FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a structure provided on a hair-style retainer as an auxiliary for retaining a hair style.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
A variety of hair-style retainers, e.g. snap clips, gator clips, comb clips, hoops, bands, claws, donut rings, bun makers, etc., have been developed and used in our daily lives for retaining hair styles. Conventional hair-style retainers, although being generally feasible to shape hair styles, have problems in maintaining the hair styles because they are likely to slip off from hair after being used for a period of time or due to some movement. For solving such problems, relatively tense means may be helpful in retaining hair styles. However, tense pulling might hurt scalp and hair, and discomfort the user.
Moreover, a hair-style retainer, once being produced, has a fixed configuration such as color, shape and style. A user may need to buy several similar items to create some changes for hair styles. It is cost inefficient, and the hair-styling effects are, sometimes, still unsatisfactory.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a structure to be selectively and cooperatively used with a hair-style retainer as an auxiliary for retaining and/or modifying a hair style.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a hair-style retainer having a hair-style retaining auxiliary for well maintaining the hair style.
An aspect of the present invention relates to a hair-style retaining auxiliary for use with a hair-style retainer. The hair-style retainer at work has at least a first portion in contact with hair. The hair-style retaining auxiliary includes a base attached onto the first portion of the hair-style retainer; and a plurality of soft hook members integrally formed with and protruding from the base, and configured as a non-linear structure for locally changing linear distribution of hair in contact therewith.
Another aspect of the present invention relates to a hair-style retainer, comprising: a retainer body for confining hair to shape a hair style, having at least a first portion in contact with the confined hair when in use; a base secured onto the first portion of the retainer body; and a plurality of soft hook members integrally formed with and protruding from the sleeve base, and configured as a non-linear structure for locally changing linear distribution of hair in contact therewith.
A further aspect of the present invention relates to a hair-style retainer, comprising: a retainer body for confining hair to shape a hair style, having at least a first portion in contact with the confined hair when in use; and a plurality of soft hook members integrally formed with and protruding from the first portion of the retainer body, and configured as a non-linear structure for locally changing linear distribution of hair in contact therewith.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The above contents of the present invention will become more readily apparent to those ordinarily skilled in the art after reviewing the following detailed description and accompanying drawings, in which:
FIGS. 1A-1D are schematic diagrams illustrating structures of a variety of hair-style retainers comprising a hair-style retaining auxiliary according to an embodiment of the present invention;
FIGS. 2A-2D are schematic diagrams illustrating structures of a variety of hair-style retainers comprising a hair-style retaining auxiliary according to another embodiment of the present invention; and
FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram illustrating a structure of a hair-style retainer comprising a hair-style retaining auxiliary according to a further embodiment of the present invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
The present invention will now be described more specifically with reference to the following embodiments. It is to be noted that the following descriptions of preferred embodiments of this invention are presented herein for purpose of illustration and description only; it is not intended to be exhaustive or to be limited to the precise form disclosed.
Please refer to FIG. 1A, in which a barrette clip comprising a hair-style retaining auxiliary according to an embodiment of the present invention is schematically illustrated. As shown, a barrette clip commonly includes an upper elastic member 11 and a lower elastic member 12, which are connected at one end 101, and operable to be connected/disconnected at the other end 102. When in use, hair is received from an open mouth 100 at the disconnected end 102 of the upper and lower elastic members 11 and 12, and clamped between the upper elastic member 11 and the lower elastic member 12 by connecting the upper and lower elastic members 11 and 12 to close the mouth at the end 102. Meanwhile, the upper elastic member 11 and the lower elastic member 12 urge against each other in order to secure hair therebetween. For thin hair or as shaking, however, the clip would still likely slip off from hair. Therefore, it is desirable to improve the hair-retaining effect of the clip. A hair-style retaining auxiliary 13 according to the present invention is thus provided on either or both of the upper and lower elastic members 11 and 12 for such a purpose.
Further referring to FIG. 1B, the hair-style retaining auxiliary 13 comprises a sleeve base 131 and a plurality of soft hook members 132 protruding from the sleeve base 131. The sleeve base 131 is configured as a soft tube, which is, for example, made of a soft material such as fabric or an elastic material such as rubber or plastic. In the embodiment as shown in FIG. 1A, the sleeve base 131 is sleeved on the lower elastic member 11 or the upper elastic member 12. Of course, there may be two sleeve bases 131 provided for wrapping both the lower and upper elastic members 11 and 12. The hook members 132 are locally formed on a surficial area of the sleeve base 131, where the hook members 132 would contact hair in the clip. For example, when the sleeve base 131 is wrapped around the lower elastic member 11, the hook members 132 should face the upper elastic member 12. Likewise, when the sleeve base 131 is wrapped around the upper elastic member 11, the hook members 132 should face the lower elastic member 11. The hook members 132 are configured as a non-linear structure which can locally change the linear distribution of hair in contact therewith, thereby “grasping” hair to some extent, and the term “hook”, although being proper to indicate a structure of a post with an open loop atop, is not intended to indicate such a specific shape and aspect. The hook members 132 should be soft enough to avoid hurting hair and scalp, and may be oriented in any direction in spite they might uprightly protrude from the sleeve base 131 if produced by way of injection molding. The size of the hook members 132 is not specifically defined, but should conform to the size of the upper and lower elastic members 11 and 12 and the gap therebetween. In addition, the material and softness of the hook members 132 may also be relevant to their optimal size. Preferably, the hook members 132 are integrally formed with the sleeve base 131, for example, by injection molding.
The hair-style retaining auxiliary described above may also be used with any other suitable type of hair-style retainer. For example, FIG. 1C schematically illustrates a snap clip, in which a hair-style retaining auxiliary 13 comprising the sleeve base 131 and the hook members 132 as described above are used. The sleeve base 131 may be selectively sleeved on a central part 141 of the snap clip, with hook members 132 facing upwards, and/or a surrounding part 142 of the snap clip, with hook members 132 facing downwards, and hair is to be clamped between the central part 141 and the surrounding part 142. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 1C, the hair-style retaining auxiliary 13 is disposed on the surrounding part 142 while the central part 141 is kept smooth for being readily inserted into hair.
FIG. 1D schematically illustrates a hair claw, in which a hair-style retaining auxiliary 13 comprising the sleeve base 131 and the hook members 132 as described above are used. One or more sleeve bases 131 may be sleeved on either or both palm portions 151 and/or one or more finger portions 152 of the hair claw. Likewise, with the hook members 132 protruding from the sleeve base 131 and inserted into hair, the frictional feature and the non-linear configuration of the hook members can enhance hair-retaining capability of the claw.
Since a portion of the sleeve base 131 will be exposed from hair after the hair-style retainer is put on hair, a variety of visual effects may be made to the hair-style retainer through the design of the sleeve base 131. For example, the overall color expression of the hair-style retainer may vary with the sleeve base 131. In addition, literal or graphic characters may be added to the hair-style retainer by using a sleeve base with a specific pattern, or shaping the sleeve base itself into the specific pattern.
FIG. 2A schematically illustrates a hair-style retaining auxiliary 23 according to another embodiment of the present invention, which comprises a securing base 231 and a plurality of soft hook members 232 protruding from a first face 2311 of the securing base 231. In this embodiment, the securing base 231 may be configured as a soft pad or a relatively hard pad, which is, for example, made of a soft material such as fabric, an elastic material such as rubber or thermoplastic, or a stiff material such as a thermoset, and the hook members 232 are desirably soft. A second face 2312 of the securing base 231, like the sleeve base 131, may be attached onto any suitable hair-style retainer 20, e.g. the barrette clip, snap clip or hair claw as described above, and any other snap clips, gator clips, comb clips, hoops, bands, claws, donut rings, bun makers, etc. Likewise, the hook members 232 are locally formed on a surficial area of the securing base 231, where the hook members 232 would contact hair in the hair-style retainer 20.
FIG. 2B schematically illustrates the use of the hair-style retaining auxiliary 23 as illustrated in FIG. 2A in a hair claw as an example. One or more securing bases 231 may be attached onto either or both palm portions 151 and/or one or more finger portions 152 of the hair claw, for example, by gluing, pressing, coating or any other suitable laminating technique.
Likewise, by attaching the hair-style retaining auxiliary 23 to any other proper hair-style retainer 20, with the hook members 232 protruding from the securing base 231 and inserted into hair, the frictional feature and the non-linear configuration of the hook members can enhance hair-retaining capability of the hair-style retainer. FIG. 2C schematically illustrates the use of the hair-style retaining auxiliary 23 as illustrated in FIG. 2A in a hair hoop 25 as another example; and FIG. 2D schematically illustrates the use of the hair-style retaining auxiliary 23 as illustrated in FIG. 2A in a hair band 26 as a further example. For different materials of hair-style retainers, different means for combining a hair-style retaining auxiliary with a hair-style retainer are selectively applied.
In the above embodiments, the hair-style retaining auxiliary 13 or 23 is a separate member from the hair-style retainer where it is attached. Alternatively, the hair-style retaining auxiliary may be integrally formed with at least of a part of the hair-style retainer. For example, the base, the hook members and the hair-style retainer are all made of plastic or silicone rubber, and integrally formed by injection molding. FIG. 3 schematically exemplifies the use of a hair-style retaining auxiliary 33 in a bun maker 30. The bun maker 30 can be made by injection molding, and with specifically designed mold, material and manufacturing parameters, the hook members 332 of the hair-style retaining auxiliary 33 can be integrally formed with the main body of the bun maker 30 without the securing base.
In view of the foregoing, by using a hair-style retaining auxiliary according to the present invention with a hair-style retainer, and more particularly by partially or entirely integrally forming a hair-style retaining auxiliary according to the present invention with a hair-style retainer, hair can be well retained with the hair-style retainer. Furthermore, by properly designing the pattern, color, material, allocation and/or some other features of the additional hair-style retaining auxiliary, an aesthetic effect may be exhibited as well as the functional effect.
While the invention has been described in terms of what is presently considered to be the most practical and preferred embodiments, it is to be understood that the invention needs not be limited to the disclosed embodiment. On the contrary, it is intended to cover various modifications and similar arrangements included within the spirit and scope of the appended claims which are to be accorded with the broadest interpretation so as to encompass all such modifications and similar structures.
Patent Application
20200281339
