U.S. patent application number 11/822898 was filed with the patent office on 2008-01-17 for method for manufacturing brushes and device applied thereby.
Invention is credited to Bart Gerard Boucherie.
Application Number | 20080012420 11/822898 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 37946492 |
Filed Date | 2008-01-17 |
United States Patent
Application |
20080012420 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Boucherie; Bart Gerard |
January 17, 2008 |
Method for manufacturing brushes and device applied thereby
Abstract
Method for manufacturing brushes includes providing fiber
bundles (4) in a support (2); moving the fiber bundles (4)
according to a desired profile until they protrude through openings
(21) in a holder (10) with one far end; and anchoring the fiber
bundles (4) in the holder (10), wherein moving the fiber bundles
(4) in the support (2) is carried out according to an intermediary
profile; the fiber bundles are shortened to a desired length; and
the fiber bundles (4) are moved further until they extend through
the openings (21) in the holder (10) according to the desired
profile.
Inventors: |
Boucherie; Bart Gerard;
(Izegem, BE) |
Correspondence
Address: |
BACON & THOMAS, PLLC
625 SLATERS LANE, FOURTH FLOOR
ALEXANDRIA
VA
22314
US
|
Family ID: |
37946492 |
Appl. No.: |
11/822898 |
Filed: |
July 11, 2007 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
300/4 ;
300/21 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A46B 3/06 20130101; A46D
3/045 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
300/4 ;
300/21 |
International
Class: |
A46D 3/04 20060101
A46D003/04 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Jul 12, 2006 |
BE |
2006/0382 |
Claims
1. Method for manufacturing brushes, including providing fiber
bundles in a support; moving the fiber bundles according to a
desired profile of the fiber bundles until they protrude through
openings in a brush body or a holder with one far end; and
anchoring the fiber bundles in the brush body or the holder;
comprising the steps moving the fiber bundles in the support
according to an intermediary profile; shortening at least one of
the fiber bundles to a desired length; and moving the fiber bundles
further until they have been provided through the openings in the
brush body or in the holder according to the desired profile and up
to a desired distance.
2. Method according to claim 1, wherein the fiber bundles are
shortened, after they have been arranged according to the
intermediary profile, by moving them with their far ends, with
which they must be provided in the brush body, up to a desired
distance out of the support and by cutting off the protruding part
of the far end of the fiber bundles.
3. Method according to claim 1, wherein the intermediary profile
and the desired profile are different.
4. Method according to claim 1, wherein the fiber bundles are
shortened before they are provided with their far ends in the brush
body or holder.
5. Method according to claim 1, wherein the fiber bundles in the
brush body or in the holder are anchored by making the far ends of
the fibers of the fiber bundles that are provided in the brush body
or the holder melt together.
6. Device for manufacturing brushes, comprising a support in which
are provided openings for fiber bundles; a transmission arrangement
comprising means pens which enable movement of fiber bundles
through the openings in the support; means for enabling shortening
of the fiber bundles; and wherein said pens are arranged to be
moveable in axial translation.
7. Device for manufacturing brushes, comprising a support in which
are provided openings for fiber bundles, a transmission arrangement
comprising pens that enable movement of fiber bundles through the
openings in the support and means enabling shortening of fiber
bundles, wherein the pens comprise two different sets of pens that
are positioned according to a different profile at their free far
ends.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0001] 1. Field of the Invention
[0002] The present invention concerns a method for manufacturing
brushes.
[0003] When manufacturing brushes, it is known to provide fiber
bundles in holes or openings in brush bodies or in a part of brush
bodies, after which the fibers are joined together at the far ends
provided in the openings.
[0004] The fibers are provided in the openings by means of a
support with passages that are mutually arranged according to a
certain pattern, whereby fiber bundles can be provided in these
passages that are to be placed in a brush body.
[0005] 2. Discussion of the Related Art
[0006] According to a known method for manufacturing brushes, fiber
bundles are laterally separated from at least one amount of loose
fibers, after which the fiber bundles are provided step by step in
the above-mentioned support in a mechanical manner.
[0007] Next, the fiber bundles are moved in the support by means of
pens, until they protrude through the openings in the brush body
with one far end, after which the fibers are heated at said far
ends until they melt together and are thus anchored in the brush
body.
[0008] According to an alternative method, which is described in EP
0.972.465, use is made of a holder in which are provided openings
or holes. In this case, the fiber bundles are pushed out of the
support by means of pens until they are positioned through the
openings in the holder with one of their far ends, after which
these far ends of the fiber bundles are melted together and after
which the holder is fixed in or to a brush body.
[0009] Although the above-described methods make it possible to
manufacture brushes in an efficient manner, problems arise when
manufacturing brushes in which the different fiber bundles vary in
thickness, in material choice or the like. Indeed, when melting
together the far ends of the fiber bundles that are provided
through the openings in a brush body or a holder, a melting layer
is created which, after it has solidified, anchors the fiber
bundles.
[0010] In the case whereby the number of fibers that are provided
through the different openings in the brush body or in the holder
varies, or in the case whereby some of the fiber bundles protrude
further through the openings with their aforesaid far ends than
others, it may be harder to melt the fiber bundles, such that
smaller fiber bundles, whose far ends do not protrude far through
the openings in the brush body or in the holder, will not melt
sufficiently, as a result of which these fiber bundles are not
sufficiently anchored.
[0011] In order to solve this problem, it is known to prolong the
contact between a hot stamp and the far ends of the fiber bundles
or to develop a stamp whose shape corresponds exactly to the
profile of the far ends of the fibers protruding through the
openings in the holder of the brush body.
[0012] Prolonging the contact time between the stamp and the fiber
bundles is particularly disadvantageous to the production capacity,
whereas developing stamps with an exact profile is expensive and
disadvantageous to the flexibility of the method, since a separate
stamp must be made for each type of brush in this case.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0013] The present invention aims to remedy the above-mentioned and
other disadvantages.
[0014] To this end, the invention concerns a method for
manufacturing brushes which consists in providing fiber bundles in
a support; in moving the fiber bundles according to a desired fiber
bundle profile until they protrude with one far end through
openings in a brush body or a holder; and in anchoring the fiber
bundles in the brush body or the holder, whereby the method
comprises the following additional operating steps: moving the
fiber bundles in the support according to an intermediary profile;
shortening at least one of the fiber bundles to a desired length;
and moving the fiber bundles further until they have been provided
through the openings in the brush body or in the holder according
to the desired profile and up to a desired distance.
[0015] The present invention is advantageous in that the fiber
bundles are cut at length as a function of their desired profile,
according to which they have to be anchored in the holder or in the
brush body, and as a function of their composition, such that, when
melting the far ends of the fiber bundles, there is always an
appropriate amount of fiber material in order to obtain a good
melting of the far ends, such that the anchoring of the fibers in
the brush body or in the holder is always of good quality.
[0016] The present invention also concerns a device for
manufacturing brushes with a method according to the invention,
which device comprises at least a support in which are provided
openings for fiber bundles, as well as transmission means
comprising pens which make it possible to move fiber bundles
through the openings in the support, whereby this device further
comprises means which make it possible to shorten fiber bundles and
whereby the above-mentioned pens can be mutually moved according to
an axial translation.
[0017] According to an equivalent variant, the device comprises at
least a support in which are provided openings for fiber bundles,
as well as transmission means comprising pens which make it
possible to move fiber bundles through the openings in the support,
whereby the device further comprises means which make it possible
to shorten fiber bundles, whereby the device comprises two
different sets of pens, and whereby the pens are positioned
according to a different profile with their free far ends.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0018] In order to better explain the characteristics of the
present invention, the following preferred method according to the
invention for manufacturing brushes is given as an example only
without being limitative in any way, with reference to the
accompanying drawings, in which:
[0019] FIG. 1 schematically represents a method for manufacturing
brushes;
[0020] FIGS. 2 to 6 represent different operational steps, applied
in a method according to the invention, in greater detail.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
[0021] FIG. 1 schematically represents a method for manufacturing
brushes whereby, for the supply of fibers, use is made of a device
1 with at least one support 2 which is provided with openings 3
which are mutually arranged according to a specific pattern,
whereby fiber bundles 4 can be collected in this support 2 that
need to be provided in a brush body 5.
[0022] This method further mainly consists of the combination of at
least four operational steps, a first step 6 in which the fiber
bundles 4 are separated from at least one amount of loose fibers 7;
a second step 8 which consists in filling the support 2 with fiber
bundles 4; a third step 9 which consists in transmitting the fiber
bundles 4 provided in said support to a holder 10 by means of the
support 2; and a fourth step respectively, in which the fiber
bundles 4 are fixed in the brush body 5 or a part thereof by means
of the holder 10.
[0023] Separating the fiber bundles 4 from an amount of loose
fibers 7 and filling the support 2 with fiber bundles 4 is
generally known in the field of the invention and is not treated in
any further detail here.
[0024] FIGS. 2 to 6 represent a part of the device 1 in greater
detail which makes it possible to transfer the fiber bundles 4 to
the holder 10.
[0025] In this case, this part of the device 1 contains the
above-mentioned support 2 and the transmission means 11.
[0026] The support 2 is preferably composed of an actual support 12
and a guiding plate 13 for fibers.
[0027] The guiding plate 13 for fibers is provided with openings 14
which are arranged according to a pattern on one side which
corresponds to the pattern of the openings 3 in the actual support
12, whereas the same openings are arranged according to a pattern
on the other side of the guiding plate 13 which corresponds to the
pattern in which the fiber bundles 4 must be fixed in the brush
body 5.
[0028] The transmission means 11 in this case consist of a base 15
and a guiding plate 16 in which are provided different passages 17,
18 which are arranged according to a pattern that corresponds to
the openings 3 in the actual support 2.
[0029] In each of the passages 17 in the base is provided a pen 19
which can be axially moved in the passage 18 concerned of the
guiding plate 16.
[0030] According to the invention, at least one of the
above-mentioned pens 19 can be moved in the base according to an
axial translation, or at least one of the pens 19 has a variable
length, and the device comprises means which are not represented in
the figures which make it possible to accurately check the position
of the pens 19.
[0031] As is represented in FIG. 3, the aforesaid part of the
device preferably contains a knife 20 which, when operational, can
move over the side wall of the guiding plate 13 for fibers that is
directed away from the actual support, as well as means which make
it possible to make the material out of which the fibers are made
melt.
[0032] In this case, these heating means consist of a stamp 22 in a
heat-conducting material which is electrically heated.
[0033] According to the invention, when transferring the fiber
bundles from the support 2 to the holder 10 or the brush body 5,
the following operational steps are taken.
[0034] First, as is represented in FIG. 2, the guiding plate 13 for
fibers is placed against the actual support 12 filled with fiber
bundles 4, while the pens 19 are being positioned according to a
desired intermediary profile.
[0035] By the term profile is meant here the mutual position of the
fiber bundles in an axial direction, whereby the desired profile is
the position of the fiber bundles 4 after they have been fixed in
the holder of the brush body 5.
[0036] The intermediary profile and the desired profile are
preferably different.
[0037] This intermediary profile depends on the desired profile in
which the fiber bundles 4 must be provided in the brush body 5, and
it is designed to obtain a relatively uniform distribution of fiber
material on the side of the holder 10 or the brush body 5 where the
far ends of the fiber bundles are melted so as to anchor the fiber
bundles 4 in the holder 10 or the brush body 5.
[0038] From what precedes follows that, when two fiber bundles with
a different number of fibers and the same length must be provided
in the brush body, the intermediary profile is such that the fiber
bundle with the largest number of fibers will be pushed further out
of the support 2 in case the pens 19 have an intermediary
profile.
[0039] Secondly, the far ends of the fiber bundles 4 protruding
from the guiding plate 13 of the support 2 are cut by means of the
knife 20.
[0040] After the far ends of one or several of the fiber bundles 4
have been cut, as represented in FIG. 4, the holder 10 is
positioned against the guiding plate 13 for fibers, whereby the
openings 14 in the guiding plate 13 are situated opposite openings
21 in the holder 10.
[0041] Next, one or several of the pens 19 are axially moved in
relation to each other in the base 15, until these pens 19 are
situated in the desired profile in which the fiber bundles 4 must
be provided in the brush body 5, after which the basis 15 of the
transmission means 11 is moved over a certain distance towards the
support 2, such that the fiber bundles 4 are pushed over a desired
distance through the openings 21 in the holder 10.
[0042] As is represented in FIG. 5, the far ends of the fiber
bundles 4, which protrude through the openings 21 in the holder 10,
are heated by means of the stamp 22 or the like, such that the
above-mentioned far ends melt together and thus, after having
solidified again, form an anchoring for the fiber bundles 4.
[0043] In a final operating step, the holder 10 can be fixed in the
known manner in the brush body or in a part thereof.
[0044] It is clear that the far ends of the fibers must not
necessarily be cut off on one side of the guiding plate 13 for
fibers, but that they can just as well be cut off on the surface of
the actual support 12 against which the guiding plate 13 for fibers
is provided, or that the shortening can take place when the fiber
bundles 4 have been provided in the holder 10 according to the
intermediary profile.
[0045] It should be noted that the fibers must not necessarily be
anchored in a holder 10 either, but that they can be anchored just
as well directly in the brush body 5.
[0046] Finally, it should be noted that, in order to move the fiber
bundles 4 according to the intermediary profile and the desired
profile, it is not strictly necessary to use transmission means
with pens 19 that move according to an axial translation, but that
it is also possible to use two sets of pens 19, namely one in which
the free far ends of the pens 19 are mutually positioned in
correspondence with the intermediary profile and one in which the
free far ends of the pens 19 are positioned in correspondence with
the desired profile.
[0047] The present invention is by no means limited to the method
described above and represented in the accompanying drawings; on
the contrary, such a method according to the invention for
manufacturing brushes can be made according to different variants
while still remaining within the scope of the invention.
* * * * *