Patent Application
20200046104
Various embodiments relate generally to cleaning up hair-shavings.
In the modern world, many people shave off unwanted body hair to maintain a clean, aesthetically pleasing look. Men may shave their facial hair, and women may shave their leg hair, using razors or electrical shavers, for example. Shaving hair may be more common in some parts of the world than in other parts of the world.
Apparatus and associated methods relate to a hair-shavings collecting sheet that includes at least four peel-back adhesives, in an exemplary embodiment, in each corner on the surface of one side of the sheet to releasably couple the sheet to a surface, such as a bathroom sink, where the adhesive may be optional for use due to the peel-off cover on the adhesives. In an illustrative example, the sheet may be formed of a polymer and made of (oxo-) biodegradable or recycled materials. The sheet may include multiple different adhesive locations disposed around the sheet, for example. In some implementations, the adhesive may have complementary release liners. A sheet with adhesive may securely but releasably keep the sheet in place, thus preventing spillage of shaved hair.
Various embodiments may achieve one or more advantages. For example, a hair-shavings collecting sheet may reduce the mess from shaving by making post-shaving cleanup faster and easier. Some embodiments may provide for an eco-friendly hair-shavings collecting sheet that gives users a clear conscience knowing that they are not contributing to human pollution and waste. The sheet may be effective in collecting and attracting shaved hair, which may appease, for example, the spouse of the shaving person (e.g., since there is minimal mess left after shaving). Multiple sheets may be easily attached to one another, thus allowing the shaving coverage area to be customized for shaving over different size surfaces (e.g., a sink vs. a floor). In some examples, the sheet may have portions (e.g., such as the edges/corners of the sheet) that may come in a pre-formed shape to aid in attaching the sheet to a surface. A sheet may include upwardly shaped flaps that form a bowl or valley for hair-shavings to fall into, for example.
Some embodiments may include a dispenser that contains a roll or stack of sheets. The dispenser may include a frictional element that imparts static charge on a sheet as it is dispensed from the dispenser or the sheets may already include a static charge to them. Once the sheet has been used, it can be folded or bunched up inward, keeping the hair clippings enclosed and then can be used to gently wipe any excess hair that may have gotten on the surface, with the aid of the static charge. Various embodiments may include the sheet as part of a kit that includes other shaving-related items (e.g., towel, nose trimmers, etc.).
The details of various embodiments are set forth in the accompanying drawings and the description below. Other features and advantages will be apparent from the description and drawings, and from the claims.
Like reference symbols in the various drawings indicate like elements.
Included with the dispenser 300A is an electric charge imparter 325. The imparter 325 may be a frictional or rough surface with triboelectric charging properties (at least relative to the material that forms the sheets). When a user extracts a sheet from the dispenser 300A, the sheet may rub up against the imparter 325, which may cause electrons to be transferred between the sheet and the imparter 325. The redistribution of electrons on the sheet may cause the sheet to have a net non-zero electrical charge. In this example, the electrical exchange between the imparter and the sheet causes the sheet to have a nenegative charge 330. In some examples, the charge may be a net positive charge. A net non-zero electrical charge of the sheet may cause hair-shavings to be attracted to the sheet, which may advantageously allow for the sheet to collect more hair-shavings that may otherwise have not been collected. The charge imparted to the sheet may be about 101, 102, 103, 104, 105, or about 106 statcoulombs or more, for example.
A dispenser 300B includes a housing 305 that houses a stack of hair-shavings collecting sheets 310B. The sheets 310B may be dispensed through an opening 315 in the housing 305. When each sheet is dispensed, it may frictionally engage a neighboring sheet, thus resulting in triboelectric charging of the extracted sheet (e.g., similar to the triboelectric charging described above).
Although various embodiments have been described with reference to the Figures, other embodiments are possible. For example, the sheet may beneficially stay in place relative to an attachment surface due to adhesive. Some embodiments may allow for efficient trimming and shaving of body hair. In some examples, adhesive may be built in or integrated with each sheet. In some examples, the sheet may be a film. In various examples, the sheet may be formed of an (oxo-)biodegradable material. An oxo-biodegradable material may be a vegetable-based plastic that may be tested in accordance with ASTM D6400 or EN13432 to biodegrade in the conditions found in industrial composting or biogas facilities. In various examples, an oxo-biodegradable material may be a oxo-biodegradable plastic made from polymers, such as PE (polyethylene), PP (polypropylene), and PS (polystyrene) containing extra ingredients (metal salts) and tested according to ASTM D6954 or BS8472 or AFNOR Accord T51-808 to degrade and biodegrade in the open environment. The biodegradable film may have a thin consistency (e.g., similar to a small trashbag). In various examples, the sheets may be made of a recyclable material.
In various implementations, the sheet or film may act as a drape or a cover over a surface to prevent contamination by a user's hair-shavings. Some examples may include sheets that can be attached, stuck, or otherwise coupled to other sheets. In various examples, the sheets may be disposable. The sheets may be laid down before shaving and adhere to a surface, such as a sink, a counter, or a floor. Some sheets may include crease lines such that they may be folded together (see, e.g.,
A hair shavings collection and disposal system may include a pliable sheet (e.g., sheet 105) that may be unitarily formed of a deformable and oxo-biodegradable material. The pliable sheet may be defined as a sheet surface having a first side, a second side, a longitudinal length, a lateral width, and a vertical thickness. The pliable sheet may include a first edge extending along the longitudinal length, a second edge extending along the longitudinal length and laterally opposed to the first edge, a third edge extending along the lateral width, a fourth edge extending along the lateral width and longitudinally opposed to the third edge. The hair shavings collection and disposal system may include two or more adhesive masses (e.g., adhesive spots 110) that may be individually disposed on at least one of the first and second sides of the sheet surface defining the pliable sheet. The adhesive masses may be configured to adhesively and releasably couple the pliable sheet to a sink surface (e.g., sink 115). The adhesive masses may include a right-side adhesive mass located at a right lateral end of the pliable sheet, and a left-side adhesive mass located at a left lateral end of the pliable sheet and laterally opposed to the right-side adhesive mass.
The hair shavings collection and disposal system may further include two or more release liners (e.g., release liners 125) each physically and removably coupled with an associated adhesive mass. In some examples, at least one of the first, second, third, and fourth edges may include a pre-shaped edge (e.g., shaped edge 130) dimensioned to wrap at least a portion of the pliable sheet around a peripheral edge of the sink surface. The hair shavings collection and disposal system may further include at least one flap (e.g., flap 135) that may be operably attached to, and may extend vertically away from, at least one of the first and second sides of the sheet surface defining the pliable sheet. The at least one flap may define a valley (e.g., bowl/valley 140) configured to collect hair shavings when the pliable sheet is deployed on the sink surface.
The hair shavings collection and disposal system may further include a dispenser (e.g., dispensers 300A, 300B). The dispenser may include a housing (e.g., housing 305) that houses at least one pliable sheet. The dispenser may include an opening (e.g., opening 315) through which the pliable sheet is configured to be dispensed. The dispenser may include, in some embodiments, an electrical charge imparter (e.g., imparter 325) operably coupled to the housing. The imparter may be or have a frictional engagement surface configured to frictionally engage, and impart a non-zero electrical charge to, the pliable sheet as the pliable sheet is dispensed from the housing, such that once the pliable sheet is dispensed from the dispenser, the pliable sheet is configured to electrically attract and retainingly couple human hair-shavings to the pliable sheet. The non-zero electrical charge imparted to the pliable sheet, may, in some embodiments, be at least 101 statcoulombs after the pliable sheet frictionally engages with the frictional engagement surface once the pliable sheet is dispensed from the dispenser. The non-zero electrical charge imparted to the pliable sheet may be sufficient to retain human hair shavings against the force of gravity at the surface of the Earth surface. For example, if a single human hair has a mass of about 0.5 milligrams, a single hair shaving is about 10% of the length/mass of a human hair, and the force of gravity at Earth's surface is about 9.8 meters per second squared, then (using the equation F=m*a), the force of gravity Fg at Earth's surface on this single exemplary human hair shaving would be Fg=(0.0005 grams)*(0.1)*(9.8 meters per second squared)=0.00049 Newtons. Therefore, the manufacture of the hair shavings collection and disposal system may calibrate the electrical charge imparted to a pliable sheet by the imparter to be sufficient for the attraction force between the electrically charged sheet and an individual human hair shaving to overcome not just the force of gravity Fg, but several magnitudes greater than Fg (to account for additional forces, such as shaking of the sheet, for example).
A number of implementations have been described. Nevertheless, it will be understood that various modification may be made. For example, advantageous results may be achieved if the steps of the disclosed techniques were performed in a different sequence, or if components of the disclosed systems were combined in a different manner, or if the components were supplemented with other components. Accordingly, other implementations are contemplated. A number of implementations have been described. Nevertheless, it will be understood that various modification may be made. For example, advantageous results may be achieved if the steps of the disclosed techniques were performed in a different sequence, or if components of the disclosed systems were combined in a different manner, or if the components were supplemented with other components. Accordingly, other implementations are within the scope of the following claims.
This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 62/715,864, titled “Hair-Shavings Collecting Sheet,” filed by Randall Lopez on Aug. 8, 2018, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 62715864 | Aug 2018 | US |
