A method for producing a toothbrush head, comprising: providing at least two filament containers, each comprising a supply of loose filaments that differ in at least one of their property selected from material, diameter, cross-section, shape, and presence of additives and/or coating; picking bristle tufts from the containers and arranging them in a perforation plate comprising holes shaped and distributed according to a desired bristle field of the brush head to be produced; arranging an energy source and the ends of the tufts in a contactless arrangement, wherein the ends of the tufts to be fused are at different distances from the energy source, and wherein the distance is adjusted according to the at least one property; applying energy to the ends of the tufts until fuse balls are formed thereon; transferring the tufts to a molding position, wherein a distance between at least one fuse ball and the front surface is different from the distance between the bottom edge of said fuse ball and the front surface in the fusing position; over-molding the fuse balls with molten plastic material thereby forming a cleaning element carrier; transferring the cleaning element carrier to a brush head mold and injecting molten plastic material into the brush head mold forming a toothbrush head, wherein the cleaning element carrier is over-molded thereby and the tufts are still located in the perforation plate.

An oral care implement having a head with a bristle bearing surface. The oral care implement may include a central bristle tuft extending from a central portion of the bristle bearing surface, the central bristle tuft terminating in a domed distal surface. Furthermore, the oral care implement may include a plurality of perimetric bristle tufts extending from the bristle bearing surface and arranged to circumferentially surround the central bristle tuft. Each of the perimetric bristle tufts may have an inclined distal surface that slopes downward towards the central bristle tuft. The bristle bearing surface of the head may have a total surface area (TSA), and the toothbrush may include a tooth cleaning element field having X number of tooth cleaning elements that collectively occupy a total cleaning element area (TCEA) such that $\frac{1}{X}\times \frac{TCEA}{TSA}=Z$
and Z is in a range of 0.04 to 0.065.

To improve the brush-making field, a tuft-picking device (4) is provided, which includes the tuft picker (8) that is movable in relation to the material box (2) of the brush-making machine (1) and, on its front side (11), which in the operating position faces the bristle supply (3) held in the material box (2), includes at least one tuft-picking notch (12). The tuft-picking notch (12) has two opposing knife edges (14, 15), which delimit the notch opening (13) of the tuft-picking notch (12) and are oriented transverse to the direction of movement of the tuft picker (8). Another part of the tuft-picking device (4) is the counter piece (9), which is provided with the separating edge (17) facing the tuft picker (8). In order to allow bristle filaments (16) to be removed from the bristle supply (4) as gently as possible, at least one of the two knife edges (14, 15) and/or the separating edge (17) is rounded.

To improve the brush-making field, a tuft-picking device (4) is provided, which includes the tuft picker (8) that is movable in relation to the material box (2) of the brush-making machine (1) and, on its front side (11), which in the operating position faces the bristle supply (3) held in the material box (2), includes at least one tuft-picking notch (12). The tuft-picking notch (12) has two opposing knife edges (14, 15), which delimit the notch opening (13) of the tuft-picking notch (12) and are oriented transverse to the direction of movement of the tuft picker (8). Another part of the tuft-picking device (4) is the counter piece (9), which is provided with the separating edge (17) facing the tuft picker (8). In order to allow bristle filaments (16) to be removed from the bristle supply (4) as gently as possible, at least one of the two knife edges (14, 15) and/or the separating edge (17) is rounded.

An apparatus (1) for forming bristle bundles (2) is inter alia proposed as an improvement in the technical field of manufacturing and designing brushes. The apparatus (1) includes at least one bundle pocket (3) which is specified for receiving bristle bundles (2) to be formed. The bundle pocket (3) has a common bundle receptacle portion (50) for unifying at least two bristle bundles (2). The bundle pocket (3) and the bristle bundles (2) situated therein are heated by the heating apparatus (4) of the apparatus (1) so as to set the shaping of the bristle bundles (2) that is predefined by the bundle pocket (3) and the displacement means (7).

An apparatus (1) for forming bristle bundles (2) is inter alia proposed as an improvement in the technical field of manufacturing and designing brushes. The apparatus (1) includes at least one bundle pocket (3) which is specified for receiving bristle bundles (2) to be formed. The bundle pocket (3) has a common bundle receptacle portion (50) for unifying at least two bristle bundles (2). The bundle pocket (3) and the bristle bundles (2) situated therein are heated by the heating apparatus (4) of the apparatus (1) so as to set the shaping of the bristle bundles (2) that is predefined by the bundle pocket (3) and the displacement means (7).

An end-rounding device comprises a movable body comprising an abrasive surface; a gearing for transferring a movement from a motor to the movable body; a providing unit for providing a plurality of bristle filament ends to the abrasive surface, wherein the providing unit comprises a clamping unit for clamping a bunch of filaments, wherein the bunch comprises a multiple of filaments of a bristle tuft; wherein the abrasive surface has a diameter from 80 mm to 300 mm and comprises a concave curvature oriented in the direction of the clamping unit; and wherein the clamping unit is movably spaced from the abrasive surface at a distance. A method of smoothening bristle filament ends utilizes the end-rounding device.

An end-rounding device comprises a movable body comprising an abrasive surface; a gearing for transferring a movement from a motor to the movable body; a providing unit for providing a plurality of bristle filament ends to the abrasive surface, wherein the providing unit comprises a clamping unit for clamping a bunch of filaments, wherein the bunch comprises a multiple of filaments of a bristle tuft; wherein the abrasive surface has a diameter from 80 mm to 300 mm and comprises a concave curvature oriented in the direction of the clamping unit; and wherein the clamping unit is movably spaced from the abrasive surface at a distance. A method of smoothening bristle filament ends utilizes the end-rounding device.

A tuft picker for a brush-making machine for automated production of brushes, toothbrushes adapted to remove filaments from a filament container. The tuft picker includes two cover tools spaced by a picking part. The picking part has at least one picker eye for taking up a predefined number of loose filaments from the filament container. This picker eye has an opening that can be opened and closed by moving the cover tools from a first position to a second position during one working stroke.

A tuft picker for a brush-making machine for automated production of brushes, toothbrushes adapted to remove filaments from a filament container. The tuft picker includes two cover tools spaced by a picking part. The picking part has at least one picker eye for taking up a predefined number of loose filaments from the filament container. This picker eye has an opening that can be opened and closed by moving the cover tools from a first position to a second position during one working stroke.