US3872873A

US3872873A - Grooming implements

Info

Publication number: US3872873A
Application number: US326081A
Authority: US
Inventors: Earl Silas Tupper
Original assignee: Tup & 0 Panama S A
Current assignee: Tup & 0 Panama S A; TUP'+0 (PANAMA) SA
Priority date: 1972-01-28
Filing date: 1973-01-23
Publication date: 1975-03-25
Anticipated expiration: 1992-03-25
Also published as: JPS5547890B2; JPS4883958A; CA1000155A; GB1415501A; HK77076A; BE794511A; DE2303338A1; FR2169154A1; FR2169154B1

Abstract

A comb has broad teeth rectilinear in cross-section with smooth rounded edges, and some or all of its teeth have at least through orifices extending along them, preferably tapering at each end. The teeth may be wider in the middle than at the back end, or may be wavy along their length. The end piece of the comb may also be orificed.

Description

States tent 1191 Tupper [45] Mar. 25, 1975 GROOMING HMPLEMENTS 1,074,893 10/1913 Pearce 132/157 2,329,361 9/1943 Solomon 132/157 [75] Inventor: TWP", Panama 2,450,448 10/1948 Sawyer l8/47.5 Panama 2,559,940 7/1951 Cartheuser 132/157 2,989,059 6/l96l Solomon 132/159 [731' Assgnee' ggg g Panema 0179,923 3 9 Solomon D86/8 Filed: Jan- 23, 1973 Primary Examiner G. E. McNeil 211 App. No 32 081 Attorney, Agent, 07' Firm-Pollock, Philpitt & Vande Sande [30] Foreign Application Priority Data [57] ABSTRACT [972 United KmvgdoF-n A comb has broad teeth rectilinear in cross-section with smooth rounded edges, and some or all of its (SI. teeth have at least through orifices extending along [58] Fie'ld 57 160 11 them, preferably tapering at each end. The teeth may be wider in the middle than at the back end, or may References Cited be wavy along their length. The end piece of the comb a als be 0 'f d. UNITED STATES PATENTS m y 0 n 739'898 9/1903 M9???1 1:'"'11:?912.11%?057 4 Claims 3 DraWmg Flgures GROOMING IMPLEMENTS The present invention relates to a design of comb or like grooming implement, such as a hair pick, which is a relatively large size implement with long broad teeth for combing difficult hair.

While not wishing to be limited by any discussion as to the operation of the device, it is believed that relatively broad comb teeth (as viewed in a direction from the face of the comb) are effective in combing the hair since they have a gentle combing action and since indi' vidual lengths of hair do not have a tendency to get pulled into the wrong space between the teeth, as would happen when such spaces are relatively close and separated by narrow teeth. However, such broad teeth can be relatively heavy and clumsy to use.

To overcome this disadvantage, the present invention consists in one aspect of a comb or like hair-combing implement having broad teeth of rectilinear cross section with smooth rounded edges, wherein a number of adjacent teeth or all of the teeth are formed with at least one orifice passing through the tooth, extending in the tooth direction, and open to the front and back of the comb.

In one form of the invention, half of the teeth of the comb are formed as described above and the other half are conventional relatively fine teeth.

Preferably each of the orifices through the tooth is elongate and tapers at each end. Preferably moreover each tooth, viewed from the front of the comb and reckoning from the base of the tooth, first increases in width and then decreases to a blunt point. Thus, in a useful embodiment of the invention, the teeth are very closely adjacent at or near the middle of their length. The advantage of this is that when the comb is dipped into a treatment fluid for applying to the hair, a number of spaces are defined, either between such adjacent teeth or at the ends of the orifices within the teeth,

which can hold the treatment fluid by capillary action until it is applied to the hair.

Alternatively, each tooth may be wavy along its length. In such a case the orifice may extend over part of the length (preferably the lower part) or the whole length of the tooth.

There may be more than one orifice present in each tooth.

The end piece of the comb, for the sake of appearance and also to confer lightness, may also be provided with at least one elongate orifice opening to the front and back of the comb.

cording to the present invention must be rectilinear and rounded at the corners in order to provide a suitable combing effect.

The invention will be further described with regard to the accompanying of drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a view of part of a comb.

FIG. 2 shows a cross section of the teethon the lines AA and B-B.

FIG. 3 is a view of part of another comb.

The comb shown in the drawing has a back portion 1 and teeth generally indicated at 2. These teeth are of rectangular cross-section with smoothed corners. The

The teeth according to the invention may be applied to a wide variety of gentlemens or ladies combs.

The overall design of the teeth will be such that they are relatively broad when viewed from the front of the comb. It is also valuable if the teeth themselves are broad not only overall but also in each limb (i.e., as defined between the orifice and the edge of the tooth on either side of the orifice).

It is known to provide a so-called tuck" comb having teeth orificed along their length. However, this is not suitable for combing the hair and usually is provided with a rounded ornamental back merely for inserting into a accumulation of hair to hold it in place. Moreover, the teeth of such a tuck comb having a gripping function rather than u combing function, and their cross-section is therefore somewhat triangular to join the strands of hair in place. The teeth of the comb acteeth extend to a relatively blunt point 5 and are each provided with a central orifice 6 ,'also with rounded square edges. The limbs of each tooth on either side of the orifice approach closely to similar and adjacent limbs of adjacent teeth. Thus, if such a comb is dipped into a treatment fluid, the fluid can be held by capillary action not only in the ends of the orifices at 8, but also between two adjacent teeth as at 9. Such a treatment fluid will be readily transferred to the hair when the comb is used.

The section lines AA and B-B indicate sections shown respectively at 10 and 11. In each instance the tooth itself, and each individual limb ofeach tooth, is relatively broad as viewed from the front of the comb.

In FIG. 2 the comb has a back portion 13 and teeth 14. The latter are of a wavy configuration, but their cross-sections are as described for FIG. 1, i.e., of rectangular shape with rounded corners. In this embodiment, the orifices in the teeth can occupy the whole length of the tooth, as at 15, or the lower part of the length, as at 16, so that a stronger connection to the back portion 13 is obtained. Alternately, two orifices 17 may be provided each in part of the tooth.

In practice, all the teeth of a comb according to the invention would usually have the same type of orifice. The three types shown on adjacent teeth only for purposes of illustration. Also, the end piece of the comb can be orificed as at 18 and '19 to improve appearance and give lightness.

I claim;

1. A haircombing implement having a back portion and a plurality of teeth integral therewith and extending generally at right angles therefrom, wherein a. each tooth has a transverse cross-section which is rectilinear with rounded corners, the root portion of each tooth, where it communicates with the back portion, and the greater part of the length of each tooth, being at least as broad as it is deep;

b. each tooth is spaced from its neighbouring teeth,

the spaces thereby defined between teeth terminating in smooth rounded surfaces at the back portion;

c. each tooth possesses at least one elongate through orifice extending along the tooth and opening towards the front and side wall portions thick enough to be resistent to any deformation whereby the spacing between teeth could be substantially varied, said implement thereby presenting a plurality of robust and non-gripping teeth to facilitate combing of hair.

2. A hair-combing implement as claimed in claim 1, wherein each of said teeth increases in thickness in an intermediate portion from its thickness in said root portion, and thereafter tapers to a point.

3. A hair-combing implement as claimed in claim 1, wherein each of said teeth is wavy along its length.

4. A hair-combing implement as claimed in claim 1, comprising a comb end piece also possessing at least one elongate through orifice.

Claims

1. A haircombing implement having a back portion and a plurality of teeth integral therewith and extending generally at right angles therefrom, wherein a. each tooth has a transverse cross-section which is rectilinear with rounded corners, the root portion of each tooth, where it communicates with the back portion, and the greater part of the length of each tooth, being at least as broad as it is deep; b. each tooth is spaced from its neighbouring teeth, the spaces thereby defined between teeth terminating in smooth rounded surfaces at the back portion; c. each tooth possesses at least one elongate through orifice extending along the tooth and opening towards the front and side wall portions thick enough to be resistent to any deformation whereby the spacing between teeth could be substantially varied, said implement thereby presenting a plurality of robust and non-gripping teeth to facilitate combing of hair.