JP7703206B2 - Oral cleaning tool and head part used therefor - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to an oral cavity cleaning tool and a head part used therefor.

Previous research findings have revealed that the oral function and oral hygiene of elderly people are one of the factors that directly affect their lives, such as the onset of aspiration pneumonia. For example, if the cough reflex, one of the oral functions, weakens, it becomes difficult to spit out aspirated material. In such a condition, if food residue remains in the mouth or a large amount of bacteria proliferates in the mouth, the food residue and bacteria can enter the airway and easily cause aspiration pneumonia.

In light of this background, in recent years, it has become important to keep the oral cavity of elderly people clean, and for example, for elderly people with dementia or who are bedridden, who are unable to clean their own oral cavity, dental hygienists, caregivers, etc. have begun to clean the oral cavity. When a caregiver cleans the oral cavity of an elderly person, the caregiver holds an oral cleaning tool such as a sponge brush in one hand and a light in the other hand to brightly illuminate the oral cavity while cleaning, in order to check the condition of the oral cavity while cleaning.

Incidentally, various kinds of oral cavity cleaning tools have been proposed in the past. For example, Patent Document 1 describes a toothbrush that is not intended to brighten the oral cavity, but is made up of a handle having bristles and a housing, in which a light source that emits red light is disposed in the housing, and the red light from the light source is made to enter the handle, and the entered red light is reflected in the direction of the bristles to irradiate the gums, thereby preventing periodontal disease.

JP 2012-161368 A

However, in the recent method used in nursing care, where the caregiver holds an oral cleaning tool such as a sponge brush, toothbrush, interdental brush, or tufted brush in one hand and a light in the other, both hands of the caregiver are occupied. Therefore, for example, it is difficult to change the position of the face or body posture of the elderly person while cleaning, making it difficult to clean effectively.

In addition, if the cleaning is temporarily stopped by placing an object in one hand to change the elderly person's posture, the time required for cleaning increases, and if another caregiver is asked to assist, the number of people required for cleaning increases. In recent years, with the increase in the elderly population and the shortage of caregivers, there is a demand for efficient oral cavity cleaning.

As described above, the toothbrush described in Patent Document 1 is not intended to brighten the oral cavity, so even if a caregiver uses it, it is difficult to check the condition of the oral cavity of the elderly person, etc., and effective cleaning cannot be performed. In addition, since the mucous membrane in the oral cavity of the elderly person, etc. is weakened, there is a problem that cleaning the oral cavity with a toothbrush such as that described in Patent Document 1 may damage the mucous membrane.

The present invention has been made in view of the above problems. That is, an object of the present invention is to provide an oral cavity cleaning tool that is less likely to damage the oral mucosa when a caregiver or the like cleans the oral cavity of an elderly person or the like, and that enables effective and efficient cleaning.

The gist of the present invention is as follows.

[1] An oral cavity cleaning tool comprising a housing having a light source and a head having a brush for cleaning the oral cavity, and capable of illuminating the area near the brush with light from the light source.

[2] The oral cavity cleaning tool described in [1] above, wherein the brush is a sponge brush, a toothbrush, a tufted brush or an interdental brush.

[3] An oral cleaning tool as described in [1] or [2] above, wherein the head portion has a translucent rod portion, a brush is provided at one end of the rod portion and the opposite end is connected to the housing portion, a light irradiation portion is provided near the brush on the rod portion, a light source is provided inside the housing portion, and light from the light source is incident on the end of the rod portion facing the housing portion, passes through the inside of the rod portion and is irradiated from the light irradiation portion.

[4] The oral cavity cleaning tool described in [3] above, wherein the light irradiation section has a rough surface with fine projections and recesses.

[5] The oral cavity cleaning tool according to the above [4], wherein the rough surface has a ten-point average roughness Rzjis of 1 μm or more.

[6] An oral cavity cleaning tool described in any one of [3] to [5] above, wherein the light irradiation part has a hole or aperture extending radially through the rod part.

[7] An oral cavity cleaning tool described in any one of [1] to [6] above, which has a focusing lens provided near the light source to focus light from the light source toward the brush.

[8] An oral cavity cleaning tool according to any one of the above [1] to [7], wherein the head portion is formed so as to be freely detachable from the housing portion.

[9] A head part for an oral cavity cleaning tool, comprising a light-transmitting rod portion, a brush provided at one end of the rod portion, and a light irradiation portion provided near the brush.

[10] The oral cavity cleaning tool described in [9] above, wherein the brush is a sponge brush, a toothbrush, a tufted brush or an interdental brush.

[11] A head part for an oral cleaning tool described in [9] or [10] above, wherein the light irradiation part has a rough surface with fine irregularities and/or a hole or aperture extending radially through the rod part.

The oral cavity cleaning tool of the present invention has a brush in the head, which reduces the risk of damaging the mucous membrane in the oral cavity. In addition, the housing has a light source, and light from the light source can be used to illuminate the area near the brush, so that cleaning can be performed while brightly illuminating the oral cavity and checking the condition of the oral cavity without having to hold a light in one hand. Therefore, elderly people can change their posture with their free hand while cleaning, making it possible to clean the oral cavity effectively and efficiently.

1 is a cross-sectional view showing an example of an oral cavity cleaning tool according to an embodiment of the present invention. 1 is an example of a circuit diagram of an oral cavity cleaning tool according to an embodiment of the present invention. 1 is a cross-sectional view showing an example of a housing part of an oral cavity cleaning tool according to an embodiment of the present invention. 3 is an example of a schematic diagram showing details of a light irradiation unit of a head portion of an oral cavity cleaning tool according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing an example of a method for measuring illuminance according to an embodiment of the present invention. 13 is a graph showing the relationship between the roughness of the rough surface of the rod portion and the illuminance in the radial direction. 13 is a graph showing the relationship between the roughness of the rough surface of a rod portion and the illuminance in the radial direction when a through hole is provided in the rod portion. 1 is a cross-sectional view showing an example of an oral cavity cleaning tool according to an embodiment of the present invention. 1 is a cross-sectional view showing an example of an oral cavity cleaning tool according to an embodiment of the present invention. 1 is a cross-sectional view showing an example of an oral cavity cleaning tool according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Hereinafter, the embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings, but the present invention is not limited to the following embodiments as long as they are within the scope of the present invention. In this specification, the term "axial direction" refers to, for example, the longitudinal direction of the oral cavity cleaning tool or the head part. In addition, the term "radial direction" refers to a direction perpendicular to the axial direction.

The oral cavity cleaning tool according to the embodiment of the present invention includes a housing having a light source and a head having a brush for cleaning the oral cavity, and is capable of irradiating the vicinity of the brush with light from the light source. The brush is not particularly limited as long as it has a function for cleaning the oral cavity, and examples of the brush include a sponge brush, a toothbrush, a tufted brush, and an interdental brush.

First, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Figs. 1 to 4. Fig. 1 is a cross-sectional view showing an example of an oral cavity cleaning tool according to an embodiment of the present invention. The oral cavity cleaning tool 1 shown in Fig. 1 includes a housing 2 and a head 3. The housing 2 includes a power switch 21, a power source 22, a boost circuit 23, a light source 24, a condenser lens 25, and a fitting portion 26. The head 3 includes a rod portion 31 provided with a locking portion 34 and a tip portion 35, and a sponge brush 36. In Fig. 1, the head 3 includes the sponge brush 36, but instead of the sponge brush 36, the head 3 may include a toothbrush, a tufted brush, or an interdental brush.

Fig. 2 is an example of a circuit diagram of an intraoral cleaning tool according to an embodiment of the present invention, and shows an electric circuit formed by the power switch 21, the power source 22, the boost circuit 23, and the light source 24 shown in Fig. 1. At least a part of the power switch 21 is exposed to the outside of the housing 2. The power switch 21 switches the electric circuit on and off.

Returning to the explanation of Fig. 1, the power supply 22, the boost circuit 23, and the light source 24 are provided inside the housing 2. The power supply 22 is not particularly limited as long as it is capable of supplying power to the light source 24, and may be a primary battery or a secondary battery. Alternatively, without providing the power supply 22, it may be configured to supply power to the light source 24 from an external power supply such as an outlet.

The boost circuit 23 is a circuit that boosts the output voltage of the power supply 22 to the rated voltage of the light source 24. If the output voltage of the power supply 22 is the same as the rated voltage of the light source 24, the boost circuit 23 does not need to be provided. Also, if the output voltage of the power supply 22 is higher than the rated voltage of the light source 24, a step-down circuit may be provided instead of the boost circuit 23.

Although there is no particular limitation on the light source 24, it is preferable to use, for example, an LED (Light Emitting Diode). In addition, the light emitted from the light source 24 is also not particularly limited as long as it is visible light, but from the viewpoint of making it easier to observe the inside of the oral cavity, it is preferable for the light source 24 to emit white light.

The illuminance of the light source 24 is not particularly limited, but is preferably one that can make the illuminance in the oral cavity a predetermined value or more. The preferable value of the illuminance in the oral cavity was confirmed by conducting an experiment. A box simulating the size of the oral cavity was prepared, and five subjects were interviewed while changing the illuminance inside the box. As a result, it was found that the illuminance in the oral cavity is preferably 60 lux or more, and more preferably 80 lux or more, from the viewpoint of making it easy to observe the oral cavity.

The condenser lens 25 condenses the light emitted from the light source 24 toward the sponge brush 36. In the example of FIG. 1, the condenser lens 25 is provided between the light source 24 and the rod portion 31, and condenses the light emitted from the light source 24 toward the end face of the rod portion 31 and guides it toward the sponge brush 36. The condenser lens 25 is not essential, but by providing the condenser lens 25, it is possible to illuminate the oral cavity more brightly. As the condenser lens 25, for example, OSOLRB2030M (manufactured by OptoSupply) is known, but there is no particular limitation. Conventionally known lenses can be used.

An insertion hole having a diameter substantially equal to that of the rod portion 31 in the head portion 3 is provided at one end of the housing portion 2, and one end of the rod portion 31 is inserted into the insertion hole. The rod portion 31 inserted into the insertion hole is fitted and fixed by the fitting portion 26 so as to be detachable from the housing portion 2. Although not shown, for example, the rod portion 31 is provided with a portion having a shape that fits with the fitting portion 26, and is fitted and fixed by fitting the portion of the rod portion 31 with the fitting portion 26, and the fitting and fixing are released when a certain amount of force or more is applied. In the oral cavity cleaning tool 1 in FIG. 1, the head portion 3 has a sponge brush 36, but the head portion 3 having the sponge brush 36 can be replaced with a head portion 3 having a toothbrush, a tufted brush, an interdental brush, or the like for use.

The shape and configuration of the fitting part 26 are not particularly limited, and conventionally known ones can be appropriately adopted. In addition, other fixing means such as screwing may be adopted instead of the fitting part 26. Since the rod part 31 of the head part 3 is detachable from the housing part 2, for example, the head part 3, which may come into contact with the inside of the mouth of an elderly person or the like during cleaning, can be disposable, making it easier to keep the oral cavity cleaning tool 1 clean. In addition, the head part 3 can be removed from the oral cavity cleaning tool 1 except when cleaning, improving portability.

Although not shown, the oral cavity cleaning tool 1 is preferably provided with a waterproof mechanism for preventing water from entering the electric circuit. The waterproof mechanism is not particularly limited, and may be incorporated separately from each of the above-mentioned components, or may be formed as a part of any of the components. Specific examples of the waterproof mechanism include a transparent prevention plate 28 provided between the condenser lens 25 and the rod portion 31, and an O-ring provided between the inner diameter of the housing portion 2 and the outer diameter of the rod portion 31. The prevention plate 28 seals the light source 24 and the like without any gaps inside the housing portion 2 so that water that has entered the inside of the housing portion 2 from the insertion hole does not come into contact with the light source 24 and the like. In addition, a protrusion that closes the gap between the light source 24 and the light source 24 that occurs when the rod portion 31 is inserted into the insertion hole of the housing portion 2 may be formed on the rod portion 31 to form a waterproof mechanism. By providing the waterproof mechanism, dirt during cleaning and moisture in the mouth can be prevented from entering the electric circuit through the rod portion 31.

Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional view showing an example of a housing part of an oral cavity cleaning tool according to an embodiment of the present invention, and shows a state in which the head part 3 is removed from the oral cavity cleaning tool 1 shown in Fig. 1. In Fig. 3, a cap 27 is attached to the insertion hole of the housing part 2 instead of the head part 3. The cap 27 is detachable from the housing part 2, for example, in the same manner as the rod part 31.

When cleaning the oral cavity, the cap 27 is removed from the housing 2 and the head 3 is fitted and fixed in its place. After cleaning is completed, the head 3 is removed from the housing 2 and the cap 27 is fitted in its place. Providing the cap 27 provides the convenience of being able to store the rod in a pocket or the like when a dental hygienist or caregiver does not install the rod before or after cleaning the oral cavity. In addition, when the head 3 is removed, it is possible to prevent foreign matter from entering the housing 2.

In the above example, the housing unit 2 and the head unit 3 are formed separately and configured to be easily attached and detached from one another, but for example, the housing unit 2 and the head unit 3 may be formed integrally, or the housing unit 2 and the head unit 3 may be glued together or otherwise configured so that they cannot be attached or detached from one another.

Returning to the explanation of FIG. 1 , one end of the rod part 31 is inserted into the insertion hole of the housing part 2, and the opposite end is provided with a sponge brush 36. The rod part 31 is made of a material having translucency. Light from the light source 24 incident on the end face of the rod part 31 on the housing part 2 side passes through the inside of the rod part 31 and is irradiated from the light irradiating part, brightly illuminating the oral cavity. Here, the light irradiating part is, for example, the tip part 35 on the sponge brush 36 side of the rod part 31, the rough surface 32, the through hole 33, etc., which will be described later.

The light-transmitting material used for the rod portion 31 is not particularly limited, and examples thereof include glass, polycarbonate, acrylic resin, polyester such as polyethylene terephthalate, polypropylene, polystyrene, silicone, etc. Among these, polycarbonate, polyester, and acrylic resin are preferable from the viewpoints of, for example, high impact resistance, good light transmittance, and excellent harmlessness since they are used in the human oral cavity.

The locking portion 34 is for locking the sponge brush 36, and is formed by a protrusion that goes around the rod portion 31 in the radial direction. The tip portion 35 is a tip portion of the rod portion 31 on the opposite side to the side inserted into the housing portion 2. In the example of FIG. 1, the sponge brush 36 has an insertion hole that penetrates the sponge brush 36 in the axial direction and has a diameter substantially equal to the diameter of the rod portion 31 near the tip portion 35. The tip portion 35 is inserted into the insertion hole of the sponge brush 36 up to a position where the end of the sponge brush 36 and the locking portion 34 come into contact with each other, and in this state, the rod portion 31 and the sponge brush 36 are adhesively fixed.

The tip 35 is covered by the sponge brush in the radial direction of the rod portion 31, but is not covered by the sponge brush 36 in the axial direction of the rod portion 31. That is, when the oral cavity cleaning tool 1 shown in Fig. 1 is viewed from the front in the direction A, the tip 35 is visible without being blocked by the sponge brush 36. With this configuration, the light from the light source 24 passing through the inside of the rod portion 31 can be irradiated from the tip 35 without being blocked by the sponge brush 36, and the oral cavity can be brightly illuminated.

The cross-sectional shape of the sponge brush 36 is not particularly limited, and may be any conventionally known shape such as a substantially circular shape, a substantially star shape, etc. The material of the sponge brush 36 is not particularly limited, and may be any conventionally known material such as urethane sponge, etc.

As a means for ensuring the illuminance required for cleaning even if dirt adhering to the sponge brush 36 during cleaning adheres to the tip 35 and the illuminance decreases, it is preferable to provide either the rough surface 32 or the through hole 33 in addition to the tip 35, and more preferably to provide both the rough surface 32 and the through hole 33. In addition to the tip 35, it is preferable to provide either the rough surface 32 or the hole extending in the radial direction, and more preferably to provide both the rough surface 32 and the hole extending in the radial direction. The hole extending in the radial direction may only have either a hole extending from the front side to the depth side in FIG. 4 or a hole extending from the depth side to the front side, or may have a hole extending from the front side to the depth side and a hole extending from the depth side to the front side without penetrating both. Below, the rough surface 32 and the through hole 33 will be described with reference to FIG. 4.

Fig. 4 is a schematic diagram showing an example of a head part of an oral cavity cleaning tool according to an embodiment of the present invention. Fig. 4(a) is an example in which a rough surface 32 is provided as a light emitting part, and Fig. 4(b) is an example in which a through hole 33 is provided as a light emitting part. Figs. 4(c) and (d) are examples showing other shapes of the through hole 33.

The rough surface 32 is a surface on which a fine uneven structure is formed, and functions as a light irradiation section. A part of the light from the light source 24 traveling along the axial direction inside the rod section 31 is diffusely reflected on the uneven surface of the rough surface 32, and is irradiated in the radial direction of the rod section 31. The rough surface 32 can be formed, for example, by performing blast processing on a part of the surface of the rod section 31 to roughen the surface.

The surface roughness of the rough surface 32 is not particularly limited, but as is clear from the graphs of Figures 6 and 7 described later, if the ten-point mean roughness Rzjis is 1.0 μm or more, the illuminance in the oral cavity can be 60 lux or more, so that there is no problem in the work of caregivers, etc. In addition, in order to further improve the working environment, it is more preferable that it is 2.5 μm or more, even more preferable that it is 7.5 μm or more, and particularly preferable that it is 15 μm or more. In addition, if the rough surface is too rough, if the rod part 31 hits the oral cavity, it may cause discomfort to the person whose oral cavity is being cleaned, so the ten-point mean roughness Rzjis is preferably 40 μm or less. In addition, the ten-point mean roughness Rzjis is a value measured by a surface roughness meter (for example, Form Talysurf PGI 1240 type manufactured by Taylor Hobson Co., Ltd.) in accordance with JIS B 0601 (2001).

The position of the rough surface 32 is not particularly limited as long as it is a position that is not covered by the housing part 2 or the sponge brush 36, but from the viewpoint of increasing the illuminance near the sponge brush 36 to facilitate cleaning of the oral cavity, it is preferable to provide the rough surface 32 near the sponge brush 36. Note that although a rough surface may be provided partially in the radial direction of the rod part 31, it is more preferable to provide the rough surface 32 so as to go around the rod part 31.

The through-hole 33 is a hole that penetrates the rod portion 31 in the radial direction and functions as a light irradiating portion. A part of the light from the light source 24 that has traveled inside the rod portion 31 in the axial direction is diffusely reflected at the boundary surface formed by the through-hole 33 and is irradiated in the radial direction of the rod portion 31.

There are no particular limitations on the location of the through hole 33 as long as it is a location that is not covered by the housing part 2 or the sponge brush 36. However, from the viewpoint of increasing the illuminance near the sponge brush 36 to make it easier to clean the inside of the oral cavity, for example, it is preferable to provide the through hole 33 near the sponge brush 36.

The shape of the through hole 33 is not particularly limited as long as it can form a boundary surface that diffusely reflects light in the axial direction of the rod portion 31. When viewed from the radial direction, the shape of the through hole 33 may be a polygonal shape such as a substantially square shape shown in Fig. 4(c) or a substantially triangular shape shown in Fig. 4(d), or may be a substantially circular shape or a substantially elliptical shape shown in Fig. 4(b). In addition, since the through hole 33 can form a boundary surface that diffusely reflects light in the axial direction of the rod portion 31, it is not necessary for the through hole 33 to completely penetrate the rod portion 31.

In addition to the tip 35 that irradiates light in the axial direction of the rod 31, the rough surface 32 and the through-hole 33 that irradiate light in the radial direction of the rod 31 are provided, so that the oral cavity can be illuminated from multiple directions, making the oral cavity brighter. Furthermore, by providing the through-hole 33 at the position where the rough surface 32 is provided, the illuminance in the radial direction can be improved.

As mentioned above, it is preferable to configure the tip 35, rough surface 32, and through hole 33 so that they all function as light irradiation sections, but even if only one of them is provided, it is possible to brighten the oral cavity, and such a configuration is also included in one of the embodiments of the present invention.

Fig. 8 is a cross-sectional view showing an example of an oral cavity cleaning tool according to an embodiment of the present invention. The oral cavity cleaning tool 1 shown in Fig. 8 includes a housing 2 and a head 3. The housing 2 includes a light source 24. The head 3 includes a rod 31 in the shape of an elongated rectangular parallelepiped and a toothbrush 37.

The housing 2 may have a power switch (not shown), a power source (not shown), a boost circuit (not shown), and a condenser lens (not shown). At least a part of the power switch may be exposed to the outside of the housing 2, and the power switch switches the electric circuit on and off. The housing, power source, boost circuit, light source, and condenser lens in the oral cavity cleaning tool shown in Fig. 8 may have the same configurations as the housing, power source, boost circuit, light source, and condenser lens of the oral cavity cleaning tool shown in Fig. 1.

An insertion hole having a diameter substantially equal to that of the rod portion 31 in the head portion 3 may be provided at one end of the housing portion 2. One end of the rod portion 31 is inserted into the insertion hole, and the rod portion 31 inserted into the insertion hole may be fitted and fixed by a fitting portion so as to be detachable from the housing portion 2. The material used for the rod portion 31 may have a structure similar to that of the rod portion 31 of the intraoral cleaning tool shown in FIG.

The shape of the toothbrush 37 is not particularly limited, and a conventionally known shape can be appropriately adopted. The toothbrush 37 is formed from a plurality of filament bundles (the filament bundles are formed from a plurality of filaments implanted in the rod portion 31) protruding from the tip of the head portion 3 along one direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the rod portion 31. The direction in which the filament bundles protrude from the rod portion 31 is preferably perpendicular to the radial direction of the through hole 33. When viewed in a plan view from the protruding direction of the filament bundles, the shape of the aggregate of these filament bundles may be rectangular or another polygonal shape.

As a means for ensuring the illuminance required for cleaning even if dirt adheres to the toothbrush 37 during cleaning and the illuminance decreases, it is preferable to provide the rod portion 31 with a through hole 33 having a shape shown in Figures 8(a) to 8(c). The position of the through hole 33 is not particularly limited, but from the viewpoint of increasing the illuminance near the toothbrush 37 to make it easier to clean the inside of the oral cavity, for example, it is preferable to provide the through hole near the toothbrush 37.

The shape of the through hole 33 can be appropriately changed in design. Although not shown, the rod portion 31 may have a rough surface obtained by blasting or the like. The shape of the through hole 33, when viewed from the radial direction, may be a substantially circular shape or a substantially elliptical shape as shown in Fig. 8(a) or a rectangular shape or a triangular shape as shown in Fig. 8(b) or (c). The through hole 33 does not have to completely penetrate the rod portion 31.

8, a hole extending in the radial direction may be provided instead of the through hole 33. The hole extending in the radial direction may be either a hole extending from the front side to the depth side in FIG. 8 or a hole extending from the depth side to the front side, or a hole extending from the front side to the depth side and a hole extending from the depth side to the front side may be provided without penetrating both.

Fig. 9 is a cross-sectional view showing an example of an oral cavity cleaning tool according to an embodiment of the present invention. The oral cavity cleaning tool 1 shown in Fig. 9 includes a housing 2 and a head 3. The housing 2 includes a light source 24. The head 3 includes a rod 31 and a tufted brush 38. The rod 31 is curved in a direction opposite to the direction in which the filament bundle of the tufted brush 38 protrudes from the rod 31. The cross-sectional shape of the rod 31 is not particularly limited, and it is preferable that the rod 31 is, for example, a curved cylindrical shape.

The tufted brush 38 is suitable for cleaning areas that are difficult to clean with a toothbrush, such as recesses between teeth and the border between the teeth and gums. The shape of the tufted brush 38 is not particularly limited, and any conventionally known shape can be appropriately adopted. The tufted brush 38 is configured such that a filament bundle consisting of multiple filaments is implanted in a bristle implantation hole provided at the tip of the head portion 3, and the tip of the filament bundle is cone-shaped.

The housing 2 may have a power switch (not shown), a power source (not shown), a boost circuit (not shown), and a condenser lens (not shown). At least a part of the power switch may be exposed to the outside of the housing 2, and the power switch switches the electric circuit on and off. The housing, power source, boost circuit, light source, and condenser lens in the oral cavity cleaning tool shown in Fig. 9 may have the same configurations as the housing, power source, boost circuit, light source, and condenser lens in the oral cavity cleaning tool shown in Fig. 1.

An insertion hole having a diameter substantially equal to that of the rod portion 31 in the head portion 3 may be provided at one end of the housing portion 2. One end of the rod portion 31 is inserted into the insertion hole, and the rod portion 31 inserted into the insertion hole may be fitted and fixed by a fitting portion so as to be detachable from the housing portion 2. The material used for the rod portion 31 may have a structure similar to that of the rod portion 31 of the intraoral cleaning tool shown in FIG.

As a means for ensuring the illuminance required for cleaning even if dirt adheres to the tufted brush 38 during cleaning and the illuminance decreases, it is preferable to provide the rod portion 31 with a through hole 33 having a shape shown in Figures 9(a) to 9(c). The position of the through hole 33 is not particularly limited, but from the viewpoint of increasing the illuminance near the tufted brush 38 to make it easier to clean the oral cavity, for example, it is preferable to provide the through hole near the tufted brush 38.

The shape of the through hole 33 can be appropriately changed in design. Although not shown, the rod portion 31 may have a rough surface obtained by blasting or the like. The shape of the through hole 33, when viewed from the radial direction, may be a substantially circular shape or a substantially elliptical shape as shown in Fig. 9(a) or a rectangular shape or a triangular shape as shown in Fig. 9(b) or (c). The through hole 33 does not have to completely penetrate the rod portion 31.

9, a hole extending in the radial direction may be provided instead of the through hole 33. The hole extending in the radial direction may be either a hole extending from the front side to the depth side in FIG. 9 or a hole extending from the depth side to the front side, or a hole extending from the front side to the depth side and a hole extending from the depth side to the front side may be provided without penetrating both.

Fig. 10 is a cross-sectional view showing an example of an intraoral cleaning tool according to an embodiment of the present invention. The intraoral cleaning tool 1 shown in Fig. 10 includes a housing 2 and a head 3. The housing 2 includes a light source 24. The head 3 includes a rod 31 and an interdental brush 39. The rod 31 is curved in a direction opposite to the direction in which the brush portion 39a of the interdental brush 39 protrudes from the rod 31. The cross-sectional shape of the rod 31 is not particularly limited, and it is preferable that the rod 31 is, for example, a curved cylindrical shape.

The tip of the rod portion 31 is bent in the opposite direction to the curved direction, and an interdental brush 39 is formed at the bent tip. The interdental brush 39 is a brush suitable for cleaning recesses between teeth. The shape of the interdental brush 39 is not particularly limited, and any conventionally known shape can be appropriately adopted. The interdental brush 39 has a brush portion 39a consisting of a core material 39b and a filament bundle 39c. The core material 39b protrudes along the longitudinal direction of the interdental brush 39, and the filament bundle 39a is implanted perpendicular to the core material 39b.

The interdental brush 39 is detachably fixed to the rod portion 31, and by replacing the interdental brush 39, it becomes possible to clean the oral cavity using the clean interdental brush 39 without replacing the rod portion 31.

The housing 2 may have a power switch (not shown), a power source (not shown), a boost circuit (not shown), and a condenser lens (not shown). At least a part of the power switch may be exposed to the outside of the housing 2, and the power switch switches the electric circuit on and off. The housing, power source, boost circuit, light source, and condenser lens in the oral cavity cleaning tool shown in Fig. 10 may have the same configurations as the housing, power source, boost circuit, light source, and condenser lens of the oral cavity cleaning tool shown in Fig. 1.

An insertion hole having a diameter substantially equal to that of the rod portion 31 in the head portion 3 may be provided at one end of the housing portion 2. One end of the rod portion 31 is inserted into the insertion hole, and the rod portion 31 inserted into the insertion hole may be fitted and fixed by a fitting portion so as to be detachable from the housing portion 2. The material used for the rod portion 31 may have a structure similar to that of the rod portion 31 of the intraoral cleaning tool shown in FIG.

As a means for ensuring the illuminance required for cleaning even if dirt adheres to the interdental brush 39 during cleaning and the illuminance decreases, it is preferable to provide the rod portion 31 with a through hole 33 having a shape shown in Figures 10(a) to (c). The position at which the through hole 33 is provided is not particularly limited, but from the viewpoint of increasing the illuminance near the interdental brush 39 to make it easier to clean the inside of the oral cavity, for example, it is preferable to provide the through hole near the interdental brush 39.

The shape of the through hole 33 can be appropriately changed in design. Although not shown, the rod portion 31 may have a rough surface obtained by blasting or the like. The shape of the through hole 33, when viewed from the radial direction, may be a substantially circular shape or a substantially elliptical shape as shown in Fig. 10(a) or a rectangular shape or a triangular shape as shown in Fig. 10(b) or (c). The through hole 33 does not have to completely penetrate the rod portion 31.

10, a hole extending in the radial direction may be provided instead of the through hole 33. The hole extending in the radial direction may be either a hole extending from the front side to the depth side in FIG. 10 or a hole extending from the depth side to the front side, or a hole extending from the front side to the depth side and a hole extending from the depth side to the front side may be provided without penetrating both.

The present invention will be described in more detail below by way of examples, but the present invention is not limited to the following examples in any way.

Example 1
An oral cavity cleaning tool having the structure shown in Figure 1 was produced. An LED emitting white light was used as the light source. The illuminance of the LED measured by an illuminometer (Konica Minolta, Digital Illuminometer T-1, TSA-02724) was 210 lux. The illuminance was measured by creating a culvert box simulating the inside of the oral cavity as shown in Figure 5(a) and placing an illuminance sensor 50 mm away from the front of the LED.

The rod portion was made of polycarbonate. The diameter of the rod portion was 4.5 mm, and the cross section in the radial direction was circular. The axial length of the rod portion was 140 mm, and light from the light source was incident from one end. The opposite end of the rod portion was provided with a sponge brush. Specifically, the sponge brush was provided with an insertion hole penetrating the sponge brush in the axial direction, and the end of the rod portion was inserted into the insertion hole, and the rod portion and the sponge brush were bonded and fixed so that the light irradiated from the tip of the rod portion in the axial direction was not blocked by the sponge brush.

Example 2
An oral cavity cleaning tool was produced in the same manner as in Example 1, except that the rod portion was blasted to form a rough surface on the rod portion. The blasting was performed using a sandblasting device (manufactured by Fuji Manufacturing Co., Ltd., SFK-2), and silica sand of about 30 μm was used as the blasting material. The rough surface was formed in a range of 20 mm from the locking portion to the housing portion side, so as to go around the rod portion in the radial direction. The ten-point average roughness Rzjis of the formed rough surface was measured using a surface roughness meter (manufactured by Taylor Hobson, Form Talysurf PGI 1240 type) and was found to be 2.63 μm.

Example 3
Except for using silica sand of about 55 μm as the blast material, an oral cavity cleaning tool was produced in the same manner as in Example 2. The ten-point average roughness Rzjis of the formed rough surface was 5.27 μm.

Example 4
Except for using silica sand of about 75 μm as the blast material, an oral cavity cleaning tool was produced in the same manner as in Example 2. The ten-point average roughness Rzjis of the formed rough surface was 7.79 μm.

Example 5
Except for using silica sand of about 125 μm as the blast material, an oral cavity cleaning tool was produced in the same manner as in Example 2. The ten-point average roughness Rzjis of the formed rough surface was 15.23 μm.

Example 6
Except for using silica sand of about 250 μm as the blast material, an oral cavity cleaning tool was produced in the same manner as in Example 2. The ten-point average roughness Rzjis of the formed rough surface was 21.27 μm.

(Example 7)
An oral cavity cleaning tool was produced in the same manner as in Example 1, except that a through hole was formed in the rod portion, penetrating the rod portion in the radial direction. The shape of the through hole was made to be approximately circular when the rod portion was viewed in the radial direction. The diameter of the through hole was 2.0 mm. The through hole was formed so that the center of the through hole was located 27 mm away from the locking portion toward the housing portion.

(Examples 8 to 12)
Further, through holes were formed in each of the oral cavity cleaning tools of Examples 2 to 6 in the same manner as in Example 7. The obtained oral cavity cleaning tools were designated as Examples 8 to 12, respectively.

[Illuminance measurement]
First, as shown in FIG. 5(a), a culvert box was created to simulate the inside of the oral cavity. The inside of the culvert box was divided into two spaces by a partition plate. The outer wall and partition plate of the culvert box were covered with a light-shielding member 41 (black tape). In addition, holes having the same diameter as the diameter of the rod part were drilled at a position 50 cm from the bottom surface on one side of the culvert box and on the partition plate, and when the rod part was inserted into these holes, the tip part of the rod part and the sponge brush were located in one space inside the culvert box, and the position where the rough surface of the rod part and the through hole were provided were located in the other space inside the culvert box. In addition, an illuminometer 42 was placed in each space inside the culvert box so that an illuminance sensor was placed at a position 50 mm away from the position of the tip part of the rod part or the position 50 mm from the locking part toward the housing part.

When measuring the illuminance of light irradiated from the axial direction of the rod, the measurement was performed in the space where the sponge brush and the end of the rod part on the sponge brush side were located, so as not to be affected by light irradiated from the rough surface or through hole, as shown in Fig. 5 (b). The illuminance sensor was placed 50 mm away from the tip of the rod part so as to face the tip of the rod part.

When measuring the illuminance of light irradiated from the radial direction of the rod, the measurement was performed in the space where the rough surface and the through hole are located, so as not to be affected by the light irradiated from the tip of the rod, as shown in Fig. 5(c). The illuminance sensor was placed at a position 50 mm away from the locking part so as to face the position 50 mm toward the housing part.

For each of the intraoral cleaning tools of Examples 1 to 12, the illuminance in the axial direction and the radial direction were each measured five times using the above method. The arithmetic mean values of the measurement results are shown in Table 1. FIG. 6 shows a graph for Examples 1 to 6, with the radial illuminance on the vertical axis and the ten-point mean roughness Rzjis on the horizontal axis. Similarly, FIG. 7 shows a graph for Examples 7 to 12, with the radial illuminance on the vertical axis and the ten-point mean roughness Rzjis on the horizontal axis. The graphs shown in FIGS. 6 and 7 were created with the ten-point mean roughness Rzjis of Examples 1 and 7 set to zero.

From Table 1, Figures 6 and 7, it can be seen that when a rough surface is provided, the illuminance in the radial direction can be increased without decreasing the illuminance in the axial direction. It can also be seen that the illuminance increases as the roughness of the rough surface increases. It can also be seen that when a through hole is provided, the illuminance in the axial direction decreases, but the illuminance in the radial direction increases as the rough surface becomes rougher. It can also be seen that the illuminance in the radial direction is greatest when the rough surface is the roughest and has a through hole.

From the above results, if it is desired to brighten both the axial and radial directions, it is considered that the roughness of the rough surface should be increased without providing through holes. Also, if the brightness in the radial direction is important, it is considered that the roughness of the rough surface should be increased and through holes should be provided. If the brightness in the axial direction is high, for example, it becomes easy to illuminate the oral cavity with light from the axial direction before inserting the sponge brush into the oral cavity, check the condition of the oral cavity, and then perform cleaning with the sponge brush. Also, if the brightness in the radial direction is high, it becomes easy to check the condition of the oral cavity while inserting the sponge brush into the oral cavity and cleaning the oral cavity.

REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1 Oral cavity cleaning tool 2 Housing 3 Head 21 Power switch 22 Power source 23 Boost circuit 24 Light source 25 Condenser lens 26 Fitting portion 27 Cap 28 Prevention plate 31 Rod portion 32 Rough surface 33 Through hole 34 Locking portion 35 Tip portion 36 Sponge brush 37 Toothbrush 38 Tufted brush 39 Interdental brush 41 Light shielding member 42 Illuminometer

Claims (9)

A housing having a light source;
a head portion having a brush for cleaning the inside of the oral cavity;
The light from the light source can illuminate the vicinity of the brush,
The head portion has a rod portion having translucency,
A brush is provided at one end of the rod portion, that is, at the tip portion.
The opposite end of the rod portion is connected to the housing portion,
A light irradiation unit is provided near the brush of the rod portion and on the housing portion side from the tip portion,
The light irradiation unit has a through hole extending radially through the rod unit,
A light source is provided inside the housing,
An oral cavity cleaning tool, in which light from a light source is incident on the end of the rod portion on the housing portion side, passes through the inside of the rod portion, and is irradiated in the radial direction of the rod portion from the through hole of the light irradiation portion. The oral cavity cleaning tool according to claim 1, wherein the brush is a sponge brush, a toothbrush, a tufted brush or an interdental brush. The light irradiation unit has a rough surface on which minute projections and recesses are formed,
The rough surface is provided on a side surface of the rod portion,
The light passing through the inside of the rod portion is irradiated from the rough surface in the radial direction of the rod portion.
The oral cavity cleaning tool according to claim 1 or 2. The ten-point average roughness Rzjis of the rough surface is 1 μm or more.
The oral cavity cleaning tool according to claim 3. A condenser lens is provided near the light source to condense light from the light source toward the brush.
The oral cavity cleaning tool according to any one of claims 1 to 4. The head part is formed so as to be freely attached and detached to the housing part.
The oral cavity cleaning tool according to any one of claims 1 to 5. A rod portion having translucency is provided,
A brush is provided at one end of the rod, that is, at the tip.
a light irradiation unit is provided on the rod portion near the brush and on the other end side of the rod portion relative to the tip portion;
The light irradiation unit has a through hole extending radially through the rod unit,
light from a light source that is incident on the other end of the rod portion and passes through the inside of the rod portion is irradiated in a radial direction of the rod portion from the through hole of the light irradiation portion;
Head part for oral cleaning tool. The head part according to claim 7, wherein the brush is a sponge brush, a toothbrush, a tufted brush or an interdental brush. A head part for an oral cavity cleaning tool according to claim 7 or 8, in which the light emitting part has a rough surface on which minute irregularities are formed.

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