Hair brush with movably mounted bristles

Abstract

Hair brush with an array of bristles which are fastened on a flexible pad of bristles which yields during combing so that the position and/or location of the bristles is changed as a result, the bristles being composed of plastic, wherein the pad of bristle and the bristles are composed of a single piece and wherein the pad of bristles has the configuration of a flexible membrane.

Claims

1. A hair brush, comprising: a brush handle; a bristle carrier attached to the brush handle; and an array of bristles fastened on a flexible pad which yields during combing such that a position and/or location of the bristles change(s) as a result, wherein the bristles are composed of plastic, the pad and the bristles are composed from a single piece, and the pad is a flexible membrane that is macroscopically corrugated in itself, wherein the bristle carrier has a circumferential frame with a membrane receiving window.

2. The hair brush according to claim 1, wherein the membrane generally has two main surfaces, the bristles protrude from at least one of these main surfaces and a sum of a surface area of the main surfaces is substantially larger than a sum of a surface area of auxiliary surfaces which connect the two main surfaces of the membrane.

3. The hair brush according to claim 2, wherein a thickness of the membrane perpendicular to the surface of its main surfaces is between 0.25 mm and 1.25 mm.

4. The hair brush according to claim 1, wherein the membrane has at least one slit.

5. The hair brush according to claim 4, wherein edges of the membrane, which form edges of a slit, do not contact, even in the case of a membrane not under tension.

6. The hair brush according to claim 4, wherein edges of the at least one slit are corrugated in a direction perpendicular to a main surface of the membrane.

7. The hair brush according to claim 1, wherein the membrane has a continuous circumferential edge.

8. The hair brush according to claim 1, wherein the membrane is macroscopically corrugated in itself and the corrugation forms a regular wave pattern.

9. The hair brush according to claim 1, wherein the bristles protrude from the membrane in such a manner that their tips converge when the membrane is not under tension.

10. The hair brush according to claim 1, wherein the bristle carrier forms a transition into the brush handle and the membrane receiving window is configured such that the membrane can be fixed in the membrane receiving window in such a manner that the membrane has a convex or spherical curvature on a side from which its bristles exit.

11. The hair brush according to claim 10, wherein the bristle carrier has a body, and the membrane receiving window fully penetrates through the body of the bristle carrier.

12. A pad of bristles, comprising a plurality of the bristles composed of plastic, wherein the pad of bristles is a flexible membrane that is macroscopically corrugated in itself and is not glued or welded to a bristle carrier, and the pad of bristles is designed for insertion into a bristle carrier, wherein the pad of bristles and the bristles are composed from a single piece, and the bristle carrier has a circumferential frame with a membrane receiving window.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) FIG. 1 shows a first exemplary embodiment of the hair brush according to the invention as seen from its side facing away from the bristle array.

(2) FIG. 2 shows a first exemplary embodiment of the hair brush according to the invention as seen from the side.

(3) FIG. 3 shows a first exemplary embodiment of the hair brush according to the invention as seen from its side facing the bristle array.

(4) FIG. 4 shows a first exemplary embodiment of the hair brush according to the invention in a perspective view.

(5) FIG. 5 shows a first exemplary embodiment of the hair brush according to the invention as seen from its tip facing away from the handle.

(6) FIG. 6 shows a first exemplary embodiment of the hair brush according to the invention as seen from its side facing the handle.

(7) FIG. 7 schematically shows the unit of bristles and membrane as it is used for the first exemplary embodiment.

(8) FIG. 8 shows a second exemplary embodiment of the hair brush according to the invention as seen from its side facing away from the bristle array.

(9) FIG. 9 shows a second exemplary embodiment of the hair brush according to the invention as seen from the side.

(10) FIG. 10 shows a second exemplary embodiment of the hair brush according to the invention as seen from its side facing the bristle array.

(11) FIG. 11 shows a second exemplary embodiment of the hair brush according to the invention in a perspective view.

(12) FIG. 12 shows a second exemplary embodiment of the hair brush according to the invention as seen from its tip facing away from the handle.

(13) FIG. 13 shows a second exemplary embodiment of the hair brush according to the invention as seen from its side facing the handle.

(14) In a similar manner to FIGS. 1 to 6, and 8 to 15, FIGS. 14 to 19, and 20 to 25, as well as 26 to 31 show respectively a third, fourth and fifth exemplary embodiment, in each case in the positions set out by FIGS. 1 to 6.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

(15) The hair brush according to the invention which FIGS. 1 to 6 show is characterized by reference number 1, it comprises a brush handle 2 and a bristle carrier 3. Bristle carrier 3 is embodied here as a circumferential frame which has a membrane receiving window 4.

(16) A unit comprising bristles 5 and membrane 7 connected thereto in one piece is inserted into said membrane receiving window 4, as FIG. 7 schematically shows. Bristles 5 are preferably slightly conical and as a result ultimately adjusted to their loadingwhere the loading is the highest, namely in the region of the bristle base, the bristle is its thickest. This configuration also promotes their deformability. The bristles are in one piece in the case of this exemplary embodiment and connected integrally to membrane 7. The corrugation of membrane 7 is clearly apparent on the basis of FIG. 7. This corrugation is also apparent on the basis of FIG. 1, and one sees there that the waves form a wave front which runs substantially at a right angle to longitudinal axis L of the hair brush.

(17) Fastening of membrane 7 in membrane receiving window 4 is expediently carried out either by welding or in that the bristle array is held clamped by a frame 14 which is pressed from one side into the membrane receiving window and membrane 7 is pressed against a shoulder, not shown here, of the membrane receiving window and as a result holds it clamped between itself and this shoulder.

(18) The circumference of the membrane along its auxiliary surfaces 13 is preferably slightly larger than the inner circumference of membrane receiving window 4. In this manner, the soffits of membrane receiving window 4 press on all sides on auxiliary surfaces 13 of the membrane. As a result, the membrane is compressed, it gives way and forms a curvature comparable to the curvature which was to be arrived at in the case of prior art pads of bristles in the form of rubber plates.

(19) Alternatively, however, this can also be such that membrane receiving window 4 and the circumference of membrane 7 along its auxiliary surfaces 13 are adjusted to one another in such a manner that membrane 7 can be inserted into membrane receiving window 4 in a substantially tension-free manner. In this case, the membrane remains substantially flat even after its insertion.

(20) As can be seen with relative ease, the membrane is provided with slits 10, edges 11 and 12 of which are spaced apart from one another so far that these two edges do not meet even in the state of membrane 7 free of tension. In this manner, the membrane forms several bending beams which are arrayed with bristles in such a manner that the bristles bases can give way in the event of loading so that the relevant bristles can preferably all move. The slits preferably do not run in a straight line, rather form a wave pattern here. As a result of this, the bending beams are stabilised in the transverse direction perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the hair brush, i.e. they provide better resistance to torsion.

(21) Moreover, membrane 7 is preferably provided with a corrugation as FIG. 7 indicates and as is apparent on the basis of FIG. 1. The corrugation of the membrane means that its bending beams can be made more flexible in the direction of the longitudinal axis. The bending beams can then bend through bettera bending beam fixedly clamped at both ends is known to be hindered in its bending since traction forces occur in the direction of its longitudinal axis as a result of the clamping of its two ends during bending, which traction forces hinder further bending. The corrugation obviates this effect since it allows elongation or compression.

(22) The corrugation is advantageous both when the membrane is installed flat and when the membrane is pretensioned by its installation in membrane receiving window 4 in such a manner that it is spherical. In the latter case, the corrugation facilitates the membrane or its bending beam assuming the desired spherical form. The corrugation is, however, also as stated advantageous when the membrane is clamped substantially flat, i.e. without pretensioning, into membrane receiving window 4. The corrugation enables improved bending through of the bending beams since it enables a certain elongation of the bending beams.

(23) The membrane and the bristles are preferably arranged relative to one another and configured in such a manner that the bristles are aligned substantially parallel to one another after insertion of membrane 7 into the membrane receiving window and the deformation of membrane 7 which is associated with it under certain circumstances.

(24) It is still noteworthy that the bristle carrier, as well as the membrane receiving window, is itself fitted, preferably in the region of the tip of the brush facing away from the brush handle, with an additional bristle field Z. These bristles are mounted on a rigid bristle carrier and therefore make it possible to counteract any higher-resistance deformation or forces which tend to deform them. This bristle field can, for example, be very effectively used in order, when combing long hair, to pull the brush with some force through that part of the hair on which tangles or adhesions are fixed.

(25) FIGS. 8-13 shows a second exemplary embodiment. This second exemplary embodiment largely corresponds to the first exemplary embodiment. As a result of this, that which has been stated for the first exemplary embodiment also applies to this second embodiment. The sole difference from the first embodiment is that, in the case of the second embodiment, a narrower bristle array is provided and slits 10, which are machined into membrane 7, have more pronounced corrugation.

(26) The same correspondingly applies to FIGS. 14-19 which in turn only exhibit a different corrugation of the slits in the membrane.

(27) The two exemplary embodiments which FIGS. 20-25 and 26-31 show are of particular interest. These two exemplary embodiments also substantially correspond to the first exemplary embodiment described. It is, however, the case here that the slits in the membrane are even more pronounced. The peculiarity in the case of these two exemplary embodiments is that the slits here delimit between them bending beams of the membrane which have pronounced constrictions and therefore are very flexible, even in the direction of longitudinal axis L of the hair brush.