TWI867173B - Bristle carrier, brush, and method for manufacturing the bristle carrier and the brush - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention relates to a bristle carrier (10) for a brush (40; 70), in particular a makeup brush, a mascara brush or an interdental brush, comprising a carrier body (12) and a bristle insert (14), wherein the bristle insert (14) has two metal wire parts that are intertwined with each other, wherein the metal wire parts sandwich a large number of bristles between the metal wire parts in the bristle part (24), and wherein the bristles are not The anchoring portion (26) is formed in the portion of the carrier body (12), and the carrier body (12) has a receiving groove (20) for the anchoring portion (26), the receiving groove extending from the front side facing the bristles through the carrier body (12) to the back side, the back side forming an anchoring surface (22) for the end (28) of the anchoring portion (26), wherein the end (28) is embedded in the anchoring surface (22). The present invention also relates to a method for manufacturing such a bristle carrier, a brush having such a bristle carrier, and a method for manufacturing the brush.

Description

Bristle carrier, brush, and method for manufacturing the bristle carrier and the brush

The present invention relates to a bristle carrier, a method for manufacturing the bristle carrier, a brush having the bristle carrier and a method for manufacturing the brush.

Such brushes are filigree brushes, such as makeup brushes, mascara brushes or interdental brushes, which have in common a bristle insert whose support structure consists of a metal wire bent 180° in the middle and of two parts of the metal wire twisted together, wherein a large number of bristles are sandwiched between the two twisted together metal wire parts along one part of the metal wire. The part of the metal wire with bristles forms the bristle part and the part without bristles forms the anchoring part, which is fixed on or in the carrier body.

There are various techniques for fixing the anchoring part to the carrier body. As is known, the anchoring part is injection molded in the carrier body. The disadvantage of this method is that the frequency is extremely low, because the carrier body with built-in bristle insert must stay in the injection molding mold for a certain period of time until the injected injection molding material is fully cured. Even if a multi-point injection molding mold with multiple points is used, its operating frequency is lower than the frequency of manufacturing the bristle insert. Therefore, the manufactured bristle insert must be temporarily stored before it can be connected to the carrier body. Or the machine for manufacturing the bristle insert is operated at a speed lower than the theoretical speed.

It is also known to heat the anchoring part and press it into the material of the carrier body so that after the anchoring part and the material heated by the anchoring part have cooled down again, the anchoring part is anchored in the carrier body. This method also has the disadvantage of being extremely limited in frequency, since the anchoring part needs some time to warm up and then cool down again.

Another method is to provide an anchor receiving groove in the carrier body, heat the material of the receiving groove to a softening temperature after the anchor is placed in the receiving groove, and then squeeze the receiving groove from both sides. This method achieves a high operating frequency.

However, it has been shown that the use of a receiving groove and the other two methods have the following risks: the bristle insert will be "pushed out" from the carrier body. The reason is that there is no good adhesive connection between the material of the carrier body and the metal wire of the anchoring part. Once the adhesive force between the metal wire and the carrier body material is overcome, the anchoring part with a double-wire helical shape due to the twisted metal wire can rotate as a whole relative to the carrier body.

The object of the invention is to create a brush like a makeup brush, a mascara brush, an interdental brush or the like which can be manufactured at a higher frequency and in which the bristle insert is reliably anchored to the carrier body. The object of the invention is also to create a method for manufacturing such a brush.

In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, according to the present invention, there is provided a bristle carrier for a brush, in particular for a makeup brush, a mascara brush or an interdental brush, the bristle carrier having a carrier body and a bristle insert, wherein the bristle insert has two metal wire parts intertwined with each other, the metal wire parts sandwich a large number of bristles between the metal wire parts in the bristle part, and an anchoring part is formed in the part without bristles, and wherein the carrier body has a receiving groove for the anchoring part, the receiving groove extends from the front side facing the bristles through the carrier body to the back side, the back side forms an anchoring surface for the end of the anchoring part, wherein the end is embedded in the anchoring surface. In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, there is also provided a brush having a holder and such a bristle carrier. In order to achieve the above object, a method for manufacturing such a bristle carrier is also provided, which comprises the following steps: first, a carrier body is provided. Then, an anchoring part is put in place so that the end of the anchoring part facing away from the bristles extends out from the carrier body at the back. Finally, the anchoring part is embedded in the anchoring surface by an ultrasonic generator.

The invention is based on the basic idea of using a bristle carrier of simple construction which is optimized with respect to the reliable fixing of the bristle insert to the carrier body. The optimization here is that the outer, easily accessible surface of the carrier body is used as the anchoring surface, i.e. the back side, without visual considerations. An exposed anchoring surface would be less advantageous visually, but it can subsequently be concealed by attaching the carrier body and the bristle insert together in a suitable holder.

"Embedded" here means that the anchoring part consisting of the metal wire is tightly connected to the material of the carrier body by the combined effect of ultrasonic vibration and pressure. If the carrier body is composed of plastic, the material of the carrier body is locally melted under the action of the energy brought about, so that the anchoring part is locally sunken into the carrier body. Thereby, an embedded part is formed, in which the anchoring part is pressed so deeply into the material of the carrier body that when the material of the carrier body solidifies again, the anchoring part remains there in a matching shape. Depending on the material of the carrier body, the first carrier body can also be adhesively connected to the anchoring part of the bristle insert. In general, a connection corresponding to ultrasonic welding is produced. However, even if the carrier body material used is a natural material, especially wood or bamboo, when the anchoring part is pressed against the carrier body by the ultrasonic generator, a tight connection is generated between the anchoring part and the embedded part formed in the carrier body, and the holding force of the tight connection is equivalent to the holding force between the anchoring part and the locally melted embedded part of the carrier body of plastic material.

According to a technical solution of the present invention, the anchoring surface extends in a direction that deviates from the extension direction of the receiving groove by at least 30°. The end of the anchoring part embedded in the anchoring surface also extends in a direction different from the rest of the anchoring part of the bristle insert. This prevents the bristle insert from being completely squeezed out of the carrier body.

The anchoring surface can preferably extend perpendicularly to the extension direction of the receiving groove, so that the length of the carrier body is generally shorter. The diameter of the receiving groove preferably corresponds to the diameter of the anchoring part, so that the bristle insert is introduced into the receiving groove seamlessly or with only a very small gap. The carrier body can be a one-piece design, so that the anchoring part is inserted through the receiving groove. Alternatively, it can be arranged that the carrier body is divided into two or more parts, so that the anchoring part is placed in the receiving groove when the carrier body is opened and the carrier body is closed afterwards. The last variant is particularly advantageous when the anchoring part is pre-bent in such a way that the end of the anchoring part protrudes laterally.

According to a preferred embodiment, the carrier body has a sleeve-like form with a fixing flange on the back side facing away from the bristles. The fixing flange facilitates the attachment of the carrier body to the holder on the one hand. On the other hand, the fixing flange provides sufficient material in which the end of the anchoring part can be reliably embedded.

However, many alternative designs of the carrier body are conceivable. According to one variant, the carrier body has a spherical shape, wherein the back side facing away from the bristle root (Borstenabsatz) can be designed to be flat, so that an anchoring surface is formed there.

The carrier body may have a locking structure that cooperates with a complementary locking structure on the holder. For example, the carrier body may have a root or shoulder to which a hook attached to the holder can snap. The carrier body can thus be easily attached to the holder and replaced with a new one when necessary.

According to a technical solution of the present invention, the carrier body is made of injection-molded plastic, so that it can be mass-produced at low cost. Alternatively, the carrier body can also be made of natural materials, especially wood or bamboo, so as to obtain an environmentally friendly product.

It can be provided during the manufacture of the bristle carrier that the end of the anchoring part is bent in advance by means of a bending tool or also by means of an ultrasonic generator and pressed against the anchoring surface. In this technical solution, a straight-stretched anchoring part of the bristle insert can be used, which is pushed into the receiving groove of the carrier body.

Also can provide, before the end of anchoring part is pushed into receiving groove, the end of anchoring part is bent in advance.In this case, when bristle insert is pushed into carrier body, the end of anchoring part has been extended with the orientation that is easy to embed into anchoring surface.

If the carrier body is of one-piece design, the anchoring part is pushed into the receiving groove until the end of the anchoring part protrudes at the back. If, on the other hand, a multi-part carrier body is used, the anchoring part can also be inserted into the opened carrier body. It is particularly helpful to embed into the anchoring surface of the carrier body if the end of the anchoring part is already bent, for example by 90°.

According to a technical solution of the present invention, the end of the anchoring part is pressed into a groove on the anchoring surface. This ensures that when the end of the anchoring part is embedded in the anchoring surface, it no longer extends beyond the plane of the anchoring surface.

According to an alternative solution, the end of the anchoring part melts or burns the groove into the anchoring surface. The advantage of this solution is that the end of the anchoring part does not have to be seated in a prefabricated groove, but the end of the anchoring part itself melts or burns the groove. However, the disadvantage is that more energy is consumed if the end of the anchoring part is to be embedded deeply in the carrier body material.

According to the invention, a brush is also provided in which the bristle carrier is accommodated in a matching and non-detachable manner in the fixing part. This can be achieved in particular in that the bristle carrier is placed in an injection molding mold, into which a plastic material is then injected, which forms the holder. In particular, the holder can be designed from a visual point of view, so that the design of the carrier body, the connection of the end of the anchoring part and the anchoring surface does not have to take into account the visual effect; in a finished brush, this area is completely embedded in the holder.

Preferably, the injection molding tool has a sealing surface which lies against the carrier body, wherein the sealing surface is divided into two parts by a separation surface of the injection molding tool. A particular advantage of this design is that the injection molding tool does not have to be sealed in the area of the wire part of the bristle carrier, but the injection molding tool can be pressed against the carrier body and sealed there. Thus, if the injection molding tool touches metal parts, here the wire of the bristle carrier, wear can be avoided.

1a to 2d, it is explained how to manufacture a bristle carrier 10 having a carrier body 12 and a bristle insert 14 attached to the carrier body 12.

The carrier body 12 has a sleeve-shaped portion 16 and a fixing flange 18, which are made integrally with each other. In the illustrated embodiment, the sleeve-shaped portion 16 and the fixing flange 18 each have a cylindrical outer surface, which is centered on a common central axis, but has different diameters; the outer diameter of the fixing flange 18 is larger than the outer diameter of the sleeve-shaped portion 16.

The receiving groove 20 extends centrally through the carrier body 12, and the receiving groove 20 is designed as an opening with a constant diameter.

The rear side of the fastening flange 18, which faces away from the sleeve-shaped portion 16, extends in a plane perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the receiving groove 20. This rear side is also referred to as the anchoring surface 22 in terms of its function.

The bristle insert 14 is composed of a metal wire bent in the middle, thereby obtaining two equal length sections. The two equal length sections are twisted together. Among them, a large number of bristles are inserted between the two twisted metal wire sections in one area, so that the bristles are clamped between the metal wire sections. Thus, the bristle section 24 is formed. Outside the bristle section 24 is a twisted metal wire section without bristles. A part of the metal wire section without bristles is used to fix or anchor the bristle insert 14 in the carrier body 12. Therefore, this part is called the anchoring part 26.

The bristle insert 14 may also be formed from two separate metal wires that are intertwined.

In order to fix the bristle insert 14 to the carrier body 12, the anchoring portion 26 is pushed into the receiving groove 20 of the carrier body 12 (see Figures 1a and 2a) until the end 28 of the anchoring portion 26 protrudes from the receiving groove 20 on the back side of the fixing flange 18 (see Figures 1b and 2b).

Then, the end 28 is bent by means of an ultrasonic generator 30 (see FIG. 1b ) so that the end 28 lies flat against the anchoring surface 22 (see FIGS. 1b and 2b , where the ultrasonic generator is only schematically indicated by arrow P in FIG. 2b ). The end 28 can also be pre-bent with a separate tool. Then, the ultrasonic generator is activated and the end 28 is pressed against the anchoring part 26 , so that the end 28 is pressed against the anchoring surface 22 .

The ultrasonic generator 30 generates ultrasonic vibrations in the activated state, which are in turn transmitted to the end 28 of the anchoring portion 26. Therefore, friction is generated between the end 28 of the anchoring portion 26 and the material of the carrier body 12. Under the action of the introduced energy and the pressure applied by the ultrasonic generator (see arrow P in Figures 1c and 2c), the end 28 of the anchoring portion 26 is firmly embedded in the anchoring surface 22 (see Figures 1d and 2d). In this state, the bristle insert 14 is reliably fixed to the carrier body 12 both axially and circumferentially.

If the carrier body 12 is made of plastic, the material of the carrier body 12 partially melts under the action of the energy introduced by the ultrasonic generator, so that the end 28 forms a groove 32 on the anchoring surface, and the end 28 is pressed into the groove 32 and melted (see Figure 3). The end 28 can be pressed into the anchoring surface 22 so deeply that the end 28 does not protrude from the plane of the anchoring surface 22.

If the carrier body 12 is made of wood or bamboo, the end 28 of the anchoring part 26 is burned into the anchoring surface 22 (see FIG. 4 ), so that a tight connection is also produced here between the anchoring part 26 and the anchoring surface 22.

In the embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 1a to 2d, the anchoring surface 22 is designed to be flat, that is, without prefabricated grooves. It is also possible to provide a groove in the anchoring surface into which the end 28 is pressed before being embedded by the ultrasonic generator.

As an alternative to the illustrated embodiment, it can be provided that the carrier body 12 is designed in multiple parts. This makes it possible for the bristle insert 14 to be placed in the receiving groove 20 before the two or more parts of the carrier body are attached together and the receiving groove is closed. This design is particularly advantageous if the anchoring part 26 is prefabricated with an end 28 that is already bent, for example, at a right angle, so that the end region of the anchoring part 26 does not have to be bent with the aid of an ultrasonic generator or another tool.

Fig. 5 illustrates a brush 40 having a bristle carrier 10 which is manufactured in the above-described manner. The brush 40 is in particular an interdental brush.

The brush 40 has a holder 42 with a handle portion 44 and a receiving portion 46 for the bristle carrier 10 .

The receiving portion 46 is provided with a locating shoulder 48 against which the anchoring surface 22 of the carrier body 12 can rest, and a locking structure 50 by means of which the bristle carrier 10 can be attached to the holder 42 in a removable and easily replaceable manner.

The locking structure 50 can be, for example, a hook that bites into the sleeve-shaped portion 16 of the carrier body 12.

Here, the fixing flange 18 can be fixed between the hook and the positioning shoulder 48 in such a way that the bristle carrier 10 is held tightly in the axial direction and the anchoring surface 22, in which the end 28 of the anchoring part 26 engages, is not visible.

FIG6 shows an injection molding mold 60 with two mold parts 62, 64, by means of which a brush 70 (see FIG7) can be manufactured. The brush is in particular an interdental brush or a mascara brush.

The injection molding die 60 has a cavity 65 in which the fixing flange 18 of the carrier body 12 and the majority of the sleeve-shaped part 16 are arranged. Only the front part of the carrier body 12 facing the bristle part 24 protrudes from the cavity 65. The two mold parts 62, 64 of the injection molding die 60 have sealing surfaces 66, which are joined to the cylindrical outer side of the carrier body 12 and sealed there. In this case, the separation surface T of the injection molding die 60 is in the area of the sealing surface 66.

As can be seen in FIG. 7 , the retainer 42 neatly encloses most of the carrier body 12 (particularly the fixing flange 18 and the end 28 of the anchoring portion 26 disposed on the back of the fixing flange). Only the front end of the sleeve-shaped portion 16 of the carrier body 12 is outside the retainer 42. Because the sealing surface 66 can be reliably sealed on the outer surface of the sleeve-shaped portion 16 of the carrier body 12, there is no risk of accidental bulges formed by the injection molding material, which forms the retainer 42.

In this embodiment, the following is advantageous: the ultrasonic generator 30 closes the receiving groove 20 by pressing or melting when pressing against the fixing flange 18, so that no injection molding material infiltrates there, and no injection molding material leaks out of the receiving groove 20 on the side facing the bristle insert.

FIG. 8 shows a bristle carrier 10 according to an alternative embodiment. The same symbols are used for the features known from the previous designs and reference is made to the above explanations in this regard.

The difference between the bristle carrier in FIG. 8 and the bristle carrier known from FIG. 1 and FIG. 2 lies essentially in the basic form of the carrier body. FIG. 8 shows a conventional spherical carrier body 12 which is flattened on the back side of the carrier body 12 facing away from the bristle insert 14, thereby forming an anchoring surface 22.

The flattening can also be omitted, so that the anchoring surface 22 is formed by the spherical back side of the carrier body 12.

On the front side facing the bristle insert 14, the carrier body 12 is provided with a very short sleeve-shaped portion 16, which can serve as a support for the sealing surface 66 of the injection molding mold during the injection molding process.

FIG. 9 shows a variant of the embodiment of FIG. 8 . The difference is that the sleeve-shaped portion 16 is omitted. If the bristle insert 14 is to be overmolded, the injection molding mold is sealed on the outer surface of the carrier body 12 .

10: Brush carrier

12: Carrier body

14: Brush inserts

16: Sleeve-shaped part

18:Fixed flange

20: Storage slot

22: Anchoring surface

24: Brush part

26: Anchoring part

28: End of the anchoring part

30: Ultrasonic generator

32: Groove

40: Brush

42: Retainer

44: Handle part

46: Storage area

48: Positioning shoulder

50: Locking structure

60: Injection molding mold

62:Mold parts

64:Mold parts

65:Mold cavity

66: Sealing surface

T:Separation surface

P:arrow

X: Section

The present invention is described below according to various different embodiments, which are illustrated in the attached drawings. In the drawings:

- Figures 1a to 1d illustrate perspective views of a carrier body which is provided with a bristle insert in accordance with the method according to the invention;

- Figures 2a to 2d correspond to the views of Figures 1a to 1d, in which the carrier body is shown in cross-section;

- Fig. 3 is a cross-section taken along the X-X plane of Fig. 1d in the carrier body according to the first embodiment;

- FIG. 4 is a view corresponding to FIG. 3 in the carrier body according to the second embodiment;

- FIG. 5 shows a schematic top view of a brush according to a first embodiment, in which the bristle insert shown in FIG. 1 d is used;

- FIG. 6 shows a cross-sectional view of an injection molding die used to manufacture a brush according to the second embodiment and using a bristle carrier according to the present invention;

- FIG. 7 schematically illustrates a brush manufactured by means of the injection molding mold in FIG. 6 ;

- Figure 8 shows a perspective view of a bristle carrier according to an alternative technical solution; and

- Figure 9 shows a bristle carrier as a variant of the implementation method of Figure 8 in a perspective view.

Domestic storage information (please note in the order of storage institution, date, and number) None Foreign storage information (please note in the order of storage country, institution, date, and number) None

10: Brush carrier

12: Carrier body

24: Brush part

60: Injection molding mold

62:Mold parts

64:Mold parts

65: Mold cavity

66: Sealing surface

T: Separation surface

Claims (21)

A bristle carrier (10) for a brush (40; 70) has a carrier body (12) and a bristle insert (14), wherein the bristle insert (14) includes two metal wire parts that are interlocked with each other, wherein the two metal wire parts sandwich a large number of bristles between the two metal wire parts in a bristle part (24), and an anchoring part (26) is formed in a part without bristles, and wherein the carrier body (12) includes a receiving groove (20) for the anchoring part (26), wherein the receiving groove (20) extends from a front side facing the bristles through the carrier body (12) to a back side, wherein the back side forms an anchoring surface (22) for an end (28) of the anchoring part (26), wherein the end (28) is embedded in the anchoring surface (22). According to the bristle carrier described in claim 1, the anchoring surface (22) extends in a direction that deviates from the extension direction of the receiving groove (20) by at least 30°. According to the bristle carrier described in claim 2, the anchoring surface (22) extends perpendicular to the extension direction of the receiving groove (20). According to the bristle carrier described in claim 1 or claim 2, the diameter of the receiving groove (20) corresponds to the diameter of the anchoring portion (26). A bristle carrier according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the carrier body (12) is a one-piece design. The bristle carrier according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the carrier body (12) comprises a sleeve-like form having a fixing flange (18) on the back side facing away from the bristles. The bristle carrier according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the carrier body (12) comprises a spherical shape. The bristle carrier according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the carrier body (12) includes a locking structure. The bristle carrier according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the carrier body (12) is made of an injection moldable plastic. The bristle carrier according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the carrier body (12) is made of a natural material. A brush (40; 70) having a holder (42) and a bristle carrier (10) according to claim 1 or claim 2. A brush according to claim 11, wherein a locking structure (50) is provided, by means of which the bristle carrier (10) is detachably fixed to the holder (42). A brush according to claim 11, wherein the bristle carrier (10) is received in the holder (42) in a shape-fitting and non-detachable manner. A method for manufacturing a bristle carrier (10) according to one of claims 1 or 2 by the following steps: - providing the carrier body (12); - the anchoring portion (26) is positioned in the carrier body (12) so that the end (28) of the anchoring portion (26) facing away from the bristles protrudes from the carrier body (12) at the back; - the anchoring portion (26) is embedded in the anchoring surface (22) by an ultrasonic generator (30). The method according to claim 14, wherein the end of the anchoring portion (26) is bent by means of a bending tool or the ultrasonic generator (30), and the end is pressed against the anchoring surface (22). The method according to claim 14, wherein the end portion (28) of the anchoring portion (26) is pre-bent before the end portion (28) is pushed into the receiving groove (20). The method according to claim 14 or claim 15, wherein the anchoring portion (26) is pushed into the receiving groove (20). The method according to claim 14 or claim 15, wherein the end (28) of the anchoring portion (26) is pressed into a groove (32) in the anchoring surface (22). The method according to claim 14 or claim 15, wherein the end (28) of the anchoring portion (26) melts or burns a groove (32) into the anchoring surface (22). A method for manufacturing a brush according to claim 13, characterized in that the bristle carrier (10) is placed in an injection molding mold (60) and then a plastic material is injected, the plastic material forming the retainer (42). According to the method of claim 20, the injection molding die (60) includes a sealing surface (66), the sealing surface (66) is attached to the carrier body (12), and the sealing surface (66) is divided into two parts by a separation surface (T) of the injection molding die (60).