Method of making a brush and brush

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11197540-B2
Application number	US-201715634950-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 27, 2017
Priority date	Jun 28, 2016
Publication date	Dec 14, 2021
Grant date	Dec 14, 2021

Abstract

A method of making a brush includes providing a plurality of first filaments, each having a first end and a second end; bringing the plurality of first filaments into a first predetermined shape such that the first ends are arranged side by side on a common contour; fixedly connecting the first ends so that a first pre-tuft having the first predetermined shape and a connected first end is formed; bringing a second tuft element having a first end and a second end together with the first pre-tuft into a second predetermined shape such that the first end of the second tuft element and the connected first end of the first pre-tuft are arranged side by side on a common contour; fixedly connecting the connected first end of the first pre-tuft and the first end of the at least second tuft element so that a final tuft having the second predetermined shape and a connected end is formed; and attaching the final tuft to a brush body by overmolding the final tuft's connected end with a plastic material.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of making a toothbrush, comprising the steps of:
a. providing a plurality of first filaments, each first filament having a first end and a second end;
b. bringing the plurality of first filaments into a first predetermined shape such that the first ends of the first filaments are arranged side by side on a common contour;
c. forming a first pre-tuft by fixedly interconnecting the first ends of the plurality of first filaments so that a first pre-tuft having the first predetermined shape and a connected first end is formed, wherein the first pre-tuft is structured and configured to be handled like a single tuft element;
d. providing at least one second tuft element formed independently from the step of forming a first pre-tuft, wherein the second tuft element comprises a plurality of second filaments;
e. bringing the at least one second tuft element having a first end and a second end together with the first pre-tuft into a second predetermined shape such that the first end of the second tuft element and the connected first end of the first pre-tuft are arranged side by side on a common contour;
f. fixedly connecting the connected first end of the first pre-tuft and the first end of the at least second tuft element so that a final tuft having the second predetermined shape and a connected end is formed; and
g. attaching the final tuft to a brush body by overmolding the connected end of the final tuft with a plastic material, thereby forming at least a portion of the brush body.

2. The method in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the step of forming a first pre-tuft comprises heating the first ends of the first filaments to cause the first ends of the first filaments to at least partially melt and subsequently cooling the molten ends whereby the molten ends non-separably connect with one another to form the connected first end.

3. The method in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the step of forming a first pre-tuft comprises applying an adhesive to the first ends of the first filaments so that the connected first end is formed.

4. The method in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the first pre-tuft has a recess or bore-hole extending along the full length of the first pre-tuft between the connected first end and the second ends, the recess or bore-hole being arranged for receiving at least a portion of the at least second tuft element.

5. The method in accordance with claim 4 , comprising the further steps of pushing the at least second tuft element into the recess of the first pre-tuft, wherein the first pre-tuft has a C-shaped cross section in a plane perpendicular to its length extension, and deforming the first pre-tuft in a plane perpendicular to the length extension of the first pre-tuft until the second predetermined shape is reached.

6. The method in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the second tuft element is a second pre-tuft made by the steps of
providing the plurality of second filaments, each second filament having a first end and a second end;
bringing the plurality of second filaments into a predetermined shape such that the first ends of the second filaments are arranged side by side on a common contour; and
fixedly connecting the first ends of the plurality of second filaments so that the second pre-tuft having the predetermined shape with a connected first end is formed.

7. The method in accordance with claim 6 , wherein the method comprises (a) applying a first temperature to the first ends of the first filaments and applying a second temperature to the first ends of the second filaments wherein the first temperature is different from the second temperature, (b) applying a first adhesive to the first ends of the first filaments and applying a second adhesive to the first ends of the second filaments, and (c) applying an adhesive connecting technology to the first end of the first filaments and applying a heat-based connecting technology to the first ends of the second filaments, or vice versa.

8. The method in accordance with claim 7 , wherein the first adhesive comprises a material composition that is different from a material composition of the second adhesive.

9. The method in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the second tuft element comprises at least one elastomeric element or a sponge-like element.

10. The method in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the second ends of the filaments of the first pre-tuft and the second end of the at least second tuft element are arranged at different height levels with respect to a length extension of the final tuft.

11. The method in accordance with claim 1 , wherein a plurality of filaments each having a first end and a second end are brought together with the first pre-tuft such that the connected first end of the first pre-tuft and the first ends of the filaments are arranged side-by-side on a common contour.

12. The method in accordance with claim 1 , further comprising the steps of bringing at least a third tuft element having a first end and a second end together with the first pre-tuft and the second tuft element into the second predetermined shape such that the first end of the third tuft element, the first end of the second tuft element, and the connected first end of the first pre-tuft are arranged side by side on a common contour and of fixedly connecting the connected first end of the first pre-tuft, the first end of the second tuft element, and the first end of the third tuft element so that the final tuft having the second predetermined shape is formed.

13. The method in accordance with claim 12 , wherein the first pre-tuft and the second tuft element are connected first, and then the third tuft element is connected thereto.

14. The method in accordance claim 1 , wherein the step of forming a first pre-tuft results in a formation of a connected end that extends beyond the second predetermined shape of the final tuft in at least one width direction perpendicular to the length extension direction of the final tuft.

15. A brush made by the method of claim 1 .

16. The brush in accordance with claim 15 , wherein the second tuft element comprises an elastomeric element or a sponge-like element.

Assignees

• Procter & Gamble

Inventors

• Machlitt Michael
• Tretrop Uwe
• Chiu Jiawei

Classifications

• A46B3/06 Primary

  by welding together bristles made of metal wires or plastic materials · CPC title

• B29C65/02

  by heating, with or without pressure · CPC title

• A46D1/08

  Preparing uniform tufts of bristles · CPC title

• A46B9/005

  where the brushing material is not made of bristles, e.g. sponge, rubber or paper · CPC title

• B29L2031/425

  Toothbrush · CPC title