Brush element for hair care

The invention is directed to a brush element (10) for hair care, in particular for a heat-emitting and/or air-moving hair care appliance, comprising a body (12) and a plurality of bristles (14 to 25) arranged on the body (12) at an angle of inclination (a) to a surface normal (38) of the brush element (10). The angle of inclination of the bristles (14 to 25) to the surface normal (38) is between 15.degree. and 75.degree., and the bristles (14 to 25) are arranged in a row (26, 28, 30, 32, 34, 36) extending in the direction of a brush element longitudinal axis (13), with adjacent bristles (14, 15, 16, 17; 18, 19, 20, 21; 22, 23, 24, 25) of a row (26, 28, 30, 32, 34, 36) forming V-shaped bristle pairs (37).

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
This invention relates to a brush element for hair care, in particular for 
a heat-emitting and/or air-moving hair care appliance, comprising a body 
and a plurality of bristles arranged on the body at an angle of 
inclination to a surface normal of the brush element. 
PRIOR ART 
A brush element for hair care of this type is already known from 
applicant's printed specification EP 0 103 205 A1. In this specification, 
the bristles are arranged on several parallel rib members at varying 
angles of inclination to a surface normal. Two bristles combine to form an 
integral part located at the root of the bristles, causing a slight offset 
of the two bristles resulting in a somewhat slanting position. This brush 
element is intended to find useful application in combing hair, the slight 
slanting position of the bristles being intended to improve guiding of the 
hair, while the offset of the bristles is to enable a greater amount of 
hair to be picked up. 
Printed specification DE 25 08 951 A1 discloses a brush element for a 
hot-air hair care and hair styling appliance comprising comb teeth or 
bristles protruding from the body at an angle of inclination to the 
surface normal of the body. Blasts of hot air discharged through nozzles 
in the body are directed to the bristles at right angles or at an angle 
deviating from the angle of inclination of the bristles, in order to 
provide for improved drying of the hair, in particular the lower hair 
layers. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
By contrast, it is an object of the present invention to improve upon a 
brush element incorporating the features initially referred to in such a 
manner that hair of any density, thickness, form and length can be 
subjected to an increased pulling action as it is combed, and that the 
hair pick-up action can be improved. This object is essentially 
accomplished in that the angle of inclination of the bristles to the 
surface normal is between 15.degree. and 75.degree., and that the bristles 
are arranged in a row extending in the direction of a brush element 
longitudinal axis, with adjacent bristles of a row forming V-shaped 
bristle pairs. This bristle arrangement enables the hair to be grasped 
effectively and to be guided in the direction of the body, that is, 
towards the root of the bristles, whereby a pulling action is exerted on 
the hair resulting particularly in an effective smoothing of the hair. Due 
to the hair being directed down to the root of the bristles, a good heat 
transfer to the hair is accomplished in cases where heat-emitting hair 
care appliances are used, while in air-moving hair care appliances an 
undesired upsetting of the hair by the air stream is avoided. By giving 
the brush element a turning or tilting motion, the picked up hair can be 
lifted for thorough drying in the region of the scalp, in addition to 
building in volume. The inclination of the bristles preferably made from a 
flexible material provides a spring effect conveying a pleasant feeling to 
the user's scalp during combing and effecting a massage beneficial to the 
circulation of blood in the scalp. 
Advantageously, several rows of bristles are arranged on the body, enabling 
a larger section of hair to be picked up as a result of which the time the 
user spends on hair care can be reduced, improving at the same time the 
massage effect. 
By combining at least two rows to form a pair of rows and by arranging 
adjacent bristles of a pair of rows in relative parallel orientation, hair 
is received readily in the space between the bristles, and the guiding of 
individual strands of hair to the bristle root is improved. 
In an advantageous further feature of the present invention, the bristles 
of a pair of rows are arranged on the body so their forward ends are 
oriented towards and away from each other alternately. As a result of this 
arrangement, the bristles oriented towards each other cause the hair to be 
directed towards the root of the bristles as it is combed, drawing it over 
the body between the bristles, whereby a smoothing effect occurs. 
Advantageously, the bristles of a pair of rows are in parallel arrangement 
on the body along a line on the body extending normal to the brush element 
longitudinal axis. As a result, the strands of hair are directed in a 
straight-line motion towards and over the root of the bristles, the hair 
being smoothed as a pull is exerted. 
In a still further feature of the present invention, the bristles of a pair 
of rows are arranged in an offset orientation to each other. As a result, 
the hair is guided between and along the bristles in wave shape, enabling 
the pulling action of the bristles upon the hair to be augmented. 
By spacing the rows of a pair of rows at such a relative distance that, in 
a projection onto a plane constructed normal to the brush surface, the 
bristles intersect in a region, an extremely advantageous arrangement 
results, favorably affecting the guiding of hair towards the bristle root 
as well as the pick-up of hair by the brush element. 
In an advantageous further feature of the present invention, the bristles 
of adjacent pairs of rows are arranged on the body so as to be inclined in 
opposite direction relative to the surface normal. This opposed 
inclination of adjacent pairs of rows makes it possible to control the 
pulling action to the effect that the pull exerted on, for example, very 
thick or very curly hair can be reduced, enabling the hair to be smoothed 
in a preliminary operation. 
Because the pairs of rows are arranged on strips attached to the body by a 
wedging or welding operation, a secure location of the strips affording 
ease of manufacture is made possible. 
Advantageously, the bristles of each row are configured as an integrally 
formed bristle strip. This is beneficial from the manufacturing point of 
view, enabling the bristle strips to be fabricated as injection-molded 
parts fitted to the body as a unit. 
In a particularly advantageous feature of the present invention, the body 
is of a concave configuration, resulting in an increase in the number of 
bristles penetrating the hair at a time and enabling the pulling action to 
be augmented still further because of the denser interengagement of the 
bristles of individual pairs of rows. This enhanced pulling action 
provides at the same time an improved hair smoothing effect. 
By providing apertures in the body for receiving the bristles, with 
adjacent apertures of a row being at approximately right angles to each 
other, it is possible to securely locate the bristles in the body, and a 
uniform V-shaped arrangement of adjacent bristles of all rows and pairs of 
rows of the brush element is aided. 
Further objects, features, advantages and application possibilities of the 
present invention will become apparent from the subsequent description of 
embodiments. It will be understood that all features described and/or 
represented by illustration, whether taken alone or in any desired 
combination, constitute the subject-matter of the present invention, 
irrespective of their summarization in the claims or their back-references 
.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
FIG. 1 shows a first embodiment of a brush element 10. Bristles 14 to 25 
are arranged on the body 12 in rows 26, 28, 30, 32, 34, 36, two rows 26, 
28; 30, 32 and 34, 36 combining to form respective pairs of rows 40, 42, 
44. The pairs of rows 40, 42 and 44 are disposed in strips 50, which may 
be exchanged if necessary, or which are secured to the body 12 by a 
wedging or welding operation. The adjacent bristles 14, 16; 15, 17; 18, 
20; 19, 21; 22, 24; 23, 25 of adjacent rows 26, 28; 30, 32; 34, 36 are in 
parallel orientation to each other, with the rows 26, 28, 30, 32 and 34, 
36 being arranged in offset relation 39 to each other in respect of a 
brush element longitudinal axis 13. In a second construction variant shown 
in FIG. 2A of the first embodiment, the adjacent bristles 14, 16; 15, 17; 
18, 20; 19, 21; 22, 24; 23, 25 of adjacent rows 26, 28; 30, 32; 34, 36 are 
arranged in the body 12 in parallel orientation to each other as well as 
in parallel arrangement along a line extending normal to the brush element 
longitudinal axis 13. In this embodiment, the body 12 may be of a plane or 
convex configuration. Two bristles each 14, 15; 16, 17; 18, 19; 20, 21; 
22, 23; 24, 25 of a row 26, 28, 30, 32, 34, 36 combine to form a V-shaped 
pair of bristles 37. During combing of the hair, hair enters the space 
between the bristles 14 to 25 of rows 26, 28, 30, 32, 34, 36 in strands 
which are then directed to the root of the bristles, that is, to the body 
12, and drawn over the body surface, the bristle arrangement producing a 
pulling action on the hair, smoothing it. By applying pressure to the 
scalp, the pulling action on the hair can be further augmented. Equally, 
the user may exert a greater or lesser pull on the hair by combing in the 
direction of, or in opposition to, the bristle orientation. By tilting or 
turning the brush element 10 when attached to or on a heat-emitting (see 
FIG. 8) and/or air-moving (see FIG. 9) hair care appliance, the hair is 
lifted and dried at the root, giving the hair more body and fullness. 
A sectional view of a brush element 10 as shown in FIG. 2 illustrates the 
special arrangement of the bristles 14 to 25 in the body 12. The bristles 
14 to 17, 18 to 21, and 22 to 25 of adjacent rows 26, 28; 30, 32; 34, 36 
form respective pairs of rows 40, 42, 44, with the bristles 14, 16; 15, 
17; 18, 20; 19, 21; 22, 24; 23, 25 being arranged parallel to each other. 
As illustrated in FIG. 2A and FIG. 2, the adjacent bristles 14, 15; 16, 
17; 18, 19; 20, 21; 22, 23; 24, 25 of each row 26, 28, 30, 32, 34, 36 
alternately extend to the left and right, thereby forming a V-shaped pair 
of bristles 37. In this arrangement, the bristle pairs 37 formed by the 
respective bristles 14, 15; 16, 17; 18, 19; 20, 21; 22, 23; 24, 25 enclose 
an approximately right angle. The relative distance of the rows 26, 28, 
30, 32, 34, 36 is selected such that the bristles 15, 16; 19, 20; 23, 24 
intersect in a region 52. Each pair of rows 40, 42, 44 is disposed in a 
strip 50. The bristles 14, 16; 15, 17; 18, 20; 19, 21; 22, 24; 23, 25 of 
all pairs of rows 40, 42, 44 may be arranged parallel to each other, with 
their forward ends 46 extending in the same direction as illustrated in 
FIG. 2A or, as illustrated in FIG. 2B, they may have their forward ends 46 
extend alternately towards and away from each other for each pair of rows 
40, 42, 44. The body 12 is convex, that is, outwardly domed. In a further 
embodiment as shown in FIG. 7, the body may equally well be concave, that 
is, inwardly domed, the bristles 14 to 25 of the pairs of rows 40, 42, 44 
then interengaging more densely, thereby exerting an increased pulling 
action on the hair. 
In FIG. 3, the bristles 14 to 17, 18 to 21, and 22 to 25 of adjacent pairs 
of rows 40, 42, 44, respectively are arranged on the body 12 of the brush 
element 10 so as to be inclined at an angle of inclination "a" in relative 
opposite directions to a surface normal 38 shown by example in FIG. 4. The 
adjacent bristles 14, 16; 15, 17; 18, 20; 19, 21; 22, 24; 23, 25 of 
adjacent rows 26, 28; 30, 32; 34, 36, respectively are maintained in 
parallel orientation to each other, in addition to being arranged in 
offset relation 39 to each other in respect of the brush element 
longitudinal axis 13, with the bristles 15, 16; 19, 20; 23, 24 
intersecting in a region 52. In a second construction variant of the 
embodiment shown in FIG. 3, the adjacent bristles 14, 16; 15, 17; 18, 20; 
19, 21; 22, 24; 23, 25 of adjacent rows 26, 28; 30, 32; 34, 36 may be 
arranged in the body 12 parallel to each other as well as along a line 
extending normal to the brush element longitudinal axis 13. 
FIG. 4 shows the bristles 14, 15 of row 26 as an integrally formed bristle 
strip 54. In this configuration, the arrangement of the bristles 14 to 25 
on the respective bristle strips 54 as, for example, the angle of 
inclination "a" to the surface normal 38, as well as the arrangement of 
adjacent strips 54 are analogous to the embodiments described in the 
foregoing. The bristle strips 54 are preferably injection-molded parts 
which are assembled with the body 12 as a unit either singly or in pairs 
in the desired quantity. The bristle strips 54 are secured to the body by 
a wedging or welding operation. 
FIG. 5 shows one of the bristle strips 54 with a V-shaped pair of bristles 
37 comprised of the bristles 14 and 15. In this arrangement, the bristles 
14, 15 enclose an approximately right angle which is, however, variable 
depending on the embodiment of the brush element 10. 
According to FIG. 6, the body 12 of a brush element 10 includes a plurality 
of apertures 56 for receiving the bristles 14 to 25. In this 
configuration, the apertures 56 are arranged such that adjacent apertures 
56 of a row 26, 28, 30, 32, 34, 36 are at approximately right angles to 
each other. The apertures 56 of adjacent rows 26, 28; 30, 32; 34, 36 are 
parallel to each other and arranged in the body 12 along a line extending 
normal to the brush element longitudinal axis 13. In the embodiment of 
FIG. 1, the apertures 56 of adjacent rows 26, 28; 30, 32; 34, 36 are 
arranged in offset relation 39 to each other in respect of the brush 
element longitudinal axis 13.