Field of the invention

The invention relates to dyeing hair. In particular, the invention relates to a dyeing device for dyeing hair, the device comprising a delivery means for transferring dyeing agent to an individual hair, the delivery means being in association with an elongated handle and comprising a dyeing space arranged to a container-like holder with a slot for receiving the individual hair crosswise to the longitudinal direction of the hair for the purpose of guiding the hair into the dyeing space that is arranged to surround the individual hair for applying dyeing agent essentially to the entire circumference of the hair.

The greying of hair is problematic for some people. This especially applies to people whose black or very dark hair starts to go grey. In black hair, greying is easy to see, especially if the greying is uneven. To some extent, it is possible to avoid the problems related greying hair by dyeing the hair. Howev- er, dyeing hair is rather arduous and the end result easily shows that the hair has been dyed - especially, if people know (as often is the case) what colour the hair was before dyeing. Thus, the end result does not correspond to the natural hair colour of the person.

The greying of hair is a rather slow process. Very often, greying starts in such a manner that a person notices a single grey hair (a single grey hair filament) with a colour that differs greatly from the colour of rest of the hair. This one single grey hair stands out blatantly from the surrounding black or dark hair, which is why it is typically also a bothersome visible reminder of ageing. The cutting off or plucking of such a grey hair is clearly not a solution with- out problems. Over time, more grey hairs emerge.

Repeated dyeing of hair is an expensive solution to the above- mentioned problem, and does not generally produce a natural result that would sufficiently correspond to the natural colour of the hair before greying.

Patent publication US 2003007825 A1 discloses a dyeing device of the above-mentioned type. With the device, highlights can be dyed in hair by dyeing a group of hairs at a time, whereby coloured zones are produced in the hair. A drawback of this known device is that it does not allow dyeing hair to their root ends. In particular, the device does not allow the dyeing of an individual hair, i.e. one hair filament, so that the colour would cover it to the root end. This is a major deficiency, because hair grows from the root, which means that especially the root end requires dyeing, if the grey or otherwise un- desired colour of the hair is to be covered. In addition, the use of this known device is not easy, because moving it along the hairs requires concentration and skill; otherwise the device easily slips away from the hairs being dyed.

Brief description of the invention

The purpose of the present invention is to provide a dyeing device for use in dyeing hair, which device eliminates the above-mentioned problems related to the prior art by providing an easy-to-use dyeing device, with which individual hairs can be dyed one hair, i.e. one hair filament, at a time in such a manner that even the root ends are dyed and without dyeing adjacent hairs. Even though the colour of an individual hair differed to some extent from the colour of the surrounding hair after dyeing, it goes unnoticed, because an individual hair having colour close to that of the surrounding hair is nearly impossible or at least extremely difficult to distinguish.

The object of the invention is achieved with a dyeing device that is characterised in that a slot formed in its container-like holder leads to a guide means that is in the form of a passage way and positioned in the dyeing space for receiving and guiding an individual hair in the dyeing space and for guiding the dyeing device along the longitudinal direction of the individual hair, and in that the bottom part of the container-like holder tapers downward. The holder tapers downward as seen in the guiding direction provided by the passage way to the hair.

The passage way in the dyeing space acts as a channel and guide means for guiding an individual hair in the dyeing space. Correspondingly, the dyeing device is easy to guide along an individual hair in its longitudinal direc- tion.

Because the slot formed in the container-like holder is narrow, an individual hair can be brought to the dyeing space without dyeing agent leaking outside the holder from the slot. If the holder is made of flexible material, such as silicone, the slot may be closed to only open locally when an individual hair is positioned therein. This type of slot also does not leak dyeing agent.

Owing to the fact that the bottom part of the container-like holder tapers downward and since the holder is also small, the holder can be set against the root end of a hair so that it, too, is dyed. The container-like holder is preferably conical, whereby the bottom end of the cone can be easily set against the scalp, i.e. to the fastening point of the hair in the scalp. The elongated handle preferably has a dyeing agent container for dyeing agent, and a channel leads from the dyeing agent container to the dyeing space, the volume of the space being smaller than that of the container. This type of dyeing device allows for a very small delivery means that is still able to receive a sufficient amount of dyeing agent to dye several individual hairs without needing to pour dyeing agent in it several times from the outside. In addition, this type of dyeing device is easy to carry along.

Preferred embodiments of the invention are disclosed in the dependent claims.

The greatest advantages of the dyeing device of the invention are that the device permits the dyeing of an individual hair, i.e. one hair filament, differing in tone from the other hair filaments to its root end without needing to dye the entire head of hair or larger hair areas containing several hairs. With the device, it is possible to dye one single hair (one single hair filament) to its root end without dyeing other hairs - or without dyeing them at least to a significant extent that would prevent a good result. The dyeing device of the invention permits, in particular, the treatment of dark hair that contains individual grey hairs to make it look like there never were any grey hairs. In dyeing an individual hair, the colour of the entire head of hair does not change, but remains as it was before the individual hair was dyed. The dyeing device is easy to use. The dyeing device also permits the dyeing of only part of an individual hair, typically the root end, the colour of which may due to hair growth differ from the earlier dyed colour of the hair.

Brief description of the figures

The invention will now be described in greater detail by means of two embodiments and with reference to the attached drawing, in which

Figure 1 is a side view of a first embodiment of the dyeing device, Figure 2 is a front view of the dyeing device shown in Figure 1 , Figure 3 is a top view of the dyeing device of Figure 1 ,

Figure 4 is an enlarged view of the tip of the dyeing device shown in

Figure 1 ,

Figure 5 shows a section along line V-V of Figure 4,

Figure 6 shows a section along line VI-VI of Figure 4, and

Figure 7 is a side view of a second embodiment of the dyeing de- vice. Detailed description of the invention

Figures 1 to 3 show a dyeing device for dyeing an individual hair (one hair filament). The dyeing device comprises an elongated handle 1 1 for holding the device in the same manner as holding a tooth brush. The handle 1 1 provides the dyeing device its elongated and pen-like shape, which is highly recommended for ease of use. The length of the handle 1 1 is 100 to 150 mm and its diameter is 10 to 20 mm, for example. The dimensions of the handle 1 1 may differ from the presented values, which are considered recommendable values. Inside the handle 1 1 , there is a dyeing agent container 1 . Reference number 3 indicates the dyeing agent inside the dyeing agent container 1 . Because the size of the dyeing agent container 1 essentially corresponds to that of the handle 1 1 , it can be said that the dyeing agent container 1 is formed into a handle 1 1 .

At the tip of the dyeing agent container 1 , there is a delivery means 2, from which dyeing agent is transferred to an individual hair (in Figure 5, the hair is marked with reference number 7). A channel (see channel 4 in Figure 4) leads from the dyeing agent container 1 for the purpose of conveying dyeing agent 3 to the delivery means 2. The viscosity of the dyeing agent 3 is relatively high, i.e. the dyeing agent is rigid and syrupy. To transfer the dyeing agent 3 from the dyeing agent container 1 to the delivery means 2, the dyeing agent container 1 comprises a piston 13 that is arranged to press the dyeing agent 3 toward the channel 4, when the piston 13 moves toward a nose 12 of the handle 1 1 . The piston 13 can be made to move toward the nose 12 by turning a turning wheel 14 at the end of the handle part 1 1 . A threaded axle 15 fastened to the turning wheel 14 and shown by a dashed line cooperates with a threaded hole in the centre of the piston 13, whereby - when the turning of the piston in the dyeing agent container 1 is prevented - the piston 13 moves along the axle 15 when the axle is turned with the turning wheel 14. Because the arrangement, by which the piston 13 can be made irrotational inside the dyeing agent container 1 , is easily designed by a person skilled in the art, it is not described in more detail herein. In this context, however, we note briefly that one solution, with which the piston 13 can be made irrotational, is to arrange the piston to be movable guided by a tongue-and-groove arrangement (not shown); for instance, the groove may be on the inner surface of the container 1 , in which case the tongue is on the outer surface of the piston 13 - or vice versa. It is also possible to implement the transfer of the dyeing agent 3 from the dyeing agent container 1 to the channel 4 by means of a flexible or elastic dyeing agent container, which means that the dyeing agent moves into the channel 4, when the dyeing agent container is pressed. In the latter case, no piston-axle-turning wheel arrangement is necessary.

An individual hair is dyed in the dyeing space 8 of the delivery means 2 (see dyeing space 8 in Figures 4 and 5). The dyeing space 8 is arranged to the container-like holder 9 that has a slot 10 on its side for receiving an individual hair (see hair 7 in Figure 5) crosswise to the longitudinal direction of the hair. Through the slot 10 on the side of the holder, the individual hair can be brought to the dyeing space 8 of the delivery means 2. The holder 9 can be called container-like, because it delimits and contains the dyeing agent.

Figure 1 shows by a dashed line a closing means marked with reference number 16. The purpose of the closing means 16 is to tightly close the end of the dyeing device. The closing means 16 delays the drying of the dye- ing agent in the delivery means 2, thus reducing the need to clean the delivery means 2.

The size of the container-like holder 9 and delivery means 2 is small in view of the size of the handle 1 1 . This is important so that the holder 9 and the delivery means 2 can be set in place in the hair in such a manner that it surrounds only one hair. The volume within the outer dimensions of the holder 9 is 0.1 to 1 ml, for example, and the volume of the dyeing agent container 1 in the handle 1 1 is 10 to 100 ml, for example. The volume of the dyeing space 8 in the holder 9 is many times, 10 to 10Ofold, for instance, smaller than the volume of the dyeing agent container 1 . The shape of the holder 9 defines the shape of the delivery means 2. Setting the delivery means 2 around the hair in such a manner that the delivery means can be positioned at the root end of the hair is facilitated by the fact that the holder 9 is conical in shape and tapers downward, and also by the fact that the handle 1 1 connects to the holder 9 and delivery means 2 through an elongated nose 12, as shown in the embod- iment of Figures 1 to 3. When the holder 9 is shaped to taper downward, the bottom part of the holder tapers downward, as can be seen in Figures 1 , 5, 6, and 7. The height of the holder 9 may preferably be 5 to 10 mm. The diameter of the top end of the holder 9 may be 5 mm and the diameter of its bottom end may be 2 to 3 mm, for instance.

In Figures 4 to 6, the tip of the dyeing device with its delivery means

2 is shown enlarged and in detail. Figure 4 shows the channel 4 that leads from the dyeing agent container 1 to the dyeing space 8. The diameter of the channel 4 is approximately 2 mm, for example, but may also be larger or smaller. The main thing is that the diameter is sufficiently large for dyeing agent to flow in the channel 4. The channel 4 is arranged to feed dyeing agent to an element 5 made of flexible material and arranged inside the container-like holder 9. The element 5 may be glued to the holder 9. The element 5 made of flexible material is preferably a sponge. A sponge is capable of absorbing quite a lot of dyeing agent in relation to its volume. The sponge is for receiving dyeing agent and also for con- taining dyeing agent. Because the surface of a sponge is porous, dyeing agent easily attaches to it. The element 5 made of flexible material may surround the hair 7 in such a manner that, at the top end of the dyeing space 8, the hair is completely surrounded by the dyeing agent 3a, whereby the element 5 made of flexible material does not touch the hair at the top end of the dyeing space 8; see Figure 5. The element 5 made of flexible material tapers toward the bottom end so that it preferably lightly presses the hair at the bottom of the holder 9.

In Figure 4, the tip of the dyeing device according to Figure 3 is seen as an enlarged top view. Figure 5 shows a section along section line V-V of Figure 4, and Figure 6 shows a section along section line VI-VI of Figure 4. Figures 4 and 5 show that the element 5 made of flexible material has an upward enlarging slot 6 for guiding a hair crosswise to the longitudinal direction of the hair 7 into a passage 17 at the bottom end of the dyeing space 8, which as shown in Figures 4 and 5 is preferably in the centre of the holder 9 close to the bottom of the holder. The passage 17 can be said to form part of the dyeing space 8, which is mainly above the passage, however. After the hair is arranged in the passage 17, it is guided in and by the passage as the delivery means 2 is moved in the longitudinal direction of the hair. The hair 7 is dyed in the dyeing space 8 as the delivery means 2 is moved in the longitudinal direc- tion of the hair. The diameter of the passage 17 is approximately 1 mm, but may be larger than this, if the dyeing agent is rigid. The diameter of the passage 17 may be small, such as 0.5 mm, if a very fluid (thin) dyeing agent is used. The diameter of the bottom end of the holder 9 may then be approximately 1 mm - in the range of 0.5 to 1 .5 mm, for instance. Owing to the fact that the element 5 is made of flexible material, the slot 6 may preferably be formed to be very narrow and even closable close to the bottom of the holder 9 so that dyeing agent cannot escape through it, even though a more fluid (thinner) than usual dyeing agent was used. The hair is preferably slightly pressed in said slot 6. However, the primary objective of the slot 6 is to permit the entry of an individual hair into the passage 17 of the dyeing device and to guide the hair into the passage. When the passage 17 is centrally in the holder 9, which is recommended, the slot 6 ends in the centre of the holder 9, and the closed end of the slot 6 is in the centre of the holder 9; see Figure 4. Once a hair is positioned in the passage 17, it is easy to keep there, when the delivery means 2 is moved in the longitudinal direction of the hair. The hair can exit the pas- sage 17 (and holder) through the slot 6 only when it is transferred in the direction toward the slot 10 of the holder 9.

The holder 9 may be rigid or flexible. If the holder 9 is rigid, it is preferably made of plastic, in which case it preferably contains an element 5 made of flexible material. If the holder 9 is flexible, it is preferably made of rub- ber or rubber-like material, most preferably silicone rubber, and the element 5 made of flexible material is not necessary. The slot 10 of the flexible holder 9 may be in the form of a cut and closed in order to open only locally, when an individual hair is placed in it to bring the hair to the dyeing space 8 and passage 17. If there is no element 5 made of flexible material, the flexible holder 9 needs to have a bottom and a slot in the bottom (corresponding to the above- mentioned slot 6), whereby leakage of dyeing agent from the holder is prevented. The slot formed in the bottom of the holder 9, which is an extension to the slot 10 on the side of the holder 9, i.e. on the conical surface, guides (like slot 6) the hair to the dyeing space 8 and on to the passage 17. The slot formed in the bottom of the flexible holder 9 may preferably be normally closed, thus forming a cut that opens locally at the hair, when the hair is moved in the slot. This type of slot does not leak dyeing agent, even when the dyeing agent is very fluid.

Figure 4 shows that inclined guide surfaces 10a, 10b are connected to the slot 10 formed in the holder 9 to facilitate guiding the hair into the slot 10. The inclined guide surfaces 10a, 10b that may also be called bevelled, are highly recommended, because they facilitate the guidance of the hair into the slot 10.

In Figure 4, reference number 20 indicates a valve device close to the tip of the dyeing device, the valve device being arranged in its open position to permit the passage of dyeing agent 3 from the dyeing agent container 1 to the channel 4 and dyeing space 8. The valve device 20 comprises a circular valve plate 20b that may be turned in relation to a valve plate 20a so that a passage 21 b in the valve plate 20b aligns with a passage 21 a in the valve plate 20a, whereby the valve device 20 is in the open position shown in Figure 4. When the valve plate 20b is turned in relation to the valve plate 20a in such a manner that the passage 21 b is no longer aligned with the passage 21 a and the passage 21 b is sufficiently far away from the passage 21 a, the valve device is in its closed position, whereby no dyeing agent can flow through the valve device 20 or from the dyeing agent container 1 to the dyeing space 8. The valve device 20 is sealed against the inner surface of the dyeing agent container 1 by means of a ring-shaped seal 22.

To fill the dyeing agent container 1 with dyeing agent, the container can be opened by twisting off the tip part of the container. For this, the frame and tip of the dyeing agent container 1 have complementary threads (not shown in the drawing) that may be at or beside (immediately on their right) the valve plates 20a, 20b, for instance.

The delivery means 2 can be detached from the handle 1 1 , which facilitates its cleaning. The delivery means 2 is fastened by threads 18 to the elongated nose 12.

The dyeing device of Figures 1 to 6 is used by placing the hair to be dyed in the container-like holder 9 so that it settles in the passage 17 in the delivery device 2. The dyeing device is moved to the root end of the hair to be dyed. When the dyeing device is moved (pulled) along the hair being dyed toward the end of the hair in the direction of arrow A in Figure 5, the hair is dyed with the dyeing agent that is in the dyeing space 8 of the delivery device 2.

Figure 7 shows an alternative implementation of the invention to that of Figure 1 . The dyeing device of Figure 7 differs from that of Figure 1 in that the handle 1 1 ' does not contain a dyeing agent container and, which naturally means that there is also no channel from the handle 1 1 ' to the delivery device. The dyeing device of Figure 7 is simpler than that of Figure 1 . Its delivery device 2' is easiest filled with dyeing agent by pouring it through the top of the container-like holder 9'.

In the above, the invention is only described by means of an example, which is why it is noted that the details of the invention may be implement- ed in many ways within the scope of the attached claims. Thus, the shape of the holder (9, 9'), for example, may differ from what is shown in the figures, and the delivery device (2, 2') need not comprise a container-like holder (9, 9'), even though this is very much recommended for the practical operation of the dyeing device. The dyeing device does not necessarily need a nose (12, 12'), even though is it very much recommended, because it facilitates positioning the dyeing device around the hair and on its root end.