Ergonomic brush with magnet

Abstract

A grooming brush includes a body having a convex top surface with multiple tooled finger grooves arranged to accommodate multiple hand positions and / or right and left-handed grasps. This ergonomic grip reduces hand and wrist strain and fatigue. The bottom surface of the brush body is equipped with a flexibly attached configuration of bristles. A magnet is fixed within the body of the brush with one pole (e.g., south) in the direction of the top surface and the groomer's hand, and the other pole (e.g., north) in the direction of the bottom surface and the grooming subject. With metal bristles, the magnetic field at the skin surface of the grooming subject may be enhanced by the proximity of the magnetized bristles. The groomer and the grooming subject may thus experience the benefits of magnetic therapy through the grooming process.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCES TO RELATED APPLICATIONS [0001] This application claims the benefit of priority from U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 60 / 488,200, filed on Jul. 17, 2003. FIELD OF THE INVENTION [0002] The invention relates to the field of pet care, and more specifically, to grooming devices. [0003] A portion of the disclosure of this patent document contains material to the facsimile reproduction by anyone of the patent which is subject to copyright protection. The copyright owner has no objection document or the patent disclosure, as it appears in the Patent and Trademark Office file or records, but otherwise reserves all copyrights associated with this document. BACKGROUND [0004] Prior art brushes, e.g., for grooming pets, are commonly configured as a bristle-holding base connected to an elongated handle. Two examples of this brush design are shown in FIGS. 1A and 1B. As shown, each prior art brush is composed of a base 100 containing a number of bristles 101 for groomi...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0016] The invention provides a brush with an ergonomic grip and an integrated magnetic element. In one or more embodiments, the brush may comprise a body having a convex top surface with multiple tooled finger grooves arranged to accommodate multiple hand positions and / or right and left-handed grasps. This ergonomic grip reduces hand and wrist strain and fatigue. The bottom surface of the brush body may be equipped with a flexibly attached configuration of bristles, e.g., for grooming pet hair. The body of the brush may comprise an internally affixed magnetic element having, for example, one pole (e.g., south) facing in the direction of the top surface and the groomer's hand, and the other pole (e.g., north) facing in the direction of the bottom surface and the grooming subject. In one or more embodiments, the bristles may comprise metal or a metallic coating flexibly attached to the body of the brush, such that the magnetic field at the skin surface of the grooming subject is enhanced by the proximity of magnetized bristles. The groomer and the grooming subject may thus experience the benefits of magnetic therapy through the grooming process.

Problems solved by technology

The closed-fist grip on the handle leads to hand and wrist fatigue.

This wrist torque can lead to extra strain on the muscles, tendons and joints of the hand and wrist.

With intermittent use, such as by a pet owner who occasionally grooms her pet, this brush design can lead to temporary pain and fatigue in the hand and wrist.

With constant use, e.g., such as by a professional groomer that grooms pets daily for extended periods of time, this brush design may also lead to repetitive motion injury and chronic nerve and joint conditions.

In addition to causing strain and fatigue for the groomer, the grooming experience may be unpleasant for the pet that is being groomed.

The tension on the pet's hair may be painful, and the close contact, possibly by a person with which the pet is unfamiliar, can increase the stress level of the pet.

The pain and stress experienced by the pet may lead to the pet struggling or even biting the groomer.

In response, the groomer may find herself applying more pressure with the brush and / or restraining the pet more forcefully, leading to further pain and stress in the pet, not to mention further fatigue and frustration in the groomer.

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