Mouthwash

Abstract

To provide an oral cavity washing device capable of achieving sufficient sterilization effect and is friendly to a gingiva in an oral cavity.SOLUTION: An oral cavity washing device comprises: a washing device body; a washing water tank 6 fitted to a tank fitting part of the washing device body; a washing nozzle 8 for washing an oral cavity; a feeding pump 86 for feeding washing water in the washing water tank 6 to the washing nozzle 8; an electrode unit 48 for performing electrolytic treatment to water (city water) in the washing water tank 6; a power source for electrode for supplying electrolytic power to the electrode unit 48. In the oral cavity washing device, when the electrolytic power is supplied from the power source for electrode, water in the washing water tank 6 is subjected to electrolytic treatment by the electrode unit 48, therefore neutral electrolytic water whose free chlorine concentration is 1.2-5.0 ppm, is generated.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a mouthwash used for cleaning the inside of the mouth. [Background technology]

[0002] As a mouthwash, it uses water electrolyzed to produce cleaning water. (Hereinafter, this will also be referred to as "cleaning solution.") (For example, see Patent Document 1.) This mouthwash device includes a cleaning water tank that stores cleaning water, a cleaning nozzle for cleaning the inside of the mouth, a supply pump that supplies the cleaning water in the cleaning water tank to the cleaning nozzle, and an electrode unit that electrolyzes the water in the cleaning water tank to generate cleaning water.

[0003] In such a mouthwash device, first, the cleaning water tank is filled with, for example, tap water (containing chlorine for sterilization), and the filled tap water is electrolyzed by the electrode unit to generate cleaning water. After that, the supply pump is operated to supply the cleaning water in the cleaning water tank to the cleaning nozzle, and the supplied cleaning water is sprayed into the mouth from the nozzle part of the cleaning nozzle. The sprayed cleaning water cleans the inside of the mouth and also sterilizes the inside of the mouth, thereby keeping the mouth clean and healthy. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] JP 2020-2862 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] However, the cleaning water produced by this mouthwash has a free chlorine concentration of 0.35 to 1.0 mmg / L, which means that the disinfecting effect against germs in the mouth is weak, making it difficult to obtain an effective disinfecting action.

[0006] An object of the present invention is to provide an oral irrigator which is capable of obtaining a sufficient sterilizing effect and is also gentle on the gums and the like in the mouth. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] The oral irrigator according to claim 1 of the present invention comprises an irrigator body, a cleaning water tank attached to a tank mounting portion of the irrigator body, a cleaning nozzle for cleaning the inside of the mouth, a supply pump for supplying cleaning water in the cleaning water tank to the cleaning nozzle, an electrode unit for electrolyzing the water in the cleaning water tank, and an electrode power supply for supplying electrolytic power to the electrode unit. We are equipped with a bottom surface of the flush water tank having an annular mounting portion defining an electrode mounting opening, the electrode mounting opening having an annular support flange protruding radially inward, and an external thread portion provided on an outer peripheral surface of the annular mounting portion; The electrode unit includes a unit body having a shape corresponding to the electrode mounting opening, and a pair of electrode members that are provided on the unit body and inserted through the electrode mounting opening on the flush water tank side, and an annular step is provided on the outer peripheral surface of the unit body, and the outer diameter of one end of the unit body is larger than the outer diameter of the other end of the unit body across the annular step. , Furthermore, a cylindrical mounting member is provided for mounting the electrode unit, and an inner peripheral surface of the cylindrical mounting member is provided with a female thread portion corresponding to the male thread portion of the annular mounting portion on the flushing water tank side, and an annular flange capable of abutting the annular step portion of the unit body is provided, and by screwing the annular flange to the annular mounting portion on the flushing water tank side, the electrode unit is mounted between the annular support flange of the annular mounting portion and the annular flange of the cylindrical mounting member, The electrolysis power is supplied from the electrode power source. The electrode unit When supplied, the water in the cleaning water tank is electrolyzed by the electrode unit, thereby generating neutral electrolyzed water with a free chlorine concentration of 1.2 to 5.0 ppm.

[0008] In the oral irrigator according to claim 2 of the present invention, the tank mounting portion of the irrigator body is provided with a main body side terminal portion electrically connected to the electrode power supply and a cleaning liquid inlet port connected to the supply pump, and the bottom of the cleaning water tank is provided with an electrode side terminal portion electrically connected to the electrode unit and Washing water When the cleaning water tank is attached to the tank attachment part of the cleaner body, the main body side terminal part and the electrode side terminal part are electrically connected, and the cleaning liquid inlet of the cleaner body and the Washing water The cleaning liquid outlet on the tank side is connected to the cleaning liquid outlet.

[0010] In addition, the claims of the present invention 3 The mouthwash device described in is characterized in that the pH of the neutral electrolyzed water is approximately the same as the pH of the water before electrolysis.

[0011] In addition, the claims of the present invention 4 In the oral irrigator described above, a controller for controlling the supply pump and the electrode unit is provided in association with the supply pump and the electrode unit, and the controller stops the supply of the electrolytic power to the electrode unit when the supply pump is operated, and stops the operation of the supply pump when the electrolytic power is supplied to the electrode unit.

[0012] Furthermore, the claims of the present invention 5 In the mouth irrigator described in the above, the controller is configured to control the rotation speed of the feed pump to increase steplessly from zero, thereby Cleaning nozzle The pressure of the cleaning water sprayed from the nozzle is increased steplessly from zero. Effect of the Invention

[0013] According to the oral irrigator of claim 1 of the present invention, a cleaning water tank is attached to the tank attachment part of the irrigator main body, and this cleaning water tank is filled with water (e.g., tap water). When electrolytic power is supplied to the electrode unit, the water in the cleaning water tank is electrolyzed by the electrode unit, thereby generating neutral electrolyzed water with a free chlorine concentration of 1.2 to 5.0 ppm, and this neutral electrolyzed water is used for oral irrigation. Since neutral electrolyzed water is used as the cleaning water, it is gentle on the gums in the mouth, and since the free chlorine concentration is 1.2 to 5.0 ppm, a sufficient sterilization effect is obtained against germs in the mouth, and the mouth can be kept clean. In addition, an electrode mounting opening is provided on the bottom surface of the flushing water tank, and the electrode unit comprises a unit main body shaped to correspond to the electrode mounting opening and a pair of electrode members. Therefore, by inserting the pair of electrode members through the electrode mounting opening of the flushing water tank and attaching the unit main body to the electrode mounting opening, the electrode unit can be detachably attached to the flushing water tank.

[0014] According to the oral irrigator of the present invention, when the irrigation water tank is attached to the tank attachment part of the irrigator body, the terminal part on the main body side and the terminal part on the electrode side are electrically connected, and the irrigation liquid inlet on the irrigator body side and Washing water Since it is in communication with the cleaning liquid outlet on the tank side, the cleaning water tank can be easily attached to and detached from the tank mounting portion.

[0016] In addition, the claims of the present invention 3 According to the mouthwash described in the above, the pH of the neutral electrolyzed water is approximately the same as the pH of water (eg, tap water) before electrolysis, so that the neutral electrolyzed water can be a cleaning liquid that is gentle on the gums and the like in the mouth.

[0017] In addition, the claims of the present invention 4 According to the mouth irrigator described in the above, the controller stops the supply of electrolytic power to the electrode unit when the supply pump is operated, and stops the operation of the supply pump when electrolytic power is supplied to the electrode unit, so that generation of cleaning water and spraying of cleaning water can be selectively performed, ensuring safety in using the mouth irrigator.

[0018] Furthermore, the claims of the present invention 5 According to the oral irrigator described in the above, the controller is configured to control the rotation speed of the supply pump so as to increase steplessly from zero, so that the pressure of the cleaning water sprayed from the cleaning nozzle can be increased steplessly from zero, thereby enabling the user to clean their mouth with a pressure that suits their preference. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0019] [Figure 1] 1 is a perspective view showing a first embodiment of a mouthwash according to the present invention; [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view showing the mouthwash device of FIG. 1. [Diagram 3] 2 is a perspective view showing the mouth irrigator of FIG. 1 with the irrigation water tank removed from the irrigator body. [Figure 4] 2 is an exploded perspective view showing the mouthwash device of FIG. 1 with the electrode unit removed from the water tank. [Diagram 5] 5(a) is a front view showing the electrode unit in the mouthwash of FIG. 1, FIG. 5(b) is a side view showing this electrode unit, and FIG. 5(c) is a perspective view showing this electrode unit. [Figure 6] FIG. 2 is a plan view showing an operating section of the mouth irrigator of FIG. 1. [Figure 7] FIG. 2 is a simplified block diagram showing a control system of the mouth irrigator of FIG. 1. [Figure 8] 8 is a flowchart showing the overall control by the control system of FIG. 7; [Figure 9] 9 is a flowchart showing the flow of electrolyzed water production in the flowchart of FIG. 8. [Figure 10] FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a second embodiment of a mouthwash according to the present invention. [Figure 11] FIG. 11 is an exploded perspective view of the mouthwash of the second embodiment of FIG. 10. [Figure 12] Figure 12(a) is an oblique view showing the state before the cleaning water tank is attached to the irrigator body, Figure 12(b) is an oblique view showing the state before the lid body is attached to the irrigator body, and Figure 12(c) is an oblique view showing the mouth irrigator in an assembled state. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0020] Hereinafter, various embodiments of the mouth irrigator according to the present invention will be described with reference to the attached drawings. First, a first embodiment of the mouth irrigator will be described with reference to Figs. 1 to 9. In Figs. 1 to 3, the illustrated mouth irrigator 2 includes an irrigator body 4 placed on a table or the like, a cleaning water tank 6 attached to the irrigator body 4, and a cleaning nozzle 8 for spraying water (i.e., cleaning water) in the cleaning water tank 6. The width of the front side of the irrigator body 4 narrows toward the tip, and a substantially semicircular mounting recess 10 is provided at the tip. The mounting recess 10 extends in the vertical direction, and a substantially circular storage recess 12 is provided at the lower end, and a cylindrical winding portion 14 is provided at the center of the storage recess 12. A supply hose 16 is connected to the lower part of the irrigator body 4 (specifically, the bottom of the storage recess 12), and the tip of the supply hose 16 is connected to the cleaning nozzle 8.

[0021] The cleaning nozzle 8 has a grip body 18 for the user to hold, and a nozzle portion 20 attached to the grip body 18, with the tip of the supply hose 16 connected to the base end of the grip body 18. The tip of the nozzle portion 20 is tapered so that cleaning water is sprayed from the nozzle portion 20 with appropriate pressure. The grip body 18 of the cleaning nozzle 8 is provided with a water stop switch 22.

[0022] 1 to 3, the cleaning nozzle 8 is removably attached to the mounting recess 10 of the cleaner body 4 when not in use, and is configured so that when attached, the front side of the cleaning nozzle 8 (i.e., the side where the water stop switch 22 is provided) protrudes from the mounting recess 10. When storing the cleaning nozzle 8, the supply hose 16 is wound around the winding part 14 on the cleaner body 4 side and stored in the storage recess 12, and then the grip main body part 18 is attached to the mounting recess 10 of the cleaner body 4.

[0023] The rear part 24 of the washer body 4 is lower than the front part 26, and a tank mounting part 28 (see FIG. 3) is provided at the upper end of the rear part 24. The shape of the upper surface of the tank mounting part 28 corresponds to the shape of the bottom surface of the cleaning water tank 6, and the tank mounting part 28 is attached with the bottom of the cleaning water tank 6 placed on the upper surface of the tank mounting part 28. A circular recess 30 is provided on the front side (i.e., inside the washer body 4) of the tank mounting part 28 in the front-rear direction (from the lower left to the upper right in FIG. 1, the left-right direction in FIG. 2, and the upper left to the lower right in FIG. 3), and a pair of main body side terminal parts 32 are provided on the bottom surface of the circular recess 30 (see FIG. 3). In addition, a circular connection recess 33 is provided on the rear side (i.e., the rear end side of the washer body 4) of the tank mounting part 28 in the front-rear direction, and a cleaning liquid inlet is provided in the connection recess 33. In this embodiment, support walls 34 that protrude somewhat upward are provided on both sides of the tank mounting portion 28, and the flush water tank 6 is mounted so as to be inserted between these support walls 34.

[0024] Next, the flushing water tank 6 will be described with reference to Figure 4 as well as Figures 1 to 3. The illustrated flushing water tank 6 comprises a tank body 40 having a bottom wall 36 and a peripheral side wall 38 extending upward from the periphery of this bottom wall 36, and a lid body (not shown) that covers the upper opening is removably attached to the upper end of this tank body 40, and by removing this lid body, water (e.g., tap water) can be filled into the tank body 40.

[0025] An annular mounting portion 44 that defines an electrode mounting opening 42 is provided on the bottom wall 36 of the tank body 40 in correspondence with the pair of body-side terminal portions 32, and a male thread portion 46 is provided on the outer circumferential surface of this annular mounting portion 44. In addition, a connection protrusion 46 is provided on this bottom wall 36 in correspondence with the connection recess 33 on the cleaner body 4 side, and a cleaning liquid outlet is provided in this connection protrusion 46, and a water supply valve (not shown) is built into this connection protrusion 46.

[0026] Tank body An electrode unit 48 for electrolyzing the water (e.g., tap water) in the flush water tank 6 is attached to the annular mounting portion 44 of the electrolytic capacitor 40. The electrode unit 48 is composed of a short cylindrical unit body 50 and a pair of electrode members 52 provided on one side of the unit body 50. An annular step portion 53 is provided on the outer circumferential surface of the unit body 50, and the outer diameter of one end side (electrode side) of the annular step portion 53 is larger than the outer diameter of the other end side.

[0027] The electrode unit 48 is detachably attached to the annular attachment portion 44 of the tank body 40 by a cylindrical attachment member 54. 40An annular support flange 55 protruding radially inward is provided at the electrode mounting opening 42, and the inner diameter of this annular support flange 55 is smaller than the outer diameter of one end of the unit body 50, and the outer diameter of this one end corresponds to the inner diameter of the annular mounting portion 44 of the tank body 40. A female thread portion 56 corresponding to the male thread portion 46 on the tank body 40 side is provided on the inner circumferential surface of the tubular mounting member 54, and an annular flange 58 capable of abutting against the annular step portion 53 of the unit body 50 is provided on this inner circumferential surface. Furthermore, a plurality of ridges 60 are provided at intervals in the circumferential direction on the outer circumferential surface of the tubular mounting member 54.

[0028] With this configuration, the pair of electrode members 52 are inserted into the tank body 40 through the electrode mounting opening 42, and one end (the part with a larger outer diameter) of the unit body 50 is further inserted into the annular mounting portion 44, and the outer periphery of this one end is placed and held on the annular support flange 55 of the annular mounting portion 44. Thereafter, the cylindrical mounting member 54 is positioned so as to cover the unit body 50, and in this state, the female thread portion 56 of the cylindrical mounting member 54 is screwed into the male thread portion 46 on the tank body 40 side, and rotated in the tightening direction, and tightened in this manner, whereby the electrode unit 48 can be attached to the tank body 40. In this mounted state, as shown in FIG. 2, the pair of electrode members 52 are disposed at the lower part inside the tank body 40, and the annular flange 58 of the cylindrical mounting member 54 abuts against the annular step portion 53 of the unit body 50, and the outer periphery of one end of the unit body 40 is pressed against and fixed to the annular support flange 55 of the annular mounting portion 44 on the tank body 40 side. It is preferable to provide an annular seal 62 for sealing between the outer periphery of one end of the unit body 50 and the annular support flange 55 on the tank body 40 side.

[0029] Next, the pair of electrode members 52 will be described mainly with reference to Fig. 4 and Fig. 5. The electrode member 52 is made of a rectangular plate member, and a plurality of through holes 64 are provided in the plate member in the up, down, left and right directions. By providing the plurality of through holes 64 in this manner, it is possible to prevent bubbles generated on the surface of the electrode member 52 from adhering to the surface, and thus it is possible to improve the efficiency of the electrolytic treatment by the pair of electrode members 52. Support spacers 66 are provided on both sides of the pair of electrode members 52, and the support spacers 66 keep the distance between the pair of electrode members 52 at, for example, about 1.0 to 2.0 mm. A general punching plate can be used as such a plate member.

[0030] In this electrode unit 48, a pair of electrode side terminals 68 are provided on the outer surface of the unit body 50 in correspondence with the body side terminals 32 (see Figure 3) on the cleaning device body 4 side, and electrolytic power from the cleaning device body 4 side is supplied to the pair of electrode members 52 through the body side terminals 32 and the electrode side terminals 68, and water (e.g., tap water) is electrolyzed between the pair of electrode members 52 by the electrolytic power thus supplied.

[0031] Because of this configuration, when the cleaning water tank 6 is attached to the tank mounting portion 28 of the cleaning device body 4, as can be seen from Figures 1 to 3, the pair of electrode side terminals 68 on the electrode unit 48 side and the pair of body side terminals 32 on the cleaning device body 4 side are electrically connected, and the connection protrusion 46 on the tank body 40 side (Figure 4) is inserted into and connected to the connection recess 33 (Figure 3) on the cleaning device body 4 side. In this connected state, the cleaning liquid outlet of the connection protrusion 46 on the tank body 40 side and the cleaning liquid inlet of the connection recess 33 on the cleaning device body 4 side communicate with each other, and by being connected in this manner, the water supply valve (not shown) built into the connection protrusion 46 on the tank body 40 side is opened, allowing the water (cleaning water) in the cleaning water tank 6 to be supplied to the cleaning device body 4 side.

[0032] 1 and 6, an operation setting unit 70 is provided on the upper surface of the front part 26 of the irrigator body 4, and the operation setting unit 70 is provided with a main control switch 72, a first concentration setting switch 74, and a second concentration setting switch 76. In this embodiment, the main control switch 72 functions as a main power switch 78 and a water pressure setting switch 80, and the angular position shown in Figs. 1 and 6 is the off position. When in this off position, the main power is turned off, and commercial power from an external commercial power source (not shown) is not supplied to the oral irrigator 2. When the main control switch 80 is rotated clockwise from the off position in Figs. 1 and 6, it becomes a standby position, and commercial power from an external commercial power source is supplied to the oral irrigator 2, and the oral irrigator 2 becomes a standby state. When the main control switch 80 is further rotated clockwise, it functions as a water pressure setting switch 80, and the spray water pressure of the cleaning water sprayed from the cleaning nozzle 8 increases as the amount of rotation increases.

[0033] 1 and 6, the first concentration setting switch 74 is for electrolyzing the water (e.g., tap water) in the cleaning water tank 6 in a time mode, and is set clockwise to an OFF position, a first time setting position (e.g., a 2-minute operation position), a second time setting position (e.g., a 3-minute operation position), and a third time setting position (e.g., a 5-minute operation position). When in the OFF position, the time mode setting is invalid, and electrolytic power is not supplied to the electrode unit 48 in the time mode, and when in the first time setting position (or the second time setting position, or the third time setting position), electrolytic power is supplied to the electrode unit 48 in the time mode as described below.

[0034] 1 and 6, the second concentration setting switch 76 is for electrolyzing the water (e.g., tap water) in the cleaning water tank 6 in the concentration mode, and is set clockwise to the OFF position, a first concentration setting position (e.g., 2 ppm operating position), a second concentration setting position (e.g., 3 ppm operating position), and a third concentration setting position (e.g., 5 ppm operating position). When in the OFF position, the concentration mode setting is invalid, and electrolysis power is not supplied to the electrode unit 48 in the concentration mode, and when in the first concentration setting position (or the second concentration setting position, or the third concentration setting position), electrolysis power is supplied to the electrode unit 48 in the concentration mode as described below.

[0035] Operation signals from the main control switch 72 (main power switch 72, water pressure setting switch 80), the first concentration setting switch 74 and the second concentration setting switch 76 are sent to a controller 82 that controls the mouthwash device 2.

[0036] In this embodiment, the main control switch 72 functions as both the main power switch 78 and the water pressure setting switch 80. However, instead of this configuration, the main power switch 78 and the water pressure setting switch 80 may be provided as independent, separate switches.

[0037] This mouthwash device 2 is further provided with a concentration sensor 84 (see FIG. 7) for detecting the chlorine concentration (i.e., free chlorine concentration) in the water (washing water) in the wash water tank 6, and a detection signal from this concentration sensor 84 is sent to the controller 82. Also, a feed pump 86 (see FIG. 2) is disposed in the rear portion 24 of the wash water body 4, and the inlet side of the feed pump 86 is connected to the tank body 40, and the outlet side is connected to the wash nozzle 8 via the feed hose 16. Therefore, when the feed pump 86 is operated, Cleaning water tank Water (cleaning water) in 6 is fed to cleaning nozzle 8 through feed hose 16. Also, an LED 88 is provided in association with tank body 40, and this LED 88 lights up when water (tap water) is being electrolyzed by electrode unit 48, indicating that water is being electrolyzed.

[0038] Furthermore, a first circuit board 90 is built into the front part 26 of the irrigator main body 4, and various electronic components (not shown) for controlling the entire oral irrigator 2 are mounted on this first circuit board 90, and a second circuit board 92 is built into the rear part 24 in association with the feed pump 86, and various electronic components (not shown) for controlling the feed pump 86 are mounted on this second circuit board 92, and the first and second circuit boards 90, 92 constitute a controller 82 for controlling the feed pump 86, LED 88 and electrode unit 48 as described below.

[0039] The controller 82 includes a microprocessor and the like, and is provided with an electrolytic power supply signal generating means 102, a concentration calculating means 104, a concentration determining means 106, a time determining means 108, a control means 110, a clocking means 112, and a memory means 114. The electrolytic power supply signal generating means 102 generates an electrolytic power supply signal, and electrolytic processing is performed by the electrode unit 48 based on this electrolytic power supply signal. The concentration calculating means 104 calculates the concentration of free chlorine in the cleaning solution based on a detection signal from the concentration sensor 84, and the concentration determining means 104 determines whether the free chlorine concentration in the cleaning solution has reached a predetermined concentration based on the calculation result of the concentration calculating means 104.

[0040] In this embodiment, when electrolytic processing is performed in the concentration mode, the concentration can be set to a first set concentration (e.g., 2 ppm), a second set concentration (e.g., 3 ppm), and a third set concentration (e.g., 5 ppm). Therefore, when the first set concentration (or the second set concentration, the third set concentration) is set, when the calculation result by the concentration calculation means 104 reaches the first set concentration (or the second set concentration, the third set concentration), the concentration determination means 106 determines that the set predetermined concentration has been reached, as described below.

[0041] Furthermore, the timer means 112 measures time, and the time determination means 108 determines whether the timer means 112 has measured a predetermined time from the start of electrolysis (i.e., generation of the electrolysis power supply signal). In this embodiment, when electrolysis is performed in the time mode, the first set time (e.g., 2 minutes), the second set time (e.g., 3 minutes), and the third set time (e.g., 5 minutes) can be set, and therefore, when the first set time (or the second set time, the third set time) is set, the time determination means 108 determines that the set predetermined time has been reached (in other words, the free chlorine concentration corresponding to the set time has been reached) when the timer means 112 has measured the first set time (or the second set time, the third set time), as described below.

[0042] Furthermore, the control means 110 controls the feed pump 86, the LED 88, and the electrode unit 48 as described below. Also, various data are registered in the memory means 114, such as the set concentrations (first to third set concentrations) in the concentration mode and the set times (first to third set times) in the time mode.

[0043] Next, mouth washing using the above-mentioned mouth washing device 2 will be described mainly with reference to Fig. 2 and Fig. 7 to Fig. 9. When performing mouth washing, first, the main power switch 78 is turned on (ON) (in this embodiment, the main control switch 78 is operated to set the device in standby mode). Then, the process proceeds from step S1 to step S2, and neutral electrolyzed water to be used as washing water is started to be generated. The start operation of this neutral electrolyzed water will be described later with reference to Fig. 9.

[0044] When neutral electrolyzed water is generated as required, the process proceeds from step S3 to step S4. In step S4, the operation of the electrode unit 48 is stopped (as described below, it operates when the generation of neutral electrolyzed water starts), and in the next step S5, the LED 88 is turned off (as described below, it turns on when the generation of neutral electrolyzed water starts), thus completing the process of generating neutral electrolyzed water.

[0045] Thereafter, the generated neutral cleansing water is used for mouth washing. When performing mouth washing, first, the water pressure setting switch 80 is rotated to set the supply amount supplied from the cleansing water tank 6, in other words, the water pressure of the cleansing water sprayed from the cleansing nozzle 8 (in this embodiment, the main control switch 72 is operated to set the water pressure sprayed from the cleansing nozzle 8) (step S6).

[0046] Next, the water stop switch 22 (FIG. 1) is turned on (released) (step S7). This causes the supply pump 86 to operate, and the water (cleaning water) in the cleaning water tank 6 is supplied to the cleaning nozzle 8 through the supply hose 16. The supplied cleaning water is sprayed from the nozzle portion 20, and the sprayed cleaning water can be used to clean the inside of the mouth.

[0047] When the pressure of the flushing water to be sprayed is appropriate, flushing water is sprayed at the set pressure until the water stop switch 22 is turned off, and when this pressure is not appropriate, the process moves from step S9 to FIG. S10, and the spray amount (in other words, the spray water pressure) is changed. For example, when the pressure of the flushing water is strong (or weak), the water pressure setting switch 80 (main control switch 72) is rotated in the direction to weaken (or strengthen) the pressure to adjust the spray pressure of the flushing water, and when this rotation is performed, the rotation speed of the feed pump 86 is controlled, and the flushing water in the flushing water tank 6 is sprayed from the flushing nozzle 8 at the adjusted spray pressure. In this embodiment, the rotation speed of the feed pump 86 is configured to increase steplessly according to the amount of operation (amount of rotation) of the water pressure setting switch 80, and therefore, by adjusting the amount of operation, the pressure of the flushing liquid sprayed from the flushing nozzle 8 can be changed steplessly.

[0048] When the water stop switch 22 is turned off (closed) after mouth irrigation, the process proceeds from step S11 to step S12, the supply pump 86 stops operating, the mouth irrigator 2 ends, and the mouth irrigator 2 goes into a standby state. When it is time to resume the production of neutral electrolyzed water in this standby state, the process returns to step S2 via step S13 to step S14, and the production of neutral electrolyzed water is resumed. On the other hand, when the use of the mouth irrigator 2 is to be ended, the main power switch 78 (main control switch 72) is turned off. This ends the supply of power to the mouth irrigator 2, and its use ends.

[0049] Next, the electrolytic water generating process will be described with reference to FIG. 9. When the generation of electrolytic water starts, the generating mode is set (step S2-1). At this time, when the first concentration setting switch 74 is operated, the time mode is set, and when the second concentration setting switch 76 is operated, the concentration mode is set. When the time mode is set by the first concentration setting switch 74, the process proceeds from step S2-2 to step S2-4, and the first concentration setting switch 74 is rotated to set the concentration by time. For example, when the first concentration setting switch 74 is rotated by one step (or two steps, or three steps), the first set concentration (or the second set concentration, or the third set concentration) is set.

[0050] When the settings are completed in this manner, electrolysis power is supplied to the electrode unit 48, which operates it to perform electrolysis on the water (tap water) in the cleaning water tank 6 (step S2-5), and when this electrolysis starts, the LED 88 lights up (step S2-6) to indicate that electrolysis is being performed by the electrode unit 48. During this electrolysis, the power supply to the feed pump 86 is stopped, and the feed pump 86 is not operated.

[0051] Even if the water stop switch 22 is turned on (released) during this electrolysis process, the feed pump 86 will not be operated. However, if the water pressure setting switch 80 (main control switch 72) is operated to set the amount of washing water to be sprayed by the feed pump 86 while the water stop switch 22 is turned on, the step S2-7 fromMoving on to step S8 (see FIG. 8), the supply of electrolytic power to the electrode unit 48 is forcibly terminated, after which cleaning water is supplied by the supply pump 86 and cleaning water for rinsing the mouth is sprayed from the cleaning nozzle 8.

[0052] On the other hand, if the first set time (or the second set time, or the third set time) has elapsed without the water pressure setting switch 80 setting the spray volume of the supply pump 86, the process proceeds from step S2-8 to step S2-9, the electrolysis process by the electrode unit 48 ends, and the production of neutral electrolyzed water ends, thus producing neutral electrolyzed water as cleaning water.

[0053] Furthermore, when the concentration mode is set by the second concentration setting switch 76, the process proceeds from step S2-2 through step S2-3 to step S2-10, and the concentration is set by rotating the second concentration setting switch 76. For example, when the second concentration setting switch 76 is rotated one step (or two steps, or three steps), the first set concentration (or the second set concentration, or the third set concentration) is set.

[0054] When the settings are completed in this manner, electrolysis power is supplied to the electrode unit 48, which operates to perform electrolysis on the water (tap water) in the cleaning water tank 6 (step S2-11), and when this electrolysis starts, the LED 88 lights up (step S2-12) to indicate that electrolysis is being performed by the electrode unit 48. During this electrolysis, the power supply to the feed pump 86 is stopped, and the feed pump 86 is not operated.

[0055] Even if the water stop switch 22 is turned on (released) during this electrolysis process, the supply pump 86 will not be operated. However, if the water stop switch 22 is turned on and the water pressure setting switch 80 (main control switch 72) is operated to set the amount of cleaning water to be sprayed by the supply pump 86, the process moves from step S2-13 to step S8 (see Figure 8), and, as described above, after the supply of electrolytic power to the electrode unit 48 is forcibly terminated, cleaning water is supplied by the supply pump 86 and cleaning water for mouth washing is sprayed from the cleaning nozzle 8.

[0056] During this electrolysis, the concentration sensor 84 detects the free chlorine concentration of the water (tap water) being electrolyzed in the cleaning water tank 6, and the detection signal from the concentration sensor 84 is sent to the controller 82, and the concentration calculation means 104 calculates the free chlorine concentration of this water (tap water) (step S2-14). Then, when the free chlorine concentration of the water (tap water) being electrolyzed reaches the first set concentration (or the second set concentration, or the third set concentration) without the water pressure setting switch 80 setting the injection amount of the feed pump 86, the process proceeds from step S2-15 to step S2-16, the electrolysis by the electrode unit 48 ends, the production of neutral electrolyzed water ends, and neutral electrolyzed water is thus produced as cleaning water.

[0057] By electrolyzing the water in this way, neutral electrolyzed water (for example, electrolyzed water with a pH of 5.8 to 8.6) with approximately the same pH as the water (tap water) before electrolysis is generated, and such neutral electrolyzed water can be conveniently used for mouthwash. The pH of the neutral electrolyzed water used as wash water is preferably approximately the same as the water before electrolysis (i.e., raw water), and the pH value of the general tap water quality standard is pH 5.8 to 8.6. By electrolyzing the tap water as described above, the pH value rises slightly by about 0 to 0.2, so that the pH value of the generated electrolyzed water is maintained in the range of about 5.8 to 8.6.

[0058] In addition, the free chlorine concentration of the neutral electrolyzed water thus electrolyzed is preferably 1.2 to 5.0 ppm, and cleaning water with such a free chlorine concentration sufficiently retains the sterilization effect and meets the WHO drinking water quality guidelines.

[0059] In the above-described embodiment, the time mode and the concentration mode are selectable, but it is also possible to adopt only one of the modes, for example, the time mode (or the concentration mode), in which case the second concentration setting switch 76 (or the first concentration setting switch 74) is omitted.

[0060] In the above embodiment, the first concentration setting switch 74 is configured to be able to set the set time in three stages (for example, 2 minutes, 3 minutes, and 5 minutes), but it is not limited to these three stages and may be configured to be able to set in one or two stages or four or more stages. The set time set by the first concentration setting switch 74 can be set to an appropriate time corresponding to the free chlorine concentration of the neutral electrolyzed water to be generated.

[0061] Also, the second concentration setting switch 76 is configured to be able to set the set concentration in three stages (for example, 2 ppm, 3 ppm, 5 ppm), but is not limited to these three stages, and may be configured to be able to set in one or two stages, or four or more stages. The set concentration set by the second concentration setting switch 76 can also be set to an appropriate free chlorine concentration.

[0062] Next, a second embodiment of the mouthwash according to the present invention will be described with reference to Figures 10 to 12. In this second embodiment, the electrode unit is configured to be inserted from the upper side of the cleaning liquid tank. In this second embodiment, the same reference numbers are used for the members that are substantially the same as those in the first embodiment described above, and their description will be omitted.

[0063] 10 and 11, in the second embodiment, the mouth irrigator 2A includes an irrigator main body 4A, a cleaning water tank 6A that contains cleaning water, a cleaning nozzle 8A that sprays cleaning water into the mouth, and a cover 122 that covers the top opening of the cleaning water tank 6A. A tank mounting part 28A is provided at the rear part 24A of the irrigator main body 4A, and a tank body 40A of the cleaning water tank 6A is detachably attached so as to fit over the outer circumferential surface of the tank mounting part 28A. In the second embodiment, as in the first embodiment, a connection recess 33A (where a cleaning liquid inlet is provided) is provided in the tank mounting part 28A, and a connection protrusion (not shown) (where a cleaning liquid outlet is provided) is provided at a predetermined position on the tank body 40A, and when the tank body 40A is attached to the tank mounting part 28A, the connection recess 33A (where a cleaning liquid inlet) on the tank mounting part 28A side and the connection protrusion (where a cleaning liquid outlet) on the tank body 40A side are connected.

[0064] In the second embodiment, a holding member 124 (see FIG. 10) for elastically holding the cleaning nozzle 8 is provided on the front surface of the cleaning device main body 4A, and the grip body portion 18A of the cleaning nozzle 8 is detachably held by this holding member. A main control switch 72 (functioning as a main power switch and a water pressure setting switch) and a first concentration setting switch 74 (the second concentration setting switch is omitted) are provided on the side surface of the front portion 26A of the cleaning device main body 4A, and a configuration is made such that a plurality of set times can be selectively set by this first concentration setting switch 74. Note that a second concentration setting switch may be provided instead of the first concentration setting switch 74, and a configuration is made such that a plurality of set concentrations can be selectively set.

[0065] The illustrated lid body 122 has a lid body main body 126 for covering the upper surface of the front part 26A of the cleaning device main body 4A and the upper opening of the cleaning water tank 6A, and an electrode unit 48A is provided at the rear of this lid body main body 126, and is configured so that the cylindrical base 128 of the unit body 50A of this electrode unit 48A is inserted and held in the upper opening of the tank main body 40A.

[0066] In connection with the arrangement of electrode unit 48A on the lid 122 side, a pair of body side electrodes 32A are provided on the upper surface of the front part 26A of the cleaning body 4A (shown in FIG. 11 but omitted in FIG. 12), and further a pair of lid side electrodes (not shown) corresponding to the pair of body side electrodes 32A are provided on the lower front surface of the lid body 126. The other configurations of this second embodiment may be similar to those of the first embodiment described above.

[0067] The mouth irrigator 2A of the second embodiment can be disassembled as shown in Fig. 11 when performing maintenance such as cleaning, and can be assembled as shown in Fig. 12 after maintenance. In Figs. 11 and 12, when assembling the mouth irrigator 2A, the bottom of the tank body 40A is attached to the tank mounting part 28A of the irrigator body 4A as shown in Fig. 12(a). When attached in this manner, the bottom outer peripheral wall of the tank body 40A fits over the tank mounting part 28A on the irrigator body 4A side, and the bottom wall is placed on the tank mounting part 28A, and thus the lower part of the cleaning water tank 6A is attached to the irrigator body 4A. In this attached state, the connection recess 33A (cleaning liquid inlet) on the tank mounting part 28A side and the connection protrusion (cleaning liquid outlet) on the tank body 40A side are connected, and cleaning water in the cleaning water tank 40A can be supplied to the irrigator body 4A side.

[0068] Thereafter, as shown in FIG. 12(b), the electrode member 50A of the electrode unit 48A is inserted into the cleaning water tank 6A while the lid 122 is attached to the upper end of the cleaning device main body 4A and the cleaning water tank 6A. In this embodiment, the front part of the lid body 126 is placed on the upper surface of the front part 26A of the cleaning device main body 4A, and the cylindrical base part 150 of the electrode unit 48A on the lid body 126 side is inserted into the upper end opening of the cleaning water tank 6A, and thus the lid 122 is attached to the cleaning device main body 4A and the cleaning water tank 6A. In this attached state, the pair of main body side electrodes 32A on the cleaning device main body 4A side and the pair of lid side electrodes (not shown) on the lid body 126 side are electrically connected, and electrolytic power can be supplied from the cleaning device main body 4A to the electrode unit 48A side. In this manner, the oral irrigator 2A can be assembled as shown in FIG. 12(c), and oral irrigation using this can be performed in the same manner as in the first embodiment.

[0069] Although the embodiment of the mouthwash of the present invention has been described above, the present invention is not limited to such an embodiment, and various changes and modifications can be made without departing from the scope of the present invention.

[0070] In order to confirm whether neutral electrolyzed water can be generated using tap water, the following experiment was carried out. In the electrolysis treatment of this experiment, 500cc of tap water was placed in a container, and a pair of electrode members were immersed in the tap water. In this immersed state, an electrolysis voltage of 24 V was applied between the pair of electrode members to perform electrolysis treatment, and the free chlorine concentration of the electrolyzed water was measured at the time when an electrolysis current of 500mA (constant current) was supplied for 3 minutes and at the time when it was supplied for 6 minutes. Then, this measurement experiment of the free chlorine concentration was carried out five times, and the free chlorine concentration was measured in each measurement experiment. The free chlorine concentration of the tap water (original tap water) used in this measurement experiment of the free chlorine concentration was 0.62ppm. The free chlorine concentration was measured five times and the results are shown in Table 1.

[0071] [Table 1]

[0072] The results of this measurement experiment showed that continuous electrolysis for 3 minutes increased the free chlorine concentration by approximately 1.84 ppm (to approximately 2.46 ppm), and continuous electrolysis for 6 minutes increased the free chlorine concentration by approximately 3.25 ppm (to approximately 3.87 ppm).It was therefore found that electrolysis of drinking tap water for 3 to 6 minutes produces a free chlorine concentration sufficient to exert a sterilizing effect.

[0073] In addition, an experiment was conducted to confirm the antibacterial performance against periodontal disease bacteria (Porphyromonas gingivalis) using neutral electrolyzed water (pH 7.49, free chlorine concentration 4.8 ppm). The bactericidal test was conducted according to JIS8701 Appendix C "Bactericidal test method" with some modification of the test direction. The test liquid was used to confirm the antibacterial performance against periodontal disease bacteria (Porphyromonas gingivalis). 8 ~1.0×10 9 The test bacteria solution was prepared so that the concentration was 1 / mL.

[0074] Just before the test, 0.1 mL of the test bacteria liquid was added to each of the 9.8 mL samples dispensed into sterilized test tubes, and the samples were stirred for 30 seconds using a vortex mixer. After that, 0.1 mL of 3% sodium thiosulfate was added and stirred for 30 seconds to stop the reaction. After the reaction was stopped, 0.1 mL of the sample was taken and smeared on sheep blood agar medium. A control test using sterilized purified water was also conducted in the same manner. Each test was conducted in triplicate.

[0075] After the bactericidal test, the mixture was cultured at 35±1℃ for 48 hours, and the number of colonies that appeared in each medium was counted. The bactericidal performance was calculated from the number of bacteria in the control and the number of remaining bacteria under each condition using the following formula.

[0076] Sterilization performance (N)=log(X0 / X1) ···(1) X0: Viable cell count in purified water (CFU / mL) X1: Viable bacteria count in hypochlorous acid water (CFU / mL) The results of the bactericidal activity test for each sample are shown in Table 2.

[0077] [Table 2]

[0078] The bactericidal performance against the test bacteria, Porphyromonas gingivalis, was judged to be 5.2 or higher. Note that, unlike the original test method, this test measured the number of bacteria in 0.1 mL, so a judgment based on bactericidal performance (6.0 or higher) was not made. From the results of this bacteria count performance experiment, it was confirmed that neutral electrolyzed water with a free chlorine concentration of 4.8 ppm has a sufficient bactericidal effect against Porphyromonas gingivalis (periodontal disease bacteria). [Explanation of symbols]

[0079] 2,2A Mouthwash 4,4A Cleaning unit 6,6A Cleaning water tank 8,8A Cleaning nozzle 28,28A Tank mounting part 32, 32A Main unit terminal 40,40A Tank body 48,48A Electrode Unit 52, 52A Electrode material 72 Main control switch 74,76 Density setting switch 82 Controller 106 Concentration determination means 108 Time determination means

Claims

1. the device comprises a cleaning device body, a cleaning water tank attached to a tank mounting portion of the cleaning device body, a cleaning nozzle for cleaning the inside of the mouth, a supply pump for supplying cleaning water in the cleaning water tank to the cleaning nozzle, an electrode unit for electrolyzing the water in the cleaning water tank, and an electrode power supply for supplying electrolytic power to the electrode unit, a bottom surface of the flush water tank having an annular mounting portion defining an electrode mounting opening, the electrode mounting opening having an annular support flange protruding radially inward, and an external thread portion provided on an outer peripheral surface of the annular mounting portion; the electrode unit comprises a unit body having a shape corresponding to the electrode mounting opening, and a pair of electrode members provided on the unit body and inserted through the electrode mounting opening on the flush water tank side, an annular step portion is provided on the outer peripheral surface of the unit body, and the outer diameter of one end side of the unit body across the annular step portion is larger than the outer diameter of the other end side, Furthermore, a cylindrical mounting member is provided for mounting the electrode unit, and an inner peripheral surface of the cylindrical mounting member is provided with a female thread portion corresponding to the male thread portion of the annular mounting portion on the flushing water tank side, and an annular flange capable of abutting the annular step portion of the unit body is provided, and by screwing the annular flange to the annular mounting portion on the flushing water tank side, the electrode unit is mounted between the annular support flange of the annular mounting portion and the annular flange of the cylindrical mounting member, When the electrolytic power is supplied from the electrode power supply to the electrode unit, the water in the cleaning water tank is electrolyzed by the electrode unit, thereby generating neutral electrolyzed water having a free chlorine concentration of 1.2 to 5.0 ppm.

2. The oral irrigator described in claim 1, characterized in that the tank mounting portion of the irrigator body is provided with a main body side terminal portion electrically connected to the electrode power supply and a cleaning liquid inlet port connected to the supply pump, and the bottom of the cleaning water tank is provided with an electrode side terminal portion electrically connected to the electrode unit and a cleaning liquid outlet port for discharging cleaning water, and when the cleaning water tank is attached to the tank mounting portion of the irrigator body, the main body side terminal portion and the electrode side terminal portion are electrically connected, and the cleaning liquid inlet port on the irrigator main body side and the cleaning liquid outlet port on the cleaning water tank side are connected.

3. 3. The mouthwash according to claim 1, wherein the pH of the neutral electrolyzed water is approximately the same as the pH of the water before electrolysis.

4. A mouthwash device as described in any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that a controller for controlling the supply pump and the electrode unit is provided in association with the supply pump and the electrode unit, and the controller stops the supply of the electrolytic power to the electrode unit when the supply pump is operated, and stops the operation of the supply pump when the electrolytic power is supplied to the electrode unit.

5. The oral irrigator described in claim 4, characterized in that the controller is configured to control the rotation speed of the supply pump so as to increase steplessly from zero, thereby causing the pressure of the cleaning water sprayed from the cleaning nozzle to increase steplessly from zero.

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