F-shaped interdental cleaner

Abstract

To provide an F-shaped interdental cleaning tool which enables a user to easily perform interdental cleaning while adjusting a tensile force of a cleaning thread.SOLUTION: An F-shaped interdental cleaning tool 1 includes a grip part 40 long in a prescribed direction, and a first arm 21 and a second arm 22 that are provided on an end side of the grip part and extend to the side of the direction orthogonal to the long direction at intervals from each other. It is provided with: a cleaning thread 60 bridged across the first and the second arms; a force reception part 24 receiving a pressing force of a user; and a force transmission part 23 which transmits the pressing force received by the force reception part to at least either the first or the second arm, and changes the tensile force of the cleaning thread in accordance with the pressing force. The grip part covers at least a first direction side orthogonal to the long direction and a second direction side opposite the first side in at least a part of the power transmission part.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an interdental cleaning tool, and more particularly to an F-shaped interdental cleaning tool. [Background technology]

[0002] Currently, there are various dental flossers available for cleaning between teeth, and among them, F-shaped ones that fix the dental floss to a holder made of resin or other material at a certain tension and can be held in one hand are popular (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

[0003] Typically, when using an F-shaped dental flosser, you grasp the handle of the holder, press the part with the floss stretched between your teeth, insert the floss, and clean the spaces between your teeth. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Patent Publication No. 2000-197647 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] However, if the tension of dental floss is too strong, it can be easily inserted between teeth, but its cleaning ability between the teeth will be reduced, and even if the tension of dental floss is reduced to improve its cleaning ability between the teeth, it will then be difficult to insert between the teeth.

[0006] In view of the above, an object of the present invention is to provide an F-shaped interdental cleaner that allows the user to easily clean between teeth while adjusting the tension of the cleaning string. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] The F-shaped interdental cleaner according to the present invention is an F-shaped interdental cleaner comprising a grip portion that is elongated in a predetermined direction, and a first arm and a second arm that are provided at the tip of the grip portion and extend in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction with a gap between them, the F-shaped interdental cleaner comprising a cleaning thread that is stretched between the first and second arms, a force receiving portion that receives a pressing force from a user, and a force transmitting portion that transmits the pressing force received by the force receiving portion to at least one of the first and second arms and changes the tension of the cleaning thread in accordance with the pressing force, and the grip portion covers at least a first direction side that is perpendicular to the longitudinal direction and a second direction side that is opposite to the first direction of at least a portion of the force transmitting portion.

[0008] According to this configuration, in the F-shaped interdental cleaning tool, the pressing force of the user received by the force receiving unit is transmitted by the force transmitting unit from at least one of the first arm and the second arm to the cleaning thread stretched between the first arm and the second arm, thereby changing the tension of the cleaning thread. By covering the force transmitting unit, which changes the tension of the cleaning thread according to the transmitted pressing force, with the gripping unit, the user's gripping force is received by the gripping unit, and interdental cleaning is performed. Because the pressing force and the gripping force have different roles, interdental cleaning can be easily performed while adjusting the tension of the cleaning thread.

[0009] Furthermore, it is preferable that the first arm is provided closer to the gripping portion than the second arm, the force transmission portion includes a first rod and a second rod extending in the longitudinal direction at a distance from each other in a direction perpendicular to the first and second directions, a tip of the first rod is connected to a base end of the first arm, a tip of the second rod is connected to a base end of the second arm, the force receiving portion is provided on at least one of a first outer surface which is the side of the first rod opposite to the second rod and a second outer surface which is the side of the second rod opposite to the first rod, at least a part of the force receiving portion protrudes from the outer surface of the gripping portion, and receives the pressing force in a direction narrowing the gap between the first rod and the second rod by being pressed against the protruding portion, and the received pressing force causes at least one of the first and second rods to bend, thereby changing the gap between the first arm and the second arm connected to the first and second rods and changing the tension of the cleaning thread.

[0010] According to this configuration, the force transmission unit includes a first rod and a second rod extending at a distance from each other, and the force receiving unit is provided on the outside of one of the first rod and the second rod, and a portion of the force receiving unit protrudes from the outer surface of the grip unit. As a result, when a user grips the grip unit and presses the force receiving unit protruding from the outer surface, one of the first rod and the second rod provided with the force receiving unit bends in a direction narrowing the distance between the first rod and the second rod, thereby changing either the first arm or the second arm connected to the first rod or the second rod, respectively, and changing the tension of the cleaning thread.

[0011] Furthermore, it is preferable that the force receiving portion is provided on the first outer surface and further includes a fulcrum portion that functions as a fulcrum when the force receiving portion provided on the first outer surface is the force point and the tip of the first arm is the point of action, and that the fulcrum portion is arranged between the force receiving portion and the base end of the first arm.

[0012] According to this configuration, when the force receiving portion is provided on the first outer surface, by arranging a fulcrum portion between the force receiving portion and the base end of the first arm, the pressing force is received by the force receiving portion at the force point, and a movement is caused to move the tip end of the first arm, which is the point of action, away from the second arm, using the fulcrum portion as a fulcrum.

[0013] Furthermore, it is preferable that the force receiving portion is further provided on the second outer surface, and the fulcrum portion also functions as a fulcrum when the force receiving portion provided on the second outer surface is the force point and the tip of the second arm is the point of action.

[0014] According to this configuration, when the force receiving portions are provided on the first outer surface and the second outer surface, by arranging fulcrum portions between the force receiving portion and the base end of the first arm, and between the force receiving portion and the base end of the second arm, respectively, the pressing force is received by the force receiving portions at the force points on both sides, and a movement occurs at the tip end of the first arm and the tip end of the second arm, which are the points of action, moving away from each other, with the fulcrum portions as the fulcrum.

[0015] The fulcrum portion is preferably provided near the base end portion of the first arm.

[0016] According to this configuration, the fulcrum portion serving as the fulcrum is provided near the base end of the first arm, which extends from the longitudinal direction to a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction, where the fulcrum portion is close to the tip of the first arm, which serves as the point of application and where a pressing force is easily transmitted using the principle of leverage. This facilitates the movement of the tip of the first arm away from the second arm. Furthermore, since a pressing force equivalent to that applied to the force receiving portion provided on the first rod is applied to the force receiving portion provided on the second rod, the fulcrum portion is provided at the base end of the second rod opposite the fulcrum portion provided on the first rod. This facilitates the movement of the tip of the first arm and the tip of the second arm away from each other.

[0017] Furthermore, the force receiving portion is provided on the second outer surface and further includes a fulcrum portion that functions as a fulcrum when the force receiving portion provided on the second outer surface is the force point and the tip of the second arm is the point of action, and it is preferable that the fulcrum portion is arranged between the force receiving portion and the base end of the second arm.

[0018] According to this configuration, when the force receiving portion is provided on the second outer surface, by arranging a fulcrum portion between the force receiving portion and the base end of the second arm, the pressing force is received by the force receiving portion at the force point, and a movement is caused to move the tip end of the second arm, which is the point of action, away from the first arm, using the fulcrum portion as a fulcrum.

[0019] Preferably, the fulcrum is provided near the base end of the second arm.

[0020] According to this configuration, the fulcrum portion, which corresponds to the fulcrum, is located near the base end of the first arm extending from the longitudinal direction to a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction, close to the tip of the second arm, which corresponds to the point of application, and where pressing force is easily transmitted using the principle of leverage, so that the tip of the second arm can easily move away from the first arm.

[0021] Further, the fulcrum portion is a shaft body that protrudes from at least one of the first and second rods in a direction perpendicular to the opposing direction of the first and second rods and the longitudinal direction, The protruding portion of the shaft is preferably held by the grip portion.

[0022] According to this configuration, the fulcrum portion, which is an axis protruding from the first rod and the second rod, is rotatably held by the gripping portion, thereby converting the pressing force received by the force receiving portion into a movement that separates the first arm and the second arm.

[0023] Furthermore, it is preferable that the fulcrum portion is a protrusion that protrudes from at least one of the first inner surface, which is the side opposite the first outer surface of the first rod, and the second inner surface, which is the side opposite the second outer surface of the second rod, to the other side.

[0024] According to this configuration, the fulcrum portion, which is a protrusion that protrudes from at least one of the first inner surface and the second inner surface toward at least the other of the first inner surface and the second inner surface, abuts against at least the other of the first inner surface and the second inner surface, thereby converting the pressing force received by the force receiving portion into a movement that separates the first arm and the second arm.

[0025] It is preferable that at least a portion of the force receiving portion has a substantially arcuate shape and protrudes from the outer surface of the grip portion.

[0026] According to this configuration, at least a portion of the force receiving portion protruding from the outer surface of the grip portion has a substantially arc shape, which visually indicates to the user the portions that are easy to operate, thereby improving operability.

[0027] Furthermore, it is preferable that a slit corresponding to the distance between the first rod and the second rod is formed in the side wall of the part of the gripping portion that covers at least a portion of the first and second rods, in a direction perpendicular to the opposing direction of the first and second rods.

[0028] According to this configuration, the grip portion has a slit that is not necessary for the user to grip, and corresponds to the gap between the first rod and the second rod. Therefore, if the first rod and the second rod are molded first, and then the grip portion is integrally molded by placing the first rod and the second rod in a mold and injecting material to cover the first rod and the second rod, inserting a piece into the gap between the first rod and the second rod prevents the gap from being filled and makes it possible to remove the piece through the slit. Therefore, by providing a slit in the grip portion, it is possible to integrally mold the first rod and the second rod and the grip portion that covers the first rod and the second rod.

[0029] Furthermore, it is preferable that the force receiving portion and the force transmitting portion are made of a first resin, the gripping portion is made of a second resin, and the first resin and the second resin have properties that make them difficult to adhere to each other.

[0030] According to this configuration, the force receiving portion and force transmitting portion made of the first resin and the gripping portion made of the second resin are molded integrally in a mold. Because the first resin and the second resin have properties that make them difficult to adhere to each other, the force receiving portion and force transmitting portion and the gripping portion are separated from each other when they are molded, and therefore the gripping portion can cover the force receiving portion and force transmitting portion while maintaining their mobility.

[0031] The method for manufacturing an F-shaped interdental cleaner according to the present invention is a method for manufacturing the above-mentioned F-shaped interdental cleaner, and preferably includes the steps of: (1) molding the first and second arms, the force receiving portions, and the force transmitting portions by providing a first resin in a first mold having cavities corresponding to the first and second arms, the force receiving portions, and the force transmitting portions; (2) arranging the first and second arms, the force receiving portions, and the force transmitting portions in a second mold having cavities corresponding to the Y-shaped interdental cleaner; and (3) after step (2), molding the gripping portion by providing the second resin in the second mold.

[0032] According to this method, the first arm and second arm, the force receiving portion, and the force transmitting portion molded from the first resin are placed in a cavity corresponding to the F-shaped interdental cleaner, and the gripping portion is molded so that they are covered with the second resin.

[0033] Furthermore, a manufacturing method of an F-shaped interdental cleaner according to the present invention is a manufacturing method of the above-mentioned F-shaped interdental cleaner, and includes the steps of: (1) molding the first and second arms, the force receiving portions, and the force transmitting portions by providing a first resin in a first mold having cavities corresponding to the first and second arms, the force receiving portions, and the force transmitting portions; (2) arranging the first and second arms, the force receiving portions, and the force transmitting portions in a second mold having a cavity corresponding to the Y-shaped interdental cleaner; (2a) inserting a insert corresponding to the slit into the space between the first rod and the second rod in the second mold; and (3a) after step (2a), molding the gripping portion by providing a second resin in the second mold, and it is preferable that the first resin and the second resin have properties that make them difficult to adhere to each other.

[0034] According to this manufacturing method, when the gripping portion of the second resin is molded to cover the first and second arms, force receiving portion, and force transmitting portion molded from the first resin, the gripping portion is molded with the insert inserted at a distance necessary to make the first and second arms, force receiving portion, and force transmitting portion variable. As a result, by removing the insert after molding, a distance is created between the first rod and the second rod, and a slit is formed in the side wall of the gripping portion. [Effects of the Invention]

[0035] As a result, the present invention can provide an F-shaped interdental cleaner that allows the user to easily clean between teeth while adjusting the tension of the cleaning string. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0036] [Figure 1] 1 is a perspective view showing an F-shaped interdental cleaner according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. [Figure 2] FIG. 1 is an exploded view showing an F-shaped interdental cleaner according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 3] 10 is a schematic diagram showing that the tension of the cleaning string 60 increases when the force receiving portion 24 of the F-shaped interdental cleaning tool 1 is pressed. FIG. [Figure 4] FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view (1) showing an F-shaped interdental cleaner according to another embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 5] FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view (2) showing an F-shaped interdental cleaner according to another embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 6] 1 is a flowchart showing a method for manufacturing an F-shaped interdental cleaner according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 7] 3A to 3C are schematic diagrams showing the first half of the process of a method for manufacturing an F-shaped interdental cleaner according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 8] 5A to 5C are schematic diagrams showing the latter half of the process of the method for manufacturing the F-shaped interdental cleaner according to the embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 9] 10 is a flowchart showing another method for manufacturing the F-shaped interdental cleaner according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 10] 5A to 5C are schematic diagrams showing steps of another method for manufacturing an F-shaped interdental cleaner according to an embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0037] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In each drawing, the same reference numerals are used to denote the same configuration, and the description thereof will be omitted. In each drawing, XYZ orthogonal coordinate axes are appropriately shown to clarify the directional relationships.

[0038] Fig. 1 is a perspective view showing an F-shaped interdental cleaner according to an embodiment of the present invention. Fig. 2 is an exploded view showing an F-shaped interdental cleaner according to an embodiment of the present invention. The F-shaped interdental cleaner 1 shown in Figs. 1 and 2 is composed of a primary member 20 including a first arm 21, a second arm 22, a force transmitting unit 23, a force receiving unit 24, a fulcrum unit 25, and a connecting unit 26, a gripping unit 40 which is a secondary member, and a cleaning thread 60.

[0039] The first arm 21 and the second arm 22 are provided on the tip side of the gripping portion 40, and in order to leave a gap between them, the first arm 21 is provided closer to the gripping portion 40 than the second arm 22. The first arm 21 and the second arm 22 each extend in the +Z direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction (X-axis direction), and the cleaning thread 60 is hung between the tip end of the first arm 21 and the tip end of the second arm 22.

[0040] The force transmission unit 23 includes a first rod 231 and a second rod 232 that are spaced apart in the Z-axis direction and extend in the X-axis direction. The tip of the first rod 231 is connected to the base end of the first arm 21, and the tip of the second rod 232 is connected to the base end of the second arm 22. The base ends of the first rod 231 and the second rod 232 are connected to the connecting unit 26.

[0041] The first rod 231 has a first inner surface 233 which is the inner side surface facing the second rod 232 across a gap, and a first outer surface 235 which is the outer side surface opposite the first inner surface 233.

[0042] Similarly, the second rod 232 has a second inner surface 234 which is the inner side surface facing the first rod 231 across a gap, and a second outer surface 236 which is the outer side surface opposite the second inner surface 234.

[0043] The gripping portion 40 covers the first direction (+Y direction) side perpendicular to the X-axis direction from the tip of the first rod 231 and the tip of the second rod 232 to the connecting portion 26, and the second direction (-Y direction) side opposite to the +Y direction.

[0044] The force receiving portion 24 is provided on the first outer side surface 235 so as to protrude from the outer surface of the grip portion 40. When the protruding portion is pressed, the force receiving portion 24 bends the first rod 231 in a direction narrowing the gap between the first rod 231 and the second rod 232, transmits the pressing force to the first arm 21 connected to the first rod 231, and changes the tension of the cleaning thread 60 according to the pressing force.

[0045] The force receiving portion 24 may have a portion projecting from the outer surface of the gripping portion 40 in a substantially arc shape (not shown), but is not limited to this.

[0046] The fulcrum part 25 is a shaft that protrudes from the first rod 231 in the -Y direction and the +Y direction, and is provided near the base end of the first arm 21, which has good transmission of pressing force based on the principle of leverage, and converts the force into an action that changes the tension of the cleaning thread 60. The gripping part 40 is provided with a bearing part 44, and the fulcrum part 25 is rotatably held.

[0047] The connecting portion 26 connects the base end of the first rod 231 and the base end of the second rod 232, which are opposite to the tip ends connected to the first arm 21 and the second arm 22. Therefore, the force receiving portion 24 is supported at both ends by the fulcrum portion 25 and the connecting portion 26, and the force receiving portion 24 has a strong elastic rebound when it receives a pressing force.

[0048] As a result, the force receiving portion 24 receives the pressure as the force point, and the received pressure is converted into an action that changes the tension of the cleaning thread 60 via the fulcrum portion 25, which serves as the fulcrum, and the tip of the first arm, which serves as the point of action, changes the tension of the cleaning thread 60.

[0049] In addition, the gripping portion 40 has a slit 42 formed in the side wall in the Y-axis direction, which is perpendicular to the Z-axis direction in which the first rod 231 and the second rod 232 face each other, which corresponds to the distance between the first rod 231 and the second rod 232.

[0050] By forming a slit 42 in the side wall of the gripping portion 40, when it is desired to mold the gripping portion 40, which is a secondary member, on the primary member 20 having a gap between the first rod 231 and the second rod 232, a insert for keeping the gap open can be inserted and removed through the slit 42, so that the two can be molded as a single unit.

[0051] 3 is a schematic diagram showing that the tension of the cleaning thread 60 increases when the force receiving portion 24 of the F-shaped interdental cleaner 1 is pressed. When the force receiving portion 24 of the primary member 20 receives a pressing force from the user, the first rod 231 provided with the force receiving portion 24 bends toward the second rod 232, and the gap between them narrows in response to the pressing force.

[0052] When the gap is narrowed, the fulcrum portion 25 becomes a fulcrum, and in response to the pressing force transmitted from the first rod 231, the first arm 21 moves in a direction that increases the tension of the cleaning thread 60, i.e., in a direction that moves the first arm 21 away from the second arm 22.

[0053] In addition to the above-described embodiment, other embodiments can also provide an F-shaped interdental cleaner that can easily clean between teeth while adjusting the tension of the cleaning string. Figures 4 and 5 are cross-sectional views showing F-shaped interdental cleaners according to other embodiments of the present invention.

[0054] In other embodiments, components with the same reference numerals are the same as those in the above-described embodiment, and their description will be omitted, with the focus being on the different components.

[0055] 4(a), a force receiving portion 24 is provided on each of a first outer surface 235 of a first rod 231 and a second outer surface 236 of a second rod 232. No fulcrum portion 25 is provided, and the first arm 21 and the second arm 22, which are the points of application, approach each other, with the connecting portion 26, where the first rod 231 and the second rod 232 are connected, serving as a fulcrum. As a result, when a pressing force is applied to the two force receiving portions 24, the tension on the cleaning thread 60 stretched between the first arm 21 and the second arm 22 is reduced and the cleaning thread 60 becomes loose.

[0056] The F-shaped interdental cleaner 1 shown in FIG. 4(b) is provided with force receiving portions 24 on both the first outer surface 235 and the second outer surface 236, as in the F-shaped interdental cleaner 1 shown in FIG. 4(a). When the pressing force applied from the force receiving portion 24 provided on the first outer surface 235 is equal to the pressing force applied from the force receiving portion 24 provided on the second outer surface 236, the F-shaped interdental cleaner 1 is gripped stably and the tension of the cleaning thread is adjusted stably. For this reason, it is preferable that the fulcrum portions 25 of the shafts provided on the first arm 21 and the second arm 22 are each provided near the base end of the first arm 21. Furthermore, since the gripping portion 40 is held by the bearing portion 44, it extends to the vicinity of the base end of the first arm 21.

[0057] 4(c), the F-shaped interdental cleaner 1 has a force receiving portion 24 on the second outer surface 236 of the second rod 232. Because only the pressing force is applied from the second outer surface 236 side, it is preferable to provide the fulcrum portion 25 of the shaft near the base end of the second arm 22, which has good transmission properties.

[0058] 5(a), like the F-shaped interdental cleaner 1 shown in FIG. 4(a), has force receiving portions 24 on both the first outer surface 235 and the second outer surface 236. The fulcrum portion 25 is not a shaft, but a protrusion that protrudes from the second inner surface 234 of the second rod 232 toward the first inner surface 233 of the first rod 231. When the tip of the protrusion of the fulcrum portion 25 abuts against the vicinity of the base end of the first arm 21, the first rod 231 receives pressing forces from the force receiving portions 24 on both the first outer surface 235 side and the second outer surface 236 side, causing the first rod 231 to bend toward the second rod 232, changing the tension of the cleaning thread 60.

[0059] 5(b) is the same as the F-shaped interdental cleaner 1 shown in Fig. 4(a) except that the fulcrum portion 25 is a projection that protrudes from the first inner surface 234 of the first rod 231 toward the second inner surface 234 of the second rod 232. Therefore, when the second rod 232 receives a pressing force from the force receiving portions 24 on both the first outer surface 235 side and the second outer surface 236 side, the second rod 232 bends toward the first rod 231, changing the tension of the cleaning thread 60.

[0060] In the other embodiments described above, the fulcrum portion 25 of the shaft body and the fulcrum portion 25 of the protrusion are provided on the primary member 20, but this is merely an example, and they may also be provided on the secondary member, the gripping portion 40, as long as it is possible to adjust the tension of the cleaning thread 60 using the principle of leverage, and this is not limited to this.

[0061] Next, a manufacturing method of the present invention will be described. Fig. 6 is a flowchart showing a manufacturing method of an F-shaped interdental cleaner according to an embodiment of the present invention. Fig. 7 and Fig. 8 are schematic diagrams showing steps in the manufacturing method of an F-shaped interdental cleaner according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0062] In step S11, as shown in Figure 7(a), the primary member 20 is molded by injecting and filling a first resin into a first mold 90 having a cavity shaped so that a first rod 231 and a second rod 232, which are included in the force transmission section 23 and extend in the X-axis direction, are spaced apart from each other in the Z-axis direction, corresponding to the first arm 21, the second arm 22, the force transmission section 23, the force receiving section 24, the fulcrum section 25, and the connecting section 26.

[0063] At this time, the cleaning thread 60 may be hung between the tip of the first arm 21 and the tip of the second arm 22 after the molding of the primary member 20 is completed, or may be positioned so that it is hung at a position corresponding to the tip of the first arm 21 and the tip of the second arm 22 before the primary member 20 is molded, and then molding is performed.

[0064] In step S12, as shown in FIG. 7(b), the first mold 90 is opened and the primary member 20 is removed.

[0065] In step S13, as shown in FIG. 7(c), the insert 91 is inserted into the space between the first rod 231 and the second rod 232.

[0066] In step S14, as shown in Figure 8(a), the primary member 20 is placed in a second mold 92 having a cavity corresponding to the shape of the primary member 20 with the insert 91 inserted and the gripping portion 40, and then the second resin is injected and filled to form the gripping portion 40.

[0067] In this embodiment, the primary member 20 is placed in the second mold 92 after the insert 91 has first been inserted into the above-mentioned interval; however, the primary member 20 may be placed such that the insert 91 is first placed in the second mold 92 and then inserted into the above-mentioned interval, and the order in which the insert 91 and the second mold 92 are placed is not limited.

[0068] In step S15, as shown in FIG. 8(b), the second mold 92 is opened, and the F-shaped interdental cleaner 1 is removed with the insert 91 still inserted.

[0069] In step S16, as shown in FIG. 8(c), the insert 91 is removed from the F-shaped interdental cleaner 1.

[0070] Next, another manufacturing method other than the above-mentioned manufacturing method using the insert 91 in the second mold 92 will be described, in which a protrusion 91a corresponding to the insert 91 is provided on the second mold 92. Fig. 9 is a flowchart showing another manufacturing method for the F-shaped interdental cleaner according to an embodiment of the present invention. Fig. 10 is a schematic diagram showing the steps of another manufacturing method for the F-shaped interdental cleaner according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0071] In step S1, as shown in Figure 10(a), the primary member 20 is molded by injecting and filling a first resin into a first mold 90 having a cavity shaped so that a first rod 231 and a second rod 232, which are included in the force transmission unit 23 and extend in the X-axis direction, are spaced apart from each other in the Z-axis direction, corresponding to the first arm 21, the second arm 22, the force transmission unit 23, the force receiving unit 24, the fulcrum unit 25, and the connecting unit 26.

[0072] At this time, as in the manufacturing method described above, the cleaning thread 60 may be hung between the tip of the first arm 21 and the tip of the second arm 22 after the molding of the primary member 20 is completed, or may be positioned so that it hangs at a position corresponding to the tip of the first arm 21 and the tip of the second arm 22 before the primary member 20 is molded, and then molding is performed.

[0073] In step S2, as shown in FIG. 10(b), the primary member 20 is placed in a second mold 92 having a cavity corresponding to the shape of the primary member 20 and the gripping portion 40, in which a certain distance is maintained between the first rod 231 and the second rod 232.

[0074] Specifically, a protrusion 91a corresponding to the insert 91 is formed in the second mold 92, and the primary member 20 is positioned in the second mold 92 so that this protrusion 91a fits into the gap between the first rod 231 and the second rod 232, so that the gap will not be filled in the next injection filling described below, and the two can be molded as a single unit.

[0075] In step S3, as shown in FIG. 10(c), a second resin is injected into a second mold 92 to fill it, thereby forming the gripping portion 40 including the slit 42 for extracting the protrusion 91a.

[0076] In the F-shaped interdental cleaner according to the present invention, the primary member 20 is movable even though it is covered by the gripping portion 40. However, when an F-shaped interdental cleaner is manufactured using the above-mentioned manufacturing methods, there is usually a risk that the primary member 20 and the gripping portion 40, which is the secondary member, will come into close contact with each other during molding.

[0077] In order to achieve mobility of the primary member 20 while it is covered by the gripping portion 40, the present invention utilizes insert molding or two-color molding techniques to form the primary member 20 and the gripping portion 40 using a first resin and a second resin that do not adhere well to each other.

[0078] The property of poor adhesion to each other refers to the property that the first resin and the second resin easily separate from each other without mixing. For example, if the first resin is a crystalline resin such as polyacetal (POM), polyamide (PA), or polypropylene (PP), and the second resin is either the same crystalline resin or an amorphous resin such as acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS), polycarbonate (PC), or polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA), the two resins will have poor adhesion to each other. In this case, the two resins will have low adhesion and will easily separate from each other.

[0079] Among crystalline resins, polypropylene tends to adhere to itself, so when the first resin is polypropylene, the second resin is made of a crystalline resin other than polypropylene or a non-crystalline resin to prevent adhesion.

[0080] By forming the primary member 20 and the gripping portion 40 from a resin that has properties that make them difficult to adhere to each other, even if the F-shaped interdental cleaning tool of the present invention is molded as a single unit, the primary member 20 and the gripping portion 40 are formed in a separate state.

[0081] For this reason, the gripping portion 40 separates when covering the primary member 20, and the first rod 231 and second rod 232, which correspond to the primary member, the force receiving portion 24, and the fulcrum portion 25 are not in close contact with the gripping portion 40, which corresponds to the secondary member during molding, but are arranged movably within the gripping portion 40.

[0082] This maintains the gap necessary to convert the pressing force in the direction of the opening movement of the first arm 21 and the second arm 22, and forms a separated state for the primary member 20 and the gripping portion 40. As a result, the roles of the gripping force used by the user to grip the gripping portion 40 and the pressing force applied to the force receiving portion 24 after gripping are separated, resulting in an F-shaped interdental cleaning tool 1 that can easily clean between teeth while adjusting the tension of the cleaning thread. [Explanation of symbols]

[0083] 1 F-shaped interdental cleaner 20 Primary Members 21 First Arm 22 Second Arm 23 Force transmission section 231 First Rod 232 Second Rod 233 First inner surface 234 Second inner surface 235 First outer surface 236 Second outer surface 24 Power Reception 25 Fulcrum 26 Connecting part 40 Gripping part 42 Slit 44 Bearing section 60 Cleaning thread 90 First Mold 91 Insert 91a Convex part 92 Second Mold

Claims

1. An F-shaped interdental cleaner including a grip portion that is elongated in a predetermined direction, and a first arm and a second arm that are provided at the tip side of the grip portion and extend in a direction perpendicular to the elongated direction with a gap between them, a cleaning thread stretched between the first and second arms; a force receiving unit that receives a pressing force from a user; a force transmitting unit that transmits the pressing force received by the force receiving unit to at least one of the first and second arms and changes the tension of the cleaning thread in accordance with the pressing force, the grip portion covers at least a first direction side perpendicular to the longitudinal direction and a second direction side opposite to the first direction of at least a part of the force transmission portion, the first arm is provided closer to the gripping portion than the second arm, the force transmission portion includes a first rod and a second rod extending in the longitudinal direction and spaced apart from each other in a direction perpendicular to the first and second directions, a tip end of the first rod is connected to a base end of the first arm, The tip of the second rod is connected to the base end of the second arm, forming an F-shaped interdental cleaner.

2. the force receiving portion is provided on at least one of a first outer surface which is a side surface of the first rod opposite to the second rod and a second outer surface which is a side surface of the second rod opposite to the first rod, At least a part of the force receiving portion protrudes from an outer surface of the grip portion, and the protruding portion is pressed to receive the pressing force in a direction that narrows the gap between the first rod and the second rod, 2. The F-shaped interdental cleaning tool according to claim 1, wherein the received pressing force causes at least one of the first and second rods to bend, thereby changing the distance between the first arm and the second arm connected to the first and second rods, and changing the tension of the cleaning thread.

3. The force receiving portion is provided on the first outer surface, a fulcrum portion that functions as a fulcrum when the force receiving portion provided on the first outer surface is a force point and the tip of the first arm is a point of action, The F-shaped interdental cleaner according to claim 2 , wherein the fulcrum portion is disposed between the force receiving portion and the base end portion of the first arm.

4. The force receiving portion is further provided on the second outer surface, The F-shaped interdental cleaner according to claim 3, wherein the fulcrum portion also functions as a fulcrum when the force receiving portion provided on the second outer surface is the force point and the tip of the second arm is the action point.

5. The F-shaped interdental cleaner according to claim 3 or 4, wherein the fulcrum is provided near a base end of the first arm.

6. The force receiving portion is provided on the second outer surface, a fulcrum portion that functions as a fulcrum when the force receiving portion provided on the second outer surface is a force point and the tip of the second arm is a point of action, The F-shaped interdental cleaner according to claim 2 , wherein the fulcrum portion is disposed between the force receiving portion and the base end portion of the second arm.

7. 7. The F-shaped interdental cleaner according to claim 6, wherein the fulcrum is provided near a base end of the second arm.

8. the fulcrum portion is a shaft body that protrudes from at least one of the first and second rods in a direction perpendicular to the opposing direction of the first and second rods and the longitudinal direction, The F-shaped interdental cleaner according to any one of claims 3 to 7, wherein the protruding portion of the shaft is held by the gripping portion.

9. The F-shaped interdental cleaning tool according to any one of claims 3 to 7, wherein the fulcrum portion is a protrusion that protrudes from at least one of a first inner surface, which is the side opposite the first outer surface of the first rod, and a second inner surface, which is the side opposite the second outer surface of the second rod, toward the other side.

10. The F-shaped interdental cleaner according to any one of claims 2 to 9, wherein the force receiving portion has at least a portion that is substantially arc-shaped and that protrudes from the outer surface of the grip portion.

11. An F-shaped interdental cleaning tool according to any one of claims 2 to 10, wherein a slit corresponding to the gap between the first rod and the second rod is formed in a side wall of the portion of the gripping portion that covers at least a portion of the first and second rods, the side wall being perpendicular to the opposing direction of the first and second rods.

12. the force receiving portion and the force transmitting portion are made of a first resin, the grip portion is made of a second resin, The F-shaped interdental cleaner according to any one of claims 1 to 11, wherein the first resin and the second resin have properties that make them difficult to adhere to each other.

13. A method for manufacturing the F-shaped interdental cleaning tool according to claim 12, comprising the steps of: (1) molding the first and second arms, the force receiving portion, and the force transmitting portion by supplying a first resin into a first mold having cavities corresponding to the first and second arms, the force receiving portion, and the force transmitting portion; (2) placing the first and second arms, the force receiving portion, and the force transmitting portion in a second mold having a cavity corresponding to the F-shaped interdental cleaner; (3) A method for manufacturing an F-shaped interdental cleaner, comprising the step of molding the gripping portion by supplying the second resin into the second mold after the step (2).

14. A method for manufacturing the F-shaped interdental cleaning tool according to claim 11, comprising the steps of: (1) molding the first and second arms, the force receiving portion, and the force transmitting portion by supplying a first resin into a first mold having cavities corresponding to the first and second arms, the force receiving portion, and the force transmitting portion; (2) placing the first and second arms, the force receiving portion, and the force transmitting portion in a second mold having a cavity corresponding to the F-shaped interdental cleaner; (2a) inserting a insert corresponding to the slit into a space between the first rod and the second rod in a second mold; (3a) after the step (2a), a step of molding the grip portion by supplying a second resin into the second mold, The method for manufacturing an F-shaped interdental cleaner, wherein the first resin and the second resin have properties that make them difficult to adhere to each other.

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