Patent Application
20250113890
The present invention relates, in general, to a hair weft assembly comprising two or more hair weft extensions and a method of manufacturing the same and, more particularly, to securing one hair weft extension to another hair weft extension by means of a snap-on engagement.
Various forms of attachment means are available for securing hair extensions to the user's head. Hair extensions usually come in a kit range from narrowest to widest extension pieces, which may also be of varying length. The range of extensions is used to deploy each piece strategically along a user's scalp to achieve an even spread of fuller hair volume.
Traditionally, hair extensions are hair segments sown into one or multiple hair wefts or rows, which then attach to user's natural hair using comb clips. Furthermore, the widest extension pieces are placed at the back of the head, with narrow pieces deployed forward and aft of the wearer's ear on one or both sides of the head. Often, and in particular in the back of the head, the extensions are stacked. Meaning a narrower piece of extension is attached first. A wider piece of extension is then attached above the first piece, such that hair of the second extension overlaps the first.
Presently there are two means of attaching the extensions, with one being the comb clip and another being a length of line stretched between points of attachments on opposite sides of the top portion of the hair extension. The line attachment or “halo” is placed on top of user's head and suspends the hair extension from the top of the head, while the comb clips securely attaches the hair piece to user's existing hair. It is recommended to use both the halo and the clip process to secure the hair extension to the user's hair to ensure proper and secure fit. The downside of the practice is that it is a significant and lengthy task to deploy hair extensions. There presently is not a solution to reduce the amount of time and effort it takes to attach an extension element, which would constitute a much needed improvement.
The present invention, which solves the above-described problems in the art, discloses a hair weft assembly and a method of manufacturing the same by combining two or more hair weft extensions. (For the purpose of this disclosure, the terms “hair wefts,” “hair weft extensions” and “weft hair extensions” are assumed to have same meaning in the art and are used herein interchangeably.) The hair weft assembly comprises a first hair weft, the first hair weft comprising a first weft base, a first plurality of extension hairs attached to the first weft base, a first securing mechanism for securing the first weft base to the user's head, and a plurality of first fastening members. The first weft base comprises a first side, a second side, a top side, a bottom side, a height between the top side and the bottom side, a right side, a left side and a width between the right side and the left side. The first plurality of extension hairs is attached to the first weft base at, or proximate to, its top side. The first plurality of extension hairs extends along and below the second side of the first weft base. The first securing mechanism is attached to the first side of the first weft base. The first fastening members are attached to the first side of the first weft base. Each one of the first fastening members comprises one-half of a two-part snap fastener. The first fastening members are arranged below the first securing mechanism. Preferably, the first fastening members are arranged approximately half way down the height of the first weft base.
In one embodiment, the first securing mechanism comprises a flexible and durable filament having first and second ends. The first end is attached proximate to the right side of the first weft base and the second end is attached proximate to the left side of the first weft base. The first weft base and the filament form a loop for encircling at least a portion of the user's head when worn. the length of the filament may be adjustable.
In one embodiment, the first securing mechanism comprises a plurality of clips arranged along the width of the first weft base, proximate to the top side of the first weft base, with
In one embodiment, the system further comprises a second hair weft, the second hair weft comprising a second weft base, a second plurality of extension hairs attached to the second weft base, and a plurality of second fastening members. The second weft base comprises a first side, a second side, a top side, a bottom side, a height between the top side and the bottom side, a right side, a left side and a width between said right side and said left side. The second plurality of extension hairs is attached to the second weft base at, or proximate to, its top side. The second plurality of extension hairs extends along and below the second side of the second weft base. The second fastening members are attached to the second side of the second weft base. Each one of the second fastening members comprise one-half of a two-part snap fastener. Preferably, the second fastening members are arranged at, or proximate to, the top side of the second weft base. Each one of the first fastening members is operatively associated with a corresponding one of the second fastening members so as to secure the second weft base to the first weft base.
In one embodiment, the system further comprises a second securing mechanism for securing the second weft base to the user's head. The second securing mechanism is attached to the first side of the second weft base. The second securing mechanism comprises a plurality of clips.
In one embodiment, the width of the first weft base is greater than the width of the second weft base.
The accompanying figures illustrate several embodiments of the invention and, together with the description, serve to explain the principles of the invention. One of ordinary skill in the art readily recognizes that the particular embodiments illustrated in the figures are merely exemplary and are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention.
Reference will be made in detail to the embodiments of the disclosed invention, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. Similar reference characters denote similar elements throughout the several views. The presentation of reference numerals within parentheses indicates that the mentioned reference numeral appears in a figure other than the figure(s) under discussion.
As will be described below in connection with the drawings, the invention enables two (or more) hair weft extensions (see
As illustrated in
There is provided a first securing mechanism for securing first weft base (20) to the user's head (and thereby securing first hair weft (12) individually, and hair weft assembly (10) in its entirety, to the user's head). In one embodiment, as illustrated in
In one embodiment, filament (60) is adjustable in length, whereby the circumferential length of the above-described “loop” (formed by connecting first weft base (20) and filament (60)) is adjustable. Such adjustability may include cutting an initial, longer length of filament to a desirable, shorter length sufficient to securely fit hair weft assembly (10) to the user's head when worn. In another embodiment, filament (60) has a pre-determined fixed length. In either of the foregoing embodiments, the increasing or decreasing the size of the knot may change the circumferential length of the loop. Other methods known in the art may be adopted for adjusting the circumferential length of the loop as needed to provide a tight and secure fit for hair weft assembly (10) to the user's head.
Each of filament 60 and clips 68 can individually secure first weft base (20) to the user's head. The benefit of providing both forms of the first securing mechanism is for added security. Accordingly, in another embodiment, first securing mechanism consists only of filament (60). In yet another embodiment, the first securing mechanism consists only of clips 68.
In one embodiment, each one of first fastening members (70) is a male part and each one of the second fastening members (72) is a female part. In another embodiment, each one of first fastening members (70) is a female part and each one of the second fastening members (72) is a male part. In yet another embodiment, each one of first fastening members (70) may be a male part or a female part, provided that its corresponding second fastening member (72) is the opposite and thus complimentary part. In this embodiment, the first fastening members (70) may be a mixture or male and female parts (e.g., there are six first fastening members (70), of which three are male and three are female) and the corresponding second fastening members (72) are a mixture opposite to the first fastening members (70).
In one embodiment, first and second fastening members (70, 72) comprises any one of the following releasably detachable fastener mechanisms: (a) plastic interlocking fastener strips, such as having snap button according to any one of the combinations described in the preceding paragraph; (b) plastic interlocking fastener strips, each strip having a plurality of square, rectangular, circular, triangular, or other shaped male and/or female parts, in any arrangement according to any one of the combinations described in the preceding paragraph; (c) plastic interlocking fastener strips as described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,858,286, which is herein incorporated by reference in its entirety; (d) dimensionally flexible touch fastener strips as described in U.S. Pat. No. 8,745,827B2, which is herein incorporated by reference in its entirety; (e) snap button tape; (f) Velcro hook and loop fastener tape strips; (g) Kam snaps; and (h) hook and eye fasteners.
In one embodiment, second hair weft (84) does not include a second securing mechanism, as the first securing mechanism is sufficient to retain hair weft assembly (80) to the user's head. In this embodiment, second hair weft (84) is attached by means of first and second fastening members (90, 100) to first weft base (84).
First and second fastening members (90, 100) operate according to the same principles as described above in connection with the embodiment(s) shown in
Although this invention has been described with a certain degree of particularity, it is to be understood that the present disclosure has been made only by way of illustration and that numerous changes in the details of construction and arrangement of parts may be resorted to without departing from the spirit and the scope of the invention. While various inventive aspects, concepts and features of the inventions may be described and illustrated herein as embodied in combination in the exemplary embodiments, these various aspects, concepts and features may be used in many alternative embodiments, either individually or in various combinations and sub-combinations thereof. Unless expressly excluded herein all such combinations and sub-combinations are intended to be within the scope of the present inventions. Still further, while various alternative embodiments as to the various aspects, concepts and features of the inventions—such as alternative materials, structures, configurations, methods, devices and components, alternatives as to form, fit and function, and so on—may be described herein, such descriptions are not intended to be a complete or exhaustive list of available alternative embodiments, whether presently known or later developed. Those skilled in the art may readily adopt one or more of the inventive aspects, concepts or features into additional embodiments and uses within the scope of the present inventions even if such embodiments are not expressly disclosed herein. Additionally, even though some features, concepts or aspects of the inventions may be described herein as being a preferred arrangement or method, such description is not intended to suggest that such feature is required or necessary unless expressly so stated. Still further, exemplary or representative values and ranges may be included to assist in understanding the present disclosure, however, such values and ranges are not to be construed in a limiting sense and are intended to be critical values or ranges only if so expressly stated. Parameters identified as “approximate” or “about” a specified value are intended to include both the specified value and values within 10% of the specified value, unless expressly stated otherwise. Further, it is to be understood that the drawings accompanying the present disclosure may, but need not, be to scale, and therefore may be understood as teaching various ratios and proportions evident in the drawings. Moreover, while various aspects, features and concepts may be expressly identified herein as being inventive or forming part of an invention, such identification is not intended to be exclusive, but rather there may be inventive aspects, concepts and features that are fully described herein without being expressly identified as such or as part of a specific invention, the inventions instead being set forth in the appended claims, as currently written or as amended or added in the future. Descriptions of exemplary methods or processes are not limited to inclusion of all steps as being required in all cases, nor is the order that the steps are presented to be construed as required or necessary unless expressly so stated.
