An oral care implement having a multi-component handle is disclosed. In one aspect, the oral care implement comprises: a handle extending along a longitudinal axis; a head coupled to the handle; at least one tooth cleaning element extending from the head; the handle comprising: a first component constructed of a first material, the first component comprising a first component aperture; a second component constructed of a second material, the second component comprising the head and an anchor, the anchor located within the first component aperture and comprising a second component aperture; and a third component disposed within the second component aperture.

An injection-molded first component of an article, the first component including a sheath element formed from a pre-sheath element, the sheath element having a cavity and a recess extending from the cavity into a wall of the sheath element surrounding the cavity. The recess is formed by a through hole in the pre-sheath element and a lid element closing the through hole. The lid element is connected to the pre-sheath element with a plastic material injection-molded over at least a part of a parting line between the lid element and the pre-sheath element.

According to a method or an apparatus for fastening bristles in a bristle carrier (10) without using an anchor a heating (39) is provided in a tool part configured to transport the bristles. After inserting the bristles into anchoring openings (12) in the bristle carrier (10), the anchoring openings are closed by applying pressure.

A brush head (32) including: a supporting portion (42) of a brush neck (40); a plurality of bristle tufts (21), each of which comprises a plurality of bristle strands having a proximal end (23) and a free end (25), wherein each of the plurality of bristle tufts comprises a proximal end head portion (26) melted into a first shape within a mold; and an elastomeric matrix (30) comprising at least a portion of the hard brush neck and the proximal end head portions, wherein the first shape of the proximal end head portion is configured to engage the elastomeric matrix such that the bristle tufts are retained within the elastomeric matrix.

A plurality of mass-produced multi-component housings having a length and comprising at least a first component comprising a first plastic material, a second component comprising a second plastic material, and a third component comprising a third plastic material. Each of the housings includes at least one tolerance-elimination element made of the second plastic material and longitudinally attached to the first component along the housing's longitudinal axis. The tolerance-elimination element has an average length extending parallel to the housing's longitudinal axis, which average length is at least ten times less than the length of the housing. The third component at least partially forms an outer surface of the housing, so that the tolerance-elimination element is at least partially overmolded by the third plastic material. The tolerance-elimination elements of the plurality of multi-component housings are structured to cause lengthwise maximal dimension variations of the length L among the individual multi-component housings to be not greater than 0.1 mm.

A system comprises a fully automated fabrication cell (20) for forming overmolded oral care implements. The cell (20) includes a cluster of process stations (21) including injection molding machines operable to first form oral care implement preforms and then overmold the preforms with an overlay to create fully formed oral care implement bodies. In one example, the overlay may be a flexible elastomeric or rubber material while the preform may comprise a more rigid plastic material. Transfer of the preforms and bodies between the process stations (21) is fully automated and performed by a computer-operated robot (40) having a jointed articulated arm. A grasping tool (60) disposed on an end of the arm (42) releasably engages and transports a plurality of preforms and/or bodies simultaneously. The tool provides two different methods for engaging and holding the toothbrush skeletons/bodies. A programmable controller (130) automatically controls the robotic arm (42)'s operation and movement.

A method of forming an oral care implement, a method of forming a head plate for an oral care implement, and an oral care implement or head plate formed therefrom. The head plate may have micro-sized or fine features. The method may include providing an amount of a first solid material upstream of a first mold cavity; prior to the first solid material entering the first mold cavity, applying ultrasonic energy to the first solid material to melt the first solid material into a first molten material; flowing the first molten material into the first mold cavity; allowing the first molten material to harden within the first mold cavity to form a head plate comprising micro-sized features; forming a body from a second material, the body including a handle portion and a head portion; and coupling the head plate to the head portion of the body.

A molding device for manufacturing a plastic hollow part by injection molding includes an injection nozzle and first and second molding stations. Each molding station has a first mold including two mold halves forming, respectively, first and second mold cavities, and a core having a first end, which can be at least partially located inside the first and second mold cavities. A first stripper can be arranged on the core in a passive position, spaced from the first end of the core at a first distance; in a molding position, spaced from the first end of the core at a second distance; and in a demolding position, spaced from the first end of the core at a third distance; wherein the first distance is greater than the second distance, and the second distance is greater than the third distance.

A brush head for an electrically driven toothbrush is provided herein. The brush head includes a holding part connected to a carrier part, at least one bristle bundle formed by bristle filaments, and a resiliently soft cleaning element. The carrier part includes passage bores, through which the bristle bundle and resiliently soft cleaning element project, and each is fixed to the carrier part by way of a thickened portion formed by a filament material or a resiliently elastic material, respectively. A method of producing a brush head is also provided, including preparing the carrier part as a separate component with passage bores, fixing the bristle bundle and the resiliently clastic cleaning element to the carrier part with a thickened portion provided on the bristle bundle and the resiliently elastic cleaning element, respectively, and connecting the carrier part to the holding part.

An injection-molding process and an apparatus for making a multi-component hollow article, and the article made thereby. The process comprises molding, from a first plastic material, a hollow body having a wall with at least one vent therethrough and at least one flap molded in an area adjacent to the vent. The flap is molded in a first position in which the vent is open. The flap is hingedly movable from the first position to a second position in which the vent is closed by the flap. After the flap is folded into the second position, the hollow body, including the folded flap, is at least partially overmolded with a second plastic material, wherein the second material is essentially precluded from leaking into the hollow body through the vent. The apparatus comprises a first mold bar for molding a hollow body, a second mold bar for overmolding the hollow body with a second plastic material, and a closing tool for moving, and optionally retaining, the flap in the second position. The resulting article has no second material inside its hollow body.