WO2021157258A1

WO2021157258A1 - Electric toothbrush

Info

Publication number: WO2021157258A1
Application number: PCT/JP2020/048907
Authority: WO
Inventors: 浩輝篠田; 真人布村; 真美筒井; 侑樹二之宮
Original assignee: パナソニックＩｐマネジメント株式会社
Priority date: 2020-02-07
Filing date: 2020-12-25
Publication date: 2021-08-12
Also published as: JP2024010209A; JP2021122616A

Abstract

An electric toothbrush (100) comprising a shaft body (110), a grip part (120), a head part (130), a brush part (140), and a drive mechanism (150). The grip part (120) is connected to one end of the shaft body (110). The head part (130) is connected to the other end of the shaft body (110) and has a direction intersecting the axial direction of the shaft body (110) as an axis of turning. The brush part (140) has a brush base (141) connected to the head part (130), and a brush (142) that is provided to the brush base (141) and has a tooth-brushing surface (142a). The drive mechanism (150) reciprocatingly operates the brush part (140) relative to the head part (130). This makes it possible to provide an electric toothbrush (100) with which it is possible to efficiently clean tooth surfaces.

Description

electric toothbrush

This disclosure relates to an electric toothbrush.

Conventionally, a toothbrush that can change the angle of the brush head portion with respect to the grip portion is known (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

The toothbrush described in Patent Document 1 has a connection portion between the grip portion of the toothbrush and the brush head portion. By rotating the connecting portion, the angle of the brush head portion with respect to the grip portion is changed. As a result, the brush head portion is changed to an angle that is easy to polish depending on the portion to be polished in the oral cavity.

That is, according to the toothbrush of Patent Document 1, the tooth surface can be efficiently cleaned by adjusting the angle of the brush head portion.

However, in an electric toothbrush that reciprocates the brush, if the direction of the dentition and the direction of the reciprocating brush do not match, efficient tooth surface cleaning cannot be performed.

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 63-150009

The present disclosure provides an electric toothbrush that can efficiently clean the tooth surface.

The electric toothbrush according to the present disclosure has a shaft that can be rotated around a shaft body, a grip portion connected to one end side of the shaft body in the axial direction, and a direction intersecting the axial direction of the shaft body. It has a head portion connected to the other end side in the axial direction of the body. Further, the electric toothbrush has a brush portion movably connected to the head portion, a brush portion provided on the brush base and having a brush surface for sweeping, and a brush portion with respect to the head portion. It is equipped with a drive mechanism that reciprocates.

According to the present disclosure, it is possible to provide an electric toothbrush that can efficiently clean the tooth surface.

FIG. 1 is a schematic view showing the configuration of an electric toothbrush according to the present embodiment. FIG. 2 is a schematic view showing the configuration of the rotation mechanism according to the embodiment. FIG. 3 is a diagram for explaining the operation of the electric toothbrush according to the embodiment. FIG. 4 is a diagram for explaining the reciprocating operation of the brush portion by the drive mechanism according to the embodiment. FIG. 5 is a diagram for explaining a difference in operation depending on the angle of the head portion with respect to the axial direction of the shaft body according to the embodiment. FIG. 6 is a diagram for explaining the reciprocating operation of the brush portion when the drive mechanism according to the embodiment has an elastic member. FIG. 7 is a schematic view showing a state in which the dentition is wiped by the electric toothbrush according to the embodiment. FIG. 8 is a schematic view showing the configuration of the electric toothbrush according to another embodiment.

(Knowledge that led to this disclosure)
Generally, in order to efficiently clean the tooth surface using a toothbrush, the brush is reciprocated in the direction along the dentition, and the brush's cleaning surface is always in contact with the tooth surface. desirable. In addition, in order to reciprocate the brush in the direction along the dentition, in the case of a toothbrush in which the grip portion, the rod portion which is the shaft body, and the brush head portion are aligned in a straight line, when brushing the side surface of the back teeth, the rod portion or The grip presses on the end of the mouth. Therefore, it may not be possible to reciprocate the brush in an appropriate direction. Therefore, for example, as the toothbrush described in Patent Document 1, we propose a toothbrush in which the angle of the brush head portion with respect to the grip portion can be changed depending on the portion to be polished. However, when the brush head portion is angled and the stroke is moved in the axial direction of the toothbrush, the direction of the stroke movement and the direction along the dentition where the brush head portion abuts occur inconsistency. Therefore, the brush moves in the direction away from the tooth surface.

Therefore, in the present disclosure, an electric toothbrush capable of efficiently cleaning the tooth surface is provided by the direction of the stroke movement of the brush portion along the angle of the brush portion.

Hereinafter, the electric toothbrush according to the embodiment of the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. It should be noted that all of the embodiments described below show a preferred specific example of the present disclosure. Therefore, the numerical values, shapes, materials, components, arrangement of components, connection forms, etc. shown in the following embodiments are examples, and are not intended to limit the present disclosure.

Further, in the present specification, terms indicating relationships between elements such as parallel and vertical, terms indicating the shape of elements such as rectangles, and numerical ranges are not expressions that express only strict meanings, but substantially. It is an expression meaning that an equivalent range, for example, a difference of about several percent is included.

In addition, each figure is a schematic view and is not necessarily exactly illustrated. Further, in each figure, the same components are designated by the same reference numerals.

(Embodiment)
Hereinafter, the electric toothbrush according to the present embodiment will be described in terms of terms with reference to the drawings.

(1-1. Configuration)
First, the configuration of the electric toothbrush 100 according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIG.

FIG. 1 is a schematic view showing the configuration of the electric toothbrush 100 according to the present embodiment. Note that FIG. 1 schematically shows the internal structures of the shaft body 110, the grip portion 120, and the head portion 130.

As shown in FIG. 1, the electric toothbrush 100 of the present embodiment includes a shaft body 110, a grip portion 120, a head portion 130, a brush portion 140, a drive mechanism 150, an angle regulating portion 160, and a battery portion. It includes 170, a switch 180, and the like. The electric toothbrush 100 wipes the tooth surface.

The shaft body 110 is made of a long hollow shaft body, for example, made of resin or the like. In the shaft body 110, the grip portion 120 is connected to one end side in the axial direction, and the head portion 130 is connected to the other end side.

The grip portion 120 is a portion connected to one end side of the shaft body 110 in the axial direction and gripped by the user. Further, the grip portion 120 is formed of a material such as resin or metal to form a housing. The grip portion 120 houses, for example, a drive device 151, a battery portion 170, and the like inside. The grip portion 120 and the shaft body 110 may be integrally formed instead of the above-mentioned separate bodies.

The head portion 130 includes a main body portion 131, a rotating portion 132, a guide portion 133, and the like. The head portion 130 is rotatably connected to the other end side of the shaft body 110 in the axial direction with the direction intersecting the axial direction of the shaft body 110 as the axis of rotation. Specifically, the head portion 130 is located on the other end side of the shaft body 110 in the axial direction with the direction parallel to the sweeping surface 142a, which will be described later, and the direction orthogonal to the axial direction of the shaft body 110 as the axis of rotation. Is rotatably connected. In the example shown in FIG. 1, the head portion 130 is formed in an elongated shape extending in a direction away from the shaft body 110. Therefore, due to the rotation of the head portion 130, the longitudinal direction of the head portion 130 is inclined with respect to the axial direction of the shaft body 110.

The main body 131 has a recess 131a in which the guide 133 and the brush 140 are housed, and is formed of, for example, a rectangular parallelepiped member. The main body 131 is made of, for example, a resin. Further, the main body portion 131 is formed on the rotating portion 132 side and has an opening connected to the internal space of the recess 131a.

The rotating portion 132 includes the rotating shaft body 132a and is fixed to the main body portion 131. The rotating shaft body 132a is rotatably supported on one end side of the shaft body 110 in the axial direction. The rotating portion 132 is arranged at the position of the end portion in the longitudinal direction of the main body portion 131. The head portion 130 is rotated by, for example, a rotation mechanism 190 (see FIG. 2), which will be described later, with the rotation shaft body 132a as the axis of rotation. That is, the rotation shaft body 132a functions as a rotation shaft of the head portion 130. The axial direction of the rotating shaft body 132a is parallel to the printing surface 142a and perpendicular to the axial direction of the shaft body 110. Further, the rotating portion 132 is formed with a hollow structure, and the connecting member 153 is inserted therein.

The guide unit 133 regulates the movement of the brush base 141 with respect to the head unit 130 in a direction other than the reciprocating operation direction. The guide unit 133 movably connects the brush base 141. That is, the guide unit 133 guides the reciprocating operation direction of the brush base 141. The guide portion 133 is composed of, for example, a long rail such as a slide rail having a C-shaped cross section. Therefore, the longitudinal direction of the guide portion 133 is the reciprocating operation direction of the brush base 141.

Further, the guide portion 133 is provided in the main body portion 131 and is fixed to the bottom surface of the recess 131a of the main body portion 131. Therefore, due to the rotation of the head portion 130, the guiding direction of the guide portion 133 is also inclined with respect to the axial direction of the shaft body 110. The longitudinal direction of the guide portion 133 is perpendicular to the axial direction of the rotating shaft body 132a.

The brush unit 140 has a brush base 141 and a brush 142.

The brush base 141 is a base having a flocked surface 141a on which the brush 142 is provided. The brush base 141 is made of, for example, a resin. The flocked surface 141a is, for example, an elongated rectangle. The shape of the flocked surface 141a is not limited to the above-mentioned long rectangle, and may be square or circular, for example.

Further, the brush base 141 is movably connected to the head portion 130 via the guide portion 133. Specifically, the slider portion 141b located on the opposite side of the flocked surface 141a of the brush base 141 is connected to the guide portion 133. Then, the brush base 141 reciprocates on the guide unit 133. For example, in the slider portion 141b, the cross section of the slide rail, which is the guide portion 133, fits into the C-shaped portion. Then, the slider portion 141b slides in the fitted state. As a result, the reciprocating operation of the brush base 141 is guided by the guide unit 133. The movable direction of the brush base 141 is, for example, the longitudinal direction of the head portion 130. The slider portion 141b may include wheels so that the brush base 141 can smoothly reciprocate on the guide portion 133.

The brush 142 is arranged on the brush base 141. The brush 142 is a bundle of fibers formed of, for example, a resin such as nylon. The brush 142 is planted on the brush table 141 so as to extend vertically from the flocking surface 141a of the brush table 141. Further, the brush 142 has a sweeping surface 142a for sweeping on the tip end side of the fiber in which the brush 142 extends from the flocked surface 141a. The scavenging surface 142a and the flocked surface 141a are arranged in parallel with each other, for example. The brushing surface 142a is formed in an elongated shape like the flocked surface 141a, and the longitudinal direction of the flocked surface 141a and the longitudinal direction of the flocking surface 142a are arranged in parallel. Further, the sweeping surface 142a and the guide portion 133 are arranged in parallel. As a result, the brush portion 140 reciprocates with respect to the head portion 130 along the direction parallel to the sweeping surface 142a.

The drive mechanism 150 includes a drive device 151, a stroke member 152, a connecting member 153, and the like. The drive mechanism 150 reciprocates the brush unit 140 with respect to the head unit 130. For example, the drive mechanism 150 reciprocates the brush portion 140 with respect to the head portion 130 along a direction parallel to the sweeping surface 142a. The "direction parallel to the cleaning surface 142a" is, for example, a tangential direction of the cleaning surface 142a when the cleaning surface 142a is a curved surface. Further, the "direction parallel to the cleaning surface 142a" is the direction of a line connecting the vertices of the convex portion of the cleaning surface 142a, for example, when the printing surface 142a has a plurality of irregularities.

The drive device 151 is a device that outputs a driving force for reciprocating the brush base 141. The drive device 151 outputs, for example, a reciprocating driving force as a driving force. The drive device 151 is, for example, a linear actuator in which the output shaft reciprocates. The drive device 151 is not limited to a linear actuator, and may be any device as long as it has a mechanism for reciprocating the output shaft. The drive device 151 is provided inside the grip portion 120 and is fixed to the grip portion 120.

The stroke member 152 is, for example, a long rod-shaped member made of resin or metal. The stroke member 152 connects the drive device 151 and the connecting member 153. One end side of the stroke member 152 in the longitudinal direction is fixed to the output shaft of the drive device 151, and the other end side is fixed to the connecting member 153. The stroke member 152 extends inside the shaft body 110 so as to go from the drive device 151 provided in the grip portion 120 toward the head portion 130. The stroke member 152 is supported inside the shaft body 110 that functions as a guide, and reciprocates in the axial direction of the shaft body 110. That is, the long rod-shaped stroke member 152 is guided by the inner surface of the shaft body 110 and reciprocates in the axial direction of the shaft body 110 by the driving force of the driving device 151. That is, the drive device 151 and the connecting member 153 are connected via the stroke member 152. As a result, the length of the connecting member 153 can be shortened. Therefore, the driving force can be stably transmitted to the brush base 141.

The connecting member 153 connects the drive device 151 and the brush base 141 via the stroke member 152. Specifically, the connecting member 153 connects the stroke member 152 and the brush base 141 through the inside of the shaft body 110 and the rotating portion 132, and the opening of the main body portion 131. Specifically, the connecting member 153 is fixed to the head portion 130 side of the stroke member 152 and the shaft body 110 side of the brush base 141.

Further, the connecting member 153 is composed of a member that can be bent in the direction in which the head portion 130 rotates, and transmits the driving force of the driving device 151 to the brush base 141. Specifically, the connecting member 153 is guided by the inside of the shaft body 110 and the rotating portion 132, and the opening of the main body portion 131, and while changing the bending position, the driving force of the driving device 151 is applied to the brush base 141. Communicate to. As a result, the drive mechanism 150 reciprocates the brush portion 140 with respect to the head portion 130.

The connecting member 153 is composed of the following plate-shaped members. That is, the connecting member 153 is formed of a plate-shaped member that bends freely in the normal direction of the main surface of the plate-shaped member and is unlikely to buckle and become an irrecoverable situation. Further, the connecting member 153 is formed of, for example, a material having a flexural modulus that can be moved by pushing at least the brush base 141. Specifically, the connecting member 153 is, for example, a leaf spring material such as iron, stainless steel (SUS), aluminum, or copper. The thickness of the leaf spring material is, for example, 0.05 mm or more and 0.2 mm or less. The thickness direction of the connecting member 153 is perpendicular to the axial direction of the rotating shaft body 132a. Further, the width direction of the connecting member 153 is parallel to the axial direction of the rotating shaft body 132a. Here, the width direction is a direction perpendicular to the direction of connecting the stroke member 152 and the brush base 141 on the main surface in the direction perpendicular to the thickness direction.

The angle regulating unit 160 regulates the angle of the head unit 130 with respect to the axial direction of the shaft body 110 so as not to be an acute angle. The angle of the head portion 130 with respect to the axial direction of the shaft body 110 is, for example, an angle in the longitudinal direction of the head portion 130, which is the direction in which the brush portion 140 reciprocates with respect to the axial direction of the shaft body 110. The angle in the longitudinal direction of the head portion 130 with respect to the axial direction of the shaft body 110 is an angle when 180 ° is the case where the shaft body 110 and the head portion 130 are lined up along the axial direction of the shaft body 110. ..

The angle regulating portion 160 is composed of, for example, an end portion 161 of the shaft body 110 on the head portion 130 side and an end portion 162 of the head portion 130 on the shaft body 110 side. When the angle of the head portion 130 with respect to the axial direction of the shaft body 110 is large, the end portion 161 of the shaft body 110 and the end portion 162 of the head portion 130 are separated from each other. On the other hand, when the angle of the head portion 130 with respect to the axial direction of the shaft body 110 becomes a certain value or less, the end portion 161 and the end portion 162 come into contact with each other. Therefore, the rotation of the head portion 130 is restricted by the angle regulating portion 160, and the head portion 130 cannot rotate any more. The electric toothbrush 100 may not be provided with the angle regulating unit 160.

The battery unit 170 accommodates a battery and supplies electric power to a drive device 151 or the like via wiring (not shown).

The switch 180 is a switch that turns on and off the drive of the drive mechanism 150. When the switch 180 is turned on, the drive mechanism 150 reciprocates the brush unit 140.

Further, as shown in FIG. 2, the electric toothbrush 100 of the present embodiment may further include a rotation mechanism 190 that rotates the head portion 130.

FIG. 2 is a schematic view showing the configuration of the rotation mechanism 190. In FIG. 2, the detailed structure of the components other than the rotating mechanism 190 is not shown.

As shown in FIG. 2, the rotation mechanism 190 rotates the head portion 130 around the axis of rotation. The rotating mechanism 190 includes a rotating device 191, a torque transmission rod 192, a worm gear 193, a brush rotating gear 194, a rod support portion 195, and the like. At this time, a configuration having a protective cover (not shown) covering each component of the rotating mechanism 190 is preferable. The protective cover can prevent contact between the rotating mechanism 190 and the inside of the oral cavity.

The rotating device 191 is, for example, a motor that rotates the output shaft. The rotating device 191 is not limited to the motor, and may be any device as long as it has a mechanism for rotating the output shaft. The rotating device 191 is arranged inside the grip portion 120 and is fixed to the grip portion 120.

The torque transmission rod 192 is composed of, for example, a long rod-shaped member made of resin or metal. The torque transmission rod 192 connects the rotating device 191 and the worm gear 193, and transmits the power of the rotating device 191 to the worm gear 193. That is, one end side of the torque transmission rod 192 in the axial direction is fixed to the output shaft of the rotating device 191 and the other end side is fixed to the worm gear 193.

The worm gear 193 is a gear provided with spiral teeth. The worm gear 193 is arranged so as to mesh with the brush rotation gear 194. The worm gear 193 rotates the brush rotation gear 194 by the rotation torque of the torque transmission rod 192 powered by the rotation device 191.

The brush rotation gear 194 is a disk-shaped gear provided with a plurality of teeth. The brush rotation gear 194 is arranged so as to mesh with the worm gear 193. As a result, the brush rotation gear 194 is rotated by the rotation of the worm gear 193. The center of the brush rotation gear 194 is fixed to one end of the rotation shaft body 132a in the axial direction. Then, the rotation of the brush rotation gear 194 causes the rotation shaft body 132a to rotate. That is, the rotational torque of the torque transmission rod 192 generated by the rotating device 191 is converted into the rotational torque of the rotating shaft body 132a by the engagement between the worm gear 193 and the brush rotating gear 194.

As described above, the rotation of the brush rotation gear 194 causes the rotation shaft body 132a to rotate, and the entire head portion 130 to rotate. At this time, for example, the rotation of the rotating device 191 is controlled by the operation of an operation button (not shown) of the user. As a result, the angle of the shaft body 110 of the head portion 130 with respect to the axial direction is arbitrarily changed.

The rod support portion 195 is a member that rotatably supports the torque transmission rod 192. The rod support portion 195 is provided on the side surface (plane parallel to the axial direction) of the shaft body 110.

(1-2. Operation)
Next, the operation of the electric toothbrush 100 according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIG.

FIG. 3 is a diagram for explaining the operation of the electric toothbrush 100. Specifically, FIG. 3A shows the reciprocating operation of the brush portion 140 when the longitudinal direction of the head portion 130 is not inclined with respect to the axial direction of the shaft body 110. Further, FIG. 3B shows the reciprocating operation of the brush portion 140 when the longitudinal direction of the head portion 130 is inclined with respect to the axial direction of the shaft body 110. The longitudinal direction is the reciprocating movement direction of the brush portion 140.

First, in the state shown in FIG. 3A, the head portion 130 is not inclined with respect to the axial direction of the shaft body 110, and the shaft of the shaft body 110 is from the shaft body 110 to the tip of the head portion 130. Line up along the direction. Therefore, the direction of the reciprocating motion of the brush portion 140 coincides with the axial direction of the shaft body 110. In such a state, the connecting member 153 becomes linear.

In the above state, when the user turns on the switch 180, the drive device 151 is driven. At this time, the reciprocating driving force of the driving device 151 is transmitted to the brush base 141 via the connecting member 153 without changing the direction. As a result, the brush portion 140 reciprocates with respect to the head portion 130 along the direction parallel to the sweeping surface 142a.

On the other hand, in the state shown in FIG. 3B, the longitudinal direction of the head portion 130 is inclined with respect to the axial direction of the shaft body 110. Therefore, the direction of the reciprocating motion of the brush portion 140 is also inclined with respect to the axial direction of the shaft body 110. That is, the direction of the reciprocating motion of the brush portion 140 and the axial direction of the shaft body 110 do not match. Even in the above state, when the user first turns on the switch 180, the drive device 151 is driven. At this time, the connecting member 153 transmits the reciprocating driving force of the driving device 151 to the brush base 141 while changing the bending position. As a result, the brush portion 140 reciprocates with respect to the head portion 130 along the direction parallel to the sweeping surface 142a.

Hereinafter, the operation of the brush portion 140 when the head portion 130 is tilted with respect to the axial direction of the shaft body 110 will be described in more detail with reference to FIG.

FIG. 4 is a diagram for explaining the reciprocating operation of the brush unit 140 by the drive mechanism 150. Specifically, FIG. 4A shows a case where the brush portion 140 moves in a direction away from the shaft body 110. On the other hand, FIG. 4B shows a case where the brush portion 140 moves in a direction approaching the shaft body 110.

That is, as shown in FIG. 4A, when the brush portion 140 is moved in the direction away from the shaft body 110, the stroke member 152 moves in the direction closer to the head portion 130 due to the driving force of the driving device 151. At this time, the stroke member 152 and the brush base 141 are connected via the connecting member 153. Therefore, the movement of the stroke member 152 is transmitted to the brush base 141 via the connecting member 153, and the brush base 141 moves in the direction away from the shaft body 110. At this time, as described above, the connecting member 153 is made of a bendable member. Therefore, the connecting member 153 bends along the shape in which the head portion 130 is inclined with respect to the axial direction of the shaft body 110. Then, the connecting member 153 changes the bending position of the connecting member 153 to a position close to the brush base (a part surrounded by the broken line A in FIG. 4A), and increases the distance between the stroke member 152 and the brush base 141. Hold and push the brush base 141. As a result, the connecting member 153 transmits the driving force to the brush base 141 in the direction along the inclination of the head portion 130 with respect to the shaft body 110. At this time, the moving direction of the brush base 141 is guided by the guide unit 133. Therefore, the brush base 141 moves along the direction parallel to the cleaning surface 142a.

On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 4B, when the brush portion 140 is moved in the direction approaching the shaft body 110, the stroke member 152 moves in the direction away from the head portion 130 due to the driving force of the driving device 151. At this time, the stroke member 152 and the brush base 141 are connected via the connecting member 153. Therefore, the movement of the stroke member 152 is transmitted to the brush base 141 via the connecting member 153, and the brush base 141 moves in the direction approaching the shaft body 110. At this time, similarly to FIG. 4A, the connecting member 153 is made of a bendable member. Therefore, the connecting member 153 bends along the shape in which the head portion 130 is inclined with respect to the axial direction of the shaft body 110. Then, the connecting member 153 maintains the distance between the stroke member 152 and the brush base 141 while changing the bending position to a position close to the stroke member 152 (the part surrounded by the broken line B in FIG. 4B). And pull the brush stand 141. As a result, the connecting member 153 transmits the driving force to the brush base 141 in the direction along the inclination of the head portion 130 with respect to the shaft body 110. At this time, the moving direction of the brush base 141 is guided by the guide unit 133. Therefore, the brush base 141 moves along the direction parallel to the cleaning surface 142a.

That is, when the stroke member 152 reciprocates due to the driving force of the driving device 151, the state shown in FIG. 4A and the state shown in FIG. 4B are repeated. As a result, the brush portion 140 reciprocates with respect to the head portion 130 along the direction parallel to the cleaning surface 142a, regardless of the axial direction of the shaft body 110.

For example, as shown in FIG. 3B, even when the head portion 130 is tilted with respect to the axial direction of the shaft body 110, the connecting member 153 bends in the direction in which the head portion 130 rotates. .. Then, the connecting member 153 transmits the driving force of the driving device 151 to the brush base 141 while changing the bending position. As a result, the brush portion 140 can reciprocate with respect to the head portion 130. Further, it is not necessary to provide the head portion 130 with a driving device for the reciprocating operation of the brush portion 140. Therefore, the head portion 130 can be miniaturized.

Hereinafter, the difference in operation of the head portion 130 depending on the angle of the head portion 130 with respect to the axial direction of the shaft body 110 will be described with reference to FIG.

FIG. 5 is a diagram for explaining a difference in operation depending on the angle of the head portion 130 with respect to the axial direction of the shaft body 110. Specifically, FIG. 5A shows a case where the clockwise angle of the head portion 130 with respect to the axial direction of the shaft body 110 is an obtuse angle (more than 90 °). On the other hand, FIG. 5B shows a case where the clockwise angle of the head portion 130 with respect to the axial direction of the shaft body 110 is an acute angle (less than 90 °).

That is, as shown in FIG. 5A, when the angle of the head portion 130 with respect to the axial direction of the shaft body 110 is an obtuse angle, the driving force of the driving device 151 is transmitted to the brush base 141 by the bent connecting member 153. Will be done. As a result, the brush portion 140 reciprocates with respect to the head portion 130. On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 5B, when the angle of the head portion 130 with respect to the axial direction of the shaft body 110 is an acute angle, the connecting member 153 is bent beyond the bendable range of the connecting member 153. Therefore, the connecting member 153 tends to buckle. Then, the driving force of the driving device 151 is used to increase the bending of the connecting member 153 between the buckled portion and the stroke member 152. As a result, the driving force of the driving device 151 is less likely to be transmitted to the brush base 141. Therefore, the brush portion 140 may not be able to reciprocate with respect to the head portion 130. As a result, the brush portion 140 tends to malfunction.

However, the electric toothbrush 100 of the present embodiment includes an angle regulating unit 160. Therefore, the angle regulating portion 160 regulates the angle of the head portion 130 with respect to the axial direction of the shaft body 110 so as not to be an acute angle. That is, the electric toothbrush 100 does not reach the state shown in FIG. 5B, and as a result, the brush portion 140 is less likely to malfunction.

As shown in FIG. 6, the drive mechanism 150 may further include an elastic member 154 that pushes the brush base 141 back toward the connecting member 153.

FIG. 6 is a diagram for explaining the reciprocating operation of the brush portion 140 when the drive mechanism 150 has the elastic member 154. Specifically, FIG. 6A shows a case where the brush portion 140 moves in a direction approaching the shaft body 110. On the other hand, FIG. 6B shows a case where the brush portion 140 moves in a direction away from the shaft body 110.

As shown in FIG. 6, one end of the elastic member 154 is connected to the brush base 141 on the side opposite to the connecting member 153 side. Further, the elastic member 154 extends from the brush base 141 in a direction parallel to the guide portion 133 (longitudinal direction of the head portion 130), and the other end of the elastic member 154 is connected to the main body portion 131. The elastic member 154 is composed of, for example, a metal spring or an elastomer member.

FIG. 6A shows a state in which the elastic member 154 is pulled by the brush base 141 that is moved by the driving force from the driving device 151. At that time, due to the elasticity of the elastic member 154, stress in the direction of pulling the brush base 141 is generated.

On the other hand, in FIG. 6B, the driving force from the driving device 151 in the direction of pulling the brush base 141 in the direction of the shaft body 110 is lost. That is, it shows a state in which the brush base 141 is pulled away from the shaft body 110 by the elasticity of the elastic member 154. Therefore, even if the connecting member 153 does not transmit the driving force for moving the brush base 141 in the direction away from the shaft body 110, the brush base 141 reciprocates. That is, in this case, the connecting member 153 may be any member as long as it can pull the brush base 141, and may be, for example, a member such as a fiber or a metal wire.

As described above, in the electric toothbrush 100 according to the present embodiment, the brush portion 140 reciprocates with respect to the head portion 130. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 7 below, the electric toothbrush 100 can reciprocate the brush portion 140 in a direction along the dentition 210, for example.

FIG. 7 is a schematic view showing how the electric toothbrush 100 wipes the dentition. More specifically, FIG. 7A shows a case where the dentition 210 is wiped without tilting the head portion 130 with respect to the axial direction of the shaft body 110. On the other hand, FIG. 7B shows a case where the head portion 130 is tilted with respect to the axial direction of the shaft body 110 to wipe out the dentition 210.

As shown in FIGS. 7A and 7B, in the electric toothbrush 100 of the present embodiment, the cleaning surface of the electric toothbrush 100 of the present embodiment regardless of whether or not the head portion 130 is tilted with respect to the axial direction of the shaft body 110. The brush portion 140 reciprocates while maintaining the state in which 142a and the dentition 210 are parallel to each other. As a result, the electric toothbrush 100 of the present embodiment can efficiently clean the tooth surface.

(1-3. Effects, etc.)
As described above, the electric toothbrush 100 according to the present embodiment includes a shaft body 110, a grip portion 120, a head portion 130, a brush portion 140, and a drive mechanism 150. The grip portion 120 is connected to one end side of the shaft body 110 in the axial direction. The head portion 130 is rotatably connected to the other end side of the shaft body 110 in the axial direction with the direction intersecting the axial direction of the shaft body 110 as the axis of rotation. The brush portion 140 has a brush base 141 movably connected to the head portion 130, and a brush 142 provided on the brush base 141 and having a sweeping surface 142a for wiping. The drive mechanism 150 reciprocates the brush unit 140 with respect to the head unit 130.

According to this configuration, in the electric toothbrush 100, even when the head portion 130 is rotated so as to be inclined with respect to the axial direction of the shaft body 110, the brush portion 140 is irrespective of the axial direction of the shaft body 110. , Reciprocates with respect to the head portion 130. Therefore, even if the angle of the head portion 130 with respect to the shaft body 110 is changed according to the portion to be polished in the oral cavity, the brush portion 140 can be reciprocated according to the direction of the head portion 130. That is, even in the case where the head portion 130 rotates, the direction of the reciprocating operation of the brush portion 140 can be adjusted. Therefore, the electric toothbrush 100 can efficiently clean the tooth surface.

Further, the drive mechanism 150 reciprocates the brush portion 140 with respect to the head portion 130 along the direction parallel to the sweeping surface 142a.

According to this configuration, even when the head portion 130 is rotated to change the orientation of the head portion 130 with respect to the axial direction of the shaft body 110, the brush portion 140 reciprocates along the direction parallel to the printing surface 142a. Operate. Therefore, even if the angle of the head portion 130 with respect to the shaft body 110 is changed so that the cleaning surface 142a abuts on the tooth surface along the dentition 210, the cleaning surface 142a is removed from the tooth surface along the dentition 210. The brush portion 140 reciprocates in a state where the cleaning surface 142a is in contact with the tooth surface without being separated. As a result, the electric toothbrush 100 can clean the tooth surface more efficiently.

Further, the head portion 130 can rotate to the other end side in the axial direction of the shaft body 110 with the direction parallel to the sweeping surface 142a and the direction orthogonal to the axial direction of the shaft body 110 as the axis of rotation. Connected to.

According to this configuration, the head portion 130 can be rotated so that the angle of the sweeping surface 142a with respect to the axial direction of the shaft body 110 is inclined. Therefore, even when the side surface of the back tooth is wiped, the shaft body 110 or the grip portion 120 hits the cleaning surface 142a in the direction along the dentition 210 without pressing the end portion of the user's mouth. Can be touched. As a result, the cleaning surface 142a can be easily brought into contact with the cleaning surface 142a in the direction along the dentition 210 regardless of the location where the teeth are to be wiped.

Further, the drive mechanism 150 includes a drive device 151 and a connecting member 153. The drive device 151 is provided on the grip portion 120 and outputs a driving force for reciprocating the brush base 141. The connecting member 153 connects the drive device 151 and the brush base 141, and transmits the driving force of the drive device 151 to the brush base 141. Further, the connecting member 153 is configured to be bendable in the direction in which the head portion 130 rotates.

According to this configuration, even if the head portion 130 rotates, the connecting member 153 bends and the driving force of the drive device 151 provided in the grip portion 120 is transmitted to the brush base 141 while changing the bending position. can. As a result, the brush portion 140 reciprocates with respect to the head portion 130. Therefore, it is not necessary to newly provide a drive device for the reciprocating operation of the brush portion 140 in the head portion 130. As a result, the head portion 130 can be miniaturized.

Further, the driving force of the driving device 151 is a reciprocating driving force.

According to this configuration, the driving force of the driving device 151 is directly transmitted to the brush base 141 by the connecting member 153, and the brush unit 140 reciprocates with respect to the head unit 130. As a result, the structure of the electric toothbrush 100 can be simplified and downsized.

Further, the electric toothbrush 100 includes an angle regulating portion 160 that regulates the angle of the head portion 130 with respect to the axial direction of the shaft body 110 so as not to be an acute angle.

According to this configuration, it is possible to regulate the rotation of the head portion 130 up to an angle at which the connecting member 153 buckles. That is, it is possible to prevent the driving force of the driving device 151 from being difficult to be transmitted to the brush base 141 due to the buckling of the connecting member 153. As a result, the malfunction of the brush portion 140 can be suppressed in advance.

Further, the head portion 130 has a guide portion 133 that regulates the movement of the brush portion 140 with respect to the head portion 130 in a direction other than the reciprocating movement direction and movably connects the brush base 141.

According to this configuration, the reciprocating operation of the brush unit 140 is guided by the guide unit 133. Therefore, the reciprocating operation of the brush unit 140 can be stabilized.

(Other embodiments)
The electric toothbrush according to the present disclosure has been described above based on the above-described embodiment, but the present disclosure is not limited to the above-described embodiment.

For example, in the above embodiment, the head portion 130 has the other end in the axial direction of the shaft body 110 with the direction parallel to the sweeping surface 142a and the direction orthogonal to the axial direction of the shaft body 110 as the axis of rotation. The configuration in which the components are rotatably connected to the side has been described as an example, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, as shown in FIG. 8, the head portion 130 can be rotated to the other end side of the shaft body 110 in the axial direction with the direction intersecting the axial direction of the shaft body 110 other than the above as the axis of rotation. You may connect.

Specifically, as shown in FIG. 8, the head portion 130 is the axis of the shaft body 110 with the direction perpendicular to the sweeping surface 142a and the direction orthogonal to the axial direction of the shaft body 110 as the axis of rotation. It may be configured to be rotatably connected to the other end side in the direction.

Here, the electric toothbrush 100A shown in FIG. 8 is different from the electric toothbrush 100 shown in FIG. 1 in the direction in which the head portion 130 is pivotally supported by the shaft body 110. That is, the axial direction of the rotating shaft body 132a is perpendicular to the axial direction of the shaft body 110. Therefore, in the electric toothbrush 100A, the head portion 130 rotates so that the angle of the sweeping surface 142a with respect to the axial direction of the shaft body 110 does not change. As a result, even if the axial direction of the shaft body 110 does not follow the direction of the dentition 210, the direction of the head portion 130 can be aligned with the direction of the dentition 210 to wipe the teeth.

Further, in the above embodiment, the configuration in which the head portion 130 is rotated by the rotating mechanism 190 has been described as an example, but the present invention is not limited to this. The rotation of the head portion 130 may be, for example, a configuration in which the amount of rotation is adjusted by a driving device, or a configuration in which the amount of rotation is manually adjusted. For example, when the head portion 130 is manually rotated and adjusted, a configuration including a fixing mechanism for fixing the rotated position is desirable. The fixing mechanism is composed of, for example, a plurality of engaging portions (for example, convex portions) and a plurality of engaged portions (for example, concave portions). In this case, one of the plurality of engaging portions and the plurality of engaged portions is provided on the rotating portion 132, and the other of the plurality of engaging portions and the plurality of engaged portions is provided on the other end side of the shaft body 110. Is provided. Then, the position of the head portion 130 is fixed by the engagement between the engaging portion and the engaged portion. Further, the combination of the engaging portion and the engaged portion to be engaged changes with the rotation of the head portion 130.

Further, in the above embodiment, the configuration in which the drive device 151 is provided in the grip portion 120 has been described as an example, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the drive device 151 may be provided on the shaft body 110 or the head portion 130. In this case, at least one of the guide portion 133, the stroke member 152, and the connecting member 153 may be omitted. Specifically, for example, the drive device 151 may be provided in the head portion 130, and the brush base 141 may be directly connected to the output shaft of the drive device 151.

Further, in the above embodiment, the head portion 130 is rotatably connected to the shaft body 110 via the rotating portion 132 including the rotating shaft body 132a fixed to the main body portion 131 as an example. I explained, but it is not limited to this. For example, both the head portion 130 and the shaft body 110 may be rotatably connected to the rotating shaft body 132a. Further, the head portion 130 may be connected to the shaft body 110 via a resin hinge. Further, the head portion 130 may be a bendable bellows member and may be connected to the shaft body 110.

Further, in the above embodiment, the angle regulating portion 160 has been described with an example of being composed of the end portion 161 of the shaft body 110 and the end portion 162 of the head portion 130, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the angle regulating portion 160 may be provided on the shaft body 110 or the head portion 130, and may be configured by a stopper that comes into contact with the shaft body 110 or the head portion 130 by rotating the head portion 130. When the rotating mechanism 190 is provided, the angle regulating portion 160 may be composed of a member that fills the recesses between the teeth of the brush rotating gear 194. Further, the angle regulating unit 160 may be configured by a control circuit that controls the amount of rotation of the rotating device 191.

In addition, it is realized by arbitrarily combining the components and functions in each embodiment within the range obtained by applying various modifications to each embodiment and the purpose of the present disclosure. Forms are also included in this disclosure.

The present disclosure is applicable to a device that changes the angle of reciprocating motion of the brush portion with respect to the surface to be cleaned. Specifically, the present disclosure is applicable to electric toothbrushes, car wash machines, grinding machines, and the like.

100,100A Electric toothbrush 110 Shaft body 120 Grip part 130 Head part 131 Main body part 131a Recessed part 132 Rotating part 132a Rotating shaft body 133 Guide part 140 Brush part 141 Brush stand 141a Brushed surface 141b Slider part 142 Brush 142a Brush surface 150 Drive mechanism 151 Drive device 152 Stroke member 153 Connection member 154 Elastic member 160

Angle regulation part

161, 162 End part 170 Battery part 180 Switch 190 Rotation mechanism 191 Rotation device 192 Torque transmission rod 193 Worm gear 194 Brush rotation gear 195 Rod support part 210 dentition

Claims

Axis and
A grip portion connected to one end side of the shaft body in the axial direction,
A head portion rotatably connected to the other end side of the shaft body in the axial direction with a direction intersecting the axial direction of the shaft body as a rotation axis.
A brush portion having a brush base movably connected to the head portion, and a brush provided on the brush base and provided with a sweeping surface for sweeping.
A drive mechanism that reciprocates the brush unit with respect to the head unit,
To prepare
electric toothbrush.
The drive mechanism reciprocates the brush portion with respect to the head portion along a direction parallel to the sweeping surface.
The electric toothbrush according to claim 1.
The head portion is rotatably connected to the other end side in the axial direction of the shaft body with a direction parallel to the sweeping surface and a direction orthogonal to the axial direction of the shaft body as a rotation axis. Be done,
The electric toothbrush according to any one of claims 1 and 2.
The drive mechanism
A drive device provided on the grip portion and outputting a driving force for reciprocating the brush base.
It has a connecting member that connects the driving device and the brush base, transmits the driving force to the brush base, and can bend in the direction in which the head portion rotates.
The electric toothbrush according to any one of claims 1 to 3.
The driving force is a reciprocating driving force.
The electric toothbrush according to claim 4.
The electric toothbrush includes an angle regulating portion that regulates the angle of the head portion with respect to the axial direction of the shaft body so as not to be an acute angle.
The electric toothbrush according to any one of claims 4 and 5.
The head portion
It has a guide portion that regulates the movement of the brush portion with respect to the head portion in a direction other than the reciprocating direction and movably connects the brush base.
The electric toothbrush according to any one of claims 1 to 6.