Folding blow dryer brush

Abstract

We provide a foldable blow brush that reduces the number of parts and assembly steps, thereby lowering manufacturing costs. [Solution] In a blow-drying brush having a brush portion 1 and a handle portion 2, the two are connected in a foldable manner, the brush portion 1 and the handle portion 2 are connected via a hinge portion 3 integrally molded from a resin material, and the hinge portion 3 is made open and closed by elastic deformation, and has an open / closed holding function that stably holds at a predetermined opening angle θ.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a blow brush used for hair styling, and particularly to a blow brush provided with a folding mechanism.

Background Art

[0002] A blow brush is a tool used to hold hair while using the warm air of a dryer and to arrange the hair flow. Also, in order to improve portability, a hair brush having a folding structure is known (see, for example, Patent Document 1 and Non-Patent Document 1).

[0003] In conventional folding brushes, a configuration using a hinge mechanism composed of a plurality of parts is common, and an assembly process is often required after molding (see, for example, Non-Patent Document 1).

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Non-Patent Documents

[0005]

Non-Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0006] An object of the present invention is to provide a structure that can reduce the number of parts and the assembly process in a folding blow brush and reduce the manufacturing cost.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0007] The blow-drying brush of the present invention has a pair of brush parts and a handle part, and the brush parts and the handle part are connected in a foldable manner. The brush parts and the handle part are connected via a hinge part integrally molded from a resin material, and the hinge part has an opening and closing holding mechanism that allows the brush parts and the handle part to be opened and closed by elastic deformation, and holds the brush parts and the handle part at a predetermined opening angle. According to the blow-drying brush of the present invention, the brush parts and the handle part can be opened and closed by the elastic deformation of the hinge part, and the brush parts and the handle part are stably held at a predetermined opening angle.

[0008] In the blow-drying brush of this invention, it is desirable that at least one of the brush portion or the handle portion is provided with an opening stopper that restricts a predetermined opening angle. This prevents excessive changes in the opening angle between the brush portion and the handle portion.

[0009] The opening stopper should preferably be a spring-type structure that utilizes the elasticity of the resin. This allows for stable regulation of the opening angle with a simple configuration.

[0010] The hinge section should preferably include a thin section formed continuously between the brush section and the handle section. This allows for smooth and repeated opening and closing operations.

[0011] The opening and closing mechanism can be achieved by the elastic force of the hinge, which biases the brush and handle in the opening direction. This ensures that the open position is maintained during use. [Effects of the Invention]

[0012] (1) By connecting the brush part and the handle part via a hinge part integrally molded from resin material, the molding and assembly processes of multiple parts that were previously required can be eliminated or simplified, thereby reducing the number of parts and lowering manufacturing costs.

[0013] (2) By utilizing the elastic deformation of the hinge to enable opening and closing, and by having a configuration that has an opening and closing holding function that stably holds the opening at a predetermined opening angle, it is possible to suppress instability in the open state of the brush part and the handle part during use.

[0014] (3) When a stopper is provided, the opening angle between the brush and the handle can be prevented from changing excessively, thereby improving operability during use.

[0015] (4) By using a spring-type structure that utilizes the elasticity of resin for the opening stopper, a stable angle control function can be achieved with a simple configuration, and reliability can be improved while suppressing an increase in the number of parts.

[0016] (5) By making the hinge part a thin-walled section, smooth bending motion can be maintained even with repeated opening and closing operations, thereby improving durability.

[0017] (6) By using the elastic force of the hinge to bias the brush part and the handle part in the opening direction, the open state can be stably maintained during use, making blowing work easy and reliable. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0018] [Figure 1] This is a side view showing the brush and handle parts held at a predetermined opening angle. [Figure 2] This is a side view showing the brush and handle in a closed state. [Figure 3] This diagram shows the brush and handle in a fully open state, where (A) is a top view, (B) is a side view, and (C) is a bottom view. [Figure 4] This is a cross-sectional view showing the structure and assembly procedure of the opening stopper and guide section. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0019] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. This embodiment is an example for facilitating the understanding of the present invention, and the present invention is not limited thereto.

[0020] (1) Structure As shown in FIG. 1, the brush for blowing of this embodiment mainly comprises a brush part 1, a handle part 2, a hinge part 3, and a locking part 4. These members are formed of a synthetic resin material, and the main part including at least the hinge part 3 is integrally molded.

[0021] The brush part 1 is a part provided with comb teeth or brush teeth for grooming hair. The brush part 1 has a base part 10 extending in the longitudinal direction and a plurality of tooth parts 11 arranged to project from the base part 10. These tooth parts 11 are arranged so as to appropriately contact the hair during blowing, and as shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, are formed on the lower surface side of the brush part 1. The shape of the brush part 1, the number, interval, and length of the tooth parts 11, etc. can be appropriately changed according to the application and design conditions.

[0022] The handle part 2 is a part for the user to grip with fingers. The handle part 2 is formed in an elongated rod shape or plate shape. The outer shape of the handle part 2 may have a substantially elliptical or substantially rectangular cross section in consideration of the operability during gripping. Further, inside the handle part 2, a guide part 5 for arranging the locking part 4 described later is formed.

[0023] The hinge part 3 is a connecting part that connects the brush part 1 and the handle part 2, and is integrally formed at the boundary region between the two. The hinge part 3 includes a thin part 30 continuously formed between the brush part 1 and the handle part 2. The hinge part 3 can change the relative angle between the brush part 1 and the handle part 2 by locally bending the thin part 30. Such a thin part 30 functions as a so-called integral molding hinge structure and realizes a rotation operation without using a pin or a separate member.

[0024] Furthermore, the hinge portion 3 has a restoring force based on the elasticity of the material itself. The hinge portion 3 is configured to bias the brush portion 1 and the handle portion 2 in the opening direction. For this reason, the hinge portion 3 is not merely a bending portion, but also an important element that constitutes an opening and closing holding function in which the brush portion 1 and the handle portion 2 are held at a predetermined opening angle θ.

[0025] The opening stopper portion 4 is provided on at least one of the brush portion 1 or the handle portion 2, and is a portion that restricts the opening angle θ between the brush portion 1 and the handle portion 2 to within a predetermined range. The opening stopper portion 4 is formed as a spring piece structure that utilizes the elasticity of the resin. The opening stopper portion 4 is configured, for example, as a long, curved plate-like member. The opening stopper portion 4 is inserted into a guide portion 5 formed on the handle portion 2 and is able to move back and forth. In addition, a locking portion 40 is formed at the tip of the opening stopper portion 4 to prevent it from coming out of the guide portion 5 after being inserted into the guide portion 5, by hooking onto the guide portion 5.

[0026] The handle portion 2 has an elastic piece 6 formed near the guide portion 5 to allow the insertion of the locking portion 40 during assembly. As shown in Figure 4, during assembly, when the opening stopper portion 4 is inserted into the guide portion 5, the locking portion 40 passes through while elastically deforming the elastic piece 6 (see Figure (C)). After insertion is complete, the elastic piece 6 returns to its original shape, so that the locking portion 40 is locked to the guide portion 5 and the opening stopper portion 4 is held in place so that it does not come out of the guide portion 5 (see Figure (D)). As a result, the opening stopper portion 4 is configured to elastically deform in response to the rotational movement of the hinge portion 3 and generate a reaction force near a predetermined opening angle θ.

[0027] (2) Operation Next, the operation of the blow-drying brush in this embodiment will be described. As shown in Figure 2, when the user grips the brush portion 1 and the handle portion 2 and applies force in the closing direction, the thin portion of the hinge portion 3 elastically deforms, causing the brush portion 1 and the handle portion 2 to come into close proximity to each other.

[0028] When the force applied in this manner is released, the thin-walled portion of the hinge 3 elastically returns to its original position, and the brush portion 1 and the handle portion 2 are biased to open naturally. As a result, as shown in Figure 1, the brush portion 1 and the handle portion 2 are held in a state where they have reached a predetermined opening angle θ.

[0029] This predetermined opening angle θ is restricted by the action of the opening stopper 4 within the guide 5, preventing the brush portion 1 and the handle portion 2 from separating excessively. As a result, the brush portion 1 and the handle portion 2 are more likely to maintain an appropriate angle relationship during use. Consequently, the brush portion 1 and the handle portion 2 become stable near the predetermined opening angle θ suitable for use.

[0030] As shown in Figure 1, when a predetermined opening angle is reached, the biasing force in the opening direction due to the elastic force of the hinge portion 3 and the angle-restricting action of the opening stopper portion 4 work together to hold the brush portion 1 and the handle portion 2 at the opening angle θ. In this held state, even if an external force is applied during use, a sudden change in the opening angle θ is suppressed.

[0031] Note that the fully open state of the brush section 1 and handle section 2 shown in Figure 3 is primarily shown to facilitate understanding of the structure and is not a state assumed during normal use.

[0032] Thus, according to this embodiment, the brush portion 1 and the handle portion 2 are held at an appropriate angle during use. By closing the brush portion 1 and the handle portion 2 in this state, the hair is held in place, allowing for stable blow-drying. In other words, this embodiment makes it possible to realize a blow-drying brush that combines a folding mechanism with an opening / closing and holding function, despite its simple structure.

[0033] (3) Variant This invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications are possible without departing from its spirit.

[0034] For example, the teeth 11 formed on the brush part 1 are not limited to being arranged in a straight line; they may also be configured with varying spacing, or with rounded or flattened tooth tips. This configuration allows for different uses depending on the type of hair and intended purpose.

[0035] Furthermore, the external shape of the handle portion 2 is not limited to a rod or plate shape; it may also be configured with irregularities or anti-slip shapes on the surface to improve grip. In addition, the shape and dimensions of the internal space of the handle portion 2 can be appropriately changed according to the elastic properties and assembly requirements of the opening stopper portion 4.

[0036] The shape, width, or thickness of the thin-walled portion 30 in the hinge portion 3 can be appropriately set according to the type of resin material used and the required durability. For example, the thin-walled portion 30 may be formed in multiple locations, in which case smooth opening and closing operation can be achieved while mitigating stress concentration.

[0037] The curvature, length, or position of the spring piece in the opening stopper 4 can be appropriately changed according to the predetermined opening angle and holding force. Alternatively, the opening stopper 4 may be provided on the handle portion 2 side. In either case, it is sufficient that the function of regulating the opening angle between the brush portion 1 and the handle portion 2 is achieved.

[0038] Furthermore, the opening and closing holding function is not limited to a configuration based on the cooperation of the elastic force of the hinge portion 3 and the opening stopper portion 4; by adjusting the elastic characteristics of the hinge portion 3, a configuration in which the opening stopper portion 4 is omitted may also be adopted.

[0039] All of these modifications share the common feature of incorporating a folding mechanism and opening / closing / holding function using an integrally molded hinge, which is the basic concept of the present invention, and are therefore included within the technical scope of the present invention. [Industrial applicability]

[0040] This invention can be widely used as a blow-drying brush for home, commercial, and portable use. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0041] 1. Brush part 10 base 11 Teeth 2 Handle 3. Hinge section 30 Thin-walled section 4. Opening stopper 40 Locking part 5 Guide section 6 Elastic pieces

Claims

1. A blow-drying brush having a pair of brush sections and a handle section, wherein the brush section and the handle section are foldably connected, The brush portion and the handle portion are connected via a hinge portion integrally molded from a resin material. The hinge portion is a blow brush that allows the brush portion and the handle portion to be opened and closed by elastic deformation, and has an opening and closing holding function that holds the brush portion and the handle portion at a predetermined opening angle.

2. The blow-drying brush according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the brush portion or the handle portion is provided with an opening stopper portion that restricts the predetermined opening angle.

3. The blow brush according to claim 2, wherein the opening stopper is a spring piece structure utilizing the elasticity of the resin.

4. The blow brush according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the hinge portion includes a thin-walled portion formed continuously between the brush portion and the handle portion.

5. The blow brush according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the opening and closing holding function is achieved by the elastic force of the hinge portion biasing the brush portion and the handle portion in the opening direction.

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