Patent Application
20110030720
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a hair barrette, and more particularly to a hair barrette including a foldable structure changeable to a hair clip, or convertible or changeable between a hair barrette or headband and a hair clip for allowing the hair barrette to suitably style the hair of the user.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Typical hair clips comprise two elongated clip members or comb members biased together with a spring biasing member for clasping or clipping the hair of the user.
For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,546,966 to Lin, U.S. Pat. No. 5,597,000 to Gerber, U.S. Pat. No. 5,694,956 to Grinszpan, U.S. Pat. No. 5,865,190 to Butler, and U.S. Pat. No. 5,896,862 to Hwang disclose five of the typical hair clips each also comprising two elongated clip members or comb members pivotally or rotatably coupled together, and a spring biasing member engaged between the clip members or comb members for biasing the clip members or comb members together and for clasping or clipping the hair of the user.
However, the typical hair clips may not be changed to a hair barrette or headband and thus may not be suitably operated by the user.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,915,532 to Williams, and U.S. Pat. No. 6,024,102 to Huang disclose two of the typical hair barrettes each comprising one or more arched or curved headband member for engaging onto the head of the user.
However, the typical hair barrettes may not be changed to a hair clip and thus may not be suitably operated by the user.
The present invention has arisen to mitigate and/or obviate the afore-described disadvantages of the conventional hair barrettes and the hair clips.
The primary objective of the present invention is to provide a hair barrette including a foldable structure convertible or changeable to a hair clip, or changeable between a hair barrette or headband and a hair clip for allowing the hair barrette to suitably style the hair of the user.
In accordance with one aspect of the invention, there is provided a hair barrette comprising two barrette members each including an outer head engaging end for engaging with a head of a user, and each including an inner coupling end for pivotally coupling together, and each including an ear extended from the inner coupling end thereof, and a coupling device including two coupling members disposed above and below the ears respectively, and including two pivot axles for pivotally coupling the ears of the barrette members between the coupling members and for allowing the barrette members to be folded to an opened working position where the barrette members are opened and oppositely spaced from each other and in line with each other for forming a hair barrette device, and to be folded relative to each other to a folded storing position where the barrette members are engaged with each other for forming a hair clip device.
The coupling members each include two depressions formed therein for pivotally receiving and engaging with the ears of the barrette members respectively and for pivotally coupling the ears of the barrette members together.
The barrette members each include an orifice formed in the ear, and the coupling members each include two hub members extended into the depressions thereof respectively for engaging with the orifices of the ears and for pivotally coupling the ears together and for forming the pivot axles.
The barrette members each include at least one first engaging member formed in the ear, and the coupling members each include at least one second engaging member for engaging with the first engaging member and for anchoring the barrette members to the coupling members at a predetermined angular position.
The first engaging member may be selected from an orifice formed in the ear. The second engaging member may be selected from a projection extended from the coupling members. The barrette members each include a number of comb teeth extended therefrom for styling the hair of the user.
The barrette members each include a stop extended from the inner coupling end thereof for engaging with the coupling members and for anchoring the barrette members to the coupling members at the opened working position.
Further objectives and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from a careful reading of the detailed description provided hereinbelow, with appropriate reference to the accompanying drawings.
Referring to the drawings, and initially to
The barrette members 10, 11 each further include an anchor or stop 17 extended from the inner end or coupling end 13 thereof and spaced from the ear 15 or extended beside the ear 15, and each include one or more (such as three) projections or notches or engaging members 18 formed on the outer peripheral portion of the ear 15 and spaced ninety (90) degrees apart from each other, the ears 15 of the barrette members 10, 11 are provided for pivotally or rotatably coupling the barrette members 10, 11 together with a pivotal coupling device 3 which will be described in details hereinafter.
As shown in
The coupling members 30, 31 each may further include one or more (such as two) notches or projections or engaging members 34, 35 formed or extended therein or extended into the depressions 32 of the coupling members 30, 31 respectively for engaging the notches 18 of the ears 15 respectively and for anchoring or positioning the barrette members 10, 11 to the coupling members 30, 31 of the pivotal coupling device 3 at the required or predetermined angular positions, for example, the barrette members 10, 11 may be anchored or positioned to the coupling members 30, 31 of the pivotal coupling device 3 at the opened working position where the barrette members 10, 11 are opened and oppositely spaced from each other or in line with each other for acting and forming as a hair barrette device, best shown in
The barrette members 10, 11 may also be anchored or positioned to the coupling members 30, 31 of the pivotal coupling device 3 at the partially folded position where the barrette members 10, 11 are spaced ninety (90) degrees apart from each other, and the barrette members 10, 11 may further be folded relative to each other at the completely folded or storing position where the barrette members 10, 11 are superposed or engaged with each other for acting and forming as a hair clip device, best shown in
Accordingly, the hair barrette in accordance with the present invention includes a foldable structure changeable to a hair clip, or convertible or changeable between a hair barrette or headband and a hair clip for allowing the hair barrette to suitably style the hair of the user.
Although this invention has been described with a certain degree of particularity, it is to be understood that the present disclosure has been made by way of example only and that numerous changes in the detailed construction and the combination and arrangement of parts may be resorted to without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as hereinafter claimed.
