There is provided a method of manufacture of a hair brush. The method has the steps, in the sequence of, i) forming a base layer in the form of a mesh by way of a first molding step, the base layer defining an upper surface and a lower surface opposite the upper surface, made of a first material selected from a group consisting of polypropylene (PP), nylon, polyoxymethylene (POM) and thermoplastic elastomer (TPE), and including a plurality of recesses with apertures at the upper surface, ii) forming a substrate layer for supporting bristles of the hair brush by a second molding step of overmoulding a finishing layer over the base layer, the finishing layer made of a second material; iii) installing the bristles to the substrate layer at the recesses through the apertures; and iv) assembling the substrate layer installed with the bristles to a casing of the hair brush.

An oral care implement that includes a handle and a head. A tuft of cleaning elements extends from the front surface of the head along an axis and includes a plurality of cleaning elements. In one embodiment, the cleaning elements may be formed of an elastomeric material. Furthermore, a sleeve may be coupled to the head and extend from the front surface of the head. The sleeve circumferentially surrounds a first portion of the tuft of cleaning elements and a second portion of the tuft of cleaning elements protrudes beyond a distal end of the sleeve. The sleeve may apply a radial compression force onto the first portions of the cleaning elements that are surrounded by the sleeves. The second portions of the cleaning elements may diverge as they extend from the distal end of the sleeve. The oral care implement may include sleeves of varying heights.

The present invention relates to a toothbrush with a handle, at least one cleaning zone and at least one deformable element, where the deformable element has a first flexible arm arranged relatively towards the cleaning zone and a second flexible arm arranged relatively away from the cleaning zone. The deformable element can move from a resting position in which the first arm is substantially flat and aligned to the handle, to a cleaning position in which the first arm and the cleaning zone adopt a curvature of a surface of a dentition, where the arms form a wedge being connected together at one end of the deformable element and distanced from each other at the other end of the deformable element. The first and second arms are linked by at least two bridges which are tiltable with respect to the first and second arms when pressure is applied to the cleaning zone, wherein the arms and bridges enclose a void space.

The present invention relates to a toothbrush with a handle, at least one cleaning zone and at least one deformable element, where the deformable element has a first flexible arm arranged relatively towards the cleaning zone and a second flexible arm arranged relatively away from the cleaning zone. The deformable element can move from a resting position in which the first arm is substantially flat and aligned to the handle, to a cleaning position in which the first arm and the cleaning zone adopt a curvature of a surface of a dentition, where the arms form a wedge being connected together at one end of the deformable element and distanced from each other at the other end of the deformable element. The first and second arms are linked by at least two bridges which are tiltable with respect to the first and second arms when pressure is applied to the cleaning zone, wherein the arms and bridges enclose a void space.

A brush head (100) having a distal end, including: an elastomeric matrix (30) including a first surface (32), and a plurality of retention rings (50) disposed in the elastomeric matrix, each of which includes a first end (51), a second end (53) positioned closer to the first surface of the elastomeric matrix than the first end, an interior wall (55) with a central longitudinal axis (111), and an exterior wall (57). The interior wall of at least a first retention ring is generally circular in shape; the interior wall of at least a second retention ring is generally non-circular in shape; the exterior wall is generally non-circular in shape; and at least one of the interior wall or the exterior wall includes a taper (61, 63). The brush head can also include a plurality of bristle tufts (21), each of which is inserted into one of the plurality of retaining rings.

A brush head (100) having a distal end, including: an elastomeric matrix (30) including a first surface (32), and a plurality of retention rings (50) disposed in the elastomeric matrix, each of which includes a first end (51), a second end (53) positioned closer to the first surface of the elastomeric matrix than the first end, an interior wall (55) with a central longitudinal axis (111), and an exterior wall (57). The interior wall of at least a first retention ring is generally circular in shape; the interior wall of at least a second retention ring is generally non-circular in shape; the exterior wall is generally non-circular in shape; and at least one of the interior wall or the exterior wall includes a taper (61, 63). The brush head can also include a plurality of bristle tufts (21), each of which is inserted into one of the plurality of retaining rings.

A brush head assembly (100) including: a hard platen (24); a plurality of bristle tufts (21), each of which includes a plurality of bristle strands having a proximal end (23) and a free end (25); and an elastomeric matrix (30) bonded to the hard platen, where each of the bristle tufts is bonded directly to the elastomeric matrix without a retention element. A brush head assembly (100) includes: a hard platen (24) with a plurality of bristle tuft holes (28); a plurality of bristle tufts (21), each of which includes a plurality of bristle strands having a proximal end (23) and a free end (25), where each of the plurality of bristle tufts are inserted into a respective one of the bristle tuft holes; and an elastomeric matrix (30) that at least partially encompasses the hard platen and the proximal end of the bristle tufts.

A brush head assembly (100) including: a hard platen (24); a plurality of bristle tufts (21), each of which includes a plurality of bristle strands having a proximal end (23) and a free end (25); and an elastomeric matrix (30) bonded to the hard platen, where each of the bristle tufts is bonded directly to the elastomeric matrix without a retention element. A brush head assembly (100) includes: a hard platen (24) with a plurality of bristle tuft holes (28); a plurality of bristle tufts (21), each of which includes a plurality of bristle strands having a proximal end (23) and a free end (25), where each of the plurality of bristle tufts are inserted into a respective one of the bristle tuft holes; and an elastomeric matrix (30) that at least partially encompasses the hard platen and the proximal end of the bristle tufts.

A method (200) for manufacturing a brush head (100). The method includes the steps of providing a plurality of polypropylene bristle tuft retention rings (50), and inserting a respective nylon bristle tuft (21) into each of the bristle tuft retention rings. Heat is applied to each bristle tuft proximal end (23) at a temperature sufficient to at least partially melt the bristle tuft proximal end and create a proximal head portion (26). The platen (42) of the brush head is positioned in relation to the retaining rings (50) and proximal head portions (26) to define a space (92) in relation to the proximal head portions for injection of a thermoplastic elastomer, and the thermoplastic elastomer is injected into the space to create an elastomeric matrix (30) that at least partially encompasses the neck and the proximal head portions.

A method (200) for manufacturing a brush head (100). The method includes the steps of providing a plurality of polypropylene bristle tuft retention rings (50), and inserting a respective nylon bristle tuft (21) into each of the bristle tuft retention rings. Heat is applied to each bristle tuft proximal end (23) at a temperature sufficient to at least partially melt the bristle tuft proximal end and create a proximal head portion (26). The platen (42) of the brush head is positioned in relation to the retaining rings (50) and proximal head portions (26) to define a space (92) in relation to the proximal head portions for injection of a thermoplastic elastomer, and the thermoplastic elastomer is injected into the space to create an elastomeric matrix (30) that at least partially encompasses the neck and the proximal head portions.