Bristle with an antimicrobial finish, brushware with such bristles and pack for such bristles or brushware

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 . A bristle comprising: 
 a first cross sectional region made from a first plastic component, said first cross sectional region defining mechanical use characteristics of the bristle, said first cross sectional region forming a portion of an outer surface of the bristle; and    at least one second cross sectional region made from a second plastic component, said at least one second cross sectional region containing an antimicrobial substance doped into said second plastic component, said at least one second cross sectional region forming a remaining portion of said outer surface of the bristle.    
   
   
       2 . The bristle of  claim 1 , wherein said second cross sectional region is disposed substantially within said first cross sectional region.  
   
   
       3 . The bristle of  claim 1 , wherein said second cross sectional region is Y-shaped, X-shaped, cross-shaped, or star-shaped.  
   
   
       4 . The bristle of  claim 1 , wherein said first cross sectional region defines a jacket which substantially surrounds said second cross sectional region.  
   
   
       5 . The bristle of  claim 1 , wherein said first cross sectional region retards diffusion of said antimicrobial substance toward said outer surface of the bristle during use.  
   
   
       6 . The bristle of  claim 1 , wherein said at least one second cross sectional region is located on a cirumference of said first cross sectional region.  
   
   
       7 . The bristle of  claim 1 , wherein said first cross sectional region is doped with said antimicrobial substance and said at least one second cross sectional region retards diffusion of said antimicrobial substance from said first cross sectional region.  
   
   
       8 . The bristle of  claim 1 , wherein said at least one second cross sectional region is doped with said antimicrobial substance to control said diffusion of said antimicrobial substance and said first cross sectional region retards said diffusion of said antimicrobial substance from said at least one second cross sectional region.  
   
   
       9 . The bristle of  claim 1 , wherein said first and said second cross-sectional regions are made from different materials or differently finished materials.  
   
   
       10 . The bristle of  claim 1 , wherein said first and said second cross-sectional regions have different cross sectional areas.  
   
   
       11 . The bristle of  claim 1 , wherein only said at least one second cross-sectional region is doped with said antimicrobial substance in high concentration.  
   
   
       12 . The bristle of  claim 1 , wherein said first cross-sectional region is doped with the antimicrobial substance in a concentration not impairing mechanical use characteristics thereof.  
   
   
       13 . The bristle of  claim 1 , wherein said second cross-sectional region forms a sector of said first cross-sectional region.  
   
   
       14 . The bristle of  claim 1 , wherein said second cross-sectional region forms a layer on a surface of said first cross-sectional region.  
   
   
       15 . The bristle of  claim 1 , wherein said second cross-sectional region subdivides said first cross-sectional region into sectors.  
   
   
       16 . The bristle of  claim 1 , wherein at least one of said first and said cross-sectional region has silver of oxidation level  0  as the antimicrobial substance.  
   
   
       17 . The bristle of  claim 1 , wherein said first cross-sectional region has an antimicrobial substance comprising silver of oxidation level  0  and said at least one second cross-sectional region has a same antimicrobial substance of higher concentration.  
   
   
       18 . The bristle of  claim 17 , wherein said first cross-sectional region has silver of oxidation level  0  with a content of 500<c<100,000 ppm and said further cross-sectional region has a content of c<100%.  
   
   
       19 . The bristle of  claim 17 , wherein said at least one second cross-sectional region has silver of oxidation level  0  with a content of 500<c<100,000 ppm.  
   
   
       20 . The bristle of  claim 1 , wherein at least one of said first and said second cross-sectional regions has antimicrobial substance comprising silver of oxidation level  1 .  
   
   
       21 . The bristle of  claim 20 , wherein the antimicrobial substance is selected from the group consisting of silver halides, silver sulphates, silver carbonates and organic silver salts.  
   
   
       22 . The bristle of  claim 1 , wherein at least one of said first and said at least one second cross-sectional region contains silver of oxidation level  0  and an other one of said first and said at least one second cross-sectional region contains silver of oxidation level  1 .  
   
   
       23 . The bristle of  claim 1 , wherein said second cross-sectional region contains silver of oxidation level  0  in a form of at least one thread.  
   
   
       24 . The bristle of  claim 1 , wherein silver of oxidation level  0  or  1  is present in disperse form in a plastic matrix of the bristle.  
   
   
       25 . The bristle of  claim 1 , wherein silver of oxidation level  0  is applied as a layer to at least one of said first and said second cross-sectional regions.  
   
   
       26 . The bristle of  claim 1 , wherein said at least one second cross-sectional region comprises a thermoplastic elastomer.  
   
   
       27 . The bristle of  claim 1 , wherein said first cross-sectional region has one of a first surface color and a first body color which differs from one of a second surface color and a second body color of said at least one second cross-sectional region.  
   
   
       28 . The bristle of  claim 1 , wherein the thermoplastic material has a water absorptivity of at least 0.1 mass %.  
   
   
       29 . The bristle of  claim 28 , wherein the thermoplastic material is one of polyamide, polyester and polyurethane.  
   
   
       30 . The bristle of  claim 1 , wherein said first cross-sectional region has a first water absorptivity which differs from a second water absorptivity of said second cross-sectional region.  
   
   
       31 . The bristle of  claim 1 , wherein each of at least two combined monofilaments forms one of said first and said at least one second cross sectional region.  
   
   
       32 . Brushware having a plastic bristle carrier and bristles according to  claim 1 , wherein at least portions of said bristle carrier are antimicrobially treated.  
   
   
       33 . The brushware of  claim 32 , wherein said bristle carrier is made from plastic and contains particulate silver of oxidation level  0  and/or  1 .  
   
   
       34 . The brushware of  claim 32 , wherein said bristle carrier is made from two different or different types of plastics in multicomponent injection molding, at least one component being filled with particulate silver of oxidation level  0  and/or  1 .  
   
   
       35 . The brushware of  claim 32 , wherein the bristle carrier is filled with particulate silver of oxidation level  0  and/or  1  in a region of attachment of the bristles.  
   
   
       36 . The brushware of  claim 32 , wherein the bristles are individually fastened on or in the bristle carrier.  
   
   
       37 . The brushware of  claim 32 , wherein the bristles are joined in a gap-free manner to said bristle carrier by thermal processes.  
   
   
       38 . A pack for the brushware of  claim 32 , wherein the pack is finished with an antimicrobial substance.  
   
   
       39 . The pack of  claim 38 , wherein pack material contains antimicrobial substance in disperse form.  
   
   
       40 . The pack of  claim 38 , wherein a side forming an inside of the pack is coated with the antimicrobial substance.  
   
   
       41 . A method for producing the bristle of  claim 1 , the method comprising the steps of: 
 a) preparing a first plastic component for extrusion;    b) doping a second plastic component with an antimicrobial substance;    c) co-extruding, following step b), said first plastic component together with said second plastic component in a multi-component extrusion process to form a bristle having an outer surface with a portion thereof occupied by said second plastic component and with a remaining portion thereof occupied by said first plastic component.