Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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3 HAIR STYLING IMPLEMENT AND METHOD
This invention relates to an implement for styling hair, the implement also constituting a
6 decorative hair accessory, so that it can continue to be worn on completion of the styling and provide an
7 attractive appearance. A method of styling is also described.
9 Background of the Invention
11 While there are a wide variety of hair styling implements, these are generally intended to be
12 removed from the hair once the styling operation is complete. On the other hand, although there are
13 many known hair adornments, these generally play no part in styling the hair.
14
Certain implements, such as decorative combs, are useful for hair styling and if desired may
16 remain in the hair as an adornment. However, such implements take a relatively rigid conformation and
17 are not suitable for both styling the hair and holding the hair style in place for a wide variety of hair
18 arrangements. Combs, and implements such as pins, are designed to receive the user's hair through a
19 configuration of tines that may require a clamping action to hold a section of hair. Such configurations
20 are subject to losing the section of hair intended to be held, and over a time period of use strands of stray
21 hair often appear.
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Various hair styling devices have been devised in attempts to solve these problems. U.S. Patent
2 No. 5,303,723 shows a flexible device capable of producing several hair styles but does not have the
3 ability to positively capture a section of hair. U.S. Patent No. 5,044,385 relates to a hair styling device
4 for ponytails. U.S. Patent No. 5,186,186 shows an ornamental device which can retain hair in ponytail,
braid or the like styles.
7 It is the object of the current invention to provide a decorative hair styling implement that
8 receives and retains hair and moreover, an implement that is flexible, bendable and twistable and as such
9 is useful for a wide variety of hair stylings.
11 It is another object of the invention to provide a hair styling implement that maintains the section
12 of retained hair free of stray strands throughout the period of use.
13
14 Another important object is to provide a styling implement that is comfortable and wearable for
extended periods, even while the user is asleep, so that the implement provides the hair with a curly set.
16
17 Still another object is to provide a hair styling implement that is easy and quick to use so that
18 hairstyles can be changed easily within the day to reflect the mood of the user without the need for
19 attending a professional salon.
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Summary of the Invention
3 Briefly stated, the invention is to a decorative hair styling implement and to methods of using the
4 implement for creating various hair styles. The implement for styling a person's hair is characterized by
S a body of flexible material, such as wire, the body having a non-rigid decorative covering such as velour,
6 and by an enclosed opening in the covering through which at least a section of the person's hair is
7 intended to pass, in use, to enable styling to take place. The covering may contain a tubular pocket along
8 its periphery to hold the body of flexible material in place.
According to a second aspect of the invention a method of styling a person's hair using a styling
11 implement which comprises at least a section of the person's hair to be received through an enclosed
12 opening in the implement, positioning the implement at or near the bottom of said hair received through
13 the opening, rolling the implement under or over said hair to wrap it about the implement, and bringing
14 respective opposite ends of the implement together to secure the implement in place.
16 Brief Description of the Drawin~
17
18 The invention will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying
19 drawings, in which:
21 Figure 1 is a side view of a hair styling implement of the present invention in an initial state.
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Figures 2-4 schematically show respective steps in the styling of a woman's hair using the
2 implement of Figure 1. Figures 4A and 4B each show a completed styling.
4 Figure S schematically shows a completed styling, but in the form of a variation where sections
S of the hair at opposite side thereof only are styled.
7 Figure 6 shows a completed styling which is a variation of the styling shown in Figure 5.
9 Figures 7-9 show still more completed styling hair arrangements.
11 Detailed Description of the Invention
12
13 An implement 10 for styling hair is shown in Figure 1 in its initial state, the implement having
14 a body formed by a loop of flexible wire 11. Any suitable material can be used for the wire, it merely
being necessary that it is pliable so that, as will be described, the implement can be bent, bowed or
16 twisted without breaking, and with little or no tendency for the body to return of itself to its former shape.
17 The wire can be of any cross-section and size consistent with its above mentioned properties. In a
18 convenient embodiment the wire is galvanized and/or covered by a plastics material and is of circular
19 cross-section.
21 In its initial state the body is preferably shaped as shown in the Figure 1 embodiment, i.e., it is
22 a continuous frame formed in a rectangular shape with slightly rounded opposite end sections 12 and 13
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respectively joining longer straight side sections 14 and 15 respectively. Other body shapes could
2 however be used, although an elongated form is preferred.
4 The body is enclosed in a non-rigid covering 16 which is, in a preferred embodiment, a fabric.
Preferred fabrics are velour, velvet or the like. However other fabrics could be used, as could a non-
6 fabric covering, such as a plastics material with sufficient flexibility to be bent, twisted or bowed, as
7 described, with the body. The covering is preferably to make the implement of decorative appearance,
8 so that, as will be described, the implement can remain in place after it is used for styling hair and be
9 worn as an adornment. Preferably the covering is such that the implement can be hand washed.
11 The covering is, in the Figure 1 embodiment, arranged around the wire so that the wire still
12 substantially defines the outer periphery of the implement, although the covering could extend beyond
13 the boundary of the wire, which was secured in place within the covering, for example, by appropliate
14 stitching. In the embodiment illustrated, the stitching could define a tubular pocket around the inner
boundary of the covering to contain the wire. The covering can be formed as one or more sections. The
16 covering can, of course, be in any selected color.
17
18 At the center of the covering, there is formed a through opening 17, preferably, as shown, of
19 elongated form, lying parallel to the side sections 14 and 15. The opening 17 is formed by any suitable
means. It is important that fraying does not occur at the opening and accordingly the opening can
21 conveniently be formed in the same manner as a button hole by sewing along the opposite side to form
22 the hole and then slitting therebetween.
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The size and shape of the opening can both separately differ from that shown, although as will
2 be described, with a larger opening, it may, in use, be necessary to twist the opposite ends of the
3 implement in opposite directions so as, in effect, to close up an oversized opening. The opening could
4 be other than central and more than one opening could possibly be provided.
6 The opening is enclosed, that is, it is always impossible for a section of hair to be passed into it
7 sideways, i.e., in the plane of the opening. In other words, the invention does not relate to an implement
8 which could be formed as or into a U-shape, so that a section of hair could then be passed sideways into
9 the implement between the limbs of the U-shape, the free ends of the limbs being brought together to
define an opening in which the hair section is received.
11
12 A use of the implement will now be described in relation to Figures 2-4.
13
14 Firstly, the section of hair 18 to be styled is combed to lie straight down the person's neck and
back, and the lower free end thereof is then received through the opening 17 of the implement. By then
16 holding the hair taut the implement 10 can be slid somewhat upwardly. While it may be necessary to
17 gather the section of hair together for it initially to enter the opening, the opening is shaped and sized so
18 that hereafter it allows the hair to spread.
19
Keeping the implement horizontal, and gripping it with one hand either side, the implement is
21 slid down the hair 18 until it reaches about 5-7.5 mm (2-3 ins), from the bottom, as shown in Figure 2.
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The next step, as shown in Figure 3, is to roll the implement upwardly under the hair, keeping
2 it horizontal, until the implement has rolled the hair as firmly as possible against the scalp or the nape
3 of the neck, with no further upwards movement being possible. The hair, as a result, is now tightly
4 wrapped around the implement.
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6 Finally, as shown in Figure 4A, the opposite ends of the implement are brought up to the center
7 and crossed over. The crossed over ends are then intertwined simply by twisting the wire at said ends.
8 The bun 19 formed the styling is thus secured in place in the back of the user's hair. The implement is
9 of sufficiently decorative appearance to allow it to be worn as a decorative hair accessory. Additionally,
left in place all night, it will be found that on removal next morning the hair will be curly. The
11 implement is advantageous over known accessories in requiring no catches, pins, clips, grips or zips.
12
13 Instead of rolling the implement upwardly under the hair, an alternative method of use is to roll
14 the implement upwardly over the hair. As with rolling under the hair, the procedure for rolling over the
hair is carried out until no further upwards movement of the implement is possible. The two ends of the
16 implement are then brought down to the center and crossed over. The crossed over ends are then
17 intertwined simply by twisting the wire within the ends of the implement. The result is similar to that
18 shown in Figure 4A, but with the decorative, visible part of the implement disposed at the bottom of the
19 bun, as shown in Figure 4B, instead of at the top thereof, as in Figure 4A.
21 Figure S relates to a variation in the use of the implement, where instead of all the combed hair
22 shown in Figure 2 being received through the implement, a hair section of full width but only half
23 thickness, a center hair section comprised only of full or half thickness or a hair section comprised of full
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or half thickness at opposite sides is or are used. The remainder of the steps are then performed as above
2 to create a bun 20 over the rem~ining section or sections of hair. Figure 5 shows the result of rolling the
3 implement under the hair using sections at opposite sides, with the rem~ining, central section 21 not
4 included in the hair encompassed by the implement. With rolling over the hair, the decorative, visible
5 part of the implement is at the bottom, instead of the top, of the bun. Figure 5 shows the implement at
6 the top of the "half" bun and Figure 6 shows the implement at the bottom of the "half" bun.
8 A variation of any of the alternative Figure 5 types of use referred to, with the implement being
9 rolled over the hair, involves continuing the rolling process until the rolled over hair is tight. The
remainder of the hair is then brought forwards, over the rolled hair wound on the implement. This may
11 be by a manual operation, but preferably, and easiest, it is effected by the user tipping her head forward
12 so that the remainder of her hair falls forward over the wound hair.
14 Still with her head tipped forward, the opposite ends of the implement are then brought together
and crossed over. The crossed ends are then intertwined by twisting them together. The result is a bun,
16 as previously described with the Figure 5 method involving rolling the implement over, rather than
17 under, the section of hair passing through the implement, but with the remainder of the hair in the form
18 of a pony tail, which emerges from the lower inside of the bun and passes over the intertwined ends of
19 the implement. Figure 7 shows the resulting "pony loop" effect thus created by the loop of the bun and
the pony tail extending therefrom.
21
22 Figure 8 shows a variation in the use of the inventive implement to produce a "pony bun" hair
23 style. To achieve this style, all of the hair is passed through the opening 17 as shown in Figure 2. The
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implement is positioned about half way between the scalp and the far end of the hair. The hair is then
2 rolled around the implement, either over or under, until it is tight to the neck. The two ends 12 and 13
3 of the implement are then crossed over one another and twisted together to secure the implement in place
4 and form the bun. The resulting "pony bun" of Figure 8 is produced.
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6 Figure 9 shows still another variation in the use of the inventive implement in which two
7 implements are used to form a "double bun". First, a top section of the hair is inserted into the opening
8 17 in a first implement. The hair is then rolled over or under the implement until the hair is taut. The
9 ends 12 and 13 of the implement 10 are then crossed over one another and twisted together to secure the
implement in place and form the top bun. A second implement is then used for rolling the bottom
11 section of hair and forming the bottom bun by twisting the ends 12 and 13 of the second implement
12 together as was done to form the top bun.
13
14 With all the methods of use, removal of the implement involves untwisting and disentwining the
opposite ends thereof and then carrying out the styling steps in reverse.
16
17 As previously mentioned, it is still possible to use the implement even if the opening is too large
18 for the section of hair to be styled, by twisting the ends in opposite directions, thereby to close up the
19 opening somewhat. This twisting may also be required when styling layered hair.
21 Instead of the body being only a relatively thin frame, it could instead be of greater extent, i.e.,
22 of substantially the same size as its covering, having an opening therethrough aligned with the opening
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in the covering. It would however still be of flexible material to enable the steps of crossing the ends
2 12 and 13 and twisting them together to be carried out.
4 In a further method of use of the implement, the whole of the combed section of the user's hair
is received through the opening 17 and the implement is drawn fully up to the nape of the neck by pulling
6 the hair through the opening. The ends of the implement are then crossed around the pony tail formed
7 by the implement being positioned at the nape of the neck. Finally, the crossed sides of the implement
8 are "scrunched" together into the form of a ball at the woman's neck, i.e., at the top of the pony tail. This
9 method of use of the implement is outside the scope of the invention.
11 While various embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail, it is apparent
12 that modifications, extensions, adaptations and optimizations may occur to those skilled in the art. It is
13 to be expressly understood that such modifications and adaptations and so on are within the spirit and
14 scope of the present invention, as set forth in the following claims.
