Fluid-Reservoir Hair Comb

Oil reservoir hair combs are known in the prior art. The closest patents known to the applicant are listed below:

These references do not show a means for precisely dispensing, under positive pressure, a fluid, e.g., oil, to the teeth of the comb, and its subsequent uniform distribution from the comb teeth onto the hair. This invention provides an economical means for achieving such a desirable result.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the fluid reservoir hair comb, of this invention;

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line 2--2 of FIG. 1, showing the needle valve structure in particular;

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary, cross-sectional view taken along the line 3--3 of FIG. 2; and

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary, cross-sectional view of the comb teeth, taken along the line 4--4.

The fluid reservoir hair comb of this invention is generally designated by the numeral 10. The hair comb 10 comprises a fluid reservoir body 12, an air pump 14, mounted to the reservoir body 12, an adjustable needle valve means 16, provided at the lower end of the reservoir body, and comb body 18 carrying the teeth portion of the hair comb. The just enumerated main parts of the hair comb are made preferably of metal or inert plastic material.

The reservoir body 12 is generally rectangular in both vertical and horizontal cross-section. The reservoir body 12 has lower inwardly sloping ends 13 forming a lower neck portion 30 of the reservoir body. Mounted within the neck portion 30 is the adjustable needle valve 16, the details of which will be later described.

The fluid reservoir body 12 is provided, in its upper portion, with a conventional piston-type air pump 14, actuated by means of the depression of a button 32. The button 32 preferably contains a gauge 34, for measuring the air pressure within the reservoir body 12, and can be readily depressed by means of a thumb of a user of the hair comb 10. Air entry into the pump 14, is provided by means of port 36. Fluid entry, to the reservoir body 12, is provided by means of a conventional screw-on knurled filler cap 38.

The needle valve means 16, provided at the neck 30 of the reservoir body 12, comprises a needle 40, mounted for vertical movement, within needle conduit 42. The needle 42 has a series of notches 43 formed in its upper section, adapted to engage, and mesh with, the teeth 45 of rotatably mounted wheel 47. The vertical movement of the needle is controlled by rotation of the toothed rotatable wheel 47, the wheel 47, in turn, being rotated by means of external knob 48 affixed to the wheel 47, by means of shaft 53. The knob 48 has a raised central portion 49, functioning as the pointer of an indexing means. When the pointer 49 is located at the index numeral zero, the needle 40 is fully seated within needle conduit 42. When indexing means 42 is set at the index numeral 6, this corresponds to the maximum open position of the needle valve means 16, i.e., needle 40 is in the uppermost vertical position with respect to conduit 42. When the needle 40 is unseated from the conduit 42, as shown in FIG. 3, fluid from reservoir 12 will flow, through ports 39, into comb body 18 via conduit 42.

The comb body 18 is provided with a plurality of teeth 60, each of which has an inner bore 62, fluid connected to the upper portion of the comb body 18a, as best seen in FIG. 4. A roller ball or roller bearing 63, is rotatably mounted within the end of each tooth 60 to permit release of oil in bore 62 upon movement of the comb through a person'hair, in a uniform manner.

In operation, the filler cap 38 is removed, and a fluid, such as hair oil, is added to the reservoir body 12, preferably up to the fill line mark 64. It is preferred that the needle valve 40-42 be set at zero during the fill operation, and that the needle valve remain at zero until the hair is to dispense fluid.

At the time of use, positive pressure is created within the reservoir body 12, by actuating the air pump 14, and compressing the air above the fluid level, to a predetermined positive pressure, above atmospheric pressure, as measured by gauge 34. The needle valve setting is then adjusted to a point above zero, e.g., to setting No. 3, as shown in FIG. 1, when dispensing of fluid from the rollers 63 of teeth 60 is desired.

The aforedescribed combination of a positive pressure fluid dispense, adjustable needle valve to control the positive flow of oil and distribution means, via roller bearings, provides an improved, precisely controllable, oil-reservoir hair comb with uniform fluid distribution to the hair and scalp.