Multi-Purpose Glove

Abstract

The present application relates to a multi-purpose glove and brush combination for brushing and combing a wearer or another's hair, massaging of the scalp, grooming a pet, etc. The glove and brush combination is comprised of a wearable glove featuring a plurality of bristles on the open handed palm and finger regions of the glove to maximize brush coverage on the hair, and help a user achieve a particular style quickly and efficiently.

Claims

1. A grooming tool comprising: a glove formed of a flexible material and having a first side, a second side, a finger region, a palm region and a thumb region; and a plurality of bristles permanently affixed to the first side of the glove and disposed on at least a portion of each of the palm region, the finger region and the thumb region, wherein the plurality of bristles have a spacing to allow a flexure of the finger region is up to 35 degrees relative to the palm region.

2. The grooming tool of claim 1, wherein a first one of the plurality of bristles has a different length than a second one of the plurality of bristles.

3. The grooming tool of claim 1, wherein the flexure is between 10 and 35 degrees.

4. The grooming tool of claim 1, wherein a first flexure of a first portion of the palm region is different than a second flexure of a second palm region.

5. The grooming tool of claim 4, wherein each of the first flexure and the second flexure is between 10 and 25 degrees.

6. The grooming tool of claim 1, wherein a first one of the plurality of bristles has a different diameter than a second one of the plurality of bristles.

7. The grooming tool of claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of bristles do not exhibit the same hardness.

8. The grooming tool of claim 1, wherein at least one of the plurality of bristles has a first bend rate of between 4 and 5 mm/Nm, and at least another of the plurality of bristles has a second bend rate of 6 and 8 mm/Nm.

9. The grooming tool of claim 1, wherein at least some of the plurality of bristles have a bulbous end.

10. The grooming tool of claim 9, wherein the bulbous end has a water absorbing property.

11. The grooming tool of claim 1, wherein the plurality of bristles are selected from a group including a boar hair, a nylon, a plastic, a natural materials and a synthetic material.

12. A styling glove comprising; a glove comprised of a flexible material, a front side, a back side, a palm region, a finger region and a thumb region, wherein the glove is sized and configured to fit a human hand and further wherein the glove has different degrees of flexure between the palm region and the finger region; and a plurality of boar hair bristles affixed to at least a portion of each of the palm, finger and thumb regions, wherein the plurality of boar hair bristles are comprised of a plurality of hard bristles and a plurality of soft bristles, and further wherein the plurality of boar hair bristles are affixed only to the front side of the glove.

13. The styling glove of claim 12, wherein the flexure of the finger region is between 10 and 35 degrees and the flexure of the palm region is between 10 and 25 degrees.

14. The styling glove of claim 12, wherein the plurality of boar hair bristles are provided in different sizes.

15. The styling glove of claim 12, wherein at least a portion of the plurality of boar hair bristles have a length of between ⅕″ to 1″, and a diameter from 0.0003 mm to 3 mm.

16. The styling glove of claim 12, wherein at least some of the plurality of boar hair bristles are comprised of a water absorbing material positioned on a distal end.

17. The styling glove of claim 12, wherein the plurality of hard bristles have a hardness ranging from 4 mm/Nm to 8 mm/Nm.

18. The styling glove of claim 12 further comprising an insulating inner layer.

19. A boar hair glove brush combination comprising: a glove having a front side, a back side, a palm region and a finger region, wherein the glove is made from a flexible and conformable material having a different degree of flexure in the palm region than in the finger region; and a plurality of boar hair bristles provided on the front side of the glove in spaced apart fashion, wherein the plurality of boar hair bristles have a length of between ⅕″ and 1″ and a diameter of between 0.0003 mm and 3 mm.

20. The boar hair glove brush combination of claim 19, wherein the plurality of boar hair bristles include a plurality of hard bristles having a bend rate of between 4 and 5 mm/Nm, and a plurality of soft bristles having a bend rate of between 6 and 8 mm/Nm.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0017] The description refers to provided drawings in which similar reference characters refer to similar parts throughout the different views, and in which:

[0018] FIG. 1 illustrates a perspective and open handed view of one potential embodiment of the multi-purpose slip on glove of the present invention in accordance with the disclosed architecture;

[0019] FIG. 2A illustrates a close-up perspective view of one potential embodiment of the finger portion of the multi-purpose slip on glove of the present invention in accordance with the disclosed architecture, and having a plurality of bristles extending outwardly therefrom;

[0020] FIG. 2B illustrates an elevational view of one potential embodiment of the plurality of bristles extending outwardly from the glove portion of the multi-purpose slip on glove of the present invention in accordance with the disclosed architecture, wherein the bristles are of varying lengths, shapes and diameters;

[0021] FIG. 3 illustrates a side perspective view of one potential embodiment of the multi-purpose slip on glove of the present invention in accordance with the disclosed architecture;

[0022] FIG. 4 illustrates a perspective view of various different sizes of one potential embodiment of the multi-purpose slip on gloves of the present invention in accordance with the disclosed architecture;

[0023] FIG. 5A illustrates a perspective view of one potential embodiment of the multi-purpose slip on glove of the present invention in accordance with the disclosed architecture and being used to brush the side of a user's head;

[0024] FIG. 5B illustrates a perspective view of one potential embodiment of the multi-purpose slip on glove of the present invention in accordance with the disclosed architecture and being used to brush the top of a user's head; and

[0025] FIG. 5C illustrates a perspective view of one potential embodiment of the multi-purpose slip on glove of the present invention in accordance with the disclosed architecture being used to brush the back of a user's head.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0026] The innovation is now described with reference to the drawings, wherein like reference numerals are used to refer to like elements throughout. In the following description, for purposes of explanation, numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding thereof. It may be evident, however, that the innovation can be practiced without these specific details. In other instances, well-known structures and devices are shown in block diagram form in order to facilitate a description thereof. Various embodiments are discussed hereinafter. It should be noted that the figures are described only to facilitate the description of the embodiments. They are not intended as an exhaustive description of the invention or do not limit the scope of the invention. Additionally, an illustrated embodiment need not have all the aspects or advantages shown. Thus, in other embodiments, any of the features described herein from different embodiments may be combined.

[0027] As noted above, there exists a long felt need in the art for a brush and glove combination that maximizes bristles coverage on the hair, thereby saving extensive time and effort when brushing and styling one's hair. There is a long felt need in the art for a brush and glove combination that replaces a standard comb or hairbrush, and that allows a user to apply pressure to their hair without developing muscle strain and/or cramps. Moreover, there is also a long felt need in the art for a brush and glove combination that allows a user to easily brush, smooth, and style hair in a desired manner using only his or her hand, and that can also be used to massage one's scalp. Additionally, there is a long felt need in the art for a brush and glove combination that will not slip from the user's hand during use and fall to the ground where the same may be contaminated with germs, bacteria and the like. Finally, there is a long felt need in the art for a brush and glove combination that is relatively inexpensive to manufacture, and that is safe and easy to both use and clean.

[0028] The term glove is used herein in a broad sense to mean any flexible, sheet-like material forming a covering for a hand, that is passively and selectively held on a person's hand and covers at least a portion of the person's hand. Accordingly, the term glove can refer to any of (a) a traditional glove which almost completely covers the hand and has one or more separate fingers, (b) a mitt which almost completely covers the hand, but does not have separate fingers, (c) a portion of material which covers one side of the hand and is attached to the hand with an elastic band which extends around the other side of the hand, or (d) any other portion of material that is passively held on the hand.

[0029] Referring initially to the drawings, FIG. 1 illustrates a perspective and open handed view of one potential embodiment of the multi-purpose slip on glove 100 of the present invention in accordance with the disclosed architecture. More specifically, the multi-purpose slip on glove 100 comprises a palmar surface 102, a wrist area 104 having an opening 1040 to slip the glove onto a user's hand, a thumb portion 106, an index finger portion 108, a middle finger portion 110, a ring finger portion 112, a pinky finger portion 114, a dorsal region 202, and a plurality of bristles 120. The finger portions 106, 108, 110, 112 and 114 extend outwardly from the palmar region 102 to cover the corresponding fingers of the user. The wrist area 104 may secure tightly around a user's wrist, and may include a clasp or other fastening mechanism 116, such as hook and loop fasteners, a clip, snap, button of the like, to hold the glove 100 to the hand of the user. The wrist area 104 may also be made of an elastic material that conforms to the shape and size of the user's wrist, and therefore does not require a fastener.

[0030] The glove portion of the multipurpose glove 100 may be manufactured to match size standards customary in the industry, or be custom-made to fit a particular user's hand size. The glove 100 may also be made to fit either a left hand or a right hand, or both (e.g., a uni-glove). The glove 100 may be made of a latex material, artificial fibers, rubber, plastic membrane, silicone, PVC, nylon, natural fibers, or combinations of any of these materials or any other suitable material that provides durability and flexibility for smooth operation of the glove 100 during the process of styling and/or brushing hair, or massaging a scalp. Nonetheless, the material chosen for glove 100 should be such that is does not cause damage to the scalp and/or hair, and is made up of a high-quality, environment friendly material that is comfortable to wear. The gloves may also be made to be disposable so as not to transfer disease, bacteria or other parasites from one user to another, or recyclable.

[0031] Bristles 120 are similar to the teeth of a brush or comb and are preferably evenly spaced apart along each of the palmar surface 102, finger portions 108, 110, 112, 114, and thumb portion 106. Bristles 120 are used for brushing and styling the hair of the user, and/or massaging the scalp of the user. For example, the bristles 120 may detangle, remove hair build-up, and also remove other particles and debris from the user or his or her subject's hair during use, and style the person's hair efficiently and easily. In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the bristles 120 are comprised of 100% boar bristles. Boar bristles are selected for their ability to promote healthy hair growth, the conditioning of hair, adding shine to the hair, aid in cleaning the hair, helping to prevent breakage and frizz of the hair, balance scalp oil production and create softer hair. Nonetheless, the invention is not limited to boar bristles, and other bristles may be used as well, such as those comprised of plastic, nylon, rubber, wood, ceramic, metal, synthetics, etc. For example, nylon and/or plastic bristles will not produce as much static electricity as boar bristles, and may help detangle hair more quickly.

[0032] The texture of the plurality of bristles 120 may vary and include bristles that are relatively soft, medium, medium-hard, and hard. More specifically, the hardness or softness of the bristles 120 used in the present invention may range from relatively hard bristles (i.e., having a bend rate of between 4 and 5 mm/Nm) to relatively soft bristles having a bend rate ranging from 8 and 10 mm/Nm. The hardness or softness of the bristles 120 may also be measured by the change in depth of the bristles when subject to additional stresses.

[0033] In one embodiment of the present invention, the bristles 120 may be identical in shape, height, width, spacing, frequency, number, and/or pattern along the palmar region 102, finger portions 108, 110, 112, 114, and thumb portion 106. However, in alternate embodiments, the bristles 120 may vary in shape, height, width, spacing, frequency, number, and/or pattern on any of the palmar region 102, finger portions 108, 110, 112, 114, and thumb portion 106. For example, the characteristics of the bristles 120 along the palmar region 102 may vary from one another, or from the bristles 120 along either or both of the finger portions 108, 110, 112, 114 and the thumb portion 106, etc., depending on the wants and needs of the user and/or intended application of the multi-purpose glove 100. Additionally, the bristles 120 may take on various shapes such as, without limitation, cone shape, pillar shape, and the like.

[0034] FIG. 2A illustrates a close-up perspective view of one potential embodiment of the finger portion of the multi-purpose slip on glove 100 of the present invention in accordance with the disclosed architecture, and having a plurality of bristles 120 extending outwardly therefrom. More specifically, the plurality of bristles 120 are evenly spaced apart in a uniform manner for consistent brushing, styling and massaging purposes, and are suitable for use against the scalp of a man, woman or child. Each bristle 120 is preferably sewed or glued to the surface of the palmar region 102, finger portions 108, 110, 112, 114, and thumb portion 106 at a proximal end 1202 of the bristle 120. The distal end 1204 of each bristle 120 preferably has a round portion for effective brushing, styling and massaging, and so as to not damage or irritate the surface of the scalp. An elongate body 1206 is present between the distal end 1204 and proximal end 1202 of a suitable length as per the preferences of the user. As previously stated, the bristles 120 are flexible, and the shape and orientation of the bristles 120 cause the distal end 1204 of the bristles 120 to contact the user's hair and scalp. In an embodiment, the bristles 120 are present in rows being successively adjacent to and in close proximity to one another. Alternatively, the bristles 120 may be present in concentric circles, or any other configuration.

[0035] Additionally, the bristles 120 may have an elongated body 1206 portion that has a length of between ⅕″ and 1″ in. In another embodiment, the length of the bristles 120 can be between ⅓″ and ⅘″. The diameter of the bristles 120 can also vary, and the chosen diameter of bristle may depend upon the length of the bristle 120, the material utilized, and other factors that would be understood by a person skilled in the art. For example, in one embodiment, the diameter of a bristle 120 can range from about 0.0003 mm to about 3 mm in diameter. In a more specific embodiment, the diameter of a bristle 120 ranges from about 0.002 mm to about 2 mm in diameter. Further, a bristle 120 can be tapered and or rounded, whereby the diameter is not consistent along the entire elongated body 1206.

[0036] FIG. 2B illustrates an elevational view of one potential embodiment of the plurality of bristles 120 extending outwardly from the glove portion of the multi-purpose slip on glove 100 of the present invention in accordance with the disclosed architecture, wherein the bristles 120 are of varying lengths, shapes and diameters. More specifically and by way of example, the bristles 120 present on the palmer region 102 may be longer in length than the bristles 120 present on the finger portions 108, 110, 112, 114 to give a desired styling effect to the user's hair. The diameter of the bristles 120 may also vary across the various locations present on the glove 100, where the bristles 120 on palmer region 102 may have larger or smaller diameters than that of the bristles 120 present on finger portions 108, 110, 112, 114 and/or thumb portion 106.

[0037] FIG. 3 illustrates a side perspective view of one potential embodiment of the multi-purpose slip on glove 100 of the present invention in accordance with the disclosed architecture. More specifically, the multi-purpose glove 100 has a plurality of bristles 102 positioned on and extending outwardly from the palmar region 102, the thumb portion 106, the index finger portion 108, the middle finger portion 108, the ring finger portion 112 and the pinky finger portion 114. The multi-purpose glove 100 is further comprised of a dorsal region 202 covering the back of the user's hand, where the dorsal area 202 of the glove does not have bristles 120, and a wrist area 104 that covers the wrist area of the user's hand. The wrist area 104 of the glove 100 may have an elastic band around the wrist area that expands to allow entry of the hand into the glove 100 and then contracts to secure the glove 100 around the user's wrist. Other methods known in the art may be used to secure the wrist area 104, for example, snaps, ties, hooks, buttons, hook-and-loop material, magnets and the like 116. The palmar region 102 is in contact with the palm area of the user's hand, and the bristles 120 help in brushing and styling the hair of the user. The glove 100 of the present invention remains properly aligned and does not rotate or twist on the hand of the user, and pressure can be easily applied to the head of the user via the multi-purpose glove 100 without straining the hand and/or wrist.

[0038] Additionally, the dorsal region 202 of the multi-purpose glove 100 may also have a logo 118, embroidery, design, theme, cartoon, picture or the like thereon to make the glove 100 more aesthetically pleasing. The dorsal region 202 may also have a planar surface, designer cut-outs, or a small pocket for keeping anything, such as rubber bands, clutches, and the like, that may be helpful in styling and/or brushing the hair.

[0039] FIG. 4 illustrates a perspective view of various different sizes of one potential embodiment of the multi-purpose slip on gloves 400, 402, 404 of the present invention in accordance with the disclosed architecture. As shown, the multi-purpose gloves 400, 402, 404 may be manufactured in various sizes, designs, and colors. More specifically, glove 400 is larger in size and may be worn by a man for styling and brushing his hair, wherein glove 402 is smaller in size when compared to glove 400 and may be more suitable for a woman or smaller individual. Likewise, glove 404, which is smaller in size as compared to gloves 400 and 402, may be worn by a child for styling and brushing his or her hair or that of a pet.

[0040] Additionally, any of the alternative embodiments described herein may be in the form of a mitten, wherein the finger portions 108, 110, 112, 114 are combined together to form a collective finger sheath. The mitten version of the multi-purpose glove 100 of the present invention may restrict the independent movement of the user's ring pointer finger, index finger, middle finger and pinky finger, but may be useful in untangling and straightening longer hair. In yet another embodiment, the multi-purpose slip-on glove 100 can be in the form of a half-fingers glove as per the wants and needs of the user.

[0041] FIGS. 5A-5C illustrate a perspective view of various potential embodiment of the multi-purpose slip on glove 400, 402, 404 of the present invention in accordance with the disclosed architecture. For example, FIG. 5A illustrates a woman 500 wearing a queen-sized slip-on glove 402 on her hand 501, and using the same to style and brush her hair 502 with bristles 120. More specifically, the bristles 120 present on and extending outwardly from the palmer region 102 and finger portions of the glove 402 are used to style the hair 502 by applying pressure to the head without straining of the hand 501 and wrist. The glove 402 may be worn on one hand 501, or a pair of gloves 402 may be worn on both hands as per the preferences of the user 500.

[0042] Similarly, FIG. 5B illustrates a male user 510 wearing a large sized slip-on glove 400 on his hand 504 to style and brush his hair 502. The user 502 performing the styling is able to conform the glove 400 directly to the shape of the head (his own or another's head), thereby reducing the amount of brush-strokes required, increasing efficiency and reducing the time necessary to complete the grooming process. Unlike traditional brushes which have a generally planar head with the bristles extending outward to form a horizontal plane, the bristles of the present invention curve to the shape of the head.

[0043] Finally, FIG. 5C illustrates a child 520 wearing the glove 404 of the present invention on his or her hand 506. More specifically, the child 520 uses the bristles 120 present on, and extending outwardly from, the palmer region 102, finger portions 108, 110, 112, 114, and thumb portion 106 of the multi-purpose glove 404 to style his or her hair 502 easily, and without developing muscle strain and/or cramps. Further, the glove 404 used by the child 520 is secure relative to the hand 506, and will not easily drop to the floor while in use, where it could otherwise become contaminated.

[0044] In one embodiment, a slip-on glove 100 which is adapted for being worn by a user is disclosed. The glove comprises a contacting side, a dorsal side 202, and a wrist area 104. The contacting side has a palm portion 102, one or more finger portions 108, 110, 112, 114, and a thumb portion 106, each of which has a plurality of flexible bristles 120 protruding outwardly therefrom. The dorsal side 202 covers the back area of the wearer's hand, and the wrist area 104 covers the wrist area of the hand of the wearer. The bristles 120 substantially cover the contacting side of the slip-on glove 100, there being a pattern created by the bristles 120, which pattern contains open areas between the bristles 120 so as to allow curving of the glove 100 and bristles 120. These bristles 120 may be permanently mounted to the surface of the glove portion by gluing, sewing, stitching or any other conventional method.

[0045] In one embodiment of the invention, the glove 100 may have bristles 120 on the palmer region 102 and finger portions 108, 110, 112, 114 but not on the thumb portion 106. This may lead to more easy movement of the thumb portion 106, and provide more flexibility to the glove 100 during the brushing and styling of the hair. Similarly, based on the requirements of the user, the glove 100 may have bristles 120 only on selected finger portions 108, 110, 112, 114 and/or the thumb portion 106. In a preferred embodiment, the spacing between the plurality of bristles 120 accommodates a flexure of the fingers in a range of between 10 and 35 degrees (relative to the palm portion), with about 27 degrees being a target flexure amount. Similarly, on the palm portion, the spacing of the bristles accommodates a flexure range of between 10 and 25 degrees.

[0046] The glove 100 of the present invention can be used with both dry hair and wet hair. Further, the glove 100 can be used not only to comb hair, but to also apply or spread hair styling gels, creams, conditioners and the like for a uniform and even application across the hair and scalp. In one embodiment, the glove 100 may also be waterproof, and may be used as a stimulating massage brush to soothe the scalp, remove dead skin therefrom, and encourage healthy hair growth during shampoo and oiling.

[0047] In a further embodiment, the glove 100 of the present invention may have a layer of absorbing material on the distal end 1204 of bristles 120. The absorbing material layer of the bristles 120, when contacting the person's wet hair, may cause some of the water in the hair to be wicked into and absorbed by the glove 100, which helps facilitate drying. In yet another embodiment, the multi-purpose glove 100 may include an inside layer of insulative material to protect the person's hand from being burned by a hot curling iron or hot rollers while styling and brushing the hair. The glove 100 of the present invention can also be customized to have bristles 120 that may be used to groom a pet, such as a dog or a cat, as per the preferences of the user.

[0048] Certain terms are used throughout the following description and claims to refer to particular features or components. As one skilled in the art will appreciate, different persons may refer to the same feature or component by different names. This document does not intend to distinguish between components or features that differ in name but not structure or function. As used herein “multi-purpose glove”, “multi-purpose slip-on glove”, “slip-on glove”, “glove”, and “styling glove” are interchangeable and refer to the multi-purpose slip-on glove 100 of the present invention.

[0049] Notwithstanding the forgoing, the multi-purpose slip-on glove 100 of the present invention can be of any suitable size and configuration as is known in the art without affecting the overall concept of the invention, provided that it accomplishes the above stated objectives. One of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that the size, configuration and material of the multi-purpose slip-on glove 100 as shown in the FIGS. are for illustrative purposes only, and that many other sizes of the multi-purpose slip-on glove 100 are well within the scope of the present disclosure. Although the dimensions of the multi-purpose slip-on glove 100 are important design parameters for user convenience, the multi-purpose slip-on glove 100 may be of any size that ensures optimal performance during use and/or that suits user need and/or preference.

[0050] What has been described above includes examples of the claimed subject matter. It is, of course, not possible to describe every conceivable combination of components or methodologies for purposes of describing the claimed subject matter, but one of ordinary skill in the art may recognize that many further combinations and permutations of the claimed subject matter are possible. Accordingly, the claimed subject matter is intended to embrace all such alterations, modifications and variations that fall within the spirit and scope of the appended claims. Furthermore, to the extent that the term “includes” is used in either the detailed description or the claims, such term is intended to be inclusive in a manner similar to the term “comprising” as “comprising” is interpreted when employed as a transitional word in a claim.