Patent Grant
10952483
Portions of this patent application include materials that are subject to copyright protection. The copyright owner has no objection to the facsimile reproduction by anyone of the patent document itself, or of the patent application, as it appears in the files of the United States Patent and Trademark Office, but otherwise reserves all copyright rights whatsoever in such included copyrighted materials.
The present invention provides head ware and related methods for protecting a wearer's head and hair that also presents the appearance of a coiffure. The present invention has applications in the fields of millinery and protective outerwear, and more particularly fashion, beauty and haircare industries.
Hair plays an important role in one's self-image. Throughout history, beautiful healthy hair has been associated with wealth and status, as well as overall beauty. In fact, royalty and those of high class, from the Egyptians to British Parliament, have historically worn elaborate wigs and other adornment of the hair to reflect their status and wealth. The role of hair in our sense of attractiveness and self-esteem has not diminished over the centuries. So it is no wonder that hair care and the desire to maintain healthy beautiful hair, represents an $11.6 B industry in the United States.
In addition to hair styling services for both men and women, products and accessories to care for, maintain and improve the appearance of the hair make up a large part of the industry's revenue. Industry trends towards healthy natural hair and protective wigs and weaving has resulted in innovative products to help those wanting to protect various styles and prevent damage or loss of hair, as well as cover or disguise current damage or hair loss.
A wide variety U.S. patents and published patent applications, both utility and design, describe attempts to address these issues. Representative examples include: U.S. Pat. Nos. 7,895,672; 8,266,721; 6,622,310; D641,140; D628,775; D515,285; D627,954; and D617,980.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,895,672 describes (Abstract), “[a] head covering bonnet with an opening for the head and an elastic spandex band below the opening for holding the bonnet to the head. The spandex band is of a width so as not to apply high localized pressure on the hair, and spandex is not rough or abrasive when stretched, unlike typical elastic material which becomes rough and possibly abrasive to hair when the elastic is stretched.”
U.S. Pat. No. 8,266,721 describes (Abstract), “[a]n artful head covering made of cloth and other materials, existing in three embodiments, each sequentially dependent on the one before it. All embodiments including a cap portion comprised of a curved upper crown with a straight lower edge connected to a band portion comprised of a straight upper edge and a curved lower edge. The second embodiment has fasteners attached to the exterior of the cap portion of the head covering for added dimension along with serving a function in the third embodiment in which strands comprised of additional fasteners and artful objects are connected to some or all of the fasteners of embodiment 2. The head covering is secure and covers the portion of the head that is normally covered with hair. A fun and creative head covering for hair loss, or solely for fashionable purposes, that is comfortable and flattering to the face.”
U.S. Pat. No. 6,622,310 describes (Abstract), “[a] hair cover [that] is composed of a top and a bottom piece, in which the top piece further comprises a relatively longer side, an opposite relatively shorter side, and two arcuate equilateral sides; the bottom piece is correspondingly shaped to the top piece, having also a relatively longer side, a shorter side, two arcuate equilateral sides, and a central through hole. The top and the bottom piece are to be combined together by binding thermally the corresponding portions of each piece to form a trapezoid hair cover that is capable of promoting the wearing comfortableness considerably. In wearing the hair cover, one's head is put penetrating the central hole to have his hair shaded closely from his forehead and his longer hair portion shaded in a wider rear end by taking advantage of the natural stretchability of the resilient cloth of the hair cover.”
U.S. Pat. No. D641,140 describes (Abstract), describes ornamentally a hair covering including a opening dimentioned to fit closely around a wearer's forehead having an elevated extension upwards from the forehead with a rear-ward extended volume dimensioned to accept the user's hair.
U.S. Pat. No. D515,284 describes (Abstract), describes ornamentally coneshaped container dimensioned to accept the wearer's hair with a snugly-fitting opening dimensioned to fit around the wearer's forehead.
U.S. Pat. No. D6,278,954 describes (Abstract), describes ornamentally a hemi-spherical head covering dimensioned to accept a wearer's hair, with a cinch-type fastener around the circumference of the opening dimensioned to fit the covering closely to the wearer's head.
U.S. Pat. No. D62,875 describes (Abstract), describes ornamentally a beret-shaped head covering dimensioned to accept a wearer's hair, with an opening dimensioned to cover closely the wearer's head.
U.S. Design Pat. No. D627,954 describes a protective hair cap having a hair covering attached to an adjustable band. The covering also includes a flap at the back of the cap.
U.S. Design Pat. No. D641,140 describes a protective hair cap having a snood-shaped hair covering gathered at an elastic band. The snood-shape of the covering is not suitable for protecting many hair styles that are shaped upward from the head, rather than extending down the back of the head.
However, these hair coverings are purely functional, without any meaningful aesthetic value. Each looks like a head covering. But in many situations, wearers would like to have both functional hair (and head) protection as well as an attractive appearance. The latter is especially important if the wearer must appear in public. In particular, some wearers would like to have hair protection that provides the appearance of coiffured hair, thus projecting a vision of normalcy.
Thus, there remains an unsatisfied need to provide hair coverings that are effective to protect hair styles during activities such as while providing a pleasing aesthetic appearance. The present invention meets these and other needs.
The present invention provides novel and useful head coverings that protect the wearer's hair (and head) with a stylish appearance.
In a one aspect, the present invention provides a head covering configured to protect a wearer's hair and provide a simulated hair style. In some embodiments, the head covering comprises: an inner bonnet that includes at least one layer of fabric material and is dimensioned to fit a wearer's head and substantially protect said wearer's hair. An outer bonnet is also provided that includes at least one layer of fabric material and is dimensioned to fit over to inner bonnet to cover substantially the inner bonnet from external view. The outer bonnet is configured to appear substantially as a coiffure. The inner bonnet and and outer bonnet are coupled together to form the head covering.
In more specific embodiments, the inner bonnet comprises one or two layers. In still more specific embodiments, the layers of the inner bonnet comprise a plurality of panels. In more particular embodiments, the panels of the inner bonnet comprise fewer than about seven panels; and in yet more particular embodiments, the panels are doubled.
In other more specific embodiments, the outer bonnet has a substantially defined surface contour, and the inner bonnet is dimensioned to support the surface contour.
In still other more specific embodiments, the outer bonnet comprises one or two layers. More specifically, the outer bonnet comprises a plurality of panels, and still more specifically, the outer bonnet comprises fewer than about seven panels. In yet more specific embodiments, the panels are doubled.
In some embodiments, the above-described head covering comprises an accessory.
In other embodiments, the outer bonnet comprises an outer surface on to which a coiffure is printed.
In still other embodiments, the inner bonnet comprises a wrap configuration. In more specific embodiments, the wrap configuration of the inner bonnet comprises one panel or two panels, is double-lined, and is dimensioned to substantially traverse the circumference of the wearer's head such that the crown of the wearer's head is substantially exposed. In still more specific embodiments in which the inner bonnet is a wrap configuration exposing the wearer's crown, the outer bonnet comprises at least about four panels, is double-lined, and dimensioned to accommodate the volume of hair at the crown of the wearer's head. Yet more specific embodiments of this combination further comprise an attachment that comprises a double-lined substantially elastic fabric, and coupled with the outer surface of the outer bonnet.
The head covering of claim 1, wherein the each of inner bonnet and the outer bonnet comprises silk or satin. In more specific embodiments, the inner bonnet is satin, and the outer bonnet is silk. In still more specific embodiments, the inner bonnet is Charmeuse satin. In other more specific embodiments, the outer bonnet is China silk. In some embodiments, the outer bonnet is both satin (facing out) and silk (facing in).
Still other embodiments and advantages will become apparent when the present Specification is read with the accompanying Drawings.
Exemplary embodiments of the present invention are described herein with reference to the following drawings, in which:
Unless indicated otherwise, the following terms and definitions will apply herein.
The present invention provides a head covering that can provide at least a degree of protection of the wearer's hair from damage, the elements, and dishevelment. In some embodiments, the head covering is a bonnet system comprising at least an inner and outer bonnet. Among those embodiments, the inner bonnet provides protection of the hair; and the outer bonnet provides an aesthetic appearance of a hairstyle, and is interchangeable to allow the use of various styles in the bonnet system. In some embodiments, the wearer is able to choose outer bonnets that provide an appearance of a desired hairstyle and inner bonnets that are appropriate for their volume and length of hair. The bonnet system can also be used to protect various types of head gear, helmets, sportswear, machine, appliance, and objects. In a preferred embodiment, the bonnet system has interchangeable parts for versatility; it also incorporates reversible, multi-positional, and detachable elements.
Uses for the head covering of the present invention include, but are not limited to: sleeping, athletic workout, exercise activity, leisure, hospital stay, and the covering of hair loss, baldness, or hair loss prevention. Still other uses include, but are not limited to: protective covering for alopecia, balding prevention, or concealment of baldness; wig alternatives; fashion application; costumes; and entertainment; a garment forming part of a person's uniform (e.g., head covering for foodservice and care providers); UV tanning protection; promotional marketing, advertising, social, organizational, cultural, and religious purposes, and decorative covering for appliance, machine or object.
The invention is constructed from various types of cloth fabric that are assembled and sewn together to create the head covering provided by the present invention. In some embodiments, the present invention includes a minimum of inner and outer bonnet parts, each part having one or two fabric panels to have finished sides both in and out. Some fabrics are finished on both sides. The inner bonnet is usually, although not always, one layer. In general, the inner bonnet front panel is only one layer if double-faced, and two if the double-lined method is required to create the two finished sides.
The inner bonnet is the base of the bonnet system that protects the hair; it also supports the shape and form of the outer bonnet. The layers of the outer and inner bonnet can include panels: vertical or horizontal sections of fabric material. The inner and outer bonnets can each include a range of panels from one single panel, up to about seven panels each. The number of these panels can be doubled (i.e., to about 14 panels each), based on the whether single or double lined layers are used.
The outer bonnet provides an aesthetic impact through its printed design imagery, shape and form. The outer bonnet is also a protective layer for the inner bonnet.
The inner and outer bonnets are made from panels that are cut and sewn together to create the outer and inner bonnets. Front panels are often, but not necessarily, double-sided layers of fabric material, and each set of layers has multiple panels of fabric, which are sewn together to accomplish a complete bonnet system as described herein. The layers can be formed from a single (double-faced) layer of fabric used for both the inner and outer bonnet; or from two layers of fabric that are cut and stitched, surged, or merged together to create a double-lined layer. The single or double-lined layers are used to create a uniform panel of fabric.
The outer bonnet (1002) is composed of a plurality of panels (1020a-1020g). The outer bonnet is constructed using methods and materials that are familiar to those having ordinary skill in the art using the descriptions hereinbelow. The outer bonnet is configured to provide the appearance of a coiffure, which is provided by printing coiffured hair on each of panels 1020a-1020g to provide the appearance of real coiffured hair as described hereinbelow (see,
Referring again to
One embodiment of an inner bonnet has two panels: the front and the back panel. The front panel contains two layers of fabric that are double-lined. Gripper elastic is stitched onto the interior part of the front panel hem to reduce movement. The back panel of the inner bonnet has one layer of fabric material, i.e, single-layer of double-faced material.
An elastic drawstring casing is stitched around the hem of the back panel of the inner bonnet. An opening is created at the lower-mid section of the hem line and is stitched to channel the elastic cord through the left and right side of the casing. The elastic cord is first channeled through the stopper, a double cord lock ends drawstring stopper, into the casing and stitched to prevent movement of the cord's end. The elastic casing provides adjustability and a desired fit for the wearer.
The front and back panels are stitched together and three separate snaps (located at the crown and both right and left sides of the temple) are aligned to securely hold and fit onto the outer bonnet. The inner and outer bonnet can have alternate forms that best support the wearer's particular hairstyle.
Some wearer's prefer to protect hair by wrapping it around the head, while exposing the hair located at the crown of the head. This method is identified as the protective wrap method. The protective wrap method can be supported in the bonnet system by altering the inner bonnet design into a double-lined, one- or two-panel fabric material that surrounds only the circumference of the wearer's head, leaving the hair at the crown of the head exposed. The one or two panels overlap and attach at the front to create desired fit. The attachment is achieved with the use of fasteners that include snaps, Velcro® strips, or other suitable fastener. The snaps, located on the right and left temples, are also stitched onto the exterior of the panel(s).
The outer bonnet has at least four panels to include a front, crown, and left and right side panels, made from double-lined fabric, and will accommodate the volume of hair located at the crown of the head. The outer bonnet covers the wearer's head and is secured to the inner bonnet by aligning the snaps on the exterior of the inner bonnet with matching snaps on the interior of the outer bonnet.
A protective style called “pineappling” includes gathering the wearer's hair together at the crown of the head and is secured with a type of elastic band, leaving the hair at the crown of the head free flowing. To provide a hair covering that is protective and supports the pineappling method, the inner bonnet of the wrap design is used in combination with a semi-fitted outer bonnet, where the semi-fit is achieved with the use of a stretchable type fabric material for the outer bonnet. The center crown area of the outer bonnet is altered to have an adequate opening wide enough for free-flowing hair to channel through and be exposed. The exposed hair is then covered by a third part (referred to herein as an “Attachment”), separate from the inner and outer bonnet. The Attachment of the design is a double-lined stretchable fabric that has metal snaps around the opening that are aligned with snaps on the exterior side of the outer bonnet. The Attachment of the design is interchangeable, giving the wearer the option of choosing various styles and design shapes for the outer bonnet. See,
An alternative type of Attachment is in the form of interchangeable Accessories (graphically designed decorative headbands, bows, braids, flowers, etc.) that are attached onto the front panel of the exterior outer bonnet. In this embodiment of the outer bonnet, the attachment is connected to the outer bonnet by aligning Velcro® material or snaps on the underside of the accessorized attachment with the same added to the exterior of the outer bonnet. See,
A wide variety of style and sizes are compatible with the head coverings provided by the present invention as illustrated in
Charmeuse satin is one preferred fabric material for the inner bonnet. The front of the Charmeuse is smooth to the touch and shiny, while the back of the fabric material is dull and not as smooth in texture. The interior of the inner bonnet has the front side of the Charmeuse satin facing inward, as well as the casing that surrounds the back of the bonnet to provide less friction to the wearer's hair. The dull, back side of the Charmeuse fabric faces outward which is the exterior part of the inner bonnet.
The outer bonnet interior is lined with a polyester material called China Silk. It is a very lightweight material that provides breathability for the wearer's head. The exterior outer surface of the bonnet is the front, smooth side of Charmeuse satin, to reduce outward friction with object the bonnet system may come in contact with.
Details of suitable fabrics will be known to those having ordinary skill in the art, such as, e.g.:
Notions are used to properly construct the bonnet system to ensure durability and provide adjustability, for a secured fit. The following are examples of suitable notions for use with the present invention.
Two useful threads are all-purpose cotton and polyester threads.
A variety of stitching methods and materials familiar to those having ordinary skill in the art can be used in conjunction with the present invention.
The process of developing graphic images for printing on the outer bonnet ranges from the following non-limiting list of computer graphic processes: User interface design, sprite graphics, vector graphics, rendering, 2D modeling, 3D modeling, shaders, GPU design, Raster, UV unwrapping/mapping, and computer vision. Some useful graphics methods for this invention are the 3D modeling and Raster. These methods consist of capturing detailed panoramic images of hair strands of a hairstyle via photographic imagery. The image is then edited and aligned with the desired shape of the outer bonnet panels, through a series of photographic manipulation layers. The preferred use of software such as Adobe Photoshop, allows the transforming or altering of photograph using various methods and techniques to achieve desired results.
There are various printing processes for fabric printing. Some of the more traditional printing processes include: Rotary, Flatbed, Screen, Hand block, Hand screen, silk screen, Gel, and Digital textile, and Direct transfer printing. Modern technologies increase resolution and quality include 3D printing and Dye Sublimation.
One useful print method used for the bonnet system is the dye sublimation method. Dye Sublimation is a permanent printing process that gives a well defined quality of print. The process includes transferring the desired patterned image and download onto a software that allows the pattern images to be aligned and adjusted for print. The pattern images are then printed on printed paper. The selected polyester fabric is placed on the heating mechanism and covered with the printed paper image. Once the heat-generated process begin, the heat is used to transfer due onto fabric permanently.
Additional details of dye sublimation can be found in various locations known to those having ordinary skill in the art, such as here: fabricgraphicsmag.com/articles/0110\_f3\_debate. html.
The following example shows the construction of the “Bob style” for the inner and outer bonnet patterns. The patterns are based on a one size fits most standard, which is achieved by the capacity of the outer bonnet and the inner bonnet's adjustability in its use of the drawstring method. The shape of the inner bonnet supports the shape of the outer bonnet by the unique shape of its front and back panels.
There is a minimum of two panels required for the inner bonnet, which number of panels achieves the result of maintaining the shape and adequate capacity that complies with the outer bonnet's structure. Casing fabric is used to channel the drawstring and provide adjustability for a desired fit.
Charmeuse satin is the fabric used for the inner bonnet. This fabric is selected based on its smooth, lightweight texture that supports the inner bonnets function of reducing friction and disheveling to the wearer's hair.
5.10.1.1 Construction of a Bob-Style Inner Bonnet
Materials Needed:
There is a minimum of seven panels required for the (Bob style) outer bonnet. It was determined that this number of panels maintain the shape of the style and supports adequate capacity for the inner bonnet. Charmeuse satin and China silk are the fabrics used for the outer bonnet. Charmeuse satin is selected for the exterior side of the outer bonnet; its lightweight texture provides comfort as the 3rd layer (1st inner bonnet, 2nd interior outer bonnet lining, and 3rd exterior outer bonnet) of fabric used in the bonnet system. Both fabric materials are 100% polyester, which provides a superior quality in dye sublimation printing.
Materials Needed:
Here is a list of steps used to prepare the images and pattern for printing.
The above description of the embodiments, alternative embodiments, and specific examples, are given by way of illustration and should not be viewed as limiting. Further, many changes and modifications within the scope of the present embodiments may be made without departing from the spirit thereof, and the present invention includes such changes and modifications.
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