Tongue cleaner
By designing a tongue cleaner with elastic connection blades and appropriate curved edges, the existing tongue cleaner is solved, and better cleaning effect and comfort in use are achieved.
Patent Information
- Application Number
- CN202421088347.1
- Authority / Receiving Office
- CN · China
- Patent Type
- Utility models(China)
- Current Assignee / Owner
- Filing Date
- 2024-05-20
- Publication Date
- 2025-05-06
- Estimated Expiration
- 2034-05-20
AI Technical Summary
The existing tongue cleaners are difficult to adapt to unevenness of the tongue surface, resulting in poor cleaning effect and insufficient comfort and pressure balance during use.
A tongue cleaner is designed, and its scraper is elastically connected by a bracket. The blade is designed to be vertically connected to the back. The blade is thin and moderately curved, the back is thick and smooth, adapting to the curve of the tongue surface, and buffering the pressure through the elastic structure to ensure uniform force and comfortable operation.
The tongue cleaning device can effectively adapt to the unevenness of the tongue surface, ensure that the scraper maximizes contact with the tongue surface, and at the same time evenly distributes the pressure, avoiding the tongue surface scratches or unclean cleaning, improving the cleaning effect and comfort.
Smart Images
Figure CN222828630U_ABST
Abstract
Description
Technical Field
[0001] This utility model belongs to the field of oral hygiene technology, specifically relating to a tongue cleaner. Background Art
[0002] In daily eating, the first step is for food to enter the mouth. Inside the mouth, food is chewed with the teeth and mixed with the tongue. Therefore, after eating, some food residue always remains on the teeth and tongue. After fermentation by bacteria, it produces acidic substances that erode the teeth; it also produces a coating on the tongue and putrefactive gases, which affect the tongue's ability to perceive food and produce an unpleasant breath odor.
[0003] Specifically, tongue coating is a thin, white, and moist coating on the back of the tongue, composed of shed keratinized epithelium, saliva, bacteria, food debris, and exudated white blood cells. Within the tongue coating, bacteria accumulate and ferment in the warm environment of the mouth, multiplying and producing more bacteria and bad breath. Simultaneously, the tongue coating and plaque cover the taste buds, affecting their sensitivity to taste, leading to a bland taste in the mouth and decreased appetite.
[0004] As people's living standards improve, their requirements for oral hygiene have also increased. They not only need to use toothbrushes and dental floss to clean their teeth, but also to clean their tongues.
[0005] Studies show that cleaning teeth can only remove 25% of sulfides in the mouth, while cleaning the tongue can remove 75%. Currently, many people clean their tongues by brushing the bristles of a toothbrush while rinsing their mouths or brushing their teeth. However, because toothbrush bristles are very fine and have large gaps, they cannot effectively scrape off the accumulated plaque and remove it, resulting in incomplete cleaning of the tongue. Furthermore, the fine bristles are highly irritating to the tongue and are not very comfortable.
[0006] There are currently some tongue cleaners on the market specifically designed for cleaning tongue coating. These use a relatively hard scraper to scrape the surface of the tongue. However, because the tongue surface is not usually flat, the scraper cannot apply even pressure, often resulting in heavier scraping in the middle and lighter scraping on the sides, which seriously affects the comfort and cleaning effect.
[0007] Therefore, the existing technology still needs further improvement and enhancement. Summary of the Invention
[0008] In view of the above-mentioned defects of the prior art, the purpose of this utility model is to provide a tongue cleaner that can adapt to the unevenness of the tongue surface, maintain a close fit to the tongue surface, and apply force evenly to scrape the tongue surface.
[0009] The technical solution of this utility model is as follows:
[0010] This utility model discloses a tongue cleaner, which includes a support, one end of which is an open end, and at least two scraping blades are elastically connected to the open end. One end of each scraping blade is a blade for contacting and scraping the tongue surface, and the other end of each scraping blade is a back facing the palate. The line connecting the blade to the back is approximately perpendicular to the support.
[0011] This invention separates the existing single scraper blade and elastically connects it to one end of the support. In this way, different parts of the tongue surface will contact different scraper blades when using the tongue cleaner. Simultaneously, when the pressure applied to the support is transmitted to the scraper blades, it is buffered by elasticity. That is, the height of the blades changes due to the deformation of the elastic structure after compression, which increases the adaptability of the scraper blades to the curves of the tongue surface. This ensures that while maximizing contact between each blade and the different parts of the tongue surface, the pressure applied to each part is also similar. Therefore, it avoids excessive pressure causing abrasions or pain on the middle of the tongue surface, and also avoids insufficient pressure resulting in incomplete scraping of the tongue coating on the sides of the tongue. In other words, it achieves an optimal balance between pressure and scraping effect while adapting to the curves of the tongue surface.
[0012] Preferably, the thickness of the blade is less than 1 mm. More preferably, the thickness of the blade is 0.1-0.3 mm. Because the blade needs to scrape the tongue surface, a thinner blade is chosen to make it easier to scrape the tongue coating.
[0013] Preferably, the back is a smooth curve with a central bulge. Considering that the back faces the palate of the mouth during operation, any possible protrusions need to be avoided to prevent accidental injury to the palate. Therefore, the back is designed as a smooth curve with both ends lower than the middle to adapt to the opening shape of the palate.
[0014] Preferably, the thickness of the back is greater than the thickness of the blade. Similarly, to prevent accidental injury to the palate, the back is made thicker.
[0015] Preferably, the scraper is made of PP or TPU material. Because the scraper needs to scrape the tongue surface, it must be non-toxic and have good smoothness, as well as a certain degree of hardness and toughness. Both PP and TPU are non-toxic and harmless environmentally friendly materials: PP, chemically known as polypropylene, has the advantages of being lightweight, having good toughness, and good chemical resistance. TPU, chemically known as thermoplastic polyurethane, has the advantages of a wide hardness range, high mechanical strength, outstanding cold resistance, good processability, and good oil resistance, water resistance, and mildew resistance.
[0016] Preferably, on the opposite side of the open end, the support is fixedly or detachably connected to a handle for holding. Considering that the support is at least partially inserted into the oral cavity when scraping the tongue, a handle is connected to the support to facilitate hand operation, movement of the support and scraper, and application of pressure to compress the support and the scraper on it to scrape the tongue surface.
[0017] More preferably, the handle is provided with anti-slip texture. Considering that saliva may be brought up when scraping the tongue, the anti-slip texture is provided on the handle to facilitate gripping and control of the handle, ensuring proper operation of the scraper.
[0018] In one embodiment, the bracket is a U-shaped bracket, with the open end located at the opening of the U-shaped bracket; a fixing rod is provided at the opening, the fixing rod spanning across the opening; the fixing rod passes through the scraper, the scraper being rotatable on the fixing rod; an elastic structure is provided between the fixing rod and the scraper, the elastic structure being used to keep the scraper approximately perpendicular to the bracket.
[0019] In this embodiment, a U-shaped bracket is provided, and a fixing rod is provided across the opening of the U-shaped bracket. Each scraper blade is rotatably passed through the fixing rod. At the same time, an elastic structure is provided to give the scraper blade a certain degree of rotational freedom, buffering the pressure applied by the fixing rod to the scraper blade and preventing excessive pressure from damaging the tongue surface. At the same time, the elastic structure also helps to maintain the scraping pressure of the blade on the tongue surface.
[0020] More preferably, the fixing rod is made of an elastic material. This means the fixing rod is also elastic, further preventing excessive pressure transmitted from the bracket to the scraper and thus avoiding damage to the tongue surface.
[0021] In another embodiment, at least one elastic arm is included, one end of which is connected to the bracket and the other end of which is connected to the scraper.
[0022] In this embodiment, the support is connected to the scraper via an elastic arm. The fixed end of the elastic arm is fixed to the support, and the free end of the elastic arm is connected to the scraper. This keeps the scraper suspended with a certain elasticity and in contact with the tongue surface. During operation, the pressure applied to the support will generate controllable pressure between the blade and the tongue surface due to the elasticity, preventing damage to the tongue surface.
[0023] More preferably, the elastic arm is made of hard rubber. Hard rubber material has sufficient hardness and elasticity to ensure pressure transmission on the support while preventing excessive pressure.
[0024] More preferably, the elastic arm and the scraper are integrally formed to form an L-shaped structure and are fixed to the open end of the bracket. The elastic arm and scraper are integrally formed, meaning they can both be cast using a mold, which is convenient for manufacturing.
[0025] More preferably, the bracket, the elastic arm, and the scraper are integrally molded. By selecting suitable materials, such as organic materials with certain elasticity and hardness, including rubber, it is possible to mold and cast them in one go, thereby saving costs.
[0026] The following will further explain the concept, specific structure and technical effects of this utility model in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, so as to fully understand the purpose, features and effects of this utility model. Attached Figure Description
[0027] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of one embodiment of the present utility model;
[0028] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of another embodiment of the present invention;
[0029] In the diagram, 10-bracket, 11-U-shaped bracket, 12-fixed rod, 13-elastic arm, 20-scraper, 21-elastic device, 30-handle, 31-anti-slip texture. DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0030] This utility model provides a tongue cleaner. To make the purpose, technical solution, and effects of this utility model clearer and more explicit, the following detailed description is provided with reference to the accompanying drawings and examples. It should be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are merely illustrative of this utility model and are not intended to limit it.
[0031] In one embodiment of the tongue cleaner of this utility model, such as Figure 1 As shown, the device includes a support 10, one end of which is an open end. At least two scraping blades 20, preferably three, are elastically connected to the open end, arranged laterally to better adapt to the curvature of the tongue and increase the scraping range during a single stroke. One end of each scraping blade 20 is a blade that contacts the tongue; the other end faces the back of the palate, and the line connecting the blade to the back is approximately perpendicular to the support 20. That is, when the support 10 is placed in the mouth approximately parallel to the tongue, the scraping blades 20 will be nearly vertically aligned with the tongue. The scraping blades 20 are made of a biosafe material with a certain degree of hardness, such as PP or TPU, to ensure sufficient force on the tongue. In a preferred embodiment, the blade also has a set curvature, generally concave from both sides towards the middle, forming a slightly arched shape that conforms to the natural curve of the tongue. In the three-blade embodiment, the blades of the two side blades are lower than the blade of the middle blade.
[0032] Meanwhile, to ensure the range of the tongue surface being scraped, the blade has a certain width, for example, 1-10 mm, which can be set according to the number of scraper blades. The gap between each scraper blade 20 is preferably small, for example, 1-2 mm, to reduce the overall width of the scraper set. This way, when the user pushes or pulls the support 10 into the mouth once, the scraper blade 20 performs one (back-and-forth) scraping motion on the tongue surface. The blade only acts on a certain width of the scraping surface on the tongue surface. The narrower scraping surface reduces the total curvature of the tongue surface contacted by all scraper blades. Combined with the cushioning of the elastic structure connected to each scraper blade 20, this ensures that each blade remains fully in contact with the tongue surface during movement, scraping all the tongue coating along the way. The thickness of the blade is preferably low, for example, less than 1 mm. More preferably, the thickness of the blade is 0.1-0.3 mm. Of course, to avoid scratching the tongue surface, the blade must be smooth, for example, through polishing or other processes. Similarly, in order not to scratch the palate, the thickness of the back is chosen to be relatively thick, at least greater than the thickness of the blade, for example, 1-3 mm, and it is also ensured to be smooth without any sharp edges or corners. It can also be set to a smooth convex curve shape with a raised center and rounded ends.
[0033] The elastic connection can also be configured to use an elastic arm 13 with a certain degree of elasticity for connection. For example... Figure 1 As shown, one end of the elastic arm 13 is fixed to the bracket 10, and the other end is connected to the scraper 20 approximately vertically. In a preferred embodiment, the elastic arm 13 and the scraper 20, and even the bracket 10, can be integrally molded, requiring only one mold opening for casting. As long as a suitable material is used, such as a hard rubber material with both sufficient hardness and elasticity, it can ensure sufficient pressure to scrape the tongue surface while also providing enough elasticity to prevent excessive pressure and damage to the tongue surface.
[0034] At the other end of the bracket 10, opposite the open end, a handle 30 that is easy to hold can be fixedly or detachably connected for easy operation; more preferably, multiple anti-slip textures 31 can be provided on the handle 30 to prevent slippage due to saliva.
[0035] The second embodiment of this utility model, as follows: Figure 2As shown, a U-shaped bracket 11 is used. A fixed rod 12 is installed at the opening of the U-shaped bracket 11, spanning the opening. The fixed rod 12 has a certain rigidity, but is preferably made of a material with a certain degree of elasticity, such as hard rubber, so that it can partially unload excessive pressure through deformation. Each scraper blade 20 is arranged in a row and passes through the fixed rod 12. More preferably, an elastic device 21, such as a spring, is also provided between the fixed rod 12 and the scraper blade 20 to keep the scraper blade 20 approximately perpendicular to the bracket 10. Furthermore, when the external force, such as pressure, is too great, the elastic device 21 can extend and retract itself to allow the scraper blade 20 to rotate slightly around the fixed rod 12 for cushioning, ensuring safe pressure on the tongue surface. Similarly, at the top of the U-shape, the handle 30 is detachably or fixedly connected to the U-shaped bracket.
[0036] In summary, this invention separates the single scraper blade used in existing technologies and elastically connects the scraper blade 20 to the support 10. Thus, when using the tongue cleaner, different parts of the tongue surface will contact different scraper blades 20. Simultaneously, when the pressure applied to the support 10 is transmitted to the scraper blade 20, it is buffered by elasticity. The deformation of the elastic structure after compression changes the height of the blade, increasing the adaptability of the scraper blade 20 to the curve of the tongue surface. This ensures that while maximizing contact between each blade and the different parts of the tongue surface, the pressure applied to each part is also similar. Therefore, it avoids excessive pressure causing abrasions or pain on the central part of the tongue, and also avoids insufficient pressure resulting in incomplete scraping of the tongue coating on the sides of the tongue. In other words, it achieves an optimal balance between pressure and scraping effect while adapting to the curve of the tongue surface.
[0037] The preferred embodiments of this utility model have been described in detail above. It should be understood that those skilled in the art can make numerous modifications and variations based on the concept of this utility model without creative effort. Therefore, all technical solutions that can be obtained by those skilled in the art based on the concept of this utility model through logical analysis, reasoning, or limited experimentation on the basis of existing technology should be within the scope of protection defined by the claims.
Claims
1. A tongue cleaner, characterized in that: It comprises a bracket, one end of which is an open end, and at least two scrapers are elastically connected to the open end, one end of the scraper is a blade for contacting and scraping the tongue surface, and the other end of the scraper is a back facing the upper palate; the line from the blade to the back is roughly perpendicular to the bracket.
2. The tongue cleaner according to claim 1, characterized in that: The back is in a smooth curved shape with a bulge in the middle.
3. The tongue cleaner according to claim 1, characterized in that: The thickness of the back portion is greater than the thickness of the blade portion.
4. The tongue cleaner according to claim 1, characterized in that: The scraper blade is made of PP or TPU material.
5. The tongue cleaner according to claim 1, characterized in that: On the opposite side of the open end, the bracket is fixedly or detachably connected with a handle for holding.
6. The tongue cleaner according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that: The bracket is a U-shaped bracket, and the open end is located at the opening of the U-shaped bracket; a fixing rod is provided at the opening, and the fixing rod spans the opening; the fixing rod passes through the scraper, and the scraper is rotatable on the fixing rod; an elastic structure is provided between the fixing rod and the scraper, and the elastic structure is used to keep the scraper approximately perpendicular to the bracket.
7. The tongue cleaner according to claim 6, characterized in that: The fixing rod is made of elastic material.
8. The tongue cleaner according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that: It also includes at least one elastic arm, one end of the elastic arm is connected to the bracket, and the other end of the elastic arm is connected to the scraper.
9. The tongue cleaner according to claim 8, characterized in that: The elastic arm is made of hard rubber.
10. The tongue cleaner according to claim 8, characterized in that: The elastic arm is integrally formed with the scraper to form an L-shaped structure, which is fixed to the open end of the bracket.