Adjustable Hair Grooming Device

Abstract

An adjustable hair grooming device provides bristles that can be extended or retracted to vary a length of the bristles. The device includes a housing having a top end, a bottom end and a perimeter surface coupled to and extending between the top end and the bottom end of the housing. An inner edge of the bottom end defines a cavity extending upwardly into the housing from the bottom end toward the top end of the housing. A plurality of bristles is attached to the housing. Each of the bristles has an upper portion being selectively movable into and out of the cavity.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE DISCLOSURE

1. Field of the Disclosure

The disclosure relates to hair grooming devices and more particularly pertains to a new hair grooming device for providing bristles that can be extended or retracted to vary a length of the bristles.

2. Summary of the Disclosure

An embodiment of the disclosure meets the needs presented above by generally comprising a housing having a top end, a bottom end and a perimeter surface coupled to and extending between the top end and the bottom end of the housing. An inner edge of the bottom end defines a cavity extending upwardly into the housing from the bottom end toward the top end of the housing. A plurality of bristles is attached to the housing. Each of the bristles has an upper portion being selectively movable into and out of the cavity.

There has thus been outlined, rather broadly, the more important features of the disclosure in order that the detailed description thereof that follows may be better understood, and in order that the present contribution to the art may be better appreciated. There are additional features of the disclosure that will be described hereinafter and which will form the subject matter of the claims appended hereto.

The objects of the disclosure, along with the various features of novelty which characterize the disclosure, are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this disclosure.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The disclosure will be better understood and objects other than those set forth above will become apparent when consideration is given to the following detailed description thereof. Such description makes reference to the annexed drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a top front side perspective view of an adjustable hair grooming device according to an embodiment of the disclosure.

FIG. 2 is a bottom view of an embodiment of the disclosure.

FIG. 3 is a front view of an embodiment of the disclosure showing the bristles in an extended position.

FIG. 4 is a front view of an embodiment of the disclosure showing the bristles in a retracted position.

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of an embodiment of the disclosure taken along line 5-5 of FIG. 3.

FIG. 6 is a bottom view of an embodiment of the disclosure showing an alternative bristle arrangement.

FIG. 7 is top a view of an embodiment of the disclosure showing an alternative bristle arrangement.

FIG. 8 is a side view of an embodiment of the disclosure having slidable teeth.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

With reference now to the drawings, and in particular to FIGS. 1 through 8 thereof, a new hair grooming device embodying the principles and concepts of an embodiment of the disclosure and generally designated by the reference numeral 10 will be described.

As best illustrated in FIGS. 1 through 5, the adjustable hair grooming device 10 generally comprises a housing 12 having a top end 14, a bottom end 16 and a perimeter surface 18 coupled to and extending between the top end 14 and the bottom end 16 of the housing 12. The housing 12 has a top section 20 and a lower section 22. The lower section 22 may taper outwardly from a top 24 of the lower section 22 to the bottom end 16 of the housing 12. A plurality of bristles 26 is attached to the housing 12.

An inner edge 28 of the bottom end 16 defines a cavity 30 extending upwardly into the housing 12 from the bottom end 16 toward the top end 14 of the housing 12. Threads 32 are positioned in and extend around the cavity 30. Each of the bristles 26 has an upper portion 34 selectively movable into and out of the cavity 30. An actuator 36 is coupled to the housing 12 wherein selectively manipulating the actuator 36 moves the upper portion 34 of the bristles 26 into and out of the cavity 12. The actuator 36 may comprise a dial 38 that is rotatably coupled to the housing 12 such that the dial 38 rotates relative to the housing 12. An outer edge 40 of the dial 38 abuts the threads 32 in the cavity 30.

A plurality of gears 42 is positioned in the housing 12. Each of the gears 42 is mechanically coupled to the dial 38 wherein rotation of the dial 38 causes the plurality of gears 42 to rotate. The plurality of gears 42 include a first gear 44 and a second gear 46. The first gear 44 may comprise a ring extending around the threads 32. The first gear 44 is mechanically coupled to the bristles 26 such that rotation of the first gear 44 in a first direction causes the bristles 26 to move into an extended position 46 and rotation of the first gear 44 in a second direction causes the bristles 26 to move into a retracted position 48. A bottom portion 52 of the bristles 26 extends outwardly from the cavity 30 and is spaced a greater distance from the cavity 30 when the bristles 26 are in the extended position 46. A bottom end 54 of the bristles 26 extend outwardly of the cavity 30 in each of the extended position 46 and the retracted position 48 such that the bristles 26 are accessible exteriorly of the housing 12 in both the extended position 46 and the retracted position 48. The second gear 46 is positioned in the actuator 36. The second gear 46 is complementarily sized and shaped relative to the first gear 44 such that rotation of the second gear 46 causes the first gear 44 to rotate. A distance between the top end 14 of the housing 12 and the bottom end 54 of the bristles 26 may be between 5.0 cm and 10.0 cm depending on whether the bristles 26 are in the extended position 46 or the retracted position 48.

In use, as stated above and shown in FIGS. 1 through 5, the actuator 36 is manipulated to move the bristles 26 between the extended position 46 and the retracted position 48. This allows the user to vary the length of the bristles 26 without requiring that the user have multiple brushing devices. After selecting the desired bristle 26 length, the user brushes over hair of a horse or the like in a conventional manner such that the bristles 26 contact the horse's hair.

Variations of the disclosure are possible as shown in FIGS. 6 and 7. In FIGS. 6 and 7, a brush 66 is shown having rubber teeth 64 arranged into concentric rings 56 including an outer ring 58, a medial ring 60, and an inner ring 62. The brush 66 employs a dial mechanism 70 similar to the above described structure for extending and retracting the teeth 64 as desired. The dial mechanism 70 may utilize a dial positioned on the top face 72 of the brush 66 but mechanically coupled in a conventional manner to replace the actuator 36. The dial mechanism 70 may be operationally coupled to one, two, or all of the concentric rings 56.

In FIG. 8, a brush 72 has a handle 74 with teeth 76 extending transversely from a spine 78. The teeth 76 comprise fixed teeth 80 and movable teeth 82. The movable teeth 82 abut the fixed teeth 80 for use on the tail while the movable teeth 82 may be spaced from the fixed teeth 80 for use of the brush 72 on the mane of the horse. Movement of the movable teeth 82 may be achieved using dial 84, mechanically coupled to the movable teeth 82, positioned adjacent to the handle 74.

With respect to the above description then, it is to be realized that the optimum dimensional relationships for the parts of an embodiment enabled by the disclosure, to include variations in size, materials, shape, form, function and manner of operation, assembly and use, are deemed readily apparent and obvious to one skilled in the art, and all equivalent relationships to those illustrated in the drawings and described in the specification are intended to be encompassed by an embodiment of the disclosure.

Therefore, the foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the disclosure. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the disclosure to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the disclosure. In this patent document, the word “comprising” is used in its non-limiting sense to mean that items following the word are included, but items not specifically mentioned are not excluded. A reference to an element by the indefinite article “a” does not exclude the possibility that more than one of the element is present, unless the context clearly requires that there be only one of the elements.

Claims

1. An adjustable hair grooming device comprising:

a housing having a top end, a bottom end and a perimeter surface coupled to and extending between said top end and said bottom end of said housing;

an inner edge of said bottom end defining a cavity extending upwardly into said housing from said bottom end toward said top end of said housing, threads being positioned in and extending around said cavity; and

a plurality of bristles being attached to said housing, each of said bristles having an upper portion being selectively movable into and out of said cavity: and

an actuator coupled to said housing wherein selectively manipulating said actuator moves said upper portion of said bristles into and out of said cavity, said actuator comprising a dial being rotatably coupled to said housing such that said dial rotates relative to said housing; and

a plurality of gears positioned in said housing, each of said gears being mechanically coupled to said dial wherein rotation of said dial causes said plurality of gears to rotate, said plurality of gears including a first gear, said first gear comprising a ring extending around said threads, said first gear being mechanically coupled to said bristles such that rotation of said first gear in a first direction causes said bristles to move into an extended position and rotation of said first gear in a second direction causes said bristles to move into a retracted position, said bottom portion of said bristles extending outwardly from said cavity and being spaced a greater distance from said cavity when said bristles are in the extended position.

2. (canceled)

3. The device of claim 1, further comprising said housing having a top section and a lower section, said lower section tapering outwardly from a top of said lower section to said bottom end of said housing.

4. (canceled)

5. (canceled)

6. (canceled)

7. (canceled)

8. (canceled)

9. The device of claim 1, further comprising said plurality of gears including a second gear positioned in said actuator, said second gear being complementarily sized and shaped relative to said first gear such that rotation of said second gear causes said first gear to rotate.

10. The device of claim 1, further comprising a bottom end of said bristles extending outwardly of said cavity in each of said extended position and said retracted position.

11. An adjustable hair grooming device comprising:

a housing having a top end, a bottom end and a perimeter surface coupled to and extending between said top end and said bottom end of said housing, said housing having a top section and a lower section, said lower section tapering outwardly from a top of said lower section to said bottom end of said housing;

an inner edge of said bottom end defining a cavity extending upwardly into said housing from said bottom end toward said top end of said housing;

threads being positioned in and extending around said cavity;

a plurality of bristles being attached to said housing, each of said bristles having an upper portion being selectively movable into and out of said cavity;

an actuator coupled to said housing wherein selectively manipulating said actuator moves said upper portion of said bristles into and out of said cavity, said actuator comprising a dial being rotatably coupled to said housing such that said dial rotates relative to said housing, an outer edge of said dial abutting said threads in said cavity;

a plurality of gears positioned in said housing, each of said gears being mechanically coupled to said dial wherein rotation of said dial causes said plurality of gears to rotate, said plurality of gears including; a first gear, said first gear comprising a ring extending around said threads, said first gear being mechanically coupled to said bristles such that rotation of said first gear in a first direction causes said bristles to move into an extended position and rotation of said first gear in a second direction causes said bristles to move into a retracted position, and a second gear positioned in said actuator, said second gear being complementarily sized and shaped relative to said first gear such that rotation of said second gear causes said first gear to rotate; and

wherein said bottom portion of said bristles extend outwardly from said cavity and are spaced a greater distance from said cavity when said bristles are in the extended position; and

a bottom end of said bristles extending outwardly of said cavity in each of said extended position and said retracted position.