AU2008224013A1 - Hair brush - Google Patents

Description

WO 2008/107240 PCT/EP2008/051172 HAIR BRUSH The presently disclosed embodiments are directed to vibratory devices wherein gyratory movements are translated 5 into pulses, typically for massage or cleaning, but in this case, for enhanced detangling of curled or unbrushed hair wherein brushing and detangling can occur with less effort and with less damage to the hair. 10 A problem with most prior vibrating hair brush devices is the communication of the vibrations through the handle to the hand of the user. The hand can function as a substantial dampening force on the vibratory movement, thereby reducing its effectiveness, and also, over time, the 15 absorption of the vibrations by the hand can become uncomfortable and unpleasant to the user. U.S. Patent No. 2,465,250 discloses soft cushions 7, 11 in a vibratory hair brush providing a floating support for edges of a brush plate but are limited in their usefulness due to their 20 structural position relative to the vibrating actuator and the bristles, and thus, also in purposeful translation of the actuator vibrations to a desired bristle movement. Accordingly, there is a need for a vibrating hair brush 25 which is comfortable to both a user's hand and scalp during operation. According to aspects illustrated herein, there is provided a vibrating hair brush which is more comfortably used by the 30 user. In this description, it should be understood that the term "vibrating" should be understood to include oscillating WO 2008/107240 PCT/EP2008/051172 -2 and the term "brush" should be understood to include embodiments that might alternatively be described as combs. Accordingly, the present invention provides a hair brush for 5 detangling a user's hair comprising a head and a handle, wherein the head comprises an upper part which is connected to the handle and a bristle-bearing pad which comprises a vibrating motor, the brush further comprising an isolator assembly, the isolator assembly comprising a first 10 connecting member for connecting to the bristle-bearing pad and a second connecting member for connecting to the upper part of the head. The isolator assembly thus provides the mechanical link 15 between the bristle-bearing pad and the upper part of the head, and thus the handle. Preferably, the bristle-bearing pad and upper part of the head are not connected to each other. 20 Accordingly, the vibration of the brush as a whole is controlled by the isolator and by using independent connecting members the isolator is able to damp vibrations to the handle without damping vibrations to the bristle bearing pad. 25 In a preferred embodiment the first connecting member is disposed transversely to the second connecting member. By transversely mounting the connecting members one is able to tailor the vibrating pattern of the bristle-bearing pad. 30 Tailoring can be effected by changing the physical nature of the members such that different degrees of vibration are WO 2008/107240 PCT/EP2008/051172 -3 transmitted by the different members. Preferably, the first and second connecting members are disposed generally within the same plane and more preferably the plane is parallel to the general bristle-bearing plane of the bristle-bearing 5 head. Where the bristle-bearing surface is curved the general plane of the bristle-bearing pad is the plane of the outermost edge of the pad. Preferably, the isolator comprises a pair of first 10 connecting members located at opposite sides of the isolator. Similarly, the isolator may comprise a pair of second connecting members located at opposite sides of the 15 isolator. Preferably, the first connecting member is rigidly fixed to the bristle-bearing pad and more preferably it is rigidly fixed by screws, adhesive or other such fixing means. 20 Preferably, the second connecting member comprises an arm which is shaped to fit into a notch on the upper head part. Preferably, the second connecting member comprises a 25 vibration damper. The vibration damper damps the vibrations made by the motor and so reduces the transmission of vibrations from the bristle-bearing pad to the handle. This then makes the device more comfortable to use for the user. 30 Preferably, the damper comprises an elastomeric section to the member. In one embodiment the elastomeric section is WO 2008/107240 PCT/EP2008/051172 -4 sandwiched between a rigid end-piece which connects to the upper part of the handle and a rigid extension piece which is contiguous with the remainder of the isolator. 5 Preferably, the second connecting member is disposed in a direction which is transverse the general longitudinal axis of the brush. This allows the designer to tailor the vibrational pattern of the bristle-bearing pad. It also further reduces the incidence of vibration in the handle of 10 the hair brush without reducing the vibrations of the pad. Preferably, the second connecting member is substantially resilient. This maximises the damping effect of the vibrations and so reduces the vibration of the handle during 15 use. Preferably, the isolator is substantially resilient. This increases the isolator's efficiency in damping vibrational movement to the handle during use. Preferably, the resilient 20 materials include elastomers such as styrene butadiene block copolymers and silicone elastomers. Preferably, the motor is housed within a motor mount and the isolator is fixedly connected to the motor mount. 25 Preferably, the motor drives a drive shaft which is connected to an eccentric counterweight. The eccentric counterweight provides vibration in the motor housing as it is rotated about the motor's drive shaft axis. 30 WO 2008/107240 PCT/EP2008/051172 -5 Preferably, the motor is vertically mounted such that the drive shaft rotates about an axis which is orthogonal to the general plane of the bristle-bearing pad. A vertically mounted motor enables oscillation of the eccentric 5 counterweight in a direction which produces oscillation of the bristle-bearing pad in the general plane of the pad thus decreasing discomfort to the user when the brush is held too closely to the scalp. 10 Preferably, the eccentric counterweight is connected to a counterweight axle which is maintained by a recess in the counterweight at one end and a bristle-bearing pad base plate at its other end. This provides an additional means for transferring the vibration of the motor housing to the 15 bristle-bearing pad since the axle is directly connected to the base plate of the pad. Preferably, the bristle pad is supported within the brush head by a vibrating motor and isolator assembly disposed for 20 directing a vibratory movement of the motor to a bristle pad movement in a plane generally parallel to a user's scalp. The motor and isolator assembly effectively translate a circular vibratory movement of an offset weight into an elliptical movement of the bristle pad while insulating the 25 vibration caused by the movement of the weight from a handle to the brush. The elliptical movement has a greater axis in a direction perpendicular to an extending direction of a user's hair. 30 Preferably, the vibrating motor and isolator assembly includes an elastomeric interface having a first stiffness WO 2008/107240 PCT/EP2008/051172 -6 in the handle axial direction and a second stiffness perpendicular to the handle axial direction, both of these directions being in a plane generally parallel to a user's scalp. It is preferred that the first stiffness is less 5 than the second stiffness so that the elliptical movement generated has a longer elliptical axis in the handle axial direction. Another aspect of the subject embodiments is that the 10 vibratory movement is intended to operate in a frequency range generally lower than most prior art vibratory brushes. Empirical evidence has determined that highly effective detangling can occur with the vibrating bristles operating in a frequency range between 20 - 100 Hz and more preferably 15 between 30 - 65 Hz, with the most efficient detangling of the hair, in terms of the user effort required to pull the brush through hair, being either one of 42 Hz or 65 Hz. Thus, an improved method for detangling hair comprises brushing the hair with a brush having vibrating bristles 20 operating in a frequency range between 20 to 100 Hz and disposes to operate in a curvilinear direction within a plane positioned generally parallel to a user's scalp, or possibly for longer hair, an extending plane of a user's hair as the hair extends from a user's scalp. The brushing 25 comprises the bristles operating in an elliptical pattern having a first longer axis of movement in a direction perpendicular to a user's hanging or extending hair direction and a second shorter axial movement parallel to the user's hanging or extending hair direction. 30 WO 2008/107240 PCT/EP2008/051172 -7 Embodiments of the invention will now be described with reference to the following figures in which: FIGURE 1 is a top planar view of one embodiment; 5 FIGURE 2 is a side planar view of the embodiment of Figure 1; FIGURE 3 is a front planar view thereof; FIGURE 4 is an exploded view of the embodiment of Figure 1; 10 FIGURE 5 is a top view with a top cover plate removed; FIGURE 6 is a broken out sectional side view; FIGURE 7 is a perspective view generally showing the embodiment in use by brushing a user's hair; FIGURE 8 is a reference diagram of an elliptical plane; 15 and FIGURE 9 is a flowchart of a method of operating the embodiment. With reference to FIGURES 1, 2 and 3, it can be seen that 20 the subject embodiment comprises a handle portion A and brush head portion B. In this description, it should be understood that the term "brush" encompasses embodiments that might alternatively be described as combs. The handle portion is ergonomically configured for ease of use while 25 being held in a user's hands. A longitudinal axis of handle A is generally along the lines C-C of Figure 1. The brush head portion B comprises a plurality of bristles 10 which normally extend from a bottom wall 12 of the head portion in a manner to engage and extend through the hair of a user. 30 The illustrated embodiment shows a somewhat spherically configured bottom wall 12 as one species of an embodiment, WO 2008/107240 PCT/EP2008/051172 -8 but it is intended that other bottom wall configurations can be included as an alternative embodiment, such as flat or tubular. Bristle stiffness can vary from relatively stiff to soft, although it is preferred that they are relatively 5 stiff; the bristles typically having a cantilevered beam stiffness of greater than about 100 Newton/meters when attached to the bristle pad. As will be discussed herein in more detail, the head portion 10 B is intended to vibrate and such vibratory movements are insulated from the handle portion A so that the vibrations are diminished in translation to the handle and a user's hand. For the avoidance of doubt, the term "vibrating movement" should be understood to include an oscillating or 15 reciprocating movement. Accordingly, a brush head upper housing comprising a top wall 14 is spaced from the handle as at area 16 to accommodate the vibratory movement without tapping contact to the handle portion A. 20 With reference to FIGURES 4, 5 and 6, the subject brush includes a motor 20 operating an actuator 22 comprising an offset or counter weight relative to motor shaft 24 so that as the motor rotates the shaft, the weight 22 will cause an eccentric bias relative to the shaft inducing a vibrating 25 movement of the motor and weight assembly. Such a movement will generally have a circular momentum in an actuator plane essentially parallel to a plane defined by the lines C-C and D-D of Figure 1. In this description, it should be understood that the term "brush" encompasses embodiments 30 that might alternatively be described as combs.

WO 2008/107240 PCT/EP2008/051172 -9 An aspect of the subject embodiment includes the translating of the motor and weight circulatory vibratory motion into a curvilinear pattern, such as an elliptical movement, of the bristle pad in a particular plane of movement. An isolator 5 elastomeric member 40 is affixed to the motor 20 and also affixed to the bristle pad assembly 10, 12, 14 so that the vibratory motion induced by the motor can be translated to the bristles 10. The motor 20 is received within a cavity 42 of the bristle pad head portion sized to allow receipt of 10 the motor 20 and the rotational movement of the offset weight 22 that causes the desired vibratory movement. The vibrations created by the off center weight are transmitted to the brush head 14 due to the motor and weight assembly being connected to the brush head by hard, stiff 15 connections. The isolators 40 allow this motion to exist by letting the head move mostly independently from the handle by close receipt of the isolator ring lobes 50 within mating lobe cutouts 52 and the clamping of the lobes within the cutout 52 by sandwiching the lobes between the brush head 14 20 and upper motor cap 56. The top wall 14 and cutouts 52 are affixed hard plastic pieces ultimately supporting the bristles 10. The particular configuration of the isolator 40 is such that the lobes are closely received within the cutouts 52 and a webbing 60 includes a slot 62 for close 25 mating reception of cap cutout 64 of fastening cap 56. In addition, the end portions of the elastomeric lobes 50 and webbing 60 are also received within handle portion cutouts 70 so that the isolator 40 effectively isolates the vibratory movement of the head portion away from the handle 30 portion A. As can be seen with reference to FIGURES 5 and 6, the head portion assembly thus can float within the WO 2008/107240 PCT/EP2008/051172 - 10 handle portion A because the vibrating actuator and motor assembly including cap 56 is spaced from the interior wall 80 of the handle portion. Except for that portion of the elastomeric ring received within the handle cutouts 70, the 5 ring is affixed within the cutouts 70 when the upper handle half 78 is fastened on to the lower handle half 76. Other items shown within FIGURES 4 and 5 include a battery compartment 90 (although the device could also be a corded), electrical wire passage ways for the motor 92, an on-off 10 switch 94 and a switch pad 96. A decorative cover 98 within the handle 78 covers the motor cap 56. Another aspect of the isolator 40 is that it is configured to translate the circular vibratory movement of the 15 eccentric weight 22 into an elliptical movement in a plane generally parallel to the bristle pad. More particularly, it can be seen that the isolator 40 is not supported along the direction of the axis CC (Figure 1), but is supported along a line perpendicular to the axial direction and a 20 second stiffness perpendicular to the handle axial direction, the first stiffness being less than the second stiffness. The effect of such mounting assembly is that the vibratory movement of the motor and weight will be greater in a direction along the lines C-C than along the line D-D. 25 (See Figures 1 and 8) If a user's hair (see Figure 7) is mostly aligned with line D-D (see Figures 1 and 8), then the vibratory movement of the bristles 10 will be to effectively vibrate in a manner having a greater extent perpendicular to the hair's extending direction than along, i.e. parallel, to 30 said direction. This tends to untangle twisted or knotted hair by the bristles separating the hairs by slightly WO 2008/107240 PCT/EP2008/051172 - 11 pulling them apart, and even more slightly pushing and pulling the hair in its extending direction for better detangling the hair with less effort and less damage to the hair in the detangling process. A related benefit is that 5 friction between the bristles and the hair, in particular the static friction, is reduced. With reference to FIGURE 6, another aspect of the present embodiments is that the vibratory movement of the head 10 portion B is in a curvilinear plane generally normal to a user's scalp to avoid vibrating the bristles into the scalp, which has been observed to result in an unpleasant sensation to a user. In the perspective view of FIGURE 6 the eccentric weight 22 is clearly seen as to how, upon rotation 15 of the motor shaft, an eccentric bias is imposed on the motor 20 and thus also onto the isolator support member 40. However, since the rotation of the weight 22 is merely in an actuator plane generally defined by the engagement line 82 between the upper and lower half shells 12, 14 of the head 20 portion B, the resulting elliptical movement of the bristles 10 is in a plane generally parallel to the actuator plane. With reference to FIGURES 7 to 9, a method of operating the present brush embodiment for enhanced detangling of hair 25 comprises turning on the brush so that the bristles vibrate 120 in the desired elliptical plane parallel to the bristle pad plane 82 (Figure 6). The brush is then aligned 122 in a position relative to the user's hair so that the extending direction of the hair is generally aligned with axial 30 direction D-D of the brush head, i.e., where the ellipse major axis is perpendicular to the hair direction. Brushing WO 2008/107240 PCT/EP2008/051172 - 12 of the hair along the extending direction of the hair will thus provide a detangling effect that is more efficient in the hair detangling with less user effort to pull out the tangles and with minimum fatigue to the user's hand. 5 For hair that does not normally hand such as shown in FIGURE 7, i.e., very curly hair that may extend fairly outwardly from the user's scalp, similar principles apply except that the user's brushing of the hair comprises a pulling along 10 the length of the hair, or a picking thereof, to induce the hair's extending direction outwardly from the scalp, instead of falling there from. The present invention is particularly useful with such hair and with hair that is long (i.e. beyond chin length) and with hair that is dry or 15 damaged. The subject embodiment have also been described with reference to the brushing of human hair, but the subject brush can also be employed to untangle other things such as 20 animal or pet hair or even tangled strands of other materials than hair. The exemplary embodiment has been described with reference to the preferred embodiments. Obviously, modifications and 25 alterations will occur to others upon reading and understanding the preceding details description. It is intended that the exemplary embodiment be construed as including all such modifications and alterations insofar as they come within the scope of the appended claims or the 30 equivalents thereof.

Claims (8)

1. A hair brush for detangling a user's hair comprising a head and a handle, wherein the head comprises an upper 5 part which is connected to the handle, the head further comprising a bristle-bearing pad which comprises a vibrating motor, the brush further comprising an isolator assembly, the isolator assembly comprising a first connecting member for connecting to the bristle 10 bearing pad and a second connecting member for connecting to the upper part of the head.

2. A hair brush according to claim 1 wherein the first connecting member is disposed transversely to the 15 second connecting member.

3. A hair brush according to claim 1 or 2 wherein the isolator comprises a vibration damper. 20

4. A hair brush according to any preceding claim wherein the second connecting member is disposed in a direction which is transverse the general longitudinal axis of the brush. 25

5. A hair brush according to any preceding claim wherein the isolator assembly is substantially resilient.

6. A hair brush according to any preceding claim wherein the motor is housed within a motor mount and the 30 isolator is fixedly connected to the motor mount. WO 2008/107240 PCT/EP2008/051172 - 14

7. A hair brush according to any preceding claim wherein the motor drives a drive shaft which is connected to an eccentric counterweight. 5

8. A hair brush according to claim 7 wherein the eccentric counterweight is connected to a counterweight axle which is maintained by a recess in the counterweight at one end and a bristle-bearing pad base plate at its other end. 10