JP2001353026A - Toothbrush - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a toothbrush by which a proper bacterial plaque-removing effect and a proper brushing feeling can be obtained, and which can effectively reduce gum-harming property, and can provide a soft feeling to gums. SOLUTION: In this toothbrush 10, a large number of tufts 12 for which bristles 11 are bundled are planted on a bristling base 14 in the longitudinal and lateral directions. In such a toothbrush 10, the bristle 11 constituting the tuft 12 has a circular cross section shape, and also is equipped with a flat distal end section 16. In the flat distal end section, the side surface sections are cut of by a pair of tapered surfaces 13 which are extended in the diagonal directions being opposite from each other, from the center of the distal end. Then, the ratio of the minimum width of the bristle 11 to the maximum width at a location of 0.2 mm from the distal end is 0.30 or lower. Also, the ratio of the minimum width of the bristle 11 to the maximum width at a location of 1.0 mm from the distal end is 0.25 to 0.65. In addition, that of the minimum width of the bristle 11 to the maximum width at a location of 2.0 mm from the distal end is 0.65 or higher.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a toothbrush in which a large number of tufts formed by bundling bristles are planted vertically and horizontally on a flocking table.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Bristles (brushes) constituting tufts (bristles) that are planted in a large number of rows and columns on a flocking table of a toothbrush are rounded to have hemispherical tips. It is common. In addition, by forming the tip of the bristle in a tapered shape and reducing the diameter of the tuft, the softness of the gum during brushing is improved, and the gums are damaged due to excessive brushing and aging etc. Toothbrushes adapted for human use are also known.

[0003] According to the conventional toothbrush with improved softness against the gums, the plaque removal rate on the smooth surface of the teeth is low, and the feeling of brushing is lost. On the other hand, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 12-33010 discloses a toothbrush in which the cross-sectional shape at the base of the bristles is circular or substantially regular polygon, and the tip of the bristles is flat. According to this, the feeling of use during brushing, particularly the comfort of contacting the gums, is good, and the degree of reaching the bristle tip between teeth and the durability are excellent.

[0004] However, according to the toothbrush described in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 12-33010, an appropriate plaque removing effect can be obtained, but gingival harm, which is a property of possibly damaging gums, is sufficiently reduced. I couldn't do that.

An object of the present invention is to provide a toothbrush which can obtain an appropriate plaque removing effect and a feeling of brushing, can effectively reduce harm due to gums, and can obtain a soft feeling to gums. Aim.

[0006]

According to the present invention, there is provided a toothbrush in which a large number of tufts formed by bundling bristles are planted vertically and horizontally on a flocking table, wherein the bristles constituting the tufts have a circular or substantially regular polygonal cross section. Along with the shape, a flat tip portion whose side face is cut off by a pair of tapered surfaces extending in a diagonal direction opposite to the center of the tip is provided, and the minimum width of the bristle at a position of 0.2 mm from the tip is provided. A ratio of the minimum width of the bristle to the maximum width at a position 1.0 mm from the tip is 0.25 to 0.65, and a ratio to a maximum width at a position 2.0 mm from the tip. The object has been achieved by providing a toothbrush in which the ratio of the minimum width to the maximum width of the bristle is 0.65 or more.

As the regular polygon in the above description, for example, a square, a regular hexagon, a regular octagon and the like can be mentioned. The substantially regular polygon does not need to be a regular regular polygon, but may be any regular polygon.

In the above description, the tapered surface for cutting off the side surface of the bristle may have a shape obtained by cutting off the side surface of the bristle obliquely. The tapered surface formed in the above is also included. Further, the tapered surface does not necessarily have to be a flat surface, but may be a concave or convex curved surface.

The minimum width of the bristle in the above description is
At each position 0.2 mm, 1.0 mm, or 2.0 mm away from the tip, when the bristle is viewed from the direction of 360 degrees around, the width of the bristles from the direction in which the width appears to be the smallest, such as a tapered surface Is the width when viewed from the side. Further, the maximum width of the bristles is the width of the bristles from the direction in which the bristles appear to be the largest when the bristles are viewed from the 360-degree direction at each of the above positions, for example, the width when the tapered surface is viewed from the front. is there.

[0010] According to the toothbrush of the present invention, the tip of the bristle has a flat shape in which the side surface is cut off by a pair of tapered surfaces. The reach is improved and the gums are more comfortable to hit. In addition, the cross-sectional shape of the bristle is circular or substantially regular polygonal, and its tip is flat and the entire circumference is not tapered (conical). It is possible to obtain a proper plaque removing effect and a feeling of responsiveness by holding. Further, the ratio of the minimum width to the maximum width of the bristles at a position 0.2 mm from the tip is 0.30 or less, and the ratio of the minimum width to the maximum width of the bristles at a position 1.0 mm from the tip is 0.25. ０．６0.65 and the ratio of the minimum width to the maximum width of the bristle at a position 2.0 mm from the tip is 0.65 or more. It becomes possible to obtain a soft touch.

[0011]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The present invention will be described below with reference to preferred embodiments. As shown in FIG. 1, the toothbrush 10 of the present embodiment includes a grip (not shown) and a flocking table 14.
A tuft (hair bundle) 12 formed by bundling a plurality of bristles (brushes) 11 into a plurality of flocked holes formed in a flocked base 14 of the toothbrush main body, which comprises a head portion and a neck portion 15 connecting these.
Are respectively planted.

The toothbrush body is made of, for example, polypropylene,
It is made of a synthetic resin such as an ABS resin, and has a number of flocked holes formed at predetermined intervals vertically and horizontally on a flat surface of the flocked portion 14. Each of the tuft holes has a bundle diameter of 1.2 to 1.6 mm at the root of the tuft 12 implanted in the tuft hole.
And 2.0 to 5.0 m, for example.
m. The tufts 12 are planted in the respective flocking holes by a method of driving a flat wire, a method of fusing with heat, or the like.

Bristle 11 constituting each tuft 12
Is, for example, 0.1 to 0.2 made of a synthetic resin such as nylon.
A tuft 12 is formed by bundling, for example, ten to several tens of filament materials having a thickness of 3 mm.

According to the present embodiment, the tufts 12 are arranged in a row in the longitudinal direction along the longitudinal direction X of the toothbrush 10 at a pitch of 2.4 mm (the distance between the centers of the tufts 12) and are arranged in four rows. ing. Also, five rows are planted continuously at a pitch of 2.4 mm in a horizontal direction which is a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction X. Therefore, the tufts 12 are arranged in rows and columns in a grid pattern and provided on the flocking table 14 at 20 locations.
Each tuft 12 has a bristle height of 12 mm, which is the height from the surface of the flocking table 14.

According to this embodiment, each tuft 1
2 (a) and 2 (b)
As shown in FIG. 3, a flat tip portion 16 is provided, the side portion of which is cut off by a pair of tapered surfaces 13 extending in opposite directions from the center of the tip. The distal end portion 16 has a minimum width (tapered surface 13, 1) of the bristle 11 at a position 0.2 mm from the distal end.
The ratio a / e of the width a of the bristles 11 viewed from the side 3) to the maximum width e (width of the bristles 11 viewed from the front of the tapered surfaces 13 and 13) e is 0.30 or less, and the ratio a / e is 1.0 mm or less from the tip. The minimum width b of the bristle 11 at the position
Is 0.25 to 0.65, and the ratio of the minimum width c of the bristle 11 to the maximum width g at the position 2.0 mm from the tip is 0.6.
5 or more.

Here, the ratio a / a of the minimum width a of the bristle 11 to the maximum width e at a position 0.2 mm from the tip end.
By setting e to 0.30 or less, it is possible to maintain a soft feel to gums and reduce harmful gums. Further, the ratio b / f of the minimum width b of the bristle 11 to the maximum width f at a position 1.0 mm from the tip is 0.2.
By setting it to 5 to 0.65, the feeling of responsiveness can be easily maintained, and the plaque removal rate is not significantly reduced, and the soft feeling to the gums can be maintained. Gum harm can be reduced. Furthermore, the ratio c / g of the minimum width c of the bristle 11 to the maximum width g at a position 2.0 mm from the tip.
Is set to 0.65 or more, the feeling of responsiveness can be easily maintained, and the plaque removing power is not reduced.

Further, according to the present embodiment, 2. from the tip.
The ratio g / h of the maximum width g of the bristle 11 to the maximum width h of the bristle 11 at the root portion at the position of 0 mm.
Is 0.90 or more. By setting g / h to 0.90 or more, it is possible to easily maintain a responsive feeling.

According to the toothbrush 10 of the present embodiment, an appropriate plaque removing effect and a feeling of responsiveness can be obtained, and gingival damage, which is a property of possibly damaging the gums, is effectively reduced. This makes it possible to obtain a soft feel to the gums. That is, according to the present embodiment, the distal end portion 16 of the bristle 11 has a flat shape in which the side surface is cut off by the pair of tapered surfaces 13, 13. Of the hair tips is improved and the feeling of contact with the gums is improved. In addition, since the cross-sectional shape of the bristles 11 is circular, and the tip portion 16 is not tapered all around, the strength of the stiffness is maintained and an appropriate plaque removing effect and a feeling of polishing are obtained. be able to. Furthermore, from the tip, 0.
The ratio of the minimum width to the maximum width of the bristle at the position of 2 mm is 0.30 or less, and 1.0 mm from the tip.
The ratio of the minimum width to the maximum width of the bristle at the position of 0.25 to 0.65 and 2.0
Since the ratio of the minimum width to the maximum width of the bristles at the position of mm is 0.65 or more, it is possible to obtain a soft feel to the gum without damaging the gum during brushing.

The present invention is not limited to the above embodiment, but can be variously modified. For example, it is not necessary that all the bristles constituting the tufts have the above-mentioned tip portions, and only the bristles constituting a part of the tufts have the above-mentioned tip portions, or one of the tufts constituting each tuft. Only the bristles of the part may be provided with the above-mentioned tip. Each tuft does not necessarily have to have the same bundle diameter or hair length, and may have variations. Further, the tufts need not necessarily be arranged vertically and horizontally in a grid pattern, but may be arranged in a zigzag or at random.

[0020]

EXAMPLES Hereinafter, the toothbrush of the present invention will be described in more detail with reference to Examples and Comparative Examples.

[Examples 1 to 3 and Comparative Examples 1 to 4] The toothbrush 10 of the above embodiment has a configuration substantially similar to that of the toothbrush 10 and is 0.2 mm from the tip of each bristle 11 constituting each tuft 12.
The ratio a / e of the minimum width a to the maximum width e at the position of
Maximum width f of minimum width b at a position 1.0 mm from the tip
, The ratio c / g of the minimum width c to the maximum width g at a position 2.0 mm from the tip, and the ratio g / to the maximum width h at the root of the maximum width g at a position 2.0 mm from the tip. For the toothbrushes of Examples 1 to 3 and Comparative Examples 1 to 4 in which h is the value shown in Table 1, respectively, according to the following evaluation methods, the plaque removal rate, the feeling of responsiveness, and the soft touch to the gums. , And gingival damage were evaluated. Table 1 shows the results of the evaluation. FIG. 3 shows an image diagram of each bristle 11 constituting the toothbrushes of Examples 1 to 3 and the toothbrushes of Comparative Examples 1 to 4. Further, the bristles 11 have a circular cross section of 7 mil (0.18 mm) in diameter (therefore, the maximum width h of the root portion is 0.18 m).
m) was used. The diameter of each flocking hole is 1.6 mm.

[0022]

[Table 1]

[Evaluation of plaque removing power] An evaluation test of plaque removing power was performed on six subjects who stopped brushing the night before. Before brushing the teeth, plaque on the teeth was stained using a plaque stain (trade name: Prospec; manufactured by GC Co., Ltd.). The amount of plaque was measured. Examples 1 to 3 and Comparative Example 1
Each toothbrush was brushed by a toothbrush using a toothpaste (trade name: Guard Halo; manufactured by Kao Corporation). After the brushing, the plaque was stained again with a plaque stain, and the amount of the remaining plaque of each of the test teeth was measured. The average value was determined as (plaque amount before brushing-plaque amount after brushing) / plaque amount before brushing × 100 = plaque removal rate (%), and the plaque removing power was evaluated.

[Evaluation of brushing feeling and soft feeling to gums] Examples 1 to 3 and Comparative Examples 1 to 20 subjects
Each toothbrush of No. 4 was used while being replaced, and a hearing survey was conducted on the feeling of brushing and the soft feeling of gums. 5 grades (good; 5-4, normal; 3-2,
Poor; The average value of the scores according to 1) was calculated, and the case where the score was 3.5 or more was evaluated as ○, the case where 2.5 to 3.4 was evaluated as Δ, and the case where 2.4 or less was evaluated as ×.

[Evaluation of gingival harm] Eleven left incisors were selected as test teeth for 11 subjects and stained with a staining solution (trade name: Twoton; manufactured by YOUNG Co., Ltd.). The presence or absence of a scratch was confirmed for the site with a microscope of 50 times. Examples 1-3 and Comparative Examples 1
4. Toothpaste (trade name Guard Halo,
(Kao Co., Ltd.) at 200 g of brushing pressure, and the cleaning was performed by a dental hygienist. After the brushing, the test teeth were stained again using a staining agent, and the presence or absence of scratches was confirmed at the same site as above using a microscope. (Total number of locations where scratches were confirmed after brushing) / (Total number of locations where scratches were confirmed before brushing) × 100 = Evaluate gingival damage as gingival damage rate (%) did.

From the evaluation results shown in Table 1, the toothbrushes of Examples 1 to 3 according to the present invention have good plaque removal rate, responsiveness to brushing, soft feel to gums, and good gingival damage. It turned out that the result was obtained.

[0027]

According to the toothbrush of the present invention, an appropriate plaque removing effect and a feeling of responsiveness can be obtained, and at the same time, gingival harm can be effectively reduced and a soft feel to gums can be obtained. .

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a main part of a toothbrush according to an embodiment of the present invention.

2 (a) is a front view and FIG. 2 (b) is a side view for explaining the shape of a bristle constituting a toothbrush according to one embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is an image diagram of each bristle constituting a toothbrush of Examples 1 to 3 and Comparative Examples 1 to 4.

FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram of inspection points in an evaluation test for gingival damage.

[Description of Signs] 10 Toothbrush 11 Bristle 12 Tuft 13 Tapered surface 14 Flocking table 15 Neck 16 Tip

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[Procedure amendment]

[Submission date] June 12, 2001 (2001.6.1)
2)

[Procedure amendment 1]

[Document name to be amended] Statement

[Correction target item name] Claims

[Correction method] Change

[Correction contents]

[Claims]

[Procedure amendment 2]

[Document name to be amended] Statement

[Correction target item name] 0006

[Correction method] Change

[Correction contents]

[0006]

Means for Solving the Problems The present invention provides a toothbrush tuft made by bundling bristles are implanted multiple vertically and horizontally flocking base, bristles constituting the tuft opposite diagonal from the tip center of its A flat end portion whose side surface is cut off by a pair of tapered surfaces extending in the direction, wherein the ratio of the minimum width to the maximum width of the bristle at a position of 0.2 mm from the end is 0.30 or less, The ratio of the minimum width to the maximum width of the bristle at a position 1.0 mm from the distal end is 0.25 to 0.65, and the ratio of the minimum width to the maximum width of the bristle at a position 2.0 mm from the distal end is 0. The above object has been achieved by providing a toothbrush having a diameter of 0.65 or more.

[Procedure amendment 3]

[Document name to be amended] Statement

[Correction target item name] 0007

[Correction method] Deleted

[Procedure amendment 4]

[Document name to be amended] Statement

[Correction target item name] 0010

[Correction method] Change

[Correction contents]

[0010] According to the toothbrush of the present invention, the tip of the bristle has a flat shape in which the side surface is cut off by a pair of tapered surfaces. The reach is improved and the gums are more comfortable to hit. Further, since the tip portion of the Burissu Le is whole periphery it becomes flat shape is not in the tapered (conical), a moderate plaque removing effect and polishing respond feeling holds the firmness It is possible to obtain. Further, the ratio of the minimum width to the maximum width of the bristles at a position 0.2 mm from the tip is 0.30 or less, and the ratio of the minimum width to the maximum width of the bristles at a position 1.0 mm from the tip is 0.25. ０．６0.65 and the ratio of the minimum width to the maximum width of the bristle at a position 2.0 mm from the tip is 0.65 or more. It becomes possible to obtain a soft touch.

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. A toothbrush in which a large number of tufts obtained by bundling bristles are planted vertically and horizontally on a flocking table. A flat tip portion whose side surface is cut off by a pair of tapered surfaces extending in oblique directions opposite to each other, and a ratio of a minimum width to a maximum width of the bristle at a position 0.2 mm from the tip is 0. 30 or less, the ratio of the minimum width of the bristle to the maximum width at a position 1.0 mm from the distal end is 0.25 to 0.65, and the minimum width of the bristle at a position 2.0 mm from the distal end. A toothbrush having a ratio of significant to 0.65 or more. 2. The toothbrush according to claim 1, wherein the ratio of the maximum width of the bristle to the maximum width of the bristle at a root portion at a position 2.0 mm from a tip is 0.90 or more.