WO2020137248A1

WO2020137248A1 - Interdental cleaning tool

Info

Publication number: WO2020137248A1
Application number: PCT/JP2019/045063
Authority: WO
Inventors: 侑吉川; 紘貴朝山
Original assignee: 小林製薬株式会社
Priority date: 2018-12-28
Filing date: 2019-11-18
Publication date: 2020-07-02
Also published as: JP7369521B2; JP2020103847A

Abstract

[Problem] To provide an interdental cleaning tool which a user can comfortably use. [Solution] This interdental cleaning tool 1 is provided with: a base material part 10 having a base section 11 and a shaft section 12 that extends from the base section 11 and has a diameter decreasing toward the tip thereof; and a soft part 20 that covers at least a portion of the shaft section 12, wherein cut parts 13a-13d for enabling the cutting of a shaft section 13 are provided.

Description

Interdental cleaning tool

The present invention relates to an interdental cleaning tool.

Conventionally, an interdental cleaning tool for cleaning an interdental space has been known. For example, the interdental cleaning tool disclosed in Patent Document 1 includes a base material part made of synthetic resin and a soft part made of elastomer. The base material portion includes a flat handle portion serving as a handle, and an elongated core base material portion extending from the tip of the handle portion. The soft part includes a covering part that covers at least a part of the core base material part, and a plurality of projecting parts that project from the covering part.

International Publication No. 2013/176297

The core base material portion is formed in a taper shape whose diameter decreases toward its tip, and therefore the outer shape of the soft portion also decreases in diameter toward its tip. When an interdental cleaning tool is inserted between relatively wide teeth, the relatively thick proximal end region of the soft part is used for cleaning between the teeth, so the relatively thin tip region of the soft part passes between the teeth. May hit the tongue or gums. Hitting the tongue or gums with the tip is not only very uncomfortable for the user of the interdental cleaning tool, but it can also cause bleeding and can cause stomatitis due to the wound.

Then, this invention aims at providing the interdental cleaning tool which a user can use comfortably.

An interdental cleaning tool according to an aspect of the present invention covers at least a part of a base portion having a base portion and a shaft portion extending from the base portion and having a diameter reduced toward a tip thereof. And a soft part, and a cutting part for cutting the shaft part is provided.

According to this aspect, since the shaft portion is reduced in diameter toward the tip thereof, the tip end side of the shaft portion is used for cleaning between the relatively narrow teeth, and the base end side of the shaft portion is used for cleaning between the relatively wide teeth. To be done. Since the interdental cleaning tool is formed with a cutting portion that enables cutting of the shaft portion, for example, by cutting a part of the tip end side of the shaft portion, the user can remove the base end side of the shaft portion. Only part can be used for cleaning. As a result, it is possible to prevent a part of the tip end side of the shaft portion from hitting the tongue and gums of the user. The user can comfortably use the interdental cleaning tool.

In the above aspect, the cutting portion may be a notch formed in the shaft portion, and in this case, the notch may be exposed on the outer surface of the interdental cleaning tool. Further, the cut portion may be a step formed by reducing the diameter of the shaft portion.

ADVANTAGE OF THE INVENTION According to this invention, the interdental cleaning tool which a user can use comfortably can be provided.

It is a front view which shows roughly the structure of the interdental cleaning tool which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention. It is a side view which shows roughly the structure of the interdental cleaning tool which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention. FIG. 3 is an end view taken along line 3-3 of FIG. 1. It is sectional drawing which shows the process of forming a base material part. It is sectional drawing which shows the process of forming a cleaning part. It is an end view which corresponds to FIG. 3 and which shows schematically the structure of the interdental cleaning tool which concerns on one modification.

A preferred embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, an interdental cleaning tool 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a base material portion 10 and a soft portion 20 that covers at least a part of the base material portion 10. ing. In this interdental cleaning tool 1, for example, ten interdental cleaning tools 1 are connected in parallel in the lateral direction D1 of the interdental cleaning tool 1 by means of a connecting portion (not shown) formed in the base material portion 10. It is individually separated from the formed connecting body.

The base material part 10 extends in a longitudinal direction D2 orthogonal to the lateral direction D1 of the interdental cleaning tool 1 from the tip of the base part 11 that is gripped by the user, and is inserted between the teeth of the user. And a shaft portion 12 that is provided. In this specification, the side from the base portion 11 toward the shaft portion 12 is referred to as the tip end side, and the side from the shaft portion 12 toward the base portion 11 is referred to as the base end side.

The base 11 is formed in, for example, a flat plate shape, and is formed in, for example, a flat rectangular parallelepiped shape in the present embodiment, but may be formed in any other shape as long as it can be grasped by a user. May be done.

The shaft portion 12 extends in the longitudinal direction D2 from a tip that is one end of the base portion 11. The shaft portion 12 has a flat plate-shaped transition portion 12a that reduces the width of the shaft portion 12 defined along the lateral direction D1 as it goes toward the tip of the shaft portion 12, and the shaft portion 12 from the tip of the transition portion 12a. And a columnar tip portion 12b extending to the tip of the column. The tip portion 12b is formed in a tapered shape whose diameter decreases from the base end toward the tip.

In the interdental cleaning tool 1 of the present embodiment, the length L1 of the base material portion 10 defined in the longitudinal direction D2 is set to, for example, 45 mm to 55 mm. The width W1 of the base 11 defined in the lateral direction D1 is set to, for example, 3 mm to 10 mm, and the thickness T1 of the base 11 defined in the direction D3 orthogonal to the lateral direction D1 and the longitudinal direction D2 is 0, for example. It is set to 0.5 mm to 10 mm. The diameter of the tip portion 12b is set to, for example, 0.6 mm to 3.0 mm, and in one example, the diameter of the tip portion 12b is gradually increased from 0.3 mm at the tip of the tip portion 12b to 20.5 mm at the base end. Increase.

The base material portion 10 is formed of, for example, a synthetic resin material. As the synthetic resin material, for example, polypropylene, polyethylene, ABS (acrylonitrile butadiene styrene), polybutylene terephthalate, polycarbonate, polyethylene terephthalate, polystyrene, polyacetal, polyamide or the like can be used. Further, a fiber material such as glass fiber may be added to the synthetic resin material in a ratio of, for example, about 1 to 30% by weight.

The soft portion 20 includes a covering portion 21 that covers almost the entire outer peripheral surface of the tip portion 12b of the shaft portion 12 from the base end to the tip end, and a plurality of protrusion portions 22 that protrude from the covering portion 21. The length of the covering portion 21 from the base end to the tip defined in the longitudinal direction D2 is set to, for example, 10 mm to 25 mm. The covering portion 21 is formed to have a uniform thickness at the same position in the D2 direction, and the thickness is set to, for example, 0.1 mm to 2.5 mm. The above-described problem of the present invention is more likely to occur as the covering portion 21 is longer, and, on the other hand, since the interdental cleaning tool has various sizes, the covering portion 21 of the covering portion 21 defined in the longitudinal direction D2 is formed. The length is preferably 15 mm or more, more preferably 16 mm or more, particularly preferably 18 mm or more.

The protrusion 22 is formed, for example, in a conical shape, and is arranged spirally around the axis of the tip 12b of the shaft 12 from the base end to the tip of the cover 21. The height of the protrusion 22 from the outer peripheral surface of the covering portion 21 decreases from the base end of the covering portion 21 toward the tip thereof. The height of the protrusion 22 is set to, for example, 0.1 mm to 5.0 mm.

The soft portion 20 is formed of a resin material having a hardness lower than that of the synthetic resin material of the base material portion 10. An elastomer can be adopted as the resin material, and as the elastomer, a styrene elastomer, a silicone, an olefin elastomer, a polyester elastomer or the like may be used. The durometer hardness type A (JISK6253) of the elastomer is preferably 10 to 50, and more preferably 10 to 40. In this embodiment, the durometer hardness type A is 35.

Referring also to FIG. 3, the covering portion 21 has four first to fourth portions at the same positions on the front surface and the back surface of the interdental cleaning tool 1 at predetermined intervals along the longitudinal direction D2 of the interdental cleaning tool 1. Openings 23a to 23d are formed. As will be described later, the first to fourth openings 23a to 23d are formed by die holding pins. In the present embodiment, the first to fourth openings 23a to 23d are formed in a circular shape, for example. The first to fourth openings 23a to 23d expose the tip portion 12b of the shaft portion 12. In the present embodiment, the first to fourth openings 23a to 23d are formed at positions of, for example, 1.2 mm, 5.6 mm, 10.5 mm and 15.5 mm from the distal end to the proximal end of the covering portion 21. There is.

First to fourth cuts 13a to 13d are formed on the tip portion 12b of the shaft portion 12 corresponding to the positions of the first to fourth openings 23a to 23d of the covering portion 21. In the present embodiment, the first to fourth cuts 13a to 13d are formed only on the surface side of the interdental cleaning tool 1. The first to fourth cuts 13a to 13d are formed, for example, in a shape crossing the tip portion 12b in a direction orthogonal to the axis of the tip portion 12b. The cross section orthogonal to the direction in which the first to fourth cuts 13a to 13d extend is, for example, a semicircle. When the diameter of the tip portion 12b is 0.6 mm to 3.0 mm, the depth of the first to fourth cuts 13a to 13d from the outer peripheral surface of the tip portion 12b is specified to be 0.004 mm to 1.5 mm, for example. , More preferably 0.04 mm to 1 mm, and further preferably 0.4 mm to 0.5 mm.

As is clear from FIGS. 1 to 3, the first to fourth openings 23a to 23d are formed so that the soft portion 20 extends in the longitudinal direction D2 with the first to fourth openings 23a to 23d as boundaries. It may be divided into five first to fifth cleaning areas 24a to 24e. As described above, since the diameter of the tip portion 12b of the shaft portion 12 increases toward the base end, the outer diameter of each of the cleaning regions 24a to 24e also increases from the first cleaning region 24a toward the fifth cleaning region 24e. .. Therefore, the first to fifth cleaning areas 24a to 24e are suitable for proper use according to the width between the teeth. The size of the soft part 20 (cleaning part) of the interdental cleaning tool 1 is generally expressed in seven stages of SSSS, SSS, SS, S, M, L, and LL, and for example, the above first to fifth In the cleaning areas 24a to 24e, the first and

second cleaning areas

24a and 24b are set to SSSS, the fifth cleaning area 24e is set to S, or the first and

second cleaning areas

24a and 24b are set to S and the fifth cleaning area is set to S. By adjusting the size of 24e to LL in four steps, the user can easily adjust the size by himself.

Specifically, for example, after first using the first to third cleaning regions 24a to 24c for cleaning a relatively narrow interdental space, the user folds and cuts the shaft portion 12 at the position of the third cut 13c, for example. be able to. That is, the cuts 13a to 13d form the "cutting portion" of the present invention. As a result, the user can clean a relatively wide interdental space only with the necessary fourth and

fifth cleaning regions

24d and 24e. On the other hand, the cut first to third cleaning regions 24a to 24c do not hit the tongue or gums of the user, so that the user can comfortably use the interdental cleaning tool 1. Further, for example, one interdental cleaning tool 1 can clean both narrow and wide interdental spaces, so it is necessary to purchase an interdental cleaning tool having soft portions 20 of two different sizes, which is conventionally required. Disappear.

Next, a method for manufacturing the interdental cleaning tool 1 will be described below. First, as shown in FIG. 4, the

first molds

40 and 41 are used for molding the base material portion 10. A filling space 42 is formed in the

first molds

40 and 41 in the shape of the outer shape of the base material portion 10. The filling space 42 is filled with the molten synthetic resin material to mold the base material portion 10. The first mold 40 is formed with a plurality of protrusions 43 in the shape of the first to fourth cuts 13a to 13d, and the protrusions 43 form the first to fourth protrusions on the base member 10. Cuts 13a to 13d are formed. Then, the base material part 10 is taken out from the

first molds

40 and 41.

Subsequently, as shown in FIG. 5, the molded base material portion 10 is placed in the filling space 52 of the

second molds

50 and 51 which is shaped like the outer shape of the soft portion 20. Each of the

second molds

50 and 51 includes a plurality of pairs of holding pins 53 that are arranged in the filling space 52 so as to be movable back and forth in a direction orthogonal to the axis of the base material portion 10. As a result of the tips of the holding pins 53, 53 of each pair being pressed against the base material portion 10, the holding pins 53 sandwich and hold the base material portion 10 from the front surface and the back surface. In the present embodiment, the position of each holding pin 53 coincides with the position of the first to fourth cuts 13a to 13d.

In the filling space 52 of the

second molds

50 and 51, for example, a melted elastomer is filled from a gate 54 formed at a position facing the tip of the base material portion 10 to mold the soft portion 20. In this way, the interdental cleaning tool 1 is molded. The interdental cleaning tool 1 is then taken out from the

second molds

50 and 51. Since the holding pin 53 is pressed against the base material portion 10 when the elastomer is filled, the first to fourth opening portions 23a, which are traces of the holding pin 53 being arranged on the covering portion 21 of the

soft portion

20, 23d is formed. Further, since the position of the holding pin 53 coincides with the position of the first to fourth cuts 13a to 13d, the first to fourth openings 23a to 23d expose the first to fourth cuts 13a to 13d.

In the interdental cleaning tool 1 as described above, the cross section of the first to fourth notches 13a to 13d is most preferably the above-described semicircular shape that is hard to break when the interdental cleaning tool 1 is used because stress is dispersed. However, as shown in FIG. 6, it may be formed in, for example, a triangle or a pentagon. Further, the number and positions of the first to fourth cuts 13a to 13d may be changed as appropriate, and the cut 13 may be provided at only one place on the shaft portion 12, for example.

In the above-described embodiment, the notch 13 is formed only on the surface side of the interdental cleaning tool 1, but the notch 13 is formed at the same position along the longitudinal direction D2 of the tip portion 12b of the shaft portion 12 in the tip portion 12b. It may be formed by a pair of notches facing each other on the front surface side and the back surface side. On the other hand, the notch 13 may be formed around the axis of the shaft portion 12 over the entire circumference of the tip portion 12b. The notch 13 is preferably formed only on one surface of the interdental cleaning tool 1 or over the entire circumference of the tip portion 12b, but the tip portion 12b needs to be hard to break to some extent in cleaning between teeth. Most preferably, it is formed on one side of the interdental cleaning tool 1.

Further, in the above-described embodiment, the notch 13 is formed only on the front surface side of the interdental cleaning tool 1, that is, on the same surface side as the widely spreading surface of the base portion 11 of the base material portion 10, but FIG. It may be formed on the same side as the side surface of the base portion 11 shown in FIG. In other words, the notch 13 of the above-described embodiment may be formed at a position shifted by 90 degrees around the shaft center of the shaft portion 11.

In the above-mentioned embodiment, the opening 23 is formed in the covering portion 21 corresponding to the position of the notch 13, but the opening 23 does not necessarily have to be formed. That is, the notch 13 may be completely covered with the covering portion 21, and the covering portion 21 may have such a thickness that the shaft portion 12 can be reliably cut at the position of the notch 13. .. On the other hand, at the position where the notch 13 of the shaft portion 12 is formed, the opening portion (notch) 23 may be formed around the axis of the shaft portion 12 over the entire circumference of the covering portion 21.

Further, in the above-described embodiment, instead of the notch 13, a stepped portion of the shaft portion 12 formed by gradually reducing the diameter of the tip portion 12b of the shaft portion 12 may be formed as a cut portion. That is, the tip portion 12b has a plurality of regions having a uniform diameter over a predetermined length, and a step formed by the diameter of the region gradually decreasing toward the tip of the tip portion 12b. You may form as a cutting part.

The embodiments described above are for facilitating the understanding of the present invention and are not for limiting the interpretation of the present invention. Each element included in the embodiment and its arrangement, material, condition, shape, size and the like are not limited to the exemplified ones but can be changed as appropriate. Further, the configurations shown in different embodiments can be partially replaced or combined.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1... Interdental cleaning tool, 10... Base material part, 11... Base part, 12... Shaft part, 13... Notch, 20... Soft part, 21... Cover part, 22... Protrusion part

Claims

A base portion having a base portion and a shaft portion extending from the base portion and having a diameter reduced toward the tip thereof;

A soft portion that covers at least a part of the shaft portion,

An interdental cleaning tool provided with a cutting portion that enables cutting of the shaft portion.
The interdental cleaning tool according to claim 1, wherein the cutting portion is a notch formed in the shaft portion.
The interdental cleaning tool according to claim 2, wherein the notch is exposed on an outer surface of the interdental cleaning tool.
The interdental cleaning tool according to claim 1, wherein the cutting portion is a step formed by reducing the diameter of the shaft portion.