Toilet – Hair device – Hair fastener
Reexamination Certificate
2001-08-27
2003-07-15
Wilson, John J. (Department: 3732)
Toilet
Hair device
Hair fastener
C132S278000, C132S279000, C132S276000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06591843
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a hair clip for use in keeping the hair in place during hairstyling. More particularly, the invention relates to clips which serve to shape and keep locks of hair in high or flat curls when carrying out hair setting or permanent-waving operations.
DESCRIPTION OF THE RELATED ART
During hair setting, and most particularly during the treatment known as permanent-waving, the hairstylist uses different means to roll up the hair and keep it in a rolled-up position during the treatment.
After the treatment, the accessories used are, of course, removed and the hair is left with waves or curls that are more or less long-lasting depending on the position in which it was set during the treatment and depending on the fixing techniques which were used.
Originally, rollers or curlers were used to set the rolled-up shape during the treatment.
However, this arrangement of a fairly large number of curlers or rollers is generally not desired due to the bulkiness and weight of the rollers or curlers, even if they are made of a light material, such as synthetic materials.
Furthermore, the use of these curlers or rollers entails a series of drawbacks, such as, in addition to the bulk and weight, an unsightly effect of alignment of the successive curls, a limited diameter of the curls set by the diameter of the curlers, and hair tension which may cause deterioration as a result of the hair being rolled up tightly on the curler during the treatment.
To overcome these drawbacks, and in particular to achieve a “bouffant” structure of the hair without an alignment effect and without the treatment causing tight curling of the hair, it has been suggested to use clips which allow the hair to be prepared for treatment with greater freedom, in particular as regards the arrangement of the rolled-up locks, both to avoid the alignment effect and to avoid very tight rolling-up.
By using clips of this type, the hairstylist forms a series of curls by rolling up locks of hair, either according to a fixed diameter or by selecting a variable diameter, but, preferably, avoiding alignments that are made virtually inevitable by the technique with curlers or rollers.
The hair clips thus allow it to fix the rolling of a lock of hair in a well-defined position chosen by the hairstylist, in contrast with curlers and rollers. Fixing with clips allows finer locks to be taken with a variable rolling diameter, an individual direction and virtually non-existent lines of separation, while at the same time avoiding excessive tension on the hair.
In practice, however, despite the intrinsic advantages of fixing clips when compared with curlers and rollers, the technique of rolling up the lock with the clip, prior to fixing, is very complicated and requires a dexterity which many stylists do not have or, at any rate, requires a relatively long time in order to obtain aesthetically satisfactory effects.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The invention aims to simplify the rolling-up prior to fixing the locks of hair, by using clips that have been improved compared with conventional clips, and the invention thus also aims to simplify hairstyling techniques based on the use of the described clips.
SUMMARY OF THE STATE OF THE ART
The various forms of conventionally known hairstyling clips are in the form of a device with two arms, defined herein as blades, articulated relative to a transverse articulation axle. The arms are arranged so that two parts of each arm can be separated from each other or brought together in a position of substantially total contact. The arms are brought together or separated by using the two parts of the arm as levers.
Clips of this type are disclosed in particular in the following documents: GB Patent Application No. 793, 909; FR Patent Application No. 1,489,446; FR Patent Application No. 1,317,575; GB Patent Application No. 1,013,720; U.S. Pat. No. 3,250,282; and U.S. Pat. No. 2,133,145, incorporated herein by reference.
These documents disclose specific forms for the constituent components of the clips which may be considered according to the present invention, without, however, the invention being limited to the specific practical details disclosed in these documents.
Document FR-770 805 discloses a clip whose “jaws” do not correspond to the specific shape considered by the present invention, but which provides an advantageous technical solution as regards the design of the spring.
The articulation of the arms on the transverse axle is conventionally achieved by various elastic means such as a spring consisting of a helical elastic metal wire, wound around the transverse articulation axle, a first end of the metal wire extending radially from the axle and coming to bear under the first opening lever and the second end of the metal wire extending radially from the axle and coming to bear under the second opening lever.
Document EP 0 516 564 A1 discloses a clip of the same type as that in the preceding document, with another type of spring.
Other means such as springs consisting of a U-shaped elastic blade whose arms come to bear under the opening levers to separate them from each other are possible.
Elastic means in the form of an open metal ring whose cross section is round or flat etc. are also known.
The function of the spring conventionally is to keep the opening levers apart so that the blades constituting the other end of the articulated arm are brought into contact so as to grip the hair.
Many specific forms of blades have been suggested, such as pointed blades, blades consisting of two-pronged or three-pronged forks, with or without insertion of cross braces, blades having teeth on their edges, etc.
The use of these clips involves the hairstylist forming curls by rolling a lock of hair into a curl, optionally with a twist, and then keeping the curl of hair rolled up using the clip.
A first risk in the course of this operation is that of “biting” the end of the hair. In any case, this operation is relatively intricate since it involves manually forming the curls by manipulating the hair lock by lock in order then to hold it in curls in the desired position using the clip.
Finally, some hair clips whose function is purely decorative and which are not intended for hair setting are known (U.S. Pat. No. 4,976,277 and U.S. Pat. No. 3,183,915).
According to the present invention, a hair clip for hairstyling is proposed, characterized in that it is composed of at least three arms. The arms comprise a gripping part, defined herein as a blade. One end of the arm serves as a control lever for separating corresponding blades in pairs.
Various embodiments for the clip are possible.
Various embodiments for the said clip are possible. According to a first embodiment, a first (outer) arm is articulated relative to a second neighbouring arm on an axle which is different from the axle which provides the articulation of this second arm relative to the following third arm, and so on, if there are more than three arms. In other words, the articulation is carried out in pairs.
According to another embodiment, the various arms are articulated about a common axle.
One configuration based on a virtual axle and the deformability of a bridge linking the control levers in pairs is also possible.
In the various embodiments, one or more springs of different types may be considered, the function of which is to hold the blade of the first arm on the blade of the second arm and the blade of the second arm on the blade of the third arm, and so on, while, at the same time, allowing them to be separated by actuating the corresponding levers of the clip against the force of the spring.
In the case of a three-arm clip, a first and a second blade serve to fix the end of the lock of hair and allow the lock to be held while rolling it up, with or without a twist, to form a curl.
The curl thus formed may then be held in place between the second blade and the third blade.
In the case of a clip comprising more than three arms, the end of the lock may first be held as indicated above between the f
Doan Robyn Kieu
Knobbe Martens Olson & Bear LLP
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