Patent Publication Number: US-2011048439-A1

Title: Adjustable Comb

Description:
RELATED APPLICATION 
     This application is a non-provisional application claiming priority on U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 61/239,208 filed Sep. 2, 2009, which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND 
     A typical known comb includes a single, static body defining a handle and a plurality of teeth projecting from the handle. The teeth may be rigid and formed integrally with the handle. Since the comb and its teeth are typically rigid, each comb thus has a predetermined fineness, or spacing between its teeth. A person may own several combs in order to have access to combs having different finenesses. 
     SUMMARY 
     An adjustable comb as described herein can be adjusted to vary its characteristics, such as the fineness of its teeth and a layering effect provided by its teeth. As a result, one adjustable comb can be a substitute for two or more known combs. An example of an adjustable comb includes a first comb portion having a first body and a plurality of first teeth projecting from the first body in a common direction, as well as a second comb portion having a second body and a plurality of second teeth projecting from the second body in the common direction. The second comb is selectively connectable to the first comb in a first position and in a second position spaced from the first position, and the first and second teeth are aligned when the comb is in the first position and are not aligned when the second comb is in the second position. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The description herein makes reference to the accompanying drawings wherein like reference numerals refer to like parts throughout the several views, and wherein: 
         FIG. 1  is an exploded perspective view of a first example of an adjustable comb including three comb portions; 
         FIG. 2  is a simplified cross-section of the adjustable comb of  FIG. 1  taken along line B-B; 
         FIG. 3  is a simplified cross-section of the adjustable comb of  FIG. 1  taken along line A-A with the one of the comb portions in a different position from shown in  FIG. 2 ; 
         FIG. 4  is a cross-section of another example of an adjustable comb including just two comb portions; 
         FIG. 5  is an exploded perspective view of another example of an adjustable comb; 
         FIG. 6  is an exploded perspective view of yet another example of an adjustable comb; 
         FIG. 7  is a side view of the adjustable comb of  FIG. 6 ; and 
         FIG. 8  is a cross-section view along long A-A shown in  FIG. 7 . 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     An example of an adjustable comb  10  is shown in  FIG. 1 . The comb  10  includes three comb portions  12 ,  14  and  16 , although in other examples only two comb portions (e.g., portions  12  and  14 ) or more than three portions can be included. Comb portions  12 ,  14  and  16  can be connected to one another in different positions as is explained below in greater detail to form the comb  10 . 
     Comb portion  12  includes a body  12   a  and a plurality of teeth  12   b , which can be integrally formed with the body  12   a  by, as an example, forming the comb portion from molded plastic. The body  12   a  can define a handle  12   c  that is shaped and sized to be held by the hand of a typical user. The body  12   a  can additionally include a flared portion  12   d , and the plurality of teeth  12   b  can project from the flared portion  12   d . The teeth  12   b  can be parallel with one another and can extend in a common direction, and the spacing between the teeth  12   b  can be constant. A face  12   e  of the body  12   a  can include a pair of protuberances  12   f  that project generally orthogonally from the face  12   e . Each protuberance  12   f  can include small diameter portion  12   g  adjacent the face  12   e  and a bulbous distal end  12   h.    
     Comb portion  16  can be identical to comb portion  12 . For example, comb portion  16  can include a body  16   a  and a plurality of teeth integrally formed with and extending from the body  16   a . The body  16   a  can define a handle  16   c  shaped and sized to be held by the hand of a typical user, and the handle  16   c  can have the same shape and size as handle  16   c . Comb portion  16  can also include a flared portion  16   d , and the teeth  16   b  can extend in a common direction from flared portion  16   d . The comb portion  16  can include a face  16   e  and protuberances  16   f  extending from the face  16   e  and including small diameter portions  16   g  and bulbous distal ends  16   h . However, it is also contemplated that the comb portions  12  and  16  may have a different structure. For example, the teeth  16   b  of comb portion  16  can be spaced differently than the teeth  12   a  of comb portion  12 , or teeth  16   b  can have a different length than teeth  12   a.    
     Comb portion  14  can include a body  14   a  and a plurality of teeth  14   b . The body  14   a  can include a handle  14   c , which can have the same shape as handles  12   c  and  16   c . The body  14   a  can include a flared portion  14   d , and the teeth  14   b  can extend in a common direction from the flared portion  14   d . The spacing between the teeth  14   b  can be different from or the same as the spacing between teeth  12   b  and/or  16   b . Alternatively, the comb portion  14  need not include teeth  14   b . The body  14   a  can define a pair of opposing facing surfaces  14   e  and  14   f . Each face  14   e  and  14   f  can define a track  14   g.    
     Each track  14   g  can receive the protuberances  12   f  or  16   f  of one of the comb portions  12  and  16  and allow for positioning that comb portion  12  or  16  at multiple positions relative to the comb portion  14 . The track  14   g  can be recessed into its face  14   e  or  14   f  by at least a dept sufficient to receive the protuberances  12   f  and  16   f . The track  14   g  can have a plurality of branches  14   h . The track  14   g  can include two or more expanded portions  14   i  that have a radius large enough to accept the bulbous distal ends  12   h  and  16  of the protuberances  12   f  and  16   f  A width of the track  14   g  adjacent the face  14   e  or  14   f  can be wider than the small diameter portions  12   g  and  16   g  of each protuberance  12   f  and  16   f , but narrower than the bulbous distal ends  12   h  and  16   h  of the protuberances  12   f  and  16   f . The width of the track  14   g  can be wider below the faces  14   e  and  14   f  such that when the bulbous ends  12   h  and  16   h  are inserted into the expanded portions  14   i  of the track  14   g , the comb portions  12  and  16  can be moved such that the protuberances  12   f  and  16   f  move can along the track  14   g  and such that the comb portions  12  and  16  are held close to the comb portion  14  as a result of the bulbous ends  12   h  and  16   h  being wider than the track  14   g . The bulbous ends  12   h  and  16   h  can thus prevent movement of the comb portions  12  and  16  in directions orthogonal to the faces  14   e  and  14   f  once the protuberances  12   f  and  16   f  are moved in the track  14   g  from the expended portions  14   i . The track  14   g  can additionally include detents  14   j  near ends of each branch  14   h . The detents  14   j  can reduce the width of the track  14   g  to an amount slightly less than the diameter of the small diameter portions  12   g  and  16   g  of the protuberances  12   f  and  16   f . Thus, the detents  14   j  can provide a “snap-fit” to maintain the protuberances  12   f  and  16   f  near the ends of the branches  14   h  once the protuberances  12   f  and  16   f  are urged past the detents  14   j.    
     In operation, a user can connect each of the comb portions  12  and  16  to the comb portion  14  by inserting the protuberances  12   f  and  16   f  into the expanded portions  14   i  of the track  14   g  and then moving the comb portions  12  and  16  such that the protuberances  12   f  and  16   f  are snap-fit past the detents  14   j  and held in position at the ends of branches  14   h . The user can select which branches  14   h  to engage the protuberances  12   f  and  16   f  with. Depending on which branches  14   h  the user selects, the teeth  12   b ,  14   b  and  16   b  can be aligned with one another—either in the X or Y direction shown in FIG.  1 —or out of alignment. Additionally, the alignment of the teeth  12   b ,  14   b  and  16   b  can change the properties of the comb  10 . For example, the comb  10  can be finer if the teeth  12   b ,  14   b  and  16   b  are misaligned in the X direction than if the teeth  12   b ,  14   b  and  16   b  are aligned in the X direction. As another example, the comb  10  can provide different “layers” of teeth if the comb portions  12 ,  14  and  16  are not all aligned in the Y direction. The user thus adjusts the comb portions  12  and  16  relative to the comb portion  14  using engagement between the protuberances  12   f  and  16   f  and track  14   g  in order to select the desired characteristics of the comb  10 . 
       FIG. 2  shows an example in which comb portion  12  is positioned out of alignment along the X direction with comb portions  14  and  16  and comb portion  16  is positioned out of alignment along the Y direction with comb portions  12  and  14 .  FIG. 3  shows an example in which both comb portions  12  and  16  are positions out of alignment in the Y direction with the comb portion  14 . In other examples, the protuberances and tracks can have different configurations, or different types of connections between the comb portions can be used. 
       FIG. 4  shows another example including only two comb portions  12 ′ and  14 ′ that can be connected to one another in different positions. This example can utilize the same protuberance and track configuration as the example shown in  FIG. 1 , although different connectors can alternatively be used. 
       FIG. 5  shows another example of an adjustable comb  100 . Here, a receiving body  110  defines pair of slots  112  and  114 , each including a track  116 . Comb portions  118  and  120  each have teeth  122  and a body  124  that includes protuberances  126  for engagement with one of the tracks  116 . While the protuberances  126  and tracks  116  are not shown in great detail, they can have the same configuration of the protuberances  12   f  and  16   f  and the tracks  14   g , for example. Thus, the receiving body  110  can receive the comb portions  118  and  120 , which can be selectively positioned relative to the receiving body in order to vary the X and/or Y direction alignment of the teeth  122  of the two comb portions  118  and  120 . Further, a third comb portion  128  can also include teeth  122 , a body  124  and protuberances  126  and can be engaged with one of the tracks  116  accessible via the outside of the body  110  to engage the third comb portion  128  with the receiving body  110  in multiple positions. 
     As yet another example of an adjustable comb  200  shown in  FIG. 6 , the comb  200  can include comb portions  202 ,  204  and  206 . Two or more of the comb portions  202 ,  204  and  206  can include teeth  208 , and at least one of the comb portions  202 ,  204  and  206  can include a handle  210 . The comb portion  204  can include a plurality of protuberances  212 , and the comb portions  202  and  206  can each include elongated slots  216 . The slots  216  can slidably receive the protuberances  212  in at least two positions and can include detents or other structures to receive the protuberances  212  in a snap-fit fashion in each of the positions. Thus, the comb portions  202  and  206  can be slidably connected to the comb portion  204 , and the positions of the comb portions  202  and  206  can be varied relative to the comb portion  204 . As a result, the fineness of the teeth  208  in the aggregate can be varied be aligning or misaligning the teeth  208  of the comb portions  202  and  206 . Also, the comb portions  202  and  208  can include apertures  218  sized to receive one of the protuberances  212 ′ for a rotatable connection between the comb portions  202 ,  204  and  206  as shown in  FIGS. 7 and 8 . Using the rotatable connection, a user can alter the layering effect of the teeth  208  of the portions  202  and  206 . 
     The above-described examples have been described in order to allow easy understanding of the adjustable comb and do not limit the adjustable comb. On the contrary, the attached claim is intended to cover various modifications and equivalent arrangements included within the scope of the appended claims, which scope is to be accorded the broadest interpretation so as to encompass all such modifications and equivalent structure as is permitted under the law.