the brush head portion, the TiO ₂ is mounted near the brush head portion, and the battery and TiO ₂ are electrically connected through a conductor. brush.

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