Toothbrush

Abstract

To provide a toothbrush capable of performing appropriate brushing that reduces the risk of having an adverse effect on teeth, etc.SOLUTION: A toothbrush 101 comprises a front brush group 120a, which is a work part, projecting on a surface of a head part 110, and a rear brush group 120b, which is a stable part composed of bristle bundles or a bristle bundle group or a member other than the bristle bundles or the bristle bundle group, the toothbrush including at least either one of what defines a direction mutually aligning along an extending direction of the head part 110 as a longitudinal direction and what defines a direction mutually aligning along a direction intersecting with the extending direction of the head part 110 as a longitudinal direction. The front brush group 120a and the rear brush group 120b aligned along the extending direction of the head part 110 are separated from each other, and either one of a front bristle bundle group 122a or a front bristle bundle group 123a, which is the work part aligned along the direction intersecting with the extending direction of the head part 110, and a front bristle bundle group 121a, which is the stable part, is inclined with respect to the other in a view from the extending direction of the head part 110.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to toothbrushes, particularly those that provide proper cleaning. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, toothbrushes have various configurations for preventing cavities and periodontal disease. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a toothbrush that takes into consideration the shape of the head and the arrangement of bristle bundles, with the aim of enabling appropriate brushing according to the shape of the teeth, in which a plurality of bristle bundle groups are arranged across a gap that spans from one side to the other in the longitudinal direction of the head, and the gap is wider than the distance between the bristle bundles that make up the bristle bundle group. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2017-94183 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] As described above, even if a toothbrush is designed to prevent cavities and periodontal disease, the user's brushing may still have adverse effects on the teeth and gums, as described below. In other words, the inventor has discovered that in recent years, with the rise in awareness of oral hygiene in society, toothbrush users are brushing their teeth excessively, which can lead to gingival recession near the border between the teeth and gums, wear of the exposed teeth (cementum) by the toothbrush, and even cavities (substantial defects).

[0005] However, the above-mentioned conventional toothbrushes do not take into consideration adverse effects on the teeth, dentition, and gums due to inappropriate brushing, such as wedge-shaped defects.

[0006] Therefore, in view of the fact that wear and wedge-shaped defects caused by excessive toothbrushing are frequent, the main object of the present invention is to provide a toothbrush that can perform appropriate brushing that reduces the risk of adverse effects on the teeth, dentition, and gums caused by excessive toothbrushing. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] The first invention is a toothbrush comprising a working part consisting of a bristle bundle or a group of bristle bundles protruding from the surface of a head, and a stabilizing part consisting of a bristle bundle or a group of bristle bundles or a member other than a bristle bundle or a group of bristle bundles, wherein the working part and the stabilizing part include at least one of those whose longitudinal direction is an arrangement direction along the extension direction of the head, and those whose longitudinal direction is an arrangement direction along a direction intersecting the extension direction of the head, wherein the working part and the stabilizing part that are arranged along the extension direction of the head are spaced apart from each other, and the working part and the stabilizing part that are arranged along a direction intersecting the extension direction of the head are inclined relative to the other when viewed in the extension direction of the head. The present invention may be summarized as follows: That is, by incorporating the concept of a working part and a stabilizing part into the toothbrush, it is possible to prevent the pressure of the toothbrush from concentrating on the protruding parts of the dentition, and when cleaning a highly uneven dentition surface, it is possible to prevent the toothbrush head from moving (pitching, rolling) while ensuring that the brushing surface of the toothbrush always contacts perpendicularly with the tangents (contact surfaces) of all surfaces, including the raised surfaces, of the tooth.

[0008] The second invention is the toothbrush of the first invention, wherein the sets of working parts and stabilizing parts include both those arranged along the extension direction of the head and those arranged along a direction intersecting the extension direction of the head, and the brushing surface formed by the working parts arranged along the extension direction of the head and the brushing surface formed by the stabilizing parts arranged along the extension direction of the head are at the same height, and the brushing surface formed by the working parts arranged along the direction intersecting the extension direction of the head is at a higher position, when viewed in the extension direction of the head, than the brushing surface formed by the stabilizing parts arranged along the direction intersecting the extension direction of the head.

[0009] The third invention is the toothbrush of the second invention, wherein the working parts arranged along a direction intersecting the extension direction of the head are formed symmetrically with respect to the stabilizing parts arranged along a direction intersecting the extension direction of the head when viewed in the extension direction of the head.

[0010] The fourth invention is the toothbrush of the first invention, wherein the sets of working parts and stabilizing parts include only those arranged along the extension direction of the head, the brushing surface formed by the working parts arranged along the extension direction of the head and the brushing surface formed by the stabilizing parts arranged along the extension direction of the head are of the same height, and the brushing surface formed by the working parts arranged along a direction intersecting the extension direction of the head has a larger dimension along the direction intersecting the extension direction of the head, when viewed in a direction parallel to the surface of the head, than the brushing surface formed by the stabilizing parts arranged along the direction intersecting the extension direction of the head.

[0011] The fifth invention is the toothbrush of the fourth invention, wherein each of the brushing surfaces of the working part and the stabilizing part, when viewed in a plane parallel to the surface of the head, has a dimension along a direction intersecting the extension direction of the head that increases from the tip to the rear end of the head.

[0012] A sixth aspect of the present invention is a toothbrush according to the first or fourth aspect of the present invention, comprising a handle portion for manipulating the head portion, and a neck portion connecting the head portion to the handle portion, the neck portion connecting the head portion to the handle portion at a position shifted from the head portion along each of two directions perpendicular to the extension direction of the head portion when viewed in the extension direction of the head, such that the surface of the head portion is on the side facing the handle portion.

[0013] The seventh invention is a toothbrush according to the first or fourth invention, comprising a handle portion for manipulating the head and a neck portion connecting the head and the handle portion, the neck portion connecting the head to the handle portion at a position shifted from the head, when viewed in the direction of extension of the head, along each of two directions perpendicular to the direction of extension of the head, so that the surface of the head is opposite the handle portion, and each of the brushing surfaces of the working part and the stabilizing part, when viewed in a plane parallel to the surface of the head, has a dimension along a direction intersecting the extension direction of the head that increases from the tip to the rear end of the head. Effect of the Invention

[0014] The present invention as described above has the effect of enabling appropriate brushing that reduces the risk of adverse effects on the teeth, dentition, and gums.

[0015] The above and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments of the present invention, which refers to the drawings. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0016] [Figure 1] 1 is a perspective view showing a configuration of a main part of a toothbrush according to a first embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2(A) is a front view showing the configuration of the main part of the toothbrush according to the first embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2(B) is a cross-sectional view taken along the line AA of FIG. 2(A). [Diagram 3] 1 is a plan view showing the configuration of a main part of a toothbrush according to a first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 4] 4(A) is a diagram showing a toothbrush according to a first embodiment of the present invention placed against the buccal surface of the left mandibular dentition as viewed from the occlusal surface, and FIG. 4(B) is a cross-sectional view taken along the line BB of FIG. 4(A). [Diagram 5] FIG. 1A is a front view showing a configuration of a toothbrush according to a first modified example of the first embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 1B is a plan view showing a configuration of a toothbrush according to the first modified example of the first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 6] FIG. 1A is a front view showing the configuration of a toothbrush according to another variant 1 of the first embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 1B is a plan view showing the configuration of a toothbrush according to another variant 1 of the first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 7] FIG. 1A is a front view showing the configuration of a toothbrush according to a second modification of the first embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 1B is a cross-sectional view taken along the line CC of FIG. [Figure 8] FIG. 11 is a plan view showing a configuration of a toothbrush according to a second modified example of the first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 9] FIG. 1A is a front view showing the configuration of a toothbrush according to Variation 3 of the first embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 1B is a plan view showing the configuration of a toothbrush according to Variation 3 of the first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 10] (A) is a right side view showing the configuration of a toothbrush according to a second embodiment of the present invention, (B) is a front view showing the configuration of a toothbrush according to a second embodiment of the present invention, and (C) is a plan view showing the configuration of a toothbrush according to a second embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 11] FIG. 1A is a front view showing the configuration of a toothbrush according to Variation 1 of the second embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 1B is a plan view showing the configuration of a toothbrush according to Variation 1 of the second embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 12] (A) is a right side view showing the configuration of a toothbrush according to Variation 2 of the second embodiment of the present invention, (B) is a front view showing the configuration of a toothbrush according to Variation 2 of the second embodiment of the present invention, and (C) is a plan view showing the configuration of a toothbrush according to Variation 2 of the second embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 13]1A is a right side view showing the configuration of a toothbrush according to a third variation of the second embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 1B is a plan view showing the configuration of a toothbrush according to the third variation of the second embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 1C is a right side view showing the configuration of a toothbrush according to another third variation of the second embodiment of the present invention; and FIG. 1D is a plan view showing the configuration of a toothbrush according to another third variation of the second embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 14] FIG. 10(A) is a right side view showing the configuration of a toothbrush according to a third embodiment of the present invention, (B) is a bottom view showing the configuration of a toothbrush according to the third embodiment of the present invention, and (C) is a DD cross-sectional view of (B). [Figure 15] FIG. 11 is a diagram for explaining a state in which a toothbrush according to a third embodiment of the present invention is used. [Figure 16] FIG. 11 is a perspective view showing the configuration of a toothbrush according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 17] FIG. 11 is a plan view showing the configuration of a toothbrush according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 18] (A) is a right side view showing the configuration of a toothbrush according to another embodiment of the present invention, (B) is a bottom view showing the configuration of a toothbrush according to another embodiment of the present invention, and (C) is an E-E cross-sectional view of (B). [Figure 19A] FIG. 1A is a plan view showing the configuration of a main part of a toothbrush according to a first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 19B] 19B(B) is a diagram showing the toothbrush according to the first embodiment of the present invention applied to the upper and lower left jaw teeth in a closed-mouth position with the teeth lightly in contact with each other, covering the buccal surfaces of the upper and lower teeth simultaneously. (C) is a cross-sectional view taken along the line FF of FIG. 19B(B). [Figure 20] FIG. 13 is a perspective view showing the configuration of the main parts of a toothbrush according to a fifth embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 21] FIG. 21(A) is a front view showing the configuration of the main parts of a toothbrush according to a fifth embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 21(B) is a cross-sectional view taken along line GG of FIG. 21(A). [Figure 22]22(A) is a diagram showing a toothbrush according to a fifth embodiment of the present invention placed against the lingual surface of the left mandibular dentition as viewed from the occlusal surface, and FIG. 22(B) is an HH cross-sectional view of FIG. 22(A). DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0017] (First embodiment) FIG. 1 is an oblique view showing the configuration of the main parts of a toothbrush according to a first embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2(A) is a front view showing the configuration of the main parts of the toothbrush according to the first embodiment, FIG. 2(B) is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA of FIG. 2(A), and FIG. 3 is a plan view showing the configuration of the main parts of the toothbrush according to the first embodiment.

[0018] As shown in each figure, toothbrush 100 according to the first embodiment of the present invention includes head 110, brush section 120 in which bristle bundles that form the brush body for brushing teeth are embedded in the main surface of head 110, and neck section 130 that connects head 110 to a handle section (not shown) that allows a user to grasp and operate the toothbrush. Each of head 110, neck section 130, and handle section is preferably made of synthetic resin. Each of head 110, neck section 130, and handle section may be combined as separate bodies, or all or part of them may be integrally molded.

[0019] Hereinafter, in this specification, as shown in FIG. 1, the side of the head 110 connected to the neck 130 is called the rear side, the tip side of the head 110 to which nothing is connected is called the front side, and the direction connecting the front side and the rear side of the head 110 is defined as the extension direction of the head and is called the front-rear direction. In addition, the side closer to the right hand when the head 110 is viewed from the front is called the right side, the side closer to the left hand when the head 110 is viewed from the front is called the left side, and the direction perpendicular to the extension direction of the head 110 is called the left-right direction. Furthermore, the side of the face of the head 110 where the brush part 120 is embedded is called the upper side, the side of the face where the brush part 120 is not embedded is called the lower side, and the direction connecting the upper side and the lower side and perpendicular to both the front-rear direction and the left-right direction is called the up-down direction. These directions are shown in each figure by orthogonal coordinates.

[0020] (head) Head 110 is a part located at the tip along the front-rear direction of toothbrush 100. When viewed from the front, head 110 is integrally formed with central portion 111, right side portion 112 located to the right of central portion 111, and left side portion 113 located to the left of central portion 111. A front surface 110fr is formed on the front side of head 110.

[0021] In the head 110, the central part 111 has a central buried surface 111a that is parallel to the front-rear and left-right plane and has a generally rectangular outer shape with the front-rear direction as the longitudinal direction in a plan view. The right side part 112 has a right buried surface 112a that is an inclined surface from the right long side of the central part 111 toward the central buried surface 111a and has a generally rectangular outer shape with the front-rear direction as the longitudinal direction in a plan view. The left side part 113 has a left buried surface 113a that is an inclined surface from the left long side of the central part 111 toward the central buried surface 111a and has a generally rectangular outer shape with the front-rear direction as the longitudinal direction in a plan view. The right buried surface 112a and the left buried surface 113a are inclined at angles that are symmetrical with respect to the central buried surface 111a in a front-rear view.

[0022] (Brush part) The brush part 120 has a central brush part 121 embedded in a central embedded surface 111a of the central part 111 of the head 110, a right side brush part 122 embedded in a right side embedded surface 112a of the right side part 112 of the head 110, and a left side brush part 123 embedded in a left side embedded surface 113a of the left side part 113 of the head 110.

[0023] In the brush section 120, the central brush section 121 is embedded in a direction perpendicular to the central embedding surface 111a, the right brush section 122 is embedded in a direction perpendicular to the right embedding surface 112a, and the left brush section 123 is embedded in a direction perpendicular to the left embedding surface 113a.

[0024] Also, when viewed from the front, the tips of the right brush portion 122 and the left brush portion 123 form brushing surfaces of the same height, while the tip of the central brush portion 121 forms a brushing surface that is lower than the right brush portion 122 and the left brush portion 123.

[0025] As a result, in head 110, central brush part 121 stands upright in the vertical direction, and right brush part 122 and left brush part 123 are each inclined toward central brush part 121, with their tips forming the brushing surfaces being positioned higher than the tip of central brush part 121. The inclination angle θ of each of right brush part 122 and left brush part 123 toward central brush part 121, as shown in Fig. 2(A), is preferably in the range of 5°≦θ≦45°.

[0026] Each of the central brush part 121, the right brush part 122, and the left brush part 123 of the brush part 120 has a pair of hair bundle groups arranged with the front-rear direction as the longitudinal direction. Specifically, the central brush part 121 has a front hair bundle group 121a embedded in the front of the head 110, and a rear hair bundle group 121b embedded in a position with a predetermined distance rearward from the front hair bundle group 121a. The right brush part 122 has a front hair bundle group 122a embedded in the front of the head 110, and a rear hair bundle group 122b embedded in a position with a predetermined distance rearward from the front hair bundle group 122a. The left brush part 123 has a front hair bundle group 123a embedded in the front of the head 110, and a rear hair bundle group 123b embedded in a position with a predetermined distance rearward from the front hair bundle group 123a.

[0027] Each of the front hair bundle group 121a and the rear hair bundle group 121b is composed of a pair of hair bundles arranged in the front-rear direction as shown in each figure. Each of the front hair bundle group 122a and the rear hair bundle group 122b, and the front hair bundle group 123a and the rear hair bundle group 123b is composed of two pairs (four bundles) of hair bundles arranged in the front-rear direction and the left-right direction, two bundles each. Each of the front hair bundle group 121a and the rear hair bundle group 121b is composed of a pair of hair bundles arranged in the front-rear direction as shown in each figure, but each hair bundle group may be composed of two pairs (four bundles) of hair bundles arranged in the front-rear direction and the left-right direction, two bundles each.

[0028] As shown in Fig. 3, the front hair bundle group 121a, the front hair bundle group 122a, and the front hair bundle group 123a are each arranged at the same position closer to the front in the front-to-rear direction to form the front brush group 120a arranged with the left-to-right direction as the longitudinal direction. The rear hair bundle group 121b, the rear hair bundle group 122b, and the rear hair bundle group 123b are each arranged at the same position closer to the rear in the front-to-rear direction to form the rear brush group 120b arranged with the left-to-right direction as the longitudinal direction.

[0029] When cleaning the buccal tooth surface, the predetermined distance between the front brush group 120a and the rear brush group 120b is preferably large enough to accommodate one or more teeth, and is preferably large enough that the brushing surfaces of both the front brush group 120a and the rear brush group 120b do not come into contact with one tooth. On the other hand, when cleaning the lingual tooth surface, the predetermined distance between the front brush group 120a and the rear brush group 120b may be close to each other.

[0030] 2(B), it is preferable that the dimension t1 from the tips of the front hair bundle group 123a and the rear hair bundle group 123b of the left brush part 123 to the central buried surface 111a is larger than the dimension t2 from the tips of the front hair bundle group 121a and the rear hair bundle group 121b of the central brush part 121 to the central buried surface 111a. Similarly, it is preferable that the dimension t1 from the tips of the front hair bundle group 122a and the rear hair bundle group 122b of the right brush part 122 to the central buried surface 111a is larger than the dimension t2 from the tips of the front hair bundle group 121a and the rear hair bundle group 121b of the central brush part 121 to the central buried surface 111a.

[0031] The toothbrush 100 of the first embodiment of the present invention having the above-mentioned configuration is characterized in that the brush section 120 is composed of a combination of a front brush group 120a and a rear brush group 120b, the front brush group 120a is configured to include combinations of a front bristle bundle group 121a and a front bristle bundle group 122a, as well as a front bristle bundle group 121a and a front bristle bundle group 123a, and the rear brush group 120b is configured to include combinations of a rear bristle bundle group 121b and a rear bristle bundle group 122b, as well as a rear bristle bundle group 121b and a rear bristle bundle group 123b, and each combination corresponds to a combination of a working section and a stabilizing section described below.

[0032] Hereinafter, with reference also to FIG. 4, the effects of toothbrush 100 will be described based on a preferred example of use of toothbrush 100 according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

[0033] Take the example of brushing the left lower jaw dentition 200, which is shown in FIG. 4(A). FIG. 4(A) is a view of the toothbrush according to the first embodiment of the present invention, viewed from the occlusal surface, placed against the buccal side of the left lower jaw dentition. The toothbrush 100 is used in the oral cavity so that the brushing surface of the brush part 120 faces the buccal side (front side) of the dentition 200, which includes the teeth 210, 220, 230, 240, and 250. However, in this example, the toothbrush 100 is held in the right hand of the user, and the brushing surface of the brush part 120 faces the buccal side (front side) of the dentition 200. In the following description of each embodiment, the toothbrush 100 is also held in the right hand of the user, unless otherwise specified.

[0034] As shown by the solid lines in Fig. 4(A), first, the rear brush group 120b is brought into contact with the tooth 250 on the front side of the tooth row and positioned at a desired position. Then, while keeping the rear brush group 120b in the positioned state, the front brush group 120a is placed against the tooth 230 on the back side of the tooth row, and the handle is operated to move the front brush group 120a in the direction and within the range of motion indicated by the arrow 301b to brush the tooth 230. Next, the toothbrush 100 is moved to the position shown by the dotted lines in Fig. 4(A), the rear brush group 120b is brought into contact with the tooth 240 of the tooth row, and the front brush group 120a is placed against the tooth 220 further back in the tooth row, and the tooth 220 is brushed by moving it in the direction and within the range of motion indicated by the arrow 301a.

[0035] In the above operation, it is preferable to use the contact point between the rear brush group 120b and the teeth 250 as a fulcrum, and to operate the handle with the intention of reflecting the movement of the front brush group 120a, rather than applying force to the rear brush group 120b. Furthermore, it is preferable to grasp the position and posture of the front brush group 120a relative to the teeth 210 to 250 in the dentition 200 by utilizing the tactile sensation of the rear brush group 120b transmitted to the teeth or gums.

[0036] Thus, in the toothbrush 100 according to the first embodiment, when brushing the cheek side (front side) or tongue side (back side) of the dentition, the front brush group 120a of the brush unit 120 acts as a working unit that brushes the desired tooth in the dentition, and the rear brush group 120b of the brush unit 120 acts as a stabilizing unit that guides the front brush group 120a to the desired tooth in response to the user's operation, making it easier to brush in a stable state. The toothbrush 100 of the first embodiment is particularly suitable for brushing the cheek side of the dentition.

[0037] Furthermore, when brushing, the toothbrush 100 is reciprocated in small increments in the extension direction in the narrow oral cavity, but since the positions of the front brush group 120a and the rear brush group 120b are separated as shown by the positional relationship between the solid line portion and the dotted line portion in Fig. 4(A), excessive brush pressure is not concentrated on the protruding portion of the tooth row 200, and the toothbrush 100 can be stably brushed while preventing pitching. In other words, even if the front brush group 120a and the rear brush group 120b are used with more brush pressure than necessary, which is not suitable for brushing, the brush pressure is distributed to two places on the tooth row 200 where the front brush group 120a and the rear brush group 120b are in contact, so that the risk of excessive toothbrush 100 pressure being concentrated on one specific protruding portion of the tooth row 200 can be avoided. Arrow 301a in Fig. 4(A) indicates the direction and magnitude of repetitive movement of toothbrush 100 over a distance of one tooth at the position of toothbrush 100 indicated by the dotted line, and arrow 301b in Fig. 4(A) indicates the direction and magnitude of repetitive movement of toothbrush 100 over a distance of one tooth at the position of toothbrush 100 indicated by the solid line. In this way, since the tangent direction to the row of teeth is different at each position, the direction of movement is also different.

[0038] Next, Fig. 4(B) shows a cross-sectional view taken along line BB of Fig. 4(A). As shown in Fig. 4(B), the front bristle bundle group 121a of the central brush part 121 is brought into contact with or near the maximum protuberance 220X, which is the most bulging part on the cheek side 221 of the tooth 220, and positioned. Then, while keeping the front bristle bundle group 121a in position, the front bristle bundle group 123a of the left brush part 123 is applied to the surface 221A below the maximum protuberance 220X and between the gum margins, where dirt tends to accumulate, and the handle is operated to move the front bristle bundle group 123a back and forth along the direction of the arrangement of the tooth row, thereby brushing the surface 221A.

[0039] In the above operation, the contact position between the front hair bundle group 121a and the teeth 220 acts as a stabilizing point (fulcrum), and the operation of the handle portion can be performed with the intention of reflecting the movement of the front hair bundle group 123a rather than applying force to the front hair bundle group 121a.

[0040] In other words, the front bristle bundle group 121a of the central brush part 121, which is the stable part, acts as a fulcrum, suppressing rolling of the head 110 of the toothbrush 100, thereby preventing the toothbrush 100 from wobbling during rotation, and when the head 110 of the toothbrush 100 is moved back and forth during brushing, the brushing surface of the front bristle bundle group 123a of the left brush part 123, which is the working part, always contacts the front side of the teeth in a constant posture.

[0041] Furthermore, in this case, when the head 110 swings around the contact position between the front hair bundle group 121a and the teeth 220 as a fulcrum, the front hair bundle group 122a supports the teeth 220 from the maximum contour portion 220X to the tip side 221B, and acts as a stabilizing portion that reduces rotational wobble of the head 110.

[0042] Furthermore, during this operation, in the same manner as in the case shown in Figure 4(A), the tactile sensation of the front bristle bundles 121a transmitted to the teeth or gums can be utilized to brush the tooth at the position of the maximum contour portion 220X on the cheek side 221 of the tooth 220 while being sensed by the hand holding the toothbrush 100.

[0043] In this way, the toothbrush 100 of the first embodiment has a configuration in which, when the brush unit 120 brushes the cheek side (front side) of the teeth, the front bristle bundle group 123a of the left brush unit 123 acts as a working part that brushes the teeth in the dentition, and the front bristle bundle group 121a of the central brush unit 121 of the brush unit 120 acts as a stabilizing part that guides the front brush group 120a to the appropriate posture and target position with respect to the front side of the teeth in response to the user's operation, making it easier to brush in a stable state.

[0044] Furthermore, as shown in Fig. 2(A), the toothbrush 100 according to the first embodiment has a configuration in which the front bristle bundle group 123a, which is the working part, is inclined toward the front bristle bundle group 121a, which is the stabilizing part, and has a brushing surface higher than the front bristle bundle group 121a, thereby achieving the following effects. That is, as shown in Fig. 4(B), the cheek side 221 of the tooth 220 has a curved convex shape with the maximum contoured part 220X as the apex, and the surface part continuing above (the tip side) and below (the gum side) from the maximum contoured part 220X, whereas the toothbrush 100 has the above configuration, when the front bristle bundle group 121a is positioned at or near the maximum contoured part 220X, the brushing surface of the front bristle bundle group 123a comes into contact with the surface 221A of the tooth 220 below the maximum contoured part 220X (the gum side) in a substantially perpendicular state.

[0045] In this case, the toothbrush 100 has an inclination angle θ of each of the right brush portion 122 and the left brush portion 123 toward the central brush portion 121 in the range of 5°≦θ≦45°, which makes it possible to follow the tooth shapes of a wide variety of users, regardless of gender, age, etc., and to ensure that when the front bristle bundle group 121a is positioned at or near the maximum contoured portion 220X, the brushing surface of the front bristle bundle group 123a contacts the surface 221A of the tooth below the maximum contoured portion 220X (gingival side) in a substantially perpendicular state.

[0046] This allows the user of toothbrush 100 to reliably remove plaque that has accumulated between surface 221A and gums 300 while feeling the sensation that brush head 120 is brushing the teeth in an appropriate position. As a result, excessive toothbrushing, i.e., friction caused by excessive brushing pressure or excessive brushing frequency, is suppressed, and wedge-shaped defects and damage to the gums can be avoided.

[0047] Furthermore, as shown in Fig. 4(B), if the user of toothbrush 100 uses toothbrush 100 so that at least front bristle bundle group 121a and front bristle bundle group 122a are kept in contact with teeth during brushing, front bristle bundle group 121a can maintain contact with teeth 220 and allow toothbrush 100 to function as a stabilizing part (buffer) against brush pressure. This prevents the brushing surface of front bristle bundle group 123a from coming into contact with surface 221A with excessive brush pressure.

[0048] 4(A) and (B), the toothbrush 100 is used to brush the lower right dentition 200 as an example, but any part of the upper or lower dentition can be brushed with the toothbrush 100. In this case, the correspondence between the bristle bundles acting as the working part and the stabilizing part is as follows:

[0049] When the teeth of the lower right jaw and the upper left jaw are targeted, the front bristle bundle group 123a of the left brush part 123 acts as the working part, and the front bristle bundle group 121a of the central brush part 121 and the front bristle bundle group 122a of the right brush part 122 act as the stabilizing part.

[0050] When the teeth of the lower left jaw and the right upper jaw are targeted, as in the case shown in Figure 4 (B), the front bristle bundle group 122a of the right brush part 122 acts as the working part, and the front bristle bundle group 121a of the central brush part 121 and the front bristle bundle group 123a of the left brush part 123 act as the stabilizing part.

[0051] As described above, toothbrush 100 according to the first embodiment of the present invention makes it possible to perform appropriate brushing that avoids the risk of adverse effects on all teeth or dentition and gums, both above and below and to the left and right.

[0052] In addition, the front brush group 120a and the rear brush group 120b, which constitute the working section and the stabilizing section when viewed in the front-to-back direction, are perpendicular when viewed in the up-down direction to the central brush section 121, right side brush section 122, and left side brush section 123 of the brush section 120 that constitute the working section and the stabilizing section when viewed in the left-right direction, but they may intersect at any angle as long as the above-described functional effects are achieved.

[0053] (First modification of the first embodiment) In the above description, the toothbrush 100 according to the first embodiment of the present invention is configured such that each of the front bristle bundle group 122a and the rear bristle bundle group 122b, and the front bristle bundle group 123a and the rear bristle bundle group 123b is configured with four bristle bundles arranged in the front-rear direction and the left-right direction, two bristle bundles each. However, as shown in Figures 5(A) and (B), the toothbrush 100A according to the first modified example of the first embodiment may be configured such that each of the front bristle bundle group 122a and the rear bristle bundle group 122b, and the front bristle bundle group 123a and the rear bristle bundle group 123b of the toothbrush 100 shown in Figure 3 is configured with six bristle bundles arranged in the front-rear direction and three bristle bundles each.

[0054] Furthermore, as shown in Figures 6(A) and (B), in toothbrush 100B according to another variant example 1 of the first embodiment, each of the front bristle bundle group 122a and rear bristle bundle group 122b, as well as the front bristle bundle group 123a and rear bristle bundle group 123b of toothbrush 100 shown in Figure 3 may be composed of two bristle bundles, with two bristle bundles arranged in the front-to-back direction and one bristle bundle arranged in the left-to-right direction.

[0055] In short, the number of bristle tufts constituting the bristle tuft group of the brush acting as the working portion or stabilizing portion of the present invention may be any number.

[0056] Furthermore, in the above description, the brush acting as the working part or stabilizing part of the present invention is composed of a bristle group having a plurality of bristle bundles, but it may be composed of a single bristle bundle. Furthermore, the head 110 as the head of the present invention and the brush acting as the working part or stabilizing part of the present invention are not limited by their front-back or left-right dimensions. The toothbrushes 100A and 100B according to the first modification of the first embodiment are particularly suitable for brushing the cheek side of the dentition.

[0057] (Modification 2 of the first embodiment) In the above explanation, the toothbrush 100 according to the first embodiment of the present invention is configured so that the front bristle bundle group 122a of the right brush part 122 of the brush part 120 or the front bristle bundle group 123a of the left brush part 123 of the brush part 120 can act as the working part, and the front bristle bundle group 121a of the central brush part 121 of the brush part 120 can act as the stabilizing part, but the stabilizing part does not have to be a bristle bundle group or a brush composed of bristle bundles.

[0058] That is, Figures 7(A)(B) and 8 are diagrams showing toothbrush 100C, which is a modified example of toothbrush 100 in which stopper 141 made of a silicone material is provided as a stabilizing part on central embedded surface 111a of central portion 111 instead of central brush portion 121.

[0059] As shown in each figure, instead of the central brush portion 121 of toothbrush 100C relating to variant example 2 of the first embodiment, toothbrush 100 shown in FIG. 3 has stopper 141, which includes front stopper 141a embedded toward the front of head 110 and rear stopper 141b embedded at a position a predetermined distance rearward from front stopper 141a.

[0060] Here, it is preferable that the dimension t1 from the tips of the front hair bundle group 122a and the rear hair bundle group 122b of the right brush part 122 to the central buried surface 111a is larger than the dimension t2 from the tips of the front stopper 141a and the rear stopper 141b of the stopper 141 to the central buried surface 111a. Similarly, it is preferable that the dimension t1 from the tips of the front hair bundle group 123a and the rear hair bundle group 123b of the left brush part 123 to the central buried surface 111a is larger than the dimension t2 from the tips of the front stopper 141a and the rear stopper 141b of the stopper 141 to the central buried surface 111a.

[0061] The front stopper 141a and the rear stopper 141b are preferably the same size and number as the front bristle bundle group 122a and the rear bristle bundle group 122b, respectively, but the tip shape is preferably curved as shown in the figure so as not to damage the teeth or gums. In addition, the material properties such as elasticity and flexibility are preferably similar to those of the other brush parts that function as working parts so as to easily maintain an appropriate brush pressure during use. In addition, although the material of the stopper 141 is described as a silicon material, a synthetic resin material such as polypropylene or any other material can be used as long as it is a material that is considered to be hygienic when placed in the oral cavity.

[0062] In short, the stabilizing part of the present invention may be realized as a structure that does not have a brushing function, as long as it has a structure that can guide and stabilize the brush acting as the working part so that the brush is in a proper posture relative to the teeth and maintains a target position. The toothbrush 100C according to the second modification of the first embodiment is particularly suitable for brushing the cheek side of the dentition.

[0063] (Third modification of the first embodiment) In the above description, the toothbrush 100 according to the first embodiment of the present invention has a head 110 in which a central portion 111, a right side portion 112, and a left side portion 113 are integrally formed, but the head 110 may also have only a central portion 111 and either the right side portion 112 or the left side portion 113.

[0064] That is, as shown in Figures 9(A) and (B), toothbrush 100D relating to variant example 3 of the first embodiment is toothbrush 100 shown in Figure 3, with left side portion 113 removed from head 110, and only having central portion 111 and right side portion 112.

[0065] The toothbrush 100D relating to variant example 3 of the first embodiment is suitable for brushing the cheek sides of the dentition of the right upper jaw and the left lower jaw, as the front bristle bundle group 122a of the right brush part 122 acts as the working part and the front bristle bundle group 121a of the central brush part 121 acts as the stabilizing part.

[0066] On the other hand, when the toothbrush has the central portion 111 and the left side portion 113, the front bristle bundle group 123a of the left brush part 123 acts as a working part, and the front bristle bundle group 121a of the central brush part 121 acts as a stabilizing part, making it suitable for brushing the cheek sides of the dentition of the upper left jaw and the lower right jaw. The toothbrush 100D according to the third modification of the first embodiment is particularly suitable for brushing the cheek sides of the dentition.

[0067] In short, the combination of the working portion and the stabilizing portion of the present invention is not limited to the specific number or arrangement thereof. Furthermore, in the above description, the front brush group 120a of the brush unit 120 acts as a working part that brushes a desired tooth in the dentition, and the rear brush group 120b of the brush unit 120 acts as a stabilizing part that guides the front brush group 120a to the desired tooth in response to the user's operation and makes it easier to brush in a stable state, but the front brush group 120a of the brush unit 120 may act as a stabilizing part and the rear brush group 120b of the brush unit 120 may act as a working part in response to the user's operation. This also applies to each embodiment described below.

[0068] (Second embodiment) Fig. 10(A) is a right side view showing the configuration of a toothbrush according to a second embodiment of the present invention, Fig. 10(B) is a front view showing the configuration of the toothbrush according to the second embodiment, and Fig. 10(C) is a plan view showing the configuration of the toothbrush according to the second embodiment. However, the same reference numerals are used for the same or corresponding configurations as in Figs. 1 to 9, and detailed explanations of the common configurations are omitted.

[0069] Toothbrush 101 according to the second embodiment is a toothbrush designed to prevent the handle from hitting the tips of the front teeth, particularly when brushing the tongue side of the dentition. In toothbrush 101 according to the second embodiment, head 150 has a polygonal outer shape with the longitudinal direction in a plan view, the front-rear direction being smaller than the rear-rear direction, and has only embedded surface 150a that is parallel to the plane formed by the front-rear direction and the left-right direction. A front surface 150fr is formed on the front side of head 150.

[0070] The head 150 has a brush part 151 embedded in the embedding surface 150a. The brush part 151 has a pair of hair bundle groups, a front hair bundle group 151a and a rear hair bundle group 151b, which are arranged in the front-rear direction and embedded in a direction perpendicular to the embedding surface 150a.

[0071] The front hair bundle group 151a is a hair bundle group embedded in the front of the head 150, and is composed of four hair bundles arranged in two each in the front-rear and left-right directions. The rear hair bundle group 151b is a hair bundle group embedded in the rear of the head 150 at a position spaced a predetermined distance behind the front hair bundle group 151a. The rear hair bundle group 151b is composed of eight hair bundles arranged in two each in the front-rear and left-right directions. The rear hair bundle group 151b further includes a right rear hair bundle group 152b on the right side of the rear of the head 150, which is composed of four hair bundles arranged in two each in the front-rear and left-right directions. The rear hair bundle group 151b further includes a left rear hair bundle group 153b on the left side of the rear of the head 150, which is composed of four hair bundles arranged in two each in the front-rear and left-right directions.

[0072] The hair bundles constituting the front hair bundle group 151a and the rear hair bundle group 151b are arranged at equal intervals in both the front-rear and left-right directions. Therefore, in terms of the left-right dimension, the rear hair bundle group 151b is larger than the front hair bundle group 151a, and the planar shape of the embedding surface 150a corresponds to the difference in the left-right dimensions of the front hair bundle group 151a and the rear hair bundle group 151b.

[0073] The toothbrush 101 according to the second embodiment of the present invention having the above-mentioned configuration has a brush section 151 formed by a combination of the front bristle bundle group 151a and the rear bristle bundle group 151b, and thus exerts the same effect as the combination of the front brush group 120a and the rear brush group 120b of the toothbrush 100 according to the first embodiment described with reference to Fig. 4(A). That is, in the brush section 151, when brushing the tongue side (back side) of the dentition, the front bristle bundle group 151a acts as a working part that brushes a desired tooth in the dentition, and the rear bristle bundle group 151b acts as a stabilizing part that guides the front bristle bundle group 151a to the desired tooth in response to the user's operation, making it easier to brush in a stable state.

[0074] This allows for proper brushing that reduces the risk of adverse effects on the teeth or dentition and gums.

[0075] Furthermore, in the toothbrush 101 according to the second embodiment, the rear bristle bundle group 151b is larger than the front bristle bundle group 151a in the left-right dimension, and the outer shape of the bristle bundle group is made substantially triangular, thereby achieving the following effects. That is, when the tongue side of the rows of teeth of the upper left jaw and the lower right jaw is to be brushed, the front bristle bundle group 151a acts as a working part, and the right rear bristle bundle group 152b of the rear bristle bundle group 151b acts as a stabilizing part. On the other hand, when the rows of teeth of the upper right jaw and the lower left jaw are to be brushed, the front bristle bundle group 151a acts as a working part, and the left rear bristle bundle group 153b of the rear bristle bundle group 151b acts as a stabilizing part. This reduces the risk that when using the toothbrush 101, only the front bristles 151a, which act as the working part of the brush head 120, will come into contact with the dentition, and makes it easier to achieve proper brushing by utilizing a combination of the working part and the stabilizing part and without the neck part 130 and handle part (not shown) of the toothbrush interfering with the tips of the front teeth.

[0076] (Modification 1 of the second embodiment) In the above description, the toothbrush 101 according to the second embodiment of the present invention has an embedded surface 150a in which the front bristles group 151a and the rear bristles group 151b are embedded, which forms a parallel surface to the plane formed by the front-to-back and left-to-right directions, but the embedded surface may be curved on both the left and right sides.

[0077] That is, FIG. 11 (A) (B) shows a toothbrush 101A according to the first modified example of the second embodiment. The toothbrush 101A has a concave curved surface with both left and right sides bent. In the toothbrush 101A of this modified example, the buried surface of the head 150 has a polygonal outer shape in a plan view. This toothbrush 101A has a central buried surface 111a that is a parallel surface to the plane of the front-rear and left-right directions. The toothbrush 101A has a right buried surface 112a that is an inclined surface from the right long side of the central buried surface 111a toward the central buried surface 111a. The right buried surface 112a has an outer shape of a substantially trapezoid with the front-rear direction as the longitudinal direction in a plan view. Furthermore, the toothbrush 101A has a left buried surface 113a that is an inclined surface from the left long side of the central buried surface 111a toward the central buried surface 111a. The left buried surface 113a has an outer shape of a substantially trapezoid with the front-rear direction as the longitudinal direction in a plan view.

[0078] The front hair bundle group 151a of the brush part 151 is provided only on the central buried surface 111a, and the rear hair bundle group 151b is provided from the central buried surface 111a to each of the right buried surface 112a and the left buried surface 113a. The rear hair bundle group 151b includes a right rear hair bundle group 152b consisting of four hair bundles arranged two by two in the front-rear direction on the central buried surface 111a and the right buried surface 112a on the right side near the rear of the head 150, and arranged two by two in the front-rear direction on the right buried surface 112a. The rear hair bundle group 151b also includes a left rear hair bundle group 153b consisting of four hair bundles arranged two by two in the front-rear direction on the central buried surface 111a and the left buried surface 113a on the left side near the rear of the head 150, and arranged two by two in the front-rear direction on the left buried surface 113a.

[0079] As a result, among the hair bundle groups constituting the rear hair bundle group 151b, the hair bundle groups embedded in the right-side buried surface 112a and the left-side buried surface 113a are inclined toward the hair bundle group embedded in the central buried surface 111a when viewed in the front-to-back direction, as shown in Figure 11.

[0080] The toothbrush 101A according to the first modified example of the second embodiment has the above-mentioned configuration, and in addition to the same effects as the toothbrush 101 according to the second embodiment, it also has the following effects. That is, when the lingual side of the teeth of the left upper jaw and the right lower jaw is targeted, the front bristle bundle group 151a acts as a working part, and the right rear bristle bundle group 152b of the rear bristle bundle group 151b acts as a stabilizing part. On the other hand, when the teeth of the right upper jaw and the left lower jaw are targeted, the front bristle bundle group 151a acts as a working part, and the left rear bristle bundle group 153b of the rear bristle bundle group 151b acts as a stabilizing part. This reduces the risk that only the front bristle bundle group 151a as the working part of the brush part 120 comes into contact with the teeth when the toothbrush 101 is used, and makes it possible to use the combination of the working part and the stabilizing part, and to more stably realize suitable brushing by holding the maximum protuberance part of the lingual side of the teeth without the neck part 130 of the toothbrush being interfered with by the tip of the front teeth.

[0081] In addition, the bristle bundles in the rear bristle bundle group 151b may be embedded in the central embedding surface 111a as in the toothbrush 100 of the first embodiment, and have a lower brushing surface than the bristle bundles embedded in each of the right embedding surface 112a and the left embedding surface 113a, and the bristle bundles embedded in each of the right embedding surface 112a and the left embedding surface 113a may be inclined at an inclination angle θ in the range of 5°≦θ≦45° with respect to the bristle bundles embedded in the central embedding surface 111a. In this case, the toothbrush 101A can be used to achieve the same effect as the first embodiment. In addition, the toothbrush 101A according to the first modification of the second embodiment is preferably used for brushing the tongue side of the dentition.

[0082] (Modification 2 of the second embodiment) In the above description, the toothbrush 101 according to the second embodiment of the present invention has been described as having the bristles constituting the front bristles group 151a and the rear bristles group 151b arranged at equal intervals in both the front-to-back and left-to-right directions, but the bristles constituting the front bristles group and the rear bristles group may also be arranged at different intervals in both or either one of the front-to-back and left-to-right directions.

[0083] 12(A), 12(B), and 12(C), toothbrush 101B according to variation 2 of the second embodiment has the bristles constituting the front bristles group and the rear bristles group arranged at different intervals in the left-right direction. Toothbrush 101B according to variation 2 of the first embodiment has right brush part 152 embedded on the right side of embedding surface 150a of head 150, which has a substantially trapezoidal planar shape, and left brush part 153 embedded on the left side.

[0084] The right brush part 152 has a front hair bundle group 152a embedded near the front of the head 150, and a rear hair bundle group 152b embedded near the rear of the head 150 at a position spaced a predetermined distance rearward from the front hair bundle group 152a. The left brush part 153 has a front hair bundle group 153a embedded near the front of the head 150, and a rear hair bundle group 153b embedded near the rear of the head 150 at a position spaced a predetermined distance rearward from the front hair bundle group 153a.

[0085] Each of front hair bundle group 152a and front hair bundle group 153a is a hair bundle group embedded toward the front of head 150, and is composed of two hair bundles arranged in the front-to-back direction, two bundles each, and one bundle each in the left-to-right direction.

[0086] Each of rear hair bundle group 152b and rear hair bundle group 153b is a hair bundle group embedded toward the rear of head 150, and is composed of two hair bundles arranged in the front-to-back direction, two bundles each, and one bundle each in the left-to-right direction.

[0087] 12(C), of the hair bundles arranged in the front-rear direction constituting the front hair bundle group 152a, the rear hair bundle 152a2 is located to the right of the front hair bundle 152a1. Of the hair bundles arranged in the front-rear direction constituting the rear hair bundle group 152b, the front hair bundle 152b1 is located to the right of the rear hair bundle 152a2 of the front hair bundle group 152a, and the rear hair bundle 152b2 is located to the right of the front hair bundle 152b1.

[0088] Similarly, of the hair bundles arranged in the front-rear direction constituting the front hair bundle group 153a, the rear hair bundle 153a2 is positioned to the left of the front hair bundle 153a1. Of the hair bundles arranged in the front-rear direction constituting the rear hair bundle group 153b, the front hair bundle 153b1 is positioned to the left of the rear hair bundle 153a2 of the front hair bundle group 153a, and the rear hair bundle 153b2 is positioned to the left of the front hair bundle 153b1.

[0089] As a result, the hair bundles constituting the front hair bundle group 152a and the rear hair bundle group 152b of the right brush part 152 form a row that gradually slopes to the right as it goes from the front to the rear. Similarly, the hair bundles constituting the front hair bundle group 153a and the rear hair bundle group 153b of the left brush part 153 form a row that gradually slopes to the left as it goes from the front to the rear.

[0090] That is, the right brush part 152 and the left brush part 153 as a whole have a dimension in the left-right direction, which is a direction perpendicular to the extension direction of the head 150, that increases from the front end to the rear end of the head 150 on the embedded surface 150a.

[0091] The toothbrush 101B according to the second modification of the second embodiment has the above-mentioned configuration, and in addition to providing the same effects as the toothbrush 101 according to the second embodiment, it also provides the following effects. That is, in the toothbrush 101B according to the second modification of the second embodiment, the bristle bundles constituting the right brush part 152 form a row that gradually inclines to the right as it moves from the front to the rear, in order to prevent the handle part of the toothbrush from hitting the tips of the front teeth when brushing the tongue side of the dentition of the right lower jaw and the left upper jaw. This compensates for the inclination of the right brush part 152 that occurs when the long axis of the head part 150 is inclined to the left and inserted into the oral cavity, and each bristle bundle constituting the right brush part 152 can be brought into contact in a posture that is nearly parallel to the line connecting the cervical parts of the dentition. Therefore, it is possible to more stably achieve a suitable brushing using a combination of the working part and the stabilizing part.

[0092] Similarly, in the toothbrush 101B according to the second modification of the second embodiment, the bristles constituting the left brush part 153 are arranged in a row that gradually inclines leftward from the front to the rear in order to prevent the handle of the toothbrush from hitting the tips of the front teeth when brushing the lingual side of the dentition of the lower left and right upper jaws. This compensates for the inclination of the left brush part 153 that occurs when the head part 150 is inclined rightward and inserted into the oral cavity, and each bristles constituting the left brush part 153 can be brought into contact in a posture that is nearly parallel to the line connecting the cervical parts of the dentition. Therefore, it is possible to more stably realize a suitable brushing using a combination of the working part and the stabilizing part. The toothbrush 110B according to the second modification of the second embodiment is more suitable for brushing the lingual side of the dentition.

[0093] (Modification 3 of the second embodiment) In the above explanation, the toothbrush 101 according to the second embodiment of the present invention is configured so that the front bristles group 151a of the brush part 151 can act as a working part and the rear bristles group 151b of the brush part 151 can act as a stabilizing part, but the stabilizing part does not have to be a bristles group or a brush composed of bristles.

[0094] That is, as shown in Figures 13(A) and (B), toothbrush 101C relating to variant example 3 of the second embodiment has a rectangular shape for embedded surface 150a of head 150 with the longitudinal direction extending in the front-to-rear direction when viewed in a plane, and a stopper 142 made of silicone material is provided in place of rear bristle bundle group 151b.

[0095] In toothbrush 101C, stoppers 142 preferably have the same dimensions and number as front bristle bundle group 151a, but the tip shape is preferably curved as shown in the figure so as not to damage teeth or gums. In addition, material properties such as elasticity and flexibility are preferably similar to those of other brush parts that function as working parts so as to easily maintain appropriate brush pressure during use. In addition, although the material of stoppers 142 is described as being silicone, synthetic resin materials such as polypropylene and other arbitrary materials can be used as long as they are considered to be hygienic when placed in the oral cavity.

[0096] In short, the stabilizing part of the present invention may be realized as a structure that does not have a brushing function, as long as it has a structure that can guide and stabilize the brush acting as the working part so that the brush maintains a proper posture and target position with respect to the front side of the teeth while brushing. The toothbrush 101C according to the third modification of the second embodiment is particularly suitable for brushing the cheek side of the dentition.

[0097] Furthermore, as shown in Fig. 13(C)(D), the toothbrush 101D according to the other modified example 3 of the second embodiment may be configured such that a bristle bundle group 124 is provided in the gap between the front bristle bundle group 151a and the stopper 142. The bristle bundle group 124 of the toothbrush 101D is a bristle bundle group having a brushing surface that is lower than the height of the brushing surface of the front bristle bundle group 151a and the top of the stopper 142. It is preferable that the height of the brushing surface of the bristle bundle group 124 is less than 1 / 2 of the brushing surface of the front bristle bundle group 151a. This makes it possible to perform efficient tooth brushing without interfering with suitable brushing using the combination of the working part and the stabilizing part. The toothbrush 101D according to the other modified example 3 of the second embodiment is particularly suitable for brushing the rear surface of the rearmost end of the dentition in addition to brushing the cheek side of the dentition.

[0098] Bristle bundle groups such as bristle bundle group 124 may be provided in toothbrush 100 according to the first embodiment, or in toothbrushes 100A to 100D according to each of the modifications of the first embodiment.

[0099] (Third embodiment) Fig. 14(A) is a right side view showing the configuration of toothbrush 102 according to the third embodiment of the present invention, Fig. 14(B) is a bottom view showing the configuration of toothbrush 102 according to this third embodiment, and Fig. 14(C) is a DD cross-sectional view of Fig. 14(B). However, the same reference numerals are used for the same or corresponding configurations as Figs. 1 to 13, and detailed explanations of the common configurations are omitted.

[0100] The toothbrush 102 according to the third embodiment is a toothbrush designed to prevent the handle of the toothbrush from interfering with the incisal edges of the front teeth when brushing the tongue side. Toothbrush 102 according to the third embodiment has head 150 with a rectangular outer shape with the longitudinal direction in a plan view, and only has embedded surface 150a that is parallel to the plane formed by the front-rear and left-right directions.

[0101] Furthermore, in the toothbrush 102, the handle portion 160 is disposed at a position shifted above the embedded surface 150a in the up-down direction and to the left of the left side of the embedded surface 150a in the left-right direction, so that the embedded surface 150a faces the handle portion 160. The head 150 and the handle portion 160 are connected by the neck portion 130. The neck portion 130 extends obliquely downward and obliquely rightward from the tip 161 of the handle portion 160 to which the rear end 132 is connected, and the tip 131 is fixed on the left side surface 150c of the head 150.

[0102] The head 150 has a brush part 151 embedded in the embedding surface 150a. The brush part 151 has a pair of hair bundle groups, a front hair bundle group 151a and a rear hair bundle group 151b, which are arranged in the front-rear direction and embedded in a direction perpendicular to the embedding surface 150a.

[0103] The front hair bundle group 151a is a hair bundle group embedded toward the front of the head 150, and is composed of four hair bundles arranged in two each in the front-rear and left-right directions. The rear hair bundle group 151b is a hair bundle group embedded toward the rear of the head 150, at a predetermined distance rearward from the front hair bundle group 151a, and is composed of four hair bundles arranged in two each in the front-rear and left-right directions.

[0104] The hair bundles constituting the front hair bundle group 151a and the rear hair bundle group 151b are arranged at equal intervals in both the front-rear and left-right directions. Therefore, the front hair bundle group 151a and the rear hair bundle group 151b have the same shape.

[0105] The toothbrush 102 according to the third embodiment of the present invention having the above-mentioned configuration has a head 150 with a brush section 151, and thus exerts the same effects as the combination of the front brush group 120a and the rear brush group 120b of the toothbrush 100 according to the first embodiment described with reference to Fig. 4(A). That is, in the brush section 151, when brushing the tongue side (back side) of the dentition, the front bristle bundle group 151a acts as a working part that brushes a desired tooth in the dentition, and the rear bristle bundle group 151b acts as a stabilizing part that guides the front bristle bundle group 151a to the desired tooth in response to the user's operation, making it easier to brush in a stable state.

[0106] This allows for proper brushing that reduces the risk of adverse effects on the teeth or dentition and gums.

[0107] Furthermore, in the toothbrush 102 according to the third embodiment, the handle portion 160 is shifted upward from the embedded surface 150a in the vertical direction and to the left of the left side of the embedded surface 150a in the horizontal direction, and is positioned so that the embedded surface 150a faces the handle portion 160, thereby achieving the following advantageous effects. That is, in a conventional toothbrush in which the head and the handle portion are configured in a straight line, when brushing the tongue side (back side), the tips of the front teeth interfere with the neck portion 130 and the handle portion 160 of the toothbrush, so that the toothbrush must always be inserted into the oral cavity at an angle, and as a result, the head comes into contact with the tongue side (back side) of the dentition in an inclined position, making it difficult to brush appropriately.

[0108] In contrast, in the toothbrush 102 according to the third embodiment, as shown in Fig. 15, when the handle portion 160 is located on the cheek side 201 of the dentition 200 in the oral cavity, the neck portion 130 straddles the dentition 200 from above. At that time, the head portion 150 is positioned so that its embedded surface 150a, which is located as shown in the figure, faces the tongue side 202 of the dentition 200. In this way, the user of the toothbrush 102 can bring the tips of the bristle bundles constituting the brush portion 151 into contact with the tongue side 202 of the dentition 200 in a suitable position. This makes it possible to more stably achieve suitable brushing using a combination of the working portion and the stabilizing portion, even on the tongue side.

[0109] The toothbrush 102 shown in Figs. 14 and 15 is an example of a configuration suitable for brushing the dentition of the lower left jaw and the upper right jaw.

[0110] In contrast, the toothbrush 102 suitable for brushing the teeth of the lower right jaw and the upper left jaw can be obtained by using the following configuration. That is, in the toothbrush 102 intended for the teeth of the lower right jaw and the upper left jaw, the handle portion 160 is shifted upward from the embedded surface 150a in the vertical direction and shifted to the right from the right side of the embedded surface 150a in the horizontal direction. The embedded surface 150a is disposed in a position facing the handle portion 160. The neck portion 130 extends obliquely downward and obliquely left from the tip 161 of the handle portion 160 to which the rear end 132 is connected. As a result, the tip 131 of the neck portion 130 is fixed on the right side surface 150b of the head portion 150.

[0111] (Fourth embodiment) Fig. 16 is a perspective view showing the configuration of toothbrush 103 according to the fourth embodiment of the present invention, and Fig. 17 is a plan view showing the configuration of toothbrush 103 according to the fourth embodiment. However, the same reference numerals are used for the same or corresponding configurations as in Figs. 1 to 15, and detailed explanations of the common configurations are omitted. Toothbrush 103 according to the fourth embodiment is preferably used for brushing the tongue side of the dentition.

[0112] Toothbrush 103 according to the fourth embodiment has right brush part 152 embedded on the right side of embedding surface 150a, which has a triangular planar shape, of head 150, and left brush part 153 embedded on the left side.

[0113] The right brush part 152 has a front hair bundle group 152a embedded near the front of the head 150, and a rear hair bundle group 152b embedded near the rear of the head 150 at a position spaced a predetermined distance rearward from the front hair bundle group 152a. The left brush part 153 has a front hair bundle group 153a embedded near the front of the head 150, and a rear hair bundle group 153b embedded near the rear of the head 150 at a position spaced a predetermined distance rearward from the front hair bundle group 153a.

[0114] Each of front hair bundle group 152a and front hair bundle group 153a is a hair bundle group embedded toward the front of head 150, and is composed of two hair bundles arranged in the front-to-back direction, two bundles each, and one bundle each in the left-to-right direction.

[0115] Each of rear hair bundle group 152b and rear hair bundle group 153b is a hair bundle group embedded toward the rear of head 150, and is composed of four hair bundles, two bundles arranged in the front-rear direction and two bundles arranged in the left-right direction.

[0116] 17, of the hair bundles arranged in the front-rear direction constituting the front hair bundle group 152a, the rear hair bundle 152a2 is located to the right of the front hair bundle 152a1. Of the hair bundles arranged in the front-rear direction constituting the rear hair bundle group 152b, the front hair bundle group 152b3 is located to the right of the rear hair bundle 152a2 of the front hair bundle group 152a, and the rear hair bundle group 152b4 is located to the right of the front hair bundle group 152b3.

[0117] Similarly, of the hair bundles arranged in the front-rear direction constituting the front hair bundle group 153a, the rear hair bundle 153a2 is positioned to the left of the front hair bundle 153a1. Of the hair bundles arranged in the front-rear direction constituting the rear hair bundle group 153b, the front hair bundle group 153b3 is positioned to the left of the rear hair bundle 153a2 of the front hair bundle group 153a, and the rear hair bundle group 153b4 is positioned to the left of the front hair bundle group 153b3.

[0118] As a result, the hair bundles constituting the front hair bundle group 152a and the rear hair bundle group 152b of the right brush part 152 form a row that gradually slopes to the right as it goes from the front to the rear. Similarly, the hair bundles constituting the front hair bundle group 153a and the rear hair bundle group 153b of the left brush part 153 form a row that gradually slopes to the left as it goes from the front to the rear.

[0119] That is, the right brush part 152 and the left brush part 153 have, as a whole, larger dimensions along the left-right direction, which is a direction perpendicular to the extension direction of the head part 150, on the embedded surface 150a from the front end to the rear end of the head part 150.

[0120] The handle portion 160 is shifted upward with respect to the buried surface 150a of the head 150, and is positioned so that it is on the same line as the center line of the buried surface 150a in the left-right direction, and the buried surface 150a faces the handle portion 160. The neck portion 130 connecting the head 150 and the handle portion 160 is positioned so that it is on the same line as the center line of the buried surface 150a in the left-right direction, and extends obliquely from the handle portion 160 toward the head 150 at a depression angle in the up-down direction.

[0121] Furthermore, since the front end 131 of the neck 130 is narrower than the rear end 132, i.e., the left-right dimension is smaller, when viewed from the top-bottom direction, the right side surface 133 and the left side surface 134 are formed as inclined surfaces that narrow from the handle portion 160 toward the head 150. Meanwhile, in the head 150, the right side surface 150c adjacent to the right brush portion 152 is parallel to the right side surface 133 of the neck 130, and the left side surface 150b adjacent to the left brush portion 153 is parallel to the left side surface 134 of the neck 130.

[0122] The toothbrush 103 according to the fourth embodiment has the above-mentioned configuration, and thus exerts the same effect as the toothbrush 101 according to the third embodiment by the following action. That is, when brushing the tongue side of the dentition of the right lower jaw and the left upper jaw in the oral cavity, the neck portion 130 and the handle portion 160 straddle the dentition from above, and the head portion 150 is positioned so that the embedded surface 150a faces the tongue side (back side) of the dentition 200, and the head portion 150 is inserted into the oral cavity with the head portion 150 tilted toward the right side of the toothbrush 103. This compensates for the inclination of the right brush portion 152, and allows each bristle bundle constituting the right brush portion 152 to come into contact in a posture nearly parallel to the line connecting the cervical parts of the dentition.

[0123] On the other hand, when brushing the dentition of the lower left and right upper jaws in the oral cavity, the neck portion 130 and the handle portion 160 straddle the dentition 200, and the head portion 150 is positioned so that the embedded surface 150a faces the tongue side (back side) of the dentition 200, and the head portion 150 is tilted toward the left side of the toothbrush 103 when inserted into the oral cavity, compensating for the inclination of the left brush part 153, so that each bristle bundle constituting the left brush part 153 can be brought into contact in a position nearly parallel to the line connecting the cervical parts of the dentition.

[0124] In short, with the toothbrush 103 of the fourth embodiment, while the toothbrush 102 of the third embodiment requires two brushes with different shift positions of the handle portion 160 relative to the head 150 depending on the brushing position, it is possible to more stably achieve optimal brushing using a combination of the working portion and the stabilizing portion in response to all brushing positions in the oral cavity, up, down, left and right, using a single toothbrush. Each of the right brush part 152 and the left brush part 153 may be inclined inwardly with respect to the perpendicular line of the embedding surface 150a, preferably at an inclination angle θ in the range of 5°≦θ≦45°. In this way, when cleaning the front side of the dentition, the toothbrush 103 can be used so that the same action and effect as in the first embodiment can be achieved by making each of the right brush part 152 and the left brush part 153 act as a working part or a stabilizing part.

[0125] (Other embodiments) Furthermore, as toothbrush 104 of another embodiment, Fig. 18(A) shows a right side view of toothbrush 104, Fig. 18(B) shows a bottom view thereof, and Fig. 18(C) shows an E-E cross section of Fig. 18(B). Toothbrush 104 of another embodiment has neck portion 130 and handle portion 160 similar to toothbrush 102 of the third embodiment, while head portion 150 may have brush portion 125 having bristle bundles arranged at equal intervals in the front-rear direction, embedded in an orientation perpendicular to embedding surface 150a, similar to conventional toothbrushes.

[0126] In another embodiment of toothbrush 104, when handle portion 160 is positioned on the front side of the dentition in the oral cavity, neck portion 130 straddles the dentition from above, and head portion 150 is positioned so that embedded surface 150a faces the tongue side (back side) of dentition 200, and each bristle bundle constituting brush portion 151 can be brought into contact with the tongue side of the dentition in a position nearly parallel to the line connecting the cervical portions of the dentition.

[0127] This provides the following effects: When brushing the dentition, especially the tongue side, with conventional toothbrushes, the toothbrush handle interferes with the tips of the front teeth, so the toothbrush must always be inserted into the mouth at an angle. As a result, the head of the toothbrush comes into contact with the tongue side (back side) of the dentition in an inclined position, making it difficult to brush well.

[0128] In response to such problems, toothbrush 104 of the present embodiment can provide good cleaning without the head of the toothbrush being in an inclined position and coming into contact with the tongue side (back side) of the dentition.

[0129] As described above, the present invention allows various modifications to be made to the above-described embodiments in terms of configuration, shape, material, quantity, position, arrangement, etc., without departing from the scope of the technical idea and purpose of the present invention, and such modifications are included in the present invention.

[0130] That is, for example, as shown in FIG. 4(B), the toothbrush 100 of the present invention brings the front bristle bundle group 121a of the central brush part 121 into contact with or near the maximum contour portion 220X, which is the most bulging part on the cheek side 221 of the tooth 220, and positions it.Then, while maintaining the front bristle bundle group 121a in the positioned state, the front bristle bundle group 123a of the left brush part 123 is placed against the surface 221A below the maximum contour portion 220X and between the gum edges, which is prone to getting dirty, and the handle part is operated to move the front bristle bundle group 123a back and forth along the direction of the tooth row arrangement, thereby brushing the surface 221A.

[0131] However, this is not limited to this. Fig. 19A(A) is a plan view showing the configuration of the main parts of the toothbrush according to the first embodiment of the present invention. Fig. 19B(B) is a view showing the toothbrush according to the first embodiment of the present invention applied to the upper and lower left jaw teeth in a closed-mouth position with the teeth lightly in contact with each other, covering the cheek surfaces of the upper and lower teeth simultaneously. Fig. 19B(C) is an FF cross-sectional view of Fig. 19B(B).

[0132] 19B(C) is an FF cross-sectional view when the upper and lower teeth on the left side are lightly brought into contact with each other, the cheek surfaces of the upper teeth 2101-2601 and the lower teeth 2102-2602 are aligned, and the cheek surfaces of the upper teeth 2101-2601 and the lower teeth 2102-2602 are simultaneously applied to the toothbrush 100. By using a toothbrush 100 with an expanded left-right size in this way, when cleaning with the toothbrush 100, the front bristle bundle group 121a of the central brush part 121 may act as a stabilizing part, the front bristle bundle group 122a of the right brush part 122 of the toothbrush 100 may act as a working part for the surface 221A of the upper jaw tooth row, and at the same time, the front bristle bundle group 123a of the left brush part 123 of the toothbrush 100 may act as a working part for the surface 221A of the lower jaw tooth row. In this way, if the user of toothbrush 100 moves the lower jaw slightly to the side and uses toothbrush 100 in a position where the buccal surfaces of the upper and lower teeth are aligned, it is possible to simultaneously brush areas of the upper and lower teeth where plaque is likely to accumulate, and it is expected that efficient brushing will be possible within the limited time available in daily life.

[0133] (Fifth embodiment) Fig. 20 is a perspective view showing the configuration of the main parts of toothbrush 105 according to the fifth embodiment of the present invention. Fig. 21(A) is a front view showing the configuration of the main parts of toothbrush 105 according to the fifth embodiment of the present invention, and Fig. 21(B) is a GG cross-sectional view of Fig. 21(A). Fig. 22(A) is a view of toothbrush 105 according to the fifth embodiment of the present invention placed against the lingual side of the left mandibular dentition as seen from the occlusal surface, and Fig. 22(B) is a HH cross-sectional view of Fig. 22(A).

[0134] As shown in the drawings, toothbrush 105 according to the fifth embodiment of the present invention includes head 110, brush section 120 in which bristle bundles that form the brush body for brushing teeth are embedded in the main surface of head 110, and neck section 130 that connects head 110 to a handle section (not shown) that allows a user to grasp and operate the toothbrush. Each of head 110, neck section 130, and handle section is preferably made of synthetic resin. Each of head 110, neck section 130, and handle section may be combined as separate parts, or all or part of them may be integrally molded.

[0135] Hereinafter, in this specification, as shown in FIG. 20, the side of the head 110 connected to the neck 130 is called the rear side, the tip side of the head 110 to which nothing is connected is called the front side, and the direction connecting the front side and the rear side of the head 110 is defined as the extension direction of the head and is called the front-rear direction. In addition, the side closer to the right hand when the head 110 is viewed from the front is called the right side, the side closer to the left hand when the head 110 is viewed from the front is called the left side, and the direction perpendicular to the extension direction of the head 110 is called the left-right direction. Furthermore, the side of the face of the head 110 where the brush part 120 is embedded is called the upper side, the side of the face where the brush part 120 is not embedded is called the lower side, and the direction connecting the upper side and the lower side and perpendicular to both the front-rear direction and the left-right direction is called the up-down direction. Each of these directions is shown in each figure by orthogonal coordinates.

[0136] (head) Head 110 is a part located at the tip along the front-rear direction of toothbrush 105. When viewed from the front, head 110 is integrally formed with a central portion 111, a right side portion 112 located to the right of central portion 111, and a left side portion 113 located to the left of central portion 111. A front surface 110fr is formed on the front side of head 110.

[0137] In the head 110, the central part 111 has a central buried surface 111a that is parallel to the front-rear and left-right plane and has a generally rectangular outer shape with the front-rear direction as the longitudinal direction in a plan view. The right side part 112 has a right buried surface 112a that is an inclined surface from the right long side of the central part 111 toward the central buried surface 111a and has a generally rectangular outer shape with the front-rear direction as the longitudinal direction in a plan view. The left side part 113 has a left buried surface 113a that is an inclined surface from the left long side of the central part 111 toward the central buried surface 111a and has a generally rectangular outer shape with the front-rear direction as the longitudinal direction in a plan view. The right buried surface 112a and the left buried surface 113a are inclined at angles that are symmetrical with respect to the central buried surface 111a in a front-rear view.

[0138] (Brush part) The brush part 120 has a central brush part 121 embedded in a central embedded surface 111a of the central part 111 of the head 110, a right side brush part 122 embedded in a right side embedded surface 112a of the right side part 112 of the head 110, and a left side brush part 123 embedded in a left side embedded surface 113a of the left side part 113 of the head 110.

[0139] In the brush section 120, the central brush section 121 is embedded in a direction perpendicular to the central embedding surface 111a. The bristle bundle of the right brush section 122 is embedded in a direction perpendicular to the right embedding surface 112a. The left brush section 123 is embedded in a direction perpendicular to the left embedding surface 113a.

[0140] 21(B), it is preferable that the dimension t1 from the tips of the front hair bundle group 123a and the rear hair bundle group 123b of the left brush part 123 to the central buried surface 111a is larger than the dimension t2 from the tips of the front hair bundle group 121a and the rear hair bundle group 121b of the central brush part 121 to the central buried surface 111a. Similarly, it is preferable that the dimension t1 from the tips of the front hair bundle group 122a and the rear hair bundle group 122b of the right brush part 122 to the central buried surface 111a is larger than the dimension t2 from the tips of the front hair bundle group 121a and the rear hair bundle group 121b of the central brush part 121 to the central buried surface 111a.

[0141] As a result, in head 110, central brush part 121 stands upright in the vertical direction, and right side brush part 122 and left side brush part 123 are each inclined toward central brush part 121, with their tips forming the brushing surfaces being positioned at the same height as the tip of central brush part 121. As shown in Figure 21(A), the inclination angle θ of each of right side brush part 122 and left side brush part 123 toward central brush part 121 is preferably around 45°.

[0142] Each of the central brush part 121, the right brush part 122, and the left brush part 123 of the brush part 120 has a pair of hair bundle groups arranged with the front-rear direction as the longitudinal direction. Specifically, the central brush part 121 has a front hair bundle group 121a embedded in the front of the head 110, and a rear hair bundle group 121b embedded in a position with a predetermined distance rearward from the front hair bundle group 121a. The right brush part 122 has a front hair bundle group 122a embedded in the front of the head 110, and a rear hair bundle group 122b embedded in a position with a predetermined distance rearward from the front hair bundle group 122a. The left brush part 123 has a front hair bundle group 123a embedded in the front of the head 110, and a rear hair bundle group 123b embedded in a position with a predetermined distance rearward from the front hair bundle group 123a.

[0143] Each of the front hair bundle group 121a and the rear hair bundle group 121b is composed of two pairs (four bundles) of hair bundles arranged in the front-rear direction as shown in each drawing. Each of the front hair bundle group 122a and the rear hair bundle group 122b, and the front hair bundle group 123a and the rear hair bundle group 123b is composed of two pairs (four bundles) of hair bundles arranged in the front-rear direction and the left-right direction, two bundles each.

[0144] As shown in Fig. 20, the front hair bundle group 121a, the front hair bundle group 122a, and the front hair bundle group 123a are each arranged at the same position closer to the front in the front-to-rear direction to form the front brush group 120a arranged with the left-to-right direction as the longitudinal direction. The rear hair bundle group 121b, the rear hair bundle group 122b, and the rear hair bundle group 123b are each arranged at the same position closer to the rear in the front-to-rear direction to form the rear brush group 120b arranged with the left-to-right direction as the longitudinal direction.

[0145] The predetermined distance between the front brush group 120a and the rear brush group 120b is preferably large enough to accommodate at least two teeth when cleaning the lingual tooth surface. The predetermined distance between the front brush group 120a and the rear brush group 120b may be large enough to prevent both the cleaning surfaces of the front brush group 120a and the rear brush group 120b from contacting one tooth, and the predetermined distance between the front brush group 120a and the rear brush group 120b may be close to each other.

[0146] The toothbrush 105 of the fifth embodiment of the present invention having the above-mentioned configuration is characterized in that the brush section 120 is composed of a combination of a front brush group 120a and a rear brush group 120b, the front brush group 120a is configured to include combinations of a front bristle bundle group 121a and a front bristle bundle group 122a, as well as a front bristle bundle group 121a and a front bristle bundle group 123a, and the rear brush group 120b is configured to include combinations of a rear bristle bundle group 121b and a rear bristle bundle group 122b, as well as a rear bristle bundle group 121b and a rear bristle bundle group 123b, and each combination corresponds to a combination of a working section and a stabilizing section described below.

[0147] Hereinafter, with reference also to FIG. 21, the effects of toothbrush 105 will be described based on a preferred example of use of toothbrush 105 according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

[0148] FIG. 22(A) shows a schematic diagram of a state in which the lingual side of the left lower jaw dentition 200 is brushed. FIG. 22(A) shows a state in which the toothbrush 105 according to the fifth embodiment of the present invention is placed against the lingual side of the left lower jaw dentition, as viewed from the occlusal surface. The toothbrush 105 is used in the oral cavity so that the brushing surface formed by the front bristle bundle group 123a and the rear bristle bundle group 123b of the left brush part 123 of the brush part 120 faces the lingual side (back side) of the dentition 200 including the teeth 210, 220, 230, 240, 250, and 260. However, in this example, the toothbrush 105 is used by being held in the right hand of the user, and the brushing surface of the brush part 120 faces the lingual side (back side) of the dentition 200.

[0149] 22(A) and (B), first, the right brush part 122 is brought into contact with the occlusal surfaces 203 of the teeth 210 and 220, and while the central brush part 121 is brought into contact with the ridge 205 at the boundary between the occlusal surfaces 203 and the lingual surfaces 204 of the teeth 210 and 220 and positioned, the left brush part 123 is placed against the lingual surfaces 204 of the teeth 210 and 220, and the handle part is moved back and forth to brush the surfaces of the lingual surfaces 204 of the teeth 210 and 220. At this time, by moving the handle part back and forth while it is in contact with the tips of the teeth 250 and 260, pitching of the toothbrush 105 is prevented, and stable brushing can be achieved.

[0150] Thus, in the toothbrush 105 of the fifth embodiment, when brushing the lingual side (back side) of the dentition, the left brush part 123 of the brush part 120 acts as a working part for brushing the lingual surfaces 204 of the teeth 210 and 220, and the central brush part 121 and the right brush part 122 of the brush part 120 act as stabilizing parts.

[0151] In this way, the toothbrush 105 of the fifth embodiment has a configuration in which, when the brush unit 120 brushes the tongue side (back side) of the teeth, the left brush unit 123 acts as a working unit that brushes the teeth in the dentition, and the central brush unit 121 and right brush unit 122 of the brush unit 120 act as stabilizing units that guide the working unit of the teeth to the appropriate posture and target position in response to the user's operation, making it easier to brush in a stable state. [Industrial Applicability]

[0152] The present invention as described above has the effect of enabling appropriate brushing without adversely affecting the teeth, dentition, and gums, and is useful when applied to toothbrushes. [Explanation of symbols]

[0153] 100, 100A-100D, 101, 101A-101D, 102, 103, 104, 105 Toothbrush 110, 150 head 110fr, 150fr front 111 Central part 111a Central buried surface 112 Right side 112a Right buried surface 113 Left side 113a Left buried surface 120, 125, 151 Brush section 120a Front brush group 120b Rear brush group 121 Central brush section 121a, 122a, 123a, 151a, 152a, 153a Anterior hair bundle group 121b, 122b, 123b, 151b, 152b, 153b Posterior hair bundle group 122, 152 Right side brush part 123, 153 Left brush part 124 152b3, 152b4, 153b3, 153b4 Hair bundle group 130 Neck 131, 161 Tip 132 Rear end 133, 150b right side 134, 150c left side 141, 142 Stopper 141a Front stopper 141b Rear stopper 150a buried surface 152a1, 152a2, 152b1, 152b2, 153a1, 153a2, 153b1, 153b2 Hair bundles 160 Handle part 200 dentition 201, 221 Buccal 202 Lingual 203 Occlusal surface 204 Lingual surface 205 Ridge 210, 220, 230, 240, 250, 260 teeth 2101, 2201, 2301, 2401, 2501, 2601 upper teeth 2102, 2202, 2302, 2402, 2502, 2602 mandibular teeth 220X Maximum protrusion 221A, 310 surface 221B Maximum Totaka part to tip side 300 Gums 301a, 301b Direction and magnitude of repetitive toothbrush movements

Claims

1. The hair shaving device is provided with a working part that is protruding from the surface of the head and is made up of a hair bundle or a group of hair bundles, and a stabilizing part that is made up of a hair bundle or a group of hair bundles or a member other than the hair bundle or the group of hair bundles, The working section and the stabilizing section are The longitudinal direction of each of the head portions is the direction in which the head portions extend, and The longitudinal direction is an arrangement direction that intersects with the extension direction of the head portion, At least one of the following is included: The working portion and the stabilizing portion arranged along the extension direction of the head portion are spaced apart from each other, The working unit and the stabilizing unit are arranged along a direction intersecting the extension direction of the head, and one of them is inclined relative to the other when viewed in the extension direction of the head. toothbrush.

2. The pair of the working portion and the stabilizing portion includes: Arranged along the extension direction of the head, and The head is arranged in a direction intersecting the extension direction of the head. Includes both a cleaning surface formed by the working parts arranged along the extending direction of the head; The head portion is at the same height as the cleaning surface formed by the stabilizing portion arranged along the extension direction of the head portion, The cleaning surface formed by the working parts arranged in a direction intersecting the extension direction of the head is at a higher position than the cleaning surface formed by the stabilizing parts arranged in a direction intersecting the extension direction of the head, as viewed in the extension direction of the head.

2. The toothbrush of claim 1.

3. The working parts are arranged in a direction intersecting the extension direction of the head, When viewed in the extension direction of the head, the head is formed symmetrically with respect to the stabilizing portion arranged along a direction intersecting the extension direction of the head.

3. The toothbrush of claim 2.

4. The pair of the working portion and the stabilizing portion includes: Only those arranged along the extension direction of the head, a cleaning surface formed by the working parts arranged along the extending direction of the head; The cleaning surface formed by the stabilizing portion arranged along the extension direction of the head portion is at the same height, The cleaning surface formed by the working parts arranged along a direction intersecting the extension direction of the head has a larger dimension along the direction intersecting the extension direction of the head when viewed in a direction parallel to the surface of the head than the cleaning surface formed by the stabilizing parts arranged along the direction intersecting the extension direction of the head.

2. The toothbrush of claim 1.

5. Each of the cleaning surfaces of the working section and the stabilizing section is In a plan view parallel to the surface of the head, a dimension along a direction intersecting the extension direction of the head increases from the tip to the rear end of the head.

5. The toothbrush of claim 4.

6. A handle portion for operating the head portion; A neck portion connecting the head portion and the handle portion, The neck portion is connected to the handle portion at a position where the head is shifted along each of two directions perpendicular to the extension direction of the head when viewed in the extension direction of the head, and where the surface of the head is opposite to the handle portion.

5. The toothbrush according to claim 1 or 4.

7. A handle portion for operating the head portion; A neck portion connecting the head portion and the handle portion, The neck portion is connected to the handle portion at a position shifted from the head portion along each of two directions perpendicular to the extension direction of the head portion when viewed in the extension direction of the head portion, and at a position where a surface of the head portion faces the handle portion; Each of the cleaning surfaces of the working section and the stabilizing section is In a plan view parallel to the surface of the head, a dimension along a direction intersecting the extension direction of the head increases from the tip to the rear end of the head.

5. The toothbrush according to claim 1 or 4.

Images