METHOD AND DEVICE FOR MANUFACTURING AN INTERDENTAL CLEANER

Abstract

A method for manufacturing an interdental cleaner includes providing a rod-shaped carrier made of plastic, into which laterally protruding bristles are embedded. In this case, a filament array formed of a plurality of filament strands is inserted into a holding cassette and is fixed in a predefined alignment in the holding cassette by means of a holding device. The holding cassette is then inserted into an injection-molding device and the filament array is extrusion-coated with plastic in the injection-molding device, forming a plurality of rod-shaped carriers arranged spaced apart next to one another. Finally, the filament strands forming the filament array are separated at least in the sections located between adjacent rod-shaped carriers. In addition, a device for carrying out the method is provided.

Claims

1. A method for manufacturing an interdental cleaner, which comprises a rod-shaped carrier made of plastic, into which laterally protruding bristles are embedded, the method comprising: inserting a filament array comprised of a plurality of filament strands into a holding cassette and fixing the filament array in a predefined alignment in the holding cassette by means of at least one holding device; subsequently inserting the holding cassette into an injection-molding device; extrusion coating the filament array in the injection-molding device, forming a plurality of rod-shaped carriers made of plastic, which are arranged spaced apart next to one another; and separating the filament strands forming the filament array at least in sections located between adjacent rod-shaped carriers.

2. A method in accordance with claim 1, wherein the filament strands are arranged parallel and spaced apart next to one another.

3. A method in accordance with claim 1, wherein in at least two spaced-apart areas of a filament strand axial length, each filament strand is inserted into a guiding part each and fixed such that the filament strand is loosely clamped between the guiding parts.

4. A method in accordance with claim 3, wherein the guiding part comprises a plurality of guide slots, wherein each filament strand is inserted into one of the guide slots.

5. A method in accordance with claim 1, wherein at least some of the filament strands are formed by a monofilament or by a bundle of monofilaments or by a multifilament.

6. A method in accordance with claim 1, wherein the filaments of the filament strand are linear and parallel to one another and/or rotated and twisted and/or textured.

7. A method in accordance with claim 1, wherein each filament strand of the filament array is inserted into a plurality of first positioning parts spaced apart from one another and formed at the injection-molding device when the holding cassette is inserted into the injection-molding device.

8. A method in accordance with claim 7, wherein each first positioning part has a plurality of first positioning slots, wherein each filament strand is inserted into one of the first positioning slots of the positioning parts.

9. A method in accordance with claim 1, wherein the rod-shaped carrier has a grip section at an end thereof facing away from the bristles, and adjacent rod-shaped carriers are connected to one another in one piece at their grip sections.

10. A method in accordance with claim 9, wherein adjacent rod-shaped carriers are connected to one another at grip sections thereof via webs, which can be broken off.

11. A method in accordance with claim 1, wherein the holding cassette is transferred with the filament array carrying the rod-shaped carriers to the injection-molding device or is inserted into an additional injection-molding device, and the rod-shaped carriers are extrusion-coated there in the area of the filament array with a soft elastic plastic, comprising a thermoplastic elastomer or silicone in at least some areas, forming a cover.

12. A method in accordance with claim 11, wherein each filament strand of the filament array is inserted into a plurality of second positioning parts, which are spaced apart from one another and are formed at the injection-molding device or the additional injection-molding device when the holding cassette is inserted or is transferred.

13. A method in accordance with claim 12, wherein each second positioning part has a plurality of second positioning slots, wherein each filament strand is inserted into one of the second positioning slots of the second positioning parts.

14. A method in accordance with claim 1, wherein separation of the filament strands takes place in the holding cassette.

15. A method in accordance with claim 1, wherein the filament array carrying the rod-shaped carriers is removed from the holding cassette before separating the filament strands.

16. A method in accordance with claim 1, wherein each rod-shaped carrier is removed from the filament array by two cuts.

17. A device for manufacturing an interdental cleaner, which comprises a rod-shaped carrier made of plastic, into which laterally protruding bristles are embedded, the device comprising: an injection-molding device which has at least one cavity for the formation of a plurality of rod-shaped carriers arranged next to one another and a holding device for a filament array comprised of a plurality of filament strands, wherein the holding device has a holding cassette with at least two guiding parts spaced apart from one another, into which the filament strands can be inserted, the filament strands can be fixed in the holding device such that they can be loosely clamped between the guiding parts, and the holding cassette can be inserted into the injection-molding device and can be removed from same and/or can be transferred to same.

18. A device in accordance with claim 17, wherein the guiding parts comprise a plurality of guide slots arranged next to one another.

19. A device in accordance with claim 18, wherein each guide slot is configured for receiving precisely one filament strand.

20. A device in accordance with claim 17, wherein the holding cassette has a clamping part for the clamping holding of the filament strands.

21. A device in accordance with claim 17, wherein the holding cassette is configured as a frame.

22. A device in accordance with claim 21, wherein the frame has a C-shaped or E-shaped configuration.

23. A device in accordance with claim 17, wherein a positioning device in the injection-molding device has a plurality of first positioning parts spaced apart from one another.

24. A device in accordance with claim 23, wherein each first positioning part has a plurality of first positioning slots arranged next to one another.

25. A device in accordance with claim 24, wherein each first positioning slot is configured for receiving precisely one filament strand.

26. A device in accordance with claim 23, wherein the cavity of the injection-molding device has a plurality of cavity sections for forming a rod-shaped carrier each, and at least one first positioning part is always provided between two adjacent cavity sections.

27. A device in accordance with claim 23, wherein at least some of the first positioning parts have a different height.

28. A device in accordance with claim 27, wherein each cavity section has a plurality of recesses for receiving a filament strand each for forming a rod-shaped carrier each.

29. A device in accordance with claim 28, wherein a breadth of the recesses is less than a width of the first positioning slots.

30. A device in accordance with claim 29, wherein the injection-molding device or an additional injection-molding device has an extrusion-coating cavity, in which the rod-shaped carriers can be extrusion-coated with a plastic in the area of the filament array in at least some areas, wherein the extrusion-coating cavity has a plurality of cavity sections for forming a cover each and wherein a plurality of second positioning parts spaced apart from one another are provided.

31. A device in accordance with claim 30, wherein the second positioning parts have a plurality of second positioning slots arranged next to one another.

32. A device in accordance with claim 31, wherein each second positioning slot is configured for receiving precisely one filament strand.

33. A device in accordance with claim 30, wherein at least one second positioning part each is provided between two adjacent cavity sections of the extrusion-coating cavity.

34. A device in accordance with claim 30, wherein at least some of the second positioning parts have a different height.

35. A device in accordance with claim 17, wherein a cutting device is provided, by means of which the rod-shaped carriers can be cut out of the filament array.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0037] In the drawings:

[0038] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a set of interdental cleaners with an enlarged view of a cleaning section;

[0039] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a holding cassette with inserted filament array;

[0040] FIG. 3 is an opened, empty holding cassette;

[0041] FIG. 4 is a perspective view of an opened holding device of the holding cassette;

[0042] FIG. 5 is a guiding part with a plurality of different filament strands inserted;

[0043] FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a modified embodiment of the holding cassette;

[0044] FIG. 7 is a perspective view of an opened injection-molding device without holding cassette;

[0045] FIG. 8 is a perspective view of an opened injection-molding device without holding cassette with a special embodiment of the first positioning parts;

[0046] FIG. 9 is an enlarged perspective view of a first positioning part;

[0047] FIG. 10 is a first alternative embodiment of a first positioning part;

[0048] FIG. 11 is a second alternative embodiment of a first positioning part;

[0049] FIG. 12 is the injection-molding device from FIG. 7 with inserted holding cassette;

[0050] FIG. 13 is an enlarged perspective view of a first positioning part with inserted filament strands before the closing of the injection-molding device;

[0051] FIG. 14 is the view according to FIG. 13 after the closing of the injection-molding device;

[0052] FIG. 15 is a perspective view of a holding cassette with molded-on carriers;

[0053] FIG. 16 is a perspective view of an extrusion-coating cavity with inserted holding cassette and second positioning parts;

[0054] FIG. 17 is a perspective view of a holding cassette with completely molded interdental cleaner;

[0055] FIG. 18 shows the holding cassette according to FIG. 13 in the open position; and

[0056] FIG. 19 is a schematic view of the trimming of the filament strands.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0057] Referring to the drawings, FIG. 1 shows a set 10 of interdental cleaners 11 arranged next to one another, wherein the set 10 according to FIG. 1 comprises, for example, ten interdental cleaners 11. Each interdental cleaner 11 consists of plastic and has a rod-shaped carrier 12, at the rear (right according to FIG. 1) end of which a plate-shaped grip section 13 is formed and molded integrally. A cleaning section 14, which can be seen on the left side of FIG. 1 in an enlarged view, is arranged on the rod-shaped carrier 12 at the front end located axially opposite the grip section 13. The cleaning section 14 has a cover 16 made of a soft elastic plastic, which has a radially protruding structuring in the form of fingers 17 or nubs on its outside.

[0058] Bristles 15, which protrude in a stub-like manner radially in a freely protruding manner on opposite sides, are embedded into the material of the rod-shaped carrier 12.

[0059] The interdental cleaners 11, which are arranged next to one another, are connected to one another in their respective grip sections 13 via one-piece webs 18, which can be broken off and are molded integrally, so that the strip-like, connected set 10 is formed and the user can remove each interdental cleaner 11 by breaking off the corresponding webs 18.

[0060] How the set 10 of interdental cleaners 11 shown in FIG. 1 is manufactured is described below. A holding cassette 20, which is shown in FIGS. 2 through 5, is provided for this purpose. The holding cassette 20 is configured as a U-shaped frame 21 and has a base 23 as well as two freely protruding legs 22, extending at right angles thereto. At the outer ends of the leg 22 facing away from the base 23 is arranged a holding device 24, by means of which a filament array 25, which consists of a plurality of filament strands 32 arranged spaced apart parallel to one another, can be positioned and fixed. As FIG. 5 shows, each filament strand 32 can be formed either as a bundle 32a of a plurality of straight filaments running parallel to one another or by a corresponding bundle 32c rotated about its longitudinal axis or even by non-parallel monofilaments located next to one another in the form of a textured bundle 32b.

[0061] As especially FIGS. 3 and 4 show, each holding device 24 comprises a guiding part 26, which has a comb-like or rake-like configuration and has a plurality of guide lamellae 28 arranged next to one another, between each of which a guide slot 27 is formed. A filament strand 32 can be inserted into each guide slot 27, so that the filament strands 32 are positioned and held spaced apart in a predefined manner. A clamping surface 33, on which the end sections of the filament strands 32 protruding from the guiding part 26 are supported, is formed at the leg 22 of the frame 21 on the side of the guiding part 26 facing away from the other guiding part 26. The clamping surface 33 interacts with a holding strip 30, which has on its bottom side a preferably pad-like clamping part 29, which is adapted in its dimensions to the dimensions of the clamping surface 33. The holding strip 30 may thus be placed onto the leg 22 of the frame 21 and be clamped tightly by means of a clamping device, for example, in the form of a tensioning screw 31, so that the filament strands 32 are clamped tightly between the clamping surface 33 and the clamping part 29, as it is shown in FIG. 2. In this way, the filament strands 32 are held in a non-positive manner in their end areas and freely span over the distance between the legs 22.

[0062] FIG. 6 shows a variant of the holding cassette 20 according to FIG. 2, wherein the frame 21 now has an E-shaped configuration, i.e., has an additional middle leg 22, so that the filament strands 32 are positioned in the described manner and held by clamping by means of a holding device 24 not only in their end areas but also in their middle area.

[0063] FIG. 7 shows an opened injection-molding device 39 with a mold part 40 and with a mold half, in which a cavity 41 corresponding to the shape of ten interdental cleaners 11 arranged next to one another is formed. The cavity 41 also comprises ten cavity sections 41a, which are each used for the formation of the rod-shaped carrier 12. In the area of the front end of the cavity sections 41a, first positioning parts 43 are arranged between each of the cavity sections 41a and additionally laterally next to each of the outer cavity sections 41a. While all the first positioning parts 43 have the same height (measured in the direction of insertion and thus essentially at right angles to the drawing plane according to FIG. 7) in the embodiment according to FIG. 7, FIG. 8 shows a variant thereof, some of the first positioning parts 43 having different heights. In the exemplary embodiments shown, the highest first positioning parts are each arranged at the end of the row formed by the first positioning parts 43. The height of the first positioning parts 43 decreases towards the middle of the row, the positioning part 43 with the lowest height being arranged in the middle of the row. The gradation of the heights of the first positioning parts 43 causes the filament strands to be inserted with a temporal offset one after the other into the first positioning slots 44 of the first positioning parts 43 when the holding cassette is inserted into the injection-molding device, as a result of which the risk of incorrectly inserted filament strands is reduced or even avoided.

[0064] One of the first positioning parts 43 is shown in an enlarged manner in FIG. 9. Each first positioning part 43 has a rake-like or comb-like configuration and has first positioning lamellae 45, which are arranged at a mutual distance and form between each of them first positioning slots 44, which run at right angles to the longitudinal extension of the cavity sections 41a and of the rod-shaped carriers 12. The width of the first positioning slots 44 is designated by W in FIG. 8.

[0065] Depressions 46 are formed in the mold part 40 directly next to the cavity sections 41a for the rod-shaped carriers 12. Two depressions 46 each formed on opposite sides of a cavity section 41a are flush with one another and are, in addition, aligned with the adjacent first positioning slots 44 of the first positioning parts 43. The breadth of the depressions 46 measured in the longitudinal direction of the cavity sections 41a and parallel to the width W of the first positioning slots 44 is designated by B in FIG. 9. In this case, the breadth B of the depressions is 10% to 30% greater than the width W of the first positioning slots.

[0066] FIG. 10 shows an alternative embodiment of the first positioning parts, wherein these parts have, furthermore, a comb-like or rake-like configuration, but do not comprise any positioning lamellae, but rather two rows, arranged parallel next to one another, of similar first positioning pins 38 which taper conically upwards and are arranged spaced apart. According to FIG. 11, an additional variant is provided, wherein the first positioning parts 43 are each formed only by a single row of corresponding positioning pins 38 arranged spaced apart.

[0067] The holding cassette 20 fitted with the filament array 25 is inserted from above into the mold part 40 of the injection-molding device 39. In this case, the filament strands 32 are each threaded into one of the first positioning slots 44 of each first positioning part 43 and, in addition, are deposited into the depressions 46 of the mold part 40. This state is shown in FIG. 13, wherein it can be seen that, in their originally loosely clamped section between the two holding devices 24 of the holding cassette 20, the filament strands 32 is now held spaced apart by means of first positioning parts 43 additionally on both sides of each cavity section 41a. The file view in FIG. 13 shows that the filament strands 32 in this state have a multilayer configuration consisting of the individual filaments and are not yet completely distributed over their breadth even in the area of the depressions 46. This occurs when the injection-molding device 39 is closed. This state is shown in FIG. 14, the corresponding mold part of the injection-molding device being omitted for the sake of clarity. When the injection-molding device is closed, a force of pressure at right angles to the longitudinal extension of the filaments is exerted on each filament strand 32, as a result of which the filaments are distributed in the depressions 46 and are received in the depressions 46 with a tight fit as well as a tight packing. As a result, not only is a precise positioning of the filaments obtained, but it is additionally achieved that the plastic material injected into the cavity sections 41a cannot be released in the area of the depressions 46 and of the filament strands 32.

[0068] Since the breadth B of the depressions 46 is greater than the width W of the first positioning slots 44, the configuration shown in FIG. 14 is obtained in which each filament strand 32 is slightly compressed or pinched and as a result is configured as being higher in that section that runs within a first positioning slot 44, while it is widened in the area between two adjacent first positioning parts 43 and thus in the area spanning over the cavity sections 41a by a greater extent and has a flatter shape in its dimensions due to the broader depressions 46, as it is shown in FIG. 14.

[0069] After the insertion of the holding cassette 20 fitted with the filament strands 32 into the injection-molding device 39, this device is closed in the usual manner and a liquid plastic, which forms the rod-shaped carriers 12, the grip sections 13 and the webs 18 connecting the grip sections 13, is injected into the cavity 41. The filament strands 32 are embedded into the plastic material of the rod-shaped carriers 12 and thus penetrate the rod-shaped carriers 12. After opening the injection-molding device 39, the holding cassette 20 is removed, in which ten interdental cleaners 11, which are connected to one another in their grip sections 13 via the webs 18, are then molded onto the filament array 25. This state is shown in FIG. 15.

[0070] When it is desired to overinject the front sections of the rod-shaped carriers 12 with the cover 16 made of a soft elastic plastic, for example, a thermoplastic elastomer, corresponding covers 16 are molded onto the rod-shaped carriers 12 in a subsequent method step. This may take place either in the same injection-molding device 39, but in a different or adjusted mold part, or in an additional injection-molding device 47. In the present case, it shall, for example, be assumed that an additional injection-molding device 47 is provided, as it is shown in FIG. 16. This device has an extrusion-coating cavity 50 corresponding to the shape of the ten covers 16 to be molded on. In addition, the additional injection-molding device 47 has a plurality of second positioning parts 48, which have a comb-like or rake-like configuration corresponding to the first positioning parts 43 of the injection-molding device 39, wherein the filament array 25 with the ten rod-shaped carriers 12 is positioned in the extrusion-coating cavity 50 in such a way that each filament strand 32 is threaded in and as a result is always positioned in a second positioning slot 49 of the second positioning parts 48, which slot is formed between second positioning lamellae 42. This state is shown in FIG. 12.

[0071] The structural configuration of the second positioning parts 48 corresponds to the structural configuration of the first positioning parts 43, to which reference shall be made for the purpose of avoiding repetitions.

[0072] After the holding cassette 20 with the filament array 25 and the rod-shaped carriers 12 held thereon is inserted into the extrusion-coating cavity 50 and into the additional injection-molding device 47, this device is closed, and the soft elastic plastic is injected, which provides each of the rod-shaped carriers 12 of each interdental cleaner 11 with a front-side cover 16, which has fingers radially on the outside.

[0073] After opening the additional injection-molding device 47, the holding cassette 20 is removed. This state is shown in FIG. 17. Here, all interdental cleaners 11 are still connected to one another both via the webs 18 in the area of their grip sections 13 and via the filament strands 32 in the area of their cleaning sections 14.

[0074] Subsequently, the holding devices 24, which clamp the filament array 25 in the holding cassette 20, are opened (see FIG. 18) and the set 10 consisting of ten interdental cleaners 11 and the filament array 25 is removed and fed to a cutting station, which is only suggested in FIG. 19. In the cutting station, each rod-shaped carrier 12 is cut out of the filament array 25 in the area of its cleaning section 14 by two cuts S1 and S2 running on different sides, which merge at an acute angle in the direction of the front end of the interdental cleaner 11. The cleaning section 14 of the interdental cleaner 11 with a bristle border consisting of bristles 15 protruding on opposite sides and with a cover 16 with radially protruding fingers 17 already explained in connection with FIG. 1 is thus obtained. The interdental cleaners 11 are still connected to one another via the webs 18 and form the set 10 shown in FIG. 1.

[0075] The features of the present invention disclosed in the above description, the claims and the drawings may be relevant both alone and in any desired combination for the implementation of the present invention in its various embodiments. While specific embodiments of the invention have been shown and described in detail to illustrate the application of the principles of the invention, it will be understood that the invention may be embodied otherwise without departing from such principles.