Abstract:
A brush, in particular for household or industrial applications, has a bristle carrier plate made of plastic, a multitude of bristle bundles, which are attached in the bristle carrier plate, and at least one reinforcement plate, which is likewise made of plastic and is attached to the bristle carrier plate.

Description:
RELATED APPLICATION 
       [0001]    This application is the United States national phase of PCT/EP2009/002148, filed Mar. 25, 2009, which claims priority to DE 10 2008 016 637.5, filed Apr. 1, 2008. 
     
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    The present invention relates to a brush, in particular for household or industrial applications. “Brush” is used here as a generic term for brushes, brooms and similar articles that are provided with bristles and used in households or in industry. 
       BACKGROUND 
       [0003]    In the case of brushes it is known to fasten bristle bundles in a brush body by using a separate fastening method, for example stitching them in using a thread or fixing them in place with a metal cramp. This is relatively involved. 
         [0004]    In the production of toothbrushes it is known to fasten the bristle bundles to the body of the toothbrush by directly insert molding them. For various reasons, this technique could so far only be applied with very short bristles and very small brush bodies. 
         [0005]    There is a need to provide a brush which can be produced involving little effort. 
       SUMMARY 
       [0006]    A brush, in particular for household or industrial applications, includes a bristle carrier plate made of plastic, a multitude of bristle bundles, which are attached in the bristle carrier plate, and at least one reinforcement plate, which is likewise made of plastic and is attached to the bristle carrier plate. This is based on the fundamental concept of producing the brush body in two parts, namely from the bristle carrier plate, which has the bristle bundles anchored thereto, and a reinforcement plate. This allows both the reinforcement plate and the bristle carrier plate to be produced with a low thickness while nonetheless a high stiffness is attained. 
         [0007]    In one example, the bristle bundles consist of a multitude of bristles welded to each other at the end. This ensures that the bristles of a bristle bundle are firmly connected with each other, preventing individual bristles from falling out. 
         [0008]    In one example, provision is made that the bristle bundles are welded to the bristle carrier plate. This ensures that each bristle bundle is reliably fastened to the brush. 
         [0009]    According to one example of a preferred embodiment, provision is made that the bristle carrier plate is provided with at least one upstand. By using an upstand, a considerable increase in stability may be achieved while materials usage is low. The upstand may be located on only one side of the bristle carrier plate or else on both sides. 
         [0010]    Provision may also be made that the upstand extends along the bristle carrier plate so as to continuously surround it. This allows the reinforcement plate to be received within the upstand. 
         [0011]    The use of the bristle carrier plate and of the reinforcement plate makes it possible to be able to design the brush with a very small thickness in comparison with its dimensions. In particular, it is possible that a ratio of the length of the bristle carrier plate to the thickness of the bristle carrier plate and of the reinforcement plate within the upstand is greater than 10, preferably greater than 20. In this way, a brush body is obtained which can be produced using a very small amount of materials. 
         [0012]    The bristle carrier plate preferably has a thickness of between 3 and 7 mm. At the same time it may have a length of between 5 and 50 cm and a width of between 3 and 10 cm. Further, it may be provided for that the ratio of the thickness of the reinforcement plate to the thickness of the reinforcement plate and of the bristle carrier plate is smaller than 0.6. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0013]    The invention is described below with reference to various embodiments, which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which: 
           [0014]      FIG. 1  shows a perspective view of a broom; 
           [0015]      FIG. 2  shows a perspective view of the bristle carrier plate provided with bristle bundles, for the broom of  FIG. 1 ; 
           [0016]      FIG. 3  shows a perspective view of the bristle carrier plate for the broom of  FIG. 1 ; 
           [0017]      FIG. 4  shows a section taken along the plane Iv-Iv of  FIG. 3 , on an enlarged scale; 
           [0018]      FIG. 5  shows a perspective view of a household brush; 
           [0019]      FIG. 6  shows the reinforcement plate and the bristle carrier plate of the brush of  FIG. 5  in a condition separate from each other, in a perspective view; 
           [0020]      FIG. 7  shows the bristle carrier plate, provided with bristle bundles, of the brush of  FIG. 5  in a perspective view; 
           [0021]      FIG. 8  shows a brush in a schematic sectional view; 
           [0022]      FIG. 9  shows a perspective sectional view of a brush according to a further embodiment; 
           [0023]      FIG. 10  shows one example of rubber elements attached to at least one of the reinforcement plate or bristle carrier plate; 
           [0024]      FIG. 11  shows one example of bristle bundles having different sizes; 
           [0025]      FIG. 12  shows one example of bristle bundles having different shapes; 
           [0026]      FIG. 13  shows one example of a plurality of bristle carrier plates being attached to a reinforcement plate in a parallel arrangement; and 
           [0027]      FIG. 14  shows one example of a plurality of bristle carrier plates being attached to a reinforcement plate in an inclined arrangement. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0028]      FIGS. 1 to 4  show a brush according to a first embodiment. It is made up of a bristle carrier plate  10 , a multitude of bristle bundles  12 , and a reinforcement plate  14 . 
         [0029]    The bristle carrier plate  10  has a generally oblong shape, the length/width ratio being on the order of 1:6. The thickness D of the bristle carrier plate  10  amounts to between 3 and 7 mm. It is provided with a continuously surrounding upstand  16  which, for the most part, has a height of from 3 to 5 mm and, in a region  18 , has a height of just under 20 mm. 
         [0030]    The bristle carrier plate  10  is provided with a multitude of receiving openings  20 , which are provided with a shoulder  22  on the inside, on which the reinforcement plate  14  is arranged later. On the opposite side, i.e. the outside, the receiving openings are provided with an oblique widening portion  24 . The bristle carrier plate  10  is preferably made from a thermoplastic material, for example polypropylene. An opening  26  is provided at one end of the bristle carrier plate; the broom can be hung up later using the opening. 
         [0031]    Each of the bristle bundles  12  is inserted in one of the receiving openings  20  of the bristle carrier plate  10 , with each bristle bundle being made up of a multitude of individual bristles which are welded to each other at one end of the bristle bundle. This is schematically shown in  FIG. 4  for the receiving opening on the right-hand side. When loading the bristle carrier plate, the respective bristle bundle is fitted into the receiving opening  20 , which is facilitated by the widening portion  24 . The bristle bundle is then fused at its end lying within the reinforcement plate and, at the same time, is firmly connected with the bristle carrier plate. The connection is preferably achieved by a combination of welding and mechanically connecting. For one thing, the material of the bristle carrier plate is surface-fused to a small extent when the ends of the bristle bundles  12  are welded, so that an inter-material joint is produced. For another thing, the soft, welded end of each bristle bundle is pressed into the bristle carrier plate in such a way that a mechanical connection materializes there under the action of heat. In this way, each bristle bundle  12  is reliably fastened within the bristle carrier plate  10 . 
         [0032]    The material used for the bristles may be the same as that used for the bristle carrier plate, for example polypropylene. But bristles made from a different material may also be used, or bristle bundles may be used which consist of a mixture of different bristles, for example partly of a thermoplastic material such as PET, PP, PA, or polyester, and partly of natural fibers, for example natural hairs or vegetable fibers. Depending on the desired type of connection of the bristle bundles  12  with the bristle carrier plate  10 , it may be provided that the melting temperature of the material of the bristles differs from the melting temperature of the material of the bristle carrier plate. 
         [0033]    As can be seen in  FIG. 3  based on the distribution of the receiving openings  20 , the bristle bundles are not evenly distributed over the surface of the bristle carrier plate  10 . At the outer ends, the bristle carrier plate is more densely bristled than in the middle. 
         [0034]    Arranged on the inside of the bristle carrier plate  10 , i.e. on the side facing away from the free ends of the bristle bundles  12 , is the reinforcement plate  14 . The latter is injection molded on the inside of the bristle carrier plate  10  within the upstand  16  here, so that the reinforcement plate  14  terminates flush with the upstand  16  (see the right-hand side in  FIG. 4 ). Provided adjacent to the raised region  18  of the upstand  16  is a mount  30  for a broomstick, in this case a threaded bushing. 
         [0035]    The connection of the bristle carrier plate  10  provided with the upstand  16  to the reinforcement plate  14  results in a broom having a body which, while having a very small thickness, exhibits a very high stiffness. The thickness D is in the range of from 5 to 15 mm, with the ratio of the thickness of the reinforcement plate  14  to the thickness D of the reinforcement plate and the bristle carrier plate being smaller than 0.6. Considering that the broom has a length L on the order of, for example, 25 cm, the very small thickness D is well visible. In particular, the ratio of the length L of the bristle carrier plate to the thickness D of the bristle carrier plate and the reinforcement plate within the upstand amounts to more than 10, preferably more than 20. As related to the length of the bristle field in the bristle carrier plate, this ratio amounts to more than 9. 
         [0036]    The reinforcement plate  14  may either consist of the same material as the bristle carrier plate  10 , for example of polypropylene, or of a different material, for example a thermosetting material such as epoxy resin. Preferably, the reinforcement plate consists of a material having a greater hardness than the material of the bristle carrier plate. In this way, a high strength is achieved. Moreover, the loads occurring can be taken into account in this manner, which are greatest at the transition between the threaded bushing  30  and the body of the reinforcement plate  14 . In addition, provision may be made that the reinforcement plate and the bristle carrier plate are of different colors. 
         [0037]      FIGS. 5 to 7  show a brush, for example a dishwashing brush. The essential difference from the first embodiment resides in the shape of the bristle carrier plate  10 , which is of a round and slightly spherical configuration here, the concavity being located on the side of the welded ends of the bristle bundles  12 . A handle  40  is integrally molded with the reinforcement plate  14 . 
         [0038]    The upstand  16  is made to have an unvarying height and to be continuously surrounding here, and the reinforcement plate is arranged completely within the upstand, but projects upwards beyond the latter. The reinforcement plate  14  may be welded with the bristle carrier plate  10 . Alternatively, provision may be made that the reinforcement plate  14  snaps into place inside the upstand  16 , for example in that one of the two parts is provided with a groove and the other with a surrounding bead. It would further be possible to adhesively join the reinforcement plate  14  to the bristle carrier plate  10 . 
         [0039]    Also in the case of the brush shown, a very high ratio of the length (or rather, the diameter) of the bristle carrier plate  10  and the thickness of the bristle carrier plate and of the reinforcement plate is used in order to attain a high stability while employing a small amount of materials. 
         [0040]    Depending on the requirements, it may be provided for that the thickness of the bristle carrier plate  10  is not constant throughout, but varies. In particular, the thickness of the bristle carrier plate may be reduced toward the edge. 
         [0041]      FIG. 8  shows a further embodiment, which differs from the two preceding embodiments essentially in that the upstand  16  is now formed on both sides of the bristle carrier plate  10 , i.e. both on the side of the reinforcement plate  14  and on the side of the free ends of the bristle bundles  12 . This results in a particularly high stiffness of the bristle carrier plate  10 , similar to a carrier having an I-section. 
         [0042]    Deviating from the very schematic illustration in  FIG. 8 , the space between the carrier plate  10  and the reinforcement plate  14  is not hollow, but filled with a mixture of melted bristles and the plastic material of the reinforcement plate  14 . 
         [0043]      FIG. 9  shows a further embodiment, which differs from the preceding embodiments in that the upstand  16  is only arranged on the side of the bristle carrier plate  10  facing the free ends of the bristle bundles  12 . Arranged on the rear side of the bristle carrier plate  10  is the reinforcement plate  14  which covers the fused ends (well visible here) of the bristle bundles  12 . In this embodiment, too, the reinforcement plate  14  is arranged within the outline of the bristle carrier plate  10 . 
         [0044]    According to a further development, rubber elements  50  ( FIG. 10 ) having a cleaning or wiping effect or else having a shock protection effect may be attached to the reinforcement plate  14  and/or to the bristle carrier plate  10 . Furthermore, provision may be made that the bristle bundles  12  received in a bristle carrier plate  10  have different sizes  12   a ,  12   b ,  12   c  ( FIG. 11 ) or different shapes  12   d ,  12   e  ( FIG. 12 ), e.g. cut in a stepped shape, in a V-section, etc. Also, premachined bristle bundles may be made use of (e.g., having pointed bristle ends, slit bristle ends or pre-rounded bristle ends). 
         [0045]    According to a further development, it may be provided for that, rather than one single, continuous bristle carrier plate, a plurality of bristle carrier plates  10 ′ ( FIG. 13 ) is attached to the reinforcement plate  14 . This leads to a higher flexibility. As a result, it is also possible to use bristles of very different types, involving little expense, by inserting different bristle carrier plates which are each loaded with one and the same type of bristles. The bristle carrier plates may be arranged parallel to one another or else inclined ( FIG. 14 ) in relation to one another in order to obtain a profiling. 
         [0046]    Although an embodiment of this invention has been disclosed, a worker of ordinary skill in this art would recognize that certain modifications would come within the scope of this invention. For that reason, the following claims should be studied to determine the true scope and content of this invention.