HAIR TREATMENT BRUSH

Abstract

The invention relates to a hair treatment brush (10), in particular for straightening, comprising: a plurality of teeth (23, 23a. 23b), at least one steam outlet (30) for emitting steam onto the hair, the brush (10) being configured to emit the steam through the steam outlet (30) at a speed of between 0.007 m/s and 15 m/s, preferably between 0.01 m/s and 3 m/s, and more preferably between 0.1 m/s and 1 m/s.

Claims

1. A hair treatment brush (10), in particular for straightening, comprising: a plurality of teeth (23, 23a, 23b), at least one steam outlet (30) configured to emit steam onto the hair when the brush is used, the brush (10) being configured to emit the steam through the steam outlet (30) at a speed of between 0.007 m/s and 15 m/s, preferably between 0.01 m/s and 3 m/s, and more preferably between 0.1 m/s and 1 m/s.

2. The brush as claimed in claim 1, in which the teeth extend in at least one row of teeth, and preferably two rows of teeth, each preferably extending along a main axis of the brush.

3. The brush as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, comprising means (35) for heating the teeth for heating at least some of the plurality of teeth, in particular at least two of the teeth (23, 23a), and preferably several rows of teeth.

4. The brush as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, comprising a steam outlet (30) extending along an axis of extension, in particular extending over more than 70%, and preferably more than 80%, of the dimension of the treatment surface along the axis of extension.

5. The brush as claimed in claim 1 or 2, comprising a plurality of steam outlets (30), in particular at least one row of steam outlets extending along an axis of extension, in particular preferably extending over more than 70%, and preferably more than 80%, of the dimension of the treatment surface along the axis of extension.

6. The brush as claimed in claim 5, in which the steam outlets (30) of the row of steam outlets alternate with the teeth (23, 23a, 23b) of a row of teeth.

7. The brush as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, comprising a treatment surface (21) intended to come into contact with the hair during treatment, the teeth (23, 23a, 23b) extending from the treatment surface (21), the or each steam outlet (30) extending over the treatment surface (21) of the brush or over a tooth (23, 23a, 23b).

8. The brush as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, in which the or each steam outlet (30) has an opening smaller than or equal to 20 mm.sup.2, preferably smaller than or equal to 10 mm.sup.2, more preferably smaller than 5 mm.sup.2, and more preferably still smaller than 2 mm.sup.2.

9. The brush as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, supplying the steam outlet or outlets (30) with a steam flow rate less than or equal to 5 ml.Math.min.sup.1, preferably between 0.2 and 4 ml.Math.min.sup.1, more preferably between 0.4 and 2 ml.Math.min.sup.1, preferably between 0.5 and 0.95 ml.Math.min.sup.1.

10. The brush as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, comprising a reservoir of product to be vaporized, in particular water, in particular having a volume of between 1 ml and 50 ml, and a vaporization chamber (42) supplying steam to the steam outlet or outlets (30).

11. The brush as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, in which the teeth (30) have a height of between 2 mm and 50 mm, and preferably between 5 mm and 20 mm.

12. The brush as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, in which the teeth (23) have no surface protrusions.

13. The brush as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, comprising means (35) for heating at least two of the teeth (23, 23a), preferably several rows of teeth, preferably all of the teeth (23, 23a), the teeth (23, 23a) that are heated by heating means (35) being made from a heat-conductive material, in particular from iron, aluminum, titanium, stainless steel, graphite, or ceramic provided with a coating chosen from ceramic, tourmaline, elastomer, metal alloy and anodized coating materials.

14. The brush as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, in which some of the teeth (23b) are made from a material with low heat conductivity, in particular from elastomer or plastic, the teeth made from a material with low heat conductivity (23b) preferably being of a different height, in particular taller, that the teeth made from a heat-conductive material (23a).

15. A process for treating the hair with a brush (10) as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, comprising combing a lock of hair by passing it between the teeth (23, 23a, 23b) of the brush and applying steam to the lock of hair by means of a steam outlet (30) of the brush.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0077] FIG. 1 schematically shows an example of a brush,

[0078] FIG. 2 is a view along II of the brush of FIG. 1,

[0079] FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view along III-III of the example of a brush of FIGS. 1 and 2,

[0080] FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view along IV-IV of the example of a brush of FIGS. 1 and 2,

[0081] FIG. 5 shows a cross-sectional view of a variant of the brush,

[0082] FIG. 6 shows a cross-sectional view of a variant of the brush,

[0083] FIG. 7 shows a top view of a variant of the brush,

[0084] FIG. 8 shows a top view of a variant of the brush,

[0085] FIG. 9 shows a top view of a variant of the brush,

[0086] FIG. 10 shows a top view of a variant of the brush,

[0087] FIG. 11 shows a top view of a variant of the brush,

[0088] FIG. 12 shows a top view of a variant of the brush,

[0089] FIG. 13 shows a top view of a variant of the brush,

[0090] FIG. 14 shows a top view of a variant of the brush,

[0091] FIG. 15 shows a top view of a variant of the brush,

[0092] FIG. 16 shows a top view of a variant of the brush, and

[0093] FIG. 17 shows a cross-sectional view along III-III of a variant of the brush.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0094] FIGS. 1 to 4 show an example of a brush 10 according to the invention.

[0095] The brush 10 comprises a gripping handle 15 and a treatment head 20. Seen from above, the head 20 is substantially rectangular in shape with rounded corners, but it may be shaped differently. The head could in particular be substantially polygonal, oval or round when seen from above.

[0096] The head 20 forms a treatment surface 21.

[0097] The head 20 comprises teeth 23 arranged in 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 comprise between 8 and 40 teeth, 8 teeth being shown here for illustration purposes. The teeth may be attached to the brush, in particular being made from a different material to that which defines the treatment surface.

[0098] The head 20 also comprises a plurality of steam outlets 30 which may alternate with the teeth 23 of one of the rows of teeth, in this instance the central row.

[0099] In the embodiments shown, all the teeth are identical but, as a variant, the teeth may be of different materials, heights, shapes and/or orientations.

[0100] 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 6 and 120, for example substantially equal to 90.

[0101] The teeth 23 are spaced apart from each other by a distance d, measured between the longitudinal axes Y of the teeth, less than or equal to 40 mm, and preferably of between 1 mm and 10 mm.

[0102] Preferably, the height h of the teeth 23 is less than or equal to 50 mm, more preferably between 2 and 50 mm, and more preferably still between 5 and 35 mm.

[0103] As shown in the FIG. 3, the teeth 25 are heated by heating means. For example, the brush 10 comprises 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 from a heat-conductive material, in particular from iron, aluminum, titanium, stainless steel, graphite, or ceramic, and optionally provided with a coating.

[0104] Preferably, the electrical resistor or resistors 35 are situated in the head of the brush, as shown.

[0105] The brush 10 may comprise a system for controlling the temperature, which is not shown here, by virtue of one or more sensors arranged 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.

[0106] As a variant, as shown in FIG. 5, the resistance heater or heaters 35 extend into the teeth 25 in the form of a heating core 37.

[0107] The steam outlets are supplied with steam, in the example shown, by an elongate rail 45 that extends in a direction parallel to the main axis X, arranged in the head of the brush.

[0108] The steam outlets 30 are ports that emerge in the rail, for example between 6 and 10 ports, which are preferably spaced apart at equal distances along the rail 45, each having an axis oriented substantially perpendicular to the median treatment plane, such that steam is emitted perpendicular to the treatment surface along an axis W.

[0109] The steam outlets 30 may be of any shape, in particular square, rectangular, round or oval.

[0110] The steam outlets 30 extend over a steam outlet area at the center of the brush, delimited by the lateral edges of the peripheral steam outlets and extending along an axis of extension E, in particular parallel to the main axis X. The steam outlet area extends over a length e greater than or equal to 80% of the dimension s of the treatment surface along this axis.

[0111] 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 shown in FIG. 4, or offset in an external base 50 to which the brush is connected by a pipe supplying product to be vaporized 52, as shown in FIG. 6.

[0112] 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.

[0113] 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 30 cm/s and 5 m/s.

[0114] When the brush is 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 using the brush.

[0115] The embodiments in FIGS. 7 to 12 differ from the preceding embodiment in terms of the shape and positioning of the steam outlet area 30.

[0116] As a variant, as shown in particular in FIG. 7, the brush may comprise a single steam outlet 30 extending over substantially the entire length of the steam outlet area, parallel to the rows of teeth. Preferably, this steam outlet defines an opening greater than or equal to 5 mm.sup.2.

[0117] The steam outlet area may be positioned differently on the brush. It may be upstream of a combing area, as shown in FIG. 8, or downstream of the latter in relation to the direction of movement of the brush through the hair, as shown in FIG. 9.

[0118] The device may comprise a plurality of steam outlet areas, in particular two steam outlet areas, separated from each other by teeth 23, as shown in FIGS. 10 and 13.

[0119] The two steam outlet areas may be positioned at the periphery of the treatment surface 21, to either side of a single combing area, as shown in FIG. 13.

[0120] The or at least one of the steam outlet areas may comprise a steam containment groove 50 into which the steam outlet or outlets lead, as shown in FIG. 11.

[0121] The steam outlet area or areas may extend over only some of the length of the heated combing area, as shown in FIG. 12.

[0122] In the example shown in FIG. 14, the teeth 23 are inclined relative to the treatment surface 21 by an angle of between 45 and 90. The steam outlet or outlets 30 may emit steam at an angle different from 90 relative to the treatment surface 21, in particular of between 45 and 90, for example substantially equal to the angle of the teeth 23.

[0123] In the variant shown in FIGS. 15 and 16, the brush comprises at least one additional treatment.

[0124] The additional treatment may be a row of teeth made from a non-heat-conductive material forming a comb 60, at a temperature less than or equal to 50 C. during operation of the brush. Preferably, the comb 60 is arranged upstream of the steam outlet or outlets 30.

[0125] The additional treatment may be a cosmetic product application member 65.

[0126] The cosmetic product application member 65 is arranged so as to come into contact with the hair. The cosmetic product application member 65 is preferably porous, elastically compressible, and may advantageously be made from an open-cell cellular material, such as a PE (polyethylene) foam, for example. The application member may be made from any material that is able to release or diffuse the cosmetic product.

[0127] The application member may be removable.

[0128] The brush may comprise a cosmetic product reservoir, which is not shown here.

[0129] Preferably, the cosmetic product is in the fluid state at the time of use.

[0130] 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 the contents thereof to 40-50 C., for example in order to liquefy it.

[0131] Preferably, the cosmetic product is a hair shaping composition, in particular a composition for curling or setting and, preferably, relaxing or straightening the hair.

[0132] 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 non-ionic, conditioning agents such as silicones, mineral or plant oils, plant waxes, cationic surfactants and cationic polymers, alkaline agents or acids.

[0133] Even more preferably, the cosmetic product contains one or more agents chosen from oxidizing agents, reducing agents or alkaline agents of the hydroxide type.

[0134] In the example shown in FIG. 17, the brush comprises teeth made from a heat-conductive material 23a and teeth made from a material with low heat conductivity 23b, which are longer. The teeth 23a and 23b may alternate within a given row, as shown in FIG. 17. As a variant, the brush comprises, perpendicular to the main axis X, alternating rows of teeth made from a heat-conductive material 23a and rows of teeth made from a material with low heat conductivity 23b.

[0135] Numerous modifications can be made to the examples that have just been described, without departing from the scope of the present invention.

[0136] For example, the brush may not comprise a handle, in which case the back of the brush is used to grip the brush.

[0137] Some of the teeth of the brush may be made from a material with low heat conductivity, in particular from elastomer or plastic.

[0138] The brush may not be provided with heating means, in which case the teeth are not heated.

[0139] At least some of the teeth may be made from a material with low heat conductivity, in particular from elastomer or polymer.

[0140] The brush may comprise several different additional treatments, which may or may not be dissociated from each other.

[0141] The steam outlet area may or may not comprise teeth heated by the heating means.

[0142] The steam outlets extend from the treatment surface but they could extend from protuberances, in particular teeth, of the treatment surface.