Hair Device and Method of Use Thereof

The present invention relates to a hair styling device used to shape hair and more particularly, to a hair curling device for forming hair curls and a method of use thereof.

Generally, a variety of hair curling devices which may be heated by steam, by electricity, and by a combination of steam and electricity have been used for forming curls to straight strands of hair. More particularly, both professional hair stylists and individuals have used hair curling devices to alter the shape and configuration of straight hair to approximate the appearance of natural curls.

On the other hand, there are many hair curling devices available for the purpose of creating heatless spiral curls. However, the present disclosure recognizes the challenge in the ability to easily and effectively create hair curls. The majority of existing curl rods lack ease of use, hence time spent in the curling process is a significant disadvantage. As an example, some existing curl rods use a form of rubber straps extending from one end of the rod and is stretched over the wound hair strands to a fastening socket at the other end in order to hold the hair curl in place on the rod. This is not always easy to achieve unless one is a skilled hair dresser. The tip of hair curl tends to slip out from the securing rubber straps and ruin the curl formation process. A great number of devices require excess hair manipulation or pulling of hair curl when attempting to effectively secure the hair curl on the rod. Some hair textures may require excess re-moistening and/or chemical products in order to effectively hold looped curls in place and achieve the desired spiral curl. Clearly, there is a need and/or desire to provide a hair curling rod device and method of use thereof that is easier for customer to use,

In addition, the present disclosure recognizes the cumbersome nature or size of most existing curl rods and discomfort in wearing such large curling rods. As a result, there is clearly a need to provide a hair curling rod device that is less cumbersome and more comfortable to wear.

Furthermore, the present disclosure recognizes the dangers of using heated curling rods, especially when used by children. Accordingly, there is clearly a need to provide a curling rod device that is safe to use, especially with children, and does not require heat.

The present disclosure may be designed to address at least certain aspects of the above-mentioned problems or needs by providing a hair curling device for creating spiral curls for all hair textures, without the use of heat.

The embodiment and various other embodiments can now be better understood by turning to the following detailed description of the embodiments, which are presented as illustrated examples of the embodiment defined in the claims. It is expressly understood that the embodiment as defined by the claims may be broader than the illustrated embodiments described below. Many alterations and modifications may be made by those having ordinary skill in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the embodiments.

are top views of the first curleraccording to a first embodiment of the present disclosure.are perspective views of the first curleraccording to the first embodiment. The first curleris preferably made of fabrics that are stretchable, breathable, soft, and does not strip the hair products applied to hair, such as modal, satin, Tencel, rayon, and lyocell. As illustrated in, the first curlerhas the structure and shape of a long sock or long portable pocket and has length substantially greater than its width. Also, the first curlerof the first embodiment is substantially rectangular when laid flat but can be configured to be oval or have other shapes.

In the first embodiment illustrated in, the first curlerhas a first endand a second endopposite to the first end. In the first embodiment, the first endis has an openingand the second endis closed. A first fastenerattached thereon to regulate the size of the openingAs illustrated in, the first fastenerof the first embodiment is a cord fastener that includes a cord lockand a drawstringcoupled with the cord lockand sewn inside the first endof the hair curler. A user can greatly reduce the size of the openingby first releasing the cord lockand then pulling the drawstringThe user can then maintain the reduced openingby releasing the cord lockand the drawstringpreviously pulled. Further, the second endof the present is closed so that the first curlerhas the structure of a sock or portable pocket. However, in different embodiments, the second endcan also have an opening similar to the openingof the first end.

As illustrated in, the first curlerincludes a first portionand a second portionThe openingallows a user to flip the first portioninside out and move the first endtoward the second endin order for the first portionto enclose at least part of the second portionThis allows the first portionto also enclose whatever attached to the second portion(such as hair wrapped around the first portion).

are top views of a first curlerand a second curleraccording to the first embodiment and having different length. For instance, the length of the first curleris approximately 10 inches and the length of the second curleris approximately 16 inches. The two curlers,of the present disclosure can also be configured to have different length and width to accommodate users of different hair length and hair volume.

is another top view of the first curler, the second curler, and a third curler. The third curlerfurther includes two second fastenersdisposed at the second endand two second fasteners(not illustrated) disposed on the inner surface of the third curlerat the first end. Thus, the first endcan be flipped over to reveal the second fastenerson its inner surface for a user to couple the second fastenersand the two opposite ends,together.

illustrate steps of using the first curlerof the first embodiment to create and maintain lasting hair curls.illustrates the step of applying hair mousse or hair foam to the user's hairto give the hairsome hold and definition to strands, as well as protect and tame the hair. The hair mousse also helps keeps frizz in check and help make the later formed hair curls bouncier.

illustrates the step of attaching the first curlerto the user's hair. The user uses a clipto couple the second endof the first curlerwith hairnear the user's scalp. In the present disclosure, the clipis a simple clip used attach the first curlerto the user's hair. In different embodiments, the clipincludes crocodile clip, hair claw clip, bobby clip, round clip, or other conventional clip that can be used to removably and securely couple the first curlerto the user's hair.

illustrate the step of forming hair curlson the first curler. As illustrated, the user wraps strands of her hairin a substantially helical shape so as to form a wave or a curl around the first curler. More specifically, the user wraps his/her hair around the second portion(illustrated in) while the clipsecurely couple the second endwith the user's hair. Please note that no hair curlsare formed on the first portion(illustrated in) which will later be flipped over and then enclose the second portionand the hair curls thereon.

illustrates the step of enclosing the second portionand the hair curlsthereon with the first portionof the same first curler. At first, the opening(illustrated in) of the first curlerfaces away from the second end. As illustrated in, the user starts by flipping the first portionover inside out to invert the first portionwherein the above-mentioned openingnow faces the second end. In, the user moves the first portiontoward the second endand in the process encloses the second portionand the hair curlsthereon. Once the first portionencloses the second portionand the hair curlsthereon, the user can then hold the first portionwith one hand and remove the clipwith another hand as illustrated in.

illustrates the step of securing the position of the first portionin order to keep the hair curlswrapped around the second portionIn, the user removes the clipfrom the user's hair with one hand and hold the first portionin position with another. Once the clipis remove, the user can selectively tuck the second endinside the first portionAs illustrated in, the user can then release the cord lock(illustrated in) and pull the drawstring(also illustrated in) to reduce the diameter of the opening(illustrated in). The user can then release the cord lockto keep the openingat a reduced diameter which is preferably smaller than those of the hair curls inside the first portionNow, the cord lockcan maintain the openingat a fixed size and prevents the second portionfrom coming loose and return to its original position illustrated in. In different embodiment, the user can attach the clip(illustrated in) to the second endto close openingto ensure that the second portionwill not come loose and return to its original position illustrated in.

is a flow chart of the method of curling hair according to a second embodiment of the present disclosure. The method includes stepof providing a hair curler for a user to wrap his/her hair around the hair curler. The first curler is preferably made of fabrics that are stretchable, breathable, soft, and does not strip the hair products applied to hair, such as modal, satin, Tencel, rayon, and lyocell. The first curler preferably has the structure and shape of a long sock or long portable pocket and has length substantially greater than its width. Also, the first curler of the first embodiment can be substantially rectangular when laid flat but can be configured to be oval or have other shapes.

In one embodiment of the method, the hair curler includes the one illustrated in. The hair curler has a first end and a second end opposite to each other. The first end has an opening and the second end is preferably closed. The hair curler further includes a first fastener attached thereon to regulate the size of the openingThe first fastener in one embodiment is a cord fastener that can be used to regulate the size of the opening on the first end. Further, the second end of the present is preferably closed so that the hair curler has the structure of a sock or portable pocket. However, in different embodiments, the second end can also have an opening similar to the opening of the first end.

The method further includes stepof wrapping the user's hair around the hair curler. In the present embodiment, the hair curler includes a first portion and a second portion. The user wraps strands of his/her hair in a substantially helical shape so as to form a wave or a curl around the hair curler. More specifically, the user wraps his/her hair around the second portion(illustrated inand discussed above) while a clip securely couple the second end of the hair curler with the user's hair. Please note that no hair curls are formed on the first portion (illustrated in) which will later be flipped over and then enclose the second portionand the hair curls thereon.

The method further includes stepof inverting the first portion of the hair curler to encompass the second portion and the hair curls thereon. Please refer tofor illustration. At first, the opening (illustrated in) of the hair curler faces away from the second end. As illustrated in, the user starts by flipping the first portion over inside out to invert the first portion, wherein the above-mentioned opening now faces the second end. As illustrated in, the user moves the first portion toward the second end and in the process encloses the second portion and the hair curls thereon. Once the first portion encloses the second portion and the hair curls thereon, the user can then hold the first portion with one hand and remove the clip with another hand as illustrated in.

The method further includes stepof securing the position of the first portion to keep encompassing the second portion and the hair curls thereon. Please refer tofor illustration. In, the user removes the clip from the user's hair with one hand and hold the first portion in position with another. Once the clip is remove, the user can selectively tuck the second end inside the first portion. As illustrated in, the user can then release the cord lock (illustrated in) and pull the drawstring (also illustrated in) to reduce the diameter of the opening (illustrated in). The user can then release the cord lock to keep the opening at a reduced diameter which is preferably smaller than those of the hair curls inside the first portionNow, the cord lock will maintain the opening at a fixed size and prevents the second portion from coming loose and return to its original position. In different embodiment, the user can then attach the clip (illustrated in) to the second end to close opening to ensure that the second portion will not come loose and return to its original position illustrated in.

Last but not least, the method includes stepof leaving the hair encompassed in the second portion for a desired period of time. The user should keep the hair curls on the second portion for a sufficient period of time (preferably an overnight period) to allow the hair curls to maintain its curled form upon release of the first fastener.

As illustrated in, the method can further include a step of applying hair product (such as hair mousse or hair foam) to the user's hair before wrapped around the hair curl. The hair product applied to the hair gives the hair some hold and definition to strands, as well as protect and tame the hair. The hair product can also help keeping frizz in check and help make the later formed hair curls bouncier.

The foregoing descriptions of specific implementations have been presented for purposes of illustration and description. They are not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise forms disclosed, and modifications and variations are possible in view of the above teaching. The exemplary implementations were chosen and described to best explain the principles of the invention and its practical application, to thereby enable others skilled in the art to best utilize the invention and its implementations with modifications as suited to the use contemplated.

It is therefore submitted that the invention has been shown and described in the most practical and exemplary implementations. It should be recognized that departures may be made which fall within the scope of the invention. With respect to the description provided herein, it is submitted that the optimal features of the invention include variations in size, materials, shape, form, function, manner of operation, assembly, and use. All structures, functions, and relationships equivalent or essentially equivalent to those disclosed are intended to be encompassed by the invention.