HAIR BRUSH HAVING RETRACTABLE BRISTLES

The present invention relates to a brush devised for hair care and which, essentially, is characterised in that the bristles thereof, by means of a voluntary manual manoeuvre by the user, shall be concealed underneath the surface of its frame, which shall permit the cleaning of the hairs that have become tangled therein after brushing with total ease. The characteristics of the brush object of this invention are detailed herein.

Due to how arduous and time-consuming it is to carry out a perfect cleaning of hair brushes after their use, since numerous hairs remain tangled in the bristles of the brush, there currently exist various brush models whose bristles can be concealed at the will of the user. However, these are utensils provided with complicated mechanisms, some of which are based on magnets or springs, whose aim is to keep each and every one of the components of the brush in place, both with the bristles concealed and when they protrude above the frame.

These mechanisms are mainly affected by the heat coming from manual hair driers, which make their hot air flow come in contact with the brush that is being used, an action which will cause, in time, the loss of effectiveness of the mechanisms of the brush itself.

The brush object of this invention is essentially based on the fact that it consists of a central shaft, coaxial with the longitudinal shaft of the brush, whereon the groups of bristles are fastened, which protrude through the orifices on the surface of the frame of the brush.

This shaft can be moved axially, at the will of the user, by means of a circular rotation of the rear part of the handle or hilt of the brush itself, so that when this rear rotating part is in one of its two positions, the bristles are practically concealed underneath the surface of the frame of the brush, while in the other position, the bristles completely protrude above said frame.

With the bristles situated in this protruding position, the brush can be used in its function of hair care and brushing, while when they are concealed, the user can easily carry out the cleaning of the surface of the frame of the brush, getting rid of all trace of hair left there, as there is no impediment to doing so.

The movement of the central shaft of the brush, bearer of the groups of bristles, is performed thanks to the presence and action of a set of endless screws, whose female part is situated on the inner face of the brush handle, while the male part is situated in the displaceable core located inside the handle itself, core whereto the central shaft bearing the bristles is solidly joined at the front end thereof.

According to these drawings, the brush for hair care, with concealable bristles, basically consists of a central shaft -1-, positioned in complete alignment with the axis “E” of the array, whereon the bristles -2- are fastened and suitably grouped in bundles, which protrude above the surface of the cylindrical frame -3- of the brush, through the circular orifices -4- thereof.

This cylindrical frame -3-, closed at the front end thereof by a cap -3a-, is fastened on the inside -5a- of the front half -5- of the brush handle, where a displaceable core -6-, to the front end whereof is fastened the central shaft -1- at its lower end -1a-, is also located.

A hollow cylinder -3b- capable of redirecting to the central shaft -1- at its upper end, in its axial movement, is located inside the closure cap -3a-, ensuring the permanent centring thereof and preventing lateral movements that could make the bristles -2- of its corresponding orifices exit -4-.

This displaceable core -6- has a variable diameter contour, featuring in the first place, at the front end thereof where the end -1a- of the central shaft -1- is fastened, a cylindrical area -6a-, of a diameter coinciding with the inner diameter of the central part -5b- of the front half -5- of the hilt. Below, the core -6- features a central area -6b- with a larger diameter, wherein the male part -6c- of the endless screw, said displaceable core -6- finishing in the rear part thereof with a cylindrical tail -6d- of a diameter equal to that of the front area -6a-.

The rear part of the front half -5- of the handle forms, in the interior thereof, a coaxial cylindrical housing -5c-, where the displaceable core -6- is located in its central area -6b-. This cylindrical area -5c- is of a greater length than the length of the central area -6b- of the displaceable core, a difference of length which offers space for the displacement of said core -6- through the inside of the front half -5- of the hilt, displacement which carries therewith the central shaft -1-, attached thereto.

The rear unit -7- of the hilt, as a continuation of the front half -5- thereof, houses therein, completely solidly joined, a cylindrical case -8- situated coaxially with the axis “E” of the array, whose case -8- has the female part -8a- of the endless screw on the inner face thereof. Also positioned in this area, completely aligned for its displacing movement, is the male part -6c- of the endless screw.

This rear unit -7- of the handle is joined by means of a nut -9- at the front half -5- of the handle, joint which permits the circular rotation of that rear unit -7- with respect to the front half -5-. When the user manually and voluntarily performs this circular rotation of the rear unit -7- of the handle, the female part -8a- of the handle, situated inside the case -8-, solidly joined to the aforementioned rear unit -7- of the handle, also rotates at the same time. This rotation causes, due to the mechanical action of the endless screw, the axial displacement of the displaceable core -6-, as well as that of the central shaft -1-.

As the circular rotation of the rear end -7- of the handle is performed, the central shaft -1- advances, the bristles -2- appearing through the orifices -4- of the frame -3- of the brush, or as it is turned back, it causes the bristles -2- to move backwards, remaining concealed.

The circular rotation of the rear part -7- of the handle is a single full turn, being anchored, both at the end of the of the start of the turn, as well as at the end of the return rotation, in a fixed position thanks to the action of a stub -10-, located inside of a cylindrical housing -11- situated in the front part -5- of the handle, facing the coupling nut -9-. This stub -10-, pushed by a cylindrical spring -12-, situated in the tail thereof, shall insert its end into the interior of a track -13-, situated on the front face of the aforementioned nut -9-.

In one of the fixed positions of the rear unit -7-, it will align with the bristles -2- of the brush that are completely protruding, while in the other position, it will align with the concealed bristles -2-, for the easy cleaning of the frame -3-.

The circular path of the rear unit -7- of the handle is enough to cause the displacement of the core -6- inside the free space of the cylindrical area -5a- of the inside of the front part -5- of the handle, displacement which will also be done by the central shaft -1-, as it is solidly joined to the displaceable core -6-, causing therewith the bristles -2- to be concealed or to protrude from the surface of the frame -3- of the brush.

The length of the displacement, both of the core -6- and of the central shaft -1- is practically equivalent to the part of the length of the bristle -2- which protrudes from the frame -3-.

It is clear that the simple, manual rotational movement of the rear end -7- makes it so the user does not have to perform complicated or difficult manoeuvres to conceal the bristles -2-, thus permitting the cleaning of the frame -3- of the brush to be done with great ease. The projecting of the bristles -2- is obviously very easy only by turning the rear end -7- in the opposite direction from that of the previous turn.

The object of the present invention having been sufficiently described, it must be mentioned that any variation in dimensions, shapes, appearance and finish, as well as types of materials use in the practical embodiment of the referenced brush for hair care, does not vary in any way the essentiality of the invention, which is summarised in the following claims.