IL159456A - Hair highlighting article and method for using said article - Google Patents

Description

m www1? nt^un wtw m η χ^ ΊΧΙ» HAIR HIGHLIGHTING ARTICLE AND METHOD FOR USING SAID ARTICLE FIELD OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates generally to the field of hair highlighting. More specifically, the present invention relates to an article for use in highlighting sections of hair that is simple to use, efficient, and that may be used either at home or in a hair salon.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION In recent years it has become increasingly popular to treat hair, and particularly women's hair, by coloring or tinting selected strands of hair that are separated from the rest of the hair. The processes for carrying out such hair treatment are generally termed "highlighting," "tinting," "streaking," "frosting" or the like.

A number of methods have been developed for the selective coloring of hair. Among the most common of these techniques is a process called foiling. Foiling requires that a chemical bleach or dye solution be placed on selected strands of hair and the hair then be wrapped in aluminum foil for a time sufficient to effect the desired coloration of the hair. Because the foil is opaque, the hair stylist cannot view the hair while the hair is being treated with the chemical solution and thus the hair might not come out the exact color that was desired. The foiling technique has the additional disadvantage in that it is difficult to seal the chemical solution within the foil and thus some of the chemical solution may leak onto the scalp causing irritation and red spots. The chemical solution may also leak onto adjacent strands of hair causing an unattractive appearance. Using the foiling technique it is difficult to color the hair close to the scalp and the highlighting or streaking may look unattractive and after a short period of time it may be necessary to retreat the hair. Additionally, the foiling process is messy and forming the foil wrap requires skill and time. On average, the process takes about three hours to complete. Foiling can only be done in a salon and cannot be done at home. Foiling also can result in hair loss and damage to the scalp. Various hair foiling techniques are described in U.S. Patents No.'s 3,800,811 ; 4,196,741 ; 4,552,159; 4,637,41 1, 4,672,983, and 5,433,225.

Another method of streaking or highlighting hair is to use a rubber cap, which fits tightly over the head. The hair that is to be highlighted or streaked is pulled through openings, which are provided to the cap by use of a hook type device. The hair that protrudes from the cap is treated with a chemical solution to effect the desired bleaching or dyeing. The cap is uncomfortable to wear and because the hair is pulled 01474584\4-02 1 through the cap it is not always possible to know exactly which portion of the hair is being colored. Another disadvantage with this method is that it is messy and tends to burn the hair. Furthermore, pulling the hair through the cap is painful, results in some hair loss, and is damaging to the scalp.

Thus, there is a need for a more efficient, easy-to-use, and safe method for color treating hair.

It is the object of the present invention to provide an article for use in highlighting sections of human hair that is simple to use, quick, and efficient. Using the hair highlighting article of the present invention, there is no need to pre-mix solutions or chemicals, to pre-cut aluminum foil, or to tediously pull sections of hair through a cap. A section of hair is simply inserted and then drawn through the article, at which time predetermined chemicals inside of the article become automatically mixed with one another such that the highlighting reaction results. Highlighting is thus carried out in a reliable, and efficient manner. Furthermore, using the article of the present invention to highlight hair, the scalp is not damaged and there is no unwanted hair loss, as is the case in methods known in the prior art. These and other features and advantages of the present invention will become more readily apparent from the summary of the invention and the detailed description of the drawings that follow.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In the context of the present invention, the term "highlighting" is mean to refer to any activity wherein a section of hair becomes colored. The term is meant to include other hair coloring processes, such as "dyeing", "tinting", "streaking", "frosting" or any other process where the article of the present invention could be of use.

The present invention relates an article for use in highlighting sections of human hair, comprising a peroxygen compound, a hair dyeing composition, a separation separating between the peroxygen compound and the hair dyeing composition, and means for drawing a section of hair into the article, through an inside thereof, and for breaking said separation such that the peroxygen compound and the hair dyeing composition mix with one another so result in highlighting of the hair inside of the article. The highlighting reaction may be allowed to proceed for any appropriate length of time, and the section of hair typically becomes dyed after a predetermined amount of time. 01474584\4-02 2 It is appreciated that the present invention allows for (substantially) simultaneous accomplishment of two actions: drawing of the hair section into the article, and mixing of the peroxygen compound and of the hair dyeing composition. Thus, through a single action of the user, the hair is drawn inside the article and highlighting reaction is initiated. Such a simple way for highlighting hair is unknown in the prior art. While a preferred embodiment of the article of the present invention will now be presented and further described in the detailed description, it is appreciated that other articles could be manufactured which are also designed that are also drawn towards the same objective, and would thus be encompassed by the scope of the present invention.

According to preferred embodiments of the present invention, the article is comprised of a first layer and a second layer that are sealed to one another along the edges thereof, so as to form a small pouch. The peroxygen compound and the hair dyeing composition are contained, separately, in between the two layers, preferably with the chemical composition in the upper area and the other chemical composition in the lower area. Preferably, the first layer and second layer are sealed to one another (preferably through a heat sealing, glue means, or any other suitable means) in their middle region, thereby defining said separation between the peroxygen compound and the hair dyeing composition.

Preferably, the first layer and second layer are formed from a transparent material. More preferably, the first layer and second layer are formed from plastic. This allows for easy viewing of the dyeing reaction as it is taking place.

Still further according to preferred embodiments of the present invention, the first layer comprises a first opening and a second opening, said first opening being located in the upper region of the layer, and said second opening being located in the lower region of the layer. Both openings are separated, by separation members, from the chemicals (the peroxygen compound and hair dyeing composition) located between the layers, such that said chemicals cannot escape from the articles through the openings. Each of said upper and lower separation members are attached to the inside surface of the second layer along the edges thereof. The separation members may be formed from aluminum foil or any other suitable material.

Moreover, according to preferred embodiments of the present invention, the means for drawing a section of hair through the article and for breaking the separation between the peroxygen compound and the hair dying composition comprises a loop 01474584\4-02 3 that extends to the exterior of the article from the first opening, and a tail, that extends to the exterior of the article from the second opening. Said loop and tail are coupled to one another by a connecting member (such as a string, for example) that extends inside of the article (preferably attached to the inside surface of the first layer) from the first opening to the second opening. In preferred embodiments, the loop and tail and connecting member are formed from a single piece of string having a loop formed at one end and a "tail" at the other. Thus, the loop and tail may be comprised of string, though other materials could also be used, such as plastic.

The loop and the tail are coupled to one another such that when a section of hair is inserted through the loop and the tail is pulled, the separation (between the peroxygen compound and the hair dyeing composition) breaks and the section of hair that was inserted through the loop becomes drawn inside of the article, and the peroxygen compound and the hair dyeing composition mix with one another in contact with said section of hair.

Any suitable peroxygen compound may be used, preferably a hydrogen peroxide solution having any appropriate concentration level. Furthermore, any suitable hair dye composition may be used. The article may be manufactured with different possible dyes and peroxide levels therein, according to the level and color of highlighting that is desired by the consumer.

It will be appreciated that the article of the present invention is inexpensive to manufacture, and is designed to be disposable, for one-time usage only. The article of the present invention allows for the highlighting process to be carried out in a clean, and quick manner. The article allows for highlighting in a time span as short as twenty minutes, since the drawn-out process of pulling the hair through a cap or wrapping hair in aluminum foil is avoided. Furthermore, the peroxide solution and hair dye solution need not be prepared separately and then mixed. With the present invention, the dye and the peroxide solution come ready to use and become mixed with one another automatically, when the hair is drawn into the pouch. This is in contrast to the conventional methods described above, in which the stylist often has to interrupt the hair treatment in order to prepare more of the highlighting mixture. Furthermore, with the article of the present invention, no brushes or other applicators are necessary, and the user's hands need not ever come into contact with any of the chemicals involved.

The article may optionally comprise a hair-pin. 01474584V -02 4 The present invention also relates to a method for highlighting sections of human hair using the article as defined above, comprising; (a) inserting a section of hair to be highlighted into said loop; (b) pulling down on said tail so as to result in drawing of the section of hair to the interior of the article and breaking of the separation between the peroxygen compound and the hair dyeing composition, i.e., between one area and another area of the article, such that the peroxygen compound and the hair dyeing composition mix with one another so as to result in dyeing of the section of hair after a predetermined amount of time; (c) repeating steps (a) and (b) any appropriate number of times using a separate article for each section of hair.

After the desired level of highlighting is achieved for a section of hair, the article is removed and the hair is washed and/or rinsed. In some preferred embodiments, the method further comprises folding over the article after the section of hair has been drawn through the article and securing the article in place via a hair pin.

The present invention also relates to a system for highlighting sections of human hair, comprising; (a) a comb device comprising an elongated member having a proximal end and a distal end, wherein said proximal end comprises a hook and wherein said distal end comprises a small comb; (b) a highlighting article, comprising a first layer and a second layer sealed to one another along the edges thereof, a peroxygen compound and a hair dyeing composition contained in between said first and second layers, with a separation separating between said peroxygen compound and hair dyeing composition (said separation preferably being formed by a seal between the middle regions of the first and second layers), and a loop and a tail coupled to one another and each extending outwardly (to the exterior of the article) from said first layer from said upper and lower regions, respectively, thereof, such that when a section of hair to be highlighted is selected, said section is inserted through said loop via said hook, and said tail is pulled downwardly such that said section is drawn into said highlighting article and said separation is broken such that said peroxygen compound and hair dyeing composition mix with one another so as to result in highlighting of said section of hair after a predetermined amount of time. 01474584\4-02 5 Preferably, the small comb is approximately 1 centimeter in width.

According to preferred embodiments of the present invention, the first layer and the second layer are sealed to one another by a heat seal. The separation between the peroxygen compound and the hair dyeing composition is preferably formed by a seal between the middle region of the first layer and the middle region of the second layer.

Further according to preferred embodiments of the present invention, the first layer and second layer are formed from plastic.

Additionally to preferred embodiments of the present invention, the peroxygen compound is a hydrogen peroxide solution.

Moreover according to preferred embodiments of the present invention, the highlighting article further comprises a hair pin.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING The present invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawing, wherein: Figure 1 is an isometric view, taken from the side, of an article for use in highlighting a section of hair, according to preferred embodiments of the present invention.

Figure 2a and Figure 2b represent back and front views, respectively, of the first layer of the article of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a side view of a comb device for use in combination with the article of Figure 1.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Referring to Figure 1, a preferred embodiment of the present invention is an article for highlighting a section of hair comprising a first layer (4) and a second layer (5), sealed to one another along the edges thereof so as to form a small pouch. The article further comprises a peroxygen compound contained in the upper region (1) between the two layers, and a hair dyeing composition contained in the lower region (2) between the two layers. A separation (3), formed by a seal between the middle of the first layer (4) and the middle of the second layer (5), serves to separate between the peroxygen compound and the hair dyeing composition, such that the two chemical components do not mix with one another until such time as highlighting of hair is to 01474584\4-02 6 be carried out. The first and second layers (4) (5) are preferably formed from a transparent material such as plastic.

The article of the present invention also comprises means for drawing a section of hair to be highlighted into the article and for breaking the separation (3) between the peroxygen compound and the hair dyeing composition such that the peroxygen compound and the hair dyeing composition mix and the section of hair drawn into the article becomes dyed after a certain amount of time. Preferably, the means comprises a loop (6) and a tail (7) that extend from the top region and the bottom region, respectively, of the first layer (4), and that are coupled to one another via a connecting member (8) that extends through the article and that passes through the separation (3). Said loop (6) and said tail (7) extend from a first opening (10a) and a second opening (10b) (respectively), located in the upper and lower regions, respectively, of the first layer (4). The connecting member (8) extends inside the article from the loop (6) to the tail (7), passing through the separation (3) such that when a section of hair is inserted into the loop (6), and the tail (7) is pulled, (this causes the connecting member (8) to be pulled downward, and the loop to be pulled inward, such that) the section of hair becomes drawn inside of the article and the separation (3) between the peroxygen compound and the hair dyeing composition breaks such that the peroxygen compound and hair dyeing composition mix with one another such that the hair section is exposed to the newly combined chemicals. Two separation members (9a) (9b) are positioned inside of the first layer (4) and serve to separate the first and second openings (10a) (10b) from the chemical components inside of the article, such that they cannot escape through the openings. It is appreciated that the connecting member (8) traverses the edge of the both separation members (9a, 9b), as well as the separation (3), such that when the tail (7) is pulled, the attachment between the separation members (9a, 9b) and the first layer (4) is broken, as well as the separation (3), such that the hair is drawn a significant distance down through the article and such that the chemicals mix with one another, as previously described.

It is appreciated that the article of the present invention provides a neat, clean, and efficient way for highlighting a section of hair. Once the hair section has been drawn inside the article using the loop (6) and the tail (7), the user preferably folds the article in half and secures the article in place with the use of a hair pin (11) that is located at the bottom of the article. When the highlighting process is complete, the user simply pulls off the article from the hair and discards the article. Any number of 01474584\4-02 7 sections of hair may be highlighted using multiple articles, to achieve the desired amount of highlighting for a head of hair. It is further appreciated that when the user purchases the article, the hydrogen peroxide and hair dye composition are contained in sealed sections, such that they do not present a chemical hazard to the user. They only contact one another, and become exposed to the hair, once the tail has been pulled. It is also appreciated that in a single motion of pulling down on the tail, the hair inserted into the loop becomes drawn into the article and the two chemical components inside the article mix with one another. Thus, the article provides a user-friendly and very simple way to highlight hair.

Reference is now made to Figures 2a and 2b, in which the first layer (4) can be clearly seen. In Figure 2a, the side of the first layer (4) that faces the interior of the article can be seen. In Figure 2b, the side of the first layer (4) that faces the exterior of the article is shown (when a component is illustrated in dotted lines, this means that the component is located on the other side of the layer). The loop (6) and the tail (7) both extend to the exterior of the article from first and second openings (10a) (10b) located in the top and bottom regions, respectively, of the first layer (4). A connecting member (8) extends through the interior of the article, coupling the loop (6) to the tail (7). Two separation members (9a) (9b) are positioned on the internal side of the article and function to physically separate the openings (10a) (10b) from the peroxygen compound and the hair dyeing composition that are located in between the first layer (4) and the second layer (5). During manufacture of the article, a predetermined amount of a peroxygen compound and a hair dyeing composition are placed on top of the second layer of the article. Subsequently, the first layer is placed on top of the second layer (with the loop and the tail facing the outside) and the edges of the two layers are sealed to one another and the middle regions of each layer are sealed to one another, so as to form the separation between the peroxygen compound and the hair dyeing composition (Alternatively, the layers may first be sealed to one another, and then the chemicals introduced via two openings along the edge which are thereafter sealed closed).

Referring now to Figure 3, and to a comb device (20), designed for use with the article of the present invention, that allows for highlighting to be carried out in an even easier and convenient manner. The comb device (20) comprises an elongated member (approximately 20 centimeters in length) (21) having a proximal end (25) and a distal end (29). The proximal end (25) preferably has a hook member (28) for 01474584W-02 8 facilitating insertion of a section of hair to be highlighted through the loop of the article. The distal end comprises a small comb (about 1 centimeter in length) for facilitating gathering of a section of hair from the head.

It is appreciated that the description herein provided is meant only to illustrate certain preferred embodiments of the present invention. It is in no way meant to limit the scope of the invention, as set out in the claims below. 01474584\4-02 9

Claims (21)

CLAIMS/

1. An article for use in highlighting sections of human hair, comprising a peroxygen compound and a hair dyeing composition, a separation separating between said peroxygen compound and said hair dyeing composition, and means for drawing a section of hair through said article and for breaking said separation such that said peroxygen compound and hair dyeing composition mix with one another and said section of hair becomes dyed after a predetermined amount of time.

2. An article according to claim 1, further comprising a first layer and a second layer sealed to one another along the edges thereof, wherein the separation between the peroxygen compound and hair dyeing composition is defined by a seal between the middle region of said first layer and the middle region of said second layer.

3. An article according to claim 2, wherein said first layer and second layer are formed from a transparent material.

4. An article according to claim 3, wherein said first layer and second layer are formed from plastic.

5. An article according to claim 2, wherein the first layer comprises a first opening and a second opening, said first opening being located in the upper region of said first layer, and said second opening being located in the lower region of said first layer, and wherein said first and second openings are separated, by separation members, from the chemicals located between said first and second layers, such that said chemicals cannot escape from the articles through the openings.

6. An article according to claim 5, wherein the separation members are formed from aluminum foil.

7. An article according to claim 2 or 5, wherein the means for drawing a section of hair through said article and for breaking the separation between the peroxygen compound and hair dyeing composition a loop that extends to the exterior of the article from the first opening, and a tail, that extends to the exterior of the article from the second opening, wherein said loop and said tail are coupled to one another such that when a section of hair is inserted through the loop and said tail is pulled, said separation becomes broken and said section of hair becomes drawn inside of the article.

8. An article according to claim 7, wherein the loop and tail are comprised of string. 01474584\4-02 10

9. An article according to claim 7, wherein the loop and tail are comprised of plastic.

10. An article according to claim 7, wherein the loop and tail are coupled to one another by a connecting member inside of the article, said connecting member extending through said separation.

11. 1 1. An article according to claim 10, wherein the connecting member comprises a string.

12. An article according to claim 1 , wherein the peroxygen compound comprises a hydrogen peroxide solution.

13. An article according to claim 1 , further comprising a hair-pin.

14. A method for highlighting sections of human hair using the article as defined in any one of claims 1-13, comprising; (a) inserting a section of hair to be highlighted into said loop; (b) pulling down on said tail so as to result in drawing of the section of hair to the interior of the article and breaking of the separation between said upper area and said lower area such that said peroxygen compound and said hair dyeing composition mix with one another so as to result in dyeing of said section of hair after a predetermined amount of time, and; (c) repeating steps (a) and (b) any appropriate number of times for subsequent sections of hair.

15. A method according to claim 14, further comprising folding over the article after said section of hair has been drawn through the article and securing said article in place via a hair pin.

16. A system for highlighting sections of human hair, comprising; (a) a comb device comprising an elongated member having a proximal end and a distal end, wherein said proximal end comprises a hook and wherein said distal end comprises a small comb; (b) a highlighting article, comprising a first layer and a second layer sealed to one another along the edges thereof, a peroxygen compound and a hair dyeing composition contained in between said first and second layers, a separation separating between said peroxygen compound and hair dyeing composition, and a loop and a tail coupled to one another and each extending outwardly from said first layer from said upper and lower regions, respectively, thereof, such that when a section of hair to be highlighted is selected, said section is inserted through said loop via said hook, and said tail is pulled downwardly such that said section is drawn into said highlighting article and said separation is broken such that said peroxygen compound and hair dyeing composition mix with one another so as to result in highlighting of said section of hair after a predetermined amount of time.

17. A system according to claim 16, wherein the small comb is approximately 1 centimeter in width.

18. A system according to claim 16, wherein the first layer and the second layer are sealed to one another by a heat seal.

19. A system according to claim 16, wherein said first layer and second layer are formed from plastic.

20. A system according to claim 16, wherein the peroxygen compound is a hydrogen peroxide solution.

21. A system according to claim 16, wherein the highlighting article further comprises a hair pin.