|Publication number||US7865994 B2|
|Application number||US 12/074,002|
|Publication date||Jan 11, 2011|
|Priority date||Mar 2, 2007|
|Also published as||US7814601, US20080209648, US20080308118, WO2008107240A1, WO2008107241A1, WO2008107241A8, WO2008107242A1, WO2008107243A1|
|Publication number||074002, 12074002, US 7865994 B2, US 7865994B2, US-B2-7865994, US7865994 B2, US7865994B2|
|Inventors||Jeffrey Silver Taggart, Jeffrey M Kalman, John Richard Nottingham, John Wilford Spirk, Jay Tapper, Rachel Marie Nottingham, Carolyn Marie McNeeley, Richard Skinner, Brian Douglas Wall, Stephen Lee Wire|
|Original Assignee||Conopco, Inc.|
|Export Citation||BiBTeX, EndNote, RefMan|
|Patent Citations (45), Non-Patent Citations (29), Referenced by (2), Classifications (20), Legal Events (2)|
|External Links: USPTO, USPTO Assignment, Espacenet|
This application is a continuation-in-part of co-pending application Ser. No. 11/713,289 filed Mar. 2, 2007 entitled “VIBRATING HAIR BRUSH HAVING ISOLATOR SUPPORT SYSTEM FOR CONTROLLED VIBRATORY MOVEMENT”; this application also claims the benefit under 35 U.S.C. §119(e) of U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/977,071 filed Oct. 2, 2007 entitled “VIBRATING HAIR BRUSH”.
The presently disclosed embodiments are directed to vibratory devices wherein gyratory movements are translated into pulses for enhanced detangling of curled or unbrushed hair wherein brushing and detangling can occur with less effort and with less damage to the hair.
Vibrating hair brushes are known wherein a vibratory movement is applied to the bristles for an enhanced brushing or combing effect. For example, in U.S. Pat. No. 3,517,235 to Flowers et al., oppositely driven reciprocating hair brush units are intended to provide a brushing and massaging action whereby twisted hair is effectively unsnarled as the user traverses the hair with the brush. The brush disclosed herein is purported to provide improved efficiency in operation by effecting the counter-reciprocation of a pair of bristle units wherein the oppositely moving units are intended to effectively pull twisted hair apart as the brushing operation is performed. Unfortunately, such a reciprocating action has been found not to be as advantageous to a detangling operation due to its tendency to damage hair due to the shearing action of the simultaneously reciprocating bristle action.
Other vibrating brush embodiments generally include a singular brush wherein the bristles all move in common, but also include a vibratory movement having a component intended to move towards and away from the user's scalp to apply a beating and massaging action to the scalp. U.S. Pat. No. 2,465,250 discloses a vibratory hair brush comprising a horizontally mounted motor. The vibrations generated by the motor are translated into pulses in the bristle bearing portion of the device. The bristles are thus moved in a direction towards and away from the scalp during use. Over time, a beating motion to the scalp can become unpleasant to the user and provides only a limited effect in the actual detangling of the hair, having primarily a massaging purpose.
Accordingly, there is a need for a vibrating hair brush for improved detangling of curled or twisted or knotted hair which operates in a selected plane for improved effectiveness in the detangling with minimum hair damage and which is comfortable to a user's scalp during operation.
Accordingly, in a first aspect to the invention there is provided a vibrating hair brush for enhanced detangling of hair, comprising a head portion including a motor assembly for operating a vibrating actuator and a plurality of bristles depending from a bristle pad of the head portion, wherein the actuator is disposed for generating a vibrating movement of the bristles in a curvilinear direction within a plane generally parallel to the bristle pad.
In a second aspect of the invention there is provided a vibrating hair brush for enhanced detangling of hair, comprising a motor operating an actuator to move a plurality of bristles operatively connected to the motor such that a distal end of a majority of the bristles move in a curvilinear manner within a plane generally normal to a direction in which the majority of bristles extend.
In a third aspect of the invention there is provided a vibratory hair brush for enhanced detangling of hair, comprising a head portion including a vibrating actuator for inducing a vibrating movement in an actuator plane and a bristle pad having a plurality of bristles, wherein the bristle pad is associated with the actuator to vibrate the bristle pad in a curvilinear direction within a bristle pad plane generally parallel to the actuator plane.
The following more detailed description relates to any of the first three aspects to the invention.
The curvilinear motion of the bristles provides improved detangling of the hair with greater comfort for the user. Through moving the bristles in a plane generally parallel to the bristle pad the user does not experience discomfort caused by high frequency vibration of the bristle tips towards and away from the scalp.
Preferably, the vibrating movement is common to some of the bristles. Although detangling is effected by the vibrating bristles it is not envisaged that all the bristles need to vibrate and so some may be disposed to function in a conventional manner in addition to others which effect detangling through vibration.
Preferably, the bristle pad comprises a single support for all the bristles for common movement of the bristles. Having a single support for all the bristles provides for improved detangling since all the bristles will be vibrating in concert.
Preferably, the motor comprises a drive shaft which rotates in a direction orthogonal to the general plane of the bristle pad. Preferably, the vibrating actuator comprises an offset weight rotating in a plane generally parallel to the bristle pad. The offset weight rotating in a plane generally parallel to the bristle pad provides for the optimum vibration for detangling the hair without discomfort to the user.
The physics of how the vibration is generated are as follows:
With a mass rotating about an axis not coincident with its center of mass, the vibratory force, or Shaking Force, is described by Fs=m*r*w2, where ‘m’ is the mass which is rotating, ‘r’ is the distance from the center of mass to the axis of rotation, and ‘w’ is the angular velocity (speed of rotation). In the present invention, the angular velocity, ‘w’, is relatively confined to a window predetermined by a set of experimental results which indicate the optimum detangling frequency.
Through knowledge obtained from experimentation and numerical models, we determined the Shaking Force required to achieve the performance we wanted given the additional constraints of user comfort and packaging. In reference to user comfort, we found that Shaking Forces exceeding a certain amount were undesirable to the user.
Preferably, the Shaking force at 40 Hz is from 3 to 5 N, more preferably from 3.5 to 4.5 N and most preferably from 3.9 to 4.1 N. The most preferred Shaking Force is around 4.03 Newtons.
Additionally, the isolator assembly needed to be of a minimum stiffness so that the head would not sag too much under its own weight when the brush was held upright and that the brush head did not move too much causing an intimidating look or an interference problem with the handle housing.
Also, the off-center weight could also not be placed too far from the isolator, or the brush would grow to an excessively tall appliance.
The dimensions of the weight were optimized for weight and also battery efficiency. Preferably, the weight is a cylinder. A cylinder provides the optimum vibration. Preferably, the cylinder has a diameter of from 10 to 20 mm, more preferably from 13 to 18 mm and most preferably around 16 mm. The final diameter of the cylindrical weight is preferably limited on the upper end so that the cylinder does not exceed the major diameter of the electric motor chosen. This was so that the weight can be placed on the motor by the motor supplier during their assembly and easily dropped into the motor housing.
The cylinder height is thus determined after the diameter. Preferably, the cylinder height is from 3 to 8 mm, more preferably from 5 to 6 mm and especially preferably around 5.5 mm.
Preferably, the distance from the motor drive shaft (axis of rotation) to the center of cylinder is from 5 to 9 mm, more preferably from 6 to 8 mm and especially preferably around 7 mm.
Preferably, the operational angular velocity is from 32 Hz to 47 Hz. These angular velocities deliver the best detangling results as determined by consumer and empirical testing.
Preferably, the offset weight is mounted on a shaft of the motor assembly for causing an eccentric bias thereto resulting in the vibratory movement.
Preferably, the offset weight and motor assembly are fixed to the bristle pad.
Preferably, the brush comprises a power supply in the handle. The power supply is connected to the motor by electrical wires. Preferably, the isolator is pivoted at its central transverse axis and, more preferably, comprises bores through which the electrical wires may be passed to connect to the motor. The pivoted isolator and wire bores prevent the wires from being damaged during use of the brush through vibration.
Preferably, the bristle pad is resiliently supported by an isolator assembly configured to translate a movement of the actuator to a circular or elliptical, more preferably elliptical bristle pad vibrating movement. Preferably, the isolator is comprised of an elastomeric material such as styrene butadiene block copolymer or silicone elastomer. Alternatively, it may comprise sprung steel or other such resilient material.
Preferably, the hair brush includes a handle extending from the head portion in a handle axial direction which is within a plane generally parallel to bristle pad.
Preferably, the bristle pad vibrating movement is an elliptical movement having a longer elliptical axis in the handle axial direction.
Preferably, the isolator assembly is configured to inhibit vibratory movement in a direction perpendicular to the handle axial direction. Preferably, the isolator is fixed, preferably it is rigidly fixed, to the motor housing at its proximal and distal ends with regard to the handle of the brush.
Preferably, the isolator is fixed to the brush head at its sides transverse to the general longitudinal axis of the brush by way of connectors. Preferably, the connectors are less resilient than the remainder of the isolator. Such reduction in resilience can be effected by an increase in dimension or by the use of a different material. More preferably, the connectors extend along the sides of the isolator by from 10 to 70% of the overall length of the isolator. More preferably, the connectors have an average depth of from 110 to 300% the average depth of the isolator at the points of attachment to the bristle pad.
More preferably, the isolator is clamped into position from above and below the isolator at the connectors.
Preferably, the isolator assembly has a first stiffness in the handle axial direction and a second stiffness perpendicular to the handle axial direction, the first stiffness being less than the second stiffness.
Preferably, the bristles extend from the bristle pad in a direction generally perpendicular thereto for bristle movement corresponding to the bristle pad movement.
Preferably, the vibrating movement is in a frequency range 20-100 Hz more preferably from 30 to 65 Hz. In a hair brush according to the invention this frequency range provides the best detangling without discomfort to the user.
In a further aspect the invention provides a method for detangling hair comprising brushing the hair with a brush according to the first to third aspects of the invention.
In this description, it should be understood that the term “vibrating” should be understood to include oscillating and the term “brush” should be understood to include embodiments that might alternatively be described as combs.
Particular embodiments of the invention will now be described with reference to the following non-limiting drawings in which:
The subject embodiments of a vibrating hair brush provide a solution to the needs of better detangling hair with less effort and less damage to a user's hair while detangling. A positive experience is effectively provided to the user as a result of a less painful brushing operation for more enjoyable detangling of the hair than in previous systems. The hair is not being “ripped out” or damaged during the brush detangling, but is gently detangled with less pulling as a result of a lower frequency and gentler detangling operation with the subject vibrating detangling brush. The brush works out the tangles itself as a result of the particular vibratory movement, thereby avoiding the user having to substantially pull hair in an effort to accomplish the desired detangling. Hand fatigue is also substantially reduced during use.
With reference to
As will be discussed herein in more detail, the head portion B is intended to vibrate and such vibratory movements are insulated from the handle portion A so that the vibrations are diminished in translation to the handle and a user's hand. For the avoidance of doubt, the term “vibrating movement” should be understood to include an oscillating or reciprocating movement. Accordingly, a brush head upper housing comprising a top wall 14 is spaced from the handle as at area 16 to accommodate the vibratory movement without tapping contact to the handle portion A.
With reference to
An aspect of the subject embodiment includes the translating of the motor and weight circulatory vibratory motion into a curvilinear pattern, such as an elliptical movement, of the bristle pad in a particular plane of movement. An isolator elastomeric member 40 is affixed to the motor 20 and also affixed to the bristle pad assembly 10, 12, 14 so that the vibratory motion induced by the motor can be translated to the bristles 10. The motor 20 is received within a cavity 42 of the bristle pad head portion sized to allow receipt of the motor 20 and the rotational movement of the offset weight 22 that causes the desired vibratory movement. The vibrations created by the off center weight are transmitted to the brush head 14 due to the motor and weight assembly being connected to the brush head by hard, stiff connections. The isolators 40 allow this motion to exist by letting the head move mostly independently from the handle by close receipt of the isolator ring lobes 50 within mating lobe cutouts 52 and the clamping of the lobes within the cutout 52 by sandwiching the lobes between the brush head 14 and upper motor cap 56. The top wall 14 and cutouts 52 are affixed hard plastic pieces ultimately supporting the bristles 10. The particular configuration of the isolator 40 is such that the lobes are closely received within the cutouts 52 and a webbing 60 includes a slot 62 for close mating reception of cap cutout 64 of fastening cap 56. In addition, the end portions of the elastomeric lobes 50 and webbing 60 are also received within handle portion cutouts 70 so that the isolator 40 effectively isolates the vibratory movement of the head portion away from the handle portion A. As can be seen with reference to
Although in the illustrated embodiment, the isolator 40 is an elastomeric material, alternatives could include any spring structure capable of producing a similar result, such as an assembly of metal springs, plastic gaskets or other elastic members.
Another aspect of the elastic isolator 40 is that it is configured to translate the circular vibratory movement of the eccentric weight 22 into an elliptical movement in a plane generally parallel to the bristle pad. More particularly, it can be seen that the isolator 40 is not supported along the direction of the axis CC (
With reference to
With reference to
For hair that does not normally hang such as shown in
The subject embodiments have also been described with reference to the brushing of human hair, but the subject brush can also be employed to untangle other things such as animal or pet hair or even tangled strands of other materials than hair.
The exemplary embodiment has been described with reference to the preferred embodiments. Obviously, modifications and alterations will occur to others upon reading and understanding the preceding detailed description. It is intended that the exemplary embodiment be construed as including all such modifications and alterations insofar as they come within the scope of the appended claims or the equivalents thereof.
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|Citing Patent||Filing date||Publication date||Applicant||Title|
|US8342187||Feb 17, 2009||Jan 1, 2013||Conopco, Inc.||Vibrating device|
|US20110041864 *||Feb 17, 2009||Feb 24, 2011||Jeffrey Michael Kalman||Vibrating device|
|U.S. Classification||15/22.1, 15/21.1, 601/72, 15/22.2|
|Cooperative Classification||A61H2205/021, A46B13/02, A61H2201/1604, A61H2201/1215, A61H23/0263, A61H2201/0153, A46B13/023, A46B2200/104, A46B15/0002, A61H7/005|
|European Classification||A61H23/02R2, A46B13/02, A61H7/00D4B, A46B15/00B, A46B13/02A|
|Jul 18, 2008||AS||Assignment|
Owner name: CONOPO, INC. D/B/A UNILEVER, NEW JERSEY
Free format text: ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST;ASSIGNORS:TAGGART, JEFFREY SILVER;KALMAN, JEFFREY M.;NOTTINGHAM, JOHN RICHARD;AND OTHERS;REEL/FRAME:021269/0394;SIGNING DATES FROM 20080320 TO 20080505
Owner name: CONOPO, INC. D/B/A UNILEVER, NEW JERSEY
Free format text: ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST;ASSIGNORS:TAGGART, JEFFREY SILVER;KALMAN, JEFFREY M.;NOTTINGHAM, JOHN RICHARD;AND OTHERS;SIGNING DATES FROM 20080320 TO 20080505;REEL/FRAME:021269/0394
|Jul 11, 2014||FPAY||Fee payment|
Year of fee payment: 4