JP2003245134A - Bristle, and toothbrush using the same - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a bristle with excellent bristle top penetration property, cleaning feeling, and durability, and to provide a toothbrush using the same. <P>SOLUTION: For the bristle for a toothbrush, the whole part or top end side part of the bristle is formed so as to have a tapered cross section continuously or intermittently becoming smaller toward the top end part, and a crimp 2 is formed by applying two dimensional or three dimensional crimp (wave- shaped) treatment to the whole part or a part of the bristle. The toothbrush is made by using the bristle to which, the tapering treatment and crimping treatment are applied. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2003,JPO

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a brush having excellent penetration properties, brush feeling and durability, and a toothbrush using the brush.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication (Kokai) No. 6-141923 discloses that both ends have a tapered shape and a tip portion of 1 mm, 3 mm, 5 m
The brush diameter at each position of m and 8 mm is 25 to 35%, 55 to 70%, 80 to 90%, 9 to the brush diameter of the base portion.
A toothbrush with a brush that is 0-100% is shown. In the case of this toothbrush, since the surface of the tapered brush is smooth, the interdental penetration is excellent, but the actual feeling of cleaning is somewhat insufficient.

Japanese Utility Model Laid-Open No. 61-177027 discloses a toothbrush bristle in which many irregularities are formed around a brush bristle body made of monofilament and the entire cut end surface. This brush bristle has a high cleaning effect due to the concavo-convex structure, but since it is not a taper shape, it is inferior in the gap penetrability, and the durability of the brush bristle is extremely low due to stress concentration during cleaning.

In Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 8-47423, each filament made of synthetic fiber constituting the brush portion is tapered toward its free end, and the taper portion has a varicella-like shape of 100 micron unit and / or A toothbrush using a filament having bellows-like irregularities is shown. In the case of this toothbrush, it is excellent in gap penetration and cleaning effect, but stress concentration occurs due to the uneven structure of the bristle surface,
Durability is low.

Japanese Utility Model Laid-Open No. 60-145828 discloses a toothbrush in which the tips of the brushes are spiral. In the case of this toothbrush, the brush has a spiral structure and thus has a high cleaning effect.

Japanese Patent Publication No. 2001-500395 discloses that
A toothbrush with flocked short wavelength wavy brushes is shown. In the case of this toothbrush, the cleaning effect is excellent because the brush has a short wavy shape, but the gap penetration property is poor because it is not tapered.

[0007]

As described above, the brush used in the conventional toothbrush has the following problems. (1) With a brush with a constant diameter, the gap penetration is not sufficient,
It is difficult to clean extremely narrow gaps such as pit fissures. (2) With a conventional tapered brush, the feeling of actual brushing is slightly insufficient. (3) A conventional brush having an uneven structure on its surface has low durability due to stress concentration.

The present invention has been made to solve the above problems, and it is an object of the present invention to provide a brush which is excellent in both the advanced penetration property of the hair, the actual feeling of cleaning and the durability, and a toothbrush using this brush. It is intended.

[0009]

To achieve the above object, the brush of the present invention has a taper shape in which the cross-sectional area of the entire brush or the tip of the brush is reduced continuously or discontinuously toward the tip of the brush. In addition, the entire brush or a part of the brush is subjected to two-dimensional or three-dimensional crimp (wavy) processing. Further, the toothbrush of the present invention is a toothbrush in which a plurality of brushes are fixed on the bristling surface of the head portion, and the brush of the present invention is used for at least a part of the brush.

In the case of the brush and the toothbrush having such a constitution, taper processing is excellent in the gap entry property of the bristle tips, and at the same time, crimping processing is excellent in actual feeling of cleaning. Further, unlike a conventional brush having a surface with irregularities, since the brush itself is formed in a wavy shape by crimping, stress concentration is less likely to occur and the durability of the brush can be improved. In addition, because of the crimping process, the feeling of contact is also excellent.

(1) Appearance and Shape of Brush The brush of the present invention is basically a so-called tapered brush whose diameter becomes smaller toward the tip of the brush. Further, it is not a straight shape that extends linearly, but a two-dimensional or three-dimensional crimp process is applied to a tapered brush. The crimping may be applied to the entire brush, or only a part thereof. The cross-sectional shape of the brush may be circular, but a star shape,
The shape may be a triangle, a quadrangle, an ellipse, etc., and there is no particular limitation. The taper is formed on both ends or one end of the brush according to the purpose. The diameter of the brush is 0.
05-0.5 mm is desirable, and more preferably, 0.
1 to 0.3 mm is preferable.

(2) Shape of crimping As shown in FIG. 4, in the brush of the present invention, crimp 2 is applied to all or part of the brush 1 by crimping. Is the brush diameter d 1
It is preferably about 20 times, more preferably 3 to 15 times. Further, the amplitude w of the crimp 2 is 0.
It is preferably about 1 to 5 times, more preferably 0.2 to 1 times.

(3) Brush Material As the brush material of the present invention, a polyester resin (for example, polyethylene terephthalate, polybutylene terephthalate, polytrimethylene terephthalate, etc.) can be used. (4) Manufacture of Brush To manufacture the brush of the present invention, a polyester resin is used to form a yarn in the same manner as a general brush, and then crimping is performed by mechanical pressure or the like, and then a fixed size is obtained. Cut into. Then, this fixed-size brush or brush bundle is treated with a dissolving chemical (hydrolysis solution such as sodium hydroxide) to form a tapered shape on the brush tip side or the entire brush.

The obtained brush is neutralized, washed and then dried,
Flock the toothbrush head with a predetermined flocking method. The crimping process and the tapering process may be performed before the bristling of the toothbrush head, but after the crimped brush is planted on the toothbrush head, the entire brush of the toothbrush head is chemically treated to form a tapered shape. It can also be given. It can also be manufactured by performing crimping after performing taper processing.

(5) Brush tip processing of the brush The brush brushed on the toothbrush head may be subjected to trimming and rounding, if necessary.

[0016]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 shows a first embodiment of the brush according to the present invention. In the brush 1 according to the first embodiment, the entire brush is a tapered brush whose cross-sectional area continuously decreases toward the tip of the brush, and the crimp (wavy) process is used to crimp the entire brush 2. Is applied.

A conventional tapered brush is shown in FIG.
As shown in (a) and (b), the surface of the tapered portion 12 formed on the brush 11 is smooth and is not crimped as in the present invention. As in the first embodiment, if the entire brush is tapered and the crimp 2 is formed on the entire brush, the action of the tapered shape and the crimp shape improves the penetration of the hair, the real feeling of brushing and the durability. It can be an excellent brush. A toothbrush manufactured using such a brush is also a toothbrush with excellent bristle advanceability, a feeling of actual brushing, and durability.

FIG. 2 shows a second embodiment of the brush according to the present invention. In the brush 1 according to the second embodiment, the entire brush is not crimped, but the straight taper portion 3 where the crimp 2 is not applied is left in the middle portion of the brush. With such a brush shape,
It is possible to adjust the advanced penetration of the bristles, the feeling of cleaning, and the durability according to the specifications of the toothbrush.

FIG. 3 shows a brush according to a third embodiment of the present invention. In the brush 1 according to the third embodiment, a brush tip portion is a straight taper portion 3, and a crimp 2 is formed from a lower side portion thereof. With such a brush shape, it is possible to make the brush excellent in actual feeling of cleaning and durability while particularly improving the penetrability of the brush tip.

[0020]

As described above, according to the present invention,
The following excellent effects can be achieved. (1) Since the taper-shaped brush is crimped, the cleaning efficiency of an extremely narrow gap, which cannot be sufficiently penetrated by an ordinary brush, is improved. (2) Since the crimped tapered brush has a wavy structure, it is possible to improve the brushing effect, which is insufficient in the conventional tapered brush. (3) The crimped tapered brushes have a smoother contact feeling than brushes with uneven surface, and stress is less likely to be concentrated. Therefore, the brush cleaning effect and durability are compatible. You can (4) The crimped tapered brush can increase the contact resistance (friction resistance) of the wavy portion.
For this reason, when the toothbrush head is planted with bristles, the bristling strength of the hair bundle or the single brush can be increased more than the conventional brush. In particular, in the specification that the toothbrush head portion made of a soft resin such as an elastomer is to be transplanted, it is possible to remarkably increase the bristling strength of the brush.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic enlarged side view showing a first embodiment of a brush according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a schematic enlarged side view showing a second embodiment of the brush according to the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a schematic enlarged side view showing a third embodiment of the brush according to the present invention.

FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram of wavelength and amplitude of crimp.

FIG. 5 shows an example of the shape of a conventional tapered brush, (a) is an enlarged schematic side view of a tapered brush made by machining, and (b) is a tapered brush made by melting. It is an abbreviated expansion side view.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 brush 2 crimp 3 Straight taper part

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. A brush for a toothbrush, wherein the entire brush or the tip of the brush has a tapered shape whose cross-sectional area decreases continuously or discontinuously toward the tip of the brush, and the entire brush or a part of the brush. A brush characterized by being subjected to two-dimensional or three-dimensional crimp (wavy) processing. 2. A toothbrush in which a plurality of brushes are fixed to a bristling surface of a head portion, wherein at least a part of the brushes is the brush according to claim 1.