This invention relates to a hair treatment device and particularly to but not limited to a device for colouring, tinting and bleaching hair.

Hair colouring, tinting and bleaching are well known cosmetic treatments for hair. The treatment involves applying an appropriate chemical to areas of hair, those areas being isolated from the rest of the hair on the head in some way. Two methods of isolation are used widely: the cap method and the foil method.

The cap method consists of placing a rubber cap over the head and pulling strands of hair through holes in the cap. The strands of hair can then be treated by applying an appropriate chemical. The cap method, however, has several drawbacks. For example, the hair near the roots can not be treated leaving the hair roots the original hair colour. This phenomenon is sometimes considered cosmetically unacceptable. Also the hair can only be effectively treated with one chemical at each sitting not allowing any graduation of tint. Furthermore the top of the head is completely covered by the rubber cap causing the wearer to feel hot and uncomfortable during the treatment process. The pulling of the hair through the holes in the cap is also quite painful.

The foil method consists of wrapping strands of hair in foil coated on one side with the required chemical. Leaks are common, however, with the foil method resulting in areas of hair being treated incorrectly and possible exposure of the scalp to the chemicals used, e.g. hydrogen peroxide.

Treatment using foils does not achieve a "close-to- the-scalρ ⁿ effect leaving a large root area untreated. Furthermore the foils are not re-usable and the cost is therefore increased, usually causing additional expense to the Client.

The present invention is intended to reduce the problems involved with the cap or foil method.

According to the invention, there is provided a hair treatment device comprising an open-ended receptacle having an aperture therein, the aperture being spaced from the open end and being arranged such that hair can be draHn through the aperture into the receptacle for treatment.

Preferably the device includes a lid for closing the open end after hair has been drawn through the aperture. The use of the lid minimises the risk of spillage of treatment chemical from the receptacle. The lid may be located in the receptacle. Preferably

the lid grips the receptacle fractionally so that the lid remains securely in position on the receptacle. The lid may be secured by a strip or connecting piece to the receptacle.

In a preferred embodiment the receptacle has a base remote from the open end. In such a case the aperture is preferably formed in the base which helps to minimise the length of untreatable hair adjacent the roots.

The hair is preferably drawn substantially sealingly through the aperture. The aperture is preferably formed in a resilient part of the receptacle such that the resilience of that part causes an edge or edges of the aperture to seal substantially against adjacent strands of hair drawn through the aperture.

The receptacle may be elongate having one end of larger cross section than the other. For example the receptacle may be tapered such as generally cone- shaped. In a preferred embodiment the open end is at the larger cross section end and the aperture is at the opposite end. In that way the opposite and small end enables the aperture to be positioned very close to the scalp which greatly assists in treating hair close to the roots. Where the lid is provided it may have a frusto conical wall e.g. of complementary shape to the receptacle at its open end.

The aperture may be in the form of a slit. The aperture may be pre-formed during manufacture or may be formed initially by a tool for drawing hair into the receptacle.

A device in accordance with the invention will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the following drawings wherein:

Fig.1 is a vertical section through part of a device in accordance with the invention,

Fig.2 is a plan view of the device shown in Fig.1,

Fig.3 is a cross section through a lid for use with the device of Fig.1,

Fig.4 is a plan view of the lid shown in Fig.3,

Fig.5 is a vertical cross section similar to Fig.1 showing the device of Fig.1 with the lid in place,

Fig.6 is a view similar to Fig.5 in use on the head with hair shown inside the device being drawn through the hole by a hair pin,

Fig.7 is a view similar to Fig.6 showing the hair

inside the device being treated with the chemical by an applicator brush,

Fig.8 is a view similar to Fig.6 showing the hair inside the device with the open end sealed by the lid, and

Fig.9 is a perspective view shown partly broken away of a hair treatment device in accordance with the invention having an integral lid.

The hair treatment device basically comprises a pot indicated generally at 10 and a lid indicated generally at 12.

The pot 10 includes a substantially frusto conical, hollow body 14 which has an open larger diameter end 16 and a closed smaller diameter end 17 formed as a base 18 at the smaller diameter end. The base 18 has an aperture 20 disposed concentrically therein, the aforesaid aperture 20 being preformed. If desired, the aperture may be in the form of a slit such as a normally closed diametral slit 21 as shown in broken line instead of a circular hole as shown. The pot 10 is moulded in one piece from a resilient material such as rubber.

The lid 12 includes a body 22 which is, again,

substantially frusto conical and preferably of complementary shape to the open end region of the pot 10 around its outer periphery. The body 22 has a lift tab 24 situated adjacent an edge of the larger diameter end of the body 22. The lid body 22 is dimensioned to fit frictionally and sealingly within the open end 16 of the pot body 14 as shown in Fig.5. The lid 12 is preferably made from the same material as the pot 10.

In order to use the device, for instance to tint hair, strands of hair are sectioned into appropriately sized tresses 30. An elongate U-shaped pin 23 is then used to pick up a tress 30. With the tress positioned at the bottom of the pin indicated at 25, upper free ends of the pin are threaded through the aperture 20 drawing the tress of hair 30 into the pot 10 until the base 18 of the pot 10 sits on or very close to the head 34. If desired more than one tress 30 can be drawn through the aperture 20.

The resilience of the base 18 causes the edge of aperture 20 to form a substantial seal against the tress of hair 30. The length of untreatable hair is therefore minimised as the base 18 can be positioned close to the hair roots. When the areas of the head 34 concerned have sufficient pots 10 in place, then

the chemical is applied using, e.g., a brush 36 (see Fig.7) or sponge, to the tresses 30 in the pots 10 starting at the root area first, i.e. near the base 18 of the pot 10, and working outwards and upwards. As the head remains free and the scalp able to breathe throughout the process discomfort is greatly reduced.

Once the tress 30 in a pot 10 has been treated, with the chemical, the lid 12 is located in the pot 10 in order to reduce any likelihood of spillage of the chemical during processing as in Fig.8.

After the processing has been completed, the pots 10 are removed from the head 34 by gently drawing them away from the head. The hair is then styled as in the normal way.

If Fig.9, the pot 10 is shown with a lid 12a which is attached to the pot by an integral strip 40 which will prevent separation of the pot and lid.

As the treatment is more modular than the cap or foil method it is possible to "map out" a tint style or graduation of tint on the head using different coloured pots 10 to represent different shades of tint. Consequences of this ability to plan a style are reductions in application and processing times,

minimisation of errors and increased accuracy for regrowth tinting.

The resilient nature of the pots 10 means that they are suitable for use with any length or thickness of hair and as they are made from durable materials e.g., rubber, they are reusable. The pots can be made in various sizes and colours.