Hair binder

Abstract

A hair binder having a cord member and a fastener formed of a male fastening element and a female fastening element respectively fastened to two opposite ends of the cord member for joining the ends of the cord member. The male fastening element has a rounded head with a neck at its front side. The female fastening element has a ball socket with a bottom opening and a peripheral notch for receiving the rounded head and neck of the male fastening element.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0001] 1. Field of the Invention

[0002] The present invention relates to a hair binder and, more particularly, to such a hair binder that can quickly be fastened to the hair without hurting the user's hands or the hair.

[0003] 2. Description of the Related Art

[0004] U.S. Pat. No. 5,913,319, issued to the present inventor, discloses a hair binder, which is comprised of a cord member and a fastener formed of a male fastening element and a female fastening element respectively fastened to two opposite ends of the cord member for joining the ends of the cord member. The male fastening element has a rounded head with a neck at its front side and a coupling groove or coupling flange around the rounded head and the neck. The female fastening element has a bottom open chamber and a coupling hole for receiving the rounded head and neck of the male fastening element, and a coupling flange or coupling groove for engagement with the coupling groove or coupling flange of the male fastening element to secure the rounded head of the male fastening element to the inside of the female fastening element. This structure of hair binder is functional, and convenient in use. However, this structure is complicated.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0005] The present invention has been accomplished under the circumstances in view. It is one object of the present invention to provide a hair binder, which is easy to install. It is another object of the present invention to provide a hair binder, which has a simple structure. According to the present invention, the hair binder comprises a cord member and a fastener formed of a male fastening element and a female fastening element injection-molded from plastics and respectively fastened to two opposite ends of the cord member for joining the ends of the cord member. The male fastening element has a rounded head with a neck at its front side. The female fastening element has a ball socket adapted to receive the rounded head of the male fastening element. The ball socket has a bottom opening, a top opening covered with an ornamental cap, and a peripheral notch extended to the bottom opening for receiving the neck of the male fastening element for enabling the rounded head of the male fastening element to be set into the ball socket.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0006] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a hair binder according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

[0007] FIG. 2 is an exploded view, in an enlarged scale, of the fastener of the hair binder shown in FIG. 1.

[0008] FIG. 3 is a sectional side view of the hair binder, showing the male fastening element fastened to the female fastening element according to the present invention.

[0009] FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the fastener of the hair binder shown in FIG. 3.

[0010] FIG. 5 is perspective view of FIG. 2.

[0011] FIG. 6 is a sectional view of the fastener of the hair binder before connection of the female fastening element to the male fastening element and after installation of the ornamental cap in the female fastening element.

[0012] FIG. 7 is an exploded view of a part of an alternate form of the female fastening element for the fastener of the hair binder according to the present invention.

[0013] FIG. 8 is a schematic top view corresponding to FIG. 7, showing the installation of the ornamental cap in the female fastening element.

[0014] FIG. 9 is an exploded view of another alternate form of the present invention.

[0015] FIG. 10 is an exploded view of still another alternate form of the present invention.

[0016] FIG. 11 is an exploded view of still another alternate form of the present invention.

[0017] FIG. 12 is a schematic drawing corresponding to the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, showing the male fastening element fastened to the female fastening element.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

[0018] Referring to FIGS. from 1 through 6, a hair binder in accordance with the present invention is shown comprised of a cord member 2 and a fastener 1 formed of a male fastening element 12 and a female fastening element 11 respectively fastened to two opposite ends of the cord member 2 for joining the ends of the cord member 2. The male fastening element 12 and the female fastening element 11 are respectively injection-molded from plastics. The male fastening element 12 comprises a front neck 122 axially forwardly extended from the front side thereof and a rounded head 121 at the front end of the front neck 122. The female fastening element 11 comprises a ball socket 111 adapted to receive the rounded head 121 of the male fastening element 12. The ball socket 111 has two openings 113 respectively disposed at the top and bottom sides, and a peripheral notch 112 extended to the one opening 113 adapted to receive the neck 122 of the male fastening element 12. By means of forcing the neck 122 into the peripheral notch 112, the rounded head 121 is coupled to the ball socket 111. When the neck 122 set into the peripheral notch 112, the two opposite lateral side edges 1121 of the peripheral notch 112 engages the periphery of the neck 12, securing the male fastening element 12 to the female fastening element 11. The ball socket 111 of the female fastening element 11 further comprises a mounting flange 114 around one opening 113 for the mounting of an ornamental cap 115. The ornamental cap 115 can be shaped like an artificial diamond or the like, and directly adhered to the mounting flange 114.

[0019] FIGS. 7 and 8 show a hair binder according to the second embodiment of the present invention. According to this alternate form, the mounting flange 114 of the female fastening element 11 has a plurality of vertical insertion grooves 142 and a plurality of horizontal locating grooves 141 respectively extended from the bottom ends of the vertical insertion grooves 142, and the ornamental cap 115 has a plurality of locating pegs 1151 equiangularly spaced around the periphery and adapted for coupling to the horizontal locating grooves 141 of the female fastening element 11. The ornamental cap 115 is fastened to the mounting flange 114 of the female fastening element 11 by: forcing the pegs 1151 of the ornamental cap 115 into the vertical insertion grooves 142 of the mounting flange 114 respectively and then rotating the ornamental cap 115 through an angle to engage the pegs 1151 into the horizontal locating grooves 141 respectively.

[0020] FIG. 9 shows another alternate form of the present invention. This embodiment is similar to the embodiment shown in FIGS. 7 and 8 with the exception of the shape of the ornamental cap. According to this embodiment, the ornamental cap 116 has the shape of a mouse, and a plurality of pegs 1161 equiangularly spaced around the periphery for fastening to the horizontal locating grooves 141 of the female fastening element 11.

[0021] FIG. 10 shows still another alternate form of the present invention. This embodiment is similar to the embodiment shown in FIGS. 7 and 8 with the exception of the shape of the ornamental cap. According to this embodiment, the ornamental cap 117 has the shape of a strawberry, and a plurality of pegs 1171 equiangularly spaced around the periphery for fastening to the horizontal locating grooves 141 of the female fastening element 11.

[0022] FIGS. 11 and 12 show still another alternate form of the present invention. According to this embodiment, the male fastening element 12 has a front T-bar formed of an axially extended neck 122 and a cylindrical head 123 transversely provided at the front end of the neck 122. The female fastening element 11 has a coupling hole 118 adapted to receive the transversely extended cylindrical head 123 of the male fastening element 12, and a peripheral notch 112 adapted to receive the neck 112 of the male fastening element 12.

[0023] A prototype of hair binder has been constructed with the features of FIGS. 1.about.12. The hair binder functions smoothly to provide all of the features discussed earlier.

[0024] Although particular embodiments of the invention have been described in detail for purposes of illustration, various modifications and enhancements may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Accordingly, the invention is not to be limited except as by the appended claims.

Claims

What the invention claimed is:

1. A hair binder comprising a cord member, and a fastener formed of a male fastening element and a female fastening element respectively fastened to two opposite ends of the cord member to fasten the ends of the cord member together, wherein said male fastening element is injection-molded from plastics, comprising a neck axially forwardly extended from a front side thereof and terminating in a rounded head; said female fastening element is injection-molded from plastics, comprising a ball socket adapted to receive the rounded head of said male fastening element, said ball socket having a top opening, a bottom opening, and a peripheral notch extended to said bottom opening and adapted to receive the neck of said male fastening element for enabling the rounded head of said male fastening element to be set into said ball socket through said bottom opening.

2. The hair binder as claimed in claim 1, wherein said female fastening element further comprises an ornamental cap adhered to said top opening of said ball socket.

3. The hair binder as claimed in claim 1, wherein said ball socket comprises a mounting flange extended around said top opening, a plurality of vertical insertion grooves equiangularly spaced in said mounting flange, and a plurality of horizontal locating grooves respectively perpendicularly extended from said vertical insertion grooves at a bottom side; said ornamental cap has a plurality of pegs equiangularly spaced around the periphery thereof and adapted for inserting into said vertical insertion grooves of said ball socket and then engaging into said horizontal locating grooves of said ball socket through a rotary motion of said ornamental cap relative to said mounting flange of said female fastening element.

4. A hair binder comprising a cord member, and a fastener formed of a male fastening element and a female fastening element respectively fastened to two opposite ends of the cord member to fasten the ends of the cord member together, wherein said male fastening element is injection-molded from plastics, comprising a front T-bar formed of an axially extended neck and a transversely extended cylindrical head; said female fastening element is injection-molded from plastics, comprising a socket adapted to receive the transversely extended cylindrical head of said male fastening element, said socket having a bottom opening, and a peripheral notch extended to said bottom opening and adapted to receive the neck of said T-bar of said male fastening element for enabling the transversely extended cylindrical head of said T-bar of said male fastening element to be set into said socket through said bottom opening.