Toothbrush and process for producing the same

A toothbrush, comprising:

• a handle part;
• a head part connected to the handle part, the head part having a front face, a rear face, and a flexible zone made from a soft plastic material,
• at least one carrier element connected to the head part, the at least one carrier element having a top surface, a rear surface and a plurality of cutouts running between the top surface and the rear surface of the at least one carrier element;
• and
• clusters of bristle filaments guided through the cutouts, the bristle filaments having a rear end melted to form a bristle coating, the bristle coating at least partially covering the rear surface of the at least one carrier element, wherein
• seen in longitudinal section, the bristle coating, covering at least partially the rear surface of the at least one carrier element, is received in at least one head part cutout being formed in the head part laterally adjacent the flexible zone.

A toothbrush, comprising:

• a handle part;
• a head part connected to the handle part, the head part having a front face, a rear face, and a flexible zone;
• at least one carrier element connected to the head part, the at least one carrier element having a top surface, a rear surface and a plurality of cutouts running between the top surface and the rear surface of the at least one carrier element;
• and
• clusters of bristle filaments guided through the cutouts, the bristle filaments having a rear end melted to form a bristle coating, the bristle coating at least partially covering the rear surface of the at least one carrier element, wherein
• the flexible zone is next to the at least one carrier element, and
• seen in longitudinal section, the bristle coating, covering at least partially the rear surface of the at least one carrier element, is received in at least one head part cutout being formed in the head part laterally adjacent the flexible zone.

A process for producing a toothbrush, comprising:

• producing at least one carrier element having a top surface, a rear surface and a plurality of cutouts running between the top surface and the rear surface, the top surface and the rear surface each having a non-planar three-dimensional configuration;
• guiding clusters of bristle filaments through the cutouts in the at least one carrier element;
• connecting the clusters of bristle filaments to the rear surface of the at least one carrier element by melting the rear ends of the bristle filaments using a heating die, with the result that a bristle coating at least partially covering the rear surface is formed on the rear surface of the at least one carrier element;
• and
• connecting the at least one carrier element holding the clusters of the bristle filaments and the bristle coating to a head part of the toothbrush such that the top surface of the at least one carrier element defines a front surface of the head part, wherein
• the head part is produced with a flexible zone in an area of the at least one carrier element, and
• seen in longitudinal section, the bristle coating, covering at least partially the rear surface of the at least one carrier element, is received in at least one head part cutout being formed in the head part laterally adjacent the flexible zone.