Patent Document

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0001]    1. Field of The Invention  
           [0002]    Field: The present invention relates generally to the field of hair styling brushes. More specifically the present invention relates to a circular or radial type hair styling brush that accepts aerosol sprayers and a trigger mechanism for spraying a liquid from between the bristle groups onto the hair and scalp of a user.  
           [0003]    2. Description of the Prior Art  
           [0004]    Many different types of products have been developed by the medical and cosmetics industries over the years to overcome perceived inadequacies in people&#39;s appearances and to enhance their looks such as to appear more youthful. One area of focus is the hair, including many types of hair dyes or colorings, aerosol and pump hair sprays to retain the hair in a desired position, nutrient sprays, and products designed to grow new hair or at least to retain the person&#39;s remaining hair. Ordinary water is often applied to the hair during cutting and styling to aid in such procedures since wet hair is generally easier to brush or comb and allows the person brushing the hair to have more control over the position of the hair. The growth of hair products and improvements in hair styling have also increased the demand for devices that apply such liquids to the hair and scalp.  
           [0005]    Various hair brushes have been developed that include an integral liquid spraying device to facilitate spraying of a desired liquid during hair styling. For example, a hair brush which dispenses a liquid is revealed in Thiruppathi U.S. Pat. No. 5,927,290 issued on Jul. 27, 1999. Thiruppathi teaches a liquid dispensing hair brush which includes a body having an internal chamber with a liquid container disposed in the chamber. A trigger mechanism disposed within the chamber includes a trigger that partially extends from the body and which when depressed drives the liquid container relative to and within the body. A pump disposed in the container dispenses liquid from the container through a spray nozzle when the container is driven by the trigger mechanism. 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. However, since the hair brush is not a cylindrical styling brush, many hair styling procedures cannot be undertaken using the hair brush such as effective curling. Also, the bristled portion of the hair brush cannot be interchanged to provide the proper size for specific areas of the hair being styled, such as for straight hairstyles and curled hairstyles.  
           [0006]    A device used to treat a scalp condition called cradle cap in infants is revealed in Muldoon U.S. Pat. No. 6,213,129 issued on Apr. 10, 2001. Muldoon teaches a device which includes a contoured handle having an internal cavity for containing a liquid such as baby oil. A comb and an opposed hair brush are attached to one end of the handle with a retractable rubber applicator operated by a switch is slidably disposed therewithin operated by a switch on the exterior of the handle. A spray head assembly is attached to an opposite end of the handle having a spray nozzle and trigger for pumping liquid from a storage chamber within the handle. However, since the hair brush is not a cylindrical styling brush, the same inherent shortcomings as Thiruppathi are present though the presence of a comb may provide slightly more flexibility in doing straight, non-curled styling procedures.  
           [0007]    A combined hair brush and aerosol spray device for using a brush and hair spray of an aerosol spray can in one hand is revealed in DeVincentis U.S. Pat. No. 4,557,619 issued on Dec. 10, 1985. DeVincentis teaches a device in the form of a brush which includes a hollow generally cylindrical core with bristles extending radially outwardly therefrom. The core is attached to a base which is detachably mountable to the aerosol spray can. A nozzle assembly having a plurality of nozzles in mutual communication is centrally disposed within the cylindrical core in communication with the nozzle of the aerosol spray can. A spray of hair spray is activated using a trigger lever disposed adjacent to the base of the brush, or using an extension of the nozzle assembly that protrudes beyond the cylindrical core of the brush. However, since the hair brush is only useable with pressurized aerosol spray cans of the small 2.4 ounce size, other types of liquids not available in such spray cans cannot be used. Likewise the can is gripped during use of the device, providing a cold, non-contoured surface for gripping that would not be comfortable for the user.  
           [0008]    A spray brush for simultaneous use with a hand-held hair dryer is revealed in Recchelbacher U.S. Pat. No. 4,934,855 issued on Jun. 19, 1990. Recchelbacher teaches a spray brush, which includes a brush head having a generally flat panel formed with a number of holes therethrough, and a plurality of laterally projecting fingers with respective notches therebetween. A tubular handle of the brush forms a reservoir for a hair styling liquid. A manually actuatable pump mechanism pumps the styling liquid from the reservoir through a nozzle reciprocally disposed in a longitudinal slot formed in the panel. The spray brush may be held in one hand with a hair dryer held in the stylist&#39;s other hand so that the hair styling composition car be directed onto a person&#39;s head while air from the hair dryer is simultaneously directed through the notches. However, since the hair brush is not a cylindrical styling brush the same inherent shortcomings as Thiruppathi and Muldoon are present.  
           [0009]    A gel dispensing hair brush for automatically dispensing hair styling gel from a plurality of hollow bristles is revealed in Asfur U.S. Pat. No. 6,022,163 issued on Feb. 8, 2000. Asfur teaches a hair brush which includes a handle portion having an open end and a closed end, with an elongate cavity therein. A brush portion is attachable to the open end of the handle portion with a reservoir in communication with the elongate cavity. A bottom wall of the brush portion has a plurality of spaced hollow bristle members in communication with the reservoir. An end portion of the brush portion is attachable to the closed end of the handle portion and includes a direct current motor for rotating a shaft and piston assembly disposed in the elongate cavity to dispense gel from the elongate cavity through the hollow bristles. However, since the hair brush is designed specifically for styling gels which are rather viscous, liquids would not be usable therein, flowing freely and uncontrollably from the ends of the bristles. Also since the hair brush is not a cylindrical styling brush, the same inherent shortcomings as Thiruppathi, Muldoon, and Recchelbacher are present.  
           [0010]    It is thus an object of the present invention to provide a misting styling brush in the form of a cylindrical styling brush which sprays a mist of liquid as a tool for busy women who need a quick hair fix and cannot take time to do a full style.  
           [0011]    It is another object of the present invention to provide a misting styling brush having interchangeable large and small cylindrical brushes, the large size for straight hairstyles and the small size for more curl and direction.  
           [0012]    It is a still further object of the present invention to provide a misting styling brush which gives professional hair stylists and consumers the option of doing hair styling from beginning to end or spot styling without having to re-wet the hair.  
           [0013]    It is still another object of the present invention to provide a misting styling brush that utilizes one hundred percent natural bristles, which absorbs the natural oils from the scalp and disperses the oils through the hair, conditioning and protecting hair from damage.  
           [0014]    It is another object of the present invention to provide a misting styling brush housing a refillable or disposable mist spray bottle that pumps out over two hundred metered puffs of spray of liquid.  
           [0015]    It is finally an object of the present invention to provide such a misting styling brush which has a sectioning tip at one end of the handle that flips out to section the hair, allowing control of the amount of hair to be styled, and then folds back into the handle protecting the tip from damage.  
         SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0016]    The present invention accomplishes the above-stated objectives, as well as others as may be determined by a fair reading and interpretation of the entire specification.  
           [0017]    A misting styling brush is provided for use with pressurized and non-pressurized cylindrical aerosol sprayers. The aerosol sprayers are of the type having a cylindrical container containing a liquid to be sprayed from the aerosol sprayer, a dispensing device connected to the container for effecting movement of the liquid from the container through an outwardly spring biased tubular outlet stem by linear actuation of the stem and a push button connected to the stem having an internal conduit for receiving the liquid under pressure from the stem and producing a fine spray of the liquid at a spray orifice at a generally right angle to the stem. The misting styling brush includes a handle assembly having a gripping portion and a brush portion, and having a longitudinal interior chamber disposed therein. A circular cross-section portion of the interior chamber extends longitudinally inwardly through the brush portion having of an inner diameter and length sufficient to completely receive the aerosol sprayer therein with the push button retained in the brush portion. The handle is adapted to retain the push button in a stationary position during use with the spray orifice radially aligned and inwardly disposed from a spray outlet hole of the handle assembly leading outwardly between the bristle groups. The dispensing device and attached container may move along a longitudinal axis of the aerosol sprayer to reciprocally actuate the stem of the dispensing device. A brush assembly includes a plurality of bristle groups that extend outwardly from the brush portion of the handle assembly. The brush assembly has a spray outlet hole that extends radially aligned with the spray outlet hole of the handle assembly, the bristle groups being arranged so as not to obstruct the spray outlet holes. A trigger assembly is connected to the handle assembly intermediate respective ends thereof having a trigger member movably connected to the handle assembly. The trigger assembly is operatively associated with the aerosol sprayer when inserted within the longitudinal interior chamber to urge the container longitudinally upon application of inwardly directed pressure thereto to actuate the push button to emit the fine spray of the liquid at the spray orifice through the bristle groups at generally right angle to the stem. The misting brush operates by a user depressing the trigger inwardly into the handle assembly using a thumb of the user. This causes the fine spray of the liquid to be emitted at the spray orifice outwardly through the spray outlet holes of the handle assembly and the brush assembly onto a person&#39;s hair.  
           [0018]    The misting styling brush preferably has a brush assembly comprising a fully cylindrical brush having bristle groups substantially three-hundred-sixty degrees radially therearound, wherein the handle assembly and brush assembly that are adapted to be separable from one another. A hair pick is preferably movably connected to the handle assembly having an open position wherein the hair pick extends away from the handle assembly to allow sectioning and control of an amount of hair to be styled, and a closed position closely adjacent the handle assembly wherein the pointed pick does not extend away from the handle assembly. The misting styling brush preferably includes an end cap that assembles to the handle assembly adapted to retain the push button in a stationary position during actuation of the trigger. 
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0019]    Various other objects, advantages, and features of the invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art from the following discussion taken in conjunction with the following drawings, in which:  
         [0020]    [0020]FIG. 1 is a top plan view of a preferred misting styling brush.  
         [0021]    [0021]FIG. 2 is a bottom plan view of the misting styling brush.  
         [0022]    [0022]FIG. 3 is an exploded view of the misting styling brush shown in partial longitudinal section with the push button rotated ninety degrees to show the spray orifice.  
         [0023]    [0023]FIG. 4 is a lateral sectional view of the misting styling brush taken on the line  4 - 4  of FIG. 2. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS  
       [0024]    As required, detailed embodiments of the present invention are disclosed herein, however, it is to be understood that the disclosed embodiments are merely exemplary of the invention which may be embodied in various forms. Therefore specific structural and functional details disclosed herein are not to be interpreted as limiting, but merely as a basis for the claims and as a representative basis for teaching one skilled in the art to variously employ the present invention in virtually any appropriately detailed structure.  
         [0025]    Reference is now made to the drawings, wherein like characteristics and features of the present invention shows in the various FIGURES are designated by the same reference numerals.  
         [0026]    Preferred Embodiment  
         [0027]    Referring to FIGS.  1 - 4  a preferred misting styling brush  20  is disclosed. Misting styling brush  20  includes a handle assembly  23 , at least one brush assembly  26 , an end cap  29 , a trigger assembly  32 , and a sectioning tip or a hair pick  35 , the misting styling brush being for use with standard pressurized and non-pressurized cylindrical aerosol sprayers  36 .  
         [0028]    The handle assembly and the includes respective left and right housing halves  38  and  41  that are preferably made of a high impact plastic such as by injection molding. The left and right hollow housing halves  38  and  41  include respective ribbed gripping portions  44  and  47 , and keyed cylindrical portions  50  and  53  interconnected by respective tapered portions  56  and  59 . The keyed cylindrical portions  50  and  53  include respective half cylinders  62  and  65  with dependent radially extending half keys  68  and  71  that extend longitudinally from the respective tapered portions  56  and  59  most of the length of the respective half cylinder  62  and  65 . The left and right housing halves  38  and  41  are interjected by a plurality of pins  68  which extend from left housing half  38  that are snugly received in mating pin receptacles  71  of right housing half  41 .  
         [0029]    The brush assembly  26  includes a tubular bristle support member  74  and a plurality of individual bristles or preferably bristle groups  77  that extend radially therefrom. The bristle support member  74  is made of the same material as the handle assembly  23 . The bristle groups are preferably made of 100% natural bristles such as boar&#39;s hair bristles, which are superior to nylon bristle, as natural bristles absorb the natural oils from the scalp and disperses the oils through the hair, conditioning and protecting it from damage keeping it healthy. The bristle support member  74  includes a longitudinal bore  80  that extends completely through bristle support member  74 , being sized to closely fit around the half cylinders  62  and  65  when assembled together. A longitudinal key receiving slot  83  of such a width as to closely receive the half keys  68  and  71  extends most of the length of bristle support member  74 . The bristle groups  77  are adhesively or otherwise secured within respective radial bores  86  of the bristle support member  74 . The bristle support member  74  assembles over the keyed cylindrical portions  50  and  53  and abuts a shoulder  86  formed by the assembled tapered portions  56  and  59 . The length of bristle support member  68  is substantially the same as that of the keyed cylindrical portions  50  and  53 . The length of the half keys  68  and  71  is substantially the same as that of the key receiving slot  83 . A spray discharge hole  89  extends radially inwardly through the half keys  68  and  71  and the half cylinders  62  and  65  into a longitudinal interior chamber  92  formed by the assembled left and right housing halves  38  and  41 . The radial bores  86  immediately adjacent the spray discharge hole  89  are longitudinally displaced so as to create a radial spray opening  93  between adjacent bristle groups  77  for unobstructed spraying.  
         [0030]    Preferably two or more interchangeable brush assemblies  26  are supplied utilizing a bristle support member  74  but having bristle groups  77  of differing lengths such that each brush assembly  26  have a different outer diameter. The large diameter is for straight hairstyles and the smaller diameter brush assembly  26  is for more curl and direction. The multiple sizes of brush assemblies  26  give the professional hair stylist and consumer the option of doing hairstyles from beginning to end or spot styling areas of hair style without having to re-wet the hair and start from the beginning. The lengths of the bristle groups  77  of each brush assembly  26  can also be varied along the length or radially about the bristle support member  74  for specific styling applications.  
         [0031]    The brush assembly  26  is retained to the handle assembly  23  using the end cap  29 , which comprises a rounded head  95 , a dependent cylindrical plug  98  having an end wall  100 , and a shoulder  101  therebetween. The end cap  29  is made of the same material as the handle assembly  23 . End cap  29  is preferably hollowed out so as to limit the weight thereof. Plug  98  is sized so as to closely fit within a bore  104  that defines a portion of the interior chamber  92 , either removably pressfitting or snap fitting therein, with the shoulder  101  abutting the handle assembly  23  and the brush assembly  26  for retention together. Bore  104  is sized so as to closely slidably receive the cylindrical sprayer  36 . The outer diameter of the head  95  is the same as that of bristle support member  74 . The handle assembly  23 , brush assembly  26 , and end cap  29  assembled together tightly form substantially the same appearance as a standard cylindrical hair brush in common use today. End cap  29  allows the user to access container  173  in order to replace or refill container  173  after it has been emptied.  
         [0032]    The trigger assembly  32  includes a cylindrical actuator member  107  and a trigger  110 . The actuator member  107  and trigger  110  are made of the same material as the handle assembly  23 . The actuator member  107  includes a flat perpendicular surface  113  and an flat angled surface  116 , and closely slidably fits within a middle trigger bore  119  that is coaxial with longitudinal bore  80 , a shoulder  122  disposed therebetween. The trigger  110  includes a finger contact portion  125  of an oval cross-section, a dependent actuating portion  128  also of an oval cross-section and having a flat angled surface  131  adapted to matingly engage angled surface  116  of the actuator member  107 , and respective front and rear retaining tabs  134  and  137 . The trigger  110  fits within a mating oval trigger hole  140  that extends radially inwardly through the ribbed gripping portions  44  and  47 , and the tapered portions  56  and  59  into the longitudinal interior chamber  92  formed by the assembled left and right housing halves  38  and  41 . The trigger  110  is assembled through the trigger hole  140  by tilting trigger  110  forward such that angled surface  131  is almost longitudinally perpendicularly disposed within interior chamber  92  such that the retaining tabs  134  and  137  fit through the trigger hole  140 . The trigger  110  is then tilted rearwardly such that a rear surface  140  contacts an annular wall  143  formed between the middle trigger bore  119  and a handle portion  146  of the interior chamber  92  by the left and right housing halves  38  and  41  and the retaining tabs  134  and  137  engage respective front and rear wall portions also formed by the left and right housing halves  38  and  41 . The actuator member  107  is then inserted within the middle trigger bore  119  such that the angled surface  116  is juxtaposed the angled surface  131  of trigger  110 . The trigger  110  is positioned on the handle assembly  23  in a location which is convenient for a user to depress while holding the misting styling brush  20  in-hand. The trigger  110  may be depressed using the user&#39;s thumb or a finger.  
         [0033]    The hair pick  35  includes an annular base  149  and an integral pointed pick  152  extending tangentially from base  149 . The hair pick  35  flips of the handle assembly  23  to section the hair (FIG. 4—Arrow “A”) allowing control of the amount of hair to be styled, and then folds back into the handle assembly  23  protecting it from damage. The hair pick  35  is made of the same material as the handle assembly  23 . The hair pick  35  pivotally connects to the handle assembly  23  at a pick slot  155  formed therein the annular base  149  being pivotally disposed about respective cylindrical studs  158  and  161  that are coaxial of the left and right housing halves  38  and  41 . The hair pick  35  pivots outwardly from the slot  155  from a closed position wherein the pointed pick  152  is flush with the ribbed gripping portions  44  and  47  of the handle assembly  23  to an open position wherein the hair pick  35  is rotated one-hundred-eighty degrees with the pointed pick  152  pointing rearwardly away from the brush assembly  26 . The pointed pick  152  contacts the ribbed gripping portions  44  and  47  at an end  164  of the slot  155  to stop the rotation of the hair pick  35  in the open position, and contacts an opposite end  167  of the slot  155  to stop rotation of the hair pick  35  in the closed position. The hair pick  35  can be frictionally or otherwise retained in the open and closed positions. A hanging hole  170  extends coaxially through the studs  158  and  161  of the assembled handle assembly  23  for hanging the misting brush  20  such as from a hook or wire.  
         [0034]    The cylindrical aerosol sprayer  36  includes a cylindrical container  173  containing a liquid  176  to be sprayed from the misting brush  20 , a dispensing device  179  comprising a valve for pressurized containers  173  or pump for non-pressurized containers  173 , and a push button  182  (Shown rotated ninety degrees in FIG. 3—Arrow “B”). The dispensing device  179  is of standard design having an internally threaded portion (not shown) which threadably connects to an upper externally threaded portion (not shown) of the container  173  for releasing pressurized liquid from container  173  or for pumping the liquid  176  therefrom for non-pressurized containers  137  through an attached tube (not shown) by reciprocally depressing and releasing an outwardly spring biased tubular pump stem  191  using the attached push button  182 . Dispensing device  179  may be any of a variety of manual valves, or pumps known in the art that operate to dispense relatively small amounts of liquid with a short pump stroke. Preferably pushing the trigger  110  pumps out one metered puff of spray, with over two hundred metered sprays of liquid before needing refilled, such liquids as mist styling and moisturizing liquids. The liquid  176  flows through an internal conduit (not shown) of the push button  182  and exits as a fine mist through the spray orifice  89 . The sprayer  36  slides into the bore  104  against the annular wall  143  and the end cap  29  replaced into the bore  104 . The end wall  100  of end cap  29  abuts the push button  182  to retain from longitudinal movement.  
         [0035]    The misting brush  20  is operated by by the user pressing the finger contact portion  125  using their thumb or finger which drives the trigger  110  into handle assembly  23  (FIG. 4—Arrow “C”). This causes the angled surface  131  to push against and slide along the angled surface  116  of actuator member  107  which slides in the middle trigger bore  119  into container  73  (FIG. 4—Arrow “D”) causing forward movement thereof and of attached pump  179  in handle assembly  23  toward the push button  182  which is restrained from moving by contacting the end wall  100  of the end cap  29 . This causes the pump stem  191  to depress into pump  179  moving liquid  176  to be sucked from container  173  through the tube, out through spray orifice  89  of push button  182 , and through the spray discharge hole  89  of the half keys  68  and  71  and half cylinders  62  and  65 , and the key receiving slot  83  of the bristle support member  74 . Trigger  110  returns to the unactuated position when thumb pressure is released therefrom by spring bias of the pump  179 . Container  173  may be removed when empty and refilled or replaced with another liquid container  173 . Since trigger  110  is not part of the aerosol sprayer  36 , container  173  may be removed from handle assembly  23  simply by removing end cap  29  and removing aerosol sprayer  36 . The liquid container  173  may be disassembled from aerosol sprayer  36 , refilled, and replaced in handle assembly  23  with the spray orifice  89  of push button  182  aligned with the spray discharge hole  89  of handle assembly  23 . A frictional or snap fit connection holds the end cap  29  to handle assembly  23 .  
         [0036]    Numerous modifications can be made to the misting styling brush of he present invention while staying within the same inventive concept. For example, while the configuration of the handle assembly shown has been found convenient for hair stylists to hold in-band, the handle assembly may be varied into a variety of shapes that fit differently sized hands. Also, while the trigger is shown centrally located on the handle assembly opposite the direction of spraying, the trigger may by located differently in another location that is convenient for a user to depress while holding brush in one hand. Likewise, while the misting styling brush shown has interchangeable large and small cylindrical brushes, other sizes of cylindrical brushes may be used, including those cylindrical brushes which have bristles of varying lengths so as to produce an outer bristle end surface that is not a pure cylinder, though the bristles extend radially for substantially three-hundred-sixty degrees. Finally, the end cap may be replaced by a fixed stop wall and the aerosol sprayer enter the handle assembly through an opening exposed when the brush assembly is removed. The brush assembly may then be retained to the handle assembly frictionally, using clips, using mating projections and detents, or otherwise retained.  
         [0037]    While the invention has been described, disclosed illustrated and shown in various terms or certain embodiments or modifications which it has assumed in practice, the scope of the invention is not intended to be, nor should it be deemed to be, limited thereby and such other modifications or embodiments as may be suggested by the teaching herein are particularly versed especially as they fall within the breadth and scope of the claims here appended.

Technology Category: b