Abstract:
A hairbrush and styling preparation reservoir, the reservoir being removable or permanently fixed to a handle portion of the brush with a dispensing end of the reservoir projecting into the bristle portion of the hairbrush.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0001]     The present invention relates to a hairbrush in combination with a dispenser for providing a styling composition within the bristles of the hairbrush as it is being used.  
         [0002]     One method of styling hair is to apply a styling composition, e.g. a gel or a mousse, to the hair prior to combing, brushing the hair. Application by hand of the styling preparations, of necessity, requires that the groomer or the person using the preparation wipe or wash their hands after the application is made.  
         [0003]     One solution to the problem of applying the styling preparation to the hair simultaneously with the brush has been the use of a brush containing a hollow handle which is adapted to contain the styling composition which then can be introduced to the brush through passages in the brush extending from the hollow handle to the bristle portion of the brush. These types of devices are exemplified by the following prior art D318,180; D324,777; D341,718; D447,635; U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,289,153; 4,893,957; 4,938,621; 5,443,321; 5,746,531; 5,927,290; 5,975,089; 6,022,163; 6,047,703; 6,065,891; 6,071,029; 6,325,070; 6,390,101; 6,662,811 and 6,675,812.  
         [0004]     As shown in the prior art most efforts have been concentrated on utilizing a combination dispenser and brush device. However, such devices are extremely expensive to manufacture and must be refilled with the styling composition, clearly a disadvantage. Therefore, there is a need for a more readily usable brush/dispenser device.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0005]     The present invention overcomes the disadvantages of the prior art by providing a hair brush in combination with a removable dispenser. The dispenser can be any of the those that are sold over the counter so that the user need not have to refill the dispenser but can just buy a new one and affix it to the handle of the hairbrush. While the dispenser can be removably fixed to the handle of the hairbrush it can also be semi permanently mounted by a releasable adhesive or permanently mounted by a permanent adhesive.  
         [0006]     Therefore, one aspect of the present invention is a device for styling hair comprising in combination: a hairbrush having a handle end and a bristle end, the handle end and the bristle end lying substantially in the same plane; and a removable squeezable reservoir positioned on the handle portion of the hairbrush and adapted to hold a hair styling preparation, the reservoir having a dispensing end adapted to extend into a portion of the bristle end of the hairbrush adjacent the handle end.  
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0007]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view of the apparatus of the present invention.  
         [0008]      FIG. 2  is a top plan view of the apparatus of the present invention.  
         [0009]      FIG. 3  is a bottom plan view of the apparatus of the present invention.  
         [0010]      FIG. 4  is a front elevation view of the apparatus of the present invention.  
         [0011]      FIG. 5A  is a view of the apparatus of the present invention taken from the left side of  FIG. 4 .  
         [0012]      FIG. 5B  is a view of the apparatus of the present invention taken from the right side of  FIG. 4 .  
         [0013]      FIG. 6  is a exploded plan view of the apparatus of the present invention illustrating placement of the dispensing reservoir.  
         [0014]      FIG. 7  is a front elevation view of the device of the present invention illustrating one method of fixing the reservoir to the brush portion of the device. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
       [0015]     Referring to  FIG. 1  device  10  according to the present invention includes a brush portion  12  and a dispensing hair composition reservoir  14 .  
         [0016]     As shown in  FIG. 2 ,  FIG. 3  and  FIG. 5B  the dispensing reservoir  14  which includes a closed reservoir portion  16  and a dispensing end  18  is placed on a handle portion  20  of brush  12 . The reservoir portion  14  has a dispensing end  22  which project inwardly of the bristles  54  of the brush portion  12 . The reservoir end  22  can be in the shape of a tapered conical nozzle  26  as is well known in the art.  
         [0017]     As shown in  FIG. 4  and  FIG. 5A  the reservoir portion  14  can be fixed to the handle portion  20  of brush  12  by means of either permanent or semi-permanent adhesive  28 , which may be disposed in a ridge like section  30  of handle  20 . The reservoir can, as shown in  FIG. 4 , project rearwardly on the handle and be coextensive with the handle or not as determined by the length and overall shape of the reservoir  14 .  
         [0018]     Referring to  FIG. 6  the reservoir portion  14  can be made to be removable from the brush  12  for either replacement by a full reservoir or refilling of the reservoir, which will be dictated by the user.  
         [0019]     Referring to  FIG. 7  the reservoir  14  can be removably connected to the brush  12  by a strap like device  32 . Strap like device  32  can be a “Velcro” type fastener or any other type of clamping device that would be readily apparent to a worker skilled in the art.  
         [0020]     As shown in  FIGS. 1, 2 ,  4  and  5 B the reservoir  14  is positioned so that a user can dispense the styling fluid from the reservoir  14  into the area of the bristles  24  of the brush  12 . If the reservoir  14  is rigid and the dispensing fluid is readily flowable the user need only tilt the brush to cause the fluid to exit the reservoir and flow into the bristle area of the brush. In this case the dispensing end or cap  26  of reservoir  14  would be made to be closed so that when the brush portion is in use no further liquid would exit the reservoir  14 .  
         [0021]     Alternatively, reservoir  14  can be made in the form of a squeeze bottle to dispense the styling material from the reservoir  14  by a mere squeeze of the bottle.  
         [0022]     Any of the well known gels or mousse preparations would be usable with a device of the present invention.  
         [0023]     The brush portion of the present invention can contain various bristle arrangements, e.g., a widely spaced bristle arrangement being shown in the drawings for purposes of illustration. It is also conceivable that the bristles can terminate in other than cylindrical ends having thereon spheres or other shapes to aid in styling of the hair.  
         [0024]     Having thus described the invention what is desired to be secured by Letters Patent of the United States is set forth in the appended claims.