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US 6,578,929 B2Granted
Tufting oral brushes
AssigneeThe Gillette Company
InventorsWilliam Motherway, Joseph Depuydt
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Methods and devices are provided for tufting oral brushes. The methods include inserting free ends of continuous strands of filaments into blind holes in a moldbar, at least some of the blind holes having different depths and/or extending at different angles.
Claims20
A method for manufacturing a toothbrush comprising:
- (a) feeding each free end of a plurality of long, continuous strands of filaments into corresponding holes in a moldbar;
- (b) selectively clamping one or more of the strands with a single selective clamping device while advancing the selected strands;
- (c) cutting the strands of filaments so that an anchoring portion of each cut strand extends above a surface of the moldbar;
- (d) placing the moldbar in a molding machine so that the anchoring portion of the filaments extends into a molding cavity defined in part by the moldbar, the molding cavity being shaped to form the body of the toothbrush;
- and
- (e) delivering resin to the molding cavity to form a toothbrush body around the anchoring portion.
3 more elements
The method of 10 wherein the tensioning step comprises feeding the strands through a chamber in which a compressed gas is blown over the strands.
A method for manufacturing a toothbrush comprising:
- (a) feeding each free end of a plurality of long, continuous strands of filaments into a corresponding blind hole in a moldbar, at least some of the blind holes extending into the moldbar at different angles with respect to a top surface of the moldbar;
- (b) selectively clamping on or more of the strands while advancing the selected strands;
- (c) cutting the strands of filaments so that an anchoring portion of each cut strand extends above a surface of the moldbar;
- (d) placing the moldbar in a molding machine so that the anchoring portion of the filaments extends into a molding cavity defined in part by the moldbar, the molding cavity being shaped to form the body of the toothbrush;
- and
- (e) delivering resin to the molding cavity to form a toothbrush body around the anchoring portion.
3 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.