Body Care Brush

Abstract

A body care brush, in particular a facial brush, has a brush head, which contains a cleaning-element carrier that bears cleaning elements. The brush is able to efficiently clean body regions that are difficult to access. The body care brush is developed in such a way that the cleaning-element carrier is formed by at least two cleaning-element carrier parts, which are movably supported in relation to each other and which bear cleaning elements. A returning mechanism is provided between the cleaning-element carrier parts, by way of which the cleaning-element carrier parts are coupled to a base part. The base part is arranged centrally with respect to the cleaning-element carrier and on a side of the cleaning-element carrier facing away from the cleaning elements.

Claims

1. A body care brush having a brush head, which contains a cleaning-element carrier, which bears cleaning elements, wherein the cleaning-element carrier is formed by at least two cleaning-element carrier parts, which are movably supported in relation to each other and which bear cleaning elements and that a returning means is provided between the cleaning-element carrier parts, by means of which returning means the cleaning-element carrier parts are coupled to a base part, wherein the base part is arranged centrally with respect to the cleaning-element carrier and on a side of the cleaning-element carrier facing away from the cleaning elements.

2. The body care brush according to claim 1, wherein the returning means is formed of an elastic plastic member, to which the cleaning-element carrier parts are attached.

3. The body care brush according to claim 1, wherein the elastic plastic member is injected to the cleaning-element carrier parts.

4. The body care brush according to claim 1, wherein the cleaning-element carrier parts each comprise a circular segment-shaped base surface and that-the cleaning-element carrier parts form an essentially circular cleaning-element carrier.

5. The body care brush according to claim 1, wherein the cleaning-element carrier parts are spaced apart from one another via a clearance.

6. The body care brush according to claim 5, wherein the clearance at least in sections is filled with elastic plastic material.

7. The body care brush according to claim 1, wherein at least one cleaning element is formed as a TPE element or at least one cleaning element is formed as bristle bundle.

8. The body care brush according to claim 1, wherein at least one cleaning-element carrier part is formed of a base body, which is produced by means of injection-molding and which is provided with at least one cleaning-element receiving opening, and one of the cleaning elements is mounted via an anchor in the cleaning-element carrier part.

9. The body care brush according to claim 1, wherein at least one cleaning element is held secured to the cleaning-element carrier by plastic material of the cleaning-element carrier injection molded around an attachment-side end of the at least one cleaning element.

10. The body care brush according to claim 1, wherein a land is provided at the base part for receiving a drive shaft.

11. The body care brush according to claim 1, wherein an electric drive for rotating or oscillating movement of the cleaning-element carrier is assigned to the brush head, which is connected to the base part.

12.-15. (canceled)

16. A facial brush having a brush head, which contains a cleaning-element carrier having a circular shape and being rotatable about a central axis extending through the center of the cleaning-element carrier, which cleaning-element carrier is formed by at least two cleaning-element carrier parts, wherein the cleaning-element carrier parts each comprise a circular segment-shaped base surface and are symmetrically arranged about the central axis to form the essentially circular cleaning-element carrier, wherein the cleaning-element carrier parts are movably supported in relation to each other and bear cleaning elements, wherein a returning means is provided between the cleaning-element carrier parts, by means of which returning means the cleaning-element carrier parts are coupled to a base part, wherein the base part is arranged centrally with respect to the cleaning-element carrier and on a side of the cleaning-element carrier facing away from the cleaning elements.

17. The facial brush according to claim 16, wherein the returning means is formed of an elastic plastic member, to which the cleaning-element carrier parts are attached.

18. The facial brush according to claim 16, wherein the elastic plastic member is injected to the cleaning-element carrier parts.

19. The facial brush according to claim 16, wherein the cleaning-element carrier parts are spaced apart from one another via a clearance.

20. The facial brush according to claim 19, wherein the clearance at least in sections is filled with elastic plastic material.

21. The facial brush according to claim 16, wherein at least one cleaning element is formed as a TPE element and/or at least one cleaning element is formed as bristle bundle.

22. The facial brush according to claim 16, wherein at least one cleaning-element carrier part is formed of a base body, which is produced by means of injection-molding and which is provided with at least one cleaning-element receiving opening, and that one of the cleaning elements is mounted via an anchor in the cleaning-element carrier part.

23. The facial brush according to claim 16, wherein at least one cleaning element is held at the cleaning-element carrier by insert-molding.

24. The facial brush according to claim 16, wherein a land is provided at the base part for receiving a drive shaft.

25. The facial brush according to claim 16, wherein an electric drive for rotating or oscillating movement of the cleaning-element carrier is assigned to the brush head, which is connected to the base part.

26. A method for operating a facial brush having a brush head, which contains a cleaning-element carrier that bears cleaning elements, wherein the cleaning element carrier is formed of at least two cleaning-element carrier parts that each bear cleaning elements, and wherein a central returning means is provided between the cleaning-element carrier parts, at which the cleaning-element carrier parts are attached in a tilted and body contour-shaping manner, the method comprising: rotating the cleaning-element carrier to oscillate about a central axis.

Description

[0048] Preferred embodiments and advantages of the inventions are derivable from the following description of an embodiment in combination with the drawing. Therein shows:

[0049] FIG. 1a a schematic top view on a brush head of a facial care brush;

[0050] FIG. 1b a schematic side view of the embodiment according to FIG. 1a in a state being not in contact with the surface to be cleaned (initial position), wherein the two illustrated cleaning-element carrier parts are implemented with cleaning elements by means of different methods;

[0051] FIG. 1c a schematic side view of a second embodiment with a concavely configured cleaning element carrier;

[0052] FIG. 1d a schematic side view of a third embodiment with a convexly configured cleaning element carrier; and

[0053] FIG. 1e a side view of the embodiment shown in FIG. 1a being in contact with a surface to be cared (operating position).

[0054] FIG. 1a shows a brush head of a facial care brush in top view along a central axis perpendicular to a cleaning-element side surface. A cleaning-element carrier 1 is formed from eight cleaning-element carrier parts 3, which are aligned symmetrically to one another, and which each have a circular segment-like base surface. On a cleaning-element-side surface cleaning-element receiving openings 5 are provided, into which in the present case, single bristle bundles 6 are inserted and held (in the Figures, these cleaning elements 6 are only schematically illustrated).

[0055] In top view centered or centrally between the cleaning-element carrier parts 3, there is provided an elastic plastic member 8, which in top view essentially comprises a cylindrical form and from which star-shaped arms 9a branch out, which protrude into clearances formed between the cleaning-element carrier parts 3. An outer circumferential surface of the plastic part 8 corresponds to the geometry of an outer circumferential surface of the cleaning-element carrier 1.

[0056] As can be seen in the side view illustrated in FIG. 1b, the individual cleaning-element carrier parts 3 are positively locked held from four sides (except for the cleaning-element side surface and the outer circumferential surface) by injection-molding the elastic plastic member 8.

[0057] The individual cleaning-element carrier parts 3 are held within the elastic plastic member 8 at their ends, which are slightly rounded in each case and point to the center (see FIG. 1a). The individual cleaning-element carrier parts 3 are spaced apart from one another by a clearance 9, which is partly filled by elastic plastic material. In other words, arms 9b branching out from the elastic plastic member 8 protrude in each case radially outwards into the respective clearance 9. The arms 9a only extend over about a quarter to a third of the radial length of the clearances 9.

[0058] The elastic plastic member 8 is essentially configured flush to the cleaning-element-side surface of the cleaning-element carrier 1 (see side view according to FIG. 1b). Essentially, all cleaning-element carrier parts 3 per se are also arranged in the same height with respect to the cleaning-element-side surface.

[0059] On the side opposite to the cleaning-element-side surface, the elastic plastic member 8 projects above exactly this side opposite to the cleaning-element-side surfaces and is connected to a base part 12, which has a disk-like flange 13, from which rearwardly a cylindrical connection flange 14 branches out directed toward a not shown brush base body.

[0060] Both, the cleaning-element carrier parts 3 and the base part 12 are made of a hard plastic component, while the elastic plastic member 8 is made of a soft plastic component, in the present case of TPE.

[0061] As schematically illustrated in FIG. 1, the cleaning-element carrier parts 3 are, thus, movably supported relative to one another. Due to a compressive force illustrated with the arrow F in

[0062] FIG. 1c exerted (for example by a body part when the brush is used) to the (in this case right-hand side) cleaning element 3 and a counterforce exerted on the base part as indicated by the arrow G, a tilting of the respective cleaning-element carrier 1 and, thus, a contour-shaping of the surface to be cleaned during operation of the brush occurs. If the brush is moved over the region to be cleaned, in particular over the face, the cleaning-element carrier parts 3 move in such a way that the contour to be cleaned may be passed relatively precisely.

[0063] The embodiments shown in the Figures are produced in a three-component injection-molding process. The cleaning-element carrier parts 3 are formed from a first plastic component, the base part 12 from a second plastic component and the elastic plastic part 8 from a third component.

[0064] Preferably, the individual cleaning-element carrier parts 3 are produced in a first injection-molding station containing a first injection mold. In this first injection-molding station, in the present case, the mounting of the bristle bundles 6 to the cleaning-element carrier part 3 is also carried out simultaneously with the injection molding of the respective cleaning-element carrier part. The thus precast parts are subsequently transferred to a second injection-molding station and are provided with the elastic plastic member 8 in an injection device provided therein, which, as explained in the general description, is produced in the course of the injection-molding in the second station and combined with the cleaning-element carrier parts 3 and the base part 12.

[0065] The base part 12 is formed by means of injection-molding in a third station and simultaneously is connected to the elastic plastic member by means of injection in the second injection-molding station.

[0066] In the second station, the cleaning-element carrier parts 3 together with the bristle bundles 6 attached thereto and the base part 12 are held in relation to one another in the alignment predetermined in the non-use state of the brush and are held within a cavity, into which subsequently an elastic plastic, in the present case TPE, is injected in order to form the elastic plastic member 8. Subsequently, the thus precast brush head is released from the third station of the injection-molding line.

[0067] In the embodiment shown in FIG. 1b, two different kinds of mounting of bristle bundles 6 serving as cleaning elements are shown. On the left-hand side in FIG. 1b, the bristle bundles are mounted by means of anchoring technology, whereas the bristle bundles 6 shown on the right-hand side in FIG. 1b are held by means of insert-molding at their attachment-side ends. In this case, the bristle bundles are mounted thereon, while the cleaning-element carrier part is produced in the course of injection-molding.

[0068] On the right-hand side in FIG. 1b, there is further shown a cleaning-element receiving opening 5a, which is not yet filled with bristle bundles, into which a not shown anchor for mounting the bristle bundles is jetted.

[0069] Usually, both mounting methods are used alternatively so that the cleaning-element carriers either contain only bristle bundles 6, which are mounted by means of anchor technology or merely bristle bundles 6, which are mounted by means of injection-molding technology by insert-molding.

[0070] FIG. 1c shows an embodiment, in which unlike in the embodiment shown in FIGS. 1a, b, and e, the cleaning-element carrier 1 in its initial position is not formed in a planar manner, but has a concave geometry. Individual cleaning-element carrier parts 3 are per se formed in a planar manner, however, they are held in a tilted manner in the elastic plastic member 8, i.e. already during the insert-molding, they are aligned in a tilted manner to one another. The bristle bundles 6 are each aligned with a central axis, which is not shown in the Figures and which runs perpendicularly through the elastic plastic member 8 in the plane of projection. Therefore, the cleaning-element receiving openings 5 are aligned diagonally in the cleaning-element carrier parts 3. All bristle bundles 6 are held by direct insert-molding and are not mounted in the respective cleaning-element carrier part 3 by means of anchor technology.

[0071] In FIG. 1d, a further embodiment is shown. In contrast to the embodiment shown in FIG. 1c, the cleaning element carrier 1 has a concave geometry in its initial position.

[0072] In the embodiments shown in FIGS. 1c or d, the individual cleaning-element carrier parts tilt from their initial position illustrated there into the working position in order to come into contact with the surface to be cleaned.

List of Reference Signs

[0073] 1 Cleaning-element carrier

[0074] 3 Cleaning-element carrier part

[0075] 5, 5a Cleaning-element receiving opening

[0076] 6 Bristle bundle/cleaning elements

[0077] 8 elastic plastic/returning means

[0078] 9 Clearance

[0079] 9a Arm/pad

[0080] 12 Base part

[0081] 13 Disk-like flange

[0082] 14 Connection flange