GB2489998A

GB2489998A - Brush for a shaving foam dispenser

Info

Publication number: GB2489998A
Application number: GB201109504A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Andre Clark
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2011-04-08
Filing date: 2011-06-07
Publication date: 2012-10-17
Anticipated expiration: 2031-06-07
Also published as: GB2489998B; GB201105977D0; GB201109504D0

Abstract

A shaving brush, suitable for use with a shaving foam dispenser, comprising of a cylindrical part that fits over the end of an aerosol canister, and which has bars or straps (or similar structures) which, in use, rest upon the cap of the can. In use, when the brush is pulled down in the direction of the base of the dispenser, the shaving foam or gel is dispensed into the bristles of the brush.

Description

A shaving brush that can be attached to cylindrical shaving foam (or gel) dispensers.

Description:

When shaving (of the human beard for example) it is often the case that users use both a shaving brush and shaving foam (or gel) dispensed from an aerosol container, by holding one to the other manually in order to transfer the foam to the brush and thence to the face, (where it helps in the shaving process by adding lubrication to the skin) . The present invention simplifies this process.

The device consists of a tube part that contains the bristles at one end as shown in Figure 1, these effectively form a ring on the rim of one end of the device, (although additional bristles can be attached to the bar part of the device if desired as well) . The other end of the tube fits over the end of the gel or foam dispenser, (as these are generally cylindrical canisters) as shown in Figure 2. The device also comprises on its inside a bar, or bars, or straps, or mesh, which rests upon the cap of the canister once the user has slipped the device over the canister and are designed to bring the bristles of the device into approximate alignment with the cap, regardless of the rotational orientation of the device, (since the bristles form a ring) . In figure 1 in the centre of the aforementioned ring of bristles such an arrangement of bars can be seen, with in this case form a convex shape (relative to the base of the device and base of the canister), the apex of which coincides with the bristles so that when the device is placed over the canister the bar rests on the cap and the bristles are brought into approximate alignment with the dispensing cap of the canister so that when the device is pulled down the bar or bars (or straps or mesh) apply downward pressure to the cap so that the contents of the canister are squirted onto some of the bristles, which can then be applied to the face in the traditional manner. The user can remove the device from the canister in order to apply it to the skin if they wish, or more simply leave the device in situ and pick up the canister with the device attached to apply the shaving foam (or gel) to their face. Indeed, the brush may be left attached to the canister until its contents run out, so that whenever the user requires a shave they can load their brush with foam by simply pushing down on the device.

Comparison with prior art:

The device shown here has a number of advantages over other solutions to this problem. The current state of the art is that there are two types of solutions to the problem: Firstly, there are a number of solutions that rely on a shaving brush with a small hole (normally in the base), which attach to the top of a foam (or gel) canister, that allows the content of the container to be released through the hole and thence through a tube also contained in the device in order to travel far enough to reach the brush end of the device. There are three problems with this approach, firstly it relies on the user removing the button that the canister of shaving foam or gel is normally supplied with. Secondly, the tube tends to become gummed up with shaving gel, reducing the efficiency of the device when it is next used, as although the cap also contains such a tube, the length is smaller since the contents of the canister only has to reach the end of the cap rather than the bristles of the additional brush device. Thirdly, such devices have not been economically manufactured since they require very precise engineering to ensure that the hole in the device is aligned and/or can apply downward pressure to the plastic tube typically used by manufacturers of foam and gel dispensing canisters to transfer the contents of the canister to the outside world, as such tubes tend to be short and small in diameter. The second type of solution is to leave the cap in situ, and it is within this camp that the current device resides. However, all prior art on this relies on having a good degree of fit between device and cap, which is an engineering challenge when caps are not designed for this purpose, and is proving impractical when the number and types of caps is as big as it is and getting bigger by the day as manufacturers refine their products and attempt to differentiate them from those of their rivals. What is reguired is some universally applicable method of applying downward pressure to a cap, which is exactly what the invention herein describes provides. The current art also necessitates some means of bridging the distance between the bristles and the cap, and (as with the previous type of solution) this introduces a possibility of clogging. In the device described herein this reguirement is eliminated as the cap is allowed to simply shoot the contents of the canister through the air to the bristles since the device brings these into close proximity to the cap, which they -in effect-surround. This eliminates the clogging issue, and removes the need for precise engineering to align the device with the content dispensing tube (and hold it in place thereafter) The present invention allows for almost any cap design, since the bar (or similar) applies downward pressure to whatever it touches in essentially the same way that a finger does.

Unlike other solutions the invention described here is also easily cleaned (although users may leave the device on the container until it runs out) by simply running it under a tap as it has no intricate parts liable to either clog, or be damaged by rough handling.

Given the diameter of most gel and foam dispenser canisters the brush bristles in the figures are shown angled inwards for ease of use. For additional convenience some means of temporarily locking the device to the dispensing can may also be employed.

Claims

Claims: 1. A shaving brush device that consists of a tube with bristles attached to the rim of one end, that fits over a conventional cylindrical aerosol canister (as currently used to dispense shaving foams and gels), wherein the bristles are brought into approximate alignment with the cap of said canister by a bar, or bars, or straps, or mesh, attached to the inside of the tube that rest upon the cap of the cylinder once the device has been placed over the dispensing end of the canister and which by pulling down on the device (in the direction of the base of the canister) applies downward pressure to the cap so that the contents of the canister is dispensed onto the bristles.
2. The device in claim 1 that is made to form a stronger attachment to the dispensing container by any means (about which no claims are made here), such as -but not limited to-a tightening ring on the lower edge of the device.