Toothbrush

Abstract

[Problem] To enable a toothbrush, for producing brushing movement by imparting a lateral motion within a plane in which a row of teeth exists, to fit well with a variety of dental arches. A toothbrush 200 comprises: a brush member 210; a guide 221 for guiding a shifting movement of the brush member 210; a guide connector 222 for connecting the guide 221 to a drive source; and a brush frame 223 that is connected to the guide 221 and that is for fixing the brush member 210. The guide 221 has a first region 221A and a second region 221B that exhibits a lower elastic modulus than the first region 221A. A force applied from a row of teeth to the brush member 210 fixed to the brush frame 223 is transmitted to the second region 221B by way of the first region 221A and the brush frame 223, thereby causing deformation in the second region 221B due to the relatively low elasticity of the second region 221B. Said deformation fulfills the role of guiding the movement of the brush member 210 so as to fit the dental arch on which the brush member is being pressed.

Description

toothbrush

[0001] The present invention relates to a toothbrush.

[0002] A toothbrush typically has a brush part attached to one end of a handle that is held by the user. The brush part is inserted into the mouth, and the user touches each tooth from the front or back and applies vibrations to remove dirt.

[0003] For the purposes of automating tooth brushing and making tooth brushing easier for elderly people, there is a demand for toothbrushes that make it possible to easily brush multiple teeth that make up a dentition, rather than brushing each tooth individually. Patent document 1 discloses a tooth brushing device in which the user holds a pair of front tooth retaining members by biting them with their upper and lower front teeth, and a tooth brushing operation unit that can be driven to perform the tooth brushing operation in the movable space between the pair of front tooth retaining members.

[0004] Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the automatic toothbrushing device described in Patent Document 1. The automatic toothbrushing device 10 includes a toothbrushing action unit 16 driven by a drive unit 12, and the toothbrushing action unit 16 is provided with a plurality of brush attachment units 28 for attaching brushing members, i.e., brushes. When a user bites down on a pair of front tooth holding members 18, 19, the automatic toothbrushing device 10 is held in a cantilevered manner with the front teeth as support points during tooth brushing. The toothbrushing action unit 16 is capable of vertical movement perpendicular to the plane of the dentition and horizontal movement within the plane of the dentition.

[0005] Patent No. 6511579

[0006] The tooth brushing unit 16 described in Patent Document 1 is designed based on an average dentition shape so as to be applicable to many users. However, in reality, dentition shapes, i.e., dental arches, are roughly classified into square, round square, round, and round V-shaped according to Thomson's classification, and there are individual differences. Therefore, depending on the user, when moving the tooth brushing unit 16 laterally, the brush portion may not be able to sufficiently contact a wide range of the dentition. Furthermore, the dentition shapes differ between upper and lower teeth.

[0007] The present invention was made in consideration of these problems, and aims to make a toothbrush that brushes teeth by applying lateral movement within the plane of the tooth row, adaptable to various dental arches. Here, "the plane of the tooth row" means a plane that passes through or near any position of each of the multiple teeth that make up the tooth row.

[0008] In this specification, a "toothbrush" includes a brush member and a brush support member that supports the brush member. For example, the toothbrushing unit 16 described in Patent Document 1 corresponds to the toothbrush in this specification.

[0009] Furthermore, in Patent Document 1, the toothbrushing action unit 16, i.e., the toothbrush, is connected to the power transmission shaft 22 of the drive unit 12 and driven, but in this specification, in addition to the case where it is driven in the same way, it is also assumed that the user applies movement by grasping the brush support member of the toothbrush or a gripping member connected to the brush support member.

[0010] In order to achieve this object, a first aspect of the present invention is a toothbrush comprising: a first brush member for brushing the cheek side or tongue side of a first row of teeth in the oral cavity; a first guide extending in the direction of the row of teeth on the cheek side of the first row of teeth for guiding the movement of the first brush member; a guide connector for directly or indirectly connecting the first guide to a drive source; and a first brush frame connected to the first guide for fixing the first brush member, wherein the first guide has a first region and a second region having a lower modulus of rigidity than the first region.

[0011] In addition, a second aspect of the present invention is a toothbrush of the first aspect, wherein the guide connector has a movable part that can rotate the first guide in a direction perpendicular or approximately perpendicular to the direction in which the first guide extends.

[0012] A third aspect of the present invention is the toothbrush of the second aspect, wherein the movable part is a rotation axis in the vertical or approximately vertical direction.

[0013] A fourth aspect of the present invention is the toothbrush of the first or second aspect, wherein the first brush frame extends in the direction of the tooth row on the cheek side of the first tooth row.

[0014] A fifth aspect of the present invention is the toothbrush of the fourth aspect, wherein the first region has a bent structure that bends toward the first tooth row.

[0015] In addition, a sixth aspect of the present invention is a toothbrush of any one of the first to fifth aspects, further comprising a second guide connected to the first region of the first guide and extending to the lingual side of the first tooth row, and the first brush frame is connected to the first guide via the second guide.

[0016] Furthermore, a seventh aspect of the present invention is a toothbrush according to the sixth aspect, further comprising an extension guide connected to the first guide, the extension guide having a region extending in a direction perpendicular or approximately perpendicular to the direction of tooth row.

[0017] In addition, an eighth aspect of the present invention is a toothbrush of any one of the first to fifth aspects, further comprising a second brush frame connected to the first guide or the first brush frame for fixing a second brush member, the second brush frame extending in the tooth row direction on the cheek side of the first tooth row.

[0018] In addition, a ninth aspect of the present invention is a toothbrush of any one of the first to third aspects, further comprising: a second brush member for brushing the cheek side or lingual side of the first tooth row or a second tooth row different from the first tooth row; a second guide for guiding the movement of the second brush member, extending in the tooth row direction on the cheek side or lingual side of the second tooth row, the second guide connected to the guide connector; and a second brush frame connected to the second guide for fixing the second brush member.

[0019] A tenth aspect of the present invention is the toothbrush according to any one of the first to ninth aspects, wherein the first brush frame is detachable from the first guide.

[0020] According to one aspect of the present invention, in a toothbrush for brushing teeth by applying lateral movement within the plane of the tooth row, a guide for guiding the movement of the brush member, which extends in the direction of the tooth row on the cheek side of the tooth row, is made deformable when inserted into the oral cavity and further deformable in response to the applied movement, making it possible to easily brush multiple teeth that make up the tooth row to fit various dental arches.

[0021] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an automatic tooth brushing device according to the prior art; FIG. 2 is a top view of a toothbrush according to a first embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a toothbrush according to the first embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 4 is a diagram showing deformation of the toothbrush caused when a guide connector is translated laterally; FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an example of a guide according to the first embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 6 is a perspective view of an alternative embodiment of a toothbrush according to the first embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 7 is a side view of an alternative embodiment of a toothbrush according to the first embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 8 is a perspective view of a toothbrush according to a second embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 9 is a top view of a toothbrush according to a third embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 10 is a perspective view of a toothbrush according to the third embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 11 is a diagram showing an example of a guide according to the third embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 12 is a diagram showing another example of a guide according to the third embodiment of the present invention.

[0022] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

[0023] 2A and 2B show a toothbrush according to a first embodiment of the present invention. The toothbrush 200 includes a brush member 210 and a brush support member for supporting the brush member 210. The brush support member includes a guide 221 for guiding the movement of the brush member 210, a guide connector 222 for connecting the guide 221 directly or indirectly to a drive unit, and a brush frame 223 connected to the guide 221 for fixing the brush member 210. For simplicity, the brush support member as a whole is not labeled with a reference numeral.

[0024] In the illustrated example, an attachment 230 for mounting to a drive unit is connected to the guide connector 222, and the guide 221 is indirectly connected to the drive unit via the attachment 230 by the guide connector 222. When a user grips the toothbrush 200 to give it movement, it is conceivable that a gripping member can be connected to the attachment 230 instead of the drive unit, or that a gripping member can be connected to the guide connector 222 instead of the attachment 230, and the user can grip the gripping member. It should be noted that, just as the attachment 230 may be formed integrally with the guide connector 222, each member referred to in this specification is not necessarily limited to being formed as a separate part, and it is also contemplated that multiple members may be formed integrally.

[0025] FIG. 3 shows the deformation of the toothbrush that occurs when the guide connector is translated laterally. A series of deformations 300 is shown as viewed from the maxillary side, modeling the mandibular dental arch as a rectangular circular arch. When the toothbrush 200 is inserted into the oral cavity, it transitions from the unloaded state shown in FIGS. 2A and 2B to the deformed state shown at the center position. In this state, the force applied to the brush member 210 from the dentition deforms the elastic region of the guide 221, described below, and the toothbrush 200 conforms to the dental arch. The guide 221 then further deforms in response to the lateral movement of the guide connector 222, maintaining its conformity to the dental arch.

[0026] Preferably, the guide connector 222 has an axis of rotation 222A that is perpendicular or nearly perpendicular to the lateral movement imparted to the guide connector 222, allowing it to rotate in a direction that follows the tooth row, as shown in FIG.

[0027] 2A and 2B , the toothbrush 200 includes a brush member 210 for brushing the buccal side of the dentition, a guide 221 extending in the dentition direction on the buccal side of the dentition in the oral cavity to guide the movement of the brush member 210, a guide connector 222 for directly or indirectly connecting the guide 221 to a driving source, and a brush frame 223 connected to the guide 221 for fixing the brush member 210. For example, the guide 221 may be connected to a guide connecting plate, and the guide connector 222 may be connected to the guide connecting plate, thereby indirectly connecting the guide 221 to the driving source via the guide connector 222. Here, the driving source may be a drive unit, the user's hand, or the like. Furthermore, "extending in the dentition direction" means extending in the direction in which the multiple teeth constituting the maxillary or mandibular dentition are juxtaposed. Furthermore, as described above, it is preferable that the guide connector 222 has a rotation axis 222A that is perpendicular or approximately perpendicular to the direction in which the guide 221 extends, and more generally, it is preferable that the guide connector 222 has a movable part that can rotate the guide 221 in a direction that is perpendicular or approximately perpendicular to the direction in which the guide 221 extends.

[0028] As shown in the figure, when brushing both the left and right teeth in the oral cavity simultaneously, the toothbrush 200 may include a first guide 221 extending in the dentition direction on the buccal side of the dentition in the oral cavity, as well as a second guide extending in the opposite direction to the first guide on the buccal side of the dentition in the oral cavity. In this situation, the rotation axis 222A of the guide connector 222 is located between the first guide 221 and the second guide along the dentition direction when viewed from a direction perpendicular to the dentition direction. In other words, the rotation axis 222A is preferably located between the first guide 221 and the second guide along a direction perpendicular or approximately perpendicular to the rotation axis 222A. For simplicity, the second guide is not labeled.

[0029] 4 shows an example of a guide according to the first embodiment of the present invention. The guide 221 has a first region 221A and a second region 221B having a lower modulus of elasticity than the first region 221A. By connecting the first region 221A to the brush frame 223 and connecting the second region 221B to the guide connector 222, a force applied from the dentition to the brush member 210 fixed to the brush frame 223 is transmitted to the second region 221B via the brush frame 223 and the first region 221A. Due to the relatively low elasticity of the second region 221B, the second region 221B is deformed. This deformation serves to guide the movement of the brush member 210 to conform to the dental arch against which it is pressed.

[0030] In order to make the modulus of elasticity of the second region 221B lower than that of the first region 221A, it is preferable to integrally mold the guide 221 so that the thickness of the first region 221A is thinner than that of the second region 221B. It is also possible to use different materials for the first region 221A and the second region 221B. An example of such a material is a plastic material such as POM.

[0031] The guide 221 extends in the direction of the dentition on the buccal side of the dentition in the oral cavity, but may have a structure that is bent toward the dentition in the first region 221A, as shown in Fig. 4. Such a bent structure reduces the opening width of the brush frame 223 connected to the guide 221, making it easier to insert into the oral cavity.

[0032] 4, the second region 221B of the guide 221 is described as being connected to the guide connector 222. However, the guide 221 may further include a third region having a higher elasticity than the second region 221B, and the third region may be connected to the guide connector 222. In other words, the brush frame 223, the first region 221A, and the second region 221B may be arranged in this order along the tooth row direction when viewed from a direction perpendicular to the tooth row direction. Furthermore, when the guide connector 222 has a rotation axis 222A, the third region of the guide 221 may be interposed between the second region 221B and the rotation axis 222A as long as the brush frame 223, the first region 221A, the second region 221B, and the rotation axis 222A are arranged in this order along the tooth row direction when viewed from a direction perpendicular to the tooth row direction.

[0033] The brush frame 223 may be a component that is detachable from the guide 221. By doing so, when the brush member 210 fixed to the brush frame 223 wears out through use, it can be replaced with a new one, allowing the toothbrush 200 to continue to be used. Alternatively, the brush frame 223 may be formed integrally with the guide 221, and the guide 221 and the brush frame 223 may be components that are detachable from the guide connector 222. In this specification, the term "connected" of multiple components includes the case where these components are formed integrally. The brush frame 223 preferably has a region that extends perpendicular or approximately perpendicular to the tooth row direction so that the brush member 210 fixed to a part of the brush frame 223 comes into contact with the tooth row of the upper or lower jaw when the toothbrush 200 is inserted into the oral cavity.

[0034] 5A and 5B show an alternative form of the toothbrush according to the first embodiment of the present invention. The toothbrush 500 includes a first brush 210 for brushing the buccal side of one dentition, and a first brush 510 for brushing the buccal side of the other dentition. More specifically, the toothbrush 500 includes a first guide 221 connected to a guide connector 222, a first brush frame 223 connected to the first guide 221, and a first brush member 210 fixed to the first brush frame 223, as well as a second guide 521 connected to the guide connector 222, a second brush frame 523 connected to the second guide 521, and a second brush member 510 connected to the second brush frame 523. The second guide 521 and the second brush frame 523 perform the same functions as the first guide 221 and the first brush frame 223, except that they target different dentition.

[0035] In this way, it is possible to deform according to the differences in the dental arches between the upper and lower dental rows by independently connecting the first guide 221 for one dental row and the second guide 521 for the other dental row to the brush connector 222. Furthermore, by arranging the first brush member 210 and the second brush member 510 at different positions along the dental row direction, it is possible to effectively use the space in the oral cavity and improve the user's comfort.

[0036] Although the first guide 221 and the second guide 521 have been described as being for brushing different rows of teeth, even if they are for brushing the same row of teeth, by arranging the first brush member 210 and the second brush member 510 in different positions along the direction of the row of teeth, it is possible to effectively use the space in the oral cavity and improve the user's experience.

[0037] 6 shows a toothbrush according to a second embodiment of the present invention. The toothbrush 600 includes a guide 221, a guide connector 222 to which the guide 221 is connected, a first brush frame 223 connected to the guide 221, a second brush frame 623 connected to the guide 221, a brush member 210 fixed to the first brush frame 223, and a brush member 610 fixed to the second brush frame 623.

[0038] The second brush frame 623 is the same as the first brush frame 223 in that it extends in the direction of the tooth row on the cheek side of the tooth row in the oral cavity, but the second brush member 610 is positioned in a different position along the tooth row direction from the first brush member 210. By providing the second brush frame 623 in this way, it becomes possible to brush multiple teeth that make up the tooth row simultaneously.

[0039] In the example of Figure 6, the second brush frame 623 is shown as being connected to the guide 221, but it may also be fixed to the first brush frame 223 and indirectly connected to the guide 221 via the first brush frame 223.

[0040] Although it is possible to interpose an additional guide between the second brush frame 623 and the guide 221 or the first brush frame 223, due to the space constraints within the oral cavity, it is preferable to connect the second brush frame 623 directly to the guide 221 or the first brush frame 223.

[0041] 7A and 7B show a toothbrush according to a third embodiment of the present invention. The toothbrush 700 includes a first guide 721-1 extending in the direction of the dentition on the buccal side of the dentition in the oral cavity, a second guide 721-2 extending on the lingual side of the dentition and connected to the first guide 721-1, a guide connector 222 to which the first guide 721-1 is connected, a brush frame 723 connected to the second guide 721-2, a brush member 710 fixed to the brush frame 723, and an extension guide 724 connected to the first guide 721-1. Here, the brush frame 723 is indirectly connected to the first guide 721-1 via the second guide 721-2.

[0042] 8, the first guide 721-1 has a first region 721-1A and a second region 721-1B having a lower elastic modulus than the first region 721-1A. The second guide 721-2 has a first region 721-2A and a second region 721-2B having a lower elastic modulus than the first region 721-2A, and the second region 721-2B is connected to the first region 721-1A. A third region (not shown) having a higher elastic modulus than the second region 721-2B may be interposed between the second region 721-2B and the first region 721-1A.

[0043] The extension guide 724 is subjected to force from the dentition on the buccal side of the dentition, thereby pressing the brush 710, which is positioned on the lingual side of the dentition, against the dentition. At this time, the second region 721-1B of the first guide 721-1 and the second region 721-2B of the second guide 721-2 are deformed, and the toothbrush 700 conforms to the dental arch. The first guide 721-1 and the second guide 721-2 are further deformed in response to the lateral movement of the guide connector 222, thereby maintaining a state of conformity to the dental arch. The extension guide 724 preferably has a region extending perpendicular or substantially perpendicular to the direction of the dentition so that a portion of the extension guide 724 comes into contact with the dentition of the upper or lower jaw when the toothbrush 700 is inserted into the oral cavity.

[0044] In Figures 7A and 7B, the extension guide 724 is shown connected to the first guide 721-1, but as in the first embodiment, a brush frame to which a brush member is fixed may be connected so that the cheek side and tongue side of the dentition can be brushed simultaneously.

[0045] FIG. 9 shows another example of a guide according to the third embodiment of the present invention. In FIG. 9, a first region 821-1A of a first guide 821-1 is provided with a connecting structure 821-1C for detachably connecting a second guide 821-2. For simplicity, FIG. 9 shows an example in which an extension guide is connected to each guide, but it is also possible to connect a brush frame to one or both of them. Furthermore, a third region (not shown) having a higher elastic modulus than the second region 821-2B may be interposed between the second region 821-2B and the first region 821-1A. By providing such a structure 821-1C, the position of the second guide 821-2 can be adjusted, effectively utilizing the space within the oral cavity and improving the user's comfort. For example, the connecting structure 821-1C may have multiple protrusions as shown, and the second region 821-2B may be provided with recesses that fit into the connecting structure 821-1C.

[0046] 200 Toothbrush 210 Brush member (corresponding to "first brush member") 221 Guide (corresponding to "first guide") 221A First region 221B Second region 222 Guide connector 222A Rotation axis 223 Brush frame (corresponding to "first brush frame") 230 Attachment 300 Series of deformations 500 Toothbrush 510 Second brush member 521 Second guide 523 Second brush frame 600 Toothbrush 610 Second brush member 623 Second brush frame 700 Toothbrush 710 Brush member 721-1 First guide 721-1A First region 721-1B Second region 721-2 Second guide 721-2A First region 721-2B Second region 723 Brush frame (corresponding to "first brush frame") 724 Extension guide 821-1A First region of first guide 821-1B Second region of first guide 821-1C Connection structure 821-2A First region of second guide 821-2B Second region of second guide

Claims

1. a first brush member for brushing the buccal or lingual side of the first dentition in the oral cavity; a first brush frame for fixing the first brush member; a first guide connected to the first brush frame, the first guide extending in a dentition direction on a buccal side of the first dentition, the first guide for guiding a movement of the first brush member; a guide connector for directly or indirectly connecting the first guide to a drive source; A toothbrush comprising: The first guide has a first region and a second region having a lower modulus of rigidity than the first region.

2. 2. The toothbrush of claim 1, a second brush member for brushing the buccal or lingual side of the first row of teeth; a second brush frame for fixing the second brush member; a second guide connected to the second brush frame, the second guide extending opposite the first guide on the buccal side of the first row of teeth, the second guide being for guiding the movement of the second brush member; Further equipped with The second guide has a third region and a fourth region having a lower rigidity than the third region.

3. 3. The toothbrush according to claim 1 or 2, The guide connector has a movable portion capable of rotating the first guide in a direction perpendicular or substantially perpendicular to a direction in which the first guide extends.

4. 4. The toothbrush of claim 3, The movable portion is a rotation axis in the vertical or approximately vertical direction.

5. 2. The toothbrush of claim 1, The first brush frame has a region extending in a direction perpendicular or substantially perpendicular to the tooth row direction.

6. 2. The toothbrush of claim 1, The first region has a bent structure that bends toward the first row of teeth.

7. 2. The toothbrush of claim 1, a second guide connected to the first region of the first guide and extending lingually of the first row of teeth; The first brush frame is connected to the first guide via the second guide.

8. 8. The toothbrush of claim 7, an extension guide connected to the first guide; The expansion guide has a region extending in a direction perpendicular or substantially perpendicular to the direction of the dentition.

9. 2. The toothbrush of claim 1, Further comprising a second brush frame connected to the first guide or the first brush frame for fixing a second brush member; The second brush frame extends in the dentition direction on the buccal side of the first dentition.

10. 10. The toothbrush of claim 9, The brush frame further includes a second guide disposed between the second brush frame and the first guide or between the first brush frame and the second guide.

11. 2. The toothbrush of claim 1, a second brush member for brushing a cheek side or a tongue side of the first dentition or a second dentition different from the first dentition; a second guide for guiding movement of the second brush member, the second guide extending in a dentition direction on a buccal or lingual side of the second dentition, the second guide being connected to the guide connector; a second brush frame connected to the second guide for fixing the second brush member; It further comprises:

12. 2. The toothbrush of claim 1, The first brush frame is removable from the first guide.