Spiral expansion type earpick

Abstract

The invention discloses a spiral expansion type earpick, and belongs to the technical field of medicine and hygiene. The device comprises a handle, a balloon, a pressure release valve, a spiral expansion tube and a spoon head, the handle is of a hollow tubular structure, and two ends are hermetically connected with the balloon and the spiral expansion tube respectively; the spiral expansion tube is made of elastic soft materials, spiral protrusions are arranged on the outer wall of the spiral expansion tube, a hollow spoon head is arranged at the top end of the spiral expansion tube, and the wall thickness of the spiral expansion tube is gradually reduced from the handle end to the spoon head end. The handle, the balloon, the spiral expansion tube and the inner space of the spoon head jointly form a closed fluid cavity, and the pressure release valve is arranged on the handle or the balloon. When the earpick is used, the earpick head enters the ear canal in a small state, the sacculus is extruded to enable the earpick head and the spiral protrusion to expand, the earpick head hooks earwax when the earpick is pulled out, the spiral protrusion scrapes away attachments on the wall of the ear canal, and the earpick head shrinks and resets after the pressure release valve is opened. The cleaning device has the advantages of simple structure, low cost, safety in use, thorough cleaning and the like.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention belongs to the field of medical and hygiene technology, specifically relating to an ear protection device for cleaning the ear canal, and in particular a novel ear pick that combines a spiral structure with pneumatic expansion. Background Technology

[0002] Ear picks are common personal hygiene tools used to clean ear canals and remove earwax. Currently, common ear canal cleaning tools mainly include cotton swabs, small tweezers made of metal or plastic, and the recently developed visual electronic ear picks. However, all of these existing tools have significant drawbacks in actual use. Specifically, cotton swabs, due to their large and blunt-shaped heads (i.e., "bulging heads"), not only fail to effectively hook out earwax when inserted into the ear canal, but they also tend to push the earwax deeper into the ear canal. Long-term use may lead to earwax impaction, and even aggravate hearing loss or cause infection. On the other hand, while small tweezers can pick up larger pieces of earwax, their heads are usually sharp and lack flexibility, making them very easy to scratch or puncture the sensitive skin of the ear canal during operation, leading to ear canal bleeding or inflammation, especially when the user cannot directly see inside the ear canal, which increases the risk. In addition, while visual ear picks with cameras that have emerged in recent years can improve the accuracy of cleaning through image-assisted positioning, they rely on complex electronic components such as batteries, circuit modules, wireless transmission modules, and display terminals, resulting in complex product structures and significantly increased manufacturing costs. At the same time, electronic components are susceptible to moisture damage, and they need to be charged or connected to devices before use, which reduces the convenience and reliability of use.

[0003] Furthermore, regardless of the shape of the existing ear pick head, its cleaning effect mainly relies on the head itself. Traditional head tips are ineffective at cleaning thin layers of earwax or debris adhering to the ear canal wall. Therefore, there is an urgent need for a new type of ear pick that is simple in structure, easy to manufacture, inexpensive, and can smoothly enter the ear canal without damaging the ear canal skin, effectively remove earwax, and simultaneously clean the ear canal wall. Summary of the Invention

[0004] This invention addresses the aforementioned problems by providing a spiral-expanding ear pick that combines a spiral structure with the principle of pressure expansion. The invention employs the following technical solution: a spiral-expanding ear pick, comprising: a bulb, a spiral expansion tube, and a spoon head; the bulb is connected to the spiral expansion tube, the connection including a fixed sealing connection and a detachable sealing connection; the bulb is a closed cavity structure made of elastic and soft material; the spiral expansion tube is a closed spiral tubular structure made of elastic material, its inner tube being sealed and connected to the inner cavity of the bulb; the top of the spiral expansion tube is provided with a spoon head, which is made of elastic material and is a hollow semi-circular spoon shape or a hook shape, its inner cavity being connected to the inner tube of the spiral expansion tube; the internal spaces of the bulb, spiral expansion tube, and spoon head together constitute a closed chamber filled with a fluid substance.

[0005] Preferably, the spiral expansion ear pick also includes a handle, which is a hollow tubular structure connected between the balloon and the spiral expansion tube. One end of the handle is connected to the balloon, and the other end is connected to the spiral expansion tube. The connection includes a fixed sealing connection and a detachable sealing connection, and the inner tube of the handle is connected to the inner tube of the balloon and the spiral expansion tube.

[0006] Preferably, the spiral expansion ear pick also includes a pressure relief valve, which is located on the handle or the ball and is an on / off valve used to lock or discharge the fluid inside the spiral expansion tube, so that the spiral expansion tube and the scoop head remain in an expanded or contracted state.

[0007] The wall thickness of the spiral expansion tube gradually decreases from the end connected to the balloon to the end connected to the spoon head, so that the spoon head produces the greatest radial expansion when the internal pressure increases, and the degree of the spiral protrusion also gradually increases from the tube body towards the spoon head.

[0008] The spiral expansion tube, in its uninflated state, has a small outer diameter suitable for entering the ear canal. The outer wall of the spiral expansion tube has spiral protrusions, forming a continuous spiral structure. This spiral structure has the following dual functions: First, when inserted into the ear canal, the spiral protrusions reduce the contact area between the tube wall and the ear canal skin, lowering frictional resistance, and simultaneously guiding the user to gently rotate and push it in the spiral direction, allowing the tube to smoothly enter the ear canal following its natural curvature. Second, after inflation, the spiral protrusions further bulge, tightly fitting the inner wall of the ear canal. When the device is pulled out, the ridges on the spiral protrusions act as a "spiral scraper," loosening and removing earwax adhering to the ear canal wall.

[0009] The spoon head has a small size suitable for entering the ear canal in its unexpanded state, and an enlarged size suitable for hooking out earwax in its expanded state. Preferably, the maximum outer diameter of the spoon head in its unexpanded state is about 1.5 mm to 2.5 mm, and the maximum outer diameter in its expanded state is about 4 mm to 6 mm.

[0010] The balloon, spiral expansion tube, and spoon head are made of medical-grade elastic material, preferably medical-grade silicone or thermoplastic elastomer, with a Shore hardness between A10 and A50.

[0011] The handle, balloon, spiral expansion tube, and spoon head together form a closed chamber filled with a non-toxic, non-corrosive fluid, preferably air.

[0012] Preferably, the connection between the handle or airbag and the spiral expansion tube is a standard interface detachable sealed connection, which facilitates the subsequent provision of other accessories for use.

[0013] Compared with existing technologies, this invention has the following advantages: 1. It solves the contradiction of ear picks being "difficult to pull with a thin tip and difficult to insert with a thick tip": The tip enters the ear canal in a thin state, and after reaching the earwax location, it expands in volume through pneumatic expansion, effectively removing earwax when pulled out, avoiding the problem of traditional cotton swabs pushing earwax deeper. 2. Spiral structure assists entry: The spiral structure guides the rotational propulsion, making the soft tube more adaptable to the curved ear canal, resulting in smoother and more comfortable operation. 3. Spiral structure assists scraping out: After inflation, the spiral ridges rise and closely adhere to the ear canal wall, acting as a scraper when pulled out, simultaneously cleaning the thin layer of earwax and debris attached to the ear canal wall, an additional cleaning function that traditional tip picks cannot achieve. 4. Simple structure and low cost: It requires no batteries, circuits, cameras, or other electronic components, relying solely on manual squeezing of the balloon to achieve expansion, resulting in low manufacturing and maintenance costs. 5. High Safety: All parts in contact with the ear canal are made of flexible, elastic material with no sharp edges, preventing scratches to the ear canal skin. The degree of expansion can be adjusted by controlling the pressure applied to the balloon, changing the hardness of the spiral expansion tube and the spoon head, allowing users to control the pressure themselves. The spoon head is semi-circular or hook-shaped to prevent it from expanding into a ball shape and blocking the ear canal, creating negative pressure. 6. Convenient to Use: No charging or external device connection required; ready to use immediately and can be repeatedly sterilized. Attached Figure Description

[0014] Figure 1 This is a three-dimensional schematic diagram of the present invention.

[0015] Figure 2 This is a side view of the present invention. Detailed Implementation

[0016] like Figure 1 , Figure 2As shown, in a preferred embodiment, the spiral expansion ear pick of the present invention includes: a handle (1), a balloon (2), a pressure relief valve (3), a spiral expansion tube (4), a spoon head (5), and a spiral protrusion (6) disposed on the outer wall of the spiral expansion tube (4).

[0017] The handle (1) is a hollow rigid tubular structure, which can be made of medical-grade plastic or medical stainless steel. Its outer surface is provided with anti-slip texture to facilitate gripping and rotation operation. One end of the handle (1) is sealed to the balloon (2), and the other end is sealed to the spiral expansion tube (4) to ensure the airtightness of the internal chamber.

[0018] The balloon (2) is an elliptical elastic cavity made of medical-grade silicone with a wall thickness of 0.5 mm to 1.0 mm. It can generate an internal pressure of 40 kPa to 80 kPa by manual compression. The balloon (2) has sufficient elastic recovery force and can automatically return to its original shape after being released.

[0019] The pressure relief valve (3) is installed at the air inlet of the balloon (2) or on the handle, and is a manually operated rotary or push-button valve. When the balloon (2) is squeezed and the pressure relief valve (3) is closed, the gas inside the balloon (2) is squeezed into the closed chamber formed by the internal chambers of the spiral expansion tube (4) and the spoon head (5), which seals the pressurized air inside. When the pressure relief valve (3) is opened, the air inside the spiral expansion tube (4) and the spoon head (5) flows into the balloon (2), and the spiral expansion tube (4) and the spoon head (5) recover to the contracted state by their own elasticity.

[0020] The spiral expansion tube (4) is a flexible round tube made of medical-grade silicone or thermoplastic elastomer (TPE), with a length of 30 mm to 50 mm and an outer diameter of 3 mm to 4 mm. Its outer wall is provided with spiral protrusions (6), the height of which is 0.3 mm to 0.8 mm and the pitch is 3 mm to 8 mm. The wall thickness of the spiral expansion tube (4) gradually decreases from 1.0 mm at the connection with the handle (1) to 0.3 mm at the connection with the spoon head (5), forming a gradually changing wall thickness structure.

[0021] The spoon head (5) is integrally formed with the spiral expansion tube (4) and is a hollow semi-circular spoon or hook shape. When not expanded, the maximum outer diameter is about 1.5mm to 2.5mm. The internal cavity of the spoon head (5) is connected to the inner tube of the spiral expansion tube (4), so that the spoon head (5) can expand or contract synchronously when the internal pressure changes.

[0022] In another simplified embodiment, the handle (1) can be omitted, and the balloon (2) and the spiral expansion tube (4) can be directly and sealed together. In another simplified embodiment, the pressure relief valve (3) can be omitted, and the spoon head (5) can be naturally retracted and reset after use by releasing the balloon (2).

[0023] The method of using the present invention is as follows: Step 1: Confirm that the pressure relief valve (3) is in the open state (if there is no pressure relief valve, ignore this step). At this time, the spoon head (5) and the spiral expansion tube (4) are in the unexpanded contracted state, and the spiral protrusion (6) is low in height.

[0024] Step 2: Hold the handle (1) and the balloon (2), and slowly insert the spoon head (5) and the spiral expansion tube (4) into the ear canal. Due to the presence of the spiral protrusion (6), the contact area between the tube wall and the ear canal skin is reduced, resulting in lower frictional resistance. The user gently rotates and pushes the tube along the direction guided by the spiral protrusion (6), allowing the spiral expansion tube (4) to smoothly enter along the natural curvature of the ear canal until the spoon head (5) reaches the location of the earwax. Since the initial outer diameter of the spoon head (5) is only 1.5mm to 2.5mm, it can easily bypass the gap between the earwax and the ear canal wall, without pushing the earwax deeper.

[0025] Step 3: Gently squeeze the balloon (2) to increase the internal gas pressure. As the wall thickness of the spiral expansion tube (4) gradually decreases towards the spoon head (5), the spoon head (5) experiences the greatest radial expansion, increasing its outer diameter to approximately 4mm to 6mm. At the same time, the hardness of the spoon head (5) increases with the increase of internal pressure. Meanwhile, the spiral expansion tube (4) expands radially as a whole, and the spiral protrusions (6) on its outer wall further bulge, increasing in height to approximately 0.8mm to 1.5mm, tightly fitting the inner wall of the ear canal.

[0026] Step 4: Keep the balloon (2) in a compressed state and lock the pressure relief valve (3), then slowly pull the spiral expansion tube (4) out of the ear canal. During this process, the expanded spoon head (5) hooks or catches large chunks of earwax and carries them out; at the same time, the raised spiral protrusion (6) acts like a spiral scraper, loosening and carrying out the thin layer of earwax and debris attached to the ear canal wall. The two cleaning mechanisms work together to achieve a more thorough ear canal cleaning. Because the spoon head (5) is semi-circular or hooked, it does not form a completely closed sphere after expansion, avoiding negative pressure adsorption in the ear canal and further improving the safety of use.

[0027] Step 5: Open the pressure relief valve (3), and the gas inside the spiral expansion tube (4) and the spoon head (5) is discharged into the balloon (2). The spiral expansion tube (4) and the spoon head (5) return to their contracted state, and the spiral protrusion (6) also lowers in height. At this time, the earwax collected in the gap between the spoon head (5) and the spiral protrusion (6) can be cleaned.

[0028] Step 6: If reuse is required, repeat steps 2 to 5 above. After use, the spoon head (5), spiral expansion tube (4) and balloon (2) can be cleaned and disinfected with water or medical alcohol for the next use.

[0029] The above description is only a preferred embodiment of the present invention and is not intended to limit the present invention. For those skilled in the art, several improvements and equivalent substitutions can be made without departing from the technical principles of the present invention, and these improvements and equivalent substitutions should also be considered within the scope of protection of the present invention. For example, the balloon (2) can be replaced with a piston-type air cylinder structure; the pressure relief valve (3) can be integrated into the air inlet of the balloon (2) and adopt a combination of a one-way valve and a manual switch; the spiral protrusions (6) on the outer wall of the spiral expansion tube (4) can be replaced with spiral folds to achieve a similar expansion and scraping effect; a detachable connection structure can be adopted between the handle (1) and the spiral expansion tube (4) to replace spiral expansion tubes (4) of different lengths or spiral specifications.

Claims

1. A spiral dilating ear pick, characterized in that, It comprises: a balloon, a spiral expansion tube, a scoop head; the balloon is connected with the spiral expansion tube, the connection includes fixed sealing connection and detachable sealing connection; the balloon is a closed cavity structure of elastic soft material; the spiral expansion tube is a closed spiral tube structure of elastic material, the inner tube of which is in sealing communication with the internal cavity of the balloon; the top end of the spiral expansion tube is provided with a scoop head, which is made of elastic material and is in the shape of a hollow semicircular scoop or a barb, the internal cavity of which is in communication with the inner tube of the spiral expansion tube; the internal space of the balloon, the spiral expansion tube and the scoop head together constitute a closed chamber, which is filled with fluid material.

2. The spiral swab of claim 1, wherein: It also comprises a handle, which is a hollow tubular structure, connected between the balloon and the spiral expansion tube, one end of which is connected with the balloon and the other end of which is connected with the spiral expansion tube, the connection including fixed sealing connection and detachable sealing connection, and the inner tube of the handle is in communication with the inner tubes of the balloon and the spiral expansion tube.

3. A spiral swab as claimed in claim 1 or 2, wherein: It also comprises a pressure relief valve, which is provided on the balloon or the handle, and is an on-off valve for locking or discharging the fluid material in the spiral expansion tube.

4. A spiral swab as claimed in claim 1 or 2, wherein: The wall thickness of the spiral expansion tube gradually thins from the end connected with the balloon or the end connected with the handle to the end connected with the scoop head.

5. The spiral swab of claim 1, wherein: The spiral expansion tube has a small outer diameter suitable for entering the ear canal in the unexpanded state; the outer wall of the spiral expansion tube is provided with spiral protrusions to form a continuous spiral line structure; the spiral protrusions on the outer wall have a low height in the unexpanded state, and in the expanded state, the spiral protrusions are raised to form a scraping structure suitable for fitting the inner wall of the ear canal.

6. The spiral swab of claim 1, wherein: The scoop head has a small size suitable for entering the ear canal in the unexpanded state, and has an enlarged size suitable for hooking earwax in the expanded state.

7. The spiral swab of claim 1, wherein: The balloon, the spiral expansion tube and the scoop head are made of medical grade elastic material.

8. The spiral swab of claim 1, wherein: The fluid material filled inside is air.

9. The spiral swab of claim 1 or 2, wherein: The connection between the balloon or the handle and the spiral expansion tube is a detachable sealing connection with a standard interface.

Images