Apparel – Head coverings
Reexamination Certificate
1999-09-08
2001-02-20
Mohanty, Bibhu (Department: 3741)
Apparel
Head coverings
C002SDIG001, C132S202000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06189151
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to an absorbent band for wrapping around the head, and more particularly relates to a reusable generally tubular, absorbent band which may be used to form an absorbent barrier below the hairline of the user to absorb excess caustic solutions applied to the hair of the user so as to protect the eyes, face and neck.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
In the cosmetology industry it is current practice when a person is receiving a hair permanent or having their hair dyed that prior to caustic solutions being applied to the hair, a length of cotton batting is wrapped around the hairline. This is to absorb excess caustic solution and thereby avoid solution running into the eyes or onto the face and neck of the person having their hair penned or dyed. This method unfortunately has several disadvantages. In particular, the cotton batting is non-reusable and thus the supply of cotton batting constantly has to be replaced. Further, once wetted, cotton batting is difficult to manipulate in that it readily disintegrates and does not retain moisture well so that if the wetted cotton batting is handled in order to, for example, reposition the cotton batting, quite often the solution absorbed in the cotton batting will be released. U.S. Pat. No. 5,133,371 which issued on Jul. 28, 1992 to Sivess for an Absorbent Beauty Coil provides a tubular cloth cover over cotton batting, the combination supplied as a roll from which lengths are cut for one-time use and disposal. The coil is wrapped around the hairline, over the ears of the user so as to keep the wrap in contact with the hair. This is disadvantageous as it interferes with the curlers and with treatment of the hair itself. Further, it may not, in applicant's view, be sufficiently tightenable around the head to hold the liquid and prevent dripping.
Applicant is also aware of prior art headband assemblies of the type such as that proposed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,388,708 which issued Jun. 18, 1968 to Hudson, in which a supporting gutter-like structure is provided to retain cotton batting around the hairline of the user. Another gutter-like structure for collecting excess hair solutions is proposed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,368,545, which issued on Jan. 18, 1983 to Seidman for a Face-Protecting Device. Seidman proposes to catch excess hair solution in a flexible gutter so that the solution may be drained off and discarded.
Applicant is aware of various other proposed means for absorbing excess hair solution such as taught by U.S. Pat. No. 3,050,071 which issued on Aug. 21, 1962 to Hall for a Hair Solution Absorber, U.S. Pat. No. 4,958,385 which issued on Sep. 25, 1990 to Rushton for a Hair Dressing Headband, and laid open Canadian Patent Application No. 2,108,345 filed by Nicholson on Oct. 13, 1993 for an Absorbent Head Wrap. These devices all seek to improve on the performance of the usual method of using cotton batting as described above, without the advantages of the present invention as hereinafter disclosed.
Applicant is also aware of U.S. Pat. No. 4,656,671, which issued Apr. 14, 1987 to Manges, for a Reusable Headband. Manges discloses a reusable headband for protecting the wearer from eye injury when using hair permanent solution. The headband is comprised of a strip of terry cloth which has been folded over a short central strip of elastic and sewed to the elastic strip while the elastic strip is stretched so that upon relaxation of the elastic strip an accordion pleat is formed longitudinally along the central portion of the headband. The ends of the band are provided with Velcro™ hook and loop fasteners. A drawback of the Manges headband is the relative complexity of manufacture and that the elastic strip sewn into the Manges headband may have little resistance to caustic hair permanent solutions and hair dyes which may considerably shorten the effective life span of the headband. Further, because the Manges headband relies on the resiliency of an elastic strip to tighten the headband on the head of a user, it may be that if the user has a small head that the resiliency of the elastic strip may be insufficient to form a proper seal around the hairline, or that the pleating of the material may wrinkle to such an extent that a proper seal around the hairline is not formed.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The invention consists of a tube of non-stretch washable and reusable material preferably of cotton or a cotton polyester blend which when laid flat is in approximately the shape of an elongated rectangle having tapered ends. The strip of material may be formed into an absorbent band for use as a headband to absorb caustic hair permanent solutions used in the hair permanent process and to absorb caustic hair dyes. The tubular band is formed by folding the rectangle of material over absorbent filler such as polyester fibre fill, commercially available in sheet form, and sewing the free edges together to form an intermediately disposed central tube portion adjacent opposed tapered end portions. The central portion may be separated from the end portions by a stitched line therebetween.
In summary, the present invention is a reusable headband for absorbing hair permanent and neutralizing solutions, and the method of making and using same.
The headband has an outer, substantially non-resilient, elongate, flexible sleeve. The sleeve is fluid permeable and comprises an elongate central portion sized to fit around a user's head in snug circumferential frictional engagement around the user's forehead and nape so as to extend therebetween. The central portion is disposed between opposite elongate end portions.
A volume of a wicking fibre fill, in one preferred embodiment but without intending to be limiting, polyester fibre batting is mounted into the central portion so as to completely fill the central portion. The fibre fill is resiliently compressed within the central portion thereby forming the volume into a dense resilient, porous cushion. The wicking fibres of the fibre fill register in fluid transporting communication with an inner surface of the central portion so as to wick fluid from the inner surface along the fibres. The wicking fibres are directed inwardly of the inner surface into the volume. The end portions of the sleeve are left substantially unfilled, that is, at least partially unfilled, so as to facilitate releasable fastening of the end portions to each other. Releasable fastening may include knotting or other forms of tying (collectively referred to as knotting), or mechanical fasteners such as hook and loop or other such releasable fastening means.
In one preferred embodiment, the fibre fill is formed from a sheet of fibre fill material rolled so as to form an elongate column or tube or the like, collectively referred to as a column. The column is mounted into the central portion of the sleeve so as to be longitudinally co-extensive with the central portion and, due to the rolling of the fibre fill sheet, so as to align fibres of the fibre fill into a generally spiral pattern, when viewed in cross-section laterally across the column. Thus, the fibres spiral radially inward from the inner surface of the central portion of the sleeve. This provides a simple effective method of directing the wicking fibres of the fibre fill into a radially inward disposed direction to transport fluid from the outer sleeve into the absorbent cushioning core of the headband.
Advantageously, the central portion of the sleeve, when filled with the fill, forms a tube.
In one aspect of the present invention, the end portions of the sleeve are segregated from the central portion by stitching. The end portions may be tapered, again, to facilitate knotting of the ends together.
In a second aspect, the sleeve is made of woven cotton/polyester blend fabric having a generally rectangular shape when laid open and flat. The rectangle of fabric is formed into the sleeve or tube by a stitched seam along opposite edges of the rectangle.
Also forming part of the present invention is a method of mounting to a user's head
Edwards Anthony C.
Mohanty Bibhu
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