Retractable Hair Brush with Push-Button Bristle Mechanism

Solution Overview

Problem

Existing hair brushes with retractable and self-cleaning features are often heavy, costly to manufacture, require replacement parts, and have stiff bristles or mechanisms prone to failure, such as springs, which increase production costs and reduce durability.

Innovation Solution

A hair brush design featuring a lightweight, durable construction with a retractable bristle system where the bristles can be easily retracted into a cavity within the handle for cleaning, using a mechanical mechanism that allows for easy extension and retraction of bristles without the need for additional components like springs, and is made from affordable materials like plastic or wood.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of operation

If springs and flexible back surfaces are used for retractable bristles, then self-cleaning function is achieved, but manufacturing cost increases and reliability decreases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveself-cleaning functionVSAvoidmechanism durability

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent removes the spring component entirely from the retractable bristle mechanism. Instead of using springs to enable retraction, the invention uses a simple push-button mechanism that directly pushes bristles into the handle cavity, eliminating the problematic spring element that caused reliability issues and manufacturing cost increases.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent employs inexpensive plastic components for the retractable mechanism, particularly the push-button and bristle holder assembly. These simple plastic parts are much cheaper to manufacture than springs or flexible back surfaces, and while they may have limited lifecycles, they significantly reduce manufacturing costs and improve reliability by eliminating complex mechanical elements.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #27Cheap short-living objects (Disposable)

2Ease of operation

If springs and flexible back surfaces are used for retractable bristles, then self-cleaning function is achieved, but manufacturing cost increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveself-cleaning functionVSAvoidmanufacturing cost

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

The patent removes the spring component entirely from the retractable bristle mechanism. Instead of using springs to enable retraction, the invention uses a simple push-button mechanism that directly pushes bristles into the handle cavity, eliminating the problematic spring element that caused reliability issues and manufacturing cost increases.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent employs inexpensive plastic components for the retractable mechanism, particularly the push-button and bristle holder assembly. These simple plastic parts are much cheaper to manufacture than springs or flexible back surfaces, and while they may have limited lifecycles, they significantly reduce manufacturing costs and improve reliability by eliminating complex mechanical elements.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #27Cheap short-living objects (Disposable)

3Reliability

If retractable bristle mechanism is added, then bristle protection is improved, but device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvebristle protectionVSAvoidmechanism complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent combines the bristle holder and retractable mechanism into a single integrated unit that fits within the handle cavity. The push-button mechanism is merged with the bristle holder structure, eliminating separate components and reducing overall device complexity while still providing bristle protection during storage and transport.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The retractable bristle mechanism is nested within the handle cavity, with the bristle holder fitting inside the handle and the push-button mechanism integrated within the same space. This nesting arrangement protects bristles by retracting them into the handle while minimizing the external footprint and structural complexity of the overall device.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #7Nested doll (Nesting)

Data Source

PatentUS11871839B2Retractable hair brush

Publication Date: 2024.01.16 HUMANITY BRUSH LLC

AI summary

A hair brush comprising an upper handle defining a cavity between a front surface and a back surface of the upper handle, a bristle cover positioned into the cavity and facing away from the front surface, wherein the bristle cover comprises a plurality of cavities, a bristle pad, wherein the bristle pad is positioned into the cavity and between the bristle cover and the back surface of the upper handle, a plurality of bristles positioned on the bristle pad, a brush body coupled to the bristle pad, wherein the brush body comprises a mechanical means for moving the plurality of bristles of the bristle pad through the plurality of cavities of the bristle cover.