VOLUME HAIR DRYER BRUSH

Abstract

The present invention relates to a volume hair dryer brush. As one non-limiting example, the invention relates to a volume hair dryer brush with an roughly elliptical barrel. As another non-limiting embodiment, the invention relates to a volume hair dryer brush with a roughly elliptical barrel where the density of the bristles and tufts on the narrow sides of the ellipse are less than the density of the bristles or tufts on the long sides of the ellipse. As an alternative non-limiting embodiment, the invention relates to a volume hair dryer brush where the narrow sides of the ellipse lack bristles or tufts whatsoever. As a further non-limiting embodiment, the invention relates to a volume hair dryer brush with an elliptical barrel where the barrel is coated in whole or in part, including but not limited to having coating in the shape of strips at any location on the barrel. The invention also includes, but is not limited to, a volume hair dryer brush having an elliptical barrel wherein the handle that attaches to the barrel is detachable.

Claims

1. A volume hair dryer brush comprising a barrel having a roughly elliptical cross section, wherein, when viewed from the top of the brush, the barrel has two long sides and two narrow sides, wherein all sides of the barrel have a curved surface, and wherein both of the long sides of the barrel have bristles or tufts.

2. The volume hair dryer brush of claim 1, wherein the lengths of the narrow sides of the barrel are less than the lengths of the long sides of the barrel.

3. The volume hair dryer brush of claim 1, wherein the roughly elliptical barrel has an major axis having a length Et which is the longest diameter of the ellipse, wherein the ellipse has an minor axis length E.sub.s, which is the shortest diameter of the ellipse, and wherein E.sub.s is less than E.sub.l.

4. The volume hair dryer brush of claim 3, wherein E.sub.s is about 10%-85% E.sub.l.

5. The volume hair dryer brush of claim 3, wherein E.sub.s is about 50%-75% E.sub.l.

6. The volume hair dryer brush of claim 1, wherein one or both of the narrow sides of the barrel have one or more bristles or tufts, and wherein the density of the bristles or tufts on the one or both of the narrow sides of the barrel is less than the density of the bristles or tufts on the long sides of the barrel.

7. The volume hair dryer brush of claim 1, wherein one or both of the narrow sides of the barrel do not have any bristles or tufts.

8. The volume hair dryer brush of claim 1, wherein at least a portion of the barrel has texture and/or a coating.

9. The volume hair dryer brush of claim 8, wherein the texture and/or coating is in the shape of strips.

10. The volume hair dryer brush of claim 9, wherein the texture and/or coating is comprised of silicone strips.

11. The volume hair dryer brush of claim 1, wherein at least one side of the barrel is heated by a heating mechanism other than exposure of the surface to hot air of the volume hair dryer brush.

12. The volume hair dryer brush of claim 9, wherein at least one side of the barrel is partially or fully coated with a heat conductive material to reflect heat from the volume hair dryer brush.

13. The volume hair dryer brush of claim 12 wherein the heat conductive material includes at least one of the materials selected from the group consisting of ceramic, silicone, titanium, tourmaline, copper, and other metals.

14. The volume hair dryer brush of claim 1, wherein the barrel has one or more vents.

15. The volume hair dryer brush of claim 1, further comprising a handle attached to the barrel, wherein said handle is detachable from the barrel.

16. A volume hair dryer brush comprising a barrel having a roughly elliptical cross section, wherein, when viewed from the top of the brush, the barrel has two long sides and two narrow sides, wherein all sides of the barrel have a curved surface, wherein both of the long sides of the barrel have bristles or tufts, and wherein at least a portion of the barrel has texture and/or a coating.

17. The volume hair dryer brush of claim 16, wherein neither of the narrow sides of the barrel have bristles or tufts.

18. The volume hair dryer brush of claim 16, wherein one or both of the narrow sides of the barrel have one or more bristles or tufts, and wherein the density of the bristles or tufts on the one or both of the narrow sides of the barrel is less than the density of the bristles or tufts on the long sides of the barrel.

19. The volume hair dryer brush of claim 17, wherein the texture and/or coating is comprised of silicone strips.

20. The volume hair dryer brush of claim 18, wherein the texture and/or coating is comprised of silicone strips.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0024] The features, nature, and advantages of the present disclosure will become more apparent from the detailed description set forth below when taken in conjunction with the drawings which correspond to the same.

[0025] FIG. 1a illustrates an example of the volume hair dryer brush from the perspective view of the brush. A cross-sectional view of the barrel is indicated in shading.

[0026] FIG. 1B is a model of an elliptical barrel of a volume hair dryer brush generally identifying the long and short sides of the barrel.

[0027] FIG. 1c is a model of an elliptical barrel of a volume hair dryer brush indicating the major and minor axis of the elliptical barrel.

[0028] FIG. 2 illustrates an example of the volume hair dryer brush from the top view of the brush.

[0029] FIG. 3a illustrates an example of the volume hair dryer brush from the front view of the brush.

[0030] FIG. 3b illustrates an example of the volume hair dryer brush from the side view of the brush.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS

[0031] Reference will now be made in detail to the embodiments of the present disclosure, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. The reference numerals used in the detailed description of the embodiment below correspond to the reference numerals used in the accompanying drawings.

[0032] The present invention encompasses embodiments of a volume hair dryer brush having a roughly elliptical barrel. FIGS. 1a, 2, 3a, and 3b depict an exemplary, non-limiting embodiment of the invention set forth herein. FIGS. 1b and 1c depict ellipses, with FIG. 1b identifying the long and narrow sides of an ellipse, and FIG. 1c identifying the major and minor axis of an ellipse.

[0033] FIG. 1a depicts an example of a volume hair dryer brush 100 from a perspective view of the brush, where the barrel B is roughly elliptical. The cross section of barrel B, in shading, consists of two sides that are longer along the ellipse, the “long sides” denoted 1 in FIG. 1b, and two sides that are narrower along the ellipse, the “narrow sides” denoted n in FIG. 1c. In preferred embodiment, both the long sides l and the narrow sides n have a curved surface.

[0034] In FIG. 1a, the volume hair dryer brush 100 has a grip portion 18 that is attached to the top of the barrel B, and a handle 16 is attached to the bottom of the barrel B having a handle end 16b. The grip portion 18 is optional and may be of any shape or material that can assist the user in using the tool. In one preferred embodiment, the grip portion 18 is designed to remain cooler to the touch than the heated surfaces of the barrel.

[0035] In one preferred embodiment, the volume hair dryer brush may have an elliptical barrel that is attached to a handle. The handle may be decorative in some preferred embodiments, such as shown in FIGS. 1a, 2, 3a, and 3b. In other preferred examples, the handle may be plain. In still further preferred embodiments, the handle of such a brush may be detachable.

[0036] While FIG. 1 depicts a volume hair dryer brush 100 that is powered by an electrical source, indicated by the cord 19 attached to the handle end 16b, other preferred embodiments of the volume hair dryer brush 100 may be cordless. The volume hair dryer brush 100 may be powered by any source of energy, including but not limited to by battery or by solar energy.

[0037] FIG. 2 depicts an example of a volume hair dryer brush 100 from a top view of the brush. As indicated in FIG. 1a, in preferred embodiments, the barrel B of the volume hair dryer brush 100 will avoid having curves that approximate a round shape, i.e., the length of the narrow sides n will be less than the length of the long sides l. In other preferred embodiments, the narrow sides n of the roughly elliptical barrel B of the volume hair dryer brush 100 will be shorter in the length than the long sides l, but the length of the narrow sides n should be sufficiently large so as to not create dents upon use.

[0038] Another way to describe the rough shape of the cross-section of the barrel B of the volume hair dryer brush 100 is to refer to the two axis components of an ellipse. In FIG. 1c, the major axis of the ellipse which has the longest diameter of the ellipse is identified as E.sub.1, and the minor axis of the ellipse that has the shortest diameter of the ellipse is labeled E.sub.s. In preferred embodiments, E.sub.s will be less than Et. In some preferred embodiments, the length of the major axis of the ellipse will be about 10%-85% the length of the minor axis of the ellipse, about 25%-75% the length of major axis of the ellipse, about 25%-67% the length of the minor axis of the ellipse, about 25%-50% the major length of the axis of the ellipse, about 50%-67% of the length of the major axis of the ellipse, or between about 50%-75% of the length of the major axis of the ellipse. In one preferred embodiment, the length of the minor axis of the ellipse may be about 50% the length of the major axis of the ellipse. In an alternative preferred embodiment, the length of the minor axis of the ellipse will be about 60%-67% the length of the major axis of the ellipse.

[0039] The elliptical cross-section of the barrel B of the volume hair dryer brush 100 may also be described in terms of the curvatures associated with the narrow sides n and the curvature associated with the long sides l, as indicated in FIG. 1b. In one preferred embodiment, the curvature associated with the narrow sides n may be equal to or greater than the curvature associated with the long sides l of the barrel B, i.e., the narrow sides n will have the same curve or a tighter curve than the long sides l.

[0040] A view of the front of the volume hair dryer brush 100 is shown in FIG. 3a and a view of the side of the volume hair dryer brush 100 is shown in FIG. 3b. As indicated in FIG. 3a and FIG. 3b, in preferred embodiments the barrel B of the volume hair dryer brush 100 has bristles or tufts 30 that can be of any type, size, or shape and placed in any pattern or at random on the barrel B.

[0041] In some preferred embodiments, the bristles or tufts (1) could be flexible, semi-flexible, firm, rigid, or any combination thereof; (2) could vary in height or be uniform in height; (3) could have a variety of diameters or cross-sections, be fin-shaped, taper, be uniform in diameter, or any combination thereof; or (4) could be set in waves and/or have a ball ends. Multiple types of bristles or tufts may be combined on the same volume hair dryer brush. The bristles or tufts may be made of any natural, synthetic, or a combination of natural and synthetic material that will withstand the heat generated by the volume hair dryer brush, including but not limited to silicone bristles or tufts, silicone-coated bristles or tufts, nylon bristles or tufts, plastic bristles or tufts, metal bristles or tufts, or coated metal bristles or tufts.

[0042] In preferred embodiments of the volume hair dryer brush 100, as shown in FIG. 3a and FIG. 3b, the bristles or tufts 30 may be placed on the long sides l of the roughly elliptical barrel B as well as on the narrow sides n of the barrel B so long as the density of the bristles or tufts 30 on the narrow sides n is less dense than the density of the bristles or tufts 30 that are placed on the long sides l. In an alternative preferred embodiment (not shown), the narrow sides n of the barrel B do not have any bristles or tufts 30. In this alternative preferred embodiment, the narrow sides n of the barrel B are fully exposed, providing a significant amount of surface area to contact the hair with airflow and heat. In another alternative preferred embodiment (not shown), one of the narrow sides n of the barrel B does not have bristles or tufts 30 while the other narrow side n has bristles or tufts 30 that are less dense than the bristles or tufts on the long sides l of the barrel B.

[0043] In preferred embodiments, the lack of bristles or tufts 30 on one or both of the narrow sides n of the barrel B, or alternatively the decrease in density of the bristles or tufts 30 on one or both of the narrow sides n, makes the dryer brush easier to use, creates less friction, allows for better heat permeation including but not limited to at the roots, smooths hair, greatly increases lift and volume, and/or can decrease the amount of time that the hair is exposed to heat resulting in less damage to the hair.

[0044] In some preferred embodiments, the bristles or tufts 30 on the long sides l and, when present, the narrow sides n may be permanently set in place in rows or in a pattern or set randomly. In other preferred embodiments, the arrangement of bristles and tufts 30 may, but is not required to, vary between the long sides land narrow sides n or vary between each of the four sides of the barrel B.

[0045] In preferred embodiments, any bristle or tuft 30 in any configuration may be used so long as there are no bristles or tufts 30 on either or both of the narrow side n of the barrel B or, alternatively, the density of the bristles or tufts on either or both of narrow side n of the barrel B is less than the density of the bristles or tufts 30 on the long sides l of the barrel B.

[0046] As non-limiting preferred examples, less density can be obtained by having fewer bristles or tufts on the narrow sides than on the long sides of the barrel; by having finer bristles or tufts on the narrow sides than on the long sides; or by having bristles or tufts of a different shape, thickness, height, or kind on the narrow sides versus the long sides. In another preferred example, the bristles or tufts on one or more of the narrow sides create less friction per inch against hair than the bristles or tufts on the long sides. As one non-limiting preferred example, one or both of the narrow sides of the dryer brush may have a single row of bristles or tufts.

[0047] FIG. 3a and FIG. 3b also include a preferred embodiment where the barrel B also has vents 32 through which air may be forced so as to blow dry the hair. While FIG. 3b depict vents 32 that are slotted and FIG. 3a depicts vents 32 that are curved, other preferred embodiments may have vents that are of any shape, including but not limited to slotted or circular shapes, and/or vents that are of the same or varying sizes. FIG. 3a depicts a preferred embodiment where the vents 32 are curved and placed in a curving repeating pattern. FIG. 3b depicts a preferred embodiment where the vents 32 are slotted and placed in a series of straight lines. In other preferred embodiments, the vents may be placed in any pattern or at random on the barrel B. As shown in FIG. 3a and FIG. 3b, in one preferred embodiment, the pattern of the vents 32 on the long sides l of the barrel B may differ from the pattern of the vents 32 on the narrow sides n of the barrel B. In other preferred embodiments, the location of the vents 32 on each of the four sides (the two long sides l and the two narrow sides n) of the barrel B may be independent of one other side, two other sides, or the three other sides of the barrel B.

[0048] In another preferred embodiment (not shown), the barrel of the volume hair dryer brush may have texture and/or a coating. As one preferred example, any side of the barrel may have texture and/or a coating located on all or substantially all of at least one side of the barrel. In another preferred embodiment, the volume hair dryer brush may have all or substantially all of sides of the barrel coated. In further preferred embodiments, the areas of texture and/or coating may be in the shape of strips, dots, or other shapes, or at random, on any location of the barrel.

[0049] Preferred embodiments also may include volume hair dryer brushes where one or both of the narrow sides of the barrel are fully or partially covered with texture and/or coating. In other preferred embodiments, both of the narrow sides of the barrel may have texture and/or coatings in the shape of strips of any length or width. In some preferred embodiments, one or both of the narrow sides of the barrel may not be coated, may not be textured, or may not be coated or textured.

[0050] In other preferred embodiments, the barrel of the volume hair dryer brush may have a coating that may protect the hair from heat and/or promote shine. Such coatings, when present, can include, but are not limited to coatings made of silicone. In one preferred embodiment, the coating comprises one or more silicone strips, silicone strips with silicone bristles, silicone strips with silicone knobs or bumps, and/or silicone channels.

[0051] In certain preferred embodiments, a coating may be used in any pattern or placement on a volume hair dryer brushes having a roughly elliptical barrel where one or both of the narrow sides of the barrel do not have any bristles or tufts. In other preferred embodiments, a coating may be used in any pattern or placement on a volume hair dryer brushes having a roughly elliptical barrel where one or both of the narrow sides of the barrel have bristles or tufts that are less dense than the bristles or tufts on the long sides of the barrel.

[0052] In one preferred embodiment, the volume hair dryer brush may be, but is not required to be, coated with any heat conductive material, including but not limited to ceramic or ceramic or silicone or titanium, tourmaline, copper, or other metals, to reflect heat from the hot air of the dryer. In some preferred embodiments, all surfaces of the barrel of the heated straightening dryer brush may be heated, directly or indirectly, from any known heating mechanism other than exposure to the hot air of the dryer. In other preferred embodiments, any of the surfaces of the heated straightening dryer brush, including but not limited to the exposed curved side surfaces, also could be separately heated, directly or indirectly, from any known heating mechanism other than exposure to the hot air of the dryer.

[0053] Although the present disclosure and its advantages have been described in detail, it should be understood that various changes, substitutions and alterations can be made herein without departing from the spirit and scope of the disclosure as defined by the appended claims. Moreover, the scope of the present application is not intended to be limited to the particular configurations of the process, machine, manufacture, composition of matter, means, methods and steps described in the specification. As one of ordinary skill in the art will readily appreciate from the present disclosure, processes, machines, manufacture, compositions of matter, means, methods, or steps, presently existing or later to be developed that perform substantially the same function or achieve substantially the same result as the corresponding configurations described herein may be utilized according to the present disclosure. Accordingly, the appended claims are intended to include within their scope such processes, machines, manufacture, compositions of matter, means, methods, or steps.