1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to personal grooming apparatus and methods. More specifically, the present invention relates to hair curlers.
2. Description of the Related Art
It is well-known to style hair by creating curls. One common method for curling hair involves the application of heat by way of a curling iron. Unfortunately, the high heat required to make the hair curl is deleterious to the hair. Hair rollers, also known as hair curlers, are commonly used as an alternative to heat to form semi-permanent curls in the hair of humans or animals. Typically hair rollers are formed as short cylindrical elements, such as metal or plastic rods or tubes, open-cell or closed-cell foam rods and the like. Rollers come in a variety of diameters for forming “tight” or “loose” curls depending on the particular style or fashion that a person desires or is in vogue at the time.
Curlers are typically used by rolling up the hair around the exterior periphery of the cylindrical curler and securing the curler to the hair with a frame, rubber band, Velcro fastener or other retaining solution. There are two problems with the use of conventional curlers.
First, existing arrangements to hold the hair in place on the curler often damaged the hair or otherwise created an unsightly crease therein. Such typical prior apparatus include a simple hair pin which has been used to physically pin hair to the roller along the longitudinal axis thereof.
Second, curlers are not attractive when in use and do not complement the looks of the user. Although the use of hair rollers is often carried out as part of an everyday private female toilette, it is uncommon for women to use rollers in the company of others. It is also uncommon to see women in public places with rollers in their hair. Some users view the use of hair rollers as a relatively embarrassing, albeit necessary task for maintaining an attractively curly hairdo.
Occasionally, however, a user may balk at the prospect of having to endure hair rollers in her hair for the first time or at any time. The reason for this is that hair rollers are visible implements and they typically do not make for a sight which users—mostly women—find flattering or attractive. Ordinarily, hair rollers are constructed as purely functional devices and none of the features of those devices promote or encourage the use of regular rollers outside of the privacy of the personal toilette where no-one or hardly anyone sees the regular rollers in use. Indeed, women do not want to be seen using regular rollers because they know this is an unflattering, unbecoming sight. Accordingly, conventional hair rollers are generally considered to be unsightly and unbecoming when in use, both by its users as well as by most people seeing them in use.
Hence, there is a need in the art for a hair roller that is not harmful to the hair and is constructed so as to promote and encourage the use of rollers in public, that is beyond the privacy of places and times of or for personal grooming, i.e. while socializing or present in public spaces outside private homes or in common rooms of a private home (or building) the use of which is shared with others. That is, there is a need for a safe, less unsightly and less unbecoming, and yet fully functional hair curler/roller solution.
The need in the art is addressed by the hair curler of the present invention. The inventive curler comprises a cylindrical body having a longitudinal axis and a transverse axis and a removable rod extending through the body along the transverse axis thereof.
In the illustrative embodiment, the cylindrical body is perforated and has multiple protrusions. The cylindrical body has a variable diameter with tapered ends. The diameter of the body is smaller in the middle section thereof. The rod is beaded and has bends therein.
The inventive curler enables a novel method of curling hair including the steps of curling the hair around the curler comprising a cylindrical body having a longitudinal axis and a transverse axis and a removable rod extending through said body along said transverse axis thereof and securing the curled hair to the head of a user by inserting a rod through the body of the curler along the transverse axis thereof.
Illustrative embodiments and exemplary applications will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings to disclose the advantageous teachings of the present invention.
While the present invention is described herein with reference to illustrative embodiments for particular applications, it should be understood that the invention is not limited thereto. Those having ordinary skill in the art and access to the teachings provided herein will recognize additional modifications, applications, and embodiments within the scope thereof and additional fields in which the present invention would be of significant utility.
In view of the foregoing limitations and shortcomings of the prior art regular rollers, as well as other disadvantages not specifically mentioned above, it should be apparent that there still exists a need in the art of hair rollers which will appeal to women by virtue of their invisibility, as well as to effectively perform the function of curling the hair. There is also a continuing need in the art to expand the possibilities for construction of hair rollers to eliminate or at least very significantly reduce the embarrassment of wearing prior art regular rollers when these prior art regular rollers are visible to others.
The difference between the present invention and prior art regular rollers is that the invisible roller is completely covered by hair and thereby hidden from view, even from the sides.
As shown in
The body 12 may be constructed of plastic, rubber, metal, wood or other suitable material. In the best mode, each curler 10 is approximately 5 cm to 10 cm in length and 1 cm to 3 cm in diameter. The rod 14 should be 4 cm to 6 cm in length and 1 mm to 2 mm in diameter.
The roller body 12 may be implemented in different lengths, shapes and sizes, including without limitation: straight, cylindrical, cigar, zeppelin shapes as well as wavy or curved shapes and/or combinations of these shapes. Different shapes help allow for a better match between length and type of hair, size or location of desired curl and optimize the winding and holding of hair.
While
As shown in
For safety, the rod 14 has first and second beads 27 and 28 that cap opposite ends of a shaft 30 thereof. Note that in the illustrative embodiment, the shaft 30 has a number of bends 32 that serve to inhibit slippage of the rod 14 out of position when in use. However, the shaft 30 may be straight without departing from the scope of the present teachings.
The rod 14 can be made of any materials, including without limitation: plastics, metals and combinations of these materials as well as any new materials as may become available and which are suitable for expressing this part of present invention and design. The rod 14 may be straight, wavy, ridged or curved with or without the small rounded beads 27 and 28 at the ends thereof. The length and diameter of the rod(s) depends on roller body material or materials and can vary. In any case, the rod should be sufficiently strong to hold the hair in place without breaking. One or multiple rods 14 can be used and the rods can be located in the center, off-center (to facilitate inclusion of the hair ends at the start of rolling) and at both ends of the roller body.
The novel operation of the present invention is illustrated in
As noted above, in the best mode, the rods are installed in the roller body prior and during winding. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that in the alternative methodological embodiment, the hair may be wrapped in the roller without the rod installed until it is fully curled and ready to be secured without departing from the scope of the present teachings.
Typically, during winding, both ends of the rods stick out of the body outside the central roller as shown in
The curlers 10 can be transparent or have a color close to the hair color itself. The invisible hair rollers of the present invention should be fabricated of a material that will not deteriorate or deform under high temperature operating conditions.
Thus, the present invention has been described herein with reference to a particular embodiment for a particular application. Those having ordinary skill in the art and access to the present teachings will recognize additional modifications, applications and embodiments within the scope thereof.
It is therefore intended by the appended claims to cover any and all such applications, modifications and embodiments within the scope of the present invention.
Accordingly,
This application claims priority from a provisional application entitled INVISIBLE HAIR ROLLER DEVICE/APPARATUS FOR CURLING HAIR AND METHOD OF USE, filed Aug. 9, 2012, Ser. No. 61/681,592 by Elena Lopatina.