[0001] The present disclosure relates to hairbrushes, and more particularly to a new hairbrush design having improved temperature characteristics, as well as a method of making same.

[0002] Styling hairbrushes are well known. However, a need exists for a hairbrush that is conducive to higher temperature hairdryers used in association with hairstyling. For example, hairdryers in use today operate in a temperature range of approximately 150° F to 200° F or greater. When styling more fragile hair, lower air speed and lower temperature are desired. For example, an airspeed of about 25 mph and a temperature of 150° F would be more commonly used for fragile hair. On the other hand, thicker, more curly hair requires a higher air speed (e.g., about 65 mph) and higher temperature (200° F or greater) for purposes of shaping.

[0003] Conventional styling hairbrushes only reach a temperature of approximately 140°, even after being exposed to high heat for an extended period of time. Therefore, a need exists for the new hairbrush design that can reach close to the optimum temperature of the dryer in a short timeframe.

Summary

[0004] A hairbrush includes a handle. A brush head extends from the handle and has an outer surface with openings formed therein. At least the outer surface of the brush head includes a thermally reflective coating applied thereto. Bristles extend through the openings in the outer surface of the brush head.

[0005] The reflective coating is formed at least in part of at least one of aluminum, silver, and/or diamond dust.

[0006] The brush head includes captive ends at opposite ends of a central portion, the captive ends shaped to direct airflow from an associated hair dryer toward the central portion of the brush head.

[0007] The central portion has a concave configuration wherein the outer surface reduces in cross-sectional dimension from each of the captive ends toward a midpoint of the brush head between the captive ends. [0008] A method of making a hairbrush having improved temperature characteristics, includes providing a handle, providing a brush head having a central portion with a concave outer surface, and first and second captive ends at opposite ends of the central portion, coating the brush head with a thermally reflective coating applied thereto, and securing the handle and brush head together.

[0009] The coating step includes applying first and second coatings to the brush head.

[0010] The coating step includes incorporating at least one of aluminum, silver, and/or diamond dust into the thermally reflective coating.

[0011] Benefits and advantages of the present disclosure will become more apparent from reading and understanding the following detailed description.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0012] Figure 1 shows a conventional hairbrush.

[0013] Figure 2 shows a hairbrush and improved temperature characteristics in accordance with the present disclosure.

Detailed Description

[0014] Turning to Figure 1 , there is shown a conventional hairbrush 100 having a handle 102 that is connected to a brush head 104. The handle 102 preferably includes a soft grip 106 received over at least a portion of the handle. For example, the handle 102 and brush head 104 may be a single, unitary body or structure and the grip 106 received over an elongated, generally cylindrical portion at one end of the body.

[0015] A series of openings 1 10 are provided in the brush head 104 and adapted to receive bristles 1 12 that extend through the openings. The bristles extend radially outward from the surface of the brush head 104, namely, generally perpendicular to the surface of the brush head. The bristles 1 12 (e.g., boar/nylon bristles) are shown in circumferentially spaced rows; however, one skilled in the art will appreciate that still other bristle configurations can be used without departing from the scope and intent of the present disclosure.

[0016] The brush head 104 includes a concave portion 120 with so-called captive ends 122, 124 formed at opposite ends of the concave portion. The captive ends 122, 124 extend generally radially outward a predetermined height from the concave portion 120. The inner captive end 122 is formed adjacent the grip 106 of the handle 102 (shown in Figure 1 as being spaced a predetermined dimension from the handle), and the inner captive end 122 generally defines a demarcation between the brush head 104 and the handle. In the conventional hairbrush 100 of Figure 1 , the handle 102 and the brush head 104 are preferably formed from a single, unitary material, e.g. plastic, wood, or metal, while the grip 106 is formed of a different material.

[0017] Turning to Figure 2, the subject disclosure illustrates a hairbrush 200 with improved temperature characteristics. For ease of illustration, description, and understanding, like components or portions of the hairbrush 200 shown in Figure 2 will be referenced in the "200" series, and generally correspond to those components or portions in the "100" series of the hairbrush 100 of Figure 1 except where specific differences are noted below. Although aluminum has been used as a body of a hairbrush, it is preferred that the body not be formed of aluminum because of the expense and weight. The present disclosure has advantageously determined that by improved thermal characteristics are achieved by applying a metal compound onto the hairbrush body, i.e., using a liquid application that includes a predetermined amount of aluminum as a constituent component. More specifically, the coating that includes aluminum as a constituent component when applied on to a concave brush head 204 having captive ends 222, 224 quickly reached a peak temperature of approximately 200° F when high velocity air (about 65 mph) from a hairdryer was applied at approximately 200° F. Specifically, the combination of the thermally conductive coating and captive ends configuration allowed the brush head to reach this peak temperature of approximately 200° F in approximately 18 seconds. This is in contrast, as noted above, to the conventional hairbrush 100 that only reached a temperature of 135° F, even after application of the high velocity airflow and 200° F for over one minute.

[0018] A preferred coating includes proximally 75% acrylic acid polymers, approximately 15% butyl acetate, approximately 10% aluminum paste, and approximate 1 % other chemical accessories. This coating has a silver colored appearance. Alternatively, other materials than aluminum paste can be used that serve the same purpose as the aluminum paste, for example, silver and/or diamond dust may be used individually or together, or individually or in various combinations with the aluminum paste, in generally the same total amount of approximately 10% of the coating composition. The captive ends 222, 224 on the hairbrush 200 and the concave portion 220 are also believed to contribute to focusing the heat on the brush head 204 region. Preferably, the only part of the hairbrush 200 that is coated with the liquid is the brush head 204 (concave portion 220, and captive ends 222, 224).

[0019] Tests were conducted on the coated, captive end hairbrush illustrated in Figure 2. For example, a hairdryer was used to direct high velocity air of approximately 200° F at the surface of the brush head 104 (without captive ends 122, 124). The conventional hairbrush 100 having a concave portion 120 without captive ends 122, 124 reached a temperature of approximately 140° F after about 35 seconds. Continuing to direct the high temperature air from the hairdryer for another 35 seconds did not further elevate/raise the temperature of the hairbrush, i.e., the conventional hairbrush 100 still only reached a temperature of approximately 140° F.

[0020] Tests indicated that the thermal coating of the hairbrush 200 accelerated the speed at which the brush head 204 achieved the top temperature of the dryer. For example, brushes without the thermal coating and that included captive ends were exposed to high velocity, high temperature airflow (approximately 200° F) and reached the peak temperature of about 200° F in approximately 27 seconds.

[0021] When the thermal coating and the captive ends were used together, the peak temperature of approximately 200° F was reached in 18 seconds. It is believed that the captive ends create a foiling effect on the brush allowing the air and heat to distribute over a larger surface. That is, the captive ends appear to focus the air between the upturned ends/captive ends of the brush head.

[0022] It was also found that a single coating potentially became unworkable because of the lack of durability. However, applying a second coating addressed the durability issue and did not adversely impact the temperature characteristics, i.e., the hairbrush of Figure 2 achieved the top temperature of 200° F in approximately 18 seconds as noted above.

[0023] This written description uses examples to describe the disclosure, including the best mode, and also to enable any person skilled in the art to make and use the disclosure. The patentable scope of the disclosure is defined by the claims, and may include other examples that occur to those skilled in the art. Such other examples are intended to be within the scope of the claims if they have structural elements that do not differ from the literal language of the claims, or if they include equivalent structural elements with insubstantial differences from the literal language of the claims. Moreover, this disclosure is intended to seek protection for a combination of components and/or steps and a combination of claims as originally presented for examination, as well as seek potential protection for other combinations of components and/or steps and combinations of claims during prosecution.