EP0189816B1 - Method for manufacturing brushware such as brushes, paint brushes, brooms or the like - Google Patents

Abstract

1. Process for producing brushware, such as brushes, paintbrushes, brooms, etc., comprising a bristle carrier and bristle bundles made from a thermoplastic material fixed thereto, in which the ends of the bundle used for fixing are melted and shaped to a solid, bolt-like lug to be connected to the bristle carrier, characterized in that the material needed for the shaping of the lug (5) is made available by following up the bristle bundle in accordance with the melting advance and that simultaneously or subsequently onto the bolt is shaped a contour (6) used for the detachable fixing to the bristle carrier (10) and that a corresponding contour (19, 14) is provided on or in connection with the bristle carrier (10).

Description

The invention relates to a process for the production of brush goods, such as brushes, brushes, brooms or the like, consisting of a bristle carrier and bristle bundles of thermoplastic plastic attached thereto, by melting the fastening ends of the bundle and melting into a solid bolt-like and with the bristle carrier the approach to be combined.

The use of plastic bristles has recently led to the development of a new production technique in that the bristles are attached at one end by welding directly to a plastic bristle carrier (DE-A1-23 35 468, 2937 241). The bristles are either butt-welded onto the bristle carrier (DE-A1-29 37 241) or melted to a greater length and then sealed into holes in the bristle carrier (DE-A1-23 35 468). It has also become known to melt the bristle ends in a shape that encompasses several bundles and to allow the melt to solidify, so that several bundles are connected to one another by a profile strip, the profile strip directly forming the bristle carrier (DE-A1-23 35 468) .

In the case of the brush goods produced in this way, as well as in the case of conventionally produced brush goods, the device becomes unusable after the bristle trim has worn out. This is particularly uneconomical in the case of expensive machine brushes, in which the bristle trim accounts for only a small proportion of the total costs. A further disadvantage is that the production of the welded connection of plastic bristles and bristle carriers requires considerable precision and care and is either not possible at all or only with great effort in the case of different material pairings.

With the invention, the aforementioned disadvantages are to be eliminated.

This object is achieved in the method mentioned at the beginning (DE-A1-2 335 468) according to the invention by the characterizing features of patent claim 1.

The melted material of the plastic bristles is formed according to the invention into a bolt, which then consists of solid plastic and at the same time serves to produce a fastening aid for releasable fastening to the bristle holder. For this purpose, a contour is formed on the bolt on the occasion of its shaping or afterwards, which forms a part of a releasable fastening, while the counterpart is integrally formed on the bristle holder or is provided on a separate part, by means of which the bristle bundle is then releasably fastened to the bristle holder . The material required for shaping the bolt is provided by tracking the bristle bundle in accordance with the progress of melting.

With the invention it is possible to use the same or different plastics for bristles and bristle carriers, the attachment of the bristles to the bristle carrier always being of the same good quality. In particular, bristle carriers can also be made from non-weldable plastics or from other materials, wood, metal or the like equip with the bristle bundles designed according to the invention. The bristle carrier can also have any geometric shapes, for. B. as a roller with internal or external equipment, as a plate or body with any contour, as a flexible band or the like.

If, as is preferably provided, the contour is selected such that a releasable fastening is produced, then at the same time there is the possibility of exchanging all or part of the bristle bundles, for example with appropriate wear. This advantage is particularly noticeable in the case of larger brushes, for example machine brushes in washing systems, brooms from street cleaning machines, polishing brushes, etc., since in general the support structure for the bristle bundles is much more expensive than the bristles themselves and there is often uneven wear.

According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, an external thread is formed on the bolt and a threaded hole is provided on the bristle carrier, wherein a polygonal contour can additionally be formed on the bolt next to the external thread. With this design, it is possible to screw the bristle bundles individually into the bristle carrier.

Instead, the bristle carrier can also have a through hole through which the bolt provided with an external thread is inserted and fastened by means of a nut. Here, too, different material combinations are possible for the bolt and the nut, as well as for the bristle holder. This variant is particularly suitable for thin-walled and flexible bristle carriers, e.g. B. for rotating brush belts or the like ..

According to another embodiment, the bolt is shaped as an expanding mandrel and a corresponding receptacle is provided on the bristle carrier. In this embodiment, the individual bundle of bristles can be inserted directly into the receptacle, the extension expanding after insertion and the bundle of bristles being fixed on the bristle carrier. In this, as well as the aforementioned embodiments, the cross section of the bristle bundle can deviate from that of the attachment, for example rectangular bundles can be combined with a cylindrical bolt or vice versa. A rectangular bristle bundle has the advantage that larger areas can be densely populated.

Advantageously, a collar resting on the bristle holder is formed on the bolt, so that the bristle bundle can be positioned exactly and fixed on the bristle holder.

According to a further process variant formed on the bolt serving as a bristle carrier closure for a container. Such configurations are known, for example, in containers for cosmetics, such as nail polish or the like, pharmaceuticals, etc. According to the method according to the invention, the closure and brush or brush form a single, one-piece component. The closure can be shaped in the form of a cap closure or as an immersion closure with the cover disc resting on the container. In the first case, the bolt is quasi hollow or a correspondingly hollow part is formed, which forms the union cap with an internal thread. Instead, such a hollow bolt can also have an internal polygon in the manner of an Allen screw for engaging a suitably designed tool in order to be able to fasten the bundle of bristles to the bristle carrier from the rear or the front.

There are also order brushes or brushes known, which also form the closure of a container containing the application medium. The application medium is transferred directly from the container to the bristles. With such a design it is provided according to the invention that a channel carrying the application medium and opening out between the bristles is formed in the bolt. If necessary, the channel can be shaped in such a way that an originality seal in the form of a membrane or the like remains.

The method according to the invention also opens up the possibility of forming bristles of different cross-sections and / or of different materials at their ends into a bolt within a bristle bundle. Practical tests have shown that it is even possible to arrange natural bristles within the bristle bundle and to anchor them in the bolt when it is being formed. It has been shown that up to 50% natural bristles can be integrated without the pull-out strength suffering in the process. It is also possible to use so-called filled bristles, i.e. H. Bristles containing grinding or polishing particles, etc., to be processed in the manner according to the invention.

Due to the detachable attachment of the bristle bundles to the bristle carrier, the invention enables flat bristle carriers to be used with contoured bristle trimmings and bristle bundles of different lengths to be attached to the bristle carrier, the length of the individual bristle bundles being selected such that their ends form the desired spatial envelope surface. As a result, profile brushes are obtained in a simple manner.

In order to simplify the processing of the bristle bundles, according to a further feature of the invention, these can be melted at their free ends and deformed into a thin disk connecting them, so that the bristles are held together at their free ends and do not spread out during transport and processing or can bend. The thin disk is then cut off when the brush is assembled or else removed when it is used by laying it out so thin that it flakes off or is stripped off when subjected to mechanical stress.

The invention is described below with reference to some products produced by the method according to the invention and shown in the drawing.

• Figur 1 bis 4 verschiedene Ausführungsformen eines Borstenbündels mit angeformtem Gewindeansatz;
• Figur 5 eine Ausführungsform mit einem angeformten Ansatz mit Spreizdorn;
• Figur 6 eine Ausführungsform mit einem angeformten Innensechskant;
• Figuren 7 bis 9 verschiedene Anwendungsbeispiele für Borstenbündel mit angeformtem Gewindeansatz;
• Figur 10 und 11 zwei Ausführungsformen mit einer abweichenden Ausbildung des Gewindeansatzes;
• Figur 12 ein Anwendungsbeispiel bei einer Walzenbürste;
• Figur 13 eine schematische Ansicht eines Borstenbesatzes für eine großflächige Bürste;
• Figuren 14 bis 16 verschiedene Ausführungsformen von Borstenbündeln mit einem als Verschluß dienenden, angeformten Ansatz.

The drawing shows:

• Figure 1 to 4 different embodiments of a bristle bundle with molded thread attachment;
• Figure 5 shows an embodiment with a molded approach with expanding mandrel;
• Figure 6 shows an embodiment with a molded hexagon;
• FIGS. 7 to 9 show different application examples for bristle bundles with an integrally formed thread attachment;
• Figures 10 and 11 two embodiments with a different design of the thread approach;
• FIG. 12 shows an application example for a roller brush;
• Figure 13 is a schematic view of a bristle for a large brush;
• FIGS. 14 to 16 show different embodiments of bristle bundles with a molded-on attachment serving as a closure.

In Figure 1, a bristle bundle 1 can be seen from a plurality of individual bristles 3, which are processed in bundles or by an endless strand. The bristle bundle 1 can have any outline; in the embodiment shown, this outline 4 is octagonal.

The bristles made of thermoplastic are melted in the area of their one end and a bolt 5 is formed from the resulting melt, whereby the melting and shaping can take place in a single or in separate operations. In the same or a separate operation, 5 fastening aids for the bristle bundle 4 are molded onto a bristle carrier on the bolt. In the embodiment shown in Figure 1, the bolt 5 is formed into a threaded pin 6 which can be screwed into a corresponding threaded hole on the bristle carrier, not shown. For this purpose, a polygon 7, e.g. a hexagon is formed on which can be attacked using a tool. At the same time, the polygon 7 serves to support and secure the bolt 5 or the bristle bundle 1 on the bristle carrier.

In the embodiment according to FIG. 2, the bolt 5 is again formed as a threaded pin 6 at the end of the bristle bundle 1, although the external thread is directly attached to the bristle bundle 1. The threaded pin 6, in which the thread may be missing over part of its length, has a support disk 8 at its end. In this way, the bristles Bundle 1 with the integrally formed bolt 5 from the rear of a bristle carrier 10 is inserted through a through hole 9 arranged there and is fastened to the bristle carrier by means of a nut 11 threaded from the front over the bristle bundle 1. The nut 11 has a conical widening 12 on its one end to facilitate threading.

A variant of this is shown in FIG. 3, in which the bolt 5, following the bristle bundle 1, first has a support disk 13 and then a threaded pin 6. The threaded pin 6 is inserted from the front through a through hole 9 of the bristle holder 10 and fastened to the bristle holder 10 by means of a nut 14 screwed onto the end of the threaded pin 6.

Both embodiments according to FIGS. 2 and 3 can be used in any configuration of the bristle carrier 10, but in particular they enable the use of band-shaped bristle carriers for, for example, endless brush belts, which until now could not be produced at all or only with great effort. The special advantage of the detachable fastening is also evident here, in that individual torn bundles can be exchanged with such a brush band without difficulty.

The embodiment according to FIG. 4 essentially corresponds to that according to FIG. 1, in that the arm 5 formed onto the bristle bundle 1 has a threaded pin 6 with a polygonal profile 7. In this embodiment, the bristles 3 have also been slightly melted at their free end, so that a thin disk 15 is formed, by means of which the bristles are held together within the bundle 1, which makes them easier to sort, separate, convey, handle and process. The thin disc 15 is cut off during the assembly of the brush or cut off by itself when subjected to mechanical stress.

Figure 5 shows an embodiment in which the bolt 5 is shaped in the form of an expanding mandrel 16 by a slot 17 being formed in the peg-shaped extension, so that the webs 18 which remain stationary can deflect inwards. The expanding mandrel 16 also has lugs 19 formed on its free end. Finally, a support disk 20 is also provided here. The expanding mandrel 16 is inserted from the stocking side of the bristle carrier 10 into a through hole 9 arranged there, the webs 18 springing inwards. In the assembled position, the webs 18 spring back on the back of the bristle carrier 10, so that the bristle bundle 1 is anchored in the bristle carrier by means of the expanding mandrel 16. The bristle bundle can have a rectangular cross-section, so that it is possible to cover a bristle holder with a surface covering.

Figure 6 shows an embodiment with a rectangular or round bristle bundle 1, which is formed at its end to a bolt 5 in the form of a threaded pin 6. A washer 21 is in turn molded onto the threaded bolt. The threaded bolt has a hexagon socket 22 which is flush with the back 23 of the bristle carrier 10.

FIG. 7 shows an application example for an embodiment such as that shown in FIG. 1. This is a brush 24, the handle 25 of which is provided at its bristle-receiving end with a threaded hole 26 into which the bolt 5 can be screwed with the threaded pin 6 until the support disk 13 bears against the end face of the brush handle 25.

FIG. 8 schematically shows a plate broom 27, the plate 28 of which is provided with a fastening pin 29, for example for a rotary drive. The plate 28 has threaded holes on the bristle side, into which in turn bristle bundles 1 with a threaded attachment are inserted, as shown in FIGS. 1 or 4.

FIG. 9 shows an application example for a profile brush. Bristle bundles 1 are screwed onto the flat bristle carrier 10, which in turn is provided with threaded holes, the bristle bundles having different lengths. The free ends of the bristle bundles 1 form a contoured envelope surface 30.

In the embodiments according to FIGS. 10 and 11, the projection 5 formed on the bristle bundle 1 in turn has a threaded pin 31, which in this case is conical, however, so that a self-tapping thread is produced. Furthermore, a polygonal profile 7 for screwing in the bristle bundle is formed on the extension 5. The variant according to FIG. 11 differs from that according to FIG. 10 in that a channel 32 is also formed in the attachment, through which an application medium can be guided to the bristle bundle 1. With both embodiments it is possible to open a tamper-evident closure, such as those used for tubes, cans or the like in the form of a sealed film, and then to use them in turn as a closure. Instead, however, the channel 32 can also have such a tamper-evident seal in the form of a membrane that remains when it is molded. Furthermore, such a media channel can also be designed as an internal polygon and can be used to attach a tool by means of which the bundle of bristles can be attached to the carrier.

The application example according to FIG. 12 is a brush roller 38 as used, for example, for washing systems or the like. It is covered with bristle bundles on all or part of its circumference. This can be a bundle of bristles 1 with a threaded pin 6 or similar fastening means. Here too, individual bristles or rows of bristles can be exchanged without any problems. In addition, the bristle bundles can be adapted to the required function in terms of material and geometry, for example in the strongest stressed area bristle bundles made of more wear-resistant material and / or in closer stock.

FIG. 13 schematically shows a possible bristle stock that cannot be produced in previous manufacturing technology. On a bristle carrier 37, bristle bundles or bristle bundles 33, individual bristles 34 or bristle bundles of small diameter, bristle bundles 35 with a medium diameter and bristle bundles 36 with a large diameter are fastened in strips. The receptacles provided on the bristle carrier 37 can be designed correspondingly differently. The individual bristle bundles can consist of different ones. Bristles can be composed, for example, to enable various operations such as roughening, grinding, polishing, etc. using a single brush.

FIGS. 14 to 16 show embodiments of bristle bundles 1, at the ends of which an attachment 5 in the form of a closure 38 'for a container 39 (see FIG. 16) is formed. In the exemplary embodiment according to FIG. 14, the closure 38 ′ is designed as a cap with an internal thread 40, so that the bristle bundle 1 extends, for example, into the application medium contained in the container. By means of the internal thread 40, the cap is screwed onto the external thread of the neck 41 of the container 39 (see FIG. 16). The exemplary embodiment according to FIG. 16 differs from that according to FIG. 14 in that the bristle bundle 1 is on the outside and is used, for example, as an application brush. It can be formed in the closure 38 'in the discharge medium leading to the bristle bundle 1 channel 42.

In the exemplary embodiment according to FIG. 15, the closure 38 ′ formed by the bolt 5 is provided with a threaded pin 6, a cover plate 44 and a handle part 45. Such an embodiment is suitable, for example, for the application of. Cosmetics, pharmaceuticals or the like, while the exemplary embodiment according to FIG. 16 is rather intended for the application of care and cleaning agents, shoe polish etc.

In those embodiments in which the bundle of bristles is secured to the bristle carrier by an additional fastening means (see, for example, FIGS. 2, 3 or 5), two or more bolt-shaped projections 5 can of course also be formed on a bundle of bristles. Of course, means for securing against rotation can be provided on the bolt-shaped attachment, and possibly also on the bristle carrier.

Claims (16)

1. Process for producing brushware, such as brushes, paintbrushes, brooms, etc., comprising a bristle carrier and bristle bundles made from a thermoplastic material fixed thereto, in which the ends of the bundle used for fixing are melted and shaped to a solid, bolt-like lug to be connected to the bristle carrier, characterized in thatthe material needed for the shaping of the lug (5) is made available by following up the bristle bundle in accordance with the melting advance and that simultaneously or subsequently onto the bolt is shaped a contour (6) used for the detachable fixing to the bristle carrier (10) and that a corresponding contour (19,14) is provided on or in connection with the bristle carrier (10).

2. Process according to claim 1, characterized in that an external thread (6) is shaped onto the bolt (5) and a taphole (26) is provided on the bristle carrier (25).

3. Process according to claims 1 or 2, characterized in that a polygonal contour (7) is shaped onto the bolt (5) alongside the external thread (6).

4. Process according to claim 1, characterized in that on the bolt (5) is provided an external thread (6) and on the bristle carrier (10) a through-hole (9) through which passes the external thread, as well as a fastening nut (11,14).

5. Process according to claim 1, characterized in that the bolt (5) is shaped as an expanding mandrel (16) and a corresponding receptacle (6) is provided on the bristle carrier (10).

6. Process according to one of the claims 1 to 5, characterized in that onto the bolt (5) is shaped a collar (7, 13, 20) engaging on the bristle carrier (10).

7. Process according to one of the claims 1 to 6, characterized in that a closure (38') for a container (39) and serving as a bristle carrier is shaped onto the bolt (5).

8. Process according to claim 7, characterized in that the closure (38') is in the form of a cap closure.

9. Process according to claim 7, characterized in that the closure (38') is in the form of an immersion closure with a cover plate (44) on the container (39).

10. Process according to one of the claims 1 to 8, characterized in that the bolt (5) is hollow and is provided with an internal thread (40) or an internal polygon (22).

11. Process according to one of the claims 1 to 10 for producing application brushes, paintbrushes, etc., which simultaneously form the closure of a container containing the application medium, characterized in that in the bolt (5) is shaped a passage (32,42) issuing between the bristles (3) and guiding the application medium.

12. Process according to one of the claims 1 to 11, characterized in that within a bristle bundle (1) are formed bristles (3) of different cross-section and/or from different materials at their ends in order to form the bolt (5).

13. Process according to one of the claims 1 to 12, characterized in that natural bristles are also located within the bristle bundle (1) and on melting the plastic bristles and shaping the bolt (5) are anchored in the latter.

14. Process according to one of the claims 1 to 13, characterized in that the cross-section of the bristle bundle (1) and that of the bolt (5) have different outer contours.

15. Process according to one of the claims 1 to 14 for producing bristles, in which the envelope surface of the free bristle ends has a spatial contour differing from the plane, characterized in that a planar bristle carrier (10) is used and on it are detachably fixed bristle bundles (1) of different length.

16. Process, particularly according to one of the claims 1 to 15, characterized in that the free ends of the bristle bundle (1) are melted and shaped to a thin disk (15) connecting the same.

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