Patent Application
20130055518
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to molded hairbrush tines and a hairbrush made with such tines for combing and brushing hair.
2. Background
Hairbrushes with molded tines, bristles or teeth are known. Hair brushes with molded tines (as opposed to, for example, brushes with bundles or tufts of extruded fiber bristles secured by staples in holes in a solid base, backbone, rod or core) generally comprise several rows of tines either integrally molded, over-molded or assembled onto a core. Each row typically has a plurality of tines. Generally, the profile, shape or design of each of the tines is the same throughout the brush head. Also each tine generally has a circular or semi-circular cross-section.
Known molded tine hairbrushes have a limited capacity to comb and separate tangled or matted hair.
Accordingly, there is a need for a molded tine hairbrush with improved ability to comb and separate hair.
A hairbrush has a plurality of molded tines, each with a main shaft and a first and a second branch extending from the shaft. The first branch extends at a point between the base of the shaft and the free end of the shaft. The second branch extends from the shaft at a point between the base of the shaft and up to and including a height of the first branch. The first and second branches extend in a radial direction from the shaft at an angle of 5° to 90° relative to the free end and to a longitudinal axis of the shaft. The first and/or second branch are oriented on the shaft and dimensioned to adapt the tine to comb and separate tangled, matted hair.
The invention also relates to a tine adapted to be secured to a base of a hairbrush. The tine has a main shaft with a first end adapted to be secured to the base of the hairbrush, and an opposite free end. The main shaft defines a longitudinal axis and has a length taken from the first end to the free end. At least a first branch extends from the main shaft at a point between the first end and the free end. The first branch extends in a radial direction from the main shaft at an angle of 5° to 90° relative to the free end of the shaft and to the longitudinal axis of the shaft. A second branch may extend from the main shaft at a point between the first end and up to and including a height of the first branch on the shaft. The second branch may extend radially from the shaft at an angle of 5° to 90° relative to the free end and to the longitudinal axis of the shaft. The first branch is oriented on the shaft and dimensioned to adapt the tine to comb and separate tangled, matted hair. The second branch may be similarly mounted on the shaft in an orientation and dimension adapted to comb and separate tangled, matted hair.
Referring now to
For clarity, “tines” are generally understood to be prongs extending from an implement. “Bristles” are generally understood to be stiff, hair-like structures. “Teeth” are generally understood to be projecting parts each resembling a tooth in shape or function, as on a comb, gear, or saw. As used herein, the terms “tines”, “bristles” or “teeth” in singular or plural form are used interchangeably to designate any thin, stiff prong, projection, projecting part or structure extending from a supporting backbone, rod, core or base. The molded tines, bristles and teeth having at least a first branch oriented and dimensioned to adapt the tine to comb and separate tangled, matted hair.
As illustrated in
The shaft 12 has an opposite free end 16. The shaft 12 defines a longitudinal axis 18, and the shaft 12 has a length LL taken from the point on the shaft 12 where the shaft 12 emerges from the surface 34 at the first end 14 to the free end 16. A first branch 20 extends from the shaft 12 at a point between the first end 14 and the free end 16. The first branch 20 extends in a radial direction from the shaft 12 at an angle AA of 5° to 90° relative to the free end 16 and to the longitudinal axis 18 of the shaft 12. The first branch 20 is oriented on the shaft and dimensioned to adapt the tine, and thereby a brush including the tine, to comb and separate tangled, matted hair. It is believed that this improved action of the brush tine is because at least some portion of the hair being brushed or combed is captured by the branch 20 above the surface 34, thus lifting and separating it from portions of the hair being brushed or combed that pass closer to or touch the surface 34. In effect, the tine with a branch 20 divides hair into smaller, more manageable portions as the brush is drawn through tangled, matted hair.
At least some of the tines 6 may have a second branch 22 extending from the shaft 12 at a point between the first end 14 and up to and including a height Y of the first branch 20 on the shaft 12 taken from the point on the shaft 12 where the shaft 12 emerges from the surface 34. The second branch 22 extends radially from the shaft 12 at an angle BB of 5° to 90° relative to the free end 16 and to the longitudinal axis 18. The second branch 22 further adapts the tine, and thereby the brush head 4, to better comb and separate tangled, matted hair in a manner similar to the first branch 20.
As illustrated in
The brush head 4 may be further adapted to comb and separate tangled and matted hair by randomly orienting at least the first branch 20 or second branch 22 of one tine 6 relative to the first branch 20 or second branch 22 of an adjacent tine or tines 6. Preferably, the first branch 20 on each of the plurality of tines 6 is randomly oriented with respect to the first branch 20 or the second branch 22 on adjacent ones of the remainder of the plurality of tines 6. The random orientation is best illustrated, for example, in the top plan view of
While the embodiments described herein are illustrated with each tine 6 of the plurality of tines having at least a first branch 20, it will be understood that the brush head may include some tines with two or more branches (for example, first and second branches 20, 22, respectively) and/or some tines with no branches at all. It is the intention of the inventors that as long as at least some of the tines 6 of the brush include a first branch 20, or a first branch 20 and second branch 22, the invention is embodied in the brush. For example, each row of tines can include the branched tines of the invention alone, or alternatively, a mix of the branched tines of the invention and conventional tines (e.g., no branches).
The first branch 20 and second branch 22 may extend from the shaft 12 in the same direction. Alternatively, the first branch 20 may extend from the shaft 12 in a first radial direction and the second branch 22 may extend from the shaft 12 in a second radial direction. The second radial direction may, for example, be opposite the first radial direction as illustrated in the Figures.
The angle of the first branch 20 relative to the longitudinal axis 18 may be the same as the angle of the second branch 22, or the angles of the first branch 20 and second branch 22 may be different angles. The angle AA, BB is 5° to 90° relative to the free end 16 and to the longitudinal axis 18 of the shaft 12. At least one of the first branch 20 or the second branch 22 has a length that is at least 5% of the length LL of the shaft 18. Adjacent tines 6 may be equally spaced or the tines may be offset from each other or randomly spaced.
While brush head 4 with a plurality of tines 6, at least some of which have at least a first branch 20, is described above as embodying the invention, the invention is also embodied in the individual tines 6 as illustrated, for example, in
Whether in a plurality of tines or as an individual tine, the first branch 20 may extend from the shaft 12 in a first radial direction and the second branch 22 may extend from the shaft 12 in the same radial direction (see
The brush head tines 6 and the brush head 4 may be made by injection molding (or any other suitable molding means) from any suitable plastic material. Preferred materials are, such as, for example, polymers including silicone elastomers, thermoplastic elastomers (e.g., styrene-ethylene-butylene-styrene block copolymer—SEBS), vinyl elastomers (EVA), thermoplastic polyester elastomers (e.g., Hytrel® from DuPont de Nemours), thermoplastic polyurethane elastomers (Pelethane® from Dow Plastic), Nitrile or EPDM. Hardness of the material is preferably from about 35 MPa (35 Shore D Hytrel® from DuPont de Nemours) to about 1180 MPa (82 Shore D Hytrel® from DuPont de Nemours). More preferably, tensile modulus ranges from about 95 MPa (45 Shore D Hytrel® from DuPont de Nemours) to about 570 MPa (72 Shore D Hytrel® from DuPont de Nemours). Most preferably, tensile modulus ranges from about 200 MPa (55 Shore D Hytrel® from DuPont de Nemours) to about 280 MPa (63 Shore D Hytrel® from DuPont de Nemours).
The tines 6 may have any size, shape and spacing suitable for intended purposes and functions, e.g., arrangement and/or separation of matted or tangled hair. Preferably, but not necessarily, the tines 6 have an average height LL ranging from about 1 mm to about 30 mm. More preferably, the tines 6 have an average height from about 5 mm to about 25 mm and, most preferably, from about 10 mm to about 18 mm. The average cross-sectional diameter of the tines 6 preferably ranges from about 0.5 mm to about 5 mm. More preferably, the cross-sectional diameter of the tines ranges from about 1 mm to about 3 mm and most preferably from about 1.5 mm to about 2 mm.
The brush head and tines of the invention may be used for any hair combing, brushing or styling operation.
While the invention has been described and illustrated as embodied in preferred forms of construction, it will be understood that various modifications may be made in the structure and arrangement of the parts without departing from the spirit and the scope of the invention recited in the following claims.
