Brush

Abstract

A brush, particularly a vibrating paint brush, has a tapered connection with a detachable brush head. A damper sufficiently flexible to reduce the amplitude of vibration of the grip portion and sufficiently rigid to enable use as an ordinary paint brush may be provided between a grip and an active portion of the handle. The vibration measured at the root of the bristles may have an amplitude in the range 1.5 to 3.5 mm and a frequency in the range 60 to 100 Hz.

1 - 33 . (canceled) 
     
     
         34 . A vibrating paint brush adapted for use in an active, vibrating mode and in a passive, non-vibrating mode, comprising:
 a handle comprising a handle connector having a tapered handle connection surface;   a detachable brush head comprising a plurality of bristles and a head connector having a tapered head connection surface corresponding in taper angle to the taper angle of the handle connection surface, the head connector and the handle connector being arranged to permit assembly, retention and disassembly of the handle and the head by means of a fit between the tapered handle connection surface and the tapered head connection surface;   a vibrator adapted to cause vibration of bristles of a brush head connected to the handle, the vibrator being integral with an active portion of the handle and positioned adjacent to the a brush head or a connector adapted to allow connection of a brush head to the handle; and   an actuator adapted to switch the paint brush between its active and passive modes;   wherein the handle comprises a grip portion spaced from and connected to the active portion of the handle by a damper, the damper being arranged to be sufficiently flexible such that in the active mode it reduces the amplitude of vibration of the grip portion of the handle compared with the active portion of the handle and sufficiently rigid such that in the passive mode it enables easy application of paint to a surface by a user holding the grip portion of the handle; and wherein, in its active mode, the vibration of the brush is arranged to produce a vibration substantially orthogonal to the length of the bristles of the brush having an amplitude measured at the root of the bristles in the range 1.5 to 3.5 mm, preferably in the range 2 to 3 mm and a frequency in the range 60 to 100 Hz, preferably 75 to 85 Hz.   
     
     
         35 . A paint brush comprising:
 a handle comprising a handle connector having a tapered handle connection surface; and   a detachable brush head comprising a plurality of bristles and a head connector having a tapered head connection surface corresponding in taper angle to the taper angle of the handle connection surface;   wherein the head connector and the handle connector are arranged to permit assembly, retention and disassembly of the handle and the head by means of a fit between the tapered handle connection surface and the tapered head connection surface.   
     
     
         36 . A paint brush in accordance with  claim 35 , wherein the tapered handle connection surface and the tapered head connection surface are configured as tapered conical surfaces. 
     
     
         37 . A paint brush in accordance with  claim 36 , wherein the head connector and the handle connector comprise Morse cones. 
     
     
         38 . A paint brush in accordance with  claim 35 , wherein the taper length is within the range 10 to 30 mm and the taper angle is within the range 1° to 25°, preferably 2° to 4°. 
     
     
         39 . A paint brush in accordance with  claim 35 , wherein the tapered handle connection surface is provided on a trunnion and the tapered head connection surface is provided on a bore. 
     
     
         40 . A paint brush in accordance with  claim 35 , wherein at least one of the tapered connection surfaces is provided by a lining. 
     
     
         41 . A paint brush in accordance with  claim 35 , wherein the handle further comprises:
 a vibrator positioned adjacent to the handle connector and adapted to cause vibration of a brush head attached thereto;   an actuator adapted to actuate and deactivate the vibrator;   a grip portion adapted to be held by a user of the brush; and   a damper positioned between and adapted to dampen transmission of vibrations between the vibrator and the grip portion.   
     
     
         42 . A vibrating paint brush adapted for use in an active, vibrating mode and in a passive, non-vibrating mode, comprising:
 a handle   a brush head or a connector adapted to allow connection of a brush head to the handle;   a vibrator adapted to cause vibration of bristles of a brush head connected to the handle; and   an actuator adapted to switch the paint brush between its active and passive modes;   wherein the vibrator is integral with an active portion of the handle and positioned adjacent to the brush head or the connector adapted to allow connection of a brush head to the handle;   wherein the handle comprises a grip portion spaced from and connected to the active portion of the handle by a damper;   and wherein the damper is arranged to be sufficiently flexible such that in the active mode it reduces the amplitude of vibration of the grip portion of the handle compared with the active portion of the handle and sufficiently rigid such that in the passive mode it enables easy application of paint to a surface by a user holding the grip portion of the handle.   
     
     
         43 . A paint brush in, accordance with  claim 42 , wherein the damper is arranged such that when the handle of the paint brush is arranged horizontally, the displacement of a brush head attached to the handle to which a mass of 400 g is attached at the root of its bristles is less than 18°, preferably less than 15°. 
     
     
         44 . A paint brush in accordance with  claim 42 , wherein the damper is arranged such that the held vibration sensation is between 15% and 45% of the full vibration. 
     
     
         45 . A paint brush in accordance with  claim 42 , wherein the shore hardness of the damper is in the range 45 to 75, preferable 50 to 60. 
     
     
         46 . A paint brush in accordance with  claim 43 , wherein the damper further comprises:
 a vibration/damper portion at which it is secured to the active portion of the handle   a grip/damper portion at which it is secured to the grip portion of the handle and   a central portion arranged between the vibration/damper portion and the grip/damper portion, the central portion comprising at least one stop interposed between the active and grip portions of the handle.   
     
     
         47 . A paint brush in accordance with  claim 46 , wherein the central portion of the damper comprises a pair of stops having the form of spaced flanges projecting from the body of the damper towards the peripheral edge of the handle. 
     
     
         48 . A vibrating paint brush or cleaning brush adapted for use in an active, vibrating mode and in a passive, non-vibrating mode, comprising:
 a handle   a brush head or a connector adapted to allow connection of a brush head to the handle;   a vibrator adapted to cause vibration of bristles of a brush head connected to the handle; and   an actuator adapted to switch the paint brush between its active and passive modes;   wherein the vibrator is integral with an active portion of the handle and positioned adjacent to the brush head or the connector adapted to allow connection of a brush head to the handle;   wherein the handle comprises a grip portion spaced from and connected to the active portion of the handle by a damper;   and wherein, in its active mode, the vibration of the brush is arranged to produce a vibration substantially orthogonal to the length of the bristles of the brush having characteristics selected from:
 an amplitude measured at the root of the bristles in the range 1.5 to 3.5 mm, preferably in the range 2 to 3 mm and a frequency in the range 60 to 100 Hz, preferably 75 to 85 Hz; and 
 an amplitude measured at the root of the bristles in the range 2 to 4 mm, preferably in the range 2.5 to 3.5 mm and a frequency in the range 80 to 120 Hz, preferably 90 to 110 Hz. 
   
     
     
         49 . A brush in accordance with  claim 48 , wherein the vibration of the bristles is substantially multidirectional and orthogonal to the length of the bristles. 
     
     
         50 . A brush in accordance with  claim 48 , wherein the vibrator comprises a motor coupled to an eccentric mass and selected from:
 a motor adapted to rotate at a speed within the range 6000 to 8000 rpm when unloaded with a mass in the range 5 to 7 g, preferably 5.2 to 6.3 g arranged with an eccentricity with respect to the axis of the motor within the range 2 to 4 mm; and   a motor adapted to rotate at a speed within the range 7000 to 10000 rpm when unloaded with a mass in the range 5 to 7 g, preferably 5.2 to 6.3 g arranged with an eccentricity with respect to the axis of the motor within the range 2 to 4 mm.   
     
     
         51 . A paint brush head receptacle adapted for the storage and/or cleaning and/or transport of a detachable paint brush head which has a head connector adapted to enable attachment of the paint brush head to a handle of a paint brush, the receptacle comprising:
 a container portion which defines a volume which is adapted to receive the paint brush head;   a closure, adapted to be moveable between a closed position in which it closes the volume of the container portion and an open position in which it allows for a paint brush head to be positioned at or removed from the container portion; and   an attachment adapted to removeably retain a paint brush head within the paint brush head receptacle.   
     
     
         52 . A paint brush head receptacle in accordance with  claim 51 , having one or more of the following features:
 wherein the attachment is adapted to cooperate with the head connector of the paint brush head to removeably retain a paint brush head within the paint brush head receptacle;   wherein the container portion defines a volume, open at one end, and adapted to receive the body of the paint brush head;   the closure comprises a lid which comprises an attachment adapted to cooperate with a paint brush head to removeably secure the paint brush head and the lid together; and   the lid is configured to allow it (i) to close the open end of the container portion such that its attachment suspends the paint brush head within the volume of the container portion and (ii) to be removed from the container portion to facilitate attachment and/or removal of the paint brush head from the attachment;   wherein the container portion has a base opposite its open end and the receptacle is configured such that a paint brush head retained by the attachment within the volume of the container portion is retained such that its bristles do not touch the base;   wherein the attachment comprises a tapered connection surface adapted to cooperate with a corresponding tapered connection surface of the paint brush head to permit assembly, retention and disassembly of the attachment and the paint brush head;   wherein the attachment comprises a tapered connection surface adapted to cooperate with a corresponding tapered connection surface of the paint brush head to permit assembly, retention and disassembly of the attachment and the paint brush head and in which the tapered connection surfaces are configured as tapered conical surfaces;   wherein the attachment comprises a tapered connection surface adapted to cooperate with a corresponding tapered connection surface of the paint brush head to permit assembly, retention and disassembly of the attachment and the paint brush head and in which the tapered connection surfaces are configured as tapered conical surfaces and in which the taper length is within the range 10 to 30 mm and the taper angle is within the range 1° to 25°, preferably 2° to 4°;   wherein the container portion and the closure, when in its closed position, form a watertight receptacle;   wherein the container portion is provided with one or more graduations adapted to indicate an appropriate level to which it may be filled with liquid prior to insertion of a paint brush head;   wherein the closure and the container portion are sealingly connectable by a connection selected from a snap fit connection and a screw fit connection.   
     
     
         53 . A paint brush head receptacle in accordance with  claim 51  provided with a paint brush head adapted to be retained by the attachment within the container portion.