CN106455806A - Carrier plate and brush, in particular toothbrush with carrier plate - Google Patents

Abstract

The method for producing bristle arrangements for brushes and the apparatus (1), the carrier plate (17) and the brush (60) provided with such a carrier plate (17) make it possible to simplify the production of bristle arrangements for brushes, inter alia, in that clusters of bristles (5) transported through the transporting apparatus (6) to the cluster-retaining plate (9) by means of a gas stream or air stream are discharged electrostatically as they are being transported through the transporting apparatus (6), and this allows them to be transported more easily through the transporting apparatus (6), and in that they reduce the outlay for anchor-free fastening of clusters of bristles (5) in a carrier plate (17), since the carrier plate (17) has rear-side material protrusions (54) which are fused on, and then pressed into a cluster-fastening plane, so that clusters of bristles (5, 5a) introduced into the perforations (24) of the carrier plate (17) can be easily connected to the carrier plate (17) in a form-fitting and/or force-fitting manner (Fig. 3).

Description

Small support plate and brush, especially toothbrush with small support plate

technical field

The invention relates to a method for producing a bristle field of a brush, in particular a toothbrush, wherein the bristle filaments are removed from a magazine containing a stock of bristle filaments and assembled into tufts of bristles, after which the bristles are separated by means of an air or air flow The bundle is guided through a transport device comprising a bundle containing device and a hollow conduit connected thereto and then fed into the bore of the bundle holding plate.

The invention relates to a small support plate comprising a plurality of holes extending through the small support plate, into which bristle bundles made of bristle filaments can be inserted and fastened to the small support plate without anchors.

The invention also relates to a brush, in particular a toothbrush, comprising a handle and a brush head with a small support plate receptacle and a small support plate fastened therein, loaded with tufts of bristles.

Background technique

The aforementioned method can be implemented on a device for producing brushes, in particular toothbrushes, having a magazine containing a stock of bristle filaments and at least one extraction device for taking out individual tufts of bristles from the stock of bristles and having a hollow conduit A transport device through which the bristle tufts can be transported into the holes of the tuft holding plate by means of air flow or air flow.

The aforementioned methods, small support plates, brushes and devices for producing bristle fields are disclosed in different forms.

In the methods and devices known from the prior art for producing bristle fields, it is possible to supply the bristle filaments to the There is a problem with a downstream unit section or station.

For example, it may happen that some bristle filaments or even entire bristle bundles get stuck in the transport device and cannot reach their destination. Especially when the bristle filaments are very fine bristle filaments, it is very difficult to reliably supply the bristle filaments via the transport device.

Also in the small support plates disclosed by the prior art and defined at the beginning and brushes equipped with such small support plates, especially according to the method mentioned at the beginning and the bristle bundles that are supplied to the small support plate on the device mentioned at the beginning Fixation without anchors can cause problems.

Known small support plates and toothbrushes equipped with such small support plates require, for example, that the bristle filaments assembled into bristle bundles are fed into the holes of the small support plate and that the individual bristle bundles positioned in the holes are encapsulated by material injection molding. end to hold the bristle bundle in the hole. It is also known that the bristle filaments are assembled in bundles and are already fused to one another before they are conveyed to the small support plate on which the bristle bundles are to be loaded.

As soon as the fused ends of the bristle bundles have been fed into the small support plate, the ends of the bristle bundles inserted into the holes of the small support plate and fused to each other are then injection-molded in order to fix the bristle bundles on the tuft holding plate.

Contents of the invention

It is therefore the object of the present invention to provide a small carrier plate and a brush, in particular a toothbrush, as defined at the outset, which enable more efficient and simpler production of the bristle field and thus the brush, in particular of the toothbrush.

In order to better understand the present invention, the technical field of manufacturing bristle regions and brushes should first be described in detail below by means of a particularly advantageous embodiment of the method for manufacturing bristle regions that has the most independent invention quality:

In the method defined at the outset, for a more efficient and simpler production of the bristle field and thus for a more efficient and simpler production of a brush, in particular a toothbrush, it is provided that the bristle filaments forming the bristle bundles are transported by means of a transport device to the bundle holder Static electricity is eliminated when board.

Especially when supplying so-called chemically sharpened bristle filaments, which are characterized by a particularly fine filament fineness, blockages of the transport device always occur in the methods known from the prior art, the cause of which has been proven to be the formation of the bristle Electrostatic generation of bundles of bristle filaments. The bristle bundles and the bristle filaments contained in the bristle bundles can Static electricity is generated, so that the bristle filaments adhere to elements of the transport device, in particular hollow conduits of the transport device, and cannot be guided reliably through the transport device. Furthermore, there is even the risk that the bristle filaments will generate such a strong static charge during transport by the transport device that they could block the transport device and at least reduce the throughput of the bristle filaments to the tuft holding plate.

These disadvantages are avoided by destaticizing the bristle filaments during their transport. Finally, a method is proposed by means of which very fine bristle filaments, ie chemically sharpened bristle filaments, can be supplied to the tuft holding plate in a particularly efficient manner by means of an air or air flow for further processing.

In order to reliably destaticize the bristle bundles, it is particularly preferred that the bristle filaments forming the bristle bundles are destaticized during their transport through the tuft receiving device of the transport device and/or during their transport through the hollow duct of the transport device to the tuft holding plate.

Especially if the bristle filaments are destaticized during transport by the tuft receiving device, it is already possible to prevent the bristle filaments from becoming static when they are initially transported by the transport device.

Alternatively or additionally, the elimination of static electricity when the bristle filaments are transported to the tuft holding plate by means of the hollow conduits of the transport device prevents the bristle filaments from generating static electricity by friction on the inside of the hollow conduits and subsequently clogging the hollow conduits.

A particularly simple but equally reliable way of eliminating static electricity from the bristle filaments consists in that the bristle filaments forming the bristle bundles are transported by the transport device, in particular when they are transported to the bundle holding plate via the bundle receiving device and/or the hollow conduit Ground to eliminate static electricity.

For this purpose, the bristle bundles can be guided through at least one electrical contact arranged on the conveying device in order to dissipate static electricity when they are transported by the transport device, in particular when they are transported via the bundle receiving device and/or the hollow conduit to the bundle holding plate or ground contact and make contact with it. It should be pointed out that the at least one electrical contact or ground contact can be arranged, for example, in the bundle receiving device and/or in the hollow conduit.

In this way, a particularly simple but reliable static elimination of the bristle filaments forming the bristle bundle can be achieved. It should be pointed out here that the static elimination of the bristle filaments forming the bristle bundle when it is transported by the transport device can not only conduct away the electrostatic charges attached to the bristle filaments, but also prevent the bristle filaments, especially based on the bristle filaments forming the bristle bundles, from Static electricity generated by friction that occurs during transport by means of transport.

In one embodiment of the method it can be provided that the bristle bundles are fed directly from the bundle holding plate into the bores of the small carrier plate. However, in a particularly advantageous embodiment of the method it can be provided that the bristle bundles are fed, in particular by means of compression rods, through the tapering funnel channel of the funnel plate into the bore of the small support plate. This makes sense, since the degree of compression of the bristle bundles required for high-quality loading of the small carrier plates can only be achieved at great expense with the aid of an air or air flow. The desired degree of compression can be achieved in a simple manner by first pressing the bristle bundles to be supplied through the funnel channels of the funnel plate, in particular when using compression rods.

In order to be able to fix the bristle bundles in the small carrier plate without anchors, it can be provided that the material projections protruding backwards from the rear side of the small carrier plate facing away from the bristle bundles are heated in the welding station and melted there, for The bristle bundle is connected to the small support plate, the melt of the molten material projection is pressed into the fixed plane of the bristle bundle, so that the melt can flow in particular between the ends of the bristle bundle protruding from the rear side of the small support plate and the bristle bundle Between the ends of the bristle filaments and then solidified. Since the melt can substantially engage the ends of the bristle bundles by being pressed into the bundle fastening plane, the bristle bundles can be fastened to the small support plate in a form-fitting and/or force-fitting manner.

In this way, a particularly simple method for fastening the bristle bundles in the small carrier plate without anchors can be provided.

Preferably, the material projections on this small carrier plate can be heated, melted and pressed into the fastening plane of the bristle bundles in order to fix the bristle bundles on the small carrier plate by means of at least one melting rod.

The advantages of the described method can be used in particular when the tuft holding plate is supplied with bristle tufts made of chemically sharpened bristle filaments. Such bristle filaments, also known as chemically tapered filaments, or CTF's, are characterized by their extremely thinned, free filament ends in the position of use, which until now allowed such bristle filaments to be passed through the transport device by means of an air or air flow. The supply of electrostatic generation due to the extremely fine bristle filaments in this case is particularly difficult and thus uneconomical.

In a further variant of the method, it can be provided that the bristle filaments are supplied to the transfer station in filament reels assembled by means of in particular flexible and/or gas-tight sheaths. The wire bobbin supplied to the transfer station can then be sucked by means of at least one suction jaw assigned to the transfer station, which contacts and holds the free upper side of the wire bobbin with a suction plate, thereby being especially flexible and/or Or the gas-impermeable bundle is sucked transversely to the longitudinal axis of the bristle filaments and inwardly in the direction of the longitudinal center axis oriented perpendicularly to the upper side of the wire disc and thus can stably surround the bristle filaments of the aspirated wire disc. After being sucked, the wire bobbin can be transferred by means of the at least one suction jaw to a de-jacketing station downstream of the transfer station. In this de-jacketing station, the sheathing of the wire reel can be opened and removed, after which the unsheathed bristle filaments can preferably be supplied automatically to a magazine or the aforementioned magazine.

It should be pointed out at this point that a wire disc made of chemically sharpened bristle filaments with a flexible and/or gas-impermeable sheath is described, for example, in DE 10 2013 003 249 , which relates to a method for the production of such a wire disc.

The mode of operation of the aforementioned unjacking station is described, for example, in German patent application DE 10 2014 109 320 .

Advantageously, the spool is provided with a spin finish containing antistatic additives for the CTF's, which additionally reduces the tendency of the bristle filaments to generate static electricity when they are transported through the transport device.

In an advantageous development of the aforementioned method, provision can also be made for the wire reel to be supplied to the transfer station, in particular the at least one suction gripper of the transfer station, on at least one support of the supply station, which is preferably designed as a conveyor belt.

This can further improve the efficiency and automation of the aforementioned method.

This method can be further simplified for those familiar with the implementation of the method, that is, the wire reel is provided individually or in its delivery container on the supply station, especially on the at least one support, which is preferably configured as a conveyor belt, and when required Preferably, the at least one support is pushed onto the at least one support manually, in particular directly from the delivery container, in particular transversely to the conveying direction of the at least one support. A person familiar with the implementation of the method can therefore place a certain number of wire reels or a certain number of delivery containers containing the wire reels next to the support configured as a conveyor belt of the supply station and place them on the supply station when required, that is, after already The reels on the support are replenished when they are used up by stations downstream of the device. Depending on the number of spools placed on the support and depending on the process time, i.e. the time required to process the spools at a downstream station, a person familiar with the method can have enough time to perform other tasks and only replenish additional spools at certain time intervals. wire reels, thereby ensuring that other automated manufacturing processes can proceed without interruption.

This object is solved in the small support plate defined at the beginning by the features of claim 1 and in particular in that the small support plate has a plurality of material projections on its rear side facing away from the bristle bundles inserted into the holes, said The material projections can be melted and can be pressed into the bundle fixing plane in order to fix the bristle bundles on the small carrier plate.

Such a small support plate allows simple anchor-free fastening of the bristle bundles in the small support plate without welding the bristle bundles to be fixed in the small support plate to one another before being supplied to the small support plate. The small carrier plate according to the invention therefore supports the carrying out of the aforementioned method in a particularly advantageous manner.

In one embodiment of the small carrier plate it can be provided that the bristle bundles which can be inserted or inserted into the holes consist of sharpened bristle filaments, in particular chemically sharpened bristle filaments. A bristle field made of sharpened bristle filaments, in particular chemically sharpened bristle filaments, can be formed at least after its attachment to the small carrier plate.

In a further embodiment of the small support plate it can be provided that a part of the bristle bundles which can be inserted or inserted in the holes are made of sharpened bristle filaments, in particular chemically sharpened bristle filaments, and can be inserted or inserted The other part of the bristle bundle in the hole is made of conventional bristle filaments. Conventional bristle filaments are to be understood as bristle filaments which have essentially the same or identical cross-section over at least a substantial part of their length. In this case, the bristle tufts made of sharpened bristle filaments and the bristle tufts made of conventional bristle filaments form a bristle mixing zone at least after they have been fastened to the small carrier plate.

The bristle filaments can be made of polyamide and/or polyester. However, it is preferred that conventional bristle filaments, in particular bristle filaments with the same cross-section, are made of polyamide and sharpened bristle filaments, especially chemically sharpened bristle filaments, are made of polyester, especially polybutylene terephthalate. ester (PBT).

Polyesters are characterized in that they absorb only little or no water at all. In particular, lye can be used when chemically sharpening the bristle filaments, which can then be removed during the cleaning process. Here, the cleaned bristle filaments need to be dried for subsequent processing. The use of polyester as material for the chemically sharpened bristle filaments and the fact that the polyester absorbs only little or even no water at all simplifies and speeds up the drying process of the cleaned bristle filaments. In this way the drying process can be carried out to an industrially meaningful extent.

It is advantageous if the bristle bundle is positively and/or non-positively connected to the small carrier plate after the material projection has melted and the melted material projection has been pressed into the bundle fixing plane. In this way, the bristle bundles can be securely fixed in or on the small support plate, which can withstand the required pull-out forces.

It is advantageous here if the material projections are configured as nodules, which can protrude laterally from the rear side of the small carrier plate. “Transverse” in this case means that the material projection protrudes substantially from the rear side of the small carrier plate in the continuation of the bristle tufts inserted into the small carrier plate. It is advantageous here if the longitudinal center axis of the material projection is oriented at a right angle to the rear side of the small carrier plate.

Furthermore, it can be provided that the material projections are arranged, in particular evenly distributed, around or between the holes of the small carrier plate. This facilitates that the melt—especially after the melt is pressed into the bundle fixing plane—is evenly distributed between the rear side of the small support plate and between the ends of the bristle bundles and especially between the individual bristle filaments of the bristle bundles and thus has Helps securely hold the bristle bundles in the small support plate.

In order to be able to produce bristle fields with different cross-sections of the bristle bundles, it is advantageous if the holes in the small carrier plate can have different cross-sections. For example, the holes can have a round and/or oval and/or round and/or polygonal cross section. Hole combinations with different cross-sections are of course also possible here. Furthermore, provision can be made for the holes to be configured as elongated holes.

The small support plate according to the invention can be produced particularly simply when the material projection is integrally connected with the small support plate and/or the material projection is made of the same material as the small support plate, in particular by a meltable plastic, preferably a thermoplastic When made. In this case, the material from which the material protrusions are made can have a lower or higher melting point than the material from which the bristle threads and/or bristle bundles are made. A common material for manufacturing the small support plate and/or the material protrusion on the rear side of the small support plate is the plastic polypropylene. A common material for making bristle tufts or bristle filaments is polybutylene terephthalate (PBT).

Advantageously, the material projection tapers, preferably conically, towards its free end. Melting of the material projection when the welding rod is pressed in is significantly easier when the material projection has a tapered shape.

It is particularly advantageous if the small carrier plate has on its rear side facing away from the bristle bundles a boundary which preferably protrudes continuously and closed, in particular perpendicularly, from the rear side of the small carrier plate. In this case, the boundary can surround the hole and the material projection and enclose the small support plate rear side. The rear boundary of the small support plate prevents the melt of the molten material projection from escaping sideways when the welding rod is pressed in and also helps to guide the melting reliably when the melt is pressed into the bundle holding plane of the small support plate material protrusions.

A lateral escape of the melt can be prevented particularly reliably in that the boundary of the small carrier plate is at least half as high as the material projection arranged on the rear side of the small carrier plate. However, in a particularly advantageous embodiment of the small carrier plate, the boundary can be higher, in particular twice higher, than the material projection on the rear side of the small carrier plate. The melt of the molten material projection can thus be prevented in a particularly reliable manner from being forced out laterally when the melt is pressed, in particular by means of the melting rod, into the bundle holding plane of the small carrier plate.

In another advantageous embodiment of the small carrier plate according to the invention, it can be provided that the small carrier plate is melted and pressed on its rear side facing away from the bristle bundles, at least after the bristle bundles have been inserted into the holes and/or at the material projections. In particular, after injection, it has a cover that can be injection molded or molded in the mold. The cover can cover the molten material projections on the rear side of the small support plate together with the ends of the bristle bundles. Furthermore, the cover contributes to secure fixing of the bristle bundle in its position of use and imparts a planar surface on the rear side of the small support plate, which facilitates the fastening of the small support plate to a brush, in particular a toothbrush.

This object is achieved in the brush defined at the outset by the features of claim 13 and in particular by the fact that the small support plate is a small support plate according to the invention, ie according to one of claims 1 to 12 .

It is particularly advantageous here if the small carrier plate snaps into the small carrier plate receptacle. Additionally or supplementarily, the small carrier plate can be glued and/or welded, in particular by means of ultrasonic welding, into the small carrier plate receptacle. In this way, the small support plate can be securely fastened to the brush.

Another possibility for connecting the small support plate to the brush consists in fastening the small support plate to the brush, in particular to the small support plate receptacle of the brush, by means of an in-mould method.

In particular, the small carrier plate according to the invention can be processed using the aforementioned method on the device defined at the outset for producing the bristle field of a brush, in particular a toothbrush. The device may have independent inventive qualities and in particular be characterized in that the transport device is electrically grounded in order to conduct away static charges adhering to the bristle filaments and/or bristle bundles to be transported.

In order to supply the bristle bundles to the transport device by means of at least one extraction device, by means of which individual bristle bundles can be removed from the bristle stock containing bristle filaments, it is advantageous if the transport device has at least one bundle receiving device, the hollow conduit The box-side end is connected to the bundle receiving device. Advantageously, the at least one tuft receiving device and/or the hollow conduit is electrically grounded in order to conduct static charges away from the bristle filaments or bristle bundles to be transported or to avoid the bristle filaments and/or bristle tufts The electrostatic charge of the product generates static electricity when it is transported through the transport device.

In order to effectively dissipate static charges, it is advantageous if the at least one tuft receiving device and/or the at least one hollow conduit has at least one electrically grounded contact or ground contact, the bristle bundles and/or the bristle bundles contained in the bristle bundles The bristle filaments at least temporarily contact the contact or ground contact during their transport through the tuft receiving device and/or through the at least one hollow conduit. In particular, the bundle receiving device and/or the at least one hollow conduit and/or the contact or ground contact can be connected to ground via at least one electrical conductor, in particular via an electrically grounded device base.

In an embodiment of the device, it can also be provided that at least one hollow conduit as an electrically grounded contact or as an electrically grounded contact has a conductive material, in particular metal, preferably steel, stainless steel or copper. The inner peripheral surface formed, the bristle bundle and/or the bristle filaments contained in the bristle bundle contact the inner peripheral surface during its transportation.

Advantageously, the hollow conduit of the device can be configured here as a hose made of a flexible material and/or as a Bowden wire sheath and/or as an electrically conductive material, in particular metal, preferably steel, stainless steel or copper pipe connectors. However, it is preferred to use hollow conduits, which accordingly consist of a Bowden wire sheath, since they are particularly cost-effective and are particularly suitable for dissipating electrostatic charges.

The supply of bristle bundles to the tuft holding plate held on the device can be particularly efficient when the transport device has a number of hollow ducts corresponding to the number of holes of the tuft holding plate.

In particular with regard to carrying out the aforementioned method, it may be advantageous if the beam holding plate is designed as a transport plate which can be transferred to a further processing device, in particular a welding station. In a further embodiment of the invention, the bundle holding plate can also be provided with at least one small support plate in the receiving position on the side facing away from the transport device, in particular for one according to one of claims 1 to 12 The small support plate holding device for the small support plate.

It should be pointed out, however, that the tuft holding plate can also be part of the brush body or a die-cast mold insert, which can be further processed in a downstream station of the device after loading the bristle tufts.

In a particularly important configuration of the device, it can be provided that the hollow lines of the transport device each lead into a guide channel of a guide element, which can also be referred to as a supply block here. In this case, the guide elements or the guide channels of the supply block are each configured as through-openings. It should be noted that the outlet-side distance between the guide channels can be smaller than the inlet-side distance here. It is particularly advantageous if the outlets of the guide channels correspond to the arrangement of the openings of the tuft holding plate to be loaded with bristle tufts and/or are arranged to open into these openings. In this way, the tuft holding plate can be loaded particularly efficiently after the bristle tufts have been supplied by the transport device.

The guide element or the supply channel of the supply block thus acts like a funnel, by means of which the bristle tufts to be supplied can be fed into the tuft holding plate close to each other during their transport.

In order to be able to feed the bristle bundles with the desired degree of compression into the holes of the small support plate held on the device, it may be advantageous if the device is mounted between the bundle holding plate and the small support plate to be loaded with the bristle bundles, preferably according to claims 1 to 1. There is a funnel plate between the small support plates of one of 12, and this funnel plate is especially provided with the funnel channel that tapers along the conveying direction of the bristle bundle. Through these funnel channels, the bristle bundles can pass from the bundle holding plate—in which the bristle bundles are held in an arrangement and orientation adapted to the small support plate to be loaded—into the holding device on the funnel plate, preferably the small support plate of the funnel plate. in the hole of the small support plate. It is advantageous here if the number and arrangement of the inlets of the funnel channels correspond to the number and arrangement of the outlets of the bores of the bundle holding plate and the number and arrangement of the outlets of the funnel channels correspond to the number and arrangement of the holes of the small carrier plate. It is also advantageous if the outlet of the funnel channel opens into a hole in the small support plate held on the funnel plate, so that the bristle bundles can be guided as easily as possible from the bundle holding plate via the funnel plate into the small support plate to be loaded .

In order that the bristle tufts supplied to the tuft holding plate by means of the transport device are guided reliably and with the desired degree of compression via the funnel plate into the holes of the small support plate held on the funnel plate, the device can have a compression station which There is at least one compression rod provided with compression fingers which correspond in number and arrangement to the holes of the bundle holding plate and/or the funnel channels of the funnel plate and/or the holes of the small support plate. By means of these compression fingers, the bristle tufts entering, in particular, the funnel plate and/or the tuft holding plate can be fed into the holes of the small support plates which are held on the device, in particular the funnel plate and/or the tuft holding plate.

The bristle filaments assembled into bristle bundles in this way can be supplied with the low degree of compression required for transport by air or air flow through the transport device and can then be mechanically fed into the holes of the holding small support plate by means of compression rods And at the same time compressed to the required higher degree of compression. Especially at higher compression levels, the mechanical compression of the bristle bundles, to which the aforementioned funnel channels of the funnel plate also contribute, constitutes a particularly simple way of compressing and feeding the bristle bundles into the holding small support plate. in the way.

In particular, it is advantageous for carrying out the aforementioned method if the device has a transport holder and a welding station. In this case, the transport holder can preferably be designed as a turntable, which is formed with at least one transport receptacle for a funnel plate and/or a tuft holding plate loaded with bristle tufts and/or at least one small support plate. It should be pointed out that the tuft holding plate, which can additionally perform the function of a transport plate, can be transported to the welding station by means of transport clamps after the tuft holding plate has been loaded with bristle bundles and/or at least one small support plate, the bristle bundles In the welding station, the at least one small carrier plate can be connected, in particular, form-fittingly and/or force-fittingly.

It is also possible that the at least one funnel plate can also be transported between the stations of the device by means of transport grips.

It is advantageous if the welding station for connecting the bristle bundles to the at least one small support plate has at least one welding rod by means of which the bristle bundles can be connected to the at least one small support plate. When the small support plate to be processed is a small support plate according to one of claims 1 to 12, the at least one welding rod serves to melt the material projection of the small support plate and to press the molten material projection into the respective small support The beam of the plate is fixed in the plane. In this case, the at least one welding rod can contact the rear side of the small carrier plate in the welding position.

In one embodiment of the invention, the at least one welding rod can be heated to a temperature of approximately 500° C. in order to weld the bristle bundles to the corresponding small support plate.

It should also be pointed out at this point that the use of the small support plate according to the invention according to one of claims 1 to 12 together with the aforementioned device greatly simplifies the production of the bristle field, especially when the aforementioned method is also used.

The advantages produced by the device for producing a bristle field are particularly large when the bristle filaments used are chemically sharpened bristle filaments, so-called chemically tapered filaments CTF's, because such extremely fine bristle filaments pass through The transport device is particularly susceptible to static electricity when it is transported by means of air or air currents, so that the supply of such chemically sharpened bristle filaments can only be realized at present with prohibitive expenditure.

Advantageously, the device has a de-jacketing station upstream of the magazine for de-jacketing the bristle filaments collected in the wire reel by means of the sheath. In this case, the stripping station can have at least one cutting device with at least one cutting tool for opening the bobbin casing and at least one gripping device for removing the opened casing. Furthermore, it is advantageous if the stripping station is connected to the feed box downstream of it in a conveying manner in order to supply the stripped bristle filaments to the feed box. For this purpose, in one embodiment of the device, the sheathing station can have at least one gripper jaw and/or at least one slide, by means of which the sheathed bristle filaments can be supplied, preferably automatically, to the magazine.

In order to be able to automatically supply the bristle filaments to the magazine, the magazine can comprise at least one conveying path, in particular connected, for example, with conveying technology to the aforementioned de-covering station. The bristle filaments oriented in the vertical direction in the at least one conveying path can be arranged between two side webs, wherein the conveying path preferably opens into a removal region of the removal device.

In order to facilitate the introduction of the bristle filaments into the at least one conveying path, the at least one conveying path can have an introduction region in which the distance between the side strips delimiting the at least one conveying path decreases in the conveying direction.

Furthermore, the device can have a transfer station with at least one suction jaw for transferring the bristle filaments gathered in the wire tray by means of a sheath to, for example, the aforementioned de-jacketing station. In this way an automatic supply of the bobbins to the de-sleeving station is possible.

In this case, for example, the aforementioned at least one suction jaw of the aforementioned transfer station can have a suction plate that is preferably covered by a fabric with dense bristles, in particular a plain weave (Tressengewebe), by means of which it can be supported at least on the side facing away from the wire drum. The lower, non-shrouded end face holds the spool.

The suction and subsequent handling of the at least one bobbin by means of the at least one suction jaw of the transfer station can be simplified in that the sheath of the concentrating bobbin in the position of use surrounds and collects radially along the longitudinal sides on the The bristle filaments in the wire tray make the end surface of the wire tray without a bundle sleeve.

Advantageously, the sleeve can be configured here as a continuous strip, ie, as a seal, as a tube section or as a sleeve which is drawn over the bristle filaments assembled in the form of a disk. Advantageously, the height of the sheath can correspond to the length of the bristle filaments of the wire disc.

The suction of the bobbin surrounded by the sheath by means of the aforementioned suction jaws, for example, can be simplified if the sheath of the bobbin is made of a flexible and/or gas-impermeable material. A suitable material for the harness, ie flexible and air-impermeable, is eg polyethylene, preferably PE-LD.

Furthermore, the device can also have, for example, a supply station connected to the aforementioned transfer station, which supply station has at least one support, in particular configured as a conveyor belt. On the at least one support, the bobbin can be supplied to the transfer station and/or to at least one suction jaw of the transfer station. In order to be able to reliably remove the individual yarn bobbins from the support, for example by means of suction grippers, it is advantageous if the yarn bobbins are spaced apart from the at least one support of the supply station, which is preferably designed as a conveyor belt. In order to keep the bobbins spaced apart on the carrier, the carrier can preferably have a plurality of receiving recesses spaced apart from one another, in particular in the conveying direction, into which individual bobbins are inserted and in which the bobbins can be transported reliably further.

When the supply station is provided on at least one of its longitudinal sides, in particular on one of the longitudinal sides of the at least one support, at least one fixed storage surface adjoining the at least one support is used for some ready In the case of a wire reel and/or a delivery container which is at least partially filled by the wire reel, the supports, in particular the support part receiving recesses arranged at a distance from one another and configured on the support, can be loaded with the wire reel as quickly and effectively as possible when required . For this purpose, the wire reel can be removed from the adjacent storage surface or directly from the held delivery container - which can also be kept on the adjacent storage surface - into the support, as long as there is another Space is provided for the bobbins to be supplied to the transfer station and/or to the at least one suction jaw of the transfer station.

It should be pointed out that the storage surface can in this case be designed in particular in the form of a plate and/or strip and can advantageously extend at least part of the length of the support, but is fixed in position relative to the support.

Of course, the device according to the invention can also have more than one bundle holding plate and/or funnel plate. In an arrangement comprising, for example, four bundle holding plates and four funnel plates assigned to the bundle holding plates, which can preferably be arranged on the transport receptacle of one or the aforementioned transport grips, the arrangement can be particularly efficient work.

Furthermore, each of the at least one bundle holding plate and/or the at least one funnel plate of the device can have at least one, in particular two, three or four small support plate holding devices for each receiving a Small support plate for carrying bristle bundles, in particular a small support plate according to one of claims 1 to 12 .

Description of drawings

An embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Schematic drawings in partial height:

Figure 1 shows a perspective view of a device for producing the bristle field of a brush, in particular a toothbrush, comprising a supply station with three parallel conveyor belts on which a number of wire reels are placed, a transfer station with suction jaws, a connection to the material A desleeving station on the box, a transport device with a plurality of hollow ducts, through which the bristle bundles removed from the magazine can be transported to a tuft holding plate, and a processing station downstream of the transport device, which is configured as a turntable The transport clamp is connected to the transport device;

FIG. 2 shows a detailed view marked with circle K in FIG. 1, showing the muslin-covered suction plate of the suction jaws in the suction position above the wire reel held on a support configured as a conveyor belt middle;

3 shows a perspective rear view of a small support plate according to the invention, on the rear side of the small support plate five material protrusions made of meltable material surrounded by holes can be seen and on the front side of the small support plate Ten bundles of bristles to be inserted into the small support plate can be seen on the top;

Figure 4 shows the small support plate shown in Figure 3 with the bristle bundles inserted in the small support plate holes;

5 shows the small support plate shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 , where it can be seen that the material projections on the rear side have melted and are pressed into the fastening plane of the small support plate in order to fix the bristle bundles inserted in the holes;

6 shows another perspective rear view of a small support plate according to the invention, on the rear side of the small support plate five material protrusions made of meltable material surrounded by holes can be seen and on the small support plate Ten bristle tufts to be inserted into the small support plate can be seen on the front side of the plate, wherein the inner eight bristle tufts of the total ten bristle tufts are bristle tufts made of chemically sharpened bristle filaments;

Fig. 7 shows the small support plate shown in Fig. 6 with the bristle bundle inserted in the small support plate hole;

FIG. 8 shows the small support plate shown in FIGS. 6 and 7 , where it can be seen that the material projections on the rear side have melted and are pressed into the fastening plane of the small support plate in order to fix the bristle bundles inserted in the holes, Here, the bristle bundles together form a bristle mixing zone consisting of bristle bundles with conventional bristle filaments and bristle bundles with chemically sharpened bristle filaments;

FIG. 9 shows the small support plate shown in FIGS. 6 to 8 with an injection-molded cover on the rear side;

Figure 10 shows a perspective view of a toothbrush according to the invention with the small support plate shown in Figures 6 to 9, which is located in the small support plate receptacle on the toothbrush head; and

Fig. 11 shows a detailed view marked with circle K in Fig. 10, which shows part of the bristle mixing zone on the small support plate, which is composed of bristle bundles with conventional bristle filaments and bristle filaments with chemical sharpening Bristle bundles make up.

detailed description

The device for producing the bristle field of a brush, in particular a toothbrush, denoted as a whole by the reference numeral 1, according to FIG. device 4.

According to FIG. 1 , the device 1 also comprises a transport device 6 with a total of three times three visible hollow conduits 7 and one hollow conduit shown hidden in FIG. 1 , ie a total of ten hollow conduits 7 , through which 7 The bristle bundles 5 can be conveyed into the holes 8 of the bundle holding plate 9 by means of an air or air flow.

In order to dissipate static charges adhering to the bristle filaments 2 and/or bristle bundles 5 to be transported, the transport device 6 is electrically grounded.

In an embodiment of the device 1 not shown in the figures, the transport device 6 has at least one bundle receiving device, to which the tank-side end 10 of the hollow duct 7 is connected, the at least one bundle receiving device The device is electrically grounded in this embodiment of the device 1 .

In the embodiment of the device 1 shown in FIG. 1 , the tank-side end 10 of the hollow conduit 7 terminates above the removal device 4 of the tank 3 . In this embodiment of the device 1 no beam accommodation is provided.

As can also be seen from FIG. 1 , the hollow conduit 7 of the transport device 6 is electrically grounded.

For electrical grounding, the hollow conduit 7 has at least one electrical or grounding contact 11, with which the bristle bundle 5 and/or the bristle filaments 2 contained in the bristle bundle 5 contact at least temporarily during its transport through the hollow conduit 7. The contacts or grounding contacts, wherein in particular the hollow line 7 and the grounding contact 11 assigned to the hollow line 7 are grounded or connected to ground via an electrical conductor 12 .

In an embodiment of the device 1 not shown in the figures, the at least one electrical conductor 12 is connected to ground via an electrically grounded base of the device 1 .

1 shows that at least one hollow conduit 7 has an electrically grounded inner peripheral surface as an electrical grounding contact or grounding contact 11 made of an electrically conductive material, in particular metal, preferably steel, stainless steel or copper, the bristle bundles 5 and/or the bristle filaments 2 contained therein contact the inner peripheral surface during its transport. This electrically grounded inner peripheral surface is made of a metal helix 13 in the embodiment of the device 1 shown in FIG. show.

In other embodiments, the hollow conduit 7 is configured as a hose made of a flexible material or as a pipe connection made of an electrically conductive material, especially a metal, preferably steel, stainless steel or copper, while in FIG. 1 In the illustrated embodiment of the device 1, the hollow conduit 7 consists of a Bowden wire sheath 14 which has the aforementioned conductive metal helix 13 as ground contact 11 inside it.

The bristle filaments 2 or bristle bundles 5 are in contact with the conductive metal helix 13 of the Bowden wire sheath 14 when they are transported through the hollow conduit 7 , so that the charges attached to the bristle filaments 2 or bristle bundles 5 can be reliably guided away.

The transport device 6 shown in FIG. 1 has a number of hollow ducts 7 corresponding to the number of holes 8 of the tuft holding plate 9 into which the bristle tufts 5 are to be fed. Furthermore, the bundle holding plate 9 is designed as a transport plate which can be transferred to a subsequent processing device, in particular a welding station 15 . Thus, the bundle holding plate has a dual function.

In an embodiment of the device 1 not shown in the drawings, the bundle holding plate 9 is provided with at least one small support plate holding device for a small support plate 17 on the side facing away from the transport device 6 in the receiving position, Thereby at least one small support plate 17 can be provided on the tuft holding plate 9 for filling the bristle tufts 5 .

The hollow conduits 7 of the transport device 6 each lead into a guide channel 18 of a guide element 19 , which can also be referred to as a supply block. The guide channels 18 are each configured as through-openings, wherein the outlet-side distance between the individual guide channels 18 is smaller than the inlet-side distance.

Furthermore, the outlets 20 of the guide channels 18 correspond to the arrangement of the holes 8 of the tuft holding plate 9 to be loaded with the bristle tufts 5 and are arranged to open into these holes 8 .

FIG. 1 also shows that the device 1 comprises a total of four bundle holding plates 9 . A funnel plate 21 is assigned to each of the four bundle holding plates 9 in total. The funnel plates 21 can each be arranged between the associated tuft holding plate 9 and at least one small support plate 17 on which the bristle tufts 5 are to be loaded.

For this purpose, each funnel plate 21 can be moved back and forth in the vertical direction between two linear guides 22, so that the funnel plate 21 can be arranged between the corresponding bundle holding plate 9 and the at least one bristle bundle to be loaded. 5 in the desired position between the small support plates 17.

Each funnel plate 21 has the funnel channel 23 that tapers along the conveying direction of the bristle bundle 5, through these funnel channels 23 the bristle bundle 5 can be inserted from the corresponding bundle holding plate 9 on the funnel plate 21 and held on the funnel plate 21 small support plate holding device 25 in the hole 24 of the small support plate 17. The corresponding inlets 26 of the funnel channels 23 correspond in number and arrangement to the outlets of the holes 8 of the bundle holding plate 9 , while the outlets 27 of the funnel channels 23 correspond in number and arrangement to the holes of the at least one small support plate 17 24 and passes into the hole 24 of the small support plate 17 held on the funnel plate 21.

FIG. 1 shows that on each of a total of four funnel plates 21 four small support plate holders 25 for receiving the small support plates 17 are formed.

The device 1 has a respective compression rod 28 for each small support plate 17 held on the respective bundle holding plate 9 or on the respective funnel plate 21 . A total of four compression rods 28 are arranged here in the compression station denoted by reference numeral 29 in FIG. The holes 24 of the plate 17 correspond to compression fingers, not shown in the figures.

The bristle bundles 5 that enter the bundle holding plate 9 or the funnel plate 21 by means of these compression fingers can be fed reliably and with the desired degree of compression into the holes of the small support plate 17 held on the device 1, in the present case on the funnel plate 21 24 in.

A total of four bundle holding plates 9 and the likewise four funnel plates 21 assigned thereto are arranged on four arms 30 pivotably mounted about a common axis of a transport grip 31 configured as turntable.

Furthermore, the device 1 comprises a welding station 15 onto which the bundle holding plate 9 and the funnel plate 21 can be transferred by means of transport grips 31 . A transport receptacle 33 is formed for each of the four pairs of bundle holding plates 9 and funnel plates 21 at the free ends of the arms 30 of the transport clamp 31 . In the welding station 15 the bristle bundle 5 can be positively and/or non-positively connected to the small carrier plate 17 .

In the welding station 15, for each small support plate 16 arranged on the funnel plate 21 in the small support plate holder 25, there is provided a welding rod 32 by means of which the bristle bundle 5 can be connected to the corresponding small support plate 17 . The bristle filaments 2 processed by means of the device 1 are so-called chemically tapered filaments, ie chemically sharpened bristle filaments or CTF's, but ordinary bristle filaments can also be processed on the device 1 .

The device 1 comprises a sheathing station 34 upstream of the magazine 3 for sheathing the bristle filaments 2 assembled into a coil 36 by means of a sheath 35 . In the device shown in FIG. 1 , the stripping station 34 has a total of three cutting devices 37 , each of which is equipped with two cutting tools 38 , here knives, for opening the sheathing 35 of the reels 36 .

The spool 36 shown in the figures is provided with a spin finish containing antistatic additives for the CTF's, which reduce the tendency of the bristle filaments 2 to generate static electricity during transport.

In an embodiment of the device 1 not shown in the figures, the unsleeving station 34 also includes at least one gripping device for removing the opened sleeve 35 .

According to FIG. 1 , the de-jacketing station 34 is connected by conveying technology to the magazine 3 located downstream thereof. The magazine can have gripper jaws or slides (not shown in the figures), by means of which the stripped bristle filaments 2 can be supplied, preferably automatically, to the magazine 3 .

The magazine 3 shown in FIG. 1 also comprises a total of three transport paths 39 connected with the stripping station 34 in transport technology, in which the vertically oriented bristle filaments 2 are respectively arranged on two side slats 40 between.

It should be pointed out here that in the exemplary embodiment of the device 1 shown in FIG. 1 the de-sleeving station 34 is integrated in a particularly advantageous manner in the three conveying paths 39 of the magazine 3 .

FIG. 1 shows that three transport paths 39 lead into a total of three removal regions 41 of removal devices 4 . In addition, the conveying paths 39 can each have a lead-in region, not shown in the figures, in which the distance of the side strips 40 delimiting the respective conveying path 39 follows the wire disc 36 or the bristle filaments from which the respective sheath 35 has been removed. 2 The conveying direction decreases.

Upstream of the sheath removal station 34 , the device 1 has a transfer station 42 with suction jaws 43 for transferring the bristle filaments 2 gathered in the wire reel 36 by means of the sheath 35 to the sheath removal station 34 .

According to FIG. 1 , the suction jaws 43 are arranged on a holding device 56 , which in turn is mounted displaceably on a rail system 57 . With the aid of this holding device 56 the suction jaws 43 can be moved not only in the horizontal direction but also in the vertical direction in order to transfer the individual wire bobbins 36 from the transfer station 42 to the sheath removal station 34 .

In particular with reference to the detailed view marked with K and shown enlarged in FIG. The suction plate can hold at least one thread bobbin 36 on its upper side or end face 46 facing away from the support and free from the sheath.

The plain weave 44 covering the suction jaws 43 suction plate 45 prevents the bristle filaments 2 from being sucked out of the correspondingly sucked wire disc 36 and thus being lost for further processing.

It should be pointed out here that the device 1 according to FIG. 1 comprises a suction device 16 which is arranged on the side of the tuft holding plate 9 held on the transport device 6 and which creates a hollow duct 7 for transporting the bristle tufts 5 through the transport device 6 The desired air flow or air flow.

Like the suction jaws 43 , the suction device 16 can also be covered with a silk fabric, in the present case a plain weave 44 , so that suction of the bristle filaments 2 of the individual bristle bundles 5 sucked into the tuft holding plate 9 can be avoided.

It can also be clearly seen from the detail view shown enlarged in FIG. 2 and marked with the reference symbol K in FIG. The bristle filaments 2 gathered in the corresponding wire drum 36 are surrounded so that the end face side 46 of the wire drum 36 is free of tufts. As a result, the collar 35 or the coil sleeve is designed as a continuous strip or hose section or sleeve which laterally surrounds the respective wire coil 36 . When looking at the wire disc 36 shown in FIG. 1 it is clear that the height of the respective sheath 35 or disc sleeve approximately corresponds to the length of the bristle filaments 2 of the wire disc 36 .

In this case, the cable sleeve 35 or the coil sleeve 36 is made from a flexible and in the present case also from a gas-impermeable material. The material of the jacket 35 shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 is a polyethylene material which is particularly suitable for use as a disk jacket or jacket 35 due to its properties.

Furthermore, the device 1 has a supply station 47 connected to the transfer station 42 . The supply station 47 comprises three supports, each configured as a conveyor belt 48 , on which the bobbins 36 can be supplied to the transfer station 42 and to the suction jaws 43 assigned to the transfer station 42 .

The wire reels 36 are spaced apart on these three supports, each configured as a conveyor belt 48 .

For this purpose, all three supports configured as conveyor belts 48 have a plurality of receiving recesses 49 spaced apart from one another in the conveying direction, each of which is used to accommodate a wire reel 36 .

According to FIG. 1 , the supply station 47 is provided on at least one of its longitudinal sides 50 with at least one stationary storage surface 51 adjoining the three supports designed as conveyor belts 48 . Individual wire reels 36 or delivery containers 52 partially filled with wire reels 36 can be provided on the at least one stationary storage surface 51 .

As a result, the three empty receiving recesses 49 on the supports configured as conveyor belts 48 can be rapidly filled with new wire reels 36 .

The storage surface 51 is configured here in the form of a plate or a slat, as can be seen in FIG. 1 , and extends over the entire length of the support of the supply station 47 configured as a conveyor belt 48 .

3 to 5 show an embodiment of a small carrier plate 17 according to the invention. It should be noted here that the small support plate 17 processed by means of the device 1 in FIG. 1 is of the same type as the small support plate 17 shown in FIGS. 3 to 5 .

6 to 9 show another very similar embodiment of the small support plate 17 according to the invention. The small support plate 17 differs from the small support plate of FIGS. A bristle bundle 5a composed of pointed bristle filaments 2a.

According to FIGS. 3 to 5 , the small support plate 17 has a plurality, here a total of ten holes 24 passing through the small support plate 17 , into which the bristle bundles 5 made of bristle filaments 2 can be inserted and can be inserted without anchors. Be fixed on the small support plate 17.

The bristle bundles that can be inserted or inserted into the holes are formed in a small support plate 17 embodiment not shown in the accompanying drawings by sharpened bristle filaments, especially by chemically sharpened bristle filaments 2a, so-called CTF's (chemical made of tapered wire). On the small support plate 17 the bristle tufts form a bristle field made of sharpened bristle filaments 2a, at least after they have been fastened to the small support plate.

In the embodiment of the small support plate 17 shown in FIGS. Chemically sharpened bristle filaments 2a, so-called CTF's (Chemical Tapered Filaments), are made and can be inserted or inserted into holes 24. The other part of the bristle bundles indicated by reference numeral 5 is made of conventional bristle filaments 2, i.e. Made of bristle filaments 2 with the same cross-section over their length. In this case, the bristle tufts 5 a of sharpened bristle filaments 2 a and the bristle tufts 5 of conventional bristle filaments 2 form a bristle mixing zone 58 , at least after they have been fastened to the small carrier plate 17 .

Depending on the application and requirements, the bristle filaments 2 or 2a are made of polyamide and/or polyester. Preferably, conventional bristle filaments 2 , in particular bristle filaments with the same cross-section over their length, are made of polyamide, while the tapered bristle filaments 2 a are made of polyester. Polyester absorbs only little or no water, which simplifies the drying process of the bristle filaments after their chemical sharpening and is fully achievable to an industrially meaningful degree.

On its rear side 53 facing away from the bristle bundles 5 inserted into the openings 24 , the small carrier plate 17 has a plurality of material protrusions 54 in total five. Said material projections 54 are meltable and can be pressed into the bundle fixing plane in order to fix the bristle bundle 5 on the small support plate 17 .

In the situation shown in FIG. 3 the bristle bundle 5 is still located in front of the small carrier plate 17 , whereas in the situation shown in FIG. 4 the bristle bundle has been inserted into the hole 24 of the small carrier plate 17 . In the case shown in FIG. 5 the material projection 54 on the rear side 53 of the small support plate 17 has been melted and pressed into the bundle fixing plane in order to fix the bristle bundle 5 on the small support plate 17 .

After the material projections 54 have melted and the molten material projections 54 have been pressed into the bundle attachment plane, the bristle bundle 5 is positively and/or non-positively connected to the small carrier plate 17 .

According to FIGS. 3 and 4 , the material projections 54 are configured as nodules, in which case the material projections 54 protrude transversely from the rear side 53 of the small support plate 17 .

According to FIGS. 3 to 5 , the material protrusions 54 are evenly distributed between the holes 24 of the small support plate 17 .

In the exemplary embodiments of the small support plate 17 shown in FIGS. 3 to 5 and 6 to 9 , the holes 24 of the small support plate 17 each have a circular cross section.

However, it should be pointed out that in an embodiment of the small carrier plate 17 according to the invention it can also be provided that the holes 24 have different cross sections, such as round and/or oval and/or round and/or polygonal cross sections or It can also be configured as an elongated hole in order to form bristle fields with differently configured bristle bundles.

3 to 5 and 6 to 9 show that the material projection 54 is integrally connected to the small support plate 17, where the material projection 54 is made of the same material as the small support plate 17, in particular a meltable plastic, preferably thermoplastic Made of plastic. In this case, the material from which bristle filaments 2 , 2 a and/or bristle bundles 5 , 5 a are made can have a lower melting point than the material from which material protrusion 54 is made. Preferably, however, the material from which the material projection 54 is made has a lower melting point than the material from which the bristle filaments 2 , 2 a and/or the bristle bundles 5 , 5 a are made.

3 to 5 and 6 to 9 also show that the small support plate 17 has a continuous and closed border 55 that protrudes vertically from the rear side 53 of the small support plate 17 on its rear side 53 away from the bristle bundles 5, 5a, which The boundary surrounds the hole 24 and the material projection 54 and encloses the rear side 53 of the small support plate 17 . In this case, the boundary 55 of the small carrier plate 17 is at least half as high as the material projection 54 arranged on the rear side 53 of the small carrier plate 17 .

In an embodiment of the small carrier plate 17 not shown in the drawing, it is provided that the boundary 55 is higher than the material projection 54 on the rear side 53 of the small carrier plate 17 .

In the embodiment of the small support plate 17 shown in FIGS. 6 to 9 it is provided that on its rear side 53 facing away from the bristle bundles 5 , 5 a at least after the bristle bundles 5 have been inserted into the holes 24 and/or after the material protrudes Portion 54 has a cover 59 after melting and pressing in. This cover 59 is shown in FIG. 9 and can be injection-moulded, for example.

The small support plate 17 shown in FIGS. 3 to 5 and FIGS. 6 to 9 can be in the use position on a brush 60 with a handle 61 and a brush head 62 , especially on a toothbrush - the brush head has a small support The plate receptacle 63 is fastened to the brush 60 by, for example, snapping in and/or gluing or welding, in particular by means of ultrasonic welding.

Such a brush 60 is shown in FIG. 10 .

In another exemplary embodiment of the brush 60 it is provided that the small support plate 17 is fastened to the brush 60 , in particular to the small support plate receptacle 63 of the brush 60 , by means of an in-mould method.

FIG. 11 shows an enlarged view of a part of the bristle mixing zone 58 of the small carrier plate 17 attached to the brush 60 . Four bristle tufts 5 a made of sharpened bristle filaments 2 a and an adjacent bristle tuft 5 made of conventional bristle filaments 2 are clearly visible. In the small carrier plate 17 shown in FIGS. 6 to 11 the bristle mixing zone 58 comprises a total of eight inner bristle tufts 5 a and four outer bristle tufts 5 surrounding the eight inner bristle tufts 5 a.

Having described the device 1 and the small carrier plate 17 according to the invention which can be processed on the device 1 , the method which can be applied to the device 1 for producing the bristle field of a brush, in particular a toothbrush, will now be described in detail.

The bristle filaments 2, 2a are taken from a magazine 3 containing a stock of bristle filaments 2, 2a and assembled into bristle bundles 5, 5a. The bristle bundles 5 , 5 a are then guided through the hollow duct 7 of the transport device 6 by means of an air or air flow and then inserted into the holes 8 of the bundle holding plate 9 .

According to FIG. 1 , the device 1 has a suction device 16 which is arranged on the side of the tuft holding plate 9 held on the transport device 6 and which creates the hollow duct 7 for transporting the bristle bundles 5 , 5 a through the transport device 6 . desired air flow or air flow.

Like the suction jaws 43, the suction device 16 is also covered with a silk fabric, in the present case a plain weave 44, so that the bristle filaments 2, 2a.

In order to prevent the bristle filaments 2, 2a or the bristle bundles 5, 5a from adhering to elements of the transport device 6 when they are transported by the transport device 6 to the bundle holding plate 9, the bristle filaments 2, 2a forming the bristle bundles 5, 5a are passed through Static electricity is eliminated when the transport device 6 is transported to the bundle holding plate 9 .

In this way, it is possible to prevent the bristle bundles 5 , 5 a or the bristle filaments 2 , 2 a from generating static electricity due to the friction forces acting on them during their transport through the transport device 6 and thus adhering to elements of the transport device 6 .

When using the device 1 shown in FIG. 1 , the bristle filaments 2 , 2 a forming the bristle bundles 5 , 5 a are destaticized when they are transported via the hollow conduit 7 of the transport device 6 to the bundle holding plate 9 .

In order to dissipate static electricity, the bristle filaments 2, 2a forming the bristle bundles 5, 5a are grounded during their transport through the transport device 6, more precisely during their transport to the bundle holding plate 9 through the hollow conduit 7 of the transport device 6, in order to eliminate static electricity .

In this case, the bristle filaments 2 , 2 a forming the bristle bundles 5 , 5 a are guided during their transport by the transport device 6 for the purpose of eliminating static electricity past an electrical contact arranged on the transport device 6 , which is designed here as a ground contact 11 —and contact it in order to eliminate static electricity. Ground contacts 11 , which come into contact with the bristle filaments 2 , 2 a forming the bristle bundles 5 , 5 a during their transport by the transport device 6 , are arranged in the hollow conduit 7 in the device 1 shown in FIG. 1 and mounted there.

In the device 1 shown in FIG. 1 the hollow conduit 7 is a Bowden wire sheath 14 . In the uppermost hollow conduit 7 shown in FIG. 1 , part of the outer plastic sleeve of the hollow conduit 7 , which is designed as a Bowden wire sheath 14 , has been removed so that the inner metal helix 13 of the Bowden wire sheath 14 can be seen. This metal helix 13 serves as a ground contact 11 with which the bristle bundles 5 , 5 a transported through the hollow conduit 7 configured as a Bowden wire sheath 14 and the bristle filaments 2 , 2 a forming the bristle bundles 5 , 5 a are connected to. contact and can therefore be discharged.

The metal helix 13 shown in FIG. 1 is connected to an electrical conductor 12 which is designed to conduct static charges into the ground.

It should be pointed out here that all the hollow conduits 7 of the device 1 shown in FIG. The conduit 7 extends over the entire length. Each hollow conduit 7 shown in FIG. 1 is grounded or connected to ground via an electrical conductor 12 in order to conduct away static charges.

In one embodiment of the method it is provided that the bristle tufts 5 , 5 a pass from the tuft holding plate 9 directly through the tapered funnel channels 23 of the funnel plate 21 into the bores 24 of the held small support plate 17 .

In the method applied to the device 1 shown in FIG. 1 , the bristle bundles 5 , 5 a are pressed by means of compression rods 28 through the tapered funnel channels 23 of the funnel plate 21 into a total of four small support plates 17 held on the funnel plate 21 . in hole 24.

This takes place in the compression station denoted by reference numeral 29 of the device 1 shown in FIG. 1 .

Next, the material projection 54 protruding backward from the rear side 53 of the small support plate 17 remote from the bristle bundle 5 is heated in the welding station 15 and melted there, in order to connect the bristle bundle 5, 5a to the corresponding small support plate 17, melting The melt of the material projection 54 is pressed into the fixed plane of the bristle bundles 5, 5a, so that the melt flows between the ends of the bristle bundles protruding from the rear side 53 of the corresponding small support plate 17 and between the ends of the bristle bundles 5, 5a between the ends of the bristle filaments and then solidified.

The material projection 54 on the small carrier plate 17 is heated here by means of the welding rod 32 , melted and pressed into the fastening plane of the bristle bundle 5 , 5 a in order to fix the bristle bundle 5 , 5 a on the small carrier plate 17 .

According to requirements, the bristle tufts supplied to the tuft holding plate 9 can here be bristle tufts 5 made of conventional bristle filaments 2 and/or made of chemically sharpened bristle filaments 2a, so-called CTF's or chemically tapered filaments Bristle bundle 5a.

The bristle filaments 2 , 2 a are fed to a transfer station 42 in a bundle 36 bundled by means of a flexible and airtight bundle 35 . The wire reel 36 supplied to the transfer station 42 is then sucked by the suction jaws 43 assigned to the transfer station 42 , which contact and hold the wire with their suction plate 45 on the free upper side or end face 46 of the wire reel 36 . plate.

What is special here is that the flexible and gas-tight bundle sleeve 35—also referred to previously as disk sleeve—is transverse to the longitudinal axis of the bristle filaments 2, 2a and inwards in a longitudinal direction oriented perpendicularly to the upper side 46 of the corresponding wire disk 36. The bristle filaments 2 , 2 a are suctioned in the direction of the central axis and thus stably surround the suctioned filament disk 36 .

After one of the wire reels 36 is sucked by the suction claw 43 , the wire reel 36 is transferred to the sheath removing station 34 by the suction claw 43 .

The spool 36 supplied to the transfer station 42 in the figures - at least when it is made of chemically sharpened bristle filaments 2a - is provided with a spin finish as described above which contains an antistatic additives, which reduce the tendency of the bristle filaments 2 , 2 a to generate static electricity when they are transported by the transport device 6 .

According to FIG. 1 , the suction jaws 43 are arranged on a holding device 56 , which in turn is mounted displaceably on a rail system 57 . With the aid of this holding device 56 the suction jaws 43 can be moved not only horizontally but also vertically in order to transfer the individual bobbins 36 from the transfer station 42 to the stripping station 34 .

In the sheath removal station 34 the wire reel 36 is opened and the sheath 35 is removed and the bristle filaments 2 , 2 a from which the sheath 35 has been removed are automatically supplied to the magazine 3 .

Upstream of the transfer station 42 , the device 1 has a supply station 47 , by means of which the bobbins 36 are supplied to the transfer station 42 and to the transfer station on a total of three supports of the supply station 47 which in the present case are designed as conveyor belts 48 . Suction claw 43.

The wire reels 36 are held individually or in their delivery containers as shown in FIG. The conveying direction of each conveyor belt 48 is pushed onto three supports configured as conveyor belts 48 .

The method and device 1 for producing the bristle field of a brush, the small support plate 17 and the brush 60 loaded with such a small support plate 17 can simplify the manufacture of the bristle field of the brush by means of an air flow or air flow through the transport device 6 The bristle tufts 5, 5a transported to the tuft holding plate 9 are destaticized during their transport by the transport device 6, so that the bristle tufts are easier to transport by the transport device 6 and thus reduce the bristle tufts 5, 5a without anchors way of fixing in the small support plate 17, because the small support plate 17 has a rear side material protrusion 54, which is melted and then pressed into the beam fixing plane, so that it will be inserted into the small support plate 17 hole 24 in a simple manner The bristle bundles 5 , 5 a are positively and/or frictionally connected to the small support plate 17 .

Claims (14)

1. ramuscule board (17), it includes multiple hole (24) running through ramuscule board (17), the bristle tuft being made up of bristle filaments (2) (the 5th, 5a) can insert in described hole and can be fixed in the way of without anchoring piece on ramuscule board (17), it is characterised in that institute State ramuscule board (17) on the rear side (53) that it deviates from the bristle tuft (5) inserted in described hole (24), to there is multiple material and highlight Portion (54), wherein, described material protuberance (54) can be melted and in order to bristle tuft (the 5th, 5a) is fixed on ramuscule board (17) Above can be pressed in bundle fixed pan.

2. ramuscule board (17) according to claim 1, it is characterised in that can insert or insert the bristle in hole (24) Bundle (the 5th, 5a) is made by the bristle filaments (2a) fined away, the bristle filaments (2a) especially fined away by chemistry and is at least fixed at it Ramuscule board (17) is upper forms the brush being made up of bristle filaments (2a) that fining away, the bristle filaments (2a) especially fined away by chemistry afterwards Hair-fields, or can insert or insert the part of bristle tuft (the 5th, 5a) in hole (24) by the bristle filaments (2a) fined away, especially The bristle filaments (2a) fined away by chemistry is made, and can insert or insert another portion of bristle tuft (the 5th, 5a) in hole (24) It point by conventional brush lousiness (2), is especially made up of the bristle filaments (2) over its length with identical cross-section, wherein, by fining away The bristle tuft (5a) made of bristle filaments (2a) and the bristle tuft (5) being made up of conventional brush lousiness (2) be at least fixed on little at it Form bristle mixed zone (58) after support plate (17) is upper.

3. ramuscule board (17) according to claim 1 and 2, it is characterised in that described bristle filaments (the 2nd, 2a) is by polyamide And/or polyester makes, it is preferable that conventional brush lousiness (2), there is the bristle filaments of identical cross-section especially over its length by gathering Acid amides is made, and the bristle filaments fined away (2a) is made up of polyester.

4. the ramuscule board (17) according to one of claims 1 to 3, it is characterised in that described bristle tuft (5) is dashed forward at material Go out that after the material protuberance (54) melting and melting in portion (54) is pressed in bundle fixed pan, shape is sealed and/or force closure ground It is connected with ramuscule board (17).

5. the ramuscule board (17) according to one of Claims 1-4, it is characterised in that described material protuberance (54) structure Making as tubercle, material protuberance (54) is laterally prominent from ramuscule board (17) rear side, and/or material protuberance (54) is especially It is arranged on hole (24) evenly distributedly around.

6. the ramuscule board (17) according to one of claim 1 to 5, it is characterised in that described hole (24) have round and/ Or ellipse and/or circle and/or polygonal cross section and/or described hole (24) be configured to elongated hole.

7. the ramuscule board (17) according to one of claim 1 to 6, it is characterised in that described material protuberance (54) with Ramuscule board (17) one connects and/or material protuberance (54) is by the material identical with ramuscule board (17), especially by can Fusing plastics, be preferably made up of thermoplastic.

8. the ramuscule board (17) according to one of claim 1 to 7, it is characterised in that make material protuberance (54) Material has the fusing point lower than the material making bristle filaments (the 2nd, 2a) and/or bristle tuft (the 5th, 5a).

9. the ramuscule board (17) according to one of claim 1 to 8, it is characterised in that make bristle filaments (the 2nd, 2a) and/or The material of bristle tuft (the 5th, 5a) has the fusing point lower than the material making material protuberance (54).

10. the ramuscule board (17) according to one of claim 1 to 9, it is characterised in that described material protuberance (54) court Tapered to the taper tapered, preferred of its free end.

The 11. ramuscule boards (17) according to one of claim 1 to 10, it is characterised in that described ramuscule board (17) exists Its deviate from have on the rear side (53) of bristle tuft (the 5th, 5a) one preferably continuously and Guan Bi, especially vertically from ramuscule board (17) border (55) of rear side (53) projection, this encirclement hole, border (24) and material protuberance (54) and impale ramuscule board (17) rear side (53), and the border (55) of ramuscule board (17) be at least arranged on ramuscule board (17) rear side (53) on The half of material protuberance (54) is high, be preferably above material protuberance (53).

The 12. ramuscule boards (17) according to one of claim 1 to 11, it is characterised in that described ramuscule board (17) exists It deviates from the rear side (53) of bristle tuft (the 5th, 5a) at least after bristle tuft (the 5th, 5a) is inserted in hole (24) and/or prominent at material Go out portion (54) melt and have after being pressed into especially with Mo Neifa injection molded or can be with the lid of Mo Neifa injection molded (59).

13. brushes (60), especially toothbrush, this brush includes handle (61) and brush (62), and wherein, described brush (62) has Ramuscule board receiving portion (63) and be fixed in this ramuscule board receiving portion, the ramuscule board that is mounted with bristle tuft (the 5th, 5a) (17), it is characterised in that described ramuscule board (17) is the ramuscule board (17) according to one of claim 1 to 12.

14. brushes according to claim 13 (60), it is characterised in that described ramuscule board (17) snap in and/or glue into And/or be especially solded in ramuscule board receiving portion (63) and/or by Mo Neifa by ultrasonic bonding and be fixed on brush (60) upper, especially in ramuscule board receiving portion (63).