Method of making a brush and brush

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2017367474-A1
Application number	US-201715634950-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jun 27, 2017
Priority date	Jun 28, 2016
Publication date	Dec 28, 2017
Grant date	—

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 brush, in particular 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. fixedly connecting 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; d. bringing at least 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; e. 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 f. attaching the final tuft to a brush body, in particular 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 connecting the first ends of the first filaments comprises the steps of heating the first ends of the first filaments so that the ends of the first filaments at least partially melt and so that the molten material connects and of cooling the molten ends so that the molten ends non-separably connect with each other to form the connected first end.

3 . The method in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the step of connecting the first ends of the first filaments 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, in particular 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 a 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 step of connecting the first ends of the second filaments is different to the step of connecting the first ends of the first filaments, where the difference lies in particular in applying a different temperature to the first ends of the second filaments than to the first ends of the first filaments or in applying a different adhesive to the first ends of the second filaments than to the first ends of the first filaments or in applying a different connecting technology such as an adhesive connecting technology instead of a heat-based connecting technology or vice versa.

8 . The method in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the second tuft element is one of an elastomeric element, a sponge-like element, a tuft element comprising a first end made from a first material and a second end made from a second material different to the first material, at least one filament, or a combination thereof.

9 . 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.

10 . 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.

11 . 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.

12 . The method in accordance with claim 11 , wherein the step of fixedly connecting the first pre-tuft, the second tuft element, and the third tuft element is successively performed so that first the first pre-tuft and the second tuft element is connected and then the connection with the third tuft element is established.

13 . The method in accordance claim 1 , wherein the step of fixedly connecting the connected first end of the first pre-tuft and of the first end of the second tuft element results in 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.

14 . A brush having at least one final tuft having a first end and a second end, the final tuft being attached to a brush body with its first end, wherein the final tuft comprises a first pre-tuft and at least a second tuft element that are fixedly connected with each other, the first pre-tuft comprising a plurality of first filaments that are fixedly connected on first ends of the first filaments, and the second tuft element having a first end fixedly connected with the connected first ends of the first pre-tuft.

15 . The brush in accordance with claim 14 , wherein the second tuft element is an elastomeric element or a sponge-like element.

Assignees

• Procter & Gamble

Inventors

• Machlitt Michael
• Tretrop Uwe
• Chiu Jiawei

Classifications

• A46B9/065

  the bristles or the tufts being embedded in a different brushing material · CPC title

• A46D3/005 Primary

  by moulding or casting a body around bristles or tufts of bristles · CPC title

• B29K2667/006

  PBT, i.e. polybutylene terephthalate · CPC title

• B29K2621/003

  Thermoplastic elastomers · CPC title

• A46B9/06

  Arrangement of mixed bristles or tufts of bristles, e.g. wire, fibre, rubber · CPC title