Interdental Cleaning Tools

Abstract

To provide an interdental cleaning instrument suppressing deterioration in operability while securing the strength of brush bristles.SOLUTION: An interdental cleaning instrument D comprises a body A having a base part 1 and a shaft part arranged at one of ends of the base part 1, and a cleaning body 4 made of an elastic material having a hardness lower than a hardness of the body A, covering a prescribed length from a tip of the shaft part toward the base part 1, and having an outer shape permitting insertion into between teeth. The cleaning body 4 comprises a covering part 41 adhering to the whole circumference of the prescribed length of the shaft part, and a brush part 42 having a plurality of brush bristles 421 projecting outward from the covering part 41. A base end part 422 of each brush bristle 421 is diametrically enlarged curved in a trumpet shape toward the covering part 41.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an interdental cleaning tool for cleaning between teeth. [Background technology]

[0002] Interdental cleaners suitable for cleaning between teeth have been known (see, for example, Patent Document 1). The interdental cleaner described in Patent Document 1 includes a gripping portion (referred to as a "handle portion" in Patent Document 1) that can be held with the fingers, and a cleaning portion for cleaning between teeth that is located on the tip side of a shaft portion (referred to as a "core portion" in Patent Document 1) that extends from the gripping portion. By inserting the cleaning portion between the teeth and moving it back and forth, foreign matter (food debris, etc.) caught between the teeth and foreign matter (plaque, etc.) attached to the teeth can be scraped out and removed.

[0003] The cleaning part of the interdental cleaner described in Patent Document 1 is constructed by integrally molding a cleaning part body made of an elastomer material on the tip side of a shaft part made of synthetic resin. The part of the shaft part covered by the cleaning part body is formed in a gentle tapered shape that decreases in diameter from the base end side to the tip side. The cleaning part body has a covering part that covers the shaft part, and a plurality of brush bristles (referred to as "projections" in Patent Document 1) that are formed to protrude outward at intervals in the longitudinal direction of the covering part. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] International Publication No. 2014 / 065368 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] In the interdental cleaner described in Patent Document 1, the multiple brush bristles of the cleaning part main body are formed in a conical shape with a curved semispherical tip. When the interdental cleaner is used, the cleaning part is inserted between the teeth and moved back and forth to clean between the teeth, so that the brush bristles bend and fall as they move back and forth, and thus bending stress acts on the base ends (roots) of the brush bristles. If this bending stress acts repeatedly, the base ends of the brush bristles may break and the brush bristles may be torn off from the covering part.

[0006] One possible way to prevent the bristles from breaking is to make the bristles thicker (by increasing the cross-sectional area). However, if the bristles are too thick, it becomes more difficult for the cleaning part to reach between the teeth, which can reduce the ease of use of the interdental cleaning tool.

[0007] Therefore, there is a need for an interdental cleaning tool that ensures the strength of the brush bristles while preventing a decrease in operability. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] The interdental cleaning tool according to one aspect of the present invention is configured to include a main body having a base and a shaft portion disposed on one end side of the base, and a cleaning body made of an elastic material having a hardness lower than that of the main body, covering a predetermined length from the tip of the shaft portion toward the base, and having an outer shape that allows insertion between teeth, and the cleaning body is in close contact with the entire circumference of the predetermined length of the shaft portion. , having a flat surface It consists of a covering portion and a brush portion having a plurality of brush bristles protruding outward from the covering portion, and is characterized in that the base end of each of the brush bristles is curved in a trumpet shape and expands in diameter as it approaches the covering portion.

[0009] In this interdental cleaning tool, the base end of the brush bristles is curved like a trumpet and expands in diameter as it approaches the covering part, so the cross-sectional area of ​​the base end of the brush bristles increases, increasing their strength and preventing breakage of the brush bristles when bending stress acts on the brush bristles. In addition, because the base end is curved like a trumpet, the brush part is more likely to fall over when inserted between teeth, so the force of the brush bristles acting on the base end can be reduced and breakage of the brush bristles can be prevented. Furthermore, the trumpet-shaped curved part can distribute the force acting on the shaft part, so breakage of the shaft part can be prevented. Furthermore, by making the brush bristles the same thickness as before up to the tip excluding the base end, it is not difficult for the cleaning part to enter between teeth, and the same operability as before can be maintained.

[0010] In this way, it is possible to provide an interdental cleaning tool that ensures the strength of the brush bristles while suppressing any decrease in operability.

[0011] The interdental cleaning tool according to another aspect of the present invention is configured to include a main body having a base and a shaft portion disposed on one end side of the base, and a cleaning body made of an elastic material having a hardness lower than that of the main body, covering a predetermined length from the tip of the shaft portion toward the base, and having an outer shape that allows insertion between teeth, and the cleaning body is in close contact with the entire circumference of the predetermined length of the shaft portion. , having a flat surface The brush comprises a covering portion and a brush portion having a plurality of brush bristles protruding outward from the covering portion, and each of the brush bristles has a tapered shape that expands in diameter from the tip toward the covering portion, and is characterized in that a second taper angle of the base end relative to the axis of the brush bristles is greater than a first taper angle of the brush bristles relative to the axis of the brush bristles from the tip to just before the base end of the brush bristles.

[0012] In this interdental cleaning tool, the second taper angle of the base end relative to the axis of the brush bristles is greater than the first taper angle of the brush bristles from the tip to just before the base end, so the cross-sectional area of ​​the base end of the brush bristles is increased, increasing their strength, and preventing the brush bristles from breaking when bending stress acts on the brush bristles. This structure also makes the brush part more likely to collapse when inserted between teeth, so the force of the brush bristles acting on the base end can be reduced, and the brush bristles can be prevented from breaking. Furthermore, the second taper angle can distribute the force acting on the shaft part, so the shaft part can be prevented from breaking. Furthermore, by making the brush bristles the same thickness as before up to the tip excluding the base end, the cleaning part does not become difficult to insert between teeth, and the same operability as before can be maintained. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0013] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an interdental cleaner according to a first embodiment. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a partially enlarged cross-sectional view showing the cleaning body according to the first embodiment. [Diagram 3] FIG. 11 is a partially enlarged cross-sectional view showing a cleaning body according to a second embodiment. [Figure 4] FIG. 11 is a plan view showing an interdental cleaning tool according to another embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0014] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the interdental cleaner according to the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. However, the present invention is not limited to the following embodiment, and various modifications are possible without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention.

[0015] [First embodiment] As shown in Fig. 1 and Fig. 2, the interdental cleaner D according to the first embodiment of the present invention includes a main body A in which a base 1 having a gripping portion 11 and an extending portion 12, a bending portion 2, and a shaft portion 3 are integrally molded, and a cleaning part main body 4 made of a soft member that is an elastic material having a hardness lower than that of the main body A and covers the shaft portion 3. Hereinafter, the part of the shaft portion 3 covered by the cleaning part main body 4 and the cleaning part main body 4 are collectively referred to as a cleaning part B. A user holds the gripping portion 11 and inserts the cleaning part B between teeth such as back teeth and moves it back and forth to use the interdental cleaner D. Hereinafter, the interdental cleaner D will be described with the outer side of the bend from the base portion 1 to the bending portion 2 (the right side of the paper in Fig. 1) as the dorsal side, and the inner side of the bend (the left side of the paper in Fig. 1) as the ventral side.

[0016] The main body A is made of one or a combination of two or more synthetic resins such as polypropylene, ABS, polybutylene terephthalate, polycarbonate, polyethylene terephthalate, polystyrene, and polyacetal. In this embodiment, the main body A is made of polypropylene. In addition, the synthetic resin constituting the main body A preferably contains a reinforcing agent that increases rigidity. Examples of the reinforcing agent include fibrous reinforcing agents such as glass fiber, nanocellulose fiber, aramid fiber, and carbon fiber, plate-shaped reinforcing agents such as mica and glass frames, powdered reinforcing agents such as talc, and needle-shaped reinforcing agents such as wollastonite. The content of the reinforcing agent is 5% by weight or more and 50% by weight or less, preferably 10% by weight or more and 40% by weight or less, and more preferably 15% by weight or more and 40% by weight or less.

[0017] The soft member that is the material of the cleaning unit body 4 is made of an elastomer having a hardness lower than that of the main body A. As this elastomer, a styrene-based elastomer is preferable, but silicone, an olefin-based elastomer, a polyester-based elastomer, or the like may also be used.

[0018] In the main body A, the extending portion 12 is configured in a flat rod shape extending from the gripping portion 11 in the first direction Xa. The bent portion 2 extends from the end of the extending portion 12 opposite to the gripping portion 11 and is configured in a flat shape bent from the first direction Xa toward a second direction Xb that intersects with the first direction Xa (in the embodiment of FIG. 1, the inner bend angle is 120 degrees). The intersecting angle (inner bend angle) between the first direction Xa and the second direction Xb is preferably configured to be 30 degrees or more and 150 degrees or less, preferably 80 degrees or more and 140 degrees or less, and more preferably 100 degrees or more and 130 degrees or less.

[0019] A back surface portion 5 covered with a soft material is formed on approximately half of the dorsal side of the extension portion 12 and the bent portion 2 of the main body A. On approximately half of the ventral side of the extension portion 12 and the bent portion 2 of the main body A, the synthetic resin is exposed.

[0020] In the main body A, the shaft portion 3 is formed into a truncated conical rod shape that gradually tapers in the second direction Xb from the end opposite the extending portion 12 with respect to the bent portion 2 (see FIG. 2). That is, the overall outer shape of the shaft portion 3 has a tapered surface whose diameter decreases (constricts) at a constant rate from the connection portion with the bent portion 2 toward the tip.

[0021] The cleaning unit body 4 made of a soft material covers the entire outer peripheral surface of the shaft portion 3 and has an outer shape that allows insertion between teeth, and constitutes the cleaning unit B together with the shaft portion 3. The cleaning unit body 4 in this embodiment has a covering portion 41 that covers and adheres to the entire longitudinal direction (direction along the second direction Xb) of the shaft portion 3, and a brush portion 42 having a plurality (a large number) of brush bristles 421 protruding outward from the covering portion 41. The covering portion 41 is configured with a wall thickness (thickness) smaller than the diameter of the shaft portion 3. The brush bristles 421 of the brush portion 42 are formed in a conical shape that tapers as they move away from the covering portion 41 (as they move radially outward relative to the axis X of the shaft portion 3). In other words, the diameter of the brush bristles 421 increases in a tapered shape from the tip 423 of the brush bristles 421 toward the covering portion 41. In the interdental cleaning tool D according to this embodiment, when the cleaning part B is inserted between the teeth and moves back and forth, the brush bristles 421 of the brush part 42 are flexibly deformed, and the covering part 41 and the brush bristles 421 come into contact with the teeth, scraping out and removing foreign matter (food debris, etc.) caught between the teeth and foreign matter (plaque, etc.) attached to the teeth. At this time, with the back and forth movement of the cleaning part B, the brush bristles 421 are bent so as to fall down, and bending stress acts on the base end 422, which is a part of the brush bristles 421 close to the covering part 41. The back part 5 formed on about half of the back side of the extension part 12 and the bent part 2 is formed integrally with the cleaning part main body 4. The cleaning part main body 4 may be structured to cover a part of the shaft part 3 from the tip in the longitudinal direction of the shaft part 3.

[0022] Next, a method for manufacturing the interdental cleaner D according to this embodiment will be described. The interdental cleaner D is manufactured by a two-color molding method in which the cleaning body 4 and the like are molded on the shaft 3 of the main body A made of synthetic resin by a known method such as injection molding. Specifically, the main body A is first formed by a known method such as injection molding. Next, the formed main body A is placed in a two-color molding mold, and molten elastomer is injected into the mold from a gate provided near the tip of the shaft 3 of the main body A to fill it. The filled molten elastomer solidifies and becomes a soft member, and the cleaning body 4 and the back part 5 are formed. In this manner, the interdental cleaner D is manufactured.

[0023] Next, the structure of the cleaning body 4 of the interdental cleaner D according to this embodiment will be described in detail. As described above, the cleaning body 4 of the interdental cleaner D has the covering part 41 which covers and adheres to the entire circumference and a predetermined length of the shaft part 3, and the brush part 42 having a plurality (a large number) of brush bristles 421 protruding outward from the covering part 41. In this embodiment, the "predetermined length" of the covering part 41 is 10 mm to 30 mm, preferably 15 mm to 25 mm, and more preferably 15 to 20 mm.

[0024] As described above, each brush bristles 421 of the brush part 42 has a tapered shape expanding in diameter from the tip 423 toward the covering part 41. Specifically, the brush bristles 421 have a linear tapered shape from the tip 423 to just before the base end 422 (the boundary with the base end 422). When the cleaning part B is inserted between the teeth and reciprocated during cleaning between the teeth, each brush bristles 421 is bent so as to fall with the reciprocating movement of the cleaning part B, and a bending stress acts on the base end 422 of the brush bristles 421. If this bending stress acts on the base end 422 repeatedly, the base end 422 may break, and the brush bristles 421 may be torn off from the covering part 41. Therefore, in this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 2, the base end 422 of the brush bristles 421 has a shape that expands in diameter while curving like a trumpet toward the covering part 41. That is, brush bristles 421 and covering portion 41 are connected by a rounded surface around the entire circumference at base end 422. The radius of curvature of the rounded surface is 0.01 mm to 1.0 mm, preferably 0.05 mm to 0.3 mm, and more preferably 0.1 mm to 0.2 mm.

[0025] In the interdental cleaning tool D having such a configuration, the base end 422 of the brush bristles 421 is expanded in diameter while being curved in a trumpet shape toward the covering part 41, so that the cross-sectional area of ​​the base end 422 of the brush bristles 421 increases and the strength increases, and it is possible to suppress the breakage of the brush bristles 421 when bending stress acts on the brush bristles 421. In addition, since the base end 422 is curved in a trumpet shape, the brush part 42 is easily collapsed when inserted between teeth, so that the force of the brush bristles 421 acting on the base end 422 can be suppressed and the breakage of the brush bristles 421 can be suppressed. Furthermore, since the part curved in a trumpet shape can distribute the force acting on the shaft part 3, it is possible to suppress the breakage of the shaft part 3. Furthermore, since the end of the base end 422 of the brush bristles 421 opposite the covering part 41 to the tip 423 remains the same as before, it is not difficult for the cleaning part B to enter between teeth, and the same operability as before can be maintained.

[0026] Second Embodiment Next, an interdental cleaner D according to a second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Fig. 3. The interdental cleaner D according to this embodiment differs from the first embodiment in that the base end 422 does not have an R-shaped surface but has a linear tapered shape like the side surface of a truncated cone. In the description of this embodiment, parts having the same configuration as the first embodiment are given the same reference numerals, and descriptions of the same configurations will be omitted.

[0027] In this embodiment, each brush bristles 421 is tapered in diameter from the tip 423 toward the covering portion 41. Specifically, the brush bristles 421 have a linear tapered shape from the tip 423 to just before the base end 422 (the boundary with the base end 422) similar to the first embodiment. The base end 422 is tapered in diameter to the covering portion 41, unlike the first embodiment. At this time, the brush bristles 421 are tapered in diameter so that the second taper angle θ2, which is the taper angle of the base end 422 with respect to the axis Y, is larger than the first taper angle θ1, which is the taper angle of the brush bristles 421 with respect to the axis Y from the tip 423 of the brush bristles 421 to just before the base end 422 of the brush bristles 421. The second taper angle θ2 of the base end 422 is 10 degrees to 50 degrees, preferably 15 degrees to 40 degrees, and more preferably 20 degrees to 30 degrees. The length of the base end 422 in the direction along the axis Y (the thickness of the base end 422) is 0.01 mm to 1.0 mm, preferably 0.05 mm to 0.3 mm, and more preferably 0.1 mm to 0.2 mm.

[0028] In the interdental cleaner D having such a configuration, the second taper angle θ2 of the base end 422 with respect to the axis Y is larger than the first taper angle θ1 of the brush bristles 421 from the tip 423 of the brush bristles 421 to just before the base end 422 of the brush bristles 421 with respect to the axis Y, so that the cross-sectional area of ​​the base end 422 of the brush bristles 421 is increased, increasing the strength, and it is possible to suppress breakage of the brush bristles 421 when bending stress acts on the brush bristles 421. In addition, this structure makes the brush part 42 more likely to collapse when inserted between teeth, so that the force of the brush bristles 421 acting on the base end 422 can be suppressed, and breakage of the brush bristles 421 can be suppressed. Furthermore, the portion with the second taper angle θ2 can distribute the force acting on the shaft part 3, so that it is possible to suppress breaking of the shaft part 3. Furthermore, since the thickness of the brush bristles 421 from the base end 422 to the tip 423 remains the same as before, it is not difficult for the cleaning part B to enter between the teeth, and the same operability as before can be maintained.

[0029] Other embodiments

[0030] As shown in FIG. 4, the interdental cleaner D does not have the bent portion 2 of the first embodiment, and may be configured with a linear main body A in which a base portion 1 having a grip portion 11 and an extension portion 12 and a shaft portion 3 are integrally molded. In the interdental cleaner D according to this embodiment, the cleaning body 4 is formed only on a portion (an example of a predetermined length) from the tip of the shaft portion 3. In this case, the shape of the base end portion 422 of the brush bristles 421 can be either of the first embodiment or the second embodiment described above. Thus, as long as the shape of the base end portion 422 of the brush bristles 421 is as described above, the shape of the main body A is arbitrary. [Industrial Applicability]

[0031] The present invention can be used in an interdental cleaning tool for cleaning between teeth. [Explanation of symbols]

[0032] 1: Base 3: Shaft 4: Cleaning unit body 41: Covering part 42: Brush section 421:Brush hair 422: Proximal end 423: Tip A: Main unit D: Interdental cleaning tool Y: Axial center θ1: First taper angle θ2: Second taper angle

Claims

1. A body having a base and a shaft disposed on one end side of the base; a cleaning part body made of an elastic material having a hardness lower than that of the main body, covering a predetermined length from the tip of the shaft part toward the base part, and having an outer shape that allows insertion between teeth; The cleaning unit body includes a covering portion having a flat surface and in close contact with the entire circumference of the shaft portion over the predetermined length, and a brush portion having a plurality of brush bristles protruding outward from the covering portion, The base end of each of the brush bristles is curved like a trumpet and expands in diameter as it approaches the covering portion.

2. A body having a base and a shaft disposed on one end side of the base; a cleaning part body made of an elastic material having a hardness lower than that of the main body, covering a predetermined length from the tip of the shaft part toward the base part, and having an outer shape that allows insertion between teeth; The cleaning unit body includes a covering portion having a flat surface and in close contact with the entire circumference of the shaft portion over the predetermined length, and a brush portion having a plurality of brush bristles protruding outward from the covering portion, The interdental cleaning tool has a tapered shape in which the diameter of each brush bristles increases from the tip toward the covering portion, and a second taper angle of the base end relative to the axis of the brush bristles is larger than a first taper angle of the brush bristles from the tip to just before the base end of the brush bristles.

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