Baths – closets – sinks – and spittoons – Hair washing machine or device or accessory – Body-portion rest
Reexamination Certificate
2000-03-15
2001-05-15
Phillips, Charles E. (Department: 3751)
Baths, closets, sinks, and spittoons
Hair washing machine or device or accessory
Body-portion rest
Reexamination Certificate
active
06230338
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
In barber shops and beauty shops, customers often have their hair washed, dyed, curled, and provided with hair permanents, etc. as they lean backward in a chair with their neck resting on the edge of a sink. Typically, such a sink is of a special design having an indentation in its rim for receiving and supporting the neck of the customer. However, a hard sink rim can get quite uncomfortable for the customer over the long term as it presses against the neck and the back of the head, and can set off migraine headaches in some.
By this invention a special pad is provided which greatly increases the comfort of the customer during treatment of the hair, while at the same time, the pad is very unlikely to slip out of its desired position in such an indentation of the sink rim.
DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
In particular, the invention of this application comprises a pad for a head and neck support, which comprises a flexible, resilient, flat member having first and second end portions and a central portion. The central portion is of less width than the first and second end portions.
Preferably, the pad comprises a viscous semi-solid polymer gel, which is surrounded and sealed by a flexible plastic outer wall. The pad of this invention also preferably defines concave, arcuate side edges adjacent to the central portion. Such side edges result in a central portion which is narrower than the two end portions, which causes the pad to be firmly retained without slippage within the indentation of the sink rim, with the respective first and second end portions extending from the rim, typically downwardly on the inside from the rim, and either downwardly or outwardly on the outside from the rim, with such outer end portion of the pad often lying over the top of a chair in which the patient rests.
It is also preferred for the central portion of the pad to be positioned asymmetrically on the pad, so that the second portion, extending outwardly from the sink rim, is larger than the first portion. The first inner pad end portion accordingly hangs downwardly on the inside of the sink wall under the rim, as a stabilizing feature, while the larger, second pad end portion can extend outwardly, to be in contact with the back of the neck and bottom of the head of the customer as she rests her neck on the rim of the sink. The viscous semi-solid polymer gel, coupled with a flexible plastic outer wall, provides a form fitting character to the pad, so that uncomfortable areas of high pressure against the neck and bottom of the head are significantly reduced, and the customer remains far more comfortable during a lengthy process of hair washing, hair dyeing, curling, straightening, or the like.
REFERENCES:
patent: 2948903 (1960-08-01), Gilmer
patent: 4649580 (1987-03-01), Bastien
patent: 4763364 (1988-08-01), Morgan
patent: 4864667 (1989-09-01), Adams
patent: 5377365 (1995-01-01), Hakim
patent: 5924145 (1999-07-01), Najar
patent: 5978980 (1999-11-01), Flora
Alter Irwin C.
Out of the Blue, Inc.
Phillips Charles E.
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