GB2322797A - Shaving foam dispensing apparatus with integral applicator brush - Google Patents

Abstract

A brush assembly for dispensing and applying shaving foam from a conventional aerosol container, which incorporates a conventional aerosol actuator. The brush assembly comprises a brush element 11 and a handle 4 secured to said brush element. A tube 6 extends through the handle to the brush element with a first end opening into the brush element and a second end opening into the handle and being adapted to receive the aerosol actuator. A non-return valve 10 is fitted adjacent the second end opening. In use, the assembly is urged towards the container, causing the actuator to be depressed, and foam to be released through the tube and into the brush.

Description

Dispensing Brush Field of Invention The present invention relates to dispensing brushes in general and more particularly to brushes for dispensing and applying material in foam or gel form, which is particularly useful in a wet shaving process.

Background to the invention The many advantages of using a shaving brush to apply shaving foam or gel in the wet shaving process are generally appreciated. For example, a shaving brush enables the foam or gel to be spread quickly and evenly over the area to be shaved and helps to raise up the bristle to allow a closer shave to be achieved. The foam or gel moisturises the skin, softens the bristle and the action of the shaving brush increases blood flow to the skin to promote health.

One problem with the use of a shaving brush in conjunction with foams or gels and similar substances is that it is difficult to apply the foam/gel to the brush.

When the foamlgel is applied to the brush it tends to form a blob or ball which does not adhere well to the brush. This blob or ball often falls off the brush which is messy and inconvenient. An alternative is to apply the foam/gel by hand to the skin and then use the shaving brush to spread the foam/gel out. However, this is disadvantageous because foam/gel gets onto the hands and makes the shaving brush difficult to hold. The user has to wash and dry his hands before he can continue shaving. This increases the length of time needed to complete the shave and is inconvenient.

Another problem is that shaving foams, soaps and gels are often sold in aerosol containers and these can be difficult to operate in conjunction with a brush.

When the contents of the aerosol are dispensed they usually form a blob or ball and this makes it difficult to apply the product to a shaving brush.

One possibility is to use a shaving brush where the foam, soap or gel is held within the shaving brush handle. For example, one such system is described in EP0523058. However, this is problematic because the capacity of the shaving brush handle is limited. The handle must be refilled or replaced and this is inconvenient, wasteful, expensive and time consuming. Also, the handle must typically be manipulated in some way, for example by a pump-action (as in EP0523058) or squeezing action, in order to dispense the foamigelisoap. This can be difficult during the shaving process, especially when the user's hands are wet and soapy.

Another problem with known shaving brushes is that they are often complex to manufacture and assemble and that as a result costs are increased. As well as this quality control is difficult to maintain.

It is accordingly an object of the present invention to provide a dispensing brush suitable for use with material in foam or gel form which overcomes or at least mitigates one or more of the problems noted above.

Summary of invention According to the present invention, there is provided a brush assembly for dispensing and applying material from a conventional aerosol container, incorporating a conventional aerosol actuator, said brush assembly comprising: (i) a brush element; (ii) a handle secured to said brush element; (iii) a passageway extending substantially through the handle to the brush element with a first end opening into the brush element and a second end opening into the handle, said second end opening being adapted to receive at least part of the aerosol actuator; and (iv) an abutting surface provided around at least part of said second end opening, the abutting surface being adapted to abut against the aerosol actuator such that in use, when the second end opening is placed over the aerosol actuator and the handle is urged towards the aerosol container the abutting surface depresses the aerosol actuator and material from the aerosol container is released under pressure into the passageway, and passes through the passageway onto the brush element. This gives the advantage that material from a conventional aerosol container can be applied to a shaving brush quickly, safely and easily. The material is applied in a manner that causes it to spread through the bristles instead of forming a blob on top of the bristles. In this way the material adheres to the bristles well and does not fall off the shaving brush easily. The user does not have to bring his hands into contact with the material directly and this removes the need for him to wash and dry his hands. Another advantage is that the dispensing brush can be used with any type of conventional aerosol container.

Advantageously, the passageway comprises a tube. This provides the advantage that the material from the aerosol is conveyed directly to the bristles and does not leak out into or out of the handle. This is especially important for brushes that have handles made from wood or other materials that can be damaged or stained by the material from the aerosol.

Preferably the brush further comprises a one-way valve provided in the passageway, said one-way valve being arranged to allow the flow of material from the opening into the passageway. This provides the advantage that the material from the aerosol does not leak back out of the brush and onto the user or the aerosol container.

Preferably, the passageway is of substantially similar cross-section along its length. This helps to prevent build up of material from the aerosol container inside the passageway. The possibility of the material drying up and blocking any constrictions in the passage way are reduced because the material passes quickly through the brush. The passageway is relatively narrow and straight so that the material from the aerosol passes through it quickly and the pressure from the aerosol together with the narrow passageway helps to prevent blockages. Also, the possibility of a build up of material causing damage to the brush is minimised.

It is also preferred that the brush element comprises a plurality of bristles.

This has the advantage that the material from the aerosol container (such as shaving foam) can be effectively dispensed onto a person's face using the bristles.

Preferably, the brush element comprises a ferrule into which the bristles are inserted and which is adapted to hold the bristles together at their base. This has the advantage that the bristles can be held together easily and the ferrule can also be used to secure the handle to the brush element.

Advantageously, the one-way valve is sized and shaped such that it can be fitted into the passageway using a push-fit action. This means that the brush assembly is simple and inexpensive to manufacture.

It is also preferred that the one-way valve is formed from a plurality of components which are sized and shaped such that said components can be assembled to form the valve using push-fit actions. This helps to reduce manufacturing costs and helps to reduce errors occurring during the assembly process.

Preferably, said components comprise a closing element which is resiliently biased over the second end opening such that in use, when the closing element is biased over the second end opening, fluid held in the passageway is substantially prevented from passing through the second end opening. This provides the advantage that the one-way valve mechanism can simply and effectively be provided using a small number of components that can be assembled and manufactured at low cost.

Description of the drawings The invention will be further described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 is a cross section through a dispensing brush.

Figure 2 is a plan view of the brush handle.

Figure 3 shows a fragmentary view of the brush handle in position over an aerosol container.

Figure 4 is a cross section through a non-return valve suitable for use with the dispensing brush of figure 1.

Figure 5 is a plan view of the non-return valve of figure 4.

Description of preferred embodiments Embodiments of the present invention are described below by way of example only. These examples represent the best ways of putting the invention into practice that are currently known to the Applicant although they are not the only ways in which this could be achieved.

As shown in Figure 1 the brush has a handle 4 and a brush element 11.

The brush element has bristles 1 that are held together at their base using a ferrule 3. It is not essential to use bristles however. For example, a foam pad can be used or a fabric element. The term "brush element" is not intended to restrict the form of the brush element to forms which have bristles. The bristles are fixed into the ferrule using any conventional adhesive or glue 2. This is done by positioning the bristles in the ferrule and then applying the glue into the base of the ferrule. The adhesive sets and the bristles are held firmly in place.

A passageway 6 is provided from above the top of the adhesive 2 to the base of the handle 4 as shown in figure 1. A one-way valve 10 is positioned at the end of the passageway 6 near the base of the handle 4 as shown. There is an opening 5 in the base of the handle and this opening is at the end of the passageway 6. Around this opening 5 is an abutting surface 7.

As shown in figure 3 the handle 4 is positioned over the actuator 32 of a conventional aerosol actuator valve 33. By pressing the handle down onto the actuator the abutting surface 7 pushes down on the actuator 32 and causes material from the aerosol container 31 to be released into the passageway 6. This material is released under pressure and is forced up the passageway 6 and into the bristles 1. Once the bristles have been sufficiently charged with material in this way the brush is removed from the aerosol container and used to apply the material in the usual way.

The figures show a brush where the passageway traverses the length of the handle 4. However, it is also possible for the passageway to extend from the side of the handle to bristles 1. In this case the handle would be placed over the aerosol actuator with the handle and the aerosol actuator effectively perpendicular to each other.

The figures also show a brush in which the passageway 6 is in the form of a tube. However, it is not essential to use a tube. The passageway can simply be a channel from the opening 5 in the handle 4, through the handle to the bristles 1.

Also, the passageway can vary in cross-section. For example, figure 1 shows a hollow chamber 9 inside the handle 4. If no tube 6 were used then the chamber 9 would simply fill up with material from the aerosol and this material would eventually be forced through the passageway in the adhesive 2, up to the bristles 1. In this case it is necessary to make the seal between the brush element 11 and the handle 4 water tight so that no material leaks out. Similarly, the seal between the one-way valve 10 and the handle 4 should be water tight. Also, if wooden handles are used these can be stained or damaged by direct contact with material from the aerosol container. If these kinds of handles are used then it is best to use a tube 6 and prevent the material from coming into direct contact with the handle. Also, when a tube is used the material is conveyed quickly and easily to the bristles for application.

The one-way valve can be of any conventional type. For example figure 1 shows a non-return valve that has a ball and spring mechanism. The ball is resiliently biased against the abutting surface 7 to seal the opening 5. When the actuator 32 is inserted into the opening 5 it pushes the ball up against the spring and allows material from the aerosol container 31 to flow up into the passageway 6.

In the example shown in figure 1 the non-return valve 10 has a screw thread around it to enable it to be inserted and held in the handle easily. Also, it is not essential to use a one-way valve at all. The dispensing brush will still work without this although it is possible that a small quantity of material may come out of the opening 5 if the material is particularly fluid. If the material is viscous, and because of the capillary action of the tube 6 then the material tends to be held in the passageway and may not return out of the opening 5.

Figure 4 shows another example of a non-retum or one-way valve that can be used with the shaving brush. In this example the non-return valve is inserted into the handle of the brush using a push-fit action. The term push-fit" is used to refer to any means of connecting two components together which is a mechanical means and which does not require the use of additional fixing means such as adhesive, or screws and where the components are fitted together by virtue of their respective shapes and sizes. A push-fit action can involve pushing or pressing, or snap fitting components together. This makes assembly of the brush simple and fast.

Advantageously, the use of adhesive or other conventional fixing means is not required in addition to the push-fit and at the same time a good seal is achieved so that shaving foam does not leak back out of the brush.

The non-return valve shown in figure 4 has a housing 41, within which there is a channel 48 that is shaped to hold a spring 44 and a small ball 42 as shown in figure 4. The ball is preferably a stainless steel ball bearing although any other suitable material can be used. Also, it is not essential to use a ball 42. Any closing element can be used which acts to cover the aperture 46. The spring is preferably a high quality stainless steel spring although any other type of resilient means can be used. The spring 44 or other resilient means should act to bias the ball 42 towards an opening 46 in the housing 41. When the ball 42 is biased over this opening 46, fluid or foam within the housing is prevented from returning out of the aperture 46.

The sides of the channel 48 may actually be substantially wider than the diameter of the ball. In order to help prevent the ball 42 from wandering or moving from side to side one or more protrusions are provided around the edge of the aperture 46. Preferably, one protrusion that forms a ring around the aperture 46 is used. The ball 42 is seated in this ring protrusion to help prevent it from wandering from side to side. This helps to ensure that the ball is centred over the aperture 46 so that the aperture 46 is closed when the ball 42 is biased over it by the spring.

Otherwise, preparation within the housing 41 tends to leak back out of the aperture 46.

The aperture 46 is formed in an insert piece 43 as shown in figure 4. This insert piece has a sloping surface 45 which slopes towards the aperture 46 as shown in figure 4. This sloping surface 45 forms the abutting surface for this type of shaving brush. The insert piece 43 is adapted to be fitted into the end of the housing 41 using a push-fit action. No adhesive or other conventional fixing means is required in addition to the push-fit action. Advantageously, this enables the valve to be assembled simply and quickly and this helps to keep manufacturing costs down and quality control high.

A shoulder 49 is provided on the housing 41 so that when the valve is inserted into the handle 4 of the shaving brush it is held in place and does not move up into the body of the handle 4.

The housing 41 is also shaped to hold one end of a tube 47 as shown in figure 4. The tube 47 is made of plastics material or any other suitable material.

The tube 47 is held within an aperture 50 in the housing 41 so that a push-fit is achieved. No adhesive or other conventional fixing means is required to fit and hold the tube end 47 into the aperture 50. The housing 41 has shoulders 51 against which one end of the tube 47 rests. The width of the tube sides is less than or equal to the width of the shoulders so that in use, when preparation such as shaving foam is forced up through the tube 47 it does not act to force the tube 47 away from the housing 41.

The operation of the non-return valve as shown in figure 4 is similar to that for the valve shown in figure 1 as described above.

The valve of figure 4 is assembled by taking the housing 41 and placing the spring 44 into the channel 48 as shown and then the ball 42 on top of the spring as shown. The insert piece 43 is then pushed into the housing, with the aperture 46 in the insert adjacent the ball 42. The tube 47 is then pushed or pressed into the aperture 50 in the housing and the valve and tube inserted into the handle 4.

In the situation where the brush element 11 is already attached to the handle 4 it is sometimes difficult to engage the tube 47 with the passageway 6 in the brush element 11, when the valve and tube are inserted in the handle 4. In this case, a guide rod can be used to improve the assembly process. Once the tube 47 is fitted to the valve, a guide rod is inserted into the tube 47. The length of the guide rod is such that the rod extends out of the tube 47 and is of sufficient length to locate into the passageway 6 in the brush element. During the assembly process the guide rod is first located into the passageway 6 and then the tube 47 is moved up along the rod and also located into the passageway 6. After assembly is completed the guide rod is removed by turning the brush so that the rod falls out of the passageway 6.

An indentation 8 is provided in the base of the handle 4 as shown in figure 1. This allows the abutting surface 7, 24 to be recessed into the indentation 8, 23 and allows the brush to be supported by standing it up on the handle base.

However, it is not essential to provide an indentation 8 in the base of the handle 4. In some situations the non-return valve is arranged to protrude from, or stand slightly proud of, the base of the handle 4. In this case the diameter of the base of the valve can be increased, as shown at 49 in figure 4. Also, the flanges 49 of the valve housing 41 can be arranged to extend below the abutting surface. This helps to provide a stable base on which the handle can be supported and it raises the handle 4 above a supporting surface such as a bathroom shelf. This allows the handle to dry and holds the handle away from any water or moisture which may be present on the supporting surface. For wooden handles which may be damaged by prolonged contact with water this is especially advantageous.

Arranging the non-return valve 10 to protrude from, or stand proud of the base of the handle 4 is also advantageous for allowing the brush assembly to be used with a variety of aerosol containers 31. Different arrangements of aerosol actuator 32 and actuator valve 33 are possible and by arranging the non-return valve 10 to protrude from the base of the handle 4, these different arrangements can be accommodated. The abutting surface is held slightly away from the base of the handle and this allows access to the abutting surface by aerosol actuators 32 and actuator valves 33 of a variety of forms.

The abutting surface 7, 24 protrudes around the outside of the opening 5 as shown in figure 1 and in this example forms a ring 24 around the opening 5. The inner surface of the abutting surface 24 is chamfered as shown in figure 1. This means that when the aerosol actuator 32 is placed into the opening 5 it is guided towards the centre of the opening by the chamfered surface 24 as shown in figure 3. When the actuator 32 is placed over the opening 5 and the handle 4 is pressed down onto the aerosol container 31 the abutting surface 7 abuts against the actuator 32. The actuator 32 is pushed down and material from the aerosol container 31 is released into the passageway 6. The base of the handle 4 and the size and shape of the abutting surface 7 and the opening 5 are arranged so that they can be used with any conventional type of aerosol actuator. In some cases, when the aerosol actuator 32 is covered by a button or other shield it may be necessary to remove this cover before using the dispensing brush.

For example the actuator 32, actuator valve 33 and the whole top surface of the aerosol container 31 are often covered by a plastic cap or button which acts as a dispensing aid. This helps the user to press down the actuator 32 by providing a smooth surface for depression.

Preferably, the bristles 1 are held together at their base using a ferrule 3 as already described. The ferrule can be made from metal or plastics material. It is also possible to insert the bristles directly into the handle 4 without using a ferrule or to hold the bristles together using some other conventional means. For example, the bristles, if made from plastics material could be sealed together at their base by heat treatment.

The brush is constructed by first inserting the bristles 1 into the ferrule and fixing them in place using adhesive as already described. Then a channel 6 is drilled through the bristles and adhesive 2 to the top of the adhesive. The handle 4 is then secured to the brush element using a water tight seal if required. This can be done using any conventional means such as adhesive. A tube 6 is then inserted through the opening in the handle 5 and through the channel drilled in the adhesive 2. The one-way valve 10 is then inserted through the opening 5 in the handle and screwed into place.

In summary the brush can be described as follows: To allow aerosol (pressure propelled) shaving soap preparations to be infused directly through a shaving brush body into the bristle head, without the requirement for storage of the preparation or propellant within the shaving brush body. All shaving preparation aerosol cans have a manual dispensing aid affixed to the release valve 33 to enable a controlled, directional delivery of the contents by exerting downward pressure upon the actuator 32. By removing the dispensing aid and placing the actuator 32 within a shaving brush body with a non-retum valve and delivery tube or chamber vented into the base of the bristle head, and, whilst positioning this non-return valve over the aerosol release valve 33, applying similar downward pressure, it is possible to deliver the shaving preparation directly through the shaving brush body to infuse the bristle head in a controlled manner. This principle can be used for all types of shaving brush by provision of the correct sized access through the shaving brush body and bristle head. A small non-return valve is inserted into the base or side of the shaving brush body. This will either vent through a direct delivery tube fixed to it which will be fed through a suitable hole in the base of the bristle head or will vent through the hollow chamber within the shaving brush body and a suitable hole in the base of the bristle head. In the latter case, it will be necessary to pressure seal both the non-return valve and the bristle head to the shaving brush body in order to prevent leakage of the propelled shaving preparation at these joints. Fixture of the non-return valve to the shaving brush body may be actioned by screwing, circlip, spring clip, force-fit or adhesive.

Claims (14)

Claims

1. A brush assembly for dispensing and applying material from a conventional aerosol container, incorporating a conventional aerosol actuator, said brush assembly comprising: (i) a brush element; (ii) a handle secured to said brush element; (iii) a passageway extending substantially through the handle to the brush element with a first end opening into the brush element and a second end opening into the handle, said second end opening being adapted to receive at least part of the aerosol actuator; and (iv) an abutting surface provided around at least part of said second end opening, the abutting surface being adapted to abut against the aerosol actuator such that in use, when the second end opening is placed over the aerosol actuator and the handle is urged towards the aerosol container, the abutting surface depresses the aerosol actuator and material from the aerosol container is released under pressure into the passageway, and passes through the passageway onto the brush element.

2. A brush assembly as claimed in Claim 1 wherein the passageway comprises a tube.

3. A brush assembly as claimed in any preceding Claim wherein the abutting surface is chamfered towards the second end opening.

4. A brush assembly as claimed in any preceding Claim wherein the passageway is of substantially similar cross-section along its length.

5. A brush assembly as claimed in any preceding Claim wherein the brush element comprises a plurality of bristles.

6. A brush assembly as claimed in claim 5 wherein the brush assembly comprises a ferrule into which the bristles are inserted and which is adapted to hold the bristles together at their base.

7. A brush assembly as claimed in any preceding Claim wherein the abutting surface forms a ring around the second end opening.

8. A brush assembly as claimed in any preceding claim which further comprises a one-way valve provided in the passageway, said one-way valve being arranged to allow the flow of material from the second end opening into the passageway.

9. A brush assembly as claimed in Claim 8 wherein the one-way valve is sized and shaped such that it can be fitted into the passageway using a push-fit action.

10. A brush assembly as claimed in Claim 8 or Claim 9 wherein the one-way valve is formed from a plurality of components which are sized and shaped such that said components can be assembled to form the valve using push-fit actions.

11. A brush assembly as claimed in Claim 10 wherein said components comprise a closing element which is resiliently biased over the second end opening such that in use, when the closing element is biased over the second end opening, fluid held in the passageway is substantially prevented from passing through the second end opening.

12. A brush assembly as claimed in claim 10 or claim 11 wherein said components comprise a ball bearing.

13. A brush assembly as claimed in any of claims 10 to 12 wherein said components comprise a spring.

14. A brush assembly substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to, and as illustrated in, any combination of the accompanying drawings.