BRUSH FOR TREATING THE HAIR

Abstract

The invention relates to a brush (10) for treating the hair, in particular for straightening, having: at least one heated hair combing zone (C), without a steam outlet, in which the brush (10) has: o a plurality of teeth (23) and o heating means (35, 37) for heating at least two teeth of the plurality of teeth (23), at least one steam outlet zone (V) in which the brush (10) has at least one steam outlet (30), the steam outlet zone (V) being separate from the heated hair combing zone or zones (C).

Claims

1. Brush (10) for treating the hair, in particular for straightening, having: at least one heated hair combing zone (C), without a steam outlet, in which the brush (10) has: a plurality of teeth (23) made of a heat conducting material, and heating means (35, 37) for heating at least two teeth of the plurality of teeth (23), at least one steam outlet zone (V) in which the brush (10) has at least one steam outlet (30), the steam outlet zone (V) being separate from the heated hair combing zone or zones (C).

2. Brush according to claim 1, having a plurality of discontinuous heated combing zones that are separated from one another by one or more steam outlet zones (V).

3. Brush according to claim 1 or 2, having a treatment surface (21) which is intended to come into contact with the hair during the treatment of the head of hair and from which the teeth (23) extend, the heated hair combing zone or the set of heated hair combing zones (C) covering more than 50%, better still more than 70%, of the treatment surface (21).

4. Brush according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the teeth (23) do not have surface protrusions.

5. Brush according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the teeth (23) are made of a heat conducting material, in particular of metal, in particular of iron, aluminum, titanium or stainless steel, of graphite or ceramic, optionally provided with a coating.

6. Brush according to any one of the preceding claims, having a plurality of discontinuous steam outlet zones (V) that are separated from one another by the or a part of the heated combing zone (C).

7. Brush according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the steam outlet zone or zones (V) extend(s) along a length substantially equal to that of the adjacent heated hair combing zone or zones (C).

8. Brush according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the steam outlet zone (V) has a steam outlet (30) extending along substantially the entire length of the steam outlet zone (V) or a plurality of steam outlets (30) distributed along the length of the steam outlet zone (V), in particular along at least one row.

9. Brush according to any one of the preceding claims, having a steam spraying system (42, 45, 48) configured to supply the steam outlet zone or zones (V), in particular the steam outlet or outlets (30), at a steam flow rate of less than or equal to 5 mLmin.sup.?1, better still between 0.2 and 4 mLmin.sup.?1, even better still between 0.4 et 2 mLmin.sup.?1 and very preferably between 0.5 et 0.95 mLmin.sup.?1.

10. Brush according to any one of the preceding claims, having a steam spraying system (42, 45, 48) configured such that the speed of the steam output by the steam outlet zone or zones (V), in particular the steam outlet or outlets (30), is between 0.007 m/s and 15 m/s, better still between 0.01 m/s and 3 m/s and even better still between 0.1 m/s and 1 m/s.

11. Brush according to any one of the preceding claims, having a steam containment groove (50) in which the steam outlet or outlets (30) extend.

12. Brush according to any one of the preceding claims, having a reservoir (48) of product to be vaporized, in particular water, in particular having a volume of between 1 mL and 50 mL, in a handle or in the head of the brush.

13. Brush according to any one of the preceding claims, having at least one zone (A) for application of a cosmetic product, which is preferably separate from the heated combing zone or zones (C) and from the steam outlet zone or zones (V), the application zone (A) having an applicator member (65) for applying a cosmetic product.

14. Brush according to any one of the preceding claims, having at least one combing zone (A) that does not have a heating element and is separate from the heated combing zones (C) and from the steam outlet zone (V).

15. Method for treating the hair with a brush (10) according to any one of the preceding claims, having: a step of simultaneously heating and combing a lock of hair by passing it between the teeth (23) of at least one heated combing zone (C), the application of steam to the lock of hair in at least one steam outlet zone (V), the steam outlet zone or zones being separate from the heated combing zone or zones (C), the step of simultaneous heating and combing and the application of steam being carried out on a lock of hair by passing the brush (10) through the hair once.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0095] FIG. 1 schematically shows an example of a brush,

[0096] FIG. 2 is a view along II of the brush in FIG. 1,

[0097] FIG. 3 is a cross section on III-III of the example of a brush in FIGS. 1 and 2,

[0098] FIG. 4 is a cross section on IV-IV of the example of a brush in FIGS. 1 and 2,

[0099] FIG. 5 shows a cross section of a brush variant,

[0100] FIG. 6 shows a cross section of a brush variant,

[0101] FIG. 7 shows a top view of a brush variant,

[0102] FIG. 8 shows a top view of a brush variant,

[0103] FIG. 9 shows a top view of a brush variant,

[0104] FIG. 10 shows a top view of a brush variant,

[0105] FIG. 11 shows a top view of a brush variant,

[0106] FIG. 12 shows a top view of a brush variant,

[0107] FIG. 13 shows a top view of a brush variant,

[0108] FIG. 14 shows a top view of a brush variant,

[0109] FIG. 15 shows a top view of a brush variant,

[0110] FIG. 16 shows a top view of a brush variant, and

[0111] FIG. 17 shows a cross section of a brush variant.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0112] FIGS. 1 to 4 illustrate an example of a brush 10 according to the invention.

[0113] The brush 10 has a gripping handle 15 and a treatment head 20. The head 20 has a substantially rectangular shape with rounded corners. However, this does not have to be the case. The head could be polygonal, oval or round in particular.

[0114] The head 20 forms a treatment surface 21 intended to come into contact with the hair during brushing.

[0115] The head 20 has teeth 23 arranged along a plurality of rows that extend from the treatment surface 21. The rows of teeth 23 extend along a main axis X of the brush. The rows of teeth may have from 8 to 40 teeth, and in this case 8 teeth have been shown for illustrative purposes. The teeth may be attached to the brush, being made in particular of a different material from the treatment surface.

[0116] The head 20 also has a plurality of steam outlets 30 which may be interposed between the teeth 25 of one of the rows of teeth, in this case the central row.

[0117] In the case illustrated, the zones of the treatment surface of the brush that do not have steam outlets constitute heated combing zones C. The zone of the brush having the steam outlets, in this case also having teeth, constitutes a steam outlet zone V that extends along the heated combing zones C along the majority of the length of the latter. The heated combing zones C cover more than 70% of the treatment surface 21 of the brush intended to come into contact with the hair.

[0118] The steam outlet zone, delimited by the lateral edges of the peripheral steam outlets, is elongate along an axis of extension E, in particular parallel to the main axis X. The steam outlet zone extends along a length e greater than or equal to 80% of the dimension s of the treatment surface along this axis.

[0119] In the embodiments illustrated, all of the teeth are identical, but this does not have to be the case. For example, the teeth may exhibit different materials, heights, shapes or orientations.

[0120] Preferably, the teeth 23 each extend along a longitudinal axis Y. The longitudinal axis Y of each tooth 23 may form an angle ? with the treatment surface 21 of between 60 and 120?, for example substantially equal to 90?.

[0121] The teeth 23 are spaced apart from one another by a distance d, measured between the longitudinal axes Y of the teeth, less than or equal to 30 mm, preferably between 2 mm and 15 mm.

[0122] Preferably, the height h of the teeth 23 is less than or equal to 50 mm, better still between 2 and 50 mm, even better still between 5 and 35 mm.

[0123] As can be seen in the FIG. 3, the teeth 23 of the heated combing zones C are heated by heating means. The brush 10 has in particular one or more heating resistors 35, in particular in the head, and the teeth 25 are heated by heat conduction from the head to the distal end of the teeth 25. Preferably, the teeth are made of a heat conducting material, in particular of iron, aluminum, titanium, stainless steel, graphite or ceramic, optionally provided with a coating.

[0124] Preferably, the electrical heating resistor or resistors are situated in the head of the brush.

[0125] The brush 10 may have a system, not illustrated here, for regulating the temperature by virtue of one or more sensors disposed in the vicinity of the heating resistor or resistors or in contact with the brush and/or at the end of at least one of the teeth.

[0126] In a variant, as illustrated in FIG. 5, the heating resistor or resistors 35 extend into the teeth 35 in the form of a heating core 37.

[0127] The source of heat is not limited to the one which has just been described.

[0128] The steam outlets are supplied with steam, in the example illustrated, by an elongate rail 45 that extends in a direction parallel to the main axis X and is arranged in the head of the brush.

[0129] The steam outlets 30 are orifices that open onto the rail, for example between 6 and 10 orifices, which are preferably spaced apart evenly along the rail 45 and each have an axis oriented substantially perpendicularly to the median treatment plane such that the steam is output perpendicularly to the treatment surface along an axis W.

[0130] The steam outlets 30 may have any shape, in particular square, rectangular, round or ovoid.

[0131] The rail 45 is supplied with steam by a vaporization chamber 42, heated by a heating element, which is itself supplied with product to be vaporized by a reservoir 48. The reservoir may be in the brush, in particular the handle or the head, as illustrated in FIG. 4, or be remote therefrom in an external base 50 to which the brush is connected by a line supplying product to be vaporized 52, as is illustrated in FIG. 6.

[0132] The reservoir of product to be vaporized, in particular water, may have a volume of between 1 mL and 50 mL when it is in the handle or in the head of the brush.

[0133] Preferably, the steam outlets have a steam flow rate of between 0.5 and 0.95 mL.Math.min.sup.?1, the steam being emitted at the mouth of the steam outlets at a speed of between 0.7 cm/s and 15 m/s.

[0134] When the brush is being used, it is passed through the hair at a speed of between 0.5 cm/s and 50 cm/s. The hair may or may not be combed before the brush is used.

[0135] The embodiments in FIGS. 7 to 12 differ from the preceding embodiment in terms of the shape and positioning of the steam outlet zone 30.

[0136] In a variant, as illustrated in particular in FIG. 7, the brush may have a single steam outlet 30 extending along more or less the entire length of the steam outlet zone parallel to the rows of teeth. Preferably, the steam outlet has an opening greater than or equal to 5 mm.sup.2.

[0137] The steam outlet zone V may be positioned elsewhere on the brush. It may be upstream of a single heated combing zone, as illustrated in FIG. 8, or downstream of the latter, as illustrated in FIG. 9.

[0138] The device may have a plurality of steam outlet zones V which are separated from one another by a heated combing zone C, in particular two steam outlet zones V which are separated from one another by a heated combing zone C, as is illustrated in FIGS. 10 and 13.

[0139] The two steam outlet zones may be positioned at the periphery of the treatment surface 21, on either side of a single heated combing zone, as is illustrated in FIG. 13.

[0140] The or at least one of the steam outlet zones V may have a steam containment groove 50 into which the steam outlet or outlets extend, as is illustrated in FIG. 11.

[0141] The steam outlet zone or zones V may extend along only a part of the length of the heated combing zone, as is illustrated in FIG. 12.

[0142] In the example in FIG. 14, the teeth 23 are inclined by an angle ? of between 45? and 90? with respect to the treatment surface 21. The steam outlet or outlets 30 may output steam at an angle to the treatment surface 21 other than 90?, in particular between 45? and 90?, for example substantially equal to the angle of extension of the teeth 23.

[0143] In the variant in FIGS. 15 and 16, the brush has at least one additional treatment zone A, preferably separate from the steam outlet zone or zones and/or from the heated combing zone or zones.

[0144] The additional treatment zone A may be an unheated combing zone having a comb 60 at a temperature less than or equal to 50? C. when the brush is in operation.

[0145] Preferably, the comb 60 is disposed upstream of the steam outlet or outlets 30.

[0146] The additional treatment zone may be a zone for application of a cosmetic product, having an applicator member 65 for applying a cosmetic product.

[0147] The applicator member 65 for applying a cosmetic product is disposed so as to come into contact with the hair. The applicator member 65 for applying a cosmetic product is preferably porous, elastically compressible, and may advantageously be made of an open-cell cellular material, such as a PE (polyethylene) foam for example. The applicator member may be made from any material that is able to release or diffuse the cosmetic product.

[0148] The applicator member may be removable.

[0149] The brush may have a cosmetic product reservoir, which is not shown.

[0150] Preferably, the cosmetic product is in the fluid state at the time of use.

[0151] The cosmetic product reservoir may be equipped with an electrical resistor, for example a fine screen-printed resistor, making it possible to bring the temperature of its contents to 40-50? C., for example in order to liquefy it.

[0152] Preferably, the cosmetic product is a hair shaping composition, in particular a composition for curling or setting and, preferably, relaxing or straightening the hair.

[0153] The cosmetic product may contain one or more active agents chosen from reducing agents and in particular thiols, oxidizing agents and in particular hydrogen peroxide or persalts such as persulfates, coloring agents such as pigments, direct dyes or oxidation dyes, temporary shaping agents such as styling polymers that are preferably anionic, amphoteric or nonionic, conditioning agents such as silicones, mineral or plant oils, plant waxes, cationic surfactants and cationic polymers, alkaline agents or acids.

[0154] Even more preferably, the cosmetic product contains one or more agents chosen from oxidizing agents, reducing agents or alkaline agents of the hydroxide type.

[0155] In the example in FIG. 17, the brush has teeth 23a made of a heat conducting material and longer teeth 23b made of a material that is a poor heat conductor. The teeth 23a and 23b may alternate within one and the same row, as illustrated in FIG. 17. In a variant, the brush has, perpendicularly to the main axis X, alternating rows of teeth 23a made of a heat conducting material and rows of teeth 23b made of a material that is a poor heat conductor.

[0156] Numerous modifications can be made to the examples that have just been described, without departing from the scope of the present invention.

[0157] For example, it is possible for the brush not to have a handle, the back of the brush being used to grip the brush.

[0158] The brush may have several different additional treatment zones, which are or are not separate from one another.

[0159] The steam outlet zone may have heated teeth like the heated combing zone.

[0160] The steam outlets extend from the treatment surface, but they could extend from protuberances, in particular teeth, of the treatment surface.