CN1213678C - Oral hygienederice, especially a toothbrush - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention relates to an oral hygiene device, especially a toothbrush. The device consists of a handle and a cleaning head which is provided at the end of said handle and which supports an essentially flexible material used for oral and dental hygiene. This material is especially detachably fixed to the cleaning head.

Description

Oral Hygiene Appliances

The invention relates to an oral hygiene tool, in particular to a toothbrush, which consists of a handle and a cleaning head arranged at the end of the handle. In this case, the cleaning head is provided with a substantially flexible material for oral hygiene or dental hygiene, which material is preferably detachably fastened to the cleaning head.

As everyone knows, above-mentioned that class toothbrush has become a kind of daily utensil already. On the handle that is held by hand, a cleaning head such as made of bristles is arranged at its end, the handle and the cleaning head can be stretched into the oral cavity and clean the teeth.

A disadvantage of such known toothbrushes is that the cleaning head is unusable due to mechanical wear and is no longer hygienic due to aging. This results in regular replacement of the entire toothbrush, although the handle is still usable.

The toothbrush that people often talk about should not be limited to only as a tool for cleaning teeth in terms of its scope of protection. Rather, the present invention encompasses a general oral hygiene implement suitable for cleaning both the teeth and other parts of the oral cavity. Among them, the concept of sanitary utensils should not only be understood as being used for special aseptic cleaning, but can also be used for removing dirt or deposits.

The oral hygiene implements described above, such as toothbrushes, are not suitable for effectively removing the sensitive oral mucosa. Bristle is very painful when applied to sensitive mucous membranes, especially if the mucous membranes are injured.

According to US 4 543 679 a toothbrush is disclosed which has a detachable bristle head for cleaning teeth at one end and a head with a impregnable pliable material at its other end.

US 5 228 166 describes a toothbrush with a detachable brush head. The brush head is rotatable relative to a holding element.

CH 149 565 discloses a toothbrush on which two detachable, rubber-like and conical cleaning heads are housed.

DE 26 00 234 proposes a toothbrush for children with two rows of V-shaped bristles.

EP 0 550 818 A1 discloses a holding device for a toothbrush with a replaceable head. The replaceable head is removably inserted into a fixed handle.

US 3 267 512 proposes a toothbrush in which a slit is provided in the handle for embedding a flexible material.

Therefore, the object of the present invention is to develop an oral hygiene product which is not limited to teeth cleaning. In addition, the flexible material attached to the cleaning head is economical and durable.

To achieve this, the cleaning head consists of at least two elements, wherein the second element has an edge which extends beyond the first element and clamps the flexible material therebetween.

According to the proposal of the present invention, the object is achieved that in principle with a toothbrush of known type it is possible to insert a flexible material into the oral cavity in order to clean not only tooth surfaces, but also sensitive skin surfaces or mucous membrane surfaces .

In order to achieve this object, the present invention takes the above-mentioned class of oral hygiene implements as a starting point, and proposes that a cleaning head for oral hygiene or dental hygiene is mainly equipped with a flexible material, in particular, this material is detachably fixed on the cleaning head. superior. According to the proposal of the present invention, it is possible in principle to insert a flexible material into the oral cavity with a toothbrush of known type in order to clean not only tooth surfaces, but also sensitive skin surfaces or mucous membrane surfaces. Two solutions are proposed: one is to rigidly fix the flexible material on the cleaning head, and the whole device is designed as a disposable product at this time; the other is to detachably or replaceably insert the flexible material into the oral cavity clean head.

Various variants are conceivable for the replaceable design of the flexible material on the cleaning head. One is that the flexible material can be knotted, bolted, riveted, snapped, glued or sewn onto the cleaning head. Clamping rings or spring rings can also be used, for example as rubber rings or the like, in which case the flexible material is clamped on the handle end by one or two rings. When spring coils are used, the used flexible material can be replaced in a simple manner. Wherein, the flexible material can also be covered on the handle or the cleaning head. The simple connection method of burr bonding can also be used. Preferably the cleaning head also has a backing of resilient material.

In a preferred form of the present invention, it is suggested that the cleaning head on the toothbrush mainly consists of two elements, which are connected with plug connectors or clamp connectors, etc., and a A substantially flexible material or insert used for dental hygiene.

The components forming the element are preferably made of plastic and are particularly simple to produce, for example as die-cast parts. The plug connection or the clamping connection also does not use chemical connection methods, for example without adhesives, which would necessarily cause health or hygiene concerns. In this case, the plug connection or the clamping connection can be designed such that the flexible material clamped therein is fixed with a sufficient clamping force.

Among them, the flexible material used can also be replaced when worn or worn, without having to replace the entire toothbrush.

In addition to inserts of flexible material that are fastened directly on the cleaning head, it is also possible to provide a flexible material with an insert in the same way, while the flexible material itself is fixed to the element, for example by means of a corresponding snap-lock connection or a fastening flange on or clean your head.

Wherein, the cleaning head is integrated with the handle. As an alternative, however, the cleaning head or an element of the cleaning head can also be designed to be detachable from the handle or fastened replaceably to the handle. It is also possible to design the two components as a combination, they jointly form the cleaning head, and the cleaning head itself can be fixed on the handle end. A very effective fastening of the flexible material can be achieved in a simple manner by means of a clamping connection between two or one element and the cleaning head.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the cleaning head is circular. The substantially circular profile of the cleaning head has the advantage that sharp edges or corners are avoided, and it also facilitates the installation of the cleaning head, especially when a flexible material is clamped between two elements.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the cleaning head consists of two substantially identical halves with clamping elements of flexible material, wherein the clamping elements hold the flexible material together in a plugged state Clamp. The advantage of this structure is that only one tool having the shape of the two halves needs to be prepared. The two halves made with this tool are connected to each other with a plug or clamp connector. For example, the two halves connected together are generally cylindrical or crown-shaped and have an inwardly protruding pin between them as a clamping element for clamping the flexible material.

According to the invention, the plug or clamp connection is detachable, since the element can be disassembled again, so that the flexible material can be removed and replaced. In one variant of the invention, however, the plug or clamp connection is designed to be non-detachable in order to secure the flexible material with high clamping forces so that it is difficult to detach.

Other shapes, for example oval or angular, have also proven to be advantageous.

In a further embodiment of the invention, the first element of the cleaning head consists of a plate, the underside of which is provided, for example, with an adapter for connection to the handle. In contrast, the second approximately plate-shaped element has an edge which engages the first element in the use position. The two elements are, for example, approximately circular, wherein the edge of the second element forms a clamping connection with the edge of the first element for clamping the flexible material.

The type of construction proposed by the invention here facilitates the installation of the cleaning head, since the installation only needs to take place, for example, in a correspondingly shaped mold or device.

In use, the flexible material covers the surface of the second element and serves to clean the teeth/mouth. For example, a relatively soft flexible material can be used, through which a pleasant effect on the teeth and on the sensitive oral mucosa can be achieved. This effect can also be improved by a foam backing or an elastic layer. This foam sits between the plate and the pliable material of the second element.

The edges of the first element and the edges of the second element are preferably rounded or chamfered in order not to damage the flexible material.

Use flexible materials such as mouthwashes, medications, mouthwashes, etc. that can absorb and apply them to the gums or other parts of the mouth.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the cleaning head is mounted exchangeably on the handle. For example, the cleaning head is hinged on the handle with a ball joint or a hinge joint. However, it is also possible to use a sliding clamping connection, for example a dovetail connection, in which case the cleaning head is pushed onto the handle from the side. In another solution of the present invention, the cleaning head is fixedly connected with the handle. Wherein the handle is also composed of two substantially identical parts mirrored symmetrically, and is hollowed out at the cleaning head so that the flexible material is sandwiched therebetween.

In one form of the invention, there is an insert of flexible material or bristles. For example, textile or plastic bristles are provided on the flexible material, which allow better mechanical cleaning. In one embodiment of the invention, an insert assembled with such bristles in a conventional manner can be inserted into the cleaning head, thus considerably increasing the variability.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the cleaning head has a microfibrous fabric which—as described above—can be clamped or plugged in the cleaning head. Use this microfiber fabric to clean your teeth without detergents such as toothpaste. The microfiber fabric stays hygienic for a long time and can be washed with just water.

Microfibrous fabrics are, for example, fabrics with pile-like or loop-like fibers, wherein the fibers are made, for example, of polyamide, polyester, polypropylene, polyacryl, Polyorethan, polyvinylchloride, polystyrene or polyamide. Sulfone or its mixture. Typically the material has an intermediate fiber diameter, between 1 micron and 500 microns in the case of single fibers and between 10 microns and 1000 microns in the case of multiple fibers. Microfiber fabrics used to clean the entire set of teeth save toothpaste or other cleaning agents because the fiber diameters are selected to penetrate into the rough tissue of the teeth and remove dirt. At the same time, microfiber fabrics are also used to transport liquids such as mouthwash to the teeth or the oral mucosa.

Other flexible materials such as polishing cloths can also be used as cleaning heads. At this time, the invention also has the advantage that different cleaning heads can be fixed on one handle for different purposes, such as polishing, wiping, maintenance and cleaning. Due to the simple design of the cleaning head, waste is also reduced when changing the cleaning head, and at the same time a large variability in oral hygiene is achieved.

Abrasive pastes or solutions can also be applied to flexible materials in order to achieve the corresponding cleaning or polishing effect.

In a further embodiment of the invention, for example, a tool for cleaning between the teeth is attached to the handle, wherein this tool can be connected like a bristle or microfiber cleaning head. This greatly reduces the space required, since only the individual cleaning heads, each plugged into the same handle, require a certain space.

All parts of the oral cavity can be reached by means of a hinged structure of the present invention. At this time, the toothbrush of the present invention is designed in such a way that the cleaning head is arranged on the handle and can be rotated or articulated according to a certain spatial angle. Thereby, the direction of the cleaning head can also be adjusted to align with the oral surface that needs to be cleaned or maintained.

In another embodiment of the invention, the proposed oral hygiene appliance can be used not only to clean the teeth but also to clean the oral mucosa. In one aspect of the present invention, the aforementioned microfibrous fabrics for oral hygiene can also be used to clean the tongue area with surprising results. This is especially true if the surface of the tongue is quite rough and dirty with bacteria etc. As mentioned earlier, the structure of the microfiber fabric cleans the tongue thoroughly, resulting in a very comfortable feeling on the tongue. In particular, cleaning of the base of the tongue can also be achieved by using the above-mentioned oral cleaning implement of the present invention, because the length of the handle stretches to the base of the tongue without any problem.

The present invention will be described below in conjunction with schematic diagrams.

These graphs represent:

The handle side view of Fig. 1 toothbrush of the present invention;

The top view of Fig. 2 Fig. 1;

The partial enlarged view of Fig. 3 toothbrush of the present invention;

The side view of the cleaning head of Fig. 4 toothbrush of the present invention;

The top view of Fig. 5 Fig. 4;

Fig. 6 is a sectional view of a preferred cleaning head of the present invention;

Fig. 7 is an assembly tool of the present invention.

FIG. 1 shows a toothbrush according to the invention, which consists of a handle 1 having, at the top of the handle end 10, a connecting element 11 on which a cleaning head 2 can be fastened. The handle end 10 is slightly bent relative to the middle part 13 of the handle 1 in order to achieve better ergonomics.

The connection element 11 is again shown enlarged in FIG. 3 . The connecting element is essentially a spherical structure and is connected with its base 15 to the handle end 10 . The diameter of the bottom 15 is smaller than the diameter of the ball 16, thereby forming certain side grooves, which are just in favor of fixing the cleaning head 2 to this ball 16.

In order to facilitate operation, a special-shaped area 12 is provided in the middle part 13 of the handle 1 .

As shown in plan view ( FIG. 2 ), the area supporting the connection element 11 , eg the ball 16 , at the handle end 10 is substantially circular. This area is inserted into the oral cavity and, due to this round shape 14 , does not constitute a sharp edge that would damage the oral cavity.

The cleaning head 2 is shown in FIGS. 4 and 5 and consists, for example, of two halves 20 , 21 in this example. The two halves are identical, ie made of the same die casting.

In top view ( FIG. 5 ), the two halves 20 , 21 are substantially semicircular 22 and have several or more inwardly convex points 23 .

As can be seen from the cross-sectional view shown in Fig. 4, pins 25 are provided on the connectors, that is, the opposite elements 20, 21 (the connection surface is indicated by 24), and when these pins are inserted into the corresponding opposite half elements, When the holes 26 are in place, a non-detachable connection of the two halves 20 , 21 is formed along the connecting surface 24 . The two halves can in principle only be disassembled again if they are destroyed. This splicing of the two halves 20 , 21 along the pin-hole connection 25 , 26 forms an approximately circular interior 27 into which the tip 23 protrudes inwardly. However, this circular inner cavity 27 can also be formed into another arbitrary shape (square, rectangular, oval, etc.) depending on the shape of the two halves 20 , 21 . The tip 23 serves to secure an object inserted into this cavity 27 . In the inserted state, a coronal cleaning head 2 is formed, the flexible material being arranged in the interior of the coronal.

In one embodiment of the invention, the cleaning head 2 is provided with a microfiber fabric. This microfibrous fabric assumes the shape of a mushroom when the two halves 20 , 21 are not yet firmly connected to each other when inserted into the inner cavity 27 . Then when the two halves 20, 21 are assembled, the tip 23 squeezes and wedges the microfibrous fabric (not shown) together, making it no longer possible to remove it from the cleaning head 2 .

The cleaning head 2 has an approximately spherical recess 29 on its underside (the side 28 facing away from the inner chamber 27 ), which is closely fitted with the ball 16 so that it is snapped into the recess 29 and clamped. In this case, the material of the cleaning head 2 is so elastic that the dimple 29 can snap onto the ball 16 without damaging the cleaning head 2 . In this way, a ball-and-socket joint-like mounting of the cleaning head 2 is formed on the handle 1 . A possible angle of inclination or spatial angle around which the cleaning head 2 can move on the handle 1 can be formed in the region of the ball 16 of the handle 1 by suitable geometry of the underside 28 and the corresponding surface 17 . This angle is, for example, approximately 20°, but preferably 16°.

A preferred embodiment is shown in FIG. 6 in which the first element 3 has an adapter 31 on its underside 30 for connection to a handle. The adapter 31 can be, for example, a spherical socket 29 which snaps onto the ball 16 of the handle end 10 . As shown in FIG. 6 , the upper side 33 of the element 3 has a recess 34 . However, the upper side 33 can also be made flat.

The second element 4 is secured by clamping to a flexible material 6 , eg a microfiber fabric 60 . The clamping is here achieved by the interaction of the edge 40 of the second element 4 with the edge 32 of the first element 3 . This forms the connection zone 5 and clamps the flexible material 6 therebetween. In this case the flexible material 6 has a protruding region 61 above the underside 42 of the second element 4 .

In order to avoid damage to the flexible material 6, both the edge 32 of the first element 3 and the edge 40 of the second element 4 are slightly rounded. In another configuration of the invention, the surface 41 of the second element 4 is provided with a foam pad 62 which acts as a backing and cushioning for the flexible material 6 . Other elastic materials can also be used.

In order to attach the flexible material 6 or the microfiber fabric 60 to the elements 3, 4 or 20, 21, an assembly tool 7 as shown in FIG. 7 is provided.

The assembly here takes place as follows: firstly the microfiber fabric 60 is inserted into the assembly tool 7 , and then the corresponding elements are placed on the microfiber fabric 60 . The base is then pressed into the swivel cap. In order to make the microfiber fabric 60 protrude inwardly, a raised portion 70 is provided so that, when compressed, the microfiber fabric is clamped by the base against the cover.

Instead of flexible material, an insert can also be used to hold the element, and the insert is provided with a microfiber fabric or other similar material.

Various features which have hitherto only been disclosed in the description can be used during the procedure to clarify the importance of the invention, for example to demarcate the scope from the prior art.

Claims (15)

1. Oral hygiene appliance consisting of a handle and a cleaning head arranged on the handle end, wherein the cleaning head (2) is provided with a flexible material for oral hygiene or dental hygiene, which is detachably fastened On the cleaning head (2), characterized in that the cleaning head (2) consists of two elements (3, 4), wherein the second element (4) has an edge (40) which extends beyond the first element (3) and clamp the flexible material (6) between these two elements. 2. The oral hygiene appliance according to claim 1, characterized in that the two elements (3, 4) of the cleaning head (2) are connected by a clamping connection, the flexible material (6) being fixed in the connection area ( 5). 3. The oral hygiene implement according to claim 1, characterized in that the cleaning head (2) is made integrally with the handle, or the cleaning head (2) or a component of the cleaning head can be detached from the handle or fixed on the handle replaceably on the handle. 4. The oral hygiene appliance as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the cleaning head (2) has a round or oval or polygonal shape. 5. The oral hygiene appliance according to claim 1, characterized in that the flexible material (6) can be knotted, bolted, riveted, clamped, glued or sewn on the cleaning head (2), or can be connected with a clamping ring Or spring coils or bonded with burrs for fixing. 6. The oral hygiene appliance as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the cleaning head (2) is crown-shaped and the flexible material (6) is arranged in the interior of the crown. 7. The oral hygiene appliance as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the first element (3) of the cleaning head (2) consists of a plate and the second element (4) is also approximately plate-shaped. 8. The oral hygiene appliance as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that an elastic layer (62) is laid underneath the flexible material (6). 9. The oral hygiene implement as claimed in claim 8, characterized in that the elastic layer (62) is made of a foam material. 10. The oral hygiene implement as claimed in claim 2, characterized in that the connection area (5) is detachable. 11. The oral hygiene appliance as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the cleaning head (2) is articulated to the handle (1) and can be replaced, or the cleaning head (2) is detachably fastened in a sliding clamping connector. 12. The oral hygiene appliance as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the flexible material (6) can be formed as a microfiber fabric, a woven fabric or a fleece, wherein the flexible material (6) can also be impregnated with an oral cleaning solution. 13. Oral hygiene appliance consisting of a handle and a cleaning head arranged on the handle end, wherein the cleaning head (2) has a flexible material for oral hygiene or dental hygiene, which is detachably fixed On the cleaning head (2), it is characterized in that the cleaning head (2) consists of two identical clamping elements (20, 21) with clamping means (23) of flexible material (6), The clamping elements (20, 21) clamp the flexible material (6) in a fixed state. 14. An oral hygiene implement according to any one of the preceding claims for use in cleaning the interior surfaces of the oral cavity. 15. Flexible material (6) on an oral hygiene implement according to any one of the preceding claims for cleaning the tongue.

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