Fused filament tuft and fused brush strip

Abstract

A fused filament tuft includes a plurality of filaments which are fused on at least one end to form a cluster or tuft. A cross section of the tuft of filaments may have any shape, such as round, rectangular, or oval. The fused filament tufts fabricated from metallic filaments may be formed by fusing at least one end with a welding process and then cutting the plurality of filaments. Filaments fabricated from synthetic materials may be fused into tufts with sonic welding and then cut to length. A nonfused end of each tuft may be flared by squeezing the perimeter of the tuft at substantially the fused end thereof. A plurality of tufts may be captured to form a brush with a base structure. A fused brush strip is an unified lengthwise progression of metallic filaments which may exceed twenty inches. The fused brush strip does not require a base structure to retain a plurality of filaments. The filaments are joined on one end thereof. The fused brush strip is preferably formed with a welding process. A nonfused end of the fused brush strip may be flared with squeezing dies. The fused brush strip may be flexed into a nonlinear shape and held by a retaining mechanism.

I claim:  
     
         1 . A method of making a fused filament tuft comprising the steps of: 
 (a) retaining a bundle of filaments;    (b) fusing at least one end of said bundle of filaments; and    (c) cutting said bundle of filaments to form said fused filament tuft.    
     
     
         2 . The method of making a fused filament tuft of  claim 1  wherein: 
 said bundle of filaments being retained in a vertical orientation when fused.  
 
     
     
         3 . The method of making a fused filament tuft of  claim 1  wherein: 
 fusing said at least one end of said bundle of filaments with a welding process.  
 
     
     
         4 . The method of making a fused filament tuft of  claim 1 , further comprising the step of: 
 (d) flaring a nonfused end of said fused filament tuft by squeezing a perimeter of said fused filament tuft at substantially a fused end thereof with at least one set of squeezing dies.    
     
     
         5 . The method of making a fused filament tuft of  claim 1 , further comprising the steps of: 
 (d) providing a base structure having a lengthwise cavity, said lengthwise cavity having two walls and being sized to receive a plurality of fused ends of a plurality of said fused filament tufts; and    (e) swaging said two walls around said plurality of fused ends.    
     
     
         6 . The method of making a fused filament tuft of  claim 11  further comprising the step of: 
 (d) molding plastic around a plurality of fused ends of a plurality of said fused filament tufts to form a base structure which retains the plurality of said fused filament tufts.  
 
     
     
         7 . The method of making a fused filament tuft of  claim 1 , further comprising the step of: 
 (d) sintering around a plurality of fused ends of a plurality of said fused filament tufts to form a base structure which retains the plurality of said fused filament tufts.    
     
     
         8 . The method of making a fused filament tuft of  claim 1 , further comprising the steps of: 
 (d) providing a base structure having a plurality of tuft holes, each said tuft hole having an interference fit with a single fused end of said fused filament tuft; and    (e) inserting each said fused end into a single said tuft hole.    
     
     
         9 . The method of making a fused filament tuft of  claim 1 , further comprising the steps of: 
 (d) providing a base structure having a plurality of tuft holes, each said tuft hole being sized to receive a single fused end;    (e) inserting each said fused end into a single said tuft hole; and    (f) brazing each said fused end to said base structure.    
     
     
         10 . A method of making a fused filament tuft comprising the steps of: 
 (a) retaining a bundle of filaments;    (b) fusing an end of said bundle of filaments;    (c) cutting said bundle of filaments to form said fused filament tuft;    (d) capturing a plurality of fused ends of a plurality of fused filament tufts in a base structure.    
     
     
         11 . The method of making a fused filament tuft of  claim 10  wherein: 
 said bundle of filaments being retained in a vertical orientation when being fused.  
 
     
     
         12 . The method of making a fused filament tuft of  claim 10  wherein: 
 fusing said end of said bundle of filaments with a welding process.  
 
     
     
         13 . The method of making a fused filament tuft of  claim 10 , further comprising the step of: 
 (e) flaring a nonfused end of said fused filament tuft by squeezing a perimeter of said fused filament tuft at substantially a fused end thereof with at least one set of squeezing dies.    
     
     
         14 . The method of making a fused filament tuft of  claim 10 , further comprising the steps of: 
 (d) providing said base structure with a lengthwise cavity, said lengthwise cavity having two walls and being sized to receive each fused end of a plurality of said fused filament tufts; and    (e) swaging said two walls around said fused ends.    
     
     
         15 . The method of making a fused filament tuft of  claim 10 , further comprising the step of: 
 (d) molding plastic around a plurality of fused ends of a plurality of fused filament tufts to form said base structure which retains the plurality of said fused filament tufts.    
     
     
         16 . The method of making a fused filament tuft of  claim 10 , further comprising the step of: 
 (d) sintering around a plurality of fused ends of a plurality of said fused filament tufts to form a base structure which retains the plurality of said fused filament tufts.    
     
     
         17 . The method of making a fused filament tuft of  claim 10 , further comprising the steps of: 
 (d) providing said base structure with a plurality of tuft holes, each said tuft hole having an interference fit with each said fused end of one of a plurality of said fused filament tufts; and    (e) inserting each said fused end into a single said tuft hole.    
     
     
         18 . The method of making a fused filament tuft of  claim 10 , further comprising the steps of: 
 (d) providing said base structure with a plurality of tuft holes, each said tuft hole being sized to receive a single said fused end of one of a plurality of said fused filament tufts;    (e) inserting each said fused end into a single said tuft hole; and    (f) brazing each said fused end to said base structure.