JP7449631B2 - Holder for interdental brushes and dental floss - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to an interdental brush or dental floss storage device. (In the following explanation, "interdental brushes or dental floss" will be simply referred to as "interdental brushes.")

A typical device for storing interdental brushes is attached to a toothbrush stand. Some of them are made of ceramic and have a pot shape into which interdental brushes can be inserted. As a patent document, Utility Model Registration No. 3058342 proposes an interdental brush holder in which a wire is spirally wound (FIG. 7). This holder seems to be excellent in terms of drying, but since it is stored with the brush section facing down, force continues to be applied to the filament section of the brush, which plays the most important role in use. I think that there is a problem that the hair becomes deformed.

Utility model publication No. 3058342

There are few storage frames for interdental brushes in commercially available devices for storing interdental brushes. In other words, it is recommended that interdental brushes be selected from five to six different sizes depending on the degree of spacing between the teeth. In general, it is said that the space between the front teeth of a person is narrow and the space between the back teeth is wide, so each person uses 2 to 4 interdental brushes, compared to the case where one toothbrush is enough for each person. It requires more frames than toothbrushes. However, the current number of commercially available products is the same or fewer than the number of frames for toothbrushes. The present invention aims to solve this problem of having a small number of storage frames.

(1) A plurality of approximately cylindrical insertion portions into which handle portions of interdental brushes are individually inserted are connected together, and the plurality of tubes are connected by a joint portion to strengthen the mutual connection between the tubes. A holder is produced in which any one of a grip part, a pedestal part, and a fixing part is connected to this joint part.
This holder allows you to store multiple interdental brushes without taking up much space.

(2) The above-mentioned insertion part has a triangular, square, pentagonal, hexagonal, heart-shaped, or circular shape when viewed from the top of the cylinder, but this cylinder shape corresponds to the overall shape of the holder and has less wasted parts. A shape is selected. This results in a holder that does not take up wasted space for storage.

(3) The above-mentioned insertion part has a plurality of slits in its wall surface within a range that does not extremely weaken the connection force with the adjacent cylinder part to improve the inflow of air into the cylinder (see FIG. 5). Since interdental brushes are washed with water after use, water adheres to the inside of the holder, which is a storage device, and slime and the like occur inside the device as it is used. In order to suppress this, it is necessary to improve air flow into the cylinder to improve dryness.

(4) As for the shape of the above-mentioned insertion part, it is also possible to eliminate a part of the wall surface of the insertion part and make the cross section approximately "U-shaped" (see FIG. 2). This "U-shaped" insertion part is provided with wavy unevenness parallel to the longitudinal direction of the inner wall surface, and inside this "U-shaped" insertion part, there is a removable shape that is in close contact with the inner wall surface of the insertion part. A rectangular parallelepiped is inserted, and a notch with a width of 1 to 2 mm and a depth of 4 to 6 mm is made along the vertical direction of the insertion section at the center of the "U-shaped" opening side of the rectangular parallelepiped at both the top and bottom ends of the insertion section. In this case, the insertion portion and rectangular parallelepiped are made of a flexible resin with a hardness of 15 to 70 degrees. As a result, even in the case of an interdental brush with a flat handle part or dental floss with a thin handle part, it can be grasped by sandwiching it between the flexible notches.
The rectangular parallelepiped inside this insertion part is removable, so if the handle part is thick or flat and large, by removing the rectangular parallelepiped, the wavy unevenness of the wall surface and the U-shaped inner wall can be flexibly deformed. The handle can be gripped with the handle.

(5) The joint portion is selected to have a pipe shape, a plate shape, or a triangular prism shape. When a pipe is connected to the lower part of the joint part, a pipe shape is selected. When a joint portion is provided on the back surface where several insertion portions are lined up in a row, a plate shape or a triangular prism shape is selected. The reason why the triangular prism shape is selected is to tilt the insertion ports that are lined up in a row, and when inserting the brush from above, it is easier to insert the brush if the insertion port is tilted toward you (see Figure 5). When pushing a brush into the "U-shaped" insertion section, it will be easier to push it in if it is tilted slightly upward (see Figure 6).

(6) The number of the above-mentioned grip portions is one, the shape is rod-like or hollow rod-like, the cross-sectional area is 30 to 120 square mm, and the length is 60 to 130 mm (see FIG. 1). This grip makes it approximately the same length and thickness as a toothbrush, allowing it to be stored together in a toothbrush holder, etc. There is a very delicate balance between the thickness of the upper insertion part and the thickness of the grip, and if the balance is poor, it will look unsightly. Therefore, the thickness of the grip portion is determined depending on the thickness of the upper insertion portion.

(7) The above-mentioned pedestal part has a roughly trapezoidal shape that widens at the bottom, serves to make the holder self-supporting, and is connected to the joint part by a pipe-shaped adapter (see Figure 3).
In some cases, it is plate-shaped, and has a pedestal with a hole in the center of the plate, which allows the holder to stand on its own depending on the width of the plate (see Figure 4). This plate-shaped pedestal has been designed for a special use, and is usually used as a coaster at the dining table, but in some cases it is used as a pedestal for the holder when the holder is used around the dining table. In other words, a toothbrush-shaped holder that is stored in a toothbrush holder together with a toothbrush consisting of an insertion part, a joint part, and a grip part is considered to be used when the toothbrush holder is temporarily held on a dining table.

(8) Any one of a magnet, a suction cup, an adhesive material, a clip, or a hook is used for the above-mentioned fixing part. The selection of which fixing part to adopt is made depending on the situation at the place where the fixing part is to be used. Suction cups and adhesives are suitable for resin walls such as bathroom vanities (see Figure 6), and magnets are suitable for magnetically sensitive walls such as those around bathrooms and kitchens (see Figure 5). ). A suction cup is a device that can be used anywhere, but it has the disadvantage that it is not long-lasting. Adhesive material is considered to be the most suitable device, and in particular, adhesive material that can be repeatedly adhesive and does not leave any residue is considered to be excellent in fixing a book holder with a small weight.

(9) The number of the insertion portions is 2 to 8 cylinders, the horizontal cross-sectional area of the insertion portion is 38 to 58 square mm, and the length of the insertion portion is 25 to 45 mm. The thickness of the handle part of an interdental brush is 7 to 8 mm in cross-sectional diameter, and the overall length is about 5 to 9 cm, so by selecting the above range, it is compatible with almost all types of interdental brushes. (See Figures 1 to 6).

An advantage of the toothbrush type of the present invention is that a single holder can store a plurality of interdental brushes, and since it can be stored together with the toothbrush, no special storage device is required. It was also discovered that if the insertion part of the holder is flicked with a finger while the interdental brush is still inserted in the holder, the moisture adhering to the interdental brush in the holder becomes water droplets and scatters, resulting in faster drying.

A pedestal-type holder has the advantage of being able to be placed on any flat surface, so it can be placed anywhere. Additionally, you can take out the holder and use interdental brushes wherever you like. Furthermore, in the case of a coaster-shaped pedestal, it can also be used as a coaster at the dining table.

Fixed type holders have the advantage of being able to store more interdental brushes than other holders because a large number of insertion parts can be arranged in one or two rows. Furthermore, since it can be installed on a vertical surface, the installation space can be greatly increased. Furthermore, for those who use interdental brushes in the kitchen, fixing them to the heat radiating part of the refrigerator will greatly improve drying performance.

An overall perspective view of a holder that combines an insertion section with a circular cross section, a pipe-shaped joint section, and a pipe-shaped grip section. Partial perspective view of a holder that combines an insertion section with a U-shaped cylindrical section, an adapter that is inserted into the insertion section, a pipe-shaped joint section, and a grip section. A perspective view of the entire holder, which includes an insertion part with a hexagonal cylindrical cross section, a pipe-shaped joint part, an adapter that connects the joint part and the pedestal part, and a pedestal part. A perspective view of a holder consisting of an insertion part whose entire cylindrical section has a clover-shaped cross section, a pipe-shaped joint part, a grip part, and a clover-shaped pedestal part. A perspective view of the rear side of a holder that uses a magnet for the insertion part with a square cross-section, a triangular prism-shaped joint part, and a fixed part. Front perspective view of a holder that uses adhesive material for the insertion part with a U-shaped cylindrical cross section, the triangular prism-shaped joint part, and the fixing part. Drawings found in Patent Document Utility Model No. 3058342

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. The holder shown in FIG. 1 has three circular insertion portions 11, and the insertion portions are connected to each other and to a joint portion 21. The joint part is connected to the grip part 31 at the lower part to form a holder. Even in the case of inserting sections having a cross-sectional shape other than circular, a well-balanced holder can be obtained by arranging the plurality of inserting sections as symmetrically as possible with respect to the axis of the grip section. By inserting an interdental brush into the insertion part of this holder, the overall length and thickness becomes approximately the same size as a toothbrush, and this allows it to be stored in a toothbrush stand or the like together with the toothbrush. For convenience, this type will be referred to as a "toothbrush type."

In the holder shown in FIG. 2, the cylindrical portion has a U-shaped cross section 12. By eliminating a part of the wall surface of the insertion part and making the insertion part from flexible resin, even when storing interdental brushes with thick handles, the insertion part 12 can be extended to make it easier to hold. can play a role.
On the other hand, an interdental brush with a thin handle can be held by fitting it into a notch provided in the center of the adapter 12-1, which can be attached to and detached from the U-shaped insertion section.

FIG. 3 shows a holder in which an insertion part 13 having a hexagonal cylindrical cross section is connected by a pipe-shaped joint part 21, and this joint part 21 and a pedestal part 41 are connected by an adapter 41-1. . Since this holder has a self-standing function, it is not necessary to make it the same length as a toothbrush, and it is sufficient to have the function of storing a plurality of interdental brushes. This type will be called the "pedestal type."
In the case of this pedestal type, it can serve the storage function as long as it has a flat surface, so it can be placed in the corner of a vanity, the counter of a bathroom, the corner of a bay window in the kitchen, etc.

FIG. 4 shows the case of an insertion part 14, a pipe-shaped joint part 21, and a grip part 31, which have four cylindrical parts and have a clover-shaped cross-sectional shape. It has a clover-shaped pedestal at the bottom, but it is not required and can be stored as a ``toothbrush''. This clover-shaped pedestal can also be used as a coaster at the dining table, and can be used as a temporary storage place for a toothbrush-shaped holder when using interdental brushes in the kitchen.

Figure 5 shows a case where the cross-sectional shape of the insertion part is square, and four insertion parts are lined up in a row.At the same time as these insertion parts are connected to each other, the connection is also reinforced by the triangular prism-shaped joint part 23 provided on the back side. has been done. The insertion part has slits to improve dryness. This type will be called a "fixed type."
The major function of the triangular prism-shaped joint is to tilt the insertion section toward you. In other words, when inserting an interdental brush into a narrow insertion section, it is a device that takes advantage of the fact that it is easier to insert an interdental brush or the like into a narrow insertion section if the insertion section is tilted forward rather than a vertical insertion section.
Although the magnet 51 is used as the fixing part, other fixing materials can also be used, and may be selected depending on the material of the place to be fixed.

FIG. 6 shows a case where the cross-sectional shape of the insertion portion is U-shaped 12. Five U-shaped insertion portions are arranged in a row and are connected to each other, and the connection is also ensured by a triangular prism-shaped joint portion 23 on the back surface.
The insertion portion is tilted upward by the triangular prism-shaped joint portion. This technique takes advantage of the fact that when inserting an interdental brush into the U-shaped insertion section, it is easier to insert it with an upwardly tilted insertion section than with a vertical insertion section.
In this case, an adhesive material is used as the fixing part. It is considered that a sheet-like adhesive material is suitable as the adhesive material. Since this holder is lightweight, it is thought that it can be sufficiently fixed using adhesive material that does not have a large load capacity. In particular, since it is considered to be used by pasting it on the corner of the mirror surface of a bathroom vanity, an adhesive material that does not leave any traces of pasting is advantageous.

11: Insertion part whose cylindrical part has a circular cross-sectional shape 12: Insertion part whose cylindrical part has a U-shaped cross-section 12-1: Adapter used by being inserted into the U-shaped insertion part 13: The cross-sectional shape of the cylindrical part has a circular shape Hexagonal insertion section 14: Insertion section whose cylindrical section is heart-shaped 15: Insertion section whose cylindrical section is square 21: Pipe-shaped joint section 22: Plate-shaped joint section 23: Triangular prism-shaped joint section 31: Grip part 41: Pedestal part 41-1: Pedestal part (adapter)
42: Pedestal part (coaster type)
51: Fixed part (magnet)
52: Fixed part (adhesive material)

Claims (7)

A holder having a plurality of approximately cylindrical insertion portions into which handle portions of interdental brushes or dental floss are individually inserted;
The plurality of insertion parts are arranged circumferentially about the axis of the grip part, are connected to each other, and
They are also interconnected by joints,
The holder consists of a grip part connected to this joint part. The shape of the insertion part is a triangular tube, a quadrangular tube , a pentagonal tube, a hexagonal tube , a heart-shaped tube , and a circular tube .
A holder according to claim 1. The insertion portion has a plurality of vertical slits provided on its cylindrical wall surface.
The holder according to any one of claims 1 to 2. The insertion portion has a portion of the cylindrical wall surface removed, and the cross section is approximately “U-shaped”;
The inner wall surface of this roughly "U-shaped" insertion section is provided with wavy irregularities parallel to the vertical direction.
A roughly rectangular parallelepiped is inserted in a detachable manner in close contact with the inner wall surface of this roughly “U-shaped” insertion portion,
In the center of the side surface of the "U-shaped" opening of this approximately rectangular parallelepiped, there is a vertical notch with a width of 1 to 2 mm and a depth of 4 to 6 mm, with a length that reaches both ends of the approximately rectangular parallelepiped.
The hardness of the resin material of the insertion part and the approximately rectangular parallelepiped is 15 to 70 degrees,
A holder according to claim 1. A holder having a plurality of approximately cylindrical insertion portions into which handle portions of interdental brushes or dental floss are individually inserted;
The plurality of insertion portions are connected to each other, and
They are also interconnected by joints,
The insertion portion has a portion of the cylindrical wall surface removed, and the cross section is approximately “U-shaped”;
A plurality of the approximately “U-shaped” insertion portions are connected in a straight line,
The triangular prism-shaped joint portion is arranged on the opposite side of the approximately “U-shaped” opening surface,
and the joint portions are coupled so that the approximately “U-shaped” opening faces diagonally upward;
A holder in which a magnet, a suction cup, an adhesive material, a clip, or a hook as a fixing part is coupled to the joint part on the opposite side of the surface to which the insertion part is coupled. The number of the grip portions is one, the shape is rod-like or hollow rod-like, and the rod has a diameter of 6 to 15 mm and a length of 60 to 130 mm.
The holder according to claim 1. It has a plate-shaped pedestal with a hole in the center.
Insert the end of the grip part to which the joint part is not connected into the hole of the pedestal part,
The holder according to any one of claims 1 to 4, which is capable of standing on its own .