SI20186A

SI20186A - Toothbrush for diagonal movement

Info

Publication number: SI20186A
Application number: SI9900085A
Authority: SI
Inventors: Andrej Pretnar
Original assignee: Andrej Pretnar
Priority date: 1999-04-08
Filing date: 1999-04-08
Publication date: 2000-10-31

Abstract

A toothbrush with an unsymmetrical handle position is solving the problem of how to increase its ergonomics by changing the structure. The handle (3) axis (Z) is directed at a certain angle to the brush head axis of symmetry (S). Thus, the handle (3) occupies a position where the brush head (1) is displaced by a simple movement along its axis (Z) in the direction of tooth gaps to clean them effectively. The head (1) is exchangeable in such a way that its bearing (4) in the centre of gravity can be fixed to the axle (5) on a holder (2). Both the bearing and the axle are coupled by interlocking allowing in the same time the head to remain flexible and to be aligned uniformly against the teeth. After fixing, it can be adjusted for the left-hand or right-hand application. By doubling the number of parts, symmetry is achieved and special types are obtained. The use is more effective and simpler even for people with reduced arm mobility.

Description

ZOBNA ŠČETKA Z DIAGONALNIM PREMIKOMTOOTH BRUSH WITH DIAGONAL MOVEMENT

Predmet izuma se nanaša na področje zobnih ščetk, posebej na konstrukcije, ki olajšujejo izvajanje medicinsko priporočenih načinov čiščenja zob.The subject of the invention relates to the field of toothbrushes, in particular to constructions that facilitate the implementation of medically recommended methods of cleaning teeth.

Dentalna medicina priporoča čiščenje z vertikalnimi ali krožni premiki glave ščetke. Večina do sedaj znanih rešitev ima to skupno značilnost, da so sestavni deli konstrukcije razvrščeni pretežno simetrično in linearno vzdolž osi ščetke. Ergonomsko najbolj primeren in naraven način premikanja ščetke je z gibi roke v smeri osi ročaja. Os ročaja je med uporabo v horizontalnem položaju, zato taka konstrukcija navaja na nepravilen način čiščenja z gibi v horizontalni smeri, ki premikajo glavo s ščetinami pravokotno na medzobne reže, tako da jih ščetine preskakujejo in ne sežejo med zobe. Takšno ščetko lahko premikamo na pravilen način le z ergonomsko manj primernimi gibi v smeri pravokotno na os ročaja, ki premikajo glavo s ščetinami vertikalno oziroma vzporedno z medzobnimi režami vendar so težje izvedljivi, saj zahtevajo večjo fleksibilnost zapestja. Znana rešitev je po patentu US4575894, ki omogoča vertikalne premike glave vendar je težavno čiščenje zadnjih delov zob, ker moti ročaj in nenaraven položaj roke.Dental medicine recommends cleaning with vertical or circular movements of the brush head. Most of the solutions known so far have this common feature that the components of the structure are arranged predominantly symmetrically and linearly along the axis of the brush. The ergonomically most convenient and natural way to move the brush is by moving the hand in the direction of the axis of the handle. The axis of the handle is in horizontal position when used, which is why such construction indicates incorrect cleaning with horizontal movements that move the head with the bristles perpendicular to the interdental slots so that the bristles skip and do not cut between the teeth. Such a brush can be moved in the correct way only with ergonomically less suitable movements in a direction perpendicular to the axis of the handle, which move the head with the bristles vertically or parallel to the interdental slots but are more difficult because they require more wrist flexibility. A known solution is patent US4575894, which allows vertical movements of the head, but it is difficult to clean the back of the teeth because it interferes with the handle and unnatural position of the hand.

Pri dosedanjih izvedbah je torej ostal nerešen problem odvisnosti pravilne in lahkotne uporabe zobne ščetke od gibljivosti roke. Pri ljudeh z normalno gibljivostjo je učinkovita uporaba običajne zobne ščetke otežena, pri ljudeh z zmanjšano gibljivostjo pa onemogočena. Namen, ki ga sledi izum, je taka konstrukcijska rešitev, ki naj poenostavi gibe potrebne za pravilno čiščenje zob, tako da bo ščetka primerna tudi za invalide ter da bo združevala oba medicinsko priporočena načina čiščenja zob.So far, the problem of the dependence of the correct and easy use of the toothbrush on the mobility of the hand has remained unsolved. For people with normal mobility, the effective use of a regular toothbrush is difficult and disabled for people with reduced mobility. The purpose of the invention is to provide a design solution that simplifies the movements required for proper tooth brushing so that the brush is also suitable for the disabled and combines both medically recommended methods of tooth brushing.

Po izumu je problem rešen z nesimetrično in nelinearno razporeditvijo sestavnih delov, tako da glava in nosilec ležita na simetrali, ročaj pa leži izven simetrale, pri čemer os ročaja tvori s simetralo izrazit kot primerne velikosti.According to the invention, the problem is solved by the asymmetric and nonlinear arrangement of the components, so that the head and the carrier lie on the symmetry and the handle lies outside the symmetry, with the axis of the handle formed by the symmetry as suitable sizes.

Izum bo opisan na izvedbenih primerih in slikah, ki prikazujejo:The invention will be described in embodiments and figures showing:

Slika 1 Figure 1 zobna ščetka po izumu v tlorisni projekciji a toothbrush according to the invention in plan view Slika 2 Figure 2 aksonometrični prikaz delno gibljive vskočne pritrditve glave z levo in desno nastavitvijo axonometric representation of a partially moving upright head attachment to the left and right setting Slika 3 Figure 3 zobna ščetka po izumu z dvema glavama in dvema nosilcema ter raztegljivim ročajem v tlorisni projekciji a toothbrush according to the invention with two heads and two supports; and stretchable handles in floor plan Slika 4 Figure 4 zobna ščetka po izumu z dvema glavama in dvema nosilcema ter raztegljivim ročajem v narisni projekciji a toothbrush according to the invention with two heads and two supports; and extendable handles in outline projection Slika 5 Figure 5 zobna ščetka po izumu z dvema ročajem v tlorisni projekciji toothbrush according to the invention with two handles in plan view

Zobna ščetka po izumu prikazana na sliki 1, ima glavo 1 s ploskvijo na katero so pritrjene ščetine, ki določa ravnino P in se nadaljuje v nosilec 2. Njuna os simetrije je označena kot S. Nosilec 2 se nadaljuje v ročaj 3, katerega os je označena kot Z. Os S in Z ležita v ravnini P in se sekata v točki T ter tvorita kot a. Referenčne osi so horizontala H, ki jo določa linija vrste zob in vertikala V, ki jo določa linija medzobnih rež. Vsi deli so izdelani prednostno iz umetne mase. Med uporabo je os S glave 1 in ročaja 2 vzporedna horizontali H, tako kot pri znanih rešitvah, os Z ročaja 3 pa je, za razliko od znanih rešitev, v »diagonalni« smeri glede na horizontalo H in vertikalo V. Učinek take konstrukcije je, da se s premikanjem ročaja 3, premika glava 1, tako da je vektor premika diagonala A, ki ima horizontalno komponento v smeri pravokotno na medzobne reže in vertikalno v smeri vzporedno z režami. S tem dosežemo večsmerno čiščenje, ki ima podobne učinke kot istočasno oba medicinsko priporočena načina čiščenja. Z velikostjo kota a, ki je v mejnih vrednostih od 45 do 90 stopinj, določamo zaželjeno velikost komponent. Kot a, je prednostno 45 stopinj, ko sta obe komponenti enaki in je čiščenje enakomerno v vseh smereh. Ščetka po izumu ima nesimetrično konstrukcijo, ki pa je ni nujno potrebno izdelati v izvedbi za uporabo z levo ali desno roko, saj je dosežen vedno podoben položaj roke in oprijem s tem, da so vsi elementi v isti ravnini, ročaj 3 pa ustreza vsem položajem dlani saj ima prednostno krožen presek in je prednostno zakrivljen, tako da njegova skrajna konca ležita na osi Z, teme krivine pa je v isti ravnini odmaknjeno v smeri glave 1, kar hkrati onemogoča zasuk ščetke v dlani. Kot je prikazano na sliki 2, je v nadaljnjem razvoju izuma namesto fiksne glave uporabljena zamenljiva, levo-desno nastavljiva in omejeno gibljiva glava 1, s čemer dosežemo identičen način uporabe z levo ali desno roko, kar sicer ni nujno, dovoljuje pa dodatno možnost zamenjave obrabljene glave in enakomernega naleganje ščetin. Glava 1 se v levi ali desni poziciji vskočno in delno gibljivo pritrdi z ležiščem 4, ki se nahaja v težišču prednostno krožne ploskve glave 1 na vskočno osovino 5, ki je na nosilcu 2 in je v ravnini P vzporedna z osjo ročaja Z, s čemer dosežemo, da se za razliko od znanih rešitev, glava 1 ne nagiba zaradi premika ročaja 3, temveč le zaradi prilagoditve površini. Gibljivosti je omejena z največjim možnim nagibom glave 1, ko ta z robom ploskve naleže na nosilec 2.The toothbrush of the invention shown in FIG. 1 has a head 1 with a surface to which the bristles are fixed, which defines the plane P and continues into carrier 2. Their axis of symmetry is designated S. The carrier 2 extends into handle 3, whose axis is denoted Z. The axes S and Z lie in the plane P and intersect at the point T and form an angle a. The reference axes are the horizontal H defined by the line of tooth type and the vertical V defined by the line of interdental slots. All parts are preferably made of plastic. In use, the axis S of the head 1 and the handle 2 is parallel to the horizontal H, as in the known solutions, and the Z axis of the handle 3 is, in contrast to the known solutions, in the "diagonal" direction with respect to the horizontal H and the vertical V. The effect of such construction is , that by moving the handle 3, the head 1 is displaced such that the displacement vector is diagonal A having a horizontal component in the direction perpendicular to the slots and vertically in the direction parallel to the slots. This results in multidirectional cleaning, which has similar effects to both medically recommended cleaning methods. The magnitude of the angle a, which is in the limit of 45 to 90 degrees, determines the desired size of the components. As a, 45 degrees is preferred when the two components are the same and the cleaning is steady in all directions. The brush according to the invention has a non-symmetrical construction, which does not necessarily have to be made in the left or right hand version, since an always similar hand position and grip is achieved with all the elements in the same plane and the handle 3 fits all positions the palm of the carbon black has a preferably circular cross section and is preferably curved so that its extreme ends lie on the Z axis and the curvature topics are offset in the same plane in the direction of the head 1, which simultaneously prevents the brush from rotating in the palm. As shown in FIG. 2, in the further development of the invention, a replaceable, left-right adjustable and limited moving head 1 is used instead of a fixed head, thereby achieving an identical use with the left or right hand, which is not necessary but allows for an additional option of replacement worn heads and even bristles. The head 1 is fixed in a left or right position by means of a bearing 4, which is located in the center of gravity of the preferably circular face of the head 1, on the mounting axis 5, which is on the carrier 2 and is parallel to the axis of the handle Z in the plane P, thereby it is achieved that, unlike the known solutions, the head 1 does not tilt due to the movement of the handle 3, but only because of its adjustment to the surface. The mobility is limited by the maximum tilting of the head 1 when it rests with the edge of the surface on the support 2.

V nadalnjem razvoju izuma so izdelane ščetke za invalide prikazanane sliki 3,4,5 Konstrukcija je simetrična, ker so nesimetrično ležeči sestavni deli podvojeni, vendar ohranja značilnosti nesimetrične konstrukcije prikazane na sliki 1. S tem dosežemo dodatno zmanjšanje gibov pri uporabi.In the further development of the invention, the brushes for the disabled are shown in Fig. 3,4,5. The construction is symmetrical because the asymmetrically fixed components are duplicated, but retains the characteristics of the asymmetrical construction shown in Fig. 1. This results in an additional reduction of movement in use.

Na sliki 3 je prikazana ščetka za ljudi z močno zmanjšano gibljivostjo rok. Ščetka ima dva nosilca 2 katerih osi S tvorita z osjo Z oziroma simetralo ročaja 3, kot a primerne velikosti. Na nosilcih 2 sta dve glavi 1 za čiščenje desne in leve stani zob. Levi in desni sestav glave 1 z nosilcem 2 ne ležita na istih ravninah, kot je razvidno iz slike 4. S tem dosežemo krajši zasuk pri menjavi uporabe leve in desne strani ščetke. Glavi 1 sta lahko zamenljivi ali pa fiksni. Ročaj 3 je daljši ali pa drsno raztegljiv, da ga lahko nastavimo glede na individualne potrebe. S tako konstrukcijo ščetke dosežemo, da so roke v udobnem, nizkem položaju tik ob telesu in da so z minimalnim spreminjanjem položaja rok, dosegljivi vsi deli ustne votline. Premiki glave 1 so le po višini zob in so manjši kot pri znanih rešitvah, kjer so premiki vzdož vrste zob. Zato je možno uporabljati ščetko tudi tako, da roka miruje ob telesu ali pa je ščetka pritrjena na poljubno zasnovano stabilno podlago, oseba pa premika le svojo glavo.Figure 3 shows a brush for people with severely reduced arm mobility. The brush has two beams 2 whose axes S form with the Z axis or the handle 3 symmetrical, but of a suitable size. There are two heads on the brackets 2 for cleaning the right and left teeth. The left and right assembly of the head 1 with the carrier 2 do not lie on the same planes as shown in Figure 4. This results in a shorter rotation when changing the use of the left and right sides of the brush. Heads 1 can be interchangeable or fixed. The handle 3 is longer or sliding that can be adjusted according to individual needs. This brush design ensures that the arms are in a comfortable, low position close to the body and that with minimal changes in the position of the hands, all parts of the oral cavity are accessible. The movements of the head 1 are only in the height of the teeth and are smaller than in the known solutions, where the movements are along the row of teeth. Therefore, it is also possible to use the brush in such a way that the arm is stationary to the body or the brush is attached to an arbitrarily designed stable base and the person moves only his or her head.

Na sliki 5 je prikazana ščetka z glavo 1 in nosilcem 2 na dvojnem ročaju 3, ki je primerna za ljudi z zmanjšano gibljivostjo rok. Osi Z obeh krakov ročaja 3 tvorita z osjo S v ravnini P kot a primerne velikosti. Z dvojnim ročajem 3 dosežemo, da ga je možno preprijemati in se tako prilagajati različnim legam ščetke, istočasno pa zadržati roko vedno v istem udobnem položaju tik ob telesu.Figure 5 shows a brush with a head 1 and a holder 2 on a double handle 3 that is suitable for people with reduced arm mobility. The axes Z of the two arms of the handle 3 form an appropriate size with the axis S in the plane P. With the double handle 3, it is possible to grip it so that it can be adjusted to different brush positions, while keeping the arm always in the same comfortable position close to the body.

Claims

PATENT APPLICATIONS

1 A toothbrush in which the head (1) and the carrier (2) lie on a common axis (S), characterized in that the axis (Z) of the handle (3) and the axis (S) of the head (1) and the carrier (2) lie in planes (P) and intersect at point (T), forming a pronounced angle (ot) of suitable size when the handle (3) is in such a position that, when moving in the direction of the axis (Z), the head (1) moves in diagonal directions (A) with respect to horizontal (H) and vertical (V).

2 A toothbrush according to claim 1, having a replaceable head (1) characterized in that it can be adjusted for use with the left or right hand in such a way that the head (1) has a bearing (4) in its center of gravity, in the selected position, it is fixed to the carrier (2) so that it is limited in motion about the shaft (5), which is parallel to the axis (Z) in the plane (P)

3 Toothbrush according to claim 1, characterized in that the components are symmetrically duplicated