Self cleanable hair brush

Abstract

A self cleanable hair brush consisting of a back member having a handle at one end and a plurality of clumps of rooted into openings in the back member at an angle to the face of the back member. The bristle clumps pass through a moveable cleaning plate having perforations aligned with the root openings. Plunger means move the plate away from the back thereby oscillating the bristles and moving any entangled hair to the edge of the bristles for easy removal therefrom.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

There are many prior art hair brushes having means for removing accumulated loose hairs which are entwined around the bristles of the brush. Generally such devices incorporate perforated plate through which the bristles of the brush pass. The plate is then moved along the bristles to comb out the hair or other debris. One such brush is shown, for example in U.S. Pat. No. 3,110,053, granted Nov. 12, 1963 to E. C. Surabian. In this patent there is disclosed a plurality of bristles rooted in cavities formed at right angles to a face of a brush back. A thick moveable plate is provided with angular bores through which the bristles pass. When the face plate is moved toward the end of the bristles, the bristles are bent at an angle. This permits hair and other debris to be captured in the acute angle formed between the face plate and the bristles making removal difficult.

The present invention overcomes this problem by utilizing bristles rooted in cavities formed at an angle to the face of the brush back member and a thin moveable cleaning plate having perforations aligned with the openings in the back member. As the cleaning plate is moved away from the back member toward the free end of the bristles, the bristles are bent shaking off debris and entwined hair. In contrast to the prior art device, at the end of the movement the bristles are at right angles to the moveable plate and thus do not provide any corner for entrapping hair etc. Another advantage of the present invention is that the moveable plate may be relatively thin which provides for a compact brush structure.

Accordingly, it is an object of this invention to provide an improved self cleaning hair brush.

Other objects, features and advantages of the invention will, in part, be pointed out with particularity, and will, in part, become obvious from the following more detailed description of the invention, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing, which forms an integral part thereof.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

In the various figures of the drawing like reference characters designate like parts. In the drawing:

FIG. 1 is a view taken in elevation of the self cleaning brush of this invention;

FIG. 2 is an end elevational view of the self cleaning brush with the cleaning plate in an extended position;

FIG. 3A is a bottom plan view of the brush shown in FIG. 1 with the moveable cleaning plate partially broken away.

FIG. 3B is an enlarged detailed drawing showing a portion of the brush;

FIG. 4 is a cross sectional view taken along lines 4--4 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 5A shows greatly enlarged detail of a portion of the brush back and bristle tufts with the cleaning plate in the retracted position;

FIG.,5B is a view similar to FIG. 4A but with the cleaning plate in an extended position;

FIGS. 6A and 6B correspond to FIGS. 5A and 5B respectively and show a prior art device.

DESCRIPTION OF THE BEST EMBODIMENT

Referring now to the drawing and in particular to FIGS. 1 and 2. The brush is composed of a brush back 10 formed of wood or molded of synthetic resin. A handle 12 may be provided if desired. Bundles 14 of bristles 16 are staked or rooted in bores 18 extending at an angle into the brush back.

As shown in FIGS. 3A and 3B, there is provided a moveable cleaning plate 20 containing holes 22 slightly larger than the total diameter of the group bristles 16 staked in any given single hole 18 in the base.

Cleaning plate 20 is provided with a mechanism permitting it to be moved away from the base 10. In the presently preferred embodiment this means comprises a center post 30 which projects through a clearance hole 31 in the body of the brush. A knob 32 attached to the post 30 is used to move the plate. It has been found advantageous to provide a spacer 34 of a lesser diameter than that of the knob 32 which would limit the downward movement of the base and still provide clearance for the fingers of the user. The plate 20 may be made of a plastic or metal and may be formed integrally with post 30. The particular construction is a matter of choice and suitable fabrication methods are well known to designers and molders.

Referring now to FIGS. 5A and 5B, it will be noted that the bristles 16 are set at an angle into bores 22 formed in the base 10. Bores 22 follow the path "P" when pushed downward by post 30. This causes the bundle of fibers to flex loosening any attached hair or debris. It will be noted that there is no hindrance to the removal of entwined hair or other debris.

In the extended position of cleaning plate 20 as shown in FIG. 5B, the brush may then be flushed under a water stream or the hair removed by hand end.

In contrast in FIGS. 6A and 6B there is shown the prior art configuration where the bristles 16' are set into base 10' at right angles to the axis of the bore 22' in thick moveable plate 20'. The bristles 16' initially are at right angles to the back. Then as the moveable cleaning plate 20' is moved to the extended position, as shown in FIG. 6B, the ends of the bristles repose at an angle .alpha. with respect to the cleaning plate thus providing a corner for entrapment of hairs H.

There has been disclosed heretofore the best embodiment of the invention presently contemplated. However, it is to be understood that various changes and modifications may be made thereto without departing from the spirit of the invention

Claims

What we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a hair brush with means to remove entwined hair comprising a brush body having a plurality of tufts of bristles, a moveable plate having a principal plane parallel to the brush body, the plate having orifices through which the tufts pass, and means for moving the plate along the tufts to disengage hair entwined about the tufts, the improvement wherein:

Said tufts of bristles are rooted at an angle relative to the plane of the moveable plate, said plate having orifices through which the tufts pass whereby when the plate is moved away from the brush body the tufts are bent to a position substantially perpendicular to the plane of said moveable plate.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 including a post extending through a bore in the brush back and perpendicular to the principal plane thereof, said post being secured at one extremity to the cleaning plate and a knob secured to the other extremity of said post.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 including a stop member secured to the upper side of the brush back, said stop member being smaller than said knob in the dimension transverse to said post.