GB2096461A

GB2096461A - Hair treatment aid

Info

Publication number: GB2096461A
Application number: GB8208075A
Authority: GB
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1981-04-09
Filing date: 1982-03-19
Publication date: 1982-10-20
Also published as: GB2096460A; EP0063430A2

Description

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GB 2 096 461 A

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SPECIFICATION

Hair treatment aid

5 This invention concerns a hair treatment aid by which the selective dyeing of human hair can be more easily accomplished. The invention is a particular application in the so-called high-lighting of a woman's hair.

10 It is known to introduce highlights in a woman's hair by selectably dyeing regions of the hair a lighter colourthan the remainder of the hair. In its simplest form a single colour dye is employed but it is now becoming more common to employ a number of dif-15 ferent shades of lighter colour so as to enhance the overall effect and either produce a special highlight effect or a more natural looking highlighted head of hair.

It is important that the chemicals used do not 20 come into contact with the scalp nor into contact with those parts of the head of hair which are not to be dyed. Hitherto the conventional solution has been to coverthe head of the client with a latex rubber cap somewhat similar to a swimming cap which includes 25 a large number of small perforations through which small clumps of hair can be pulled using a crochet needle orthe like. Whilst the cap certain ensures that no chemicals can reach the scalp under normal circumstances the cap has certain disadvantages 30 amongst which are

1. It is unpleasant to wear for any length of time;

2. The material is not sufficiently transparent to allowthe hairdresserto see the hair before it is pulled through the perforations. Consequently it is

35 possible for a region of dark regrowth to be completely missed during a subsequent highlighting procedure and it is quite possible forthe head of hair to look streaky and to contain unwanted dark regions after treatment simply because the hairdresser could 40 not see the dark regions when selecting those regions of the hairto be highlighted;

3. Whilst it is possible to treat with the same colour dye all of the hair protruding through such a cap, it becomes a little more difficult to apply more than

45 one colour since it is obviously important that the protruding hair coloured with one dye does not come into contact with the protruding hairto which another dye has been applied whilst the hair is still wet with the dye. To this end it is known to use small 50 plastic bags of the like and to gather the ends of the hair protruding through the scalp cap which have been dyed with one particular colour and to place these ends in the bag and to secure the bag with a clip or peg whilst that hair is drying. However this 55 does not overcome the basic disadvantages of the scalp cap enumerated above.

With these disadvantages in mind it is an object of the present invention to provide an improved aid by which a hairdresser can more easily selectively dye a 60 head of hair and which is more comfortable in use forthe client.

It is also an object of the invention to provide such an aid which will also admit different colour dyes to be applied to different regions of the hair with little 65 or no risk of the separately dyed regions coming into contact whilst the dyes are processing.

According to one aspect of the invention an aid for dyeing hair comprises a strip of perforated material througn which hair can be drawn using a hooked needle in manner known per se and a sheet of flexible material which extends therefrom into which hair protruding through the perforations in the said strip can be wrapped after colouring material has been applied thereto, so that the protruding hair can be kept separate from the remainder of the hair of the person to which the device has been fitted.

The sheet of flexible material is preferably thinner than the material forming the perforated strip.

Conveniently the strip is of relatively thick plastics material and the sheet material is of relatively thin plastics material.

In one embodiment the sheet of flexible material is preformed into a lightweight sleeve or bag into which the hair can be inserted before the sleeve or bag is rolled up to form a package.

The elongate strip may be formed integrally with the lightweight sheet, sleeve or bag.

The strip alternatively may be separate from the sheet, sleeve or bag and may be temporarily secur-able thereto so that in use the strip can be re-used whilst the sheets, sleeve or bags after use can be discarded.

The strip may be formed from one material and the sheet, sleeve or bag form another material and the two bonded together by way of adhesive or by a welding technique or by a mechanical link such as by rivets or eyelets or staples during manufacture.

The lightweight sheet, sleeve or bag is preferably formed from polythene.

The strip may be formed from latex rubber but more preferably is formed form a plastics material such as polythene and may, for example, be formed by a relatively thick strip of polythene or two or more layers of thinner polythene formed by folding over a sheet of polythene in a concertina-like manner and securing the folded material to form a strip of multiple sheet thickness.

The strip may be formed by a layer of double-sided adhesive tape which itself is bonded to an edge region of a plastics sheet, or a sleeve or an opening in a flat plastics sheet material bag and the perforations formed through the sheet material and the double-sided adhesive strip. It is found in practice that the slight adhesion which inevitably occurs between the hair which has been pulled through the perforations and the exposed surface of the adhesive strip assists in holding the edge region forming the strip against the wearer's head.

Where a double-sided tape is used, the opposite sides of the tape may possess different adhesion characteristics so that a particularly strong bond is established between the tape and the material of the sheet, sleeve or bag whilst the exposed surface of the tape only admits a relatively weak adhesion bond with the same plastics material. When applied to a bag this allows the latter to be secured using the light adhesion bond until the bag is required for use when the bag can be opened by peeling back the free flap from the tape bonded to the other flap so as to expose the opening in the bag and to leave the per70

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GB 2 096 461 A

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forated flap which constitutes the said strip ready to be applied to the head of hair of the client concerned. By employing a relatively inexpensive manufacturing technique such as this, the bags can be used on a 5 throwaway principle.

This is in complete contrast to the present method in which a scalp cap is used since the latter is a relatively expensive device and cannot be used on a throwaway basis but has to be washed and sterilised 10 for subsequent re-use. This invention thus allows a more hygienic procedure to be adopted.

The present invention is also quite distinct from the prior art in that the perforated strip is only intended to accommodate hair from a small region 15 of the scalp and a number of such strips and associated sheets, sleeves or bags are needed for a complete head of hairto be treated. Thusfor example, eight or ten of even twelve such strips and associated sheets, sleeves or bags are needed for a com-20 plete head of hairto be treated. The advantage is that only those regions of the head which are to be treated have to be covered with the strips and what is even more important is that the hairdresser can seethe regions of the hair adjoining each strip as 25 each is applied to the head and there is very much less possibility of the hairdresser missing a region of dark regrowth which often occurs when a complete scalp cap is used.

According therefore to a further aspect of the pre-30 sent invention, a hairdressing kit comprises a plurality of perforated strips and having attached thereto a flexible sheet, sleeve or bag all sealed in an airtight container such as another bag or box.

By arranging that the number of strips and associ-35 ated sheets, sleeves or bags in each sealed container is sufficient for one client, a fresh container can be used for each client and the seal broken in front of the client to demonstrate the fact that completely fresh devices are being used on her hair. 40 As employed herein the expression device is intended to mean a perforated strip having attached thereto a flexible sheet, sleeve or bag.

This feature enables the manufacturer, if desired, to sterilise the devices or manufacture the bags 45 under sterile conditions and seal the devices whilst sterile onto their sealed container. In this way not only are fresh but also completely sterile devices availablefor use by the hairdresser.

Whilstthe invention is not limited to an aid in 50 which the perforated strip is permanently secured to a sheet, sleeve or bag, it is to be understood that the preferred form of the invention is one in which the devices are not intended for re-use and the perforated strip will, therefore, normally be integrally 55 formed with, or at least normally secured, to the sheet sleeve or bag.

In orderto secure each perforated strip over a selected region of the hair, two or more clips are required for clipping the stripto the hair. The clips 60 may be in the form of hair grips or may have spring-closed jaws with protruding arms which can be gripped between the finger and thumb and squeezed togetherto open the jaws.

According to a further aspect of the invention, a 65 hairdressing kit comprises a number of devices as aforesaid together with at least twice that number of clips, all contained in a sealed container.

Where the devices are sterilised before being put in the sealed container or are manufactured under 70 sterile conditions, the clips are preferably correspondingly so manufactured or sterilised before being put into the sealed container.

Alternatively where it is not felt necessary to produce the clips under sterile conditions or sterilise 75 these, the latter may be themselves sealed into a separate container which may be associated with a first container and may typically be contained therewithin.

The invention possesses the following advan-80 tages:-

a) it allows easier access forthe insertion of hair through the perforations;

b) it makes the application of different colours to different regions of the hair easier since the strips

85 can be placed exactly where required;

c) each package associated with each strip contains hair dyed with only one colour so that differently dyed hair need not come into contact;

d) the strips can be attached to the client's head of 90 hair more easily and with less discomfort than an overall scalp cap;

e) the devices (as defined herein) can be used on a throwaway basis, thereby improving hygiene;

f) the hairdresser can see more easily those por-95 tionsof the hairwhich are to be treated, thereby obviating the possibility of missing dark regions of regrowth.

According to another aspect of the invention a method of making a hairdressing aid comprises the 100 steps of

1. forming a plurality of perforations in a length of narrow strip of relatively thick plastics material,

2. advancing the perforated strip into a heat sealing station together with a sheet of relatively thin plas-

105 tics material with an overlap between the two, and bonding orweldingthetwo materials together, and

3. cutting transversely to the overlap to form a plurality of sections each containing a length of perforated strip bonded to a sheet of relatively thin mat-

110 erial.

If a sleeve is required a second sheet of flexible thin plastics material may be edge bonded to the first after cutting.

If a bag is required the sheet of flexible thin plas-115 tics material may be folded over and edge bonded to itself to form two edges of the bag, the third edge being formed by the fold, and the opening in the bag is adjacent the perforated strip.

The invention will now be described byway of 120 example with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:—

Figure 1 illustrates a bag and strip combination constructed in accordance with the invention in use on a client's head;

125 Figure 2 illustrates howthe dye can be applied to the hair before it is inserted into the bag;

Figure 3 illustrates how a bag containing dyed hair can be foleded so as to be secured as a neat package on the head whilstthe hairtherein dries, 130 Figure 4 is a perspective view of a bag constructed

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as one embodiment of the invention.

Figure 5 is a perspective view of an alternative embodiment in which the bag is replaced by a flexible sheet of plastics material.

5 Figure 1 shows a bag 10 constructed as sone embodiment of the invention secured by two spring-clips 12 and 14 so that the strip 16 is formed along one of the flaps of the opening of the bag overlies a region of the hair of the model whose 10 head is shown at 18. The strip is perforated and one of the perforations is designated by reference numeral 20 and the hairdresser, using a hooked needle such as a crochet needle 22 can pull small quantities of the hairthrough the perforations such as 20 in the 15 strip 16 by inserting the hooked end of the needle through the perforation and withdrawing the needle. The technique is well known.

After pulling through the requisite number of strands overthe desired region to which a particular 20 highlight colour is to be applied, the hairdresser is then in a position to getherthe protruding strands in one hand and to apply to the protruding strands. Figure 2 illustrates this technique in which a bottle 24 containing the requisite dye is held in one hand and 25 the protruding strands of hair are gathered together and held in the other hand. It will be seen that the hairdresser is shown here wearing protective gloves or mittens 26 and 28 which in their simplest form may be plastic bags similar to those to which the 30 strips have been applied.

The dye would not normally be applied to the hair until all of the strips have been placed in position overthe head and all of the hair which is to be dyed has been pulled through the appropriate strips. To 35 this end a number of such bags and strips are shown located overthe head and secured in position by means of the various clips.

After one region of the hair has been applying the dye as shown in Figure 2, the dyed strands of hair 40 are inserted into the open bag and the latter is then folded as shown in Figure 3 first in half and then possibly at least once more to form a relatively small package which can be secured in its folded up condition by means of either additional clips or by tem-45 porarily opening the clips such as 12 and 14 which secure the strip associated with the bag in position and inserting the folded bag below the jaws of the clips concerned.

It will be seen that once this has been done, the 50 dyed strands are totally contained within a neat package and cannot be affected by other dye subsequently applied to the hair and cannot come into contact with other strands of the hair which have already been dyed or are subsequently to be dyed 55 perhaps another colour.

After the dye has taken the bags can be unravelled and after removing the clips such as 12 and 14, the bags can be removed from the hair and the hair washed or otherwise treated and then set as desired. 60 Figure 4 shows one form of the bag which is shown in use in Figures 1 to 3. The bag is formed from plastics sheet material such as polythene and includes a rear flap 30 and a front flap 32 to which is folded over on itself at 34 to expose the opening into 65 the bag. The opposite rear flap is provided with a thickened strip 36 and both strip and the flap of the bag if the latter protrudes behind the strip 36 are perforated as at 38 with holes through which hair can be drawn using a hooked needle as previously described.

The strip 36 may be formed by folding over on itself the flap material 30 and bonding by means of welding, heat-sealing or adhesive or by mechanical fixing such as eyelets, rivets or staples (not shown).

Alternatively and preferably the strip 36 is formed by a length of double-sided adhesive tape secured to the flap 30 with sufficient length of the material forming the flap 30 but therebeyond which can be folded over and secured to the exposed adhesive surface of the tape.

In an alternative and further preferred embodiment the strip 36 is a length of double-sided adhesive tape one face of which bonds extremely well to the sheet material 30 and the exposed face of which will only lightly bond to the flap 34 of the other side of the bag. In this way the bag can be manufactured and left in a closed condition with the flap 34 covering the exposed adhesive surface of the strip 36 and when required the flap 34 can be peeled off the exposed adhesive surface to which it only lightly adheres and the strip applied to the hair as previously described, it is found that the lightly adhesive surface exposed assists in holding the strands of hair afterthey have been pulled through the perforations such as 38.

The plastics material from which the bag is formed is preferably transparent so that the hair inserted in the bag can be seen. It is thus possible forthe hairdresser to check to see what colour has been applied to various regions of the hair which has already been treated.

As shown in Figure 5 the bag 10 may be replaced by a sheet of thin plastics material 40 having been sealed or welded thereto a perforated strip of thicker plastics material 42 having perforations44 therein, through which hair can be pulled in the manner aforesaid. In all other respects the use of the alternative device of Figure 5 is the same as that described in relation to Figures 1 to 4, except that in the case of the sheet (as opposed to a sleeve) it is only necessary to roll up the hair into the sheet material and secure it in place using clips orthe like and it is not necessary to actually insert the hair into a bag or sleeve as is otherwise the case.

Claims

1. An aid for dyeing hair comprising a strip of perforated material through which hair can be drawn using a hook needle in manner known per sa and a sheet of flexible material which extends therefrom to which hair protruding through the perforations of the strip can be wrapped after colouring material has been applied thereto, so that the protruding hair can be kept separate from the remainder of the hair of the person to which the device has been fitted.

2. An aid as claimed in claim 1 in which the sheet of flexible material isthinnerthan the material forming the perforated strip.

3. An aid as claimed in claim 1 or 2 in which the strip is of relatively thick plastics material and the sheet material is relatively thin plastics material.

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4. An aid as claimed in any of claims 1 to 3 in which the sheet of flexible material is preformed into a lightweight sleeve or bag into which the hair can be inserted before the sleeve or bag is rolled up to

5 form a package.

5. An aid as claimed in the preceding claim in which the strip is formed integrally with the lightweight sheets sleeve or bag.

6. An aid as claimed in claim 1 in which the per-

10 forated strip is separate from the sheet sleeve or bag and is temporarily securable thereto so that after use the strip can be removed from the sheet sleeve or bag and reused.

7. An aid as claimed in any of the preceding

15 claims in which the perforated strip if formed from one material and the sheet sleeve or bag is formed from another material and the two are bonded together by way of an adhesive or by a welding technique or by a mechanical link such as by rivets,

20 or eyelets or staples during manufacture.

8. An aid as claimed in any of the preceding claims in which the flexible sheet material which extends from the perforated strip either as a sheet, sleeve or bag is formed from polythene.

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9. An aid as claimed in any of the preceding claims in which the perforated strip is formed from latex rubber or from a plastics material such as polythene.

10. An aid as claimed in any of the preceding

30 claims in which the perforated strip is formed from a relatively thick strip of polythene or from two or more layers of thinner polythene formed by folding over a sheet of polythene in a concertina-like manner and securing the folded material to form a strip of

35 multiple sheetthickness.

11. An aid as claimed in any of the preceding claims in which the perforated strip is formed by a layer of double sided adhesive tape which is itself bonded to an edge region of a plastics sheet or two

40 an edge region of an opening in a sleeve or to an edge region in the opening of a flat plastics sheet material bag, and the perforations are formed through the sheet material and the double-sided adhesive strip.

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12. An aid as claimed in the preceding claim in which the adhesion characteristics of the opposite sides of the tape are different so that a particularly strong bond is established between the tape and the material of the sheet sleeve or bag whilstthe

50 exposed surface of the tape only admits a relatively weak adhesion bond with the said plastics material.

13. An aid as claimed in the preceding claim in which the double-sided tape is stuck to the flexible sheet material forming one edge of the opening of a

55 bag using the strong adhesion bond to secure the tape thereto and leaving the light adhesion bond surface of the tape exposed, and the bag is closed until required for use by folding overthe sheet material bearing the double-sided tape and securing the latter

60 in place using the weak adhesion bond until the bag is required for use when the latter can be opened by peeling back the region of the sheet material so as to expose the opening of the bag.

14. A hairdressing kit comprising a plurality of

65 perforated strips each having attached thereto a flexible sheet, sleeve or bag and all sealed in an airtight container such as another bag or box.

15. A kit as claimed in the preceding claim further comprising clips by which the strips can be secured

70 to the hair.

16. A kit as claimed in the preceding claim in which the number of clips is equal to at least twice the number of perforated strips having sheets sleeves or bags attached thereto.

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17. A method of making a hairdressing aid comprising the steps of:—

1. Forming a plurality of perforations in a length of strip of relatively thick plastics material,

2. feeding the perforated strip into a heat sealing 80 station together with a sheet of relatively thin plastics material with an overlap between the two, and bonding or welding the two materials together, and

3. cutting transversely to the overlap to form a plurality of sections each containing a length of per-

85 forated strip bonded to a sheet of relatively thin material.

18. A method of making a hairdressing aid comprising the steps of:

1. Forming a plurality of perforations in a length of 90 narrow strip of relatively thick plastics material,

2. feeding the perforated strip into a heat sealing station together with a sheet of relatively thin plastics material with an overlap between the two and bonding or welding the two materials together,

95 3. cutting transversely to the overlap to form a section containing a length of perforated strip bonded to a sheet of relatively thin material, and

4. edge bonding to the sheet of relatively thin plastics material a second sheet of relatively thin flexible

100 plastics material to form a sleeve of thin plastics material.

19. A method of making a hairdressing aid comprising the steps of:

1. Forming a plurality of perforations in a length of 105 narrow strip of relatively thick plastics material,

110 3. folding the thin flexible plastics material sheet longitudinally so that the folded over edge extends parallel to and close to the perforated strip of relatively thick plastics material and,

4. severing transversely to the overlap to form 115 bags in which the edges perpendiculartothe perforated strip are welded before during or afterthe severing step.

20. A method of colouring human hair involving steps of

120 1. laying overthe head of hair a strip of perforated plastics material,

2. using a hooked needle, pulling strands of hair through the perforations in the said strip,

3. applying to the protruding strands of hair colour-125 ing fluid,

4. wrapping the hair in a sheet of thin plastics material extending from the strip and temporarily securing the hair within the package for such time as is required to allow the colouring reaction to occur, the

130 hair contained within the package thereby being kept

separate from the remainder of the head of hair whilstthe colouring reaction proceeds.

21. A hairdressing aid constructed arranged and adapted to be used substantially as herein described with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

Printed for Her Majesty's Stationery Office by The Tweeddafe Press Ltd., Berwick-upon-Tweed, 1982.

Published at the Patent Office, 25 Southampton Buildings, London, WC2A1 AY, from which copies may be obtained.