Tool for injection molding of toothbrushes

A tool for injection molding of toothbrush bodies of at least two different plastics components injection-molded in succession, said tool consisting of:

• a) two mold parts which can be moved relative to each other and together constitute two groups of parallel mold cavities (12, 14 and 16, 18);
• b) one of said mold parts (10) comprising a recess (26) for each group of mold cavities, a mold insert (24) being insertable into each of said recesses (26);
• c) partial cavities (22) being formed in said mold inserts (24), which partial cavities (22) each correspond to a head portion of said toothbrush bodies;
• d) said tool further comprising a rotatable carrier arm (30) being mounted for rotation about an axis (A) and defining a plane of rotation perpendicular to said axis (A), and intersecting point of said axis (A) with said plane defining a center of rotation;
• e) said mold inserts (24) being attached to said carrier arm (30);
• f) all of said mold cavities of said first group (12, 14) being arranged on a first side of said rotatable carrier arm (30) and all of said mold cavities of said second group (16, 18) being arranged on a second side of said carrier arm (30) opposite to said first side;
• g) said mold cavities in each group (12, 14 and 16, 18, respectively) being arranged parallel to each other and so as to have an identical orientation;
• h) said mold cavities of said first group (12, 14) being arranged so as to have an opposite orientation with respect to said mold cavities of said second group (16, 18);
• i) a first one of said groups of mold cavities (12, 14) being defined by all mold cavities into which a first one of said plastics components is injected;
• j) a second one of said groups of mold cavities (16, 18) being defined by all mold cavities into which a second one of said plastics components is injected;
• k) each of said first (12, 14) and second (16, 18) groups of mold cavities comprising at least two subgroups of mold cavities (12, 14 and 16, 18, respectively);
• l) each mold cavity being spaced apart from an adjoining mold cavity of the same subgroup by a distance in a lateral direction;
• m) the mold cavities of a first subgroup (12 and 16, respectively) of one of said groups (12, 14 and 16, 18) being spaced apart from the mold cavities of a second subgroup (14 and 18, respectively) of the same group by a distance in a direction perpendicular to said lateral direction;
• and
• n) said mold cavities of said second group (16, 18) being arranged so as to be an exclusive image of said mold cavities of said first group (12, 14) according to a single point reflection with respect to said center of rotation, said mold cavities of said second group (16, 18) being non-symmetric to said mold cavities of said first group (12, 14) according to a single mirror reflection with respect to any line in said plane of rotation running through said center of rotation.