Toothbrush

Abstract

The invention relates to a toothbrush (21) comprising a main body (22) with a grip part (23) as well as a brush head (28) which forms a bristle field (29) with a plurality of care bristles (27).

1 . An oral hygiene device comprising a main body with a grip part and a connection section, further comprising at least one connection body made of plastic which receives at least one function element, wherein the at least one connection body is injection moulded onto the connection section of the main body. 
     
     
         2 . The oral hygiene device according to  claim 1 , wherein the oral hygiene device is one of:
 a toothbrush,   an interdental brush,   a tongue cleaner, and   a flosser.   
     
     
         3 . The oral hygiene device according to  claim 1 , wherein the at least one function element is one of:
 a cleaning element,   a bristle and   a dental floss.   
     
     
         4 . The oral hygiene device according to  claim 1 , wherein the main body consists of one of:
 wood,   pressed fibres,   paper,   pressed paper, and   vegetable fibres.   
     
     
         5 . The oral hygiene device according to  claim 1 , wherein at least one further functional element is injection moulded onto the main body, wherein the at least one further functional element is one of:
 a thumb grip with a thumb rest,   a tongue cleaner, and   a protection from water absorption at a stem end.   
     
     
         6 . The oral hygiene device according to  claim 1 , wherein at least one structuring element forms a structure on the main body in a form of a roughness pattern, wherein the at least one structuring element is injection moulded onto the main body. 
     
     
         7 . The oral hygiene device according to  claim 1 , wherein the main body contains a predetermined breaking location for separating the connection body of plastic from the remaining main body. 
     
     
         8 . The oral hygiene device according to  claim 1 , wherein the oral hygiene device is a toothbrush and the connection body is a brush head body made of plastic, said brush head body receives function elements in the form of care bristles and thus forming a brush head. 
     
     
         9 . The oral hygiene device according to  claim 8 , wherein the care bristles are injection moulded onto a bristle carrier element, wherein the bristle carrier element is connected to the brush head body. 
     
     
         10 . The oral hygiene device according to  claim 8 , wherein the care bristles are injection moulded onto the brush head body. 
     
     
         11 . The oral hygiene device according to  claim 8 , wherein the care bristles are made of one of:
 a thermoplastic elastomer,   polyethylene,   thermoplastic polyester elastomer,   thermoplastic polyamide elastomer, and   thermoplastic polyurethane elastomer.   
     
     
         12 . The oral hygiene device according to  claim 11 , wherein the polyethylene is of one of a:
 low density polyethylene, and   linear low density polyethylene.   
     
     
         13 . The oral hygiene device according to  claim 8 , wherein the plastic material of the care bristles has a Shore hardness of 30 to 80. 
     
     
         14 . The oral hygiene device according to  claim 8 , wherein the care bristles are connected to the brush head body via a positive fit by means of at least one of:
 undercut, and   through openings.   
     
     
         15 . A method for manufacturing the oral hygiene device according to  claim 1 , wherein the connection body is injection moulded onto the connection section of the main body by way of an injection moulding method. 
     
     
         16 . The method according to  claim 15 , wherein the at least one function element is injection moulded together with the connection body onto the main body in the same working procedure. 
     
     
         17 . The method according to  claim 15 , wherein the connection body is a brush head body and the at least one function element are care bristles and the brush head body is injection moulded together with the care bristles onto the main body in the same working procedure. 
     
     
         18 . The method according to  claim 15 , wherein in a first working procedure the connection body is injection moulded onto the main body and in a second working procedure the at least one function element is attached onto the connection body. 
     
     
         19 . The method according to  claim 15 , wherein the at least one function element are bristles and the connection body is a brush head body and in a first working procedure the brush head body is injection moulded onto the main body and in a second working procedure the bristles are attached onto the brush head body. 
     
     
         20 . The method according to  claim 15 , wherein the brush head body is injection moulded onto the main body and forms a positive fit with the main body by partially or completely peripheral injection. 
     
     
         21 . The method according to  claim 15 , wherein in a working procedure a bristle carrier element is injection moulded onto the brush head body and forms a positive fit with the brush head body by partially or completely peripheral injection of the brush head body, and in a further working procedure the care bristles are attached onto the bristle carrier element. 
     
     
         22 . The method according to  claim 15 , wherein care bristles are injection moulded onto the brush head body or the bristle carrier element and the care bristles are connected onto the brush head body or the bristle carrier element by shrinking of the bristle plastic component onto the brush head body or the bristle carrier element on cooling and thus forming a shrink connection. 
     
     
         23 . The method according to  claim 15 , wherein the main body is inserted into a moulding tool and is peripherally injection moulded with one or more plastic components, wherein the one or more plastic components forms at least one of:
 a connection body,   at least one function element,   a thumb grip,   a tongue cleaner, and   a protection from water absorption at the stem end.   
     
     
         24 . The method according to  claim 15 , wherein the main body is compressed by the injection pressure on injection moulding. 
     
     
         25 . The method according to  claim 15 , wherein during injection moulding the plastic material at least partly penetrates into the outer layer of the wood and thus increasing the adhesion of the plastic material to the main body. 
     
     
         26 . The method according to  claim 15 , wherein during injection moulding the residual humidity is gassed out of the main body and forms small air inclusions or voids in the injection moulded plastic material and acts as a propellant to save plastic material. 
     
     
         27 . The method according to  claim 23 , wherein during injection moulding the main body is clamped on a clamping section by pressing the main body on the clamping section, the clamping section lying on the edge of the tool cavity wherein the clamping leads to a sealing of the tool cavity.