Bristle impregnated with an anti-microbial agent, brushware comprising bristles of this type and packaging for bristles, or brushware of this type

Abstract

A bristle with an antimicrobial finish is proposed, which is preponderantly made from thermoplastic material and which is doped with an antimicrobial substance, which, during use, diffuses to the bristle surface. The bristle is manufactured in a multicomponent extrusion process and has at least one first cross-sectional area of a plastic component determining the mechanical use characteristics of the bristle and at least one further cross-sectional area of the other plastic component. The other cross-sectional area or the sum of all the other cross-sectional areas controls the diffusion rate of the antimicrobial substance.

1 . Bristle with an antimicrobial finish, which is preponderantly formed from a thermoplastic material and which is doped with an antimicrobial substance which, during use, diffuses to the bristle surface, wherein the bristle ( 1 ) is produced in a multicomponent extrusion process and has at least one first cross-sectional region ( 2 ) determining the mechanical use characteristics of the bristle ( 1 ) and formed from a plastic component and at least one further cross-sectional region ( 3 ) from a different plastic component, and that the further cross-sectional region ( 3 ) or the sum of all the further cross-sectional regions control the diffusion rate of the antimicrobial substance ( 4 ,  5 ), characterized in that the first cross-sectional region ( 2 ) forms a diffusion brake with respect to the substance in the doped, further cross-sectional region ( 3 ).  
     
     
         2 . Bristle with an antimicrobial finish, which is preponderantly formed from a thermoplastic material and which is doped with an antimicrobial substance which, during use, diffuses to the bristle surface, wherein the bristle ( 1 ) is produced in a multicomponent extrusion process and has at least one first cross-sectional region ( 2 ) determining the mechanical use characteristics of the bristle ( 1 ) and formed from a plastic component and at least one further cross-sectional region ( 3 ) from a different plastic component, and that the further cross-sectional region ( 3 ) or the sum of all the further cross-sectional regions control the diffusion rate of the antimicrobial substance ( 4 ,  5 ), characterized in that the further cross-sectional region ( 3 ) forms a diffusion brake with respect to the substance ( 5 ) in the first cross-sectional region ( 2 ).  
     
     
         3 . Bristle according to  claim 1  or  2 , characterized in that the cross-sectional regions comprise different or differently finished materials.  
     
     
         4 . Bristle according to  claim 1  to  3 , characterized in that the cross-sectional regions have different cross-sectional areas.  
     
     
         5 . Bristle according to one of the  claims 1  to  4 , characterized in that only the further cross-sectional region ( 3 ) of the bristle ( 1 ) is doped with the substance ( 4 ) in high concentration.  
     
     
         6 . Bristle according to one of the  claims 1  to  5 , characterized in that the first cross-sectional region ( 2 ) of the bristle ( 1 ) is doped with the substance ( 5 ) in a concentration not impairing its mechanical use characteristics.  
     
     
         7 . Bristle according to one of the  claims 1  to  6 , characterized in that the further cross-sectional region ( 3 ) is located on the circumference of the first cross-sectional region ( 2 ) and forms at least part of the surface of the bristle ( 1 ).  
     
     
         8 . Bristle according to  claim 7 , characterized in that the further cross-sectional region ( 3 ) forms a sector of the first cross-sectional region ( 2 ).  
     
     
         9 . Bristle according to  claim 7 , characterized in that the further cross-sectional region ( 3 ) forms a layer on the surface of the first cross-sectional region ( 2 ).  
     
     
         10 . Bristle according to one of the  claims 1  to  6 , characterized in that the further cross-sectional region ( 3 ) is located in the interior of the first cross sectional region ( 2 ).  
     
     
         11 . Bristle according to one of the  claims 1  to  10 , characterized in that the further cross-sectional region ( 3 ) subdivides the first cross-sectional region ( 2 ) into sectors.  
     
     
         12 . Bristle according to one of the  claims 1  to  11 , characterized in that at least one cross-sectional region has silver of oxidation level 0 as the antimicrobial substance.  
     
     
         13 . Bristle according to one of the  claims 1  to  12 , characterized in that the first cross-sectional region ( 2 ) has as the antimicrobial substance silver of oxidation level 0 and the further cross-sectional region ( 3 ) has the same substance in a higher concentration.  
     
     
         14 . Bristle according to  claim 13 , characterized in that the first cross-sectional region ( 2 ) has silver of oxidation level 0 with a content of 500<c<100,000 ppm and the further cross-sectional region ( 3 ) a content of c≦100%.  
     
     
         15 . Bristle according to  claim 13 , characterized in that the further cross-sectional region ( 3 ) has silver of oxidation level 0 with a content of 500<c<100,000 ppm.  
     
     
         16 . Bristle according to one of the  claims 1  to  15 , characterized in that at least one cross-sectional region ( 2 ,  4 ) has silver of oxidation level 1 as the antimicrobial substance.  
     
     
         17 . Bristle according to  claim 16 , characterized in that the antimicrobial substance is selected from the group of silver halides, silver sulphates, silver carbonates and organic silver salts.  
     
     
         18 . Bristle according to one of the  claims 1  to  17 , characterized in that one cross-sectional region ( 2 ,  3 ) contains silver of oxidation level 0 and at least one other cross-sectional region ( 2 ,  3 ) silver of oxidation level 1.  
     
     
         19 . Bristle according to one of the  claims 1  to  18 , characterized in that the further cross-sectional region ( 3 ) contains silver of oxidation level 0 in the form of at least one thread.  
     
     
         20 . Bristle according to one of the  claims 1  to  18 , characterized in that the silver of oxidation level 0 or 1 is present in disperse form in the plastic matrix of the bristle ( 1 ).  
     
     
         21 . Bristle according to one of the  claims 1  to  18 , characterized in that the silver of oxidation level 0 is applied as a layer to at least one of the cross-sectional regions ( 2 ,  3 ).  
     
     
         22 . Bristle according to one of the  claims 1  to  21 , characterized in that the further cross-sectional region ( 3 ) comprises a thermoplastic elastomer.  
     
     
         23 . Bristle according to one of the  claims 1  to  22 , characterized in that the cross-sectional regions ( 2 ,  3 ) are differently surface or through-dyed.  
     
     
         24 . Bristle according to one of the  claims 1  to  23 , characterized in that the thermoplastic material has a water absorptivity of at least 0.1 mass %.  
     
     
         25 . Bristle according to  claim 24 , characterized in that the thermoplastic material is polyamide, polyester or polyurethane.  
     
     
         26 . Bristle according to one of the  claims 1  to  25 , characterized in that the cross-sectional regions have different water absorptivity.  
     
     
         27 . Bristle according to one of the  claims 1  to  26 , characterized in that it comprises two or more combined monofilaments, each of which forms one of the cross-sectional regions.  
     
     
         28 . Brushware having a plastic bristle carrier and bristles according to one of the  claims 1  to  27 , characterized in that the bristle carrier is at least zonally antimicrobially treated.  
     
     
         29 . Brushware according to  claim 28 , characterized in that the bristle carrier is of plastic and contains particulate silver of oxidation level 0 and/or 1.  
     
     
         30 . Brushware according to  claim 28  or  29 , characterized in that the bristle carrier is made from two different or different types of plastics in multicomponent injection molding and at least one component is filled with particulate silver of oxidation level 0 and/or 1.  
     
     
         31 . Brushware according to one of the claims  28  or  30 , characterized in that the bristle carrier is filled with particulate silver of oxidation level 0 and/or 1, solely or preponderantly in the region of the attachment of the bristles.  
     
     
         32 . Brushware according to one of the claims  28  or  31 , characterized in that the bristles are individually fastened on or in the bristle carrier.  
     
     
         33 . Brushware according to one of the claims  28  or  32 , characterized in that the bristles are joined in gap-free manner to the bristle carrier by thermal processes.  
     
     
         34 . Pack for bristles according to one of the  claims 1  to  27  or for brushware according to one of the  claims 28  to  33 , characterized in that it is finished with an antimicrobial substance.  
     
     
         35 . Pack according to  claim 34 , characterized in that the pack material contains the antimicrobial substance in disperse form.  
     
     
         36 . Pack according to  claim 34  or  35 , characterized in that the side forming the inside of the pack is coated with the antimicrobial substance.