JP4487148B2 - Cleaning equipment - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a cleaning instrument suitable for efficiently removing dirt adhered to an affected part such as an oral cavity.

  Dirt such as dental plaque attached to the oral cavity such as teeth and gums not only causes illnesses such as caries, alveolar pus and gingivitis, but also causes bad breath. In order to remove the dirt such as dental plaque, for example, a method of brushing the teeth and the periphery thereof with a toothbrush or a cleaning liquid in the mouth is used. Since such toothbrushes and cleaning liquids are generally sold and readily available, most users perform brushing and cleaning as a routine practice to keep the oral cavity clean.

  By the way, the human oral cavity has a complicated shape, and there are places where dirt such as plaque tends to accumulate and places where dirt is difficult to remove. FIG. 1 schematically shows the shape of the oral cavity. It is known that there is a fold-like portion as shown in the back of the oral cavity (near the throat). This fold-like part has a structure like a pocket where dirt (pus plugs) such as plaque and food residue tends to accumulate. It is generally known that accumulation of dirt in this part may cause the above-mentioned diseases, and in particular, cause bad breath. This is disclosed in Non-Patent Document 1, for example. Often, bad breath is not noticed on its own, and it makes the other person feel uncomfortable when talking face-to-face, and many people suffer from bad breath.

It is difficult to remove the dirt accumulated in the fold-like portion with the above-described toothbrush. Further, it is difficult to remove even by using a washing method using a washing solution. In order to remove such stains, it is necessary to have the doctor clean the oral cavity using a special instrument (so-called radar suction device) in the hospital, which is a heavy burden on the patient and time and labor. Has been. Also, when actually cleaning the oral cavity, it was difficult to see the affected part from the back, and it was difficult to efficiently remove the dirt.
Kuboi Otolaryngology, Internet information room homepage "http://www.hat.hi-ho.ne.jp/kboy/"

  This invention solves such a subject, and it aims at providing the suitable cleaning instrument in order to remove the stain | pollution | contamination adhering to affected parts, such as an oral cavity, efficiently.

  In order to achieve the above object, the following invention is disclosed in accordance with the principle of the present invention.

The cleaning device according to the present invention has a rod-shaped handle, and is a cleaning device that removes dirt attached to an affected area at a pointed portion provided at one end of the handle,
A light source arranged on the center line of the pattern;
A power supply for supplying power to the light source and adjusting the intensity of light from the light source;
With
One end of the handle has the apex portion where the apex exists on the center line of the handle,
The said pattern is comprised with the material which permeate | transmits the light irradiated from the said light source, It is characterized by the above-mentioned.

  The light emitted from the light source to the tip portion is white light, and the light source may include a light emitting diode.

  The pointed end may have a shape symmetrical to the center line of the handle.

  The pointed portion may include a constricted shape for removing the dirt, and both ends of the constricted shape may be on the center line of the handle.

  The pointed end may be removable from the handle.

  The surface of the handle may be made of a coating material that reflects light emitted from the light source to the inside of the handle.

  According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a cleaning instrument suitable for efficiently removing dirt adhered to an affected part such as an oral cavity. The user can efficiently remove dirt such as the oral cavity using this cleaning tool.

Next, examples of the present invention will be described.
FIG. 2 is a schematic view showing an appearance of the cleaning tool 100 of the present embodiment.

  The cleaning tool 100 includes an elongated rod-shaped handle portion (hereinafter referred to as “handle 110”), a pointed portion 120 such as a pen tip, a light source 130, and a power supply unit 140.

  The handle 110 has a thickness that is easy for a user to grasp with a hand, and has a length that is easy to handle for cleaning the affected area. As an example, in this embodiment, the thickness of the handle 110 is about 12 millimeters in diameter, and the length of the handle 110 is about 150 millimeters.

  The cross-sectional shape of the handle 110 is circular, but it may be a polygonal or elliptical cross section such as a hexagon, for example, as a widely used pencil. Thereby, it is possible to make the cleaning tool 100 difficult to roll or to fit the hand more easily. Any other figure may be used.

  The handle 110 is made of a material that transmits visible light emitted from the light source 130. Typically, it is a polymer compound such as transparent plastic, glass such as quartz, compressed glass, and the like, and a combination or mixture thereof may be used.

  In addition, the refractive index of the material of the handle 110 is sufficiently larger than the refractive index of normal room temperature air. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 3, among the light emitted from the light source 130, the light whose incident angle to the surface of the handle 110 is within a predetermined angle is largely reflected toward the inside of the handle 110 on the surface of the handle 110. , Proceed toward the tip 120 of the handle 110. In this way, the light emitted from the light source 130 has a structure that is easy to collect on the tip 120.

  It should be noted that the thickness, length, shape, and material described here are merely examples, and modifications in which these are arbitrarily changed may be employed, but these modifications are also included in the scope of the present invention.

  The pointed portion 120 is provided at one end of the handle 110, and the material and the like are the same as those of the handle 110. The tip 121 is pointed like a pen tip, and the position of the tip 121 is a position where light from the light source 130 is easily collected. Typically, the tip 121 is located on the center line 150 of the handle 110. In addition, the shape of the handle 110 and the tip portion 120 is preferably symmetrical with respect to the center line 150 so that the light from the light source 130 can be easily collected on the tip 121.

  For example, the user can remove dirt by bringing the tip 121 into contact with the affected part where dirt has accumulated. As described above, the tip 121 is configured so that the light from the light source 130 can be easily collected, so that the affected part is easily illuminated by the light. Therefore, it is not necessary to illuminate using another light source while using the cleaning tool 100. In most cases, using the cleaning tool 100 of this embodiment, the user can easily remove the dirt with one hand.

  The light source 130 is typically a white light LED (Light Emitting Diode). Alternatively, three LEDs that emit three primary colors of red, green, and blue may be combined so that white light synthesized at the tip 121 is condensed. In the present embodiment, white light is used, but a modified example in which the color is arbitrarily changed may be employed. In this case, for example, three LEDs that emit three primary colors of red, green, and blue may be combined to change the mixing ratio so as to produce a desired color. In addition, it is also possible to use a small light bulb that emits light of any color instead of the LED.

  The power supply unit 140 is a power supply that supplies power to the light source 130. Further, a circuit for causing the LED of the light source 130 to emit light and an adjustment switch capable of adjusting the amount of power supplied to the circuit are provided. For example, two-stage adjustment of turning off and turning on may be performed, or switching at predetermined steps such as turning off, slightly dark lighting (lighting level 1), slightly bright lighting (lighting level 2), and bright lighting (lighting level 3). A switch that can be used. Alternatively, a switch that can be adjusted to an arbitrary light amount may be used.

  In the present embodiment, the power supply unit 140 acquires power from a battery that can be replaced by the user, and supplies power to a circuit that causes the LED of the light source 130 to emit light. The power supply unit 140 may supply power to the above-described circuit with an AC power supply supplied from an electric power company or the like. For example, the form which supplies the electric power converted from alternating current to direct current | flow via an AC-DC converter may be sufficient.

  For example, when the user presses a power button (not shown) in order to remove dirt using the cleaning tool 100 configured as described above, the power supply unit 140 supplies power to the light source 130 and turns on the LED. Next, the user searches for dirt such as dental plaque in the oral cavity. If there is dirt, the tip 121 can be used to scoop up dirt. You may wash | clean in the way which presses the tip 121 and brushes.

  Next, another embodiment of the present invention will be described. The present embodiment is different from the first embodiment in that the tip portion 120 has a shape that makes it easier to remove dirt.

  FIG. 4 is a schematic view of the cleaning tool 100 in which the shape of the tip 120 is changed. In this example, the pointed portion 120 has a “neck”, and when the user brings the cleaning tool 100 into contact with the affected part, it is easy to make contact at an angle. Therefore, the user can remove dirt like a spoon.

  In this embodiment, the neck portion 122 of the neck 110 of the handle 110 is on the extension of the center line 150. The tip 121 is preferably on an extension of the center line 150. That is, it is desirable that both ends of the neck portion 122 of the neck 110 of the handle 110 are on the extension of the center line 150. As a result, the light emitted from the light source 130 is easily collected on the neck portion 122 of the constriction, and the effect of illuminating the affected area is increased even if the handle 110 does not have a shape contrasting with the center line 150.

  Next, another embodiment of the present invention will be described. The present embodiment is different from the above-described embodiments in that the pointed portion 120 can be detached from the handle 110.

  The tip 120 can be removed from the handle 110 by the user. For example, as shown in FIG. 5, the joint portion between the tip portion 120 and the handle 110 is formed in an uneven shape such as a screw composed of a groove portion 161 and a protruding portion 162, and the tip portion 120 or the handle 110. Can be removed while rotating.

  Alternatively, as shown in FIG. 6, the protruding portion 123 and the recessed portion 124 may be provided on the tip portion 120 and the handle 110, and the protruding portion 123 may be fixed by fitting into the recessed portion 124. For example, the protruding portion 123 may be configured to sink inwardly of the handle 110, and may be removed by the user depressing the protruding portion 123 and removing the protruding portion 123 fitted into the recessed portion 124. Good.

  Next, another embodiment of the present invention will be described. The present embodiment is different from the above-described embodiments in that the shape of the tip portion 120 can be freely deformed.

  The pointed portion 120 is made of a soft material such as rubber or vinyl. For example, as shown in FIG. 7, the pointed portion 120 has a shape like a mushroom crow. When the user puts the tip 120 of the cleaning device 100 into the pocket of the affected part, the tip of the tip 120 closes and enters. Thereafter, when the user pulls out the cleaning tool 100, the tip 120 is open, so that it can be taken out with the dirt in the groove inside the tip.

  In this figure, in order to facilitate understanding of the present invention, the size of the tip 120 is emphasized, but as a result of tests by the present inventors, the diameter of the cap is about 2 to 3 millimeters. It is desirable that However, it can be made smaller (or larger).

  Next, another embodiment of the present invention will be described. In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 8, the shape of the pointed portion 120 is a screw nail shape.

  When the user puts the pointed portion 120 of the cleaning device 100 into the pocket portion of the affected part, the user puts it as it is while turning in the direction in which the screw advances or without turning. Thereafter, when the user pulls out the cleaning tool 100, the user pulls out the cleaning tool 100 while rotating it in the direction opposite to the direction in which the screw advances. Thereby, dirt is caught in the groove portion of the screw and can be taken out.

  The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications and applications are possible. It goes without saying that an embodiment in which the constituent elements shown in the above-described embodiments are freely combined can be adopted. Moreover, in this embodiment, although the washing | cleaning instrument 100 is used in order to remove the dirt in an oral cavity, a use is not restricted to this. For example, the cleaning instrument 100 of the present invention can be used to remove dirt in the ear holes and scalp.

  In the above-described embodiment, both the handle 110 and the tip portion 120 are made of a material that transmits visible light, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the surface of the handle 110 or the tip portion 120 may be coated with a thin film made of a material that does not transmit visible light to the outside, and only the vicinity of the tip 121 may transmit visible light. This coating is not applied in the vicinity of the tip 121, and the light from the light source 130 is transmitted to the outside. Thereby, the light emitted to the outside is limited to the vicinity of the tip 121, so that the vicinity of the affected part can be intensively illuminated.

  Further, the surface of the handle 110 or the tip 120 may be coated with a thin film made of a material that easily reflects visible light. As a result, the light emitted from the light source 130 travels inside the handle 110 and the tip 120, the light incident on the coating material is reflected inside, and this reflection is repeated so that it travels just inside the mirror tube. It becomes possible to concentrate light more strongly by the tip 121. However, this coating is not applied in the vicinity of the tip 121 and the light from the light source 130 is transmitted to the outside. The thin film may have a single layer structure or a multilayer structure.

  As described above, according to the present invention, it is possible to provide a cleaning instrument suitable for efficiently removing dirt such as the oral cavity.

It is a figure which shows typically the structure of an oral cavity part. It is a figure which shows the external appearance of the cleaning instrument of this invention. It is a figure which shows a mode that light advances the inside of a handle | stem | pattern. (Example 2) It is a figure which shows the modification which changed the shape of the tip part. (Example 3) It is a figure which shows the other modification which changed the shape of the tip part. (Example 3) It is a figure which shows the modification which can remove a point part. (Example 4) It is a figure which shows the modification which changed the shape of the tip part. (Example 5) It is a figure which shows the modification which changed the shape of the tip part.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 100 Cleaning instrument 110 Handle 120 Pointed part 121 Pointed part 122 Constriction root part 123 Projection part 124 Dented part 130 Light source 140 Power supply part 150 Center line 161 Groove part 162 Projection part

Claims (6)

A cleaning instrument that has a rod-shaped handle and removes dirt attached to the affected area at the tip provided at one end of the handle,
A light source arranged on the center line of the pattern;
A power supply for supplying power to the light source and adjusting the intensity of light from the light source;
Equipped with a,
The handle is made of a material that transmits light emitted from the light source ,
The cross section of the handle has a symmetrical shape with respect to the center line,
The refractive index of the material is sufficiently larger than the refractive index of air at normal temperature,
The apex of the tip portion is such that the reflected light with the incident angle on the surface of the handle within a predetermined angle out of the reflected light from the surface of the handle of the light emitted from the light source is collected. Placed on the center line of the handle,
A cleaning implement characterized by that. The surface of the handle is composed of a coating material that reflects the light emitted from the light source to the inside of the handle,
The cleaning implement according to claim 1 , wherein The light applied to the tip from the light source is white light, and the light source includes a light emitting diode.
The cleaning implement according to claim 1 or 2 , characterized by the above. The pointed portion has a symmetrical shape with respect to the center line of the handle,
The cleaning implement according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the cleaning implement is characterized in that The pointed portion includes a constricted shape for removing the dirt,
Both ends of the constricted shape are on the center line of the handle,
The cleaning implement according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the cleaning implement is characterized in that The pointed portion is removable from the handle;
The cleaning implement according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein

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