JP6727764B2 - Brush unit and electric toothbrush - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a brush unit and an electric toothbrush having a main body to which the brush unit can be attached and detached.

An electric toothbrush of a type that brushes teeth (removes plaque) by applying a brush that vibrates at high speed to the tooth surface is known. As such an electric toothbrush, there has been proposed one in which a brush unit is provided with a means for detecting plaque, tartar, caries, etc. adhering to the tooth surface.

Patent Document 1 describes an electric toothbrush in which an optical sensor and a light source are provided in a brush unit, and reflected light of light emitted from the light source is detected by the optical sensor to detect caries or the like and notify the user.

In Patent Documents 2 and 3, a hole for emitting light and a hole for receiving light are provided in a region surrounded by a large number of brushes in a brush unit, a light source for introducing light into the hole, and light incident on the hole. An electric toothbrush in which an optical sensor for detecting is provided in the main body is described.

Patent Document 4 describes an electric toothbrush provided with a light source and an image sensor in a region surrounded by a large number of brushes in a brush unit or on the back side of a surface where a large number of brushes are formed in the brush unit. ..

Japanese Patent Publication No. 2008-532619 Japanese Patent Publication No. 2002-515276 Special table 2013-531534 gazette JP, 2013-042906, A

For example, while brushing teeth, in order to detect plaque in the brushed area in real time, light is applied to the mouth area facing the area where many brushes are formed in the brush unit, and the reflected light of this light is reflected. Need to be able to detect.

As described in Patent Documents 2 to 4, if the light receiving portion and the light emitting portion are provided in a region surrounded by a large number of brushes in the brush unit, even when brushing teeth, plaque in a brushed portion can be detected. It is possible to

However, in this configuration, it is necessary to reduce the number of brushes by the amount of the light receiving portion and the light emitting portion provided. In addition, the brush unit must be large in order not to reduce the number of brushes. Therefore, it is difficult to meet the demand for miniaturization of the brush unit in the electric toothbrush.

Patent Document 1 describes a configuration in which a light receiving unit and a light emitting unit are provided in a brush unit with a region where a large number of brushes are formed sandwiched therebetween. However, with this configuration, it is difficult to accurately detect plaque in a portion facing a region where a large number of brushes are formed.

The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and can detect the plaque or the like of a part being brushed in real time during brushing, and the number of brushes can be reduced while the brush unit is downsized. It is an object of the present invention to provide a brush unit and an electric toothbrush capable of ensuring toothbrushing performance without significantly reducing the amount.

The brush unit of the present invention is a brush unit that can be attached to and detached from a main body of an electric toothbrush, is provided on a surface on which a plurality of brushes are formed, and intersects the pressing direction with respect to the pressing direction of the plurality of brushes. A light emitting portion for emitting a large amount of light in a first direction, and a light receiving portion provided on the surface for receiving light, wherein the light emitting portion and the light receiving portion include the plurality of brushes. The first direction is a direction from the light emitting portion toward the light receiving portion side in a plan view when the brush unit is viewed from the pressing direction. is there.

The electric toothbrush of the present invention includes the main body portion to which the brush unit can be attached and detached.

ADVANTAGE OF THE INVENTION According to the present invention, it is possible to detect plaque and the like at the part being brushed in real time during brushing, and to secure the brushing performance without significantly reducing the number of brushes while achieving downsizing of the brush unit. It is possible to provide a brush unit and an electric toothbrush that can be used.

It is a top view showing the schematic structure of the electric toothbrush for explaining one embodiment of the present invention seen from the brush pressing direction. It is a cross-sectional schematic diagram of the electric toothbrush shown in FIG. It is a block diagram which shows the internal structure of the holding part 10 of the electric toothbrush shown in FIG. It is a figure which shows the 1st modification of the cross-sectional schematic diagram of the AA line shown in FIG. It is a figure which shows the 2nd modification of the cross-sectional schematic diagram of the AA line shown in FIG. It is a figure which shows the modification of the top view shown in FIG. It is a figure which shows the 3rd modification of the AA cross section shown in FIG.

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a plan view showing a schematic configuration of an electric toothbrush for explaining an embodiment of the present invention as seen from the brush pressing direction.

This electric toothbrush has a main body having a grip 10 including a battery and an electric control system therein, and a stem 11 as a fitting part fixed to the grip 10, and a brush unit detachable from the stem 11. 20 is provided.

The brush unit 20 includes a plurality of brushes 22, a light emitting portion 23, and a light receiving portion 24. The plurality of brushes 22, the light emitting portion 23, and the light receiving portion 24 are formed on the same surface of the tip portion of the brush unit 20. Each brush 22 is a bundle of many bristles.

1 is a plan view of the brush unit 20 mounted on the stem 11 as seen from the pressing direction of the plurality of brushes 22 (direction in which the brushes 22 extend).

As shown in FIG. 1, the plurality of brushes 22 are arranged in an “H” shape. The outer edge 21 of the region where the plurality of brushes 22 are formed has a shape in which concave portions 21a and concave portions 21b are provided on both short sides of the rectangle.

The light emitting portion 23 is formed by fitting a first light transmissive member that transmits light emitted from a light emitting element provided in the stem 11 described later into a hole provided in the housing of the brush unit 20. It is a transparent window. The light emitted from the light emitting element is emitted to the outside of the brush unit 20 through this transparent window. The light emitting portion 23 is formed in the recess 21a.

The light receiving portion 24 is formed by fitting a second light transmissive member that transmits the light emitted from the light emitting portion 23 and reflected by the object in the mouth into a hole provided in the housing of the brush unit 20. It is a transparent window. The light incident on the transparent window is incident on a light receiving element provided on the stem 11, which will be described later. The light receiving portion 24 is formed in the recess 21b.

As described above, the light emitting portion 23 and the light receiving portion 24 are arranged outside the outer edge 21 of the region where the brush 22 is arranged, and are arranged so as to sandwich the brush group including the plurality of brushes 22. In the example of FIG. 1, the direction in which the straight line connecting the light emitting portion 23 and the light receiving portion 24 extends coincides with the longitudinal direction of the brush unit 20.

FIG. 2 is a schematic cross-sectional view taken along the line AA of the electric toothbrush shown in FIG.

The brush unit 20 is composed of a tubular housing having a hollow portion 20a and a closed front end. By fitting the stem 11 into the hollow portion 20a, the main body portion and the brush unit 20 are fixed.

The stem 11 is configured by a tubular housing having a closed front end (an end portion on the side opposite to the grip portion 10 side). The stem 11 includes a bearing 12 formed at the inner tip, an eccentric shaft 13 having one end inserted in the bearing 12, a weight 14, a light emitting element 16 and a light receiving element 17 formed on a substrate 15, and a housing. The holes 23a and 24a are provided.

The other end of the eccentric shaft 13 is connected to the rotation shaft of a motor M built in the grip 10. As the rotation shaft of the motor M rotates, the eccentric shaft 13 rotates.

The weight 14 is fixed to the eccentric shaft 13 near the bearing 12. The weight 14 causes the center of gravity of the eccentric shaft 13 to deviate from the center of rotation. A small clearance is provided between the eccentric shaft 13 and the bearing 12.

The eccentric shaft 13 also rotates in accordance with the rotation of the rotation shaft of the motor M, but since the eccentric shaft 13 has its center of gravity deviated by the weight 14, the eccentric shaft 13 makes a motion of turning around the rotation center. Therefore, the entire eccentric shaft 13 bends, and the stem 11 and the brush unit 20 attached to the stem 11 vibrate at high speed. The stem 11 and the brush unit 20 form a vibrating section.

As described above, in the case of the driving principle in which the brush unit 20 is vibrated by the turning motion of the eccentric shaft 13, the brush unit 20 is in a plane perpendicular to the rotation axis of the motor M (in a plane parallel to the pressing direction of the brush 22). Can be two-dimensionally vibrated.

In the electric toothbrush of this embodiment, the entire vibrating portion (stem 11 and brush unit 20) has a resonance point (resonance frequency), and by controlling the rotation speed of the motor M, the stem 11 and the brush unit 20 are controlled. It is possible to switch between an operation of vibrating the brush 11 in the pressing direction of the brush 22 and an operation of vibrating the stem 11 and the brush unit 20 in one direction in a plane parallel to the pressing direction of the brush 22.

The hole portion 23a is formed at a position facing the light emitting portion 23.

The hole portion 24a is formed at a position facing the light receiving portion 24.

The light emitting element 16 is composed of an LED (Light Emitting Diode), a laser diode, or the like. The emission wavelength of the light emitting element 16 may be selected optimally according to the element in the mouth (plaque, tartar, caries, etc.) to be detected. The light emitting element 16 is provided inside the stem 11 at a position facing the hole 23a.

The light receiving element 17 is composed of an element such as a photodiode that converts light into an electric signal. The light receiving element 17 is provided inside the stem 11 at a position facing the hole 24a.

The substrate 15 has wirings electrically connected to the light emitting element 16 and the light receiving element 17, and a flexible substrate is used, for example. The board 15 extends to the inside of the grip portion 10, and the wiring formed on the board 15 is electrically connected to a control unit (described later) built in the grip portion 10.

As shown in FIG. 2, the cross-sectional shape of the first light-transmissive member forming the light emitting portion 23 is such that the side walls arranged in the direction orthogonal to the extending direction of the brush 22 are based on the extending direction of the brush 22. In addition, it is inclined to the side opposite to the light receiving portion 24 side.

Due to such a shape of the first translucent member, the light emitted from the light emitting element 16 in the direction in which the brush 22 extends passes through the hole 23a of the stem 11 and then follows the shape of the light emitting portion 23. The traveling direction changes to the light receiving unit 24 side.

With such a configuration, the light emitting portion 23 intersects the pressing direction of the brush 22 more than the pressing direction of the brush 22 and is a direction from the light emitting portion 23 toward the light receiving portion 24 in the plan view of FIG. 1. Emits a lot of light.

In addition, as shown in FIG. 2, the cross-sectional shape of the second light-transmissive member forming the light-receiving unit 24 is based on the extending direction of the brush 22 with the side walls arranged in the direction orthogonal to the extending direction of the brush 22. Sometimes, it is inclined to the side opposite to the light emitting portion 23 side.

Due to such a shape of the second light transmissive member, the light receiving unit 24 specularly reflects the light emitted from the light emitting unit 23, for example, at the tooth D rather than the light incident from the pressing direction of the brush 22. A large amount of light that is incident from the direction in which the light is reflected is received.

It is preferable that the light emitting portion 23 determines the inclination angle of the side wall and the distance from the brush 22 so that the light emitted from the light emitting portion 23 is not vignetted by the brush 22.

It is preferable that the light receiving unit 24 determines the inclination angle of the side wall and the distance from the brush 22 so that the light emitted from the light emitting unit 23 and regularly reflected is not vignetted by the brush 22.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing an internal configuration of the grip portion 10 of the electric toothbrush shown in FIG.

The grip unit 10 includes a motor M, a notification unit 60, and a control unit 50.

The control unit 50 vibrates a vibrating portion including the stem 11 and the brush unit 20 fixed to the stem 11 in a first direction, which is a pressing direction of the brush 22, and a vibrating portion that rotates the rotating shaft of the motor M. And a second drive for vibrating in a second direction intersecting the pressing direction of the brush 22 in a plane perpendicular to the plane. The control unit 50 switches between the first drive and the second drive by changing the rotation speed of the rotation shaft of the motor M.

The control unit 50 alternately performs the first drive and the second drive, for example. In this way, by automatically switching the vibration direction of the brush unit 20, the bristle tips of the brush 22 come into contact with the treatment portion from various angles. The removal effect can be obtained. The method of driving the stem 11 by the control unit 50 is not particularly limited. For example, only the first drive may be performed or only the second drive may be performed.

The control unit 50 drives the light emitting element 16 via the substrate 15 and controls the light emitting element 16 to emit light.

The control unit 50 performs processing using the signal output from the light receiving element 17.

This process is a process of calculating the amount of plaque adhering to the teeth from the output signal value of the light receiving element 17, a process of determining the presence or absence of tartar from the output signal value of the light receiving device 17, and the presence or absence of caries. It includes a process of judging from the output signal value of the light receiving element 17. Below, it demonstrates as what the control part 50 performs the process which calculates the amount of dental plaque.

The notification unit 60 uses a device such as a speaker or an LED to notify the user of the electric toothbrush. The notification unit 60 notifies the user by emitting a sound or lighting an LED in accordance with a command from the control unit 50.

The content to be notified is the amount of dental plaque calculated by the control unit 50. For example, the notification unit 60 notifies the amount of plaque by illuminating the LED in green when the amount of plaque is very small, and illuminating the LED in red when the amount of plaque is large. , To support effective tooth brushing.

The operation of the electric toothbrush configured as above will be described.

When the power of the electric toothbrush is turned on and the brushing start operation is performed, the control unit 50 alternately performs the first drive and the second drive. As a result, the brush unit 20 pressed against the teeth alternately repeats the vibration in the first direction and the vibration in the second direction, and the plaque attached to the teeth is removed by the brush 22.

The control unit 50 causes the light emitting element 16 to emit light while alternately performing the first drive and the second drive. The light emitted from the light emitting element 16 passes through the hole 23a and then is emitted obliquely from the light emitting portion 23.

The light emitted from the light emitting portion 23 enters the tooth D against which the plurality of brushes 22 are pressed, and is regularly reflected on the surface of the tooth D. The light that is specularly reflected enters the light receiving portion 24, passes through the hole 24 a, and is received by the light receiving element 17.

The light receiving element 17 converts the received light into an electric signal and outputs it to the control unit 50. The control unit 50 obtains the amount of plaque in the brushing portion of the tooth D by calculation using the electric signal output from the light receiving element 17. Then, the control unit 50 notifies from the notification unit 60 according to the obtained amount of plaque.

According to the electric toothbrush shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, a direction intersecting with the extending direction of the brush 22 from the light emitting portion 23 and extending from the light emitting portion 23 to the light receiving portion 24 in the plan view of FIG. 1. Most of the light emitted from the light emitting element 16 is emitted. Therefore, the plaque on the surface of the portion (the tooth D with which the plurality of brushes 22 come into contact during brushing) facing the area where the brushes 22 are formed can be accurately detected.

Further, according to this electric toothbrush, the light receiving portion 24 receives a large amount of light coming from a direction that intersects the extending direction of the brush 22 and that is in the direction from the light emitting portion 23 toward the light receiving portion 24 in the plan view of FIG. You can do it. Therefore, most of the light from the light emitting element 16 that is specularly reflected by the tooth D can be guided to the light receiving element 17, and the amount of signal output from the light receiving element 17 can be increased to improve the detection sensitivity of plaque. it can.

In this way, the user of the electric toothbrush can know the plaque amount of the tooth being brushed by the brush 22 accurately and in real time from the content notified by the notification unit 60. Therefore, it is possible to effectively brush the teeth.

Further, since the light is emitted obliquely from the light emitting portion 23, even if the distance between the light emitting portion 23 and the light receiving portion 24 is increased, it is possible to ensure the detection accuracy of the plaque in the polished portion. When the distance between the light emitting portion 23 and the light receiving portion 24 is short, the area where the density of the brushes 22 is sparse becomes large. However, according to the configuration of FIG. 1, since the light emitting portion 23 and the light receiving portion 24 can be arranged separately, it is possible to disperse the regions where the density of the brush 22 is sparse. As a result, it is possible to prevent the plaque removal ability of the brush 22 from decreasing.

Further, in the brush unit 20, the distance between the light emitting portion 23 and the light receiving portion 24 can be increased. Therefore, the light emitting portion 23 and the light receiving portion 24 can be arranged at the ends as much as possible in the region where the brush 22 is formed. As a result, the number of brushes 22 can be increased and the plaque removal performance can be improved.

Further, in the brush unit 20, each of the light emitting portion 23 and the light receiving portion 24 is arranged at a position surrounded by the region where the brush 22 is formed in three directions out of the four directions of up, down, left and right in the plan view of FIG. 1. ing.

Therefore, the brush unit 20 can be downsized as compared with the case where each of the light emitting portion 23 and the light receiving portion 24 is arranged outside the recess. Further, the arrangement of FIG. 1 can reduce the distance between the light emitting portion 23 and the light receiving portion 24, and can improve the detection accuracy of dental plaque and the like.

In addition, the brush unit 20 has a configuration in which the brush 22, the first light-transmissive member, and the second light-transmissive member are simply provided in the housing. Therefore, the manufacturing cost can be reduced. Since the brush unit 20 is a consumable item, there is a great merit that the manufacturing cost can be reduced.

In addition, in FIGS. 1 to 3, the eccentric shaft 13 and the weight 14 make it possible to vibrate the vibrating portion in the first direction and the second direction, but the configuration of the vibrating portion is not limited to this. Any structure may be used as long as it can integrally vibrate the stem 11 and the brush unit 20 in the one direction and the second direction. For example, the vibrating portion may be vibrated in the first direction and the second direction by sound wave vibration.

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a first modification of the schematic sectional view taken along the line AA shown in FIG. 1. 4, the same components as those in FIG. 2 are designated by the same reference numerals and the description thereof will be omitted.

The cross-sectional configuration shown in FIG. 4 is the same as that shown in FIG. 2 except that the shape of the brush group consisting of the plurality of brushes 22 between the light emitting portion 23 and the light receiving portion 24 is different.

In the brush group formed between the light emitting portion 23 and the light receiving portion 24 in the cross section of FIG. 4, the length of the brush 22 becomes shorter as the distance from the light receiving portion 24 increases at the end portion on the light emitting portion 23 side, and The length of the brush 22 decreases as the distance from the light emitting portion 23 increases at the end on the light receiving portion 24 side.

Specifically, in the eight brushes 22 shown in FIG. 4, each top surface, each bottom surface, the right side surface of the rightmost brush 22, and the left side surface of the leftmost brush 22 are connected. The shape is a shape obtained by removing two corners of a rectangle.

FIG. 5: is a figure which shows the 2nd modification of the cross-sectional schematic diagram of the AA line shown in FIG. 5, the same components as those in FIG. 2 are designated by the same reference numerals and the description thereof will be omitted.

The cross-sectional configuration shown in FIG. 5 is the same as that shown in FIG. 2 except that the shape of the brush group consisting of the plurality of brushes 22 between the light emitting portion 23 and the light receiving portion 24 is different.

In the cross section of FIG. 5, in the brush group formed between the light emitting portion 23 and the light receiving portion 24, the length of the brush 22 becomes shorter as it is farther from the light receiving portion 24 at the end portion on the light emitting portion 23 side, and The length of the brush 22 decreases as the distance from the light emitting portion 23 increases at the end on the light receiving portion 24 side.

Specifically, among the eight brushes 22 shown in FIG. 5, the heights of the four central brushes 22 are maximum, and the height of the four brushes 22 increases from the four brushes 22 toward the light emitting portion 23. Height is low. Further, the height of the brush 22 decreases as it goes from the four brushes 22 to the light receiving section 24.

The configuration of the brush group shown in FIG. 4 is such that, of the eight brushes 22 shown in FIG. 5, the top surfaces of the two left brushes 22 are inclined along the emitting direction of the light emitted from the light emitting section 23. It can also be said that the top surfaces of the two right brushes 22 are inclined along the traveling direction of the light emitted from the light emitting portion 23 and regularly reflected.

By configuring the brush group between the light emitting unit 23 and the light receiving unit 24 as illustrated in FIGS. 4 and 5, the light emitted from the light emitting unit 23 and directed to the tooth is less likely to be vignetted by the brush 22. In addition, the light emitted from the light emitting portion 23 and reflected by the teeth is less likely to be vignetted by the brush 22 before reaching the light receiving portion 24. Therefore, the detection accuracy of dental plaque can be improved.

FIG. 6 is a diagram showing a modification of the plan view shown in FIG. 6, the same components as those in FIG. 1 are designated by the same reference numerals and the description thereof will be omitted. The modification shown in FIG. 6 has the same configuration as that of FIG. 1 except that the locations of the light emitting portion 23 and the light receiving portion 24 are changed.

In FIG. 6, a concave portion is provided on each of the two long sides of the rectangular outer edge 21, and a light emitting portion 23 and a light receiving portion 24 are provided in this concave portion. Even with such a configuration, the same effect as the electric toothbrush of FIG. 1 can be obtained.

When brushing the teeth by pressing the brush 22 against the teeth, the brush 22 may collapse toward the lateral direction of the brush unit 20.

According to the configuration shown in FIG. 6, the brush 22 falls down only in one direction with respect to each of the light emitting portion 23 and the light receiving portion 24. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the detection accuracy of dental plaque from being deteriorated due to the collapse of the brush 22.

So far, the configuration in which the light emitting element 16 and the light receiving element 17 are provided in the stem 11 has been described. However, the light emitting element 16 and the light receiving element 17 may be provided on the surface of the brush unit 20 on which the brush 22 is formed.

7: is a figure which shows the 3rd modification of the AA cross section shown in FIG. 7, the same components as those in FIG. 2 are designated by the same reference numerals and the description thereof will be omitted. In this modification, the light emitting element 16 and the light receiving element 17 provided inside the stem 11 are provided on the surface of the brush unit 20 on which the brush 22 is formed.

In a plan view, the arrangement position of the light emitting element 16 is the same as the arrangement position of the light emitting unit 23 of FIG. The arrangement position of the light receiving element 17 is the same as the arrangement position of the light receiving unit 24 in FIG.

As shown in FIG. 7, the light emitting element 16 is arranged so as to be inclined with respect to the surface on which the brush 22 is formed so that the light emitting surface faces the light receiving element 17 side. Further, the light receiving element 17 is arranged so as to be inclined with respect to the surface on which the brush 22 is formed so that the light receiving surface faces the light emitting element 16 side.

With such a configuration, the light emitting element 16 emits a larger amount of light in the direction that intersects the pressing direction of the brush 22 than the pressing direction of the brush 22 and that is directed to the light receiving element 17 in the plan view of FIG. It is configured to do.

Further, the light receiving element 17 receives more light than the light incident from the pressing direction of the brush 22 from the light reflecting direction when the light emitted from the light emitting element 16 is specularly reflected. It is configured to receive light.

In the modification of FIG. 7, the light emitting element 16 performs the same function as the light emitting portion 23 of FIG. 1, and the light receiving element 17 performs the same function as the light receiving portion 24 of FIG. Therefore, even with this configuration, it is possible to accurately detect plaque and the like in the mouth portion facing the brush 22.

2, 4 and 5, the light emitting element 16 and the light receiving element 17 are provided inside the stem 11, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the light emitting element 16 may be provided at a position facing the light emitting portion 23 on the outer circumference of the stem 11, and the light receiving element 17 may be provided at a position facing the light receiving portion 24. In this case, the holes 23a and 24a are unnecessary.

The embodiments disclosed this time are to be considered as illustrative in all points and not restrictive. The scope of the present invention is shown not by the above description but by the claims, and is intended to include meanings equivalent to the claims and all modifications within the scope.

As described above, the following items are disclosed in this specification.

The disclosed brush unit is a brush unit that is attachable to and detachable from a main body of an electric toothbrush, is provided on a surface on which a plurality of brushes are formed, and intersects the pressing direction more than the pressing direction of the plurality of brushes. A light emitting portion for emitting a large amount of light in a first direction, and a light receiving portion provided on the surface for receiving light, wherein the light emitting portion and the light receiving portion include the plurality of brushes. The first direction is a direction from the light emitting portion toward the light receiving portion side in a plan view when the brush unit is viewed from the pressing direction. is there.

In the disclosed brush unit, the light receiving section reflects the light that is specularly reflected from the light emitting section in the first direction rather than the light traveling in the pressing direction. It receives a large amount of light traveling in the direction.

In the disclosed brush unit, the brush group formed between the light emitting portion and the light receiving portion is such that the brush length becomes shorter as the distance from the light receiving portion at the end portion on the light emitting portion side increases, Moreover, the length of the brush becomes shorter at the end portion on the light receiving portion side, as it is farther from the light emitting portion.

In the disclosed brush unit, the outer edge shape of the region where the plurality of brushes are formed has two recesses in the plan view, and the light emitting unit is provided in one recess of the two recesses, The light receiving part is provided in the other of the two recesses.

In the disclosed brush unit, the main body portion of the electric toothbrush includes a fitting portion that can be fitted into the hollow portion of the brush unit, and a driving portion that drives the fitting portion to vibrate. Has a light emitting element and a light receiving element which are inserted into the hollow portion in a state where the brush unit and the fitting portion are fitted, and the light emitting portion, the brush unit and the fitting portion are fitted. The first light transmissive member for guiding the light emitted from the light emitting element in the first state in the first direction to transmit the light to the outside of the brush unit, and the light receiving unit includes the brush unit and the brush unit. The second translucent member is configured to allow light to enter the light receiving element from the outside of the brush unit with the fitting portion fitted.

The disclosed electric toothbrush includes the main body portion to which the brush unit can be attached and detached.

The present invention is particularly convenient and effective when applied to an electric toothbrush for home use.

10 gripping part 11 stem 13 eccentric shaft 14 weight 16 light emitting element 17 light receiving element 20 brush units 21a, 21b recess 22 brush 23 light emitting parts 23a, 24a hole 24 light receiving part 50 control part 60 notification part M motor

Claims (7)

A brush unit detachable from the main body of the electric toothbrush,
A plurality of brushes are provided on the surface where the brush is formed, and a light emitting portion for emitting a large amount of light in a first direction intersecting the pressing direction rather than the pressing direction of the plurality of brushes,
A light receiving portion provided on the surface for receiving light,
The light emitting portion and the light receiving portion are arranged so as to sandwich a region where the plurality of brushes are formed,
The first direction is a direction from the light emitting portion toward the light receiving portion in a plan view of the brush unit viewed from the pressing direction,
The light emitting portion is configured by a first translucent member for guiding light in the first direction and transmitting the light to the outside of the brush unit,
In the brush unit, which is independent of the first light-transmissive member and configured to include the second light-transmissive member, for receiving the light.
The brush group formed between the light emitting portion and the light receiving portion has a brush length that becomes shorter as it is farther from the light receiving portion at the end portion on the light emitting portion side, and on the light receiving portion side. A brush unit in which the length of the brush becomes shorter as it goes away from the light emitting portion at the end. A brush unit detachable from the main body of the electric toothbrush,
A plurality of brushes are provided on the surface where the brush is formed, and a light emitting portion for emitting a large amount of light in a first direction intersecting the pressing direction rather than the pressing direction of the plurality of brushes,
A light receiving portion provided on the surface for receiving light,
The light emitting portion and the light receiving portion are arranged so as to sandwich a region where the plurality of brushes are formed,
The first direction is a direction from the light emitting portion to the light receiving portion side in a plan view of the brush unit viewed from the pressing direction,
The light emitting portion is configured by a first translucent member for guiding light in the first direction and transmitting the light to the outside of the brush unit,
In the brush unit, which is independent of the first light-transmissive member and configured to include the second light-transmissive member, for receiving the light, the light-receiving unit,
The outer edge shape of the region where the plurality of brushes are formed in the plan view has two recesses,
The light emitting portion is provided in one of the two recesses,
A brush unit in which the light receiving portion is provided in the other recess of the two recesses. A brush unit detachable from the main body of the electric toothbrush,
A plurality of brushes are provided on the surface where the brush is formed, and a light emitting portion for emitting a large amount of light in a first direction intersecting the pressing direction rather than the pressing direction of the plurality of brushes,
A light receiving portion provided on the surface for receiving light,
The light emitting portion and the light receiving portion are arranged so as to sandwich a region where the plurality of brushes are formed,
The first direction is a direction from the light emitting portion toward the light receiving portion in a plan view of the brush unit viewed from the pressing direction,
The light emitting portion is configured by a first translucent member for guiding light in the first direction and transmitting the light to the outside of the brush unit,
In the brush unit, which is independent of the first light-transmissive member and configured to include the second light-transmissive member, for receiving the light.
The main body of the electric toothbrush includes a fitting portion that can be fitted into the hollow portion of the brush unit, and a driving portion that drives to vibrate the fitting portion.
The fitting unit is a brush unit having a light emitting element and a light receiving element that are inserted into the hollow portion in a state where the brush unit and the fitting unit are fitted to each other. The brush unit according to any one of claims 1 to 3,
The light-receiving unit is configured to emit light traveling in the reflection direction of the light when specularly reflecting the light emitted in the first direction from the light emitting unit, rather than the light traveling in the pressing direction. A brush unit that receives many light. An electric toothbrush provided with the said main body part which can attach or detach the brush unit of any one of Claims 1-4. A brush unit detachable from the main body of the electric toothbrush,
A plurality of brushes are provided on the surface where the brush is formed, and a light emitting portion for emitting a large amount of light in a first direction intersecting the pressing direction rather than the pressing direction of the plurality of brushes,
A light receiving portion provided on the surface for receiving light,
The light emitting portion and the light receiving portion are arranged so as to sandwich a region where the plurality of brushes are formed,
The first direction is a direction from the light emitting portion toward the light receiving portion side in a plan view of the brush unit viewed from the pressing direction, and the light emitting portion has a light emitting element, The light emitting surface of the light emitting element is arranged so as to be inclined toward the light receiving element side with respect to the surface on which the brush is formed,
The light receiving section has a light receiving element, and a light receiving surface of the light receiving element is arranged so as to be inclined toward a light emitting element side with respect to a surface on which a brush is formed,
In the brush unit,
The brush group formed between the light emitting portion and the light receiving portion has a brush length that becomes shorter as it is farther from the light receiving portion at the end portion on the light emitting portion side, and on the light receiving portion side. A brush unit in which the length of the brush becomes shorter as it goes away from the light emitting portion at the end. A brush unit detachable from the main body of the electric toothbrush,
A plurality of brushes are provided on the surface where the brush is formed, and a light emitting portion for emitting a large amount of light in a first direction intersecting the pressing direction rather than the pressing direction of the plurality of brushes,
A light receiving portion provided on the surface for receiving light,
The light emitting portion and the light receiving portion are arranged so as to sandwich a region where the plurality of brushes are formed,
The first direction is a direction from the light emitting portion toward the light receiving portion side in a plan view of the brush unit viewed from the pressing direction, and the light emitting portion has a light emitting element, The light emitting surface of the light emitting element is arranged so as to be inclined toward the light receiving element side with respect to the surface on which the brush is formed,
The light receiving section has a light receiving element, and a light receiving surface of the light receiving element is arranged so as to be inclined toward a light emitting element side with respect to a surface on which a brush is formed,
In the brush unit,
In the plan view, the outer edge shape of the region where the plurality of brushes are formed has two recesses,
The light emitting portion is provided in one of the two recesses,
A brush unit in which the light receiving portion is provided in the other recess of the two recesses.

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