KR102797471B1 - Tongue cleaner - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a tongue cleaner, and more specifically, to a tongue cleaner which simultaneously and comprehensively provides functions such as tongue massage and cleaning through a head as well as tongue coating removal, thereby enabling hygiene and health management of the tongue, and in particular, by configuring the head to be detachable on a main body with a simplified frame structure, thereby making the attachment and detachment of the head easier and enabling the tongue cleaner to be managed more cleanly, and by significantly reducing the production cost through a simplified structure, thereby enabling expanded supply through low cost and high utility to be expected.

Description

Tongue cleaner

The present invention relates to a tongue cleaner, and more specifically, to a tongue cleaner which simultaneously and comprehensively provides functions such as tongue massage and cleaning through a head as well as tongue coating removal, thereby enabling hygiene and health management of the tongue, and in particular, by configuring the head to be detachable on a main body with a simplified frame structure, thereby making the attachment and detachment of the head easier and enabling the tongue cleaner to be managed more cleanly, and by significantly reducing the production cost through a simplified structure, thereby enabling expanded supply through low cost and high utility to be expected.

For effective oral care, in addition to brushing your teeth, it is recommended to use dental floss, interdental brushes, gargle, gum massage, and whitening. In particular, it is important to regularly clean your tongue using a tongue cleaner (hereinafter referred to as a tongue cleaner) to remove the tongue coating that builds up on it.

In particular, the tongue, unlike teeth, is soft tissue, and its surface is rough overall and the mucosa protrudes. This area is called the lingual papilla, and the lingual papillae are distributed in greater numbers toward the root (inner) of the tongue, and the superficial cells of the lingual papillae distributed on the tongue gradually keratinize and fall off, which acts as a major factor in forming tongue coating, and in particular, the area corresponding to the inner 1/3 of the tongue (root) has a rougher surface than the tip of the tongue, so it becomes an area where tongue coating composed of saliva, food, oral microorganisms, and epithelial cells that have fallen from the oral cavity, including the lingual papilla, easily accumulates, and once tongue coating has accumulated, it is difficult to naturally fall off in the oral cavity without a physical cleaning process.

Therefore, in order to effectively manage oral hygiene, it is very important to remove the tongue coating. However, since a toothbrush, which is designed to brush teeth and gums, cannot properly remove the tongue coating in this area, it is advisable to use a dedicated tongue cleaner that is suitable for the three-dimensional shape and tissue elasticity of the tongue and takes into account the characteristics of the lingual papilla.

Accordingly, conventional technologies (e.g., Patent Publication No. 10-2022-0033789, Patent Registration No. 10-2049109) have been proposed in which oral care accessories with various functions, such as a tongue cleaner, an interdental brush, and dental floss, are integrated in appropriate locations on a general toothbrush body, or each accessory is configured to be detachable (hereinafter referred to as a replaceable type).

However, in the case of the above replaceable structure, it is common to have a somewhat complex structure to more strongly implement the detachable connection between the main body and the accessory in order to prevent the accessory from being arbitrarily disassembled in the mouth during use. Accordingly, not only did it not ensure convenience of use because the accessory was not easy to attach and detach, but there was also the problem that hygiene management was somewhat difficult due to the complex structure.

In addition, due to its complex structure, the production cost increases, and accordingly, in terms of the oral care product being a consumable product, it is a reality that it does not have much utility value in terms of cost.

Publication Patent No. 10-2022-0033789 Registered Patent No. 10-2049109

The present invention has been created to solve the above-mentioned problems of the prior art, and to provide a tongue cleaner that simultaneously and comprehensively provides functions of tongue massage and cleaning through a head as well as tongue coating removal, thereby enabling hygiene and health management of the tongue, and in particular, by configuring the head to be detachable on a main body with a simplified frame structure, thereby making the attachment and detachment of the head easier and allowing the tongue cleaner to be managed more cleanly, and by significantly reducing the production cost through a simplified structure, it is possible to provide a tongue cleaner that can expect expanded supply and high utility through low cost.

The present invention provides a means for achieving the above object, comprising: a hard body formed in a frame shape with an installation space formed penetrating therein; and a soft head removably coupled to the installation space to clean and massage the tongue; wherein the body comprises: a handle frame formed with a first installation space formed therein; and a head frame formed extending from an upper end of the handle frame and having a second installation space formed therein that is connected to the first installation space; wherein the frame-shaped body is formed of an elastically deformable material, and according to the compression deformation of the handle frame, the head frame is compressively deformed in conjunction therewith, and thus, the head coupled to the second installation space is compressed and fixed within the second installation space.

According to another preferred form of the present invention, a scraper protrusion for removing tongue coating may be formed on the upper end of the main body.

According to another preferred form of the present invention, at least one head may be stored in a single row in the first mounting space.

According to another preferred form of the present invention, a reinforcing bar may be formed at the bottom of the first mounting space.

The present invention provides not only the removal of tongue coating, but also a combination of a tongue massage and cleaning function through a head, thereby enabling hygiene and health management of the tongue. In particular, the head is configured to be detachable on a main body with a simplified frame structure, thereby making the attachment and detachment of the head easier and allowing for cleaner management. In addition, the simplified structure allows for a significant reduction in production costs, thereby providing the advantageous effect of allowing for expanded supply through low cost and high efficiency.

FIG. 1 is a drawing showing the overall appearance of a tongue cleaner according to the present invention.
Figure 2 is a drawing showing the disassembled configuration of a tongue cleaner according to the present invention.
Figure 3 is a drawing schematically illustrating the rear configuration of the main body.
Figure 4 is a drawing showing the front configuration of the main body.
Figure 5 is a drawing illustrating the operation of a tongue cleaner according to the present invention.
Figure 6 is a drawing showing a partial cut state of the main body.
Figure 7 is a drawing showing the planar configuration of the head.
Fig. 8a is a drawing showing a cross-sectional configuration based on line AA shown in Fig. 1, and Fig. 8b is a drawing showing a cross-sectional configuration based on line BB shown in Fig. 1.
FIG. 9 is a drawing exemplifying another embodiment of a head frame and a head.
Figure 10 is a drawing showing the rear of the head.
FIG. 11 is a drawing showing one side of the upper structure of a tongue cleaner according to the present invention.
Figure 12 is a drawing showing a modified example of a reinforcing bar.
Figure 13 is a drawing showing the storage state of the tongue cleaner.
Figure 14 is a drawing showing the state of use of the tongue cleaner.

In order to fully understand the present invention, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. The embodiments of the present invention can be modified in various forms, and the scope of the present invention should not be construed as being limited to the embodiments described in detail below. The present embodiments are provided to more completely explain the present invention to those with average knowledge in the art. Therefore, the shapes of elements in the drawings may be exaggerated to emphasize a clearer explanation. It should be noted that in each drawing, the same parts are sometimes illustrated with the same reference numerals. Detailed descriptions of well-known functions and configurations that are judged to unnecessarily obscure the gist of the present invention are omitted.

Before describing the invention, for convenience, a non-strict directional reference is specified with reference to the attached drawings. In the state as shown in Fig. 1, the directions are divided into up-down (y), left-right (x), and front-back (z), and the directions are specified and explained according to these references in descriptions related to other drawings.

Figure 1 (a) shows a form without a scraper, and Figure 1 (b) shows a form with a scraper. The following description will be based on Figure 1 (b) with a scraper.

The tongue cleaner according to the present invention has a structure that enables more efficient oral hygiene management by performing not only the functions of a general tongue cleaner, such as removing tongue coating, but also cleaning, massaging, and delicate finishing of the tongue all at once, while ensuring the convenience of oral hygiene management.

To this end, the configuration of the tongue cleaner according to the present invention can be broadly defined as including a main body (100) and a head (10), as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2.

The main body (100) is configured to act as a handle that the user can use by hand, and can detachably support various heads (10).

A scraper protrusion (130) for removing tongue coating may be formed on the upper part of the main body (100), and a head (10) may be detachably coupled to the lower side of the scraper protrusion (130) so that the scraper protrusion (130) and the head (10) can come into contact with the surface of the tongue at the same time.

When the tongue cleaner is swept down while the scraper protrusion (130) and the head (10) are in simultaneous contact with the tongue, the head (10) acts on the surface of the tongue, and the scraper protrusion (130) makes contact with the part through which the head (10) passed.

At this time, it is preferable that the scraper protrusion (130) and the head (10) have different hardnesses. Normally, in order to remove tongue coating, it is effective to physically stimulate the surface of the tongue. Therefore, the scraper protrusion (130) may be formed as a linear protrusion structure having appropriate strength and hardness depending on the material of the main body (100) which is integrally molded with a synthetic resin material. In addition, the head (10) may be formed of a soft material, such as silicone or rubber, having a lower strength and hardness than the scraper protrusion (130) in consideration of the three-dimensional shape of the tongue, elastic tissue characteristics, etc., and in order to more effectively perform the cleaning and gentle massage actions. More preferably, the head (10) is formed of heat-resistant silicone to enable boiling water sterilization.

Accordingly, as illustrated in FIG. 14, when the tongue cleaner is used to sweep from the inside of the tongue to the tip of the tongue, the head (10) performs a primary cleaning and massaging action, and then the scraper protrusion (130) sweeps down more strongly along the position that the head (10) passed, thereby gradually removing the tongue coating that was not removed by the head (10). Accordingly, not only is the tongue coating removal and cleaning efficient, but also the surface of the tongue is sufficiently activated with a weak stimulus through the head (10) before the scraper protrusion (130) applies a strong stimulus to the tongue, thereby minimizing the physical stress applied to the tongue.

More specifically, the main body (100) is formed in a frame shape so that a mounting space can be formed penetrating the interior, and a head (10) can be detachably coupled to the mounting space.

Accordingly, both the front and the back of the head (10) combined inside the frame-shaped main body (100) can be formed to be exposed to the outside, and both the front and the back of the exposed head (10) can be appropriately used alternately for tongue hygiene management.

The main body (100) may be exemplified by including, for example, a handle frame (110) in which a first mounting space (111) is formed internally, and a head frame (120) in which a second mounting space (121) is formed by extending from the upper end of the handle frame (110) and communicating internally with the first mounting space (111).

At this time, the main body (100) is formed to have an ergonomic structure in a roughly 'T' shape. For example, the handle frame (110) is formed to be long and extend vertically so that the user can easily grip and manipulate it with his or her hand, and the head frame (120) is formed to be long and extend horizontally from the top of the handle frame (110) so that it has a structure corresponding to the width of the tongue and can form a wider contact area with the tongue.

Here, the shape of the head frame (120) is not necessarily a straight line, and includes a semicircle as in Fig. 9, as well as other shapes such as circles, ovals, and polygons.

In addition, the first mounting space (111) and the second mounting space (121) may be implemented in a separate form, but preferably, they may be implemented as a single channel connected to each other, in a 'T'-shaped space.

Meanwhile, a head (10) may be detachably coupled to each of the first mounting space (111) and the second mounting space (121). The head (10) coupled to the first mounting space (111) may be a head (10) for storage or replacement, and the head (10) coupled to the second mounting space (121) may be a head (10) that acts directly on the tongue.

At this time, in the first mounting space (111), at least one head (10) can be lined up in a single row along the longitudinal direction and combined for storage, and only a single head (10) can be combined in the second mounting space (121).

A plurality of heads (10) are configured to have different strength and hardness characteristics and are distinguished by color, etc., so that the appropriate head (10) can be visually distinguished and easily replaced according to the situation.

That is, the user can appropriately replace the head (10) of the second mounting space (121) with the head (10) coupled to the first mounting space (111) according to the situation, and at this time, in order for the head (10) to be properly coupled to the main body (100), a fixing projection (112, 122) is formed protruding along the circumferential direction on the inner surface of the main body (100), and a fixing groove (11) corresponding to the fixing projection (112, 122) is formed recessed in the edge of the head (10).

As shown in FIGS. 6 and 8, the fixing protrusions (112, 122) are formed in the form of protrusions protruding toward the center of the mounting space, for example, in the form of triangles with their vertices arranged so that the head (10) can be guided by the inclined surfaces (112a, 122a) formed before and after the fixing protrusions (112, 122) during the process of attaching and detaching the head (10).

That is, when the head (10) is coupled to the main body (100), as the line contact is made on the above-mentioned slopes (112a, 122a), the head (10) is guided to the center of the mounting space, and when the head (10) is forcibly fitted inward in this state, the head (10) is elastically deformed to fit the volume of the mounting space and enters the mounting space, and when it is completely seated in the mounting space, it returns to its original state, and the fixing projections (112, 122) and the fixing groove (11) are interlocked with each other in a groove-protrusion structure, so that the head (10) does not easily fall out in the forward-backward direction.

In particular, the head (10) can be fixedly coupled in the second mounting space (121) in the forward/backward direction as well as in the up/down and left/right directions, and in the first mounting space (111), it can be coupled so as to be able to slide up and down along the longitudinal direction of the first mounting space (111), so that the order or position of the storage head (10) can be appropriately varied according to preference.

In addition, since the head (10) coupled to the second mounting space (121) has a structure in which both the front and the back are exposed to the outside, there is an advantage in that the head (10) can be managed more hygienically.

To describe the main body (100) more specifically, the handle frame (110) may be formed of, for example, a pair of vertical frames (113) that are spaced apart from each other at a certain distance on the left and right in parallel to each other and form the first mounting space (111) therebetween. At this time, the fixing protrusion (112) may be formed on the surface where each of the vertical frames (113) faces each other, and the lower ends of the pair of vertical frames (113) may be connected to each other through a connecting frame (114).

In the case of the head frame (120), the structure is not particularly limited, but according to the embodiment of the attached drawing, a pair of vertical frames (113) are bent and extended multiple times to form a square structure so that the main body (100) can have a frame shape connected as a single frame.

It is preferable that the main body (100) in the form of such a frame is made of a synthetic resin material that is elastically deformable. Accordingly, as shown in FIG. 5, when the handle frame (110) is held by hand and a pair of vertical frames (113) are compressed inward, the head frame (120) is also configured to be compressively deformed in conjunction with the compressive deformation of the handle frame (110), and the head (10) coupled to the second mounting space (121) is compressed and fixed within the second mounting space (121).

This is because the first mounting space (111) and the second mounting space (121) are connected to each other to form a single channel, and also because the main body (100) itself is formed in a frame shape, and accordingly, due to the characteristics of the main body (100) that supports the head (10) in a structure that opens both the front and back of the head (10), even if the bonding force with the head (10) is reduced when pressing against the tongue, the main body (100) naturally strongly presses and grips the edge of the head (10) in the process of sweeping the tongue using the tongue cleaner, so that the head (10) in the second mounting space (121) is not arbitrarily disassembled and can be firmly fixed in position.

In addition, when attaching or detaching the head (10) coupled to the first mounting space (111) or the second mounting space (121), rather than relying solely on the elastic deformation of the head (10), the first mounting space (111) and the second mounting space (121) are expanded by moving a pair of vertical frames (113) outward, thereby making the attachment or detachment process of the head (10) easier.

In addition, since the interior of the main body (100) is provided as an empty space, it not only provides ease of cleanliness management, but also makes the tongue cleaner itself lighter and more simplified in structure, thereby ensuring profitability by drastically reducing production costs as well as improving convenience of use.

Meanwhile, a reinforcing bar (115) may be formed at the bottom of the first mounting space (111). The reinforcing bar (115) is a structure for reinforcing the strength of the bottom of the handle frame (110) and preventing it from bending, and plays a role in stabilizing the structure of the main body (100) by limiting excessive elastic deformation of the vertical frame (113) during use of the tongue cleaner.

The reinforcing bar (115) may have various structures, for example, as shown in FIG. 12a, it may be formed in the form of a plate that shields a certain area of the lower portion of the first mounting space (111), or as shown in FIG. 12b, it may be formed of a plurality of support pins (115a) that intersect each other diagonally across the first mounting space (111).

In particular, in the case of the reinforcing bar (115) embodiment illustrated in Fig. 12b, a through hole (115b) is formed between the supporting pins (115a) that are formed in a cross-like manner, so that water can be easily discharged during washing, and rapid drying can be achieved due to sufficient ventilation, thereby enabling cleaner management.

As shown in Fig. 13, the tongue cleaner can be turned over and hung on a hook or the like for storage via the reinforcing bar (115).

Next, the head (10) is detachably attached to the mounting space and plays a role in cleaning and massaging the tongue.

At this time, a first protrusion (12) is formed on the front side of the head (10) and a second protrusion (13) is formed on the rear side to protrude forward and backward in the direction of the head, so that at least one of the first protrusion (12) and the second protrusion (13) can be used by contacting the tongue.

Meanwhile, in the case of the scraper protrusion (130), since it is formed on the front upper part of the head frame (120) as a basic embodiment, when it is desired to manage the tongue hygiene with the rear configuration of the tongue cleaner, the action of the scraper protrusion (130) is excluded and only the head (10) can be acted on the tongue. However, if necessary, as shown in FIG. 11, it is disclosed that the scraper protrusion (130) can be formed symmetrically on the front and rear upper parts of the head frame (120) so that both sides of the tongue cleaner can be used for removing tongue coating.

It is preferable that the first protrusion (12) and the second protrusion (13) are formed of protrusions of different shapes, and the shape or arrangement of the protrusions is not specifically limited, but in the case of the first protrusion (12), it is formed as a protrusion of a triangular structure that is long from left to right so as to perform a function similar to that of the scraper protrusion (130), and multiple protrusions can be formed at equal intervals from top to bottom.

In the case of the second protrusion (13), it is configured as a thin and long rod-shaped structure, and multiple protrusions can be densely arranged so as to gently massage soft tissue and also to clean foreign substances between the fine papillae of the tongue with minimal stimulation. In some cases, as shown in Fig. 10, a plate-shaped third protrusion (13a) can be mixed between the second protrusions (13) on the back of the head (10), so as to ensure cleaning and massage efficiency due to more complex stimulation.

The above-described first protrusion (12) and second protrusion (13) examples are merely exemplary, and it is to be understood that a head (10) adopting various protrusion structures can be used.

Meanwhile, the first protrusion (12) and the second protrusion (13) must be used in a state where they are combined in a set direction on the main body (100) to expect the best effect.

Preferably, when the head (10) is properly coupled so that the first protrusion (12) is positioned toward the front of the tongue cleaner, the scraper protrusion (130) and the first protrusion (12) can be positioned vertically, thereby effectively removing tongue coating toward the front of the tongue cleaner, and cleaning, massaging, and finishing treatment toward the rear.

However, when the first protrusion (12) and the second protrusion (13) are positioned in the opposite direction to each other, the second protrusion (13) is positioned below the scraper protrusion (130), so the tongue cleaner has a problem of a reduced tongue coating removal efficiency at the front, and conversely, when the first protrusion (12) is positioned at the back, the cleaning, massage, and finishing processing efficiency is reduced.

Meanwhile, as illustrated in FIG. 9, the shape of the head frame (120) may be implemented in various ways. For example, the upper left and right corners and the lower left and right corners may be formed to be curved in an arc shape, but the radius of the arc of the lower left and right corners may be configured to be larger than that of the upper left and right corners, thereby implementing the upper left and right corners and the lower left and right corners of the head frame (120) as an asymmetrical structure, or the head frame (120) may be implemented in a semicircular shape. In addition, it is natural that the outer shape of the head (10) is also formed in a complementary structure.

The embodiments of the present invention described above are merely exemplary, and those skilled in the art will readily appreciate that various modifications and equivalent other embodiments are possible from the embodiments. Therefore, it will be readily understood that the present invention is not limited to the forms mentioned in the detailed description above. Accordingly, the true technical protection scope of the present invention should be determined by the technical idea of the appended claims. In addition, the present invention should be understood to include all modifications, equivalents, and substitutes within the spirit and scope of the present invention defined by the appended claims.

100: Body
10: Head
110: Handle Frame
120: Head Frame
130: Scraper protrusion

Claims (5)

A rigid body formed in a frame shape with a mounting space formed through the interior; and
It includes a soft head that is detachably connected to the above-mentioned mounting space and has first and second protrusions that come into contact with the tongue and are formed protruding to clean and massage the tongue;
The above body,
A handle frame having a first mounting space formed through the inside; and
A head frame is formed by extending from the upper end of the handle frame and having a second mounting space formed internally and communicating with the first mounting space;
The above handle frame is formed to be extended vertically, and the head frame is formed to be extended left and right from the top of the handle frame, so that the body has a 'T'-shaped structure.
In the above first mounting space, at least one head is stored in a single row,
The above frame-shaped body is made of an elastically deformable material, and as the handle frame is compressed and deformed inward, the head frame is compressed and deformed in conjunction therewith, and thus, the head coupled to the second mounting space is compressed and fixed within the second mounting space.
The above handle frame is,
A tongue cleaner characterized by including a pair of vertical frames spaced apart from each other at a set interval on the left and right sides and forming the first mounting space therebetween. In claim 1,
A tongue cleaner characterized in that a scraper protrusion for removing tongue coating is formed on the upper part of the main body. In claim 1,
A tongue cleaner characterized in that a first protrusion is formed on the front side of the head and a second protrusion is formed on the rear side, respectively, protruding in the front-back direction, wherein the first and second protrusions are formed of protrusions having different shapes, and at least one of the first and second protrusions can be used by contacting the tongue. In claim 1,
A tongue cleaner characterized in that a reinforcing bar is formed at the lower portion of the first mounting space. In claim 1,
A tongue cleaner characterized in that the upper left and right corners and the lower left and right corners of the head frame are formed to be curved in the shape of an arc, and the size of the arc radius of the lower left and right corners is formed larger than that of the upper left and right corners.

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