Patent Application
20190116953
The present invention relates generally to hair styling products, and more particularly to a device for sectioning hair.
The statements in this section merely provide background information related to the present disclosure and may not constitute prior art.
There are a variety of known devices available for styling, curling and straightening hair such as curling irons, straightening combs and flat irons, for example. During use, it is necessary for a user to arrange the hair into manageable portions through a process called layering wherein various sections of the user's hair are pulled back and/or tied up, while other sections are engaged by the device. As this process is done manually, it is not uncommon for some portions of the user's hair to be captured and straightened twice and for other sections to be missed entirely, thereby causing the final result to be less than perfect.
Likewise, when performing other actions, such as adding color highlights, for example, it is also necessary to perform the above described layering procedure and to overcome the above noted issues. For these reasons, many users do not attempt to perform such services on their own hair, choosing instead to visit a salon and engage the services of a professional stylist.
Accordingly, it would be beneficial to provide a hair sectioning device having a plurality of dividers that can be configured to allow all of a user's hair to be easily and systematically layered, so as to eliminate the drawbacks described above.
The present invention is directed to a hair sectioning device. One embodiment of the present invention can include a headband having a shape, size and construction material that is suitable for being worn about the head of a user. The device can also include a plurality of dividers which can engage the headband to create a stencil having a plurality of user-defined sections for receiving the user's hair.
In one embodiment, at least one of the dividers can include an elongated elastomeric cord having a pair of connectors located along each end thereof. The connectors can engage complementary connectors positioned on the headband as desired by a user.
In one embodiment, at least one of the dividers can include multiple elongated elastomeric cords that are pre-arranged to form distinct shapes. Each of the elastomeric cords can include a connector that can also engage complementary connectors positioned on the headband as desired by a user.
This summary is provided merely to introduce certain concepts and not to identify key or essential features of the claimed subject matter.
Presently preferred embodiments are shown in the drawings. It should be appreciated, however, that the invention is not limited to the precise arrangements and instrumentalities shown.
While the specification concludes with claims defining the features of the invention that are regarded as novel, it is believed that the invention will be better understood from a consideration of the description in conjunction with the drawings. As required, detailed embodiments of the present invention are disclosed herein; however, it is to be understood that the disclosed embodiments are merely exemplary of the invention which can be embodied in various forms. Therefore, specific structural and functional details disclosed herein are not to be interpreted as limiting, but merely as a basis for the claims and as a representative basis for teaching one skilled in the art to variously employ the inventive arrangements in virtually any appropriately detailed structure. Further, the terms and phrases used herein are not intended to be limiting but rather to provide an understandable description of the invention.
As shown in
In one embodiment, each of the dividers 11 can include a single elongated cord Ila having a connector 15a along each end. Likewise, each of the dividers 12 can include a plurality of elongated cords 12a-12d, for example, that are joined together to form any number of different shapes. Each of the cords 12a-12d can also include a connector 15a along a distal end.
In the preferred embodiment, each of the elongated cords will be constructed from a thin elastomeric material such as polyester crystal string cord, for example, and will have an outside diameter of between 0.1 and 1 centimeter. The use of a thin elastomeric cord allows the dividers to be stretched along the head of a wearer, to act as a stencil for separating the hair of the wearer's entire head into any number of different sections without leaving any gaps or redundancy.
Although illustrated and described with regard to particular shapes, sizes and construction materials, those of skill in the art will recognize that any number of other shapes, sizes and/or construction materials are also contemplated. Moreover, in various embodiments, one or more of the elongated cords can include a plurality of smooth beads 13 along a length thereof. The beads 13 including a smooth outer surface that allows the cord(s) to roll along the head of the wearer during initial positioning and removal. Such a feature prevents the wearer's hair from becoming entangled with the divider and/or disrupting the shape of the hair.
As shown best in
In the preferred embodiment, the headband 20 can constructed from any number of elastomeric materials such as spandex and nylon, for example, so as to be suitable for engaging a human head in a one-size-fits-all manner. Additionally, the elastomeric fabric can be coated with, or covered by any number of sweat absorbing materials such as cotton terrycloth, for example. Such a feature can allow the headband to absorb excess hair dye and other such chemicals during use, thereby protecting the user from excessive exposure to such chemicals. Of course, other embodiments are contemplated wherein the headband can include shapes and construction materials that are different from those described above.
As shown, a plurality of complementary connectors 15b can be disposed along the inner surface 23 of the headband. In the preferred embodiment, twelve such connectors can be arranged in a clock-like orientation (e.g., at the universally recognized 1-12 o'clock positions), and can function to engage the connectors 15b of the above described dividers.
As described herein, the terms connector and complementary connector can be used interchangeably to include any number of different elements capable of securing two items together in a nonpermanent manner. Several nonlimiting examples include opposing strips of hook and loop material (i.e. Velcro®), magnetic elements, and compression fittings such as snaps, hooks and buttons, for example. Each connector and complementary connector can be permanently secured to the illustrated portion of the device via a permanent sealer such as glue, or stitching, for example.
Although described as including a continuous body with connectors positioned along the inside surface at specific positions, other embodiments are contemplated. For example,
To this end, the headband 20 can also include complementary connectors 15a that are positioned along both the inside facing surface 23 and the outside facing surface 24. As shown, the location of the complementary connectors along the respective surfaces can be identical to each other, or can be at different locations so as to facilitate receiving dividers of different shapes and sizes. As such, each of the complementary connectors can be positioned at locations on the headband 20 to be engaged by a specifically shaped divider 12.
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To this end, the neck guard 40 can act in a similar manner to a salon styling cape to protect the wearers scalp, neck, skin and clothing from the chemicals involved in the treatment. In the preferred embodiment, the neck guard 40 can be constructed from a waterproof fabric, such as nylon, for example, and can include a length of between 10 and 24 inches.
As described herein, one or more elements of the hair sectioning device 10 can be secured together utilizing any number of known attachment means such as, for example, glue or compression fittings, among others. Moreover, although the above embodiments have been described as including separate individual elements, the inventive concepts disclosed herein are not so limiting. To this end, one of skill in the art will recognize that one or more individually identified elements may be formed together as one or more continuous elements, either through manufacturing processes, such as welding, casting, or molding, or through the use of a singular piece of material milled or machined with the aforementioned components forming identifiable sections thereof. Accordingly, in one embodiment, the device can include one or more dividers that are permanently connected to the headband to form one or more pre-defined sections. Such a feature being beneficial for producing hairstyles wherein the wearers hair is arranged to receive a color treatment that forms a distinct shape such as a logo, flag, sport (e.g., baseball, football, or soccer) or symbol (e.g., peace sign), for example.
As to a further description of the manner and use of the present invention, the same should be apparent from the above description. Accordingly, no further discussion relating to the manner of usage and operation will be provided.
The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of the invention. As used herein, the singular forms “a,” “an,” and “the” are intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. It will be further understood that the terms “comprises” and/or “comprising,” when used in this specification, specify the presence of stated features, integers, steps, operations, elements, and/or components, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, operations, elements, components, and/or groups thereof. Likewise, the terms “consisting” shall be used to describe only those components identified. In each instance where a device comprises certain elements, it will inherently consist of each of those identified elements as well.
The corresponding structures, materials, acts, and equivalents of all means or step plus function elements in the claims below are intended to include any structure, material, or act for performing the function in combination with other claimed elements as specifically claimed. The description of the present invention has been presented for purposes of illustration and description, but is not intended to be exhaustive or limited to the invention in the form disclosed. Many modifications and variations will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention. The embodiment was chosen and described in order to best explain the principles of the invention and the practical application, and to enable others of ordinary skill in the art to understand the invention for various embodiments with various modifications as are suited to the particular use contemplated.
