EP0986656B1 - Monofilaments with split ends - Google Patents
Monofilaments with split ends Download PDFInfo
- Publication number
- EP0986656B1 EP0986656B1 EP97918786A EP97918786A EP0986656B1 EP 0986656 B1 EP0986656 B1 EP 0986656B1 EP 97918786 A EP97918786 A EP 97918786A EP 97918786 A EP97918786 A EP 97918786A EP 0986656 B1 EP0986656 B1 EP 0986656B1
- Authority
- EP
- European Patent Office
- Prior art keywords
- monofilament
- brush
- toothbrush
- voids
- bristles
- Prior art date
- Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
- Expired - Lifetime
Links
Images
Classifications
-
- A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
- A46—BRUSHWARE
- A46D—MANUFACTURE OF BRUSHES
- A46D1/00—Bristles; Selection of materials for bristles
- A46D1/02—Bristles details
- A46D1/0238—Bristles with non-round cross-section
-
- A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
- A46—BRUSHWARE
- A46D—MANUFACTURE OF BRUSHES
- A46D1/00—Bristles; Selection of materials for bristles
-
- A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
- A46—BRUSHWARE
- A46D—MANUFACTURE OF BRUSHES
- A46D1/00—Bristles; Selection of materials for bristles
- A46D1/02—Bristles details
- A46D1/0292—Bristles having split ends
-
- D—TEXTILES; PAPER
- D01—NATURAL OR MAN-MADE THREADS OR FIBRES; SPINNING
- D01D—MECHANICAL METHODS OR APPARATUS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF ARTIFICIAL FILAMENTS, THREADS, FIBRES, BRISTLES OR RIBBONS
- D01D5/00—Formation of filaments, threads, or the like
- D01D5/24—Formation of filaments, threads, or the like with a hollow structure; Spinnerette packs therefor
-
- D—TEXTILES; PAPER
- D01—NATURAL OR MAN-MADE THREADS OR FIBRES; SPINNING
- D01D—MECHANICAL METHODS OR APPARATUS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF ARTIFICIAL FILAMENTS, THREADS, FIBRES, BRISTLES OR RIBBONS
- D01D5/00—Formation of filaments, threads, or the like
- D01D5/253—Formation of filaments, threads, or the like with a non-circular cross section; Spinnerette packs therefor
-
- A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
- A46—BRUSHWARE
- A46B—BRUSHES
- A46B2200/00—Brushes characterized by their functions, uses or applications
- A46B2200/10—For human or animal care
- A46B2200/1066—Toothbrush for cleaning the teeth or dentures
Definitions
- This invention relates generally to monofilaments, and more particularly to monofilaments having split ends, which may be used for example as toothbrush bristles.
- Thermoplastic polymers have long been used to form brush bristles in a wide variety of configurations. To increase the effectiveness of these brushes, the ends of such bristles have been split or "feathered" to provide a soft bristle tip. In the past, however, various difficulties have been encountered in splitting bristle tips.
- This invention relates to a monofilament having a portion with a plurality of internal fusion lines and at least four voids, wherein the voids comprise between 5 and 20% of the cross-sectional area of the monofilament.
- This invention also relates to a monofilament having a diameter in a range of 63.5 to 304.8 ⁇ m (0.0025 to 0.012 inches), wherein the monofilament has a hexalocular, an octalocular, or a near circular shape.
- this invention relates to a method of manufacturing extruded monofilaments having split ends, including the steps of extruding a plurality of thermoplastic polymeric streams to form a plurality of monofilaments, spinning a plurality of cutting blades above 1000 rpm, and placing a plurality of cutting blades in contact with end portions of the monofilaments to form split ends.
- the blades are spun at or near the natural frequency of the monofilaments.
- FIG. 1a, 2a, 3a, 4a and 5a examples of a monofilament having a hexalocular shape are shown. Such shapes were achieved through an extrusion process using the respective spinnerette capillaries of Figs. 1b, 2b, 3b, 4b and 5b. Such monofilaments were prepared by the fusion of six polymer streams. Each of these monofilaments 10 include a plurality of voids 20 and a plurality of weld or fusion lines. The voids result in a void content of between 5 and 20% of the cross-sectional area of the monofilaments.
- the brush bristle of the present invention can be prepared from a wide variety of thermoplastic polymeric materials including polyamides, polyesters and polyolefins.
- Polyamides for use in brush manufacturing including nylon 6,6.
- nylon 610 polyhexamethylene sebaccamide
- nylon 612 hexamethylene diamine.
- Polyesters which have been found particularly well suited to bristle manufacture include polybutylene terephthalate and polyethylene terephthalate.
- a polyolefin which has been found particularly well-suited to bristle manufacture is polypropylene.
- the overall diameter, or overall maximum cross-sectional dimension, of the brush bristles of the present invention is in the range of (0.0025 to 0.012 inches) 0.064 to 0.3mm.
- the bristles of the present invention are preferably formed by extruding six or more individual streams of polymeric material from a spinnerette including the spinnerette capillaries shown in Figs 1b, 2b, 3b, 4b, and 5b, and joining the streams to form a single filament.
- a spinnerette such as the one shown in Figures 6a and 6b, includes a plurality of spinnerette capillaries.
- the monofilament is quenched and then drawn as generally described, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 2,418,492, herein incorporated by reference. incorporated by reference.
- the filament After extrusion and quenching of the monofilament, the filament is oriented by stretching to improve the longitudinal strength.
- the filament can be subjected to other treatments to improve physical properties, such as treatment with saturated steam as described in U.S. patent No. 3,595,952, herein incorporated by reference.
- the filament may be heat set after drawing for good bend recovery.
- the heat setting can be carried out either in a gas such as by blowing hot air over the fiiament, or a liquid bath such as by passing the filament through a bath of oil.
- the filaments are then cut into lengths suitable for brush manufacture.
- the individual bristles are then gathered into bundles, the bundles are tufted into brushes, and the brushes are tipped and flagged by a procedure described below.
- FIG. 7a a plan view of a cutting blade for use in splitting the ends of the bristle of the present invention is shown.
- the blades are rotated at 30,000 rpm with a router motor.
- the interference between the bristle and the blade is varied depending on the depth of the split desired, although it has been found that 3.2 to 6.4mm (1/8 to 1/4 of an inch) is preferable. Essentially by spinning the blades at a high rate of speed and placing the blades in contact with the bristle tips, a fast and violent bristle cutting action is achieved, thereby causing optimal bristle splitting.
- the natural frequency is usually stated in radians per second which can also be expressed in revolutions per minute by dividing by 2 ⁇ and multiplying by 60 seconds per minute.
- a graph of the natural frequency for a 612 monofilament bristle with a 3792.1 KPa (550,000 psi) modulus and various lengths and diameters is shown.
- the monofilament bristles of the present invention produce a larger number of smaller ends ("flags") than previously known monofilament bristles of the same diameter.
- the bristles exhibit excellent durability and cleanability, and are particularly useful as toothbrush bristles to produce remarkably soft, fine tips.
- the bristles of the present invention are split rather than end rounded to give a plurality of smaller ends that scrub the gingival area more effectively. It has also be found that the more dense area achieved by such flagged ends scrub major tooth areas better by keeping toothpaste in contact with the tooth surface as well as achieving a softer feel when contact is made with soft tissue in the mouth.
- a perspective view of a toothbrush having a plurality of feathered bristles is shown.
- a plurality of bristles with split ends that produce a plurality of soft fine tips is also shown.
- These feathered filaments spread-out on tooth surfaces to provide a plurality of contact points, unlike ordinary solid tips which provide only one contact point.
- a comparison of these plurality of contact points to the single contact point of a solid tip is shown in Fig. 11.
- the fine feathered filaments of the present invention also produce a greater and deeper penetration at the gum line for better cleaning without hurting the gum line of a patient. Such deeper penetration at the gum line is shown in Fig. 12.
- these soft filament tips carry sweeping power action along with a beneficial interdental and gumline cleaning.
- feathered tips reach farther between teeth, provide better cleaning coverage than ordinary soft filament tips because of the increase in contact surfaces, and thus holds toothpaste in contact with teeth.
- Such an arrangement also provides a unique cushioning effect at the tips which adds extra softness to the brush. Such softness reduces bleeding of the gums during brushing.
- bristles have proven to be as hygienic as round filaments.
- an octalocular bristle structure having eight voids
- an octalocular bristle structure having eight voids
- Such an octalocular bristle is shown in Figure 13.
- six and eight streams have been used to achieve hexalocular and octalocular structures, respectively, a greater number of streams may be used to produce additional structures having a corresponding greater number of voids.
- the outer shape of such hexalocular, octalocular or other structures may be manufactured so as to have a circular or near circular shape. Such a near circular outer shape is shown in Figure 13.
- the percentage of the cross-sectional area occupied by the voids in the monofilaments is determined by the size, location, symmetry and shape of the voids. It has been found that a certain level of hollow space (voids) will result in an optimal splitting of brushes having relatively short lengths, such as toothbrushes.
- the voids optimally result in a void content of between 5 and 20% of the cross-sectional area of the monofilaments. With such brushes, if the voids are too small, such as the voids disclosed in U.S. Patent No. 5,128,208, any feathering effect would result in broken bristle ends rather than in achieving feathering. If the voids are too large, such as the voids disclosed in U.S. Patent No.
- the bristle would feather easily, but the splits would likely propagate down the bristle during use.
- the voids should be located about 1/2 way between the center and the outside edge. It has also been found that a longer and slender void achieves a greater flagging effect than a rounded void.
- openings 40 of the spinnerette capilaries as shown in Figs. 1b, 2b, 3b, have a radius of curvature r in the range of 127 to 305 ⁇ m (5 to 12 mils).
- Openings 40 of the spinnerette capillary of Fig. 2b have an internal radius (or radius of curvature) of 229 ⁇ m (9 mils), while the openings of the spinnerette capillary of Fig. 3b have a radius of 203 ⁇ m (8 mils).
- the void content is determined on the basis of the weight of the hollow bristle and the weight of a hypothetical solid bristle of the same exterior configuration, according to the following formula:
Landscapes
- Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
- Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
- Textile Engineering (AREA)
- Brushes (AREA)
Description
Claims (17)
- A brush monofilament (10) having a portion with a plurality of internal fusion lines and at least four voids (20), characterised in that said voids occupy between 5 and 20% of a cross-sectional area of the monofilament.
- The brush monofilament (10) of claim 1 wherein said brush monofilament (10) has a diameter in a range of 0.0064 to 0.030cm.
- The brush monofilament (10) of claim 1 wherein said brush monofilament (10) has a near circular outer shape.
- The brush monofilament (10) of claim 2 said monofilament (10) having a hexalocular, and octalocular, or a near circular shape.
- The brush monofilament (10) of any preceding claim wherein said monofilament (10) is a toothbrush bristle.
- The brush monofilament (10) of any preceding claim wherein said monofilament (10) is made of a thermoplastic polymeric materiel.
- The brush monofilament (10) of any preceding claim wherein said thermoplastic polymeric material is selected from the group consisting of nylon 610, nylon 612, a polyamide, and polybutylene terephthalate.
- The brush monofilament (10) of any preceding claim wherein said brush monofilament (10) has six voids.
- The brush monofilament (10) of any of claims 1 to 7 wherein said brush monofilament (10) has eight voids.
- A toothbrush comprising a plurality of brush monofilaments (10) of claim 1.
- A toothbrush comprising a plurality of bristles having feathered end portions and unfeathered stem portions, characterised in that said unfeathered stem portions have a plurality of internal fusion lines and at least four voids (20), that said voids (20) occupy between 5 and 20% of a cross sectional area of the bristles, and that a plurality of said feathered end portions are less than 0.64 cm in length.
- The toothbrush of claim 11 wherein said plurality of bristles are brush monofilaments (10).
- The toothbrush of claim 11 or claim 12 wherein said plurality of bristles are made of a thermoplastic polymeric material.
- The toothbrush of claim 13 wherein said thermoplastic polymeric material is selected from the group consisting of polyhexamethylene sebaccamide, a polyamide, and polybutylene terephthalate.
- The toothbrush of any of claims 11 to 14 wherein each of said unfeathered stem portions have an outer diameter in a range of 0.0064 to 0.030 cm.
- The toothbrush of any of claims 11 to 15 wherein said unfeathered stem portions have a hexalocular or an octalocular configuration.
- The toothbrush of any of claims 11 to 16 wherein each of said feathered portions is less than 0.64 cm in length.
Applications Claiming Priority (1)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
---|---|---|---|
PCT/US1997/006780 WO1998048086A1 (en) | 1997-04-24 | 1997-04-24 | Monofilaments with split ends |
Publications (2)
Publication Number | Publication Date |
---|---|
EP0986656A1 EP0986656A1 (en) | 2000-03-22 |
EP0986656B1 true EP0986656B1 (en) | 2004-11-17 |
Family
ID=22260782
Family Applications (1)
Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
---|---|---|---|
EP97918786A Expired - Lifetime EP0986656B1 (en) | 1997-04-24 | 1997-04-24 | Monofilaments with split ends |
Country Status (6)
Country | Link |
---|---|
EP (1) | EP0986656B1 (en) |
JP (1) | JP3958801B2 (en) |
AU (1) | AU2680197A (en) |
CA (1) | CA2287342C (en) |
DE (1) | DE69731666T2 (en) |
WO (1) | WO1998048086A1 (en) |
Cited By (1)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US9320335B2 (en) | 2013-12-30 | 2016-04-26 | L'oreal | Grooming devices and methods therefor |
Families Citing this family (9)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US6506327B2 (en) | 1997-11-05 | 2003-01-14 | Pedex & Co. Gmbh | Process of making monofilaments |
DE19748733A1 (en) * | 1997-11-05 | 1999-05-06 | Pedex & Co Gmbh | Monofilament for the production of bristles and method for the production of bristles from such monofilaments |
DE19841974A1 (en) | 1998-09-14 | 2000-03-23 | Braun Gmbh | Synthetic monofilament bristle for toothbrushes has cross-section with different regions separated by zones of weakness to encourage fracture |
DE19918959A1 (en) | 1999-04-27 | 2000-11-02 | Pedex & Co Gmbh | Process for processing bristles and bristle products with such bristles |
JP4547891B2 (en) * | 2003-10-29 | 2010-09-22 | サンスター株式会社 | Feathered filament toothbrush |
DE102009018443A1 (en) * | 2009-04-22 | 2010-10-28 | Kullen Gmbh & Co. Kg | Rotary brush with different bristle trim |
JP5152250B2 (en) * | 2010-05-07 | 2013-02-27 | サンスター株式会社 | Method for manufacturing a feathered filament toothbrush |
BR112017028486B1 (en) | 2015-07-07 | 2022-01-25 | Colgate-Palmolive Company | Monofilament bristle and instrument for oral hygiene |
JP7199139B2 (en) * | 2016-08-03 | 2023-01-05 | ライオン株式会社 | toothbrush |
Family Cites Families (4)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US4279053A (en) * | 1979-09-24 | 1981-07-21 | E. I. Du Pont De Nemours And Company | Tri- or tetra-locular paint brush bristles |
US5032456A (en) * | 1987-09-11 | 1991-07-16 | Newell Operating Company | Microcellular synthetic paintbrush bristles |
US5128208A (en) * | 1990-12-14 | 1992-07-07 | E. I. Du Pont De Nemours And Company | Flaggable synthetic tapered paintbrush bristles |
DE4442001C2 (en) * | 1994-11-28 | 1998-04-16 | Hahn Rainer | Device for cleaning tooth or denture surfaces |
-
1997
- 1997-04-24 WO PCT/US1997/006780 patent/WO1998048086A1/en active IP Right Grant
- 1997-04-24 AU AU26801/97A patent/AU2680197A/en not_active Abandoned
- 1997-04-24 JP JP54564998A patent/JP3958801B2/en not_active Expired - Lifetime
- 1997-04-24 DE DE69731666T patent/DE69731666T2/en not_active Expired - Lifetime
- 1997-04-24 CA CA002287342A patent/CA2287342C/en not_active Expired - Lifetime
- 1997-04-24 EP EP97918786A patent/EP0986656B1/en not_active Expired - Lifetime
Cited By (1)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US9320335B2 (en) | 2013-12-30 | 2016-04-26 | L'oreal | Grooming devices and methods therefor |
Also Published As
Publication number | Publication date |
---|---|
CA2287342A1 (en) | 1998-10-29 |
EP0986656A1 (en) | 2000-03-22 |
CA2287342C (en) | 2007-01-16 |
DE69731666D1 (en) | 2004-12-23 |
JP2001523308A (en) | 2001-11-20 |
JP3958801B2 (en) | 2007-08-15 |
AU2680197A (en) | 1998-11-13 |
WO1998048086A1 (en) | 1998-10-29 |
DE69731666T2 (en) | 2006-02-16 |
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