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 . A method for producing brushware, the method comprising the steps of: 
 a) defining a predetermined arrangement of individual bristles or bristles combined into groups;    b) mounting said predetermined arrangement onto a support to form a mounted bristle stock;    c) irradiating laser radiation from an orientation substantially parallel to a longitudinal extent of said bristles to shorten and round free ends of at least some of said bristles; and    d) irradiating laser radiation from an orientation substantially transverse to said longitudinal extent of said bristles to structurally modify outer sides of said bristles in regions thereof sufficiently removed from said free ends that the structural properties of said free ends remain substantially constant.    
   
   
       2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein steps c) and d) follow step a) and precede step b).  
   
   
       3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein steps c) and d) follow step b).  
   
   
       4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said bristles have a repetitive structure.  
   
   
       5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said bristles are profiled through material abrasion due to thermal decomposition of plastic material of said bristles.  
   
   
       6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein free ends of said bristles are shortened through material abrasion due to thermal decomposition of plastic material.  
   
   
       7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said bristles are structured through foaming of plastic material of said bristles.  
   
   
       8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said bristles comprise two-component bristles having at least one core and an outer envelope concentrically surrounding said core, wherein only said outer envelope is structured via said laser radiation.  
   
   
       9 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein said outer envelope is structured down to said core through local removal of outer envelope material by said laser radiation.  
   
   
       10 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein a structure of said bristles extends to a depth of approximately 10% of a bristle cross-section.  
   
   
       11 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein substantially co-planar free ends of bristles are shortened in a region of said predetermined arrangement or of said mounted bristle stock.  
   
   
       12 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein free ends of neighboring bristles are shortened thereby forming a stepped envelope surface of said bristle ends.  
   
   
       13 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein free ends of individual groups of bristles are shortened.  
   
   
       14 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein free ends of bristles of an individual group of bristles are shortened to form a non-planar envelope surface.  
   
   
       15 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein only of outer bristles of said predetermined arrangement or of said mounted bristle stock are structured.  
   
   
       16 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein inwardly disposed bristles of said predetermined arrangement or of said mounted bristle stock are exposed by separating and laterally deflecting outer bristles, wherein sides of said inwardly disposed bristles are structured with said laser radiation.  
   
   
       17 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said bristles comprise bristles having fillers which absorb laser radiation.  
   
   
       18 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said structural modification produced during laser treatment is visualized through coloring of a plastic bristle material.  
   
   
       19 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said structural modification produced during laser treatment is visualized through fillers in a plastic material of said bristles which change color in response to laser radiation.