INTERDENTAL-REINIGER

Description

[0001] The invention relates to an interdental cleaner with a rod-shaped carrier made of plastic, which has a cleaning device in an axial end region, which has a coating of the carrier made of a soft-elastic plastic and a bristle trim with several bristle bundles protruding from the coating with a radial component, wherein the bristle bundles penetrate the carrier and are embedded and held in it.

[0002] An interdental cleaner with a corresponding structure is known from WO2014 / 023395 A1. Such an interdental cleaner has a rod-shaped plastic carrier with a handle at one end and a cleaning device at its axially opposite end. The cleaning device comprises a sleeve-shaped cover of the carrier made of a soft, elastic plastic, for example, a thermoplastic elastomer, which is injection-molded onto the carrier. The cover has a structure on its outer surface in the form of radially outwardly extending fingers or nubs.

[0003] In addition, the cleaning device comprises a bristle attachment with several bristle bundles protruding radially from the coating. The bristle bundles are embedded in and held in the plastic material of the carrier.

[0004] In this description, the term "axial" refers to a direction along or parallel to the longitudinal axis of the rod-shaped support and thus of the interdental cleaner. The term "radial" refers to a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the interdental cleaner.

[0005] For the purposes of the invention, the term "bristle bundle" typically refers to bundles of a plurality of preferably similar bristles. However, this term is also intended to encompass a bristle bundle comprising only a few bristles or even a single bristle.

[0006] Bristles in the sense of the invention are preferably thin prefabricated sections of a plastic monofilament or multifilament, which have a maximum diameter of 0.25 mm.

[0007] To manufacture the interdental cleaner, the bristle bundles are first placed into a cavity of an injection mold and then the plastic material of the carrier is injected, whereby the bristle bundles are overmolded and embedded in the carrier in such a way that they protrude from the carrier preferably radially or with a radial component on opposite sides.

[0008] In a second process step, the soft, elastic plastic material is then sprayed onto the carrier to form the coating and structuring. During this process, it is necessary to seal the bristle bundles to prevent the soft, elastic plastic material from escaping in the longitudinal direction of the bristle bundles. This sealing is achieved by a clamping or tensioning force acting on the bristle bundles from the outside. However, the problem with this is that although a high tensioning force ensures a secure seal for the bristle bundles, there is a risk that the individual bristles in the bristle bundle will be crushed and deformed. If the tensioning force is reduced to avoid damaging the individual bristles in the bristle bundle, there is a risk that the seal will not be sufficient and the soft, elastic plastic material will escape in an undesired manner.

[0009] The invention is based on the object of creating an interdental cleaner of the type mentioned, in which the soft-elastic plastic material can be sprayed on to form the coating without the risk of undesired leakage of the plastic material in the area of ​​the bristle bundles.

[0010] This object is achieved according to the invention by an interdental cleaner having the features of claim 1. It is provided that the coating has at least one recess on its outer surface, and that at least one of the bristle bundles is arranged within the recess. The recess preferably extends to the carrier.

[0011] The invention is based on the basic idea of ​​not allowing the soft-elastic plastic material to reach as far as the bristle bundles, but rather forming a recess in the coating in the form of a hole or opening and arranging the bristle bundle(s) within the recess. In this way, the bristle bundle is held only within the carrier and not embedded in the plastic material of the coating. When spraying on the plastic material of the coating, it is thus possible to seal against the carrier rather than against the bristle bundle. Since the carrier is usually made of a dimensionally stable, relatively hard plastic material, a very good seal can be achieved.

[0012] According to the invention, the bristle bundle is arranged at a distance from the edge of the recess, i.e., it does not come into contact with the soft, elastic plastic material that forms the coating. This ensures sufficient space to achieve a good seal when spraying the coating.

[0013] In one possible embodiment, it can be provided that the recess is empty, ie forms a free space, so that the side wall or the side walls of the recess are formed by the material of the coating and the bottom of the recess is formed by the outer surface of the carrier.

[0014] In an alternative embodiment of the invention, however, it can also be provided that the recess is at least partially, and in particular completely, filled by a radial extension of the carrier. The extension is made of the same plastic material as the carrier and is integrally connected to it.

[0015] On the radial outer side of the cover, the attachment can be flush with the outer surface of the cover; alternatively, the attachment of the carrier can also protrude radially from the recess. This ensures that the bristle bundle is embedded in the plastic material of the carrier over a relatively large area and is thus held very securely.

[0016] Preferably, the cover has a plurality of recesses of the type mentioned, wherein it can be provided that in at least some recesses and preferably in each recess only a single bundle of bristles is arranged.

[0017] Alternatively, it can be provided that a plurality of bristle bundles are arranged in at least one recess and preferably in each recess, wherein the bristle bundles are then preferably spaced apart from one another.

[0018] The bristle bundle(s) are preferably arranged such that the bristle bundle penetrates the carrier and protrudes radially therefrom on opposite sides. Preferably, the bristle bundle is arranged in a recess on its diametrically opposite sides, i.e., the recesses are preferably formed on diametrically opposite sides of the covering.

[0019] In a preferred embodiment of the invention, at least one of the recesses, and preferably several or even all of the recesses, are linear and extend in the longitudinal direction of the support. The term "linear" can mean that the recess runs in a straight line in the longitudinal direction of the support; alternatively, however, the elongated recess can also be angled, i.e., have a discontinuous shape or spiral around the support.

[0020] The cleaning device may additionally comprise a plurality of fingers, knobs or slats projecting from the cover with a radial component, which are preferably formed integrally with the cover and made of the same soft-elastic material as the cover.

[0021] Further details and features of the invention will become apparent from the following description of exemplary embodiments with reference to the drawings. Fig. 1 A perspective view of an interdental cleaner according to the invention, Fig. 2 an enlarged view of the front end of the interdental cleaner according to Figure 1 , Fig. 3 the section III-III in Figure 2 , Fig. 4 a 1. modification of the design according to Figure 3 , Fig. 5 a 2nd modification of the design according to Figure 3 , Fig. 6 the front end of the interdental cleaner according to a second embodiment and Fig. 7the front end of an interdental cleaner according to a third embodiment.

[0022] The Figure 1 and 2 show a perspective view of an interdental cleaner 10, which has a rod-shaped support 11 made of plastic. At the rear, according to Figure 1 At the right end of the rod-shaped support 11, a handle section 13 is formed, by which a user can grasp the interdental cleaner 10. At the front end axially opposite the handle section 13, according to Figure 1A cleaning device 12 is applied to the left end of the rod-shaped support 11. The cleaning device 12 has a sleeve-shaped covering 14 of the support 11 and a bristle trim 17. The covering 14 is made of a soft, elastic plastic and is injection-molded onto the support. The bristle trim 17 consists of a plurality of bristle bundles 16, which, in the illustrated embodiment, extend radially to a longitudinal axis L of the support 11 and are all arranged parallel to one another at a distance. However, other orientations and mutual arrangements of the bristle bundles are also possible.

[0023] Each bristle bundle penetrates the carrier 11 and is embedded in and held in the material of the carrier 11. Furthermore, each bristle bundle 16 protrudes radially from the carrier 11 on diametrically opposite sides thereof.

[0024] On the outer side of the cover 14, several radially outwardly projecting, freely projecting fingers 15 are formed. These fingers are made of the same material as the cover 14 and are formed integrally with it. The fingers 15 have a conical shape that tapers radially outward.

[0025] As in particular the Figure 2 and 3 show, a plurality of recesses 18 are formed in the coating 14, which each extend in the radial direction up to the carrier 11 and thus form a free space which is designed in the form of a hole in the coating 14.

[0026] How Figure 3 As shown, each bristle bundle 16 is assigned two corresponding recesses 18 on diametrically opposite sides of the carrier 11 and the cover 14, respectively. The bristle bundle 16 extends through the recesses 18 and the carrier 11 without touching the cover 14, ie the bristle bundle 16 is arranged at a distance from the edge of the recess 18.

[0027] In the Figure 2 In the embodiment shown, each bristle bundle 16 is assigned two diametrically opposed recesses 18, ie only one bristle bundle 16 is arranged in each recess 18.

[0028] In the embodiment according to Figure 3 the recess 18 in the cover 14 forms a free space. In a further development of this design, according to Figure 4 provided that radial projections 11a are formed on the carrier 11, each of which completely fills a recess 18. The outer surface of the projections 11a merges smoothly and continuously into the outer surface of the coating 14, as shown in Figure 4 In this way, a greater clamping length of the bristle bundle 16 in the carrier 11 and thus a better holding of the bristle bundle 16 is achieved.

[0029] In the Figure 5In the illustrated embodiment, the projection 11a of the carrier 11 not only fills the recess 18 of the cover 14, but even protrudes radially from the recess 18. In this way, the clamping length of the bristle bundle 16 in the material of the carrier 11 can be increased even further.

[0030] In the Figure 2 In the embodiment shown, only a single bundle of bristles 16 is arranged in each recess 18. Figure 6 shows an embodiment in which each recess 18 has an elongated shape running in the longitudinal direction of the carrier 11, wherein in each recess 18 two bundles of bristles 16 are arranged which are spaced apart from one another.

[0031] Figure 7 shows a further development of the embodiment according to Figure 6, whereby now only two linear recesses 18 are formed, arranged on diametrically opposite sides of the covering 14, which extend in a straight line in the longitudinal direction of the carrier 11. In the two linear recesses 18, all bristle bundles 16 are arranged at a mutual distance and at a distance from the edge of the recesses 18.

Claims

1. Interdental cleaner (10) comprising a rod-shaped support (11) made of plastics material, which has a cleaning device (12) in an axial end region, which cleaning device has a covering (14) for the support (11) made of a soft-elastic plastics material and a bristle set comprising a plurality of bristle bundles (16) protruding, with a radial component, from the covering (14), the bristle bundles (16) extending through the support (11) and being embedded and held therein, wherein the covering (14) has at least one recess (18) in its outer surface, and in that at least one of the bristle bundles (16) is arranged within the recess (18), characterized in that the bristle bundle (16) is arranged at a distance from an edge of the recess (18).

2. Interdental cleaner according to claim 1, characterized in that the recess (18) extends as far as the support (11).

3. Interdental cleaner according to either claim 1 or claim 2, characterized in that the recess (18) forms a free space.

4. Interdental cleaner according to any of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the recess (18) is at least partially filled by an extension piece (11a) of the support (11).

5. Interdental cleaner according to claim 4, characterized in that the extension piece (11a) of the support (11) protrudes radially from the recess (18).

6. Interdental cleaner according to any of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that a plurality of recesses (18) are provided.

7. Interdental cleaner according to any of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that only one bristle bundle (18) is arranged in the recess (18).

8. Interdental cleaner according to any of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that a plurality of bristle bundles (16) spaced apart from one another are arranged in the recess (18).

9. Interdental cleaner according to any of claims 6 to 8, characterized in that the recesses (18) are arranged on diametrically opposite sides of the covering (14).

10. Interdental cleaner according to any of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that at least one of the recesses (18) is linear and extends in the longitudinal direction of the support (11).

11. Interdental cleaner according to any of claims 1 to 10, characterized in that the covering has a plurality of fingers (15) and / or nubs and / or fins protruding, with a radial component, from the covering (14).

12. Interdental cleaner according to claim 11, characterized in that the fingers (15) are formed integrally with the covering (14).