Air baffled hairbrush

An improved hairbrush suitable for use both in general brushing and in conjunction with an air dryer for blow drying and styling hair includes a rigid body having an elongated handle and an elongated brush block or base. The brush block has back and face portions and a body of bristles are mounted on and project from the face. The brush block has a pair of integrally formed air baffles extending one along each side edge portion thereof and projecting in outwardly diverging relation from the face of the block and in outwardly spaced relation to the brush bristles, with the brush block and baffles cooperating to form a concavity or channel for trapping and redirecting a stream of air directed into the hair from one side of the brush by a conventional blow dryer. The outwardly projecting wing-like baffles may also be employed as an aid in molding and shaping the coiffure.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
This invention relates to hair brushes and more particularly to an improved 
hair brush for use both in general brushing and with blow styling dryers 
for drying and styling the hair. 
DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART 
Hairbrushes of the type employed in styling hair normally include a rigid 
body having a generally elongated brush block or base and a handle portion 
projecting from one end of the brush block. Bristles arranged either 
individually or in tufts project from a face surface of the brush block, 
which surface may either be generally flat or curved. 
Blow dry brushes are also known in which the brush block is formed as an 
open lattice-type structure with the bristles arranged on spaced bars. 
Such blow dry brushes frequently are substantially arcuate in cross 
section, with the bristles and supporting bars being spaced apart a 
distance to permit air from a conventional blower type air dryer to pass 
through the bristles and brush block. One known prior art hairbrush is 
specially designed for use with a blow styling dryer as shown in U.S. Pat. 
No. 4,076,032 includes a body portion having a coaxial handle and 
cylindrical brush block. An axial bore extends through the cylindrical 
brush block, and arcuate slots formed in the surface communicate with the 
bore so that air can pass through the arcuate slots and into the central 
bore then longitudinally of the brush block to be discharged from an 
opening in the free end. 
The bristles used on blow dry brushes are normally relatively widely spaced 
and in use are employed to lift the hair to permit more rapid drying. The 
open structure of the brush block and of the body of bristle permits a 
substantial portion of the drying air to pass directly through the brush, 
however, so that the most efficient use of the blow dryer is not realized. 
Accordingly, it is the primary object of the present invention to provide 
an improved hairstyling and drying brush. 
Another object of the invention is to provide such a brush which enables 
more efficient utilization of drying air and consequently more rapid 
drying of the hair. 
Another object of the invention is to provide such a hairbrush which is 
very sturdy, rugged and durable, and which is easy and relatively 
inexpensive to manufacture. 
Another object is to provide such an improved hairbrush which is useful as 
a styling brush as well as a blow dry brush, and which facilitates drying 
and styling of the hair. 
In the attainment of the foregoing and other objects and advantages, an 
important feature of the invention resides in providing a styling brush 
including a rigid body having an elongated brush block portion with an 
elongated handle portion preferably projecting from one end of the brush 
block. The brush block has a back, a face, and side edges, with bristles 
mounted in and projecting outwardly from the face. A pair of thin, 
flange-like air vanes or baffles are formed at the junction of the face 
and side edges of the brush block and project outwardly and forwardly, 
i.e., in a diverging relation relative to one another and in outwardly 
spaced relation to the bristles. The baffles cooperate with the block face 
to define a concavity or trough substantially along the length of the 
brush block with the brush bristles being mounted in and projecting 
outwardly from the trough between the baffles. The baffles are dimensioned 
and shaped to trap a stream of air directed at one side of the brush from 
a styling blow dryer and to redirect the air through the hair and along 
the length of the brush block to provide maximum contact of the air with 
the hair being brushed. In preventing the air from quickly escaping 
through the brush block, as in the case of conventional blow dry brushes, 
and by redirecting it toward the hair, the present invention maximizes 
contact of the air with the hair and produces a more rapid drying without 
excessive heat. The outer surfaces of the baffles are preferably 
constructed so as to blend smoothly with the brush block. The 
configuration of the brush is such that it may be used in the conventional 
manner for general brushing, as a styling brush, or as a blow dry brush.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
Referring now to the drawings in detail an improved blow dry and styling 
brush embodying the present invention is designated generally by the 
reference numeral 10 and includes a rigid body 12 preferably integrally 
molded from a single mass of synthetic resin material and having an 
elongated brush block portion 14 and a handle portion 16. The handle 16 
may be of any desired configuration, but preferably is of noncircular 
cross section as best seen in FIG. 4 and is contoured to be easily grasped 
and manipulated by one hand in the conventional manner. 
The brush block portion 14 of body 12 is preferably oblong or generally 
rectangular in configuration when viewed from the back, or in plan view as 
shown in FIG. 1 In the embodiment illustrated, the brush block portion 14 
has a substantially planar back surface 18, a slightly convex face surface 
20, curved side edge surfaces 22 and 24 and an end edge surface 26. A 
plurality of brush bristles 28 are fixed in and project forward, or 
outwardly from the face surface 20. Bristles 28 may be secured to block 14 
individually or in tufts arranged in rows or other desired pattern for use 
in styling or as an air brush for drying. 
As most clearly seen in FIGS. 2, and 5, a pair of vane-like baffle members 
30, 32 are integrally formed along the edges of the brush block at the 
intersection of the face surface 20 and the side edge surfaces 22, 24, 
respectively, with the baffle members 30, 32 extending forwardly and in 
outwardly diverging relation along the length of the brush block in spaced 
relation to the body of brush bristles 28. 
Baffle members 30, 32 are relatively thin and may extend around and be 
joined at the end surface 26. The baffles cooperate with the face surface 
20 to define an elongated concavity or air trough with face surface 20 
forming the bottom of the trough and the bristles projecting outwardly 
from the trough between the baffles. At the other end of the brush block 
portion, the baffle members 30, 32 preferably merge smoothly into the 
handle 16 at the juncture of the handle and brush block. 
It should be apparent that the improved brush can be utilized for styling 
or general purpose brushing in the conventional manner. When used as a 
styling brush, the contoured, outwardly projecting vane-like baffle 
members 30, 32 can be conveniently used to shape and mold the coiffure. 
When used as a blow dry brush, the bristles 28 may be used to lift and 
brush the hair in the conventional manner as the brush is manipulated with 
one hand while a separate blow dryer held in the other hand directs a 
stream of air onto the hair from one side of the brush. When used in this 
manner, the brush is normally tilted to lift the hair so that the baffle 
member 30, 32 closest to the blow dryer will be lifted while the other air 
baffle will be closer to or pressed against the hair. This arrangement 
provides an air trap causing the air from the blower to be directed and 
redirected through the hair to provide maximum contact of the air with the 
hair. Thus, rather than permitting or actually facilitating the escape of 
air through the body of the brush block as in the known prior art blow dry 
brushes, the brush according to the present invention effectively traps 
the air and redirects it along the length of the brush block to achieve 
more rapid drying. 
When the brush is to be used as a blow dry brush, the bristles are 
preferably arranged in longitudinally extending rows with the bristles in 
adjacent rows diverging slightly to provide a generally fan-shaped pattern 
in cross section as shown in FIGS. 3-5. The maximum included angle "a" of 
the fan-shaped pattern is preferably about 120.degree. with the bristles 
in the outermost rows being spaced at least slightly from the outer or 
free edges of flanges 30, 32. In this configuration, surface 20 is 
preferably substantially arcuate in transverse cross section with bristles 
28 projecting substantially radially from the surface. 
Bristles 28 may be substantially uniform cross section throughout their 
length, but when the brush is intended for use as a blow dry brush, the 
ends of the bristles preferably have slightly enlarged ball shaped ends as 
illustrated, somewhat exaggerated, at 34. The use of ball shaped ends on 
brush bristles is known in the art and as such forms no part of the 
present invention. In an alternate embodiment single strand bristles such 
as depicted at 38 may be replaced with conventional bristling, i.e., a 
series of tufts each of which comprises a multiplicity of filament 
strands. 
When the brush of the present invention is intended for use both as a blow 
dry brush and as a styling or general use brush, it may be desired to 
employ an increased bristle density and/or a less fan-shaped or more 
nearly trapezoidal cross sectional pattern of the bristle body. Also, the 
surface 20 may have less curvature or even be substantially planar. Thus, 
while a preferred embodiment of the invention has been disclosed and 
described, it should be apparent that the invention is not so limited but 
rather that it is intended to include all embodiments which would be 
apparent to one skilled in the art and which come within the spirit and 
scope of the invention.