Interdental cleaning tool

Abstract

The present invention addresses the problem of providing an interdental cleaning tool that eliminates the need to prepare both dental floss and an interdental brush and that enables an interdental brush to be easily inserted between teeth even from the back side (the inside of an oral cavity). As a solution, the present invention is provided with floss (30) and a pick (22) for holding the floss (30) in a stretched state. An interdental brush (40) is attached to one or both of the length-direction ends of the floss (30) held by the pick (22).

Description

Interdental cleaning tool

[0001] The present invention relates to an interdental cleaning tool for removing food residues, dental plaque, etc. between teeth.

[0002] As a tool for cleaning between teeth, so-called dental floss is well known. Dental floss can effectively clean between teeth where a toothbrush is difficult to reach. For example, Patent Document 1 (Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2018-68873) discloses a configuration in which a loop is attached to the tip of a pick that holds the floss, and the object stuck between teeth can be moved at the tip and pulled out at the loop part.

[0003] In addition, as a tool for cleaning between teeth, interdental brushes are also well known in addition to dental floss. Interdental brushes are often used when the gap at the root between teeth is large, when the gums have receded, or when there is a bridge. For example, Patent Document 2 (International Publication No. 2024-520133) discloses an interdental brush having a configuration in which brush filaments are attached around a wire.

[0004] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2018-68873 International Publication No. 2024-520133

[0005] Conventionally, those who want to clean between teeth have had to prepare both dental floss and interdental brushes, which has been a problem in terms of cost and the like. In addition, there has also been a problem that although an interdental brush can be easily inserted between teeth from the front side (outside of the oral cavity), it is difficult to insert it between teeth from the back side (inside of the oral cavity).

[0006] Therefore, the present invention has been made to solve the above problems, and its object is to provide an interdental cleaning tool that does not require both dental floss and interdental brushes, and that can be easily inserted between teeth even from the back side (inside of the oral cavity).

[0007] The interdental cleaning tool according to the present invention comprises a floss and a pick for holding the floss taut, and is characterized in that an interdental brush is attached to one or both ends of the floss along its length. By adopting this configuration, the floss and interdental brush can be integrated to improve user convenience. Furthermore, it becomes possible to insert the interdental brush from the back side into the interdental space while the floss is in place, allowing for more thorough cleaning. In addition, because the interdental brush is attached around the floss, it is not hard and does not cause pain during cleaning.

[0008] Furthermore, the interdental brush is attached to both ends of the floss in the longitudinal direction, and the portion where the interdental brush is not attached is formed in the center of the floss in the longitudinal direction. With this configuration, the floss can be inserted between the teeth to clean the interdental spaces, and then the interdental brush can be inserted between the teeth from either the outside or inside direction to clean the interdental spaces.

[0009] Furthermore, the interdental brush is formed on the outer circumference of the floss. Conventional interdental brushes, in which the brush is attached around a wire, are hard as a whole, and the wire can sometimes be painful when it touches the gums. However, with this configuration, since floss is used as the core of the interdental brush, interdental cleaning can be performed without causing pain.

[0010] Furthermore, the interdental brush is characterized by being integrally formed with a pick covering portion configured to cover the floss attachment portion of the pick. This configuration allows for a firm attachment of the interdental brush to the pick, thus preventing the interdental brush from coming off the floss.

[0011] According to the present invention, it is not necessary to prepare both dental floss and interdental brushes, and the interdental cleaning tool can be made such that the interdental brush can be easily inserted between the teeth even from the back side (inside of the oral cavity).

[0012] Figure 1 is a front view of the interdental cleaning tool. Figure 2 is a perspective view of the interdental cleaning tool. Figure 3 is a bottom view of the interdental cleaning tool.

[0013] Hereinafter, embodiments of the interdental cleaning device according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. Figure 1 is a front view of the interdental cleaning device, Figure 2 is a perspective view of the interdental cleaning device, and Figure 3 is a bottom view of the interdental cleaning device. The interdental cleaning device 20 comprises a pick 22, floss 30 held by the pick 22, and an interdental brush 40 attached to the floss 30.

[0014] While materials such as nylon, polyester, and polyethylene can be used for the floss 30, it is not limited to any particular material. Furthermore, materials with antibacterial properties may be used. Additionally, to facilitate interdental space penetration and improve lubrication, a wax coating (e.g., beeswax, fluorine wax, silica wax, etc.) may be applied to the surface of the floss 30.

[0015] The pick 22 shown in this embodiment is a so-called F-type, and has a gripping portion 24 that is substantially straight and is held by the user, and a mounting portion 25 that is bifurcated at the tip on one side in the longitudinal direction of the gripping portion 24, facing the side of the gripping portion 24, and is roughly U-shaped or semicircular. The other end of the gripping portion 24 of the pick 22 has a claw-like tip that is sharp, and this claw-like portion 26 can also be used as a toothpick. However, the shape of the pick 22 is not limited to the shape described above. Furthermore, the material of the pick 22 can be a synthetic resin such as polystyrene or polypropylene, but it is not limited to any of these materials.

[0016] The attachment portion 25 of the pick 22 has a bifurcated end 25a and the other end 25b, and the floss 30 is fixed in a taut state between the one end 25a and the other end 25b. The floss 30 can be fixed in any way as long as it is fixed in a taut state between the one end 25a and the other end 25b of the attachment portion 25 so as not to come off.

[0017] Interdental brushes 40 are attached to the outer circumference of both longitudinal ends of the floss 30, which is fixed to the attachment portion 25 of the pick 22. The interdental brushes 40 are made of a material such as thermoplastic elastomer (TPE). Since thermoplastic elastomer (TPE) is rubbery at room temperature and softens when heated, the thermoplastic elastomer (TPE) can be heated and molded onto the outer circumference of the floss 30, allowing the interdental brushes 40 to be attached to the outer circumference of the floss 30. However, the material of the interdental brushes 40 is not limited to thermoplastic elastomer (TPE); any rubbery material is acceptable.

[0018] In this way, by attaching the interdental brush 40 to the outer circumference of the floss 30, the entire interdental brush 40 can be made softer compared to the conventional method of attaching the interdental brush 40 to a wire, and it can also be made so that it does not hurt when it comes into contact with the gums.

[0019] In this embodiment, the interdental brushes 40 are provided at both ends of the floss 30 in the longitudinal direction. Therefore, the floss 30 is exposed between the two interdental brushes 40. With this configuration, the floss 30 is inserted between the teeth to clean the interdental space, and then the floss 30 is moved in the longitudinal direction, allowing the interdental brushes 40 to be inserted between the teeth from either the outside or the inside.

[0020] The interdental brush 40 is constructed by arranging multiple protrusions 41 along a circumference, and these multiple protrusions 41 arranged on the circumference are arranged in multiple rows at predetermined intervals along the longitudinal direction. In this embodiment, four rows of protrusions 41 are shown, but the number of rows is not limited to four. Furthermore, the interdental brush 40 is not limited to having multiple rows of protrusions 41 arranged along a circumference along the longitudinal direction; for example, multiple annular sections may be arranged at predetermined intervals along the longitudinal direction, or the brush shape may be other shapes.

[0021] Furthermore, the interdental brush 40 in this embodiment is integrally formed with the pick covering portion 43 that covers the ends 25a and 25b of the mounting portion 25 of the pick 22. That is, the pick covering portion 43 is also made of the same material as the interdental brush 40, and the interdental brush 40 and the pick covering portion 43 are formed simultaneously. The tips of the ends 25a and 25b of the mounting portion 25 of the pick 22 are each rounded and formed in a roughly semicircular shape, and the pick covering portion 43 covers the roughly semicircular portions of the ends 25a and 25b of the mounting portion 25 of the pick 22. In addition, the interdental brush 40 is formed to protrude in the length direction of the floss 30 from approximately the center in the height direction of the pick covering portion 43.

[0022] Although the shape of the pick in the embodiments described above was a so-called F-type, it may also be a so-called Y-type, in which the mounting portion 25 for attaching the floss 30 extends in the same direction as the longitudinal direction of the gripping portion 24.

[0023] Furthermore, in the embodiments described above, the interdental brush 40 was described as being provided on both sides in the longitudinal direction of the floss 30, but the interdental brush 40 may be provided on at least one side in the longitudinal direction of the floss 30.

[0024] Furthermore, although the embodiments described above have described a configuration in which the interdental brush 40 is formed on the outer circumference of the floss 30, it is also possible to have a configuration in which the floss 30 is stretched between the tips of two interdental brushes 40.

[0025] Furthermore, the interdental cleaning tool of this embodiment may be configured to be electrically operated. In this case, it is preferable to make the other end of the gripping portion 24 of the pick 22 shaped so that it can be connected to an electric device.

Claims

1. An interdental cleaning device comprising a dental floss and a pick for holding the floss taut, wherein an interdental brush is attached to one or both of the ends of the floss in the longitudinal direction.

2. The interdental cleaning tool according to claim 1, characterized in that the interdental brush is attached to both ends of the floss in the longitudinal direction, and the portion where the interdental brush is not attached is formed in the center of the floss in the longitudinal direction.

3. The interdental cleaning tool according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the interdental brush is formed on the outer circumference of the floss.

4. The interdental brush is formed integrally with a pick covering portion configured to cover the floss attachment portion of the pick, as described in claim 1 or 2.

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