Vibrating hair brush

• US 7,917,983 B2
• Filed: 02/29/2008
• Issued: 04/05/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 10/02/2007
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Conopco, Inc. (Unilever PLC)
• Original Assignee: Conopco, Inc. (Unilever PLC)
• Inventors: Nottingham, John Richard, Skinner, Richard, Nottingham, Rachel Marie, Wall, Brian Douglas, Tapper, Jay, Spirk, John Wilford, McNeeley, Carolyn Marie, Wire, Stephen Lee, Taggart, Jeffrey Silver, Kalman, Jeffrey M
• Primary Examiner(s): Carter; Monica S
• Assistant Examiner(s): BERRY, STEPHANIE R
• Application Number:
  US12/074,007
• Publication Number:
  US 20090083917A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,131 Days
• Field of Search: 15/211, 15/221, 601/72
• US Class Current: 15/22.1
• 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 rocks about a pivot axis which is substantially transverse the general longitudinal axis of the hair brush, and wherein the bristle pad is connected to the base by an isolator comprising (a) a plate having a central section which is fixed to the base and does not rock and (b) downwardly depending flexible ends at opposite sides of the central section in the general longitudinal axis of the brush which are fixed to the pad and are capable of rocking when the motor causes vibration.

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

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

4. The hair brush of claim 3 wherein the offset weight is mounted on a shaft of the motor assembly for causing an eccentric bias thereto resulting in the vibratory movement.

5. The hair brush of claim 4 wherein the offset weight and motor assembly are fixed to the bristle pad.

6. The hair brush of claim 1 wherein the isolator is configured to translate a movement of the actuator to an elliptical bristle pad vibrating movement.

7. The hair brush of claim 6 wherein a handle extends from the head in a handle axial direction which is within a plane generally parallel to bristle pad.

8. The hair brush of claim 7 wherein the bristle pad vibrating movement is an elliptical movement having a longer elliptical axis in the handle axial direction.

9. The hair brush of claim 7 wherein the isolator is configured to inhibit vibratory movement in a direction perpendicular to the handle axial direction.

10. The hair brush of claim 7 wherein the isolator 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.

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

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

13. The hair brush of claim 12 wherein the frequency is in the frequency range 30 to 65 Hz.

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