U.S. patent application number 10/847703 was filed with the patent office on 2005-11-17 for hair extension and method of use.
Invention is credited to Salinas, Hortencia.
Application Number | 20050252517 10/847703 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 35456657 |
Filed Date | 2005-11-17 |
United States Patent
Application |
20050252517 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Salinas, Hortencia |
November 17, 2005 |
Hair extension and method of use
Abstract
A hair extension used for extending and filling-out existing
hair includes an anchor band of a relatively flexible fabric having
a frontal outer surface and a rear inner surface which is pressed
against the scalp. The anchor band provides mounting holes for
accepting a portion of a person's natural hairs which are threaded
through them. A plurality of supplementary hairs which make up the
hair extension are permanently engaged with the anchor band and
extend away from the frontal outer surface so as to drape
downwardly. Clamps are engaged with the portion of the primary
hairs which extend from the mounting holes so that these clamps lay
adjacent to the frontal outer surface. The clamps are crushed or
formed so as to hold the primary hairs for immobilizing the anchor
band and holding it in place against the scalp.
Inventors: |
Salinas, Hortencia; (Orange,
CA) |
Correspondence
Address: |
GENE SCOTT; PATENT LAW & VENTURE GROUP
3140 RED HILL AVENUE
SUITE 150
COSTA MESA
CA
92626-3440
US
|
Family ID: |
35456657 |
Appl. No.: |
10/847703 |
Filed: |
May 17, 2004 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
132/201 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A41G 5/004 20130101;
A41G 5/0066 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
132/201 |
International
Class: |
A41G 003/00 |
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. A hair extension apparatus for attachment to existing primary
hairs on a head of hairs so as to extend the apparent length of the
primary hairs and to provide added fullness to the primary hairs,
the hair extension apparatus comprising: an anchor band of a
relatively flexible fabric having a frontal outer surface and a
rear inner surface, the anchor band providing a plurality of
mounting holes for accepting a portion of the primary hairs
extending therethrough from the rear inner surface to the frontal
outer surface; a plurality of supplementary hairs permanently
engaged with the anchor band, and extending out of, and, away from
the frontal outer surface thereof, so as to drape downwardly
therefrom; and a plurality of clamps, the clamps each engaged with
the portion of the primary hairs extended out of at least two
adjacent ones of the mounting holes and adjacent to the frontal
outer surface, the clamps closed so as to clamp the primary hairs
for immobilizing the anchor band.
2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the clamps are tubular
ferrules.
3. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the through holes are arranged
in a linear array across the anchor band.
4. The apparatus of claim 3 wherein the through holes are arranged
in at least two parallel rows across the anchor band.
5. A method for attaching a hair extension to existing primary
hairs on a head of hairs so as to extend the apparent length of the
primary hairs and to provide added fullness to the primary hairs,
the method comprising the steps of: placing an anchor band of a
relatively flexible fabric against a user's scalp; draping
supplemental hairs of the hair extension downwardly from the anchor
band; feeding a portion of the primary hairs through mounting holes
in the anchor band; feeding the portion of the primary hairs
extending from at least two adjacent ones of the mounting holes
through at least one clamp; and clamping the primary hairs within
the clamps.
6. The method of claim 5 further comprising the step of covering
the anchor band and at least a portion of the supplemental hairs
with a portion of the existing primary hairs.
7. The method of claim 5 further comprising the steps of opening
the at least one clamp; moving the anchor band more tightly against
the scalp thereby drawing the primary hairs within the at least one
clamp outwardly; and clamping the primary hairs again within the at
least one clamp.
Description
INCORPORATION BY REFERENCE
[0001] Applicant(s) hereby incorporate herein by reference, any and
all U.S. patents and U.S. patent applications cited or referred to
in this application.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] 1. Field of the Invention
[0003] This invention relates generally to hair pieces and
particularly to a novel hair extension and a method of attachment
to naturally growing hair on a users head.
[0004] 2. Description of Related Art
[0005] The following art defines the present state of this
field:
[0006] Buckwalter, U.S. Pat. No. Des. 376,444 describes a design
for a supplemental hairpiece.
[0007] Jenkins, U.S. Pat. No. 3,280,826 describes a method of
making a hair piece adapted to be secured to the live hair on the
head comprising, folding a weft having a base portion and
commercial hair secured thereto a predetermined number of times
with said folded base portions forming a foundation, providing
fastener means having a plurality of apertures therethrough,
placing said fastener means against said folded base portions, and
securing said adjacent folds of said weft together by passing
stitches through the apertures in said fastener means and through
the foundation formed by said folded base portion to secure said
portions in folded relationship.
[0008] Johnson et al., U.S. Pat. No. 3,651,820 describes a method
for holding a hairpiece firmly in place on a wearer's head by
anchoring adjustable brackets to the wear's existing hair. A firm
anchor is formed from a bead of melted rubber, which is fused into
a thin strip of existing hair, and subsequently hardens therein. An
anchor attachment and adjustable male bracket are fastened to the
rubber anchor, the male bracket engaging a corresponding female
bracket attached to the base of the hair piece to firmly hold the
hair piece in place. The effective length of the male bracket may
be adjusted to compensate for hair growth over a period of
time.
[0009] Maassen et al., U.S. Pat. No. 3,662,766 describes a
hairpiece, which is anchored with the surrounding natural hair. The
hairpiece has a plurality of locking devices attached to its base.
The locking devices have a first section, which is attached to the
hairpiece, and a second section, which is adapted to being
lockingly engaged wit the first section. The second section is
attached to the natural hair by means, which permits adjustment of
the attachment between the natural hair and the second section to
compensate for growth of the natural hair.
[0010] Nelson, U.S. Pat. No. 4,254,784 describes an improved hair
unit assembly and method wherein the user's natural hair is
employed to attach the hair unit in place. In practice, one or more
elongated, apertured tubes are placed adjacent the user's natural
hair, and strands thereof are pulled into the tubes; an elongated,
frictional locking member or adhesive is then inserted within each
tube to secure the tubes in place. An appropriate hair unit can
then be secured to the tubes by any one of a number of techniques.
Reinforcing tube segments are also used to interconnect and bridge
spaced hair-receiving tube sections to thus rigidify the overall
assembly.
[0011] Russell, U.S. Pat. No. 4,966,173 describes a hairpiece for
covering areas of partial hair loss removal or thinning on a user's
head is disclosed. The hairpiece includes a band of resilient
material in an arcuate shape, which conforms to the user's head and
biases thereagainst, and a foundation member to which hair is
attached. When worn, the foundation of hair is positioned over the
area of hair loss or removal to conceal the area, and the user's
own hair may be combed or styled in a fashion to incorporate the
hair of the hairpiece with that of the user to produce a natural
look.
[0012] Rennex, U.S. Pat. No. 5,313,963 describes hairpieces and in
particular to an improved hairpiece base, which renders the
hairpiece virtually undetectable to sight and to touch. The
invention comprises a mesh and a mesh binder. The mesh affords
structural strength in the lateral plane, and it serves as an
anchor for artificial hairs. The mesh binder fills the region
between the mesh strands, and its thickness is approximately equal
to the diameter of the mesh strands. At the perimeter of the base,
the mesh binder edge may be tapered in thickness.
[0013] Walker, U.S. Pat. No. 5,722,434 describes a hair enhancement
system including a female portion having a first flexible fabric
strip having a first plurality of female snap fastener halves
secured to and evenly spaced a first spacing distance along a first
side surface thereof; a male portion having a second flexible
fabric strip having a second plurality of male snap fastener halves
that are mateably with the female snap fastener halves of the
female portion secured to and evenly spaced by the first spacing
distance along a second side surface thereof; and a hair
enhancement weft including a third plurality of flexible
enhancement hair strands secured to and extending from a side edge
of one of said female and male portions along the length thereof.
The hair enhancement system is utilized by placing a section of
hair from the person having the hair enhancements applied between
the female or male portions and snapping the female snap fastener
strip to the male snap fastener strip in a manner to retain the
section of hair from the person therebetween.
[0014] Our prior art search with abstracts described above teaches:
a method of attaching a hairpiece, a supplemental hair piece, a
method and apparatus for attaching a hair unit, a hairpiece for
compensation of hair loss, a hairpiece base, a hair enhancement
system, a hair piece and method of making and permanently attaching
same, and a method of securing a hair piece. However, the prior art
fails to teach an anchor band having supplemental hairs fixed
thereto and holes arranged to receive the user's hair and clamped
by flattening ferrules as a simple attachment which may be reversed
for tightening and removal. The present invention fulfills these
needs and provides further related advantages as described in the
following summary.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0015] The present invention teaches certain benefits in
construction and use which give rise to the objectives described
below.
[0016] A hair extension used for extending and filling-out existing
naturally growing hair includes an anchor band of a relatively
flexible fabric having a frontal outer surface and a rear inner
surface which is pressed against the scalp. The anchor band
provides mounting holes for accepting a portion of a person's
natural hairs which are threaded through them. A plurality of
supplementary hairs which make up the hair extension are
permanently engaged with the anchor band and extend away from the
frontal outer surface so as to drape downwardly. Tubular ferrules
are engaged with the portion of the primary hairs which extend from
the mounting holes and lay adjacent to the frontal outer surface.
The ferrules are crushed so as to clamp the primary hairs for
immobilizing the anchor band and holding it in place against the
scalp.
[0017] A primary objective of one embodiment of the present
invention is to provide an apparatus and method of use of such
apparatus that yields advantages not taught by the prior art.
[0018] Another objective is to assure that an embodiment of the
invention is capable of being quickly fastened in place.
[0019] A further objective is to assure that an embodiment of the
invention is capable of being quickly retightened against the scalp
when necessary.
[0020] A further objective is to assure that an embodiment of the
invention is capable of being quickly removed when necessary.
[0021] A still further objective is to assure that an embodiment of
the invention is capable of being made thin enough to be fully
covered by natural hair when placed next to the scalp.
[0022] Other features and advantages of the embodiments of the
present invention will become apparent from the following more
detailed description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying
drawings, which illustrate, by way of example, the principles of at
least one of the possible embodiments of the invention.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0023] The accompanying drawings illustrate at least one of the
best mode embodiments of the present invention. In such
drawings:
[0024] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of at least one aspect of an
embodiment of the invention showing supplementary hairs draped
downwardly;
[0025] FIG. 2 is a partial cross section of an anchor band thereof
showing the placement of the supplementary hairs;
[0026] FIG. 3 is a perspective view thereof showing an initial
placement of an anchor band of the invention against the scalp of a
user;
[0027] FIG. 4 is a perspective view thereof showing the drawing of
existing hairs through holes in the anchor band;
[0028] FIG. 5 is a perspective view thereof showing the placement
of ferrules for anchoring the invention; and
[0029] FIG. 6 is a side elevational view of a user wearing the
invention with hidden lines showing one possible placement of the
anchor band.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0030] The above described drawing figures illustrate the present
invention in at least one of its preferred, best mode embodiments,
which is further defined in detail in the following description.
Those having ordinary skill in the art may be able to make
alterations and modifications in the present invention without
departing from its spirit and scope. Therefore, it must be
understood that the illustrated embodiments have been set forth
only for the purposes of example and that they should not be taken
as limiting the invention as defined in the following.
[0031] In one aspect of a best mode embodiment of the present
invention a hair extension apparatus for attachment to existing
primary hairs 5 on a head of hairs is described. The term "primary
hairs" is used herein to refer to the existing living hairs on the
head of hairs and it is noted that these primary hairs continue to
grow outwardly from the scalp 7 over time. The present invention
apparatus is used to extend the apparent length of, and provide
added fullness to, the primary hairs 5. The hair extension
apparatus is made up components including an anchor band 10 of a
relatively flexible fabric, such as silk, having a rear inner
surface 12 and a frontal outer surface 14. The anchor band 10 is
placed against the scalp 7 and provides a plurality of mounting
holes 16 for accepting a portion of the primary hairs 5 extending
from the rear inner surface 12 to the frontal outer surface 14 as
shown in FIG. 4. A plurality of supplementary hairs 20 are
permanently engaged with the anchor band 10 in a manner well known
in the art, i.e., by being pressed through the anchor band 10 and
knotted on the rear inner surface 12 as shown in FIG. 2. These
supplementary hairs 20, as shown in FIGS. 2-5, extending out of,
and, away from the frontal outer surface 14, so as to drape
downwardly. The terms "supplementary hairs" or "supplemental hairs"
are used herein to refer to hairs, natural or synthetic, that are
made a part of the apparatus. These supplemental hairs do not grow
outwardly from the anchor band 10 to which they are attached. A
layer of lacquer 10' (FIG. 2) or a similar substance is used to
coat the rear inner surface 12 of the anchor band 10 so as to
assure that the knots 20' formed in the supplemental hairs 20
cannot unravel thereby releasing the hairs 20 from the anchor
band.
[0032] A plurality of clamps such as tubular ferrules 30, are
engaged with the portion of the primary hairs 5 which are extended
out of the mounting holes 16, and these ferrules 30 are place
adjacent to the frontal outer surface 14 of the anchor band, as
shown in FIG. 4. The ferrules 30 are then crushed so as to clamp
the portion of the primary hairs 5 for immobilizing the anchor band
10 against the scalp. The tubular ferrules 30 receive primary hairs
5 from at least two of the mounting holes 16, and preferably the
ferrules 30 receive the primary hairs 5 from only two of adjacent
mounting holes 16 as shown in FIG. 5. Preferably, the through holes
16 are arranged in a linear array across the anchor band 10 as
shown in FIGS. 3-5 and this linear array preferably comprises two
or more parallel rows. It is clear, that the words "tubular
ferrules" refer to a best mode embodiment as shown in the figures.
However, the means for clamping of the primary hairs may
alternately be almost any clamping means for device that is able to
be crimped or clamped onto these primary hairs. For instance, such
a clamping device may be a simple length of metal that is bent into
a V-shape and then closed about the primary hairs 5. Other means
for clamping such hairs would be considered obvious to those of
skill in the art, and "tubular ferrule" refers therefore, to any
such clamping device, tubular or not, which is considered a ferrule
or not.
[0033] In the present invention, the method of attaching the above
described hair extension apparatus to the existing primary hairs 5
includes the step of: placing the anchor band 10 against a user's
scalp 7 after the bulk of the primary hairs 5 have been folded up
and away from the location of the anchor band 10, and then draping
supplemental hairs 20 of the hair extension downwardly from the
anchor band 10. The method further includes feeding a portion of
the primary hairs 5 through mounting holes 16 in the anchor band 10
and then feeding the portion of the primary hairs 5 extending from
at least two of the mounting holes 16 through at least one of the
tubular ferrules 30 and clamping the primary hairs 5 within the
ferrules 30 by flattening them. It has been found to be highly
advantageous to take primary hairs 5 from two adjacent of the
mounting holes 16 for clamping. In this manner, it is found to
provide tight mounting, easy clamping, strong support of the anchor
band without glues or waxes, etc. The method further comprises the
step of covering the anchor band 10 and at least a portion of the
supplemental hairs 20 with a portion of the existing primary hairs
5 so as to prevent the supplemental hairs 20 from being detected
visually as distinct from the primary hairs 5. The method
preferably includes receiving the primary hairs 5 through the
ferrules 30 each from two adjacent of the mounting holes 16 as
shown in FIG. 5.
[0034] Because the primary hairs continue to grow outwardly from
the scalp 7, the anchor band 10 and its supplemental hairs 20 tend
to move downwardly on the scalp 7 over time. Eventually, the anchor
band 10 would be visible when it no longer is covered by the
primary hairs 20. Thus, the present method includes the steps of
opening the ferrules 30 and moving the anchor band 10 more tightly
against the scalp 7 thereby drawing the primary hairs 5 within the
ferrules 30 outwardly and then clamping the primary hairs 5 within
the ferrules 30 once again by re-flattening the ferrules 30. In
this manner, the apparatus may be easily tightened in place as
necessary to its continued use.
[0035] The enablements described in detail above are considered
novel over the prior art of record and are considered critical to
the operation of at least one aspect of one best mode embodiment of
the instant invention and to the achievement of the above described
objectives. The words used in this specification to describe the
instant embodiments are to be understood not only in the sense of
their commonly defined meanings, but to include by special
definition in this specification: structure, material or acts
beyond the scope of the commonly defined meanings. Thus if an
element can be understood in the context of this specification as
including more than one meaning, then its use must be understood as
being generic to all possible meanings supported by the
specification and by the word or words describing the element.
[0036] The definitions of the words or elements of the embodiments
of the herein described invention and its related embodiments not
described are, therefore, defined in this specification to include
not only the combination of elements which are literally set forth,
but all equivalent structure, material or acts for performing
substantially the same function in substantially the same way to
obtain substantially the same result. In this sense it is therefore
contemplated that an equivalent substitution of two or more
elements may be made for any one of the elements in the invention
and its various embodiments or that a single element may be
substituted for two or more elements in a claim.
[0037] Changes from the claimed subject matter as viewed by a
person with ordinary skill in the art, now known or later devised,
are expressly contemplated as being equivalents within the scope of
the invention and its various embodiments. Therefore, obvious
substitutions now or later known to one with ordinary skill in the
art are defined to be within the scope of the defined elements. The
invention and its various embodiments are thus to be understood to
include what is specifically illustrated and described above, what
is conceptually equivalent, what can be obviously substituted, and
also what essentially incorporates the essential idea of the
invention.
[0038] While the invention has been described with reference to at
least one preferred embodiment, it is to be clearly understood by
those skilled in the art that the invention is not limited thereto.
Rather, the scope of the invention is to be interpreted only in
conjunction with the appended claims and it is made clear, here,
that the inventor(s) believe that the claimed subject matter is the
invention.
* * * * *