GB2172201A

GB2172201A - Hair-brush

Info

Publication number: GB2172201A
Application number: GB08605851A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Bernard Berning
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1985-03-11
Filing date: 1986-03-10
Publication date: 1986-09-17
Also published as: FR2578407A1; GB8605851D0; GB8506247D0

Abstract

A hair-brush for use in styling hair comprises a head portion 1 provided with bristles 2 and a rigid manually grippable handle portion 4. The head portion 1 and the handle portion 4 are interconnected for relative rotation, and the handle 4 incorporates a ratchet mechanism for controlling the direction of permitted relative rotation and for locking the head portion 1 against rotation relative to the handle 14. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Hair-brush This invention relates to a brush for use in styling hair.

When styling hair during blow drying, for example, as commonly practiced nowadays, using a round, semi-circular or other shape of brush that can be rotated, it is frequently desired to wind the hair around the brush. This involves spinning or rotating the brush between the fingers of the hand in which the brush is held. In certain awkward positions, such as when the arm is bent to position the brush to reach 10 hair at the back of the head, there is a substantial risk of dropping the brush when rotating it. This is especially so if, in order to reach a certain position, a normally right handed person has to hold the brush in the left hand, or vice versa.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a hair brush which mitigates the above risk and has greater convenience for use in awkward positions.

The hair brush proposed by the present invention comprises a head portion having bristles and a rigid manually grippable handle portion, a shaft interconnecting the head portion and the handle portion for relative rotation, and a ratchet mechanism for controlling the direction of permitted relative rotation and for locking the shaft against rotation.

The ratchet mechanism, which will usually be fitted in the handle portion and have an exteriorly accessible control member such as a button or ring, may be made in plastics material, as indeed may the entire brush. Any suitable form of ratchet mechanism may be employed. Many types and forms of mechanism which can be adapted to the purposes of the present invention are known to those skilled in the art.

The bristles may be natural or synthetic bristles and may extend wholly or only partly around the circumference of a head portion of circular cross-section to provide a so called round brush styler. The bristles may be arranged so that they can be retracted in a manner known per se.

The hair-brush may be heated and may incorporate a means for supplying steam to hair. Alternatively the brush may incorporate a blower for hair drying.

The head portion may be detachable so that an alternative form of head can be fitted e.g.

of curling tongs head or a comb.

One simple form of hair-brush according to the invention is shown by way of example in the accompanying drawing, and will now be described.

Referring to the drawing, there is shown a perspective side view of a round brush styler in accordance with the present invention and which comprises a head portion 1 of circular cross-section having bristles 2. The head portion 1 is detachably fitted in a manner not further illustrated on a longitudinally extending shaft 3 which is rotatably supported in a rigid manually grippable handle 4. A ratchet mechanism interconnects the shaft 3 and the handle 4 for controlling the direction of permitted rotation of the head 1 when the handle 4 is turned in the hand, and for locking the shaft against relative rotation, according to the positional setting of a control and lock button 5 exteriorly accessible on the handle 4.Thus, according to the setting of the button 5, either the handle 4 and the head 1 are locked together to rotate as a unit in both directions, or the head 1 may be set to rotate with the handle 4 when the latter is turned in either the clockwise or the anticlockwise direction, and to rotate relative to the handle 4 with a ratcheting action when the direction of rotation of the latter is reversed.

Since blow drying has become a standard practice of hair stylists in hairdressing salons, which has happened within the last ten to fifteen years, the general practice adopted by hairstylists has been to hold a styling brush in one hand and a hair dryer in the other hand.

The technique employed consists of rotating or partly rotating the brush in engagement with the hair while applying a selected amount of hot air to the portion of hair exposed to the hair dryer.

The above technique can be performed efficiently by a trained hairstylist, but not so by the lay person especialiy if she or he suffers from arthritis, etc.

However, the built-in ratchet mechanism of the hair-brush according to the present invention makes hairstyling in the above manner much simpler.

The ratchet mechanism incorporated in the embodiment of hair-brush described is not shown in detail because any suitable form of ratchet mechanism may be employed. Many ratchet mechanisms already known in screwdrivers and other tools are suitable for use in accordance with the present invention, as will be recognised by those skilled in the art.

Modifications and improvements to the hairbrush as disclosed above may be incorporated within the scope of the present invention. For example, the bristles 2 may be natural or synthetic bristles and may extend wholly or only partly around the circumference of the head portion 1.

The head portion 1 may include heating means, and the hair-brush may incorporate a means for supplying steam to the hair. Alternatively the hair-brush may incorporate a blower for hair drying.

Detachment of the head portion 1 as referred to herein will allow an alternative form of head to be fitted to the shaft 3, for example a curling tongs head or a comb.

Claims

1. A hair-brush comprising a head portion having bristles and a rigid manually grippable handle portion, a shaft interconnecting the head portion and the handle portion for relative rotation, and a ratchet mechanism for controlling the direction of permitted relative rotation and for locking the shaft against rotation.

2. A hair brush according to Claim 1, wherein the ratchet mechanism is fitted in the handle portion and includes an exteriorly accessible control member for locking the mechanism against relative rotation in a selected direction or directions according to the positional setting of the control member.

3. A hair-brush according to Claim 1 or Claim 2, wherein the head portion is circular in cross-section and the bristles extend only partly or wholly around the circumference of the head portion.

4. A hair-brush according to Claim 3, wherein the bristles are retractable.

5. A hair-brush according to any one of the preceding claims, including heating means.

6. A hair-brush according to any one of the preceding claims, comprising a means for supplying steam to the hair in use.

7. A hair-brush according to any one of Claims 1 to 4, which incorporates a blower for hair drying.

8. A hair-brush according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the head portion is detachable from the handle portion.

9. A hair-brush substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawing.