KR20210000426U - Tooth brush for tooth whitening - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a whitening functional toothbrush. In more detail, it is for a whitening functional toothbrush that can be used the same as a conventional toothbrush and can achieve an effective whitening effect.

Description

Whitening functional toothbrush{Tooth brush for tooth whitening}

The present invention relates to a whitening functional toothbrush. In more detail, it is for a whitening functional toothbrush that can be used the same as a conventional toothbrush and can achieve an effective whitening effect.

Since white teeth occupy a very large proportion of their appearance, interest in teeth whitening is increasing worldwide.

The causes of tooth staining known to date include endogenous tooth staining caused by nerve damage inside the tooth, aging, or an overdose of antibiotics such as tetracyclines, and food residues deposited on the tooth surface or tobacco dust, coffee, etc. It can be divided into exogenous tooth staining by black tea.

As teeth whitening performed to improve tooth pigmentation, there are methods of home bleaching and office bleaching by experts as self-whitening methods performed by themselves. Compared with home bleaching, the tooth whitening agent used in office bleaching contains a relatively high concentration of hydrogen peroxide, and an activation system such as heat and light is used to enhance the tooth whitening effect. Since the system using heat may damage the nerves of the teeth, recently, a system that uses light to enhance the teeth whitening effect is more preferred.

On the other hand, both home bleaching and office bleaching using light require an additional light irradiation device to irradiate light into the oral cavity during whitening management, and the management time is at least 30 minutes, resulting in a problem that it takes a lot of cost and time.

Therefore, as a method that does not require a separate tooth whitening device such as a light irradiation device, many methods of applying a whitening toothpaste for home bleaching have been developed. However, there is a limit in that it is difficult to expect a sufficient whitening effect with only whitening toothpaste without an activation system such as light irradiation.

To solve the problems of the prior art as described above, the present invention is to provide a whitening functional toothbrush capable of achieving a whitening effect in the daily brushing step.

In order to solve the above problems, the present invention

A head portion including a bristle plate on which a plurality of bristle bundles are planted, and a light emitting diode (LED) substrate disposed under the bristle plate and emitting light to the bristle plate, and a detachable coupling portion with a handle portion; And

The head portion and the detachable coupling portion, and a handle portion including a power supply of the LED substrate,

The bristle bundle includes a plurality of non-optical fiber bristles and a plurality of optical fiber bristles in one bundle,

Provides a whitening functional toothbrush.

In order to solve the above problems, the present invention

A head portion including a bristle plate on which a plurality of bristle bundles are planted, and a light emitting diode (LED) substrate disposed under the bristle plate and emitting light to the bristle plate, and a detachable coupling portion with a handle portion; And

The head portion and the detachable coupling portion, and a handle portion including a power supply of the LED substrate,

The bristle bundle includes a plurality of non-optical fiber bristles and a plurality of optical fiber bristles in one bundle,

Provides a whitening functional toothbrush.

1 is a perspective view showing a whitening functional toothbrush according to an embodiment of the present invention.
Figure 2 is an exploded perspective view of the head portion of the whitening functional toothbrush according to an embodiment of the present invention.
3 is a perspective view showing a state in which the head portion of the toothbrush with whitening functionality is covered with the head cover according to an embodiment of the present invention.
Figure 4 shows the name of each length portion in the bristles of the whitening functional toothbrush of the present invention.
5 is a view showing a change in the hair width (FFL) after a reciprocating motion with respect to the bristles of Examples and Comparative Examples of the present invention.

In the present invention, terms such as first and second are used to describe various components, and the terms are used only for the purpose of distinguishing one component from other components.

In addition, terms used in the present specification are only used to describe exemplary embodiments, and are not intended to limit the present invention. Singular expressions include plural expressions unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. In the present specification, terms such as "comprise", "include" or "have" are intended to designate the presence of implemented features, numbers, steps, components, or a combination thereof, and one or more other features or It is to be understood that the possibility of the presence or addition of numbers, steps, elements, or combinations thereof is not preliminarily excluded.

In addition, in the present invention, when each layer or element is referred to as being formed “on” or “on” each layer or element, it means that each layer or element is directly formed on each layer or element, or It means that a layer or element may be additionally formed between each layer, on the object, or on the substrate.

The present invention will be described in detail below and exemplify specific embodiments, as various changes may be made and may have various forms. However, this is not intended to limit the present invention to a specific form disclosed, it should be understood to include all changes, equivalents, and substitutes included in the spirit and scope of the present invention.

Hereinafter, with reference to the drawings will be described in more detail the whitening functional toothbrush of the present invention.

1 is a perspective view showing a whitening functional toothbrush according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to Figure 1, the whitening functional toothbrush 300 of the present invention,

A plurality of bristle bundles 10 are placed under the bristle plate 20, and a light emitting diode (LED) substrate 30 which is located under the bristle plate 20 and emits light to the bristle plate, and a handle Head portion 100 including a detachable coupling portion 40; And a handle part 200 including the head part 100 and a detachable coupling part 50, and a power part 60 of the LED substrate, wherein the bristle bundle 10 includes a plurality of It characterized in that it comprises a non-optical fiber bristles and a plurality of optical fiber bristles.

The whitening functional toothbrush of the present invention can be widely used in a medical or cosmetic practice that requires irradiation of light to tissues in the oral cavity, that is, teeth, periodontals, gums, etc., and preferably can be usefully used for whitening teeth.

Optical fiber is an optical fiber that efficiently transmits light by using glass or plastic made of a material with a high refractive index in the center, and glass or plastic made of a material having a low refractive index in the outer part, so that total reflection of light passing through the center occurs. to be. In particular, a plastic optical fiber made of light-transmitting plastic in both the center and the outer part is inexpensive, has excellent flexibility, and is harmless to the human body, so it can be used for the human body.

Accordingly, a technique for a toothbrush in which an optical fiber is applied to the bristles has been developed, focusing on the fact that a whitening effect can be expected when light having a predetermined wavelength is emitted to the teeth while brushing teeth using an optical fiber.

For example, US Patent No. 9,457,199 discloses a form in which optical fibers are applied by arranging fiber optic bundles on a toothbrush head. However, the toothbrush disclosed in the US registered patent has a disadvantage in that optical fibers are applied as bundles only to a specific portion of the head, such as the center or top of the bristles, and the whitening effect is not uniform and is not suitable for mass production of products.

In addition, Korean Patent Application No. 2005-0109037 or 2005-0109033 discloses a toothbrush in the form of irradiating light using an empty space between the bristles without using an optical fiber. However, in the form disclosed in the Korean patent application, it is difficult to properly transmit light to the teeth, and there is a concern that the light is irradiated to areas that are not necessary such as the gums.

On the other hand, the optical fiber is less elastic and durable than the bristles used in general toothbrushes, so when a toothbrush consisting of only optical fiber bristles is used, the lifespan of the bristles is short and the toothbrush's natural function of cleaning teeth cannot be properly performed.

Accordingly, the inventors of the present invention have repeatedly researched on a whitening functional toothbrush that can be used the same as a conventional toothbrush and can achieve an effective whitening effect to reach the present invention.

The whitening functional toothbrush of the present invention includes a plurality of non-optical fiber bristles in addition to a plurality of optical fiber bristles. In addition, the plurality of optical fiber bristles and non-optical fiber bristles are included together in one bundle, and the bundles are evenly distributed on the bristles.

Meanwhile, in the specification of the present invention, "non-optical fiber bristles" are used as bristles that do not have an optical fiber function and function as general brushing, and are distinguished from "optical fiber" or "optical fiber bristles".

The non-optical fiber bristles may be made of a commonly used material and shape, for example, a nylon polyester-based polymer such as polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polytrimethylene terephthalate (PTT), or It may be made of polybutylene terephthalate (PBT), etc., but the present invention is not limited thereto.

In addition, for durability, a bristle made of high-performance plastic having excellent rigidity, high elasticity and abrasion resistance may be used, and there is no particular limitation.

The optical fiber bristles have a function as an optical fiber by totally reflecting light passing through the center, and may be a plastic optical fiber in which both the center and the outer portion are made of plastic.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the non-optical fiber bristles and optical fiber bristles may be included in a ratio of 9:1 to 1:9 based on the number. More specifically, the non-optical fiber bristles and optical fiber bristles may be included in a ratio of 8:2 to 2:8, or 7:3 to 3:7. It may be more preferable to include the non-optical fiber bristles and the optical fiber bristles in a ratio of 7:3 to 6:4 in order to simultaneously effectively achieve the whitening effect and the function as a general toothbrush.

In the present invention, the non-optical fiber bristles and the optical fiber bristles are characterized by including the non-optical fiber bristles and the optical fiber bristles in one bundle in order to satisfy all of the uniform light irradiation effect and durability, and the user's feeling of use. . It may also be desirable for such bundles to be substantially uniformly implanted on the bristles.

That is, the optical fiber bristles and the non-optical fiber bristles form a divided area in any one area of the bristle plate, for example, the center, the periphery, the top, and the bottom of the bristle plate, and are not partially planted. Included in a certain ratio as a bundle by mixing, these bundles may be planted so that they are evenly distributed over the entire bristle plate. Accordingly, the ratio of the non-optical fiber bristles and the optical fiber bristles in the entire bristle plate and the ratio of the non-optical fiber bristles and the optical fiber bristles in one bundle are substantially the same.

Figure 2 is an exploded perspective view of the head portion of the whitening functional toothbrush according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to Figure 2, in the head of the whitening functional toothbrush of the present invention, a plurality of bristle bundles 10 are implanted on a bristle plate 20, and a light-emitting diode (LED) substrate 30 under the bristle plate 20 ) Is positioned to emit light from this to the bristle plate 20.

In FIG. 2, a view of one bristle bundle 10 enlarged and viewed from above is shown in a circle on the left. For convenience, the optical fiber bristles are marked with a black circle and the non-optical fiber bristles are marked with a white circle.

Referring to FIG. 2, one bristle bundle 10 is not made of one type of bristle, but as described above, a non-optical fiber bristles and an optical fiber bristles are mixed at a certain ratio, and such a plurality of bristle bundles 10 are bristles. It is planted on a plate.

As described above, since the non-optical fiber bristles and the optical fiber bristles are included in one bristle bundle together, light can be transmitted evenly than the bristles that are planted by separating the optical fiber into a certain area, and thus, the whitening effect may be more excellent. In addition, it is possible to increase the elasticity, durability, and user's feeling of use while maintaining the original function of the toothbrush by mixing the brush heads of general non-optical fibers together.

In addition, in order to manufacture the bristles according to the present invention, it is only necessary to plant the bristles bundles of the same configuration, so that the manufacturing is relatively simple and the existing toothbrush manufacturing facilities can be used, which is more advantageous in terms of productivity.

The shape of the bristle plate is not particularly limited, and may be in the shape of a general bristle plate such as a round, oval, square, rhombus shape. In addition, the material of the bristles may be applied to a general toothbrush, and is not particularly limited.

The head portion includes a bristle plate on which a bristle bundle including a plurality of non-optical fiber bristles and a plurality of optical fiber bristles is planted at one end in the form described above, is connected to the bristle plate, and a handle portion and a detachable coupling portion to be described later Include in the other end. The bristle plate is detachable, and when the bristles of the head are worn as the brush head is used, only the bristle plate can be replaced with a new one.

That is, the head portion and the handle portion are coupled to each other through the coupling portion and may be detachable. The shape of the coupling portion is not particularly limited, and a coupling shape generally applied to a detachable toothbrush head portion may be applied without limitation.

In addition, the head portion includes a light emitting diode (LED) substrate that emits light to the bristle plate under the bristle plate, and the light generated therefrom is transmitted to the optical fiber bristles implanted in the bristle plate.

Light emitted from the LED substrate may be light having a wavelength of 200 to 660 nm.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, light emitted from the LED substrate may have different wavelengths according to a mode. For example, when used in a whitening mode, light having a wavelength of 340 nm or more and 660 nm or less may be emitted, and when used in a sterilization mode, light having a wavelength of 200 nm or more and 340 nm or less may be emitted.

Users can brush their teeth using the whitening functional toothbrush of the present invention in the same way as the conventional toothbrush method in a conventional manner, and light generated from the LED substrate during brushing is emitted through the optical fiber bristles to be directed to the teeth.

On the other hand, for more effective whitening, it is preferable to brush your teeth after applying a whitening agent or a whitening functional toothpaste to the teeth.

A product known as the whitening agent or whitening functional toothpaste may be used, but for more effective whitening, the whitening functional toothbrush of the present invention contains a component exhibiting high light activation by a wavelength of 340 to 660 nm, which is light emitted during the whitening mode It is desirable to do. For a whitening agent or a whitening functional toothpaste including these ingredients, for example, reference may be made to the contents disclosed in Korean Patent Application No. 2013-0115257.

The handle part includes a power supply of the LED substrate therein. The power supply unit of the LED board is a switch that supplies or cuts off power to the LED board, and it is possible to change the supply/blocking state of power each time the switch is pressed.

In addition, as a means for supplying power to the LED substrate therein, the handle may include a storage unit that is a space for storing batteries or rechargeable batteries. Power generated from the battery or rechargeable battery is supplied to the LED substrate through a switch, and the LED substrate supplied with power generates light of a corresponding wavelength according to the mode, and can be emitted through an optical fiber bristle.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the switch performs the function of a mode switch that emits light of different wavelengths in addition to the function of an ON/OFF switch that supplies/cuts power. can do. In addition, the switch may display different colors depending on the mode so that the user can easily distinguish the mode.

As an external device used in combination with the whitening functional toothbrush of the present invention, a charging device for charging the rechargeable battery and/or a power supply device for directly supplying power without a rechargeable battery may be provided. The charging device and/or the power supply device may also serve as a support for stably standing the whitening functional toothbrush of the present invention.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the head is detachable while covering the entire head, and a reflective member is provided on the inner surface to reflect light irradiated from the LED substrate through the optical fiber bristles to the head. It may further include a head cover.

The reflective member is not particularly limited as long as it is a material capable of reflecting light such as a mirror, and may be, for example, glass, metal, or plastic on which a reflective layer is plated.

When the power unit is operated in a sterilization mode after covering the head by using the head cover, light having a wavelength having a sterilizing effect is irradiated to sterilize and sterilize the head unit, especially the bristles, to keep the toothbrush hygienic. have.

3 is a perspective view showing a state in which the head cover of the whitening functional toothbrush according to an embodiment of the present invention is covered.

Referring to FIG. 3, the head part cover 150 covers the entire head part 100 and may be covered in accordance with a step between the head part 100 and the handle part 200. In addition, although not shown in the drawing, the inner surface of the head cover 150 is made of a material capable of reflecting light, and the LED is turned to the wavelength of the sterilization mode while the head portion 100 is covered with the head cover 150. When operated, the light emitted therefrom is internally reflected from the head cover 150 to sterilize the bristles of the head portion 100.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the handle may further include a vibration motor or a sonic vibration motor therein.

The vibration motor generates vibration by rotation, and as the vibration motor vibrates, the bristles transmitted with the vibration force vibrate together to clean the teeth, and the cleaning power may be further increased.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the handle may further include a sonic vibration motor therein.

The sonic vibration motor generates a vibration force in a sound wave range and cleans the teeth with the bristles received therefrom, and may also function to further increase the cleaning power.

In addition, the whitening functional toothbrush of the present invention may add the functions of other known functional toothbrushes within a range that does not interfere with the whitening function, and may further include a member for performing this without limitation.

According to the whitening functional toothbrush of the present invention, by using the whitening functional toothbrush of the present invention in the same way as the conventional toothbrush use method, it is possible to achieve an excellent whitening effect in the daily brushing step.

In addition, by evenly including the optical fiber over the bristles, the intensity of light transmitted to the optical fiber can be increased to increase the transmission efficiency, and light can be prevented from being transmitted to unwanted areas.

Hereinafter, preferred embodiments are presented to aid in understanding the present invention. However, the following examples are only for illustrating the present invention, and the present invention is not limited thereto.

<Example>

Example One

1 and 2, a number of bristle bundles in which non-optical fiber bristles (diameter: 0.127 mm) and optical fiber bristles (diameter: 0.25 mm) are mixed in a ratio of 7:3 in one bristle bundle are evenly brushed. A whitening functional toothbrush including a toothbrush head planted on the bed was manufactured.

Example 2

In Example 1, whitening in the same manner as in Example 1, except that non-optical fiber bristles (diameter: 0.127 mm) and optical fiber bristles (diameter: 0.25 mm) were mixed in a ratio of 5:5 in one bristle bundle. A functional toothbrush was prepared.

Comparative Example 1

A whitening functional toothbrush including a toothbrush head in which a plurality of bristle bundles consisting of only one bristle head bundle (diameter: 0.25 mm) were planted on a toothbrush head plate was manufactured.

Comparative Example 2

Includes non-optical fiber bristles (diameter: 0.127 mm) and optical fiber bristles (diameter: 0.25 mm) in a ratio of 7:3, and one bristle bundle consists of a non-optical fiber bristles and optical fiber bristles, respectively, at the center of the bristles A whitening functional toothbrush was manufactured including a toothbrush head in which an optical fiber bristle bundle was planted, and a non-optical fiber bristle head was planted in the outer portion.

The configurations of the bristles of Examples 1 to 2 and Comparative Examples 1 to 2 are shown in Table 1 below.

Non-fiber optic brush head: fiber optic brush head ratio Hair growth Example 1 7:3 Includes non-fibre bristles and fiber-optic bristles in one bundle Example 2 5:5 Includes non-fibre bristles and fiber-optic bristles in one bundle Comparative Example 1 0:10 Includes fiber optic bristles only in one bundle Comparative Example 2 7:3 Includes only fiber-optic bristles in the bundle planted in the center, and only non-fiber-optic bristles in the bundles planted in the outer part

<Experimental Example>

The toothbrushes of Example 1 to 2 and Comparative Examples 1 to 2 were mounted on an automatic reciprocating machine and reciprocated 6,000 times in a state in which a load of 500 g was applied to the surface of the lodge (bovine teeth). The length of the bristles before and after the reciprocating motion was measured, and the elasticity loss and toothbrush wear index were calculated by the following method. The names of the length portions of each bristles are shown in FIG. 4.

(1) Elasticity loss

The elasticity loss was evaluated by evaluating the durability of the bristles according to the use of the toothbrush to the extent of simulated spreading, and was calculated according to Equation 1 below. In Equation 1 below, the smaller the elasticity loss value, the lower the simulated spreading degree.

[Equation 1]

In equation 1,

A is the width of the hair before the reciprocating motion (FFL in Fig. 4, unit: cm),

B is the width of the hair after 6,000 reciprocating movements (FFL in Fig. 4, unit: cm).

The elasticity loss for the bristles of Examples 1 to 2 and Comparative Examples 1 to 2 is shown in Table 2 below.

In addition, the change in the hair width (FFL) after 6,000 reciprocating movements for the bristles of Examples 1 to 2 and Comparative Examples 1 to 2 is shown in FIG. 5.

A (unit: cm) B (unit: cm) Elasticity loss (%) Example 1 0.80 0.86 7.50 Example 2 0.80 0.94 16.88 Comparative Example 1 0.98 1.23 25.00 Comparative Example 2 0.80 0.91 13.50

Referring to Tables 2 and 5, the elasticity loss was the lowest in the case of Example 1 in which non-optical fiber bristles and optical fiber bristles were mixed in a ratio of 7:3 to one bristle bundle, and the durability was the best. On the other hand, it was found that the toothbrush of Comparative Example 1 composed of only optical fibers had the lowest durability.

When comparing the elasticity loss between the bristles obtained by mixing different ratios of the non-optical fiber bristles and the optical fiber bristles, the bristles of Example 1 were 70% less open than the bristles of Comparative Example 1 in which only optical fibers were planted, and the non-fiber bristles and optical fiber bristles were 5 It showed a result of 56% less spreading than Example 2 which was planted with :5.

A comparison of Example 1 in which non-optical fiber bristles and fiber-optic bristles were mixed in the same ratio, but two bristles were mixed in one bristle bundle according to the present invention, and an optical fiber bristles and non-optical fiber bristles were separated by dividing an area. Comparing Example 2, it was found that Example 1 had 44% less spread than Comparative Example 2.

(2) Toothbrush Wear Index

Toothbrush wear was evaluated by measuring the length of the five sides of the bristles in order to more accurately measure the extent of the bristles gapping according to the use of the toothbrush, and was calculated according to Equation 2 below.

[Equation 2]

In Equation 2,

BLL is the base long length (unit: cm) shown in FIG. 4,

FLL is the free lateral length (unit: cm) shown in Figure 4,

BFL is the base free length (unit: cm) shown in FIG. 4,

FFL is the front free length (unit: cm) shown in FIG. 4,

BRL is the bristles' length (unit: cm) shown in FIG. 4.

The degree of wear of the toothbrush for the bristles of Examples 1 to 2 and Comparative Examples 1 to 2 is shown in Table 3 below.

Before reciprocating After 6,000 round trips FLL BLL FFL BFL BRL Wear FLL BLL FFL BFL BRL Wear Example 1 2.32 2.10 0.80 0.80 1.10 0.10 2.51 2.10 0.86 0.80 1.10 0.21 Example 2 2.38 2.20 0.80 0.08 1.00 0.09 2.72 2.20 0.94 0.80 1.00 0.33 Comparative Example 1 2.20 2.10 0.98 0.80 1.00 0.14 2.61 2.10 1.23 0.80 1.00 0.47 Comparative Example 2 2.38 2.10 0.80 0.80 1.20 0.12 2.73 2.10 0.91 0.80 1.20 0.31

As for the degree of wear of the toothbrush calculated using the length of the five sides of the bristles and the degree of elasticity loss calculated using only the cross section of the bristles, it was confirmed that the bristles of Example 1 were the least widened, and Comparative Example 1 It was confirmed that the bristles of are the most open.

Claims (8)

A head portion including a bristle plate on which a plurality of bristle bundles are planted, and a light emitting diode (LED) substrate disposed under the bristle plate and emitting light to the bristle plate, and a detachable coupling portion with a handle portion; And
The head portion and the detachable coupling portion, and a handle portion including a power supply of the LED substrate,
The bristle bundle includes a plurality of non-optical fiber bristles and a plurality of optical fiber bristles in one bundle,
Whitening functional toothbrush.
The method of claim 1,
The bristle bundle is evenly distributed on the bristle plate, whitening functional toothbrush.
The method of claim 1,
The bristle bundle includes the non-optical fiber bristles and the optical fiber bristles in a ratio of 9:1 to 1:9, a whitening functional toothbrush.
The method of claim 3,
The non-optical fiber bristles and optical fiber bristles are included in a ratio of 7:3 to 6:4, a whitening functional toothbrush.
The method of claim 1,
Light emitted from the LED substrate will have a wavelength of 200 to 660 nm, whitening functional toothbrush.
The method of claim 1,
The whitening functional toothbrush further comprises a head cover that covers the entire head and is detachable and has a light reflecting member on the inner surface, and reflects the light irradiated from the optical fiber bristles to the head.
The method of claim 1,
The whitening functional toothbrush operates in a whitening mode and a sterilization mode, a whitening functional toothbrush.
The method of claim 1,
Whitening functional toothbrush further comprising a sonic vibration motor.

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