KR20230151782A - Toothbrush sterilizer using silica gel - Google Patents

Abstract

A toothbrush dryer/sterilizer using silica gel according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention includes a receiving port that can accommodate toothbrush bristles, an opening that allows the toothbrush handle to protrude outward on one side of the receiving port, and an upper portion of the receiving port. a lower case in which a groove is formed; A silica gel container placed on the coupling groove, covering one side of the receiving port, and containing silica gel therein; A heating element disposed on the upper surface of the silica gel container; An upper case that is coupled to the edge of the upper surface of the lower case to maintain a constant arrangement of the silica gel container and the heating element and has a portion of the upper surface open; And a top cover that is inserted into the opening of the upper surface of the upper case, is temporarily coupled to the upper case, and is made of a transparent or translucent material. The silica gel container is characterized in that it is made of a material that can transmit external moisture into the inside. do. According to the present invention having the above configuration, a toothbrush dryer/sterilizer using silica gel is provided that uses a method of drying a toothbrush without using power and is composed of a relatively small number of parts so that it can be implemented in a minimalist design. There is an effect of being able to do it.

Description

Toothbrush dryer/sterilizer using silica gel {TOOTHBRUSH STERILIZER USING SILICA GEL}

The present invention relates to a toothbrush dryer/sterilizer, and more specifically, to a toothbrush dryer/sterilizer that can reduce power consumption by using silica gel.

In general, toothbrush sterilizers exterminate bacteria or inhibit their growth by exposing the toothbrush bristles to ultraviolet rays, heat, or ozone. Recently, products equipped with a drying function have been commercialized to prevent the propagation of bacteria, and products that have an automatic repeat function that turns on and off at regular intervals to reduce power consumption are also being released.

As an example of the prior art, Republic of Korea Public Utility Model No. 20-2000-0004810 is a case consisting of a body containing a toothbrush inside and a cover provided on the body, and the case includes an ultraviolet lamp for sterilizing the toothbrush and , a power supply unit connected to the ultraviolet lamp, and an operation switch connected to the power supply unit to turn on/off the ultraviolet lamp.

However, in the above prior art, there is a risk that bacteria may multiply due to moisture on the toothbrush or toothbrush bristles, it is impossible to know whether the user has sterilized the toothbrush after using the toothbrush, and information about the remaining amount of power is provided. There is an unknown problem.

Toothbrush dryers and sterilizers according to the prior art use electric power, and there is a problem in that they operate normally only when power is secured through charging.

Additionally, there is a recent trend favoring minimalist design.

Republic of Korea Patent No. 10-2331981 (Name: Toothbrush sterilizer, Registration date: November 23, 2021) Republic of Korea Patent No. 10-2177101 (Name: Toothbrush sterilizer, Registration date: November 4, 2020) Republic of Korea Registered Utility Model No. 20-0493254 (Name: Toothbrush sterilizer, Registration date: February 22, 2021) Republic of Korea Registered Utility Model No. 20-0190280 (Name: Portable Toothbrush Case, Registration Date: May 15, 2000)

The present invention was invented to improve the above-described problems, and one object of the present invention is to provide a toothbrush dryer/sterilizer using silica gel that can dry a toothbrush without using power.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a toothbrush dryer/sterilizer using silica gel that is composed of a relatively small number of parts so that it can be implemented in a minimalist design.

The technical problems of the present invention are not limited to those mentioned above, and other technical problems not mentioned will be clearly understood by those skilled in the art from the description below.

The toothbrush dryer/sterilizer using silica gel according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, which was devised to achieve the above problem, has a receptacle for accommodating toothbrush bristles and a toothbrush handle that can be placed on one side of the receptacle to protrude toward the outside. an opening, a lower case in which a coupling groove is formed on the upper side of the receiving port, a silica gel container that is placed on the coupling groove and covers one side of the receiving port and contains silica gel inside, a heating element disposed on the upper surface of the silica gel container, and a lower case. An upper case that is connected to the edge of the upper surface to maintain a constant arrangement of the silica gel container and the heating element and has a part of the upper surface open, and an upper cover that is temporarily combined with the upper case by inserting into the opening of the upper surface and is made of a transparent or translucent material. It includes, and the silica gel container is characterized in that it is formed of a material that can transmit external moisture to the inside.

In addition, the heating element of the toothbrush dryer/sterilizer using silica gel according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention is made of a material that generates heat in response to power supply, and when the silica gel absorbs a certain amount of moisture and becomes discolored, it is exposed to heat from the outside. It is characterized by generating heat by receiving power.

In addition, the top cover of the toothbrush dryer/sterilizer using silica gel according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention is detachably coupled to the upper case, and is separated from the upper case when necessary and then opened through the opening of the upper case after a certain period of time. It is characterized by being able to be recombined.

In addition, the upper case of the toothbrush dryer/sterilizer using silica gel according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention is detachably coupled to the lower case, and is separated from the lower case when necessary, and then after a certain period of time, the upper surface of the lower case It is characterized by being able to be recombined.

According to one embodiment of the present invention, it is possible to provide a toothbrush dryer/sterilizer using silica gel that applies a method of drying a toothbrush without using power.

According to one embodiment of the present invention, it is possible to provide a toothbrush dryer/sterilizer using silica gel that is composed of a relatively small number of parts so that it can be implemented in a minimalist design.

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

Figure 1 is an exploded perspective view showing the configuration of a toothbrush dryer/sterilizer using silica gel according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention.
Figure 2 is a perspective view showing the use of a toothbrush dryer/sterilizer using silica gel according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention.
Figure 3 is a plan view showing a toothbrush dryer/sterilizer using silica gel in use according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, as seen from various directions.

Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings so that those skilled in the art can easily practice the present invention.

In describing the embodiments, descriptions of technical content that is well known in the technical field to which the present invention belongs and that are not directly related to the present invention will be omitted. This is to convey the gist of the present invention more clearly without obscuring it by omitting unnecessary explanation.

For the same reason, some components are exaggerated, omitted, or schematically shown in the accompanying drawings. Additionally, the size of each component does not entirely reflect its actual size. In each drawing, identical or corresponding components are assigned the same reference numbers.

Figure 1 is an exploded perspective view showing the configuration of a toothbrush dryer/sterilizer using silica gel according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 1, the toothbrush dryer/sterilizer 100 according to the technical idea of the present invention includes, in order from bottom to top, a lower case 20, a silica gel container 30, a heating element 40, and an upper case 50. ) and the top cover 60 have a structure in which they are sequentially stacked and combined.

Each component can be explained as follows.

The lower case 20 is formed to include a receiving port capable of accommodating the bristles of the toothbrush 10, an opening on one side of the receiving port through which the toothbrush handle can be placed so as to protrude toward the outside, and a coupling groove above the receiving port. .

The silica gel container 30 is placed on the coupling groove of the lower case 20, covers one side of the receiving port, and contains silica gel therein. Therefore, the silica gel container 30 must be made of a material that allows moisture to pass through.

In addition, there are various types of silica gel contained inside the silica gel container 30, such as A type, S type, SA type, Orange type, and natural desiccant (natural zeolite), but in the embodiment of the present invention, Orange type was selected. . Orange type silica gel is an eco-friendly product that satisfies regulations under the European REACH system, and the main reason for choosing it is that it can be used in all packaging products.

The heating element 40 is a component disposed on the upper surface of the silica gel container 30, and is made of a material capable of generating heat to a desired degree by applying power, as long as it can be laminated on the upper surface of the silica gel container 30 and implemented to generate heat in a desired temperature range. Anything is okay. The temperature range required to dry discolored silica gel by absorbing moisture above a certain level is 60 to 150 ℃ or lower. When drying discolored silica gel after washing it, the temperature is gradually raised within this temperature range to dry the silica gel. Dry treatment is preferred.

The upper case 50 is coupled to a protruding portion along the edge of the upper surface of the lower case 20 to maintain a constant arrangement of the silica gel container 30 and the heating element 40, and a portion of the upper surface is open. When referring to the drawing, the area of the opening on the top surface occupies a significant portion of the top surface. In addition, the upper case 50 is configured to be easily separated even after being coupled to the lower case 20, which is helpful for use and maintenance. This means that when maintenance/repair activities such as silica gel cleaning/recycling or replacement are required, the upper case 50 must be separated from the lower case 20 in order to separate the components requiring maintenance/repair activities from the toothbrush dryer/sterilizer 100. Because.

The top cover 60 is inserted into an opening in the upper surface of the upper case 50, is temporarily coupled to the upper case 50, is detachable, and is made of a transparent or translucent material. The reason for making it transparent or translucent like this is to make it possible to easily check the state of the internal heating element 40, silica gel container 30, and silica gel with the naked eye.

To further explain silica gel, silica gel gradually changes color as it absorbs moisture, and when the discoloration progresses beyond a certain level, it can be reused after washing and drying. When drying after washing, it is preferable to gradually increase the temperature in the range of 60 to 150 ℃ or less. At this time, drying must be carried out under conditions where there is no moisture in the surrounding area.

Figure 2 is a perspective view showing the use of a toothbrush dryer/sterilizer using silica gel according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to Figure 2, in the toothbrush dryer/sterilizer 100 of the present invention, the bristles of the toothbrush 10 are placed in the receiving port and the toothbrush handle is placed facing outward in an opening formed on one side of the receiving port.

Figure 3 is a plan view showing a toothbrush dryer/sterilizer using silica gel in use according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, as seen from various directions.

Referring to FIG. 3, FIG. 3(a) is a front view of the toothbrush dryer/sterilizer 100, 3(b) is a right side perspective view, 3(c) is a rear perspective view, and 3(d) is a top perspective view.

According to the toothbrush dryer/sterilizer 100 of the present invention described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 3, there is no need to apply power to dry the toothbrush, so convenience in use is improved, implementation costs are lowered, and maintenance costs are reduced. /Time and cost required for repairs are also reduced.

In addition, when implemented according to the main technical idea of the present invention, the number of parts constituting the product is reduced, so not only does it reduce implementation costs, but it also enables simplification in a form that matches the recent trend of pursuing structural simplicity, which has a significant effect. It can be seen as having.

Meanwhile, the specification and drawings disclose preferred embodiments of the present invention, and although specific terms are used, they are used in a general sense to easily explain the technical content of the present invention and aid understanding of the present invention. It is not intended to limit the scope of the invention. It is obvious to those skilled in the art that in addition to the embodiments disclosed herein, other modifications based on the technical idea of the present invention can be implemented.

10: Toothbrush
20: lower case
30: Silica gel container
40: heating element
50: Upper case
60: Top cover
100: Toothbrush dryer/sterilizer

Claims (4)

A lower case including a receiving port capable of accommodating toothbrush bristles, an opening through which a toothbrush handle can be placed to protrude outward on one side of the receiving port, and a coupling groove formed above the receiving port;
a silica gel container disposed on the coupling groove, covering one side of the receiving port, and containing silica gel therein;
A heating element disposed on the upper surface of the silica gel container;
an upper case coupled to an edge of the upper surface of the lower case to maintain a constant arrangement of the silica gel container and the heating element and having a portion of the upper surface open; and
A top cover is inserted into the opening of the upper surface of the upper case, is temporarily coupled to the upper case, and is made of a transparent or translucent material,
A toothbrush dryer/sterilizer using silica gel, wherein the silica gel container is made of a material that allows external moisture to penetrate into the inside.
According to clause 1,
The heating element is,
It is made of a material that generates heat as power is supplied.
When the silica gel absorbs a certain amount of moisture and becomes discolored,
A toothbrush dryer/sterilizer using silica gel that generates heat by receiving power from the outside.
According to clause 1,
The top cover is,
It is detachably coupled to the upper case,
A toothbrush dryer/sterilizer using silica gel that can be separated from the upper case as needed and rejoined to the opening of the upper case after a certain period of time.
According to clause 1,
The upper case is,
It is detachably coupled to the lower case,
A toothbrush dryer/sterilizer using silica gel, which can be separated from the lower case as needed and rejoined to the upper surface of the lower case after a certain period of time.

Images