Vibrating hair brush

• US 20090083917A1
• Filed: 02/29/2008
• Published: 04/02/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 10/02/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Conopco, Inc. (Unilever PLC)
• Original Assignee: Conopco, Inc. (Unilever PLC)
• Inventors: Kalman, Jeffrey M., Skinner, Richard, Nottingham, Rachel Marie, Wall, Brian Douglas, Tapper, Jay, Spirk, John Wilford, McNeeley, Carolyn Marie, Wire, Stephen Lee, Taggart, Jeffrey Silver, Nottingham, John Richard
• Granted Patent: US 7,917,983 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 15/22.100
• CPC Class Codes: A45D 2200/205 Radiation, e.g. UV, infrared
• CPC Class Codes: A45D 24/16 with brushes, pads, or the like whereon the additional devices are operable without more ado
• CPC Class Codes: A46B 13/02 power-driven carriers
• CPC Class Codes: A46B 13/023 with means for inducing vibration to the bristles
• CPC Class Codes: A46B 15/0002 Arrangements for enhancing monitoring or controlling the brushing process
• CPC Class Codes: A46B 2200/104 Hair brush

Abstract

A vibrating hair brush for enhanced detangling of hair, comprising a head with a base and a bristle-bearing pad, the pad comprising a motor and a vibrating actuator for generating a vibration movement in the pad, the pad being pivotally attached to the base such that the pad pivots about a pivot axis which is substantially transverse the general longitudinal axis of the hair brush and a method for detangling using said brush.

Claims

1. A vibrating hair brush for enhanced detangling of hair, comprising a head with a base and a bristle-bearing pad, the pad comprising a motor and a vibrating actuator for generating a vibration movement in the pad, the pad being pivotally attached to the base such that the pad pivots about a pivot axis which is substantially transverse the general longitudinal axis of the hair brush.

2. Brush according to claim 1 wherein the actuator is disposed for generating a vibrating movement of the pad such that the pad rocks about the pivot axis.

3. The hair brush of claim 1 wherein the bristle pad comprises a single support for all the bristles for common movement of the bristles.

4. The hair brush of claim 1 wherein the vibrating actuator comprises an offset weight rotating in a plane generally parallel to the bristle pad.

5. The hair brush of claim 4 wherein the offset weight is mounted on a shaft of the motor assembly for causing an eccentric bias thereto resulting in the vibratory movement.

6. The hair brush of claim 5 wherein the offset weight and motor assembly are fixed to the bristle pad.

7. The hair brush of claim 1 wherein the bristle pad is connected to the base plate by an isolator assembly configured to translate a movement of the actuator to an elliptical bristle pad vibrating movement.

8. The hair brush of claim 7 wherein the handle extends from the head in a handle axial direction which is within a plane generally parallel to bristle pad.

9. The hair brush of claim 8 wherein the bristle pad vibrating movement is an elliptical movement having a longer elliptical axis in the handle axial direction.

10. The hair brush of claim 8 wherein the isolator assembly is configured to inhibit vibratory movement in a direction perpendicular to the handle axial direction.

11. The hair brush of claim 8 wherein the isolator assembly has a first stiffness in the handle axial direction and a second stiffness perpendicular to the handle axial direction, the first stiffness being less than the second stiffness.

12. The hair brush of claim 1 wherein the bristles extend from the bristle pad in a direction generally perpendicular thereto.

13. The hair brush of claim 1 wherein the vibrating movement is in a frequency range 20-100 Hz.

14. The hair brush of claim 13 wherein the frequency is in the frequency range 30 to 65 Hz.

15. A method for detangling hair comprising brushing the hair with a brush according claim 1.