Method for producing bristle products

Abstract

In a method for producing brushware, individual bristles of plastic material or bristles combined into groups in a predetermined arrangement are mounted onto a support, thereby forming the desired bristle stock, and at least one part of the bristles in the predetermined arrangement or on the mounted bristle stock is provided with a preferably regular structure in a contact-free fashion using laser radiation. The invention also proposes contact-free cutting of the free ends of the bristles through laser radiation thereby producing, in a reproducible fashion, structures on the outside and on top of the bristle stock to support the cleaning action.

1 . Method for producing brushware ( 1 ) through mounting individual bristles ( 3 ) or bristles ( 3 ) combined into groups ( 9 ) in a predetermined arrangement on a support ( 2 ), thereby forming the desired bristle stock, wherein the envelope of at least part of the bristles of the bristle stock is structured through treatment, characterized in that, in the predetermined arrangement or on the mounted bristle stock ( 4 ), at least part of the bristles ( 3 ) are structured in a contact-free fashion using laser radiation.  
     
     
         2 . Method according to  claim 1 , characterized in that the bristles have a regular structure.  
     
     
         3 . Method for producing brushware through mounting individual bristles or bristles combined into groups in a predetermined arrangement on a support, thereby forming the desired bristle stock, wherein the free ends of at least part of the bristles are cut through treatment, in particular according to  claim 1 , characterized in that, in the predetermined arrangement or on the mounted bristle stock, the free ends of the bristles ( 3 ) are cut in a contact-free fashion using laser radiation.  
     
     
         4 . Method according to  claim 3 , characterized in that the free ends of the bristles ( 3 ) are rounded through thermal loading via the laser treatment.  
     
     
         5 . Method according to any one of the claims  1  through  4 , characterized in that the envelope of the bristles ( 3 ) is profiled or the free ends thereof are shortened through material abrasion due to thermal decomposition of the plastic material.  
     
     
         6 . Method according to any one of the claims  1  through  5 , characterized in that the envelope of the bristles ( 3 ) is structured through foaming of the plastic material.  
     
     
         7 . Method according to any one of the claims  1  through  6 , characterized in that, with two-component bristles having at least one core and an envelope concentrically surrounding same, only the envelope is structured via the laser radiation.  
     
     
         8 . Method according to  claim 7 , characterized in that the envelope is structured down to the core through local removal of the envelope material.  
     
     
         9 . Method according to any one of the claims  1  through  8 , characterized in that the structure of the bristle envelope extends to a depth of approximately 10% of the bristle cross-section.  
     
     
         10 . Method according to any one of the claims  1  through  9 , characterized by shortening the free ends of bristles ( 3 ) disposed substantially along lines ( 7 , 8 , 9 , 13 , 14 , 15 ) in the surface of the predetermined arrangement or of the mounted bristle stock.  
     
     
         11 . Method according to any one of the claims  1  through  10 , characterized in that the free ends of neighboring bristles ( 3 ) are shortened thereby forming a stepped envelope surface ( 6 ) of the bristle ends.  
     
     
         12 . Method according to any one of the claims  1  through  11 , characterized in that the free ends of individual groups ( 6 ) of bristles ( 3 ) are shortened.  
     
     
         13 . Method according to any one of the claims  1  through  12 , characterized in that the free ends of the bristles ( 3 ) of an individual group ( 10 , 11 ) of bristles ( 3 ) are shortened thereby forming a non-planar envelope surface.  
     
     
         14 . Method according to any one of the claims  1  through  13 , characterized in that only the envelope of the outer bristles of the predetermined arrangement or of the mounted bristle stock is structured.  
     
     
         15 . Method according to any one of the claims  1  through  14 , characterized in that inwardly disposed bristles of the predetermined arrangement or of the mounted bristle stock are exposed by separating and laterally deflecting the bristles, and the envelope of these bristles is structured.  
     
     
         16 . Method according to any one of the claims  1  through  15 , characterized in that bristles ( 3 ) having fillers which absorb laser radiation are used for producing brushware.  
     
     
         17 . Method according to any one of the claims  1  through  16 , characterized in that the structure ( 5 ) produced during laser treatment is visualized through coloring of the plastic material.  
     
     
         18 . Method according to any one of the claims  1  through  16 , characterized in that the structure ( 5 ) produced during laser treatment is visualized through fillers in the plastic material of the bristles ( 3 ) which change color in response to laser radiation.