Modular hairbrush

Abstract

MODULAR HAIRBRUSH Modular hairbrush (100) comprising a brush head (10) furnished on its external face with a plurality of bristles or spikes (14) and a handle (20), said brush head comprising two parts (11a, 11b) articulated together by means of a hinge (12) and allowing the brush to have a closed configuration, suitable for a first type of brushing, and an open configuration, suitable for a second type of brushing, each articulated part (11a, 11b) comprising a curved portion (111a, 111b) ending in a free edge of said part and a flat portion (112a, 112b) extending said curved portion to an opposite edge engaged with the hinge (12), the free edges of the curved portions being joined in the closed configuration, and the flat portions being coplanar in the open configuration. Figure for the abstract: figure 1

Description

Title of the invention: Modular hairbrush Technical field

[0001] The present invention belongs to the field of hairdressing devices and utensils, in particular hairbrushes, and relates more particularly to a modular hairbrush allowing both brushing to detangle the hair and rolling up the locks of hair to blow-dry. State of the art

[0002] Hairbrushes are used daily, whether for quick detangling of hair or careful styling in combination with a heating device such as a straightener or a hair dryer.

[0003] Historically, the hairbrush was a prized, even luxurious, personal object, made with noble materials and exclusively on demand, before becoming a toiletry and aesthetic necessity intended for the general public.

[0004] Towards the end of the 18th century, William Kent founded the Kent Brushes company in England, known as the world's first hairbrush manufacturer.

[0005] On the other side of the Atlantic, many American entrepreneurs contributed to the development of the hairbrush, including Hugh Rock, who in 1854 filed a design of the classic brush with its well-known elliptical shape and slightly curved handle.

[0006] Today, the variety of brushes is at least as great as that of hair. Some brushes, like Kent Brushes, are still handcrafted from carefully selected wood and bristles, while others are made of plastic and rubber.

[0007] Hairbrushes also come in different shapes with different types of bristles or pins to perform different functions when styling (detangling, separating, shaping, etc.).

[0008] As a result, it becomes almost essential for every user to have a set of several different hairbrushes, generally two or three, to achieve the desired hairstyles.

[0009] Modular solutions have therefore been devised to combine several functions in a single hairbrush.

[0010] For example, documents FR2868266A1 and US4423531A describe such modular brushes. However, these solutions are not satisfactory in terms of functionality and maneuverability, the first not allowing effective winding of the hair to achieve blow-drying and the second being flexible and inconvenient.

[0011] Document CN201398601Y describes a more practical modular hairbrush, comprising two parts hinged together by means of a hinge to present an open brushing position and a closed hair-winding position. Each part is formed by a curved portion, one edge of which is engaged with the hinge. In the closed position, the curved portions meet so that the brush has a substantially cylindrical shape. In the open position, the portions are not in the same plane so that the hairbrush can be used in a conventional manner for brushing hair. This solution is therefore less effective for brushing.This same document describes another embodiment with a central flat part for brushing, but adds two hinged flaps on one side and the other, which unnecessarily complicates the mechanism of the brush and multiplies the hinge junctions in which hair can get stuck. Presentation of the invention

[0012] The present invention aims to overcome the drawbacks of the prior art, set out above, by proposing an innovative solution of great simplicity, very practical for carrying out either conventional brushing or rolling the hair for blow-drying type styling using heating means.

[0013] To this end, the present invention relates to a modular hairbrush comprising a brush head furnished on its external face with a plurality of bristles or spikes and a handle, said brush head comprising two parts articulated together by means of a hinge and allowing the brush to have a closed configuration, suitable for a first type of brushing, and an open configuration, suitable for a second type of brushing. This brush is remarkable in that each articulated part comprises a curved portion ending in a free edge of said part and a flat portion extending said curved portion to an opposite edge engaged with the hinge, in that the free edges of the curved portions are joined in the closed configuration, and in that the flat portions are coplanar in the open configuration.

[0014] According to an advantageous embodiment, the transition from the closed configuration to the open configuration is done by a button placed on the handle.

[0015] More particularly, the button is monostable.

[0016] According to one embodiment, the position of the articulated parts is locked in each configuration by means of a mechanism comprising legs, provided with holes, and locking elements engaging in said holes in the closed configuration and blocking the rotation of said legs in the open configuration.

[0017] Advantageously, the bristles or spikes are implanted in a flexible membrane covering the external face of the brush head including the hinge, in order to avoid the hair getting stuck in it.

[0018] The fundamental concepts of the invention having just been set out in their most elementary form, other details and characteristics will emerge more clearly on reading the description which follows and with reference to the appended drawings, giving by way of non-limiting example an embodiment of a modular hairbrush in accordance with the principles of the invention. Presentation of the drawings

[0019] The figures are given purely for illustrative purposes for a better understanding of the invention without limiting its scope. The various elements are represented very schematically. Throughout the figures, identical or equivalent elements bear the same numerical reference.

[0020] It is thus illustrated in:

[0021] [Fig-1]: a perspective view of a hairbrush that can be adjusted according to a mode of realization of the invention;

[0022] [Fig.2]: a perspective view of the brush in closed configuration and in open configuration;

[0023] [Fig.3]: a top view of the brush in both configurations;

[0024] [Fig.4]: another perspective view of the brush in both configurations;

[0025] [Fig.5]: a perspective view of the brush mechanism in the two confi figures, the articulated parts being transparent on the closed configuration;

[0026] [Fig.6]: a partial view of the mechanism showing the button spring. Detailed description of embodiments

[0027] In the embodiment described below, reference is made to a modular hairbrush, mainly of the type without heat input. This non-limiting example is given for a better understanding of the invention and does not exclude the use of such a brush on a heated hair styling device such as a steam straightening or curling hairbrush.

[0028] In the remainder of the description, the term “brush”, used alone, designates a hairbrush.

[0029] [Fig.l] represents a modular brush 100 comprising a brush head 10 and a handle 20 supporting said head and extending longitudinally along the same axis. The brush head 10 is formed of two parts 11a and 11b articulated together, by means of a central hinge 12, each of said parts being furnished with bristles or spikes 14 on its external face intended to come into contact with the hair.

[0030] The bristles or spikes 14 can be of any type and implanted either directly on the external faces of the articulated parts 11a and 11b, or by means of a flexible membrane which covers the external faces of said parts. The bristles or spikes can for example be arranged in a staggered pattern.

[0031] Preferably, the bristles or spikes 14 are attached to the articulated parts 11a and 11b by means of a flexible membrane 13, which perfectly follows the movement of said parts and advantageously makes it possible to cover the hinge 12 over its entire length to prevent the hair from getting stuck in the junctions of said hinge.

[0032] The brush 100 is modular and has two configurations of use for this purpose to allow either conventional brushing in a straight movement along the hair, or winding of locks of hair during styling using a heating device such as a hair dryer, for example to achieve blow-drying. In this second use, the brushing can be described as heat brushing.

[0033] [Fig.2] represents the brush 100 in closed configuration (a), suitable for thermobrushing, and in open configuration (b), suitable for conventional brushing.

[0034] In the closed configuration, the two articulated parts 11a and 11b join by their free edges, opposite their edges engaged with the hinge 12, to form a closed contour of rounded shape facilitating the winding of the hair, like known round hairbrushes.

[0035] In the open configuration, the two articulated parts 11a and 11b are spaced apart from each other so as to form a substantially flat surface, on one side and the other of the hinge 12, which facilitates conventional brushing.

[0036] In order to obtain these two configurations and for each of them to be effective for the associated brushing, the articulated parts 11a and 11b have a profile whose shape has been specifically designed for this purpose.

[0037] [Fig. 3] shows a top view of the brush 100 in the closed configuration (a) and in the open configuration (b), and allows the shape of the profile of the articulated parts 11a and 11b to be visualized.

[0038] Each part 11a and 11b comprises a curved portion 11a and 111b, preferably substantially circular, extending to the free edge and a flat portion 112a and 112b extending said curved portion to the edge engaged with the hinge 12. Thus, the articulated parts 11a and 11b each have a J shape particularly suited to obtaining the two configurations, closed and open, of the brush 100.

[0039] Indeed, when the brush 100 is in the closed configuration, the curved portions 111a and 111b are joined to each other by their free edges, which gives the brush head a cylindrical shape with a circular cross section at its end opposite the hinge 12 and a prismatic shape with a triangular cross section at said hinge.

[0040] When the brush 100 is in the open configuration, the flat portions 112a and 112b are substantially coplanar and then define a flat brushing face with substantially parallel pins. The slightly inclined pins located at the junctions between flat and curved parts also provide continuity to the brushing, like brushes with slightly rounded cushions.

[0041] The transition from one configuration to the other is done manually and without difficulty, in particular by means of a button 211 visible in [Fig. 1] to pass from the closed configuration to the open configuration, the closed configuration preferably being the default configuration of the brush 100. The reverse transition is done by manually bringing the articulated parts 11a and 11b against each other.

[0042] [Fig.4] represents the brush 100 in closed configuration (a) and in open configuration (b), and schematizes the transition from one configuration to the other by arrows of the same color.

[0043] The transition from the closed configuration to the open configuration is done by actuating the button 211. This button is preferably a monostable button which returns to its initial position after actuation. According to the illustrated embodiment, the button 211 is a sliding monostable button to be easily actuated when using the brush 100. Of course, the button 211 can be of any other type adapted to the intended functions, in particular of the push-button type.

[0044] Thus, when a user actuates the button 211 by sliding, downwards for example, the articulated parts 11a and 11b move away from each other, under the effect of one or more torsion springs not shown, to form the flat brushing face, consisting of the flat portions 112a and 112b.

[0045] Indeed, at least one torsion spring is placed around the hinge 12 and comprises two arms each extending inside an articulated part 11a and 11b of the brush head. The torsion spring(s) are constrained when the brush 100 is in the closed configuration, and return to their equilibrium position when said brush is in the open configuration.

[0046] Conversely, the transition from the open configuration to the closed position is done by a manual action of the user on the two articulated parts 11a and 11b which tends to bring said parts together according to the arrows shown in [Fig.4].

[0047] The torsion springs thus control the closing and opening of the articulated parts 11a and 11b and are sized to allow a non-sudden opening of said parts and to oppose a low resistance during closing.

[0048] In both the closed and open configurations, the position of the articulated parts 11a and 11b is locked by a suitable mechanism, so as to keep said parts fixed when using the brush in both configurations.

[0049] For this purpose, the brush 100 comprises a mechanism placed at an upper end 21 of the handle 20 and comprising, among other elements, the button 211.

[0050] [Fig.5] shows the different elements of the brush mechanism and their mode of operation between the closed configuration and the open configuration of the brush.

[0051] Each articulated part 11a and 11b is provided with a tab 113 arranged transversely at its lower edge, in which a hole 114 is provided. The tabs 113 are shaped to match the shape of an upper face 213 of the handle 20 when the brush is closed.

[0052] In the closed configuration, the tabs 113 make it possible to lock the position of the articulated parts 11a and 11b by receiving in their holes 114 locking elements 214 capable of blocking the rotation of said articulated parts around the hinge 12. For this purpose, the locking elements 214 may have a shape complementary to that of the holes 114 so as to fit perfectly therein, like a bolt in a strike plate.

[0053] According to the example illustrated, the holes 114 are rectangular and the locking elements 214 are parallelepipedal.

[0054] The locking elements 214 are mechanically coupled to the button 211 and are animated by the same movement as the latter. As a result, sliding the button 211 downwards pulls the locking elements 214 downwards, thus releasing the tabs 113 and thereby the articulated parts 11a and 11b which deploy under the effect of the torsion springs placed at the hinge 12.

[0055] The sliding of the button 211 is guided by a slot 212 made in the handle 20.

[0056] Then, after release, the button 211 returns to its initial position and carries with it the locking elements 214 which return to protrude relative to the upper face 213 of the handle 20, and lock the tabs 113 to immobilize the articulated parts 11a and 11b in the open configuration.

[0057] Finally, the brush can be closed by actuating the button 211 to remove the obstacle formed by the blocking elements 214, or preferably without actuating said button, in which case, the blocking elements 214 retract under the effect of manual pressure exerted by the user on the articulated parts 11a and 11b, like a half-turn bolt. In the latter case, it is necessary for the faces of the blocking elements 214 in contact with the tabs 113 to be beveled.

[0058] [Fig.6] allows us to understand the mechanical coupling between the button 211 and the rest of the mechanism.

[0059] Indeed, the button 211 is embedded in a body 215 ending with the locking elements 214 not visible in [Fig.6]. This body is connected to the upper face 213 of the handle 20 by a traction spring 216 fixed on a rod 217 of said body.

[0060] It is clear from the present description that certain elements of the brush modular can be modified, replaced or deleted without departing from the scope of the invention. In particular, an equivalent mechanism for opening and closing the brush can be obtained by different means known to those skilled in the art.

Claims

Claims

1. Modular hairbrush (100) comprising a brush head (10) furnished on its external face with a plurality of bristles or spikes (14) and a handle (20), said brush head comprising two parts (11a, 11b) articulated together by means of a hinge (12) and allowing the brush to have a closed configuration, suitable for a first type of brushing, and an open configuration, suitable for a second type of brushing, characterized in that each articulated part (11a, 11b) comprises a curved portion (111a, 111b) ending in a free edge of said part and a flat portion (112a, 112b) extending said curved portion to an opposite edge engaged with the hinge (12), in that the free edges of the curved portions are joined in the closed configuration, and in that the flat portions are coplanar in the open configuration.

2. A hairbrush according to claim 1, wherein the transition from the closed configuration to the open configuration is made by a button (211) placed on the handle (20).

3. A hairbrush according to claim 2, wherein the button (211) is a monostable button which returns to its initial position after actuation.

4. A hairbrush according to any preceding claim, wherein the position of the hinged portions (11a, 11b) is locked in each configuration by means of a mechanism comprising legs (113), provided with holes (114), and locking elements (214) engaging in said holes in the closed configuration and blocking the rotation of said legs in the open configuration.

5. A hairbrush according to any preceding claim, wherein the bristles or pins (14) are implanted in a flexible membrane (13) covering the outer face of the brush head (10) including the hinge (12).

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