Twisted brush, and device and method for producing twisted brushes

EP4761607A1Pending Publication Date: 2026-06-24ZAHORANSKY AG
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Patent Information

Authority / Receiving Office
EP · EP
Patent Type
Applications
Current Assignee / Owner
ZAHORANSKY AG
Filing Date
2024-07-29
Publication Date
2026-06-24

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Abstract

The invention relates, inter alia, to a twisted brush (1), in particular a mascara brush or interdental brush, comprising a bristle carrier (2), which is formed by at least two intertwisted wire portions (3, 4), and a bristle trim (5). The brush (1) is characterised in that the bristle carrier (2) comprises a handle portion (6) in which at least one widened region (7) of windings (8, 9) of the intertwisted wire portions (3, 4) is formed.
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Description

[0001] PC 240839 J July 9, 2024 Twisted-in brush and device and method for producing twisted-in brushes The invention relates to a twisted-in brush with a bristle carrier and a bristle trim arranged thereon, wherein the bristle carrier is formed from at least two wire sections twisted together. Furthermore, the invention also relates to a device and a method for producing twisted brushes. Brushes of this type are already known, for example, as mascara brushes or interdental brushes. In particular, when the brush is designed as a mascara or interdental brush, a brush handle is generally arranged on the handle section of the bristle carrier of the brush. In order to prevent the brush handle from becoming detached from the bristle carrier during use, a connection between the brush handle and the bristle carrier must be able to withstand certain pull-out forces. This is particularly important for interdental brushes.Various methods are known for connecting the brush handle to the bristle holder. For example, the brush handle can be glued to the bristle holder. However, this requires the adhesive used to be precisely matched to the materials of the joining partners. Furthermore, automating the bonding process is comparatively difficult, which is why this method is primarily used in the manual production of such brushes. Another known method is to heat the bristle holder, also known as the stem. This is comparatively simple, but only possible with bare wire sections. In practice, ultrasonic processes are also used to connect bristle holders to brush handles. In this process, the bristle holder is set into vibration and then connected to a brush handle.The vibration of the bristle carrier can soften or even liquefy the material of the brush handle in certain areas, absorbing the bristle carrier. The use of this type of ultrasonic process to connect bristle carriers and brush handles is also possible with bristle carriers made of colored wires. However, a hole in the brush handle, which is usually made of plastic, must be precisely matched to the diameter of the brush's bristle carrier. Furthermore, the plastic from which the brush handle is made should have a certain minimum hardness so that the connection can withstand the necessary pull-out forces. When gluing and also when heating the bristle carrier, adhesive bonds are created between the bristle carrier and the brush handle. During the ultrasonic process, the plastic, which becomes flowable or liquefied in the process, flows around the contour of the bristle carrier. An adhesive bond does not occur in this case.Compared to gluing and the process in which the bristle carrier is heated, the pull-out strength of the bristle carrier from the brush handle is lower with the ultrasonic process. The object of the invention is therefore to provide a twisted-in brush with which the desired pull-out forces that a connection between the bristle carrier and the brush handle should be able to withstand can be reliably achieved, in particular even when the connection between the brush handle and the bristle carrier is created using the ultrasonic process. To achieve this object, a twisted-in brush with the features of the independent claim PC 240839 J 3 / 27 July 9, 2024 directed to such a brush is proposed. To achieve this object, a twisted-in brush is thus proposed in particular which has a bristle carrier made of at least two wire sections twisted together, on which a bristle trim is arranged.The brush according to the invention is characterized in that the bristle carrier has a handle section in which at least one widening of turns of the twisted wire sections is formed. The widening of turns can cause a cross-sectional expansion of the bristle carrier in its handle section and act as a pull-out protection in the handle section of the bristle carrier. If a brush handle is connected to the bristle carrier in the handle section of the bristle carrier, the at least one widening of turns of the wire sections acts as a pull-out protection, which can increase the pull-out force that the connection between the bristle carrier and the brush handle can withstand. This is true even if the connection between the brush handle and the bristle carrier is to be produced using an ultrasonic method.The bristle carrier of the twisted-in brush, provided with the described widening, can thus also be reliably and securely connected to a brush handle using an ultrasonic process. Due to the changed geometry of the bristle carrier due to the widening of the turns of the twisted wire sections in the handle section, the material of the brush handle, which is at least partially liquefied during the ultrasonic process, can flow between the turns of the twisted wire sections, particularly in the area of ​​the widening. This can promote a positive connection between the bristle carrier and the brush handle and thus increase the pull-out force tolerated by the connection. PC 240839 J 4 / 27 July 9, 2024 In one embodiment of the brush, the widening is created when the wire sections are twisted. The widening can be created, for example, by twisting the wire sections around at least one mandrel.For this purpose, at least one mandrel can be positioned between the still untwisted wire sections before twisting the wire sections. If the wire sections are then twisted around the mandrel, the previously mentioned widening occurs during twisting. In another embodiment of the brush, the widening is created by unwinding a twist of the bristle carrier in the handle section. In this variant of the brush, the widening of the turns of the twisted wire sections is created when the wire sections are at least partially twisted together. The bristle carrier can be clamped in an intermediate section and unwound again slightly at its handle-side end, counter to the winding direction of the twisted wire sections.Due to the tension of the wire sections created when twisting the wire sections, the widening can be created by untwisting the twisted wire sections against their winding direction. The widening of the turns of the twisted wire sections can be a plastic deformation of the twisted wire sections, which leads to a cross-sectional expansion of the bristle carrier consisting of twisted wire sections in its handle section. As already mentioned, the widening can be at least partially filled with material from the brush handle when the brush handle is in the use position on the bristle carrier. In this way, the brush handle and the bristle carrier are positively connected to one another. The brush handle can preferably be made of plastic.Particularly preferably, a plastic is used as the material for the brush handle, which is also suitable for the previously described ultrasonic bonding process. The brush handle can be connected to the handle section of the bristle holder by at least partial liquefaction, for example melting, in particular by ultrasonic vibrations and / or heating of the bristle holder. In principle, it is also conceivable for the brush handle to be injection-molded around the handle section of the bristle holder and thus connected to the bristle holder. The brush handle and the bristle holder can also be glued to one another. The brush handle can be a prefabricated brush handle and / or have a receptacle, in particular a blind hole, for the handle section of the bristle holder. The handle section of the bristle holder connected to the brush handle is then positioned in this receptacle.In one embodiment of the brush, the wire sections are separate wire sections. The wire sections are therefore twisted together as separate wire sections to create the bristle carrier. In another embodiment of the brush, the wire sections are two interconnected legs of a wire piece bent along a bending line. The bending line can be formed at a distal end of the bristle carrier and / or arranged in the middle of the wire piece. In this way, sharp edges, which potentially pose a risk of injury when the brush is used as an interdental brush, can be avoided at the distal end of the bristle carrier. Free ends of the wire sections preferably together form a handle-side end of the bristle carrier. To achieve the object, a device for producing twisted brushes is also proposed.The device has the means and features of the independent claim directed to such a device. To achieve the object, a device for producing twisted brushes, in particular those of the claimed type, is proposed, wherein the device has a holder and at least one rotary gripper for twisting wire sections. At least two wire sections to be twisted can be clamped between the holder and the rotary gripper. The device is designed to produce an expansion of turns of twisted wire sections. In order to drive the rotary gripper and / or the holder, i.e. to rotate them, the device can have at least one corresponding drive, in particular a rotary drive. The at least one drive can preferably be an electric drive. The device can have at least one mandrel for producing the expansion.Before the wire sections are twisted, the mandrel can be positioned between the wire sections to be twisted using a positioning device of the device. Once the at least one mandrel is positioned between the wire sections, the wire sections can be twisted around the mandrel. This then creates the previously described widening of the turns when the wire sections are twisted. The device for creating the widening preferably has two mandrels. The two mandrels can be positioned between the wire sections to be twisted using a positioning device of the device from different PC 240839 J 7 / 27 July 9, 2024 sides. Here, too, the two mandrels are positioned between the wire sections before the wire sections are twisted together. Once the mandrels have reached their position between the wire sections, the wire sections are twisted together around the two mandrels.This also creates the previously described at least one widening of the turns of the twisted wire sections, which is designed to securely attach the bristle holder to a brush handle. The at least one mandrel for creating the widening is preferably a conical mandrel. This facilitates withdrawal of the mandrel from the twisted wire sections after the bristle holder and the at least one widening have been created. In one embodiment of the device, it has a clamping device for creating the widening of turns. The clamping device can be arranged between the holder and the rotary gripper and can be designed to fix twisted wire sections. The rotary gripper is preferably a motor-driven rotary gripper.The rotary gripper can be rotatable, in particular driven, for twisting wire sections in one direction of rotation and in an opposite direction of rotation to create the widening. If the rotary gripper is rotated in the direction of rotation to create the widening, while the clamping device fixes the twisted wire sections, the twist in the bristle carrier can be slightly unwound and the widening can be created in the handle section of the bristle carrier. PC 240839 J 8 / 27 July 9, 2024 In one embodiment of the device, it is provided that the holder and the rotary gripper are rotatable, in particular driven, for twisting wire sections in opposite directions. In this way, the wire section cuts can be twisted together quickly and precisely in order to form the bristle carrier and to reliably fix the bristle trim of the brush between the wire sections.The holder can be motor-driven, in particular rotationally driven. The device can have a heating device for heating bristle carriers. The heating device can in particular be a resistance heating device. With the help of the heating device, bristle carriers can be heated, in particular in the handle section. A bristle carrier heated in the handle section can then be inserted into a ready-made brush handle to create the connection between the bristle carrier and the brush handle. The heated bristle carrier can liquefy the material of the brush handle, so that this then flows, in particular, into the widened portion, resulting in a reliable, preferably form-fitting, connection between the brush handle and the bristle carrier. The heating device can, for example, have two heating jaws, with which a handle section of a bristle carrier made of twisted sections can be heated.The heating jaws can each have at least one recess for receiving a widened portion formed in the handle portion of a bristle carrier. The heating jaws enable rapid heating of the handle portion of the bristle carrier provided with the at least one widened portion. In one embodiment of the device, it has an ultrasonic sonotrode configured to vibrate at least the handle portion of a bristle carrier made of twisted wire sections. Using the ultrasonic sonotrode and the vibrating handle portion, it is possible to soften or even liquefy the material of a brush handle, which is to be connected to the bristle carrier, at least in certain regions when the material comes into contact with the vibrating handle portion of the bristle carrier.The material of the brush handle can flow into the area of ​​the at least one widened portion formed in the handle portion of the bristle carrier. With the aid of the ultrasonic sonotrode of the device, a reliable connection can thus be created between the brush handle and the bristle carrier of the brush to be produced. The device can have a sliding device designed to slide a bristle carrier made of twisted wire sections, with its handle portion, into a ready-held brush handle. It is also possible to fix the bristle carrier in place and slide the brush handle over the fixed bristle carrier, and in particular its handle portion, in order to connect the bristle carrier to the brush handle. The device can have a guide, preferably in the form of a sleeve, designed to hold and / or guide the bristle carrier during the connection of the bristle carrier to the brush handle.The preferably sleeve-shaped guide can have an inner diameter that corresponds to the outer diameter of the bristle trim formed on the bristle carrier. Finally, to achieve the object, a method for producing twisted brushes is also proposed, which has the means PC 240839 J 10 / 27 July 9, 2024 and features of the independent claim directed to such a method. To achieve the object, a method for producing twisted brushes, in particular twisted brushes of the claimed type, is thus proposed, wherein at least two wire sections are twisted together to form a bristle carrier, wherein a bristle trim of the brush is clamped between the wire sections, and wherein at least one widening of turns of the wire sections is produced in a handle section of the bristle carrier.In a further method step, the bristle carrier can be connected, preferably in a form-fitting manner, to a brush handle in its handle section. To produce the at least one widened portion, in one embodiment of the method at least one, preferably conical, mandrel can be positioned between the two wire sections. The wire sections are then twisted together around the at least one mandrel. In another embodiment of the method, to produce the at least one widened portion, two, preferably conical, mandrels are positioned from different sides between the two wire sections and the wire sections are then twisted together. Here too, the wire sections are then twisted together around the at least two mandrels, whereby the at least one widened portion is produced.After the widening has been created, the at least one mandrel can be moved from its position between the wire sections back to its starting position. In another embodiment of the method, the twisted wire sections can be fixed with a clamping device and then, to create the at least one widening, can be twisted in a direction of rotation that is opposite to a winding direction of the wire sections. To connect the bristle carrier to a brush handle, at least the handle section of the bristle carrier provided with the at least one widening can be heated and inserted into a ready-made brush handle. Material of the brush handle can be melted through the heated handle section and flow into the widening. The previously melted material can then solidify again.The brush handle can have a receptacle, in particular a blind hole, into which the handle section of the bristle carrier is inserted. In another embodiment of the method, at least the handle section of the bristle carrier provided with the at least one widened portion is set into vibration with an ultrasonic sonotrode and the, in particular vibrating, handle section is inserted into a ready-made brush handle. In this case, material of the brush handle can be softened or liquefied and flow into the widened portion in order to connect the brush handle to the bristle carrier. The material flowing into the widened portion can then solidify again. Here, too, the brush handle can have a receptacle, in particular a blind hole, into which the handle section of the bristle carrier is inserted. The invention is described in more detail below with reference to exemplary embodiments, but is not limited to these exemplary embodiments.Further embodiments arise from a combination of the features of one or more claims and / or from a combination of one or more features of the embodiments. Fig. 1 shows at least parts of a device for producing twisted brushes, the device having two conical mandrels that can be positioned from opposite sides between ready-made, untwisted wire sections to produce an expansion of turns of twisted wire sections of a bristle holder of such a brush, Fig. 2 shows the device shown in Fig. 1 with the mandrels in the starting position, the expansion of the turns of the twisted wire sections being visible in the handle section of the bristle holder, Fig. 3 shows an individual part of a conical mandrel of the device from Figs. 1 and 2, Fig.4 shows a further device for producing twisted brushes, the device having a clamping device and a rotary gripper which is rotatable counter to the winding direction of the wire sections for producing an expansion of turns of twisted wire sections in the handle section of the bristle holder, Fig. 5 shows the device shown in Fig. 4 after producing the expansion in the handle section of the produced brush, Fig. 6 is a perspective view of a twisted brush with an expansion in the handle section of the PC 240839 J 13 / 27 July 9, 2024 bristle holder, the view showing a brush handle on the handle section of the bristle holder and the handle section with the expansion therein, Fig. 7 shows the brush shown in Fig. 6 with the brush handle shown partially broken away, Fig. 8 is a side view of the brush shown in Figs. 6 and 7 with the brush handle cut open so that the expansion in the handle section of the bristle holder can be seen, Fig.9 is a plan view of the brush shown in Fig. 8. Fig. 10 is a side view of the brush shown in the previous Figs. 6-9 without a brush handle. Fig. 11 is a view of the brush shown in Fig. 10 rotated by 90° compared to Fig. 10. Fig. 12 is a heating device for heating the handle section provided with the widening, wherein Fig. 12 shows heating jaws of the heating device in their heating position on a handle section of a bristle carrier before insertion of the handle section into a ready-held brush handle. Fig. 13 is the heating device from Fig. 12 with the bristle carrier inserted with its handle section into the ready-held brush handle. Fig. 14 is an ultrasonic sonotrode of a device for producing twisted brushes, with which a handle section of a bristle carrier can be set into vibration for connection to a ready-held brush handle. PC 240839 J 14 / 27 July 9, 2024 Fig. 15 which in Fig.15 with the bristle carrier after inserting its handle portion into the ready-held brush handle. All figures show at least parts of a twisted brush, designated as a whole by 1. The brush 1 can be, for example, a mascara brush or an interdental brush. The twisted brush 1 has a bristle carrier 2 formed from two twisted wire sections 3 and 4. A bristle trim 5 is arranged on the bristle carrier 2, with bristles of the bristle trim 5 being clamped between the twisted wire sections 3 and 4. The bristle carrier 2 has a handle portion 6 in which at least one widening 7 of turns 8 and 9 of the twisted wire sections 3 and 4 is formed. Depending on the design of the brush 1, the widening 7 can be produced by twisting the wire sections 3 and 4 around at least one mandrel 16, 17.However, it is also possible to create the widened portion 7 by unscrewing a twist of the bristle carrier 2 in the handle section 6. Figs. 6-11 show that the widened portion 7 is filled with material from the brush handle 11 when the brush handle 11 is in the use position on the bristle carrier 2. In this way, the brush handle 11 and the bristle carrier 2 are connected to one another in a form-fitting and particularly reliable manner. The brush handle 11 of the brush 1 shown in the figures is made of plastic and, in the exemplary embodiment shown, has a receptacle 28 in the form of a blind hole for the handle section 6 of the bristle carrier 2. The brush handle 11 accommodates a handle-side end 10 of the bristle carrier 2. The wire sections 3 and 4 can be present as separate wire sections or can be connected to each other at one end, as shown in the figures.A distal end 12 of the bristle carrier 2, at which the wire sections 3 and 4 are connected to each other, forms the distal end of the finished brush 1, which faces away from the brush handle 11. The two wire sections 3 and 4 are thus two interconnected legs of a longer, bent piece of wire. The brush handle 11 can be connected to the handle section 6 of the bristle carrier 2 by at least partially liquefying the bristle carrier 2, in particular by ultrasonic vibrations and / or heating. It is also possible in principle to injection-mold the brush handle 11 around the handle section 6 of the bristle carrier 2 or to glue the handle section 6 and the brush handle 11 together, thereby connecting the brush handle 11 to the bristle carrier 2. Figs. 1-5 and 12-15 show parts of devices 13 for producing twisted brushes 1.Each of the devices 13 shown has a holder 14 and at least one rotary gripper 15 for twisting wire sections 3 and 4. Wire sections 3 and 4 to be twisted can be clamped between the holder 14 and the rotary gripper 15. The devices 13 are each designed to produce an expansion 7 of turns 8 and 9 of twisted wire sections 3 and 4. The device 13 shown in Figs. 1 and 2 has two conical mandrels 16 and 17 for producing the expansion 7, which can be positioned between the wire sections 3 and 4 to be twisted using a positioning device 18 of the device 13 before the wire sections 3 and 4 are twisted. Fig. 1 shows the two mandrels 16 and 17 in their position between PC 240839 J 16 / 27 9 July 2024 the wire sections 3 and 4 to be twisted. Fig.2 shows the two mandrels 16 and 17 in their starting position, into which they can be moved back from the working position shown in Fig. 1 with the help of the positioning device 18 of the device 13. The two mandrels 16 and 17 can thus be positioned from different sides between the wire sections 3 and 4 to be twisted using the positioning device 18. The device 13 shown in Figs. 4 and 5 has a clamping device 19 for creating the widening 7. The clamping device 19 is arranged between the holder 14 and the rotary gripper 15 of the device 13 and is designed to fix wire sections 3 and 4 twisted together. The rotary gripper 15 can be rotated in one direction of rotation to twist wire sections 3 and 4 and in an opposite direction of rotation to create the widening 7, as shown in Fig. 4. Fig.4 shows the clamping device 19 in the clamping position on the bristle carrier 2 of a twisted-in brush 1. When the clamping device 19 is in the clamping position, the rotary gripper 15 is rotated in the direction of the arrow shown on the rotary gripper 15 in Fig. 4 in order to widen the turns 8 and 9 of the wire sections 3 and 4 in the handle section 6 of the bristle carrier 2 and thus create the widening 7. The arrows assigned to the holder 14 on the one hand and the rotary gripper 15 on the other hand in Fig. 1 illustrate that the holder 14 and the rotary gripper 15 are rotatably driven in opposite directions for twisting wire sections 3 and 4. For this purpose, the device 13 has at least one corresponding drive. According to Figures 12 and 13, the device 13 has a heating device 20 which is designed as a resistance heating device and is configured to heat bristle carriers 2.Figures 12 and 13 show that the heating device 20 has two heating jaws 21 and 22, with which a handle section 6 of a bristle carrier 2 made of twisted wire sections 3 and 4 can be heated. The heating jaws 21 and 22 each have a recess 23, which is designed to receive a widened portion 7 formed in the handle section 6 of a bristle carrier 2. According to Fig. 12, the bristle carrier 2 can be heated in its handle section 6 with the heating jaws 21 and 22 and then inserted into the receptacle 28 of a brush handle 11 held ready on a handle holder 27 of the device 13. The material of the brush handle 11 is melted by the heated handle section 6 of the bristle carrier 2 and can flow into the area of ​​the widened portion 7 in the handle section 6 of the bristle carrier 2 and solidify there. In this way, a positive connection is created between the brush handle 11 and the bristle holder 2.Figures 14 and 15 show an ultrasonic sonotrode 24 of a device 13 for producing twisted brushes 1. The ultrasonic sonotrode 24 is configured to vibrate at least the handle portion 6 of a bristle carrier 2 made of twisted wire sections 3 and 4. The handle portion 6 vibrated by the ultrasonic sonotrode 24 can then be inserted into the receptacle 28 of a brush handle 11 held ready on a handle holder 27 of the device 13 PC 240839 J 18 / 27 July 9, 2024. Due to the vibration of the bristle carrier 2 and in particular of its handle section 6, the material of the brush handle 11 can be softened or liquefied at least in some areas and then flow into the area of ​​the widening 7 in the handle section 6 of the bristle carrier 2 in order to establish a reliable connection between the brush handle 11 and the bristle carrier 2.According to Figures 12 and 13 and 14 and 15, the device 13 is also equipped with a sliding device 25. The sliding device 25 is designed to slide a bristle carrier 2, made of twisted wire sections 3 and 4, in its handle section 6 into the receptacle 28 of a ready-made brush handle 11. According to both Figures 12 and 13 and Figures 14 and 15, the device 13 has a sleeve-shaped guide 26 designed to guide, align, and support a bristle carrier 2 when connecting a bristle carrier 2 to a brush handle 11. It should be noted at this point that it is of course also possible to fix the bristle carrier 2 and slide the brush handle 11 over the handle section 6 of the bristle carrier 2 using a suitably designed sliding device 25 to establish the connection between the bristle carrier 2 and the brush handle 11.The method explained below for producing twisted brushes 1 can be carried out on the device 13 described above. In this case, in order to form a bristle carrier 2 of the brush 1, at least two wire sections 3 and 4 are twisted together, enclosing bristles between them, and an expansion 7 of turns 8 and 9 of the wire sections 3 and 4 is created in a handle section 6 of the bristle carrier 2. The expansion 7 can serve as a pull-out protection device, by means of which the bristle carrier 2 of the brush 1 can be reliably connected to a brush handle 11 of the brush 1. After the at least one expansion 7 has been created, the bristle carrier 2 is preferably connected in a form-fitting manner to a brush handle 11 of the brush 1.To create the at least one widened portion 7, in one embodiment, two mandrels 16, 17 are positioned from different sides between the still untwisted wire sections 3 and 4. The wire sections 3 and 4 are then twisted together around the mandrels 16, 17. The mandrels 16, 17 act as displacement means to create the widened portion 7 of the turns 8 and 9 of the wire sections 3 and 4. After the widened portion 7 has been created, the mandrels 16, 17 are moved back to their respective starting positions. In another embodiment of the method, the twisted wire sections 3 and 4 are fixed with the previously mentioned clamping device 19 and then rotated in a direction of rotation that is opposite to a winding direction of the wire sections 3, 4 to create at least one widened portion 7 in the handle section 6 of the bristle carrier 2.In this case, the twisting of the wire sections 3, 4 is opened slightly and at least one widening 7 of the windings 8, 9 is created. To fix the bristle carrier 2 to the brush handle 11, in one embodiment of the method, at least the handle section 6 of the bristle carrier 3 provided with the widening 7 can be heated and the handle section 6 can be inserted into a ready-made brush handle 11. PC 240839 J 20 / 27 July 9, 2024 This connects the brush handle 11 to the bristle carrier 2, wherein material of the brush handle 11 is melted and flows into the at least one widening 7 in the handle section 6 of the bristle carrier 3 and subsequently solidifies there. In another embodiment of the method, it is provided to set at least the handle section 6 of the bristle carrier 2 provided with the widening 7 into vibration with an ultrasonic sonotrode 24 and to insert the handle section 6 into a ready-held brush handle 11.Here, too, the material of the brush handle 11 can first be softened or liquefied, flow into the widened portion 7, and finally solidify there to create the connection between the bristle carrier 2 and the brush handle 11. / List of reference symbols.

[0002] PC 240839 J 21 / 27 9 July 2024 List of reference symbols 1 twisted brush 2 bristle carrier 3 wire section 4 wire section 5 bristle trim 6 handle section 7 widening 8 winding 9 winding 10 handle-side end of 2 11 brush handle 12 distal end of 2 13 device for producing twisted brushes 14 holder 15 rotary gripper 16 mandrel 17 mandrel 18 positioning device 19 clamping device 20 heating device 21 heating jaw 22 heating jaw 23 recess 24 ultrasonic sonotrode 25 sliding device 26 guide 27 handle holder 28 receptacle in 11 / claims

Claims

PC 240839 J 22 / 27 July 9, 2024 Claims 1. Twisted brush (1), in particular a mascara brush or interdental brush, with a bristle carrier (2) formed from at least two twisted wire sections (3, 4) and having a bristle trim (5), characterized in that the bristle carrier (2) has a handle portion (6) in which at least one widening (7) of turns (8, 9) of the twisted wire sections (3, 4) is formed.

2. Brush (1) according to the preceding claim, wherein the widening (7) is produced during twisting of the wire sections (3, 4), in particular by twisting the wire sections (3, 4) around at least one mandrel (16, 17), or wherein the widening (7) is produced by unscrewing a twist of the bristle carrier (2) in the handle portion (6). 3.Brush (1) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the widened portion (7) is at least partially filled with material of the brush handle (11) when the brush handle (11) is in the use position on the bristle holder (2), in particular so that the brush handle (11) and the bristle holder (2) are positively connected to one another.

4. Brush (1) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the brush handle (11) is made of plastic, and / or wherein the wire sections (3, 4) are separate wire sections or wherein the wire sections (3, 4) are two interconnected legs of a wire piece bent along a bending line, preferably wherein the bending line is formed at a distal end (12) of the bristle holder (2) and / or is arranged in the middle of the wire piece. PC 240839 J 23 / 27 July 9, 2024 5. Brush (1) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the brush handle (11) is connected to the handle section (6) of the bristle carrier (2) by at least partially liquefying, in particular by ultrasonic vibrations and / or heating of the bristle carrier (2), or wherein the brush handle (11) is injection-molded around the handle section (6) of the bristle carrier (2) and thereby connected to the bristle carrier (2), or wherein the bristle carrier (2) and the brush handle (11) are glued to one another.

6. A device (13) for producing twisted brushes (1), wherein the device (13) comprises a holder (14) and at least one rotary gripper (15) for twisting wire sections (3, 4), between which wire sections (3, 4) to be twisted can be clamped, and wherein the device (13) is configured to produce an expansion (7) of turns (8) of twisted wire sections (3, 4).Device (13) according to the preceding claim, wherein the device (13) for producing the widening (7) has at least one, preferably conical, mandrel (16, 17) which, before the twisting of wire sections (3, 4), can be positioned between wire sections (3, 4) to be twisted using a positioning device (18) of the device (13).

8. Device (13) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the device (13) for producing the widening (7) has two, preferably conical, mandrels (16, 17) which can be positioned from different sides between wire sections (3, 4) to be twisted using a positioning device (18). PC 240839 J 24 / 27 July 9, 2024 9. Device (13) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the device (13) for producing the widening (7) has a clamping device (19) which is arranged between the holder (14) and the rotary gripper (15) and is designed to fix wire sections (3, 4) twisted together, and wherein the rotary gripper (15) is rotatable, in particular driven, in one direction of rotation for twisting wire sections (3, 4) and in an opposite direction of rotation for producing the widening (7).

10. Device (13) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the holder (14) and the rotary gripper (15) are rotatable, in particular driven, in opposite directions for twisting wire sections (3, 4).

11. Device (13) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the device (13) comprises a heating device (20), in particular a resistance heating device, for heating bristle carriers (2). 12.Device (13) according to the preceding claim, wherein the heating device (20) has two heating jaws (21, 22) with which a handle section (6) of a bristle carrier (2) made of twisted wire sections (3, 4) can be heated.

13. Device (13) according to the preceding claim, wherein the heating jaws (21, 22) each have at least one recess (23) for receiving a widened portion (7) formed in the handle section (6) of a bristle carrier (2).

14. Device (13) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the device (13) has an ultrasonic sonotrode. PC 240839 J 25 / 27 July 9, 2024 (24) which is designed to cause a bristle carrier (2) made of twisted wire sections (3, 4) to vibrate.

15. Device (13) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the device (13) has a sliding device (25) which is designed to push a bristle carrier (2) made of twisted wire sections (3, 4) with its grip section (6) into a ready-held brush handle (11).

16. Device (13) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the device (13) has a preferably sleeve-shaped guide (26) which is designed to guide a bristle carrier (2) when connecting a bristle carrier (2) to a brush handle (11). 17.Method for producing twisted brushes (1), in particular according to one of the preceding claims, wherein to form a bristle carrier (2) of the brush (1) at least two wire sections (3, 4) are twisted together, wherein a bristle trim (5) is clamped between the wire sections (3, 4), and wherein in a handle section (6) of the bristle carrier (2) at least one widening (7) of turns (8, 9) of the wire sections (3, 4) is produced.

18. Method according to the preceding claim, wherein the bristle carrier (2) is connected to a brush handle (11) in its handle section (6) after producing the at least one widening (7), preferably in a form-fitting manner.

19. Method according to one of the preceding claims, wherein to produce the at least one widening (7) at least. PC 240839 J 26 / 27 July 9, 2024 a mandrel (16, 17), preferably two mandrels (16, 17) from different sides, is / are positioned between the wire sections (3, 4) and then the wire sections (3, 4) are twisted together.

20. Method according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the twisted wire sections (3, 4) are fixed with a clamping device (19) and then rotated in a direction of rotation that is opposite to a winding direction of the wire sections (3, 4) to produce the at least one widening (7).

21. Method according to one of the preceding claims, wherein at least the handle portion (6) of the bristle carrier (3) provided with the widened portion (7) is heated, the handle portion (6) is inserted into a provided brush handle (11) and thereby connected to the brush handle (11), wherein material of the brush handle (11) is melted and flows into the widened portion (7).Method according to one of the preceding claims, wherein at least the handle portion (6) of the bristle carrier (2) provided with the widened portion (7) is set into vibration by an ultrasonic sonotrode (24) and the, in particular vibrating, handle portion (6) is inserted into a ready-held brush handle (11), wherein material of the brush handle (11) is softened or liquefied and flows into the widened portion (7). / Summary.