Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
2~.284"~~~
Titles "DEVICE FOR SELECTIVE SEPARATION OF TOOTHBRUSH
BRISTLES AND DEVICE FOR SELECTIVE CUTTING OF TOOTHBRUSH
BRISTLES"
This invention refers to a device for
selective separation of toothbrush bristles, which
allows toothbrush bristles to be cut according ~to
different lengths and profiles in different selected
. areas, and which comprises a base with fixation means
for a toothbrush and a support assembled over the base.
In a second aspect, this invention is translated into a
device for selective cutting of toothbrush bristles
including the device for selective separation of
bristles.
A layout today frequently found in
toothbrushes is that in which the toothbrush bristles
have different lengths, some of them longer and other
shorter, having for objective to provide an efficient
and healthy cleaning of the user's teeth.
Document EP 0.458.99 discloses a device to
cut toothbrush bristles into different sizes in
different selected areas, comprising a support to fix
the toothbrush head and at least a protecting plate
associated to a determined area of the toothbrush
bristles and mobile between a resting position far from
the head and the bristles end, and an active position,
near to the head. The protecting plate is provided with
board means to couple the bristle ends in the selected
area and to provide a radial component of movement to
the coupled bristle ends, folding the corresponding
bristles to far from the bristles located outside the
selected area, through the movement of said board in
axial direction, from upward to downward, from a
resting position to an active position.
This device is applicable in the separation
of bristles of toothbrushes having any head shape
whatsoever. However, for such purpose, the protecting
plates should have different shapes, each of them being
specifically applicable to a cutting standard to be
effected in a determined toothbrush head shape.
Additionally, depending on the desired cutting standard
and the toothbrush head shape, the plates may have a
quite complex configuration, it being difficult to
~hodel them and thus requiring high manufacturing costs.
Another provision usually employed for the
selective cutting of toothbrush bristles comprises a
base with fixation means for a toothbrush and a mobile
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support over the base, the support comprising also a
pair of stems which are fixedly assembled in the
support and which advance in perpendicular direction
towards the toothbrush bristles when the support is
moved over the base.
This device has the disadvantage that the
stems are able to separate only bristle tufts which are
aligned in a parallel line to the toothbrush
longitudinal axle. F~articularly in the case of the
toothbrush with triangular head or snake head, the
bristle tufts are irregularly cut, once the tufts are
not provided an a parallel line to the toothbrush
longitudinal axle.
The objective hereof is that of providing a
device for selective separation of toothbrush bristles,
able to accurately separate a group of bristles which
are in a determined and selected area from those which
are outsic7e the selected area, thus allowing the
toothbrush bristles to be cut into different lengths
and profiles in the different selected areas.
Another objective hereof is that of providing
a device for the selective cutting of toothbrush
bristles including a device for the selective
separation of bristles.
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A broad aspect of the invention provides a device
for selective separation of toothbrush bristles, comprising
a base with fixation means for a toothbrush having bristles,
and a support assembled over the base, characterized by the
fact that: the support comprises a pair of symmetrically
pivoting stems over a first geometric plane, the support
being displaceable over a portion of the base along a
geometric axis that is parallel to said first geometric
plane, from a resting position to a position of contact
between the stems and said bristles; and a cam means
cooperating with the respective portions of the stems,
during at least part of said displacement of the support
over the base, in order to cause the symmetrically pivoting
movement of the stems.
Thus, according to a preferred concretization, the
device for selective separation of toothbrush bristles
comprises a support that is mobile over a base, from the
resting position to the contact position of the stems with
the bristles or cutting position, along at least a guide pin
fixedly assembled over the base, with at least one spring
provided between the base and the support.
Each pivoting stem comprises a contact roller
which is contact with the cam means, and one of the stem
ends has the function of acting over the bristles of the
toothbrush that is fixed on the base fixation means. The
cam means is configurated in a plate with a determined
shape, which plate is fixedly assembled over the base. In a
preferred concretization of this invention, the cam means is
of a substantial lozenge shape, being appropriate for
selective separation of a triangle head toothbrush bristles.
Yet, between each stem and the support is a spring having
the function of keeping the stem rollers in contact with the
contour of the means of cam.
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Preferably, the pivoting stems are of prismatic
shape. In another concretization, each of the stems
comprises two flat and elongated portions disposed in right
angle between them. Yet in another concretization, the
5 stems surface being responsible for the bristles
displacement is in a substantially curve form.
In another broad aspect of this invention, there
is provided a device for the selective cutting of toothbrush
bristles, comprising one base with fixation means for a
toothbrush having bristles, a support assembled over the
base and a bristles cutting roller, characterized by the
fact that: the support comprises a pair of symmetrically
pivoting stems over a first geometric plane, the support
being displaceable over a portion of the base along a
geometric axis that is parallel to the first geometric
plane, from a resting position to a position of contact
between the stems and said bristles; and a cam means
cooperating with the respective portions of the stems,
during at least part of said displacement of the support
over the base, in order to cause the symmetrically pivoting
movement of the stems.
The invention is following described in detail,
with basis on an example of non-limitating execution as
shown in the drawings. Figures show:
FIGURE 1 - an upper plan view of the device for
selective cutting of toothbrush bristles in the resting
position, with a triangle or snake head toothbrush fixed to
the device base;
FIGURE 2 - an upper plan view of the device shown
in Figure 1 in the contact position of the stems with the
bristles or cutting position;
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FIGURE 3 - a side view of the device shown in
Figure l;
FIGURE 4 - an upper plan view of the base of the
device shown in Figure 1;
FIGURE 5 - a bottom plan view of the support of
the device shown in Figure l;
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FIGURE 6 - a perspective view of a second
concretization for the separating pivoting stems of the
device shown in Figure 1;
FIGURE 7 - a front view of the toothbrush
head having the outside bristles already separated from
the central bristles for further cutting of the latter;
FIGURE 8 - a front view of the toothbrush
head having the central bristles already separated from
the outside bristles through separating stems of the
type shown in Figure 6, for further cutting of the
outside bristles.
According to a preferred concretization of
this invention, the device for selective cutting of
toothbrush bristles comprises a base 1 with fixation
means 2 for a toothbrush head 3 having bristles 20
which are vertically projected from their surface, and
a mobile support 6 over the base 1 and from a resting
position to a cutting position.
As better shown in Figure 4, base 1 comprises
one means of cam 4 composed of a lowering of
appropriate shape configurated in a plate fixed to base
1 through screws 5.
Support 6 comprises a pair of stems with
prismatic shape 7, which are pivotedly assembled in
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support 6 through joints 8. As it can be seen in Figure
5, in one end of each stem 7 is a roller 9 which is
linked to support 6 through a spring l0. Thus, as
better shown in Figure 3, when the support 5 is
assembled over base 1, rollers 9 of stems 7 are
provided in the interior of cam means 4, springs to
having the function of keeping rollers 9 in permanent
contact with the contours of cam means 4. Thus, when
support 6 advances towards base 1, from the resting
position to the cutting position, stems 7 are provided
with a relative movement of opening and closing,
similar to the movement of scissor blades, with their
most extreme portions being close or far one from the
other according to the shape of the contour of the
cam means 4.
Stems 7 are symmetrically pivoting over a
first geometric plane, with support 6 being mobile over
base 1, from the resting position to the cutting
position, along a geometric axis that is parallel to
2o this first geometric plane. Thus, the first geometric
plane, over which stems 7 are symmetrically pivoting
during the advance of support 6 over base 1, is
perpendicular to bristles 20 of toothbrush 3 that is
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attached to fixation means 2, as it can be observed in
Figures 1 and 2.
Thus, upon advancing over the bristles, stems
7 accurately and progressively separate one selected
portion of the toothbrush bristles, according to the
contours of the means of cam 4, pushing the bristles
which are in the selected area away from those which
are outside the selected area.
As it can be better seen in Figures 2 and 3,
base 1 is provided also with a plate 11 fixed by screws
18 in the opposed end to that end which comprises the
fixation means 2 for toothbrush. Plate 11 is provided
with a pair of guide pins 12 spaced between them, which
are disposed on both sides of base 1 and which cross
the support ~ through the corresponding holes, and are
intruded in a pair of holes provided on the other end
of base 1. Thus, as it can be seen in Figural 1 and 2,
support ~ is mobile over base 1, from the resting
position to the position of contact of stems 7 with
~ bristles 20 or cutting position, through guide pins 12.
Plate 11 is also provided with screws 13,' and
in each of them the end of a spring 14 is attached. The
other end of each of the springs 14 is attached to a
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screw IS provided on the end of projecting plates 16
fixed through screws on each side of support 6.
In a realization of this invention, base 1 is
fixed on a working station wherein, for example, a
5 pneumatically driven acting element (not shown) runs
perpendicularly to the geometric axis of diplacement of
support 6. The acting element has a cant shape and is
in contact with a roller 17 provided on the back
portion of support 6. Thus, when the acting element
10 begins to move, support 6 is progressively displaced
from the resting position to the cutting position, as
schematically shown in Figures 1 and 2.
As already mentioned, upon displacing over
base 1 pivoting stems 7 of support 6 are displaced in
perpendicular manner to the toothbrush bristles,
describing a syaunetrically pivoting movement such as
defined by cam means 4, while rollers 9 of stems 7
advance through the contours of cam means 4. Thus, upon
advancing among the toothbrush head bristles, the stems
separate a selected group of bristles, providing them
with a side inclination in relation to the flat face of
the toothbrush head, in a way to push them away from
those bristles which are in the cutting area.
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As shown in Figure 4, cam means 4 has a
substantial lozenge shape, so that the device shown is
particularly appropriate for the selective separation
of bristles in triangle head toothbrushes.
After the support reaches its maximum advance
position, that is, after reaching its cutting position,
in which all bristles in the selected area have already
been pushed away from the other bristles, a bristles
cutting roller (not shown) enters into contact with
bristles outside the selected area, cutting them into a
determined length and profile. After cutting, the
driving member of support 6 pneumatically returns to
its initial position, progressively releasing support 6
that returns to its resting position through the action
of springs 14.
The above mentioned cutting rollers is widely
known by those acquainted with the technique, not being
thus shown in the annexed drawings.
Simultaneously With the return of support 6
to its resting position, the pivoting stems 7 start to
release the toothbrush bristles which were in the
selected area, in such a way that these retake their
initial vertical position. However, it is possible that
some of these bristles do not return to the vertical
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position. In these cases, a comb-type device may be
used to bring them to their original position, which
device is also widely known to those acquainted with
the technique, not being thus shown in the annexed
drawings.
In another realization of the invention, base
1 is mobile over the rolling track (not shown) in a
perpendicular direction to the geometric axle of
. displacement of support 6. In this realization, the
acting element comprises a fixed plate (not shown ,
having a boss or protuberance that is responsible for
the displacement of support ~ over base 1 while support
6 roller 17 accompanies the profile of said plate.
As shown in the Figures, the device of this
la invention may be used to separate more peripheral
bristles from bristles comprising a triangle head
toothbrush 3. Thus, for example, upon advancing towards
the toothbrush bristles, the pivoting stems 7 separate
the peripheral bristles from the central ones,
providing the peripheral bristles with a radial
movement,'pushing them away from more central bristles.
In this case, after the cutting the bristles
show a configuration in which the more peripheral
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bristles are than the central ones, as schematically
shown in Figure 7.
In another concretization, the device of this
invention may be applied to allow only the cutting of
more peripheral bristles. In this case, stems with
prismatic section are replaced by stems which comprise
two flat and elongated portions provided in a right
angle between them. Figure 6 schematically shows a pair
of stems of this type. These stems forming a right
angle are overlaped when in operation, in such a way
that when the device reaches its cutting position, the
most central bristles of the toothbrush are insulated
from the most peripheral bristles, thus allowing that
only these most peripheral bristles are cut by the
cutting roller, as schematically shown in Figure 8.
It must be observed that the device of this
invention may be used to separate bristles of
tomthbrushes with different head shapes, as well as it
can be used to separate different groups of bristles
among the bristles comprising the toothbrush, it being
enough for this purpose to vary the configuration of
the cam means 4 provided in base 7. and the shape of
pivoting stems '7. Thus, for eacaanple, in case a cam
means having a contour defined by parallel side walls
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were used, parallel groups of bristles might be
separated in the toothbrush.
In another concretization, cam 4 might
consist of a protuberance in base 1, against which
salient wall rollers 9 of stems 7 would be forced, for
example by means of a sole spring provided between
pivoting stems 7. Further, the rollers might be
replaced by dry ends, that is, "followers" which would
_ accompany the cam walls.
It shall be readily understood that the
device for selective cutting of toothbrush bristles, as
shown in the drawings, only exemplifies the invention
in its presently preferred form, wherein the scope of
protection of this invention should be limited only by
the terms of the attached claims.
