Process and arrangements for producing a toothbrush, the toothbrush, and also the use of the toothbrush

• US 7,175,238 B1
• Filed: 11/10/2000
• Issued: 02/13/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 11/12/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: ATOFINA Chemicals, Inc. (Arkema)
• Original Assignee: ATOFINA Chemicals, Inc. (Arkema)
• Inventors: Barman, Rolf
• Primary Examiner(s): Corcoran; Gladys J P
• Assistant Examiner(s): Bahta; Abraham
• Application Number:
  US10/129,606
• Time in Patent Office: 2,286 Days
• Field of Search: 151/672, 300/21, 300/2, 300/10, 300/11, D41/05, D41/06
• US Class Current: 300/21
• CPC Class Codes: A46B 2200/1066 Toothbrush for cleaning the teeth or dentures A61C17/16 takes precedence; bristles arrangements for toothbrushes A46B9/04
• CPC Class Codes: A46B 2200/1093 Brush for use on animal A46B2200/1086 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A46B 9/026 where the surface of the brush body or carrier is not in one plane, e.g. not flat A46B9/005 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A46D 3/00 Preparing, i.e. Manufacturing brush bodies

Abstract

A method and a device are described for manufacturing of a toothbrush from a starting-material which comprises a handle that runs into a neck part which divides into two equal and diverging arms/head parts, in which the bristle-carrying surface (bottom surfaces) of the head parts is approximately in a plane which runs parallel to the main axis of the toothbrush and head, and in which bristle which extend approximately vertically out from the surface is inserted and is of approximately equal of different lengths. According to the invention the starting-material is arranged in a shaping appliance in which the neck and head part adjacent to the respective associated arms, is supported with its underside on a support body, and the two head parts are bent, in particular by twisting/deformation, to the desired angle position by torsion-twisting of the two arms/heads along the respective axes approximately parallel to the center-line axis of the handle, approximately at the same height as the underside of the neck part, so that the edges of the head parts and the upper sides of the arms in the V-shaped opening form a head part with decreasing height towards the foremost part of the head part. The manufactured toothbrush is particularly suited to animals, in particular domestic animals, pets and especially intended for dogs and cats but can also be used by humans.

Claims

1. A method of producing a toothbrush from a blank, said blank comprising a handle portion, a neck portion and two diverging arm portions, each arm portion having a head portion with bristles, both head portions being located in a plane through a center line of said blank, and said bristles extending rectilinearly outwards from said center line, said method comprising the steps of:

placing said blank in a shaping device;

arranging a bottom side of said arm and head portions at a blank support body, wherein the support body has two mutually parallel pins have oppositely directed side faces having contact lines of the support body;

bending said arm and head portions via torsion twisting around said blank support body to a desired angle position along a respective one of two axes formed by contact lines of said blank support body, said two axes extending approximately parallel to said center line of said blank and approximately level with the bottom side of said neck portion;

wherein said step of bending causes said head portions to extend in downwards diverging directions with respect to said handle and neck portions, with a top side of said head portion extending downwards from a level of the center line of said blank and with the bottom side of said head portions extending downwards from a level of the bottom side of the neck portion.

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising arranging a rigid support structure in a spacing between said two diverging arm and head portions, said rigid support structure having a shape approximately corresponding to a shape of said spacing.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein said rigid support structure is wedge-shaped.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein during said step of bending, the blank support body has two opposed side edges running parallel to said blank center line.

5. A device for producing a toothbrush having a handle portion, a neck portion, two arm portions and a bristle carrying head portion at the outer end of each arm portion, including twisting and deforming said two arm portions to form an angle of about 90°

between the head portion of each arm portion, comprising;

a support body for supporting the toothbrush blank, said support body supporting at least said arm portions during a torsion twist bending of said arm portions along contact lines provided by said support body, wherein the support body forms two contact lines to support the arm portions to maintain their level during bending, and wherein the support body comprises two mutually parallel pins supporting the arm portions by means for mutually opposite side lines extending along the bottom side of the blank; and

means for softening relevant blank portions.

6. The device according to claim 5, further comprising a rigid structure located in a spacing between said two arm portions and said two head portions, said structure having a shape which approximately corresponds to said spacing.

7. The device according to claim 6, wherein the rigid structure is of a shape selected from the group consisting of V-shaped and wedge-shaped.

8. The device according to claim 5, wherein said support body has two edges extending parallel to the center line of the blank.