FR2845872A3 - Hair tie, comprising new design of fastening mechanism working with plug and socket element - Google Patents

Abstract

The hair tie is assembled of a short string (2) which can be made of an elastic material, a plug element (12) attached to one end of the string (2), and a socket element (11) joined to the opposite end. The plug element (12) is designed as a small ball (121) on a short shaft (122). The socket (11) is made as a ball shaped case with circular openings (113) at the top and at the bottom, the lower opening provided with a short straight extension (112). After the string (2) has been wound around the hair the plug (12) can be inserted into the socket (11) from below and is held in place by tension. The upper opening (113) can be closed with a lid (115) decorated with an ornament like the imitation of a precious stone, a fruit shape, or a cartoon character.

Description

The present invention relates to a hair tie and, more

  especially a hair tie that can be quickly attached

  to the hair without injuring the hands or damaging the user's hair.

  U.S. Patent No. 5,913,319 issued to the inventor of the present invention discloses a hair tie, which consists of a cord and a tie device formed of a male tie member and a female fastening element respectively fixed at two opposite ends of the cord to join the ends of the cord. The male fastener has a rounded head with a neck at its front side and a coupling groove or a coupling flange around the rounded head and the neck. The fastener

  female has a lower open chamber and a coupling hole for receiving the rounded head and the neck of the male fastener, and a coupling flange or a coupling groove for engaging the coupling groove or the coupling flange coupling the male fastener for the purpose of securing the rounded head of the male fastener inside the female fastener.

  This hair attachment structure is functional and practical in use.

  However, this structure is complicated.

  The present invention has been made under these circumstances. It is an object of the present invention to provide a hair tie which is easy to put on. Another object of the present invention is to provide a

  hair clip with a simple structure.

  According to the present invention, there is provided a hair tie characterized in that it comprises a cord and a fastening device formed by a male fastening element and a female fastening element respectively fixed to two opposite ends of the cord for tying together the ends of the cord, wherein said male fastener is injection molded from plastic, comprising a neck extending axially forward from a front side thereof and ending with a rounded head, said female fastener being injection molded from plastic, and comprises a ball joint cavity adapted to receive the rounded head of said male fastener, said ball joint cavity having an upper opening, a lower opening, and a peripheral notch extending to said lower opening and adapted to receive the neck of said male attachment element so as to allow be at the rounded head of said male attachment element to be put in

  place inside said ball joint cavity through said lower opening.

  Advantageously, said female fastening element further comprises a

  ornamentation fixed to said upper opening of said ball joint cavity.

  Advantageously, said ball joint cavity comprises a mounting flange extending around said upper opening, a plurality of vertical insertion grooves spaced equiangularly in said mounting flange, and a plurality of horizontal positioning grooves extending respectively perpendicularly from said vertical insertion grooves at a lower side, said ornamentation having a plurality of pegs spaced equiangularly around the periphery thereof and adapted to be inserted into said vertical insertion grooves 15 of said ball joint cavity and then engaging in said horizontal positioning grooves of said ball joint cavity by means of a rotary movement of said ornamentation with respect to said mounting flange

of said male fastener.

  The present invention also relates to a hair tie 20 characterized in that it comprises a cord, and a fastening device formed by a male fastening element and a female fastening element fixed respectively at the level from two opposite ends of the cord for tying together the ends of the cord, wherein said male fastener is injection molded from plastic, and comprises a front T-bar 25 formed from an axially extending neck and d a cylindrical head extending transversely, said female fastener being injection molded from plastic, and comprising a cavity adapted to receive the cylindrical head extending transversely of said male fastener, said cavity having an opening lower, and a peripheral notch extending towards said lower opening and adapted to receive the neck of said T-bar of said male fastening element it in order to allow the cylindrical head extending transversely from said T-bar of said male attachment element to be brought into

  place inside said cavity through said lower opening.

  In the drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of a hair tie according to the first embodiment of the present invention. Figure 2 is an exploded view, on an enlarged scale, of the device

  of the hair tie shown in Figure 1.

  FIG. 3 is a side view in section of the hair tie,

  showing the male fastener attached to the female fastener according to the present invention.

  Figure 4 is a cross-sectional view of the attachment device

  the hair clip shown in Figure 3.

  FIG. 5 is a perspective view of FIG. 2.

  Figure 6 is a sectional view of the hair tie attachment device prior to attachment of the female attachment member to the attachment member

  male and after the installation of the ornamentation in the female fastening element.

  FIG. 7 is an exploded view of part of a variant of the female attachment element for the attachment device of the hair attachment according to the

present invention.

  FIG. 8 is a schematic top view corresponding to FIG. 7,

  representing the installation of the ornamentation in the female attachment element.

  Figure 9 is an exploded view of another variant of the present invention.

  Figure 10 is an exploded view of yet another variant of the present invention.

  Figure 11 is an exploded view of yet another variant of the present invention. Figure 12 is a schematic drawing corresponding to the mode of

  embodiment shown in Figure 11, showing the male fastener attached to the female fastener.

  Referring to Figures 1 to 6, a hair tie according to the present invention is shown, which consists of a cord 2 and a fastening device 1 formed of a male fastening element 12 and a female fastener 1 1 respectively attached to the two opposite ends of the cord 2 to join the ends of the cord 2. The male fastener 12 and the female fastener 11 are injection molded from of plastic. The male attachment element 12 comprises a front collar 122 extending axially forward from the front side thereof and a rounded head 121 at the front end of the front collar 122. The element d female connector 11 10 includes a ball joint 111 adapted to receive the rounded head 121 of the male connector element 12. The ball joint 111 has two openings 113 arranged respectively at the upper side and at the lower side , and a peripheral notch 112 which extends to an opening 113 adapted to receive the neck 122 of the male attachment element 12. By forcing the neck 15 into the peripheral notch 112, the rounded head 121 is coupled to the ball joint cavity 111. When the neck 122 is placed in the peripheral notch 112, the two opposite lateral side edges 1121 of the peripheral notch 112 come into engagement with the periphery of the neck 12, fixing the element of at male spot 12 to the female fastening element 11. The ball joint cavity 111 of the female fastening element 11 further comprises a mounting flange 114 around an opening 113 for mounting an ornamentation 115 Ornamentation 115 may be in the form of an artificial diamond or the like, and may adhere to or be fixed

  directly to mounting flange 114.

  Figures 7 and 8 show a hair tie according to the second embodiment of the present invention. According to this variant, the mounting flange 114 of the female attachment element 11 has a plurality of vertical insertion grooves 142 and a plurality of horizontal positioning grooves 141 extending respectively from the lower ends of the insertion grooves vertical 142, and the ornament 115 has a plurality of positioning pins 1151 spaced equiangularly around the periphery and adapted to couple the positioning grooves

15 20 25 30

  horizontal 141 of the female attachment element 11. The ornamentation 115 is fixed to the mounting flange 114 of the female attachment element II in the following manner: by forcing the dowels 1151 of the ornamentation 115 in the vertical insertion grooves 142 of the mounting flange 114 respectively and then rotating the ornament 115 at a certain angle to engage the pins 1151 in the horizontal positioning grooves 141 respectively.

  FIG. 9 represents another variant of the present invention. This embodiment is identical to the embodiment shown in Figures 7 and 8 except for the shape of the ornamentation. According to this embodiment, the ornamentation 116 has the shape of a mouse, and a plurality of pegs 1161 spaced equiangularly around the periphery to be fixed to the horizontal positioning grooves 141 of the female attachment element 1 1.

  FIG. 10 represents yet another variant of the present invention. This embodiment is identical to the embodiment shown in Figures 7 and 8 except for the shape of the ornamentation. According to this embodiment, the ornamentation 117 has the shape of a milling cutter, and a plurality of pegs 1171 spaced equiangularly around the periphery to be fixed to the horizontal positioning grooves 141 of the female attachment element 11 .

  Figures 11 and 12 show yet another variant of the present invention. According to this embodiment, the male fastening element 12 has a front T-bar formed from an axially extending neck 122 and a cylindrical head 123 provided transversely at the front end of the neck 122. The female fastening element 11 has a coupling hole or cavity 118 adapted to receive the cylindrical head extending transversely 123 from the male fastening element 12, and a peripheral notch 112 adapted to receive the neck 122 the male fastener 12.

  A prototype hair tie was constructed according to the characteristics of FIGS. 1 to 12. The hair tie functions flexibly to present all the characteristics which have been discussed previously. Although particular embodiments of the invention have been described in detail for purposes of illustration, many modifications and improvements can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Consequently, the invention should only be limited by the

attached claims.

Claims (3)

claims   1.- Hair tie characterized in that it comprises a cord (2) and a fastening device (1) formed by a male fastening element (12) and a female fastening element (11 ) respectively attached to two opposite ends of the cord for tying together the ends of the cord, wherein said male fastener is injection molded from plastic, comprising a neck (122) extending axially forward from a front side thereof and ending in a rounded head (121), said female fastener being injection molded from plastic, and includes a ball joint cavity (111) adapted to receive the rounded head of said male fastener, said ball joint cavity having an upper opening (113), a lower opening (113), and a peripheral notch (112) extending to said lower opening and adapted to receive the neck of said element male connector so to allow the rounded head 15 of said male fastening element to be placed inside   said ball joint cavity through said lower opening.   2. A hair tie according to claim 1, wherein said female attachment element (11) further comprises an ornamentation (115; 116; 117) fixed to said upper opening (113) of said ball joint cavity. The hair clip of claim 2, wherein said ball joint cavity (111) includes a mounting flange (114) extending around said upper opening (113), a plurality of vertical insertion grooves ( 142) spaced equiangularly in said mounting flange, and a plurality of horizontal positioning grooves (141) extending perpendicularly respectively from said vertical insertion grooves at a lower side, said ornamentation having a plurality of pins (1151; 1161; 1171) spaced equiangularly around the periphery thereof and adapted to be inserted into said vertical insertion grooves of said ball joint cavity and then engaging in said positioning grooves horizontal of said ball joint cavity by means of a rotary movement of said ornamentation with respect to said flange   for mounting said male fastening element.   4.- Hair tie characterized in that it comprises a cord (2), and a fastening device (1) formed by a male fastening element (12) and a female fastening element (11) fixed respectively at two opposite ends of the cord to tie together the ends of the cord, wherein said male fastener is injection molded from plastic, and comprises a front T-bar 10 formed of a neck (122) extending axially and a cylindrical head (123) extending transversely, said female fastening element being injection molded from plastic, and comprising a cavity (118) adapted to receive the cylindrical head extending transversely of said male fastener, said cavity having a lower opening (113), and a peripheral notch (12) extending towards said lower opening and adapted to receive the neck of said T-bar of said fastener 'attached male to allow the cylindrical head extending transversely of said T-bar of said male fastener to be placed inside said cavity through said lower opening. 20 * * *