Patent Application
20170311692
Head wraps and scarves have been used for years as a method to preserve a hair style once the user leaves a hair salon or completes an at-home styling session. Head wraps and scarves are particularly important to those persons with naturally curly hair who choose to wear their tresses in a straightened style. Curly hair that has been straightened with heat or chemicals must be wrapped during sleep or exercise or the hair will quickly revert to its naturally curly condition. In addition, as time elapses after a straightening treatment, even without the interference of any significant moisture, the hair will begin to frizz and possibly become puffy, ultimately ruining the fresh look of the straightened hairstyle. Once the hair no longer appears straight and shiny, the person may desire a new styling treatment to refresh the look, which will require further financial investment in grooming and styling.
An object of one embodiment of the present disclosure is to provide a head scarf and hair wrap that is suitable for at-home as well as in-public usage. Another object of the present disclosure is to provide a head scarf and hair wrap that remains in place during sleep or exercise by the user. Another object of the present disclosure is to provide to prevent hair dehydration, hair breakage, and hair frizzing. Another object of the present disclosure is to provide a head scarf and hair wrap that protects hairstyles and prolongs the time a user can wear a particular style between sessions with a stylist.
Another object of the present disclosure is to provide a head scarf and hair wrap that may be tightened and adjusted while being worn by the user. Another object of the present disclosure is to provide a head scarf and hair wrap that allows a user to effectively use a blow dryer on hair while still wearing said Head Wrap.
Embodiments of the present disclosure generally provide a style preservation head scarf and hair wrap. The Style Preservation Head Scarf and Hair Care Wrap (hereinafter referred to as the “Head Wrap”) consists of a combination hair protection element and a fashion element. The protective element is placed directly against the hair in use. The bottom edge of the fashion/decorative element is permanently attached to the top edge of the hair protection element. When the user desires to use a blow drying apparatus with the present Head Wrap, the blow drying unit may be placed between the folds (dryer opening) created between the left arm, right arm, and top of the protective element. The dryer opening may be used to remove dampness while the scarf is worn and to maintain the user's hairstyle. The Head Wrap may be used to prevent hair breakage, as a multipurpose hair accessory, to protect hair during sleep, to allow air to reach the user's scalp, to extend the wearing time of straightened hair styles for all types of hair, to minimize moisture and frizz of the hair, and to promote and foster manageable hair care.
This product was created to meet the needs of those persons desiring a hair care wrap and scarf to maintain and prolong the user's hairstyle while simultaneously allowing air to reach a user's scalp, which will reduce the hair styling time alter wearing the device over night or during the day. The preferred embodiment is pure silk or a material with similar qualities. A similar product, constructed of blended or synthetic materials, would not allow the user's scalp to breath, which would result in hair dehydration, in which moisture is absorbed leaving the hair lacking sheen. This dehydration may also cause hair breakage and frizz if the hair wrap becomes unsecured from the user's head during sleep. The present device serves the dual purpose of a hair care tool and a hair accessory. The present product provides longer lasting preservation of hair styles by preserving hair moisture, shine and bounce, preventing hair breakage, minimizing frizz and is supportive of all hair types. These wraps are typically worn in the privacy of the home with loungewear or sleepwear. Additionally, users of the present device won't experience skin irritations or breakouts since the hair and any hair products will not contact the face or other skin.
Since hair preservation scarves aren't typically worn outside the home, users and manufacturers aren't necessarily concerned with the aesthetics of the head scarf. For those head scarves that are designed to be worn outside of the home, their main function is to decorate the hair, keep hair out of the user's face, or to protect modesty without regard for preservation a of style and health of hair. The present Head Wrap protects hair and is fashionable. Typical hair scarves may become dislodged from the user's head during sleep or exercise if not properly placed and secured on the head. When a regular head scarf is secured with mechanisms (such as clips or pins), those securing mechanisms may snag or tangle in the user's hair when the head scarf is applied to or removed from the user's head. In preparation for sleep or exercise with the present Head Wrap, a user would “wrap the hair”, which consists of combing or brushing parted hair around the head until the hair no longer hangs along the neck, shoulders, or back. A user may choose to secure the wrapped hair with clips or pins until the Head Wrap is in place, at which time the clips or pins may be removed as they are no longer necessary for securing the wrapped hair, which is quite secure under the present Head Wrap.
In one embodiment, the Head Wrap of the present disclosure provides a protective element, composed of a rounded midsection of material with a first arm and a second arm. A first, connective element is attached to the first arm and a second connective element is attached to the second arm of the protective element. In order to protect the hair style of the user, the rounded midsection of the protective element of the head scarf is placed against the rear portion of a user's head. The first arm of the midsection is placed against the user's forehead, with the connective element exposed. Then the second arm of the midsection is folded toward the user's forehead where the connective element of the second arm is placed, adjacent to and connected to the connective element of the first arm of the protective element. Alternatively, the connective elements of the protective element may be joined at the nape of the neck, the sides of the head or any other location to create a variety of styles. The protective element may be twisted around the user's head to tighten the Head Wrap and further secure the wrapped hair around the user's head. Once the protective element is in place, the user can arrange the fashion or decorative element which serves dual purposes: to further secure the protective element around the hair and to add a decorative element to the user's appearance.
Further, the present disclosure could provide a variety of distinct hair wrapping styles, for the first alternative styling method, the hair would be brushed around the head in a circular motion, the protective element would be placed behind the head while bringing together the two connective elements to meet at the forehead, joining the elements left over right. The protective element would be turned clock wise in the direction of the wrapped hair, bringing the decorative element forward over the head while tying the ends of the decorative element at the nape of the neck. For the next styling method, the user would lay the Head Wrap on a flat surface with the decorative element on top, fold the protective element arms into the middle of the protective element, roll or fold the protective element to a point where the protective element is positioned upon the inner surface of the decorative element and position the aligned protective and decorative element in one of several positions: against the crown of the head with the lower edge of the decorative element at the nape of the neck, wherein the ends of the decorative element may be crossed and tied near the forehead to secure the Head Wrap to the user's head (or reversed with the tied section at the nape of the neck and the aligned protective and decorative elements near the forehead/hairline area); around the neck, then crossed and tied to achieve the choker look; at the nape of the neck, then tied around the forehead with a small portion of the hairline exposed; at the nape of the neck, then tied around a middle section of the head; or after styling hair in an up-do, bee-hive or bun, the user would tie the aligned protective and decorative elements around the up-do hairstyle.
When the Head Wrap is in use, the user may tighten the hair wrap by repositioning the snag-free hook and loop fasteners or by turning the hair wrap in the same direction as the user's hair has been wrapped, i.e. turning the hair wrap in a full clockwise motion allowing the wrap aid hair to tighten around the head and further secure the protective wrapping around the styled hair. When a user desires to apply dry heat to the hair to remove sweat, or other dampness with a typical head scarf, the user must usually remove the head scarf, comb or brush the hair, dry the hair, rewrap the hair around the head and then reapply the head scarf or dressing. Users of the present Head Wrap can dry their hair without removing the Head Wrap. Once the protective element has been placed on and around the wrapped hair and secured via the connective elements, the midsection of the decorative element may the directed towards the front of the head and the tails tied at the back of the head. A blow dryer may be inserted in the dryer openings of the protective element created once the Head Wrap is In place on the user's head. The dryer openings (or gaps) will appear at the left side and right side of the head. Once a blow dryer is inserted into the dryer openings, the hair may be dried without removing the hair from the Head Wrap, further preserving the straightening and styling of the hair. If the user does not intend to blow dry the hair, the folds may be hidden or concealed under the decorative element or within the material of the protective element. In addition, even for scarves that are functional and not merely decorative, those scarves do not significantly lengthen the amount of time a user can confidently wear a hair style due to their less functional preservation techniques. The present Head Wrap is an improvement and allows for much longer preservation of styled and straightened hair during sleep and exercise.
While the present Head Wrap may be manufactured from a variety of materials such as cotton, rayon, silk blends, or many of several types of synthetic or organic blends, pure silk guarantees maximum protection against breakage and other damage of the user's hair. In addition, the use of snag-free Velcro, also commonly known as hook and loop fasteners, prevents harmful and potentially painful snagging of hair strands from clips, pins or other hair accessories. Other technical features may be readily apparent to one skilled in the art from the following figures and descriptions.
For a more complete understanding of this disclosure and its features, reference is now made to the following description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:
The present disclosure generally provides a detailed description of a style preservation head scarf, which may be used to protect hairstyles as well as to disguise the hair protection element with a decorative layer. It should be understood that a Head Wrap as shown in the accompanying figures is for illustrative purposes only and that any other system or subsystem could be used in conjunction with or in lieu of a Head Wrap according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.
It may be advantageous to set forth definitions of certain words and phrases used in this patent document. The term “couple” and its derivatives refer to any direct or indirect communication between two or more elements, whether or not those elements are in physical contact with one another. The terms “include” and “comprise,” as well as derivatives thereof mean Inclusion without limitation. The term “or” is inclusive, meaning and/or. The phrases “associated with” and “associated therewith,” as well as derivatives thereof, may mean to include, be included within, interconnect with, contain, be contained within, connect to or with, couple to or with, be communicable with, cooperate with, interleave, juxtapose, be proximate to, be bound to or with, have, have a property of, or the like.
While this disclosure has described certain embodiments and generally associated methods, alterations and permutations of these embodiments and methods will be apparent to those skilled in the art. Accordingly, the above description of example embodiments does not define or constrain this disclosure. Other changes, substitutions, and alterations are also possible without departing from the spirit and scope of this disclosure and the following claims.
The present application claims priority to the provisional patent application identified by U.S. Ser. No. 61/330,111, filed on Apr. 30, 2016. The entire content of the provisional patent application identified as 61/330,111 is hereby expressly incorporated herein by reference. The present disclosure relates generally to accessories for hair and, in particular, to a combination head scarf and hair care wrap that is both protective and decorative.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 62330111 | Apr 2016 | US |
