US 12,433,396 B2
Method for producing a toothbrush head
Jochen Ganninger, Eschborn (DE); Holger Schulz, Frankfurt (DE); and Daniela Baum, Schwalbach (DE)
Assigned to The Procter & Gamble Company, Cincinnati, OH (US)
Filed by The Procter & Gamble Company, Cincinnati, OH (US)
Filed on Jun. 28, 2023, as Appl. No. 18/215,256.
Application 18/215,256 is a continuation of application No. 16/898,372, filed on Jun. 10, 2020, granted, now 11,832,717.
Claims priority of application No. 19181674 (EP), filed on Jun. 21, 2019.
Prior Publication US 2023/0413991 A1, Dec. 28, 2023
Int. Cl. A46D 3/00 (2006.01); A46B 3/06 (2006.01); A46D 3/08 (2006.01); A46B 9/04 (2006.01); A46D 1/08 (2006.01)
CPC A46D 3/005 (2013.01) [A46B 3/06 (2013.01); A46B 9/04 (2013.01); A46B 2200/1066 (2013.01); A46D 1/08 (2013.01); A46D 3/082 (2013.01)] 19 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method of making a cleaning element carrier for a toothbrush, the method comprising the steps of:
providing at least two pluralities of loose filaments of a predefined length, wherein the two pluralities differ from one another in at least one property selected from the group consisting 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 comprising a front surface, a back surface opposite to the front surface, a thickness therebetween, and a plurality of holes shaped and arranged according to a predetermined pattern;
picking filaments from the at least two pluralities of loose filaments to arrange a plurality of bristle tufts in the hole perforation plate;
providing an energy source;
arranging the 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 in a fusing position, the plurality of bristle tufts includes bristle tufts comprising an inner portion of the plurality of bristle tufts and bristle tufts comprising a peripheral portion of the plurality of bristle tufts, 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 plurality of bristle 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.