Abstract: A lice brush includes a body that supports a plurality of bristles. The body also includes a handle. One or more of the plurality of bristles is configured for use in brushing a user's hair for lice. In particular, one or more of the bristles includes recesses, grooves, indentations, notches, pits or similar inwardly-extending spaces configured to facilitate removal of lice as the bristles pass through the hair. Multiple bristles can be provided in a bristle unit and multiple bristle units can be employed in a bristle assembly of the brush.

Abstract: A hair brush that has a circular head or bristle portion with a circular hollow support member that has apertures that accommodate first and second bristles. Each bristle has a triangular hollow shape so that when positioned through the apertures, air can flow through (a) the hollow in the triangular bristles, (b) the apertures in the support member, and (c) outward through a non-bristle side of the support member.

Abstract: A hand held appliance comprising an outer wall, a user operable button, a switch mechanism, and a switch assembly wherein the switch assembly is housed within the outer wall and comprises a frame, an actuator and a flexible membrane which connects the actuator to the frame and wherein the actuator cooperates with both the switch mechanism and the user operable button. The outer wall may comprise an aperture and the user operable button engages with the actuator through the aperture. The user operable button may be spaced from the flexible membrane by the actuator. The actuator may comprise a recess which engages with a corresponding protrusion that extends from the user operable button. The actuator may comprise a second recess which engages with an activation knob of the switch mechanism. The second recess may be spaced from the recess. The flexible membrane may extend around the perimeter of the actuator.

Abstract: A system and method for the management of hair and personal hygiene is provided. The system comprises a hair care instrument including a mounting base having opposing sides each defining a mounting portion in its cross-section. The base includes a proximal end. A first implement is removably connected to at least one of said opposing sides of said base. A handle is provided having an interface edge, the interface edge is adjacent the proximal end of the base, wherein the handle is removably connected to the proximal end of the mounting base.

Abstract: A comb for clearing hair from adhered matter, particularly lice and nits, the comb comprising a plurality of needles defining a spacing between needles and at least one matter collecting channel running along a combing side defined by the needles, the channel without extending into the spacing between needles.

Abstract: A comb for treating hair which is simple to use effectively by either a professional hair stylist or a non-professional. The comb includes tines, the free ends extending to form an arcuate plane, and forwardly deepening retaining areas between adjacent tines for retaining treatment material, such as highlighting gel. The comb also includes pairs of forked teeth at the free ends of the tines. Each pair of teeth define a recessed groove therebetween which tapers back from the top surface to the bottom surface of the tines. Connected to these grooves are channels which extends along the bottom surface substantially toward the spine of the comb to guide the hair not being treated away from the retaining area. In use, the comb is swiped through the hair, the hair is channeled between the tines so that the hair receives treatment material which has been previously charged in the retaining areas.

Abstract: A comb for treating hair which is simple to use effectively by either a professional hair stylist or a non-professional. The comb includes tines, the free ends extending to form an arcuate plane, and forwardly deepening retaining areas between adjacent tines for retaining treatment material, such as highlighting gel. The comb also includes pairs of forked teeth at the free ends of the tines. Each pair of teeth define a recessed groove therebetween which tapers back from the top surface to the bottom surface of the tines. Connected to these grooves are channels which extends along the bottom surface substantially toward the spine of the comb to guide the hair not being treated away from the retaining area. In use, the comb is swiped through the hair, the hair is channeled between the tines so that the hair receives treatment material which has been previously charged in the retaining areas.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a cleaning comb with needles that are rugged on their peripheral surface and a method of manufacturing a high mechanical strength cleaning comb. The comb includes a plurality of needles arranged parallel to each other with a spacing of under 100 .mu.m, which are rugged on their peripheral surface for the purpose of more effectively removing foreign elements and smaller particles attached. The needles have a total length and a useful length, i.e. a relatively large portion that protrudes from the handle, and they have a diameter of over 1 mm. In order to give the comb a high mechanical strength, the method of assembling the comb includes attaching the needles onto the handle preferably by laser welding or soft soldering. The ruggedness on the peripheral surface is provided by cutting an helical groove or several parallel circumferential grooves.

Abstract: A combination brush and cleaning comb to remove hair and other debris from the bristles. The cleaning comb is specially sized to have teeth that are complementary or slightly larger than the space between the bristles, allowing for minimal effort when cleaning. The matched sizing also reduces the possibility of damage to the bristles. The handle of the brush contains an ergonomically designed enclosure to store the cleaning comb without affecting the feel of the handle.

Abstract: A barrette combined with a comb is provided that includes an elongated base plate having a retainer unit at one end and two upright lugs bilaterally disposed at an opposite end. A clamping plate is included that has a fixed end pivoted to the upright lugs of the base plate and a free end formed with a coupling that is adapted for coupling to the retainer unit of the base plate. A comb strip is also included that is pivotally coupled to the retainer unit of the base plate. The comb strip has longitudinal rows of teeth and is displaceable between a first position, in which the comb strip is closed on the base plate and retained thereto by the clamping plate, and a second position in which the cob strip is extended out of the base plate and secured in the extended position by the clamping plate for cleaning and smoothing the hair.

Abstract: A braid-removing tool. The inventive tool comprises an elongate body portion having a longitudinal axis, a first end and a second end and being adapted for retention by a human hand. An elongate tooth is mounted at the first end of the body portion along an axis which is aparallel with respect to the longitudinal axis. In a specific embodiment, the inventive tool further comprises a hook mounted at the second end of the body portion. A finger grip is molded into a first side of the body portion and left and right thumb grooves are molded into a second side of the body portion. The tool allows a user to rapidly and safely remove braids with a simple turn of the wrist.

Abstract: A grooming brush for cleansing and stimulating the human scalp or the skin of fur bearing animals wherein contaminants are scraped from the scalp or skin during grooming with the brush. The brush is provided with a plurality of hollow bristles that collect contaminants such as sebum, dead cell tissue, shampoo, conditioner, oils and dirt from the scalps and hair follicles of humans and animals. A compressible spacer is positioned within the brush body to support a rigid plate provided with a plurality of cleaning tines employed to remove the contaminants collected by the hollow bristles. A retainer cap having an opening therein maintains the rigid metal plate, spacer, and brush body into a unitary structure. After a grooming operation, manual pressure is applied through the retaining cap opening to the rigid plate to compress the spacer and force the connected tines thereon through the individual hollow bristles to expel any collected contaminants therefrom.

Abstract: A hairbrush is provided having a comb holder and plurality of teeth raised from the comb holder. A plurality of arched flexible bridging strips are respectively connected between each two adjacent teeth and arranged in rows. Each arched flexible bridging strip has a rounded head portion disposed above the topmost edges of the teeth. Each tooth has a plurality of longitudinal scraping grooves formed along its length for removing dirt and water from a user's hair when brushed.

Abstract: A method of use of an applicator for hair lotions. The applicator has a flat, solid blade that is shaped like a comb. This blade does not have teeth like a comb normally has. One embodiment of the applicator does have a series of small curved teeth, similar in appearance to saw teeth, formed on the front edge of the blade. These teeth enable the applicator to lie flat on coarse hair without difficulty compared to an applicator having a smooth leading edge. The method calls for aligning the front edge of the blade against the hair such that the flat blade is perpendicular to the hair; applying lotion to the hair; catching any spilled lotion on the flat blade of the applicator; rotating the flat blade 90 degrees such that the blade is parallel to the hair; and wiping the lotion accumulated on the flat blade on the hair.

Abstract: A combined brush and comb ("brush-comb") is used to apply tones, touches or streaks of hair treatment liquid to human hair. The brush-comb has a curved body portion terminating in a tip, which may be used to part the hair, and a head portion having comb tines and brush tufts positioned close to the tines. Each tine has at least one and preferably a plurality of grooves perpendicular to its axis to retain the liquid and to replenish the liquid to the brush tufts. In operation, the brush-comb head portion is dipped into a container of the liquid and then the head portion is pulled through the hair to apply touches of the liquid to selected areas of the hair.

Abstract: A combined brush and comb ("brush-comb") is used to apply tones, touches or streaks of hair treatment liquid to human hair. The brush-comb has a curved body portion terminating in a tip, which may be used to part the hair, and a head portion having comb tines and brush tufts positioned close to the tines. Each tine has at least one and preferably a plurality of grooves perpendicular to its axis to retain the liquid and to replenish the liquid to the brush tufts. In operation, the brush-comb head portion is dipped into a container of the liquid and then the head portion is pulled through the hair to apply touches of the liquid to selected areas of the hair.