Hairpiece

Abstract

A hairpiece including a base having a first pair of elastic loops connected to one edge of the base at opposing corners, a second pair of elastic loops connected to an opposite edge of the base at opposing corners, and a bottom elastic loop connected to a bottom edge of the base. Hair is woven into the base. The first and second pairs of loops and the bottom loop of the hairpiece are sized and shaped for attachment to and removal from a hair accessory, such as a hair comb clip. The first and second pairs of loops wrap around the teeth of the clip, and the bottom loop wraps around the handles of the clip. The hair of the hairpiece extends away from the clip and may be styled by the user.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0001] This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 61/309,256, filed Mar. 1, 2010, the disclosure of which is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety.

FIELD OF INVENTION

[0002] The invention relates to hairpieces and, more particularly, to hairpieces that attach to hair accessories, such as hair comb clips and the like.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0003] Hairpieces are well known in the art and are typically used to add visual appeal to one's hairstyle. When a person uses a hair comb clip to lift her hair up and away from her shoulders as part of a hairstyle, it is desirable to have a portion of the hair protrude from the hair comb clip to give the hairstyle added visual appeal. However, many users do not have hair of their own long enough to provide such visual appeal when employing a hair comb clip. In such circumstances, hairpieces can be used to provide visual appeal to those with shorter hair.

[0004] Most hairpieces are woven into the user's own hair, giving the hair within the hairpiece the appearance that the hair of the hairpiece is the same hair that grows out of the user's head. However, the process of weaving a hairpiece into a user's hair is arduous, time consuming, and often requires the service of a professional. Further, because such a hairpiece is woven into the user's hair, it cannot be easily removed by the user and typically remains within the user's hair until the user wants to have the hairpiece permanently removed. As such, the choice as to whether to employ a hairpiece in one's hair is difficult, as there is a certain level of permanence in using such a hairpiece.

[0005] Thus, there exists a need for a hairpiece that can be readily incorporated in and removed from a user's hair at the user's election. Further, there exists a need for a hairpiece that can be incorporated in a user's hair through ordinary means and used with ordinary hair accessories.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0006] The present invention is directed to a hairpiece comprising a base having a first pair of elastic loops connected to one edge of the base at opposing corners, a second pair of elastic loops connected to an opposite edge of the base at opposing corners, and a bottom elastic loop connected to a bottom edge of the base. In an embodiment, the first pair of loops are smaller in size compared to the second pair of loops, and the bottom loop is larger than any of the loops in the first or second pairs of loops. Hair is woven into the base.

[0007] In an embodiment, the hairpiece is used with a hair comb clip having a plurality of teeth and a pair of handles. When the hairpiece is in use, the first and second pairs of loops wrap around the teeth of the hair comb clip, and the bottom loop wraps around the handles of the hair comb clip. The first and second pairs of loops and the bottom loop of the hairpiece are sized and shaped to facilitate attachment to and removal from any size hair comb clip found in the market today. The hair of the hairpiece extends away from the hair comb clip and may be styled by the user. The hairpiece in conjunction with the hair comb clip may then be clipped to a user's hair to provide visual appeal to the user's hairstyle.

[0008] The hairpiece may also be used with other accessories, such as small flat combs, hairpins or bobby-pins, or as part of a modified baseball cap, in order to give added visual appeal to one's hair style. The hairpiece may also be used by itself as a pony tail holder.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0009] For a more complete understanding of the present invention, reference is made to the following detailed description of the invention considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0010] FIG. 1 is a top plan view of a hairpiece according to an embodiment of the present invention with no hair shown;

[0011] FIG. 2 is a top plan view of the hairpiece shown in FIG. 1 with hair shown;

[0012] FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a hair comb clip that is used in connection with the hairpiece shown in FIG. 2;

[0013] FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the hairpiece shown in FIG. 2 attached to the hair comb clip shown in FIG. 3 with the hair comb clip shown in a partially open position;

[0014] FIG. 5 is a top plan view of a hairpiece according to another embodiment of the present invention with no hair shown.

[0015] FIG. 6 is a top plan view of the hairpiece shown in FIG. 2 used in connection with small flat combs;

[0016] FIG. 7 is a top plan view of the hairpiece shown in FIG. 2 used in connection with the modified baseball cap that is shown in a cut away view; and

[0017] FIG. 8 is a perspective view of the hairpiece shown in FIG. 6 used in connection with a baseball cap.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0018] FIGS. 1 and 2 show a hairpiece 10 having a rectangular-shaped base 12, a first pair of elastic loops 15A, 15B connected to a first edge 13 of base 12 at opposing corners, and a second pair of elastic loops 16A, 16B connected to a second edge 14 of base 12 opposite the first edge 13 at opposing corners. The hairpiece 10 further includes a bottom elastic loop 18 connected to a bottom edge 17 of the base 12, which is intermediate and perpendicular to the first and second edges 13, 14. While the base 12 is preferably rectangular in shape, it can consist of other shapes and sizes, e.g. a square, an oval, or a rectangle with rounded corners. FIG. 2 shows the hairpiece 10 having hair 20 attached to the base 12.

[0019] In an embodiment, the base 12 is formed by sewing wefts of the hair (e.g., fiber or otherwise) together in a honeycomb or a diamond pattern 22, and then attaching a border 24 to the edges of the pattern 22 to form the desired shape of the base 12. The pattern 22 is created from wefts of the hair 20 using sewing methods well known in the art of making hairpieces. The border 24 also provides a stable surface where the loops 15A, 15B, 16A, 16B and 18 can be connected to the base 12. In other embodiments, the base 12 is made of synthetic polyester fabric, cotton fabric, or other types of fabric, and wefts of hair can be sewn across it. In another embodiment, the hair 20 can be directly hand-tied onto the base 12.

[0020] The loops 15A, 15B, 16A, 16B, and 18 are made of elastic string material. However, it is understood that the loops 15A, 15B, 16A, 16B and 18 can be made from other elastic materials without departing from the present invention. The loops 15A, 15B, 16A, 16B, and 18 are connected to the base 12 by stitching, but they may also be connected to the base 12 through alternative means, such as glue or other types of adhesive. The loops 15A, 15B, 16A, 16B are sized and shaped to fit around the individual teeth of a hair comb clip, as discussed below. In an embodiment, each loop of the first pair loops 15A, 15B is smaller in diameter than that of each loop in the second pair of loops 16A, 16B. In another embodiment, each of the first pair of loops 15A, 15B has a diameter that is identical to each of the diameters of the second pair of loops 16A, 16B, all being sized to fit around the individual teeth of a hair comb clip. In an embodiment, the bottom loop 18 is larger than the first and second pairs of loops 15A, 15B, 16A, 16B. The bottom loop 18 is sized to fit around the handles of a hair comb clip in a stretched state, as discussed below. Further, while the hairpiece 10 shown in FIG. 1 shows the first and second edges 13, 14 of the base 12 each having the loops 15A, 15B and the loops 16A, 16B connected thereto respectively, it is understood that the hairpiece 10 may have more or less than two loops connected to each edge 13, 14 of the base 12 without departing from the present invention (see, e.g., FIG. 5).

[0021] The hair 20 may include human hair, but it is understood that other types of hair, including synthetic hair, may be used with the present invention. Further, while the hair 20 flows upward and away from the bottom edge 17, it is noted that alternative embodiments of the present invention may have the hair 20 flowing in other directions relative to the base 12 and the bottom edge 17 without departing from the present invention.

[0022] FIG. 3 shows an example of a hair comb clip 30 with which the hairpiece 10 is used. The hair comb clip 30 is commonly found in the hair comb clip market and comprises two members 31 and 32, each having a handle 33, 34 and a plurality of teeth 35, 36 respectively. When the hair comb clip 30 is in a closed position, the teeth 35, 36 meet in an interlaced relationship. The hair comb clip 30 is placed in an open position by pressing the handles 33, 34 rotatably together, which pulls the teeth 35 away from the teeth 36. The hair comb clip 30 may then engage a user's hair by releasing the handles 33, 34, allowing the hair comb clip 30 to clamp down on a user's hair by returning to a closed position.

[0023] Reference is made to FIG. 4 to illustrate the method of attaching the hairpiece 10 to the hair comb clip 30. The hairpiece 10 is attached to the hair comb clip 30 by first placing the hair comb clip 30 in an open position and then wrapping the first pair of loops 15A, 15B over the top leading teeth of the teeth 35. Depending on the size of the hair comb clip 30, the loops 15A, 15B may respectively wrap around the first and second teeth 35A, 35B or the first and third teeth 35A, 35C of the teeth 35. With the hair comb clip 30 remaining in an open position, the loops 16A, 16B are then respectively wrapped around the first and second teeth 36A, 36B or the first and third teeth 36A, 36C of the teeth 36. The way the loops 16A, 16B wrap around the teeth 36 should mirror the way the loops 15A, 15B wrap around the teeth 35. Here, it is noted that in the embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the loops 16A, 16B are larger in diameter than the loops 15A, 15B in order to allow the loops 16A, 16B the ability to stretch around the teeth 36 while the hair comb clip 30 remains in an open position, as seen in FIG. 4. This allows for easy attachment and easy removal of the hairpiece 10 to and from the hair comb clip 30.

[0024] Still referring to FIG. 4, after the first and second pairs of loops 15A, 15B, 16A, 16B, are attached to the teeth 35, 36 respectively, the hair comb clip 30 is brought to a closed position. The bottom loop 18 is then wrapped around the handles 33, 34 of the hair comb clip 30 while the hair comb clip 30 is in a closed position. Doing so allows the base 12 of the hairpiece 10 to fit snugly against the hair comb clip 30. Once the above process has been completed, the hairpiece 10, in conjunction with the hair comb clip 30, is ready to use with a user's hair, and the user may style the hair 20 of the hairpiece 10 to her liking. To remove the hairpiece 10 from the hair comb clip 30, one must perform the reverse of the process stated above.

[0025] FIG. 5 shows a hairpiece 110 according to another embodiment of the present invention with no hair shown for clarity. The hairpiece 110 has a similar construction compared to the hairpiece 10 shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, with the exception that the base 112 of the hairpiece 110 has one first loop 115 connected to the first edge 113 and one second loop 116 connected to the second edge 114. The method of attaching the hairpiece 110 to the hair comb clip 30 shown in FIG. 3 is similar to that described above with regard to FIG. 4, except that only one loop on either of the edges 113, 114 of the hairpiece 110 can be wrapped around the top leading teeth of teeth 35, 36 of the hair comb clip 30 (i.e., the first loop 115 can be wrapped around any one of the first, second and third teeth 35A-C of the teeth 35, and the second loop 116 can be wrapped around the corresponding one of the first, second and third teeth 36A-C of the teeth 36).

[0026] Another embodiment of the present invention involves incorporating the hairpiece 10 shown in FIG. 2 directly into the user's hair without using the hair comb clip 30 shown in FIG. 3 (not shown). With the user positioning her hair in the shape of a pony tail, the user stretches the bottom loop 18 of the hairpiece 10 around the circumference of the user's pony tail to hold the pony tail in place (not shown). The user then tucks the first and second pairs of loops 15A, 15B, 16A, 16B around and under the user's pony tail, thereby concealing the first and second pairs of loops 15A, 15B, 16A, 16B from view (not shown). The user can secure the first and second pairs of loops 15A, 15B, 16A, 16B under the user's pony tail using a hairpin (not shown). As a result, the base 12 of the hairpiece 10 is wrapped around the user's hair, and the hair 20 of the hairpiece 10 may then flow in the same direction as the user's hair, giving the appearance that the hair 20 is a part of the user's own hair (not shown).

[0027] FIG. 6 shows another embodiment of the present invention, which involves utilizing flat hair combs 45, 46, 48 to incorporate the hairpiece 10 shown in FIG. 2 into the user's own hair. The hair combs 45, 46, 48 are commonly found in the hair comb market and are designed to give shape and visual appeal to the user's hairstyle. The hairpiece 10 is placed against the user's hair so that the hair 20 flows in the direction of the user's hair. Each of the first pair of loops 15A, 15B is wrapped around the outermost teeth 45A, 45B, respectively, of the comb 45, and each of the second pair of loops 16A, 16B is likewise wrapped around the outermost teeth 46A, 46B of the comb 46, respectively. The bottom loop 18 is wrapped around all but the outermost teeth 48A, 48B of the comb 48. The combs 45, 46, 48 are then placed into the user's own hair, and portions of the user's own hair are positioned to cover the base 12 of the hairpiece 10. It should be noted that while this embodiment only utilizes the three combs 45, 46, 48, the hairpiece 10 may be used with five small combs, one for each of the loops 15A, 15B, 16A, 16B, and 18. Furthermore, hairpins, bobby-pins, or other fastening means may be used in place of the combs 45, 46, 48 without departing from the present invention.

[0028] FIGS. 7 and 8 show a fourth embodiment of the present invention, which incorporates the hairpiece 10 with a baseball cap 50. As shown in FIG. 8, the baseball cap 50 is a standard baseball cap that is commonly found in the market and includes a rear opening 52 in the back of the baseball cap 50. As shown in FIG. 7, the baseball cap 50 is modified to include buttons 55A, 55B, 56A, 56B located proximate to the rear opening 52. The hair 20 is placed through the rear opening 52, and the first and second pairs of loops 15A, 15B, 16A, 16B are wrapped around the buttons 55A, 55B, 56A, 56B respectively. The bottom loop 18 may remain concealed under the baseball cap 50. The user may then wear the baseball cap 50 with the hairpiece 10 incorporated therein.

[0029] It will be understood that the embodiments described herein are merely exemplary and that a person skilled in the art may make many variations and modifications without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. All such variations and modifications are intended to be included within the scope of the invention.

Claims

1. A hairpiece, comprising: a flexible base having a border defining a first edge, a second edge opposite said first edge, a top edge intermediate said first edge and said second edge, and a bottom edge intermediate said first edge and said second edge and opposite said top edge, and a pattern of inter-connected wefts of hair, said border being attached to and surrounding a periphery of said pattern of inter-connected wefts of hair; at least one first side loop attached to said first edge of said base at said border, said at least one first side loop being made from an elastic string material and being sized and shaped to engage a first portion of a hair accessory; at least one second side loop attached to said second edge of said base at said border, said at least one second side loop being made from an elastic string material and being sized and shaped to engage a second portion of the hair accessory, said at least one second loop having a diameter larger than that of said at least one first loop; a bottom loop attached to said bottom edge of said base at said border, said bottom loop being made from an elastic string material and being sized and shaped to engage a third portion of the hair accessory, said bottom loop having a diameter larger than those of said at least one first loop and said at least one second loop; and a plurality of hair attached to and extending from said base.