Patent ID: 7225815

Claim:
A self-cleaning hairbrush comprising, in combination: a) a bristle-holding head having a plurality of spaced apart bristles projecting from one side of the bristle-holding head; b) a combing plate having a plurality of bristle-receiving apertures, with the bristles projecting through the bristle-receiving apertures when the combing plate in a first position overlays the one side of the bristle-holding head; and c) a plunger fixed to and projecting from the combing plate, with the plunger reciprocally mounted to the bristle-holding head to displace the combing plate along the bristles to a second position spaced from the one side of the bristle-holding head and at a free end of the bristles when the plunger is pushed, with the plunger operationally connected to latch with the bristle-holding head and automatically locking the combing plate in the second position when the plunger is depressed; wherein the plunger includes: a) a push button engaging the combing plate wherein when the rush button is pushed, the combing plate moves from the first position to the second position; and b) a coil spring loaded in the push button and working against the bristle-holding head, with the coil spring biasing the combing plate to the first position by urging the plunger away from the bristle-holding head; and wherein the push button further includes: a) a top plate having a top surface for engaging a finger depressing the push button and a bottom surface; and b) a plurality of mutually perpendicular walls depending from the bottom surface of the top plate; and wherein the plunger includes at least one leg member removably coupled at one end to one of the plurality of perpendicular walls, with the leg member passing through at least one slot in the bristle-holding head, with the leg having a second end fixed to and projecting from the combing plate so that when the push button is depressed the combing plate moves from the first position to the second position.