WO2015098695A1

WO2015098695A1 - Toothbrush and electric toothbrush

Info

Publication number: WO2015098695A1
Application number: PCT/JP2014/083557
Authority: WO
Inventors: 純森口; 徹弥阿部
Original assignee: ライオン株式会社
Priority date: 2013-12-26
Filing date: 2014-12-18
Publication date: 2015-07-02
Also published as: KR20160103982A; CN105828746B; CN105828746A; JP2015123245A; JP6170835B2

Abstract

The present invention provides a toothbrush in which bristle bundles are anchored in a plurality of bristle-anchoring holes formed in an bristle-anchoring surface of a head section, wherein the toothbrush is characterized by the following: the bristle-anchoring surface is provided with a middle bristle bundle group consisting of a plurality of middle bristle bundles disposed in parallel in the length direction of the head section, and outside bristle bundle groups consisting of outside bristle bundles that are located on both sides in the width direction of the head section and are located on both sides in the width direction of the middle bristle bundle group; the outside bristle bundles that constitute the outside bristle bundle groups are formed of tapered bristles; the anchored bristle density is at least 3,000 bristles/cm²; the width of each of the outside bristle bundle groups on both sides in the width direction of the head section is 20 to 30% with respect to the breadth of the head section; the use-bristles that constitute the middle bristle bundles and the tapered bristles that constitute the outside bristle bundles both have a height of 8.5 mm or less; and the anchored bristle density of the middle bristle bundle group is 400 to 1,000 bristles/cm².

Description

Toothbrush and electric toothbrush

The present invention relates to a toothbrush and an electric toothbrush including the toothbrush.
This application claims priority based on Japanese Patent Application No. 2013-270313 filed in Japan on December 26, 2013, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.

In recent years, the number of people who brush their teeth on the go has increased, and the sale of portable (electric) toothbrushes with caps and small diameters such as Pocket Dolts (Panasonic Corporation) is conspicuous. In this case, since it is necessary to store both the height and width of the head portion including the brush in the cap, it is essential to reduce the thickness of the head portion and shorten the hair length (hair height). Although thinning of the head portion has been studied so far (clinica advantage toothbrush (product name of Lion Corporation), etc.), shortening of the hair height has not been sufficiently studied. If the hair height is simply lowered, the hardness of the hair becomes stronger, making it difficult to clean details, lowering the feeling of use, and damaging the gums. Therefore, in a portable toothbrush, in order to reduce the height of the hair, the arrangement of the most basic toothbrush bundles such as a child toothbrush (product name of Lion Corporation) must be used. Currently.

When brushing teeth, finer bubbles are more desirable than large-diameter bubbles in order to efficiently remove dirt. However, it is difficult to produce finer bubbles with general flocking specifications (including arrangement and types of hair).
Techniques for improving the foaming properties of dentifrice include providing a high-density flocking region with a flocking density of 900-3000 / cm ² (see Patent Document 1), reducing the number of hair bundles, and further optimizing the profile. A technique (see Patent Document 2) is known.
However, none of the conventional techniques can sufficiently achieve the fineness of the foam texture. In addition, when the hair height is lowered, there is a problem that the movement of the hair ends is limited, and the intake of air necessary for foaming tends to be insufficient.
Also, maintaining beautiful teeth is important for interpersonal relationships, and a toothbrush with a high stain removal effect is required even when the user is away from home. In order to improve the stain removal effect, a strong bristle is required, but if the bristle height is lowered with a brush that can achieve a strong bristle with a general toothbrush, the tip of the hair will not bend sufficiently . In order to ensure the bending of the bristles, it may be possible to loosen the arrangement of the flock holes (increase the gap between the holes (interval of flock holes)), but in that case the number of flocks will decrease and stain removal will occur. There is a problem that power cannot be demonstrated.

JP 2013-042776 A JP 2003-250632 A

The present invention has been made to solve the above-mentioned problems, and an object thereof is to provide a toothbrush that has fine foaming even at a hair height of 8.5 mm or less, good appearance, good brushing feeling, and excellent stain removal. To do.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an electric toothbrush having a handle having a toothbrush having the above-described features.

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention adopts the following configuration.

[1] In a toothbrush in which a head portion is provided at a tip of a neck portion, and a hair bundle is implanted in a plurality of flock holes formed on a flocked surface of the head portion.
On the flocked surface, a central hair bundle group composed of a plurality of central hair bundles arranged in parallel in the length direction of the head portion, and a width of the central hair bundle group located on both sides in the width direction of the head portion. An outer hair bundle group consisting of outer hair bundles located on both sides in the direction,
The outer hair bundles constituting the outer hair bundle group are tapered hairs, the hair density is 3000 / cm ² or more, and the width of each outer hair bundle group on both sides in the width direction of the head portion is the head. 20% or more and 30% or less of the width of the part,
The heights of the hairs constituting the central hair bundle and the tapered hairs constituting the outer hair bundle are both 8.5 mm or less,
A toothbrush in which the flocking density of the central bristle bundle group is 400 / cm ² or more and 1000 / cm ² or less.

[2] The ratio according to [1], wherein a ratio between the total number of flocks of the hair in the central hair bundle group and the total number of flocked tapers of the outer hair bundle group is 0.05 or more and 0.25 or less. toothbrush.

[3] The toothbrush according to [1] or [2], wherein a height of the central hair bundle group is lower than a height of the outer hair bundle group.

[4] The toothbrush according to any one of [1] to [3], wherein a cross section of the bristles is an irregular cross section.

[5] The toothbrush according to any one of [1] to [4], wherein the shape of the tip of the central hair bundle group is a waveform.

[6] The outer hair bundle according to any one of [1] to [5], wherein the outer hair bundle has a shorter outer side than the inner side in one flocked hole, and has a hair length difference of 0.5 to 1.5 mm. toothbrush.

[7] An electric toothbrush comprising the toothbrush according to any one of [1] to [6] on a distal end side of a handle portion.

In order to achieve the above object, another aspect of the present invention adopts the following configuration.
The toothbrush of the present invention is a toothbrush in which a head portion is provided at the tip of a neck portion, and a hair bundle is implanted in a plurality of flock holes formed on the flocked surface of the head portion. A central hair bundle group composed of a plurality of central hair bundles arranged side by side in the longitudinal direction of the head, and an outer hair bundle located on both sides in the width direction of the central hair bundle group and located on both sides in the width direction of the head portion The outer hair bundle group is provided, and each of the hairs constituting the central hair bundle group and the outer hair bundle group has a hair height of 8.5 mm or less, and the hair of the outer hair bundle group Is a tapering hair, and is a high density flocking of 3000 / cm ² or more, and the width of each outer hair bundle group on both sides in the width direction of the head part is 20% or more relative to the lateral width of the head part, 30 % or less, and the flocking density of the central tuft group 400 / cm ² or more, 1000 / and characterized in that m ² or less.

The toothbrush of this invention WHEREIN: It is preferable that ratio of the total flocking number of the hair of the said center hair | bristle bundle group and the total flocking number of the said taper hair is 0.05-0.25.
The toothbrush of this invention WHEREIN: It is preferable that the height of the said center bristle bundle group was made one step lower than the height of the said outer bristle bundle group.

In the toothbrush of the present invention, the central bristle bundle can use irregular cross-section bristles.
In the toothbrush of the present invention, the hair end cut shape of the central bristle bundle group can be corrugated.
In the toothbrush of the present invention, the outer bristle bundle is shorter on the outer side than the inner side in one flocked hole, and the difference in bristle length can be 0.5 to 1.5 mm.
The electric toothbrush of the present invention is characterized in that the toothbrush described in any of the above is provided on the distal end side of the handle portion.

According to the present invention, the height of the bristles constituting the central bristle bundle and the tapered bristles constituting the outer bristle bundle is 8.5 mm or less, and the toothbrush suitable for portability is shorter than a general toothbrush. In addition, by setting the outer hair bundle group as a tapered hair, and having a high density of 3000 hairs / cm ² or more, it is possible to provide a toothbrush capable of making the foam of the dentifrice fine in a reduced length. .
Furthermore, the width of each outer hair bundle group, which is composed of tapered hairs and located on both sides in the width direction of the head part, is set to 20-30% of the lateral width of the head part, thereby securing the necessary width as the outer hair bundle group. Therefore, it is possible to provide a toothbrush that is comfortable to touch and can provide a toothbrush excellent in ease of movement of the bristles by smoothening the movement of the tapered bristles without excessively widening the width of the outer bristle bundle group. .
Moreover, the toothbrush provided with sufficient stain removal ability can be provided in the hair length shortened by making the flocking density of the center bristle bundle group into 400 / cm ² or more and 1000 / cm ² or less.

In the toothbrush of the present invention, the contact comfort can be improved by making the height of the central bristle bundle group one step lower than the height of the outer bristle bundle group.
In the toothbrush of the present invention, the stain removal force can be increased by making the cross-section of the bristles of the central bristle bundle group an irregular cross-section. Here, the “cross section” means a cross section when cut in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction.
In the toothbrush of the present invention, the outer hair bundle is shorter on the outer side than the inner side in one flocking hole, and by making the difference in hair length 0.5 to 1.5 mm, the ease of movement of the hair tip is further improved, It has the effect of increasing the penetration into the tooth neck.
The toothbrush of the present invention is suitable for an electric toothbrush, and by providing a tip toothbrush at the tip of the handle part, the foaming of the dentifrice is made to be fine foaming while shortening the bristle length as an electric toothbrush suitable for carrying, An electric toothbrush with good foamability can be provided. Moreover, when it is set as the structure which can mount | wear with a cap on a toothbrush part as an electric toothbrush, an electric toothbrush with good portability can be provided in the state which shortened bristle length and mounted | worn the cap.

The perspective view which shows a part of toothbrush of 1st Embodiment which concerns on this invention. The top view of a part of the toothbrush. The side view which shows an example of the hair-cut shape of the center hair | bristle bundle group in the toothbrush. The side view which shows an example of the taper hair provided in the outer side bristle bundle group of the toothbrush. The perspective view which shows an example of the bristle provided in the center bristle bundle group of the toothbrush. The side view which shows an example structure of the electric toothbrush provided with the toothbrush. The top view which shows an example of the toothbrush used in the Example.

Hereinafter, a first embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.
In this specification, the length direction means a direction parallel to the axis L, and the width direction means a direction perpendicular to the axis L.
The toothbrush of this embodiment is shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. The toothbrush 1 of the present embodiment includes a narrow plate-like head portion 3 on the distal end side of the neck portion 2.
The head portion 3 has a substantially rectangular plate shape extending along the axis L of the neck portion 2, and a plurality of hair heads 3 </ b> A along the length direction of the head portion (direction parallel to the axis L). The flocking holes 5 and 6 are formed, the hairs are planted in the flocking

holes

5 and 6, and the

hair bundle groups

7 and 8 are formed.

For example, the head portion 3 can be formed to have a length of about 15 mm to 20 mm, a thickness of about 2.0 mm to 4.0 mm, a width of about 7.5 mm to about 10.5 mm. The length of the flocked region in the head portion (that is, the length from the hairline on the tip side to the hairline on the neck side) is preferably 15 to 20 mm. Further, the width of the flocked region in the head portion (that is, the distance at the edge of both ends) is preferably 6.0 to 9.5 mm. By setting it as this range, a sufficient hair | bristle bundle can be ensured.
The material constituting the neck portion 2 and the head portion 3 is selected in consideration of the rigidity and mechanical characteristics required for the toothbrush 1, for example, a high-hardness resin having a flexural modulus (JIS K7203) of 500 MPa to 3000 MPa. Yes. Examples of such high-hardness resins include polypropylene (PP), polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polycyclohexylene dimethylene terephthalate (PCT), polystyrene (PS), acrylonitrile / butadiene / styrene resin (ABS), and cellulose propio. Nate (CP), polyarylate, polycarbonate, acrylonitrile / styrene copolymer resin (AS), polyacetal (POM), and the like. Of these, POM is preferable. These resins may be used singly or in appropriate combination of two or more.

In the head unit 3 according to the present embodiment, a plurality (in the figure) are arranged along the length direction of the head unit 3 at predetermined intervals on both sides in the width direction (positions close to the long sides (ends) on both sides of the head unit 3). The outer flock holes 5 are formed in the example 1. In these outer flock holes 5, tapered hairs 10 are planted by flocking means using a flat wire or the like, and outer hair bundles 11 composed of aggregates of tapered hairs 10 are formed in each outer flock hole 5. Outer hair bundle groups 7 are formed on both sides of the head portion 3 in the width direction by the hair bundle 11. The outer hair bundle 11 may be one row in the length direction, or two or more rows.
The diameter of the outer flock holes 5 formed on both sides in the width direction of the head portion 3 is preferably in the range of 20% or more and 30% or less, and in the range of 25% or more and 28% or less with respect to the lateral width of the head portion 3. It is more preferable that
In other words, in the toothbrush 1 of this embodiment, the width of each outer bristle bundle 11 is preferably in the range of 20% or more and 30% or less with respect to the lateral width of the head portion 3. This is because the height of the outer hair bundle 11 that is an aggregate of the tapered bristles 10 is 4.5 mm or more and 8.5 mm or less, and the hair length is shorter than that of a general toothbrush. It is a range necessary to make the feeling gentle and to ensure a clean feeling of the tooth neck and fine foaming of the dentifrice.

When the diameter of the outer flock hole 5 is less than 20% of the lateral width of the head portion 3, the comfort to the gums is poor. If the diameter of the outer flock hole 5 exceeds 30% and is too large, the movement of the tapered bristles 10 implanted in the outer flock hole 5 becomes worse.
An example of the tapered hair 10 is shown in FIG. The tapered hair 10 in FIG. 4 has a substantially columnar shape, and has a diameter that gradually decreases from the base portion 10a toward the tip portion 10b. In the present embodiment, the lengths (hair lengths) of the tapered hairs 10 protruding from the openings of the flock holes 5 are substantially the same length.

In the head portion 3, a region between the

outer hair bundles

11, 11, that is, a region sandwiched between the

outer hair bundles

11, 11 in the width direction of the head portion 3 (hereinafter also referred to as “the center side in the width direction”). The center flocking holes 6 are formed in a plurality of rows (three rows in the example of FIG. 1) at predetermined intervals in the length direction of the head portion 3. In these central flocking holes 6, hairs 12 made of straight hairs having an irregular cross section such as a star-shaped cross section are planted by flocking means using a flat wire or the like, and a set of bristles 12 is gathered in each central flocking hole 6. A central hair bundle 13 made of a body is formed. Straight hair is hair having substantially the same cross-sectional shape and cross-sectional area except for a rounded portion at the tip (a portion where the corner of the tip is chamfered). The irregular cross section means that the cross-sectional shape of the hair 12 is a shape other than a circle. FIG. 5 shows an example of the hair 12 made of straight hair having a star-shaped cross section. In the present embodiment, the central hair bundle group 8 is configured by the central hair bundle 13 that is aligned and formed on the center side in the width direction of the head portion 3.
The central hair bundle 13 may be three or more rows or less than three rows. In the case of three or more rows, it is preferably arranged in a staggered pattern.
The cross-sectional shape of the hair 12 is preferably an irregular cross-sectional shape such as a star shape, a three-leaf clover shape, or a four-leaf clover shape, but is not limited to these cross-sectional shapes, and is circular, elliptical, polygonal (for example, triangular) , Quadrilateral, pentagon, hexagon, etc.). Moreover, a taper hair may be sufficient. Regarding the taper hair, the same ones as described in the explanation of the outer hair bundle 11 may be used.

Examples of the constituent material of the tapered hair 10 or the hair 12 include polyamide (eg, 6-12 nylon, 6-10 nylon), polyester (eg, polyethylene terephthalate, polybutylene terephthalate, polytrimethylene terephthalate), polyolefin (eg: Synthetic resin materials such as polypropylene) and elastomers (eg, olefins and styrenes) can be mentioned. These synthetic resin materials may be used alone or in combination of two or more. Moreover, the multi-core structure which has the core part and the sheath part of the at least 1 layer or more provided in the outer side of the said core part may be sufficient as the taper hair 10 or the hair 12 for hair.

Although the thickness of the thickest part of the taper hair 10 is not specifically limited, It is preferable that it is thin in the point which makes the contact | winning comfort to a gum more favorable. For example, a range of 3 mil or more and 5 mil (1 mil = 1/1000 inch = 0.025 mm) or less is preferable. With a taper hair of less than 3 mil, the density of the hair is too high and the taper hair is difficult to move. With tapered hair having a thickness exceeding 5 mil, high-density flocking described later cannot be realized. If the thickness of the taper hair 10 is in the range of 3 to 5 mil, it is possible to improve the contact with the gums and increase the number of hairs that can be implanted in one outer flocking hole 5, making it easy to obtain high density flocking. It can be. Here, high-density flocking refers to a state where flocking is performed at 3000 / cm ² to 12000 / cm ² .
All the hairs constituting the hair bundle may have the same thickness, or two or more kinds of hairs having different thicknesses may be combined.
The thickness of the bristles 12 is not particularly limited, but is preferably in the range of 7 mils to 9 mils in thickness from the viewpoint of improving stain removal and the feeling of hitting the gums. If the thickness of the resin material is in the range of 7 to 9 mil, hair 12 having bristle strength effective for stain removal can be obtained.

The hair length of the tapered hair 10 (projection length from the opening of the flocked hole 5) is in the range of 4.5 mm or more and 8.5 mm or less, more preferably 5.0 mm or more and 7. It is formed in a range of 5 mm or less. As an example of the length of the tapered hair 10, 6.0 mm can be adopted.
The length of the hair 12 can be the same as or slightly shorter than the tapered hair 10. When making the hair 12 shorter than the taper hair 10, the value shorter than the taper hair 10 can be selected in the range of 8.5 mm or less and 4.5 mm or more.
If the hair length of the taper hair 10 and the hair 12 is less than 4.5 mm, the movement and the contact feeling of the hair become worse, so it is desirable to select the above range. Further, when the hair length is less than 4.5 mm, the balance with the thickness of the head portion 3 is bad, and the appearance is not good.
The ratio of the height of the taper hair 10 to the hair 12 is expressed as [taper hair height] / [height of hair 12], preferably 1.0 to 2.0, and 1.0 to 1. 2 is more preferable.

The hair bundle of the tapered bristles 10 is shorter on the outer side than the inner side in one flocking hole, and by making the difference in hair length 0.5 to 1.5 mm, the movement of the hair tip and the ability to enter the neck are improved. improves. The outside of the hair bundle is a portion of the hair bundle that occupies a region of 0 to 50% from the peripheral edge of the hair bundle when the cross-sectional area of the hair bundle is 100% by area. When the cross-sectional area of the bundle is 100 area%, it is the portion of the hair bundle that occupies a region of 0 to 50% from the center of the hair bundle.

The flocking density of the taper hair 10 (the flocking density of the outer hair bundle 11) needs to be high density flocking of 3000 / cm ² or more in order to obtain fine foaming of the dentifrice, and is 3500 / cm ² or more. High-density flocking is preferable. Moreover, it is preferable that the upper limit of the flock density of the taper hair 10 shall be 12000 pieces / cm < ² >. If the flocking density is too high, the tapered hair 10 becomes difficult to move, and the original characteristics of the tapered hair, such as entry into the tooth neck, may be impaired. When the flocking density is less than 3000 / cm ² , fine bubbles are hardly formed.
Moreover, it is preferable that the flocking density of the central hair bundle group 8 is 400 / cm ² or more and 1000 / cm ² or less. If the flock density of the central hair bundle group 8 is less than 400 / cm ² , the stain removing power is insufficient, and if the flock density exceeds 1000 / cm ² , the contact feeling becomes worse.
It is more preferable that the hair density of the central hair bundle group 8 is 700 / cm ² or more and 1000 / cm ² or less.
The calculation of the flocking density is calculated from the following two formulas: central flocking density = central total flocking number / center flocking area, outer flocking density = outer total flocking number / outer flocking area.
The area of the central flocking region is the flocking area of the central flock group 8, and is the area of the region where the outer periphery of the flocked hole is connected by a tangent line so as to surround the central flock 13 constituting the central flock group 8. Means. That is, it is the area of a region composed of the area of the central flocking hole 6 and the area around the central flocking hole 6. The area of the central flocking region is preferably 30 to 50 area%, where the total area of the flocked surface 3A is 100 area%. The area of the outer flocked region is the flocked area of the outer flock group 7, means the total area of the outer follicle holes 5, and surrounds the outer follicles 11 constituting each outer flock group 7. , Means the total area of the area where the outer periphery of the flocked hole is connected by a tangent line. That is, it is the area of a region composed of the area of the outer flocking hole 5 and the area around the outer flocking hole 5. The area of the outer flocked region is preferably 50 to 65% by area, where the total area of 3A on the flocked surface is 100% by area.

In the toothbrush 1 of the present embodiment, the ratio of the total number of flocks of the hairs 12 of the central hair bundle group 8 and the total number of flocks of the taper hairs 10 of the outer hair bundle group 7 is [the hairs 12 of the central hair bundle group 8 The total number of flocks] / [total number of flocks of the tapered hairs 10 of the outer hair bundle group 7] is preferably 0.05 or more and 0.25 or less. The ratio of the number of flocks = the total number of flocks on the inner side / the total number of flocks on the outer side.
Satisfying this relationship makes it possible to obtain good contact with the gums and stain removal power. As a better range of comfort, 0.05 to 0.15 or less in the ratio of the total number of flocks, and as a better range of stain removal power, 0.09 or more and 0.20 or less in the ratio of the total number of flocks It is preferable to select a range.
In the toothbrush 1 of the present embodiment, the ratio of the flocked area of the central hair bundle group 8 to the flocked area of the outer hair bundle group 7 is [flocked area of the central hair bundle group 8] / [flocked area of the outer hair bundle group 7]. It is preferable to select a range of 0.9 or less. From the viewpoint of ensuring stain removability, the range of 0.50 to 0.90 is preferable, and the range of 0.70 to 0.90 is more preferable. If the ratio of planted area is less than 0.5, sufficient stain removability cannot be obtained, and if it exceeds 0.90, the contact feeling becomes worse.
As shown in FIG. 3, the central hair bundle 13 has a longitudinal cross section, that is, a cross-sectional shape when cut in the vertical direction along the axis L (hereinafter also referred to as a hair-end hair shape) as shown in FIG. It is also preferable to use a waveform. By making the longitudinal cross section of the central hair bundle group 8 a triangular wave type, the stain removal effect can be further enhanced. At this time, the difference between the hair having the highest hair length and the hair having the lowest hair length is preferably 0.5 to 2.0 mm. The angle of the triangle apex is preferably 80 to 120 °. It is preferable that one head portion is configured to have 3 to 8 triangular vertices.
When the vertical cross section of the central hair bundle group 8 is corrugated, the difference between the highest hair in the central hair bundle group 8 (the convex hair) and the height of the hair in the outer hair bundle group 7 Is preferably 1 to 3 mm, and the difference between the hair height of the lowest hair (recessed hair) in the central hair bundle group 8 and the hair in the outer hair bundle group 7 is 1.5 to 4 mm. It is preferable that
In addition, when the longitudinal cross-section of the central hair bundle group 8 is corrugated, the shape of the tip of the hair 12 in the central hair bundle group 8 is preferably a shape with chamfered corners.

As a method for implanting the tapered bristles 10 and the hairs 12, known methods such as a method of driving a flat wire into a flocked hole and a method of heat welding can be applied.
In the method of driving a flat wire, a plurality of bristles are bundled and folded in half, and a hair retainer is implanted in each flocked hole by inserting a retaining tool called a flat wire between them.
The flat line passes through the center of the flocked hole and is placed in the flocked hole so as to straddle the flocked hole. Examples of the material of the flat wire include metals such as brass and stainless steel, and other examples include hard plastic and biodegradable plastic.
The length, width, and thickness of the flat line may be arbitrarily adjusted according to the hair bundle and flock hole, but the length of the flat line is usually larger than the diameter of the flock hole and the width of the flat line is the width of the flock hole. Be smaller than the depth. Moreover, by adjusting the thickness of the flat wire, the hair bundle can be securely fixed in the flock hole and the gap can be reduced. Further, in order to prevent the flat wire from coming out of the flocked hole, the total length of the portions protruding from both sides of the flocked hole is preferably 0.3 to 0.6 mm.

In addition, the toothbrush 1 shown in FIG. 1 is a model perspective view showing an outline of the toothbrush, and all of the bristles 12 constituting the outer bristle bundle 11 and the central bristle 12 are completely the same length. However, according to the flocking method using a flat wire, the tapered hairs 10 and the hairs 12 are not completely uniform after flocking, and the lengths are slightly uneven. Also good. Further, after the flocking, the tapered bristles 10 and the bristles 12 are not completely perpendicular to the flocked surface 3A, and may be flocked so as to slightly spread outward from the flocked

holes

5 and 6.

If it is the toothbrush 1 of the structure shown in FIG. 1, the hair of each of the central bristle bundle group 8 and the outer bristle bundle group 7 has a hair height of 8.5 mm or less and is shorter than a general toothbrush. In the toothbrush 1 suitable for the above, the outer bristle bundle group 7 is composed of the taper bristles 10, and high-density flocking of 3000 / cm ² or more can make the dentifrice foam fine.
The contact feeling can be improved by making the height of the central hair bundle group lower than the height of the outer hair bundle group.
Further, the outer hair bundle group 7 is composed of tapered hairs 10, and the width of each outer hair bundle group 7 located on both sides in the width direction of the head portion 3 is in the range of 20-30% with respect to the lateral width of the head portion 3. By doing so, it is possible to secure the necessary width as the outer bristle bundle group 7 and to make the toothbrush 1 comfortable to hit, and the movement of the tapered bristles 10 can be made smooth.
The distance from the end of the head portion in the width direction to each outer hair bundle group 7 is preferably 0.5 to 1.0 mm.

In the toothbrush of the present invention, the ratio of the total number of flocks of the bristles 12 in the central bristles group 8 to the total number of flocks of the taper hairs 10 in the outer bunch group 7 is expressed as [total number of flocks of bristles 12] / [tapered hairs]. The total number of flocks of 10] is set to 0.05 or more and 0.25 or less, so that the number of hairs 12 in the central hair bundle group 8 can be secured and a toothbrush effective for stain removal can be provided.

The sizes of the outer flock holes 5 may be the same or different. The diameter is preferably 2.0 to 2.6 mm.
The size of the central flocking hole 6 may be the same or different. The diameter is preferably 1.0 to 1.4 mm.
The ratio of the diameter of the central flocking hole 6 to the diameter of the outer flocking hole 5 is 0.4 to 0.7, expressed as [diameter of central flocking hole 6] / [diameter of outer flocking hole 5]. preferable.
The distance from the central part of the central bristle bundle 13 to the central part of the closest central bristle bundle 13 is preferably 1.0 to 2.0 mm.
The distance from the central portion of the central hair bundle 13 to the central portion of the outermost hair bundle 11 that is closest is preferably 2.0 to 3.0 mm.
The ratio between the total number of central hair bundles 13 in the central hair bundle group 8 and the total number of outer hair bundles 11 in the outer hair bundle group 7 is [total number of central hair bundles 13] / [outside hair bundle 11]. The total number of bundles] is preferably 1.0 to 2.0.

The toothbrush 1 of the present embodiment may be applied to an electric toothbrush that vibrates when electrically driven. For example, when the toothbrushes of Examples 1 to 7 are used for the brush portion of a denter system sonic assisted brush produced by Lion Co., Ltd. and used while being vibrated by electrical drive, the foaming becomes faster and the bubble diameter becomes larger. It becomes small and foamability improves more. Furthermore, the stain removal effect is also improved.

As an example of the electric toothbrush 20, as shown in FIG. 6, a battery 25 and a control circuit (not shown) for controlling driving of each part are incorporated in a watertight manner inside a cylindrical handle part 21. A vibrator 27 for generating vibrations such as ultrasonic vibrations and sound wave vibrations is built in the front end side of the battery, and a cap A28 for loading / unloading the battery is provided on the rear end opening side of the handle part 21. An example is one in which operation buttons are provided in the part. In view of portability, it is preferable that the cylindrical cap B30 shown in FIG. 6 can be detachably attached to the distal end side of the handle portion 21.
The battery 25 may be a primary battery (for example, an AA or AAA battery) or a secondary battery (for example, a nickel cadmium battery, a nickel hydrogen battery, or a lithium ion battery).
The control circuit is connected to the battery 25, and when a user operates an operation button provided on the handle portion 21, the control circuit generates a control signal corresponding to the operation, and a vibrator described later based on the control signal. It controls the power supply to and the drive of the vibrator.
The vibrator 27 is electrically connected to the control circuit in the handle portion 21 through wiring, and vibrates when electric power is supplied.

The electric toothbrush 20 does not have to include the control circuit. For example, when the user operates the operation button, power is directly supplied from the battery to the vibrator so that the vibrator is driven. It may be.
A tapered connecting portion 21a is formed on the distal end side of the handle portion 21, and a metal connecting pin 21b for connecting to the proximal end 2b of the neck portion 2 of the toothbrush 1 is formed on the distal end portion of the connecting portion 21a. Has been. An insertion hole for inserting the connection pin 21b is formed in the lower end surface of the base end 2b, and the toothbrush 1 is attached to and detached from the handle portion 21 by inserting the connection pin 21b into the insertion hole. It is installed freely.

Since the toothbrush 1 demonstrated previously is the toothbrush 1 which has various outstanding effects as mentioned above, when it applies to the electric toothbrush 20 as shown in FIG. 6, in the electric toothbrush 20 suitable for carrying, By forming the outer hair bundle group 7 from the tapered hairs 10 and forming a high-density flock of 3000 / cm ² or more, the foaming of the dentifrice can be made fine. The electric toothbrush 20 having excellent cervical brushing feeling and excellent penetration into the cervical region by the tapered bristles 10 while the bristle length is shortened to 8.5 mm or less can be provided.

Further, by setting the width of the outer hair bundle group 7 composed of the taper hairs 10 to 20 to 30% with respect to the lateral width of the head portion 3, the necessary width as the outer hair bundle group 7 is secured and the appearance of the hair is reduced. The electric toothbrush 20 that does not occur can be obtained, and the width of the outer bristle bundle group 7 is not made too large so that the movement of the taper bristles 10 is smoothed, and the tooth neck cleaning performance is gentle on the tooth neck. An excellent electric toothbrush 20 can be provided. In particular, in the electric toothbrush 20, when the outer bristle bundle 13 is applied to the tooth neck while being vibrated, the feeling of brushing by the outer bristle bundle 13 becomes stronger than during manual operation. However, since the movement of the taper bristles 10 is smooth and does not impair the contact with the tooth neck, a good tooth neck brushing feeling can be obtained.

In addition, since the central flock hole 6 constituting the central bristles 13 is formed smaller than the outer flock hole 5, the electric toothbrush 20 that can achieve both good contact with the tooth neck and improved cleaning of the tooth neck. Can provide.
Further, the ratio of the total number of flocks of the hair in the central hair bundle group 8 to the total number of flocks of the tapered hair 10 in the outer hair bundle group 7 is calculated as [total number of flocks of hair in the central hair bundle group 8] / [outer hair bundle]. Expressed by the total number of flocks of the taper hairs 10 of the group 7], the number of the hairs 12 of the central hair bundle group 7 is secured by setting the number to 0.05 or more and 0.25 or less, which is effective for removing stains. A toothbrush 20 can be provided.
In the electric toothbrush 20, the toothbrush 1 can be covered by attaching the cap 30 to the handle portion 21, so that the portability can be improved. For example, the toothbrush 1 can be prevented from becoming dirty when stored in a handbag, bag, pouch or the like.
Moreover, in order to be excellent in portability, when the cap is cylindrical, the diameter of the cap 30 (the diameter measured from the outside of the cap) is desirably as small as possible.
For example, assuming that a woman accommodates in a pouch together with cosmetics such as lipstick, it is desirable that the diameter of the cap 30 is about φ14 to φ20 mm in view of not impairing portability compared to the diameter of lipstick or the like. For this reason, considering the diameter of the cap 30, the thickness of the peripheral wall of the cap 30, and the thickness of the head portion 3 of the toothbrush 1, the bristle length of the tapered bristles 10 is 4.5 mm or more as described in the description of the toothbrush 1. A range of 8.5 mm or less is desirable.
In addition, the effects obtained by providing the toothbrush 1 as described above can be obtained.
When the shape of the cap is a rectangular parallelepiped, the width is preferably 9.0 to 20 mm and the depth is 12 to 20 mm.

In accordance with the specifications described in Table 1, a toothbrush having the shape shown in FIG.
In the prototype toothbrush, five outer flock holes with the diameters shown in Table 1 are placed at equal intervals on both sides of the head part (length 18.95 mm, width 8.7 mm, thickness 3.5 mm), between adjacent outer flock holes. A total of 10 or 12 (Example 7) outer flock holes were formed with an interval of 3.20 (center-to-center distance) mm. In these outer flock holes, taper hair (described as ST in Table 1) was planted using a flat wire at a flocking density shown in Table 1 so that the hair length was 6 mm. In Table 1, the hair diameter for use, the area of the outer flocking region, the outer flocking density, and the hair cutting shape (profile) are described. In the profile 1.0 mm of Example 8, the outside is shorter than the inside in the flocked hole, and the hair height difference is 1. mm.

In addition, a central flocking hole having a diameter shown in Table 1 as a central flocking hole is provided on the center side of the head portion in the length direction of the head portion, six outer central flocking holes, five inner central flocking holes, and an outer central flocking hole. Six pores, 17 in total, were formed in a staggered pattern. The zigzag pattern means an arrangement in which the central flock holes in the adjacent rows are arranged at half the pitch of the central flock holes in a specific row arranged in the axis L direction. When arranged in a staggered pattern, the spacing between adjacent central flock holes arranged in the length direction of the head portion is 1.6 mm, and the row spacing of the central flock holes arranged in the width direction of the head portion is 0.9 mm. did. The distance (center-to-center distance) between the outer flock holes along the width direction of the head portion was 4.90 mm, and the separation distance from the center of the head portion tip was set to 2.35 mm in the two center flock holes arranged at the head portion tip position.

In these central flock holes, straight hair (cross section five-leaf type: star shape) was planted using a flat wire at a flocking density shown in Table 1 so that the hair length was 5 mm. Table 1 shows the diameter of the central flock hole, the diameter of the hair, the area of the central flocked area, the central flocking density, and the hair cutting shape (profile). In the table, “ripple wave” means a triangular wave shape (the longest hair length (length to the top of the wave) is 5 mm, the shortest hair length (length to the bottom of the wave) and the longest hair length. The difference in hair length is 1.0 to 1.5 mm), and “flat” means that the hair tip shape is horizontal.

As a comparative example, a toothbrush was manufactured based on each specification shown in Table 2. The following evaluation tests were performed using the toothbrush of the example and the toothbrush of the comparative example, and the results of each test are shown in Tables 1 and 2.
<Foam texture evaluation test>
The toothbrush of each example and each comparative example was set on a brushing machine manufactured by Lion Co., Ltd., and 1 g of a dentifrice and 2 times the amount of water were placed on the brush plate, and the brushing force was 200 g and 60 times of brushing were performed. After the brushing, the bubbles were collected, and the diameters of 20 bubbles were randomly measured with an optical microscope. The smaller the bubble diameter, the finer the bubbles. The numerical values in the table represent the diameter (mm) of the bubbles.
The evaluation criteria are as follows.
A: The average diameter of 20 bubbles is less than 0.12 mm. O: The average diameter of 20 bubbles is 0.12 mm or more and less than 0.16 mm. Δ: The average diameter of 20 bubbles is 0. .16 mm or more and less than 0.20 mm x: 20 bubbles having an average diameter of 0.20 mm or more

<Evaluation test for ease of movement of hair>
Evaluation was conducted by a sensory test by 10 expert panels. The ease of movement of the toothbrush bristles was evaluated according to the following criteria.
4 points: The toothbrush bristles are sufficiently bent and the hair feels very moving.
3 points: The hair of the toothbrush is bent and the hair feels moving.
Two points: The hair of the toothbrush is difficult to bend and the movement of the hair is difficult to feel.
1 point: The hair of the toothbrush is not bent and the movement of the hair is not felt.
The evaluation results of 10 people were averaged, and those having the ease of movement of the hair of the ◎ and ○ toothbrushes based on the following criteria were judged to be toothbrushes having good movement of the hair.
◎: 3.5 points or more and 4.0 points or less ○: 3.0 points or more and less than 3.5 points △: 2.0 points or more and less than 3.0 points ×: Less than 2.0 points

<Stain removal evaluation test>
1. Method for producing stain-attached HAP A hydroxyapatite pellet (HAP) surface (made by HOYA, diameter 7 mm × thickness 3.5 mm) was treated with sand blasting, and then washed with an ultrasonic cleaner in an aqueous neutral detergent solution. The surface was etched with a 30% aqueous phosphoric acid solution (for 10 minutes), washed with water, and naturally dried. For the above HAP, an operation of repeatedly dipping in an aqueous solution of 0.5% albumin → tannin extract → 0.6% aqueous solution of iron (III) ammonium citrate for 1 hour was repeated 50 times, and after air drying at room temperature for 1 day, Washed with running water and air-dried again to produce stain-attached HAP.
The tannin extract was prepared in 1200 mL of boiling ion-exchanged water, 50 g of Japanese tea (brand name: Oimatsu), 5 bags of black tea (made by Unilever Japan Co., Ltd., Blis Teaback), instant coffee (trade name Nescafe, Nestlé) (Made by Nippon Co., Ltd.) 12 g was added and allowed to stand overnight, and Japanese tea and black tea were removed by filtration. The surface color of the produced stain-attached HAP was measured using a spectroscopic color difference meter (manufactured by Nippon Denshoku Industries Co., Ltd., model: SE-2000), and the value was defined as L1.

2. Stain removal test 1 g of the dentifrice composition was diluted with twice the amount of purified water to prepare a dentifrice dispersion. The tannin iron stain adhesion hydroxyapatite pellet produced by the above method was immersed in a dentifrice dispersion, and the toothbrushes of each Example and each Comparative Example were evaluated by the following methods.
The toothbrushes of each example and each comparative example were set on a brushing machine manufactured by Lion Co., Ltd., and the Lab value (L2) of HAP after 20 times of brushing was measured. The amount of stain removal was calculated based on the following formula.
Tannin iron stain removal = L2-L1
The stain removal effect was evaluated from the stain removal amount according to the following criteria. The numerical values in the table represent the amount of stain removal.
Evaluation criteria for stain removal effect A: Stain removal amount 12 or more ◯: Stain removal amount 9 or more and less than 12 Δ: Stain removal amount 6 or more and less than 9 ×: Stain removal amount 6 or less

<Evaluation test for contact feeling>
Evaluation was conducted by a sensory test by 10 expert panels. The comfort of the toothbrush on the gums was evaluated according to the following criteria.
4 points: No gum pain and very comfortable to touch.
3 points: There is no pain in the gums and it is comfortable to touch.
2 points: Feeling weak pain in gums.
1 point: Strong pain in gums.
The evaluation results of 10 people were averaged, and a toothbrush having good hitting comfort was judged to be a toothbrush having good hitting comfort according to the following criteria.
◎: 3.5 points or more and 4.0 points or less ○: 3.0 points or more and less than 3.5 points △: 2.0 points or more and less than 3.0 points ×: Less than 2.0 points

<Comprehensive evaluation>
◎: All ◎.
○: ○ is the lowest evaluation.
Δ: Evaluation with the lowest Δ.
X: When there is even one x.

From the results shown in Table 1, in a toothbrush provided with a central hair bundle group consisting of a plurality of hairs arranged side by side in the length direction of the head portion and an outer hair bundle group consisting of tapered hairs, the central hair bundle group When the hair height (hair length) of each of the hairs constituting the outer hair bundle group is 8.5 mm or less, the hair is a high-density flocking having 3000 or more taper hairs / cm ² , and the outer hair bundle A toothbrush in which the width of the group is 20 to 30% of the lateral width of the head portion and the flocking density of the central bristle bundle group is 400 / cm ² or more and 1000 / cm ² or less has the following characteristics. . That is, the fine foaming property of the dentifrice, the ease of movement of the hair tip, and the taper hair provided on both sides of the head part are present in a necessary and sufficient ratio, so there is no hair loss in the outer hair bundle group, and the appearance The toothbrush which was excellent and was excellent in stain removal property by presence of a central bristle bundle group can be provided.

On the other hand, the toothbrush of Comparative Example 1 has a shortage of fine foaming because the outer flocking density of the tapered bristles is 2496 / cm ² lower than 3000 / cm ² .

The toothbrush of Comparative Example 2 is a toothbrush in which the diameter of the outer flock hole is small and the ratio of one outer bristle bundle group is less than 20% with respect to the lateral width of the head portion. Was small, leading to a sense of hair loss and poor appearance. That is, even when the outer flocking density of the taper hair exceeds 3000 / cm ² , the width of the outer hair bundle group is small, which leads to a feeling of hair loss when the entire toothbrush is viewed. In addition, since the width of the outer bristle bundle group was small, the contact comfort of the toothbrush was poor.
The toothbrush of Comparative Example 3 is an example in which the diameter of the outer flock hole is increased to 34.5% with respect to the width of the head portion, but the width of one outer bristle bundle is too large with respect to the width of the head portion, There was a limit to the ease of movement of the tapered hair. In addition, the density of central flocking was small, and the stain removal power was insufficient.

The toothbrush of Comparative Example 4 was a sample in which the bristle length was shortened to 4.0 mm for both the central bristles and the outer bristles. If the hair length is too short, the width of the outer hair bundle with respect to the width of the head portion is a desirable value, and even if the ratio of the number of flocks is a desirable value, the ease of movement of the hair is lost and the appearance is also impaired. This made me feel uncomfortable.
The toothbrush of Comparative Example 5 is an example in which the center flocking density exceeds 1000 / cm ² but is too large, the ease of movement of the hair is impaired, and the stain removal power is also insufficient.

According to the present invention, each of the hairs in the central hair bundle group and the outer hair bundle group is a toothbrush suitable for portable use in which the hair height is 8.5 mm or less and shorter than a general toothbrush, By setting the hair bundle group as a taped hair and making a high density planting of 3000 / cm ² or more, it is possible to provide a toothbrush capable of making the foam of the dentifrice fine in a reduced length.
Furthermore, the width of each outer hair bundle group, which is composed of tapered hairs and located on both sides in the width direction of the head part, is set to 20-30% of the lateral width of the head part, thereby securing the necessary width as the outer hair bundle group. Therefore, it is possible to provide a toothbrush that is comfortable to touch and can provide a toothbrush excellent in ease of movement of the bristles by smoothening the movement of the tapered bristles without excessively widening the width of the outer bristle bundle group. .
Moreover, the toothbrush provided with sufficient stain removal ability can be provided in the hair length shortened by making the flocking density of the center bristle bundle group into 400 / cm ² or more and 1000 / cm ² or less.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Toothbrush, 2 ... Neck part, 3 ... Head part, 3A ... Flocked surface, 5 ... Outer flock hole, 6 ... Central flock hole, 7 ... Outer hair bundle group, 8 ... Central flock group, 10 ... Tapered hair, 11 ... outer hair bundle, 12 ... hair, 13 ... central hair bundle, 20 ... electric toothbrush, 30 ... cap.

Claims

In a toothbrush in which a head part is provided at the tip of the neck part, and a hair bundle is implanted in a plurality of flock holes formed on the flocked surface of the head part,
On the flocked surface, a central hair bundle group composed of a plurality of central hair bundles arranged in parallel in the length direction of the head portion, and a width of the central hair bundle group located on both sides in the width direction of the head portion. An outer hair bundle group consisting of outer hair bundles located on both sides in the direction,
The outer hair bundles constituting the outer hair bundle group are tapered hairs, the hair density is 3000 / cm 2 or more, and the width of each outer hair bundle group on both sides in the width direction of the head portion is the head. 20% or more and 30% or less of the width of the part,
The heights of the hairs constituting the central hair bundle and the tapered hairs constituting the outer hair bundle are both 8.5 mm or less,
A toothbrush in which the flocking density of the central bristle bundle group is 400 / cm 2 or more and 1000 / cm 2 or less.
The toothbrush according to claim 1, wherein a ratio of the total number of flocks of the central hair bundle group to the total number of flocks of the outer hair bundle group and the total number of flocked taper hairs is 0.05 or more and 0.25 or less.
The toothbrush according to claim 1 or 2, wherein a height of the central hair bundle group is lower than a height of the outer hair bundle group.
The toothbrush according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein a cross section of the bristles is an irregular cross section.
The toothbrush according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein a shape of the hair of the central hair bundle group is a waveform.
The toothbrush according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the outer bristle bundle is shorter on the outer side than the inner side in one flocked hole, and the difference in hair length is 0.5 to 1.5 mm.
An electric toothbrush comprising the toothbrush according to any one of claims 1 to 6 on a distal end side of a handle portion.