BACKGROUND
Technical Field
This invention relates to hair clips and more particularly to hair clips having a hinge mechanism positioned around and hidden behind inwardly extending engagement shoulders of the handles of the hair clip which form an engagement seam around which the clip members pivot.
Description of Related Art
Prior to the invention disclosed herein, a typical hair clip comprises two or more clip members coupled together by an outwardly visible spring-biased hinge. This hinge can have a central pivotal axis, such as in a traditional claw clip, or a side pivotal axis, such as in a side claw clip, alligator clip, or salon clip or spring steel snap clip. Knuckles and springs are generally visible, creating an undesirable appearance, as well as opportunities to break, tangle, or damage hair.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The invention discloses a hair clip with a resilient hinge mechanism such as a spring. The spring mechanism is disposed on the interior side of and engagement seam formed by two inwardly extending engagement shoulders thus presenting from an outer vantage point a single engagement seam.
As in a traditional hair clip, the clip members include one or more levers or handles used to widen the space between the teeth or combs. Placing the hinge mechanism between the teeth in the interior of the hair clip allows for a wider opening than with a traditional hair clip. When the handles are released, the hair is securely held between the teeth.
There are also aesthetic benefits to the invention: the hinge mechanism faces inwards towards the retained hair. Thus, hinge knuckles, hinge pins, and/or springs are partially or completely covered and not outwardly visible. An optional spring cover can be employed to prevent hair contact with the spring mechanism, but it is not a requirement.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1A is an upper perspective view of a first embodiment of a hair clip having a hidden hinge shown in a closed configuration.
FIG. 1B is a bottom perspective view thereof showing the hair clip in a partially open configuration.
FIG. 1C is a sectional view thereof taken along lines 1C-1C of FIG. 1B.
FIG. 1D is an bottom perspective view thereof showing the hair clip in a fully open configuration.
FIG. 1E is a side elevational view thereof showing the hair clip in a fully open configuration.
FIG. 1F is an enlarged portion of a portion of another embodiment of the invention similar to that shown in FIGS. 1A-1E.
FIGS. 2A-2D show representative examples of how the first embodiment of the invention disclosed herein may be applied to four different hair claw clip styles.
FIG. 3A is an upper right rear perspective view of a second embodiment thereof showing the hair clip in a closed configuration.
FIG. 3B is an upper right front perspective view thereof showing the hair clip in an open configuration.
FIG. 3C is an enlarged perspective view of a portion of FIG. 3B showing the hinge mechanism thereof.
FIG. 3D is front elevational view thereof showing the hair clip in an open configuration.
FIG. 3E is side elevational view thereof showing the hair clip in an open configuration.
FIG. 3F is an enlarged view of a portion of another embodiment of the invention similar to that shown in FIGS. 3A-3E.
FIGS. 4A-4D show representative examples of how the second embodiment of the invention disclosed herein may be applied to four different side claw clip styles.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE ILLUSTRATED EMBODIMENT
A first embodiment of hair clip having a hidden hinge, indicated at 100 in FIGS. 1A-1E, comprises two adjacent clip members 110 each including a grabbable handle 115 and an array of teeth 120. Inwardly extending engagement shoulders 117 (see FIGS. 1B-1E) disposed between the handles 115 and the arrays of teeth 120 are in abutting disposition and form between them an engagement seam 125. While the engagement seam 125 in the illustrated embodiment is shown extending continuously along the full lengths of the handles 115 and teeth 120, in other embodiments gaps can be provided in or along the engagement seam so that it is separated into two or more engagement seams.
As can be seen from FIGS. 1B-1E, the abutting engagement shoulders 117 form a functional hinge 130 about which the clip members 110 pivot, the handles 115 acting as levers that open the teeth 120. The clip members 110 are coupled and held together by a spring 145 or other resilient material that extends across and is adjacent to the inner edges 118 of engagement shoulders 117. In this application the word “inner” and variants thereof refer to the area bounded by the arrays of teeth 120 and the engagement shoulders 117 of the clip members 110. The engagement shoulders 117 and engagement seam 125 are thereby positioning between the handles and the spring 145. Thus, as can best be appreciated when viewing the hair clip from an outer or handle-side vantage point, as shown in FIG. 1A, all or a portion of the spring 145 is hidden.
With continuing reference to FIGS. 1B-1E, pivot pins 135 disposed in knuckles 140 create axes around which handles 115 and teeth 120 pivot. The clip members 110 are coupled together by dual axis torsion springs 145 which return the claw clip to its closed position in which the teeth 120 are positioned to retain hair. Each torsion spring 145 has two coiled portions 150 interconnected by connector 155. Connectors 155 that comprise resilient or non-resilient materials are understood to be within the scope of this invention. One of the pivot pins 135 is rotatably received in the center bore formed by each coiled portion 150. Each coiled portion 150 is affixed to the teeth 120 of one of the clip members 115, so that the coiled portions 150 are wound more tightly as the clip members pivot from the closed configuration, seen in FIG. 1A, to an open configuration, such as seen in FIGS. 1B-1E.
In the illustrated embodiment, a short extension 160 of spring 145 is affixed behind catch 165 to the inner face 170 of each engagement shoulder 117 and bias the clip members 110 toward the closed configuration. It will be understood, however, that the coiled portions 150 of the springs 145 may be attached directly to the teeth 120 of the clip members 110 in various ways that bias the clip members 110 toward a closed configuration.
It will be understood that, while the knuckles 140 and pivot pins provide pivot axes and anchor points for the dual axis torsion springs 145, only the engagement shoulders 117 and one or more resilient structures such as springs are needed to create a functional hinge. In other embodiments hinge types may include, but are not limited to, two-pin hinges, hinges with virtual pivot axes, single pin hinges, single pin hinges in combination with a virtual pivot axis and living hinges. Such hinges are biased toward the closed position using resilient or elastomeric materials or components or springs. While the embodiments described in this application focus on springs, other resilient materials or devices that have an elastic body that recovers its original shape when released after being distorted fall within the ambit of this invention.
Positioning the engagement shoulders 117 between the handles 115 and the spring 145 of each clip member 110 hides all or part of the spring 145 behind the handles 115, the engagement shoulders 117, and the engagement seam 125 when the hair clip is viewed from an outer, or handle-side, vantage point as seen in FIG. 1A. This provides a unique aesthetic advantage over prior art hinged hair claw clips and is particularly advantageous when the teeth 120 of the hair clip are in use retaining hair because only the handles 115 and the engagement seam 117 between the handles generally will then be visible.
In other embodiments of the device a separate cover may be provided between the teeth of the clip members that cover and hide the spring mechanism from an inner vantage point. Thus, with reference to FIG. 1F, in an enlarged view of a portion of another embodiment 101 of a hair clip according to the invention, similar to the embodiment shown in FIG. 1E, the coiled portions 150 and a length of the pivot pins 135 (both indicated in broken lines) of the spring 145 are enclosed in retaining structures 140.
FIGS. 2A-2D show additional examples of how the invention may be applied to four representative styles of hair claw clips having four different types of hinges. FIG. 2A shows an ornamental hair claw clip with two clip members 200 and a single seamed hinge 210, wherein the clip members 200 pivot about the pins 235 in the claw clip. Springs on the underside of the claw, which ensure closure, are not illustrated.
FIG. 2B shows an extruded ornamental hair claw clip having two clip members 220 and a single seamed hinge 230, wherein the clip members 220 pivot about a hidden hinge on the underside of claw clip. The resilient material provided on the underside of the claw to ensure closure is not shown for clarity.
FIG. 2C is a perspective view of an extruded star ornamental hair claw clip having two clip members 240 and a single seamed hinge 250, wherein the clip members 240 pivot about pivot pins 255 in the claw clip. An elastomer provided on the underside of the claw clip to ensure closure is not shown for clarity.
FIG. 2D is a perspective view of a heart shaped ornamental hair claw clip with two clip members 260 and a single seamed hinge 270, wherein the clip members 260 pivot about a hidden hinge in the claw clip. Springs provided on the underside of the claw to ensure closure are not shown for clarity. It is understood that one or more body members may be made from resilient material to open and close the clip members to readily retain hair.
FIGS. 3A-3E show a second embodiment of the disclosed invention in the form of a side hair claw clip. The hair clip is comprised of two adjacent clip members 310 each having a handle 315 and an array of teeth 320. As in the first embodiment of the invention discussed above in connection with FIGS. 1A-1D, only a singular engagement seam 325 is visible while in use in a closed configuration as best seen in FIG. 3A. Engagement shoulders 330 protruding inwardly from the base portions 335 of the teeth 320 of each clip member 310 are disposed in abutting engagement thereby providing a rolling pivot axis around which the clip members 310 pivot and form the engagement seam 325. An extension spring 340 is disposed in opposing recesses 345 provided in shoulders 330 as seen in FIGS. 3B-3D. In the embodiment shown in FIGS. 3B-3C each end of the extension spring 340 is fixed to one of the engagement shoulders 330 via anchor pins 350 such that the spring 340 joins the clip members 310 together while biasing them toward the closed configuration shown in FIG. 3A. As seen in FIG. 3D, each end 342 of the spring 340 is embedded directly into the base portion 335 of the teeth 320 of one of the clip members 310.
In the embodiments illustrated in FIGS. 3A-3E handles 315 act as levers that open the teeth 320 of the side hair claw clip members 310 while springs 320 urge the teeth 320 of the clip to the closed configuration such as for retaining hair. It is understood that pivot pins or spring hinge mechanisms are not required for this invention to function. Body members or coupled springs may comprise resilient or elastomeric materials used to bias body members and retain hair.
With reference now to FIG. 3F, in an enlarged view of a portion of another embodiment 301 of a hair clip according to the invention, similar to the embodiment shown in FIG. 3D, anchor pins 350 and spring 340 (both indicated in broken lines) are enclosed in engagement shoulders 330 so that they are hidden when the hair clip is viewed from an internal vantage point.
The invention disclosed herein is applicable to side hair claw clips of all hinge styles. FIGS. 4A-4D show additional examples of how the invention may be applied to four representative styles of side hair claw clips with four different types of hinges.
FIG. 4A is a perspective view of an extruded ornamental side hair claw clip having two clip members 400 which pivot about a single seamed hinge 410. A spring provided on the underside of the clip to ensure closure is not shown for clarity. It is understood that one or more body members may be made from resilient material to open and close the clip members to readily retain hair.
FIG. 4B is a perspective view of a seashell ornamental side hair claw clip having two clip members 420 which pivot about a single seamed hinge 430. The resilient material provided on the underside of the claw to ensure closure is not shown for clarity.
FIG. 4C is a perspective view of a flower and leaf ornamental side hair claw clip having two clip members 440 which pivot about a single seamed hinge 450. A resilient component on the underside of the clip that both connects and aligns the two clip members is not illustrated.
FIG. 4D is a perspective view of an ornamental side hair claw clip having two clip members 460 and a single seamed hinge 470, which rotates along the pins 480 in the claw clip. Springs provided on the underside of the claw to ensure closure are not shown for clarity. It is understood that one or more body members may be made from resilient materials to open and close the clip members to readily retain hair.
While two pin and virtual hinges are used in most of the examples shown above, one skilled in the art will understand that these are just for illustrative purposes and all types of hinges including, but not limited to, living hinges, single pin hinges, piano hinges, geared hinges, etc. may be employed as long as there is a single outermost seam. Similarly, resilient materials of all types, e.g., elastomeric materials, spring-metals, all manner of springs, e.g., torsion springs, coupled torsion springs, extension springs, leaf springs, clock springs, and components, such as split rings, may be used to bias the hair clip to a closed configuration.
While no hinge pins, knuckles, or connectors are required for the hinge to operate effectively, they are not precluded from use in this invention. Furthermore, independent of the type of resilient materials, components, and/or springs used to connect and orient the leaves, the seam between the two leaves does not have to be a single straight line but can be of any arbitrary shape depending on the aesthetics desired. Thus, it is understood that variations in the shape of the gap including, but not limited to, polygonal or curved shapes, e.g., portions of circles, parabolas, ellipses, catenaries, or organic shapes, fall within the ambit of this invention. Furthermore, the cross-section of the gap may be different on each leaf.
There have thus been described and illustrated certain embodiments of spring hair clips with a single outermost seam according to the invention. Although the present invention has been described and illustrated in detail, it should be clearly understood that the disclosure is illustrative only and is not to be taken as limiting, the spirit and scope of the invention being limited only by the terms of the appended claims and their legal equivalents.
Patent Application
20250049192
