Patent Publication Number: US-2009229064-A1

Title: Brush and bristle assembly therefor

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION(S) 
     Background of the Invention 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention is directed generally to fabricating brushes and more particularly to devices and methods of installing bristles in brushes. 
     2. Description of the Related Art 
     Generally, a brush includes tufts each of which is formed from a plurality of bristles. A bristle is a single strand or filament having two ends and middle portion disposed between the two ends. The bristles that form a single tuft are typically arranged longitudinally adjacent to one another into a grouping of substantially parallel bristles. 
     Brushes have a broad range of uses from household cleaning to dental hygiene. The materials used to construct brushes are as varied as their uses. In particular, the materials used to construct bristles very widely. However, most bristle materials share a couple of common characteristics. First, they are generally stiff and capable of standing upright without lateral support. Second, bristles generally tolerate a great deal of bending. 
     Bending deforms the bristle material. Deformation can be either plastic or elastic. If the deformation is elastic, the material will return to its original shape after the stress is removed. On the other hand, if the deformation is plastic, the bristle material will not return to its original shape after the stress is removed. In other words, plastic deformation permanently alters the shape of the bristle material. Plastic deformation occurs when the stress applied to the bristle material exceeds the yield strength of the material. If sufficient stress is applied, materials may fail or fracture. 
     Bending a bristle causes a portion of the bristle to stretch and a portion diametrically opposed to the stretched portion to compress. Strain is a measure of the amount of deformation experienced by the bristle. With respect to the stretched portion, the amount of strain experienced by the material may be determined by dividing the amount the bristle has stretched by the original length of the bristle. If the strain is large enough, the material will experience plastic deformation. If the strain is too great, the material may fracture. If the fracture is large enough, the bristle may break into two separate segments. 
     Bristles are frequently constructed from materials such as nylon, straw, natural hair, and metal wire that tolerate a great deal of bending. The bendibility of most bristle materials facilitates the manufacture of the brush. Referring to  FIG. 1 , many modern brushes are manufactured using a technique whereby a tuft  10  is formed from a bristle grouping  12  that is bent about its midpoint  14  to form a bent portion  16 . 
     A staple  40  is used to fasten the bent portion  16  of the bristle grouping  12  to a body or head  42  of the brush. Frequently, the bent portion  16  of the bristle grouping  12  and staple  40  adjacent thereto are disposed within a single bristle aperture  50  in the head  42  of the brush. The bristle aperture  50  in the head  42  of the brush is generally cylindrically shaped and has a constant diameter along its depth. Opposite ends of the bristle grouping  12  protrude from the single bristle aperture  50  and form a single tuft  10 . Generally, the diameter of the aperture  50  is approximately equal to or slightly larger than the diameter of the tuft  10  protruding therefrom. The narrowness of the bristle aperture  50  generally maintains a small radius of curvature in the bent portion  16  of each bristle. 
     Many materials that exhibit excellent qualities such as shape memory alloy, super elastic memory wire, and nitinol wire are difficult to fabricate into brushes because they cannot tolerate the strain involved in traditional methods of manufacture. As described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,442,785 issued to Robinson incorporated herein by reference, shape memory alloy is an excellent material for making brushes because the material is extremely durable and hydrophobic in nature, which renders it more hygienic. Super elastic memory wire has a composition substantially similar to shape memory alloy; however, super elastic memory wire exhibits somewhat different properties. Specifically, super elastic memory wire is not temperature sensitive. In other words, the temperature of super elastic memory wire need not be increased to produce the shape memory characteristics. Consequently, it may be desirable to use super elastic memory wire to construct bristles for brushes. 
     However, bristles formed from either super elastic memory wire or shape memory alloy cannot undergo strain exceeding about 8% without experiencing plastic or permanent deformation. This limitation is a particular problem with respect to bending where the tuft exits the bristle aperture. If a laterally directed force is applied to a tuft, such as occurs when the brush is used to clean or scrub a surface, the tuft bends away from the direction of movement of the brush and toward the surface of the brush head. Because the tuft is anchored by its base to the brush head, any lateral (shear) forces applied to the tuft will bend the tuft in an unconstrained manner toward the surface of the brush head. This bending is unrestricted by anything other than the tolerance of the brush material to bending. Under certain circumstances, the forces applied exceed the 8% strain tolerable by super elastic memory wire and shape memory. Therefore, the bristles within the tuft may kink or break near the location of the bend. Consequently, dental brushes with super elastic memory wire or shaped memory alloy bristles cannot be manufactured using traditional brush making methods described above. 
     Therefore, a need exists for methods and devices related to constructing brushes with bristles that cannot repeatedly tolerate more than a small amount of strain. A need also exists for a method of constructing a brush using bristles constructed from super elastic memory wire, shape memory alloy, nitinol wire, and the like. The present application provides these and other advantages as will be apparent from the following detailed description and accompanying figures. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING(S) 
         FIG. 1  is an illustration of a tuft constructed using a prior art method. 
         FIG. 2  is a perspective view of a brush head and handle of a brush illustrated without tufts to provide a better view of a plurality of bristle apertures formed in the brush head. 
         FIG. 3  is an enlarged partial sectional view of the brush head of  FIG. 2 . 
         FIG. 4  is a fragmentary cross-sectional view of the brush head of  FIG. 2  taken substantially along the line  4 - 4  of  FIG. 3 . 
         FIG. 5  is a fragmentary cross-sectional view of the brush head of  FIG. 2  taken substantially along the line  5 - 5  of  FIG. 3 . 
         FIG. 6  is an enlarged, fragmentary top view of the brush head of  FIG. 2 . 
         FIG. 7  is a perspective view of an alternate embodiment of a bristle aperture formed in a brush head. 
         FIG. 8  is a fragmentary cross-sectional view of the brush head of  FIG. 2  taken substantially along the line  4 - 4  of  FIG. 3 , including a filler material inserted into one of the bristle apertures, the filler material extending along a portion of the bristles anchored in the bristle aperture. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
     Aspects of the present invention include a brush and bristle assembly therefor.  FIGS. 2-6  provide an exemplary embodiment of a brush  100  to aid the illustration of an embodiment of the present invention. While the brush  100  is depicted as a dental brush, it is appreciated by those of ordinary skill in the art that the brush  100  may include other types of brushes such as hair brushes, cleaning brushes, and the like. Those of ordinary skill appreciate that alternate embodiments of dental brushes and other types of brushes are well known in the art and within the scope of the present invention. 
     As may best be viewed in  FIGS. 2 and 3 , the brush  100  includes a brush head  102  integrally formed with a handle  104 . The brush head  102  has a body portion  105 , at least one surface  106  from which the bristles protrude, and an side portion  108  opposite the surface  106 . The bristles have been removed from the brush  100  in  FIGS. 2 and 3  to provide a better view of a plurality of bristle apertures  110  formed in the brush head  102 . Each of the bristle apertures  110  extends from the surface  106  into the body portion  105  of the brush head  102  and stop before reaching the side portion  108  of the brush head. 
     In contrast to the prior art cylindrically shaped bristle aperture  50  depicted in  FIG. 1 , which has a generally cylindrical shape and uniform diameter along its entire depth, each of the bristle apertures  110  has a non-uniform diameter along its depth. Referring to  FIG. 3 , each of the bristle apertures  110  is defined by a continuous sidewall  112  and a bottom surface  114 . The sidewall  112  extends into the body portion  105  from the surface  106  (from which the bristles protrude) and terminates at the bottom surface  114 . The bristle apertures  110  do not extend all the way through the brush head  102  to the side portion  108 . Instead, the bottom surface  114  of the bristle apertures  110  is located inside the brush head  102  and is spaced apart from the side portion  108  of the brush head. 
       FIGS. 4 and 5  provide an enlarged view of a pair of the bristle apertures  110  of the brush  100 . For illustrative purposes, in each of these figures, bristles  118  have been included in one of the bristle apertures  110  and omitted from the other. In  FIGS. 4 and 5 , the bristles  118  have been arranged to form tufts  119 A and  119 B, respectively. 
     The sidewall  112  has a first portion  120  and a second portion  130 . The first portion  120  is inside the brush head  102  and located between the second portion  130  and the bottom surface  114  of the aperture  110 . The first portion  120  may have a lower portion  132  adjoining the bottom surface  114  of the aperture  110 . However, this is not a requirement. Alternatively, the first portion  120  may be spaced from the bottom surface  114 . Optionally, the lower portion  132  may be inwardly radiused, beveled, or otherwise relieved. In embodiments in which the lower portion  132  is radiused, the lower portion  132  of the first portion  120  has a depth “D 1 .” By way of a non-limiting example, when the brush  100  is configured for use as a dental brush, the depth “D 1 ” of the lower portion  132  of the first portion  120  may be about 0.020 inches to about 0.040 inches. In particular embodiments, the depth “D 1 ” of the lower portion  132  of the first portion  120  is about 0.030 inches. 
     The second portion  130  is inside the brush head  102  and located between the first portion  120  and the surface  106  from which the bristles  118  protrude. Thus, to form one of the tufts  119 A and  119 B, the bristles  118  are inserted into one of the apertures  110 , and are anchored at or near the bottom surface  114  of the aperture  110 . In the embodiment depicted in the figures, the first portion  120  is immediately adjacent to the second portion  130 . However, this is not a requirement. The first portion  120  of the sidewall  112  defines a first portion  140  of the bristle aperture  110  and the second portion  130  of the sidewall  112  defines a second portion  142  of the bristle aperture  110 . A portion of the bristles  118  of each of the tufts  119 A and  119 B pass through both the first portion  140  and the second portion  142  of the bristle aperture  110 . The lower portion  132  is sized to receive at least a portion of the bristles  118  along a length thereof that is bent to form the tufts  119 A and  119 B. 
     Excluding the depth “D 1 ” of the lower portion  132 , the first portion  120  of the sidewall  112  and the first portion  140  of the bristle aperture  110  defined thereby have a depth “D 2 .” The second portion  130  of the sidewall  112  and the second portion  142  of the bristle aperture  110  defined thereby have a depth “D 3 .” Thus, a total depth of the aperture  110  is defined as a sum of the depth “D 1 ,” the depth “D 2 ,” and the depth “D 3 .” A ratio of the depth “D 2 ” to the total depth of the aperture  110  may range from about 5% to about 40%. 
     By way of a non-limiting example, when the brush  100  is configured for use as a dental brush, the depth “D 2 ” of the first portion  120  of the sidewall  112  may be about 0.025 inches to about 0.045 inches. In particular embodiments, the depth “D 2 ” of the first portion  120  of the sidewall  112  is about 0.035 inches. By way of a non-limiting example, when the brush  100  is configured for use as a dental brush, the depth “D 3 ” of the second portion  130  of the sidewall  112  may be about 0.10 inches to about 0.12 inches. In particular embodiments, the depth “D 3 ” of the second portion  130  of the sidewall  112  is about 0.11 inches. Using the values above, the total depth of the bristle aperture  110  may range from about 0.127 inches to about 0.169 inches. In particular embodiments, the total depth of the bristle aperture  110  is about 0.143 inches. 
     The first portion  120  of the sidewall  112  extends toward the second portion  130  from the bottom surface  114  of the aperture  110 . The first portion  140  of the bristle aperture  110  defined by the first portion  120  of the sidewall  112  has a substantially constant cross-sectional area. In other words, portions of the sidewall  112  opposite one another are substantially parallel, extending toward the second portion  130  in substantially the same direction. Thus, the first portion  140  of the bristle aperture  110  may have a cylindrical shape with a cross-sectional shape that is circular, elliptic, parabolic, hyperbolic, and the like. However, this is not a requirement. For example, the bristle aperture  110  may have a cross-sectional shape that is triangular, square, rectangular, octagonal, hexagonal, or other non-geometrical shape. However, it may be desirable to avoid cross-sectional shapes that include sharp corners. 
     Within the first portion  140  of the bristle aperture  110 , the substantially constant cross-sectional area defined by the first portion  120  of the sidewall  112  guides the bristles  118  disposed inside the aperture  110  toward the surface  106 . This constant cross-sectional area helps maintain the bristles  118  in an ordered bundle (or tuft) in which the bristles  118  extend outwardly toward the surface  106  in substantially the same first direction (i.e., the direction in which the sidewall  112  extends toward the second portion  130  from the bottom surface  114 ), identified by arrow “A” in  FIG. 4 . In other words, the first portion  120  of the sidewall  112  holds the bristles  118  in a substantially static position with the proper orientation relative to the surface  106  and/or the second portion  142  of the bristle aperture  110 . Further, by compressing the bristles  118  inside the first portion  140  of the bristle aperture  110 , the first portion  120  of the sidewall  112  maintains the bristles in a static position preventing bristles constructed from materials resistant to bending, such as shape memory alloy, super elastic memory wire, nitinol wire, and the like, from failing, kinking, or otherwise deforming in an undesirable manner. Therefore, even though each of the bristles  118  may have a minimum bend radius that is larger than the radius of curvature into which the bristles are bent in the first portion  140  of the bristle aperture  110 , the bristles  118  may be bent within the first portion  140  without experiencing damage. 
     The second portion  130  of the sidewall  112  extends toward the surface  106  from the first portion  120  of the sidewall  112 . The second portion  142  of the bristle aperture  110  defined by the second portion  130  of the sidewall  112  has a cross-sectional area that increases from the first portion  120  to the surface  106 . The increasing cross-sectional area provides a deflection area  134  defined between the second portion  130  of the sidewall  112  and the bristles  118 . In the illustrated embodiment, the deflection area  134  has a central portion  136  with the bristles  118  oriented within the central portion  136  of the deflection area  134 . The first portion  120  of the sidewall  112  directs the bristles  118  into the central portion  136  of the deflection area  134 . 
     In the embodiment illustrated, the cross-sectional area increases constantly but non-uniformly from the first portion  120  to the surface  106 . In other words, the second portion  130  of the sidewall  112  extends outwardly as it extends toward the surface  106 . The second portion  130  of the sidewall  112  is smooth and outwardly curved as it extends toward the surface  106 . Thus, the second portion  142  of the bristle aperture  110  may have a tapered or flared shape, a conical shape, a funnel shape, a trumpet shape, a bell shape, and the like. However, this is not a requirement. Alternatively, the second portion  142  of the sidewall  112  may have one or more portions (not shown) that have cross-sectional areas that remain constant or decrease provided the deflection area  134  is present between the second portion  130  of the sidewall  112  and the bristles  118 . 
     Referring to  FIG. 7 , an alternate embodiment of a bristle aperture  110 ′ is illustrated. With respect to the bristle aperture  110 ′, reference numerals identical to those used with reference to the bristle aperture  110  have been used to identify substantially identical components. A second portion  142 ′ of the bristle aperture  110 ′ defined by the second portion  130  of the sidewall  112  has a cross-sectional area that remains substantially constant from the first portion  120  to the surface  106 . However, the cross-sectional area of the second portion  142 ′ is larger than the cross-sectional area of the first portion  140  defined by the first portion  120  of the sidewall  112 . The larger cross-sectional area of the second portion  142 ′ provides a deflection area  134 ′ defined between the second portion  130  of the sidewall  112  and the bristles  118 . In the illustrated embodiment, the deflection area  134 ′ has a central portion  136 ′ with the bristles  118  oriented within the central portion  136 ′ of the deflection area  134 ′. The first portion  120  of the sidewall  112  directs the bristles  118  into the central portion  136 ′ of the deflection area  134 ′. 
     By way of a non-limiting example, the second portion  142  may have a cross-sectional shape that is circular, elliptic, partially parabolic, partially hyperbolic, and the like. However, this is not a requirement. For example, the bristle aperture  110  may have a cross-sectional shape that is triangular, square, rectangular, octagonal, hexagonal, and the like. However, it may be desirable to avoid cross-sectional shapes that include sharp corners. 
     An outer portion  150  of the second portion  130  of the sidewall  112  intersects the surface  106  of the brush head  102  and forms a rounded shoulder. The smooth outwardly curving outer portion  150  may be outwardly radiused, beveled, or otherwise relieved. An innermost portion  152  of the outer portion  150  of the second portion  130  of the sidewall  112  has the smallest cross-sectional area of the outer portion  150 . 
     Within the second portion  142  of the bristle aperture  110 , the increasing cross-sectional area defined by the second portion  130  of the sidewall  112  allows the bristles  118  disposed inside the aperture  110  to spread apart somewhat as they approach the surface  106  of the brush head  102 . The increasing cross-sectional area defined by the second portion  130  of the sidewall  112  also allows the bristles  118  disposed inside the aperture  110  to bend and flex during use before contacting the sidewall  112 . As the tufts  119 A and  119 B are moved along a surface to be cleaned or otherwise engaged by the tufts, they may sway or otherwise deflect within the deflection area  134  of their respective bristle apertures  110 . Inside the deflection area  134  of the bristle aperture  110  there are no surfaces about which the bristles  118  may be bent. 
     However, the second portion  130  of the sidewall  112  may provide a surface about which the bristles  118  may be bent if the tufts  119 A and  119 B are pressed by a sufficient amount of laterally directed force into contact with the second portion  130  of the sidewall  112 . The shape of the second portion  130  of the sidewall  112  may be determined at least in part by the bending tolerance of the bristles  118 . For example, the second portion  130  of the sidewall  112  may be contoured or otherwise configured to provide a surface against which the bristles  118  may be pressed having a large enough radius of curvature to prevent the bristles from failing, kinking, or otherwise deforming in an undesirable manner when pressed against the second portion  130  of the sidewall  112 . In other words, the second portion  130  of the sidewall  112  limits the bend radius of the bristles  118  and provides for a smooth bend curvature of the bristles along the second portion  130  of the sidewall  112  when bent into engagement therewith. Thus, the second portion  130  of the sidewall  112  induces a bend radius in the bristles  118  that is greater than their minimum bend radius preventing the bristles from being damaged by laterally directed forces applied to the bristles. 
     As is apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art, after the tufts  119 A and  119 B contact the second portion  130  of the sidewall  112 , the application of additional laterally directed force may bend a portion of the tufts  119 A and  119 B outside the bristle aperture  110  (not constrained by the second portion  130  of the sidewall  112 ) toward the surface  106 . Thus, during use, a portion of the tufts  119 A and  119 B inside the deflection area  134  of the bristle aperture  110  may bend without undesirable breakage or deformation before contacting the second portion  130  of the sidewall  112 . The second portion  130 , which includes the outer portion  150 , helps maintain a minimum bend radius in the bristles  118  to inhibit damage to the tufts  119 A and  119 B. 
     Optionally, and in the embodiment illustrated, a pair of opposing longitudinal cutouts or channels  160  and  162  may be formed in the sidewall  112 . As illustrated, the channels  160  and  162  may also extend into the lower portion  132  of the first portion  120  of the bristle aperture  110 . The channels  160  and  162  are configured to receive the edge portions of a staple  170  and guide the staple into the bristle aperture  110  toward the bottom surface  114 . In the embodiment depicted, the channels  160  and  162  are tapered and narrow as they approach the bottom surface  114 . In other words, the cross-sectional area of the channels  160  and  162  decreases as the channels extend from the surface  106  toward the bottom surface  114 . In this manner, the staple  170  may pass readily through portions of the channels  160  and  162  adjacent the surface  106  but become wedged and held by friction in portions of the channels  160  and  162  spaced from the surface  106 . During insertion into the channels  160  and  162 , the staple  172  may cut into a portion of the sidewalls of one or both of the channels and become embedded in the brush head  102 . 
     During assembly of the brush  100 , a middle portion  176  of the bristles  118  is forced into the bristle aperture  110  using any method known in the art. By way of a non-limiting example, the staple  170  may be used to force the middle portion  176  of the bristles  118  into the bristle aperture  110  using any method known in the art. Once inside the bristle aperture  110 , the bristles  118  are bent by the sidewall  112  to form a bent portion  178  flanked by a first end portion  180  and a second end portion  182 . The first end portion  180  extends outwardly and exits the bristle aperture  110  through a first portion  184  thereof. The second end portion  182  of the bent bristles  118  extends outwardly and exits the bristle aperture  110  through a second portion  186  thereof. 
     Alternatively, the channels  160  and  162  may be utilized by a bristle insertion tool (not shown) to insert the bristles  118  into the bristle apertures  110 . After or before insertion, an adhesive or epoxy may be inserted into the bristle aperture  110  to anchor the bristles  118  therein. 
       FIG. 6  provides an enlarged view of a section of the surface  106  including a portion of the bristle apertures  110  formed in the brush head  102 . In the embodiment illustrated, the first portion  140  of the bristle aperture  110  defined by the first portion  120  of the sidewall  112  has an elongated cross-sectional shape. As discussed above, the cross-sectional shape may comprise an ellipse, parabola, hyperbola, and the like. Alternatively, the cross-sectional shape may not be elongated. For example, the cross-sectional shape of the first portion  140  of the bristle aperture  110  may be circular, square, octagonal, hexagonal, and the like. 
     The first portion  140  of the bristle aperture  110  has a length “L 1 ” and a width “W 1 .” At its intersection with the surface  106 , the second portion  142  of the bristle aperture  110  has a length “L 2 ” and a width “W 2 .” Further, the inner most portion  152  of the outer portion  150  of the second portion  130  of the sidewall  112  defines a cross-sectional shape having a length “L 3 ” and a width “W 3 .” When the brush  100  is configured for use as a dental brush, the width “W 2 ” may be at least two to three times greater than width “W 1 .” 
     By way of a non-limiting example, the length “L 1 ” of the first portion  140  of the bristle aperture  110  may be about 0.030 inches to about 0.050 inches. In particular embodiments, the length “L 1 ” is about 0.040 inches. By way of a non-limiting example, the width “W 1 ” of the first portion  140  of the bristle aperture  110  may be about 0.016 inches to about 0.03 inches. In particular embodiments, the width “W 1 ” is about 0.023 inches. 
     At its intersection with the surface  106 , the length “L 2 ” of the second portion  142  of the bristle aperture  110  may be about 0.080 inches to about 1.000 inches. In particular embodiments, the length “L 2 ” is about 0.090 inches. By way of a non-limiting example, the width “W 2 ” of the second portion  142  of the bristle aperture  110  may be about 0.08 inches to about 0.10 inches. In particular embodiments, the width “W 2 ” is about 0.09 inches. 
     The length “L 3 ” of the innermost portion of the outer portion  150  of the second portion  130  of the sidewall  112  may be about 0.045 inches to about 0.065 inches. In particular embodiments, the length “L 3 ” is about 0.055 inches. By way of a non-limiting example, the width “W 3 ” of the inner most portion of the outer portion  150  may be about 0.060 inches to about 0.090 inches. In particular embodiments, the width “W 3 ” is about 0.075 inches. 
     The bristles  118  may be constructed using any suitable material, including materials resistant to bending such as super elastic memory wire, shape memory alloy, nitinol wire, and the like. The number of bristles  118  used to construct the tufts  119 A and  119 B may vary based on application. By way of a non-limiting example, between 8 and 24 bristles may be used. In the embodiment depicted, 16 bristles have been used to create each of the tufts  119 A and  119 B by folding the bristles back against themselves. Thus, each of the tufts  119 A and  119 B has 32 bristles extending outwardly from the bristle aperture  110 . 
     The brush head  102  and the handle  104  may be constructed using any suitable method and material known in the art, including plastic. For example, the handle  104  may be integrally formed with the adjacent generally solid brush head  102 . In an alternate embodiment, the handle  104  may be removably attached to the brush head  102 . One of ordinary skill of the art will appreciate that many methods for constructing brushes with handles and brush heads exist in the prior art and the manner of attachment or configuration of the handle  104  relative to the brush head  102  does not limit the invention. While the brush  100  is depicted as a dental brush, it is appreciated by those of ordinary skill in the art that through application of ordinary skill to the present teachings many other types of brushes such as hair brushes, cleaning brushes, and the like may be constructed and that such brushes are within the scope of the present teachings. 
     Returning to  FIGS. 4 and 5 , the staple  170  may be constructed using a single metal plate. The staple  170  may have a length “L 4 ,” a width “W 4 ,” and a height “H 1 .” In the embodiment illustrated, the length “L 4 ” of the staple  170  may be between about 0.01 inches and about 0.08 inches. The width “W 4 ” of the staple  170  may be between about 0.005 inches to about 0.020 inches. The height “H 1 ” of the staple  170  may be between about 0.04 inches and about 0.08 inches. In one exemplary embodiment, the length “L 4 ” is about 0.060 inches, the height “H 1 ” is about 0.060 inches, and the width “W 4 ” is about 0.010 inches. 
     In alternate embodiments (not depicted), the staple  170  may be omitted. Instead, any alternate fasteners known in the art may be used to non-removably fasten or anchor the bristles  118  within the bristle aperture  110 . Alternatively, adhesives, such as an epoxy, may be used to anchor the bristles  118  inside the bristle apertures  110 . 
     Referring to  FIG. 8 , optionally, the bristle apertures  110  may be at least partially filled with a filler material  200 , such as an elastomeric material, configured to provides support to the bristles  118 . By way of a non-limiting example, the deflection area  134  defined between the second portion  130  of the sidewall  112  and the bristles  118  may be filled with the filler material  200 . The filler material  200  is compressible by the bristles  118  as they deflect within the deflection area  134  during use. Suitable elastomeric materials include low durometer silicone configured to allow the bristles  118  to deflect and flex inside the bristle aperture  110 . The filler material  200  may be inserted into the bristle apertures  110  after the bristles  118  have been anchored therein. Optionally, the filler material  200  may extend from the bristle aperture  110  along at least a portion  204  of the bristles  118  located outside the bristle aperture  110  to provide reinforcement to the bristles and help prevent their premature breakage. 
     Optionally, the bristles  118  may be coated with nylon, an elastomeric material (such as low durometer silicone), and the like. For example, bristles constructed from shape memory alloy, super elastic memory wire, nitinol wire, and the like may be coated with nylon, an elastomeric material, and the like and used to construct the brush  100 . 
     The foregoing described embodiments depict different components contained within, or connected with, different other components. It is to be understood that such depicted architectures are merely exemplary, and that in fact many other architectures can be implemented which achieve the same functionality. In a conceptual sense, any arrangement of components to achieve the same functionality is effectively “associated” such that the desired functionality is achieved. Hence, any two components herein combined to achieve a particular functionality can be seen as “associated with” each other such that the desired functionality is achieved, irrespective of architectures or intermedial components. Likewise, any two components so associated can also be viewed as being “operably connected,” or “operably coupled,” to each other to achieve the desired functionality. 
     While particular embodiments of the present invention have been shown and described, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that, based upon the teachings herein, changes and modifications may be made without departing from this invention and its broader aspects and, therefore, the appended claims are to encompass within their scope all such changes and modifications as are within the true spirit and scope of this invention. Furthermore, it is to be understood that the invention is solely defined by the appended claims. It will be understood by those within the art that, in general, terms used herein, and especially in the appended claims (e.g., bodies of the appended claims) are generally intended as “open” terms (e.g., the term “including” should be interpreted as “including but not limited to,” the term “having” should be interpreted as “having at least,” the term “includes” should be interpreted as “includes but is not limited to,” etc.). It will be further understood by those within the art that if a specific number of an introduced claim recitation is intended, such an intent will be explicitly recited in the claim, and in the absence of such recitation no such intent is present. For example, as an aid to understanding, the following appended claims may contain usage of the introductory phrases “at least one” and “one or more” to introduce claim recitations. However, the use of such phrases should not be construed to imply that the introduction of a claim recitation by the indefinite articles “a” or “an” limits any particular claim containing such introduced claim recitation to inventions containing only one such recitation, even when the same claim includes the introductory phrases “one or more” or “at least one” and indefinite articles such as “a” or “an” (e.g., “a” and/or “an” should typically be interpreted to mean “at least one” or “one or more”); the same holds true for the use of definite articles used to introduce claim recitations. In addition, even if a specific number of an introduced claim recitation is explicitly recited, those skilled in the art will recognize that such recitation should typically be interpreted to mean at least the recited number (e.g., the bare recitation of “two recitations,” without other modifiers, typically means at least two recitations, or two or more recitations). 
     Accordingly, the invention is not limited except as by the appended claims.