Patent Publication Number: US-11653751-B2

Title: Liquid dispensing hair brush

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     This invention relates generally to hair brushes that allows the user of the hair brush to spray a liquid from the hair brush out from the hair brush and more particularly to hair brushes, which are combined with dispensers of poured liquids or creams. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     The idea of a combined brush and dispenser has been known for many years. There have been several suggested arrangements for a hair brush combined with a liquid dispenser. Many patents have been issued to dispense hair care products through the bristles of the brush. A liquid dispensing hair brush includes a body having a chamber therein. The hair brush includes a liquid container in the chamber. A trigger is also contained within the chamber. The trigger may be depressed such that it drives the liquid container relative to the body. A pump is disposed in the container that dispenses liquid from the container through a spray nozzle when the container is driven by the trigger. The pump and container are disposed in the head portion of the brush such that the pump stroke may be relatively short. The container may be removable and replaceable or refillable. 
     Another prior art reference discloses an aerosol can attached to the back of a hair brush with a mechanical linkage for dispensing the material. Still another prior art reference shows a hairbrush and aerosol spray assembly whereby the spray comes out through the bristles of the brush. Most prior art brushes combined with dispensers employ the use of an aerosol spray container or a non-refillable container which must be disposed of after one use, which is bad for the environment. 
     While the prior art includes a substantial number of brushes with dispensers, none have been found that are easy or economical to manufacture, or which can be used in a variety of forms. 
     Another object is to provide an economical construction of a combined hairbrush and container with dispenser. 
     These and other problems have been solved by the improved system and method described below. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     A hairbrush of the present invention includes a body having a first half and a second half and a container for storing fluids like liquids, i.e. water, alcohol, lotions, creams, etc. The first half includes a bottom part of a generally rectangular configuration extending to an elongated portion further extending to an open front. The first half includes an inner surface and an outer surface. The outer surface defines an outer indentation to receive a mirror. Alternatively, the outer surface may be planar with no indentation and the mirror. The inner surface defines an inner indentation to receive the container. The first half includes a peripheral wall extending outwardly from the bottom part and the elongated portion. A plurality of first connectors, i.e. male or female connectors, are formed on the peripheral wall at the bottom part to mechanically engage the second connectors, i.e. male or female connectors, defined in the container. The bottom part of the first half may present a round configuration or any other configurations, without limiting the scope of the present invention. 
     The second half includes a bottom part of a generally rectangular configuration extending to an elongated portion further extending to an open front. The second half includes an inner surface and an outer surface. The outer surface defines an opening to receive flexible core from which a plurality of bristles extending radially outwardly. The bristles extend substantially entirely from the core. The second half includes a peripheral wall extending outwardly from the bottom part and the elongated portion. A plurality of first connectors, i.e. male or female connectors, are formed on the peripheral wall at the bottom part to mechanically engage the second connectors, i.e. male or female connectors, defined in the container. The bottom part of the first half may present a round configuration or any other configuration, without limiting the scope of the present invention. 
     The container includes a bottom part of a generally rectangular configuration having flat opposing walls extending to an elongated neck portion extending to an open front defining male connectors to receive respective female connectors define inside a cap to close the container in order to prevent liquids from spilling out. The container presents a peripheral side wall and the plurality of the male or female connectors, are formed on the peripheral side wall to mechanically engage with the male or female connectors, defined in the first half and the second half. When the first half and the second half of the body are connected with one another to hold the container inside the entire hair brush is assembled and is ready to use to brush the hair or used as the container to store and use liquids for various purposes. 
     An advantage of the present invention is to provide a device that can be used to brush hair and as a contained for storing liquids and using liquids during travel. 
     Another advantage of the present invention is to provide a brush that is light in weigh and easy to manufacture. 
     Other advantages and meritorious features of this invention will be more fully understood from the following description of the preferred embodiment, the appended claims, and the drawings, a brief description of which follows. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       Other advantages of the present invention will be readily appreciated as the same becomes better understood by reference to the following detailed description when considered in connection with the accompanying drawings wherein: 
         FIG.  1    illustrates a perspective view of a hair brush of the present invention; 
         FIG.  2    illustrates an exploded view of an alternative embodiment of the hair brush; and 
         FIG.  3    illustrates a cross sectional view of the hair brush of the present invention taken along line  3 - 3 . 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     Referring to  FIGS.  1  through  3   , wherein reference numerals indicate like or similar parts, a hairbrush of the present invention is generally shown at  10  in  FIGS.  1 - 3   . The hairbrush  10  includes a body having a first half, generally indicated at  12 , and a second half, generally indicated at  14 . A container, generally indicated at  16 , is used for storing fluids like liquids, i.e. water, alcohol, lotions, creams, etc. 
     The first half  12  includes a bottom part  18  of a generally rectangular configuration extending to an elongated portion  20 . The elongated portion  20  is in fluid communication with the bottom part  18  and has a generally semi-cylindrical configuration and an open end  22 , i.e., the elongated portion  20  extends from the bottom part  18  to an open front  22 , as shown in  FIG.  2   . The elongated portion  20  extends from the bottom part  18  a sufficient length to serve as a handle. The bottom part  18  of the first half  12  includes an inner surface  24  and an outer surface  26 . The outer surface  26  defines an outer indentation to receive a mirror  28 . Alternatively, as best shown in  FIG.  1   , the outer surface  26  may be planar with no indentation and the mirror. The inner surface  24  defines an inner indentation or a dish  30  to receive the container  16 . The first half  12  includes a peripheral wall  32  extending outwardly from and along the periphery of the bottom part  18  and the elongated portion  20 . 
     A plurality of first connectors  34 . i.e. male or female connectors, are formed on the peripheral wall  32  at the bottom part  18  to mechanically engage the second connectors  36 , i.e. male or female connectors, defined in the container  16 . The peripheral wall  32  further extends to a peripheral hook  40 . The bottom part  18  of the first half  12  may present a round configuration or any other configurations, without limiting the scope of the present invention. 
     The second half  14  includes a bottom part  42  of a generally rectangular configuration extending to an elongated portion  44 . The elongated portion  44  is in fluid communication with the bottom part  42  and has a generally semi-cylindrical configuration and an open end  46 , i.e., the elongated portion  44  extends from the bottom part  42  to an open front  46 , as shown in  FIG.  2   . The elongated portion  44  extends from the bottom part  42  a sufficient length to serve as a handle. The bottom part  42  of the second half  14  includes an inner surface  47  and an outer surface  48 . The outer surface  48  defines an opening  50  to receive a flexible core  52  from which a plurality of bristles  54  extend radially outwardly. The bristles  54  extend substantially entirely from the flexible core  52 . The second half  14  includes a peripheral wall  58  extending outwardly from and along the periphery of the bottom part  42  and the elongated portion  44 . 
     A plurality of first connectors  60 , i.e., male or female connectors, are formed on the peripheral wall  58  of the bottom part  42  to mechanically engage the second connectors  36 , defined in the container  16 . The peripheral wall  58  further extends to a peripheral hook  41  extending along the peripheral wall  58  to mechanically engage with the peripheral hook  40  extending along the peripheral wall  32 , as best shown in  FIG.  3   . The bottom part  42  of the second half  14  may present a round configuration or any other configuration, without limiting the scope of the present invention. 
     As best seen in  FIG.  2   , the container  16  is formed as a hollow unitary member and includes a bottom part  70  and an elongated neck portion  74 . The bottom part  70  has a generally rectangular configuration corresponding to the configurations of the bottom parts  18 ,  42  of the first and second halves  12 ,  14 . The bottom part  70  has a pair of opposing walls  72  separated by a peripheral side wall  82 . One of the opposing walls  72  is envisioned to be flat, while the other opposing wall  72  may be curved, shaped, or flat. The bottom part  70  extends to the elongated neck portion  74  that has a substantially cylindrical configuration, aproximal end  73 , a distal end  75 , and an open-end portion  77  connected to the distal end  75 . The open-end portion  77  includes an opening  76 . The open-end portion  77  includes male connectors  78  configured to receive respective female connectors defined inside a cap  80  to securely close the container  16  in order to prevent liquids from spilling out. As best shown in  FIG.  2   , the open-end portion  77  has a diameter that is smaller than a diameter of at least the distal end  75  of the elongated neck portion  74  and configured to receive the cap  80  such that the cap  80  is generally flush with the distal end  75  of the elongated neck portion  74 . The elongated neck portion  74 , as best seen in  FIG.  2   , extends from the bottom part  70  a length that is longer than the lengths of the elongated portions  20  and  44  such that, when the container  16  is enclosed by the first and second halves  12 ,  14 , the open-end portion  77  of the elongated neck portion  74  extends and is exposed past the elongated portions  20  and  44 . The peripheral side wall  82  includes the plurality of the male or female connectors  36  that are formed on the peripheral side wall  82  to mechanically engage with the male or female connectors of the first half  12  and the second half  14 . The container  16 , the first half  12  and the second half  14  have substantially identical contour or shape, as best shown in  FIG.  2    to allow tight match or fit between the container  16 , the first half  12  and the second half  14 . Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the first half  12  and the second half  14  may be molded over the container  16 . 
     As best shown in  FIG.  3   , the container  16  may include one of the opposing walls  72  being planar and the second opposing wall presenting dish like configuration having an outer portion  84  extending further to an inclined wall  86  and further extending to a bottom portion  88  substantially parallel to the opposing wall  72  that is planar. The first half  12  and the second half  14  and the container  16  are formed from polymeric materials, non-polymeric materials, and combination thereof without limiting the scope of the present invention. 
     As best shown in  FIG.  1   , when the first half  12  and the second half  14  are connected or interlocked with one another to hold and envelop the container  16  therebetween, such as shown in  FIG.  3   , the entire hair brush  10  is assembled and is ready to use to brush the hair or to be used as the container to store and use liquids for various purposes. 
     While the invention has been described with reference to an exemplary embodiment, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes may be made and equivalents may be substituted for elements thereof without departing from the scope of the invention. In addition, many modifications may be made to adapt a particular situation or material to the teachings of the invention without departing from the essential scope thereof. Therefore, it is intended that the invention not be limited to the particular embodiment disclosed as the best mode contemplated for carrying out this invention, but that the invention will include all embodiments falling within the scope of the appended claims.