Abstract:
The sanitized brush, with skin powder, is retained in a sanitization system. The neck brush handle has a powder chamber, a bristle face with outwardly extending bristles and a powder input port. A portion of the powder chamber wall is flexible and a movable actuator depresses the flex-wall, compresses the size of the chamber and forces powder from an exit port on the bristle face. The sanitization system includes a brush stand holding the brush above a UV lamp. A sensor determines when the brush is on the stand and a timer is triggered ON controlling the lamp and counts down OFF. Additional features include: a base supporting the stand above the UV lamp; a rechargeable battery; an on-hook brush sensor (mechanical or optical); and a removable cover with a transparent segment to visually confirm lamp ON condition.

Description:
The present invention relates to a sanitization system combined with a neck brush wherein the brush contains skin powder customarily brushed on a salon patron. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Neck brushes have been used to clean cut hair from a salon patron&#39;s neck for centuries. These simple brushes are sometimes dipped into skin powder which soothes the patron&#39;s neck. More recently, brushes were developed to hold the powder and dispense the powder. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 2,966,176 to Bradley discloses improvements in a brush holder and powder applicator for a barber&#39;s duster brush. Powder container D is squeezed and powder is delivered to brush bristles. A “germicidal lamp H” sanitizes the powder. U.S. Pat. No. 1,757,650 to Arico discloses a brush with a powder containing chamber at one end. The brush has an independent brush head to be used upon each customer when it is desired to remove the cut hairs from the face, head or neck, under such conditions providing for sanitation. U.S. Pat. No. 2,657,410 to Stroup discloses a neck duster especially useful in barber and beautician shops. The neck duster has a disposable container for antiseptic powder and the container has a perforated top to permit passage of the powder to the bristles of a brush head. The container and the brush head are detachably secured together by means of a handle. U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2006/0175554 to Riddell discloses a germicidal brush cleaner that uses a germicidal UV light (para. 024) to disinfect the individual bristles on a plurality of toothbrushes and a hairbrush. Each toothbrush and hairbrush includes bristles made of optical fibers capable of transmitting ultraviolet light. There is also a special method of attachment of the toothbrush inside the cleaner that secures the toothbrushes in a set position in the holder. The germicidal light source may be a germicidal fluorescent ultraviolet lamp. The light rays from the germicidal light source are directed at the opposite ends of the bristle at the critical angle, or slightly greater than the critical angle, in order to attain total internal reflection of the light down the bristles of the toothbrushes. 
     The other references showing neck brushes are: U.S. Pat. No. 2,592,020 to Farone discloses disposable sanitary-type neck dusters. U.S. Pat. No. 1,714,508 to Keele discloses a sanitary brush. U.S. Pat. No. 2,825,080 to Bongiovanni discloses a combination neck brush and powder dispenser for use by a barber. U.S. Pat. No. 2,129,777 to McGrath discloses a system, used in connection with barbers&#39; duster brushes, wherein the bristles of the brush may be sterilized each time the brush is used. U.S. Pat. No. 2,582,992 to Hergert discloses a brush or duster for use in barber shops. 
     However, current health code regulations require that most, if not all, barbershop and salon utensils, which touch a patron&#39;s hair or neck, be sterilized before and between each use. The utensil should be sterile for each use. Therefore, many of the prior art neck brushes, with and without powder dispensers, do not have a sanitization system. Further, many health code regulations require that the government inspector visually see, during a quick inspection of the salon, that the sanitization process is being properly applied to all beauty salon and barbershop utensils. 
     OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION 
     It is an object of the present invention to provide a sanitization system and a neck brush wherein the brush contains skin powder to be used on a salon patron. 
     It is an additional object of the present invention to have a sanitization system wherein ultraviolet light (“UV”) is directed to the brush bristles and any retained skin powder held by the brush bristles. 
     It is another object of the present invention to provide a system wherein the sanitization process by the ultraviolet UV lamp can be confirmed without opening the canister. 
     It is a further object of the present invention to provide a canister which holds the sanitized brush and brush skin powder. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The sanitized brush, with skin powder, is retained in a sanitization system. The neck brush has a brush handle, a bristle face and a plurality of bristles extending outward from said bristle face. The brush handle is a two-piece element (in the preferred embodiment) and the handle defines an interior chamber which holds skin powder therein. The powder is adapted to be applied to a neck of a salon patron by an operator who brushes cut hair form the neck of the patron during a hair styling operation. The brush handle has a powder loading port therein to permit access to the interior chamber such that said skin powder can be delivered into said chamber. A portion of the chamber wall of the interior chamber is flexible. A movable actuator disposed in the handle has an operator surface and an actuator end on the flexible chamber wall. When the actuator is depressed by the operator, the wall moves inward which compresses the size of the chamber. The bristle brush face defines a powder exit port and this port adjoins an exit passage extending from the bristle face to the chamber such that upon actuation of the operator surface and resultant movement of the flexible chamber wall, the chamber compresses resulting in the ejection of skin powder from the chamber through the exit passage and the exit port into the plurality of bristles extending outward from the bristle face. The sanitization system also includes a brush stand to support the neck brush about the brush handle and a sensor system to determine when the neck brush is disposed on the brush stand. The sensory system is an on-the-hook mechanical or optical system (when the brush is on the stand hook arm). An ultraviolet UV sanitizing lamp is directed at the plurality of bristles and any retained powder captured therein. A timer, electrically coupled between a power source and the lamp, is triggered ON by the sensor system and supplies power to the lamp for a predetermined period of time, and thereafter disconnects the power from the lamp when the timer counts down and turns OFF. 
     Additional features of the sanitizing neck brush system include: (a) a base supporting the brush stand (the stand extending upwards from the base), wherein the stand retains brush bristles vertically above the UV lamp; (b) a battery and a recharger unit; (c) the sensor system configured as a mechanical switch on or in or connected to a movable stand, or an optical sensor controlled switch; and (d) a cover removably mounted atop the base to cover the brush on the stand wherein the cover has a transparent wall segment to visually confirm a lamp ON condition. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       Further objects and advantages of the present invention can be found in the detailed description of the preferred embodiments which follow when reviewed in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which: 
         FIG. 1  diagrammatically illustrates the sanitization system and neck brush which contains skin powder therein; 
         FIG. 2  diagrammatically illustrates a simple electronics diagram for the system; 
         FIGS. 3A and 3B  diagrammatically illustrate sensor systems to determine when the brush is resting on the brush stand in the sanitization case. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     The present invention relates to a sanitization system for a neck brush wherein the brush contains skin powder to be used on the neck of a salon patron. Similar numerals designate similar items throughout the drawings. 
       FIG. 1  diagrammatically illustrates sanitization system  10  which generally encases and retains neck brush  20 . Brush  20  contains skin powder  70 . The sanitization system or unit  10 , in the preferred embodiment, includes a removable upper cover  12  and a base  14 . Cover  12  may be entirely transparent but if not entirely clear, at least an area designated as window  16  should be transparent. Window  16  (or the entire cover if the entire cover is transparent) must be somewhat near light emitting port  9  on top, flat surface  7  of base  14 . Light emitting port  9  emits ultraviolet or UV light  11  shown by arrows  11  emitting from light port  9 . Therefore, the UV light  11  is generally visible through transparent window  16  (or the entire cover  12  if the cover is clear or transparent). Cover  12  has an edge fitting or complementary notch or step  15  which matches notch or step  17  in base  14 . In this manner, when cover  12  is placed on base  14 , a relatively sanitized area is established in the inside of the cover and atop the base as a sanitization system. As an additional feature, notch  15 ,  17  may include an O ring to enhance the sanitization and sanitary nature of the interior space of the entire system. 
     Inside base  14  is a UV light or lamp diagrammatically shown as UV light system  19 , and a power conversion and control system  6 . A manual ON/OFF switch  3  can be utilized to turn ON and OFF UV lamp  19  as shown by double headed arrow  2 . The electrical power control system  6  for UV lamp  19  is supplied line power generally by an AC cord  1  leading to an AC power source. As explained later, electrical system  6  may include a battery which is rechargeable by the AC power source. 
     In the illustrated embodiment, brush  20  is a two part brush wherein the top brush handle  22  is threadably attached via threads or other snap-on or other locking mechanism  24  to lower brush body  26 . In the illustrated embodiment, a chamber  28  is defined by the lower brush body  26 . In a different embodiment, chamber  28  is located in upper handle body  22  and only exit passage  30  extends through lower handle body  26 . As shown in  FIG. 1 , chamber  28  has at its bottom segment, a frustoconical narrowing segment  32  leading to exit passage  30 . An exit port  34  is defined on brush bristle face  36 . A plurality of bristles  40  extend outwardly from bristle face  36 . When on the stand bristle face  36  is parallel to UV lamp lens  9  to assure UV light distribution over all the bristles. 
     In the illustrated embodiment, the upper handle body  22  has a flexible chamber wall  50 . Chamber wall  50  moves inward toward chamber region  28  as shown by double headed arrow  52 . The flexible chamber wall  50  compresses chamber  28  based upon movement of actuator  60 . Actuator  60  is movably disposed in upper handle segment  22 . The actuator moves up and down. Actuator  60  has an operator interface  62  and moves up and down as shown by double headed arrow  64 . When the operator depresses surface  62 , actuator  60  is depressed thereby moving flexible wall  50  to a position shown by dashed line  51 . When the flexible wall  50  is moved downward by actuator  60 , the volume or space in chamber  28  is compressed or reduced thereby forcing skin powder  70  retained within chamber  28  to be ejected or forced through exit passage  30  and out exit port  34  and into the plurality of bristles  40 . Flexible wall  50  is biased to force actuator  60  upward after the depression operation. If the chamber compression and release is too forceful, powder may not be adequately ejected. A one-way valve, which permits air to be drawn into chamber  28  during the upward return of actuator  60 , may be incorporated into brush  20 . The valve relieves the “return vacuum” caused by retraction. 
     When the UV light  11  is turned ON by the electrical system  6 , UV rays illuminate the plurality of bristles  40  and any retained skin powder held by the bristles. Powder  70  in chamber  28  is maintained in a sterile condition since the powder is sterile when it is placed in the container. The powder is placed in container or chamber  28  by the user threadably removing upper handle  22  from lower handle  26  via threads  24 . A snap or an O ring lock may be use rather than threads  24 . In any event, the user places sterile powder in chamber  28  and then seals the upper handle unit  22  to the lower unit handle  26 . Therefore, the powder in chamber  28  is maintained in sterile condition and the sterile condition is maintained until the powder is ejected into bristles  40 . During use, the salon operator, barber or beautician opens cover  10  by vertically moving the cover upwards from base  14  thereby exposing brush  20  and bristles  40 . The operator then removes the brush from brush stand  80  and brushes the salon patron&#39;s neck depositing powder on the skin of the patron. The user then replaces brush  20  on a brush stand  80 . The brush stand  80  is attached to the base  14  as discussed later in connection with  FIG. 3A . As discussed later, when brush  20  is placed on stand  80 , lamp  19  is activated and UV rays  11  illuminate bristles  40  and any retained powder in the bristles thereby sanitizing the brush  20 , bristles  40  any retained powder in bristle  40  and generally the entire inside of the container. It is preferred that the operator replace cover  10  onto base  14  thereby permitting UV light  11  to sterilize the entire interior of the container. 
     When health officials or other governmental agency members visit the salon or barber shop, those officials can easily see that the UV lamp is turned ON thereby sterilizing the entire neck brush and any exposed powder. 
       FIG. 2  diagrammatically illustrates one basic electrical system for powering UV lamp  19 . AC power is supplied on line  1   a  to a charger unit  90 . Charger unit  90  converts the AC power to DC power and applies the same to line  1   b . A coupling  92  permits the user to plug and unplug charger  90  from base  14  and electrical system  6 . The coupler may be on a surface of base  14 . Electrical unit  6  includes, in a preferred embodiment, a rechargeable battery  94  and a switch  96  activating timer  98  which supplies power to UV lamp  19 . Of course, the electrical system may be more complex since timer  98  could be a digital timer that turns ON and OFF a power switch (not shown) directly coupling battering  94  to UV lamp  19 . Further, the power supply to UV lamp  19  may need conditioning to increase or decrease voltage or applied to the current. Persons of ordinary skills in the art would know how to provide such conditioned power to lamp  19  as well as how to turn ON or OFF lamp  19  based upon the output of timer  98 . Switch  96  is controlled either manually by ON/OFF switch  3  (a slide switch shown in  FIG. 1 ) or other types of manual switches (other than a slide switch). More importantly, switch  96  is controlled by a brush support sensor  97  that will be discussed later in connection with  FIGS. 3A and 3B . If manual switch  3  is in the OFF position, when brush support sensor  97  is activated by the brush mounted on stand  80 , switch  96  is closed thereby feeding power from battery  94  through the timer  98  to UV lamp  19 . Timer  98  is utilized to keep the lamp  19  ON for a certain period of time (a predetermined period of time) and then automatically turned OFF. This time may be set by a health code regulation or may be subject to a manual override or some type of multiple time on period adjustment. In other words, adjuster  99  may be a multi-position switch turning ON the timer for 1 hour, 2 hours, or 3 hours (a three position switch). The manual override could be used to turn OFF the timer such that as long as the brush is on handle  80  ( FIG. 1  and  FIGS. 3A and 3B ), the UV lamp is ON (an always ON automatic control). In this different control system, the salon operator would turn ON or OFF the UV lamp by manual switch  3 . In this manner, the system can be adjusted depending upon the health code regulations for particular salons. Some health codes would require the UV lamp to be ON during all normal business hours (manual switch ON, timer disconnected or “always on”) whereas other health codes may require the UV lamp to be ON only for a certain predetermined periods of time such as 1 hour, 2 hours etc. The present system provides a sanitization unit for multiple jurisdictions having different health regulations. 
     In addition, the AC power source in charger  90  may be eliminated. In other words, the system may be powered simply by a battery  94  that is periodically replaced by the salon operator. An electrical unit to convert the AC power will be required. Since the cover  12  has a view port  16 , the salon operator can easily determine when the UV lamp is permanently OFF indicating that battery  94  has been fully depleted of power and needs replacement. 
       FIG. 3A  shows that brush stand  80  has a horseshoe or U-shaped configuration which partly wraps around the lower region of brush segment  26 . Returning to  FIG. 1 , brush region  26  has a lower lip  27  that is complementary to brush stand arm  80 . Returning to  FIG. 3A , brush stand  80  moves vertically up and down on base  14  as shown by double headed arrow  81 . In the lower position  80   a , stand  80  and particularly stand post  83  activates switch  96  thereby turning ON the timer  98  and ultimately UV lamp  19 . The post is biased upward such that when the brush is not on the stand, the post moves slightly upward turning OFF the UV lamp. If the brush is removed while timer  98  is still in the countdown ON timing session, the power to the UV lamp remains ON. Returning the brush to stand  80  may reset timer  98  such that the timer  98  keeps UV lamp  19  ON for a predetermined time. The predetermined time is set to be equal and to exceed the time required by the health code regulations. 
       FIG. 3B  shows that brush stand  80  has a sensor  110  proximate the brush  20 . Sensor  110  could be a mechanical switch that is directly activated and actuated by brush handle segment  26  (when the brush is on the stand) or sensor  110  may be an optical sensor which detects the difference in light when the brush  20  is on stand  80  as compared as when the brush is off the stand  80 . The output from sensor  110  is fed to switch  96 . 
     The claims appended hereto are meant to cover modifications and changes within the scope and spirit of the present invention