JP5217611B2 - electric toothbrush - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to an electric toothbrush.

  Toothbrushes with various additional functions have been proposed for the purpose of improving plaque removal power and feeling of treatment, improving the oral environment, and improving product value. For example, a toothbrush having a function of sterilizing the oral cavity by light irradiation (see Patent Documents 1 to 3), and a toothbrush having a function of promoting blood circulation of the gingiva and improving a treatment feeling by using a heater and infrared rays (see Patent Documents 3 to 6) ), Toothbrush having a plaque removing function by ultrasonic vibration (see Patent Documents 7 and 8), toothbrush having a function of discharging a chemical or gas from a brush or a brush member (see Patent Documents 9 to 12), and gingiva There exists a toothbrush (refer patent document 13) etc. which have the function to give electrical stimulation.

  These additional functions are mainly effective for gingival tissue and periodontal pockets. However, in the conventional toothbrush, since the additional functions are operated regardless of where the brushing is performed in the oral cavity, these functions may not always be effectively exhibited. For example, even if light or infrared rays are irradiated while the mating surfaces are being polished, it is difficult for light to reach the gingiva, and a sufficient effect cannot be obtained. Similarly, even if heat or electrical stimulation is applied to the meshing surface or a chemical solution or gas is discharged, the intended effect cannot be obtained sufficiently. In addition, the ultrasonic vibration can be expected to have a bactericidal action due to the cavitation effect in the liquid, but the effect cannot be exhibited in the gas. Therefore, the effect of ultrasonic vibration is hardly obtained in a portion where saliva secretion cannot be expected, such as the meshing surface.

  As described above, in the conventional toothbrush, the additional function is wastefully operated even for a portion where the original effect cannot be expected. Such a useless operation is not preferable, particularly in a cordless type electric toothbrush, because the rechargeable battery is consumed quickly. In addition, the useless operation leads to shortening the life of the additional function (including consumption of the chemical solution), which is not preferable.

Patent Document 14 discloses the idea of detecting the direction around the axis of the toothbrush body in four or eight stages and estimating the brushing site from the detection result. Specifically, a plurality of fan-shaped sections are provided in the circumferential direction inside the main body, and the direction of the toothbrush main body is estimated by detecting which section the conductive sphere is in from the change in electrical resistance. doing. However, it is difficult to reduce the size of such a mechanism, and the feasibility is poor.
JP-T-2006-521875 JP-A-3-251207 (Patent No. 2615505) US Patent Application Publication No. 2007/0271714 JP 2001-137046 A JP 2001-299454 A JP-A-2-55005 Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2006-42991 JP 2003-245288 A (Patent No. 3586252) Special table 2007-516029 gazette JP 2006-61486 A JP 2007-167088 A Utility Model Registration No. 3100425 JP 2002-325634 A JP 2005-152217 A

  An object of the present invention is to provide a technique for effectively operating an additional function of an electric toothbrush.

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

  The electric toothbrush of the present invention is provided with a brush member having a brush, the brush member, light, invisible light (infrared rays, ultraviolet rays, etc.), heat, electrical stimulation to teeth, between teeth and gums, or gums. Output means having a function of outputting ultrasonic vibration, liquid, gas, or powder, attitude detection means for detecting the attitude of the brush, and output of the output means according to the detected attitude of the brush And control means for controlling.

  “Output means” is a brush, brushing, or any effect on teeth, teeth and gums, or gums (eg bactericidal effect, thermal effect, blood circulation promoting effect, cleaning effect, therapeutic effect, aesthetic effect, etc. ). According to the configuration of the present invention, the output can be automatically controlled in accordance with the posture of the brush so that these additional functions operate effectively at an appropriate place and timing.

  The posture detection means detects at least whether or not the posture of the brush is a posture for polishing the meshing surface, and the control means outputs the output in the case of a posture for polishing the meshing surface. However, it is preferable to control the output of the output means so that it is relatively smaller than the output when the meshing surface is not polished.

  Even when outputting light, invisible light, heat, electrical stimulation, ultrasonic vibration, liquid, gas, or powder when the mating surface is polished, they do not reach the gum or periodontal pocket, The expected effect may not be obtained. On the other hand, when it is not a posture to polish the meshing surface (that is, a posture to polish the side surface of the teeth or between the teeth and gums), the brush is in contact with or close to the gingiva or periodontal pocket. The output easily reaches the gingiva and periodontal pocket. Therefore, the effect of the additional function can be appropriately exhibited by controlling the output as described above.

  Specifically, it is preferable that the control unit lowers or stops the output of the output unit when the posture of the brush is a posture for polishing the meshing surface. As a result, useless operation of the output means is suppressed, so that power consumption can be suppressed and consumption of the output means can be suppressed.

  Furthermore, it is preferable that the control means increases the output of the output means when the posture of the brush is not a posture for polishing the meshing surface. In this way, it is possible to efficiently obtain the maximum effect by increasing or concentrating the output with respect to a portion where the effect can be expected.

  The posture detecting means preferably detects the posture of the brush based on the output of the acceleration sensor. Thereby, the attitude | position of a brush can be determined with high precision. Since the acceleration sensor is small, it can be easily incorporated into the electric toothbrush body. A uniaxial acceleration sensor can be used, and preferably a multi-axis (two-axis, three-axis, or more) acceleration sensor can be used.

It is also preferable that the posture detection means detects the posture of the brush based on outputs of a plurality of contact detection sensors provided in a grip portion of the electric toothbrush. Since the contact detection sensor is also small, it can be easily incorporated into the electric toothbrush body (gripping part).

  Each of the above means and processes can be combined with each other as much as possible to constitute the present invention.

  According to the present invention, the additional function of the electric toothbrush can be effectively operated.

  Exemplary embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings.

<First Embodiment>
(Configuration of electric toothbrush)
The configuration of the electric toothbrush will be described with reference to FIGS. 1, 2, and 3. FIG. 1 is a block diagram of the electric toothbrush of the first embodiment, FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view showing the internal configuration of the electric toothbrush of the first embodiment, and FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing the appearance of the electric toothbrush.

  The electric toothbrush includes an electric toothbrush main body 1 (hereinafter also simply referred to as “main body 1”) including a motor 10 as a driving source, and a brush member 2 having a brush 210. The main body 1 has a generally cylindrical shape, and also serves as a gripping part for a user to grip with his / her hand when brushing teeth.

  The main body 1 is provided with a switch S for turning on / off the power. In the main body 1, a motor 10 as a drive source, a drive circuit 12, a rechargeable battery 13 as a 2.4V power source, a charging coil 14 and the like are provided. When charging the rechargeable battery 13, the main body 1 is simply placed on the charger 100 and can be charged in a non-contact manner by electromagnetic induction. The drive circuit 12 includes a CPU (input / output processing unit) 120 that executes various calculations and controls, a memory 121 that stores programs and various setting values, a timer 122, and the like.

(Acceleration sensor)
An acceleration sensor 15 is provided inside the main body 1. As the acceleration sensor 15, a multi-axis (for example, x, y, and z-axis) acceleration sensor may be used, or a uniaxial acceleration sensor may be used. In the case of a triaxial acceleration sensor, as shown in FIG. 3, the x axis is parallel to the brush surface, the y axis is coincident with the longitudinal direction of the main body 1, and the z axis is perpendicular to the brush surface. It is good to install like this. In the case of a uniaxial acceleration sensor, it may be installed so as to detect acceleration in the z-axis direction or the x-axis direction in FIG. The output of the acceleration sensor 15 is input to the CPU 120 and used to detect the three-dimensional posture of the brush.

  As the acceleration sensor 15, a piezoresistive type, a capacitance type, or a heat detection type MEMS sensor can be preferably used. This is because the MEMS sensor is very small and can be easily incorporated into the body 1. However, the form of the acceleration sensor 15 is not limited to this, and an electrodynamic sensor, a strain gauge sensor, a piezoelectric sensor, or the like may be used. Although not particularly illustrated, it is preferable to provide a correction circuit for correcting the sensitivity balance of the sensors of each axis, temperature characteristics of sensitivity, temperature drift, and the like. Further, a band pass filter (low pass filter) for removing dynamic acceleration components and noise may be provided. Further, noise may be reduced by smoothing the output waveform of the acceleration sensor.

(Brush drive mechanism)
The main body 1 has a stem 3 provided so as to protrude from an opening on the front end side (brush side) of the outer casing of the main body 1. The brush member 2 is mounted so as to cover the stem 3. A brush 210 is planted at the tip of the brush member 2. Since the brush member 2 is a consumable part, it is configured to be detachable from the stem 3 so that it can be replaced with a new one. The stem 3 is a cylindrical member made of a resin material and closed at the tip (brush side end), and has a bearing 203 therein. The tip of the eccentric shaft 30 connected to the rotating shaft 11 of the motor 10 is inserted into the bearing 203. The eccentric shaft 30 has a weight 300 in the vicinity of the bearing 203, and the center of gravity of the eccentric shaft 30 is deviated from the center of rotation. When the CPU 120 supplies a drive signal (for example, a pulse width modulation signal) corresponding to the operation mode to the motor 10 and rotates the rotating shaft 11 of the motor 10, the eccentric shaft 30 also rotates as the rotating shaft 11 rotates. The eccentric shaft 30 moves so as to turn around the center of rotation because the center of gravity is displaced. Therefore, the tip of the eccentric shaft 30 repeatedly collides with the inner wall of the bearing 203, and the brush 210 is vibrated (moved) at high speed. That is, the motor 10 serves as a driving unit that vibrates (moves) the brush 210, and the eccentric shaft 30 is a motion transmission mechanism (motion converting mechanism) that converts the output (rotation) of the motor 10 into vibration of the brush 210. Take a role.

(Ultrasonic vibration element)
An ultrasonic vibration element 50 is embedded at the tip of the brush member 2 (the root portion of the brush 210). The ultrasonic vibration element 50 provides a function of removing and destroying plaque and bacterial sac attached to a periodontal pocket by outputting ultrasonic vibration of a predetermined frequency (for example, several hundred kHz to several MHz). It is. As the ultrasonic vibration element 50, a piezoelectric type vibration element can be preferably used. In addition, since the specific structure of the ultrasonic vibration element utilized as an additional function of a toothbrush is well-known, the detailed description is abbreviate | omitted here. A cap-shaped contact terminal 32 is provided at the tip of the stem 3. A lead wire 31 extending along the inner wall of the stem from the drive circuit 12 is electrically connected to the contact terminal 32 through a contact hole provided at the tip of the stem 3. On the other hand, a spring-like terminal 33 is connected to the ultrasonic vibration element 50 in the brush member. When the brush member 2 is mounted on the stem 3, the spring-like terminal 33 comes into contact with the contact terminal 32 and electrical connection is achieved. As a result, power supply to the ultrasonic vibration element 50 and control of sound pressure and transmission frequency by the CPU 120 are possible.

(Control of ultrasonic vibration element)
The ultrasonic vibration element 50 generates a vacuum cavity (cavitation) in the liquid by ultrasonic vibration, and removes and destroys plaque and bacteria by a shock wave generated when the cavity is ruptured. Called cavitation effect). Therefore, plaque removal and bactericidal action by ultrasonic vibration can be expected in liquid, but the effect can hardly be exhibited in gas. In other words, in the situation where the tip of the brush member 2 in which the ultrasonic vibration element 50 is embedded hardly touches the liquid (saliva or washing liquid) in the oral cavity, it is almost meaningless to output ultrasonic vibration. is there. Considering this by brushing site, when the tooth surface (side surface of the tooth) or between the teeth and gums is polished, the tip of the brush member 2 is likely to touch the liquid accumulated in the oral cavity. However, when the tooth meshing surface is polished, the brush member 2 is difficult to touch the liquid in the oral cavity and the secretion of saliva cannot be expected, so that the effect of ultrasonic vibration is hardly obtained.

  Therefore, the electric toothbrush of the present embodiment detects the posture of the brush based on the output of the acceleration sensor 15 and automatically controls the output of the ultrasonic vibration element 50 according to the posture of the brush. Hereinafter, specific control contents will be described with reference to a flowchart.

  FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing the main flow of the electric toothbrush, and FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing the posture detection process in S20 of FIG. Note that the processing described below is processing executed by the CPU 120 according to a program unless otherwise specified.

When the power of the electric toothbrush is turned on, the CPU 120 controls the motor 10 and the brush 2
10 is started (S10). The processing of S20 to S50 described below is repeatedly executed at regular intervals, and when the electric toothbrush is turned off or the continuous operation time counted by the timer reaches a predetermined time (for example, 2 minutes), FIG. This routine ends.

  In S <b> 20, the CPU 120 detects the brush posture based on the output of the acceleration sensor 15.

  In the present embodiment, it is only necessary to determine whether or not the brush posture is a posture for polishing the meshing surface. The brush angle is a contact angle of the brush with respect to the tooth axis (axis along the tooth head and root), and can be simply detected as an angle around the y axis (yaw angle γ).

  The upper part of FIG. 6 shows a state where the tooth surface is being polished, and the lower part of FIG. 6 shows a state where the meshing surface is being polished. In a posture where the tooth surface is polished, the brush angle (yaw angle γ) is about 90 degrees, and the x-axis direction component of the gravitational acceleration is about 1 g or −1 g (g is the gravitational acceleration, positive and negative are on the left and right sides of the dentition). Corresponding), the z-axis direction component of gravity acceleration is almost zero. On the other hand, in a posture where the meshing surfaces are polished, the brush angle is almost 0 degrees, so the x-axis direction component of gravity acceleration is almost 0, and the z-axis direction component of gravity acceleration is about 1 g or −1 g. Thus, the change in the brush angle causes a significant change in the acceleration component in the x-axis direction and the z-axis direction. Therefore, it is possible to estimate the brush angle based on the output of the x-axis or z-axis acceleration sensor.

  FIG. 5 is a flowchart of posture detection processing by the z-axis acceleration sensor. The CPU 120 acquires the acceleration component Az in the z-axis direction from the acceleration sensor 15 (S200). Then, the CPU 120 compares the absolute value of Az with a predetermined threshold (for example, 0.7 g) (S210). When the absolute value of Az is larger than the threshold value, it is determined that the meshing surface is polished (S220). When the absolute value of Az is equal to or less than the threshold value, it is determined that the portion that is not the meshing surface is polished (S230). In the present embodiment, the functions of the acceleration sensor 15 and the CPU 120 correspond to the posture detection means of the present invention.

  Returning to the flow of FIG. 4, in S <b> 30, the CPU 120 branches the process depending on whether or not the brush posture is a posture for polishing the meshing surface. When the posture of the brush is a posture for polishing the meshing surface (S30; YES), the CPU 120 stops the output of the ultrasonic vibration element 50 (S40). On the other hand, when the posture of the brush is not a posture for polishing the meshing surface (S30; NO), the CPU 120 turns on the output of the ultrasonic vibration element 50 (S50).

(Advantages of this embodiment)
According to the control of the present embodiment described above, the operation of the ultrasonic vibration element 50 can be automatically stopped while the meshing surface is being polished. Accordingly, useless operation of the ultrasonic vibration element is suppressed, so that power consumption can be suppressed and consumption of the vibration element itself can be suppressed. Note that reduction of power consumption is extremely beneficial in a battery-type (cordless type) electric toothbrush as in this embodiment.

  In the above embodiment, the operation of the ultrasonic vibration element is stopped in the case of the meshing surface, but the control method is not limited to this. For example, in the case of the meshing surface, the effect of reducing the power consumption can be obtained only by reducing the output of the ultrasonic vibration element (decreasing the sound pressure). Conversely, the output may be increased when it is not the meshing surface. Thereby, the effect of ultrasonic vibration can be exhibited efficiently.

In the above embodiment, the brush posture is determined from the acceleration component Az in the z-axis direction.
The method of posture determination is not limited to this. For example, an acceleration component Ax in the x-axis direction may be used. When a multi-axis acceleration sensor is used, the brush posture may be estimated from both Ax and Az (for example, the direction of the combined vector of Ax and Az).

Second Embodiment
The electric toothbrush of 2nd Embodiment is equipped with the light emitting element which outputs light as an output means (additional function).

  FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view of the electric toothbrush of the second embodiment. A light emitting element 51 is provided at the tip of the brush member 2 (the root portion of the brush 210). The light emitting element 51 sterilizes the oral cavity by irradiating light to the gums and periodontal pockets. As the light emitting element 51, for example, an LED or a laser light emitting element can be suitably used. In addition, since the specific structure of the light emitting element utilized as an additional function of a toothbrush is well-known, the detailed description is abbreviate | omitted here. The light emitting element 51 is electrically connected to the drive circuit 12 via the lead wire 31, the contact terminal 32, and the spring-like terminal 33, and the CPU 120 can turn on / off the light emission and control the light amount.

  Even if light irradiation is performed by the light emitting element 51 while the meshing surface is being polished, a sufficient sterilizing effect cannot be obtained because it is difficult for light to reach the gums and periodontal pockets. Therefore, as in the above-described embodiment, the CPU 120 decreases or stops the output of the light emitting element 51 on the meshing surface, and conversely turns on or increases the output of the light emitting element 51 if it is not the meshing surface. Thereby, the effect by an additional function can be acquired efficiently, suppressing consumption of a battery or a light emitting element.

  As an output means, an element that outputs invisible light such as infrared rays or ultraviolet rays may be provided at the tip of the brush member 2. By irradiating the gingiva with infrared rays, a thermal effect and a blood circulation promoting effect can be expected. Moreover, the bactericidal effect can be expected by irradiation with ultraviolet rays. In any case, since a sufficient effect cannot be expected for the meshing surfaces, it is preferable to perform output control based on the brush posture, as in the above embodiment.

<Third Embodiment>
The electric toothbrush of 3rd Embodiment is equipped with the heat generating element which outputs a heat energy as an output means (additional function).

  FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view of the electric toothbrush of the third embodiment. A heating element 52 is provided at the tip of the brush member 2 (the root portion of the brush 210). The heating element 52 gives thermal energy to the gums and periodontal pockets to obtain a thermal effect, a blood circulation promoting effect, and the like. As the heating element 52, for example, a heater that generates heat by an electric current can be suitably used. In addition, since the specific structure of the heat generating element utilized as an additional function of a toothbrush is well-known, the detailed description is abbreviate | omitted here. The heat generating element 52 is electrically connected to the drive circuit 12 through the lead wire 31, the contact terminal 32, and the spring-like terminal 33, and the CPU 120 can control ON / OFF of heat generation and the amount of heat generation. .

  Even if the heat energy is output from the heat generating element 52 while the meshing surface is being polished, heat is not easily transmitted to the gums or periodontal pockets, so that a sufficient effect cannot be obtained. Therefore, as in the above-described embodiment, the CPU 120 lowers or stops the output of the heat generating element 52 on the meshing surface, and conversely turns on or increases the output of the heat generating element 52 if it is not the meshing surface. Thereby, the effect by an additional function can be obtained efficiently, suppressing consumption of a battery or a heating element.

<Fourth embodiment>
The electric toothbrush of 4th Embodiment is equipped with the electrode which outputs an electrical stimulus as an output means (additional function).

  FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view of the electric toothbrush of the fourth embodiment. An electrode 54 is provided at the tip of the brush member 2 (the root portion of the brush 210). The electrode 54 outputs an electrical pulse to the gums or periodontal pockets directly or via brush hairs to obtain gingival blood circulation promoting effects, ion effects, and the like. In addition, since the specific structure of the electrode utilized as an additional function of a toothbrush is well-known, the detailed description is abbreviate | omitted here. The electrode 54 is electrically connected to the drive circuit 12 via the lead wire 31, the contact terminal 32, and the spring-like terminal 33, and the output pulse can be controlled by the CPU 120.

  Even if the electrical stimulation is output while the mating surface is being polished, the electrical stimulation is difficult to reach the gingiva and the periodontal pocket, so that a sufficient effect cannot be obtained. Therefore, as in the above-described embodiment, the CPU 120 reduces or stops the output of the electrical stimulation on the meshing surface, and conversely turns on or increases the output of the electrical stimulation if the meshing surface is not present. Thereby, the effect by an additional function can be acquired efficiently, suppressing consumption of a battery or an electrode.

<Fifth Embodiment>
The electric toothbrush of 5th Embodiment has the function to output a liquid as an output means (additional function). This function is to obtain a bactericidal effect, a therapeutic effect, a massage effect, and the like by discharging liquid (chemical solution, cleaning solution, etc.) to the gums and periodontal pockets.

  FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view of the electric toothbrush of the fifth embodiment. The main body of the electric toothbrush is provided with a tank 56 for storing liquid, a pump 57 for feeding liquid from the tank 56, and a control element 58 for controlling the pump 57 to adjust the discharge amount. In addition, a nozzle 55 that discharges liquid is provided at the tip of the brush member 2 (the base portion of the brush 210). The connection structure between the nozzle 55 and the tank 56 can be configured as follows, for example. That is, from the tank 56 to the distal end portion of the stem 3, the tube 34 is disposed along the inner wall of the casing of the main body 1 and the inner wall of the stem (not shown), and the distal end of the tube 34 projects outside the stem 3. A rubber member 35 is attached to the tip of the tube 34. In addition, it is good to secure the space for arrange | positioning the tube 34, for example by making the cross-sectional shape of the internal space of the stem 3 elliptical. On the other hand, the nozzle 55 is provided with a pipe 36, and the tip of the pipe 36 projects into the internal space of the brush member 2. When the brush member 2 is attached to the stem 3, the tip of the pipe 36 pierces the hole of the rubber member 35, and the connection between the nozzle 55 and the tube 34 is achieved.

  Also in this case, even if the liquid is discharged while the meshing surface is being polished, the gingiva and the periodontal pocket are not reached, so that a sufficient effect cannot be obtained. Therefore, as in the above-described embodiment, the CPU 120 reduces the discharge amount of the liquid on the meshing surface or stops the discharge, and conversely turns on the liquid discharge or increases the discharge amount if it is not the meshing surface. . Thereby, the effect by an additional function can be acquired efficiently, suppressing consumption of a battery or a liquid.

  In addition, you may provide the function to discharge gas or powder from a nozzle instead of a liquid as an additional function. For example, a sterilizing effect or a therapeutic effect can be obtained by spraying ozone or a medicine on the gums or periodontal pockets.

<Sixth Embodiment>
In the above-described embodiment, the posture of the brush is detected based on the output of the acceleration sensor. However, in the sixth embodiment, the posture of the brush is determined based on the outputs of a plurality of contact detection sensors provided on the grip portion of the electric toothbrush. To detect. Of course, the posture detection process of the present embodiment can be applied to any of the above-described embodiments.

  As shown in FIGS. 11A and 11B, the electric toothbrush of the present embodiment has four contact detection sensors 60 to 63 in the grip portion. As the contact detection sensor, any type of sensor such as a capacitance sensor, a pressure sensor, a photoelectric sensor, a temperature sensor, and a switch type sensor can be used. Since this type of sensor is small, it can be easily mounted on the main body 1. The touch sensor is electrically connected to the drive circuit.

  The contact detection sensors 60 to 63 are arranged in the circumferential direction of the gripping portion at the brush-side end portion (that is, the portion where the index finger and the thumb are placed) of the gripping portion. Specifically, when considering the posture of the toothbrush when the brush surface is directed upward as shown in FIG. 11A, the contact detection sensor 60 is the upper surface side of the grip portion, and the contact detection sensor 62 is the lower surface of the grip portion. The side and contact detection sensors 61 and 63 are arranged on the side surface side of the grip portion.

  When polishing the upper jaw meshing surface, the user grasps the electric toothbrush body 1 as shown in FIGS. 11A and 11B, so that the finger touches the contact detection sensors 60 and 62, but the contact detection sensor 61 and The finger hardly touches 63. The same applies to the case where the engaging surface of the lower jaw is polished. Therefore, in the posture of polishing the meshing surface, there is a high probability that a significant output can be obtained from the contact detection sensors 60 and 62.

  On the other hand, when brushing the tooth surface, the user holds the electric toothbrush body 1 as shown in FIGS. 12A and 12B. Therefore, a finger touches the contact detection sensors 61 and 63, but a finger hardly touches the contact detection sensors 60 and 62. Therefore, in the posture of brushing the tooth surface, there is a high probability that a significant output can be obtained from the contact detection sensors 61 and 63.

  Based on the above consideration, in this embodiment, posture detection is performed as shown in FIG. First, the CPU 120 acquires the outputs C0 to C3 of the respective contact detection sensors 60 to 63 (S300). Here, it is assumed that the sensor output increases as the contact pressure increases. Next, the CPU 120 compares the sum of the outputs C0 and C2 with the threshold value T1, and compares the sum of the outputs C1 and C3 with the threshold value T2 (where T1> T2) (S310). If C0 + C2> T1 and C1 + C3 <T2, it is determined that the meshing surface is polished (S320), and otherwise, it is determined that the portion that is not the meshing surface is polished (S330). . Subsequent processing is the same as in the above-described embodiment.

  Also with the configuration of the present embodiment described above, it is possible to detect the posture of the brush, and it is possible to achieve the same effects as the above-described embodiment.

<Others>
The configuration of the above-described embodiment is merely an example of the present invention. The scope of the present invention is not limited to the above embodiment, and various modifications can be made within the scope of the technical idea. For example, it is also preferable to combine the configurations of the above-described embodiments. Moreover, in the said embodiment, although the vibration-type electric toothbrush by an eccentric weight was illustrated, this invention is applicable also to the electric toothbrush of another movement type. For example, the present invention can also be applied to a rotary reciprocating motion, a linear reciprocating motion, a brush bristle rotational motion, and an electric toothbrush that combines and switches them. Further, the present invention can be applied to a type in which a dry battery type electric toothbrush or power cord is connected and used instead of a rechargeable type.

In the above-described embodiment, the acceleration sensor or the contact detection sensor is used for posture detection, but other sensors may be used. For example, the accuracy of posture detection may be improved by combining a gyroscope or a direction sensor with the acceleration sensor. Further, the inside of the oral cavity may be photographed with a small camera provided at the tip portion of the brush member 2, and the image information may be used for detecting the posture of the brush. Furthermore, a temperature sensor or an optical sensor can be provided at the tip of the brush member 2, and the detection results can be used for brush posture detection.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of the electric toothbrush of the first embodiment. FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view showing the internal configuration of the electric toothbrush of the first embodiment. FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing the appearance of the electric toothbrush. FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing the main flow. FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing the posture detection process. FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating the relationship between the posture of the brush and the output of the acceleration sensor. FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view showing the internal configuration of the electric toothbrush of the second embodiment. FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view showing the internal configuration of the electric toothbrush of the third embodiment. FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view showing the internal configuration of the electric toothbrush of the fourth embodiment. FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view showing the internal configuration of the electric toothbrush of the fifth embodiment. FIG. 11A and FIG. 11B are views showing how to hold the mating surface in the electric toothbrush of the sixth embodiment. 12A and 12B are views showing how to hold the mating surface in the electric toothbrush of the sixth embodiment. FIG. 13 is a flowchart showing posture detection processing in the sixth embodiment.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Electric toothbrush main body 2 Brush member 3 Stem 10 Motor 11 Rotating shaft 12 Drive circuit 13 Rechargeable battery 14 Coil 15 Acceleration sensor 30 Eccentric shaft 31 Lead wire 32 Contact terminal 33 Spring-like terminal 34 Tube 35 Rubber member 36 Pipe 50 Ultrasonic vibration element 51 Light-Emitting Element 52 Heating Element 54 Electrode 55 Nozzle 56 Tank 57 Pump 58 Control Element 60, 61, 62, 63 Contact Sensing Sensor 100 Charger 120 CPU
121 Memory 122 Timer 203 Bearing 210 Brush 300 Weight S Switch

Claims (6)

A brush member having a brush;
An output provided on the brush member and having a function of outputting light, invisible light, heat, electrical stimulation, ultrasonic vibration, liquid, gas, or powder to teeth, between teeth and gums, or gingiva Means,
Posture detecting means for detecting the posture of the brush;
Control means for controlling the output of the output means in accordance with the detected posture of the brush;
An electric toothbrush comprising: The posture detecting means detects at least whether the posture of the brush is a posture for polishing the meshing surface;
The control means controls the output of the output means so that the output of the output means when the posture is for polishing the meshing surface is relatively smaller than the output when the posture is not for polishing the meshing surface. The electric toothbrush according to claim 1, wherein:   3. The electric toothbrush according to claim 2, wherein the control means reduces or stops the output of the output means when the posture of the brush is a posture for polishing the meshing surface.   The electric toothbrush according to claim 2 or 3, wherein the control means increases the output of the output means when the posture of the brush is not a posture for polishing the meshing surface.   The electric toothbrush according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the posture detection means detects the posture of the brush based on an output of an acceleration sensor.   The said attitude | position detection means detects the attitude | position of the said brush based on the output of the some contact detection sensor provided in the holding part of the electric toothbrush, The any one of Claims 1-4 characterized by the above-mentioned. Electric toothbrush.

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