The Procter Gamble Company

Daniela Baum

Jochen Ganninger

Holger Schulz

A method of making a cleaning element carrier for a toothbrush comprises: providing at least two pluralities of loose filaments of a predefined length and different from one another in at least one of filament material, filament diameter, filament cross-section, filament shape, presence or absence of additives, presence or absence of a coating, and any combination thereof; providing a hole-perforation plate having a front surface, a back surface, a thickness therebetween, and a plurality of holes shaped and arranged according to a predetermined pattern; picking filaments from the pluralities of loose filaments; providing an energy source; arranging a plurality of bristle tufts in a fusing position in the hole-perforation plate so that ends of the bristle tufts are disposed at different distances from the energy source, wherein the distances are adjustable according to the at least one property, wherein the plurality of bristle tufts includes bristle tufts comprising an inner portion bristle tufts comprising a peripheral portion, and wherein a distance between the energy source and the ends of the bristle tufts comprising the inner portion is shorter than a distance between the energy source and the ends of the bristle tufts comprising the peripheral portion; applying energy from the energy source to the ends of the tufts until fuse balls are formed at the ends of the tufts; transferring the tufts to a molding position in the hole-perforation plate so that a distance between a bottom edge of at least one fuse ball of at least one bristle tuft and the front surface of the hole-perforation plate is different from a distance between the bottom edge of the fuse ball of said tuft and the front surface of the hole-perforation plate in the fusing position; over-molding the fuse balls with molten plastic material thereby forming a cleaning element carrier.

Method for producing a toothbrush head

A method for producing a toothbrush head comprises providing at least two bristle tufts that differ in at least one property; arranging the tufts in a hole-perforation plate comprising holes shaped and distributed according to the desired bristle field; arranging an energy source so that the ends of the bristle tufts and the energy source are arranged contactless, wherein the ends of the bristle tufts to be fused are arranged at different distances to the energy source and are adjusted according to the different property; applying energy to the ends of the bristle tufts until fuse balls are formed; transferring the bristle tufts to a subsequent process position, wherein the distance of the fuse ball of at least one bristle tuft to the hole-perforation plate is different from the distance of said fuse ball to the hole-perforation plate in the fusing position before; over-molding of the fuse balls of the bristle tufts with plastic material thereby forming the brush head or the part () thereof.

Method for producing a toothbrush head or a part thereof

A method for producing a toothbrush head, comprising: providing at least two filament containers, each comprising a supply of loose filaments that differ in at least one of their property selected from material, diameter, cross-section, shape, and presence of additives and/or coating; picking bristle tufts from the containers and arranging them in a perforation plate comprising holes shaped and distributed according to a desired bristle field of the brush head to be produced; arranging an energy source and the ends of the tufts in a contactless arrangement, wherein the ends of the tufts to be fused are at different distances from the energy source, and wherein the distance is adjusted according to the at least one property; applying energy to the ends of the tufts until fuse balls are formed thereon; transferring the tufts to a molding position, wherein a distance between at least one fuse ball and the front surface is different from the distance between the bottom edge of said fuse ball and the front surface in the fusing position; over-molding the fuse balls with molten plastic material thereby forming a cleaning element carrier; transferring the cleaning element carrier to a brush head mold and injecting molten plastic material into the brush head mold forming a toothbrush head, wherein the cleaning element carrier is over-molded thereby and the tufts are still located in the perforation plate.

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Schwalbach, Germany

Daniela Baum