# US 11,026,771 B2 · Interdental cleaning instrument > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,026,771 B2 - Document ID: US11026771B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 15/542,501 - Filed: 2015-06-25 - Published: 2018-09-20 - Granted: 2021-06-08 - Earliest claimed: 2015-01-16 - Assignees: Kobayashi Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. - Applicants: Kobayashi Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. - Inventors: Tasuku Kikkawa - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11026771B2 ## CPC - A46B 5/02: specially shaped for holding by the hand - A61C 15/02: Toothpicks - A46B 5/00: Brush bodies; Handles integral with brushware - A46B 2200/108: Inter-dental toothbrush, i.e. for cleaning interdental spaces specifically - A61C 2201/00: Material properties - A46B: BRUSHES (handles not integral with brushware B25G) - A61C: DENTISTRY; APPARATUS OR METHODS FOR ORAL OR DENTAL HYGIENE (non-driven toothbrushes A46B; {tongue scrapers A61B17/24;} preparations for dentistry A61K6/00; preparations for cleaning the teeth or mouth A61K8/00, A61Q11/00) ## Abstract An interdental cleaning instrument is equipped with a base part and a cleaning part. The base part has a shaft part and a grip part. At least the shape of the base part is set in a manner such that a first pressing force required to press a portion spaced 2.5 mm apart from a tip of the cleaning part in 10 mm is 0.3 N or more and 1.4 N or less in a state in which a portion spaced 10 mm apart from the tip of the cleaning part is fixed, and a second pressing force required to press a portion spaced 8.0 mm apart from the tip of the cleaning part in 10 mm is 0.5 N or more and 2.5 N or less in a state in which a portion spaced 35 mm apart from the tip of the cleaning part is fixed. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An interdental cleaning instrument comprising: a base part having a shape extending from a base end to an insertion end section in an axial direction of the interdental cleaning instrument, and having a first hardness; and a cleaning part that is composed of an elastomer having a second hardness lower than the first hardness of the base part, covers at least a portion of the base part from the insertion end section, and is capable of cleaning an interdental space, wherein the base part has: a grip part that extends from the base end along the axial direction and has a shape to receive a grasp of fingers; and a shaft part which has a shape that is insertable to an interdental space between neighboring teeth, and has the insertion end section and a base end section at which the grip part is connected to the shaft part; the shaft part has a shape that can be flexurally deformed to displace the insertion end section in a direction which is perpendicular to the axial direction of the shaft part with respect to the base end section; the cleaning part has a shape that covers the insertion end section to form a tip end of the cleaning part and a portion of the shaft part extending from the insertion end section by a length equal to or less than the entire axial dimension of the shaft part; the base part has an in the axial dimension of 35 mm or more; and the shape of the base part is set to obtain a first pressing force ranged from 0.3 N to 1.4 N to cause 10 mm of displacement at a first portion distant by 2.5 mm from the tip end of the cleaning part when the first pressing force is applied to the first portion in a state in which the interdental cleaning instrument is fixedly held at a portion 10 mm apart from the tip end of the cleaning part to the grip part side; and a second pressing force ranged from 0.5 N to 2.5 N to cause 10 mm of displacement at a second portion distant by 8.0 mm from the tip end of the cleaning part when the second pressing force is applied to the second portion in a state in which the interdental cleaning instrument is fixedly held at a portion 35 mm apart from the tip end of the cleaning part to the grip part side. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The interdental cleaning instrument according to claim 1, wherein the shaft part as a shape that allows a displacement of the insertion end section at a point of an intermediate portion located between the insertion end section and the base end section of the shaft part between a steady-state posture in which no external force acts on the shaft part and a curved posture in which an angle between a first straight line connecting the deformed point of the intermediate portion and the insertion end section and a second straight line connecting the deformed portion of the intermediate portion and the base end section is 90 degrees. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The interdental cleaning instrument according to claim 1, wherein the grip part has such a shape that buckling occurs in the shaft part when a compressive load is applied to the base part from both sides in the axial direction; and the cleaning part covers a maximum displacement portion of the shaft part at which the maximum amount of displacement from an initial position of a center axis of the shaft part occurs during buckling of the shaft part. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The interdental cleaning instrument according to claim 3, wherein the maximum displacement portion is located between a portion of the shaft part which is at 1.0 mm apart from the insertion end section toward the base end section side and a portion of the shaft part which is at 9.0 mm apart from the insertion end section toward the base end section side.