Paint brush

Abstract

A paintbrush constructed in an environmentally conscious manner. In one embodiment, a paintbrush is constructed from a bamboo handle, stainless steel ferrule and a mixture of natural and artificial bristle. This mixture of materials results in substantially less environmental impact than conventional paintbrush materials.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS[0001]The present application claims priority of the U.S. provisional patent application Ser. No. 61 / 045,379 filed Apr. 16, 2008 entitled “Paintbrush.”BACKGROUND[0002]1. Field of the Invention[0003]The present invention relates to paint brushes and, more specifically, to a paintbrush and method of construction that is more environmentally friendly than a conventional paintbrush.[0004]2. Background of the Invention[0005]Generally, paintbrushes are constructed with little to no consideration for the impact their construction will have on the environment. Materials such as the handle, ferrule and bristles are selected with no consideration for the scarcity of the materials, the energy expended in transporting the materials to the construction facility, or the impact the paintbrush will have on the environment when discarded.[0006]As one example, the handles of prior art paintbrushes are typically constructed out of either a hardwood or a plastic. ...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0015]The handle of a preferred embodiment is composed of bamboo wood. Bamboo wood is a superior material because it is lightweight, durable and is harvested from quickly renewing bamboo. In addition, bamboo is biodegradable and non-toxic, and will not have a negative environmental impact when the paintbrush is eventually disposed of.

[0016]The hang-up hole of a preferred embodiment of the present invention is beveled. This provides a larger area for a user to engage the hang-up hole, even if not looking while hanging up the paintbrush. On the other hand, the hole does not greatly weaken the handle of the brush, because the actual hole is relatively small. The beveled segments of the hang-up hole continue to provide structural support to the handle.

[0017]The ferrule of a preferred embodiment of the present invention is composed of unpainted, stainless steel. Unpainted, stainless steel provides advantages over the prior art because it is lightweight and durable without requiring the environmentally unfriendly chemical processing of a painted or plastic ferrule.

[0018]The bristles of a preferred embodiment of the present invention are a mixture of natural and artificial bristles. This provides overall brush longevity, because certain paints will age the natural bristles faster than the artificial ones, and vice versa. By extending the life of the brush, mixed bristles reduce paintbrush waste.

Problems solved by technology

In addition, they are inferior to plastic handles because they are heavier and not as durable.

However, plastic handles are not biodegradable and require a plethora of caustic chemical treatments to prepare and mold.

These plastic ferrules suffer from the same flaws as plastic paintbrush handles.

In addition, frequently plastic is not durable enough for the rough conditions encountered by paintbrushes in industrial use.

Prior art paintbrushes were also not environmentally conscious in their bristle selection.

This led to premature brush aging, because all the bristles were composed of a homogenous material.

This leads to inconvenience for the user, because the hole is frequently so small a user must actively look at the hang-up hole to hang up the paintbrush.

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