TWI653951B - Toothbrush grip structure - Google Patents

Abstract

A toothbrush grip structure suitable for use in a patient's hand, comprising a body, a hand print, a toothbrush socket, and a sensing circuit. The hand print is disposed on a surface of the body, and the fingerprint is matched with the shape of the patient's hand. The toothbrush slot is disposed at one end of the body. The sensing circuit senses the force of the patient's hand to confirm whether the patient's hand grip strength is gradually improved.

Description

Toothbrush grip structure

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention is directed to a toothbrush grip structure, and more particularly to a method of making the handle structure of the toothbrush, and the brush grip structure overcomes the problem of a muscleless patient having no power to hold the toothbrush.

According to the statistics of the Ministry of the Interior, the number of elderly people aged 65 and over in Taiwan will reach 14% by 2018, and it is estimated to be as high as 20% by 2025, becoming a super-age society. The study pointed out that a person will slowly lose muscle from the age of 30. After the age of 50, the annual muscle mass reduction rate is faster, and the "muscle disease" has become the hottest topic in the elderly society.

Human muscles account for about 30-50% of body weight, and the actual muscle mass depends on individual health and body fat. As you age, your muscles' tissue, strength, and endurance will diminish. Studies have shown that from 40 to 70 years old, muscle mass is reduced by about 8% every 10 years. Converted, if a woman has 20 kg of muscle tissue when she is 30 years old, she will be reduced to 15 kg by the age of 70.

Muscles and bones are the key to affecting the body's normal activity. The decrease in muscle mass and the decrease in muscle strength are caused by aging. Even if the weight of the elderly is constant, the body fat ratio will increase and accumulate in the visceral layer and organs of the abdomen, resulting in a decrease in muscle mass.

In addition to aging, the activity of the elderly is reduced, energy consumption is low, and the fat in the abdominal visceral layer releases many inflammatory substances, affecting endocrine, and easily causing the muscles to continue to be lost, resulting in a vicious circle. Muscular dystrophy not only increases the burden on bones and joints, increases the risk of falls and fractures, and is in bed or hospitalization. It has limited mobility, which increases the rate of muscle loss and increases the risk of death.

Are you suffering from sarcopenia? People can twist from dry towels The degree, the difficulty of unscrewing the can, whether it can stand up from the chair at a time, whether it is necessary to rely on the support to get up, whether to climb the stairs and other life details. Old people who lose weight quickly and are thin are at high risk of dystrophy.

In fact, the muscles have to be maintained by the patient's own initiative, and they cannot rely on others to help. If the bedridden patient has poor strength and can't complete the action autonomously, the family can use the semi-assisted method to let the patient also exert some strength and complete the action together, so that the muscles have the means to maintain strength because of workmanship.

For example, having the patient brush their teeth with their own toothbrush is one of the ways to maintain muscle strength. However, patients with sarcopenia do not have the strength to hold the rod-shaped grip of a general toothbrush (slim shape). If the handle of the toothbrush is enlarged and widened, it becomes a form of easy grip of the palm, and each finger has Appropriate fastening parts, the difficulty of the patient's own brushing of the toothbrush will be reduced, and the muscle deficiency patient can maintain the strength of the hand muscle by completing the brushing action every day.

From the above description, it can be seen that patients with sarcopenia at present are often faced with the following difficulties in brushing their own teeth:

First, you can't brush your own teeth:

Generally, the rod-shaped grip of the toothbrush has an elongated shape, and the patient cannot grasp the toothbrush by himself or herself, and brushing the teeth becomes extremely difficult.

Second, the hand muscles gradually degenerate:

When the patient has difficulty in brushing his teeth with his own toothbrush, the patient will give up his willingness to brush his teeth. When the patient refuses to take the initiative to brush his teeth, his hand muscle strength will not be maintained, and the muscle deficiency will worsen.

In view of the difficulties faced by the above-mentioned patients with hypothyroidism in brushing teeth, it is imperative to design a toothbrush grip that can effectively improve the existing difficulties, so as to overcome the powerless muscles of patients with hypothyroidism and prevent the hand muscle strength of patients with sarcopenia. The problem that cannot be maintained is the direction that the relevant industry needs to work hard.

Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a method of manufacturing a toothbrush grip structure comprising a material preparation step, a fingerprinting step, a slotting step, a 3D scanning step, and a 3D printing step.

The material preparation step is first performed to adjust a shaped material to fit a patient's hand grip column.

The obtaining fingerprinting step is then performed, and the patient holds the shaping material to obtain the shape of the patient's fingerprint.

The take-up slot step is then performed by inserting a lower portion of a toothbrush into one end of the shaped material to form a toothbrush socket.

The 3D scanning step is then performed to perform a 3D scan of the shaped material.

Finally, the 3D printing step is performed, and a 3D printer prints a toothbrush grip structure in accordance with the 3D scanning data.

According to still another aspect of the present invention, in the 3D printing step, the 3D printer prints a two-section half element, and the two-section element is combined into the toothbrush grip structure.

Another technical means of the present invention is that the toothbrush grip structure manufacturing method further comprises a strap fixing step after the 3D printing step, and a finger strap is connected to the lower end of the toothbrush grip structure.

According to still another technical means of the present invention, the method for manufacturing a toothbrush grip structure further includes a circuit setting step after the 3D printing step, and a sensing circuit is disposed on the toothbrush grip structure.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a toothbrush grip structure which is manufactured by the above-described method for manufacturing a toothbrush grip structure, which is suitable for a patient's hand, comprising a main body, a hand print, and a toothbrush slot. .

The hand print is disposed on a surface of the body, and the fingerprint is matched with the shape of the patient's hand.

The toothbrush slot is disposed at one end of the body.

According to still another aspect of the present invention, the toothbrush grip structure further includes a finger strap, and the two ends of the finger strap are fixed to the main body.

Another technical means of the present invention is that the inner surface of the finger strap has a set of fingers, and the appearance of the set of fingers corresponds to the shape of the finger of the patient.

According to still another aspect of the present invention, the main body has two half-cut elements, and the two are respectively disposed on the bonding surfaces of the two-section elements, and the two-section elements are combined by the two bonding surfaces.

According to still another aspect of the present invention, the two bonding surfaces respectively form a concave portion, and the two concave portions cooperate to form the toothbrush socket, and the two concave portions are respectively provided with a soft rubber pad.

Another technical means of the present invention is that the toothbrush grip structure described above further includes a sensing circuit disposed on the body for sensing the grip strength of the patient.

A beneficial effect of the present invention is a customized toothbrush grip structure that enhances the patient's grip, the toothbrush grip including a body, a set of fingerprints, and a toothbrush socket. The body is shaped to fit the column of the patient's hand. The hand print is provided on the surface of the body. The toothbrush slot is disposed on an upper end surface of the body.

A‧‧‧ patients

1‧‧‧ toothbrush grip structure

10‧‧‧ toothbrush

101‧‧‧ Power Department

102‧‧‧Brushing department

11‧‧‧ Subject

111‧‧‧ split half element

112‧‧‧Fitting surface

12‧‧ ‧ handprints

13‧‧‧ toothbrush slot

14‧‧‧ Finger strap

141‧‧ ‧ fingertips

15‧‧‧ recess

16‧‧‧Soft rubber liner

17‧‧‧Sensor circuit

21‧‧‧Shaping materials

91~97‧‧‧Steps

1 is a schematic view showing a first preferred embodiment of the toothbrush grip structure of the present invention; and FIG. 2 is a manufacturing flow chart illustrating the manufacturing method of the first preferred embodiment; FIG. 3 is a Manufacturing diagram illustrating the manufacturing process of the first preferred embodiment; and FIG. 4 is a schematic view of the apparatus, illustrating one of the toothbrush grip structures of the present invention a second preferred embodiment; FIG. 5 is a schematic view showing a third preferred embodiment of the toothbrush grip structure; and FIG. 6 is a manufacturing flow chart illustrating the manufacturing method of the third preferred embodiment Figure 7 is a schematic view showing a fourth preferred embodiment of the toothbrush grip structure of the present invention; and Figure 8 is a schematic view showing a fifth preferred embodiment of the toothbrush grip structure of the present invention; Figure 9 is a schematic view showing a sixth preferred embodiment of the toothbrush grip structure of the present invention; and Figure 10 is a manufacturing flow chart illustrating the manufacturing method of the sixth preferred embodiment.

The details of the related patents and technical contents of the present invention will be apparent from the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments of the accompanying drawings. It should be noted that before the detailed description, similar elements are denoted by the same reference numerals.

Referring to Figures 1, 2 and 3, a first preferred embodiment of the toothbrush grip structure 1 of the present invention is applicable to the grip of a patient A. The first preferred embodiment comprises a main body 11 and a hand print 12 , and a toothbrush slot 13.

In the first preferred embodiment, the patient A is a patient with myasthenia, whose hand muscles have deteriorated, resulting in insufficient hand grip, unable to clench his fists, and less able to hold the elongated articles tightly. In actual implementation, as long as it is a person with insufficient grip strength, or can be used by most people, it should not be limited to this.

The main body 11 has a cylindrical shape and a width larger than a general toothbrush grip. Preferably, the main body 11 has a diameter greater than 5 cm. The fingerprint 12 is disposed on the surface of the main body 11, and the fingerprint 12 is matched with the shape of the hand of the patient A. When the patient A holds the main body 11, the palm and the finger and the fingerprint 12 can be perfectly attached, and the patient A with insufficient grip strength can further hold the main body 11.

The main body 11 is made of lightweight plastic. Preferably, the main body 11 has a hollow structure, which effectively reduces the weight and further enables the patient A to effectively hold. The toothbrush slot 13 is disposed at one end of the main body 11 for inserting a handle of a general toothbrush. In the first preferred embodiment, the shape of the groove of the toothbrush slot 13 matches the appearance of the handle of a general toothbrush. The general toothbrush can be inserted into the toothbrush slot 13 and does not shake when brushing the teeth, so that the patient A can perform the brushing action.

Referring to Figures 2 and 3, the manufacturing method of the first preferred embodiment includes a material preparation step 91, a fingerprinting step 92, a slotting step 93, a 3D scanning step 94, and a 3D printing. Step 95.

The material preparation step 91 is first performed to adjust a shaped material 21 to a hand column shape suitable for a patient A. Preferably, the shaping material 21 is a shapeable material and is first molded into a cylinder that is slightly thicker than the diameter of the patient A.

The obtaining fingerprint step 92 is then performed, and the patient A holds the shaping material 21 to obtain the fingerprint 931 of the patient A on the surface of the shaping material 21. Since the patient A's hand muscle strength is insufficient, the fist cannot be tightly gripped, so the patient A is required to hold the shaping material 21 as much as possible so that the surface of the shaping material 21 forms the shape of the handprint 931. When the patient A's hand leaves the shaping material 21, the surface of the shaping material 21 has a fingerprint 931 shape that conforms to the palm of the patient A and the fingers.

The take-up slot step 93 is then performed to insert a handle of a toothbrush 10 into one end of the shaped material 21 such that one end of the shaped material 21 forms a toothbrush socket 13. In the first preferred embodiment, the toothbrush 10 is a general toothbrush, and the lower portion of the toothbrush 10 is a handle portion. When the toothbrush 10 is pulled away from the plastic After the shape of the material 21, one end of the shaped material 21 will form the toothbrush socket 13 and the outer shape of the lower portion of the toothbrush 10 will correspond to the toothbrush socket 13.

Then, the 3D scanning step 94 is performed, and the shaping material 21 is subjected to 3D scanning to obtain appearance information of the shaping material 21. Preferably, the shaping material 21 is scanned in a 3D manner by using a 3D scanner. In actual implementation, the drafter can also directly draw the drawing, and should not be limited thereto.

Finally, the 3D printing step 95 is executed, and a 3D printing machine (not shown) prints a toothbrush grip structure 1 according to the 3D scanning outside information, and the toothbrush grip structure 1 has the shaping material. 21 has the same appearance, so the toothbrush grip structure 1 also has the fingerprint 12 and the toothbrush slot 13 such that the surface of the main body 11 is provided with a hand print 12 that fits the patient's A hand, and the hand print 12 makes the patient A grip The structure of the toothbrush grip structure 1 is more tight and stable. Preferably, the 3D printer prints the outer casing portion such that the toothbrush grip structure 1 forms a hollow structure to reduce weight and facilitate the grip of the patient A.

Referring to FIG. 4, a second preferred embodiment of the toothbrush grip structure 1 of the present invention is substantially the same as the first preferred embodiment, and the same is not described in detail herein. Whereas, the main body 11 has a two-section half element 111, and two are respectively disposed on the bonding surface 112 of the two-section half element 111.

The two-section half elements 111 are combined by the two bonding faces 112. The two abutting faces 112 are respectively formed with a concave portion 15 which cooperates to form the toothbrush socket 13 of the first preferred embodiment when the two half-cutting members 111 are combined. In actual implementation, the 3D printer can directly print the toothbrush grip structure 1 or print three or more half-cut elements 111, and should not be limited thereto.

The two recesses 15 of the second preferred embodiment are respectively provided with a soft rubber pad 16 which is soft and elastic and non-slip material, and can make the handle of the toothbrush with different appearance shapes. get on Inserting, when the toothbrush 10 of different appearances is inserted into the toothbrush slot 13 formed by the two recesses 15, the soft rubber pad 16 can tightly clamp the toothbrush 10 without sliding, so that the patient A holds When the toothbrush grip structure 1 is brushed, the toothbrush 10 moves in synchronism with the toothbrush grip structure 1, which effectively holds the toothbrush 10 and prevents the toothbrush 10 from coming loose.

The manufacturing method of the second preferred embodiment is substantially the same as the manufacturing method of the first preferred embodiment, and the same is not described in detail herein. The difference is further in the 3D printing step, the 3D printing machine. A two-section half element 111 is printed which is combined into the toothbrush grip structure 1.

Wherein, the two-ply element 111 can be adhered to the two bonding faces 112, or the two-section elements 111 can be combined together by using a combined structure to form the toothbrush grip structure 1 The patient A brushed his teeth.

Referring to Figures 5 and 6, a third preferred embodiment of the toothbrush grip structure 1 of the present invention is substantially the same as the first preferred embodiment, and the same is not described in detail herein. The difference further includes a finger strap 14 in addition to the third preferred embodiment.

The two ends of the finger strap 14 are respectively fixed to the two ends of the main body 11 so that when the hand A of the patient A holds the toothbrush grip structure 1, the finger strap 14 is engaged with the main body 11 The patient A's hand prevents the patient A from falling due to insufficient hand strength.

With reference to FIG. 6, the manufacturing method of the third preferred embodiment, the manufacturing method of the third preferred embodiment is substantially the same as the manufacturing method of the first preferred embodiment, and the same is not described in detail herein. The difference is that the toothbrush grip structure manufacturing method further includes a strap fixing step 96 after the 3D printing step 95.

The strap fixing step 96 is in the toothbrush grip structure A finger strap 14 is attached to the upper and lower ends of the main body 11 to allow the patient A to hold the main body 11, and the finger strap 14 is engaged with the main body 11 to encircle the hand of the patient A.

Referring to FIG. 7, a fourth preferred embodiment of the toothbrush grip structure 1 of the present invention is substantially the same as the third preferred embodiment, and the same is not described in detail herein. Further, the inner surface of the finger strap 14 of the fourth preferred embodiment has a set of fingers 141.

The sleeve portion 141 of the fourth preferred embodiment has a shape corresponding to the shape of the back surface of the patient A finger, so that the sleeve portion 141 is engaged with the body 11 around the finger of the patient A's hand. When the patient A grips the main body 11, the patient A is prevented from falling due to insufficient hand strength.

Referring to FIG. 8, a fifth preferred embodiment of the toothbrush grip structure 1 of the present invention is substantially the same as the first preferred embodiment, and the same is not described in detail herein. Further, the toothbrush 10 is an electric toothbrush.

A general electric toothbrush has a power portion 101 and a bristle portion 102 detachably coupled to the power portion 101. The power portion 101 drives the bristle portion 102 to rotate at a high frequency to clear the bristle portion 102. The surface is dirty.

In the fifth preferred embodiment, the shape of the toothbrush slot 13 disposed in the main body 11 matches the appearance of the power portion 101 of the electric toothbrush, so that the toothbrush 10 is detachably disposed on the main body 11 and assists the patient. A Hold the electric toothbrush to brush your teeth.

Referring to FIG. 9, a fifth preferred embodiment of the toothbrush grip structure 1 of the present invention is substantially the same as the first preferred embodiment, and the same is not described in detail herein. The toothbrush grip structure 1 further includes a sensing circuit 17 disposed on the body 11 for sensing the Patient A's hand grips strength.

Preferably, the sensing circuit 17 is a pressure sensing element disposed on the main body 11, and a display element electrically connected to the pressure sensing element, which can detect the hand grip strength of the patient A and hold the hand The power is displayed externally.

The main body 11 can be made of a hard light material, and the pressure sensing element can be an inductive patch formed by a plurality of electrode points attached to the surface of the main body 11, and the patient A can be detected in a circuit loop manner. The contact area of the main body 11 is generally larger as the grip strength of the patient A is larger, and the smaller the grip strength of the patient A is, the smaller the contact area is. In actual implementation, the main body 11 may be made of a material having elasticity, and the pressure sensing element may be a pressure sensitive element disposed in the main body 11 to directly detect the grip strength of the patient A, and should not Limited.

The display element can be a display screen disposed on the main body 11 to directly display the hand grip strength of the patient A, and can stimulate the patient A to hold the toothbrush grip structure 1 with maximum grip strength to determine whether the grip strength of the patient is gradually degraded. Or, by maintaining the muscle strength of the hand by daily rehabilitation, the grip strength of the hand can be improved. In actual implementation, the display component can be a simple LED warning light to determine whether the grip strength of the patient A reaches a predetermined value. The predetermined value can be set to correspond to the grip strength of the patient A, and should not be limited thereto.

The inventors would like to emphasize that because the finger strap 14 can cover the patient A's hand so that the toothbrush grip structure 1 does not easily fall, the patient A simply relies on the restraint of the finger strap 14. Brushing the teeth and unable to train the muscles of the hand, the sensing circuit 17 can detect the grip strength of the patient A to spur the patient's A hand to firmly grasp the toothbrush grip structure 1 in the patient's A hand muscle Maintain muscles under constant training conditions Force can even increase the muscle strength of the patient A.

It can be seen from the above description that the toothbrush grip structure of the present invention and the manufacturing method thereof have the following advantages:

First, hold the toothbrush firmly:

The toothbrush grip structure 1 enlarges the width of the grip portion of the toothbrush 10, so that the patient A with muscle deficiency easily grips the toothbrush 10 for brushing under the condition that the hand strength is insufficient, and the patient A has each finger. A suitable fastening site (the fingerprint 12), which greatly reduces the difficulty of the patient A to brush his own teeth, the patient A of the muscular dystrophy can appropriately maintain the strength of the hand muscle by each brushing action.

Second, maintain hand muscle strength:

When the difficulty of brushing the teeth of the patient A is lowered, the patient A's willingness to brush his teeth will be improved, and when the patient A is willing to actively brush the teeth, the muscle strength of the hand is maintained and improved.

Third, the manufacture of toothbrush grips is customized:

Through the 3D scanning step 94 and the toothbrush grip structure 1 produced by the 3D printing step 95, the surface of the main body 11 has a hand print 12 that matches the patient's A hand, and the hand print 12 causes the patient A to hold the toothbrush. The grip structure 1 is more tight and stable.

Fourth, prevent the toothbrush from loosening and falling:

The finger strap 14 of the toothbrush grip structure 1 cooperates with the main body 11 to encircle the hand of the patient A, effectively preventing the toothbrush grip structure 1 from loosening and falling, and the inner finger of the finger strap 14 The portion 141 corresponds to the back of the finger of the patient A. When the patient A grips the toothbrush grip 1, the finger strap 14 prevents the patient A hand from loosening from the toothbrush grip structure 1.

In summary, the present invention is a toothbrush grip structure customized for the patient, the toothbrush grip structure assisting the patient to overcome the powerless grip of the toothbrush, and preventing the patient's hand muscle strength from being maintained. It does meet the patent requirements for novelty, advancement, and industrial applicability.

However, the above is only the six preferred embodiments of the present invention, and the scope of the present invention is not limited thereto, that is, the simple equivalent change of the patent application scope and the description of the invention is Modifications are still within the scope of the invention.

Claims (6)

A toothbrush grip structure suitable for a patient's hand grip, comprising: a main body; a hand print disposed on the main body, the fingerprint is matched with the shape of the patient's hand; and a toothbrush slot disposed at the The main body is for inserting a toothbrush into the main body. The toothbrush grip structure according to claim 1, further comprising a finger strap, the finger strap having two ends fixed to the body. The toothbrush grip structure according to claim 2, wherein the inner surface of the finger strap has a set of fingers, the appearance of which corresponds to the shape of the outside of the finger of the patient. The toothbrush grip structure according to claim 3, wherein the main body has two half-cut elements, and two are respectively disposed on the mating faces of the two-section elements, and the two-section elements are the two-ply faces. Attached together. The toothbrush grip structure of claim 4, wherein the two abutting faces respectively form a recess, the two recesses cooperating to form the toothbrush slot, and the two recesses are respectively provided with a soft rubber pad. The toothbrush grip structure according to claim 5, further comprising a sensing circuit disposed on the body for sensing the grip strength of the patient.