HAIR COLORING TOOL BACKGROUND OF INVENTION I. Field of the Invention The present invention relates generally to cosmetic and beauty supplies. More particularly, the present invention concerns a hair coloring brush having an improved handle for facilitating so-called"foil highlighting".

2. Discussion of Prior Art There are several primary objectives in applying coloring agents to hair.

For example, the coloring agent (typically in the form of a liquid, paste or gel) must be applied in a manner that creates a natural appearance. In other words, the application should have an appearance that resembles natural hair color, rather than the appearance of manual coloring. One way to enhance the natural appearance of hair coloring is to avoid lines that clearly demarcate colored hair from uncolored hair. It is also important that the coloring application be quick and inexpensive.

Accordingly, the desired natural appearance should not be attained at the expense of time and money. However, conventional hair coloring tools have proven to be ineffective in applying coloring agents in a manner that provides the desired natural appearance, without sacrificing time and expense.

Conventional hair coloring tools have a row of substantially equal length bristles to form a brush, with a tapered handle that has no use other than as a handle.

One traditional type of hair coloring technique referred to as"foil highlighting"involves coloring of only portions of the hair. The highlighted or colored hair is typically separated from the rest of the hair by scaling out successive tufts of hair, and a coloring preparation is then applied to the tufts.

Strips of metal foil are used to separate the treated tufts from the rest of the hair so as to avoid the highlighting preparation from coming into contact with the rest of the hair during the time that the highlighting preparation requires to take effect. After the highlighting preparation has taken effect the strips of metal foil are removed and the highlighting preparation rinsed off.

The conventional manner of carrying out foil highlighting is as follows.

First, a section of hair is scaled out and held between the first and middle fingers of the hair stylist. The thin cylindrical tail of a metal tail comb ("rat tail comb") is then woven through the section and lifted, thereby separating tufts of hair from the section. The remaining hair of the section is allowed to fall back onto the head of the person whose hair is being done. A strip of metal foil is now inserted underneath the separated tufts, with the foil being firmly advanced and pressed close to the scalp by use of the metal tail of the comb, whereupon the tufts are then released so that they fall back onto the foil. The tail comb is then set down, and a highlighting brush is picked up. A highlighting preparation is then applied to the separated tufts with the brush, using the head of the person whose hair is being done as a support. The conventional technique is slow and cumbersome, because the tail comb must be put down and the highlighting brush picked up, and then reversed, in alternating use for each tuft. The comb section of the metal tail comb is not used frequently in the foil highlighting process, so the process is significantly hampered and encumbered by the provision of two separate tools for foiling and color application.

SUMMARY OF INVENTION Responsive to these and other problems, an important object of the present invention is to provide a hair coloring tool that is particularly effective and efficient in separating and foiling tufts, and applying coloring agents to the hair tufts, in foil highlighting techniques.

In accordance with these and other objects evident from the following description of the preferred embodiment, the present invention concerns a hair-coloring tool including an elongated body and a plurality of bristles projecting from the body adjacent one end thereof. Forming an opposite end of the body is a thin, metal rod. In. the illustrated embodiment, the bristles cooperatively present a brush edge, which is particularly effective in applying coloring agents to the hair in a manner that creates a natural appearance.

The thin, metal rod end is preferably located adjacent a tapered handle portion of the body.

Other aspects and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments and the accompanying drawing figures.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS Preferred embodiments of the invention are described in detail below with reference to the attached drawing figures ; wherein : FIG. I is a plan view of a hair coloring tool constructed in accordance with the principles of the present invention; and FIG. 2 is a side elevation view of the brush shown in FIG. 1.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION Turning initially to FIG. 1, hair-coloring tool 10 comprises an elongated body 12 having opposite first and second ends 14,16. The body 12 has a handle portion 16 that tapers toward the end 14, with the first end 14 being generally a thin, metal rod for purposes that will subsequently be described.

The body 12 is relatively larger adjacent the opposite, second end 16 and defines a substantially flat head 18. Extending between the first end 14 and the head 18 is the handle portion 16 for facilitating gripping by the user.

It will also be appreciated that the body 12 presents a substantially central longitudinal axis extending from the first end 14 to the opposite second end 16.

The thin, metal rod of the first end 14 has a pointed terminus 20, and preferably a length in the range of 3.75 to 5.5 inches. The diameter of first end 14 is substantially constant along its length, and is preferably about one- sixteenth of an inch. Steel is the preferred material for first end 14.

The second end 16 of body 12 is formed of any suitable material, such as injection molded plastic, wood, or metal. When a wood material is used, the body 12 may be stained or painted. On the other hand, when the body 12 is formed of a plastic material, a pigment may be added prior to molding for providing the desired coloring. It is noted that the flat head 18 is well suited

for indicia, such as a trademark or advertising.

Projecting from the second end 16 of the body 12 are a plurality of flexible bristles 24 arranged in a single row of separate tufts spaced across the head 18.

As shown in FIG. 1, the bristles 22 cooperatively define an outermost brush edge 24 spaced from the head 18. Each illustrated tuft of bristles has a proximal end (not shown) fixed by suitable means (e. g. , glue) within a cylindrical opening (also not shown) extending into the head 18. It is also noted that the preferred tufts have generally the same overall length.

In operation, the tool 10 is grasped along the handle portion 16 while using either the applicator brush defined by the bristles 22 or the thin, metal rod of first end 14. Function can be quickly alternated between foiling with the thin, metal first end 14 and color application with the brush second end 16, without having to set down and pick up separate tools. In these respects, the tool 10 is particularly useful in efficiently and effectively applying hair coloring agents to the hair and facilitating foil highlighting.

It will be understood that each of the elements described above, or two or more together, may also find a useful application in other types of constructions differing from the type described above.

While the invention has been illustrated and described as embodied in a braking systems, it is not intended to be limited to the details shown, since it will be understood that various omissions, modifications, substitutions and changes in the forms and details of the device illustrated and in its operation can be made by those skilled in the art without departing in any way from the spirit of the present invention.

Without further analysis, the foregoing will so fully reveal the gist of the present invention that others can, by applying current knowledge, readily adapt it for various applications without omitting features that, from the standpoint of prior art, fairly constitute essential characteristics of the generic or specific aspects of this invention.

What is claimed as new and desired to be protected by Letters Patent is set forth in the appended claims.

Whereas, the present invention has been described with respect to a specific embodiment thereof, it will be understood that various changes and modifications will be suggested to one skilled in the art and it is intended to encompass such changes and modifications as fall within the scope of the appended claims.