Polygonal Handle Brush for Tactile Orientation Feedback

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Solution Overview

Problem

Hair stylists and technicians face challenges in controlling the orientation of brushes during hair coloring and treatment applications, especially when conversing with customers or applying compositions to specific hair areas, due to the lack of a clear haptic feedback mechanism.

Innovation Solution

A brush design featuring a handle with a substantially polygonal cross-section gripping section, which provides improved haptic feedback through its edges and corners, combined with a bulbous portion and convex shape, allowing users to determine the orientation of the brush head without visual inspection, even when wearing gloves.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Loss of information

If a conventional circular handle is used, then the brush structure is simple, but the user cannot clearly determine the orientation of the brush head without visual inspection

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveorientation feedbackVSAvoidhandle structure
Core Design Contradiction:
Loss of informationVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The handle cross-section is designed as a polygon (triangle, square, rectangle, pentagon, hexagon, heptagon, octagon, nonagon, or decagon) instead of a circle, creating asymmetric contact points (edges and corners) that provide tactile orientation feedback to the user, allowing determination of brush head orientation without visual inspection

Inventive Principle:
Principle #4Asymmetry

2Ease of operation

If the hair stylist focuses on the hair being treated, then the visual control of brush orientation is lost, but the treatment quality is maintained

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvebrush controlVSAvoidorientation feedback
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSLoss of information

Solution Approach 1:

The polygonal handle cross-section provides haptic feedback through distinct edges and corners that the user can feel, giving tactile information about the brush head orientation without requiring visual inspection, thereby maintaining ease of operation even when the user's attention is focused on the hair treatment

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

3Measurement precision

If a polygonal cross-section handle is used, then haptic feedback and orientation control are improved, but the manufacturing complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveorientation determinationVSAvoidhandle production
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

The handle is designed with a polygonal cross-section that can be manufactured as a segmented or molded structure, where the polygonal shape is integrated into the handle body, allowing for precise orientation determination while maintaining reasonable manufacturing feasibility through standard molding or machining processes

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Data Source

PatentEP2237702B1Brush, in particular for the application of colours, dyes or any other compositions onto a surface
Publication Date: 2014.04.09 KAO GERMANY GMBH
  • EP2237702B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP2237702B1 patent drawingFigure 2~4e
  • EP2237702B1 patent drawingFigure 5~7

AI summary

The present invention pertains to a brush (1), in particular for the application of colours, dyes or any other composition onto a surface, in particular onto hair. The brush includes a handle (2) for the brush to be held by a user and a brush head (3) including bristles (32) for the application of colours, dyes or other composition onto the surface, the brush head being connected to the handle. The handle (2) includes at least one gripping section (20) showing a substantially polygonal cross-section.