Patent Application
20240016119
The present disclosure relates to horse grooming and, more particularly, to apparatuses and methods for banding a horse's mane.
Historically, banding a horse's mane has involved extending and tightening rubber bands around locks of the horse's mane, for styling the mane into ponytail-like or pigtail-like tresses and/or into rolls, balls, knobs, lattices or other hair designs comprising such tresses.
Historical approaches to banding horses' manes have been undesirably laborious.
One or more embodiments provide and apparatus for banding hair. The apparatus comprises a magazine configured to hold elastic bands and to urge at least one of the elastic bands along a first axis. The magazine defines an ejection port configured to pass the at least one of the elastic bands therethrough. The apparatus further comprises an ejection assembly arranged and configured to urge the at least one of the elastic bands through the ejection port. The apparatus further comprises a guide arranged and configured to hold the hair in a banding orientation such that the hair extends from the guide both adjacently to the ejection port and off-center from the first axis.
One or more embodiments provide a method for banding hair. The method comprises concurrently holding each one of a plurality of elastic bands in an elastically deformed, generally C-shaped, open state. The method further comprises extending at least one of the elastic bands around the hair when the at least one of the elastic bands is not in an elastically deformed, at least generally closed ring state. The at least one of the elastic bands transitions itself to the elastically deformed, at least generally closed ring state when the at least one of the elastic bands is extended around the hair.
It will be appreciated that the various embodiments described in this summary section, as well as elsewhere in this application, can be expressed as a large number of different combinations and subcombinations. All such useful, novel, and inventive combinations and subcombinations are contemplated herein, it being recognized that the explicit expression of each of these combinations is unnecessary.
Some of the figures shown herein may include dimensions. Further, the figures shown herein may have been created from scaled drawings, scaled models, or from photographs that are scalable. It is understood that such dimensions, or the relative scaling within a figure, are by way of example, and not to be construed as limiting unless so stated in a claim. Persons of ordinary skill will also recognize that computer-aided design (“CAD”) renderings may include lines that pertain to changes in surface geometry, and not necessarily to component features.
Following is(are) one or more lists of element numbers, including at least one noun used to describe each listed element. It should be understood that none of the embodiments disclosed herein are limited to these nouns, and these descriptors can further include other words that would be understood by a person of ordinary skill reading and reviewing this disclosure in its entirety.
For the purposes of promoting an understanding of the principles of the invention, reference will now be made to the embodiments illustrated in the drawings and specific language will be used to describe the same. It will nevertheless be understood that no limitation of the scope of the invention is thereby intended, such alterations and further modifications in the illustrated device, and such further applications of the principles of the invention as illustrated therein being contemplated as would normally occur to one skilled in the art to which the invention relates. At least one embodiment of the present invention will be described and shown, and this application may show and/or describe other embodiments of the present invention, and further permits the reasonable and logical inference of still other embodiments as would be understood by persons of ordinary skill in the art. Unless expressly described or claimed herein as particularly limited to one or more specific materials, any component of the invention may be made from any one or more suitable metals, plastics, woods, fabrics, fibers, and/or combination(s) thereof (and/or any other suitable material(s) or combination(s) thereof) as would be understood by one of ordinary skill in the art.
It is understood that any reference to “the invention” is a reference to an embodiment of a family of inventions, with no single embodiment including an apparatus, process, or composition that should be included in all embodiments, unless otherwise stated. Further, although there may be discussion with regards to “advantages” provided by some embodiments of the present invention, it is understood that yet other embodiments may not include those same advantages, or may include yet different advantages. Any advantages described herein are not to be construed as limiting to any of the claims. The usage of words indicating preference, such as “various embodiments” or “preferably,” refers to features and aspects that are present in at least one embodiment, but which are optional for some embodiments, it therefore being understood that use of the word “preferably” implies the term “optional.”
Like reference numerals refer to like parts throughout the description and the drawings. Additionally, the use of an N-series prefix for an element number (NXX.XX) refers to an element that is the same as the non-prefixed element (XX.XX) except as shown and described. As an example, an element 1020.1 would be the same as element 20.1, except for those different features of element 1020.1 shown and described. Further, common elements and common features of related elements may be drawn in the same manner in different figures, and/or use the same symbology in different figures. As such, it is not necessary to describe the features of 1020.1 and 20.1 that are the same, since these common features are apparent to a person of ordinary skill in the related field of technology. Further, it is understood that some features 1020.1 and 20.1 may be backward compatible, such that a feature of a later discussed embodiment (NXX.XX) may include features compatible with other various embodiments that were discussed earlier (MXX.XX), as would be understood by those of ordinary skill in the art. This description convention also applies to the use of prime (′), double prime (″), triple prime (′″) and star or asterisk (*) suffixed element numbers. Therefore, it is not necessary to describe the features of 20.1, 20.1′, 20.1″, 20.1″ and 20* that are the same, since these common features are apparent to persons of ordinary skill in the related field of technology.
What follows are paragraphs that express particular embodiments of the present invention. In those paragraphs that follow, some element numbers are prefixed with an “X” indicating that the words pertain to any of the similar features shown in the drawings or described in the text. However, those of ordinary skill in the art will recognize various other non-X prefixed element numbers that discuss features applicable to other embodiments.
This document may use different words to describe the same element number, or to refer to an element number in a specific family of features (NXX.XX). It is understood that such multiple, different words are not intended to provide a redefinition of any language herein. It is understood that such words demonstrate that the particular feature can be considered in various linguistical ways, such ways not necessarily being additive or exclusive.
The banding tool 160 further comprises a handle 380. The handle 380 is coupled to the back face 320 of the magazine 240. The handle 380 has a top surface 400, a back surface 420, a bottom surface 440, a left side 460, and a right side 480 (the right side 480 is not expressly illustrated in
When the first hair band 640, the second hair band 660, the additional hair bands 680, and the last hair band 700 are loaded onto the guide sleeve 600, each of the first hair band 640, the second hair band 660, the additional hair bands 680, and the last hair band 700 is held (by the guide sleeve 600) in an elastically deformed, generally C-shaped, open state (see, e.g.,
Additionally, the ejection port 980 and the ejection slide 1000 are suitably configured and arranged to guide the hair band 640 such that the hair band 640 exits the port 980 in a direction 1060 that is as close to coplanar to the lateral split line/plane 930 of the magazine 240 and the funnel 180 as practicable, and that is as close to transverse to the longitudinal axis 1080 of the guide sleeve 600 as practicable. Accordingly, an angle 1100 between the direction 1060 and the longitudinal axis 1080 in the split plane 930 (the split line/plane 930 is identified in 6A) is as close to 90 degrees as practicable. The latch pin 1020 is suitably spring loaded and mechanically coupled to the index-finger-actuatable switch 540 such that when the switch 540 is not actuated at least a portion of the latch pin 1020 is suitably interposed between (or suitably returns to interposition between, accordingly) the hair band 640 and the slide 1000, and such that actuation of the switch 540 causes the latch pin 1020 to withdraw from between the hair band 640 and the slide 1000.
The ejection control features 1200 are further suitably arranged, coupled, and configured such that:
It should be appreciated that in one or more other embodiments either of the opposing notches 880 of the notched hair band 860 may facilitate retention of a hair band 640′ by a latch pin 1020′ or by a cog wheel 1220′.
In operation of the hair banding tool 160, a human user (not shown) grasps the hair banding tool 160 with in the user's right hand, with the user's fingers in the finger holes 520, actuates the thumb switch 500 to splay open the jaws 340, 360 of the funnel 180, positions the lock of hair 140 between the jaws 340, 360, and releases the thumb switch 500 (which causes the jaws 340, 360 to close around the lock of hair 140). Next, the user actuates the finger switch 540 (which causes the first hair band 640 to be ejected through the ejection port 980 (and, thus, out of the magazine 240). Quickly after the hair band 640 is ejected from the magazine 240, the hair band closes around the lock of hair 140. Thereafter, the user may reposition the hair banding tool 160 elsewhere along the lock of hair 140 (for banding another part of the lock 140), or the user may reposition the banding tool 160 around a different lock of hair and band the different lock of hair via like operations as those used for banding the lock 140.
While the inventions have been illustrated and described in detail in the drawings and foregoing description, the same is to be considered as illustrative and not restrictive in character, it being understood that only certain embodiments have been shown and described and that all changes and modifications that come within the spirit of the inventions are desired to be protected.
This application claims the benefit of priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63/364,992, filed on May 19, 2022, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 63364992 | May 2022 | US |
