Cover

Abstract

To provide a cover to be used for various kinds of toothbrushes.SOLUTION: Each one of a pair of side walls 120 includes: an inclination part 122 which has flexibility to change an interval between opposing surfaces of the side walls in response to the width of a head part and is inclined to allow the opposing surfaces to be close to each other as separated from a base part 110; and a holding part 121 arranged in the lower part of the inclination part 122 so as to sandwich the distal end of a handle in the head part. A second stopper part 141 for suppressing the inclination of the head part is arranged on an inner surface of a first stopper part 140.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a cover used for a toothbrush.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, a cover for protecting the head (the part where the bristle part is provided) of a toothbrush has been known. In such a cover, it is desirable that the tips of the brush bristles do not contact the cover. Therefore, a dedicated cover is generally used according to the shape and dimensions of the head. Therefore, in order to cope with a wide variety of toothbrushes, covers with different dimensions and shapes are required, and the cost has increased, such as having to prepare multiple types of molds for manufacturing.

[0003] Therefore, the applicant of the present application has already proposed a technology related to a cover that can be used for a wide variety of toothbrushes (Japanese Patent Application No. 2020-019524). However, depending on the dimensions of the head of the toothbrush, the holding force of the cover for the head may be insufficient, and there is a concern that the position of the cover for the head may shift due to being impacted during transportation or continuously receiving stress. For example, there is a concern that when the cover receives a force in the direction of arrow X in FIG. 1, the cover may shift in position so as to rotate in the direction of arrow Y with respect to the head. As a result, there is also a risk that the tip of the head may protrude from the cover. In particular, it has been found that in the case of a head having a short length from the tip to the rear end, the holding force of the cover for the head becomes low, and the above-mentioned phenomenon is likely to occur. Therefore, it cannot necessarily be said that there are a sufficient number of types of toothbrushes to which the cover can be applied. Therefore, there is still room for improvement.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] An object of the present invention is to provide a cover that can be used for a variety of toothbrushes.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] The present invention employs the following means to solve the above problems.

[0007] That is, the cover of the present invention is a cover for protecting the head portion including the tip portion of the handle and the tuft portion where the bristles are implanted in a toothbrush, a base portion arranged to face the tips of the bristles, a pair of side walls hanging down from both side surfaces of the base portion and arranged to face both side surfaces of the head portion respectively, a first stopper portion provided at the front end of the base portion and regulating the movement of the head portion toward the tip side with a space from the pair of side walls, an opening formed by a portion surrounded by the base portion and the pair of side walls, at the end side opposite to the first stopper portion, and includes the pair of side walls has flexibility to change the distance between these opposing surfaces according to the width of the head portion, and has an inclined portion where these opposing surfaces approach each other as they move away from the base portion, and each has a holding portion provided below the inclined portion and capable of sandwiching the tip portion of the handle of the head portion. The inner surface of the first stopper portion is provided with a second stopper portion that suppresses the inclination of the head portion and extends toward the opening, which is a feature of the present invention.

[0008] According to the present invention, a pair of side walls are provided with inclined portions having flexibility such that the distance between these opposing surfaces can be changed according to the width of the head. Therefore, the cover of the present invention can be applied to various heads of different sizes. Also, below the pair of inclined portions, there are holding portions capable of sandwiching the tip of the handle of the head, respectively, so that it is possible to suppress the tip of the handle from moving. As a result, it is possible to prevent the tips of the bristles from coming into contact with the cover.

[0009] In addition, at the front end of the base, a first stopper portion for restricting movement toward the tip side of the head is provided at a distance from the pair of side walls. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the cover from moving toward the handle of the toothbrush without losing the flexibility of the side walls. And since a second stopper portion is provided, it is possible to prevent the head from tilting. This second stopper portion is provided on the first stopper portion, so it is not affected by the pair of side walls whose flexure state changes according to the width of the head, and the function as a stopper is stably exhibited. Also, since the second stopper portion is configured to extend toward the opening, there is also an effect of suppressing so-called stacking. That is, if there is a gap between the first stopper portion and the pair of side walls, when a plurality of covers are collectively accommodated for transportation or the like, a part of another cover may enter the gap of a certain cover (referred to as stacking). As a result, these covers become connected to each other. In such a state, it becomes necessary to remove the covers separately. However, by providing the second stopper portion configured as described above, the gap can be reduced, and the occurrence of the above-described stacking phenomenon can be suppressed.

[0010] Below the pair of the holding portions, a stopper functional portion for suppressing the inclination of the head is provided. The upper surface of the second stopper portion is preferably arranged on the same surface as the upper surface of the stopper functional portion or at a position shifted downward from the upper surface of the stopper functional portion.

[0011] As a result, the tilt of the head can be effectively suppressed. Further, when inserting the head into the cover, the head can be inserted up to a position where it abuts against the first stopper portion without being obstructed by the second stopper portion.

[0012] The second stopper portion may be configured by a protruding portion that protrudes from the lower end of the first stopper portion and whose upper surface can contact the lower surface of the head.

[0013] It is preferable that the second stopper portion extends within the gap between the first stopper portion and the pair of side walls up to a position close to the holding portion in the opening direction.

[0014] As a result, the occurrence of the above-described stacking phenomenon can be effectively suppressed.

[0015] The first stopper portion may have the same width as the base portion and be configured such that the height in the vertical direction is equal to that of the pair of side walls when attached to the toothbrush.

[0016] The second stopper portion may be arranged at the center in the width direction of the first stopper portion.

[0017] In addition, the above-described configurations can be adopted in combination as much as possible.

Advantages of the Invention

[0018] As described above, according to the present invention, it can be used for various types of toothbrushes.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0019]

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 4

Figure 5

Figure 6

Figure 7

Figure 8

Figure 9

Figure 10

Figure 11

Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0020] Hereinafter, with reference to the drawings, modes for carrying out this invention will be illustratively and in detail described based on examples. However, dimensions, materials, shapes, relative arrangements, etc. of the components described in this example are not intended to limit the scope of this invention only to those, unless otherwise specifically described.

[0021] (Example 1) With reference to FIGS. 1 to 8, the cover according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention will be described. The cover according to this embodiment is used to protect the head of a toothbrush. With reference to FIG. 1, the usage form of the cover according to this embodiment will be described.

[0022] <Usage form of the cover> Fig. 1 is a diagram showing a state in which a cover according to the present embodiment 1 is attached to a toothbrush. The cover in Fig. 1 is shown in a schematic cross-sectional view. The toothbrush 1 comprises a handle 10 and a head 20. The head 20 comprises a tip portion 22 that is provided integrally with the tip side of the handle 10, and a bristle portion 21 in which brush bristles are planted on the upper surface of the tip portion 22. The cover 100 according to the present embodiment is attached to the head 20, thereby playing a role in protecting the head 20.

[0023] <Cover> In particular, the configuration of the cover 100 according to this embodiment will be described with reference to Figs. 2 to 7. Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the cover according to the first embodiment of the present invention. Fig. 3 is a plan view of the cover according to the first embodiment of the present invention. Fig. 4 is a front view of the cover according to the first embodiment of the present invention, as seen in the V1 direction in Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is a side view of the cover according to the first embodiment of the present invention, as seen in the V2 direction in Fig. 3. Fig. 6 is a bottom view of the cover according to the first embodiment of the present invention. Fig. 7 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the cover according to the first embodiment of the present invention, as seen in the AA cross-sectional view in Fig. 3. The cover 100 in Fig. 1 above also corresponds to the AA cross-sectional view in Fig. 3.

[0024] The cover 100 according to this embodiment is made of a resin material and can be obtained by a conventional molding method such as injection molding. In addition, it is preferable to use a transparent material as the resin material for the cover 100 so that the head 20 can be seen from the outside. Specifically, the transmittance It is preferable to use a material having a moisture content of 90% or more. Furthermore, from the viewpoint of protecting the head 20, it is preferable that the cover 100 is made of a hard material so as to obtain a certain degree of hardness. On the other hand, as described below, it is preferable that the material has elasticity that allows a certain degree of elastic deformation. Examples of materials that satisfy these various conditions include PP (polypropylene) and PET (polyethylene terephthalate).

[0025] And the cover 100 includes a base portion 110 arranged to face the tips of the brush hairs in the hair implanting portion 21, and a pair of side walls 120 that hang down from both side surfaces of the base portion 110 and are arranged to face both side surfaces of the head portion 20, respectively. The pair of side walls 120 have flexibility that allows the distance between these opposing surfaces to be changed according to the width of the head portion 20, and each has an inclined portion 122 that inclines such that these opposing surfaces approach each other as they move away from the base portion 110. Further, the pair of side walls 120 each have a holding portion 121 provided below the inclined portion 122 and capable of clamping the tip portion 22 of the handle 10 in the head portion 20. Furthermore, the pair of side walls 120 each have ribs 123a and 123b that function as reinforcing portions for suppressing changes in the angle formed by the inclined portion 122 and the holding portion 121.

[0026] The ribs 123a and 123b are provided so as to project further outward from the outer wall surfaces of the inclined portion 122 and the holding portion 121. In this embodiment, two ribs 123a and 123b are provided on each of the pair of side walls 120 at the end on the insertion port side of the head portion 20 and the end on the opposite side of the inclined portion 122 and the holding portion 121. The rib 123a also serves as a guide for guiding the head portion 20 into the inside of the holding portion 121.

[0027] Also, at the front end of the base portion 110, a first stopper portion 140 for restricting movement of the head portion 20 toward the tip side is provided at a distance from the pair of side walls 120. The first stopper portion 140 has the same width as the base portion 110 and is configured such that the vertical height thereof is equal to that of the pair of side walls 120 when attached to the toothbrush. Hereinafter, the gap between the pair of side walls 120 and the first stopper portion 140 is referred to as a first gap S1 for convenience.

[0028] The first stopper portion 140 has a bent shape in which the center in the width direction protrudes toward the tip side more than both ends in the width direction (see FIGS. 3 and 6). And on the inner surface of this first stopper portion 140, a second stopper portion 141 for suppressing the inclination of the head 20 is provided. In a state where the cover 100 is attached to the head 20 of the toothbrush 1, the second stopper portion 141 is configured to face the surface of the handle 10 on the side opposite to the bristle portion 21. This second stopper portion 141 is constituted by a protruding portion that protrudes from the inner surface of the first stopper portion 140 toward the opening. Note that the "opening" is formed by a portion surrounded by the base portion 110 and the pair of side walls 120, and means the opening on the end side opposite to the first stopper portion 140. By inserting the head 20 through this opening, the cover 10 is attached to the head 20. And within the gap (first gap S1) between the first stopper portion 140 and the pair of side walls 120, the second stopper portion 141 extends to a position close to the holding portion 121 in the above-described opening direction. With the second stopper portion 141 configured in this way, as shown in FIG. 5, the tip of the second stopper portion 141 is configured to be close to the holding portion 121 so that the vicinity of the holding portion 121 in the first gap S1 is blocked. Note that the second stopper portion 141 may be provided so as to contact the head 20, or may be provided so that a gap is formed between the second stopper portion 141 and the head 20.

[0029] And on the opposing surfaces of the pair of holding portions 121, third stopper portions 125 for restricting the movement of the head 20 toward the base portion 110 side are respectively provided. These pair of third stopper portions 125 each have an inclined surface 125a in which the distance between them gradually narrows as they go from the lower portion of the holding portion 121 toward the base portion 110 (see FIG. 4).

[0030] Further, below the pair of holding portions 121, a stopper function portion 130 for suppressing the inclination of the head 20 is provided. In a state where the cover 100 is attached to the head 20 of the toothbrush 1, the stopper function portion 130 is configured to face the surface of the handle 10 on the side opposite to the bristle portion 21. The stopper function portion 130 according to the present embodiment is constituted by two connecting portions 131a and 131b (see FIG. 6). The connecting portions 131a and 131b connect the pair of holding portions 121 to each other, and while allowing the separation between these holding portions 121, as the interval between these holding portions 121 expands, these holding portions 121 have a function of having an elastic force so as to return to their original positions. The connecting portions 131a and 131b according to the present embodiment are both provided perpendicular to the holding portion 121. And these connecting portions 131a and 131b are both composed of U-shaped flexible portions 131ax and 131bx and portions 131ay and 131by that extend so as to bend at substantially right angles from both ends of the flexible portions 131ax and 131bx (extend straight from both ends of the flexible portions 131ax and 131bx toward each of the pair of holding portions 121) and are respectively connected to the lower portions of the pair of holding portions 121. With such a configuration, when the head 20 is inserted, the flexible portions 131ax and 131bx are deformed so as to bend in a direction parallel to the base portion 110 (a direction perpendicular to the holding portion 121) so that both ends of the U-shaped flexible portions 131ax and 131bx expand.

[0031] Further, the connecting portion 131a is provided at a position offset from the side opposite to the insertion port side of the head 20 among the pair of holding portions 121. Further, the connecting portion 131b is provided at a position offset from the insertion port side of the head 20 among the pair of holding portions 121. In the present embodiment, a gap near the lower ends of the pair of holding portions 121 (hereinafter, referred to as the second gap S2 for convenience) is blocked by the connecting portion 131b.

[0032] Here, the upper surface of the second stopper portion 141 is arranged on the same plane as the upper surface of the stopper functional portion 130 (connecting portions 131a and 131b), or at a position shifted downward from the upper surface of the stopper functional portion 130. Further, the second stopper portion 141 protrudes from the lower end of the first stopper portion 140, and its upper surface is constituted by a protruding portion that can contact the lower surface of the head 20. Furthermore, in the present embodiment, the second stopper portion 141 is adopted to be arranged at the center in the width direction of the first stopper portion 140.

[0033] <Advantages of the cover according to this embodiment> In the cover 100 configured as described above, when the head 20 of the toothbrush 1 is inserted into the cover 100, it is inserted so that the tips of the brush bristles of the head 20 face the base portion 110. Then, the side surface of the distal end portion 22 of the handle 10 is held by the holding portion 121 (see FIG. 8). Note that FIG. 8 is a front view showing a state in which the cover according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention is attached to the toothbrush, and the portion of the handle 10 is shown in a cross-sectional view. And according to the cover 100 according to the present embodiment, the pair of side walls 120 are provided with inclined portions 122 having flexibility such that the distance between these opposing surfaces can be changed according to the width of the head 20. Therefore, the cover 100 according to the present embodiment can be applied to various heads having different sizes. In addition, by providing the inclined portions 122 on the pair of side walls 120, even when the wide head 20 is held by the pair of holding portions 121, it is possible to suppress the side walls 120 from bulging outward in the width direction with respect to the base portion 110.

[0034] Also, as described above, since the distal end portion 22 of the handle 10 is sandwiched by the holding portion 121, it is possible to suppress the distal end portion 22 of the handle 10 from moving. Thereby, it is possible to suppress the tips of the brush bristles and the like from contacting the cover 100.

[0035] Further, at the front end of the base portion 110, a first stopper portion 140 is provided at a distance from the pair of side walls 120 to restrict the movement of the head portion 20 toward the tip end side. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the cover 100 from moving toward the handle 10 of the toothbrush 1 without losing the flexibility of the side walls 120. And since the second stopper portion 141 is provided, it is possible to prevent the head portion 20 from tilting. For example, even if the cover 100 receives a force in the direction of arrow X in FIG. 1 and a force acts on the head portion 20 such that the cover 100 rotates in the direction of arrow Y, the head portion 20 abuts against the second stopper portion 141 and is prevented from tilting. Further, since the second stopper portion 141 is provided on the first stopper portion 140, it is not affected by the pair of side walls 120 whose flexure state changes depending on the width of the head portion 20, and the function as a stopper is stably exhibited.

[0036] Also, the upper surface of the second stopper portion 141 is arranged on the same plane as the upper surface of the stopper functional portion 130 or at a position shifted downward from the upper surface of the stopper functional portion 130. Thereby, the tilt of the head portion 20 can be effectively suppressed. Further, when inserting the head portion 20 into the cover 100, the head portion 20 can be inserted up to a position where it abuts against the first stopper portion 140 without being obstructed by the second stopper portion 141.

[0037] Also, the second stopper portion 141 protrudes from the lower end of the first stopper portion 140, and its upper surface is constituted by a protruding portion that can contact the lower surface of the head portion 20. Thereby, the tilt of the head portion 20 can be effectively suppressed.

[0038] Furthermore, the second stopper portion 141 is arranged at the center in the width direction of the first stopper portion 140. Thereby, regardless of the width of the head portion 20, the function as a stopper by the second stopper portion 141 can be stably exhibited for various head portions 20.

[0039] In this embodiment, when the holding portions 121 expand due to the insertion into the holding portion 121 of the head 20, the connecting portions 131a and 131b cause these holding portions 121 to return to their original positions, thereby increasing the holding force of the holding portions 121. Therefore, it is possible to more reliably suppress the movement of the tip portion 22 of the handle 10.

[0040] In addition, not only the second stopper portion 141 but also the stopper functional portion 130 (the two connecting portions 131a and 131b) can suppress the tilting of the head 20. Therefore, the cover 100 according to this embodiment can be applied to various heads with different sizes more effectively.

[0041] Further, the provision of the second stopper portion 141 and the connecting portions 131a and 131b also has the effect of suppressing so-called stacking. In particular, since the second stopper portion 141 is provided so as to block the first gap S1, it exhibits a function of suppressing stacking caused by the first gap S1. In the gap (the first gap S1) between the first stopper portion 140 and the pair of side walls 120, the second stopper portion 141 extends to a position close to the holding portion 121 in the above-described opening direction. Thereby, the stacking caused by the first gap S1 is effectively suppressed. In addition, since the connecting portion 131b is provided so as to block the second gap S2, it exhibits a function of suppressing stacking caused by the second gap S2. In particular, when the cover 100 is attached to the toothbrush 1 using an automatic machine, stacking becomes a major obstacle. According to the cover 100 according to this embodiment, the occurrence of such stacking can also be suppressed, so that obstacles can be suppressed also in the work of attaching the cover 100 to the toothbrush 1 by an automatic machine.

[0042] Furthermore, in the present embodiment, third stopper portions 125 for restricting the movement of the head 20 toward the base portion 110 side are provided on the opposing surfaces of the pair of holding portions 121, respectively. Thereby, it is possible to more reliably suppress the tip portion 22 of the handle 10 from moving with respect to the cover 100. The pair of third stopper portions 125 according to the present embodiment each have an inclined surface 125a whose distance between each other gradually narrows as it goes from the lower portion of the holding portion 121 toward the base portion 110. Thereby, even for heads 20 having different thicknesses, the movement restricting function of the third stopper portion 125 with respect to the head 20 can be suitably exhibited.

[0043] As described above, in addition to the holding force by the holding portion 121 being increased, the positional deviation of the cover 100 with respect to the head 20 can be suppressed by restricting the movement of the cover 100 with respect to the head 20 by the third stopper portion 125a. For example, as shown in FIG. 1, even if a force that causes the cover 100 to rotate in the arrow Y direction acts on the head 20, the holding force by the holding portion 121 and the movement restriction by the third stopper portion 125 cooperate to effectively suppress the rotation in the arrow Y direction. Further, as described above, since the second stopper portion 141 and the stopper function portion 130 are provided, even if the cover 100 rotates in the arrow Y direction, the tip portion 22 of the handle 10 will not pop out from the cover 100.

[0044] (Embodiment 2) FIG. 9 shows Embodiment 2 of the present invention. In the present embodiment, a configuration in which the configuration of the stopper function portion provided at the lower end of the holding portion is different from that of the above-described Embodiment 1 is shown. Since the other configurations and operations are the same as those of Embodiment 1, the same reference numerals are given to the same constituent parts, and the description thereof is omitted. FIG. 9 is a bottom view of the cover according to Embodiment 2 of the present invention.

[0045] The stopper function portion 130 according to the present embodiment is composed of one connecting portion 131a and one pair of fourth stopper portions 132a and 132b. The connecting portion 131a is as described in Embodiment 1.

[0046] The fourth stopper portions 132a and 132b face the surface of the handle 10 on the side opposite to the hair implanting portion 21 at the lower end of the holding portion 121, and are provided so as not to connect the pair of holding portions. Similar to the connecting portion 131a, the fourth stopper portions 132a and 132b serve to suppress the inclination of the head portion 20. The second gap S2 between the fourth stopper portion 132a and the fourth stopper portion 132b is configured by a non-linear gap. By adopting such a configuration, when looking directly at the other end side from one end side of the second gap S2, the gap on the other end side is configured not to be visible. Thereby, the occurrence of stacking can be suppressed.

[0047] Also, in the cover 100A according to the present embodiment, similar to the first embodiment, a first stopper portion 140 having a second stopper portion 141 is provided.

[0048] Even in the cover 100A configured as described above, the same effects as those in the first embodiment can be obtained.

[0049] (Embodiment 3) FIG. 10 shows Embodiment 3 of the present invention. In the present embodiment, a configuration is shown in which the configuration of the stopper functional portion provided at the lower end of the holding portion is different from that in the first embodiment. Since the other configurations and operations are the same as those in the first embodiment, the same reference numerals are given to the same components, and the description thereof is omitted. FIG. 10 is a bottom view of a cover according to Embodiment 3 of the present invention.

[0050] The stopper functional portion 130 according to the present embodiment is composed of one connecting portion 131b and one fourth stopper portion 132c. The configuration of the connecting portion 131b is the same as the configuration of the connecting portion 131b shown in the first embodiment. The fourth stopper portion 132c faces the surface of the handle 10 on the side opposite to the hair implanting portion 21 at the lower ends of the pair of holding portions 121, and is provided so as not to connect the pair of holding portions. Similar to the connecting portion 131b, the fourth stopper portion 132c serves to suppress the inclination of the head portion 20.

[0051] Also, in the cover 100C according to this embodiment, similarly to the above-described first embodiment, a first stopper portion 140 having a second stopper portion 141 is provided.

[0052] Also in the cover 100C configured as described above, the same effects as those of the first embodiment can be obtained.

[0053] (Embodiment 4) FIG. 11 shows Embodiment 4 of the present invention. In this embodiment, a configuration is shown in which the configuration of the stopper function portion provided at the lower end of the holding portion is different from that of the first embodiment. Since the other configurations and operations are the same as those of the first embodiment, the same reference numerals are given to the same components, and the description thereof is omitted. FIG. 11 is a bottom view of the cover according to Embodiment 4 of the present invention.

[0054] The stopper function portion 130 according to this embodiment is constituted by a single fourth stopper portion 132d, 132e.

[0055] The fourth stopper portions 132d, 132e face the surface of the handle 10 on the side opposite to the flocked portion 21 at the lower end of the holding portion 121, and are provided so as not to connect the pair of holding portions. The fourth stopper portions 132d, 132e play a role of suppressing the inclination of the head portion 20. And the second gap S2 between the fourth stopper portion 132d and the fourth stopper portion 132e is constituted by a non-linear gap. By adopting such a configuration, when looking directly from one end side to the other end side of the second gap S2, the gap on the other end side is configured not to be visible. Thereby, the occurrence of stacking can be suppressed.

[0056] Also, in the cover 100E according to this embodiment, similarly to the above-described first embodiment, a first stopper portion 140 having a second stopper portion 141 is provided.

[0057] Note that, unlike the above-described embodiments, in this embodiment, a connecting portion for connecting the pair of holding portions 121 to each other is not provided. When sufficient holding force can be obtained without providing the connecting portion, a configuration in which the connecting portion is not provided as in this embodiment can be adopted. Thereby, also in the cover 100E according to this embodiment, the same effects as those in the first embodiment can be obtained.

[0058] (Others) In the above-described embodiments, the case where the second stopper portion 141 is configured by one protruding portion protruding from the inner surface of the first stopper portion 140 toward the opening has been shown. However, the second stopper portion in the present invention can also be configured by a plurality of protruding portions. Further, the shape thereof is not limited to the shape shown in each figure. Furthermore, the protruding portion that is the second stopper portion 141 has been shown to protrude to a position that does not reach the side wall 120 as shown in each figure, but it may protrude to a position that enters the inside of the side wall 120.

[0059] Also, regarding the various connecting portions and the various fourth stopper portions shown in each embodiment, combinations other than the combinations shown in the above-described embodiments are also applicable. Further, in the above-described embodiments, a configuration in which the connecting portion is provided at a maximum of two locations has been shown, but the connecting portion may be provided at three or more locations. Regarding the fourth stopper portion, it may not be provided, or it may be provided at one location or two or more locations. Also, the shape of the connecting portion is not limited to the shape shown in each embodiment. Similarly, the shape of the fourth stopper portion is not particularly limited.

Explanation of Reference Numerals

[0060] 1... Toothbrush 10... Handle 20... Head 21... Bristle portion 22... Tip portion 100, 100A, 100C, 100E... Cover 110... Base 120... Side wall 121... Holding portion 122... Inclined portion 123a, 123b... Rib 125... Third stopper portion 130... Stopper functional portion 131a, 131b... connecting part 132a, 132b, 132c, 132d, 132e... fourth stopper part 140... first stopper part 141... second stopper part S1... first gap S2... second gap

Claims

1. A cover for protecting a head including a tip portion of a handle and a tuft portion where bristles are implanted in a toothbrush, a base portion arranged to face the tips of the bristles, a pair of side walls hanging down from both side surfaces of the base portion and arranged to face both side surfaces of the head respectively, a first stopper portion provided at the front end of the base portion and restricting movement of the head toward the tip side with a space from the pair of side walls, an opening formed by a portion surrounded by the base portion and the pair of side walls at an end side opposite to the first stopper portion, and comprising, the pair of side walls, has flexibility to change the distance between these opposing surfaces according to the width of the head, and has an inclined portion that inclines such that these opposing surfaces approach each other as they move away from the base portion, and a holding portion provided below the inclined portion and capable of sandwiching the tip portion of the handle of the head, respectively, A cover, characterized in that a second stopper portion for suppressing the inclination of the head and extending toward the opening is provided on the inner surface of the first stopper portion.

2. A stopper function portion for suppressing the inclination of the head is provided below the pair of holding portions, The cover according to claim 1, wherein the upper surface of the second stopper portion is arranged on the same surface as the upper surface of the stopper function portion or at a position shifted downward from the upper surface of the stopper function portion.

3. The cover according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the second stopper portion protrudes from the lower end of the first stopper portion and is constituted by a protruding portion whose upper surface can contact the lower surface of the head.

4. In the gap between the first stopper portion and the pair of side walls, the second stopper portion extends to a position close to the holding portion toward the opening direction. The cover according to claim 1, 2 or 3.

5. The cover according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the first stopper portion has the same width as the base portion and is configured such that the height in the vertical direction is equal to that of the pair of side walls when attached to the toothbrush.

6. The cover according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the second stopper portion is arranged at the center in the width direction of the first stopper portion.

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