WO2009084637A1

WO2009084637A1 - Toothbrush

Info

Publication number: WO2009084637A1
Application number: PCT/JP2008/073754
Authority: WO
Inventors: Tetsuya Abe
Original assignee: Lion Corporation
Priority date: 2007-12-27
Filing date: 2008-12-26
Publication date: 2009-07-09
Also published as: KR20100099200A; KR101478862B1; CN101909484B; CN101909484A; JP5211074B2; JPWO2009084637A1

Abstract

A toothbrush in which bristle holding holes (7) are formed in a bristle holding surface (3a) of a head (3), bristle bundles (6A, 6B) are each two-folded, and a flat plate (8) sandwiched between the two-folded portions of the bristle bundle (6A, 6B) is driven into a bristle holding hole (7) to embed the bristle bundles (6A, 6B) into the bristle holding holes (7). Bristle bundles (6A, 6B), each having one side (6a, 6c) and the other side (6b, 6d) which are located with the flat plate (8) present therebetween and have a difference in height therebetween, are embedded in at least some or all of the bristle holding holes (7) formed in the bristle holding surface (3a). The directions of the flat plates (8) of the bristle bundles (6A, 6B) are appropriately set so that the tips of the bristle bundles (6A, 6B) form an undulation.

Description

toothbrush

The present invention relates to a toothbrush that is provided with a three-dimensional undulation shape that does not depend on the hair cutting shape at the tip of the hair bundle, has a high degree of design freedom, and is easy to manufacture.
This application claims priority based on Japanese Patent Application No. 2007-335415 filed on Dec. 27, 2007, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.

歯 The basic functions of a toothbrush include an oral cleaning effect and a massage effect. In order to improve the basic functions of toothbrushes, interdental penetration, cleaning feeling, massage and the like have been added. In order to increase the added value of such a toothbrush, a specification in which the arrangement and shape of the flock holes, the type and shape of the brush, the hair cutting shape of the hair bundle, and the like are generally effective.

By the way, in order to improve the “cleanability” that is the basic performance of the toothbrush, it is necessary to efficiently bring the tip of the hair bundle into contact with the entire oral cavity or a specific part such as an interdental part or a tooth neck part. is important. For this reason, in the conventional toothbrush, the unevenness | corrugation by a hair cutting shape is provided to the front-end | tip of a hair | bristle bundle.

On the other hand, it is effective to sharpen the tip shape of each brush constituting the hair bundle in order to improve the “tip entry property” of the hair bundle with respect to the interdental part, the gum part and the like. However, when irregularities due to the above-described hair cutting shape are imparted to a hair bundle having such a sharp hair tip shape, the hair tip of the brush is cut, the tip diameter becomes thick, and the hair tip entry property deteriorates. It is difficult to carry out complicated hair cutting shapes.

Therefore, in a toothbrush with a sharpened hair tip shape, in order to give irregularities without depending on the above-mentioned hair cutting shape, it is performed to provide a height difference by implanting hair bundles having different hair lengths (for example, , See Patent Document 1).

However, in a normal toothbrush, there are 6-9 rows of hair bundles arranged in the longitudinal direction of the head portion, and about 3-5 rows of hair bundles arranged in the short direction. When provided, the tips of the hair bundles arranged in the head portion have a discontinuous stepped shape, so that the contact comfort of the hair ends is impaired.

Examples of known documents related to the present invention include the following patent documents 2 to 5.
Among these,

Patent Documents

2 and 3 describe that a brush having a sharpened tip shape is folded in half to provide a height difference. However, these

Patent Documents

2 and 3 do not disclose or suggest that a three-dimensional undulating shape is formed at the tip of each hair bundle using a brush having a height difference.
On the other hand, in Patent Document 4, after a brush is implanted on the head planting surface of the toothbrush handle, the tip of the implanted brush is pruned into a predetermined shape, and the pruned surface is polished by a polishing apparatus. After sharpening the tip of the brush with a taper, the tip of the sharpened brush is dipped in a dissolving solvent to a predetermined depth to further sharply dissolve the tip of the brush. A method for manufacturing a toothbrush that is dried after being washed with water, or washed with water and neutralized is described. However, this toothbrush manufacturing method is disadvantageous in terms of productivity because the manufacturing process is complicated. In addition, it is difficult to form a three-dimensional relief shape as in the present invention in a hair cutting shape by pruning.
On the other hand, Patent Document 5 describes that the surface of a toothbrush in which needle-like hairs are planted is cut into a semicircular shape with a sword and then polished with sandpaper to form a taper at a sharp point. However, in this case as well, it is not only inferior in productivity, but it is difficult to form a three-dimensional relief shape as in the present invention.
Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 11-75939 JP-A-10-225324 JP 2006-514854 A Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2002-330824 JP 2004-148095 A

The present invention has been proposed in view of such conventional circumstances, and can provide a three-dimensional undulation shape independent of the hair cutting shape at the tip of the hair bundle, and has a high degree of design freedom. An object is to provide a toothbrush that is easy to manufacture.

In order to achieve this object, the present invention includes the following aspects.
(1) A plurality of flocking holes are provided on the flocking surface of the head part, the bristles of the brush are folded in half, and a flat wire sandwiched between them is driven into the flocking holes, so that the flocks are implanted in each flocking hole. A toothbrush that is formed, and at least a part of the bristles has a height difference between one side and the other side across the flat line, and the direction of the flat line of the bristles However, it is set so that the front-end | tip of the hair | bristle bundle planted by the said flock hole may make an undulating shape.

(2) Among the hair bundles having a difference in height between the top and bottom of the undulating shape, the short hair side of one adjacent hair bundle is opposed to the long hair side of the other hair bundle, and the other The toothbrush according to (1), wherein the length of the long hair side of the hair bundle is the same as or shorter than the length of the short hair side of one hair bundle.

(3) At least three bundles of hair bundles that are implanted in the tuft holes and have a height difference constitute a tuft group, and the orientation of the flat line of each tuft constituting the tuft group is It is set in a direction in which one enclosed region is defined by an extended line of a flat line, and only one of the long hair side or the short hair side of each hair bundle is arranged inside the enclosed region, The toothbrush according to (1) or (2).

(4) The top or bottom of the undulating shape is present inside the enclosed region, and the direction of the flat line of each hair bundle surrounding the circumference is a straight line connecting the center of the top or bottom and the center of the hair bundle. The toothbrush according to (3), wherein the toothbrush is set in a direction substantially orthogonal to the toothbrush.

(5) The toothbrush according to any one of (1) to (4), wherein the hair bundle includes a brush whose diameter gradually decreases toward the tip of the hair.

As described above, in the toothbrush according to the present invention, at least a part or all of the flock holes provided on the flocked surface are implanted with bristles having a height difference between one side and the other side across the flat wire. In addition, by arbitrarily setting the direction of the flat line of the hair bundle, a three-dimensional undulating shape that does not depend on the hair cutting shape can be imparted to the tip of the hair bundle.

Further, in the toothbrush according to the present invention, each hair bundle is folded when the hair bundle of the brush is folded in half without driving through the process of pruning the tips of the hair bundle and the flat wire sandwiched therebetween is driven into the flocked hole. By appropriately setting the height difference between the long hair side and the short hair side and the direction of the flat line of the hair bundle, it is possible to give a complex undulating shape with a high degree of design freedom to the tip of the hair bundle, Easy to manufacture.

Therefore, according to the present invention, for example, by imparting an undulating shape capable of efficiently bringing the tip of the hair bundle into contact with the whole oral cavity or a specific part such as an interdental part or a cervical part. High cleaning feeling and operability can be obtained, and by securing the hair tip entry property of the hair bundle, high cleaning property can be obtained for places where the hair tip entry property such as interdental part and gum part is deteriorated. It is possible to provide a toothbrush at low cost.

FIG. 1 is a side view showing an embodiment of the toothbrush of the present invention. FIG. 2A is a side view in which the head portion is enlarged and viewed from the length direction. FIG. 2B is an enlarged side view of the head portion viewed from the width direction. FIG. 3 is a plan view of the head portion viewed from the flocked surface side. FIG. 4 is a side view of a main portion showing a hair bundle planted on the hair-planting surface of the head section. FIG. 5 is a plan view showing an example of a brush.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Toothbrush 1A ... Brush handle 2 ... Handle part 3 ... Head part 3a ... Flocking surface 4 ... Neck part 5 ... Brush 6A ... One hair bundle 6B ... The

other hair bundle

6a, 6c ... Long hair side (long hair part) 6b, 6d ... Short hair side (short hair part) 7 ... Planted hole 8 ... Flat wire 9 ... Uneven shape (undulated shape part) 9a ... Top part 9b ... Bottom part 10A ... First hair bundle group 10B ... Second hair bundle group

Hereinafter, a toothbrush to which the present invention is applied will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.
In the drawings used in the following description, in order to make the features easy to understand, there are cases in which the portions that become the features are schematically shown for convenience, and the dimensional ratios of the respective components are not always the same as the actual ones. Absent. In some cases, the illustration of the hair bundle is omitted.

A toothbrush 1 shown in FIG. 1 as an embodiment of the present invention is provided with a brush handle 1A having a long shape as a whole. The brush handle 1A includes a handle portion 2 and a head provided on the distal end side of the handle portion 2. It has a portion 3 and a neck portion 4 provided between the handle portion 2 and the head portion 3.

The brush handle 1A is composed of a handle portion 2, a neck portion 4 connected to the handle portion 2, and a head portion 3 connected to the handle portion 2, which are integrally formed of, for example, a hard resin material. Examples of the hard resin material used for the brush handle 1A include polypropylene, polyethylene, polyethylene terephthalate, polycyclohexylenedimethylene terephthalate, saturated polyester resin, polymethyl methacrylate, cellulose propionate, polyurethane, polyamide, or ABS (acrylonitrile). (Butadiene / Styrene) and the like may be mentioned, but the material is not necessarily limited to these materials.

The handle portion 2 is a portion that is gripped by the user, and the handle portion 2 may be partially or entirely coated with a flexible resin such as an elastomer in order to improve the gripping property. The neck portion 4 is a portion that connects the handle portion 2 and the head portion 3, but is not necessarily clearly distinguished from the handle portion 2 and the head portion 3. Some are not distinguished from 4. Therefore, the brush handle 1A may have a shape in which the head portion 3 is directly provided at the tip of the handle portion 2, and the shape, size, design, and the like can be arbitrarily changed and implemented. it can.

As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the head portion 3 may have any shape or size that can easily clean the inside of the oral cavity and is not particularly limited in shape, but generally has a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape. is doing. Further, as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, a plurality of flocking holes 7 for planting the hair bundles 6 </ b> A and 6 </ b> B of the brush 5 are provided on one surface (called flocking surface) 3 a of the head portion 3. The portions 3 are provided in a row in the length direction and the width direction.

In the

hair bundles

6A and 6B, in order to improve the hair tip penetration property with respect to the interdental part, the gum part and the like, the hair tips of the brushes 5 constituting the

hair bundles

6A and 6B are sharpened, that is, FIG. As shown in FIG. 5, a brush (referred to as a taper hair) 5 whose diameter gradually decreases from the center toward the hair tips 5a at both ends is used.

The material of the brush 5 is not particularly limited. For example, polyamide (eg, 6-12 nylon, 6-10 nylon), polyester (eg, polyethylene terephthalate, polybutylene terephthalate, polytrimethylene terephthalate), polyolefin A synthetic resin material such as (e.g. polypropylene) or an elastomer (e.g. olefin or styrene) can be used. A plurality of these resin materials may be used in combination. For example, different resin materials may be used for the core and the sheath, such as a core-sheath structure. Among them, for the tapered hair, it is possible to use a brush (filament) made of polybutylene terephthalate cut to a predetermined length by dipping in an alkaline hydrolysis treatment agent and dissolving the brush to make the tip of the hair tapered. preferable.

The hair length of the brush 5 is preferably 8 mm to 13 mm for adults and 6 mm to 9 mm for children from the flocked surface 3 a of the head portion 3. The thickness (maximum diameter) of the brush 5 is preferably 0.12 mm to 0.26 mm from the viewpoints of usability in the oral cavity and usability. Further, in consideration of a feeling of use, a brushing feeling, a cleaning effect, durability, and the like, a plurality of brushes 5 having different thicknesses may be used in appropriate combination.

As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the

hair bundles

6A and 6B are made up of a plurality of the above-described brushes 5, preferably about 10 to 50, and folded in half, and a retaining member called a flat wire 8 therebetween. Is implanted in each flock hole 7 of the head portion 3.

The flat wire 8 is placed in the flock hole 7 so as to pass through the center of the flock hole 7 and straddle the flock hole 7. Examples of the material of the flat wire 8 include metals such as brass and stainless steel, and other examples include hard plastics and biodegradable plastics. The flat line 8 has a length (longitudinal direction) larger than the diameter of the flocked hole 7 and a width smaller than the depth of the flocked hole 7. The length, width, and thickness of the flat wire 8 may be appropriately adjusted according to the

hair bundles

6A and 6B and the flock holes 7. In particular, by adjusting the thickness of the flat wire 8 (depth direction of the flocked hole 7), the

hair bundles

6A and 6B can be securely fixed in the flocked hole 7 to reduce the gap. Further, in order to prevent the flat wire 8 from coming out of the flocked hole 7, the total length of the portions protruding from both sides of the flocked hole 7 is preferably 0.3 to 0.6 mm.

By the way, in the toothbrush 1 to which the present invention is applied, as shown in FIGS. 2, 3, and 4, one side (long hair) sandwiching the flat wire 8 in the flocked hole 7 provided in the flocked surface 3 a of the head portion 3. Hair bundles 6A and 6B having a height difference between the side (straight hair portion) 6a, 6c and the other side (short hair side, short hair portion) 6b, 6d, and a flat wire 8 of the

hair bundle

6A, 6B. By appropriately setting the orientation of the

hair bundles

6A and 6B, the tips of the

hair bundles

6A and 6B form a three-dimensional undulation shape 9 (undulation shape portion) as a whole (aggregation of the tips of the

hair bundles

6A and 6B). The planar portion constituted by the three-dimensional relief shape). In FIG. 3, among the plurality of flocked holes 7 provided on the flocked surface 3 a, one side (long hair side, straight hair part) 6 a, 6 c and the other side across the flat wire 8 of each

hair bundle

6 A, 6 B (Short hair side, short hair portion) 6b and 6d are distinguished from each other by color coding.

Specifically, the undulating shape 9 has two top portions (mountain portions) 9a aligned in the length direction of the head portion 3 at the central portion of the flocked surface 3a. From these two top portions 9a, The hair length continuously decreases toward the bottom 9b (the valley).

In the toothbrush 1 to which the present invention is applied, in order to form the undulating shape 9, as shown in FIG. 4, one of the bristle bundles 6 </ b> A and 6 </ b> B having a height difference between the top portion 9 a and the bottom portion 9 b is adjacent. The short hair side 6b of the other hair bundle 6B is opposed to the short hair side 6b of the other hair bundle 6B so that the length of the long hair side 6c of the other hair bundle 6B is the same as that of the short hair side 6b of one hair bundle 6A. The hair length is preferably the same as or shorter than the hair length. That is, when the hair length of the long hair side 6a and the short hair side 6b of one hair bundle 6A is ta and tb, and the hair length of the long hair side 6c and short hair side 6d of the other hair bundle 6B is tc and td, It is preferable that the relationship ta> tb ≧ tc> td is satisfied. Thereby, the hair | bristle

bundle

6A, 6B can be continuously varied in hair length between the top part 9a and the bottom part 9b of the undulation shape 9, and each hair | bristle bundle 6A provided in the flocked surface 3a of the head part 3 can be different. The tip of 6B can be made into a smooth concavo-convex shape as a whole (smooth undulation is exhibited by the aggregate of the tips of all the

hair bundles

6A and 6B provided on the flocked surface 3a).

The height difference between the

long hair sides

6a and 6c and the

short hair sides

6b and 6d of each

hair bundle

6A and 6B is preferably in the range of 0.3 to 1.0 mm. If the height difference is less than 0.3 mm, the functional and visual effects due to the different hair lengths tend to be insufficient. On the other hand, if the height difference exceeds 1.0 mm, it tends to be difficult to efficiently bring the tips of the hair bundle into contact with the entire oral cavity, and only the tips of some of the

hair bundles

6A and 6B. Tends to enter a specific part such as an interdental part or a tooth neck part.

The toothbrush 1 to which the present invention is applied preferably has a plurality of (four bundles) surrounding the periphery of the center S of the two apexes 9a as shown in FIG. A first hair bundle group 10A constituted by a plurality of hair bundles 6A, and a second hair bundle group 10B constituted by a plurality (11 bundles) of hair bundles 6B surrounding the first hair bundle group 10A. have.

The first hair bundle group 10A and the second hair bundle group 10B are constituted by the

hair bundles

6A and 6B having the above-described height difference. Preferably, the first hair bundle group 10A is constituted by at least three bundles, more preferably 4 to 6 bundles. The second hair bundle group 10B is constituted by at least three hair bundles 6B, more preferably 6 to 15 hair bundles 6B.
The direction of the flat wire 8 of each of the

hair bundles

6A and 6B constituting the

hair bundle groups

10A and 10B is set in a direction in which one enclosed region is defined by an extension of each flat wire 8, and each enclosed region It is preferable that only the

long hair side

6a or 6c of each hair bundle 6 is located inside. Moreover, it is preferable that the top part 9a of the undulating shape 9 exists inside the enclosed region. Even more preferably, the direction (driving angle) of the flat line 8 of each

hair bundle

6A, 6B connects the center S of the top portion 9a and the center of the

hair bundle

6A or 6B (the longitudinal center of the flat line 8). The flat line 8 is set in a direction (90 °) substantially orthogonal to the straight line. Here, the center S of the top portion 9a and the center of the

hair bundle

6A or 6B exist on the same plane (on the flocked surface 3a).

Thereby, in the toothbrush 1 to which the present invention is applied, the tips of the

bristles

6A and 6B provided on the flocked surface 3a of the head portion 3 are continuously extended from the two top portions 9a toward the surrounding bottom portion 9b. It is possible to make the undulating shape 9 in which the hair length is low.

Further, among the

hair bundles

6A and 6B constituting the

hair bundle groups

10A and 10B, the distance between the flock holes 7 in which the

adjacent hair bundles

6A and 6B are implanted (the innermost distance between the flock holes) is the head. It is preferable to make it small as long as the strength of the portion 3 can be secured, and specifically, it is preferable to set the strength within the range of 0.6 to 1.0 mm. If this distance is less than 0.6 mm, it tends to be difficult to ensure the strength of the head portion 3. On the other hand, if the distance exceeds 1.0 mm, the distance between the

hair bundles

6A and 6B constituting the

hair bundle groups

10A and 10B becomes too wide, and it is difficult to smoothly form the undulating shape 9 described above. It tends to be. Moreover, also about a feeling of use, since the support of adjacent hair | bristle

bundles

6A and 6B becomes weak, and the movable range of the

long hair side

6a and 6c of the hair | bristle

bundles

6A and 6B which have a height difference becomes large, a hair waist becomes weak, The feeling of cleaning tends to decrease.

Further, the diameter of the flock hole 7 is preferably 1.0 mm or more. When the diameter of the flock hole 7 is less than 1.0 mm, the hairs on the

long hair sides

6a and 6c of the

hair bundles

6A and 6B having a height difference are weakened, and the cleaning feeling tends to be lowered. On the other hand, the upper limit of the diameter of the flocking hole 7 is not particularly limited as long as the feeling of use, the quality such as the strength of the head portion 3 can be ensured, and the desired undulating shape 9 can be formed, but is 3 mm or less. It is preferable. The depth of the flocking hole 7 is preferably 2.7 to 4.3 mm. If the depth of the flocked hole 7 is less than 2.7 mm, the flat wire 8 and the

hair bundles

6A and 6B tend to come off easily. On the other hand, when the depth of the flock hole 7 exceeds 4.3 mm, the head portion 3 becomes too thick and the operability of the toothbrush 1 tends to be lowered.

In the toothbrush 1 having the above-described structure, a three-dimensional undulating shape 9 can be imparted to the tips of the

hair bundles

6A and 6B provided on the flocked surface 3a of the head portion 3, By providing such an undulating shape 9 to the aggregate composed of the tips of the

hair bundles

6A and 6B, the

hair bundles

6A and 6B are applied to the entire oral cavity or a specific part such as an interdental part or a tooth neck part. It is possible to make the tip of the contact efficiently. Moreover, in this toothbrush 1, since each hair | bristle

bundle

6A, 6B is comprised by the brush (tapered hair) 5 which sharpened the hair-tip shape, the hair | bristle tip of the hair | bristle bundles 6A, 6B with respect to an interdental part, a gum part, etc. It is possible to improve the penetration. Therefore, in this toothbrush 1, while being able to obtain a high cleaning feeling and operability, it is possible to sufficiently ensure the cleanability of a portion where the hair tip penetration property such as an interdental portion or a gum portion is deteriorated.

In addition, this invention is not necessarily limited to the structure of the said toothbrush 1, A various change can be added in the range which does not deviate from the meaning of this invention. In addition, in the following description, about the site | part equivalent to the said toothbrush 1, while omitting description, the same code | symbol shall be attached | subjected for convenience.

For example, the shape of the undulating shape portion 9 in the toothbrush 1 is not limited to the undulating shape shown in FIG. 2, and the arrangement, number, etc. of the top portion 9a and the bottom portion 9b can be appropriately changed. Further, the undulating shape profile between the top portion 9a and the bottom portion 9b can be set as appropriate. For example, uneven shapes such as a mountain shape, a dome shape, and a spherical shape can be freely set while maintaining the tip shape of the brush 5. Can be designed.

That is, in the present invention, when the

hair bundles

6A and 6B of the brush 5 are folded in half and the flat wire 8 sandwiched therebetween is driven into the flock hole 7, it is constituted by the tips of all the

hair bundles

6A and 6B. Arrangement of the

hair bundles

6A and 6B constituting the

hair bundle groups

10A and 10B, the height difference between the

long hair sides

6a and 6c and the

short hair sides

6b and 6d in each of the

hair bundles

6A and 6B, so that the planar portion exhibits undulations. By setting the number and number, and the direction (driving angle) of the flat wire 8 of the

hair bundles

6A and 6B, etc., a conventional method of trimming the hair by pruning, or a method of providing a height difference for each hair bundle. In addition, a complicated undulating shape 9 having a high degree of design freedom can be imparted to the tips of the

hair bundles

6A and 6B, and the manufacture is easy.

In the present invention, only the

long hair sides

6a and 6c of the

hair bundles

6A and 6B are provided inside the enclosed area defined by the

hair bundles

6A and 6B (extensions of the flat wire 8) of the

hair bundle groups

10A and 10B. It is also possible to adopt a configuration in which only the

short hair sides

6b and 6d are arranged. That is, either one of the

long hair sides

6a and 6c and the

short hair sides

6b and 6d can be arranged inside the enclosed region in accordance with the design of the undulating shape 9.
Further, the direction of the flat line 8 can be set so that the bottom portion 9b of the undulating shape 9 exists inside the enclosed region. In this case, the direction (driving angle) of the flat wire 8 of each

hair bundle

6A, 6B is the direction in which the flat wire 8 is substantially orthogonal to the straight line connecting the center of the bottom portion 9b and the center of the

hair bundle

6A or 6B. It is preferably set to (90 °).

In the present invention, the

hair bundle

6A, 6B having the above-described height difference is not necessarily planted in all the flock holes 7 provided on the flocking surface 3a of the head portion 3, but the hair bundle having the above-mentioned height difference. It can also be set as the structure which planted 6A, 6B only in the part of flocking hole 7. FIG. That is, in the present invention, in accordance with the design of the undulating shape 9 described above, the

hair bundles

6A and 6B having the above-described height difference are appropriately combined with the hair bundles having the same hair length on one side and the other side across the flat wire 8. It can be used in combination.

When the lengths of the

long hair sides

6a and 6c and the

short hair sides

6b and 6d of the

hair bundles

6A and 6B are made different from each other, the length of the brush 5 described above is changed, or the flat wire 8 is sandwiched between them. The folding position of the folded brush 5 may be changed.

In the present invention, the brush 5 is not necessarily limited to one having a sharpened tip shape (tapered hair). For example, the outer diameter of the brush 5 is substantially the same except for the rounded portion of the tip. A brush 5 may be used. Furthermore, about the front-end | tip shape of the brush 5, it can also be set as arbitrary shapes, such as a spatula shape, spherical shape, and a tip crack shape, for example.

Further, the cross-sectional shape of the brush 5 is preferably circular, but is not necessarily limited to such a shape, and is, for example, an ellipse or a polygon (for example, a triangle, a quadrangle, a pentagon, a hexagon, etc.). Or an irregular shape (for example, a star shape, a three-leaf clover shape, a four-leaf clover shape, etc.), etc., and can be appropriately selected according to the intended use of the toothbrush 1. Further, the brush 5 may be formed in a spiral shape or provided with an emboss or the like.

Each of the

hair bundles

6A and 6B is generally a bundle of a plurality of brushes 5 that is bundled in a substantially circular shape, but is not limited to such a bundle that is bundled in a substantially circular shape. They may be bundled in a substantially polygonal shape, and further, those bundled in a shape having a different major axis and minor axis such as a substantially elliptical shape, a substantially oval shape, a substantially rectangular shape, or a substantially polygonal shape may be used.

In addition, a plurality of circular flocking holes 7 are usually arranged in a lattice shape or a staggered pattern on the flocking surface 3a of the head portion 3 in the length direction or the width direction of the head portion 3, The arrangement and interval of the flock holes 7 and the combination thereof are not particularly limited, and can be appropriately changed according to the intended use of the toothbrush 1.

Further, the cross-sectional shape of the flock hole 7 is usually circular according to the shape of the

hair bundles

6A and 6B obtained by bundling the brush 5, but is not limited to such a shape. An appropriate shape can be obtained in accordance with the shape of the bundled

hair bundles

6A and 6B.

In addition, this invention is applicable not only to what was applied to the said toothbrush 1, but the electrically driven electric toothbrush, its replacement brush, etc. Further, the present invention is not limited to the oral brush such as the toothbrush 1, but can be widely applied to brushes that fold the bristles of the brush into two and lay a flat wire between them in a flocking hole. Is possible.

According to the present invention, at least a part or all of the flock holes provided on the flocked surface are implanted with the provided hair bundle having a height difference between one side and the other side across the flat line, and the hair bundle. By appropriately setting the direction of the flat line, a three-dimensional undulating shape that does not depend on the hair cutting shape can be imparted to the front end side of the hair bundle of the toothbrush.

Further, in the toothbrush according to the present invention, each hair bundle is folded when the hair bundle of the brush is folded in half without driving through the process of pruning the tips of the hair bundle and the flat wire sandwiched therebetween is driven into the flocked hole. By arbitrarily setting the height difference between the long hair side and the short hair side and the direction of the flat line of the hair bundle, a complex undulating shape with a high degree of freedom in design is formed by the surface shape that the tip of the hair bundle constitutes And can be easily manufactured.

Therefore, for example, by imparting an undulating shape that allows the tip of the hair bundle to efficiently contact the entire oral cavity or a specific site such as an interdental part or a cervical part, a high cleaning feeling and operation are achieved. A toothbrush that provides high cleanability even at locations where the tip entry property of the interdental part, gums, etc. is deteriorated by securing the tip entry property of the hair bundle at a low cost. Is possible.

Claims

A plurality of flocked holes are provided on the flocked surface of the head part, the bristles of the brush are folded in half, and a flat wire sandwiched between them is driven into the flocked holes, whereby the follicles are implanted in each flocked hole. A toothbrush
The hair bundles planted in at least some of the flock holes have a difference in height between one side and the other side across the flat line, and the direction of the flat line of the flock is planted in the flock hole. The toothbrush characterized by being set so that the front-end | tip of the provided hair | bristle bundle may have an undulating shape.
Between the top and bottom of the undulating shape, among the hair bundles having the height difference, the short hair side of one adjacent hair bundle and the long hair side of the other hair bundle are opposed to each other, 2. The toothbrush according to claim 1, wherein the length of the long hair side of the hair bundle is equal to or shorter than the length of the short hair side of the one hair bundle.
A hair bundle having a height difference planted in the flock hole is present in at least 3 bundles to constitute a hair bundle group,
The direction of the flat line of each hair bundle constituting the hair bundle group is set in a direction in which one enclosed area is defined by an extension of each flat line, and each hair bundle is placed inside the enclosed area. The toothbrush according to claim 1 or 2, wherein only one of the long hair side and the short hair side is arranged.
There is an undulating top or bottom inside the enclosed area, and the orientation of the flat line of each hair bundle surrounding the circumference is approximately with respect to a straight line connecting the center of the top or bottom and the center of the hair bundle. The toothbrush according to claim 3, wherein the toothbrush is set in an orthogonal direction.
The toothbrush according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the bristle bundle includes a brush whose diameter gradually decreases toward the bristle tip.