ES2197653T3 - BRUSH WITH A SUPPORT OF PIGS AND PROCEDURE FOR MANUFACTURING. - Google Patents

Abstract

Brush with a bristle support that forms a handle and / or head, and bristles fixed to it, presenting the bristle support chromatically highlighted areas, characterized in that the plastic of the bristle holder (1, 2, 3) is filled, at least in the areas highlighted in a chromatic way, with pigments that absorb the laser rays and react to them with a color change, and because the areas highlighted in a chromatic way are formed in the bristle support by the action of the laser rays and The resulting color change.

Description

Brush with a bristle holder and procedure for its manufacture.

The invention relates to brushes with a support for bristles that form a handle and bristles fixed to it, presenting the support for bristles areas highlighted in a chromatic way. The In addition, the invention relates to a process for manufacture of brushes of this type.

Brushes, especially cleaning and care such as body brushes, toothbrushes, and so on, they are subjected to very different efforts during use. First of all we must mention the permanent action of moisture, of water or the like. In addition, depending on the type of brush you have to have the effects produced by means of chemical action and / or mechanics such as detergents, soaps, dentifrices, as well as Fats, paints and the like. To these we must add the forces of grip and friction exerted on the handle by the hand of user. To such efforts are specially subjected brushes of teeth, but also other hygienic brushes and brushes technicians

Whenever it is necessary to provide support for bristles, which forms the handle of such a brush, of areas chromatically highlighted that have an informational function or creative, this is done to date essentially according to following methods: a sheet that bears as an impression is adhered the areas highlighted chromatically, for example, the information (document US-A- 4,589,159). Without However, these sheets come off very quickly, in such a way that the creative element or information is lost. East procedure is therefore totally inappropriate in the practice. It is also known to apply areas of this type, through sheet transfer printing, in support recesses for previously cut sows. Although the information applied in this way they are somewhat more durable, after some time of use eventually come off with which the content is lost informative, although only isolated parts of the information found on the transfer sheet. The same disadvantages are presented by deformable layers or sheets (document DE-A-4 207 755) to be applied on the support for sows and that are coined by type printing Another procedure that can be cited is that of two component injection, in which the handle is made of a plastic and the labeling of another plastic of a different color, which injected into a two stage procedure. Because of the expensive ones injection molding tools, this procedure is very  expensive. A modification of the decorative or informative elements requires very expensive storage of various tools or pieces to insert in the tools and some works of equipment that require a lot of time in the changes. In addition, the procedure is only applicable when it comes to decorations or relatively large surface information with a path rude of the lines. Therefore, not only fails in the case of filigree contours and writing symbols but also when the area available for information is little.

The invention aims to make possible, for brushes intended for any use, the application of Information or durable decorations of any kind and propose procedures for the manufacture of brushes of that type.

The objective is resolved according to a first variant of the invention causing the support plastic to bristles are filled, at least in the highlighted areas so chromatic, with pigments that absorb lasers and react to these changing color, and that these areas are applied on the support for bristles by means of laser beams.

According to a second variant, the objective is achieved by making the bristle holder, at least in the area close to the surface, consist of at least two plastics stratified with different absorption capacity for lightning laser, of which the top layer with the lowest capacity of absorption is transparent or translucent and the lower layer present the greatest absorption capacity, and that the highlighted areas of chromatic way be applied by laser on the layer lower, which reacts with a color change.

By forming according to the invention of the support for sows in the two variants mentioned above, the information can be applied by means of laser beams that, following the outline of the areas to highlight optically, they are preferably computer-assisted. In in the case of the first solution variant, the pigments that absorb RL react with a color change in places irradiated In the case of the second solution variant, the lasers are absorbed in the boundary layer between the two layers of plastic and there the desired color change takes place, which results visible through the transparent coating layer or translucent The plastic coating layer can also molecular restructuring by reflection in the layer limit, then producing a much more intense contrast. The Chromatically highlighted areas applied in this way are not are affected by chemical or mechanical stresses, such as those They appear in the use of brushes. Nor do they part with support for sows but they are kept lasting. The Chromatically highlighted areas may have a surface small and present watermarks, which is not possible with procedures used to date.

Chromatically highlighted areas can be of different types and so it can be information of different content, for example, of order indications than in mass production of different brushes serve as classification and packaging information. In this case, the information can be used in connection with devices color or image recognition for the automation of transport and packaging tasks.

The information can also point to User brush properties or be instructions for use. By For example, brushes that are only used in the professional field for certain purposes due to hygiene provisions and that until now they were marked by different colors, now they can differentiate by means of a label that does not follow. Within this context, brushes can be cited to hospitals, which must be marked in different ways for the areas of kitchen, operating rooms, treatment rooms and rooms for patients

The brush configuration according to the invention shows its advantages in a particularly striking way in the case of Toothbrushes These are subject to high demands hygienic since they have to be used in the mouth and there they are also exposed to additional efforts. This is true in special measure for toothbrushes for children, in which the head is not only subject to the influences cited to principle but often undergoes efforts due to uncontrolled or involuntary chewing movements. By consequently, the information in the toothbrushes is limited to date mainly to the reproduction of a brand, name of the manufacturer or similar and this information they can only be incorporated into the handle, which does not come into contact with the mouth.

The invention allows the information to be applied in a toothbrush on both the handle and the head, since the aforementioned influences do not affect them nor can they detach In this way, the brush can be identified in the handle and / or head with an essential property for your use, for example of the hardness of the bristles (`` hard '', `` medium '' or `` soft ''). In addition, indications may apply on the duration of use in which perfect care is guaranteed of the mouth and teeth, but also caution notices. These The latter are necessary because in modern dental hygiene the toothbrushes are adapted in their construction and materials used to different needs, and the toothbrush prepared for a specific case can cause damage to the teeth or in the gums in a different case.

To date, all information necessary for the use of toothbrushes have reproduced exclusively in the packaging. With the extraction of toothbrush from its packaging and its use are lost these information, so that when you buy again or order it The user does not know what toothbrush he had used before. This notable deficiency is eliminated by the invention.

Similarly they can be applied classification and packaging identifications that allow for production in large series of different toothbrushes, a automatic sorting and packing or also the assorted composition.

All the advantages mentioned above are they get the same way in the case of a third variant of the invention, making the bristle holder, at least in the area near the surface, consists of two plastics laminates of different color, and that the coating layer is remove highlighted areas by laser beams chromatic The removal of the coating layer occurs by melting and gasifying the plastic that forms it so that the plastic of different color that is found is released below the coating layer.

The information is advantageously applied to handle surfaces well visible, and therefore in the case of a toothbrush on the underside directed at the bristles and / or on the upper face of the handle contrary to the bristles. But in especially when it comes to data on the degrees of hardness, they can also be applied on the toothbrush head, what that to date was not possible for technical reasons and also hygienic

The invention also relates to a unit of sale consisting of a brush, especially toothbrushes the aforementioned structure, and a package that includes this one, lets see areas highlighted in a chromatic way and that is at least partially plastic. In a sales unit of this type is provided, according to the invention, that the package is at least partially, of a plastic that absorbs lasers and that react with a color change or that is coated with one of this type, and that the areas highlighted chromatically are apply by means of lasers.

Containers of the type being talked about here they are mostly configured as cover containers transparent (blister), where the transparent part of the package is applied on a cardboard support and the cardboard support presents the necessary information and the desired decorative elements. In the configuration of the sales unit according to the invention, the information or decorations are produced in the packaging of the Same way as in the brush. The information about the brush of teeth may be, at least partially, identical to information about the package.

In the case of matching information on the container and on the toothbrush, it is especially also of those that are essential for a purchase or an order later, so that even after removing the container toothbrush the consumer can be sure of receive the same toothbrush if you buy it or ask for it again. In the case of manufacturing toothbrushes in large series with a rear packaging line, the devices of Laser can be controlled for toothbrush labeling and of the container through the corresponding programs, which eventually they may be partly the same.

The invention also relates to procedures for the manufacture of brushes of the structure previously cited, in which the bristle holder is manufactured by foundry, especially injection molding, and in the course of smelting or later the bristles are fixed to the bristle holder including them in the plastic.

The manufacture of toothbrushes by Injection molding has reached such perfection today that in a Production line can be manufactured several thousand brushes to The time. Provide brushes with this type of highlighted areas of chromatic way is not possible with known procedures to date, or only through loss of benefits or quality. The application as impressions labels on foil is not possible with the reliability with which they abandon the brushes the injection molding machine. The same is valid. for printing sheets by transfer. If the marks of Color are manufactured in two component injection molding, this results - regardless of the high costs - to a lengthening of the production rate, which will determine the two-stage injection and the necessary change in between injected parts.

In the process according to the invention, it is molded the bristle holder made from a plastic, filled with pigments that absorb the laser and react to lasers by a color change, and after hardening of the plastic areas are treated to be highlighted so chromatic by laser rays, controlled in the appropriate way, until the color change occurs.

This laser treatment can be performed at great speed in such a way that the performance at the time of a production line is determined exclusively by the Working rate of injection molding machine. Despite of this high performance per hour that can be achieved, the Chromatically highlighted areas can be manufactured with any degree of fineness and any line drawing with a high degree Resolution

The second variant of the brush according to the invention is manufactured by molding the bristle holder at least in two layers, for which a base body of first is molded a plastic filled with pigments that absorb lasers and that react to these by changing color, then molded as  minimum over the areas to be highlighted chromatically a coating layer of a transparent or translucent plastic, with a lower absorption capacity for lasers, and then of the hardening of the plastic the areas that have to highlight the coating layer chromatically laser beams, properly controlled, until produces the color change of the pigments in the body of base.

The third brush variant configured according to the invention is finally manufactured by molding the support for at least two layers of bristles, for which first a base body of a plastic, then molded at least on the areas to be highlighted in a chromatic way a layer of  coating of a plastic of different color and after hardening of the areas to be highlighted so Chromatic coating layer are treated by rays laser, properly controlled, at least until the plastic coating layer has been removed by melting and gasification to the point where the plastic is visible of different color of the base body.

All variants of the procedure previously mentioned are preferably carried out in such a way that the brushes manufactured in series are taken, after molding and of the hardening of the plastic, to a laser unit with at least a laser device, there are positioned and treated the areas that it is necessary to highlight in a chromatic way by means of at least one ray properly controlled laser.

If the areas highlighted in a chromatic way are large area or are distributed discreetly over the support for bristles, of course several can also be used laser devices at the same time.

The methods according to the invention achieve high effectiveness especially when the laser beam is controlled by a computer programmed according to the highlighted areas of chromatic way, being advantageous if saved in the computer several programs for chromatically highlighted areas of different mode and with different settings, and the programs are open at will while the manufacture of the brushes

In this way, in the course of manufacturing it they can modify the information or decorations that have to be apply, for example the corresponding characteristics of classification for subsequent packing line or to gather brushes with different properties in assortments that can be packaged in the packaging line as assortment. Attached to a adequate equipment of the packaging line with laser apparatus, the sales units configured according to the invention that have been described, being stored in the computer of the laser apparatus of production and packaging lines identical or partly identical information about the brush and of the container

Next, the invention is described. based on the examples of embodiment of a toothbrush reproduced in the drawings. The drawings show:

Fig. 1 a view of the bottom side of a brush of teeth on the side of the bristles;

Fig. 2 a view equivalent to Fig. 1 of another embodiment of the toothbrush;

Fig. 3 a view on the back of the head of the toothbrush;

Fig. 4 a longitudinal section of the brush teeth according to Fig. 3 in the first variant and a detail increased;

Fig. 5 a longitudinal section of the brush teeth according to Fig. 3 in the second variant and a detail increased, and

Fig. 6 a longitudinal section of the brush teeth according to Fig. 3 in the third variant and a detail increased.

The toothbrush depicted in Figs. one and 2 consists of a handle 1 and a head 2, which are joined together by means of a thin neck 3. The handle 1, the head 2 and the Neck 3 are plastic. The bristles are fixed on head 2 Four.

The handle 1, eventually also the head 2 and the neck 3, are of a plastic filled with pigments that in case of Laser irradiation react with a color change. Through a conveniently controlled laser can be applied in the handle 1 or head 2, specifically on its back, so that cannot detach and hygienically faultless, a highlighted area chromatically in the form of information 5.

In the case of the embodiment according to the Fig. 1 this information 5 consists of a warning, specifically of change the toothbrush after a while of use preset, indicating this time of use by an indicator corresponding in the bristles.

In the case of the embodiment according to the Fig. 2, information 5 has been applied in the form of a usage warning. Through a special game configuration of bristles or bristles, the toothbrush results especially suitable for removing dark dental tartar, which It is produced advantageously attached to a suitable toothpaste product. On the contrary, a toothbrush of this type is not use in the case of a denture that does not have tartar.

In the case of the embodiment according to the Fig. 3 an information has been applied to the back of head 2 which characterizes the degree of hardness of the sow game, while that the handle presents information in the form of a function of origin.

Toothbrushes according to Figs. 1 to 3 they can be manufactured according to the three variants of the invention. Fig. 4 shows the first variant in which the support for Bristles consisting of handle 1, head 2 and neck 3 are manufactured by Injection of a plastic filled with pigments. It's about those pigments that by laser react with a change of color from light to dark (positive or negative). In the view amplified in detail of Fig. 4 are designated with 6 places in which this color change has occurred.

In the variant of Fig. 5, the support for bristles formed by handle 1, head 2 and neck 3 is configured in two layers. It consists of a base body 7, which provides over all the necessary characteristics of resistance and use, and a coating layer 8 injected over. The base body 7 consists of a plastic with a relatively high absorption capacity for lasers while the coating layer 8 It has a lower absorption capacity and is transparent or any translucent case. The absorption capacity of the plastic base body 7 can be achieved by the corresponding pigmentation. When irradiating with laser, the pigments react with a color change, which is indicated in Fig. 5 with the number of reference 9. It can be colors that contrast in clear or in dark and that are visible through the coating layer 8 transparent or translucent.

In the case of the variant according to Fig. 6, the Bristle holder consists of a base body 7 and a layer of coating 8. The injected base body 7 consists of a plastic of different color than the coating layer 8. If subject the coating layer to laser beams, these are reflected in the boundary layer towards the coating layer and the plastic of the Coating layer 8 melts and gasifies in places over those that have affected the laser beams. These places are indicated with 10 in Fig. 6. Therefore, in these places the colored plastic other than bristle holder 7 and with it transmit the desired information in positive or negative impression, according to the coloring of the plastic of the base body 7 and the layer of coating 8.

Claims (13)

1. Brush with a bristle support that forms a handle and / or head, and bristles attached to it, presenting the bristle support areas chromatically highlighted, characterized in that the plastic of the bristle holder (1, 2, 3) is filling, at least in the areas highlighted in a chromatic way, with pigments that absorb the laser rays and react to them with a color change, and because the areas highlighted in a chromatic way are formed in the support for bristles by the action of the rays laser and the resulting color change. 2. Brush according to claim 1, characterized in that the support for bristles (1, 2, 3), at least in the area close to the surface, consists of at least two laminated plastics with different absorption capacity for lasers, of which the upper layer with the lowest absorption capacity is transparent or translucent and the lower layer has the highest absorption capacity, and because the chromatically highlighted areas are formed by the action of laser beams and the resulting color change in the lower layer, which reacts with a color change. 3. Brush according to claim 1 or 2, especially a toothbrush whose bristle support consists of the handle (1) and a head (3) in which the bristles (4) are fixed, characterized in that the areas highlighted so Chromatic are applied on the handle (1) and / or on the head (3). 4. Brush according to claim 3, characterized in that the chromatically highlighted areas are applied on the lower side, directed towards the bristles (4), and / or on the upper side, away from the bristles, of the handle (1). 5. Brush according to one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the chromatically highlighted areas form information. 6. Brush according to one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the chromatically highlighted areas form decorative elements. 7. Sales unit consisting of a brush, especially a brush according to one of claims 1 to 6, and a package that includes it, shows areas highlighted in a chromatic manner and that is, at least partially, plastic, characterized because the container is, at least partially, a plastic that absorbs laser rays and reacts with a color change and because the areas highlighted in a chromatic way are formed by the action of laser rays and the resulting color change. 8. Sales unit according to claim 7, characterized in that the chromatically highlighted areas of the brush are, at least partially, identical to the chromatically highlighted areas of the container. 9. Process for the manufacture of brushes according to one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the bristle holder is manufactured by casting, especially injection molding, and in the course of molding or later fixed to the support bristles for bristles including them in the plastic, characterized in that the bristle support is molded from a plastic, filled with pigments that absorb the laser rays and react to them by a color change, and after the hardening of the plastic the areas are treated which have to be highlighted in a chromatic way by means of laser beams, controlled in the appropriate way, until the color change occurs. 10. Method according to claim 9, characterized in that the bristle support is molded at least in two layers, for which a base body of a plastic filled with pigments that absorb the laser rays and react to them is first molded by changing color, then it is molded at least on the areas to be highlighted in a chromatic way a coating layer of a transparent or translucent plastic, with a lower absorption capacity for laser beams, and after the hardening of the plastic the areas are treated which have to be highlighted in a chromatic manner of the coating layer by means of laser beams, controlled in an appropriate manner, until the color change of the pigments in the base body occurs. 11. Method according to claim 9 or 10, characterized in that the brushes manufactured in a large amount per unit of time are taken, after molding and hardening of the plastic, to a laser unit with at least one laser apparatus, there They position and treat the areas to be highlighted in a chromatic way by means of at least one adequately controlled laser beam. 12. Method according to claim 11, characterized in that the laser beam is controlled by a computer programmed according to the areas highlighted chromatically. 13. Method according to claim 13, characterized in that several programs are stored in the computer for areas highlighted in a chromatic manner in a different way and with different configuration, and the programs are opened at will while manufacturing the brushes.