This patent application generally relates to systems and methods for loosening or undoing braids, and more specifically to handheld devices having a narrow body disposed between two tapered ends, each end being suitable for releasing—or unbraiding—braided hair.
For various reasons, it may be desirable to have a portable, handheld device for unbraiding hair. Conventional tools and methods for unbraiding or releasing braids have included using rat tooth combs, and/or using the fingers of a person to manually loosen or undo the braids. However, such systems and methods are slow, ineffective, often cause pain to the wearer of the braids, may result in damaged and/or broken hair, and/or have not been designed with ergonomics or comfort of a user in mind. Accordingly, there has developed a need for a system and method for loosening or undoing braids that are time-efficient and effective, which reduce or eliminate the pain and discomfort traditionally associated with the loosening or undoing of hair braids.
The present teachings disclose braid releasing devices and methods for the use thereof. In some embodiments, a portable braid releasing device may include a narrow body disposed between two ends, and a recessed portion disposed on a length of the body, wherein the two ends include a first end opposite a second end, wherein at least one of the two ends is tapered. In some embodiments, the recessed portion may be configured to receive a fingertip of the user. In some embodiments, the two ends may be tapered and removably attached from the body of the device. In some embodiments, the two ends may be interchangeable with each other. In some embodiments, the first end may have a first tip, and the second end may have a second tip. In such embodiments, the first tip may be narrower than the second tip. In embodiments wherein at least one of the two ends is removable, the system may include at least one replacement end that may be interchangeable with the at least one removable end.
In some embodiments, an ergonomic braid releasing assembly may include a long, narrow body that is securably and removably attachable to at least two tapered ends, and a groove disposed on the narrow body and between the at least two tapered ends, wherein the at least two tapered ends may be insertable into and removable from a braid. In some embodiments, the at least two tapered ends may include a first end and a second end. In some embodiments, the first end may diminish in thickness away from the narrow body to a greater degree than the second end diminishes in thickness. In some but not all embodiments, the at least two tapered ends may further include a third end that is configured to be securably attached to the body. In such embodiments, the third end may be interchangeable with the first end and/or the second end. In such embodiments, the third end may differ in thickness from the first end and/or the second end.
In some embodiments, a braid releasing device may include an elongated member having at least two ends, including a first end and a second end, wherein the elongated member gradually diminishes in thickness toward the at least two ends, and wherein the first end diminishes in thickness to a greater degree than the second end diminishes in thickness. In some embodiments, the device may include an indentation on a length of the elongated member, wherein the indentation may be configured to receive a fingertip of a user. In some embodiments, the at least two ends may be removably and securably attached to the elongated member. In some embodiments, the at least two ends may further include a third end that may be interchangeable with the first and/or second end. In some embodiments, the thickness of the at least two ends may correlate with a size of a braid that the device is designed to loosen or undo. In such embodiments, the first end may be configured to be removably inserted into and suitable for loosening a small box braid, and the second end may be configured to be removably inserted into and suitable for loosening a larger box braid.
Thus, various aspects of the present disclosure teach a novel approach to releasing braids, designed for time efficiency, keeping hair from breaking, minimizing or eliminating pain when loosening or undoing the braids of a wearer, and providing a comfortable and ergonomic experience for the user of the disclosed systems and methods. Features, functions, and advantages of the present disclosure may be achieved independently in various embodiments, or may be combined in yet other embodiments. Further details of the disclosure may be seen in reference to the following Detailed Description and accompanying drawings.
The present disclosure contemplates portable braid releasing devices for enabling the loosening and/or undoing of various styles of hair braids that may be worn by wearer, which have been specifically designed to address the problem of conventional tools and methods being relatively time-consuming, ineffective, painful for the wearer of the braids, often resulting in damaged and/or broken hair, and/or being uncomfortable to use. In fact, the conventional process of loosening or undoing braids may have generally been viewed as an unpleasant experience for both the person wearing the braids and the person loosening or undoing the braids. Depending on the style of braids being worn, the skill of the person loosening or undoing the braids, and the patience of the person wearing the braids, it is not uncommon for the conventional process to entail hours of scalp discomfort for the wearer and/or hand strain for the user of a conventional tool.
As disclosed herein, the novel braid releasing devices (and methods for their use) offer a time-efficient, effective, hair-safe, and ergonomic alternative to such conventional tools and methods, while providing both the wearer of the braids and the user of the device with a pleasant experience. In some embodiments, the disclosed braid releasing devices may be manufactured at relatively low costs, and require relatively low lead times to produce. However, other embodiments may go the artisanal route and include devices that are handcrafted and/or made from luxurious materials. In either route, the devices may generally have a slim and portable design in order to be easily pocketable and carried around for use while on-the-go, stowed away in a purse, stocked at a hair salon or at home, and/or kept in a pen cup on a desk.
Various aspects of the present disclosure are described below and illustrated in the associated drawings, using certain embodiments and examples intended to illustrate but not limit the disclosure. Additionally, certain aspects of the disclosure may be described as a “first”, a “second,” a “third,” and so forth. However, this numbering scheme is not intended to limit the disclosure to only the numbers described herein, nor to imply that any particular sequence or number of elements are necessary to the disclosure. The subject matter of the present invention is particularly pointed out and distinctly claimed representing the scope of the invention in the concluding portion of this specification. However, both the organization and method of operation, together with further advantages and objects thereof, may best be understood by reference to the following descriptions taken in connection with accompanying drawings wherein like reference characters refer to like elements.
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Although the set 20 is shown with replacement ends having different lengths and thicknesses, some embodiments may include a pack of similarly or same sized replacement ends. For example, in a commercial or public setting where it is particularly important to avoid the transfer of contaminants between braid wearers, embodiments having a set 28 interchangeable ends may provide the added benefit of allowing the user to dispose of used ends after seeing each client. The ability to interchange the ends 14 and/or 16 of the device 10 with any of the replacement ends in the set 20 may also prove cost-effective for hair stylists and like professionals because the body 12 of the device may not need to be discarded after use on each client. Interchangeable ends may also be especially useful when attempting to reduce waste, as only the ends would be “wasted” after each use.
Another example of usefulness of having a set 20 of interchangeable ends is where the body 12 of the device 10 is made from a higher-end material or mixture of materials, such as, but not limited to: wood, glass, ceramic, stone, gemstone, metal, and so on. In such embodiments, it likely would not be desirable to discard such relatively expensive materials after each use. Thus, the ends 14 and/or 16 may be made from a cheap, disposable material like plastic. In alternative embodiments, however, the body 12 of the device 10 may also be made from a cheap material or mixture of materials, in which case it may be fine to dispose of the entire device 10 between clients.
Generally, it may be desirable for the ends 14 and/or 16 to be composed of an at least semi-rigid and/or relatively low-friction material or mixture of materials to facilitate the smooth insertion and removal of the ends 14 and/or 16 from the braids of a wearer. However, it may be less important for the body 12 of the device 10 to have these qualities. In some but not all embodiments, the body 12 may be flexible or semi-flexible. For example, the body 12 may be made of rubber or be at least partially rubberized around the recessed portion 18 area as to promote the comfort of the user. Additionally, some embodiments may be non-porous, dishwasher-safe, and/or autoclavable to facilitate ease of cleaning of the device 10 and the removal of any particulates or contaminates that may accumulate thereon as a result of regular use.
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Although any suitable material(s) may be used for the device 110, preferred embodiments may use one or more relatively low-friction materials for the ends 114 and/or 116 to enable smooth gliding of said ends through the hair of a user.
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STEP ONE: Hold the device 110 with your dominant hand, like a pen or a pencil, by placing the tip of your index finger, the tip of your thumb, and the side of your top middle finger knuckle along the indentation 118 of the device 110.
OPTIONAL STEP TWO (for devices having interchangeable ends only): If the indentation 118 is not disposed on the center of the device 110, then check to see which side is more comfortable to use. For example, if it is more comfortable to hold the device 110 closer to an end, but you need a different sized tip, then swap out the current tip for a different tip having your desired size.
STEP THREE: Hold the braid 140 you would like to loosen in your non-dominant hand.
STEP FOUR: Locate the end 142 of the braid 140 and place the device 110 at a notch 144 of the braid 140 that is closest to or near the end 142 of the braid 140.
STEP FIVE: Gently slide the tip 122 of the device 110 into the notch 144 of the braid 140.
STEP SIX: Push the tip 122 of the device 110 further into the braid, toward the thicker end 114 of the device until the braid becomes loose.
STEP SEVEN: Gently move the device 110 downward toward the end 142 of the braid 140 to further loosen and/or undo the braid, and to remove the device 110 from the braid 140.
STEP EIGHT: Repeat steps 3-7 upwards along the braid 140, away from the end 142 of the braid and toward the scalp of the wearer, until the braid 140 is loosened and/or undone to the desired level.
OPTIONAL STEP NINE (for devices having disposable ends): Detach the end 114 from the body 112 of the device 110 and dispose of it accordingly.
The above steps may be modified, added to, or subtracted from, depending on the type of braid, type of hair, user and/or wearer preference, and so on. Further, although the embodiments described herein refer to (1) a person wearing the braids (the “wearer”) and (b) a person loosening the braids (the “user”), it should be understood that this may be the same or two or more different people. In other words, the braid releasing devices described herein may be used by the person wearing the braids, or by another person. Additionally, it is conceivable for the braids to be exist apart from a person altogether, such as on a non-human animal, on a mannequin head, and so on. Unless expressly claimed, the above description is not intended to be considered in a limiting sense.
The different embodiments of braid releasing devices and methods for their use described herein may provide several advantages over previous systems and methods. For example, the illustrative embodiments described herein provide a simple, lightweight, effective, time-efficient, pain-free, and comfortable-to-use (for both the wearer of the braids and the user of the device) solution for releasing the braids of the wearer.
Additionally, and among other benefits, illustrative embodiments described herein allow for relatively low manufacturing costs and assembly lead times, depending on the material(s) from which the devices are formed. The disclosed embodiments offer significant advantages over conventional tools because they may be handcrafted, artisanal items and enjoyed as design pieces, or, alternatively, they may be mass manufactured through injection molding, 3D printing, or other known methods. No known systems or methods can produce these results. Thus, the illustrative embodiments described herein are particularly suited for both personal and commercial use. However, not all embodiments described herein provide the same advantages or the same degree of advantage.
The disclosure set forth above may encompass multiple distinct inventions with independent utility. Although each of these inventions has been disclosed in its preferred form(s), the specific embodiments thereof as disclosed and illustrated herein are not to be considered in a limiting sense, because numerous variations are possible. To the extent that section headings are used within this disclosure, such headings are for organizational purposes only, and do not constitute a characterization of any claimed invention. The subject matter of the invention(s) includes all novel and nonobvious combinations and subcombinations of the various elements, features, functions, and/or properties disclosed herein. The following claims particularly point out certain combinations and subcombinations regarded as novel and nonobvious. Invention(s) embodied in other combinations and subcombinations of features, functions, elements, and/or properties may be claimed in applications claiming priority from this or a related application.