GB2518830A

GB2518830A - Hair support device

Info

Publication number: GB2518830A
Application number: GB1317329.9A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Gemma Leanne Hiles
Original assignee: HG CREATIONS Ltd
Current assignee: HG CREATIONS Ltd
Priority date: 2013-10-01
Filing date: 2013-10-01
Publication date: 2015-04-08
Also published as: GB201317329D0

Abstract

For mounting below a layer of a user's hair to impart volume and bulk, a body 10, which may be in the form of a pad or a padded envelope, has an upper surface, preferably of generally convex contour, and a lower surface and a height of at least 1 cm between these surfaces. First attachment means in the form of a least one comb or clip 16, 17 is fastened to the lower surface of the body 10, preferably at a location midway between respective side edges of the body, and serves to releasably secure the body in and to the hair of a user. Second attachment means, in the form of at least one further clip fastened to the body, is so positioned and configured as to releasably secure a hair extension to the body. Preferably, the second attachment means is provided as two snap comb clips 18, 19 which are fastened to the lower surface of the body outwardly of the location of the first attachment means in the direction of the side edge, one at each side thereof. They may also be oriented differently to the clips of the first attachment means.

Description

Hair support device [0001] This invention relates to a device for mounting below a layer of a user's hair to lift and support the hair and provide it with an appearance of greater height and volume.

BACKGROUND

[0002] Hair extensions are a popular means for altering the length or volume of a person's hair. One readily available type of hair extension consists of strands of hair spread in substantially side-by-side alignment as a layer and attached at one end along a flexible strip of material, such as a textile tape, by adhesion or by stitching, or by weaving. Such an extension can then be clipped in place to a user's natural hair, below a section of natural hair which has been lifted away, and subsequently covered again by that section being replaced to overlie the extension. US 2005/0194015 discloses a hair extension of this type which incorporates spaced apart snap-lock attaching clips. These particular clips may be referred to as "snap comb clips" because they combine the function of a snap clip and a comb. They may be of plastics material or metal and they are typically of two-part construction having a frame surrounding a central opening and a comb with a "handle' affixed to one edge of the frame by rivets or welds and teeth extending across the central opening of the frame. Both parts are bent in a slight curve so that the comb teeth contact the side of the frame opposing the handle attachment thereof.

When pressure is applied against the convex side of the curve, the frame flexes and the comb teeth separate from the frame to define an open configuration. When pressure is applied in the opposite direction, the snap comb returns to its closed configuration. Thus, in the context of the prior hair extension, strands of the user's hair can, in this manner, be clamped between the comb and the frame of such a snap comb clip to secure the hair extension to the user's natural hair. However, hair extensions of this type are also widely commercially available which do not incorporate any such clips and need to be secured to natural hair by any combination of separate clipping or other fixing devices, or by weaving or temporary adhesive.

[0003] A more recent fashion is for a hairstyle with significant height and volume. To some extent this can be achieved using traditional hairstyling products such as curlers, tongs, styling mousse. These can be time-consuming, expensive, apply unnecessary chemical additives, and may not last well in heat or bad weather or upon vigorous activity, such as dancing, by the user.

Another technique to impart volume is backcombing of the hair, but this is known to be detrimental to hair structure. Therefore, another option which has become popular is to mount one or more volumising device within the natural hair to prop up the natural hair and give it greater height and volume. With these devices there can be problems in the security of their attachment, namely whether they will stay in place for an entire evening and/or out of doors in wind or rain, and also whether they can be satisfactorily disguised by being covered by overlying layers of natural hair.

[0004] US 7484512 discloses a hair volumising device consisting of a bulky so-called "bob member" to the base of which a metallic snap clip is fixed, this clip having plural elongate fingers projecting outwards from the bob member! in the manner of a comb, so that this comb together with flexing of the clip will clamp the device to the user's hair. Further, the bob member has a protruding curved top over which filaments of human or synthetic hair are arranged, so that the device will be less discernible when in position underneath some natural hair of the user.

[0005] US 2009/0032042 and US 2010/0012140 also disclose various configurations of hair volumising device to be worn under a section of the user's hair for creating the appearance of added volume to the user's hair. One embodiment comprises several elongate members connected by respective pivotal and spring mechanisms at one common end so they can be flexed between open and closed positions, in the manner of a traditional decorative spring-loaded hair clip, but with more than two parts. These elongate members are envisaged as being of stiff moulded plastics material and of generally arcuate configuration to correspond to the shape of a user's head. It is postulated that, in a modification of this embodiment, a hair extension component may be included in the form of a plurality of hairs which can be glued or otherwise secured to these elongate members.

[0006] Of course, use of hair extensions is itself a way of adding volume, thickness, height to a user's hair but, on their own, hair extensions will not create the big hair effect which many women wish to emulate for reasons of fashion and prestige. Thus, a combination of commercially available volumising devices and hair extensions may be used. A known commercially available volumising device comprises a lightweight contoured pad of a colour similar to a user's hair which may have clips, such as snap clips or snap comb clips on its lower surface for purposes of attachment to a user's natural hair and which may have strips of texturized fabric, such as hook and loop material, commonly known as a Velcro (registered trade Mark) on its upper surface for purposes of holding in place overlying natural hair of the user.

[0007] An object of the present invention is to provide an improved hair volumising device which optimizes comfort, security of fastening into the hair of the user, and being disguised within the hair of a user, including by virtue of hair extensions.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE DISCLOSURE

[0008] The present invention provides a hair support device comprising a body having an upper and lower surfaces and the height of at least 1 cm between these surfaces, first attachment means in the form of a least one comb or clip fastened to the body for releasably securing the body in the hair of a user, and second attachment means in the form of at least one clip fastened to the body and so positioned and configured as to releasably secure a hair extension to the body.

[0009] Thus, with the hair support device of the invention a user has the option of using it on its own or of attaching a conventional hair extension to the body, by means of second attachment means, for use in conjunction with the device, and in a particularly secure manner so as not to be readily dislodged. However, the particular style of second attachment means allows the hair extension not only to be attached in a simple, yet secure, clipping operation, but also to be subsequently detached for use on a different occasion, possibly in a different manner, which allows the user greater versatility for using her hair extensions which are relatively expensive accessories.

[0010] The support device of the invention may also be termed "a hair volumising device" or "a hair bulking device" as it will impart volume and an appearance of bulk to a user's hairstyle.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The invention will be described further, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a top plan view of a preferred practical embodiment of the hair support device of the invention; Figure 2 is a corresponding underside view of the same embodiment; Figure 3 is a reduced scale underside view showing a typical hair extension mounted onto the embodiment of the preceding figures; and Figure 4 is a schematic side view showing how the device of figure 3 may be fitted in use.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0011] A practical version of hair support device of the present invention has a body in the form of a pad 10 of resilient material which is of greater thickness in its central region than around its peripheral region and which has an upper surface, as shown in figure 1 and an underside, as shown in figure 2. It may have a maximum thickness of up to 3 cm or more, but should have a height of at least 1 cm in its central region. It may suitably be formed of foamed plastics. It may have an outer layer or envelope of textile fabric surrounding an inner core of foamed plastics or other resilient material. It may have only one surface, typically the upper surface, covered by a layer of textile fabric. Such textile fabric may be textured in some way by additional upstanding loops or by having a roughened surface owing to the nature of weave in a woven fabric or nature of production in a non-woven fabric. As shown, a strip of barbed fabric 12 (such as that commercially available under the registered trade mark Velcro) may be provided across the centre of the upper surface, and a further similar strip 14 may be provided adjacent an upper edge. On the under surface, as shown in figure 2, four snap comb clips 16- 19 are provided. Two of these 16, 17 are provided side-by-side across a central region, opposite to the barbed fabric strip 14 on the upper surface. The other two snap comb clips 18, 19 are fastened to the body outwardly of, namely at respective outer sides of the central clips 16, 17 so as to flank the central clips, one at each side. Moreover, these outer snap comb clips 18. 19. are oriented approximately at right angles to the central clips 16, 17. All of the snap comb clips may be fastened to body of the device by any suitable means, such as stitches through openings in the snap comb clips, or by adhesive, so that they are permanently and securely fastened.

[0012] In use, as shown in figure 3, a user may select any standard commercially available form of hair extension, these typically comprising strands of hair 22 secured at one end along a tape 20 to hang from the tape. With the hair extension placed on a substrate, the upper surface of the device is placed to rest on a central region of the extension adjacent the tape so that a central part of the tape 20 can be folded over an upper edge of the body 10 and extend around to cover a narrow upper margin of the lower surface, and outer parts of the tape 20 can similarly be folded over side edges of the body and clipped into the respective outer snap comb clips 18, 19. These clips 18, 19 will be flexed to their open position, then the relevant outer part of the tape 20 inserted behind the teeth of the comb, then they will be flexed back to their close position to secure the hair extension. At the same time, sections of the hair 22 of the extension which lie across the upper surface of the pad will be retained by the strip or strips 12, 14 of barbed material.

[0013] After this, the device with the hair extension 20,22 affixed, can be placed into the hair of a user, as schematically shown in figure 4. A forward! upper section 30 of the user's hair is lifted and the underside of the device is secured by means of the centrally arranged snap clips 16, 17 to the underlying hair 32 of the user, so that both the device body 10 and the hair 22 of the extension lie between these sections 30. 32 of the user's natural hair and when the forward section 30 is laid back in position, it is supported at a greater height and the hair overall has appearance of greater bulk and volume. Obviously, more than one such device may be mounted into the hair of a user, if desired. The advantage is that they will be held securely and that the hair extension which is used can subsequently be readily removed from the device and used on a different occasion.

[0014] It should be understood that figure 3 is only illustrating where and how the device is fixed into a user's hair. In practice the hair 22 of the hair extension will typically completely cover the upper surface and sides of the body 10 so neither the body nor the clips will be visually noticeable below the users overlying hair 30 when the device is clipped in place. This is especially so when the hair extension 20, 22 and at least the upper surface of the body 10 are chosen to have the same or similar colour as the hair 30, 32 of the user.

[0015] The invention is not restricted to the details of the foregoing embodiment and many variations are possible in other embodiments. For example, the form of the body of the device may differ and it may be a substantially rigid stiucture instead of being compiessible. Also, the contour of the body, particularly of the upper surface thereof may be generally flat, instead of being convex and the overall shape of the body may be such that it has side and/or end surfaces as well as upper and lower surfaces. The snap clips of the first and of the second attachment means may take a different form to the snap comb clips of the preferred embodiment. For example, one or both of them may take the form of a snap clip which is known as "a barrette", namely with a single flexing finger extending generally longitudinally across an opening in a flexible frame. As regards the clips of the second attachment means, more than two such clips may be provided at each side of the body. Further, these outer most second attachment clips may be on the upper surface of the body rather than the lower surface. The orientation of the second attachment clips, or the preferred snap comb clips, may also be different to the illustrated embodiment as they may, for example, be arranged at any angle between direct parallel alignment and 900, for example at an angle of approximately 45° or 60° relative to the transverse alignment of centrally placed first attachment clip or clips or the optional centrally provided barbed material strip on the upper surface. The clip portion of any type of clip used, and the teeth or fingers of snap comb clips forming the second attachment means will typically be directed outwardly, towards the closest edge of the body of the device.

[0016] Throughout the description and claims of this specification, the words "comprise" and "contain" and variations of them mean "including but not limited to", and they are not intended to (and do not) exclude other components. Throughout the description and claims of this specification, the singular encompasses the plural unless the context otherwise requires.

Claims

CLAIMS1. A hair support device for mounting below a layer of a user's hair comprising a body having an upper surface and a lower surface and a height of at least 1 cm between these surfaces, first attachment means in the form of a least one comb or clip fastened to the body for releasably securing the body in and to the hair of a user, and second attachment means in the form of at least one clip fastened to the body and so positioned and configured as to releasably secure a hair extension to the body.
2. A hair support device according to claim 1 wherein the body is in the form of a pad or a padded envelope.
3. A hair support device according to claim 1 or claim 2 wherein the upper surface of the body has a generally convex contour.
4. A hair support device according to any preceding claim wherein the second attachment means is in the form of a least two snap clips.
5. A hair support device according to claim 4 wherein the second attachment means is in the form of a least two snap comb clips.
6. A hair support device according to any preceding claim wherein the first attachment means is confined within edges of the body.
7. A hair support device according to any preceding claim wherein the second attachment means is confined within edges of the body.
8. A hair support device according to any preceding claim wherein the second attachment means is fastened to the lower surface of the body.
9. A hair support device according to any preceding claim wherein the first attachment means is fastened on the lower surface of the body at a location midway between respective side edges, and the second attachment means is in the form of two clips which are fastened to the body outwardly of the location of the first attachment means in the direction of the side edge, one at each side thereof.
10. A hair support device according to any preceding claim wherein the clip or clips of the second attachment means are disposed relative to the clip or clips of the first attachment means at any angle between direct parallel alignment and 90°.
11. A hair support device according to any preceding claim wherein the clip or clips of the second attachment means are disposed at an angle of approximately 45° or 60° relative to a transverse alignment of centrally placed first attachment clip or clips.
12. A hair support device substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.