AU7316798A - Clip - Google Patents

Description

AUSTRALIA

Patents Act 199

ORIG[NAL

COMPLETE

SPECIFI

STANDARD

PM

Invention Title:( The following statement is a full desc including the best method of perfoi 0

CATION

ENT

LIP

rnption of this invention.

rmin2 it known to me:i This invention relates to a clip and has been devised particularly, but not solely, for use as a hairdip.

Existing dips are known for use by hairdressers to hold hair in selected positions while hair is being cut, styled or otherwise treated or manipulated by a hairdresser.

A

common form of known dip is commonly referred to as a "butterfly dip. A butterfly clip comprises a pair of generally elongate jaws which each have a olurality of teeth thereon. The jaws are pivotally connected together and have handles which may be pressed to open the jaws, or released to allow the jaws to return to a dosed position to which they are normally biased by a spring. In the closed position the teeth usually intermesh to hold hair that a hairdresser has placed between the jaws when they were in the open position, hut the teeth prevent the jaws from dosing tightly about the hair.

The clip is usually used to hold hair in a desired position for treatment by the I' -hairdresser and is used in an attempt to keep the strands of hair held within the jaws of 15 the clip compressed together.

This known form of butterfly clip does not compress hair very well. That is to say the hair is not effectively bunched together either between the jaws themselves (in a direction parallel to the direction of closure of the jaws) or between the teeth of each 20 Jaw (in a direction perpendicular to the direction of closure of the jaws).

It is an object of the present invention to provide a dip which will at least go some way toward overcoming the foregoing disadvantages, or which will at least provide the public with a useful choice.

Accordingly in one aspect the invention consists in a clip having a pair of jaws. at least one tooth being provided on a first of the jaws, and the jaws being capable of being placed into a closed position whereby at least a part of the at least one tooth extends beyond an inner surface of a second of the jaws.

In a further aspect the invention consists in a hair clip having a pair of jaws, a plurality of teeth being provided on each jaw, the teeth on each jaw being provided in groups andlor rows with selected teeth in one or more groups and/or rows being larger than teeth in a selected adjacent group andlor row.

la In a still further aspect the invention consists in a clip having a pair of jaws, each jaw having an inner surface, at least one tooth being provided on a first of the jaws, and Sthe jaws being capable of being disposed in a cosed position whereby the inner surfaces of each jaw substantially contact each other.

To those skilled in the art to which the invention relates, many changes in construction and widely differing embodiments and applications of the invention will suggest themselves without departing from the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims. The disclosures and the descriptions herein are purely illustrative and are not intended to be in any sense limiting.

The invention consists of the forgoing and also envisages constructions of which the following gives examples.

15 One preferred form of the present invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings in which; Figure 1 is an end elevation of the clip in accordance with the present invention shown in a closed position.

Figure 2 is an end elevation of the dip of figure 1 shown in an open, or partially open, position.

Figure 3 is a front elevation of the clip of figure 1 shown in a dosed position.

Figure 4 is a front elevation of the clip shown in figure 2 in an open or partially open position).

Figure 5 is a perspective view of the clip of the preceding figures in a dosed position from the handle end.

Figure 6 is a perspective view of the cip of the preceding figures in a dosed position from the jaw end.

Referring to figure 1, a dip generally referenced 1 is shown- The dip is preferably used for holding hair for cutting and is thus a cutting cip for use by hairdressers as opposed to being an ornamental clip. However the dip may be used by a hairdresser during styling, treating or otherwise manipulating hair.

The clip 1 has two jaws 2 and 4. At least one of the jaws has at least one tooth.

Preferably both jaws have a plurality of teeth as shown in figure 1. Thus jaw 2 has three rows of teeth referenced 6, 8 and 10. Jaw 4 has three rows of teeth referenced 12, 14 and 16. In a closed position, such as in figure 1, when there is nothing being grasped between the jaws, the teeth of each jaw extend beyond an inner surface of the opposite jaw. Thus rows of teeth 6, 8, and 10 extend beyond inner surface 5 of jaw 4, and rows of teeth 12. 14, and 16 extend beyond inner surface 11 of jaw 2. Therefore.

in the closed position of figure 1, the inner surfaces 5 and 11 substantially contact each i -other.

S" aw 2 has a handle 18 and jaw 4 has a handle 20. Handle 18 has supporting webs 22

S'"

and handle 20 has supporting webs 24 which provide structural strength and provide means for connecting the jaws relative to each other. The jaws are pivotally connected together by a pin 26 located in apertures 28 in each web.

Referring to figure 2 it will be seen that the pivotal arrangement described above allows a user to squeeze handles 18 and 20 between their fingers, for example, so as S. to force them together in the direction shown by arrows 30 which makes the jaws 2 and 4 move away from each other in the direction shown by arrows 32 so as to 25 dispose the clip in an open or partially open position. In this position, hair, for example, S. may be in use placed between the jaws 2 and 4 so as to be engaged by the teeth and the inner surfaces 5 and 11 when the jaws are returned to the dosed position shown in figure 1.

Referring to figure 3, the clip of the preceding figures is shown in front elevation in which it can be seen from this view that the teeth on each Jaw are provided in groups comprising one tooth from each row, being groups of three in the embodiment illustrated in the drawings. It will be seen that other tooth groupings may be used, or more or fewer rows of teeth may be used.

Referring to figure 4 the clip of the preceding figures is shown in front elevation in an open or partially open position. In this figure a spring 34 which in use biases the jaws into the closed position shown at figures 1 and 3 can be seen. Furthermore, it will be seen that the teeth on each jaw are grouped into groups of three and each group of teeth has a corresponding aperture provided in the opposing jaw. Thus the teeth of row 6 of jaw 2, for example, have corresponding apertures 36 provided in opposing jaw 4. In the closed position the teeth in row 6 protrude through apertures 36 so that the effect shown in figures 1 and 3 is provided whereby inner surfaces 5 and 11 of the jaws are located substantially adjacent to each other This arrangement whereby the teeth protrude or extend beyond an inner surface 5 or 11 of the opposing jaw has the result that hair which is "aught between the jaws in a-closed position is compressed or gripped very firmly between at least the inner surfaces 5 and 11 of the jaws so as to be bunched tightly between the jaws in a direction parallel to the direction of closing or opening movement of the jaws.

The clip is also shown more dearly in perspective view in figures 5 and 6.

By allowing the teeth to extend beyond an inner surface of the opposing jaw, and by grouping the teeth together in distinct groups, the hair is compressed or bunched together between the groups of teeth i.e_ in a direction perpendicular to the direction of opening or dosing of the jaws (being a direction parallel to the pin 26).

SThis perpendicular bunching effect is also due to the use of larger teeth larger in diameter and/or length refer to figur 4) in selected groups and/or rows, such as the row nearest pin 26, and by offsetting the teeth in adjacent rows.

Clearly, the device could be constructed with other arrangements of teeth and still have the effect of allowing the jaws to close to a desired extent to grip hair or other matter. For example, the invention contemplates constructions whereby teeth are i. 30 provided on each jaw that slide past an outer peripheral edge of the opposing jaw or slide into a cavity in the opposing jaw and have a substantially similar hair bunching or gripping effect Thus I have found that the invention provides a clip with the ability to bunch or compress hair more tightly than prior art dips. This is a distinct advantage for cutfing and styling hair.

Claims (13)

1. A dip having a pair of jaws, at least one tooth being provided on a first of the jaws, and the jaws being capable of being placed into a dosed position whereby at least a part of the at least one tooth substantially extends beyond an inner surface of a second of the jaws.

2. A dip as caimed in claim 1 wherein inner surfaces of both jaws are substantially adjacent to each other in the dosed position.

3. A dip as claimed in claim I or caim 2 wherein the dip bunches hair in a direction parallel to the direction of closure of the jaws.

4. A cip as-ciaimed in any one of claims 1 to 3 wherein each jaw includes at least one 15 indentation or aperture which accommodates the tooth of the opposing jaw. S'

5. A dip as daimed in any one of daims 1 to 4 wherein each jaw includes a plurality of teeth and the teeth on each Jaw are provided in groups.

6. A clip as claimed in any one of daims 1 to 5 wherein the dip bunches hair in a direction perpendicular to the closure of the jaws.

7 A clip as claimed in daims 5 or claim 6 wherein the teeth on each jaw are also provided in rows

8- A dip as daimed in any one of cdaims 5 to 7 wherein selected teeth in one or more groups andlor rows are larger than teeth in a selected adjacent group and/or row.

9. A clip as ciaimed in any one of claims 1 to 8 wherein biasing means are one or more provided to bias the jaws in the dosed position.

A dip as claimed in any one of daims 5 to 9 wherein teeth in adjacent rows are offset

11. A cdip as claimed In any one of the precedig claims wherein the dip cornprises a hair cutting clip. F

12- A cdip substantially as herein described.

13. A dip substantially as herein described with reference to and as illustrated by the accompanying drawings. DATED this 21-th dav of June 199S BRETT ALLAN BLACKFORD By His Patent Attorneys HALFORD CO 6