Hair Styling Implement with Retractable Bristles

Abstract

A hair styling implement has a body with a plurality of apertures formed through a body outer surface. A rod extends along and within an interior of the body. A plurality of bristles is attached to and extends from the rod, each extending through a corresponding aperture. A button on the implement that is coupled to the rod and movable to a depressed position and an outward position when not depressed. When the button is in the outward position, the plurality of bristles extends through the corresponding apertures to an extended user position. When the button is depressed, the plurality of bristles is retracted into the body to a retracted cleaning position extending through the corresponding apertures to a lesser extent relative to the extended use position.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A hair styling implement comprising:
 a body having a plurality of apertures formed through an outer surface of the body;   a rod extending along and within an interior of the body;   a plurality of bristles attached to and extending from the rod, the plurality of bristles each extending through a corresponding aperture of the plurality of apertures; and   a button on the hair styling implement that is coupled to the rod and movable to a depressed position when depressed and to an outward position when not depressed, and   wherein, when the button is in the outward position, the plurality of bristles extends through the corresponding apertures to an extended user position and, when the button is depressed to the depressed position, the plurality of bristles are retracted into the body in a retracted cleaning position so as to extend through the corresponding apertures to a lesser extent relative to the extended use position.   
     
     
         2 . A hair styling implement according to  claim 1 , wherein the body is a hair roller body having a generally cylindrical shape. 
     
     
         3 . A hair styling implement according to  claim 1 , wherein the body is a brush head and the hair styling implement is a hair brush with a handle coupled to the brush head. 
     
     
         4 . A hair styling implement according to  claim 3 , wherein the brush head is an elongate cylinder shape with two opposed ends and wherein the handle extends from one of the two opposed ends and the button is on the other of the two opposed ends. 
     
     
         5 . A hair styling implement according to  claim 1 , wherein the body is a barrel shape and the outer surface is generally cylindrical and wherein the plurality of apertures is formed through the outer surface around a circumference of the body. 
     
     
         6 . A hair styling implement according to  claim 5 , wherein the body has a longitudinal central axis and the rod generally moves parallel with the central axis, and wherein the bristles extend generally in a radial outward direction from the rod. 
     
     
         7 . A hair styling implement according to  claim 5 , wherein the button is positioned on one end of the body and is connected to an end of the rod. 
     
     
         8 . A hair styling implement according to  claim 7 , wherein the button has a cup portion facing into the body and wherein one end of the rod is received in the cup portion. 
     
     
         9 . A hairstyling implement according to  claim 1 , wherein at least a free tip of each of the plurality of bristles remains outside of the body in both the extended user position and the retracted cleaning position. 
     
     
         10 . A hairstyling implement according to  claim 1 , wherein the body has a longitudinal axis and the rod moves along the longitudinal axis between the extend user and retracted cleaning positions. 
     
     
         11 . A hairstyling implement according to  claim 1 , wherein each of the plurality of bristles is made of a resilient material to provide a spring action such that, upon depressing the button, the plurality of bristles deflect and upon releasing the button from the depressed position, the plurality of bristles cause the rod to move and return the button to the outward position. 
     
     
         12 . A hair styling implement according to  claim 11 , wherein each of the plurality of bristles is oriented at a normal orientation relative to the rod in the extended user position and is oriented at a deflected orientation relative to the rod, different from the normal orientation, in the deflected orientation. 
     
     
         13 . A hair styling implement according to  claim 12 , wherein the plurality of bristles is oriented generally perpendicular to the rod in the normal orientation. 
     
     
         14 . A hair styling implement according to  claim 1 , further comprising a stop mechanism adapted to limit travel of the rod or the button relative to the body between the extended user and retracted cleaning positions. 
     
     
         15 . A hair styling implement according to  claim 1 , wherein the body has a longitudinal axis and the rod moves along the axis between the extended user and retracted cleaning positions, and wherein an axial guide mechanism is adapted to axially guide the longitudinal motion of the rod relative to the body. 
     
     
         16 . A hair styling implement according to  claim 1 , wherein the hair styling implement is a hair brush and body is a brush head formed as an elongate cylinder shape, the hair brush further comprising:
 two opposed ends on the brush head;   a handle extending from one of the two opposed ends;   an end cap on the other of the opposed ends, the button slidably received in an opening in the end cap.   
     
     
         17 . A hair styling implement according to  claim 16 , wherein the end cap has an outwardly exposed side configured to be contacted and depressed by a user and an opposite side facing into the brush head and having a cup portion, one end of the rod received in the cup portion.