Bristle assembly for a brush and related method

Abstract

A method of attaching a plurality of bristles each having a maximum strain that is less than 8% to a brush to form two spaced apart tufts. The method includes arranging the bristles adjacent and substantially parallel to one another to form a bristle grouping. The bristle grouping is divided longitudinally into an anchor portion flanked on both sides by a tuft portion. The anchor portion is bent in a manner that subjects the bent portion to less than about 8% strain. The bent anchor portion is inserted into and affixed to the bottom of a slot or aperture having an inside surface configured to receive the bent anchor portion of the bristle grouping and guide the tuft portions outwardly from the slot. The portion of the slot above the anchor portion and between the tuft portions may be filled with a material to separate the tuft portions.

1 . A method of attaching bristles to a brush wherein each bristle has a maximum strain that is less than 8%, the method comprising:
 arranging a plurality of bristles to form a bristle grouping wherein the bristles are adjacent and substantially parallel to one another;   dividing the bristle grouping longitudinally into an anchor portion flanked on both sides by a tuft portion;   bending a portion of the anchor portion to form a bent portion, wherein the bent portion experiences less than about 8% strain;   inserting the bent portion into a slot of the brush having an inside surface configured to receive the bent portion of the bristle grouping and guide the tuft portions outwardly from the slot; and   affixing a portion of the bent portion to the inside surface of the slot.   
   
   
       2 . The method of  claim 1 , comprising biasing the anchor portion against the inside surface of the slot. 
   
   
       3 . The method of  claim 1 , comprising inserting a bristle insert having a bristle biasing surface into the slot adjacent to the anchor portion and placing the bristle biasing surface into engagement with the anchor portion with the bristle biasing surface biasing the anchor portion against the inside surface of the slot. 
   
   
       4 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein a predetermined amount of force is required to affix the portion of the bent portion to the inside surface of the slot and the bristle insert comprises a bristle biasing surface immediately adjacent to the anchor portion, the method comprising inserting the bristle insert to distribute a portion of the predetermined amount of force along the bristle biasing surface of the bristle insert. 
   
   
       5 . The method of  claim 1 , comprising filling the slot above the anchor portion and between the tuft portions. 
   
   
       6 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein filling the slot above the anchor portion and between the tuft portions comprises inserting a fastener into the slot above the anchor portion and between the tuft portions. 
   
   
       7 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein filling the slot above the anchor portion and between the tuft portions comprises inserting a bristle insert into the slot above the anchor portion and between the tuft portions. 
   
   
       8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein affixing a portion of the bent portion to the inside surface of the slot comprises stapling the portion of the bent portion to the inside surface of the slot. 
   
   
       9 . The method of  claim 8 , comprising inserting a bristle insert having a bristle biasing surface into the slot adjacent to the anchor portion and placing the bristle biasing surface into engagement with the anchor portion with the bristle biasing surface biasing the anchor portion against the inside surface of the slot. 
   
   
       10 . The method of  claim 9 , comprising affixing the bristle insert to an inside surface of the slot. 
   
   
       11 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein affixing the portion of the bent portion to the inside surface of the slot comprises inserting a fastener into the slot adjacent to the anchor portion and between the tuft portions, and affixing the fastener to an inside surface of the slot. 
   
   
       12 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein bending the bent portion is accomplished with the bent portion experiencing less than about 3% strain. 
   
   
       13 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein bending the bent portion is accomplished with the bent portion experiencing a maximum strain of about 2%. 
   
   
       14 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein each of the bristles is constructed from super elastic memory wire. 
   
   
       15 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein each of the bristles is constructed from shape memory alloy. 
   
   
       16 . A dental brush comprising:
 a brush head coupled to a brush handle, the brush head comprising an aperture having an inside surface with a pair of opposing sides;   a fastener;   a plurality of bristles each having an anchor portion flanked on both sides by a tuft portion, wherein the anchor portion comprises a bent portion having a radius of curvature large enough to avoid plastically deforming each of the bristles of the plurality of bristles, the bent portion being anchored to the inside surface of the aperture of the brush head by the fastener, and the tuft portions exiting the aperture, each tuft portion being positioned along a different one of the opposing sides of the aperture with a space between the tuft portions; and   a spacer disposed within the aperture and between the tuft portions, and configured to maintain the spacing between the tuft portions.   
   
   
       17 . The dental brush of  claim 16 , wherein the spacer is configured to bias the anchor portion of the plurality of bristles against the inside surface of the aperture of the brush head. 
   
   
       18 . The dental brush of  claim 16 , wherein the spacer comprises a portion of the fastener anchoring the bent portion to the inside surface of the aperture. 
   
   
       19 . The dental brush of  claim 16 , wherein the spacer comprises a bristle insert configured to be received within the slot adjacent to the fastener and between the tuft portions. 
   
   
       20 . The dental brush of  claim 19 , wherein the bristle insert is configured to engage and bias the anchor portion of the plurality of bristles against the inside surface of the aperture of the brush head. 
   
   
       21 . The dental brush of  claim 16 , wherein the spacer comprises a bristle insert with a fastener receiving recess configured to receive a portion of the fastener when the bristle insert is disposed within the slot between the tuft portions. 
   
   
       22 . The dental brush of  claim 16 , wherein the spacer has a bristle engagement surface biasing the anchor portion of the plurality of bristles against the inside surface of the aperture of the brush head, and at least one of the bristles is constructed from super elastic memory wire. 
   
   
       23 . The dental brush of  claim 16 , wherein the spacer has a bristle engagement surface biasing the anchor portion of the plurality of bristles against the inside surface of the aperture of the brush head, and at least one of the bristles is constructed from shape memory alloy. 
   
   
       24 . A dental brush comprising:
 a brush head coupled to a brush handle, the brush head comprising an aperture having an inside surface with a pair of opposing sides;   a plurality of bristles each having an anchor portion flanked on both sides by a tuft portion, the anchor portion being bendable; and   a spacer disposed within the aperture and between the tuft portions, and configured to maintain the spacing between the tuft portions, the spacer having a bristle engagement surface biasing the anchor portion of the plurality of bristles against the inside surface of the aperture of the brush head and bending the anchor portion with a radius of curvature large enough to avoid plastically deforming each of the bristles of the plurality of bristles, the tuft portions exiting the aperture and being held by the spacer in spaced apart positions along a different one of the opposing sides of the aperture.   
   
   
       25 . The dental brush of  claim 24 , wherein the bristles are constructed from super elastic memory wire. 
   
   
       26 . The dental brush of  claim 24 , wherein the bristles are constructed from shape memory wire. 
   
   
       27 . The dental brush of  claim 24 , wherein the inside surface of the aperture of the brush head engaged by the plurality of bristles has an arcuate portion. 
   
   
       28 . The dental brush of  claim 24 , wherein the bristle engagement surface of the spacer biasing the anchor portion of the plurality of bristles against the inside surface of the aperture of the brush head introduces less than about 8% strain into any of the plurality of bristles. 
   
   
       29 . A bristle assembly comprising:
 a grouping of bristles, the grouping comprising an anchor portion located between first and second tuft portions; and   an enclosed channel comprising a first end, a second end spaced from the first end, an arcuate portion located between the first and second ends, and first and second spaced apart exit apertures, the first exit aperture being located at the first end, the second exit aperture being located at the second end, the anchor portion of the bristle grouping being secured within the enclosed channel with the arcuate portion of the enclosed channel holding the bristle grouping in a bent position, and the first tuft portion exiting the enclosed channel through the first exit aperture and the second tuft portion exiting the enclosed channel through the second exit aperture to form two separate and spaced apart tufts of bristles.   
   
   
       30 . The bristle assembly of  claim 29 , wherein the bristles are constructed from super elastic memory wire. 
   
   
       31 . The bristle assembly of  claim 29 , wherein the bristles are constructed from shape memory wire. 
   
   
       32 . The bristle assembly of  claim 29 , wherein the arcuate portion of the enclosed channel is U-shaped. 
   
   
       33 . The bristle assembly of  claim 29 , wherein the arcuate portion of the enclosed channel introduces less than about 8% strain into the bristle grouping. 
   
   
       34 . A dental brush comprising:
 a head having a plurality of slots each having an interior;   a top plate having a plurality of spaced apart through-holes arranged in pairs and a plurality of bristle inserts each located between one of the pairs of spaced apart through-holes and received within the interior of one of the slots, the bristle inserts each being sized such that when within the interior of the slot a channel with an bent portion is defined with two spaced apart end openings, each in communication with one of the through-holes of the spaced apart through-holes in the top plate between which the bristle insert is located; and   a plurality of bristle groupings each bristle grouping comprised of a plurality of bristles, each bristle grouping having two end portions and a bendable portion therebetween, the bendable portion of each bristle grouping being positioned within the one of the channels and anchored therein, the bristle insert defining the channel being configured to hold the bendable portion in a bent position within the slot with the two end portions of the bristle grouping extending out of the end openings of the channel and through the spaced apart through-holes in the top plate between which the bristle insert is located.   
   
   
       35 . The dental brush of  claim 34 , wherein the bendable portion of each of the plurality of bristle grouping is held in the bent position within the slot with a strain on the bristles of the bristle grouping less than approximately 8%. 
   
   
       36 . The dental brush of  claim 34 , wherein at least one bristle of each of the plurality of bristle groupings is constructed from super elastic memory wire. 
   
   
       37 . The dental brush of  claim 34 , wherein at least one bristle of each of the plurality of bristle groupings is constructed from shape memory alloy. 
   
   
       38 . The dental brush of  claim 34 , wherein the bendable portion of each of the plurality of bristle groupings is anchored within the slot by a fastener. 
   
   
       39 . The dental brush of  claim 38 , wherein the fastener is a staple. 
   
   
       40 . The dental brush of  claim 38 , wherein each of the bristle inserts includes a recess sized and positioned to receive the fastener therein. 
   
   
       41 . The dental brush of  claim 34 , wherein each of the slots each has an interior surface and each of the bristle inserts comprises a bristle biasing surface that biases the anchor portion against the interior surface of the slot into which the bristle insert is received. 
   
   
       42 . A method of constructing a brush comprising:
 constructing a brush head having a top surface with a plurality of slots each having an interior;   constructing a top plate having a plurality of bristle inserts, each bristle insert being in a position corresponding to the position of one of the plurality of slots for insertion therein, being flanked by a first and a second through-hole in the top plate, and being positioned for insertion into one of the slots;   obtaining a plurality of bristle groupings;   dividing each of the bristle groupings longitudinally into an anchor portion flanked on both sides by a tuft portion;   fastening the anchor portion of each bristle grouping within the interior of one of the slots with the tuft portions thereof extending exterior of the slot;   inserting one of the tuft portions of each bristle grouping into the first through-hole flanking the bristle insert corresponding to the slot into which the anchor portion of the bristle grouping is fastened, and the other of the tuft portions of the bristle grouping into the second through-hole flanking the bristle insert corresponding to the slot into which the anchor portion of the bristle grouping is fastened;   inserting each of the bristle inserts into its corresponding slot; and   affixing the top plate to the brush head.   
   
   
       43 . The method of  claim 42 , wherein fastening the anchor portion of each bristle grouping within the interior of one of the slots comprises stapling the anchor portion to the interior of the slot. 
   
   
       44 . The method of  claim 42 , comprising positioning the tuft portions of the bristle grouping for insertion into the through-holes flanking the bristle insert corresponding to the slot into which the anchor portion of the bristle grouping is fastened by positioning each of the tuft portions between a pair of neighboring teeth of a comb. 
   
   
       45 . The method of  claim 44 , wherein the one tuft portion of the bristle grouping is inserted into the first through-hole flanking the bristle insert corresponding to the slot into which the anchor portion of the bristle grouping is fastened by positioning the tuft portion between a pair of neighboring teeth of a first comb in alignment with the first through-hole, and the other tuft portion of the bristle grouping is inserted into the second through-hole flanking the bristle insert corresponding to the slot into which the anchor portion of the bristle grouping is fastened by positioning the tuft portion between a pair of neighboring teeth of a second comb in alignment with the second through-hole, the first and second combs being substantially in an orthogonal orientation relative to each other.