Toothbrush

Abstract

To provide a toothbrush which is easy to manufacture and in which engagement between a handle component and a head component can be released allowing easy replacement.SOLUTION: A toothbrush 1 comprises a handle component 2 and a head component 3 having a brush portion 3b. The handle component 2 has a fitting projection 2a protruding toward a distal end in the axial direction. The head component 3 has a fitting recess 3a detachably fitted to the fitting projection 2a, and is formed by integrally molding a first material and a second material, the second material forming the brush portion 3b and being softer than the first material. The first material forms a locking portion 4 that restricts relative movement of the fitting recess 3a toward the distal end in the axial direction with respect to the fitting projection 2a by locking via a locking projection 4a protruding in the radial direction. The second material forms a pressing portion 6a that, when receiving a pressing operation radially inward, presses the fitting projection 2a radially inward within the fitting recess 3a to elastically deform the fitting projection and thereby release the locking at the locking portion 4.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a toothbrush. [Background technology]

[0002] There is known a toothbrush that has a handle part and a head part that has a brush part and is detachably fitted to the handle part (see, for example, Patent Document 1). Such a toothbrush can contribute to resource conservation because the head part can be replaced and the handle part can be reused. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] International Publication No. 2022 / 145159 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to provide a toothbrush that is easy to manufacture and in which the handle and head components can be easily disengaged and replaced. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] One aspect of the present invention is as follows.

[0006] [1] A brush head has a handle and a brush part. The handle part has a fitting protrusion protruding toward the axial tip end thereof, the head part has a fitting recess recessed from a base end of the head part toward the axial tip end to be detachably fitted with the fitting protrusion, and is formed by integral molding of a first material and a second material forming the brush part and softer than the first material, the first material forms a locking portion that restricts relative movement of the fitting recess toward the axial tip side with respect to the fitting protrusion by locking via a locking protrusion that protrudes in a radial direction perpendicular to the axial direction, The second material forms a pressing portion that, when subjected to a radially inward pressing operation, pushes the mating protrusion radially inward within the mating recess, causing it to elastically deform, thereby releasing the engagement at the engagement portion.

[0007] [2] The toothbrush described in [1], wherein the head part has a crossing part that crosses over the corner of the fitting protrusion by bending deformation of the head part caused by supporting the handle part and pressing the brush part backward from the bristle tip side toward the base side, and is located closer to the axial tip end than the axial base end of the pressing part.

[0008] [3] The toothbrush according to [2], wherein the overhanging portion is provided on the axial end surface of the fitting recess.

[0009] [4] The toothbrush according to any one of [1] to [3], wherein the direction of movement of the pressing part by the pressing operation is a left-right direction perpendicular to the front-rear direction, which is the extension direction of the bristle member of the brush part, and the axial direction, and the locking protrusion of the locking part protrudes in the left-right direction.

[0010] [5] The toothbrush according to any one of [1] to [4], wherein the pressing portion is located on the inner surface of the fitting recess closer to the tip end in the axial direction than the locking portion.

[0011] [6] The fitting protrusion has a pair of fitting pieces facing each other in the radial direction, The toothbrush described in any one of [1] to [5], wherein the pressing portion has a pair of clamping operation portions that receive the pressing operation to clamp the pair of mating pieces so as to bring them closer to each other, and the pressing operation received by the pair of clamping operation portions releases the engagement between each of the mating pieces and the locking portion within the mating recess. [Effects of the Invention]

[0012] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a toothbrush that is easy to manufacture and in which the handle part and head part can be easily disengaged and replaced. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0013] [Figure 1] 1 is a perspective view showing a toothbrush according to a first embodiment of the present invention from the front side. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the toothbrush shown in FIG. [Figure 3] 2 is a perspective view showing a first material portion of the head part of the toothbrush shown in FIG. 1. FIG. [Figure 4] 2 is a perspective view showing a second material portion of the head part of the toothbrush shown in FIG. 1. FIG. [Figure 5] FIG. 2 is a partial front cross-sectional view of the toothbrush shown in FIG. [Figure 6] FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the toothbrush shown in FIG. 1 from the rear side. [Figure 7] FIG. 10 is an exploded perspective view showing a toothbrush according to a second embodiment of the present invention from the front side. [Figure 8] 8 is a cross-sectional view of the toothbrush shown in FIG. 7 taken along a cross section perpendicular to the left-right direction. [Figure 9] FIG. 9 is a partially enlarged view of FIG. 8. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0014] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0015] As shown in Figures 1 to 6, in one embodiment of the present invention, toothbrush 1 has handle part 2 and head part 3 having brush portion 3b. Handle part 2 has mating protrusion 2a protruding toward the axial tip. Head part 3 has mating recess 3a recessed from the base end of head part 3 toward the axial tip for detachably mating with mating protrusion 2a. Toothbrush 1 is formed by integral molding of a first material with a second material that forms brush portion 3b and is softer than the first material. The first material forms locking portion 4 (see Figure 5) that restricts relative movement of mating recess 3a toward the axial tip with respect to mating protrusion 2a by locking via locking protrusion 4a protruding radially perpendicular to the axial direction. The second material forms pressing portion 6a that, when pressed radially inward (see thick arrow in Figure 5), presses mating protrusion 2a radially inward within mating recess 3a, causing elastic deformation and thereby releasing the lock at locking portion 4. Of the head component 3, a first material portion 5 made of a first material is shown in FIG. 3, and a second material portion 6 made of a second material is shown in FIG.

[0016] In this embodiment, the longitudinal direction of toothbrush 1 is referred to as the axial direction, the direction perpendicular to the central axis O extending in the longitudinal direction of toothbrush 1 (excluding brush head 3b) is referred to as the radial direction, and the direction going around the central axis O is referred to as the circumferential direction. The extension direction of bristle members 3b1 of brush head 3b is referred to as the front-rear direction, the direction from the bristle tip to the base along the front-rear direction is referred to as the rear, the opposite direction is referred to as the front, and the direction perpendicular to the axial direction and the front-rear direction is referred to as the left-right direction.

[0017] 2 and 5, the fitting protrusion 2a has a pair of fitting pieces 2a1 that protrude toward the axial tip end and face each other in the radial direction (left-right direction in this embodiment), and the pressing portion 6a has a pair of clamping operation portions 6a1 that are pressed to pinch the pair of fitting pieces 2a1 so that they approach each other, and when pressed by the pair of clamping operation portions 6a1, the fitting pieces 2a1 are released from the engagement between each fitting piece 2a1 and the locking portion 4 (locking protrusion 4a associated with it) within the fitting recess 3a. The direction of movement of the pressing portion 6a due to the pressing operation is the left-right direction, and the locking protrusion 4a associated with the locking portion 4 protrudes in the left-right direction. The pressing portion 6a is located on the inner surface of the fitting recess 3a closer to the axial tip end than the locking portion 4.

[0018] In this embodiment, the locking is achieved by the engagement between the locking protrusion 4a constituting the locking portion 4 and the locking recess 2a2 provided on the mating piece 2a1, but this is not limited to this, and the locking may be achieved by, for example, the engagement between the locking protrusion 4a constituting the locking portion 4 and a protrusion provided on the mating piece 2a1, or by the engagement between the protrusion or recess constituting the locking portion 4 and a protrusion provided on the mating piece 2a1.

[0019] The head component 3 includes a head portion 3c, a brush portion 3b consisting of multiple bristle members 3b1 extending forward from the head portion 3c, and a neck portion 3d extending from the head portion 3c toward the base end in the axial direction. The neck portion 3d has an annular base end surface 3e extending circumferentially and a mating recess 3a recessed from the inner peripheral edge of the base end surface 3e. As shown in FIG. 5, the mating recess 3a has a pair of left-right opposing surfaces 3a1 facing each other in the left-right direction, a pair of front-rear opposing surfaces 3a2 facing each other in the front-rear direction, and an axial tip surface 3a3. The left-right opposing surface 3a1 has a locking portion 4, and the portion of the left-right opposing surface 3a1 extending from the axial tip surface 3a3 to just before the locking portion 4 is formed by a pressing portion 6a.

[0020] 3 and 6, the first material portion 5 of the head component 3 has a head base 5a that forms the front surface of the head portion 3c, and a plurality of through-holes 5b that penetrate the head base 5a in the front-rear direction and connect to the bases of the bristle members 3b1. Also, as shown in Figures 4 and 6, the second material portion 6 of the head component 3 has a connecting portion 6b that connects the brush portion 3b, which is made up of a plurality of bristle members 3b1, and the pressing portion 6a through the plurality of through-holes 5b of the head base 5a and the back side portion of the neck portion 3d.

[0021] The head part 3 is formed by two-color molding. The color of the second material is different from the color of the first material to make it easier to identify the pressing portion 6a, but this is not limited to this. The first material is, for example, a hard resin such as polyolefin, such as polypropylene (PP) or high-density polyethylene (HDPE), or polyester, such as polyethylene terephthalate (PET) or PCTA, and the second material is, for example, a soft material, such as low-density polyethylene (LDPE), elastomer, or rubber.

[0022] As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the handle part 2 has a body part 2b that extends longitudinally from the axial base end of the neck part 3d of the head part 3 toward the base end in the axial direction, an annular end face 2c at the axial tip side of the body part 2b, and a fitting protrusion 2a that protrudes from the inner peripheral edge of the annular end face 2c toward the axial tip side.

[0023] In this embodiment, the head component 3 is formed by integral molding of the first material portion 5 and the second material portion 6, eliminating the need for a bristle-implanting process for providing the brush portion 3b and facilitating easy manufacturing. Furthermore, because a portion of the neck portion 3d is formed by a pressing portion 6a made of a second material softer than the first material, rearward bending deformation from the pressing portion 6a during use, as indicated by the bold arrow in FIG. 6, displaces the head portion 3c rearward, reducing strain on the gums. Furthermore, when replacing the head component 3, the engagement can be easily released by pressing the pressing portion 6a, as indicated by the bold arrow in FIG. 5. Then, the fitting protrusion 2a can be removed from the fitting recess 3a, as indicated by the hollow arrow in FIG. 5, to separate the head component 3 and the handle component 2. In particular, in this embodiment, the pressing portion 6a is located axially distal to the locking portion 4, reducing the required operating force. Furthermore, since the direction of elastic deformation that releases the lock is the left-right direction, the risk of the lock being unexpectedly released by external forces in the front-rear direction during use can be reduced. Furthermore, since the fitting protrusion 2a is composed of a pair of fitting pieces 2a1, and the lock is released by pressing the pair of clamping operation portions 6a1, stable locking and easy unlocking operation are possible. When attaching the head part 3 and the handle part 2, inserting the fitting protrusion 2a into the fitting recess 3a causes the fitting protrusion 2a to elastically deform and lock into the locking portion 4.

[0024] As in the second embodiment shown in FIGS. 7 to 9, the head part 3 may have a crossing portion 3f (see FIG. 9) located closer to the axial tip end than the axial base end of the pressing portion 6a. The crossing portion 3f supports the handle part 2 and presses the brush part 3b rearward, causing bending deformation of the head part 3 (see the thick arrow in FIG. 6), causing the crossing portion 3f to cross over the corner 2a3 of the fitting protrusion 2a (see the two-dot chain line in FIG. 9). With this configuration, the feeling felt when the crossing portion 3f crosses over allows the user to recognize that excessive pressure is acting on the gums. In the second embodiment, the corner 2a3 is formed by a pair of cross-over protrusions 2a4 provided at the axial tip ends of the pair of fitting pieces 2a1, and the crossing portion 3f is angular. It is preferable that the overhanging portion 3f is provided on the axial tip surface 3a3 of the fitting recess 3a as in the second embodiment, and it is more preferable that the overhanging portion 3f is formed from the first material as in the second embodiment, and the above configuration makes it easier to produce a clear tactile sensation.

[0025] Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and the above-described embodiments can be modified in various ways without departing from the gist of the present invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0026] 1 toothbrush 2 Handle parts 2a Fitting protrusion 2a1 mating piece 2a2 Locking recess 2a3 corner 2a4 Convex part to be crossed 2b Torso 2c Annular end face 3 Head parts 3a Fitting recess 3a1 Left and right opposing surfaces 3a2 Anteroposterior facing surface 3a3 Axial tip surface 3b Brush part 3b1 Hair member 3c Head 3D neck 3e proximal surface 3F Crossing 4 Locking part 4a is a type of anti-protrusion part. 5. Part 1 Materials 5a ヘッド base 5b Through hole 6. Part 2 of the materials 6a Pressure Department 6a1 Migration Operation Section 6b Connecting part O Central axis

Claims

1. A brush head has a handle and a brush part. The handle part has a fitting protrusion protruding toward the axial tip end thereof, the head part has a fitting recess recessed from a base end of the head part toward the axial tip end to be detachably fitted with the fitting protrusion, and is formed by integral molding of a first material and a second material forming the brush part and softer than the first material, the first material forms a locking portion that restricts relative movement of the fitting recess toward the axial tip side with respect to the fitting protrusion by locking via a locking protrusion that protrudes in a radial direction perpendicular to the axial direction, The second material forms a pressing portion that, when subjected to a radially inward pressing operation, pushes the mating protrusion radially inward within the mating recess, causing it to elastically deform, thereby releasing the engagement at the engagement portion.

2. 2. The toothbrush according to claim 1, wherein the head part has a crossing portion that crosses over the corner of the fitting protrusion by bending deformation of the head part caused by supporting the handle part and pressing the brush part backward from the bristle tip side toward the base side, the crossing portion being located closer to the axial tip end than the axial base end of the pressing portion.

3. The toothbrush according to claim 2 , wherein the overhanging portion is provided on a distal end surface of the fitting recess in the axial direction.

4. 2. The toothbrush of claim 1, wherein the direction of movement of the pressing portion due to the pressing operation is a left-right direction perpendicular to the front-to-rear direction, which is the extension direction of the bristle member of the brush portion, and the axial direction, and the locking protrusion on the locking portion protrudes in the left-right direction.

5. The toothbrush according to claim 1 , wherein the pressing portion is located on the inner surface of the fitting recess closer to the tip end in the axial direction than the locking portion.

6. The fitting protrusion has a pair of fitting pieces facing each other in the radial direction, The toothbrush of claim 1, wherein the pressing portion has a pair of clamping operation portions that receive the pressing operation to clamp the pair of mating pieces so as to bring them closer to each other, and the pressing operation received by the pair of clamping operation portions releases the engagement between each of the mating pieces and the locking portion within the mating recess.

Images