TOOTH CLEANER AND METHOD FOR THE MANUFACTURE THEREOF

Abstract: A tooth cleaner comprises an elongate plastic body (1) and a brush portion (2) connected with the body and consisting of a plastic fabric or net which forms bristles (3) projecting from the body in the transverse direction thereof. A method for manufacturing the tooth cleaner comprises preparing an injection mould suited for injection moulding or like moulding of an elongate plastic body, inserting between the splits of the mould a strip of a plastic fabric or net having a larger width than the moulding cavity, closing the mould, and injecting plastic in the mould to form the body which is thermally bonded to the strip.

Description: TOOTH CLEANER AND METHOD FOR THE MANUFACTURE THEREOF The present invention relates to a tooth cleaner and a method for the manufacture thereof. Conventional tooth cleaners, in most cases of wood, are not particularly effective, mainly because they are rigid, for which reason their edges or lateral sur¬ faces cannot follow the shape of the tooth or teeth, when the cleaner is moved backward and forward in the space between two teeth. More often than not, such cleaning therefore requires supplementary floss treatment. Wooden tooth cleaners frequently break off cross-wise. There also exist plastic tooth cleaners with a handle and laterally projecting bristles integrally formed therewith. Due to the moulding technique employed, the bristles cannot be made in a sufficient number to achieve effective tooth cleaning, and they are of necessity too thick and feel disagreeable to the gums. One object of the invention is to solve these prob¬ lems by providing a flexible and effective tooth cleaner. A further object is to provide a quick and effective method for manufacturing the tooth cleaner. According to the invention, these objects are achieved by a tooth cleaner and a method as claimed in the claims. One embodiment of the invention will be described below, reference being had to the enclosed drawing which shows a plan view of the embodiment. The cleaner is composed of an elongate, slightly flexible and slightly resilient thermoplastic body 1 which is triangular in cross-section and tapers to a point, and of a thermoplastic brush portion 2 which is attached to the base of the body 1 and comprises bristles 3 projecting from both sides of the body in the transverse direction thereof. The brush portion 2 covers a substantial part of the length of the body. In the embodiment illustrated, the bristles 3 are formed of a silk-screen cloth available on the market, which has been punched so as to obtain the triangular bristle shape shown in the drawing. Polypropylene may be used for the body, and the silk-screen cloth here consists of nylon. In a modification, the bristles can be formed of the nonwoven warp of a piece of woven fabric or net. In a further modification, the bristles are simply formed of the punched or cut long-side edges of a rectangular strip of fabric or net. A method for manufacturing the tooth cleaner com¬ prises inserting between the splits of a mould suited for injection moulding of the body, a strip of a plastic fabric or net so as to cover the part of the body moulding cavity, which is to form the bristle-carrying portion of the tooth cleaner, closing the mould and moulding the body, the strip being thermally bonded to the body. In actual practice, a number of tooth cleaners are, of course, manufactured at the same time in one and the same mould with a plurality of body cavities, a strip of fabric (net) which is common to the bodies being cut or punched after moulding and stripping, so as to provide a plurality of tooth cleaners. Alterna¬ tively, the mould may be provided with cutting dies. It will appreciated that the invention provides for varying degrees of softness or rigidity of the bris¬ tles.

Claims: CLAIMS " - * *. 1. A tooth cleaner, c h a r a c t e r i s e d in ■ that it comprises an elongate plastic body (1) and a brush portion (2) connected with said body and consisting of a plastic fabric or net which forms bristles (3) 5 projecting from the body in the transverse direction thereof. 2. A tooth cleaner as claimed in claim 1, c h a r ¬ a c t e r i s e d in that said brush portion (2) is attached to a surface of the body (1) . 10 3. A tooth cleaner as claimed in claim 1 or 2, c h a r a c t e r i s e d in that said body (1) is triangular in cross-section. 4. A tooth cleaner as claimed in any one of claims 1-3, c h a r a c t e r i s e d in that the bristles 15 of the brush portion have been provided by punching or cutting a strip of fabric or net. 5. A tooth cleaner as claimed in any one of claims 1-3, c h a r a c t e r i s e d in that the bristles of the brush portion are formed of nonwoven warp. 20 6. A tooth cleaner as claimed in any one of claims 1-5, c h a r a c t e r i s e d in that said body (1) and said brush portion (2) consist of different thermo¬ plastic materials which are thermally interconnected. 7. A method for manufacturing the tooth cleaner 25 as claimed in any one of claims 1-6, c h a r a c t e r ¬ i s e d by preparing an injection mould which is suited for injection moulding or like moulding of an elongate plastic body, inserting between the splits of said mould a strip of a plastic fabric or net so as to cover the 30 part of the body cavity, which is to form the tooth cleaner portion carrying the bristles, closing the mould, and injecting plastic in the cavity to form said body which is thermally bonded to said strip.

Inventors: LJUNGBERG MATS, LJUNGBERG, MATS
Applicants: LJUNGBERG MATS, LJUNGBERG, MATS
Application year: 1987
Main classification: A61C15
IPC codes: A46B3, A46B9, A61C13, A61C15