FIELD OF INVENTION [001] The present invention relates to a process of preparation of natural fiber toothbrush bristles and a toothbrush obtained from Biological waste. Particularly, the present invention relates to the process of preparation of natural fiber toothbrush bristles from plant waste and a toothbrush obtained therefrom.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[002] Toothbrushes are important for us to use and they are a tool that every dentist across the world recommends using every day. By using toothbrushes, we are able to maintain our tooth and gum health. Therefore, with the improvement in the living standard of the world and growing awareness about the oral health diseases, brushing teeth everyday has become an essential daily habit. Various health campaigns by different health organizations have led to the boost in usage of toothbrushes worldwide.

[003] Every year, billions of these conventional toothbrushes are thrown away without even a single thought and most definitely not even considering where they go when they depart with the trash. Toothbrushes are most commonly made of plastics such as polyethylene and polypropylene which cannot be recycled. Further, if they are even recyclable, they take several years to decompose and even then, they would result in microplastics polluting the earth, water, and being devoured by wildlife or marine life.

[004] Further these microplastics are affecting human life largely as huge amount of these minuscule plastic particles have contaminated sea salt around the world and are entering our food chain through it. Adding to our woes plastic toothbrushes also contain phthalates which have been linked to a number of unpleasant health issues and are definitely best avoided.

[005] In addition to this, when these plastic toothbrushes are manufactured, the raw ingredients are derived from rubber and crude oil thereby releasing a lot of chemical gases into the environment during the whole process. But there is another eco-friendly, natural, sustainable toothbrush made from bamboo and natural beechwood and with bristles made from castor oil and nylon bristles. Even though the body of the ecofriendly toothbrush is made out of biodegradable material. The bristles are still made from nylon and if they are not disposed properly, it can still contribute towards the plastic and microplastic pollution. Although nylon disintegrates on exposure to UV rays. However, it remains as pollutant if it is disposed in waterbodies.

[006] CN 111227496 a Chinese prior art document discloses an environment-friendly all bamboo toothbrush with replaceable bristles and a manufacturing method thereof, wherein fresh bamboo is subjected to heat treatment with high-temperature steam at 190 °C for 20- 80 min, so that thin-wall tissues are removed, and bamboo fiber bundles are left as bristles. After fresh bamboo is processed into bamboo strips, the bamboo strips are subjected to heat treatment at 120-180 °C, the humidity is higher than 80% during the heat treatment, and then the ends of the bamboo strips are bent. The replaceable bristles are clamped at the bent part to serve as a brush head, and the stainless steel wire ring or the stainless steel sheet ring is fastened with the brush handle, so that the environment-friendly all-bamboo toothbrush is obtained. However, the said prior art discloses complex steps for the manufacturing and production of the toothbrush. The cited prior art document discloses that the entire toothbrush including bristle is made of bamboo. It further discloses that the bamboo bristle is made by bending and removing parenchymal tissue but how the method for removal of parenchymal tissue is not disclosed. Moreover, attaining the fibrous material from bamboo does not ensure that the bristle achieved are comfortable for human use. And its fails to disclose the method to achieve a suitable softness /stiffness as that of a natural fiber because the bristle of the cited prior art are made from bamboo fiber bundle and bamboo fibers are sharp in nature.

[007] In view of the above problem there is a need for an economical method for the manufacturing of the eco-friendly bamboo toothbrush while also reducing the pollution caused due to production of conventional toothbrushes. Further, an alternate other than bamboo bristle to suit human needs for comfortable brushing experience is also needed as the bamboo fibers are known for their sharpness and very likely, unsuitable for soft tissue like gums of our teeth.

OBJECTIVES OF THE INVENTION

[008] A primary objective of the present invention is to prepare a plant based natural fiber toothbrush.

[009] Another objective of the present invention is to prepare bristles of the toothbrush from the areca nuts.

[0010] Another objective of the present invention is to manufacture a product i.e. a toothbrush from the waste such as areca nut husk which is a waste product obtained from areca nut.

[0011] Yet another objective of the present invention is to provide an economical method for manufacturing the eco-friendly toothbrush to reduce environmental pollution.

[0012] Other objectives and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein, by way of illustration and example, the aspects of the present invention are disclosed. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0013] The present invention will be better understood after reading the following detailed description of the presently preferred aspects thereof with reference to the appended drawings, in which the features, other aspects and advantages of certain exemplary embodiments of the invention will be more apparent from the accompanying drawing in which: [0014] Figure 1 and 2 illustrate the front and side view of the frame of toothbrush of the present invention.

[0015] Figure 3 illustrates a rectangular cavity engraved on the back frame of the toothbrush.

[0016] Figure 4 illustrates carving of the front frame of the toothbrush.

[0017] Figure 5 illustrates the arrangement of holes on the front frame of the toothbrush. [0018] Figure 6 illustrates the positioning of the holes the front frame of the toothbrush.

[0019] Figure 7, 8 and 9 illustrate the insertion of the bristle in the front frame of the toothbrush. [0020] Figure 10 illustrates back view of the front frame after insertion of the bristle.

[0021] Figure 11 and 12 illustrate the joining of the front and back frame.

[0022] Figure 12 illustrates the combined components of toothbrush. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0023] The present invention relates to a process of preparation of natural fiber toothbrush bristles and a toothbrush obtained therefrom. The present invention provides a plant based natural fiber toothbrush comprising a frame and bristle. Further, the frame of the toothbrush is divided in two parts i.e., front frame and back frame obtained from the grinding process. The frames are processed from a bamboo stick. Further, the front frame includes holes for insertion of the bristles and the back frame includes cavity for encasing the front frame. The bristles are stretched through the holes drilled in the front frame and secured through a knot. The fiber used for the preparation of the bristles are of natural plant base i.e., from areca nuts and hence cannot be constructed in similar way to conventional plastics nylon brush. The preparation of the toothbrush is further discussed in detail embodiments below.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0024] The following detailed description and embodiments set forth herein below are merely exemplary out of the wide variety and arrangement of instructions which can be employed with the present invention. The present invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the spirit or essential characteristics thereof. All the features disclosed in this specification may be replaced by similar other or alternative features performing similar or same or equivalent purposes. Thus, unless expressly stated otherwise, they all are within the scope of the present invention.

[0025] Accordingly, those of ordinary skill in the art will recognize that various changes and modifications of the embodiments described herein can be made without departing from the scope of the invention. In addition, descriptions of well-known functions and constructions are omitted for clarity and conciseness. [0026] The terms and words used in the following description and claims are not limited to the bibliographical meanings but are merely used to enable a clear and consistent understanding of the invention. Accordingly, it should be apparent to those skilled in the art that the following description of exemplary embodiments of the present invention are provided for illustration purpose only and not for the purpose of limiting the invention.

[0027] It is to be understood that the singular forms “a”, “an” and “the” include plural referents unless the context clearly dictates otherwise.

[0028] It should be emphasized that the term “comprises/comprising” when used in this specification is taken to specify the presence of stated features, integers, steps, or components but does not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, components, or groups thereof.

[0029] In the present invention, the bristle is made of the areca nut husk and the remaining body of the toothbrush is made out of bamboo. The process used to fix the areca nut fibers such as bristle on a bamboo requires distinct steps:

• firstly, the brush has to be made in two separate part only to be joined later;

• secondly, manufacturing the bristle by fermenting the areca nut husk; and

• thirdly, processing the areca nut husk further to develop suitable characteristics of bristle that ensure a comfortable brushing experience.

The said functions of the present invention are discussed in detail below.

[0030] The present invention relates to a plant based natural fiber toothbrush comprising a frame and bristle. As per an embodiment the frame of the toothbrush is divided in two parts as illustrated in Figures 1 and 2. The two parts includes front frame (101) and back frame (102) obtained from the grinding process. Further, the front frame (101) includes holes for insertion of the bristles and the back frame (102) includes cavity (109) for encasing the front frame (101). The bristles (103) are also stretched through the holes drilled in the front frame (101) and secured through the knot. The frames are further combined to from a single structure and grinded to provide a shape of the toothbrush. The fiber used for the bristles (103) are prepared from outer fibrous shell of fermented areca nut and hence cannot be constructed in similar way to conventional plastics nylon brush. The natural fiber has non- uniform thickness and stiffness that would require human judgement as well as well as different construction method which is discussed below in detail.

[0031] The present invention relates to the preparation of the bristle from the areca nuts wherein the bristle of the brush is made out of husk/shell of fermented areca nuts only. The fermentation of areca nut is done by digging a soil pit of at least 2.5 feet and placing the areca nut in it. Further, the soil pit is layered with areca leaf and covered with soil to provide an airtight covering. This airtight covering provides shed from water during rain and prevents its entrance. The soil pit is left untouched for at least three to four months for fermenting the husk. This process of fermentation helps in improving the husk softness thereby making it more suitable for toothbrush bristle for human use.

[0032] Further, the process for the fermentation is complete is when the orange or green color of the husk turns into dark brown in color and the husk is easily separable. The separation of the shell from the hard nut includes:

• trimming off the top edge and then peeling the shell away;

• rolling a heavy weight of about a 1000-1500 kilogram or more over the husk/shell for about 50-100 cycle at least.

[0033] In the above mentioned process, the heavy weight may be a heavy vehicle, roller or any other machine having the ability to provide the required pressure and weight for rolling the husk. Further the cycle for rolling may have to increase or decrease depending on the husk’s rigidness. Further, this process removes the non-fibrous material from the husk and also straightens the fibers for use as bristle. Also, some of the thick fibrous rigid fiber splits up due to the pressure applied during the rolling giving them a desired result of non-sharp edges. Any broken or lose fibers also get detached from the husk. Subsequently the husk is now washed to remove any dirt or debris. Furthermore, a fine comb is utilized to stroke the husk along the fibers. This process cleans the husk/shell and removes further loosened fibers along with the non- fibrous material. At last, the husk is dried under sun to a normal condition and then kept in a well-ventilated space. The humidity does not affect the properties of the husk and the dryness in the husk is maintained. The stiffness/softness of the bristle can be varied using different composition of areca nut fibers. The challenges of using natural fiber are due to the non-homogenous nature of fibers. The fibers of areca nut are composed of varying thickness and stiffness. It was observed that the outer most shell of areca nut contain softer-thinner fibers and as we move further inside, the fibers are thick and stiff.

[0034] In an embodiment, the body of the brush is prepared from Bamboo wood so that the product becomes biodegradable and environment friendly. Further, bamboo is also readily available resource. It is preferable to use a matured seasoned bamboo of thickness more than 20 mm having an outer diameter of more than 70 mm. The outer shell of the green bamboo is being removed and split into at least 6 to 8 pieces which are further cut into a length of at least 25-30 cm. For preserving the bamboo, a method including boiling the bamboo in water is utilized. They are completely submerged in water for about 15 minute and the air drying is utilized for completely removing the moisture content.

[0035] As illustrated in Figure 3, preferably a rectangular cavity (109) of at least 1-1.5 mm depth, breadth of at least 10 mm and length of at least 25 mm is excavated in the back frame (102). This cavity (109) is made to provide room for the bristle ends which will be fixed in the front frame (101). Further, the front frame (101) of the brush is trimmed to have a profile as shown in the Figure 4.

[0036] As illustrated in Figure 4, the bamboo of the front frame (101) is carved to achieve preferably 2 mm thickness for drilling the holes for insertion of the bristles (103). The holes are drilled along the central axis (104) and adjacent axis (105) on the front frame (101). In an exemplary embodiment Figure 5 illustrates that each hole of at least 1-1.5 mm in diameter is drilled in the front frame (101). The arrangement of hole includes at least 6 holes on the central axis (104) and 5 holes on the adjacent axis (105).

[0037] Further for utilizing the fibers obtained from the areca nuts into the toothbrush bristle (103), a technique is applied on the arrangement of bristle (103) rather than altering the physical properties of the fibers. The holes are named as circumference hole (106) and central hole (107) based on their position, as shown in the Figure 6.

[0038] As illustrated in Figures 7 and 8, the thick-stiff fiber from the areca nut husk is put in the aforesaid holes of the front frame (101) utilizing a loop method. The steps for encasing the bristle into the hole includes:

• winding a thin strong wire (108) in between the folded bristle to form a loop;

• twisting or braiding the wires (108) along the edges to form a single strong wire ;

• passing the twisted edges of the wire through the holes of the front frame (101) and securing them with a knot;

• securing the ends of all the adjacent loops using a thin metal wire or nylon thread.

[0039] In an exemplary embodiment, the best arrangement of the bristle on the front frame (101) wherein the outer shell with softer-thinner fibers is used on circumference hole (106) and the thick-stiff fibers are used on central hole (107). The thick- stiff fiber provides a reinforcement to the outer-softer fiber on the circumference giving the comfortable yet effective cleaning. However, the arrangement of fiber can be arranged according to the preference of the user. For example, in case of toothbrush for children which are supposed to be softer the arrangement can be entirely made out of soft areca nut fiber from the outermost shell.

[0040] Further as illustrated in Figure 9, the bristles (103) are inserted in the four central holes (107) of the central axis (104) made from thick-stiff fibers of areca nut. After insertion, the bristles (103) are trimmed off to at-least 13-14 mm. Simultaneously, the bristles (103) are being rubbed on a rough surface (preferably 50 grade sandpaper) repeatedly in a circular motion of about 100-200 cycle to soften them further.

[0041] Further the above mentioned procedure is repeated for the insertion of the bristles in the circumference hole (106) of the adjacent axis (105) using the same loop method. The back view of the front frame is illustrated in Figure 10. The bristles are pulled gently to remove any loose fiber. It is brushed gently through a narrow comb and access fiber is trimmed off. Simultaneously, the bristles (103) are again being rubbed on a rough surface (preferably 100-150 grade sandpaper) repeatedly in a circular motion for at least 50-100 cycle to soften them further.

[0042] In an embodiment as illustrated in Figure 11 and 12 both the frames i.e. front frame

(101) and back frame (102) of the brush are ready to be joined together using any water resistant, non-toxic glue. During the insertion of the front frame (101) in the back frame

(102) alignment of the cavity (109) of the back frame (102) and the back of the bristle on the front frame (101) is being maintained. The two frames are fixed by applying pressure for clamping of the frames together and for the glue to set in properly.

[0043] Further, to give a shape like toothbrush the excess bamboo wood is being grinded, and finishing is provided by rubbing it with a fine grade sandpaper (preferably of 500-600 grade). A refined and completed toothbrush is shown in Figure 13.

[0044] In accordance with the present invention the advantages of the preparation method of the toothbrush disclosed herein includes:

• an eco-friendly toothbrush eliminates the unnecessary waste and pollution from the environment;

• it utilizes areca nut husk, which is a waste for supari industry, therefore, a useful product from the waste has been manufactured;

• during the process of manufacturing toothbrush, no harmful chemicals are used so the waste produced during the manufacturing is also not harmful to the environment; • recycling, reusing, or composting of the eco-friendly toothbrush is easy and fast;

• unlike plastic, bamboo provides protection from bacteria that penetrate its surface thereby providing long-lasting protection against harmful bacteria;

[0045] While this invention has been described in connection with what is presently considered to be the most practical and preferred embodiment, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the disclosed embodiments, but, on the contrary, is intended to cover various modifications and equivalent arrangements included within the scope of the appended claims.