The present invention generally relates to wreaths, headbands and decorative hair combs, and specifically to a frame for making flexible headbands wreaths and combs.
The use of wreaths, headbands and combs is widespread and well known. The most basic purposes of these devices are to hold hair back and away from wearer's eyes, to frame a wearers face, and to generally organize and maintain a wearer's hear style in a particular pattern. Typically, these ornaments include a band designed to fee a certain head size and a decorative design or ornament permanently attached to the band.
Usually the band is a one size fits all arch, or a ring in case of a wreath, which is straddled on top of a wearer's head. Such a band or a ring is usually made of metal or plastic, and is not intended to be twisted or shaped by the wearer. While the bands known in the art are intended to have some “play” to achieve a closer fit on the user's head, they are not intended to assume a different shape beyond the original mold. Another downside of the existing devices is that the devices are geared to an average head and an average head size. The necessary stiffness of conventional devices also gives them a bulky bulging look that is at variance with the rest of the wearer's hear, which is neatly brushed and flowing.
On the contrary, the present invention is designed to assume a plurality of different shapes. A flat, flush profile and a flexible characteristic of the frame actually molds the device embodied by the present on to the user's hair, creating a clean, polished, festive look. The wearer need not keep the original item as a band or a ring, but may twist one part of it to form an angle. This angle can be placed on the forehead or hung off to the side to create an additional element of originality or character for the wearer. Additionally, the wearer can keep twisting and playing with the appearance of the band or wreath, until an optimal look is achieved, and then promptly change this look into something else without retaining any memory of any prior flexing, or undermining the structural strength of the frame.
US Pat. App. 20040146664 discloses a decorative attachment, such as a lighting string or an ornament, to a branch of a natural or artificial tree or wreath, a twist tie has a wire spine and has artificial foliage, which conceals the wire spine and which simulates foliage of the branch.
US Pat. App. 20120125360 which describes a headband includes a flexible band, a meta strip mounted on the flexible band, and at least one interchangeable decorative ornament having a magnet. The headband is capable of producing multiple looks because of its ability to temporarily accept interchangeable decorative ornaments through magnetic attraction.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,110,635 discloses a reusable wreath which allows easy attachment and detachment of accessories. A strip of VELCRO® is wound around the wreath base to permit easy arrangement and adjustment of accessories.
Various implements, besides the ones mentioned explicitly, are known in the art, but fail to address all of the problems solved by the invention described herein One embodiment of this invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings and will be described in more detail herein below.
The present invention describes a frame made from a plurality of strands. The strands have a certain length, which may or may not be equal. The three or more strands run substantially in parallel to each other forming a length of said frame and held together by a length of at least one other strand spirally wound about the three parallel strands. An ornament comprising of full or partial length of the frame is attached thereto and is completed in a shape of a ribbon of a pattern, such as a leaf branch. A flexible tie forms a strip of flexible material that attaches the ribbon to the frame. Both the frame and the ribbon of ornament are able to be co-twisted when attached together and retain the end shape of the twisting by a user, who may also re-twist both into any shape, any number of times.
It is an object of the present invention to create an easily adaptable and utilitarian frame for head decorations.
It is another object of the present invention to create a twistable, low profile wreath, band, comb or any personal decorative device that assumes a plurality of shapes and molds to the head or body of wearer.
It is yet another object of the present invention to create a bendable frame that retains the shape into which it was twisted.
Yet another object of the present invention is to create a frame that may be twisted without undermining the tensile strength of the individual members of the frame or strands.
The preferred embodiments of the present invention will now be described with reference to the drawings. Identical elements in the various figures are identified with the same reference numerals. Elements appearing, in a list as A, B, and C are to be read as A or B or C and visa versa.
Reference will now be made in detail to embodiment of the present invention. Such embodiments are provided by way of explanation of the present invention, which is not intended to be limited thereto. In fact, those of ordinary skill in the art may appreciate upon reading the present specification and viewing the present drawings that various modifications and variations can be made thereto.
Turning now descriptively to the drawings, in which similar reference characters denote similar elements throughout the several views, the figures illustrate a personal decorative device 10, which in
The frame 20 is preferably formed by placing at least three strands 30 of wire in parallel to each other, with at least one additional strand 60 spiraling about the parallel strands 30, The spiraling strand 60 is wound at an angle 36 with respect to the linear axis 38. The angle 36 may vary based on, the degree of stiffness required for the decorative device 10, The angle 36 also varies based on the frequency of the spirals, which also vary based on the required number strands of flexible material 80 (later figs) that attach the ornament ribbon 70 (
The parallel strands 30 and the spiraling strand 60 are preferably made from a metallic material, which resists damage and yet is ductile and malleable to be easily plied by a user into a desired shape, with the shape then retained until untwisted or changed the wearer. The preferred material for strands 30 and 60 is mixture of wires of copper or tin, or a copper and tin alloy, or any other alloy having the desired ductility and durability qualities of the preferred materials, such as an alloy of gold or silver in combination with other metals.
The preferred diameter of the wires 30 and 60 may be in the range of 18 and 28 gauge wire of either the Standard Wire Gauge, American Wire Gauge or Jewelry Standard Wire Gauge. The three wire combination with one additional for spiraling provides for maximum flexibility and inconspicuousness of the frame 20. However, additional number of strands 30 or 60 may be used to either increase strength or to alter the shape of the frame 20. While the spiraling strand 60 is shown as flowing in one direction 37, there may be additional strands flowing in the same or opposite direction, creating a crisscross design on the frame 20.
The length 51 of the strip of the decorative ribbon 70 may be different than the overall length 50 (
The high degree of flexibility of the frame 20 and of the ribbon ornament 70 allows the ornament shown in
The ribbon adornment 70 is made of a highly flexible material, which may or may not have memory qualities. Preferably, the ribbon adornment 70 is made at least partially out of metal or an alloy. It may then be plated with gold, silver or platinum, and further encrusted with beads, pears, crystals or gems. The ribbon adornment 70 may also be made from cloth or multiple segments of detached ribbon. In which case, the frame 20 will be providing the structure behind the curvature of the device 10.
Although this invention has been described with a certain degree of particularity, it is to be understood that the present disclosure has been made only by way of illustration and that numerous changes in the details of construction and arrangement of parts may be resorted to without departing from the spirit and the scope of the invention.