JP2002034656A - Toothbrush - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a toothbrush which has a structure that can clean the gaps mad between a unit of brush for replacement and the head of the toothbrush while the unit of brush for replacement is attached to the head. SOLUTION: The toothbrush 10 has a structure that a unit 30 of brush for replacement can be attached to and removed from a head 22, which extends from a handle 21 of a main body 20 of toothbrush. The head 22 has a part 23 for attaching an unit, the cross section of which is shaped like a chevron and has a lengthwise ridgeline, or a flat surface 23a with a narrow width, and is formed out of two inclined planes 23b, 23c and two penetrating holes 23d, 23e for insertion, which keep a certain distance from each other on the flat surface 23a with a narrow width. A unit 30 of brush for replacement has bristles 32 supplied on a mount 31 for bristles and protrusions 31a, 31b for insertion, which jut out downward from the back of the mount for bristles, and can be inserted into the penetrating holes 23d, 23e for insertion by pushing the protrusions for insertion slightly. After attaching the unit of brush for replacement to the head of the toothbrush, gaps which open wider toward the sides are formed between inclined planes 23b, 23c located on the part 23 for attaching a unit and the back of the mount 31 having bristles since the cross section of the part 23 for attaching a unit is shaped like a chevron.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a toothbrush capable of replacing brush bristles, and more particularly, to an improved structure for mounting a replacement brush unit.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art For example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 10-99133 discloses a toothbrush (electronic brush) capable of replacing brush bristles.
Is disclosed. In this toothbrush, the bristle carrier of the replacement brush unit is configured to be detachable from the head portion of the toothbrush main body. Is formed with a through hole for fitting the projection of the flocking table. For this reason, by inserting the flocking table into the concave portion of the head portion and fitting the projection into the through hole, the replacement brush unit can be attached to the head portion without play, and the brush bristles that have been worn down can be replaced with new brush bristles. Therefore, it is only necessary to replace the replacement brush unit without replacing the brush main body, so that cost reduction and resource saving can be achieved.

[0003]

However, the above-mentioned toothbrush has the following problems.

That is, although the concave portion of the head portion regulates the fall of the flocking table, it is possible to prevent rattling of the replacement brush unit, but on the other hand, sewage remains in the gap between the flocking table and the inner surface of the concave portion. Since foreign matter is clogged, it is easy to become a hotbed of various bacteria. Even if the head section is to be cleaned with the replacement brush unit attached, the cleaning liquid is unlikely to penetrate into the gaps, which is unsanitary. Although it is good to wash with the replacement brush unit removed, it is not possible to provide an easy-to-use and practical replacement brush bristle toothbrush because it forces the user to remove and attach the replacement brush unit after brushing the teeth.

[0005] In view of the above problems, an object of the present invention is to provide a toothbrush capable of cleaning a gap between the replacement brush unit and the head unit while the replacement brush unit remains attached to the head unit.

[0006]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the present invention relates to a toothbrush in which a brush unit can be attached and detached from a handle portion of a toothbrush main body to a head portion which is integrally continuous. A unit receiving plate portion formed in a mountain-shaped cross section having a flat ridge line in the direction,
It has insertion through-holes provided at least two places at intervals on the ridge line, and the replacement brush unit is configured such that the replacement brush unit protrudes downward from the back face of the flocking table and the brush bristle planted on the flocking table. The insertion through hole has an insertion protrusion that can be lightly pressed into the insertion through hole.

[0007] By inserting a plurality of insertion projections of the replacement brush unit into a plurality of insertion through holes of the unit receiving plate, the back surface of the flocking table of the replacement brush unit abuts on the ridge line of the unit receiving plate. Therefore, the replacement brush unit can be attached to the head without play. In this mounting state, since the unit receiving plate portion is formed in a mountain-shaped cross section, a wide mouth-shaped gap is formed between the mountain-shaped slope of the unit receiving plate portion and the back surface of the flocking table. Even in the case of cleaning with the unit attached to the head portion, the cleaning water enters into the wide-mouthed gap, so that the inside of the gap can be washed, thereby enabling hygiene management. Further, since the cross section has a mountain shape, the bending rigidity is high, which contributes to the reduction in thickness of the unit receiving plate portion.

It is preferable that a curved guide wall portion which engages with a curved edge on one end side of the flocking table is integrally provided between the unit receiving portion and the handle portion. When fitting the plurality of insertion protrusions of the replacement brush unit into the plurality of insertion holes of the unit receiving plate, the curved edge on one end side of the replacement brush unit is guided while engaging with the curved guide wall portion. For,
Mounting operability can be improved. Further, since the bending rigidity is increased by integrally forming the curved guide wall portion, sufficient strength can be obtained even when the thickness of the unit receiving plate portion is reduced.

It is desirable that the insertion projection has a rounded tip that penetrates the insertion hole and projects to the back surface of the unit receiving plate. If there is a round tip, the fitting when inserting the insertion projection into the insertion hole is easy, and when removing the insertion projection from the insertion hole, the protruding round tip is placed on the desk. By simply pressing the replacement brush unit or the like, the back surface of the replacement brush unit and the ridge line of the unit receiving plate can be separated, and the removal operability can be improved.

When the toothbrush body is formed by resin molding, the ridge line portion hardly becomes a neutral line due to shrinkage of one of the inclined surfaces.
Although it is difficult to ensure the flatness, the flatness can be ensured in advance by forming the narrow flat surface, and the backlash of the replacement brush unit can be prevented.

[0011]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Next, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. FIG. 1A is a plan view showing a toothbrush according to an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 1B is a front view thereof,
1 (c) is a left side view thereof, FIG. 2 (a) is a plan view showing a toothbrush body of the toothbrush, FIG. 2 (b) is a front view thereof,
FIG. 2C is a bottom view, FIG. 2D is a left side view thereof,
FIG. 3A is a plan view showing a replacement brush unit, and FIG.
FIG. 3B is a front view thereof, and FIG. 3C is a left side view thereof.

The toothbrush 10 of this embodiment has a head portion 22 which is integrally continuous with a handle portion 21 of a resin-made toothbrush body 20.
The replacement brush unit 30 is a replacement brush bristle type toothbrush that can be attached and detached. As shown in FIG. 2, the head portion 22 has a unit receiving plate portion 23 which has a ridge line of a narrow flat surface 23a in the longitudinal direction and has a mountain-shaped cross section including inclined surfaces 23b and 23c. Insertion through-holes 23d and 23e provided at two places at an interval on the flat surface 23a;
The replacement brush unit 30 has a curved guide wall portion 23f that engages with one end side curved edge 31a of the flocking table 31. On the other hand, the replacement brush unit 30 has brush bristles 32 planted on the flocking table 31 and insertion protrusions 31a, 31b which project downward from the back surface of the flocking table and can be lightly pressed into the through holes 23d, 23e. are doing. The insertion protrusions 23d and 23e have a rounded tip portion R that penetrates the insertion holes 23d and 23e and protrudes from the back surface of the unit receiving plate 23.

By inserting the insertion protrusions 23d and 23e of the replacement brush unit 30 into the insertion through holes 23d and 23e of the unit receiving plate 23, the flocking table 23 is formed on the narrow flat surface 23a of the unit receiving plate 23. Since the back surface of the brush 31 is in contact, the replacement brush unit 30 can be attached to the head portion 22 without play. In addition,
During use of the toothbrush, the replacement brush unit 30 does not fall off because the protrusions 23d and 23e are pressed in the direction of being inserted and pushed into the through holes 23d and 23e. In this mounting state, the unit receiving plate 2
3 is formed in a mountain-shaped cross-section, a wide-gap G is formed between the inclined surfaces 23 b and 23 c of the unit receiving plate portion 23 and the back surface of the flocking table 31. Also in the case of cleaning with the head unit 22 attached, the cleaning water enters the wide-open gap G, so that the entire gap can be washed.

In this embodiment, the unit receiving portion 23 and the handle 21
And a curved guide wall 23f that engages with one end side curved edge 31a of the flocking table 31 is formed integrally therewith.
When fitting 23e into insertion holes 23d and 23e,
One end side curved edge 31a of flocking table 31 is curved guide wall 2
Since the guide is performed while engaging with 3f, mounting operability can be enhanced. Further, since the bending rigidity is increased by integrally forming the curved guide wall portion 23f, sufficient strength can be obtained even when the unit receiving plate portion 23 is made thin. In other words, the unit receiving plate 23 can be made thinner.

Since the insertion projections 23d and 23e have a rounded end portion R penetrating the insertion through holes 23d and 23e, the insertion projections 23d and 23e are fitted into the insertion holes 23d and 23e. It is easy to fit
Further, the insertion protrusions 23d and 23e are inserted into the insertion holes 23.
d and 23e, the back surface of the replacement brush unit 30 and the unit receiving plate 23 can be separated from each other only by pressing the protruding round tip R against a desk or the like.
Removal operability can be improved.

Since the unit receiving plate portion 23 has the narrow flat surface 23a, the flatness can be ensured.
The backlash of the replacement brush unit 30 can be prevented.

It is needless to say that the toothbrush of this embodiment can be applied to an electric toothbrush.

[0018]

As described above, the toothbrush according to the present invention is characterized in that the unit receiving plate portion of the head portion has a mountain-shaped cross section having a flat ridge line in the longitudinal direction. Therefore, the following effects are obtained.

In the mounted state, a wide mouth-shaped gap is formed between the chevron slope of the unit receiving plate portion and the back surface of the flocking table. Therefore, when cleaning is performed with the replacement brush unit attached to the head portion. In addition, since the washing water enters into the wide-mouthed gap, the inside of the gap can be washed and hygiene management can be performed. Further, since the cross section has a mountain shape, the bending rigidity is high, which contributes to the reduction in thickness of the unit receiving plate portion.

When a curved guide wall portion which engages with a curved edge on one end side of the flocking table is integrally provided between the unit receiving portion and the handle portion, a plurality of insertion protrusions of the flocking table are provided. When fitting into the multiple insertion holes of the unit receiving plate,
Since the one-end-side curved edge of the flocking table is guided while being engaged with the curved guide wall portion, the mounting operability can be enhanced. Further, since the bending rigidity is increased by integrally forming the curved guide wall portion, sufficient strength can be obtained even when the thickness of the unit receiving plate portion is reduced.

In the case where the insertion projection has a rounded tip that penetrates the insertion hole and projects from the back surface of the unit receiving plate, it is easy to fit the insertion projection into the insertion hole. Yes, and when pulling out the insertion projection from the insertion hole, it is possible to separate the back side of the replacement brush unit and the ridge line of the unit receiving plate simply by pressing the protruding round tip against the desk etc. , The operability of removal can be improved.

When the toothbrush body is formed by resin molding, the ridge portion is unlikely to become a neutral line due to the shrinkage of one of the inclined surfaces, and it is difficult to ensure flatness. Performance can be secured, and the replacement brush unit can be prevented from rattling.

[Brief description of the drawings]

1A is a plan view showing a toothbrush according to an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 1B is a front view thereof, and FIG. 1C is a left side view thereof.

2A is a plan view showing a toothbrush body of the toothbrush, FIG. 2B is a front view thereof, FIG. 2C is a bottom view thereof, and FIG.
Is a left side view thereof.

FIG. 3A is a plan view showing a replacement brush unit;
(B) is the front view, (c) is the left view.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 ... Toothbrush 20 ... Toothbrush main body 21 ... Handle part 22 ... Head part 23 ... Unit receiving plate part 23a ... Narrow flat surface 23b, 23c ... Inclined surface 23d, 23e ... Insert through-hole 23f ... Curved guide wall part 30 ... Replacement brush unit 31 ... Flocking table 31a ... One end side curved edge 31a, 31b ... Insertion protrusion 32 ... Brush bristles R ... Round tip G ... Wide gap

Claims (4)

[Claims] 1. A toothbrush in which a brush unit is detachable from a handle portion of a toothbrush main body and replaced with a head portion integrally continuous, wherein the head portion is formed in a mountain-shaped cross section having a flat ridge line in a longitudinal direction. Unit receiving plate part,
It has insertion through-holes provided at least at two places at intervals on the ridge line, and the replacement brush unit is configured such that the replacement brush unit protrudes downward from the back surface of the flocking table and the bristle planted on the flocking table. A toothbrush having an insertion projection that can be lightly pressed into the insertion through-hole. 2. The device according to claim 1, further comprising a curved guide wall portion integrally engaged with a curved edge on one end side of the flocking table between the unit receiving portion and the handle portion. A toothbrush characterized by the following. 3. The toothbrush according to claim 1, wherein the insertion protrusion has a rounded tip that penetrates the insertion hole and protrudes from the back surface of the unit receiving plate. . 4. The toothbrush according to claim 1, wherein the ridge is a narrow flat surface.