Braider

Abstract

A novel form of a braider is provided which, in its preferred embodiment, consists of a body portion with two opposing cavities. The cavities are designed so as to enable both easy insertion into and removal from of sections of hair from the cavities. Several novel methods for using the braider are also provided. In one use, the wearer places each of two sections of her hair each within a cavity of the braider. She then repeatedly and alternately transfers sub-sections of hair from one cavity to the other thus creating a herringbone braid. A hooked rod may be used to separate out sub-sections of hair during braiding.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0002] This invention relates to an improved braiding device particularly one that be used to create several different styles of braids. The braider of this invention has several advantages over existing prior art devices that are described in the following paragraphs.

[0003] In U.S. Pat. No. 5,518,011 inventor Nash describes a device that can be used to weave hair. This device comprises an elongated handle member which terminates in a comb base. A plurality of spaced fingers or tines extend from the comb base in substantially parallel relation to one another to define a series of hair receiving slots. Each finger or tine increases in thickness as it extends from comb to base to its midregion and then decreases in thickness to terminate in a curved distal end. Hair is woven through the series of slots in a predetermined sequence to form a braid. Nash's device, sold under the tradename Wonder Weave(R), is meant mainly for the conventional 3-section braids. Also, Nash's device is hard to use because there are multiple slots to receive hair; thus it is hard for a user to figure out which slot to use for which sections of hair. The problem of trying to determine which slot to use for which section of hair is especially pronounced when a user is trying to braid her own hair at the back of her head.

[0004] U.S. Pat. No. 5,575,297 by Hatchett et al describes a device similar to the above consisting of a plurality of adjacent elongated rigid members joined to and arising in a perpendicular manner in such a way that slots are formed between the adjacent elongated members to retain sections of hair. Hatchett's device, sold under the tradename Easy Braid, is hard to manufacture because of the use of a rigid body portion with flexibly foam components. Additionally, Hatchett's device has the same shortcomings as Nash's device mentioned in the preceding paragraph: because of the presence of multiple slots, it is difficult for a user to determine which slot to use for which strand of hair.

[0005] In U.S. Pat. No. 5,544,666, Schach describes a braiding device that can be used for making braids. Schach's device, sold under the tradename Braidini, includes a plurality of apertures formed in a serpentine shaped extension. Schach's device is likely to intimidate a user because of its complex design. Schach's device is also hard to use for the same reason as the devices described by Nash and Halchett: there are multiple openings for receiving sections of hair. It is very difficult for a user to figure out which aperture to use for which sections of hair especially when using it on her own hair at the back of her head.

[0006] In U.S. Pat. No. 5,819,761 Sloan describes a hair braiding device that consists of a flat elongate body having at least one opposing pair of slotted openings with the openings being lined with a resilient material that permits hair strands to be introduced thereinto and that allows the device to be rotated to create a rope braid. The braiding device by Sloan requires multiple manufacturing steps. ]t is hard to manufacture because it includes a lining attached on the inside of each of the slots. Additionally, even though Sloan's device has two openings, those openings are designed especially to prevent hair strands from escaping from the slots. Sloan's device requires an opposing yieldable lining that will grab on to hair strands when Sloan's device is being rotated. In fact, Sloan's device has been especially designed with rotation in mind. It requires that hair strands not escape from the openings during rotation. The use of fillable lining in Sloan's device is, in fact, intended to prevent hair strands from being easily removed. This makes Sloan's device less than ideal for braids such as the herringbone that require that sections of hair be removed often from the openings during the braiding process. Additionally, the method taught by Sloan is restricted to a single style of braid, the rope braid.

[0007] Thus, it is the object of this invention to provide a braider that does not intimidate the user with its complicated appearance.

[0008] It is also the object of this invention to provide a hair braiding device that is very easy to use.

[0009] Additionally, it is the object of this invention to provide a hair braiding device that can be used to create many different styles of braids including herringbone braids, rope braids, chevron braids, diagonal braids, twisted braids, coil braids and many others.

[0010] It is a further object of this invention to provide a braiding device that is very inexpensive and easy to manufacture.

[0011] Another object of this invention is to provide a device that will allow the user to be able to interrupt the braiding process temporarily if needed without worrying about the braid unraveling during the interruption.

[0012] A still further object of this invention is to provide a compact device that can easily be packed into a ladies purse. The braider can also be provided with its own hanger hole so as to allow for low packaging costs for commerce.

[0013] A still further object of this invention is to provide several methods for making a variety of braids using the braider of this invention.

[0014] Yet another object of this invention is to provide an aesthetic hair accessory that can be used to create hair styles that do not require braiding.

[0015] Other and still further objects, features and advantages of the braider will become obvious from a reading of the following detailed description of the present invention, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0016] The present invention provides a braider that can be used to make many different styles of braids very easily. Methods for making such braids with the aid of the braider are also provided.

[0017] The design of the current invention presents several advantages.

[0018] The simple design of the braider not only allows for easy manufacturing but it also translates to lower costs for the consumer. It can be made inexpensively from a wide variety of materials including but not restricted to plastics, wire, cardboard, metal, piping, flexible clay, foam rubber and various composites.

[0019] The simple design of the braider has an additional advantage: unlike many prior art devices it does not intimidate the user. The complicated user instructions and complex appearance of many prior art devices made them very unappealing to the user. In contrast, the braider of this invention is very simple in design.

[0020] The braider of this invention is also very easy to use. Even very young girls will have little trouble mastering the many different hair styles that can be created with the braider of this invention.

[0021] The braider is very compact and can be easily carried in a purse without adding either bulk or weight. It can easily be packed for travel.

[0022] The braider is a great gift item for anyone with medium to long hair.

[0023] The braider will also make a great toy item allowing little girls to braid the hair on their dolls.

[0024] Thus the braider of this invention has great potential for market success. It is highly versatile; it is inexpensive to manufacture; it can be offered to the consumer at an easily affordable price; it is both a tool and an accessory; additionally, it is a brand new item in a market that is very receptive to innovative new products.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEW OF THE DRAWING

[0025] FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of the first embodiment of the braider of this invention.

[0026] FIG. 2 shows the top elevational view of the first embodiment of the braider of this invention. It also shows a hooked rod that can be used during the braiding process to separate sections of hair.

[0027] FIG. 3 shows some options for the front and side profiles of a braider.

[0028] FIG. 4 shows the top elevational view of a second embodiment of the braider of this invention.

[0029] FIG. 5A shows the top elevational view of a third embodiment of the braider of this invention.

[0030] FIG. 5B shows the top elevational view of a variation of the third embodiment of the braider of this invention

[0031] FIG. 6 shows the top elevational view of a fourth embodiment of the braider of this invention.

[0032] FIG. 7 shows the top elevational view of a fifth embodiment of the braider of this invention.

[0033] FIG. 8 shows the top elevational view and the side elevational view of a sixth embodiment of the braider of this invention.

[0034] FIG. 9 shows the top elevational view of a seventh embodiment of the braider of this invention.

[0035] FIG. 10 shows the top elevational view of an eighth embodiment of the braider of this invention.

[0036] FIG. 11 shows the top elevational view of a ninth embodiment of the braider of this invention.

[0037] FIG. 12 shows the top elevational view of the tenth embodiment of the braider of this invention.

[0038] FIG. 13 shows the top elevational view of the eleventh embodiment of the braider of this invention.

[0039] FIGS. 14, 15 and 16 illustrate how the first embodiment of the braider of this invention may be used to create a herringbone braid.

[0040] FIG. 14 shows the first step of the braiding process.

[0041] FIG. 15 shows the second step of the braiding process.

[0042] FIG. 16 shows a herringbone braid.

[0043] FIG. 17 shows how a variation of the herringbone braid may be created.

[0044] FIG. 18 shows how a diagonal braid may be created with the help of the first embodiment of the braider of this invention.

[0045] FIG. 19 shows how a coil braid may be created with the help of the first embodiment of the braider of this invention.

[0046] FIG. 20 shows how a multi-rope hair style may be created with the help of the third embodiment of the braider of this invention.

[0047] FIGS. 21, 22 and 23 show the steps involved in creating a rope braid.

[0048] FIG. 21 shows the first step in creating a rope braid with the braider of this invention.

[0049] FIG. 22 shows the second step in creating a rope braid with the braider of this invention.

[0050] FIG. 23 shows a rope braid that was created using the first embodiment of the braider of this invention.

[0051] FIG. 24 shows how a chevron braid may be created using the sixth embodiment of the braider of this invention.

[0052] FIG. 25 shows how the braider may be used to make a non-braid hairstyle

[0053] FIG. 26 shows how a miniature braider may be used in place of a hair clip to anchor a small section of hair

[0054] Reference Numerals in Drawings

[0055] 1 first embodiment of the braider of this invention

[0056] 2 flexible mouth portion of first cavity

[0057] 3 flexibly mouth portion of second cavity

[0058] 4 first cavity of the braider

[0059] 5 crochet-like hooked rod to separate out sections of hair during braiding

[0060] 6 second cavity of the braider

[0061] 8 oval side profile of braider

[0062] 9 rectangular side profile of braider

[0063] 10 oval top profile of braider

[0064] 11 rectangular top profile of braider

[0065] 12 a second embodiment of the braider of this invention

[0066] 14 a third embodiment of the braider of this invention

[0067] 15 a variation of the third embodiment of the braider of this invention

[0068] 16 a fourth embodiment of the braider of this invention

[0069] 18 third cavity in a braider

[0070] 19 side view of a braider in which the short arm of the “L” as illustrated is intended to rest between the user's torso and the hair to be braided

[0071] 20 a fifth embodiment of the braider of this invention

[0072] 22 flexible member for holding hair strands in place within the first cavity

[0073] 24 flexible member for holding hair strands in place within the second cavity

[0074] 26 a sixth embodiment of the braider of this invention

[0075] 28 a seventh embodiment of the braider of this invention

[0076] 32 an eighth embodiment of the braider of this invention

[0077] 34 front elevational view of the seventh embodiment of the braider of this invention

[0078] 36 a ninth embodiment of the braider of this invention

[0079] 37 hanger hole

[0080] 38 a tenth embodiment of the braider of this invention

[0081] 40 a third cavity in a braider

[0082] 42 a fourth cavity in a braider

[0083] 43 an eleventh embodiment of the braider of this invention

[0084] 44 back of a wearer's head

[0085] 46 first section of the user's hair

[0086] 48 second section of the user's hair

[0087] 50 small sub-section of the first section of the user's hair

[0088] 52 small sub-section of the second section of the user's hair

[0089] 54 a herringbone braid made with the help of the first embodiment of the braider of this invention

[0090] 56 twisted sub-section of the first section of the user's hair

[0091] 58 twisted sub-section of the first section of the user's hair

[0092] 59 twisted sub-section of the first section of the user's hair

[0093] 60 twisted sub-section of the first section of the user's hair

[0094] 61 twisted sub-section of the first section of the user's hair

[0095] 62 twisted sub-section of the first section of the user's hair

[0096] 63 twisted sub-section of the second section of user's hair

[0097] 64 twisted sub-section of the second section of user's hair

[0098] 66 sub-section of the first section of user's hair

[0099] 69 sub-section of user's hair near scalp

[0100] 68 sub-section of the second section of user's hair

[0101] 70 rope braid formed with the help of the braider of this invention

[0102] 72 section of user's hair containing sub-sections of section 46 and section 48

[0103] 74 a section of user's hair

[0104] 76 top elevational view of the twelfth embodiment of the braider of this invention

[0105] 78 a section of wearer's hair

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0106] Various aspects of the present invention will evolve from the following detailed description which should be taken in conjunction with the prior described drawings. It should be noted that the drawings have not been made to scale.

[0107] FIG. 1

[0108] FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of the first embodiment of this invention. Braider 1 of this embodiment is substantially planar though it may be made convex or concave. Braider 1, in fact, may be made in a variety of different shapes without detracting from the spirit of this invention. The braider is seen to have two cavities 4 and 6 for receiving and holding sections of hair. The size of these cavities is such that the hair to be braided can be held snugly within these cavities so as to prevent the braider from slipping off. At the same time, each cavity should be designed so as to allow for both easy removal from the cavity and easy insertion into the cavity of hair sections. Mouth portion 2 of cavity 4 and mouth portion 3 of cavity 6 are flexible so as to allow hair strands to be introduced into and removed from the cavities. Many variations in the shape of the cavities are possible. The cavities may be circular, angular, elongated, or any other shape though a smooth shape is to be preferred to an angular shape in order for the hair sections to be held snugly within the cavities. The edges of the cavities can be made wavy or crimped to better hold sections of hair. Alternatively, the cavities may be designed to include a resilient member that can be reversibly deformed to better hold different thickness of hair. Another design of this tool, would be to subdivide cavities 4 and 6 into a series of cavities each. Some of these embodiments are discussed later in this detailed description.

[0109] FIG. 2

[0110] FIG. 2 shows the top elevational view of braider 1. FIG. 2 also shows a hooked rod 5 that can be used to separate out sections of hair during the braiding process. Several hooked rods with different sized hooks may be provided in order to allow the user to separate out differently sized sections of hair.

[0111] FIG. 3

[0112] FIG. 3 shows some options for the profile of a braider. As shown in side profile 8, the side view of a braider may be an elongated oval. As shown in side profile 9, the side view of a braider may be rectangular. Likewise different profiles for the front view are possible. Front profile 10 is seen to be substantially oval while front profile 11 is seen to be rectangular. These different profiles are intended to show that the actual shape of the braider can be varied while still maintaining the spirit of this invention.

[0113] FIG. 4

[0114] FIG. 4 shows braider 12 in which the body of the braider has been reduced to a frame with most of the body portion being hollow. This frame can be made from a tube or wire-like flexible material. It can also be made from a band of flexible material. In fact, a variety of different materials and cross-sections for the frame may be used. The shape of the frame itself may vary. It is, however, important that the material and design of the frame be such as to allow hair sections to be introduced into and removed from cavities 4 and 6 easily.

[0115] FIGS. 5A and 5B

[0116] FIG. 5A shows braider 14, a third embodiment of the braider of this invention. As shown in FIG. 5A, cavities 4 and 6 each consists of two cavities each to better retain hair. In fact, each of cavity 4 and cavity 6 may be divided into more than two cavities each. However, it is important that care be taken with a multi-cavity design to avoid compromising the ease of removing sections of hair or of inserting sections of hair into the cavities. In braider 14, the two smaller sub-cavities of cavity 4 and cavity 6 may be made of different sizes. For instance, the front cavity of cavity 4 may be made longer and narrower while the rear cavity of cavity 4 may be made shorter and wider. This will allow for more uses of the braiding tool. For instance, very narrow sections of hair may be held snugly as well as very wide sections. Teeth may also be used within the cavities to further help the cavities grab hair sections. However the teeth are likely to interfere with the process of removing sections of hair from the cavities; thus any teeth that are used should have the correct flexibility, size and alignment so as to not hinder the braiding process.

[0117] FIG. 5B shows braider 15 which is avariation of braider 14. In braider 15, the mouth portions 2 and 3 are extended so that they overlap over an extended area. This extended overlap area may be considered a modified cavity in which case braider 15 becomes exactly equivalent to braider 14. The overlap in the mouth portions will help grab very narrow sections of hair.

[0118] FIG. 6

[0119] FIG. 6 shows braider 20 which is a fourth embodiment of the braider of this invention. Braider 20 includes flexible elements 22 and 24 in cavities 4 and 6 respectively. These flexible elements help better retain hair within the cavities and make the braider adaptable for thick hair sections as well as thin ones. These flexible members can be made in a variety of shapes, including but not limited to wavy, zigzag, arcuate, smooth, etc. The flexible members may be attached at different points within the cavity without losing their functionality. They may be made of the same material as the rest of the braider. The flexible members 22 and 24 may be a continuation of the body portion of braider 20 and thus made during the same manufacturing step as the rest of the braider. Alternatively, they may be of a different material and attached in a different step than the manufacturing of the remainder of the braider. Members 22 and 24 may be flexible plastic members or metallic members that be distorted temporarily by the application of force. They may be made like the flexible members included in many barrettes to accommodate different thicknesses of hair.

[0120] FIG. 7

[0121] Braider 16 is a fifth embodiment of the braider of this invention. Aside from cavities 4 and 6, it has a third cavity 18. This third cavity can help make chevron braids and other related styles. The cavities shown in braider 6 are in the form of lined slots. The linings used may be made of a material that will help grab hair. But the material should also be such as to allow hair sections to be removed easily without damaging or snagging hair. Thus foam rubber may not be an ideal material for the cavities since it will interfere with the process of removing sections of hair from cavities. The material used for lining should be such that will help grab hair but without snagging it. Thus a coated foam rubber will work better than just a foam rubber lining. Any reversibly deformable material with a smooth surface will work as a lining material. However, a lined cavity will increase manufacturing costs. Additionally, the use of slots instead of cavities will make it difficult to make some of the braids of this invention since a slot design will interfere with the process of pushing a section of hair to the extreme interior of the cavity to get the appropriate look.

[0122] FIG. 8

[0123] Braider 26 is a sixth embodiment of the braiding tool of this invention. Like Braider 16 it includes a third cavity 18 that can be used to make chevron braids and other related styles. Braider 26 can have a side profile 19 in the shape of an L. The short leg of the side profile as shown in the illustration is intended to rest against the torso of the wearer while the braider is being used. The L-shaped profile is intended to help the braider stay perpendicular to the hair being braided and to lend more stability during the braiding process.

[0124] FIG. 9

[0125] FIG. 9 shows the top elevational view of braider 28 which is a seventh embodiment of the braider of this invention. In braider 28, the body portion has been substantially reduced as is clear from front view 34 which is essentially a rectangle. This braider design will be lightweight and also easy to manufacture. However, precisely because of the reduced body portion, this embodiment of the braider may be harder to grasp in the user's hand as compared to some of the other described embodiments. Braider 28 may be made by a variety of processes and a variety of materials. For instance, it could be made from two elongated, appropriately shaped members that are joined together at a point intermediate the two cavities of the braider. Braider 28 could also be made via a molding process. Alternatively it may be made from two, flexible metal bands that are joined at a point intermediate the two cavities. These manufacturing suggestions are not intended to be comprehensive; rather they are intended to give the reader an idea of some of the available options.

[0126] FIG. 10

[0127] FIG. 10 shows braider 32 that is similar to braider 28 in that it has a substantially reduced body portion. Cavities 4 and 6 are seen to be crimped in this case in order to improve the hair holding ability of the cavities. Cavities 4 and 6 may also be designed to hold hair in the manner of an ordinary bobby-pin.

[0128] FIGS. 11 and 12

[0129] FIGS. 11 and 12 show braiders 36 and 38 which are the ninth and tenth embodiments of the braider of this invention. These embodiments are intended to show some possible shapes for the braider. The braider can also be made circular or semicircular with a concave or convex profile. Braiders 36 and 38 also show a hanger hole 37. Hanger hole 37 may be placed at different locations on the body portion of the braider. The presence of a hanger hole directly on the braider will help reduce packaging requirements and allow for easy display.

[0130] FIG. 13

[0131] Braider 43 is an eleventh embodiment of the braider of this invention. This braider may be entirely made of a resilient material with cavities included in it. It may be provided with an outer coating that will prevent hair from snagging on the outside surfaces. Also, the mouth to cavities 4 and 6 can be made wider than the remainder of the cavities for ease of introducing hair into those cavities. Braider 43 is also seen to have two additional cavities 40 and 42. The presence of these cavities allows for a braiding method that is slightly different from the two-cavity braider embodiments. The presence of these extra cavities also allows for additional, more complex braiding styles. However, the presence of extra cavities also increases the complexity of the braiding process thus reducing the ease-of-use and the consumer appeal of the braider.

[0132] FIGS. 14, 15 and 16

[0133] FIGS. 14, 15 and 16 show how the braider of this invention may be used to make a herringbone braid. FIG. 14 shows the first step of the braiding process. Head 44 of wearer is seen from the back. The wearer's hair is seen divided into a first section 46 and a second section 48. Each section is seen placed within a cavity of braider 1. Section 46 is placed in cavity 4 while section 48 is placed into cavity 6. The hair sections are held snugly but removably within cavities 4 and 6 such that braider 1 will not slip off when released by the wearer. The embodiments of FIGS. 5 and 7 are to be preferred because they can accommodate different thicknesses of hair and fulfill all the requirements of a versatile braiding device.

[0134] FIG. 15 shows sub-section 50 of section 46 removed from cavity 4 and transferred into cavity 6. Thus sub-section 50 has now become a part of section 48. Hooked rod 5 shown in FIG. 2 may be used to separate out section 50 from section 48. Results will be better if sub-section 50 is removed from the outermost part of cavity 4 and introduced into the innermost part of cavity 6.

[0135] FIG. 15 also shows sub-section 52 removed from the outermost part of cavity 6 and transferred into the innermost part of cavity 4. Sub-section 52 is thus made part of section 46.

[0136] FIG. 16 shows braid 54 that is formed by repeating the steps of FIG. 15 several times. Sub-sections of hair are transferred alternately between cavities 4 and 6. As the braiding progresses, braider 1 is made to slide along sections 46 and 48. Once braiding is complete, the braider is slipped off the wearer's hair and a rubberband or an equivalent device is placed on the braid to keep it from unraveling. Braider 1 may even be allowed to remain in the wearer's hair after the braiding is completed. An advantage of the braider of this invention is that since the braider prevents the braid from unraveling, the braiding process may be interrupted several times and continued after the interruptions without having to start from scratch.

[0137] FIGS. 17, 18, 19 and 20

[0138] FIGS. 17-20 show some different styles of braids that can be created with the braider of this invention.

[0139] In FIG. 17, sub-section 56 is first removed from cavity 4. It is then twisted several times. It is then introduced into cavity 6. The herringbone braid shown in FIG. 16 can be modified so that sub-sections 50 and 52 are twisted in the manner of sub-section 56 before being transferred to the opposite cavity. This will result in a beautiful new variation of the herringbone braid.

[0140] In FIG. 18, sub-sections 58 and 59 are seen to have been removed from cavity 4, twisted in the manner of sub-section 56, and subsequently inserted into the opposite cavity. This process of removing, twisting and inserting may be repeated for as many sub-sections of section 46 as desired. The resulting braid will be a asymmetric diagonal braid.

[0141] In FIG. 19, sub-section 60 is removed from section 46 and twisted in the manner of sub-section 56. However, instead of being transferred to cavity 6 of braider 1, it is instead looped around, going behind section 48 and is then reintroduced into cavity 4 behind section 46. This step may be repeated several times with different sub-sections of section 46. This will result in a beautiful, coil braid. In a variation of the coil braid, twisted sub-section 60 may be wound around sections 48 and 46 multiple times before being introduced into a cavity.

[0142] In FIG. 20, sub-sections 61 and 62 of section 46 are seen twisted and retained in cavity 4 while sub-sections 63 and 64 of section 48 are seen twisted and retained in cavity 6. All or some of sections 46 and 48 may be twisted and retained in this manner. This style may be taken a step further by transferring twisted sub-sections between cavities 4 and 6 in a random or a sequential manner.

[0143] FIGS. 21, 22 and 23

[0144] FIGS. 21, 22, and 23 show how the braider of this invention may be used to make a rope braid. First two small sub-sections of the hair to be braided are placed in the cavities of the braider. This is shown in FIG. 21. Sub-section 66 of section 46 is placed in cavity 4 while sub-section 68 of section 48 is placed in cavity 6. The braider is then rotated one or more times. FIG. 22 shows the configuration after braider 1 has been rotated just once. Sub-section 68 is now closer to section 46 while sub-section 66 is closer to section 48. A sub-section of section 46 is now added to sub-section 68 in cavity 6. Likewise, a sub-section of section 48 is added to sub-section 66 in cavity 4. The tool is rotated again. This process of adding sub-sections and rotating the tool is repeated as many times as desired. The braider is moved downward along the hair strands during the braiding process. The result is rope braid 70 that is shown in FIG. 23.

[0145] FIG. 24

[0146] FIG. 24B shows braider 26 of FIG. 8 being used to braid hair. Sections 46 and 48 of hair are first placed in cavities 4 and 6 respectively of braider 26. Then sub-sections of hair are removed alternately from sections 46 and 48 and introduced into cavity 18. The sub-sections of hair introduced into cavity 18 form a growing section of hair 72. As the braiding continues, braider 26 is gradually moved down along the user's hair. The result is a chevron braid. Once braider 26 is removed, the chevron braid can be kept from unraveling by using a rubber band or an equivalent device.

[0147] FIG. 25

[0148] FIG. 25 shows how a non-braided hairstyle can also be achieved with the braider of this invention. Braider 1 is placed against the hair base. Hair section 74 is then woven around the braider and through its cavities. Several sections of hair may be woven around the braider in this manner. Hair sections may be first introduced into cavity 6, then looped over the braider, and subsequently inserted into cavity 4. The weaving may be done in a figure-8 configuration where a section of hair is first inserted into cavity 6, then looped around over the upper half of the tool, then inserted into cavity 4, then looped around again over the upper half of the tool and finally anchored by being inserted into cavity 6.

[0149] The order in which hair sections are inserted into cavities and looped over the braider may be varied infinitely. The result of this weaving will be an updo in which the braider becomes a part of the hair style. Thus, anyone skilled in the art will see that the braider can not only help make braids, but it can also be more than a tool. It can be used as a decorative hair accessory in its own right.

[0150] FIG. 26

[0151] FIG. 26 shows how the braider of this invention can be used in place of a hair clip. Braider 76 is a miniature braider with 4 cavities made in the shape of a flower. In this use, the braider cavities can be made very small in order to hold very small sections of hair. Small sections of hair may be anchored together by weaving them through the cavities of braider 76. Miniature braiders made in many other attractive shapes may be scattered throughout a wearer's hair. Aside from flower designs, a braider may be made in many other styles such as butterflies, animals, etc. It may be encrusted with gemstones. Alternatively, strings of beads or ribbons may be attached to the braider. The embodiment of braider 76 may also be used to attach hair extensions to a wearer's hair. The user's hair and hair extensions may be interwoven through a braider. Alternatively, hair extensions may be attached permanently to a braider. The braider may be then be anchored to the wearer's hair by inserting sections of the wearer's hair through the cavities of the braider.

[0152] Aside from the different braids and methods of braiding hair shown in the above figures, many others are possible by making minor adjustments to the structure of the braider or the process of braiding. Elements of the various embodiments may be mixed and matched. For instance, the embodiment of FIG. 15 could include a third or fourth cavity. The method for braiding hair can also be modified without taking away from the spirit of this invention. For instance, selective sub-sections of hair can be twisted during the braiding process. Using thick sub-sections of hair will result in a braid that will look very different from one made with very thin sub-sections. Likewise, using different sizes of sub-sections of hair in the same braid can result in a pattern that will appear to be complex but be as easy to make as the standard herringbone braid. Using a braider with cavities that are far apart or closer together can result in different looks of braids.

[0153] Operation of the Invention

[0154] In using braider 1 to make a basic herringbone braid, the wearer first divides the hair to be braided into two approximately equal sections. These sections 46 and 48 can be seen in FIG. 14. Section 46 is inserted into cavity 4 via mouth 2 while section 48 is inserted into cavity 6 via mouth 3. The point of placement of braider 1 on the wearer's hair should be at the point where the braiding of hair is to begin. The plane of braider 1 will be substantially perpendicular to the length of the hair to be braided. The cavities of braider 1 should be of a size and a design so as to hold hair snugly but not too tightly. The braider should sit snugly on the wearer's hair such that it can be slid down the hair easily by the user but will not do so under its own weight. The shape of the cavilies and the presence of additional holding mechanisms such as shown in FIGS. 5 and 7 will also help in retaining sections of hair within the cavities. Any holding mechanism employed within the cavities should be such as to also allow for easy removal of sub-sections of hair. Thus teeth present within the cavities may interfere with the process of introduction and removal of hair from within the cavities. If teeth are included within the cavities they should be very small, flexible and/or aligned so as to not resist the addition or removal of sections of hair.

[0155] Once braider 1 is placed on the wearer's hair as shown in FIG. 14, a sub-section of hair 50 is separated from section 46 and removed from cavity 4. This sub-section of hair should ideally be removed from the outermost portion of cavity 4. Sub-section of hair 50 is then introduced into cavity 6 so that it crosses over diagonally from section 46 to section 48. Sub-section 50 should ideally be pushed into the innermost portion of cavity 4 as shown in FIG. 15.

[0156] Next the preceding step is repeated for section 48. A sub-section of hair 52 is separated from section 48 and removed from cavity 6. This sub-section of hair should ideally be removed from the outermost portion of cavity 6. A hooked or toothed rod member as shown in FIG. 2 may be employed for separating sub-section 52 of hair. This sub-section of hair is then inserted into cavity 4 so that it crosses over diagonally from section 48 to section 46. Sub-section 52 should ideally be pushed into the innermost point of cavity 4 as shown in FIG. 15.

[0157] Subsequently, sub-sections of hair are separated alternately from sections 46 and 48 and transferred to the opposite cavity as described in the preceding paragraphs: first a sub-section is removed from the outer portion of section 46 and transferred to join the innermost portion of cavity 6. Then a sub-section of hair is removed from the outermost portion of section 48 and transferred to join the innermost portion of cavity 4. After every few steps, braider 1 is moved downward along sections 46 and 48 to allow more hair to be braided and to make room for the growing braid.

[0158] The resulting braid 70 can be seen in FIG. 16. This herringbone braid is very different in appearance from the standard 3-section braid. Once the desired length of hair has been braided, braider 1 may be slipped off the wearer's hair and a rubberband or an equivalent holding device be used to prevent the braid from unraveling. Alternatively, an attractively made braider may be left in the braided hair.

[0159] A variation of herringbone braid 54 of FIG. 16 is one in which each sub-section of hair is first twisted several times before being inserted into the opposing cavity. For instance, sub-section 50 would first be separated from section 46, then twisted several times and only then inserted into cavity 6. Likewise, sub-section of hair 52 would first be separated from section 48, twisted several times and then introduced into cavity 4. This process would result in a modified herringbone braid.

[0160] The braiding method for braider 16 of FIG. 7 and braider 26 of FIG. 8 is slightly different from the above. The method starts with placing two approximately half-sections of hair in cavities 4 and 6. But The difference is that in the case of braiders 16 and 26, sub-sections of hair removed from cavities 4 and 6 are placed in cavity 18. This can be seen in FIG. 24. Sub-sections of hair transferred from cavities 4 and 6 to cavity 18 result in a growing section of hair 72. The resulting braid, the chevron braid, looks like a series of “Vs”. In this case there is no exchange of sub-sections of hair between cavities 4 and 6.

[0161] Braider 43 uses a slightly different method for braiding hair. First the two approximately half sections of hair are placed in cavities 4 and 6. Then a sub-section of hair is removed from cavity 4 and placed in cavity 42 of FIG. 13. Next, a sub-section of hair is removed from cavity 6 and introduced into cavity 40. Sub-sections of hair may be twisted prior to being inserted into the opposite cavity. The method of alternately transferring hair is repeated until a desired length of braid is formed. Braider 43 has the disadvantage that it is more complicated to use since there are multiple cavities. More the number of cavities, the harder it is for a novice user to figure out which cavity to use. Thus, the two-cavity braiding tool is superior to a multi-cavity version. However, for a professional, a multi-cavity tool would be very useful because it would allow for more complex patterns of braids.

[0162] Aside from the basic herringbone braid and the modified herringbone braid, many other varieties of braids may be easily created with the two-cavity embodiment. One such braid is shown in FIG. 18. First, the hair to be braided is divided into two sections. The sections may be of equal thicknesses or one section could be much larger than the other. In an extreme case, the entire section of hair can be placed in one cavity. In FIG. 17, the hair is shown divided into two approximately equal sections. Sub-section of hair 56 is then separated from section 46. It is twisted several times forming a rope. This rope is then inserted into cavity 6. A second sub-section of hair 58 is then removed from section 46, twisted and inserted into cavity 6. A Third sub-section of hair 59 is then removed from section 46 and the process is repeated once again. This process may, in fact, be repeated as many times as desired. The result is an asymmetrical braid with twisted ropes going diagonally across the wearer's hair. Once the braiding is done, braider 1 is slipped off the user's hair and the resulting braid secured with a rubber band or an equivalent device.

[0163] A variation of the above braid is one in which first several twisted sub-sections are transferred from section 46 to cavity 6. This first step has already been described in the preceding paragraph. This process is then repeated for the other half-section of hair with several twisted sub-sections transferred from section 48 to cavity 4. The result of this process will be a multi-roped herringbone braid.

[0164] Yet another braiding method is shown in FIG. 19. In this method, hair may first be divided into two sections or the entire hair section may be placed in any one cavity. In FIG. 19, the hair to be braided has been divided into two equal sections. Once the hair sections are placed in the cavities, a sub-section of hair 60 is separated from section 46. It is then crossed over diagonally towards section 48, looped behind section 48, and then reinserted into cavity 4. This sub-section of hair may be twisted before it is reintroduced into cavity 4. Prior to being reinserted into cavity 4, twisted sub-section 60 may be looped around the hair to be braided more than once. This process may be repeated for several sub-sections of hair while moving the braiding tool down the wearer's hair. The result of this braiding method is a beautiful coil braid.

[0165] FIG. 20 shows a multi-rope hairstyle. In achieving this style, the braider acts as a holding tool to prevent twisted sub-sections of hair from unraveling. First, the hair to be braided is divided into two sections. The sections may be of equal thicknesses or one section could be much larger than the other. In an extreme case, the entire section of hair can be placed in one cavity. In FIG. 20, the hair is shown divided into two approximately equal sections. Section 48 is introduced into cavity 6 while section 46 is allowed to remain outside of the braider. In this case, the braider is placed at a point where the braiding is to end. A small sub-section of hair 61 is separated from section 46. Sub-section 61 is twisted several times. It is then introduced into cavity 4 of braider 14 to prevent it from unraveling. A second sub-section 62 is then separated from section 46. It is twisted several times into a rope. Twisted sub-section 62 is then inserted into cavity 4. For this braiding style, a narrow cavity or a flexible holding element will help hold small sub-sections securely. This process is repeated several times until all of section 46 has been introduced into cavity 4 in the form of twisted ropes. At this point, all of section 46 is in cavity 4. Section 48 is now entirely removed from cavity 6. Sub-section of hair 63 is separated from section 48, twisted, and inserted into cavity 6. This process is repeated so that, as in the case of section 46, all of section 48 is introduced into cavity 6 in the form of twisted ropes. At this point, braider 14 may be slipped off the hair carefully so as to not unravel the twisted ropes. A rubber band or equivalent device should be used to anchor the resulting hairstyle. A further modification of this hair style would be to first create a number of twisted sub-sections as just described and then to transfer these sub-sections between the cavities in a random or sequential manner.

[0166] FIGS. 21, 22 and 23 show how the braider may be used to make a rope braid. In this braiding style, two small sub-sections, 66 and 68, of the hair to be braided are placed in the cavities of the braider. This is shown in FIG. 21. The remaining hair is seen loosely divided into sections 46 and 48. The braider is then rotated one or more times. As can be seen in FIG. 22, sub-section 68 is now closer to section 46 while sub-section 66 is closer to section 48. A small sub-section of section 46 is now added to sub-section 68. Likewise, a sub-section of section 48 is added to sub-section 66. The tool is rotated again. This process of adding sub-sections and rotating the tool is repeated as many times as desired. The result is braid 70 that is shown in FIG. 23. This braid as well as many of the other braids previously described in this application may be started high up on the wearer's head or they may be started at the nape of the neck or at any point along the length of the wearer's hair.

[0167] FIG. 25 shows how a braider may be used to create a non-braid hairstyle. An attractively manufactured braider may become a part of a hairstyle as shown in FIG. 25. To achieve this hair style, sections of a wearer's hair may be woven through the cavities of the braider several times. For example, section 74 of hair can be seen to first have been inserted into cavity 6, then looped diagonally over the braider, and then reinserted into cavity 4. Depending on the length of the hair-strand, it may be looped again over the braider and inserted into either cavity 4 or cavity 6. Several sections of hair may be woven through the braider in this fashion.

[0168] FIG. 26 shows yet another way in which a braider may be used to create a non-braid hairstyle. Braider 76 is a miniature braider made in the shape of a flower. In this use, the braider cavities can be reduced in size to hold very small sections of hair. Small sections of hair may be anchored together by weaving them through the cavities of braider 76. Miniature braiders made in attractive shapes may be scattered throughout a wearer's hair. Aside from flower designs, a braider may be made in many other styles such as butterflies, animals, leaves, moon, sun, etc. It may also be encrusted with gemstones. Alternatively, strings of beads or ribbons may be attached to the braider. An embodiment of braider 74 may also be used to attach hair extensions to a wearer's hair. The user's hair and hair extensions may be inter-woven through a braider. Alternatively, hair extensions may be attached permanently to a braider. The braider may be then be anchored to the wearer's hair by inserting sections of the wearer's hair through the cavities of the braider.

[0169] While certain novel features and uses of this invention have been shown and described, it is not intended to be limited to the details above, since it will be understood that various omissions, modifications, substitutions and changes in the forms and details of the device illustrated and its operations can be made by those skilled in the art without departing in any way from the spirit of the present invention.

[0170] Conclusion, Ramifications, and Scope of Invention

[0171] Thus the reader will see that the braider of this invention provides a simple tool for making a wide variety of very attractive braids and other hairstyles. This tool is an improvement on existing prior art devices because it is much simpler in construction and use. Because of its simple design, the braider of this invention is very easy and inexpensive to manufacture. The low manufacturing costs will eventually translate to better value for the user.

[0172] The simple design of the braider has an additional advantage: unlike prior art tools, it does not intimidate the user with its complex appearance. Most prior art tools had complicated user instructions. A novice user felt defeated even before attempting to use those prior art devices. In contrast, the very simple design of the braider of this invention will appeal to users.

[0173] Despite its simplicity, however, the braider of this invention is very versatile and allows a user to achieve a wide variety of hair styles, both braided and non-braided. Most of the prior art devices were intended for very specific one or two braids. In contrast, the braider of this invention can help create a number of very different braids: the herringbone braid, the diagonal braid, the coil braid, the rope braid, the multi-twisted braid, the chevron braid and many others. Additionally, the braider can help create non-braid styles as well. For instance, the braider can help create an updo by acting as a hair clip into which sections of hair may be anchored. The braider can be made in beautiful colors and shapes so that miniature versions can be used as hair clips throughout a wearer's hair.

[0174] Even though the braider of this invention is very versatile and can create many different hair styles, it is very easy to use. Most of the prior art devices had multiple cavities for receiving sections of hair. That made the braiding process very complicated because the user had to keep track of which cavity to use for which hair section. This complication was even more pronounced for a user attempting to braid her own hair at the back of her head where she couldn't see the braider.

[0175] In contrast, the preferred embodiment of the braider of this invention has just two cavities. Hair sections removed from one cavity have only one other cavity to go to. Thus the braiding process is much simplified. A user no longer has to keep track of which cavity to put a hair section into. The preferred positioning of the cavities opposite each other further helps the user avoid any confusion about which cavity the hair sections are supposed to be inserted into.

[0176] Even though the device described by Sloan in U.S. Pat. No. 5,819,761 also has two cavities, the design of Sloan's device makes it unsuitable for many uses. Sloan describes a hair braiding device that consists of a flat elongate body having at least one opposing pair of slotted openings with the openings being lined with a resilient material that permits hair strands to be introduced thereinto and that allows the device to be rotated to create a rope braid. The braiding device by Sloan requires multiple manufacturing steps. It is hard to manufacture because it includes a lining attached on the inside of each of the slots. Additionally, even though Sloan's device has two openings, those openings are designed especially to prevent hair strands from escaping from the slots. Sloan's device requires an opposing yieldable lining that will grab on to hair strands when Sloan's device is being rotated. In fact, Sloan's device has been especially designed with rotation in mind. It requires that hair strands not escape from the openings during rotation. The use of fillable lining in Sloan's device is, in fact, intended to prevent hair strands from being easily removed. This makes Sloan's device less than ideal for braids such as the herringbone that require that sections of hair be removed often from the openings during the braiding process. Thus, Sloan's device has several disadvantages as compared to the braider of this invention.

[0177] From the preceding discussion, the reader will see that the braider of this invention has many advantages over prior art devices including those of ease of manufacturing, ease of use, extreme versatility, compact structure, and aesthetic appeal.

[0178] It is to be realized that the optimum dimensional relationships for the parts of the invention, to include variations in size, materials, function, and manner of operation, assembly and use, are deemed readily apparent and obvious to one skilled in the art, and all equivalent relationships to those illustrated in the drawings and described in the specification are intended to be encompassed by the present invention. While this description is directed to particular embodiments, it is understood that those skilled in the art may conceive modifications and/or variations to the specific embodiments shown and described herein. Any such modifications or variations which fall within the purview of this description are intended to be included as well. For instance, the two cavities of the braider do not need to be placed opposite to each other but may be more proximate. The braider may be made in the form of a trident with two parallel cavities. The body portion of the tool may have a wide variety of different shapes. The cavities themselves may differ in their size, shape and hair retention mechanism. The material of construction of the tool may vary from polymers to wood to cardboard to metal to any of a variety of suitable materials. Thus even though the description above contains many specifics, these should not be construed as limitations on the scope of the invention.

Claims

1. A hair braiding device for braiding hair, said device comprising: a. a body portion including at least two cavities b. each said cavity being configured so as to allow sections of hair to be held snugly within each said cavity c. each said cavity being configured so as to allow sections of hair to be easily inserted into and removed from each said cavity d. each said cavity having a resilient mouth portion that is configured so as to allow sections of hair to be easily inserted into and removed from each said cavity whereby said braiding device can be used to quickly and easily create many different hair styles.

2. The device of claim 1 wherein each said cavity includes a flexible member for retaining hair securely.

3. The device of claim 1 wherein each said cavity is subdivided into a plurality of cavities.

4. The device of claim 1 wherein said resilient mouth portion is configured so as to be able to retain sections of hair.

5. The device of claim 1 wherein said body portion is reduced to a frame.

6. The device of claim 1 wherein at least two cavities are aligned opposite each other.

7. The device of claim 1 wherein said body portion is substantially planar.

8. The device of claim 1 wherein a hanger hole is incorporated into said braiding device.

9. A method for braiding hair with a hair braiding device, said method comprising the steps of: a. parting hair to be braided into two sections, a first section and a second section b. inserting said first section into a first cavity of the braiding device c. inserting said second section into a second cavity of the braiding device d. removing a first sub-section of hair from the first cavity e. transferring said first sub-section to the second cavity f. removing a second sub-section of hair from the second cavity g. transferring said second sub-section to the first cavity

10. The method of claim 9 wherein the steps of removing and transferring said first sub-section and the steps of removing and transferring said second sub-section are repeated more than once whereby a herringbone braid is created.

11. The method of claim 9 wherein each said sub-section of hair is twisted several times following each said removing step and prior to each said transferring step whereby a modified herringbone braid is created.

12. A method of braiding hair with a hair braiding device, said method comprising the steps of: a. separating a small sub-section of hair from hair that is to be braided b. twisting said small sub-section of hair to form a twisted sub-section c. inserting said twisted sub-section into a cavity of the braiding device to prevent said twisted sub-section from unraveling

13. The method of claim 12 wherein the steps of separating, twisting and inserting are repeated for as many sub-sections of hair as desired.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein said twisted sub-sections are transferred between the cavities of the braiding device in any desired sequence thus forming a multi-rope braid.

15. The method of claim 12 wherein said twisted sub-section is inserted into a cavity opposite the hair section whereby a diagonal rope braid is created.

16. The method of claim 12 wherein said twisted sub-section is looped around the wearer's hair at least once prior to being inserted into a cavity of the braiding device whereby a coil braid is created.

17. A method of braiding hair with a hair braiding device, said method comprising the steps of: a. parting a portion of hair into two sections, a first section and a second section b. inserting said first section of hair into a first cavity of the braiding device c. inserting said second section of hair into a second cavity of the braiding device d. rotating the hair braiding device at least once thus intertwining the first section and the second section of hair

18. The method of claim 17 further including the steps of: a. inserting a third section of hair into a cavity of the braiding device b. inserting a fourth section of hair into a cavity of the braiding device c. rotating the hair braiding device at least once d. repeating said inserting and rotating steps as many times as desired whereby a rope braid is formed.

19. A method for creating a non-braided hair style with a braiding device, said method comprising the steps of: a. inserting a first section of hair into a first cavity of the braiding device b. reinserting said first section of hair into a cavity of the braiding device.

20. The method of claim 19 wherein said first section of hair is wrapped around the braiding device.