KR20240003188A - Toothbruth sterilizer - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention provides a toothbrush sterilizer comprising: a main housing having an open front; a front housing that opens and closes the front of the main housing; a toothbrush holder disposed inside the main housing; and a substrate disposed inside said main housing. The present invention can improve drying performance due to the structural features of the substrate, and thus can improve the durability of the substrate by making it more resistant to moisture.

Description

Toothbrush sterilizer {TOOTHBRUTH STERILIZER}

The present invention relates to a toothbrush sterilizer with an improved structure.

Generally, toothbrushes are placed in a storage container or stand for storing toothbrushes after use, and bacteria can easily multiply in toothbrushes that are simply left behind after use.

The bristles of the toothbrush, which are the part that comes in direct contact with the teeth, are wet after use. Due to the structure of the bristles, it takes a long time for moisture to evaporate, resulting in a high rate of bacterial growth. If the cleaning condition is poor after use, bacterial growth is further maximized, which is detrimental to the user's health. It can have an impact.

Additionally, if you use a toothbrush bristle with bacteria on it, the bacteria are transferred into the oral cavity, causing various oral diseases such as periodontitis.

Therefore, after using a toothbrush, it is necessary to keep it clean to prevent bacteria from multiplying on it. A widely used method currently is to place the toothbrush in a conventional toothbrush sterilizer equipped with a UV LED and/or a heating element to dry and sterilize the toothbrush. .

However, conventional toothbrush sterilizers include UV LEDs and/or heating units on a general PCB board, and this structure may have the following problems.

First, there is a problem that the volume of the toothbrush sterilizer also increases as the volume of the PCB board itself increases due to the placement of the heating part on the PCB board. Due to the heat concentrated and dissipated in the area where the heating part is placed on the PCB board, effective drying is not achieved and the board is damaged. Deformation may occur.

In addition, the structural problem of the conventional toothbrush sterilizer, that is, the structural problem that the air inside the conventional toothbrush sterilizer does not flow well, causes the PCB board to be continuously exposed to moisture, which causes corrosion of the PCB board itself, the risk of short circuit, and/or Alternatively, there may be a problem that the durability of the PCB board is reduced.

In addition, the conventional toothbrush sterilizer as described above has a problem in that the internal air flow is not smooth, so power for the toothbrush drying function is wasted.

The present invention was devised to solve the above problems, and the purpose of the present invention is to provide a toothbrush sterilizer with improved durability and effective sterilization/drying function by improving the substrate structure and internal air flow structure.

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention includes a main housing with an open front; A front housing that opens and closes the front of the main housing; A toothbrush holder disposed inside the main housing; And a substrate portion disposed within the main housing. It provides a toothbrush sterilizer including a.

Additionally, the toothbrush holder has a groove for holding at least one toothbrush and can be detachably placed on the main housing.

In addition, the main housing includes a main body on which the toothbrush holder is placed; and a main cover that closes the upper, rear, and lower sides of the main housing to accommodate the substrate unit, and has an air inlet hole formed on the lower side and an air discharge hole formed on the upper side.

In addition, the substrate portion includes a rear cover having a first through hole formed on the upper side corresponding to the air discharge hole of the main cover; A board disposed inside the rear cover and on which at least one UV LED is mounted; and a second through hole that is fastened to the rear cover to accommodate the substrate therein and is formed to correspond to the position of the UV LED, and a third through hole that allows air between the front housing and the main body to flow into the first through hole. It may include a front cover on which this is formed.

In addition, the substrate includes a heat dissipation plate formed of a metal material; an insulating layer disposed on one side of the heat dissipation plate; and a pattern layer disposed on the insulating layer and on which devices are mounted.

Additionally, at least one resistance element may be mounted on the board, and a plurality of fourth through holes may be formed in the front cover to allow heat generated by the board to flow out between the front housing and the main body.

Additionally, the toothbrush sterilizer may further include a control unit disposed inside the main body.

In addition, it further includes a proximity sensor disposed on one side of the main body, and an opening and closing motor disposed on the main body to provide driving force to open and close the front housing, and the control unit receives a signal from the proximity sensor and operates the opening and closing motor. can be controlled.

In addition, the toothbrush sterilizer is disposed inside the front housing and further includes a spray unit for providing toothpaste to the toothbrush placed in the toothbrush holder, and the spray unit corresponds to a groove of the toothbrush holder inside the front housing. At least one nozzle disposed in a position where: A toothpaste flow pipe connected to the nozzle; A pump for flowing toothpaste in the toothpaste flow pipe; and a check valve that selectively opens and closes the nozzle.

In addition, the toothbrush sterilizer further includes at least one touch sensor disposed in a position corresponding to the groove of the toothbrush holder in the front housing, and the control unit selectively applies toothpaste to one nozzle according to a signal from the touch sensor. The pump and check valve can be controlled to provide.

In the present invention, heat generation and heat dissipation can be improved due to the substrate including a heat dissipation plate formed of a metal material on the entire surface, and through this, air flowing in from the outside between the front housing and the main body is discharged through the third through hole of the front cover. , the toothbrush bristles can be effectively dried/sterilized by allowing natural circulation to the upper part through the first hole in the rear cover and the air discharge hole in the main cover, and the power usage can be reduced.

In addition, the present invention can improve the durability of the substrate by improving drying performance and resistance to moisture due to the structural characteristics of the substrate.

In addition, the present invention can provide a more hygienic and convenient toothbrush sterilizer to users by using a toothbrush in which the front housing is opened and closed through a proximity sensor or toothpaste is automatically provided through a touch sensor.

In addition, the present invention can provide a toothbrush sterilizer that allows for more hygienic management by allowing the toothbrush holder to be easily attached and detached, making it easier to clean the toothbrush holder where the toothbrush bristles can come into contact.

Figure 1 is a front perspective view schematically showing the sensor unit and a toothbrush placed in a toothbrush sterilizer according to an embodiment of the present invention.
Figure 2 is a rear perspective view of a toothbrush sterilizer according to an embodiment of the present invention.
Figure 3 is an exploded perspective view of a toothbrush sterilizer according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 4 is a diagram schematically showing an example of the substrate shown in FIG. 3.
Figure 5 is a view showing a cut surface and air flow of a toothbrush sterilizer according to an embodiment of the present invention.
Figure 6 is a block diagram of the substrate unit, sensor unit, control unit, opening and closing motor, spray unit, and display unit included in the toothbrush sterilizer according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the attached drawings.

Unless otherwise specified, all terms in this specification have the same general meaning as understood by those skilled in the art, and if a term used in this specification conflicts with the general meaning of the term, the definition used in this specification shall apply.

However, the invention described below is only for explaining embodiments of the present invention and is not intended to limit the scope of the present invention, and the same reference numbers used throughout the specification indicate the same components.

Figure 1 is a front perspective view schematically showing the sensor unit and a toothbrush placed in a toothbrush sterilizer according to an embodiment of the present invention, Figure 2 is a rear perspective view of a toothbrush sterilizer according to an embodiment of the present invention, and Figure 3 is an embodiment of the present invention. An exploded perspective view of a toothbrush sterilizer according to FIG. 4 is a diagram schematically showing an example of the substrate shown in FIG. 3 , FIG. 5 is a view showing a cut surface and air flow of a toothbrush sterilizer according to an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 6 is a block diagram of the substrate unit, sensor unit, control unit, opening/closing motor, spray unit, and display unit included in the toothbrush sterilizer according to an embodiment of the present invention.

1 to 6, the toothbrush sterilizer according to an embodiment of the present invention may include a main housing 100, a front housing 200, a toothbrush holder 300, and a substrate portion 400, and a sensor portion. It may include (500), an auxiliary housing 600, a control unit 700, an opening/closing motor 800, an injection unit 900, a battery 1000, a display unit 1100, and/or a power unit 1200. .

The toothbrush sterilizer according to the present invention provides an effective sterilization/drying function by improving the structure of the substrate 410 and the internal air flow structure, and can provide a toothbrush sterilizer with improved durability.

The front of the main housing 100 may be open. For example, the main housing 100 may include a main body 110 and a main cover 120.

The toothbrush holder 300 may be placed on the main body 110, and a proximity sensor 510, a display unit 1100, and/or a control unit 700, etc., which will be described later, may be placed.

The main cover 120 can accommodate the substrate portion 400 by closing the upper, rear, and lower sides of the main housing 100, and an air inlet hole 121 is formed on the lower side and an air inlet hole 121 is formed on the upper side. A discharge hole 122 may be formed.

The air inlet hole 121 is formed to be located on the lower side of the seating space of the substrate portion 400 and the battery 1000 formed by the main body 110 and the main cover 120 to ensure heat dissipation by introducing external air. It can be improved.

The front housing 200 can open and close the front of the main housing 100, and this opening and closing can be implemented manually or automatically, and the means for automatically opening and closing include, for example, a sensor unit 500 and a control unit ( 700) and an opening/closing motor 800, but are not limited thereto.

The toothbrush holder 300 may be placed inside the main housing 100.

The toothbrush holder 300 has a groove for holding at least one toothbrush and can be detachably placed on the main housing 100.

The toothbrush holder 300 can be easily attached and detached from the main housing 100, and this makes it easier to clean and maintain the toothbrush holder 300, where toothbrush bristles can come into direct contact, thereby enabling more hygienic use.

For example, the toothbrush holder 300 may be detachable from the main body 110, and may be provided with a detachable protrusion that can be inserted into a detachable groove formed on the main body 110.

Additionally, the toothbrush holder 300 may further have a groove for holding a razor and/or a tongue cleaner.

The substrate portion 400 may be disposed within the main housing 100.

The substrate portion 400 may include a substrate 410, a front cover 420, and a rear cover 430.

The substrate 410 is disposed inside the rear cover 430 so that at least one UV LED 414A can be mounted.

For example, the UV LED 414A may be implemented as a UVA LED and/or a UVC LED.

At least one resistance element 414b may be mounted on the board 410.

The substrate 410 may include a heat dissipation plate 411, an insulating layer 412, and a pattern layer 413.

The heat dissipation plate 411 may be formed of a metal material. For example, the heat dissipation plate 411 may preferably be formed of an aluminum alloy.

For example, the substrate 410 generates heat through the heat dissipation plate 411 on the entire surface of the substrate 410, so that the air between the front housing 200 and the main body 110 is effectively heated and rises to form a natural It can have an efficient circulation structure, and through this, drying performance can be improved and durability can be improved by becoming resistant to moisture.

The insulating layer 412 may be disposed on one side of the heat dissipation plate 411.

The pattern layer 413 is disposed on the insulating layer 412 so that the device 414 can be mounted on it.

The front cover 420 is fastened to the rear cover 430 to accommodate the substrate 410 therein, and includes a second hole 421 formed to correspond to the position of the UV LED 414A, and the front cover 420. A third through hole 422 may be formed through which air between the housing 200 and the main body 110 flows into the first through hole 431.

For example, the third through hole 422 may be formed to protrude forward from the front cover 420, and this structure can maximize the natural circulation effect in which high-temperature air naturally rises and flows. .

A plurality of fourth through holes 423 may be formed in the front cover 420 to allow heat generated by the substrate 410 to flow out between the front housing 200 and the main body 110.

For example, the plurality of fourth through holes 423 may preferably be formed at positions corresponding to the resistance elements 414b mounted on the substrate 410.

The rear cover 430 may have a first through hole 431 formed on the upper side corresponding to the air discharge hole 122 of the main cover 120.

Referring to FIG. 5, the third through hole 422, the first through hole 431, and the air discharge hole 122 are all disposed on the upper side, so that the front housing has an increased temperature through heat generation from the substrate 410. By forming a structure in which the air between (200) and the main body (110) naturally rises and is discharged, the natural circulation effect can be maximized, and through this, the drying/sterilizing effect of the toothbrush can also be maximized.

The sensor unit 500 may include a proximity sensor 510 and/or a touch sensor 520.

The proximity sensor 510 may be placed on one side of the main body 110.

For example, the proximity sensor 510 may transmit a signal generated in response to the user's hand being approached or touched to the control unit 700.

At least one touch sensor 520 may be disposed in the front housing 200 at a position corresponding to the groove of the toothbrush holder 300.

For example, the touch sensor 520 may sense the user's touch and transmit a signal to the control unit 700.

The auxiliary housing 600 may be formed to cover the upper side of the main housing 100 and the front housing 200 and a portion of the rear of the main housing 100 and may be placed in the main housing 100.

For example, the auxiliary housing 600 may be formed to cover a portion of the main cover 120 excluding the air discharge hole 122.

The control unit 700 may be placed inside the main body 110.

The control unit 700 includes components included in the toothbrush sterilizer according to an embodiment of the present invention, such as a substrate unit 400, a sensor unit 500, an opening/closing motor 800, a spray unit 900, and a display unit 1100. You can control the overall movement.

The control unit 700 can control the opening and closing motor 800 by receiving a signal from the proximity sensor 510.

The control unit 700 may control the pump 920 and the check valve 930 to selectively provide toothpaste to one nozzle 910 according to a signal from the touch sensor 520.

The control unit 700 may operate the UV LED 414A and/or the resistance element 414b when the front housing 200 is closed.

For example, the control unit 700 may display the degree of sterilization of the toothbrush on the display unit 1100 based on the time when the front housing 200 was opened and closed, the current time, and the first set time.

For example, the control unit 700 may operate the UV LED 414A and/or the resistance element 414b when the second set time arrives after the first set time has passed.

For example, the control unit 700 may operate the UV LED 414A and/or the resistance element 414b when the third set time arrives after the second set time has passed.

For example, the control unit 700 sets the resistance element 414b to 3 when the second set time of 30 minutes has passed without opening or closing the front housing 200 since the first set time of 3 minutes has passed. It can be operated for a minute.

For example, the control unit 700 turns on the UV LED (414A) when the third set time of 2 hours has passed without opening or closing the front housing 200 since the second set time of 30 minutes has passed. It can operate for 3 minutes.

The opening and closing motor 800 may be disposed on the main body 110 to provide driving force to open and close the front housing 200.

The spray unit 900 may be disposed inside the front housing 200 to provide toothpaste to the toothbrush placed in the toothbrush holder 300.

The injection unit 900 may include a nozzle 910, a toothpaste flow pipe, a pump 920, and a check valve 930.

At least one nozzle 910 may be disposed inside the front housing 200 at a position corresponding to the groove of the toothbrush holder 300.

The toothpaste flow pipe may be in communication with the nozzle 910.

The pump 920 may be arranged to flow toothpaste in the toothpaste flow pipe.

The check valve 930 can selectively open and close the nozzle 910.

For example, when the user touches the touch sensor 520, toothpaste is sprayed on the toothbrush located at a position corresponding to the touch sensor 520, and the opening and closing motor 800 is driven to open the front housing 200. It can be open.

The battery 1000 may be disposed between the main cover 120 and the rear cover 430.

The battery 1000 may supply power to the toothbrush sterilizer.

The display unit 1100 may be placed on one side of the main body 110.

The display unit 1100 displays the remaining amount of the battery 1000, whether the substrate 410 generates heat, whether the UV LED 414A operates, and/or the degree of sterilization of the toothbrush mounted on the toothbrush holder 300. It can be displayed.

For example, the degree of sterilization may be displayed as 0% to 100%, the setting time is 3 minutes, and if 1 minute and 30 seconds have passed since the front housing 200 was opened and closed, the degree of sterilization is 50%. can be displayed.

The power unit 1200 may be formed on one side of the main body 110.

The power unit 1200 may supply power to the toothbrush sterilizer.

In short, the present invention can improve heat generation and heat dissipation due to the substrate including a heat dissipation plate formed of a metal material on the entire surface, and through this, air flowing in between the front housing and the main body from the outside is prevented from being removed from the front cover. By allowing natural circulation to the upper part through the 3 hole, the first hole in the rear cover, and the air discharge hole in the main cover, toothbrush bristles can be effectively dried/sterilized and power usage can be reduced.

In addition, the present invention can improve the durability of the substrate by improving drying performance and resistance to moisture due to the structural characteristics of the substrate.

In addition, the present invention can provide a more hygienic and convenient toothbrush sterilizer to users by using a toothbrush in which the front housing is opened and closed through a proximity sensor or toothpaste is automatically provided through a touch sensor.

In addition, the present invention can provide a toothbrush sterilizer that allows for more hygienic management by allowing the toothbrush holder to be easily attached and detached, making it easier to clean the toothbrush holder where the toothbrush bristles can come into contact.

From the above description, those skilled in the art will be able to see that various changes and modifications can be made without departing from the technical spirit of the present invention, and the technical scope of the present invention is not limited to the contents described in the embodiments, but rather the patent claims. It must be determined by the scope and equivalent scope.

100: main housing 110: main body
120: Main cover 121: Air inlet hole
122: Air discharge hole 200: Front housing
300: Toothbrush holder 400: Board portion
410: substrate 411: heat dissipation plate
412: insulating layer 413: pattern layer
414: element 414a: UV LED
414b: Resistance element 420: Front cover
421: 2nd pass 422: 3rd pass
423: plural fourth through holes 430: rear cover
431: first through hole 500: sensor unit
510: Proximity sensor 520: Touch sensor
600: Auxiliary housing 700: Control unit
800: Open/close motor 900: Spray unit
910: Nozzle 920: Pump
930: check valve 1000: battery
1100: Display unit 1200: Power unit

Claims (10)

Main housing open at the front;
A front housing that opens and closes the front of the main housing;
A toothbrush holder disposed inside the main housing; and
A toothbrush sterilizer including a substrate portion disposed within the main housing.
According to paragraph 1,
A toothbrush sterilizer wherein the toothbrush holder has a groove for holding at least one toothbrush and is detachably disposed on the main housing.
According to paragraph 1,
The main housing is,
a main body where the toothbrush holder is placed; and
A main cover that closes the upper, rear, and lower sides of the main housing to accommodate the substrate portion, and has an air inlet hole formed on the lower side and an air discharge hole formed on the upper side. A toothbrush sterilizer comprising a.
According to paragraph 3,
The substrate part,
a rear cover having a first through hole formed on the upper side corresponding to the air discharge hole of the main cover;
A board disposed inside the rear cover and on which at least one UV LED is mounted; and
A second through hole is fastened to the rear cover to accommodate the substrate inside and is formed to correspond to the position of the UV LED, and a third through hole allows air between the front housing and the main body to flow into the first through hole. A toothbrush sterilizer including a front cover formed.
According to paragraph 4,
The substrate is,
A heat dissipation plate formed of a metal material;
an insulating layer disposed on one side of the heat dissipation plate; and
Toothbrush sterilizer including; a pattern layer disposed on the insulating layer and having elements mounted thereon.
According to clause 5,
At least one resistance element is mounted on the board,
A toothbrush sterilizer in which a plurality of fourth through holes are formed in the front cover to allow heat generated by the substrate to flow out between the front housing and the main body.
According to paragraph 3,
A toothbrush sterilizer further comprising a control unit disposed inside the main body.
In clause 7,
It further includes a proximity sensor disposed on one side of the main body, and an opening and closing motor disposed on the main body to provide driving force to open and close the front housing,
The control unit is a toothbrush sterilizer that receives a signal from the proximity sensor and controls the opening and closing motor.
In clause 7,
It is disposed inside the front housing and further includes a spray unit for providing toothpaste to the toothbrush placed in the toothbrush holder,
The injection unit,
At least one nozzle disposed inside the front housing at a position corresponding to the groove of the toothbrush holder;
A toothpaste flow pipe connected to the nozzle;
A pump for flowing toothpaste in the toothpaste flow pipe; and
Toothbrush sterilizer including a check valve that selectively opens and closes the nozzle.
According to clause 9,
It further includes at least one touch sensor disposed in the front housing at a position corresponding to the groove of the toothbrush holder,
A toothbrush sterilizer wherein the control unit controls the pump and the check valve to selectively provide toothpaste to one nozzle according to a signal from the touch sensor.

Images