Abstract:
Described is an apparatus for removing hair entangled among the teeth of combs or the bristles of brushes, after their use, which acts through the action of rotating whips and of an assembly for sucking and collecting the removed residuals.

Description:
BACKGROUND INFORMATION 
   As known, during combing with brushes or combs, it is easy and often unavoidable also in the healthiest hair that at the end of their use, these tools are not clean, and that hair remains entangled in their teeth or bristles. 
   At present, hair is mainly removed by rubbing two brushes with one another, a method not assuring a perfectly thorough hygiene (e.g. cleanliness and sterility) of the tools. There also exists a simple tool shaped as a small rake, whose curved metal teeth are inserted, where possible, among the brush bristles, and a device consisting of two idly-mounted parallel bristled rollers between which a comb, but not a brush, can be manually caused to slide thus obtaining a certain degree of cleaning. All of these methods do not perfectly clean, and they act with extreme slowness. Thus, cleaning brushes is boring, since much work is needed for obtaining visible results, and above all is unpleasant since none of the available devices takes care of collecting the removed residuals which, due to their volatility, are not even easy to locate. 
   This problem, which may be noticed also at home, is particularly felt by professional hairdressers due to the very frequent use of brushes and combs and the hygiene requirements imposed on them, as these are work tools intended for use with different people. 
   U.S. Pat. No. 3,348,253 describes a device for removing hair from a hair brush and/or a comb comprising two elongated brushes and rotating in opposite directions which comb the hair out of the hair brush into a lower hair receiving compartment. 
   Nederland Patent 9,300,585 and U.S. Pat. No. 3,805,318 describe apparatuses according to the preamble of claim  1 , where however the rotating shaft/s is/are actually one/two bristled brush/es. 
   A brushing action implies a relevant friction force between a cleaning brush and an hair brush to be cleaned, causing i.a. both to become worn. 
   The problem at the basis of the present invention is that of eliminating the above disadvantages, by creating an apparatus for removing hair entangled among the teeth of combs or among the bristles of brushes, which should clean combs and brushes in an effective, fast and hygienic way without damaging the items to be cleaned—which may often be fragile materials, have a cloth body and be expensive and valuable-, which should avoid the operator having to hold the brush or comb against the friction force tending to entrain it in rotation. Such an apparatus should preferably have reasonable weight and size, such as to be easily placed on a bathroom console or on the sink bench at the hairdressers. 
   SUMMARY OF INVENTION 
   The invention relates to an apparatus for removing hair from the teeth of a comb or the bristles of a brush, comprising at least a whip extending from at least one rotating shaft for cyclically passing through a comb or brush receiving position, and suction means for creating an air stream in the proximity fo the receiving position, characterized in that each whip is so spaced apart from any other possible whip of a same rotating shaft as not to interfere, in use, therewith, whereby each whip of a same rotating shaft acts on a comb or a brush individually. 
   In this description and attached claims, the term “whip” is meant to indicate an elongated, essentially filiform, element. 
   During the rotation of the rotating shaft, the or each whip, hits the comb or brush arranged at the receiving position, catching or breaking any hair entangled among the teeth or the bristles, and the hair or fragment of hair, thus freed, is removed by the suction air stream. 
   To increase the disentanglement speed, more whips can be provided, for example distributed along one or more circumferences or along a spiral around the rotating shaft. 
   Preferably, the whips are distributed along an end portion of the at least one rotating shaft. 
   Moreover, the at least one rotating shaft is preferably horizontally oriented, thus the whips rotate in a vertical plane. 
   Moreover, preferably, means for collecting the hair removed by the suction means is comprised. 
   To intensify the disentangling effect, the apparatus preferably comprises a first and a second parallel rotating shafts, provided with at least one respective whip. 
   Advantageously, moreover, the first and the second shaft are counter-rotating in such directions that the respective whips converge from the receiving position towards the suction air stream. In this way, during the rotation, the whips convey the removed hair towards the air stream, thus reducing the probability of being scattered in the environment. 
   To limit the overall size of the apparatus and intensify the disentangling action in the central portion of the receiving position, the rotating shafts preferably are at a mutual distance that is essentially equal to the length of the whips. 
   For the purpose of preventing the whips of the two shafts from interfering with one another during rotation, the whips of the first rotating shaft may then be axially staggered with respect to the whips of the second rotating shaft. 
   As an alternative, the whips of the first rotating shaft and the whips of the second rotating shaft may extend in a common transversal plane but in out-of-phase radial positions. 
   By providing flexible whips, the centrifugal acceleration will cause the whips to adopt the maximum radial extension during rotation, still they will be able to bend if hit by the teeth or bristles or by the same body of the comb or brush, thus preventing breakage and/or damage to other parts. 
   For the same purpose, flexible or non-flexible whips can be mounted as articulated. 
   As an alternative, each whip may consist of the free end of a continuous thread wound on a reel. 
   For the purpose of facilitating the cleaning and replacement of the whips, they can be mounted onto removable whip-holder hubs. 
   Advantageously, the apparatus further has scrapers that are tangential to the rotating shafts and/or to the whip-holder hubs, for preventing hair from winding around them. 
   Preferably, the apparatus exhibits a containing box-shaped body provided with an aperture suitable to allow the exit of the whips towards the receiving position and the inlet of air of the suction air stream, and provided with aeration splits. 
   Preferably, moreover, the aperture of the box-shaped body is arranged at its top. Besides being particularly practical in use, such a configuration favours the removal of disentangled hair, which tends to fall due to gravity force. 
   Moreover, the apparatus may comprise a protective shell at the aperture of the box-shaped body, so as to prevent the risk of injuries, particularly in case of accidental detachment of the whips. 
   Again for safety reasons, the protective shell preferably has at least one access door urged in the closed position and interacting with a safety switch. 
   Advantageously, the box-shaped body comprises an extractable drawer-like container for collecting the hair, provided with a hair-retaining filter. In this way, the action of cleaning the filter is facilitated. 
   For hygiene reasons, the extractable drawer is preferably sealingly closable. 
   Preferably, moreover, the hair-collecting extractable drawer has a variable height so as to be inserted underneath the motor. 
   Moreover, to facilitate the cleaning and the possible replacement of the whips, the box-shaped body may have an inspection door at the whips. 
   Preferably, a common motor is present, typically an electric motor, for operating both a fan of the suction means, and the at least one rotating shaft. Besides limiting the size and the power required by the apparatus, this expedient ensures the simultaneousness of the disentangling and suction actions. 
   Typically, the apparatus then has first motion transmission means between a driving shaft of the electric motor and the first rotating shaft and second motion transmission means between the first rotating shaft and the second rotating shaft. 
   The first motion transmission means can consist of a belt drive, preferably at an intermediate portion of the first- rotating shaft. 
   The second motion transmission means can comprise two gearwheels respectively coupled to the first and to the second rotating shaft and engaged with one another, or two rubber-top pulleys coupled through friction. 
   Gearwheels or rubber-top pulleys are preferably arranged at an end of the rotating shafts, preferably at the end opposed to that from which the at least one respective whip extends. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS 
     Further features and advantages will appear more clearly from the description of a preferred but not exclusive embodiment of a cleaning apparatus for hair brushes and combs, illustrated as a non-limitative indication in the attached schematic drawings, wherein: 
       FIG. 1  shows the apparatus according to the invention in longitudinal section (according to line A—A of the following  FIG. 6 ). 
       FIG. 2  shows a sectional view in a plane in the proximity of the apparatus top (according to line B—B of the following  FIG. 5 ). 
       FIG. 3  shows a cross-sectional view in a plane in the proximity of a rear end (according to line C—C of the following  FIG. 6 ). 
       FIG. 4  shows a cross-sectional view in a plane in the proximity of a front end (according to line D—D of the following  FIG. 6 ). 
       FIG. 5  shows a front view of the apparatus without the whip inspection door. 
       FIG. 6  shows a plan view with the whip inspection door removed. 
       FIGS. 7 ,  8  and  9  schematically show the operation of the apparatus. 
       FIG. 10  shows a partial sectional view illustrating an alternative embodiment of whips. 
       FIG. 11  shows a partial sectional view of a protective shell of the apparatus. 
   

   DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
   Apparatus 1 shown in  FIG. 1  comprises a box-shaped body  1   a  enclosing all of the elements suitable to the operation of apparatus  1 , such as a motor  6 , typically electrical, whose driving shaft  18  provides both to operating a fan  13 , and—through a belt drive  10 —to operating horizontal shafts  8  coupled through gearwheels  9  at a first end, and carrying, at the opposed end, hubs  7  with respective whips  11 . 
   A whip inspection door  2  is represented as frontally mounted, for example through a screw coupling  19 ,  20 . 
   On the top, the box-shaped body  1   a  exhibits an aperture  16  suitable to allow the exit of whips  11  during the rotation of shafts  8 . Moreover, aperture  16  allows the inlet of air, which is sucked by fan  13  through an air manifold  12  and a passage  17 , connected to a preferably extractable drawer-like container  3  for collecting the hair and other removed debris. Thus, between aperture  16  and passage  17  there is defined an essentially vertical suction duct below the rotating shafts  8 . 
   The sectional view of  FIG. 2  allows the plan view of the air manifold  12 , connected to a filter  5  housed within container  3 , in turn sealingly closed by a cover  4 , shown as removed from its seat. 
   Moreover it can be noted that, for the purpose of preventing the whips of the two shafts from interfering with one another during rotation, the whips of the two shafts  8  are axially staggered. 
   In fact, for limiting the overall size of the apparatus, and intensifying the disentangling action in the central portion of the comb or brush receiving position, the rotating shafts  8  exhibit, as shown, a mutual distance that is essentially equal to the length of whips  11 . 
   As an alternative to the staggering in axial direction, the whips of the first rotating shaft  8   a  and the whips of the second rotating shaft  8   b  could extend in a common transversal plane, but in out-of-phase radial positions. 
     FIG. 3  represents the side pattern of manifold  12  which, starting from fan  13 , reaches filter  5 . 
     FIG. 4  clarifies the connection between the driving shaft  18 , the fan  13  and the rotating shafts  8  through transmission  10  and gearwheels  9 . 
   Moreover, the particular shape of container  3  for collecting the hair is visible, having a variable height so as to be inserted under motor  6 . 
   Moreover,  FIG. 5  illustrates scrapers  15  acting at the whip-holder hubs  7  for preventing the winding of hair around the whip-holder hubs  7 . 
   In  FIG. 6  there are visible some aeration slits  14  into the box-shaped body  1   a  for allowing the exit of the sucked air and for motor cooling. 
     FIGS. 7–9  schematically show the action of the disentangling whips  11 . 
   In  FIG. 7 , the direction of rotation, indicated by the arrows, and the peripheral extension adopted by whips  11  due to the centrifugal force can be seen. In particular, the rotating shafts  8  are counter-rotating in such directions that the respective whips  11  converge from the receiving position of brush S, centrally above the rotating shafts  8 , towards the suction air stream, wherein they convey the hair removed from the bristles of brush S. 
     FIGS. 8 and 9  illustrate the manner in which the whips  11 , capable of flexing, yield when on their path they meet the bristles of a brush S, or respectively, the teeth of a comb P, arranged in the receiving position. 
   More in detail, the operation of apparatus  1  is as follows. 
   By acting on the switch (not shown), it is possible to power the electric motor  6  which, in its circular motion, will actuate both the fan  13  and the rotating shafts  8 , and thus, whips  11  facing aperture  16  of the box-shaped body  1 . The motion of fan  13  within the toric chamber-shaped manifold  12  will cause a continuous air flow within apparatus  1 , sucking it through aperture  16 , where the disentangling whips  11  act; the sucked air will enter into the drawer-like collecting container  3 , passing through the filtrating meshes of filter  5 , and it will be discharged clean outside through slits  14 . 
   A condition of continuous suction and discharge is thus stabilised, suitable for collecting and retaining all residuals that come in the proximity of aperture  16 , where the disentangling whips  1  act. 
   The disentangling and cleaning action is performed by whips  11 , which during the rotation of rotating shafts  8 , cyclically pass through the receiving position of comb P or brush S, in the proximity of aperture  16 , where they effectively catch and break the hair and other residues entangled among the bristles of brush S or the teeth of comb P. The motion of shafts  8  and thus, of whips  11  mounted on hubs  7 , integral with them, is counter-rotating, that is, the first on the left in  FIG. 7  rotates in clockwise direction, and the second rotates in counter-clockwise direction; this allows conveying what removed towards the centre, where the suction air flow does not have difficulty to catch residuals and hair and convey them to the collecting container  3 . 
   It is worth noting that during the rotation of the rotating shafts  8 , whips  11  are always dipped in the suction air stream, which favours removal of any hair entangled in the whips  11  themselves. 
   In the practical implementation of the apparatus of the invention, the most functional whips  11  will be selected in conformity with the tools they have to clean. Thus, they can be rigid or more or less flexible, and/or articulatedly mounted and orbitally mounted on the entrainment hubs  7 . 
   As an alternative, as illustrated in the partial section of  FIG. 10 , each whip  11  may consist of the free end of a continuous thread, for example an elastic thread, wound on a reel  21 . Reel  21  is housed within a coaxial seat of hub  7 , with friction disks  25  interposed. Hub  7  has a hole  22  in its side wall so as to allow the exit of whip  11 . An adjusting screw  23 , provided with an end rubber  24 , allows constraining reel  21  with hub  7  and shaft  8  and, when loosened, it allows extracting a new portion of thread to renew whip  11 . 
   To increase the safety of apparatus  1 , moreover, there can be provided, as illustrated in  FIG. 11 , a protective shell  26  arranged at aperture  16 . Since the whips are subject to centrifugal force, in case of detachment of a whip  11  during operation of the apparatus, it would be retained by the protective shell  26 . 
   Moreover, since the receiving position of the comb or of brush S is bounded by the same protective shell  26 , the user&#39;s hands do not contact the whips. 
   The protective shell  26  shown in  FIG. 11  is provided with a rear access door  27  and with a front access door  28 , shown in opened position. Doors  27  and  28  are urged in the closed position of protective shell  26 , as shown by the arrows, for example by torsion springs at the hinge points  29 ,  30 . 
   The front access door  28  exhibits a projection  31  which, in the illustrated opened position, co-operates with a safety switch  32 , connected to motor  6  through electrical connections, not shown. The illustrated safety switch  32  is of the push-button type, and it actuates motor  6  only when the front door  28  is held downwards, against the force of the torsion spring at hinge  30 . Thus, requiring the use of both hands, apparatus  1  is safe also against the actuation by children. 
   The invention thus devised can be subject to changes and variants, all falling within the inventive scope. All details can be replaced with other technically suitable elements, in practice, the materials used, provided that they are compatible with the specific use, and the size and the shapes that are contingent to the invention can be of any type according to the requirements. 
   For example, separate motors could be provided for actuating the fan  13  and the rotating shafts  8 , as well as different motion transmission systems. For example, two separate transmissions could be provided for the two rotating shafts  8 , and the transmissions can be implemented through gears, belts or rubber-top pulleys coupled through friction. 
   As regards the number of whips, it can be understood that several embodiments can be devised. In fact, while on the one hand a single rotating shaft with a single whip could suffice, on the other hand the single rotating shaft or each rotating shaft could be provided with more than two whips distributed along a circumference and/or with more axially spaced whips so as to act along the entire length of a brush without having to move it forwards and backwards. 
   As an alternative to the extractable drawer provided with filter, as hair collecting means it could be possible, for example, to use a collecting bag as those used in vacuum cleaners.