Interdental Cleaning Tools

Abstract

To provide an interdental cleaner which makes it easy to transfer the force of a hand.SOLUTION: The interdental cleaner comprises: a body A which includes a base 1 having a grip 11 grippable with fingers and an extending part 12 extending in a first direction Xa from the grip 11, a bending part 2 extending from an end of the extending part 12 opposite from the grip 11 and bending in a second direction Xb intersecting with the first direction Xa, and a shaft 3 which extends along the second direction Xb from an end of the bending part 2 opposite from the extending part 12; and a cleaning part 4 which is formed on the shaft 3 and constituted of an outer shape insertable into an interdental space. In the extending part 12, its cross section orthogonal to the first direction Xa has a shape of a convex polygon with an odd number of apexes. A face 12b of a back side being the bending outer side of the bending part 2 is formed as a flat face corresponding to a side of the convex polygon.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

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

[0002] Conventionally, there is known an interdental cleaner suitable for cleaning between molars (see, for example, Patent Document 1). This interdental cleaner comprises a main body having a base having a gripping portion at one end that can be held with fingers and a shaft extending from the other end of the base, and a cleaning portion made of an elastic material having a hardness lower than that of the main body and covering at least a part of the outer surface of the shaft.

[0003] The interdental cleaner described in Patent Document 1 has a base portion (called a handle base material body in the document) that has a handle body and a tapered base material portion, and the tip of the tapered base material portion is curved. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] JP 2016-104382 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] However, when the space between the teeth is narrow, the frictional force acting between the cleaning part and the teeth is large, and therefore a relatively large force may be required to insert the cleaning part between the teeth. However, with the interdental cleaners disclosed in Patent Documents 1 and 2, it may be difficult to transmit the force of the hand to the interdental cleaner.

[0006] Therefore, there is a need to develop an interdental cleaning tool that allows the force of the hand to be easily transmitted. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] An interdental cleaning tool according to one embodiment of the present invention comprises a main body having a base having a handle portion that can be held with fingers and an extension portion extending from the handle portion in a first direction, a bent portion extending from an end of the extension portion opposite the handle portion and bent toward a second direction intersecting the first direction, and a shaft portion extending from an end of the bent portion opposite the extension portion along the second direction, and a cleaning portion formed on the shaft portion and configured with an outer shape that allows it to be inserted between teeth, wherein the extension portion has a cross-sectional shape perpendicular to the first direction that is a convex polygon having an odd number of vertices, and the dorsal surface of the extension portion, which is on the outer side of the bend of the bent portion, is formed as a flat surface corresponding to the sides of the convex polygon.

[0008] According to this interdental cleaner, when the interdental cleaner is gripped by grasping the entire extension and grip, a stable gripping position can be achieved by abutting the pad of the fingertip of the thumb against the back side of the extension and the first joint of the index finger against the second direction side (ventral side) of the extension. Also, when the interdental cleaner is gripped by pinching the grip with the thumb and middle finger and moving the index finger along the extension, the gripping position can be stabilized by abutting the pad of the fingertip of the index finger against the back side of the extension. Thus, according to the above configuration, the gripping position of the interdental cleaner is easily stabilized, so that the force of the hand can be easily transmitted to the interdental cleaner, and the operation of inserting the cleaning part between the teeth can be easily performed.

[0009] In another configuration, the convex polygon is preferably a triangle or a convex pentagon.

[0010] In this way, it is easier to ensure a flat surface on the back side of the extension that is large enough for the pad of the thumb to abut against, compared to when the convex polygon is a heptagon or greater.

[0011] Alternatively, the convex polygon is preferably an isosceles triangle, and the flat surface corresponds to a base of the isosceles triangle.

[0012] This makes it easier to ensure that the back side of the extension has a flat surface large enough for the pad of the thumb to come into contact with. Also, since the cross section is line symmetrical, the gripping position is easier to stabilize.

[0013] Further features and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from the following description of exemplary and non-limiting embodiments, which are given with reference to the drawings. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0014] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an interdental cleaning tool according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Diagram 2] Cross-sectional view taken along line II-II in Figure 1. [Diagram 3] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of use of an interdental cleaning tool according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 4] 10 is a cross-sectional view of an extension portion of an interdental cleaning tool according to another embodiment of the present invention; DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0015] 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.

[0016] [Configuration of interdental cleaning tool] As shown in Fig. 1, the interdental cleaner D according to this embodiment comprises 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 soft member B made of an elastic material having a hardness lower than that of the main body A and having a cleaning portion 4. Hereinafter, the interdental cleaner D will be described with the outer side of the bent portion 2 (the right side of the page in Fig. 1) being the dorsal side, and the inner side of the bent portion 2 (the left side of the page in Fig. 1) being the ventral side.

[0017] In the following description, the meanings of terms related to the shape of a figure (such as "polygon," "vertex," and "orthogonal") are not limited to the mathematical definition of the term, but include the deformations that may be usually applied when implementing the shape represented by the term in an industrial product. For example, "polygon" in the following description is not limited to a polygon based on the mathematical definition of a closed curve surrounded by multiple line segments, but includes shapes in which the vertices of a polygon based on the mathematical definition are rounded or chamfered. Furthermore, "orthogonal" in the following description is not limited to a state in which two points intersect at a right angle, but includes a state in which two points intersect at an angle of about 90 degrees that can be considered to be a right angle in practical use. Terms other than those exemplified here should not be interpreted as being limited to their strict mathematical meaning.

[0018] 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.

[0019] The soft member B 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.

[0020] The grip portion 11 is configured in a shape that allows a user to grip it with the pads of two fingers. The thickness of a ventral gripping portion 11a located on the ventral side of the grip portion 11 is smaller than the thickness of a dorsal gripping portion 11b located on the dorsal side of the grip portion 11. The grip portion 11 is also provided with a through hole portion 11c.

[0021] The extension portion 12 extends from the grip portion 11 in the first direction Xa. The extension portion 12 is configured so that the shape of a cross section C perpendicular to the first direction Xa is an isosceles triangle (FIG. 2). Here, the ventral extension portion 12a, which is the surface located on the ventral side of the extension portion 12, is configured in a peak-like shape corresponding to the apex Cc of the isosceles triangle of the cross section C of the extension portion 12. On the other hand, the extension back surface 12b located on the dorsal side of the extension portion 12 is configured as a flat surface corresponding to the base Cb of the isosceles triangle of the cross section C of the extension portion 12. Therefore, the thickness of the ventral extension portion 12a is smaller than the thickness of the extension back surface 12b. The ventral extension portion 12a is connected to the ventral grip portion 11a, and the extension back surface 12b is connected to the dorsal grip portion 11b.

[0022] The shaft portion 3 extends in the second direction Xb from the end of the base portion 1 opposite the grip portion 11 via the bent portion 2. The intersection angle between the first direction Xa and the second direction Xb (the inner bend angle of the bent portion 2) is preferably 30 degrees or more and 150 degrees or less, more preferably 80 degrees or more and 140 degrees or less, and even more preferably 100 degrees or more and 130 degrees or less.

[0023] The cleaning part 4, which constitutes a part of the soft member B, covers at least a part of the outer surface of the shaft part 3 and has an outer shape that allows it to be inserted between teeth. As shown in FIG. 1, the cleaning part 4 in this embodiment has a covering part 41 that adheres closely to the entire shaft part 3, and a brush part 42 having a plurality (a large number) of bristles that protrude outward from the covering part 41. The covering part 41 is configured with a wall thickness smaller than the diameter of the shaft part 3. The brush part 42 is formed in a cone shape that tapers as it moves away from the covering part 41. In the interdental cleaning tool D according to this embodiment, when the cleaning part 4 is inserted between teeth, the bristles of the brush part 42 flexibly deform, and the covering part 41 and the brush part 42 come into contact with the teeth, so that foreign matter (such as food debris) present between the teeth and foreign matter (such as plaque) attached to the teeth can be removed.

[0024] [How to use the interdental cleaning tool] Next, a method of using the interdental cleaner D according to this embodiment will be described. The interdental cleaner D having the bent portion 2 can be held in roughly the following three ways. (1) A first gripping method in which the grip portion 11 is pinched between the thumb and index finger. (2) A second gripping method in which the grip portion 11 is pinched between the thumb and middle finger and the index finger is placed along the extended back surface 12b of the extended portion 12. (3) A third gripping method in which the entire areas of the grip portion 11 and the extension portion 12 are gripped.

[0025] The interdental cleaner D according to this embodiment has a structure that is particularly suitable for the second and third gripping methods among the above three types of gripping. When the interdental cleaner D is gripped by the second gripping method, the extended back surface 12b is flat, so that the pad of the index finger can easily be aligned along the extended back surface 12b. When the interdental cleaner D is gripped by the third gripping method, a stable gripping posture can be taken by abutting the pad of the thumb against the extended back surface 12b and abutting the first joint of the index finger against the ventral extension portion 12a.

[0026] The user holds the interdental cleaner D by any gripping method and inserts the cleaning part 4 into the oral cavity from the tip to the base end so that the cleaning part 4 is inserted between the teeth. The interdental cleaner D is then operated to move the cleaning part 4 back and forth between the teeth. When the cleaning part 4 (shaft part 3) is inserted between the teeth and moved back and forth while an external force is applied to the grip part 11, stress in the direction of the reciprocating movement and in a direction intersecting the reciprocating movement direction is transmitted from the shaft part 3 to the extension part 12 via the bent part 2 due to friction and contact between the cleaning part 4 covering the shaft part 3 and the teeth.

[0027] Here, when the gap between teeth is narrow, the frictional force acting between the cleaning part 4 and the teeth is large, and therefore the external force required to move the cleaning part 4 back and forth is large. In this case, when the interdental cleaner D is held by the second holding method, the extended back surface 12b can be pressed by the pad of the index finger when moving the cleaning part 4 in the direction of pushing it between the teeth, so that an external force can be easily applied to the extended part 12. Also, when the interdental cleaner D is held by the third holding method, the extended back surface 12b can be pressed by the pad of the thumb. This makes it easy to move the cleaning part 4 back and forth.

[0028] Other embodiments Finally, other embodiments of the interdental cleaner according to the present invention will be described. Note that the configurations disclosed in the following embodiments can be combined with the configurations disclosed in other embodiments as long as no contradiction occurs.

[0029] In the above embodiment, a configuration in which the shape of the cross section C is an isosceles triangle has been described as an example. However, without being limited to such a configuration, the shape of the cross section of the extension part may be a convex polygon having an odd number of vertices, for example, a convex pentagon as shown in Fig. 4. However, as described in the above embodiment, from the viewpoint of facilitating the reciprocating movement of the cleaning part in the second gripping method and the third gripping method, the shape of the cross section of the extension part is preferably a triangle or a convex pentagon, and more preferably an isosceles triangle.

[0030] In the above embodiment, the cleaning part 4 is provided as the soft member B. However, the material constituting the cleaning part is not particularly limited. For example, the cleaning part may be configured as a brush having a large number of flexible bristles fixed to a metal shaft.

[0031] Regarding other configurations, it should be understood that the embodiments disclosed in this specification are illustrative in all respects and that the scope of the present invention is not limited thereto. A person skilled in the art would easily understand that appropriate modifications are possible without departing from the spirit of the present invention. Therefore, other embodiments modified without departing from the spirit of the present invention are naturally included in the scope of the present invention. [Industrial Applicability]

[0032] The present invention can be used in an interdental cleaning tool suitable for cleaning between teeth. [Explanation of symbols]

[0033] D: Interdental cleaning tool A: Main unit 1: Base 11: Grip part 11a: Ventral grip site 11b: Dorsal grip site 11c: Through hole part 12:Extending part 12a: Ventral extension site 12b: Extended back C: Cross section of extension portion 12 Cb: Base of the isosceles triangle at cross section C Cc: Vertex of the isosceles triangle at cross section C 2: Bend 3: Shaft B: Soft member 4:Cleaning department 41: Covering part 42: Brush section Xa: first direction Xb:Second direction

Claims

1. a main body having a base portion having a grip portion that can be gripped with fingers and an extension portion that extends from the grip portion in a first direction, a bent portion that extends from an end portion of the extension portion opposite the grip portion and bent toward a second direction that intersects with the first direction, and a shaft portion that extends from an end portion of the bent portion opposite the extension portion along the second direction; A cleaning part is formed on the shaft part and has an outer shape that can be inserted between teeth, The extension portion has a cross section perpendicular to the first direction that has a convex polygon shape having an odd number of vertices, An interdental cleaning tool in which the back surface of the extension portion, which is on the outer side of the bent portion, is formed as a flat surface corresponding to the sides of the convex polygon.

2. The interdental cleaning tool according to claim 1 , wherein the convex polygon is a triangle or a convex pentagon.

3. The interdental cleaning tool according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the convex polygon is an isosceles triangle, and the flat surface corresponds to a base of the isosceles triangle.

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