Patent Application
20200113304
The present disclosure relates to a hair styling accessory, and, in particular, relates to a hair clip apparatus for retaining hair in a desired orientation. The present disclosure further relates to a hair clip apparatus incorporating structure providing multi-attachment capabilities which facilitate maintenance of the hair in the desired styling effect and also retention of the hair clip apparatus within the volume of hair.
Hair pins, barrettes, and/or hair clips are commonly utilized to retain hair in a desired orientation, e.g., to keep hair bunched together or arranged to achieve a defined style. Although these devices are generally useful for their intended purposes, they are deficient with respect to retaining the hair during activity of the user such as during exercise, swimming etc. In particular, known hair clips tend to release the hair and/or become dislodged from the hair upon movement of the user. Moreover, known hair clips incorporate only a single attachment mechanism for securing the hair in the desired style and for retaining the hair clip within the hair.
Accordingly, the present disclosure addresses the disadvantages associated with known hair clips. In particular, the hair clip apparatus provides a multi-mode attachment mechanism which includes a clasp for securing the hair in a desired style and additional hair retention structure which retains the hair clip apparatus relative to the volume of hair adjacent the clasp. In accordance with one exemplary embodiment, a hair clip apparatus includes a base, a tongue extending from the base and defining a longitudinal axis, a clasp extending longitudinally from the base, and configured for movement relative to the base between a closed condition adjacent the tongue and an open condition at least partially spaced from the tongue to permit entry of hair between the clasp and the tongue, and a plurality of hair engaging teeth extending longitudinally from the base and being spaced from the tongue. The clasp is normally biased toward the closed condition to trap the hair disposed between the clasp and the tongue. The hair engaging teeth are configured to engage a neighboring volume of hair to resist removal of the clasp and the tongue relative to the hair trapped therebetween.
Adjacent hair engaging teeth of the plurality of hair engaging teeth are laterally spaced with respect to each other, and configured to retain hair therebetween. The hair engaging teeth each may include an enlarged midsegment relative to segments of each hair engaging teeth adjacent the enlarged midsegment. The enlarged midsegment of adjacent hair engaging teeth cooperate to facilitate retention of hair within the hair engaging teeth. In addition, or supplemental therewith, the hair engaging teeth and at least one of the base or the tongue are configured to trap hair therebetween to further facilitate retention within the hair. In one embodiment, the hair engaging teeth and the tongue are disposed in general parallel relation to facilitate entry of hair therebetween. The hair engaging teeth may be substantially linear.
In one embodiment, the tongue and the clasp define a substantially concave profile when the clasp is in the closed condition.
The clasp may define a substantially convex profile when the clasp is in the open condition. In addition, the tongue may be substantially linear in general parallel relation with the hair engaging teeth when the clasp is in the open condition. In a certain embodiment, the clasp includes a pair of legs, which are coupled at first longitudinal ends thereof to the base in spaced relation and coupled to each other at second longitudinal ends thereof. The clasp may be configured to articulate relative to the base to transition between the closed condition and the open condition thereof.
The hair clip apparatus of the present disclosure incorporates a clasp which cooperates with the tongue to retain the hair in a desired styling effect. In addition, the hair clip apparatus includes a plurality of hair engaging teeth spaced from the clasp and the tongue to engage hair surrounding the clasp and the tongue. Thus, the hair clip apparatus is retained in the volume of hair by trapping the hair between the clasp and the tongue, and also via the hair engaging teeth. The hair engaging teeth also are arranged to retain and secure hair between adjacent teeth, and also trap hair between the inner surfaces of the teeth and the base and/or tongue.
Other features of the present disclosure will be appreciated from the following description of same.
Various embodiments of the present disclosure are described hereinbelow with references to the drawings, wherein:
Referring now to the drawing figures wherein like reference numerals identify similar or like components throughout the several views,
The hair clip apparatus 10 includes a base 12 from which depends a tongue 14 defining a longitudinal axis âkâ, a clasp 16 and a plurality of hair engaging teeth 18. The hair clip apparatus 10 may be monolithically formed as a single unit via a stamping, coining or molding process, and may be fabricated from a relatively resilient material including spring steel, aluminum, or a suitable polymeric material. Other materials are also contemplated.
The base 12 is generally U-shaped and supports the remaining components, i.e., the tongue 14, the clasp 16 and the hair engaging teeth 18, of the hair clip apparatus 10. The tongue 14 includes an offset segment 20 which is connected to the base to define a lateral gap 22 when viewed in side elevation (
The clasp 16 includes a pair of laterally spaced clasp legs 16a, 16b which are coupled to the base 12 at one longitudinal end and coupled to each other via fastener 28 at a second longitudinal end longitudinally spaced from the base 12. Any fastener for coupling the clasp legs to each other are envisioned including rivets, screws, pins or the like. In the alternative, the clasp 16 may be manufactured whereby the clasp legs 16a, 16b are integrally or monolithically formed at the second longitudinal end thereby obviating the requirement for a fastener. The clasp legs 16a, 16b define a longitudinal opening 30 through the clasp 16 which increases its overall flexibility. The longitudinal opening 30 may at least partially receive the V-shaped raised projections 26 of the tongue 14.
As best depicted in
It is envisioned that the hair clip apparatus 10 may be fabricated such that the clasp 16 will invert to its open condition during manipulation of the clasp 16 beyond, e.g., a linear orientation, i.e., the clasp 16 will spring open to the open condition and remain in the open condition until the clasp 16 is subjected to a return force. Similarly, the clasp 16 may spring back to its closed condition upon return movement thereof beyond a linear configuration. The tongue 14 may transition in a similar manner the clasp 16.
The use of the hair clip apparatus 10 in retaining hair in a defined style will be discussed. When a section of hair is manipulated to the desired styling effect, the clasp 16 of the hair clip apparatus 10 is transitioned to the open condition of
The hair clip apparatus of the present disclosure is capable of securing hair in a desired style while also incorporating structure which fixes and retains the hair clip apparatus within the volume of hair neighboring the styled hair. Specifically, the tongue 14, the clasp 16 and the hair engaging teeth 18 cooperate to maintain the desired hair style and effectively secure the apparatus within the hair even during physical activity and other movement of the user.
Although the illustrative embodiments of the present disclosure have been described herein with reference to the accompanying drawings, the above description, disclosure, and figures should not be construed as limiting, but merely as exemplifications of particular embodiments. It is to be understood, therefore, that the disclosure is not limited to those precise embodiments, and that various other changes and modifications may be effected therein by one skilled in the art without departing from the scope or spirit of the disclosure.
