JP7733712B2 - toothbrush - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a toothbrush.

Patent Document 1 below describes a toothbrush with a detachable brush head attached to the end of the handle. With this toothbrush, if the bristles become deformed or soiled, simply replacing the brush head restores the toothbrush's functionality. Furthermore, the handle can be reused without being discarded, which contributes to reducing waste. Furthermore, since only the brush head needs to be stored for replacement, it also contributes to reducing storage space.

In this toothbrush, a protrusion is provided in the center of the back of the brush head, and the brush head is attached to the handle by fitting this protrusion into the tip of the handle.

However, with this type of structure, there is a risk that the force acting on the toothbrush when brushing (particularly from the side of the toothbrush) may cause the brush head to tip over and become detached from the handle. To avoid this, it is possible to increase the attachment strength by making the protrusions larger, but this would increase the thickness of the brush head and the tip of the handle, which could degrade the feel and functionality of the toothbrush.

Patent Document 2 listed below describes a toothbrush in which the brush head is attached to the end of the handle by multiple protrusions formed in a row across the center of the toothbrush's width. However, even with this technology, it is thought that there is a risk that the brush head may be unable to withstand the force (overturning force) acting on the toothbrush during brushing, causing it to overturn and become detached from the handle.

Utility Model Registration No. 3047839 Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2007-296221

After extensive research into a structure that would maintain the thinness of the toothbrush head while preventing the replaceable brush head from coming off during brushing, the inventor discovered that this could be achieved by devising an attachment structure for the brush head.

The present invention was made in light of the above findings. The main object of the present invention is to provide a toothbrush in which the replaceable brush head is less likely to come off during brushing, while maintaining a thin head.

The present invention can be expressed as the inventions described in the following items.

(Item 1)
A toothbrush having a toothbrush body having a head and a handle, and a brush part detachably attached to the head,
The brush portion has a substrate, bristle portions provided on a surface of the substrate, and an engagement portion formed on the substrate,
The engaging portions are formed at both ends of the base plate in the width direction of the toothbrush,
The head of the toothbrush body is provided with engaged portions that engage with the engaging portions formed on the brush part, at positions corresponding to the engaging portions, and the brush part can be attached to the toothbrush body by engaging the engaging portions with the engaged portions.

(Item 2)
the bristles are provided on the surface of the substrate at a predetermined distance from the periphery of the substrate,
Item 2. The toothbrush according to item 1, wherein the engaging portion is provided so as to be continuous with the base plate within the range of the predetermined distance.

(Item 3)
the engaging portion has two engaging pieces provided on one side in the width direction of the toothbrush and two engaging pieces provided on the other side,
3. The toothbrush according to claim 1, wherein the engaged portion has two engaging recesses provided on one side in the width direction of the toothbrush and two engaging recesses provided on the other side.

(Item 4)
Item 4. The toothbrush according to item 3, wherein notches into which a user's fingers can be inserted are formed between the head and the base at a position between the two engaging recesses on one side in the width direction of the toothbrush and at a position between the two engaging recesses on the other side.

(Item 5)
3. The toothbrush according to item 1 or 2, wherein a through-hole penetrating in the thickness direction is formed in the center of the width direction of the head.

The technology of the present invention makes it possible to provide a toothbrush in which the replaceable brush head is less likely to come off during brushing, while maintaining a thin head.

1 is a schematic perspective view of a main part of a toothbrush according to a first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a schematic perspective view of the toothbrush body of the toothbrush of FIG. 1 . FIG. 2 is a schematic perspective view of a brush portion of the toothbrush of FIG. 1 . 2 is a cross-sectional view of the toothbrush of FIG. 1 cut at an engaging portion. FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the toothbrush of FIG. 1 taken along a cutout portion. FIG. FIG. 10 is a schematic perspective view of a main part of a toothbrush according to a second embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 7 is a schematic perspective view of the toothbrush body of the toothbrush of FIG. 6.

(First embodiment)
A toothbrush according to a first embodiment of the present invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

(Configuration of the toothbrush of the first embodiment)
The toothbrush of this embodiment is composed of a toothbrush body 3 having a head 1 and a handle 2, and a brush head 4 that is detachably attached to the head 1 (see FIGS. 1 to 3).

(Brush part)
The brush part 4 is composed of a substrate 5, bristle parts 6 provided on the surface of the substrate 5, and engagement parts 7 formed on the substrate 5 (see FIG. 3).

The bristles 6 are provided on the surface of the substrate 5, spaced a predetermined distance from the periphery (side edge) of the substrate 5 (see Figure 4).

The engagement portions 7 are formed on both ends of the base plate 5 in the width direction of the toothbrush. The engagement portions 7 are arranged so as to be continuous with the base plate 5 within a predetermined distance (i.e., the distance from the periphery of the base plate 5 to the installation position of the bristle portion 6) (see Figure 4).

Specifically, the engagement portion 7 in this embodiment is composed of two engagement pieces 71 provided on one side in the width direction of the toothbrush and two engagement pieces 72 provided on the other side (see Figure 3).

In this embodiment, the substrate 5 can be made of a hard, elastically deformable material, such as a synthetic resin such as polypropylene.

In this embodiment, the bristles 6 can be made of ordinary materials such as nylon or saturated polyester resin.

(Toothbrush body)
The head 1 of the toothbrush body 3 is provided with engaged portions 8 that engage with the engaging portions 7 formed on the brush head 4, at positions corresponding to the engaging portions 7. Specifically, the engaged portions 8 of this embodiment include two engaging recesses 81 provided on one side in the width direction of the toothbrush and two engaging recesses 82 provided on the other side (see FIG. 2).

In the toothbrush of this embodiment, the brush head 4 can be attached to the toothbrush body 3 by engaging the engaging portion 7 with the engaged portion 8. Specifically, the inner surface of the engaging portion 7 and the outer surface of the engaged portion 8 in this embodiment are formed with interlocking concave and convex shapes, and the brush head 4 can be engaged with the toothbrush body 3 by pushing it toward the toothbrush body 3.

Notches 11 into which the user's fingers can be inserted are formed between the head 1 and the base plate 5 at positions between the two engagement recesses 81 on one side of the toothbrush body 3 in the width direction, and between the two engagement recesses 82 on the other side (see Figures 2 and 5).

The underside of the notch 11 (the underside in Figure 5) is an inclined surface that gradually rises from the inside to the outside of the head 1 of the toothbrush body 3. This creates a gap between the notch 11 and the base plate 5 that allows the user to insert the tip of their finger.

(Method of using the toothbrush of this embodiment)
When using the toothbrush of this embodiment, toothpaste (toothpaste or cream) is applied to the bristle portion 6, and the teeth and gums are brushed, just as with conventional toothbrushes. In the toothbrush of this embodiment, the engaging portion 7 provided on the side of the base plate 5 of the brush portion 4 engages with the engaged portion 8 provided on the head portion 1 of the toothbrush body 3, so that the brush portion 4 can be continuously held by the toothbrush body 3 against the lateral force (overturning force) acting on the toothbrush during brushing. In other words, the risk of the brush portion 4 becoming detached from the toothbrush body 3 during brushing can be reduced.

Furthermore, if an attempt were made to increase the strength of the engagement portion while forming it in the center of the base plate 5, the base plate 5 would become thicker because a certain thickness would be necessary to attach the bristles 6 to the base plate 5. This would result in a deterioration in the feel and functionality of the toothbrush. In contrast, in this embodiment, the engagement portion 7 is formed on the side of the base plate 5 (specifically, the peripheral area where the bristles 6 are not attached). This makes it possible to keep the thickness of the base plate 5 relatively thin, even when the strength of the engagement portion 7 is increased. As a result, the feel and functionality of the toothbrush can be maintained in good condition.

When replacing the brush part 4, the user inserts the tip of their finger into the notch 11 in the head 1 and applies force to separate the brush part 4 from the head 1. This causes the engaging part 7 to deform slightly due to its own elasticity, disengaging from the engaged part 8. This allows the brush part 4 to be removed from the head 1.

In this embodiment, the provision of the notch 11 has the advantage that the brush head 4 can be easily removed from the head 1 even when the strength of the engagement portion 7 is increased. Furthermore, by increasing the strength of the engagement portion 7, the risk of the brush head 4 coming off the toothbrush body 3 during brushing can be further reduced.

With the toothbrush of this embodiment, if the bristle portion 6 becomes deformed or soiled, simply replacing the brush portion 4 restores the toothbrush's functionality. Furthermore, the toothbrush body 3 can be reused without being discarded, which contributes to reducing waste. Another advantage is that only the brush portion 4 needs to be stored for replacement, which contributes to reducing storage space.

Second Embodiment
Next, the configuration of a toothbrush according to a second embodiment will be described with reference to Figures 6 and 7. In the description of this second embodiment, components that are basically common to the toothbrush of the first embodiment described above are assigned the same reference numerals to simplify the description.

In the toothbrush of the second embodiment, a through hole 12 is formed in the widthwise center of the head 1, penetrating the thickness direction. While the number of through holes 12 is three in this embodiment, this is not restrictive and the number may be one, two, or four or more. In the illustrated example, the shape of the through hole 12 is rectangular in plan view, but it may also be circular.

The toothbrush of the second embodiment makes it easier to brush your teeth while pressing the head 1 with your fingers from the back side (the top side in Figure 7). The inventors have discovered that brushing can be more effective by pressing the head 1 with your fingers from the back side. However, toothpaste and other substances tend to adhere to the back side of the head 1, making it easy for fingers to slip. In this embodiment, toothpaste penetrates into the through-holes 12, reducing the amount of toothpaste that gets between your fingers and the head 1. In addition, the periphery of the opening of the through-holes 12 acts as a non-slip surface for your fingers. Due to these effects, in this embodiment, your fingers are less likely to slip when pressing the head 1 with your fingers from the back side, making brushing easier.

The other configurations and advantages of the toothbrush of the second embodiment are the same as those of the first embodiment described above, so further detailed explanation will be omitted.

REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1 head 11 notch 12 through-hole 2 handle 3 toothbrush body 4 brush part 5 base plate 6 bristle part 7 engaging part 71, 72 engaging piece 8 engaged part 81, 82 engaging recess

Claims (4)

A toothbrush having a toothbrush body having a head and a handle, and a brush part detachably attached to the head,
The brush portion has a substrate, bristle portions provided on a surface of the substrate, and an engagement portion formed on the substrate,
The engaging portions are formed at both ends of the base plate in the width direction of the toothbrush,
On the side surfaces of the head of the toothbrush body, engaged portions that engage with the engaging portions formed on the brush part are provided at positions corresponding to the engaging portions, and the brush part can be attached to the toothbrush body by engaging the engaging portions with the engaged portions,
the engaging portion has two engaging pieces provided on one side in the width direction of the toothbrush and two engaging pieces provided on the other side,
the engaged portion has two engaging recesses on one side surface in the width direction of the toothbrush, the engaging recesses being open to the outside, and two engaging recesses on the other side surface, the engaging recesses being open to the outside,
the two engaging pieces provided on the one side surface are spaced apart from each other, and the two engaging pieces provided on the other side surface are spaced apart from each other,
The two engaging recesses provided on the one side are spaced apart from each other, and the two engaging recesses provided on the other side are also spaced apart from each other,
By pushing the brush part in the thickness direction of the toothbrush body, the engaging piece is housed inside the engaging recess , thereby fixing the engaging piece to the engaging recess ,
A notch into which a user's fingers can be inserted is formed between the head and the base plate at a position between the two engaging recesses provided on one side in the width direction of the toothbrush and at a position between the two engaging recesses provided on the other side.
toothbrush. the bristles are provided on the surface of the substrate at a predetermined distance from the periphery of the substrate,
The toothbrush according to claim 1 , wherein the engaging portion is provided so as to be continuous with the base plate within the range of the predetermined distance. 3. The toothbrush according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the inner surface of each engaging piece in the engaging portion and the outer surface of each engaging recess in the engaged portion are provided with interlocking uneven shapes, and the engaging pieces and the engaging recesses can be engaged by pushing the brush portion in the thickness direction of the toothbrush body, and the engagement between the engaging pieces and the engaging recesses can be released by pulling the brush portion in the thickness direction of the toothbrush body, allowing the brush portion to be removed from the toothbrush body. A plurality of through holes are formed in the width direction central portion of the head portion, penetrating the head portion in the thickness direction,
3. The toothbrush of claim 1, wherein the surface on the back side of the head between the plurality of through holes forms a contact area that can be pressed by the user's fingertips, and when the user brushes their teeth while pressing the contact area with their fingertips, the periphery of the openings of the plurality of through holes prevents the fingertips from slipping.