A brushroll dowel for a vacuum cleaner has a bristle stiffener protruding from a brush dowel. A plurality of stiffened bristles protrude from the brush dowel adjacent to the bristle stiffener, and a plurality of unstiffened bristles also protrude from the brush dowel and are non-adjacent to the bristle stiffener.

A push broom head comprising a base with a leading edge and a trailing edge separated by a width of the base; and tufts of bristles extending from a surface of the base; the tufts of bristles being arranged in rows of bristles of decreasing stiffness from the leading edge to the trailing edge of the base, with a leading row of very stiff bristles and a trailing row of bendable bristles, thereby combining increased ease of handling by a user for an efficient sweeping action, the leading rows loosening and moving heavier particles and the trailing rows loosening and moving finer particles not acted upon by the stiff leading rows.

A push broom head comprising a base with a leading edge and a trailing edge separated by a width of the base; and tufts of bristles extending from a surface of the base; the tufts of bristles being arranged in rows of bristles of decreasing stiffness from the leading edge to the trailing edge of the base, with a leading row of very stiff bristles and a trailing row of bendable bristles, thereby combining increased ease of handling by a user for an efficient sweeping action, the leading rows loosening and moving heavier particles and the trailing rows loosening and moving finer particles not acted upon by the stiff leading rows.

A head for an oral care implement has a longitudinal length extension extending between a proximal end and a distal end, an outer rim and an inner portion. The head comprises at least two tooth cleaning elements of a first type and a plurality of tooth cleaning elements of a second type, the tooth cleaning elements of the first type being arranged at the inner portion of the head, and the plurality of tooth cleaning elements of the second type being arranged at the outer rim of the head, thereby surrounding the tooth cleaning elements of the first type. The tooth cleaning elements of the first type are tufts of a first type comprising a plurality of filaments. The tufts of the first type are arranged substantially parallel to each other. Each tuft has a substantially rectangular or oval cross-sectional shape with a longer length extension from about 4 mm to about 8 mm and a shorter width extension from about 1.5 mm to about 2.5 mm, wherein the longer length extension defines an angle with respect to the longitudinal length extension of the head of about 25 to about 60.

An oral care implement including a handle and a head. The head has a first surface and a plurality of tuft holes formed into the first surface. Each of the tuft holes has a diameter D.sub.TH. The tuft holes are arranged in a tuft hole pattern such that a singular bounded area A.sub.B of the first surface can be selected that includes X number of tuft holes. In some embodiments, X is an integer that is greater than or equal to 2, D.sub.TH is less than or equal to 1.1 mm, and X/A.sub.B is greater than or equal to 0.54.

An oral care implement including a handle and a head. The head has a first surface and a plurality of tuft holes formed into the first surface. Each of the tuft holes has a diameter D.sub.TH. The tuft holes are arranged in a tuft hole pattern such that a singular bounded area A.sub.B of the first surface can be selected that includes X number of tuft holes. In some embodiments, X is an integer that is greater than or equal to 2, D.sub.TH is less than or equal to 1.1 mm, and X/A.sub.B is greater than or equal to 0.54.

A method and an apparatus for producing bristle fields for brushes. The bristles are filled into a hole of a mold form by a feed line having an upstream end with an inlet valve and a downstream end with an outlet valve. The method includes steps of forming a bundle of bristles; applying a predefined gas pressure above atmospheric pressure in the feed line the inlet and outlet valves; inserting the bundle into the feed line at an insertion station between the inlet and outlet valves; and maintaining the predefined pressure between said valves; draining off a first volume of gas from the feed line via the outlet valve while feeding a second volume of gas into the feed line via the inlet valve, thereby moving the bundle of bristles in the feed line towards the mold form, wherein the pressure in the feed line upstream and downstream of the bundle of bristles is kept above atmospheric pressure.

A method and an apparatus for producing bristle fields for brushes. The bristles are filled into a hole of a mold form by a feed line having an upstream end with an inlet valve and a downstream end with an outlet valve. The method includes steps of forming a bundle of bristles; applying a predefined gas pressure above atmospheric pressure in the feed line the inlet and outlet valves; inserting the bundle into the feed line at an insertion station between the inlet and outlet valves; and maintaining the predefined pressure between said valves; draining off a first volume of gas from the feed line via the outlet valve while feeding a second volume of gas into the feed line via the inlet valve, thereby moving the bundle of bristles in the feed line towards the mold form, wherein the pressure in the feed line upstream and downstream of the bundle of bristles is kept above atmospheric pressure.

A method of forming a bristle field for an oral care implement. The method includes providing a bundle of bristles and aligning the bundle of bristles with an insertion opening in a guide member. Upon insertion into the guide member, the guide member divides the bundle of bristles into a plurality of bristle tufts. The guide member can be aligned with tuft holes on a head or head plate of an oral care implement so that the bundle of bristles can be inserted through the guide member and into the tuft holes. As a result, a single bundle of bristles can be used to mount a plurality of bristle tufts to the head or head plate.

A method of forming a bristle field for an oral care implement. The method includes providing a bundle of bristles and aligning the bundle of bristles with an insertion opening in a guide member. Upon insertion into the guide member, the guide member divides the bundle of bristles into a plurality of bristle tufts. The guide member can be aligned with tuft holes on a head or head plate of an oral care implement so that the bundle of bristles can be inserted through the guide member and into the tuft holes. As a result, a single bundle of bristles can be used to mount a plurality of bristle tufts to the head or head plate.