KR20220017867A - Oral care system including smart toothbrush and smart sterilizer - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to an oral care system comprising a smart toothbrush sterilizing a toothbrush head and a smart sterilizer. The oral care system according to one embodiment of the present invention comprises: a toothbrush; and a sterilizer including a main body housing that has a cylindrical structure and an inner space in which the head of the toothbrush is located, and an upper housing covering an upper part of the main body housing. The upper housing includes a planar heating element which is coated with a carbon material and generates heat by supplied electric power. The main body housing is made of a stainless material and is heated by the heat conducted from the planar heating element, thereby being able to sterilize the head of the toothbrush.

Description

ORAL CARE SYSTEM INCLUDING SMART TOOTHBRUSH AND SMART STERILIZER

The present invention relates to an oral care system comprising a smart toothbrush for sterilizing a toothbrush head and a smart sterilizer.

The field of oral hygiene has made significant strides in improving oral health. Examples include various toothpastes, mouthwashes, dental floss, water rinse devices and toothbrushes.

In general, a toothbrush (toothbrush) is an oral hygiene tool used together with toothpaste, and after a user brushes his or her teeth using a toothbrush, the toothbrush is stored in a general storage box or stored in a separate toothbrush box.

However, when the toothbrush is stored in a storage box or toothbrush box, various bacteria are transferred to the bristles, so that the user uses the toothbrush to which the bacteria have been transferred. Due to this, there is a problem that there is a possibility that various tooth-related diseases may occur, which is unsanitary.

The above-mentioned background art is technical information that the inventor possessed for the derivation of the present invention or acquired in the process of derivation of the present invention, and cannot necessarily be said to be a known technique disclosed to the general public prior to the filing of the present invention.

Domestic Registered Patent Publication No. 10-2156889 (2020.09.10)

One object of the present invention is to provide an oral care system for sterilizing and drying a toothbrush head.

An object of the present invention is to provide an oral care system for sterilizing and drying a toothbrush head using the conductive heat of the carbon-coated PCB.

An object of the present invention is to provide an oral care system for sterilizing and drying a toothbrush head based on the principle of induction heating using an induction heating (IH) coil.

An object of the present invention is to provide an oral care system for sterilizing and drying a toothbrush head based on a dielectric heating principle using microwaves.

An object of the present invention is to determine the degree of curvature of the bristles to alert the replacement of the toothbrush.

The problem to be solved by the present invention is not limited to the above-mentioned problems, and other problems and advantages of the present invention not mentioned can be understood by the following description, and more clearly understood by the embodiments of the present invention will be In addition, it will be understood that the problems and advantages to be solved by the present invention can be realized by means and combinations thereof indicated in the claims.

An oral care system according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a toothbrush and a sterilizer including a cylindrical body housing forming an inner space in which the head of the toothbrush is located, and a sterilizer including an upper housing covering the upper end of the body housing, the upper housing Silver includes a planar heating element coated with a carbon material that generates heat by the power supplied, and the body housing is made of a stainless material and the heat generated in the planar heating element is conducted and heated to sterilize the head of the toothbrush. .

An oral care system according to another embodiment of the present invention includes a toothbrush and a sterilizer including a cylindrical body housing forming an inner space in which the head of the toothbrush is located, and a sterilizer including an upper housing covering the upper end of the body housing, the toothbrush , A plurality of grooves formed by penetrating the upper surface of the head having a predetermined thickness at equal intervals, and a plurality of anchors inserted into each of the plurality of grooves in a state in which bristles are implanted, and formed of a conductive material, the main body housing Silver, a holder for fixing the toothbrush, is provided at a position opposite to the toothbrush, and by inducing an eddy current by generating a high-frequency magnetic flux in a plurality of anchors as a high-frequency current is supplied, a plurality of anchors have their electrical resistance It may include an induction heating coil to be heated by the heat generated by the.

An oral care system according to another embodiment of the present invention includes a toothbrush and a sterilizer including a cylindrical body housing forming an inner space in which the head of the toothbrush is located, and a sterilizer including an upper housing covering the upper end of the body housing, The housing further includes a metal plate of a predetermined length extending toward the inner space, the body housing is provided at a first position facing the metal plate, and generates a high-frequency magnetic flux in the metal plate as a high-frequency current is supplied to generate an eddy current (eddy current) current), an induction heating coil for heating the metal plate to heat generated by its electrical resistance, and a holder for fixing the toothbrush in a second position facing the metal plate.

An oral care system according to another embodiment of the present invention includes a toothbrush and a sterilizer including a cylindrical body housing forming an inner space in which the head of the toothbrush is located, and a sterilizer including an upper housing covering the upper end of the body housing, The housing includes a first dielectric electrode disposed on a first side surface, a second dielectric electrode disposed on a second side surface opposite to the first side surface, and a holder for fixing the toothbrush between the first dielectric electrode and the second dielectric electrode. and a microwave of a preset frequency is input to the first dielectric electrode and the second dielectric electrode, and as the polarity of the first dielectric electrode and the polarity of the second dielectric electrode alternate with each other, the water molecules present in the inner space rotate while The generated frictional heat may sterilize the toothbrush head.

In addition to this, another method for implementing the present invention, another system, and a computer-readable recording medium storing a computer program for executing the method may be further provided.

Other aspects, features and advantages other than those described above will become apparent from the following drawings, claims, and detailed description of the invention.

According to the present invention, the user can safely use the toothbrush by sterilizing and drying the toothbrush head using the conductive heat of the carbon-coated PCB.

In addition, by sterilizing and drying the toothbrush head based on the principle of induction heating using an induction heating (IH) coil, users can use the toothbrush with confidence.

In addition, by sterilizing and drying the toothbrush head based on the dielectric heating principle using microwaves, users can use the toothbrush with confidence.

In addition, it is possible to provide convenience to the user by determining the degree of curvature of the bristles to alert the replacement of the toothbrush.

Effects of the present invention are not limited to those mentioned above, and other effects not mentioned will be clearly understood by those skilled in the art from the following description.

1 is an exemplary view of an oral care system according to an embodiment of the present invention.
2 is an external perspective view of a toothbrush according to an embodiment of the present invention.
3 is an exemplary view of a toothbrush according to an embodiment of the present invention.
4 is an exemplary view of a toothbrush according to another embodiment of the present invention.
5 is an exemplary view for explaining the structure of the upper housing included in the sterilizer according to an embodiment of the present invention.
6 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of a sterilizer operating device included in an upper housing according to an embodiment of the present invention.
7 is an exemplary view for explaining the determination of the wear state of the toothbrush using the sterilizer according to an embodiment of the present invention.
8 is an exemplary view illustrating sterilization of a toothbrush using a sterilizer according to an embodiment of the present invention.
9 to 11 are exemplary views for explaining a sterilizer according to various embodiments of the present invention.
12 is an exemplary view for explaining the operation of the sterilizer shown in FIG.

Advantages and features of the present invention, and a method for achieving them will become apparent with reference to the detailed description in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. However, it should be understood that the present invention is not limited to the embodiments presented below, but may be implemented in a variety of different forms, and includes all transformations, equivalents, and substitutes included in the spirit and scope of the present invention. . The embodiments presented below are provided so that the disclosure of the present invention is complete, and to completely inform those of ordinary skill in the art to which the present invention pertains to the scope of the invention. In describing the present invention, if it is determined that a detailed description of a related known technology may obscure the gist of the present invention, the detailed description thereof will be omitted.

The terms used in the present application are only used to describe specific embodiments, and are not intended to limit the present invention. The singular expression includes the plural expression unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. In the present application, terms such as “comprise” or “have” are intended to designate that a feature, number, step, operation, component, part, or combination thereof described in the specification exists, but one or more other features It should be understood that this does not preclude the existence or addition of numbers, steps, operations, components, parts, or combinations thereof. Terms such as first, second, etc. may be used to describe various elements, but the elements should not be limited by the terms. The above terms are used only for the purpose of distinguishing one component from another.

Also, in this application, "unit" may be a hardware component such as a processor or circuit, and/or a software component executed by a hardware component such as a processor.

Hereinafter, embodiments according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. decide to do

1 is an exemplary view of an oral care system according to an embodiment of the present invention. Referring to FIG. 1 , the oral care system 1 may include a toothbrush 100 , a sterilizer 200 , and a holder 300 .

The toothbrush 100 may be used by a user to brush teeth.

The sterilizer 200 may determine the state of the head ( 110 in FIG. 2 ) of the toothbrush 100 , and sterilize the head 110 of the toothbrush 100 .

In this embodiment, the sterilizer 200 may include an upper housing 201 and a body housing 202 . In this embodiment, the upper housing 201 may cover the upper end of the main body housing 202 . The body housing 202 has a cylindrical shape, and the head 110 of the toothbrush 100 may be located in the inner space. In this embodiment, an upper portion of the main body housing 202 may be covered with an upper housing 201 , and a lower portion of the main body housing 202 may be open. The toothbrush 100 may be inserted through the lower portion of the body housing 202 . Furthermore, a holder ( 203 in FIG. 9 ) for fixing the toothbrush 100 may be further provided inside the body housing 202 .

In this embodiment, the upper housing 201 may include a planar heating element 201a coated with a carbon material that generates heat by the power supplied. On the other hand, the body housing 202 is made of a stainless material, the heat generated in the planar heating element 201a included in the upper housing 201 is conducted and heated, so that the head 110 of the toothbrush 100 can be sterilized. .

In this embodiment, the upper housing 201 and the main housing 202 of the sterilizer 200 may be detachable from each other. Accordingly, only the upper housing 201 or only the main housing 202 can be replaced.

The holder 300 may serve to mount the toothbrush 100 on the oral care system 1 .

Figure 2 is an external perspective view of a toothbrush according to an embodiment of the present invention, Figure 3 is an exemplary view of the toothbrush according to an embodiment of the present invention. In the following description, the part overlapping with the description of FIG. 1 will be omitted.

2 and 3 , the toothbrush 100 may include a head 110 , a handle 120 for holding by hand, and bristles 130 provided on the head 110 to directly rub against teeth.

The toothbrush 100 shown in FIGS. 3A and 3B may be an anchor type toothbrush 100_1. The head 110 of the anchor type toothbrush 100_1 has a predetermined thickness, and a plurality of grooves 111 penetrating at equal intervals may be formed in the upper surface of the head 110 . An anchor 140 may be inserted into each of the plurality of grooves 111 , and bristles 130 are implanted in each of the plurality of anchors 140 . That is, each of the plurality of anchors 140 is inserted into each of the plurality of grooves 111 in a state in which the bristles 130 are implanted, and may be formed of a conductive material.

In order to strengthen the fixed state of the bristles 130, an anchor 140, usually called a flat line, is inserted together, and the anchor 140 is in the groove 111 of the head 110 in a state in which the bristles 130 are attached. Since it is strongly embedded, the solid fixed state of the bristles 130 can be maintained.

In this embodiment, each of the plurality of anchors 140 may be formed of a conductive material, for example, one or more materials selected from the group consisting of copper, nickel, gold, silver, zinc, and tin.

4 is an exemplary view of a toothbrush according to another embodiment of the present invention. In the following description, descriptions of parts overlapping with those of FIGS. 1 to 3 will be omitted.

The toothbrush 100 shown in FIGS. 4A to 4B may be an anchorless type toothbrush 100_2. Referring to FIG. 4 , in the anchorless type toothbrush 100_2 , the head insert 150 may be coupled to the lower surface of the head 110 . A plurality of hair implantation holes 151 may be formed in the head insert 150 . The bristles 130 according to the present embodiment may be implanted in a plurality of hair implantation holes 151 provided in the head insert 150 . The bristles 130 may be inserted in the form of a bundle having a cross section corresponding to each of the plurality of hair transplantation holes 151 . The inserted bundle may be attached to the base portion of the bristles 130 by heat sealing to the back surface of the head insert 150 .

5 is an exemplary view for explaining the structure of the upper housing included in the sterilizer according to an embodiment of the present invention. In the following description, descriptions of parts overlapping with those of FIGS. 1 to 4 will be omitted.

Referring to FIG. 5 , the upper housing 201 of the sterilizer 200 may include a planar heating element 201a coated with a carbon material that generates heat by the power supplied.

In this embodiment, the planar heating element 201a has a disk shape, and on the first area 501 from the first radius to the second radius of the disk shape, a plurality of protrusions arranged radially based on the center of the disk shape The protrusion may be formed, and the protrusion protrusion may not be formed on the second region 502 from the center to the first radius.

The planar heating element 201a has a copper film pattern 201-2 forming a protruding protrusion on the PCB substrate 201-1, and a carbon material paint 201-3 on the copper film pattern 201-2. It is coated, and a circuit pattern 201-4 may be formed on the carbon paint 201-3 by using silk screen printing technology.

In the present embodiment, the protruding protrusions are formed in the copper film pattern 201 - 2 as described above, so that the heat of the protruding protrusions may be stronger than that of the portion where the protruding protrusions are not generated.

The second region 502 is not coated with the copper film pattern 201-2 and the carbon material paint 201-3, but has only the structure of the PCB substrate 201-1 and the circuit pattern 201-4. , a sterilizer operation device 210 to be described later may be located.

The body housing 202 of the sterilizer 200 is made of a stainless material, and heat generated from the planar heating element 201a included in the upper housing 201 is conducted and heated to sterilize the head 110 of the toothbrush 100. can do.

6 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of a sterilizer operating device included in an upper housing according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 7 is a view illustrating determination of a wear state of a toothbrush using the sterilizer according to an embodiment of the present invention It is an exemplary view, and FIG. 8 is an exemplary view for explaining the sterilization of a toothbrush using a sterilizer according to an embodiment of the present invention. In the following description, descriptions of parts overlapping with those of FIGS. 1 to 5 will be omitted.

6 to 8, the sterilizer operation device 210 located in the second region 502 of the planar heating element 201a included in the upper housing 201 is a power supply unit 211, the first sensor 212. , a second sensor 213 , a light emitting unit 214 , and a processor 215 may be included.

The power supply unit 211 may supply power to each component of the sterilizer 200 by receiving external power and/or internal power under the control of the processor 215 . The power supply 211 may include a battery, and the battery may be configured as a built-in battery or a replaceable battery. The battery may be charged by a wired or wireless charging method, and the wireless charging method may include a magnetic induction method or a magnetic resonance method. In this embodiment, the battery includes a nickel-cadmium battery, a lead-acid battery, a nickel metal hydride battery (NiMH), a lithium ion battery, and a lithium polymer battery. battery) may include a rechargeable secondary battery such as, but not limited to.

In this embodiment, the power supply unit 211 may supply power to the planar heating element (201a). The planar heating element 201a may generate heat by the power supplied from the power supply unit 211 .

The first sensor 212 may sense the temperature of the inner space of the main body housing 202 . The processor 215 may control the power supply of the power supply unit 211 based on the temperature and humidity of the inner space of the main body housing 202 received from the first sensor 212 .

In the present embodiment, the processor 215 may control the power supply of the power supply unit 211 so that the inner space of the main body housing 202 is pasteurized while maintaining 55 degrees to 70 degrees. Here, the pasteurization may be a process of heating at 55 to 70 degrees in order to kill pathogenic microorganisms and reduce spoilage microorganisms.

The processor 215 may control the power supply 211 to supply power to the planar heating element 201a according to the inner space temperature of the body housing 202 received from the first sensor 212 is less than 55 degrees. . In addition, the processor 215 controls the power supply 211 to end the power supply to the planar heating element 201a as the inner space temperature of the body housing 202 received from the first sensor 212 exceeds 70. can

In addition, the second sensor 213 may receive the reflected light reflected from the head 110 of the toothbrush 100 irradiated toward the inner space of the body housing 202 is reflected back. Here, the second sensor 213 may include an infrared sensor that receives infrared rays reflected by irradiating infrared rays.

Referring to FIG. 7 , the second sensor 213 may include a light emitting unit 213a and a light receiving unit 213b. The light emitting part 213a may radiate irradiation light (eg, infrared rays) toward the inner space of the main housing 202 . The light receiving unit 213b may receive the reflected light from which the irradiation light is reflected from the head 110 of the toothbrush 100 and returned.

The processor 215 may determine the degree of wear of the bristles 130 provided in the head 110 of the toothbrush 100 based on the reflected light received from the light receiving unit 213b. When the bristles 130 are worn, the reflection angle at which the irradiated light is reflected is changed, so the amount of reflected light received from the second sensor 213 may be changed.

The processor 215 determines that the bristles 130 are worn according to the reflected light compared to the irradiation light is less than the reference value, and may generate an alarm inducing replacement of the toothbrush. Here, the alarm may include an audio signal and/or a vibration signal. A speaker (not shown) and/or a vibrating device (not shown) may be further included to generate an alarm, and the processor 215 may generate an alarm by controlling the speaker and the vibrating device.

Meanwhile, the sterilizer operating device 210 may further include a light emitting unit 214 . The light emitting unit 214 may radiate sterilizing light toward the inner space of the main housing 202 . Here, the light emitting unit 214 may include an ultraviolet (UV) LED, and the type of sterilizing light may include at least one of ultraviolet-A (UV-A) and ultraviolet-C (UV-C). Here, UV-A has a wavelength range of 315-400 nm, and UV-C has a wavelength range of 200-280 nm.

Referring to FIG. 8 , the light emitting unit 214 shows a state in which sterilizing light (at least one of UV-A and UV-C) is irradiated toward the inner space of the main housing 202 .

The processor 215 may control the irradiation time of the light emitting unit 214 according to the type of the sterilizing light. When the type of sterilizing light is UV-A, the processor 215 may control the light emitting unit 214 to irradiate UV-A for a first preset time (eg, 7 minutes to 11 minutes). In addition, when the type of sterilizing light is UV-C, the processor 215 may control the light emitting unit 214 to irradiate UV-C for a second preset time (eg, 3 seconds to 1 minute).

In this embodiment, the processor 215 may perform the power supply control of the power supply unit 211 for heating the planar heating element 201a and the operation of the light emitting unit 214 irradiating sterilizing light simultaneously or separately. have. When the power supply control of the power supply unit 211 for heating the planar heating element 201a and the operation of the light emitting unit 214 for irradiating sterilizing light are performed separately, the light emitting unit 214 for irradiating sterilizing light After operating first, it is possible to perform power supply control to the power supply unit 211 for heating of the planar heating element (201a). This is due to the fact that more power is required to heat the planar heating element 201a than the power required to operate the light emitting unit 214 irradiating sterilizing light.

In an optional embodiment, when the power remaining in the power supply unit 211 is greater than or equal to the reference value, the processor 215 first performs power supply control to the power supply unit 211 for heating the planar heating element 201a, and then sterilizes the light. The light emitting unit 214 to irradiate may be operated. In addition, when the power remaining in the power supply unit 211 is less than the reference value, only the light emitting unit 214 irradiating the sterilizing light may be controlled to operate.

9 is an exemplary view for explaining a sterilizer according to another embodiment of the present invention. In the following description, descriptions of parts overlapping with those of FIGS. 1 to 8 will be omitted.

Referring to FIG. 9 , the sterilizer 200 for sterilizing the anchor type toothbrush 100_1 shown in FIG. 3 is shown. The sterilizer 200 may include an upper housing 201 and a body housing 202 . In this embodiment, the upper housing 201 may cover the upper end of the main body housing 202 . The body housing 202 has a cylindrical shape, and the head 110 of the toothbrush 100 may be located in the inner space.

The body housing 202 may include a holder 203 capable of fixing the anchor type toothbrush 100_1 to the inside of the sterilizer 200 .

In addition, the main body housing 202 may further include an induction heating coil 220 at a position opposite to the anchor type toothbrush 100_1 . The induction heating coil 220 may be provided to extend from the upper housing 201 .

In the anchor type toothbrush (100_1), the portion having the highest bacterial distribution rate is the portion where the bristles 130 are implanted, and a plurality of anchors 140 are heated by induction heating by the induction heating coil 220 to heat the bristles 130. The portion on which is implanted may be subjected to high-temperature sterilization treatment.

Here, in the induction heating method, when a high-frequency alternating current of a predetermined size is applied to the induction heating coil 220, an anchor type toothbrush including an anchor 140 using a magnetic field generated around the induction heating coil 220 ( A method of generating an induced current (eddy current) in the head 110 of 100_1) to heat the anchor 140 may be included.

In this embodiment, the entire or part of the sterilizer operating device 210 may be located in the upper housing 201 , the main housing 202 , and the cradle 203 . In this embodiment, the sterilizer operation device 210 may include a power supply unit 211 , a light emitting unit 214 , a third sensor 223 , and a processor 215 .

The power supply unit 211 may supply power to the light emitting unit 214 and the third sensor 223 under the control of the processor 215 .

The light emitting part 214 may be provided on the side of the main housing 202 to irradiate sterilizing light toward the bristles 130 provided on the anchor type toothbrush 100_1 fixed by the holder 203 . Here, the light emitting unit 214 may include an ultraviolet (UV) LED, and the type of sterilizing light may include at least one of ultraviolet-A (UV-A) and ultraviolet-C (UV-C). Here, UV-A has a wavelength range of 315-400 nm, and UV-C has a wavelength range of 200-280 nm.

The processor 215 may control the irradiation time of the light emitting unit 214 according to the type of the sterilizing light. When the type of sterilizing light is UV-A, the processor 215 may control the light emitting unit 214 to irradiate UV-A for a first preset time (eg, 7 minutes to 11 minutes). In addition, when the type of sterilizing light is UV-C, the processor 215 may control the light emitting unit 214 to irradiate UV-C for a second preset time (eg, 3 seconds to 1 minute).

The third sensor 221 is a moisture detection sensor, which is provided on the cradle 203 to transmit a moisture detection result of the anchored anchor type toothbrush 100_1 fixed to the processor 215 . The processor 215 may receive the moisture detection result from the third sensor 221 to measure the dry state of the anchor type toothbrush 100_1 .

When the moisture detection result is greater than or equal to a preset reference value, the processor 215 controls the power supply 211 to apply a high-frequency alternating current to the induction heating coil 220 to sterilize and dry the anchor type toothbrush 100_1. have.

In this embodiment, the processor 215 may control the high-frequency oscillator ( 226 of FIG. 12 ) to control the high-frequency AC current to be applied to the induction heating coil 220 . To this end, the sterilizer operating device 210 may further comprise a high-frequency oscillator ( 226 in FIG. 12 ).

10 is an exemplary view for explaining a sterilizer according to another embodiment of the present invention. In the following description, descriptions of parts overlapping with those of FIGS. 1 to 9 will be omitted.

Referring to FIG. 10 , the sterilizer 200 for sterilizing the anchorless type toothbrush 100_2 shown in FIG. 4 is shown. The sterilizer 200 may include an upper housing 201 and a body housing 202 . The inside of the main body housing 202 may include a holder 203 capable of fixing the anchor type toothbrush 100_1 to the inside of the sterilizer 200 .

In addition, the main body housing 202 may further include an induction heating coil 220 at a position opposite to the anchorless type toothbrush 100_2 . The induction heating coil 220 may be provided to extend from the upper housing 201 .

In addition, the body housing 202 may further include a metal plate 222 between the induction heating coil 220 and the anchorless type toothbrush 100_2. The metal plate 222 may also be provided extending from the upper housing 201 .

The anchorless type toothbrush 100_2 also has the highest bacterial distribution rate in the portion where the bristles 130 are implanted. The implanted portion may be subjected to high-temperature sterilization.

Here, in the induction heating method, when a high-frequency alternating current of a predetermined size is applied to the induction heating coil 220, an induced current (eddy current (eddy current) current)) so that the metal plate 222 is heated by heat generated by its electrical resistance.

In this embodiment, the entire or part of the sterilizer operating device 210 may be located in the upper housing 201 , the main housing 202 , and the cradle 203 . In this embodiment, the sterilizer operation device 210 may include a power supply unit 211 , a light emitting unit 214 , a third sensor 223 , and a processor 215 . Hereinafter, the description of the sterilizer operating device 210 is the same as that of FIG. 9 and thus will be omitted.

11 is an exemplary diagram illustrating a sterilizer according to another embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 12 is an exemplary diagram illustrating an operation of the sterilizer shown in FIG. 11 . In the following description, descriptions of parts overlapping with those of FIGS. 1 to 10 will be omitted.

11 and 12 , the sterilizer 200 may include an upper housing 201 and a body housing 202 . The inside of the body housing 202 may include a holder 203 capable of fixing the toothbrush 100 to the inside of the sterilizer 200 .

In addition, the main housing 202 may further include a first dielectric electrode 224 and a second dielectric electrode 225 . The first dielectric electrode 224 may be disposed on a first side surface of the body housing 202 , and the second dielectric electrode 225 may be disposed on a second side surface opposite to the first side surface. In this embodiment, the holder 203 may fix the toothbrush 100 between the first dielectric electrode 224 and the second dielectric electrode 225 .

In this embodiment, microwaves of a preset frequency are input to the first dielectric electrode 224 and the second dielectric electrode 225 so that the polarity of the first dielectric electrode 224 and the polarity of the second dielectric electrode 225 are mutually exclusive. As the rotation occurs, the head 110 of the toothbrush 100 may be sterilized by frictional heat generated while the water molecules present in the inner space of the body housing 202 rotate.

A method of sterilizing the head 110 of the toothbrush 100 using the first dielectric electrode 224 and the second dielectric electrode 225 may be referred to as a dielectric heating method. Here, dielectric heating refers to a phenomenon in which molecules rotate in the direction of an electric field applied between both electrodes of a dielectric made of molecular charges when a dielectric heating voltage is applied to the dielectric. At this time, by repeatedly changing the polarity of the electric field, when heat is generated due to friction between adjacent molecules, the dielectric disposed between both electrodes becomes a heating object. You can change direction. At this time, a phenomenon in which the dielectric is vibrated at the same frequency as the applied frequency and the dielectric is polarized and heated according to the electric field may be referred to as dielectric heating.

If this dielectric heating method is applied to this embodiment, the toothbrush 100 can always be kept in a wet state after brushing teeth. In this way, the polarity of water molecules buried in the toothbrush 100 can be used for dielectric heating to sterilize. In general, the structure of a water molecule is composed of two hydrogen atoms and one oxygen atom, and the hydrogen atom has positive (+) polarity, and the oxygen atom has negative (-) polarity. If the polarity of the electrode is alternated at a high speed in a water molecule having this structure, the same polarity is repelled and the other polarity is attracted, so the water molecule can rotate according to the changed polarity. As water molecules rotate, heat is generated by friction between water molecules, and the toothbrush 100 can be sterilized by this heat.

In this embodiment, the entire or part of the sterilizer operating device 210 may be located in the upper housing 201 , the main housing 202 , and the cradle 203 . In this embodiment, the sterilizer operation device 210 may include a power supply unit 211 , a light emitting unit 214 , a third sensor 223 , a high frequency oscillator 226 , a matching circuit 227 , and a processor 215 . have.

The power supply unit 211 may supply power to the light emitting unit 214 , the third sensor 223 , the high frequency oscillator 226 , and the matching circuit 227 under the control of the processor 215 . Hereinafter, the operations of the light emitting unit 214 and the third sensor 223 are the same as those of FIGS. 9 and 10 , and thus will be omitted.

The high frequency oscillator 226 may be connected to the matching circuit 227 , and the matching circuit 227 may be connected to the first dielectric electrode 224 and the second dielectric electrode 225 . The first dielectric electrode 224 , the second dielectric electrode 225 , the high frequency oscillator 226 , and the matching circuit 227 may form a dielectric heating circuit.

When the polarities of the first dielectric electrode 224 and the second dielectric electrode 225 are rapidly alternated using a microwave of 2.45 GHz generated from the high frequency oscillator 226 , frictional heat may be generated as water molecules rotate. Microwave at 2.45 GHz can generate heat by responding only to moisture. Using this frictional heat, the toothbrush 100 can be sterilized and dried.

When the moisture detection result received from the third sensor 221 is greater than or equal to a preset reference value, the processor 215 operates the high-frequency oscillator 226 to generate a microwave of 2.45 GHz, and the matching circuit 227 operates the first dielectric electrode The polarities of 224 and the second dielectric electrode 225 may be controlled to be changed. As the polarities of the first dielectric electrode 224 and the second dielectric electrode 225 alternate with each other in this operation, the toothbrush 100 is caused by frictional heat generated while water molecules present in the inner space of the body housing 202 rotate. ) of the head 110 can be sterilized and dried.

The above-described embodiment according to the present invention may be implemented in the form of a computer program that can be executed through various components on a computer, and such a computer program may be recorded in a computer-readable medium. In this case, the medium includes a hard disk, a magnetic medium such as a floppy disk and a magnetic tape, an optical recording medium such as CD-ROM and DVD, a magneto-optical medium such as a floppy disk, and a ROM. , RAM, flash memory, and the like, and hardware devices specially configured to store and execute program instructions.

Meanwhile, the computer program may be specially designed and configured for the present invention, or may be known and used by those skilled in the computer software field. Examples of the computer program may include not only machine code generated by a compiler, but also high-level language code that can be executed by a computer using an interpreter or the like.

In the specification of the present invention (especially in the claims), the use of the term "above" and similar referential terms may be used in both the singular and the plural. In addition, when a range is described in the present invention, each individual value constituting the range is described in the detailed description of the invention as including the invention to which individual values belonging to the range are applied (unless there is a description to the contrary). same as

The steps constituting the method according to the present invention may be performed in an appropriate order unless the order is explicitly stated or there is no description to the contrary. The present invention is not necessarily limited to the order in which the steps are described. The use of all examples or exemplary terms (eg, etc.) in the present invention is merely for the purpose of describing the present invention in detail, and the scope of the present invention is limited by the examples or exemplary terms unless limited by the claims. it's not going to be In addition, those skilled in the art will appreciate that various modifications, combinations, and changes may be made in accordance with design conditions and factors within the scope of the appended claims or their equivalents.

Therefore, the spirit of the present invention should not be limited to the above-described embodiments, and the scope of the spirit of the present invention is not limited to the scope of the scope of the present invention. will be said to belong to

1: Oral care system
100: toothbrush
200: sterilizer
300: cradle

Claims (15)

An oral care system comprising:
toothbrush; and
A sterilizer including a cylindrical body housing forming an inner space in which the head of the toothbrush is located, and an upper housing covering the upper end of the body housing,
The upper housing is
It includes a planar heating element coated with a carbon material that generates heat by the power supplied,
The main body housing,
Consisting of a stainless material, the heat generated from the planar heating element is conducted and heated to sterilize the head of the toothbrush,
oral care system. The method of claim 1,
The planar heating element is in the shape of a disk,
A plurality of protruding protrusions radially arranged with respect to the center of the disk shape are formed on a first area from the first radius to the second radius of the disk shape,
No protrusion is formed on the second area from the center to the first radius,
oral care system. 3. The method of claim 2,
The second area is
a power supply unit for supplying power to the planar heating element;
a first sensor for sensing a temperature with respect to the inner space of the main body housing;
a second sensor for receiving the reflected light reflected from the head of the toothbrush by the irradiation light irradiated toward the inner space of the main body housing; and
Controlling the power supply of the power supply unit based on the temperature and humidity received from the first sensor, and determining the wear state of the bristles provided in the head of the toothbrush based on the reflected light received from the second sensor A processor for generating an alarm prompting replacement of the toothbrush;
oral care system. 4. The method of claim 3,
The processor is
Controlling the power supply of the power supply so that the inner space of the main housing is pasteurized while maintaining 55 degrees to 70 degrees,
oral care system. 4. The method of claim 3,
Further comprising a light emitting unit irradiating a sterilizing light toward the inner space of the main body housing,
The processor is
Controlling the irradiation time of the light emitting unit according to the type of the sterilizing light,
oral care system. The method of claim 1,
The upper housing and the main housing of the sterilizer are detachable from each other,
oral care system. An oral care system comprising:
toothbrush; and
A sterilizer including a cylindrical body housing forming an inner space in which the head of the toothbrush is located, and an upper housing covering the upper end of the body housing,
The toothbrush is
a plurality of grooves formed through the upper surface of the head having a predetermined thickness at equal intervals;
It is inserted into each of the plurality of grooves in a state in which bristles are implanted, and includes a plurality of anchors formed of a conductive material,
The main body housing,
a holder for fixing the toothbrush;
It is provided at a position facing the toothbrush, and as a high-frequency current is supplied, a high-frequency magnetic flux is generated in the plurality of anchors to induce an eddy current, so that the plurality of anchors are heated by heat generated by their electrical resistance. Including an induction heating coil to
oral care system. 8. The method of claim 7,
The main body housing,
Further comprising a light emitting unit for irradiating sterilizing light toward the bristles provided on the toothbrush fixed by the holder,
oral care system. 8. The method of claim 7,
the cradle,
Further comprising a third sensor for detecting the moisture of the fixed toothbrush,
oral care system. An oral care system comprising:
toothbrush; and
A sterilizer including a cylindrical body housing forming an inner space in which the head of the toothbrush is located, and an upper housing covering the upper end of the body housing,
The upper housing is
Further comprising a metal plate of a predetermined length extending toward the inner space,
The main body housing,
Induction provided at a first position opposite to the metal plate, and by inducing an eddy current by generating a high-frequency magnetic flux in the metal plate as a high-frequency current is supplied, so that the metal plate is heated by heat generated by its electrical resistance heating coil; and
Containing a holder for fixing the toothbrush in a second position facing the metal plate,
oral care system. 11. The method of claim 10,
The main body housing,
Further comprising a light emitting unit for irradiating sterilizing light toward the bristles provided on the toothbrush fixed by the holder,
oral care system. 11. The method of claim 10,
the cradle,
Further comprising a third sensor for detecting the moisture of the fixed toothbrush,
oral care system. An oral care system comprising:
toothbrush; and
A sterilizer including a cylindrical body housing forming an inner space in which the head of the toothbrush is located, and an upper housing covering the upper end of the body housing,
The main body housing,
a first dielectric electrode disposed on a first side surface;
a second dielectric electrode disposed on a second side surface opposite to the first side surface; and
and a holder for fixing the toothbrush between the first dielectric electrode and the second dielectric electrode,
As microwaves of a preset frequency are input to the first dielectric electrode and the second dielectric electrode and the polarity of the first dielectric electrode and the polarity of the second dielectric electrode alternate with each other, water molecules present in the inner space The head of the toothbrush is sterilized by frictional heat generated while rotating,
oral care system. 14. The method of claim 13,
The main body housing,
Further comprising a light emitting unit for irradiating sterilizing light toward the bristles provided on the toothbrush fixed by the holder,
oral care system. 14. The method of claim 13,
the cradle,
Further comprising a third sensor for detecting the moisture of the fixed toothbrush,
oral care system.

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