MXPA00012038A - Monofilament bristle assemblies and methods of making brushes using same - Google Patents

Abstract

Several brush assemblies are disclosed. All employ bristle strings that include a base string (66) connected to a plurality of monofilaments (118). The preferred monofilaments are nylons and other polymeric thermoplastic materials. The monofilaments may be linear segments or loop segments (168a, b) disposed in two rows. The bristle strings may be connected to brush bodies to form virtually any of the various types of brushes. Bristle strings employing loops may be braided together to form entangled, monofilament articles for brush or other applications.

Description

SET OF MONOFILAMENTS OF PIGS AND METHOD FOR MANUFACTURE OF BRUSHES USING THE SAME BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates in general to brushes and brushing technique / and more particularly to brushes having bristle monofilaments and methods for assembling subsets of bristle monofilaments to brush bodies. The preparation of brushes involves the coupling of bristles to a brush body. In a type of brush, known as the "solid block / ribbon group" a solid block acting as the brush body is perforated, molded or otherwise worked to form an array of holes. The individual bunches are placed in individual holes and secured to the block by wire tapes, plugs or other anchoring means. Manual brushes are similar except that the bundles are secured by pulling them through the holes with an elongated strand. Another type of brush uses a "sleeve and monofilament" technique to attach the bristles Ref: 125712 to the body of the brush. A cluster or bundle of monofilaments and the spacers creating the cavity are inserted into a sleeve and fitted with a binding or binding resin. Brushes with a sleeve, such as a paint brush, are used to apply mainly liquid or viscous solutions. In metal strip brushes, the fibers are maintained in a U-shaped channel of a metal strip by an anchor, rope or monofilament wire. The channel is then enclosed folded to mechanically fasten the proximal end portions of. the monofilaments and anchor the wire inside the strip. Once formed, the brush strips can be coupled to brush bodies or otherwise shaped for specific applications. The fused brushes are those in which the polymeric bundles are fused directly to the body of the brush, which is preferably made from the same material. A "variation of fused brushes employs ultrasonic welding to secure the polymer fibers directly to a base.

With respect to the toothbrush, it is now common practice to use nylon monofilaments which are grouped together to form "bunches of bristles". Each bundle of bristles is typically accommodated in a circular cluster, and a full bristle head includes a matrix of bundles of bristles arranged in rows or other patterns. The folded proximal bases of the bristle bunches are typically embedded and held in place by an anchoring wire that extends through the field of the bunches and into the polymeric material that forms the head portion of the toothbrush body, while the distal ends extend in an upward direction from it, frequently ending up in a common plane. A more recent bundling method employs the process of cutting the bundle of monofilaments to the desired length, fusing the proximal ends by heat and embedding the fused proximal ends within the polymeric material of the toothbrush head. More recent innovations in the art of toothbrushes have included bunches of cut bristles to provide different lengths, to provide an arrangement of shorter and longer bunches to achieve a desired action on the user's teeth. In some bunches the monofilaments are of different lengths. While these improvements may result in better functional aspects of the toothbrush, few innovations have been made in recent years in the techniques for the manufacture of the toothbrush head; this is particularly evident in the manner in which the bristles are mounted with the body of the brush. In all known types of brushes, the assembly process can represent a substantial portion of the manufacturing cost, since the filaments of individual bristles have to be kept in a desired grouping and then attached to the body of the brush in a way that ensures that the filaments of the bristles are not come to detach during use. Also, recycling becomes more problematic for brushes that use metal strips or other combinations of different kinds of materials (plastics and metals, for example) in a structure.

There is a continuing need for improved brush designs and brush manufacturing methods that are efficient and inexpensive.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to provide a brush that is relatively easy to assemble, and thus, inexpensive to produce. An object of the present invention is to provide the means to expand the brush design beyond the possible range with current bundle forming techniques. - Another objective of the present invention is to provide a subset of bristles for a brush in which the individual filaments are fixed in position one with respect to the other before connection to a brush body. Still another object of the present invention is to provide a method for assembling the brushes in which the subsets of bristles can be permanently connected to the body of the brush or, alternatively, detachably connected for subsequent replacement, thereby avoiding discarding as waste the bodies of brushes otherwise functional. This and other objects are met by providing a subset of bristles including a base cord and a plurality of polymeric monofilaments connected transversely to the base cord. Each monofilament, when connected to the base cord, forms a pair of monofilament segments, and the monofilament segments are placed in two rows along the base cord. The monofilament segments of the two rows extend outwardly from the base cord to form a row of V-shaped bristles which can be used in a variety of different brush applications. In an alternative embodiment, the subset of bristles includes a plurality of monofilament loops connected to a base cord. Each loop is connected transversely to the base cord to form a pair of loop segments that extend outwardly from opposite sides of the base string to form two rows of loop segments.

Two or more subsets of crimped or cut monofilaments can be twisted or braided together to form cylindrical structures that have value in many applications, such as brushes. The sub-assemblies of bristles can be coupled to the brush bodies in a variety of ways to form unique brush / bristle assemblies. Other objects and features of the invention will become apparent from the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the illustrative embodiments in the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Figure 1 is a top view of a subset of bristles according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention; Figure 2 is a front view of the subset of bristles of the embodiment of Figure i; Figure 3 is a side view of the base cord and of the monofilaments of the subset of bristles of Figure 1, and an ultrasonic horn for heat fusion; Figure 4 is an enlarged cross-sectional view, taken along line 4-4 of Figure 2; Figure 5 is an enlarged partial end view of the subset of bristles of Figure 1; Figures 6-10 are sequential schematic views, showing a method of manufacturing a brush incorporating a plurality of subsets of bristles of Figure 1; Figures 11-14 are schematic, sequential views, showing an alternative method of manufacturing a brush incorporating a plurality of subsets of bristles of Figure 1; Figures 15-16 are schematic, sequential views, showing another alternative method of manufacturing a brush incorporating a plurality of subsets of bristles of Figure 1; Figures 17-18 are schematic, sequential views, showing another alternative method of manufacturing a brush incorporating a plurality of subsets of bristles of Figure 1 as bristle cartridges; Figure 19 is a side elevational view of a bristle cartridge used in the embodiment of Figures 17-18; Figure 20 is an amplified photograph of a monofilament containing granule material for abrasive applications; Figure 21 is a side elevational view of a toothbrush according to an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 22 is an enlarged sectional view taken along line 22-22 of Figure 21; Figure 23 is a top view of the head portion of the toothbrush of Figure 21; Figure 23A is an enlarged sectional view showing an embodiment in which two subsets of bristles are installed in the same groove or notch, or otherwise connected to a tandem brush body, to provide higher density and bristles of different lengths; Figure 24 is a side elevational view showing a brush body and the serrated notch; Figure 25 is a side elevational view of a subset of bristles prior to insertion into the serrated notch of Figure 24; Figure 26 is a side elevational view of the body of the brush of Figure 24, assembled with the subset of bristles of Figure 25, where the upper end portions of the bristles adopt a saw pattern due to the compliance of the lower end portions to the serrated notch; Figure 27 is a side elevation view of a cylindrical brush according to yet another embodiment of the present invention, showing * the side wall of the brush body before wrapping the subset of bristles along its length; Figure 28 is a side elevational view of the cylindrical body of Figure 27, with the subset of bristles completely installed on the cylinder; Figure 29 is a schematic view of yet another embodiment of the present invention, in which these bristle assemblies are twisted or braided together to form a brush; Figure 30 is a schematic view of yet another embodiment of the present invention, in which a subset of bristles and two wires are bent together to form a wire brush; Figure 31 is an end view of the wire brush of Figure 30; Figure 32 is a top view of a subset of bristles according to yet another embodiment of the present invention, in which crimped monofilaments are used; Figures 33 and 34 are end views showing how curls are formed in the monofilament strand for the embodiment of Figure 32; Figure 35 is a side elevational view of a curled structure in which four of the subsets of bristles of Figure 32 are twisted or braided together; Figure 36 is an end view of the crimped structure of Figure 35; Figure 37 is a partial top view of a subset of bristles according to still another embodiment of the present invention; Figure 38 is a vertical cross-sectional view taken along line 38-38 of Figure 37; Figure 39 is an exploded end view of a subset of bristles according to yet another embodiment of the present invention; and Figure 40 is an end view of the subset of bristles of Figure 39.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED MODALITIES With reference to Figures 1 and 2, a subset 10 of bristles includes a base cord 12 and a plurality of monofilaments 14 connected to the base cord 12. The monofilaments 14 are preferably connected to the base cord 12 substantially perpendicularly, as shown in FIG. shown in Figure 1, with the base cord 12 dividing each monofilament 14 into first and second opposite side legs 16, 18, which extend outwardly from the base cord 12 in two rows. In the illustrated embodiment the legs 16 and 18 are of substantially equal length. In other modalities the legs can be elaborated of different length, by displacement of the base cord 12 laterally towards a position displaced from the center before the union of monofilaments to the base cord. Also, while the base cord 12 is shown to be substantially normal or perpendicular to the monofilaments 14, the monofilaments could be placed at a variety of angles relative to the base cord, depending on the desired characteristics of the brush for the finished product. As seen in Figure 2, the legs 16 and 18 are sharply angled relative to the horizontal plane AA to form a V-shaped structure. The polymeric monofilaments 14 are linear and flexible, so that when they are bent or flexed it is generated a spring-loaded restoration force to return them to a linear or substantially linear arrangement. In a preferred method for manufacturing the subassembly 10, heat is used to fuse the monofilaments 14 to the base cord 12. In order to facilitate this process, either of the monofilaments 14 or the base cord 12, preferably both, are made from a polymeric thermoplastic material. Also, in any embodiment, the monofilaments 14 are each a single filament, as opposed to a "multifilament", such as a thread, string, etc., although the monofilament may be a co-extrusion of one or more polymers to form a coaxial structure. The monofilaments 14 may be made from a variety of different materials, including aliphatic polyamides, aromatic polyamides, polyesters, polyolefins, styrenes, fluoropolymers, polyvinyl chloride (PVC), polyurethane, polyvinylidene chloride, and polystyrene-styrene copolymers. A polymeric material particularly suitable for applications in toothbrushes is nylon 6.12; other nailers can be used, including nylon 4, nylon 6, nylon 11, nylon 12, nylon 6,6, nylon 6,10, nylon 6,14, nylon 10,10 and nylon 12,12 and other nylon copolymers. During fabrication of the bristle subassembly, and with reference to Figures 3-5, the monofilaments 14 are arranged substantially parallel to one another, substantially in the same plane and placed in contact with the base cord 12. In a mounting process automated, the monofilaments 14 and the base cord 12, positionally fixed one with respect to the other, but not yet joined together, are transported under a stationary ultrasonic horn 20, as indicated by the directional arrow in Figure 3. The horn 20 , which makes contact with the monofilaments 14, distributes sufficient energy to cause any monofilament material 14, or the base cord 12, preferably both, to flow. In one embodiment, the flow of monofilament material causes adjacent monofilaments 14 to become interconnected through a flow zone 22. This is preferred when the monofilaments are placed shoulder to shoulder with the adjacent monofilaments bordering one another. In order to facilitate this process, either the monofilaments 14 or the base cord 12, preferably both, are made of a polymeric thermoplastic material. In the flow area 22, preferably the material coming from the base cord 12 also flows during the heating by the ultrasonic horn, so that the material coming from the base cord intermingles with the material coming from the monofilaments. This intermixing causes the monofilaments 14 to become interconnected to the base cord along the flow zone 22, with the interconnections between the base cord 12, the flow zone 22 and the monofilaments 14. The union can also occur through other means, and with different degrees of fusion, where for example, the monofilaments are attached to the base cord by encapsulation or simple mechanical interlocking to the base cord. When the monofilaments are shoulder to shoulder as in Figure 3, the interconnection of the adjacent monofilaments 14 to one another in the flow zone 22 may be relatively strong compared to the interconnection of the base cord 12 to the flow zone 22 , which is substantially composed of the monofilament material. This characteristic allows, in some applications, the withdrawal of the base cord 12 from the monofilaments 14 at any time after the thermal fusion. Alternatively, the adhesion between the monofilaments and the base cord can be at least as strong as the adhesion between the monofilaments. While Figure 3 shows the monofilaments in a single row, shoulder to shoulder, the density can be varied such that the adjacent monofilaments do not touch each other. Also, the density may be such that a second or a greater number of rows of monofilaments are stacked one on top of the other. Where a 203 micron (8 mil) nylon monofilament is used, for example, a density of approximately 4.92 monofilaments per millimeter (125 monofilaments per inch) of the base cord can be achieved with a single row, monofilament shoulder to shoulder . A method for manufacturing a brush using the subsets of bristles described above is illustrated in Figures 6-10. First, a brush head blank 24, made of thermoplastic polymeric material is provided in a general size and shape suitable for any of the numerous particular applications for brushes. In the next step, the blank 24 is thermally processed to form a plurality of notches 26, 28, 30 and 32. The displaced polymer material forms ridges extending above the plane that encompasses the top surface of the blank. 24. The notches can be formed with a male forming matrix, outgoing. Alternatively, the notches can be molded in the blank 24 during the formation of the blank 24. The number of notches, their length, depth and orientation with respect to each other, depends on the size, type and structure of the blank. brush function. The four (4) notches shown are illustrative and have no limiting meaning. Also, while the notches shown in the Figures are "U-shaped", they could easily adopt other shapes depending on the shape of the mold or of the male die or die, including rectangular. As shown in Figure 8, a subset of bristles 36 is forced into notch 26, forcing legs 38 and 40 in a substantially vertical position, as seen in Figure 9. This base chord 42 preferably sits on the bottom of the notch 26. Preferably, all the bristle subsets, corresponding to the four notches 26, 28, 30 and 32 are forced into position simultaneously. The four subsets of bristles are secured in position by heat forming the upper surface of the blank 24, thereby enclosing the notches and forming the structure shown in Figure 10. Once enclosed, the base cord 42 helps Anchoring the subset of bristles in their respective notch. Once the monofilaments are forced into a vertical orientation, with the legs 38 and 40 substantially parallel to each other, the subset of bristles 36 becomes a "string of bristles" in which monofilaments from two legs tend to tangle and form a row of "bristles". As seen in Figures 11-14, a blank piece 44 of the brush is processed to form a plurality of notches 46, 48, 50 and 52. The formation of the notch can result from any known techniques, depending on the type of material that includes the piece in coarse 44. For pieces in rough made of thermoplastic polymeric material, the formation can be carried out by means of molding, thermal displacement or mechanical removal of material. In the case of thermal displacement, the accumulation of grooves may be necessary within the body of the brush to accumulate the displaced thermoplastic material.

Other materials of the piece in rough could be used, including wood and metal. Also, while the base cord is shown having a rectangular shape that fits in the similarly shaped rectangular notches, notches and base cords of other shapes may also be employed. The exact match between the shape of the notches and the base cords is not necessary. As seen in Figure 12, the subset of bristles 54 includes first and second legs of monofilaments 56 and 58 connected to a base cord 60 of rectangular shape. Preferably, the sub-assemblies of bristles are adjusted within the respective notches in a single movement. When fitted in the notches, the legs assume a substantially vertical orientation as shown in Figure 13. Each vertical pair of legs of each base cord defines a chain of bristles. Preferably, the notches have a smaller width than the respective bristle assemblies to ensure a tight interference fit. If desired, either the bottom portion of the bristle subset or. the surface of the groove, or both, can be treated with a suitable material to form a bond between the sub-set of bristles and the base of the brush, by means of solvent bonding, adhesive bonding or other means known in the art. Once fitted into the notches, an ultrasonic welding step can be employed to ensure that the chains or rows of bristles are not separated from the body of the brush. As seen in Figure 14, an ultrasonic horn 62 is shaped to fit between the legs 56 and 58, and make contact with the base cord 60. The ultrasonic horn 62 can also be used to insert the subset of bristles 54 into the notch 60, and energized by appropriate devices for further improvement of productivity. Alternatively, when. the notches are formed by the use of a hot, male forming die or die, the base cords are preferably adjusted in the grooves while the polymer of the brush body is still smooth and capable of flowing. The soft thermoplastic polymeric material capable of flowing from the brush body allows the elongated bristle subset to be received in the smaller diameter notches and be intimately formed around the irregular and non-planar surfaces. A clamping device can be used to fix a pre-selected pattern on the legs of the monofilaments 56 and 58, as the subset of bristles 54 is forced into receiving notches 46, 48, 50 and 52. This could be used to form unique monofilament patterns at the distal ends thereof. After cooling, the subset of bristles is held in the groove by the friction coupling and preferably the partial fusion connection, when the brush body and the bristle subset are the same or of a compatible thermoplastic polymer material. In the embodiment of Figures 15-16, a blank 64 of the brush body is molded or otherwise worked to form a plurality of key hole-shaped notches 66, 68, 70 and 72. A plurality of sub-assemblies. of bristles 74 are fitted within the respective notches, preferably from the ends of the notches, instead of forming the upper part, since the open upper part of the notches is narrower than the diameter of the bristle assemblies. After the sub-assemblies of bristles have been seated in the notches, the open ends of the notches can be thermally sealed and / or with plugs or filler material 78. Alternatively, if the material of the brush body is elastomeric, this can be suitably flexed without permanently deforming the body of the brush 64, to extend the notches 66, 68, 70 and 72, the sub-assemblies of bristles 74 can be laterally inserted through the upper part of the key hole, which avoids open ends for installation. The keyhole-shaped slots can be formed by any conventional technique, including molding the notches when the blank is formed or by knurling the notches after the blank is formed. In the embodiment of Figures 17-19, the blank 80 of the brush body is provided with a plurality of dovetail notches 82, 84, 86 and 88 that can be formed according to any of the known techniques and / or previously discussed. In this embodiment, the base cord 90 and the proximal end portions of the monofilaments of each subset of bristles are separately fabricated in a dovetail-shaped strip 92 from which the legs 94 and 96 extend. Dovetail of the notches and the strings shown, are only an illustrative example; other appropriate forms could also be easily adopted. The strips slide into the respective notches from the ends thereof, and are held in place by ball and stop means or other complementary mechanical means. In this embodiment, the sub-assemblies of bristles and the respective strips form cartridges that are removable and replaceable when the bristles experience excessive wear or when other properties of the bristles are preferred. Alternatively, the strips or sub-assemblies of bristles could be molded directly into the body of the brush. In the embodiments of Figures 21-23, a toothbrush 98 is shown having a brush body 100 made of polymeric material. The body 100 includes an integrally formed head portion 102, and a handle portion 104. An array of bristles 106 is connected to the head portion 102 by any means appropriate to the techniques described above, and consists of four strings of bristles 108, 110, 112 and 114, each consisting of a base cord and two rows of monofilaments flexed, pressed or otherwise put together to form a single, thicker row of monofilament bristles. In the illustrated embodiment, the array of bristles 106 consists of four rows of longitudinally oriented bristles. However, the rows can be oriented in different directions and in several numbers. For example, the rows could be oriented in a lateral, transverse or other direction. For the transverse or lateral rows in the illustrated toothbrush, the rows could probably be more numerous and shorter to provide the same number of bristles in the array. While the illustrated embodiment shows that the length of the bristles is substantially the same, the lengths can be varied to achieve desired patterns and effects. For example, the monofilaments of the outer bristle chain could be made longer than the monofilaments of the internal, adjacent bristle chain. Also, the monofilaments of a particular row of bristles could be cut or otherwise formed to varying lengths. As seen in Figure 23A, two subsets of bristles 109 and 111 are laterally inserted, one on top of the other, in the same notch with the result that the bristles of each will have different lengths. Another way to vary the lengths of the bristles is shown in Figures 24-26. This method could be used for the toothbrush of Figures 21-23 or for any other brushes described herein, or brushes otherwise within the scope of the present invention, where bristles with varying lengths are desired. As seen in Figures 24-26, a brush body 99 has a serrated groove 101 which opens in the upper part. The notch can be formed by molding, machining or other means. When the body 99 is made of thermoplastic material, a male die or die having a serrated end could be used to form the notch. A subset of bristles 103 having a base cord 105 and monofilaments 107 connected, is forced into the notch. 101, so that the base cord 105 adopts the profile of the grooves at the bottom of the groove. Since the proximal end portions of the bristles 107 follow the ridges, the distal end portions are mirror images of the serrated or fluted pattern, as seen in Figure 26. The brush bodies described above have flat surfaces from the which extend the bristle arrangements. However, the present invention is not limited to a particular brush body shape. In the embodiment of Figures 27 and 28, a cylindrical brush body 116 has first and second opposed axial ends 118 and 120 and a lateral wall 122 generally cylindrical. A spiral groove 124 is formed in the side wall 122 and extends from the end 118 to the end 120. An elongated, simple bristle chain 126 is wrapped around the body of the brush 116 and fitted within the groove 124, as shown in FIG. shown in Figure 28. The width and depth of the notch 124 and its lower profile can be selected to allow the dissemination of the monofilaments; a wider notch will result in a wider spread or extension.

As long as the ends of the bristle chain 126 are secured to the body 116, no means must be required between the opposite ends to hold the bristle chain 126 in the groove 124. A particular advantage of the embodiment of Figures 27 and 28 is that the chain of bristles 126 can be removed and replaced with relative ease. Instead of a continuous chain or row of bristles wrapped around the periphery of a cylinder, a plurality of chains or rows of bristles could be mounted axially to the periphery, each in its own radial plane, to cover the outer surface of the cylinder with monofilaments. To facilitate the connection of the rows or chains of bristles, the outer surface of the cylinder could be provided with parallel notches which could be formed and shaped according to the preceding modes. If the cylinder is made of metal, the notches could preferably be machined according to conventional machining techniques. Yet another variation of the cylindrical brush could be to provide a hollow cylinder and mount the rows of bunches on the inner cylindrical surface, either in a spiral or axially linear pattern. For very long cylindrical brush bodies, where relaxation or elongation is problematic, or where cutting or abrasion of the base chord of the bristle subset is likely, the subset of bristles may be coupled according to the previous descriptions contained in present, by adhesive bonding, or by any suitable mechanical reinforcement, such as a wire overwrap. For some brush applications, the monofilaments may include abrasive particles or abrasive granule material for particular brush applications. With reference to Figure 20, two typical abrasive monofilaments are shown in amplification. The abrasive granule material is observed projecting from the outer surface of the monofilaments. These abrasive monofilaments are commercially available under the name TYNEX® A by E.l. Du Pont De Nemours and Company of Wilmington, Delaware USA. Preferably, the abrasive material comprises 0-50% by weight of the polymeric monofilaments. TYNEX® A is a 6.12 nylon monofilament containing particles of silicon carbide or aluminum oxide, which are distributed throughout the length of the monofilament. Other particles that could be used include boritos and boronitrides. The subset of bristles described above can be used to manufacture brushes that do not have handles or block bodies and do not require wire strands to hold the monofilaments of bristles in place, nor for structural support. With reference to Figure 29, a cylindrical brush 128 can be formed by twisting, folding or wrapping together two or more subsets of bristles, such as bristle subassemblies 130, 132 or 134. A twisting machine 136 of any design appropriate can be used to twist together the subsets of bristles. The subsets of twisted bristles can be joined together by a fast hardening adhesive or a solvent applied by the device 137 at the junction of the convergent bristle subsets. Other fastening techniques may be employed, such as the extrusion of a polymeric material, heat fusion and friction interlock. The subsets of bristles 130, 132 and 134 are of the same type described in the preceding embodiments, since they each include a plurality of monofilaments connected to a base cord. Also, the braid can be used as an alternative procedure, instead of the joint, to interconnect the plurality of subsets. Figure 30 shows a variation of the embodiment of Figure 29, in which a wire brush 129 is made by spiral wrapping of two wires 131, 132 with a subset of bristles 135 having a base cord and transverse monofilaments. A twisting device 139 takes the three separate feeds and produces the wire brush 129, wrapped in a spiral. An end view of the brush 129 is shown in Figure 31. The subsets of twisted bristles of the Figures 29 and 30 are suitable for many brushes, including, for example, cosmetic brushes, bottle brushes, mask brushes and interdental brushes. The subsets of brush without wire have particular value, since there can be no corrosion by metal and its by-products. Eye safety, in particular, will greatly improve with non-wire mask brushes. With reference to 32-34, a subset of bristles 138 includes a base cord 140 and a plurality of continuously crimped monofilaments 142. The curled monofilaments 142 are formed by taking a single strand of monofilament and forming a plurality of "ovals" along the length of the base cord 140. Each oval is compressed to form "figures of eight" and is then joined by welding ultrasonic to base cord 140 to dissect the oval and create two individual curls which provide first and second legs 142A and 142B on opposite sides of the base cord. The legs 142A and 142B extend outwardly and symmetrically or non-symmetrically from the base cord in two rows. One way to form the bristle subset 138 is to take a monofilament strand and wrap it around a support structure (not shown) to form the plurality of elongated curls 142. Figure 33. is an end view illustrating one of the plurality of curls. The curls 142 are then pressed at a transverse intermediate point in contact with the base cord 140 and welded thereto by ultrasonic heating. The resulting structure, where one of the loops is transformed into two loops, is shown in Figure 34. When ultrasonic welding is used, at least the monofilamentary thread 142 or the base cord 140, preferably both, are made of thermoplastic polymeric materials . These have been described above with reference to other modalities. The subsets of curled bristles can be used in many brushes, such as those described above, in place of the straight monofilament segments, or in combination with these. For example, in the toothbrush mode, a mixture of curled and straight monofilaments can be used to achieve a desired effect. Also, a row of curled monofilament bristles could be twisted to form a structure similar to that shown in Figure 31. As shown in Figures 35 and 36, the rows of crimped monofilament bristles 144, 146, 147 and 148 are crooked. each other to form a curled monofilament structure 150, in which the monofilamentary curls are folded together to provide a three-dimensional, stable, twisted appearance. The structure 150 can be used in brush applications, with or without a support body, or in other non-brush applications where a high surface area structure is desired. In embodiments employing a curled monofilament, it is preferable to make the length of the curl legs (such as 142A and 142B) substantially larger than the maximum width of the curl legs. It is also preferable that the monofilament strand be attached to the base cord at the point where the legs of each loop intersect the base cord, so that a continuous length of the subset of crimped bristles can be cut into segments without causing the curls to crumble. While not preferred, the point of attachment may be elsewhere. The monofilaments used in any of the above embodiments may be coextrusions of one or more polymers. Also, to achieve the desired physical characteristics of the bristles, it has been found that the preferred monofilaments are those having a diameter between 50.8 micrometers and 5.08 mm (2 and 200 mils) and preferably between 50.8 micrometers and 508 micrometers (2 and 20 microns). thousandths of an inch). In a particularly preferred embodiment for the toothbrush, the monofilaments are 152.4-254 μm (6-10 mils) in diameter. Monofilaments of different diameters, polymer composition, where compatible, and / or colors can be combined in a set or subset of bristles to achieve specific brushing characteristics and / or a specific appearance. In the modalities using nylon either for the monofilament or for the base cord, or both, a preferred nylon filament is sold under the name TYNEX®, and is manufactured by E.l. Du Pont De Nemours and Company of Wilmington, Delaware, USA. TYNEX® is a 6.12 nylon filament made of polyhexamethylene dodecanamide. This has a melting point of between 208 and 215 ° C and has a specific gravity of 1.05-1.07, and is commercially available in many shapes or diameters in cross section.

The monofilaments and / or base ropes suitable for use in the present invention may have shapes other than the circular cross sections, and may be hollow or have voids in their cross section. The modalities described above show circular transverse shapes for the base cord and the monofilaments. In one embodiment, the base cord has a rectangular cross-sectional shape. Either or both of the base cord and the monofilaments could have oval or other shapes. In any form, the preferred thickness for the base cord and the monofilaments is selected to provide a level of functionality for the individual brush applications. With respect to the base cord, the preferred embodiments described above show a single strand of the monofilament material. However, the base cord could be a cluster or bundle of monofilaments having at least one of the monofilaments made of polymeric thermoplastic material. The polymeric monofilaments used for bristles in the various embodiments described above may have other additives. For example, polymeric monofilaments could include 0-50% by weight of particles having functional and / or aesthetic quality. An example could be the particulate material that provides a color characteristic that could improve the visual appearance of the bristles. Other functional particles could also be included such as antimicrobial additives in the polymeric monofilaments. Other particulate materials or coatings can be applied to or embedded within the monofilament, such as therapeutic agents or colorants, or other desirable additives. Also, the monofilaments can be surface treated to provide desired properties, such as to alter the coefficient of friction. The modalities described above require the "connection" between the monofilaments and the base cord. In this context, "connection" means that the monofilaments are coupled to the base cord by a frangible union formed by bonding, adhesive bonding, solvent bonding, or similar means. The degree of frangibility can be controlled so that, if desired, the base cord can be easily separated from the monofilaments after joining. In an alternative embodiment, shown in Figures 37 and 38, a plurality of monofilaments 152 are arranged in a parallel arrangement 154, substantially linear. Instead of connecting by bonding, the monofilaments 152 are interlocked by weaving or spot welding of at least two base cords 156 and 158. The resulting subset of bristles could have two relatively flat rows of monofilament segments placed on opposite sides of the cords base, and could be used in various brush bodies, including those described above. In the modality knitted or welded by points, it is not so important for the monofilaments and the basic ropes, that they are thermoplastic or polymeric, since the fusion by heat is not necessary. Of course, non-polymeric materials can be used, including ceramic filaments, glass filaments, and metallic wire filaments. Yet another embodiment that does not require the connection between the monofilaments and the base cord is shown in Figures 39 and 40. There, a subset of bristles 160 includes a plurality of monofilaments 162 that are captured between a lower base cord 164 and a base cord upper 166. A force is applied in the direction of the arrow, to push the upper base cord 166 and the plurality of monofilaments 162 into a notch formed in the lower base cord 164. The free space of adjustment between the cords or rows 164 and 166 are predetermined and selected for the diameter of the monofilament 162 to be captured by the interlocking of the ropes 164 and 166 as the monofilaments 162 are filling the void space. Any appropriate form of the notch can be provided to ensure the mechanical interlocking of the two ropes. This mechanical interlocking is achieved through the use of polymeric materials that are elastic, to allow the passage of the upper chain or rope inside the notch of the lower rope. After the two cords are intertwined, the monofilaments will flex upward to form two rows of legs 168 and 170 as in the other embodiments. The two base strings are placed respectively below and above the monofilaments and in alignment with each other, and thus interlock with one another to capture the monofilaments between them. The embodiments of Figures 37-40 preferably use the materials described in the previous embodiments, together with additional non-polymeric and non-polymeric materials, which may be used in the absence of heat fusion, adhesive or solvent. In the various embodiments described herein, the uncurled monofilaments have been described as linear and parallel. It is possible to use polymeric monofilaments that are non-linear, however, such as in the case of monofilaments that have been crimped or otherwise conditioned to a non-linear predisposed formation. Although the invention has been described with reference to several particular embodiments, it may be understood by those skilled in the art that the invention is susceptible to a variety of alternative embodiments within the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

It is noted that in relation to this date, the best method known to the applicant to carry out the aforementioned invention, is that which is clear from the present description of the invention.

Claims (92)

RErVINDICATIONS Having described the invention as above, the content of the following claims is claimed as property:

1. A subset of bristles comprising (a) a base cord (b) a plurality of monofilaments, and (c) a flow zone, characterized in that there are interconnections between the base cord, the flow zone and the monofilaments, and the monofilaments are interconnected to the base rope along the flow area.

2. A subset of bristles according to claim 1, characterized in that the monofilaments are made of a polymeric material.

3. A subset of bristles according to claim 2, characterized in that the polymeric material is a thermoplastic polymeric material.

4. A subset of bristles according to claim 1, characterized in that the base cord comprises a monofilament strand made of a polymeric material.

5. A subset of bristles according to claim 4, characterized in that the polymeric material is a thermoplastic polymeric material.

6. A subset of bristles according to claim 1, characterized in that the monofilaments are made of a material selected from the group consisting of aliphatic polyamides, aromatic polyamides, polyesters, polyolefins, styrenes, polyvinyl chloride (PVC), fluoropolymers, polyurethane, polyvinylidene chloride and copolymers of polystyrene and styrene.

7. A subset of bristles according to claim 1, characterized in that the monofilaments are made of a nylon material.

8. A subset of bristles according to claim 7, characterized in that the nylon material is selected from the group consisting of nylon 4, nylon 6, nylon 11, nylon 12, nylon 6,6, nylon 6,10, nylon 6, 14, nylon 10.10, nylon and nylon 12, 12 and other nylon copolymers.

9. A subset of bristles according to claim 1, characterized in that at least one of the base cord and the monofilaments are made of polybutylene terephthalate (PBT).

10. A subset of bristles according to claim 1, characterized in that the monofilaments have non-circular transverse shapes.

11. A subset of bristles according to claim 1, characterized in that at least one of the base cord and the monofilaments have at least one continuous cavity.

12. A subset of. bristles according to claim 1, characterized in that at least one of the base cord and the monofilaments have non-continuous voids.

13. A subset of bristles according to claim 1, characterized in that the base cord is a monofilament made of thermoplastic material having a diameter of 50.8 μm to 5.08 mmm (2-200 mils).

14. A subset of bristles according to claim 1, characterized in that the monofilaments have substantially circular transverse shapes.

15. A subset of bristles according to claim 1, characterized in that the base cord has a non-circular transverse shape.

16. A subset of bristles according to claim 1, characterized in that the base cord has a substantially circular transverse shape.

17. A subset of bristles according to claim 1, characterized in that the base cord is a bunch of monofilaments, at least one of which is made of thermoplastic polymeric material.

18. A subset of bristles according to claim 17, characterized in that at least one of the monofilaments included in the bundle is made of material selected from the group consisting of aliphatic polyamides, aromatic polyamides, polyesters, polyolefins, styrenes, polyvinyl chloride (PVC) ), fluoropolymers, polyurethane, polyvinylidene chloride and polystyrene and styrene copolymers.

19. A subset of bristles according to claim 1, characterized in that the monofilaments include an additive selected from the group consisting of dyes, color particles, therapeutic agents, antimicrobial agents and combinations thereof.

20. A subset of bristles according to claim 1, characterized in that the monofilaments include 0-50% by weight of abrasive particles.

21. A subset of bristles according to claim 20, characterized in that the abrasive particles are selected for their abrasive properties from the group consisting of oxides, carbides, silicates, nitrides, boritos, boronitrides, and metals.

22. A subset of bristles according to claim 1, characterized in that at least one of the base cord and the monofilaments are coextrusions of at least one polymer.

23. A subset of bristles according to claim 1, characterized in that at least one of the base cord and the monofilaments are surface treated.

24. A subset of bristles according to claim 1, characterized in that the monofilaments are non-linear.

25. A subset of bristles according to claim 1, characterized in that the monofilaments are fused by heat to the base cord.

26. A subset of bristles according to claim 1, characterized in that the monofilaments are adhesively bonded to the base cord.

27. A subset of bristles according to claim 1, characterized in that the monofilaments are solvent bonded to the base cord.

28. A subset of bristles according to claim 1, characterized in that the monofilaments are connected transversely to the base cord to form first and second rows of monofilament segments.

29. A subset of bristles according to claim 28, characterized in that the minimum angular variance, and the second row of the monofilament segments is substantially straight and placed in a second plane with minimum angular variance.

30. A subset of bristles according to claim 1, characterized in that the monofilaments have a diameter of 50.8 μm to 5.08 mm (2 to 200 mils), and preferably collaborators of 50.8 μm to 500 μm (2 to 20 mils) .

31. A subset of bristles according to claim 1, characterized in that the monofilaments have varying diameters of 50.8 μm to 5.08 mm (2 to 200 mils) and preferably 50.8 μm to 508 μm (2 to 20 mils).

32. A subset of bristles according to claim 1, characterized in that the monofilaments have variant properties selected from the group consisting of shapes, lengths and colors, and combinations thereof.

33. A subset of bristles according to claim 1, characterized in that each of the monofilaments is a curl connected to the base cord.

34. A subset of bristles according to claim 33, characterized in that the monofilament curls are connected to the base cord substantially in first and second rows.

35. A subset of bristles according to claim 1, characterized in that the monofilaments include a combination of straight polymer monofilament segments, and crimped polymeric monofilament segments.

36. A brush assembly, characterized in that it comprises (a) a brush body, and (b) at least a subset of bristles connected to the body of the brush; the subset of bristles comprises (i) a base cord, (ii) a plurality of monofilaments, and (iii) a flow zone, where there are interconnections between the base cord, the flow zone and the monofilaments, and the monofilaments are interconnected to the base rope along the flow area.

37. A brush assembly according to claim 36, characterized in that the monofilaments are made of a polymeric material.

38. A brush assembly according to claim 37, characterized in that the polymeric material is a thermoplastic polymeric material.

39. A brush assembly according to claim 36, characterized in that the base cord is a simple monofilament made of a polymeric material.

40. A brush assembly according to claim 39, characterized in that the polymeric material is a thermoplastic polymeric material.

41. A brush assembly according to claim 36, characterized in that the base cord is a bundle of monofilaments, at least one of which is made of a thermoplastic polymeric material.

42. A brush assembly according to claim 41, characterized in that at least one monofilament included in the bundle is made of a material selected from the group consisting of aliphatic polyamides, aromatic polyamides, polyesters, polyolefins, styrenes, polyvinyl chloride (PVC) , fluoropolymers, polyurethane, polyvinylidene chloride and polystyrene and styrene copolymers.

43. A brush assembly according to claim 36, characterized in that the monofilaments are made of a material selected from the group consisting of aliphatic polyamides, aromatic polyamides, polyesters, polyolefins, styrenes, polyvinyl chloride (PVC), fluoropolymers, polyurethane, chloride of polyvinylidene and copolymers of polystyrene and styrene.

44. A brush assembly according to claim 36, characterized in that the monofilaments are made of a nylon material.

45. A brush assembly according to claim 44, characterized in that the nylon material is selected from the group consisting of nylon 4, nylon 6, nylon, 11, nylon 12, nylon 6,6, nylon 6,10, nylon 6, 14, nylon 10.10 and nylon 12, 12 and other nylon copolymers.

46. A brush assembly according to claim 36, characterized in that at least one of the base cord and the polymer monofilaments are made of polybutylene terephthalate (PBT).

47. A brush assembly according to claim 36, characterized in that the body of the brush is made of a material selected from the group consisting of polymer, metal and wood.

48. A brush assembly according to claim 36, characterized in that the monofilaments are fused by heat to the base cord.

49. A brush assembly according to claim 36, characterized in that the monofilaments are adhesively bonded to the base cord.

50. A brush assembly according to claim 36, characterized in that the monofilaments are solvent bonded to the base cord.

51. A brush assembly according to claim 36, characterized in that the monofilaments include a plurality of polymeric monofilament segments, - connected transversely to the base cord to form first and second legs.

52. A brush assembly according to claim 51, characterized in that the first and second legs of each row of bristles are flexed substantially parallel to each other, and the base cord is embedded in the body of the brush, in order to maintain the first and second legs in the substantially parallel position.

53. A brush assembly according to claim 46, characterized in that the brush body includes a plurality of notches and the brush assembly further includes a row of bristles detachably adjusted in each notch.

54. A brush assembly according to claim 36, characterized in that the body comprises at least one wire interlaced with the subset of bristles.

55. A brush assembly according to claim 36, characterized in that the body includes a plurality of notches and each subset of bristles includes a cartridge having the base cord embedded therein, and the monofilaments extending upwardly from the cartridge .

56. A brush assembly according to claim 55, characterized in that the cartridge of each sub-set of bristles is detachably received in the notches of the body.

57. A brush assembly according to claim 36, characterized in that the body includes a handle portion and a head portion, wherein the monofilaments of each subset of bristles include first and second monofilament segments placed in first and second rows, wherein the first and second rows are bent towards each other to form a row of bristles, and wherein at least one row of bristles is connected to the head portion of the body.

58. A brush assembly according to claim 36, characterized in that each of the monofilaments is a loop connected to the base cord.

59. A brush assembly according to claim 58, characterized in that the monofilament curls are connected to the base cord substantially in first and second rows.

60. A brush assembly according to claim 36, characterized in that at least one of the base cord and the monofilaments have a diameter of 50.8 μm to 5.08 mm (2 to 200 mils).

61. A brush assembly according to claim 36, characterized in that the polymer monofilaments have a diameter of 50.8 μm to 508 μm (2 to 20 mils).

62. A brush assembly according to claim 36, characterized in that at least one of the base cord and the monofilaments have diameters ranging from 50.8 μm to 5.08 mm (2 to 200 thousandths of an inch).

63. A brush assembly according to claim 36, characterized in that at least one of the base cord and the monofilaments have diameters ranging from 50.8 μm to 508 μm (2 to 20 mils).

64. A brush assembly according to claim 36, characterized in that the monofilaments include a combination of their linearly monofilament segments and substantially curled monofilament segments.

65. A brush assembly according to claim 36, characterized in that at least one subset of bristles includes at least two subsets of bristles placed in a common row.

66. A brush assembly according to claim 65, characterized in that one subset of bristles has straight monofilaments and the other has curled monofilaments.

67. A method for manufacturing a brush, characterized in that the method comprises the steps of (a) the formation of a subset of bristles, (b) the provision of a brush body in a predetermined shape and size, and (c) the connection of the bristle subset to the body of the brush; the subset of bristles comprises (i) a base cord, (ii) a plurality of monofilaments, and (iii) a flow zone, where there are interconnections between the base cord, the flow zone and the monofilaments, and the monofilaments are interconnected to the base rope along the flow area.

68. A method according to claim 67, characterized in that each row of bristles includes a base cord connected substantially transverse to a plurality of polymeric monofilaments, to form a V-shaped structure defined by first and second rows of monofilament segments connected to the base cord.

69. A method according to claim 67, characterized in that the step of forming at least one row of bristles includes the formation of a plurality of loops from a monofilament thread, and the connection of the loops to the base rope to form substantially two. rows of monofilament curl segments.

70. A method according to claim 67, characterized in that the step of providing a brush body includes the provision of at least one wire, and the step of connecting at least one row or chain of bristles to the body of the brush, includes the twisting of at least one row of bristles and the wire together.

71. A method according to claim 63, characterized in that the connecting step comprises the bending of the first and second rows of the monofilament segments together to form a single, substantially vertically oriented row, extending upwardly from the base cord , and molding the base cord and the proximal end portions of the monofilaments within the body.

72. A method according to claim 67, characterized in that it further comprises the formation of a plurality of notches in the body of the brush, and the connection step includes, for each subset of bristles, the bending of the first and second rows of monofilament segments together, to form at least one substantially vertically oriented row extending upwardly from the base string, and the placement of the base string in a corresponding slot.

73. A method according to claim 72, characterized in that it further comprises sealing each base chord of each subset of bristles in each corresponding notch.

74. A method according to claim 67, characterized in that the step of providing a brush body includes the formation of a plurality of substantially parallel notches, the step of forming at least a subset of bristles includes the formation of at least one cartridge bristles having a support strip and a plurality of monofilaments extending upwardly from the support strip, and the step of connecting at least one row of bristles to the body of the brush includes adjustment of at least one bristle cartridge within a respective notch.

75. A method according to claim 67, characterized in that it further comprises the formation of a plurality of notches in the body of the brush, and the connection step-includes, for each subset of bristles, the flexing of the first and second rows of the bristles. monofilament segments together to form a single row, substantially vertically oriented, extending in an upward direction from the base cord, and laying the base cord of at least two subsets of bristles in at least one corresponding notch, and sealing the cords base in the corresponding notches.

76. An article, characterized in that it comprises: a first subset of monofilaments including a base cord and a plurality of monofilament loops connected to the base cord; and a second subset of monofilaments including a base cord and a plurality of monofilament loops connected to the base cord, the monofilament loops of the first and second monofilament subsets are entangled with one another.

77. An article according to claim 76, characterized in that the base ropes of the first and second subsets of monofilaments are twisted together to intertwine the monofilament loops of the first and second subsets of monofilaments.

78. An article according to claim 76, characterized in that the monofilament curls of the first and second subsets of monofilaments are made of material selected from the group consisting of aliphatic polyamides, aromatic polyamides, polyesters, polyolefins, styrenes, polyvinyl chloride (PVC) , fluoropolymers, polyurethane, polyvinylidene chloride and polystyrene and styrene copolymers.

79. An article according to claim 76, characterized in that it further comprises a third subset of monofilaments including a base cord and a plurality of monofilament loops connected to the base cord, the base cords of the first, second and third subsets of monofilaments are braided each other to entangle with this the monofilament curls of the first, second and third subset of monofilaments.

80. A subset of bristles, characterized in that it comprises (a) a first base cord having a notch; (b) a second base cord; and (c) a plurality of monofilaments placed in a substantially linear parallel arrangement, and captured by the interlocking of the second base cord within the notch of the first base cord.

81. A subset of bristles according to claim 80, characterized in that at least one base cord includes at least two base strings woven between the monofilaments.

82. A subset of bristles according to claim 80, characterized in that the plurality of monofilaments are made of a material selected from the group consisting of aliphatic polyamides, aromatic polyamides, polyesters, polyolefins, styrenes, polyvinyl chloride (PVC), fluoropolymers, polyurethane , polyvinylidene chloride polystyrene copolymers and styrene.

83. A subset of bristles according to claim 80, characterized in that at least one base cord includes two base strings placed respectively below and above the monofilaments, and in alignment with each other, the two base strings interlock one with the other. another to capture the monofilaments among these.

84. A subset of bristles according to claim 80, characterized in that at least one of the base cord and the monofilaments are made of a material selected from the group consisting of polymer, glass, metal and ceramic.

85. A subset of bristles according to claim 80, characterized in that the base cord is made of a material selected from the group consisting of aliphatic polyamides, aromatic polyamides, polyesters, polyolefins, polyethylene, polypropylene, styrene, polyvinyl chloride, PVC, fluoropolymers , polyurethanes, fluoropolymers, polyvinylidene chloride, and polystyrene-styrene copolymers.

86. A subset of bristles according to claim 80, characterized in that the plurality of monofilaments are made of a nylon material.

87. A subset of bristles according to claim 86, characterized in that the nylon material is selected from the group consisting of nylon 4, nylon 6, nylon 11, nylon 12, nylon 6,6, nylon 6,10, nylon 6,14 , nylon 10.10, and nylon 12.12 and other nylon copolymers.

88. A wire brush, characterized in that it comprises: a subset of bristles including a first base cord and a plurality of monofilaments connected to the base cord; and a first wire twisted together with the first subset of bristles.

89. A wire brush according to claim 88, further characterized in that it comprises a second twisted wire together with the first wire and the subset of bristles.

90. A wire brush according to claim 88, characterized in that the plurality of monofilaments are made of a material selected from the group consisting of aliphatic polyamides, aromatic polyamides, polyesters, polyolefins, styrenes, polyvinyl chloride (PVC), fluoropolymers, polyurethane , polyvinylidene chloride and polystyrene and styrene copolymers.

91. A wire brush according to claim 88, characterized in that the plurality of monofilaments are made of a nylon material.

92. A wire brush according to claim 88, characterized in that the nylon material is selected from the group consisting of nylon 4, nylon 6, nylon 11, nylon 12, nylon 6,6, nylon 6,10, nylon 6,14 , nylon 10.10, and nylon 12.12 and other nylon copolymers.