Controllable brush

Abstract

Controllable brush, comprising a bristle carrier (BC) having a plurality of bristles (B), and a supplementary carrier (SC) having a plurality of protrusions (P), a distance (d) between the supplementary carrier (SC) and the bristle carrier (BC) being modifiable, whereby decreasing the distance (d) results in the protrusions (P) being inserted through the bristle carrier (BC). Decreasing the distance (d) results in the protrusions (P) being inserted inside the bristles (B). Alternatively, decreasing the distance (d) results in the protrusions (P) being inserted between the bristles (B). The controllable brush may further comprise an actuator for modifying the distance (d), and a control unit for controlling the actuator in response to a sensor output. The sensor may be arranged for measuring a force experienced by the brush. Alternatively, the sensor may be a camera of a smartphone.

Claims

1. A controllable brush, comprising: a bristle carrier having a plurality of bristles; a supplementary carrier having a plurality of protrusions, wherein a distance between the supplementary carrier and the bristle carrier is modifiable to decrease the distance to insert the protrusions through the bristle carrier; an actuator adapted to move the supplementary carrier relative to the bristle carrier to modify the distance; a sensor adapted to measure a force on the brush; and a control circuit adapted to control the actuator in response to and output from the sensor.

2. The controllable brush as claimed in claim 1, wherein decreasing the distance results in the protrusions being inserted inside the bristles.

3. The controllable brush as claimed in claim 1, wherein decreasing the distance results in the protrusions being inserted between the bristles.

4. The controllable brush as claimed in claim 1, wherein the sensor comprises a camera adapted to capture when hair is tangled.

5. The controllable brush as claimed in claim 1, wherein the sensor is a camera of a smartphone.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) FIGS. 1 and 2 illustrate embodiments of the invention.

DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS

(2) Hair brushes can pull hair. While there exist hair brushes that prevent pulling, e.g. a flexible bristle to let go of the hairs when a knot is identified, a drawback is that these brushes cannot exert high forces on hair as they prevent it, and sometimes do not give the right brushing effect and experience.

(3) Embodiments of the invention provide a controllable flexing of the bristles. One example uses a flexible brush carrier in which bristles have a hollow cavity which can be filled up with a stiffer material to reduce flexing. The stiffer material can be pushed into the flexible bristles manually, or using an actuator. The actuator may be controlled using a sensor input. The sensor may be part of the brush or external to the brush. The sensor may sense a force needed to pull the brush through the hair. The sensor may sense sound resulting when the brush is pulled through the hair, as different hair conditions will result in different sounds when the hair is brushed. An external sensor may be formed by the camera of a smartphone that is connected to the brush e.g. by means of Bluetooth.

(4) FIG. 1 illustrates a first embodiment of the invention. The brush has a bristle carrier BC having a plurality of bristles B which may be made of a (plastic) material normally used for bristles. The brush also has a supplementary carrier SC having a plurality of protrusions P. If a distance d between the bristle carrier BC and the supplementary carrier SC is made smaller, the protrusions P will be inserted through the bristle carrier BC. In particular, in the embodiment of FIG. 1, each protrusion P is inserted into a bristle B, as a result of which the bristle B will become stiffer. This will already happen if the protrusions P are made of the same material as the bristles B. In one example, the protrusions P are made of a material that is stiffer than the material used for the bristles B, thereby increasing the stiffening effect of inserting the protrusions P into the bristles B. In one example, metal is used for the protrusions P and the supplementary carrier SC. Preferably, the materials are chosen such that the protrusions P can easily be inserted into and pulled from the bristles B.

(5) In one example, the protrusions P are inserted into the bristles B only for part of the height of the bristles B, thereby making the bristles B stiffer for only a part of their height. In another example, the protrusions P are inserted through the entire height of the bristles B.

(6) FIG. 2 illustrates a second embodiment of the invention. The embodiment of FIG. 2 differs from the embodiment of FIG. 1 in that if the distance d is made smaller, the protrusions P will be inserted between the bristles B so as to effectively increase the number of bristles, whereby the brush as a whole becomes stiffer. Also, the protrusions P may be stiffer than the bristles B, thereby increasing the overall stiffness of the brush.

(7) In the embodiments of FIGS. 1 and 2, the distance d may be modified manually, or by means of an actuator A. The actuator may be controlled by a control circuit C, which may respond to an output from a sensor S. The control circuit C may be a known control circuit. The sensor may be a force sensor, for example a sensor that measures the presence of tangles, e.g. by measuring a force experienced by the brush while brushing. Alternatively, the sensor may be the camera of a smartphone that “sees” whether the hair is tangled.

(8) It should be noted that the above-mentioned embodiments illustrate rather than limit the invention, and that those skilled in the art will be able to design many alternative embodiments without departing from the scope of the appended claims. The bristles B, and in FIG. 2, the protrusions P, may be shaped differently from the shapes shown in the figures, e.g. more like elongated rectangles and/or with a round tip. In the claims, any reference signs placed between parentheses shall not be construed as limiting the claim. The word “comprising” does not exclude the presence of elements or steps other than those listed in a claim. The word “a” or “an” preceding an element does not exclude the presence of a plurality of such elements. The invention may be implemented by means of hardware comprising several distinct elements, and/or by means of a suitably programmed processor. In the device claim enumerating several means, several of these means may be embodied by one and the same item of hardware. Measures recited in mutually different dependent claims may advantageously be used in combination.