Bristle insert, brush with such bristle insert, and method for manufacturing such bristle insert

Abstract

A bristle insert, in particular for a brush, is formed by at least one bristle pack having a plurality of plastic bristles whose ends are fused to each other to form a self-supporting holding element. A brush with such a bristle insert, and a method for manufacturing such a bristle insert is also provided.

Claims

1. A brush comprising: a brush body comprising a handle; a bristle insert attached to the handle and including at least one bristle pack with a plurality of plastic bristles having ends that are fused to each other to form a self-supporting holding element, wherein the at least one bristle pack includes different bristles that differ from each other in at least one of bristle thickness, bristle material, or bristle color; and wherein the self-supporting holding element is a plate, and wherein the bristle pack includes a cavity adjacent to the self-supporting holding element, and wherein the cavity is comparatively sharply delimited in direct vicinity of the self-supporting holding element, and wherein more bristles extend into the cavity at an increasing distance away from the self-supporting holding element than at a location near the self-supporting holding element, and wherein the self-supporting holding element is adhered or welded to the brush body.

2. The brush according to claim 1, wherein the self-supporting holding element is of a plate-like design and is accommodated in the brush body.

3. The brush according to claim 1 wherein the self-supporting holding element is positively accommodated in the brush body.

4. The brush according to claim 1, wherein the bristle insert is overmolded.

5. A brush comprising: a brush body comprising a handle; a bristle insert attached to the handle and including at least one bristle pack with a plurality of plastic bristles having ends that are fused to each other to form a self-supporting holding element, wherein the at least one bristle pack includes different bristles that differ from each other in at least one of bristle thickness, bristle material, or bristle color; wherein the self-supporting holding element is a plate, and wherein the bristle pack includes a cavity adjacent to the self-supporting holding element, and wherein the cavity is comparatively sharply delimited in direct vicinity of the self-supporting holding element, and wherein more bristles extend into the cavity at an increasing distance away from the self-supporting holding element than at a location near the self-supporting holding element; and wherein the brush body includes a collar which surrounds the at least one bristle pack.

6. A brush comprising: a brush body comprising a handle; a bristle insert attached to the handle and including at least one bristle pack with a plurality of plastic bristles having ends that are fused to each other to form a self-supporting holding element, wherein the at least one bristle pack includes different bristles that differ from each other in at least one of bristle thickness, bristle material, or bristle color; wherein the self-supporting holding element is a plate, and wherein the bristle pack includes a cavity adjacent to the self-supporting holding element, and wherein the cavity is comparatively sharply delimited in direct vicinity of the self-supporting holding element, and wherein more bristles extend into the cavity at an increasing distance away from the self-supporting holding element than at a location near the self-supporting holding element; and wherein the brush body is made of two parts which are connected with each other.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) The invention will be described below with reference to various embodiments which are represented in the attached drawings, in which:

(2) FIG. 1 shows a schematic, perspective view of a bristle insert according to the invention;

(3) FIG. 2 shows a section along the plane II-II of FIG. 1;

(4) FIG. 3a shows a design variant of the bristle insert in a section along the plane III-III of FIG. 1;

(5) FIG. 3b shows a second design variant of a bristle insert;

(6) FIG. 3c shows a third design variant of a bristle insert;

(7) FIG. 4 shows a schematic sectional view of a brush according to an embodiment of the invention;

(8) FIG. 5 shows a partly sectional view of a brush according to a second embodiment of the invention;

(9) FIG. 6 shows a schematic sectional view of a brush according to a third embodiment; and

(10) FIG. 7 shows a schematic sectional view of an apparatus for manufacturing a bristle pack.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

(11) FIG. 1 shows a bristle insert 10 which includes a plurality of bristles 12 arranged resting against each other, and which at least for a certain part are made of plastic material. After having been combined to a dense pack, all bristles 12 have been heated at one end to such an extent that the plastic material has liquefied, whereby the ends of the plastic bristles 12 are fused with each other. After the plastic material has cooled and solidified, a self-supporting structure or a self-supporting holding element 14 has been formed in this way, which is made of the material of the bristles, and in which all bristles are anchored. The holding element 14 is designed here as a rectangular plate.

(12) As shown in FIG. 1, the free ends of the bristles 12, i.e. the ends facing away from the holding element 14, are not located at one level, but are arranged in a generally V-shaped manner. As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3a-3c, the bristles 12 are combined to a pack such that in the center a cavity 16 is formed, which is comparatively sharply delimited in direct vicinity of the holding element 14. With increasing distance from the holding element 14, more and more bristles will extend into the region of the cavity 16, so that the same can almost not, or even no more, at all be recognized in the region of the free ends. As shown in FIG. 3a, the cavity 16 can have a rectangular shape. FIG. 3b shows an alternative in which the cavity 16 is provided with protrusions extending to the outside. Other designs are also possible. The cavity 16 serves as storage space for paint, which from there spreads into the bristles and is dispensed from the same to the object to be painted.

(13) As shown in FIGS. 3a and 3b, the bristles 12 of the bristle pack are arranged as a dense pack. In this embodiment, a single pack is used. Alternatively, it is also possible to use two or more separate packs, i.e. a plurality of dense packs which are separated from each other by a gap, but nevertheless are connected with each other by a single holding element made of the material of the bristles.

(14) FIG. 3c shows a bristle pack which is comprised of two different types of bristles. Circumferentially on the outside, a dense pack of a first type of bristles 12A is arranged, and circumferentially on the inside a pack of a second type of bristles 12B is arranged, with no gap being provided between the two packs. In the interior a rectangular cavity 16 is provided, which serves as storage space for paint.

(15) FIG. 4 shows a brush which includes a brush body 20, a sleeve 22 and the bristle insert 10. The brush body 20 forms the handle and is provided with the sleeve 22. On its inside, the sleeve 22 includes a circumferential shoulder 24, with the plate-like holding element 14 resting on the shoulder 24. Since the brush body 20 is inserted into the sleeve 22, the holding element 14 is fixed between the brush body 20 and the circumferential shoulder 24. On the side facing away from the brush body 20, the sleeve 22 is provided with a circumferential collar 26 which surrounds the bristles 12 of the bristle insert 10 and in use of the brush supports the same and holds them together.

(16) The sleeve 22 provided with the collar 26 can be adhered to the brush body 20, be firmly connected by small nails, or be attached to the same in some other way.

(17) FIG. 5 shows a brush in which the collar 26 is integrally formed with the brush body 20. The collar 26 surrounds a receptacle into which the bristle insert 10 is inserted, in particular the holding element 14 which here has a plate-like shape. The holding element 14 can be adhered or welded to the brush body 20. It is also possible to directly mold the brush body 20 onto the holding element 14.

(18) FIG. 6 shows a brush whose brush body is made of two parts 20A, 20B, in particular of two half shells. Here, a collar 26 is also provided, which forms a receptacle for the holding element 14 of the bristle insert 10. In the interior of the collar two circumferential shoulders 28 are provided, between which the holding element 14 is received. The receptacle in the interior of the collar 26 is closed towards the handle of the brush by a bottom 30 which serves for stabilization. The bottom 30 also prevents paint from getting into the interior of the brush body 20.

(19) The two parts 20A, 20B can be welded to each other, in particular by ultrasonic welding, or can alternatively be adhered to each other, or can be mechanically connected with each other, for example they can be clipped together.

(20) The two parts 20A, 20B form a hollow handle which leads to a brush with very low weight. In addition, the two shell-like parts can very easily be manufactured in an injection mold, since each shell can easily be removed from the mold; the mold release plane extends centrally through the handle. With this design, the collar also can easily be integrated, and for example, be designed conically tapered. The two shells of the handle can be reinforced by ribs in the interior, so that even if a low wall thickness is used, the handle cannot be compressed. The two shells can be designed as a multi-component part, so that for example in the handle region two portions of a plastic material are molded onto the two shells, which plastic material is softer than the material of the two shells, for example a thermoplastic elastomer. Such softer plastic material improves the grasp feeling and can be arranged in a suitable way depending on the requirement, for example as a support for the thumb and/or the index finger of the user. It is also possible that the collar made of a yielding material is molded onto the two shells which form the handle. In this way, a yielding support is obtained for the bristle pack within certain limits. It is also possible to only partly mold the collar of the yielding material, whereas other parts are made of the same, harder material like the handle.

(21) The bristle insert 10 is manufactured in that the desired quantity of bristles 12 is combined to the desired pack in a holding device 40 (see FIG. 7). Then, the ends of the bristles to be connected with each other are molten. Here, this is effected with a heating stamp 42, so that they are all fused to each other. The stamp also is used to transform the molten material of the plastic bristles to the holding element 14, which later on will be used for fixing the bristle insert at the brush. After the molten material has solidified again, the bristle insert can be removed from the holding device and be processed further.

(22) By way of example, FIG. 7 shows a holding device for a bristle insert, which includes a cavity in its interior. For this purpose, the holding device is provided with a spacer 44 which defines the cavity. The heating stamp 42 will melt so much material of the bristles that enough material is displaced into the region above the spacer 44 in order to form a continuous holding element, i.e. from the bristles on one side towards the bristles on the other side. The holding element, formed here as a plate, thus is completely closed despite the cavity and extends continuously over the entire bristle pack. This ensures that the cavity formed in the interior of the bristle pack has a defined volume, which is laterally sealed off by the bristles arranged close to each other, and on the side facing away from the free ends of the bristles by the holding element, as is shown in FIG. 2.

(23) Although an embodiment of this invention has been disclosed, a worker of ordinary skill in this art would recognize that certain modifications would come within the scope of this invention. For that reason, the following claims should be studied to determine the true scope and content of this invention.