Patent Grant
11445804
Embodiments relate to collection apparatus and, more particularly, to a hair collection device that captures hair at a bathing area and is operable to assist in removing collected hair from the hair collection device.
Individuals shedding hair is a natural occurrence. A common place where hair is shedded is when bathing, such as in a shower or bathtub. Shedding usually occurs more while bathing as water may be applied to the hair while cleaning such as, at a minimum, having water from a showerhead impeding upon a person's head or where there is a focus on cleaning the hair such as the application and removal of shampoo from the individual's hair which involves both an application of water and the use of an individual's hands.
While short hair may more easily flow with water down a drain when shedding occurs, long hair provides a different challenge. Over a period of time shedded hair can result in poor drain performance precipitating the requirement for plumbing repairs and/or maintenance.
Generally, individuals who are conscious of issues with hair interfering with plumbing will attempt to collect hair while showering or bathing. Some individuals will collect the shedded hair strands during the bathing process, but often find that maintaining the collection of hair in an organized manner for subsequent disposal difficult.
Though hair collection devices are known in the prior art, limitations exist with them. A primary limitation is that once hair is captured by prior art hair collection devices, removing hair from the prior art collection devices is difficult.
Users of hair collection devices who seek to capture shedded hair would benefit from a system used in a bathing area that not only provides for collecting shedded hair, but also provides for removing collected hair with minimum difficulty.
Embodiments relate to a system and method to store shedded hair and provides for removing the shedded hair from the system. The hair storage system comprises a base with a bottom side configured to attach to an external surface, the bottom side is configured to move when pressure is applied. The system also comprises a movable collection surface with a plurality of holes formed therethrough, the movable collection surface is movable from a first location proximate to a top side of the base and a second location further away from the top side of the base. The system further comprises a plurality of protrusions, each respective protrusion having a respective base end and a respective terminal end with the terminal ends extending through the plurality of holes of the movable collection surface. Once hair is stored within the plurality of protrusions, movement of the movable collection surface from the first location to the second location releases the hair from the plurality of protrusions.
Another embodiment of the system comprises a moveable two-layer structure to store and release collected hair, the movable two-layer structure having a top layer, the top layer comprising a plurality of openings formed therethrough, and a second layer, the second layer having an opening formed therethrough, wherein the top layer and the second layer are separated.
The system further comprises a base having a top side and a bottom side, the base is attachable to an external surface at the bottom side, the base is configured to move when pressure is applied at a location on the bottom side. The system also comprises a connector extending from the base, through the opening of the second layer to the top layer of the moveable two-layer structure and a plurality of protrusions extending from the second layer through the plurality of openings of the first layer. Pressure applied to the location on the bottom side of the base causes the top layer of the moveable two-layer structure to move in response to the pressure applied to provide for the movement of the top layer to cause stored hair to move from within the plurality of protrusions.
The method comprises applying pressure at a location on a base of the hair storage device. The method also comprises activating a connector extending from the base to a movable collection surface to cause the movable collection surface to move away from the base. The method further comprises moving the movable collection surface to rise towards respective ends of a plurality of protrusions that pass through a plurality of openings formed therethrough the movable collection surface to cause hair stored by the plurality of protrusions to disengage from the plurality of protrusions.
A more particular description briefly stated above will be rendered by reference to specific embodiments thereof that are illustrated in the appended drawings. Understanding that these drawings depict only typical embodiments and are not therefore to be considered to be limiting of its scope, the embodiments will be described and explained with additional specificity and detail through the use of the accompanying drawings in which:
Embodiments are described herein with reference to the attached figures wherein like reference numerals are used throughout the figures to designate similar or equivalent elements. The figures are not drawn to scale and they are provided merely to illustrate aspects disclosed herein. Several disclosed aspects are described below with reference to non-limiting example applications for illustration. It should be understood that numerous specific details, relationships, and methods are set forth to provide a full understanding of the embodiments disclosed herein. One having ordinary skill in the relevant art, however, will readily recognize that the disclosed embodiments can be practiced without one or more of the specific details or with other methods. In other instances, well-known structures or operations are not shown in detail to avoid obscuring aspects disclosed herein. The embodiments are not limited by the illustrated ordering of acts or events, as some acts may occur in different orders and/or concurrently with other acts or events. Furthermore, not all illustrated acts or events are required to implement a methodology in accordance with the embodiments.
Notwithstanding that the numerical ranges and parameters setting forth the broad scope are approximations, the numerical values set forth in specific non-limiting examples are reported as precisely as possible. Any numerical value, however, inherently contains certain errors necessarily resulting from the standard deviation found in their respective testing measurements. Furthermore, unless otherwise clear from the context, a numerical value presented herein has an implied precision given by the least significant digit. Thus, a value 1.1 implies a value from 1.05 to 1.15. The term “about” is used to indicate a broader range centered on the given value, and unless otherwise clear from the context implies a broader range around the least significant digit, such as “about 1.1” implies a range from 1.0 to 1.2. If the least significant digit is unclear, then the term “about” implies a factor of two, e.g., “about X” implies a value in the range from 0.5× to 2×, for example, about 100 implies a value in a range from 50 to 200. Moreover, all ranges disclosed herein are to be understood to encompass any and all sub-ranges subsumed therein. For example, a range of “less than 10” can include any and all sub-ranges between (and including) the minimum value of zero and the maximum value of 10, that is, any and all sub-ranges having a minimum value of equal to or greater than zero and a maximum value of equal to or less than 10, e.g., 1 to 4.
A movable collection surface 130 with a plurality of holes 140 formed therethrough is provided. The movable collection surface 130 is movable from a first location proximate to a top side of the base 110 and a second location further away from the top side of the base 110.
A plurality of protrusions 160 are also provided. The protrusions 160 may also be considered bristles or extensions. Each respective protrusion has a respective base end and a respective terminal end 175 with the terminal ends extending through the plurality of holes 140 of the movable collection surface 130. In operation, as disclosed in further detail below, once hair is stored within the plurality of protrusions 160, movement of the movable collection surface 130 from the first location (shown in
The plurality of protrusions 160 may be arranged so that a human finger may enter between a space between adjacent protrusions. Thus, as a non-limiting example, there may be at least four (4) centimeters (cm), plus or minus three (3) cm, between adjacent protrusions. Furthermore, the plurality of protrusions may be made from a pliable material to provide for movement when a human finger, or another elongated device, is placed between at least two adjacent protrusions. Non-limiting examples of the pliable material comprise flexible plastics, silicon, or any other strong but bendable material.
The hair collection device 100 may comprise any shape or geometric shape. Non-limiting examples include, but is not limited to, a circular, square, rectangular, octagonal, hexagonal arrangement. Thus, at least one of the base and the movable collection surface may comprise such a non-limiting shape. As a further non-limiting example, when the movable collection surface comprises a circular arrangement, the plurality of protrusions may be arranged in at least two circular rows. When another shape is used, the plurality of protrusions may be arranged in at least two rows representative of the shape selected.
In an embodiment, a protrusion connection member 210 may be provided and may be located between the base 110 and the movable collection surface 130 to which the plurality of protrusions 160 is attached at their respective base ends 220 to the bristle connection member 210. The base ends 220 may be attached to a top surface of the protrusion connection member 210 or to a bottom surface. When attached to the bottom surface, a plurality of openings are provided through which the plurality of protrusions pass. In another embodiment, the plurality of protrusions 160 are instead attached at their respective base ends 220 to a top side of the base 110 and the protrusion connection member 210 may or may not be included. If the protrusion connection member 210 is included, it stabilizes the plurality of protrusions when the movable collection surface is moved.
In a non-limiting example, the movable collection device 130 and the protrusion connection member 210 may be considered a moveable two-layer structure. The two-layer structure 130, 210 may be arranged to store and release collected hair. The movable two-layer structure may have a top layer 130 where the top layer 130 has a plurality of openings 140 formed therethrough. As discussed further herein, the plurality of openings 140 are provided for a plurality of protrusions 160 to pass through. The movable two-layer structure also has the second layer 210. The second layer 210 may be non-movable. The base end 220 of the protrusions 160 of the plurality of protrusions may be attached to the second layer 210. As shown in
The method 400 may further comprise holding respective base ends of the plurality of protrusions stationary when moving the movable collection surface to rise with an intermediate support connected to the respective base ends of the plurality of protrusions, at 440. The method 400 may also comprise passing the connector through an opening within the intermediate support to allow the intermediate support remain stationary when the connector moves, at 450.
Embodiments disclosed herein provide for a hair storage or collection device 100 with a moveable structure 160 to store and push hair out from the collection device for a user. A moveable connector 310 such as, but not limited to, a cylinder, allows for at least a part of the movable structure 130 to be pushed up to the top of bristles or protrusions 160 ejecting the hair off the device 100. There is a base 110 where the push is initiated resulting in the movable collection surface 160 to move away from the base 110 and allows the device to be mounted to the shower wall.
Thus, the embodiments disclosed herein seek to provide a hair storage device with a movable structure, which may be a moveable two-layer structure, to store and push hair out for a user. This functionality is created by a connector, that may be a middle cylinder, that connects a top layer of the movable structure to a base on the bottom-most of the device. When pressure is applied to the bottom of the base, the connector causes the top layer to move away from the base. When the movable structure comprises the two-layer structure, the connector is not connected to the lower layer and hence does not cause the lower layer to move when the connector moves the top layer away from the base. To create the self-cleaning functionality the user may press the suction cup at a location the cylinder is connected to the base. This will push the top layer of the device or the movable structure up to the top part of the bristles or protrusions, thus pushing the hair off the device.
Unless otherwise defined, all terms (including technical and scientific terms) used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which embodiments belongs. It will be further understood that terms, such as those defined in commonly used dictionaries, should be interpreted as having a meaning that is consistent with their meaning in the context of the relevant art and will not be interpreted in an idealized or overly formal sense unless expressly so defined herein.
In particular, unless specifically stated otherwise as apparent from the discussion, it is appreciated that throughout the description, discussions utilizing terms such as “processing” or “computing” or “calculating” or “determining” or “displaying” or the like, refer to the action and processes of a computer system, or similar electronic computing device, that manipulates and transforms data represented as physical (electronic) quantities within the computer system's registers and memories into other data similarly represented as physical quantities within the computer system memories or registers or other such data storage, transmission or display devices.
The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting. As used herein, the singular forms “a,” “an,” and “the” are intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. Furthermore, to the extent that the terms “including,” “includes,” “having,” “has,” “with,” or variants thereof are used in either the detailed description and/or the claims, such terms are intended to be inclusive in a manner similar to the term “comprising.” Moreover, unless specifically stated, any use of the terms first, second, etc., does not denote any order or importance, but rather the terms first, second, etc., are used to distinguish one element from another. As used herein the expression “at least one of A and B,” will be understood to mean only A, only B, or both A and B.
While various disclosed embodiments have been described above, it should be understood that they have been presented by way of example only, and not limitation. Numerous changes, omissions and/or additions to the subject matter disclosed herein can be made in accordance with the embodiments disclosed herein without departing from the spirit or scope of the embodiments. Also, equivalents may be substituted for elements thereof without departing from the spirit and scope of the embodiments. In addition, while a particular feature may have been disclosed with respect to only one of several implementations, such feature may be combined with one or more other features of the other implementations as may be desired and advantageous for any given or particular application. Furthermore, many modifications may be made to adapt a particular situation or material to the teachings of the embodiments without departing from the scope thereof.
Further, the purpose of the foregoing Abstract is to enable the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office and the public generally and especially the scientists, engineers and practitioners in the relevant art(s) who are not familiar with patent or legal terms or phraseology, to determine quickly from a cursory inspection the nature and essence of this technical disclosure. The Abstract is not intended to be limiting as to the scope of the present disclosure in any way.
Therefore, the breadth and scope of the subject matter provided herein should not be limited by any of the above explicitly described embodiments. Rather, the scope of the embodiments should be defined in accordance with the following claims and their equivalents.
This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 62/887,574 filed Aug. 15, 2020, and incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
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