TW201927205A - toothbrush - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention aims to provide a toothbrush that can obtain good handleability in a child's oral cavity and includes a handle body (5) including a bristle-implanted portion (11) formed of a plurality of fiber bundles (7), a head portion (2) in which the bristle-implanted portion is provided on a bristle-implanted surface (2a), a neck potion (3), and a handle portion (4). In a front view, the length of the neck portion is 15 mm or more and 35 mm or less, the total length of the head portion and the neck portion is 28 mm or more and 68 mm or less, and the width of the neck portion is 4 mm or more and 6 mm or less. In a side view, the thickness of the head portion is 2 mm or more and 4 mm or less. In the front view, the distance between a second position which is 20 mm from a first position located at a border between the neck portion and the head portion and an edge line of a finger grip portion is 4 mm or more and 22 mm or less. The difference of the thickness between the second position and the edge line of the finger grip portion in the side view is 3 mm or more and 9 mm or less.

Description

toothbrush

The invention relates to a toothbrush. This application claims priority based on Japanese Patent Application No. 2017-175906 filed in Japan on September 13, 2017, and the contents thereof are incorporated into this application.

When preventing dental caries and periodontal disease, it is important to use a toothbrush to brush teeth to remove plaque in the oral cavity. Previously, various toothbrushes have been proposed in order to improve the plaque removal effect. For example, by thinning the head of the toothbrush and thinning the neck, the brush bristles can reach the depth of the molar (the throat side of the molar) that is difficult to reach with a general toothbrush. Patent Document 1 describes a toothbrush with a thinned head and excellent operability in the oral cavity. [Prior Art Literature] [Patent Literature]

[Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent No. 3387591

[Problems to be solved by the invention]

On the other hand, with regard to toothbrushes for children, the first requirement is the plaque removal effect, and enabling children who are not familiar with brushing to brush their teeth safely and safely. However, the technical development of children's toothbrushes for the purpose of improving the operability of toothbrushes in the oral cavity has not progressed like adult toothbrushes.

The present invention was made in view of the problems of the prior art, and aims to provide a toothbrush that obtains good operability in children's oral cavity. [Means to solve the problem]

The toothbrush in the present invention includes: a hair-planting part including a plurality of hair bundles; and a handle body having a head, a neck and a handle on which the hair-planting part is provided, and when viewed from the front The length is 15 mm or more and 35 mm or less, the total length of the head and neck is 28 mm or more and 68 mm or less, and the width of the neck is 4 mm or more and 6 mm or less. The thickness of the head is 2 mm or more and 4 mm or less. When viewed from the front, the first position at the boundary between the neck and the head moves toward the handle side by 20 mm. The distance between the positions of the ridge lines is 4 mm or more and 22 mm or less, and the difference between the thickness of the second position and the position of the ridge lines of the finger contact portion in the side view is 3 mm or more and 9 mm or less.

The toothbrush of the present invention may be configured such that the relationship between the width of the neck portion in the front view and the thickness of the neck portion in the side view is from the first position to the second position. In the section up to the position, the amount of change in thickness is always equal to or greater than the amount of change in width as it goes toward the rear end side. In the toothbrush of the present invention, the configuration may be such that the relationship between the width and thickness of the neck from the first position toward the second position is a reversal relationship.

The toothbrush of the present invention may be configured as follows: the surface of the neck on the flocked surface side is formed in a straight line along a straight line connecting the first point and the second point, and the first point is The center of the thickness of the tip of the head when viewed from the side, and the second point is the longitudinal center position of the handle when viewed from the front, and the center of the thickness when viewed from the side .

The toothbrush of the present invention may be configured as follows: the surface of the neck on the flocked surface side is formed linearly along a straight line connecting the first point and the third point, and the first point is The center of the thickness of the front end of the head when viewed from the side, and the third point is the center of the thickness of the rear end of the handle when viewed from the side.

The toothbrush of the present invention may be configured as follows: the handle body has a first finger contact portion protruding on the hair-planting surface side near the neck portion of the handle portion, and The surface is a second finger contact portion protruding from the back side of the opposite side. The neck side of the tufted surface side has a center of curvature, the second curved surface has a center of curvature on the handle side of the tufted surface side, and the second finger contact portion is formed in the side view A portion where the fourth curved surface intersects with the fifth curved surface, the fourth curved surface has a center of curvature on the neck side of the tufted surface side, and the fifth curved surface has a curvature on the handle side of the back surface side center.

The toothbrush of the present invention may be configured such that the first finger contact portion is formed such that the first ridge line formed at the intersection of the first curved surface and the second curved surface when viewed from the front faces the neck Curved into a convex shape, and the second finger contact portion is formed into a convex shape toward the neck side when a second ridge line formed at the intersection of the fourth curved surface and the fifth curved surface when viewed from the rear is formed shape.

In the toothbrush of the present invention, the configuration may be such that, in the front view, the width of the neck in the longitudinal direction is constant.

The toothbrush of the present invention may be configured as follows: the material of the handle is polypropylene resin.

In the toothbrush of the present invention, it may be configured that at least a part of the handle is covered with a soft resin. The toothbrush of the present invention may be configured as follows: the total length of the handle is 110 mm or more and 170 mm or less. [Effect of invention]

According to the present invention, a toothbrush with good operability in children's oral cavity can be provided.

The toothbrush according to the embodiment of the present invention will be described below. In addition, in the following drawings, in order to make each constituent element easy to see, the scale of the dimensions may be different depending on the constituent element.

First, the toothbrush 1 of the present invention will be described. FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing the overall configuration of a toothbrush 1 of this embodiment. FIG. 2 is a front view showing the overall configuration of the toothbrush 1 of this embodiment. 3A and 3B are side views showing the overall configuration of the toothbrush 1 of this embodiment. 4 is a rear view showing the overall configuration of the toothbrush 1 of the present embodiment. Here, the upper surface of the head 2 provided with the tufted portion 11 is referred to as a tufted surface 2a. As shown in FIG. 3A, the virtual plane K constituting the tufted surface 2 a is a horizontal XY plane, the direction in which the entire handle 5 extends is the X axis direction, and the direction orthogonal to the X axis is the Y axis direction. Let the normal direction of the said tufted surface 2a be Z-axis direction. In the following description, the dimension of each member in the Y-axis direction is referred to as the width of the member, the dimension of each member in the Z-axis direction is referred to as the thickness of the member, and the dimension of each member in the X-axis direction is referred to as this The length of the component. The so-called "front view" of FIG. 2 is a view of the tooth-planting surface 2a side of the toothbrush 1 viewed from the + Z axis direction. The so-called "side view" of FIGS. 3A and 3B is a view of the toothbrush 1 viewed from the -Y axis direction. The so-called "rear view" of FIG. 4 is a view of the toothbrush 1 viewed from the -Z direction on the back surface 2b opposite to the tufted surface 2a.

(Toothbrush 1) As shown in FIG. 1, the toothbrush 1 of this embodiment includes: a hair-planting portion 11; a head portion 2, where the hair-planting portion 11 is provided; a neck portion 3, which extends from the base end side of the head portion 2; and a handle portion 4. It extends from the base end side of the neck 3. That is, the head 2 is formed integrally with the neck 3 and the handle 4. Hereinafter, the portion where the head 2 is integrated with the neck 3 and the handle 4 is referred to as a handle 5.

(Handle body 5) The handle body 5 is integrally formed into a long shape as a whole, and can be produced by injection molding using a resin as a material, for example. As a constituent material of the handle body 5, polypropylene (Polypropylene (PP), polyethylene terephthalate (Polyethylene terephthalate, PET), polybutylene terephthalate (Polybutylene terephthalate, PBT), poly Polycyclohexylene dimethylene terephthalate (PCT), polyacetal (POM), polyethylene naphthalate (PEN), polystyrene (PS), propylene Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene (ABS), Cellulose Propionate (CP), polyarylate, polycarbonate, Acrylonitrile Styrene (AS), etc. . Among these resin materials, POM, PBT, PEN and other materials are preferably used in terms of high strength and easy thinning of the head.

In particular, polypropylene generally has higher versatility, easier processing, and lower cost than resins such as polyacetal, but on the contrary, it has a property of low bending elastic coefficient. For example, the bending modulus of elasticity of polyacetal (Japanese Industrial Standards (JIS) K7171) is about 2500 MPa. In contrast, the bending modulus of elasticity of polypropylene is about 1500 MPa to 2000 MPa. Therefore, polypropylene is a material that is difficult to use as a material for toothbrushes with thin heads and thin necks. However, by adopting the shape of the toothbrush of this embodiment described later, it is also possible to use a resin having a relatively low bending elastic coefficient such as polypropylene.

In the present embodiment, the bending elastic coefficient (JIS K7171) of the constituent material of the handle body 5, especially the neck 3 is preferably 1000 MPa or more and 2800 MPa or less, more preferably 1200 MPa or more and 2500 MPa or less, and still more Preferably, it is 1500 MPa or more and 2000 MPa or less.

As the resin, one kind of resin may be used alone, or two or more kinds of resins may be used in combination. In addition, part or all of the shank portion 4 of the shank body 5 may be covered with a soft resin. When a part or all of the handle 4 is covered with a soft resin, the user's hand feels better when holding the handle 4 and prevents the gripped fingers from slipping. As the soft resin, for example, resins with Shore A90 or less are preferably mentioned, and resins with Shore A10 to Shore A40 are more preferable. Examples of such soft resins include elastomer resins such as polyolefin-based elastomers, styrene-based elastomers, polyester-based elastomers, and polyurethane-based thermoplastic elastomers, and silicon. When a soft resin such as an elastomer is used, from the viewpoint of improving adhesion, for example, polyolefin is preferable, and polypropylene is more preferable.

The toothbrush 1 of this embodiment is assumed to constitute a toothbrush used by children aged 3 to 9 years, for example. As shown in FIG. 2, the total length L5 of the handle body 5 can be determined in consideration of user operability and the like. The total length L5 of the handle body 5 is, for example, about 110 mm to 170 mm.

(Head 2) As shown in FIG. 3A, the head 2 has: a flat plate portion 2A having a tufted surface 2a and a back surface 2b parallel to each other in the thickness direction; and an extension portion 2B extending from one end side of the flat plate portion 2A.

As shown in FIG. 2, the head 2 has the longitudinal direction of the handle body 5 as the long side, and is formed in a flat plate shape whose top is cut by a curve when viewed from the front. A plurality of hair-planting holes 2h are formed on the hair-planting surface 2a of the head 2. A hair bundle 7 (FIG. 1) formed by bundling toothbrush hairs is planted in the hair transplant hole 2h to form a hair transplant portion 11 (FIG. 1) including a plurality of hair bundles.

The head 2 has a front end of the head 2 that extends outward in the width direction as it faces the neck 3, then extends with the same width, and then narrows in the width direction, and reaches the boundary with the neck 3 ( The shape of the first position S1). The length (head length) L2 shown in FIG. 2 represents the length from the front end of the head 2 to the first position S1 that is the boundary with the neck 3.

In the present embodiment, the first position S1 is the end point of the curve forming the cut angle close to the neck 3 in the front view shape of the head 2, that is, the position where the bending direction of the curve forming the cut angle changes. That is, the first position S1, which is the boundary between the head 2 and the neck 3, is a curve or a straight line in which the width of the two edges forming the chamfered portion close to the neck 3 in the head 2 becomes narrower when viewed from the front. The position of an extended curve or line, or a line with the same width. In addition, in the case of a toothbrush whose width in front view increases with the neck 3 toward the handle 4, the first position S1 coincides with the position in which the width of the head 2 and neck 3 is the smallest in front view.

The size of the head 2 is determined in consideration of characteristics such as operability in the oral cavity. If the length L2 of the head 2 is too long, the operability in the oral cavity is easily impaired. If the length L2 is too short, the number of hair bundles 7 (FIG. 1) for hair implantation becomes too small, and the cleaning effect is easily impaired. Therefore, the length L2 of the head 2 is preferably 13 mm to 35 mm, for example. In addition, in FIG. 2 and FIG. 3A, the illustration of the hair-planting part 11 is omitted. As shown in FIG. 2, if the width (head width) W2 of the head 2 in the direction crossing the longitudinal direction of the handle body 5 is too large, the operability in the oral cavity decreases, and if it is too small, the hair bundle 7 for hair implantation The number becomes too small, and it is easy to damage the cleaning effect. Therefore, the width W2 of the head 2 is preferably 5 mm to 13 mm, for example. As shown in FIG. 3A, the thinner the thickness of the head 2 is, the better the operability in the oral cavity is, but if it is too thin, the strength of the head 2 tends to be insufficient. Therefore, the thickness (head thickness) T2 of the head 2 can be determined in consideration of the constituent material of the handle body 5, the bending elastic coefficient, and the like. The thickness T2 of the head 2 is preferably 2.0 mm or more and 4.0 mm or less, and more preferably 2.5 mm or more and 3.5 mm or less.

As shown in FIG. 2, the shape of the planting hole 2h is not particularly limited, and may be a circle such as a perfect circle, an ellipse, or a polygon such as a triangle or a quadrangle. The number of planted pores 2h is not particularly limited, but is preferably about 10 to 60, for example. In this embodiment, as an example, the row on the front end side is set to 2 holes in the width direction, the second row from the front end side is set to 3 holes, and the row on the rear end side is also set to 3 hole. Three rows of four holes are formed side by side in the central part.

The diameter of the hair-planting hole 2h is determined according to the thickness of the hair bundle 7 shown in FIG. 1, and is preferably 1 mm to 3 mm, for example. The arrangement pattern of the planting holes 2h is not particularly limited, and may be any arrangement pattern such as a so-called lattice shape or a zigzag shape.

Examples of the toothbrush bristles constituting the hair bundle 7 include toothbrush bristles (conical bristles) whose diameter gradually decreases toward the hair tip, and toothbrush bristles (straight bristles) having substantially the same outer diameter except for the round portion of the hair tip. For example, the material of the toothbrush bristles can be used: 6-12 nylon, 6-10 nylon and other polyamides, PET, PBT, polytrimethylene terephthalate (PTT), PEN, polybutylene naphthalate (Polybutylene naphthalate, PBN) and other synthetic resin materials such as polyester, PP and other polyolefins, olefin elastomer, styrene elastomer, etc. One type of these resin materials may be used alone, or two or more types may be used in combination. In addition, the toothbrush bristles may have a multi-core structure having a core portion and at least one or more sheath portions provided outside the core portion.

The cross-sectional profile of the toothbrush bristles is not particularly limited, and examples include circular shapes such as perfect circles and ellipses, polygons such as triangles, quadrilaterals, pentagons, and hexagons, star shapes, three-leaf clover shapes, and four-leaf clovers. Shape and so on.

The thickness of the toothbrush bristles is not particularly limited. When the cross-sectional profile is circular, for example, it is set to 3 mil to 11 mil (1 mil = 1/1000 inch = 0.025 mm). The tufts may include toothbrush hairs of all the same thickness, or two or more toothbrush hairs of different thicknesses may be combined. The hair length is preferably 6 mm to 13 mm.

(Neck 3) The neck 3 connects the head 2 and the handle 4 integrally. In the present embodiment, the neck 3 is in the front view shown in FIG. 2, and extends from the first position S1 toward the shank 4 with the same width or wider, and then becomes wider until the third position S3 of the shank 4 , That is, the length L3 from the first position S1 to the third position S3. The third position S3 is a position where the end point of the straight line forming the two edges of the same width or the widened portion of the neck 3 or the curved direction of the curve forming the two edges of the widened portion changes when viewed from the front.

When the head 2 is inserted into a child's mouth, the neck 3 contacts the lips, so the length (neck length) L3 of the neck 3 is preferably 15 mm or more and 35 mm or less, more preferably 20 mm or more and 30 mm or less . In addition, considering the length of the child's lips to molars, the total length of the head 2 and neck 3 (L2 + L3) is preferably 28 mm or more and 68 mm or less, more preferably 30 mm or more and 65 mm or less, and It is preferably 33 mm or more and 61 mm or less. The ratio (%) of the length L3 of the neck 3 with respect to the total length (full length) L5 of the handle body 5 is preferably 5.5% or more and 31% or less, more preferably 8% or more and 24% or less, Furthermore, it is preferably 10% or more and 20% or less.

In the following description, the center point in the thickness direction (Z direction) of the front end of the head 2 in the side view shown in FIG. 3A is set as the first point A1, and the handle in the front view shown in FIG. 2 The position of the center of the longitudinal direction (X direction) and the width direction of 4 and the center of the thickness direction (Z direction) of the handle 4 when viewed from the side as shown in FIG. 3A are set as the second point A2, and FIG. 3A The center point in the thickness direction (Z direction) of the rear end of the shank 4 when viewed from the side is the third point A3.

In the side view shown in FIG. 3A, a part of the surface 3 a on the hair-planting surface 2 a side of the neck 3 is linear. Specifically, a part of the surface 3a on the flocked surface 2a side of the neck portion 3 is formed linearly along, for example, a virtual straight line L1 connecting the first point A1 and the second point A2. Alternatively, a straight line is formed along a virtual straight line L2 connecting the first point A1 and the third point A3. Alternatively, a straight line is formed along a virtual straight line L3 connecting the first point A1 with the second point A2 and the third point A3. At this time, the surface 3a of the neck 3 does not have to coincide with any of the straight line L1, straight line L2, and straight line L3, as long as it is located in the thickness direction (Z direction) of the toothbrush 1 with the straight line L1, straight line L2, straight line L3 as the center ) Within the allowable range set above. In the present embodiment, for example, the allowable range is preferably about ± 1 mm above and below the thickness direction (Z direction) of the toothbrush 1 with respect to the straight line L1, the straight line L2, and the straight line L3.

In this way, a part of the surface 3a on the hair-planting surface 2a side of the neck 3 is shaped along the straight line, so that even a child who is not familiar with brushing teeth can waste the force from the handle 4 when brushing teeth When it is transmitted to the hair-planting surface 2a side of the head 2, the operability in the oral cavity becomes good.

As shown in FIG. 3A, the surface 3a on the hair-planting surface 2a side of the neck portion 3 extends toward the shank portion 4 and continues to the first curved surface 4a1 forming the first finger contact portion 9A.

In addition, the back surface 3b of the neck portion 3 extends toward the handle portion 4 and is continuous with the fourth curved surface 4b1 forming the second finger contact portion 9B.

[Width W of Neck 3] As shown in FIGS. 2 and 4, the width W of the neck 3 of the present embodiment in the longitudinal direction from the first position S1 to the third position S3 is the same width, but it may be expanded path. By setting the width W of the neck 3 to the same width, the head 2 can be reached even when the mouth is brushed without opening the mouth. The smaller the width W of the neck 3, the better the operability in the oral cavity, but if it is too small, the strength of the neck 3 tends to be insufficient. Therefore, the width W of the neck portion 3 can be determined in consideration of the constituent material of the handle body 5, the bending elastic coefficient, and the like. In the present embodiment, the width W of the neck 3 is preferably 4.0 mm or more and 6.0 mm or less, and more preferably 4.5 mm or more and 5.5 mm or less.

[Thickness of Neck 3] As shown in FIG. 3A, the cross-sectional shape of the neck 3 crossing the longitudinal direction gradually changes from the head 2 side of the neck 3 toward the handle 4 side, and the width and thickness of the neck 3 The relationship is a reversal relationship in the length direction. That is, if the position moved 10 mm from the first position S1 toward the handle 4 side is set as the fourth position S4, and the position moved 20 mm from the first position S1 toward the handle 4 side is set as the second position S2, then The neck portion 3 has a shape that gradually thickens from the first position S1 to the fourth position S4 and the second position S2, and then gradually becomes thicker as it approaches the handle 4 side. In addition, the width W of the neck portion 3 is preferably as small and thin as possible as compared to the thickness T, and the thickness increases and the cross-sectional area becomes larger as it approaches the shank 4 side. Thereby, even the thin head 2 and the short neck 3 are thin and strong necks 3.

In this embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3A, the first position S1 at the boundary between the head 2 and the neck 3, as shown in Table 1, the first width W1 is greater than the first thickness T1 (W1> T1) , Formed into a wide cross-sectional shape. In addition, as shown in FIG. 2 and FIG. 3A, at the second position S2, which is a position that moves 20 mm from the first position S1 toward the handle 4 side, as shown in Table 1, the second thickness T2 is greater than the second width W2 (W2 <T2), formed into a thick cross-sectional shape. In addition, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3A, at a fourth position S4 that is a position that moves 10 mm from the first position S1 toward the shank 4 side, the fourth width W4 is equal to the fourth thickness T4 (W4 = T4).

Specifically, the thickness of the first position S1 is 4 mm, and the thickness of the fourth position S4 is 5 mm, which is 1.25 times thicker than the thickness of the first position S1 at the fourth position S4. In addition, the thickness of the second position S2 is 5.6 mm to 5.8 mm, compared with the thickness of the fourth position S4, the thickness of the second position S2 is 1.12 times to 1.16 times, and the thickness is compared with the thickness from the first position S1 to the first position The 4 position S4 changes gently. In this way, the thickness of the neck 3 increases from the head 2 side as it approaches the handle 4 side, but the rate at which the thickness increases becomes not constant.

In this way, in the longitudinal direction of the neck 3, the thickness gradually increases from the head 2 side toward the handle 4 side, whereby the neck 3 does not flex more than necessary when brushing teeth and transmits a force to the head 2 well So that you can brush your teeth stably. In addition, with the neck portion 3 configured as described above, the width of the portion that contacts the edge of the mouth becomes thinner with respect to the thickness, and therefore, the operation of the toothbrush 1 in the oral cavity becomes good. In addition, the thickness of the portion that contacts the edge of the mouth becomes thicker with respect to the width during use, so that it is less likely to break even when a child bites the neck 3 strongly. Even if the head 2 is thinned, the strength of the neck 3 can be ensured.

The first thickness T1, which is the minimum thickness of the neck portion 3, can be individually determined in consideration of conditions such as the constituent material of the handle body 5, the bending elastic coefficient, and the like. The first thickness T1 of the neck 3 is preferably 3.0 mm or more and 4.5 mm or less, and more preferably 3.5 mm or more and 4.3 mm or less. In addition, the maximum thickness of the neck portion 3 is preferably, for example, 4.5 mm or more and 7.0 mm or less, and more preferably 5.0 mm or more and 6.5 mm or less.

The head 2 of the toothbrush 1 of this embodiment is thinned, and the operability in the oral cavity deep in the molars is improved. In addition, the thickness of the neck 3 relative to the width is made thicker from the head 2 side toward the handle 4 side, whereby the thinness of the head 2 can be dealt with and the excess of the neck 3 during use can be suppressed Deflection. Therefore, when holding the handle 4 to brush teeth, the position of the head 2 will not be excessively displaced, so that even if it is a child, the hair bundle 7 can sufficiently contact the tooth surface. Therefore, it becomes a toothbrush 1 that children can fully hold and easily brush.

(Handle 4) As shown in FIGS. 2, 3A, and 4, the handle 4 has: a first finger contact portion 9A and a second finger contact portion 9B formed on the front and back surfaces near the neck 3, respectively; The finger contact portion 9A and the finger contact portion 9B are continuously formed with the grip portion 6. As shown in FIG. 2, the length (shank length) L4 of the shank 4 is the end point of a straight line forming the two edges of the neck 3 having the same width or a widened portion when viewed from the front, or a curved curve forming the two edges of the widened portion The distance from the third position S3 where the direction changes to the rear end. The length L4 of the handle 4 is preferably 80 mm to 110 mm depending on the size of the child's hand as the user. The ratio (L4 / L3) of the length L4 of the shank 4 relative to the length L3 of the neck 3 is preferably 2.5 or more and 12.0 or less, more preferably 3.0 or more and 7.0 or less, and still more preferably 3.5 or more and 5.5 or less.

As shown in FIG. 2, FIG. 3A and FIG. 4, the first finger contact portion 9A protruding on the tufted surface 2 a side and the second finger contact portion 9B protruding on the back surface 2 b side are formed on the handle portion 4.

(First finger contact portion 9A) In the side view shown in FIG. 3A, the first finger contact portion 9A is formed on the concave first curved surface 4a1 having a center of curvature on the flocked surface 2a side and close to the neck portion 3 and A portion where the concave second curved surface 4a2 having a center of curvature on the planting surface 2a side and close to the shank portion 4 intersects. As shown in FIG. 3B, the first finger contact portion 9A is opposite to the tufted surface 2a by the concave first curved surface 4a1, the concave second curved surface 4a2, and the portion where the curved surface 4a1 and the curved surface 4a2 intersect. The side back surface 2b side has a convex third curved surface 4a3 with a center of curvature, and is formed in a convex shape on the tuft surface 2a side. Here, a straight line connecting the position P1 where the curvature changes in the first curved surface 4a1 and the position P2 where the curvature changes in the second curved surface 4a2 is the imaginary line J. The first finger contact portion 9A has a desired height in the direction in which the perpendicular line G extends with respect to the imaginary line J, and a convex shape is formed on the side of the tufted surface 2a shown in FIG. 3A. As an example, a ridgeline where the first curved surface 4a1 and the second curved surface 4a2 intersect is formed at a position where the distance from the virtual line J is the largest. In addition, the ridgeline formed at the intersection of the first curved surface 4a1 and the second curved surface 4a2 forms a curved first ridgeline 8A as shown in FIG. 2 in the width direction of the shank 4. In the front view shown in FIG. 2, the first finger contact portion 9A is formed into a convex arc shape in which the first ridge line 8A is curved toward the neck 3 in a convex shape. In front view, the distance between the second position S2 and the first ridgeline 8A is preferably 4 mm or more and 22 mm or less, more preferably 5 mm or more and 18 mm or less, and further preferably 6 mm or more and 15 mm or less. The thickness difference between the second position S2 and the first ridgeline 8A when viewed from the side is preferably 3 mm or more and 9 mm or less, more preferably 3 mm or more and 8 mm or less, and further preferably 4 mm or more and 7 mm or less. Furthermore, in a plan view, when the first ridgeline 8A is curved and the position in the X-axis direction (longitudinal direction) changes, the distance between the second position S2 and the first ridgeline 8A is determined by the second position S2 and the first The shortest distance of the ridge line 8A is specified. In addition, when the curved surface formed by the intersection of the curved surface on the neck 3 side and the curved surface on the handle 4 side is not clearly present, for example, the curvature at the seam of the neck 3 and the handle portion 4 changes when viewed from the front. The position connected to the straight line or curve constituting the shank 4 is set to a position corresponding to the first ridge line. Therefore, when the toothbrush 1 is used as a child with a small mouth, it is considered that the neck 3 is short but tapered to the rear end, and that it can be grasped from the front end wherever it is held In the case of the slightly thick handle 4, when the neck 3 and the handle 4 are connected at a short distance, the strength tends to concentrate stress and the operability is easily affected, but in this embodiment, as described above , By setting the difference between the distance between the second position S2 in front view and the first ridge line 8A and the thickness of the second position S2 in side view and the position of the first ridge line 8A in an appropriate range, the neck can be achieved The strength of part 3 is improved and the operability is improved.

(Second finger contact portion 9B) In the side view shown in FIG. 3A, the second finger contact portion 9B is formed on the convex fourth curved surface 4b1 having a center of curvature on the flocked surface 2a side near the neck 3 and A portion where the concave fifth curved surface 4b2 having the center of curvature on the back surface 2b side opposite to the tufted surface 2a and close to the shank portion 4 intersects. As shown in FIG. 3B, the second finger contact portion 9B is formed of two Rs, a convex fourth curved surface 4b1 and a concave fifth curved surface 4b2, and has a convex shape on the back surface 2b side. In addition, at the intersection of the fourth curved surface 4b1 and the fifth curved surface 4b2, a second ridge line 8B as shown in FIG. 4 is formed in the width direction of the shank 4. The second finger contact portion 9B is formed into a circular arc profile shape in which the second ridge line 8B is curved toward the neck portion 3 in a convex shape.

As shown in FIGS. 3A and 3B, the protrusion amounts of the first finger contact portion 9A and the second finger contact portion 9B are different from each other. The first finger contact portion 9A is formed by two concave curved surfaces having a center of curvature on the tufted surface 2a side. Therefore, the intersection of the first curved surface 4a1 and the second curved surface 4a2 protrudes greatly outward in the thickness direction.

The second finger contact portion 9B is formed by a convex fourth curved surface 4b1 whose curvature center is located on the flocked surface 2a side and a concave fifth curved surface 4b2 whose curvature center is located on the back surface 2b side. Therefore, each fourth curved surface 4b1, fifth The intersection point of the curved surface 4b2 does not protrude to the outside in the thickness direction. As can also be seen from FIG. 3A, when the flocked surface 2 a of the toothbrush 1 is in a horizontal posture, the second finger contact portion 9B does not protrude outward in the thickness direction (Z direction) compared to the back surface 3 b of the neck 3.

The amount of protrusion of the second finger contact portion 9B is smaller than that of the first finger contact portion 9A. Therefore, when operating in the oral cavity, the second finger contact portion 9B hardly contacts the lips. On the other hand, the finger is attracted to the first finger contact portion 9A by sufficiently ensuring the amount of protrusion of the first finger contact portion 9A. The user makes the thumb and index finger touch the first finger contact portion 9A and the second finger contact portion 9B, respectively, to hold the handle portion 4, thereby preventing finger slippage and stably operating the toothbrush 1. The ventral side of the first joint of the thumb is easy to contact the first finger contact portion 9A, and the ventral side of the second joint of the index finger is easy to contact the second finger contact portion 9B, so even children who are not familiar with brushing their teeth can accurately Positioning improves the sense of stability when holding the handle 4.

As shown in FIGS. 2 and 4, the width of the grip portion 6 gradually increases from the side of each finger contact portion 9A and finger contact portion 9B toward the rear end side of the grip portion 6, and then decreases in diameter, and then expands in diameter again toward the rear end Gradually thicken. The diameter expansion and contraction can also be repeated 2 to 4 times. In addition, the thickness of the grip portion 6 gradually increases in diameter from each finger contact portion 9A and finger contact portion 9B side toward the rear end side of the grip portion 6, and then decreases in diameter. As shown in FIGS. 2 and 4, when viewed from the front, the minimum width W6min (FIG. 4) of the grip 6 is smaller than the maximum width W9max (FIG. 4) of the finger contact 9A and the finger contact 9B. The maximum width W6max (FIG. 4) is larger than the maximum width W9max (FIG. 4) of the finger contact portion 9A and the finger contact portion 9B.

Here, the maximum width W9max of the finger contact portion 9A and the finger contact portion 9B is preferably 12.5 mm or more and 16.5 mm or less, and more preferably 13.5 mm or more and 15.5 mm or less. In addition, the maximum width W6max of the grip 6 is preferably 18.0 mm or more and 22.0 mm or less, and more preferably 19.0 mm or more and 21.0 mm or less. In addition, the minimum width W6min of the grip portion 6 is preferably, for example, 8.0 mm or more and 13.0 mm or less, and more preferably 9.0 mm or more and 12.0 mm. In addition, the thickness of the grip 6 is preferably 7.0 mm or more and 15 mm or less. If it is within the above-mentioned size range, even the small hand of a child can be sufficiently held.

A front end portion that becomes the minimum width W6min of the grip portion 6 is formed on the side surfaces on both sides in the width direction with a recessed portion 6A recessed toward the inside in the width direction. For example, the user can bring the middle finger into contact with the recessed portion 6A, and the child can hold the handle 4 sufficiently, so that it becomes easy to brush. In addition, it is also possible to hold the grip portion 4 by making each thumb and index finger contact each of the recessed portions 6A. Therefore, for example, when the toothbrush 1 is placed horizontally to brush the side of the teeth, it can be operated stably.

Furthermore, on the side surface of the portion of the grip portion 6 that gradually becomes thicker toward the rear end side, a plurality of curved surfaces that are continuous with the respective recessed portions 6A, 6A and curved outward in the width direction are formed, and the A plurality of concave portions formed between curved surfaces. The curved surface and the concave portion alternately exist in the longitudinal direction of the grip portion 6, whereby the user's finger is naturally guided to the concave portion, the grip feeling is increased, and even a child with a weak grip can stably hold . In addition, the handle portion 4 has a slightly thick and angular shape as a whole, so that even a small hand of a child can be held firmly.

The toothbrush 1 of this embodiment is manufactured according to a previously known method for manufacturing a toothbrush. For example, the hard resin is injected into the mold to shape the shank 15 body. Then, the hair bundle 7 is planted on the obtained hair-planting surface 2a of the handle body 5, whereby the toothbrush 1 can be obtained. As a method of planting the hair bundle 7, for example, the hair bundle 7 is folded in half and the flat wire sandwiched therebetween is inserted into the hair-planting hole 2 h, whereby the flat-line hair-planting of the hair bundle 7 is planted; Hot-melt method in which the lower end of the tuft 7 is pressed into the molten resin and fixed; after the lower end of the tuft 7 is heated to form a molten mass, the molten resin is injected into the mold to mold the tufted portion 11 ( in-mold) method.

[Examples] Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in detail by showing examples, but the present invention is not limited to the following examples, and can be implemented with appropriate changes within a range not departing from the gist thereof. The materials used in this example are as follows. <Handle 5> Polypropylene <Toothbrush bristles 7> PBT

Regarding the toothbrushes described in FIGS. 1 to 4, the toothbrushes of Examples 1 to 2 and Comparative Examples 1 to 8 were produced by injection molding according to the specifications shown in Table 1. The size of each toothbrush is shown in Table 1.

[Evaluation of operability in the oral cavity] The operability of the toothbrush 1 when brushing the entire dentition thoroughly with a professional child jaw model was good, and answers were obtained in 4 levels. Set "Very Good" to 4 points, "Good" to 3 points, "Slightly Good" to 2 points, and "Poor" to 1 point, based on the average score of 10 and evaluating according to the following criteria The operability is good or bad. ○: 2.5 points or more △: 1.5 points or more and less than 2.5 points ×: less than 1.5 points

[Table 1]

As can be seen from Table 1, in the toothbrush of Example 1 and Example 2, good operability can be obtained in the oral cavity of children.

According to the toothbrush 1 shown in each embodiment described above, good operability can be obtained in a child's oral cavity. In addition, by making the shape of a toothbrush that matches the growth of children, it is possible to clean areas that are difficult to reach in the mouth.

The above has described a suitable embodiment of the present invention with reference to the accompanying drawings, and the present invention is not limited to the examples. Those skilled in the art will understand that various modifications or amendments are conceivable within the scope of the technical idea described in the scope of the patent application, and understand that these are certainly within the technical scope of the present invention.

For example, by appropriately designing the shape of the handle, the coating shape of the soft resin, and the exposed shape of the soft resin, etc., the anti-slip effect and design can be improved. [Industry availability]

The invention can be applied to toothbrushes.

1‧‧‧toothbrush

2‧‧‧Head

2a‧‧‧Flocked surface

2A‧‧‧ Tablet Department

2b‧‧‧Back

2B‧‧‧Extension

2h‧‧‧Planting pores

3‧‧‧ Neck

3a‧‧‧surface

3b‧‧‧Back

4‧‧‧handle

4a1‧‧‧1st surface

4a2‧‧‧2nd surface

4a3‧‧‧3rd surface

4b1‧‧‧The fourth surface

4b2‧‧‧Fifth surface

5‧‧‧handle

6‧‧‧ Grip

6A‧‧‧Depression

7‧‧‧hair bundle

8A‧‧‧1st ridge

8B‧‧‧2nd ridge

9A‧‧‧First finger contact

9B‧‧‧The second finger contact part

11‧‧‧Flocking Department

A1‧‧‧ point 1

A2‧‧‧ point 2

A3‧‧‧ point 3

G‧‧‧Vertical

J‧‧‧Imaginary Line

K‧‧‧Imaginary plane

L1, L2, L3 ‧‧‧ imaginary straight line

L2‧‧‧Length of head 2

L3‧‧‧Length of neck 3

L4‧‧‧Length of handle 4

L5‧‧‧Total length of handle 5

P1, P2‧‧‧ position

S1‧‧‧1st position (boundary of head and neck)

S2‧‧‧Second position (position moved 20 mm from the first position S1 toward the handle 4 side)

S3‧‧‧3rd position (border of neck 3 and handle 4)

S4‧‧‧4th position (position moved 10 mm from the first position S1 toward the handle 4 side)

T‧‧‧thickness

T1‧‧‧th thickness

T2‧‧‧ Thickness of head 2 (2nd thickness)

T4‧‧‧th 4th thickness

W‧‧‧Width of neck 3

W1‧‧‧1st width

W2‧‧‧2nd width (width of head 2)

W4‧‧‧4th width

W6max‧‧‧Maximum width of grip

W6min‧‧‧Minimum width of grip

W9max‧‧‧Maximum width of finger contact

X, Y, Z‧‧‧ axis

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing the overall configuration of a toothbrush 1 according to this embodiment. FIG. 2 is a front view showing the overall configuration of the toothbrush 1 of this embodiment. FIG. 3A is a side view showing the overall configuration of the toothbrush 1 of this embodiment. 3B is an enlarged side view of the main part of FIG. 3A. 4 is a rear view showing the overall configuration of the toothbrush 1 of this embodiment.

Claims (11)

A toothbrush includes: a hair-planting part, which includes a plurality of hair bundles; and a handle body, having a head, a neck, and a handle on which the hair-planting part is provided, and when viewed from the front, the length of the neck is 15 mm or more and 35 mm or less, the total length of the head and neck is 28 mm or more and 68 mm or less, the width of the neck is 4 mm or more and 6 mm or less, when viewed from the side, the head Has a thickness of 2 mm or more and 4 mm or less, and when viewed from the first position at the boundary of the neck and the head, moves toward the handle side by 20 mm, the second position and the ridge of the finger contact portion The distance between the positions is 4 mm or more and 22 mm or less, and the difference between the thickness of the second position and the position of the ridge line of the finger contact portion in the side view is 3 mm or more and 9 mm or less. The toothbrush according to item 1 of the patent application scope, wherein the relationship between the width of the neck portion in the front view and the thickness of the neck portion in the side view is from the first position to the In the section up to the second position, the amount of change in thickness is always equal to or greater than the amount of change in width as it goes toward the rear end side. The toothbrush according to item 2 of the patent application, wherein the relationship between the width and thickness of the neck from the first position toward the second position is a reversal relationship. The toothbrush according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the surface of the neck on the flocked surface side is along a straight line connecting the first point and the second point Forming a straight line, the first point is the center of the thickness of the tip of the head when viewed from the side, and the second point is the longitudinal center position of the handle when viewed from the front, and It is the center of the thickness in the side view. The toothbrush according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the surface of the neck on the flocked surface side is along a straight line connecting the first point and the third point Formed in a linear shape, the first point is the center of the thickness of the front end of the head when viewed from the side, and the third point is the center of the thickness of the rear end of the handle when viewed from the side . The toothbrush according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the handle body has a first portion protruding on the hair-planting surface side near the neck portion of the handle portion A finger contact portion, and a second finger contact portion protruding from the back side opposite to the hair-planting surface, the first finger contact portion is formed when the first curved surface intersects the second curved surface when viewed from the side Part, the first curved surface has a center of curvature on the neck side of the tufted surface side, the second curved surface has a center of curvature on the handle side of the tufted surface side, and the second finger The contact portion is formed at a portion where the fourth curved surface intersects the fifth curved surface when the side view is seen, the fourth curved surface has a center of curvature on the neck side of the flocked surface side, and the fifth curved surface is on the The handle side of the back side has a center of curvature. The toothbrush according to item 6 of the patent application range, wherein the first finger contact portion is formed such that the first ridgeline formed at the intersection of the first curved surface and the second curved surface when viewed from the front faces the The neck is curved into a convex shape, and the second finger contact portion is formed such that the second ridgeline formed at the intersection of the fourth curved surface and the fifth curved surface is curved toward the neck side when viewed from the rear Convex shape. The toothbrush according to any one of items 1 to 7 of the patent application range, wherein, when viewed from the front, the width of the neck in the longitudinal direction is constant. The toothbrush according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the material of the handle is polypropylene resin. The toothbrush according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein at least a part of the handle is covered with a soft resin. The toothbrush according to any one of claims 1 to 10, wherein the total length of the handle is 110 mm or more and 170 mm or less.