US3603322A

US3603322A - Wig case

Info

Publication number: US3603322A
Application number: US775262A
Authority: US
Inventors: Nancy C Wilson
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1968-11-13
Filing date: 1968-11-13
Publication date: 1971-09-07
Anticipated expiration: 1988-09-07

Abstract

A portable wig case for storing, protecting and transporting wigs, wiglets or other hairpieces which also serves as a support for the wig during certain hairdressing operations such as combing and spraying. The case is a normally closed compartment with openable closure, such as a small door thereon, which may have an elastic pocket therein. A sliding shelf mounted within the case may be pulled by hand to an extended position outside the case and the shelf has a small protruding pin thereon which is removably inserted in the bottom of styrofoam plastic head form on which the wig is supported in fashion much like that when it is worn on the head. Elastic holddowns keep the plastic form in place on the pin when traveling and may be stretched out of the way so that the form may be removed. A modification for a smaller hairpiece such as a wiglet includes a different sort of base removably mounted on the pin on the shelf and a smaller form which is held in place by an elastic stretch band encircling the top.

Description

United States Patent 1 al seams Primary ExaminerLouis G. Mancen-e Assistant Examiner-Gregory E. McNeil] Attorney-Patrick F. Henry ABSTRACT: A portable wig case for storing, protecting and transporting wigs, wiglets or other hairpieces which also serves as a support for the wig during certain hairdressing operations such as combing and spraying. The case is a normally closed compartment with openable closure, such as a small door thereon, which may have an elastic pocket therein. A sliding shelf mounted within the case may be pulled by hand to an extended position outside the case and the shelf has a small protruding pin thereon which is removably inserted in the bot tom of Styrofoam plastic head form on which the wig is supported in fashion much like that when it is worn on the head. Elastic holddowns keep the plastic form in place on the pin when traveling and may be stretched out of the way so that the form may be removed. A modification for a smaller hairpiece such as a wiglet includes a different sort of base removably mounted on the pin on the shelf and a smaller form which is held in place by an elastic stretch band encircling the top.

PATENTEDSEP mu 36033.22

' sum 2 or 2 ,4 rrok/vfy WIG CASE BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION l. Field of the Invention The field of the invention is that defined by the descriptive words suitcases and travel-cases and particularly special fitted cases.

2. Description of the Prior Art The known prior art includes any type of suitcase or travelcase in which the wig or hairpiece was placed loosely the same as in packing any other articles of clothing and usually tissue paper or similar stuffing was placed inside the wig to help support the shape thereof. Sometimes plastic bags were placed around the wigs to protect them from becoming soiled. Such arrangements are totally inadequate for modern day traveling since it does not provide any protection for the wig and upon arrival at the destination the wig is usually quite disarranged and must be hairdressed. Furthermore, such an arrangement does not provide any support or holder for the wig which can be used at the destination for the purpose of performing ordinary hairdressing procedures.

SUMMARY OF THE DISCLOSURE The present wig case provides a protective closure in which the wig is housed on a head form that properly supports the shape of the wig. In addition. the wig form may be easily extended from the case and without replacement or rearrangement of the wig in the ordinary hairdressing routines such as combing and spraying may be performed with both hands free. The wig and wig form may be removed from the case very easily and placed on a table or the like and replaced in the case whenever desired. The invention includes a case with a door on it and a support for the wig form which extends from the case and may be retracted therein and a means for removably retaining a plastic wig form on the support.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING Other and further objects and advantages of my invention will become apparent upon reading the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the wig case of the present in vention with the wig support shelf extended and without the wig and wig form.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the wig and wig form on a portion of the support shelf of the case shown in FIG. I.

FIG. 3 is a modified wig case adapted to hold a smaller wig or wiglet or hairpiece having a modified base on the shelf support.

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the wig case shown in FIG. 3 with the wig form in place having a wiglet thereon. K

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the wiglet support portionof the interior of the wig case in FIG. 3.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT The wig case shown in FIG. I is designated generally by the reference numeral and comprises a normally closed case having a top 12 a bottom 14 sides I6, 18 and the back 20 which are rigidly connected together and assembled at the respective marginal edges into a three-dimensional case. A closure door 22 has a hollow back forming a compartment 24 and is hinged on hinge number 26 to the side I6 of the case pin. The hollow compartment 24 has an elastic pocket 28 attached thereto by staples and otherwise and the pocket 28 is formed with individual sections in which may be placed items such as hair spray 30, combs 32, brushes 34 and other items.

Inside the compartment in the case 10 and near bottom thereof is a pair of opposed track members 38 which are in the form of open channels which are secured to the inside of the

respective sides

16, 18 by screws or other fastening means. A shelf 40 of rectangular shape constructed from plywood,

Masonite, fiber board, or other material which may be covered with decorative plastic cover or laminated with Formica" or the like, has the respective edges 42 inserted inside of the channel tracks 38 to slide back and forth therein so that the shelf 40 may be extended or retracted inside the case II). A tapered dowel or pin 44 is attached to the center of the shelf 40 and therefrom protrudes upwardly. Metal clips 46 are attached by screws 49 to the shelf 40 on opposite sides of the pin 44. A continuous elastic holddown member 48 extends around the loops into clips 46 and around the pin 44. A styrofoam plastic head form 50 which is generally in the shape of a female head and which forms are common in the hairdressing trade has a bottom opening in which is inserted the pin 44 and the base 52 of the styrofoam head 50 rests on the top of the shelf 40. The elastic holddown member 40 is stretched and placed over a peripheral ledge on the base 52 to hold the styrofoam form 50 firmly in place but easily remova ble from the shelf 40.

A typical wig 56 which comprises individual hairs anchored into a fabric wig base (not shown) all of which is well known in the wig making art and does not per se form any part of the invention, is placed on the wig form 50 in the manner shown in FIG. 2. Both the wig 56 and the wig form 50 are well known in the wig trade and do not individually constitute any part of the claimed invention.

The front end of shelf 40 is supported by means of a foldable leg support beam 60 comprising a short member 62 hinged on a hinge 64 to the front end of the shelf 40 and which may be swung from the dotted line storage position shown in FIG. I to the full line operable position in the full lines in FIG. I. Thus, the case I0 may be placed on a table surface or the like, the shelf 40 extended and support beam 60 swung into place and then the wig 56 may be dressed by the hairdresser who is free to use both hands since the wig is supported on the shelf 40 and held in place by the elastic member 48. After the wig 56 is removed and worn it may be returned to the form 50 and shelf pushed back inside the case I I), the closure door 22 closed and the case may be carried just like any other traveling case.

A recessed track 66 is formed in the bottom 14 of case 10 and a guide member 68 protrudes into the track and is attached to the rear end of shelf 40 to assist in guiding the shelf small tapered pin 104 extending from and attached to the top of the circular ledge member 103.

The version in FIG. 3 is intended to accommodate a smaller wig or wiglet or a small hairpiece which does not require the full head form 50 shown in the embodiment in FIG. 2. Thus, instead of the full plastic head form 50in FIG. I and 2, a small curved plastic form 106 is used and it is constructed from styrofoam plastic or the like the same as the form 50 in FIG. I and 2. The small form I06 has a channel or a groove formed across the curved top I10 thereof and has a small bore 112 in the bottom in which is inserted the pin 104 so that the flat bottom portion 116 ofthe form I06 rests on the ledge 103. An elastic holddown member 120 has one end secured to its other end on one side of the cylindrical member I02 and the elastic loop is fitted to an eyelet 122 on the other side. This provides a loop of the elastic member I20 which may be stretched over the curved portion I10 of the form 106 and allowed to drop into the groove I08 while stretched so as to provide tension to hold the form 106 firmly in place on the pin I04 and ledge 103. The wiglet is then placed on the curved portion 110 of the form 106 into the manner shown in FIG. 4. Of course, the case 10 shown; in FIG. 3 may be of a smaller size ifit is to be used only to contain a particular wiglet [30. However, a full-sized case like that shown in FIG. 1 may be easily converted from one version in FIG. 1 to the version shown in FIG. 3 for use to hold either the full size wig 56 or wiglet 130. 1

It is important to note that the wig 56 or the wiglet 130 may he hairdressed while still on the respective head form 50 or the smaller form 110 without removing same from the

respective pins

44, 104. The user of the wig 56 or the wiglet 130 may pack same in one place, travel with it on an airliner, arrive at the destination which may be a hotel or motel room and place the case 10 on a dresser or table top. Then, after the closure 22 is opened, the shelf 40 is extended and the user proceeds to dress the wig in the manner shown in FIG' 2 without moving the wig 56 to any other location. This is quite convenient and is also extremely time saving and there is always a proper place to put the wig 56 and to protect it from the dust or other hazards.

While I have shown and described a particular embodiment of my invention together with a suggested modification thereof, this is by way of illustration only and does not constitute any sort of limitation on the scope of my invention since various alterations, changes, eliminations, deviations, departures, combinations, omission and other variations may be made in the embodiments shown and described without departing from the scope thereof and defined in the appended claims.

What is claimed:

' 1. In a wig case:

a. a slidable shelf and a wig case having openable closure,

b. a wig form support having a base mounted on said shelf, said shelf being extensible from and retractible into the inside of said case when said closure is open,

c. a wig on said support,

d. said wig form being held removably on said shelf by means of an elastic member, said elastic member being stretched on opposite sides of said base and secured to said shelf.

2. The wig case claimed in claim 1, wherein:

said shelf has a movable support means on outer edge thereof to prop the outer edge of said support when said support is extended.

3. The wig case in claim 2, wherein:

said closure has a hollow portion in the back thereof and there is a pocket means thereon in which may be placed hair spray, combs and other items.

4. The wig case claimed in claim 1, wherein:

said shelf has a protruding member thereon and said wig form has an opening in the bottom to receive said protruding member inserted therein. 3

5. The wig case claimed in claim 2, wherein:

said wig form is shaped like a head and has a base with a ledge therearound and said elastic member is stretched on opposite sides of said base to hold it down on the shelf.

6. ln a wig case:

a. a wig case having a slidable shelf and an openable closure b. a wig form support of styrofoam plastic having a groove therein mounted on said shelf, said shelf being extensible from and retractable into the inside of said case when said closure is open,

c. said support having a protruding member with a ledge thereon and said wig form having an opening in the bottom in which said protruding member is positioned d. said wig form being held removable in place on said ledge by means of an elastic member, said elastic member being attached at its ends to form a loop which is stretched over said wig form and which engages said wig form under tension in said grooves.

Claims

1. In a wig case: a. a slidable shelf and a wig case having openable closure, b. a wig form support having a base mounted on said shelf, said shelf being extensible from and retractible into the inside of said case when said closure is open, c. a wig on said support, d. said wig form being held removably on said shelf by means of an elastic member, said elastic member being stretched on opposite sides of said base and secured to said shelf.

2. The wig case claimed in claim 1, wherein: said shelf has a movable support means on outer edge thereof to prop the outer edge of said support when said support is extended.

3. The wig case in claim 2, wherein: said closure has a hollow portion in the back thereof and there is a pocket means thereon in which may be placed hair spray, combs and other items.

4. The wig case claimed in claim 1, wherein: said shelf has a protruding member thereon and said wig form has an opening in the bottom to receive said protruding member inserted therein.

5. The wig case claimed in claim 2, wherein: said wig form is shaped like a head and hAs a base with a ledge therearound and said elastic member is stretched on opposite sides of said base to hold it down on the shelf.

6. In a wig case: a. a wig case having a slidable shelf and an openable closure b. a wig form support of styrofoam plastic having a groove therein mounted on said shelf, said shelf being extensible from and retractable into the inside of said case when said closure is open, c. said support having a protruding member with a ledge thereon and said wig form having an opening in the bottom in which said protruding member is positioned d. said wig form being held removable in place on said ledge by means of an elastic member, said elastic member being attached at its ends to form a loop which is stretched over said wig form and which engages said wig form under tension in said grooves.