GB2375038A

GB2375038A - Hair brush

Info

Publication number: GB2375038A
Application number: GB0110505A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Ian Robert Churchill
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2001-04-30
Filing date: 2001-04-30
Publication date: 2002-11-06
Also published as: GB0110505D0

Abstract

A hair brush for use in brushing long hair comprises a handle 100, a shaft 101 upon which a cylindrical brush 102 is rotatably mounted, and means for resisting rotation of the brush. The means may comprise two sets of interleaved discs secured respectively to the shaft and to the brush housing. Manually operable means such as a nut 106 and/or a wheel 107 are provided to vary the axial pressure on the discs and thus the resistance to rotation of the brush. An audible warning device may be operated when the brush rotates.

Description

HAIR BRUSHES Field of the Invention' This invention relates to hair brushes, and is specifically concerned with the provision of an improved form of hair brush for use in the brushing of long hair.

To be effective for the brushing of long hair, the bristles of brushes used for this purpose have to be stiff but, as long hair can be prone to becoming entangled at its ends, considerable discomfort can be caused if long hair is being brushed vigorously and the bristles become snagged in an entanglement of hair.

It is accordingly an object of the present invention to provide an improved form of hair brush for use in the brushing of long hair.

The invention relates to hair brushes of the kind which include a handle, a shaft and a cylindrical brush rotatably mounted on the shaft. A hair brush of this kind is hereinafter referred to as"a hair brush of the kind specified".

So-called styling brushes are known which are of the kind specified and consist of a bristled roller mounted upon a hollow

I handle which can be connected to a source of heated air. Wet hair is coiled around the roller and heated air is passed through the hair until it is dried. A catch is then released so that the roller can rotate freely on the shaft, and the hair is uncoiled by moving the handle so that the roller rotates relative to the handle. It is to be noted that, when using such styling brushes, there is no brushing action as such and that the styling brushes are unsuitable for brushing long hair.

It is accordingly an object of the present invention to provide a hair brush of the kind specified which can be used for brushing long hair.

Summary of the Invention According to a first aspect of the present invention there is provided a hair brush for use in brushing long hair, said hair brush comprising a handle, a shaft upon which a cylindrical brush is rotatably mounted, means for resisting rotation of the cylindrical brush relative to the shaft, and means for varying the resistance to rotation of the cylindrical brush relative to the shaft.

According to a second aspect of the present invention there is provided a hair brush of the kind specified which includes means for obtaining a variable resistance to rotation of the cylindrical brush relative to the shaft.

The means for resisting rotation of the cylindrical brush relative to the shaft preferably comprises a first set of discs fixed to the shaft and a second set of discs fixed to the inner surface of a housing which is arranged to rotate with the cylindrical brush.

The means for varying the resistance to rotation of the cylindrical brush preferably comprises means for varying the loading applied to the discs.

The means for varying the resistance to rotation of the cylindrical brush is preferably operable by means of the thumb or a finger of a hand holding the handle of the hair brush.

The means for varying the resistance to rotation of the cylindrical brush may alternatively or additionally be operable by means of a nut which has threaded engagement with a threaded end portion of the shaft.

The cylindrical brush is preferably mounted on a sleeve which can be detached from the remainder of the hair brush for cleaning and/or sterilisation between clients in a hairdressing salon.

Brief Description of the Drawings Figure 1 is a side view of a hair brush, Figure 2 is a detailed cut-away view of a first part of the hair brush, and

Figure 3 is a sectional view of a second part of the hair brush.

Description of the Preferred Embodiment The hair brush shown in the drawings includes a handle 100 from which extends a shaft 101. A cylindrical sleeve 103 is mounted on the shaft 101 and is free to rotate about the axis of the shaft 101.

A hollow cylindrical brush 102 is mounted on the sleeve 103 so as to rotate with the sleeve 103. The end of the sleeve 103 remote from the handle 100 is connected to a housing 104 containing an audible warning device, shown in Figure 3. The audible warning device is operated when the brush 102 experiences sufficient resistance for it to rotate about the axis of the shaft 101.

At the end of the sleeve 103 adjacent the handle 100 there is a housing 105 which contains a mechanism, shown in Figure 2, which enables the resistance to rotation of the sleeve 103 (and hence of the brush 102) relative to the shaft 101 to be varied. The assembly comprising the housing 105, the brush 102, the sleeve 103 and the housing 104 is held in position on the shaft 101 by a hand-adjustable cap nut 106 which engages a threaded end portion of the shaft 101.

The brush 102 and the sleeve 103 can be detached from the other components of the brush by releasing the cap nut 106 and then removing the various components of the assembly from the

shaft 101. The brush 102 can accordingly be cleaned and/or sterilised between clients in a hairdressing salon.

Figure 2 shows the mechanism for varying the resistance to rotation of the sleeve 103 relative to the shaft 101. This mechanism comprises a set of fibre discs 201 which have central non-circular holes 202 which engage a corresponding non-circular portion of the shaft 101. The fibre discs 201 are thus fitted on the shaft 101 and are held against rotation relative to the shaft 101. A set of metal discs 203 is keyed to the inside of the housing 105 by means of projecting tongues 206 which fit loosely into two longitudinal grooves 204 formed in the inner surface of the housing 105. A circlip 205 retains the fibre discs 201 and the metal discs 203 in position in the housing 105.

The frictional loading between the discs 201 and 203, and hence the resistance to rotation of the sleeve 203 relative to the shaft 101 can be varied. Such variation in the loading can be achieved by, for example, rotating the cap nut 106. Variation in the loading is, however, preferably also effected by means of a wheel 107 which is positioned adjacent the handle 100 so that it is operable by the thumb of the hand holding the handle 100. The wheel 107 may carry wedge elements (not shown) which engage complementary inclined surfaces of a formation within the housing 105. Other arrangements may also be used whereby turning of the wheel 107 serves to vary the frictional loading between the discs 201 and 203.

The audible slip-warning device shown in Figure 3 comprises a spring-loaded pawl 301 mounted on the inner surface 302 of the housing 104 which makes contact with a toothed wheel 303 fixed to the shaft 101.

In use, when brushing long hair, the bristles of the brush 102 will move through the strands of hair and, if an entanglement is encountered, the brush 102 and the sleeve 103 will be caused to rotate relative to the shaft 101, with the force applied to the hair depending on the frictional loading of the discs 201 and 203. Once rotation of the brush 102 and the sleeve 103 relative to the shaft 101 takes place, the audible slip-warning device of Figure 3 is operated. The user of the hair brush is thus immediately made aware of the fact that a load is being applied to the hair and can reduce the loading by turning the wheel 107. Thus, when long hair is being brushed by a hairdresser, the hairdresser knows at once that an entanglement has been encountered and can reduce the resistance to rotation of the brush 102 about the axis of the shaft 101 before the customer complains about her hair being tugged.

Adjustment of the loading applied by means of the cap nut 106 can also be effected in use but, when being used by a hairdresser, reduction of the loading during use will normally be effected by means of the wheel 107.

An alternative mechanism (not shown) for varying the resistance to rotation of the sleeve 103 and brush 102 relative to the shaft 101 comprises a pawl and ratchet mechanism including

means whereby the loading of the pawl against the ratchet can be varied. The pawl may be in the form of (or carried by) a leaf spring which is loaded by means of a screw projecting through the housing 105. Relative movement between the pawl and ratchet will produce an audible noise so that, if this means of varying the resistance to rotation of the brush 102 is utilised, the housing 104 and its audible warning device can be omitted.

Claims

Claims :-

1. A hair brush for use in brushing long hair, said hair brush comprising a handle, a shaft upon which a cylindrical brush is rotatably mounted, means for resisting rotation of the cylindrical brush relative to the shaft, and means for varying the resistance to rotation of the cylindrical brush relative to the shaft.

2. A hair brush of the kind specified which includes means for obtaining a variable resistance to rotation of the cylindrical brush relative to the shaft.

3. A hair brush as claimed in either of the preceding claims, in which the means for resisting rotation of the cylindrical brush relative to the shaft comprises a first set of discs fixed to the shaft and a second set of discs fixed to the inner surface of a housing which is arranged to rotate with the cylindrical brush.

4. A hair brush as claimed in Claim 3, in which the means for varying the resistance to rotation of the cylindrical brush comprises means for varying the loading applied to the discs.

5. A hair brush as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, in which the means for varying the resistance to rotation of the cylindrical brush is operable by means of the thumb or a finger of a hand holding the handle of the hair brush.

6. A hair brush as claimed in any one of Claims 1 to 4, in which the means for varying the resistance to rotation of the cylindrical brush is operable by means of a nut which has threaded engagement with a threaded end portion of the shaft.

7. A hair brush as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, in which the cylindrical brush is mounted on a sleeve which can be detached from the remainder of the hair brush.

8. A hair brush for use in brushing long hair substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as shown in the accompanying drawings.