Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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STUBBLE SOFTENING DEVICE
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application claims the benefit of U.S. Application Serial No.
13/287,996, filed on
November 2, 2011, the entire contents of which are hereby incorporated herein
by reference
thereto.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] 1. Field of the Invention
[0003] The present invention relates generally to hair softeners, and more
particularly to a hair
stubble softening device.
[0004] 2. Description of the Related Art
[0005] It has long been desired to provide an implement to soften the hair of
newly shaved hair,
particularly beards and goatees, to enhance intimate contact with a partner.
Generally, solutions
to rough stubble include beard conditioners, waxes and combs. A deficiency
with facial hair
conditioners and waxes is that the resulting softness of the goatee or beard
is temporary. Wax
covers the hair temporarily. Conditioners soften the hair temporarily.
However, the sharp edges
of each strand are still sharp after these products wear off.
[0006] There are numerous patents that have issued that have involved beard
related devices.
These include:
[0007] U.S. Pat. Publcn. No. US 2006/0288595, entitled "SAFETY RAZOR FOR
SHAVING
FACE, ARMS, AND LEGS" discloses a safety razor that includes a handle and a
razor blade
unit on top thereof, wherein the razor blade unit has a movable skin contact
member, the skin
contact member having a leading skin contact part and a trailing skin contact
part, and during
safety razor use, the leading skin contact part and trailing skin contact part
can swing to the front
and back with respect to the razor blade body, thereby enabling smooth
shaving, whether for a
safety razor having no guard part or for a safety razor having a guard part
similar to standard
safety razors.
[0008] U.S. Pat. No. 1,193,287, entitled "BEARD-SOFTENER", discloses in a
beard softener, a
brush head including a cap having apertures in its rim, a brush back or block
disposed within the
cap and having slots adapted to coincide with the openings of the cap rim, and
a brush member
disposed upon the brush back or block within the cap, a handle on the head
having extensions
projecting through the apertures of the cap rim and into the slots of the
brush back or block, and
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an adhesive securing the brush member to its back or block, extending into the
slots of the
brush back or block to secure the handle to the head.
[0009] U.S. Pat. Publcn. No. US 2002/0157258, entitled "BIKINI TM BLADE
APPARATUS AND
METHODS", discloses an apparatus for reducing levels of visible hair present
within the bikini
line region, or the groin area of a user. It is made up of at least a blade in
a razor blader head
assembly, which is otherwise conventional, except for having a cutting edge
ranging from at
least about 0.50 inches to about 0.90 inches, in combination with conventional
attachments,
handles and refillable and disposable specialized handle structures, with
which it is compatible.
A method of use and kit are likewise disclosed whereby at least one of a
user's groin area and
bikini line are rendered substantially free of visible hairs.
[0010] U.S. Pat. No. 1,270,635, entitled "BEARD-SOFTENER", discloses a beard
softener
comprising a handle having prongs, provided with bearings, a hollow
cylindrical roller having an
imperforate annular wall and a trunnion at one end engaging one of said
bearings and a filling
spout at its opposite end forming another trunnion, and engaging the other
bearing, means for
normally closing the filling spout, and a yielding contact sleeve supported
around the periphery
of the roller.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0011] In a broad aspect, the present invention is embodied as a hair stubble
softening device,
including a pliable substrate; and, a first layer of grit material located on
a first side of said
pliable substrate. The grit layer comprises grit in a range of 300-800 grit
for rounding the sharp
edges on the ends of trimmed hair. The hair stubble softening device
preferably includes a
second layer of grit material located on a second side of said pliable
substrate. Thus, a double
sided, disc-shaped disposable unit is provided.
[0012] In another broad aspect, the invention further includes a handle
assembly that is
securely attachable to the pliable substrate. In this instance, the pliable
substrate includes grit
material on one side and fastening material on the other side. The pliable
substrate attaches to
complementary fastening material on the end of the handle assembly. The handle
assembly
may be hand operated or may include a rechargeable motor assembly to spin or
vibrate the
substrate and affixed grit layer.
[0013] Unlike conventional beard softening techniques the present invention
does not
temporarily mask the source of irritation. The sharp edges remain rounded
until the next
trimming.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0014] Figure 1 is a top perspective view of the hair stubble softening device
of the present
invention.
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[0015] Figure 2 is a section taken along lines 2-2 of Figure 1.
[0016] Figure 3 is a top perspective view of a second embodiment of the hair
stubble softening
device, shown assembled.
[0017] Figure 4 is an exploded perspective view illustrating the second
embodiment of Figure 3.
[0018] Figure 5 is a perspective of a third embodiment of the hair stubble
softening device.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0019] Referring now to the drawings and the characters of reference marked
thereon, Figures
1 and 2 illustrate a first preferred embodiment of the hair stubble softening
device of the present
invention, designated generally as 10. The device 10 includes a pliable
substrate 12, a first
layer 14 of grit material located on a first side of the pliable substrate 12,
and a second layer 16
of grit material located on a second side of the pliable substrate 12. The
layers 14, 16 utilize grit
in a range of 300-800, preferably about 400.
[0020] The pliable substrate 12 is preferably formed of a foam material with a
desired flexibility.
The foam material may be, for example, polyurethane. Foam material having a
thickness in a
range of between about 0.05 to 0.25 inches, preferably about 0.125 inches, may
be utilized.
Alternatively, the pliable substrate 12 may be formed of plastic or sponge
materials. Other
suitable pliable materials may be utilized such as rubber, foil or cardboard.
[0021] The layers 14, 15 of grit material may comprise softening paper or
cloth with particles of
abrading materials embedded therein or bonded therein. Alternatively, the
particles may be
embedded or bonded directly to the pliable substrate 12. As is well known in
the field of modern
coated abrasives, i.e. sandpaper, grit size refers to the size of the abrading
particles. As used
herein the grit size refers to the United States CAMI (Coated Abrasive
Manufacturers Institute)
designation.
[0022] The substrate 12 and layers 14, 16 are preferably disc-shaped, with
diameters of
between about 1.5 to 5.5 inches, preferably about 2.5 to 3 inches. The outer
periphery of the
substrate 12 and layers 14, 16 may comprise a raised outer edge of, for
example, plastic or
foam to preventing the device 10 from scratching surfaces if it is placed on,
for example,
countertops and sink surfaces.
[0023] Although the device 10 has been shown as having a layer of grit
material on each side it
is within the purview of these inventive concepts that device 10 have only a
single layer of grit
material on one side of the pliable substrate.
[0024] Referring now to Figures 3 and 4 a second embodiment of the hair
stubble softening
device is illustrated, designated generally as 18. In this embodiment, the
device 18 includes a
handle assembly, designated generally as 20. The handle assembly 20 is
securely attachable
to a pliable substrate 22 with a layer 24 of grit material. The substrate 22
is preferably fastened
by VELCRO hook and loop fastening material 25, 26.
[0025] As shown in these figures the handle assembly 20 comprises a conical
element 28
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having a narrow end and a wide end. A handle element 30 is located at the
narrow end. A base
section 32 is located at the wide end and is configured to be securely
attachable to the pliable
substrate 22. The handle element 30 may be constructed out of metal, wood,
plastic or other
suitable rigid and resilient material.
[0026] Referring now to Figure 5, another embodiment of the hair stubble
softening device is
illustrated, designated generally as 34. In this embodiment, the handle
assembly 36 includes a
motor assembly 38 arranged and constructed to spin or vibrate the pliable
substrate 40 and its
associated layer of grit material 42. As in the previous embodiment the
pliable substrate and
associated grit material are disposable. The electrical handle assembly 36 may
be
rechargeable or be plugged in directly to an AC outlet.
[0027] During use, preferably using a circular motion, the operator presses
the disc against his
face and rubs the grit material against his stubble to round (dull) the sharp
edges from the ends
of the newly trimmed hair. The operator presses the disc against his face
sufficiently hard
enough to round the edges of the hairs but gentle enough as to not scratch his
face with the
abrasive surface of the disc.
[0028] Other embodiments and configurations may be devised without departing
from the spirit
of the invention and the scope of the appended claims.
[0029] For example, in other embodiments, such as described above with respect
to Figures 1
and 2, where only a single layer of grit material on one side of the pliable
substrate is used, a
strap may be affixed from one side of the pliable substrate to the other side
of the pliable
substrate for securing the device to the user's hand or fingers. The strap may
be formed of, for
example, nylon, elastic, or other suitable material.
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