AU2003259636A1

AU2003259636A1 - Hair Extension Tool

Info

Publication number: AU2003259636A1
Application number: AU2003259636A
Authority: AU
Inventors: Evadney Edeta Wootton
Original assignee: EVADNEY WOOTTON
Current assignee: EVADNEY WOOTTON
Priority date: 2003-11-04
Filing date: 2003-11-04
Publication date: 2005-05-19
Anticipated expiration: 2023-11-04
Also published as: AU2003259636B2

Description

APPLICANT: EVADNEY EDETA WOOTTON

NUMBER:

FILED:

AUSTRALIA

THE PATENTS ACT 1990 PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION FOR THE INVENTION ENTITLED "HAIR EXTENSION TOOL" The present invention will be described in the following statement:

TITLE

HAIR EXTENSION TOOL FIELD OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a hair extension tool, and more particularly pertains to a hair extension tool for attaching and detaching hair extensions, including natural and synthetic strands of hair, braids, ribbons, and such like to a recipient's root area of hair.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Hair extensions can be readily applied to the root area of the recipient's hair by enclosing a shaft of hair comprising several strands of the subject's actual hair together with the hair extension in a cylindrical metal band (also known as a bead, shell, or clasp) that is disposed approximately 5 10 mm from the subject's scalp.

Typically, the cylindrical metal band is tightened about the shaft of hair by swaging the cylindrical metal band longitudinally along its shaft. The hair extension may be removed by first loosening the swaged cylindrical band from around the shaft of hair.

The swaged cylindrical metal band is typically loosened by engaging two opposing prongs into respective ends of the swaged cylindrical metal band to forcibly unfold the swaged cylindrical metal band and substantially return it to its original shape.

It is known to provide a hair extension tool comprising a swaging means and two opposing prongs located adjacent to the swaging means. The opposing prongs are brought into close proximity with one another when the swaging means is operated, and there is a large potential for the operator's fingers or the scalp or ear of the hair extension recipient to be pinched by the opposing prongs of the hair extension tool whilst the hair extensions are being applied. The above-described arrangement is hazardous for the operator of such prior art hair extension tools as well as the recipient of the hair extensions.

It is also well known that typically one hundred hairs are lost daily from the scalp. It follows then that hair extensions that are attached with narrow metal bands to small shafts of the subject's natural hair are likely to become detached more quickly than if they were attached to a larger portion of the subject's natural hair.

The present invention attempts to overcome at least in part some of the aforementioned disadvantages.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In accordance with a first aspect of the present invention there is provided a hair extension tool for attaching and detaching a hair extension to a recipient's head comprising a pair of elongated handles pivotally secured together by a pivot pin, a swaging means for facilitating attachment of the hair extension to the recipient's head disposed on a first portion of the elongated handles, and a means for facilitating detachment of the hair extension from the recipient's head disposed on a second portion of the elongated handles located remotely from the swaging means on an opposing side of the pivot pin.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The present invention will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a perspective view of the hair extension tool in accordance with the present invention; Figure 2 is a schematic view of the hair extension tool shown in Figure 1 when used for attaching a hair extension to a subject; and Figure 3 is a schematic view of the hair extension tool shown in Figures 1 and 2 when used for detaching the hair extension from the subject.

DESCRIPTION OF AN EMBODIMENT OF THE INVENTION Referring to the Figures, wherein like numerals and symbols refer to like parts throughout, there is shown a hair extension tool 10 for attaching and detaching a hair extension to a recipient's head. The hair extension tool 10 includes a pair of elongated handles 12 pivotally secured together by a pivot pin 14, a swaging means 16 for facilitating attachment of the hair extension to the recipient's head disposed on respective first portions 20 of the elongated handles 12, and a means 18 for facilitating detachment of the hair extension from the recipient's head. The means 18 for facilitating detachment of the hair extension from the recipient's head is disposed on respective second portions 30 of the elongated handles 12 located remotely from the swaging means 16 on an opposing side of the pivot pin 14.

The elongated handles 12 are pivotable about pivot pin 14 between an open configuration and a closed configuration. The second portions 30 of the elongated handles 12 have a spring member 32 secured therebetween to bias the second portions of the elongated handles 12 away from one another.

The first portions 20 of the elongated handles 12 are provided with substantially flat facing surfaces 22 that are arranged to be disposed contiguously with one another when the elongated handles 12 are pivoted to the closed configuration. The swaging means 16 is disposed on the facing surfaces 22 of the first portions 20 of the elongated handles 12.

The swaging means 16 comprises at least one groove 24, preferably a semi-cylindrical groove, extending transversely across the facing surface 22a of a first of the first portions 20a, and at least one corresponding protruding ridge 26 extending transversely across the facing surface 22b of a second of the first portions 20b. The protruding ridge 26 is aligned with the groove 24 of the respective facing surface 22a such that the protruding ridge 26 is received by the groove 24 when the elongated handles 12 are pivoted to a closed configuration.

Preferably, the groove 24 and ridge 26 are disposed adjacent the pivot point 14.

In the embodiment of the invention shown in the accompanying drawings, a second semi-cylindrical groove 27 and corresponding second protruding ridge 29 is also provided on the facing surfaces 22a, 22b of the first portion 20 of the elongated handles 12. The second semi-cylindrical groove 27 extends transversely across the facing surface 22a of the first first portion 20a and is disposed adjacent to and in spaced parallel alignment with the groove 24 remote from the pivot point 14.

Similarly, the second protruding ridge 29 extends transversely across the facing surface 22b of a second first portion 20b and is disposed adjacent to and in spaced parallel alignment with the protruding ridge 26 remote from the pivot point 14. The second protruding ridge 29 is aligned with the second groove 27 of the respective facing surface 22a such that the second protruding ridge 29 is received by the second groove 27 when the elongated handles 12 are pivoted to a closed configuration.

Preferably, the second groove 27 and the second protruding ridge 29 are wider and deeper than the groove 24 and protruding ridge 26. It will be understood that additional grooves and corresponding ridges, of varying sizes, could be provided on the facing surfaces 22a, 22b of the first portion 20 of the elongated handles 12.

The facing surfaces 22a, 22b of the first portion 20 of the elongated handles 12 are also provided with a plurality of transversely extending narrow, tightly spaced ridges or grooves 25 or combination thereof disposed adjacent to the second groove and corresponding ridge 27, 29.

The first portions 20 of the elongated handles 12 are generally shorter that the second portions 30 of the elongated handles 12. Further, the first portions 20 are substantially straight, whilst the second portions 30 of the elongated handles 12 are substantially arcuate.

The second portions 30 of each elongated handle 12 are provided with a respective arcuate prong 34 disposed on an end thereof. The arcuate prongs 34 are disposed in opposing proximal alignment with one another when the elongated handles 12 are pivoted to a closed configuration. The arcuate prongs 34 are preferably tapered to a blunt point that is narrow enough to be inserted into a band that has been tightened about a hair extension.

The best method of using the invention known to the inventor will now be described as follows.

The hair extension tool 10 of the present invention is used for facilitating attachment or detachment of the hair extension to the recipient's head. The hair extension may include natural and synthetic strands of hair, braids, ribbons, and such like.

Typically, the hair extension is attached to the recipient's head by threading several strands of the recipient's natural hair together with the hair extension through a band 100 (also known as a bead, shell, or clasp) made from a deformable material, such as metal. The band 100 is typically a narrow cylindrical tube with a single flanged end.

The band 100, now containing the strands of the recipient's hair and the hair extension, is received in the groove 24 and is then located 5 10 mm from the recipient's scalp by sliding the band 100 along the shaft of the recipient's natural hair towards the recipient's scalp. The flanged end of the band 100 facilitates retention of the band 100 in the groove 24.

When the band 100 is located in the desired position, the band 100 is tightened about the strands of the recipient's hair and the hair extension contained therein by swaging the band 100 with the swaging means 16 of the hair extension tool 10. Whilst the band 100 is received in the groove 24, the second portions 30 of the elongated handles 12 are squeezed together so as to pivot the elongated handles 12 to a closed configuration, whereupon the facing surfaces 22a, 22b of the first portions 20 of the handles are brought into substantially contiguous relationship with one another. In so doing, the ridge 26 on facing surface 22b will be caused to engage a side wall of the band 100 received in the groove 24 and exert pressure thereon causing the band 100 to deform inwardly into itself, fold and thence tighten itself around the combined hair strands and hair extension, as shown in Figure 2. In this way, the hair extension is secured to the recipient's natural hair approximately 5 10 mm from to the recipient's scalp.

The band 100 may also be further tightened by disposing the swaged band 100 between the plurality of transversely extending narrow, tightly spaced ridges or grooves 25 on the facing surfaces 22a, 22b of the first portion 20 of the elongated handles 12, and applying pressure to the swaged band 100 by pivoting the elongated handles 12 to a closed configuration as described above.

Importantly, during the above described operation, the prongs 34 of the second portions 30 of the elongated handles 12 are remotely located and directed away from the recipient's scalp and ears, and the hairdresser's fingers.

The hair extension is removed from the recipient's head by first loosening the swaged cylindrical band 100 from around the shaft of hair and hair extension contained therein. The swaged cylindrical metal band is typically loosened by engaging the two opposing arcuate prongs 34 into respective opposing ends of the swaged cylindrical metal band 100 to forcibly unfold the swaged cylindrical metal band and substantially return it to its original shape, as shown in Figure 3. The hair extension and the shafts of hair can then be readily removed from the loosened band 100. The arcuate prongs 34 are brought into close opposing proximity by squeezing the second portions together so as to pivot the elongated handles 12 to a closed configuration.

The hair extension tool 10 of the present invention affords several advantages over prior art tools. For example, the grooves 24, 27 are larger than the grooves on prior art tools thereby allowing broader bands containing more of the recipient's hair to be applied to the recipient's head. Since more of the recipient's hair can be included in the band 100 together with the hair extension, even if one hundred (100) strands of the recipient's hair are lost daily, the hair extension is likely to remain attached longer to the recipient's head. Further, the provision of more than one groove of different size on the same tool 10 affords the hairdresser with more flexibility in his/her choice of sized bands and hair extensions without the need for additional tools.

Most importantly, however, the remote location of the swaging means 16 from the tapered prongs 34 which open the bands 10 means that injuries to the hairdresser and/or the recipient are much less likely to occur during the hair extension application procedure.

Modifications and variations as would be apparent to a skilled addressee are deemed to be within the scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A hair extension tool for attaching and detaching a hair extension to a recipient's head comprising a pair of elongated handles pivotally secured together by a pivot pin, the elongated handles being pivotable between an open configuration and a closed configuration, a swaging means for facilitating attachment of the hair extension to the recipient's head disposed on a first portion of the elongated handles, and a means for facilitating detachment of the hair extension from the recipient's head disposed on a second portion of the elongated handles located remotely from the swaging means on an opposing side of the pivot pin.

2. The hair extension tool according to claim 1, wherein the first portions of the elongated handles are provided with substantially flat facing surfaces that are arranged to be disposed contiguously with one another when the elongated handles are pivoted to the closed configuration, whereby the swaging means is disposed on the facing surfaces of the first portions of the elongated handles.

3. The hair extension tool according to claim 2, wherein the swaging means comprises at least one groove extending transversely across the facing surface of a first of the first portions and at least one corresponding protruding ridge extending transversely across the facing surface of a second of the first portions, the arrangement being such that the protruding ridge is aligned with the groove of the opposing facing surface such that the protruding ridge is received by the groove when the elongated handles are pivoted to a closed configuration.

4. The hair extension tool according to claim 3, wherein the groove and the protruding ridge are disposed adjacent to the pivot point.

The hair extension tool according to claim 3 or claim 4, wherein facing surfaces of the first portions of the elongated handles are further provided with a second groove and a corresponding second protruding ridge extending transversely across respective facing surfaces of the first portions of the elongated handles and which second groove and corresponding second protruding ridge are disposed adjacent to and in spaced parallel alignment with the groove and ridge remote from the pivot point.

6. The hair extension tool according to claim 5, wherein the second groove and the second protruding ridge are of different width and depth than the adjacent groove and protruding ridge so that the swaging means can facilitate attachment of hair extensions to the recipient's head with cylindrical bands of varying sizes.

7. The hair extension tool according to any one of claim 3 to 6, wherein the facing surfaces of the first portions of the elongated handles are further provided with a plurality of transversely extending narrow, closely spaced ridges or grooves or combination thereof disposed adjacent to at least one of the grooves and corresponding ridges.

8. The hair extension tool according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the second portion of each elongated handle is provided with a respective arcuate prong disposed on an end thereof.

9. The hair extension tool according to claim 8, wherein the arcuate prongs are disposed in opposing proximal alignment with one another when the elongated handles are pivoted to the closed configuration.

The hair extension tool according to claim 8 or claim 9, wherein the arcuate prongs are tapered to a blunt point.

11. The hair extension tool according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the second portions of the elongated handles have a spring member secured therebetween to bias the second portions of the elongated handles away from one another.

12. The hair extension tool according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the first portions of the elongated handles are shorter that the second portions of the elongated handles.

13. The hair extension tool according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the first portions of the elongated handles are substantially straight, whilst the second portions of the elongated handles are substantially arcuate.

14. The hair extension tool substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying Figures 1-3. DATED THIS 4TH DAY OF NOVEMBER 2003. Evadney Edeta Wootton By her Patent Attorneys LORD COMPANY PERTH, WESTERN AUSTRALIA.