TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a hair band that carries either hair extensions or portions of a wig which is worn by a user. The hair band has hair-carrying strips and hair mounted on the hair- carrying strips.

PRIOR ART

Several different types of hair bands have been proposed in prior art systems. U.S. Patent Publication 2002/0100489 to Mannelli discloses a head band with natural hair having an elastic member which establishes a tension fit of the hair band about the head of the user. U.S. Patent Publication No. 2004/0129285 to Frazier discloses a hair extension attachment also with elastic bands. U.S. Patent Publication 2006/0174905 to Bias discloses a hair piece with a portion of the head band being elastic. U.S. Patent No. 4,599,749 to Childs discloses a cap which carries hair and having an elastic draw string which creates folds in the back of the cap and hair extending outboard beyond the folds. U.S. Patent No. 6,830,054 to Ross-Kuehn discloses a plurality of hair wefts which are attached to an elastic band which alternately is adopted to be worn on the head of a user. U.S. Patent No. 8,161 ,980 to Inoue discloses a hair piece with an elastic band portion connected to a foundation wherein the foundation carries a plurality of hairs.

U.S. Patent Publication No. 2003/01 16170 to Nicot discloses a foundation which is stretchable both laterally and longitudinally and carries a plurality of hairs. The Nicot patent disclosure also discusses a plurality of hair wefts which are mounted on the foundation. The Frazier '285 publication also discusses hair wefts. U.S. Patent No. 3,280,826 to Jenkins discloses hair wefts attached to an elongated foundation. DE 20 2005 010 845 U1 discloses a hairband element consisting primarily of double-sided adhesive tape which carries, throughout the entire rectangular hairband element, hairs which are substantially adhered in a parallel manner on the double-sided tape (the parallel hairs are perpendicular to the longitudinal span of the rectangular hair band element). The back side or rear of the hairband element, adapted to be positioned inboard near the user's head, initially includes a removable tape cover (which is removed by the user prior to attaching the hairband element and parallel falling hairs to the user's head). The cross-sectional composition of the hairband element includes a removable tape cover on the back side of the hairband element and an adhesive layer, which is associated with the double sided tape substrate and an opposing adhesive layer. Hairs are laid in a parallel on the outboard facing adhesive layer and a sealant is applied to the parallel hair layer. If human hair is utilized, the sealant is hygroscopic such that the sealant absorbs and releases water in a similar manner to human hair. The outermost or front face of the hairband element has a matte finish cover over the sealant.

WO 2009/098052 A1 discloses a hair band comprising a strip-shaped carrier structure and several hairs which extend from the carrier structure in a main direction running perpendicular to the direction of main extension of the carrier structure. Ends of the hairs fixed to the carrier structure are stitched through an elastic foil forming the outer layer of the carrier structure, and the ends are fixed to the carrier structure by gluing them to the back side of the foil only. At the back side of the foil, the hairs run in the main direction running perpendicular to the direction of main extension of the carrier structure.

OBJECT OF THE INVENTION

It is an object of the present invention to provide a hair band which, although having an increased lateral and longitudinal dimensions and having a high number of hairs mounted on its hair-carrying strips easily adapts to the contour of the head of its user.

SOLUTION

According to the present invention, the object of the invention is solved by the features of independent claim 1 .

Additional preferred embodiments according to the invention are defined in the dependent claims. DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The present invention provides a hair band which is extendable or stretchable both laterally (vertically) and longitudinally (lengthwise) and carries a plurality of hair-carrying strips mounted on an elongated stretchable foundation in a bricklayered pattern. Thus, the hair from the hair- carrying strips covers intermediate spaces between the bricklayered pattern of the hair-carrying strips on the foundation. Stated otherwise, longitudinally aligned, but spaced apart, hair-carrying strips define longitudinal gaps between adjacent longitudinal hair-carrying strips. The laterally upper longitudinal run of hair-carrying strips are transposed longitudinally away from the lower hair-carrying strip pattern such that an upper hair-carrying strip is laterally aligned with the lower longitudinal gap between the adjacent lower hair-carrying strips. The result is a bricklayered pattern of hair-carrying strips wherein upper hair-carrying strip pattern has hair which falls over the longitudinal gaps in the lower hair-carrying strip pattern. Coverage is provided by this bricklayered pattern of hair-carrying strips mounted on the foundation band. Additionally, the bricklayered hair-carrying strips move and stretch and wrinkle with the foundation band dependent upon the user's activity. The hair-carrying strips are mounted to the stretchable and preferably netted foundation in a bricklayer manner to facilitate the free movement of hair extensions depending from the hair band commensurate with the movement of the user's natural hair.

In one embodiment, the present invention comprises a filament which is attached via elastic members to the foundation which filament, elastic members, and foundation establish a tension fit on the head of the user, the elastic members and the foundation being stretchable.

Each hair-carrying strip may be a hair weft, on which looped over hairs are retained. More preferably, each hair-carrying strip is hair-carrying strip without looped hair ends which retains the hairs in a substantially flat and substantially parallel manner on a generally rectangular hairband strip.

In the hair-carrying strip without looped hair ends, all cuticular hair scales lay in the same direction to avoid cuticular scale interference between adjacent hairs.

The hair band according to the present invention, which is adapted to be worn on the head of a user, includes an elongated stretchable foundation which is both laterally and longitudinally expandable. A plurality of hair-carrying strips each carries a plurality of hairs. These hairs are adapted to fall beyond the head of the user when the hair band is in use. The hair-carrying strips are attached to the foundation in a bricklayered pattern which permits the hair-carrying strips to move both laterally and longitudinally when the foundation expands or contracts or wrinkles.

A filament may be attached to the foundation such that both the filament and the foundation extend about the head of the user when in use. At least one elastic member may be attached between the foundation and the filament. Typically, the filament is attached to the foundation band at both filament ends by an elastic element. When the hair band is worn by the user, the elastic and the foundation establishes a tension fit about the head of the user. Preferably, two elastic members are used, one at either end of said filament. Respective cloth tunnels on the foundation may cover portions of these elastic elements, particularly at the respective interfaces between the elastic members and the foundation. These tunnels or closed channels reduce irritation of the user's scalp. Even when not in a tension fit about the head of the user, the elastic members or elements may partially extend outboard of the tunnels. In this manner, the elastic ends are exposed.

The foundation has an upper edge and a lower edge and an intermediate segment. A first plurality of hair-carrying strips are mounted to the upper edge of the foundation in a first spaced apart pattern. A second plurality of hair-carrying strips are mounted to the foundation laterally (vertically) below the upper hair-carrying strips in a second spaced apart longitudinally aligned pattern on the intermediate segment of the foundation. A third plurality of hair-carrying strips are mounted to the lower edge of the foundation in a third spaced apart pattern. In this manner, respective intermediate spaces of the first, second and third spaced apart patterns are covered by hairs falling there over due to the brick layered pattern. In a preferred embodiment, about ten (10) longitudinal runs of hair-carrying strips are mounted on the stretchable foundation , each longitudinal run covering the lower longitudinal gaps of the lower longitudinal run of hair-carrying strips.

In the hair-carrying strips without looped hair ends or no-looped-hair (NLH) hairband strips, the hairs may be arranged or disposed in a substantially parallel manner on double sided tape (the tape substrate) and further adhered to the substrate by hygroscopic sealant. The hairs may be further embedded in a glass silk net layer with one or more applications of polyurethane. The sealant, the glass silk and the polyurethane layers over the hair forms a matrix about the hairs to adhere the hairs to the tape substrate. Human hair is typically 40 to 100 microns [μηη] thick (diameter) and glass silk fiber is about 5 to 10 microns [μηη] in diameter, therefore the considerably smaller sized glass silk fibers fall between the much larger hair and the sealant and polyurethane form an adhering matrix on the tape substrate. Particularly, each of the hair-carrying strips may be a hairband element according to DE 20 2005 010 845 U1 which is incorporated herein by reference.

Alternatively, each hair-carrying strip without looped hair ends or NLH hairband strip may be a hair band comprising a strip-shaped carrier structure and several hairs which extend from the carrier structure in a main direction running perpendicular to the direction of main extension of the carrier structure. Ends of the hairs fixed to the carrier structure may be stitched through an elastic foil forming the outer layer of the carrier structure, and the ends may be fixed to the carrier structure by gluing them to the back side of the foil only. At the back side of the foil, the hairs may run in the main direction running perpendicular to the direction of main extension of the carrier structure. Particularly, each of the hair-carrying strips may be a hair band according to WO 2009/098052 A1 incorporated by reference, and having one or more hairs stitched through each whole in the elastic foil forming the outer layer of the carrier structure.

Advantageous developments of the invention result from the claims, the description and the drawings. The advantages of features and of combinations of a plurality of features mentioned at the beginning of the description only serve as examples and may be used alternatively or cumulatively without the necessity of embodiments according to the invention having to obtain these advantages. Without changing the scope of protection as defined by the enclosed claims, the following applies with respect to the disclosure of the original application and the patent: further features may be taken from the drawings, in particular from the illustrated designs and the dimensions of a plurality of components with respect to one another as well as from their relative arrangement and their operative connection . The combination of features of d ifferent embodiments of the invention or of features of different claims independent of the chosen references of the claims is also possible, and it is motivated herewith. This also relates to features which are illustrated in separate drawings, or which are mentioned when describing them. These features may also be combined with features of different claims. Furthermore, it is possible that further embodiments of the invention do not have the features mentioned in the claims. The number of the features mentioned in the claims and in the description is to be understood to cover this exact number and a greater number than the mentioned number without having to explicitly use the adverb "at least". For example, if a filament is mentioned, this is to be understood such that there is exactly one filament or there are two filaments or more filaments. Additional features may be added to these features, or these features listed in the claims may be the only features of the respective product. The reference signs contained in the claims are not limiting the extent of the matter protected by the claims. Their sole function is to make the claims easier to understand.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Further objects and advantages of the present invention can be found in the detailed description of the preferred embodiments when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings wherein:

Fig. 1 diagrammatically illustrates a portion of a foundation, a few hair wefts mounted on the foundation, and diagrammatically illustrates some of the hairs attached to the hair wefts in the foundation and some of the hairs attached to the foundation itself;

Fig. 2 diagrammatically illustrates a portion of the stretchable foundation and the lateral and longitudinal expansion - contraction and wrinkling aspect of the foundation;

Fig. 3 diagrammatically illustrates the brick layer pattern of mounting the hair wefts on the foundation;

Fig. 4 diagrammatically illustrates the elastic member attached between the filament and the foundation; Fig. 5 diagrammatically illustrates the hair band with the foundation, the elastic members and the filament; and

Fig. 6 diagrammatically illustrates the hair band worn by the user.

Fig. 7 diagrammatical illustrates a cross-section of a no-looped-hair hairband strip which may replace the hair weft in the hair band shown in Figs. 1 - 6. Such no-looped- hair hairband strips of Fig. 7 may be used in the hair band shown in Fig. 6 as the hair-carrying strips bricklayered on the net foundation and do not include looped hair or looped hair ends.

Fig. 8 diagrammatically illustrates a hair weft which has looped-over hairs wherein the hairs are tied at a midsection to the hair weft base element.

Figs. 9 &10 diagrammatically illustrate the backside and the front side of the no-looped-hair hairband strips, respectively, which may replace the hair wefts in the hair band shown in Figs. 1 and 6.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The present invention relates to a hair band for hair extensions or partial wigs worn by a user. The figures, which are discussed concurrently herein, have similar numerals designating similar items.

Fig. 1 shows a hair band 12, a foundation 20 and a plurality of hair wefts 22 with a large number of hairs 21 attached to the foundation 20 and attached to the hair wefts 22. It should, however, be noted that in the hair band 12 the hairs 21 attached to the foundation 20 are only an optional addition to the hairs 21 attached to the hair wefts 22. Fig. 6 shows that a hair band system 10 includes an elongated hair band 12, a filament 16 and an elastic member 14. The hair band system 10 has a plurality of hair which falls beyond the head of the user. Only a small portion of the hairs are shown in all the figures. In a like manner, Fig. 1 shows only a portion of the foundation 20 of the hair band 12. The top edge 41 of the foundation 20 has a plurality of longitudinally spaced apart hair wefts 22. Each hair weft has a plurality of hairs 21 which are attached to the hair weft 22 and which fall beyond the head of the user. See Fig. 6 which shows only a partial view of the hair falling off the hair band system 10.

In addition in Fig. 1 , a plurality of hairs 21 are attached to top edge 41 of the foundation 20. These are hand-tied to the foundation. The longitudinal space or gap between the top left hand hair weft 22 and the top right hand hair weft 22 is longitudinally covered by a lower intermediate hair weft 22 mounted on an intermediate segment of the foundation 20. A plurality of hairs 21 extend from the intermediate hair weft 22.

In addition, a plurality of hairs 21 are attached to top edge 41 of the foundation 20. Further, another plurality of hairs 21 are attached at intermediate lower or lateral positions on the foundation 20. In this manner, the hairs attached to the top edge 41 of the foundation 20 fall down and cover the open longitudinal space and the resulting lateral space between the upper edge 41 and the lower intermediate hair weft 22 and the intermediate foundation segment between the upper edge 41 and a lower edge 43 shown in Fig. 3.

Fig. 2 diagrammatically shows a partial, detailed view of the expandable or stretchable foundation 12 and an upper hair weft 22 and a lower hair weft 22 with foundation cells 1 1 therebetween. The foundation cells 1 1 form the foundation 20. The foundation 20 is structured such that it expands and contracts longitudinally as shown by dimension a and laterally up and down as shown by dimension b.

Fig. 3 diagrammatically illustrates the brick layered mounting pattern of the hair wefts 22 on the foundation 20. Between the upper edge 41 of the foundation 20 and the lower edge 43 of the foundation 20, a plurality of hair wefts 22 are mounted on the foundation. Only a portion of the foundation netting or foundation cells 1 1 is shown in Figs. 1 , 2 and 3.

The bricklayered hair weft pattern is established between laterally spaced apart longitudinal runs of hair wefts 22. Hair weft 22 in Fig. 3 is mounted on the top edge 41 of the foundation. Immediately laterally below is a longitudinally displaced, left side hair weft 22a and a longitudinally displaced, right side hair weft 22c. The intermediate longitudinal space between intermediate longitudinally spaced apart hair weft 22a, 22c is covered by hairs which extend from the upper hair weft 22. Laterally below upper hair weft 22 is a fourth hair weft 22b. Hair weft 22b spans or covers a longitudinal space between left and right hair weft 22d, 22e. Laterally below hair weft 22b is longitudinally displaced left hair weft 22d and right hair weft 22e. The longitudinal space between hair wefts 22d, 22e is covered by hair from the upper centrally located hair weft 22b. In this manner, the plurality of hair wefts establish a brick layered pattern on foundation 22. This is one of the several important features of the present invention because this brick layered pattern permits the foundation to expand and contract and adjust for winkles both in a longitudinal manner (left and right in connection with the head band system 10 (Fig. 6) as well as laterally, that is up and down, in the direction b (Fig. 2).

Fig. 4 diagrammatically shows a filament 16 attached at one end to an elastic member 14. The elastic member 14 has an inboard end 72 that is attached to the foundation 20. The elastic member 14 is mounted intermediate the filament 16 and the foundation 20. For a higher degree of support and attachment, hair weft 22 is attached to both the elastic end 72 and the foundation 20. The elastic member 14 is disposed in a cloth channel or a tunnel 30. In Fig. 4, only a portion of the tunnel is shown in a broken-away view. Hairs 21 are attached to the upper edge 41 of the foundation 20. As partly shown, the lower hair weft 22 carries a number of hairs 21 . When the hair band system is worn by the user (see Fig. 6), the elastic member 14 extends outboard of tunnel 30 and filament 16 extends to extended position C2. When the elastic member 14 is at rest and not in a tension mode, only a portion of the elastic member 14 extends outboard of tunnel 30. The extension mode of elastic member 14 is shown in Fig. 4 as a dashed dot dashed line C2. The rest or non-tension mode is also shown as a solid line as C1 . As discussed earlier, foundation 20 can move longitudinally in the direction a and can also move laterally in the direction b.

Fig. 5 diagrammatically illustrates a plain view of the hair band system 10. The hair band system includes the elongated generally rectangular foundation 12 which carries a plurality of hairs (not shown). The hair band system includes the elastic elements 14 which are attached to the ends of filament 16 thereby permitting the filament to be in a tension mode about the head of the user. Longitudinal expansion is permitted in direction a and lateral expansion and contraction is permitted in direction b. The tension or rest position is shown by arrows C1 , C2 in Fig. 4 and direction C in Fig. 5.

Fig. 6 shows only a portion of the hairs covering band element 12 of hair band system 10. Fig. 7 shows a cross-section of a no-looped-hair hairband strip. Figs. 9 and 10 diagrammatical, respectively illustrate the backside and the front side of the no-looped-hair hairband strips of Fig. 7 which no-looped-hair hairband strips may replace the hair wefts 22 in the hair band 12 or hair band system 10 shown in Figs. 1 and 6. This is another embodiment of the present invention. Figs. 7, 9 and 10 are discussed concurrently herein. The no-looped-hair hairband strips or "NLH hairband strips" replace hair wefts 22 which wefts carry looped-over hairs.

Fig. 8 diagrammatically shows a looped-over hair on a hair weft 22. It is known that hair has cuticular scales on each hair strand. These cuticular scales always point from the proximal or root end of the hair to the distal or tip end of the hair. As a result, when hair segment 21 a rubs against hair segment 21 b (in Fig. 7), due to the looped over knot at hair midsection 47 on hair weft 22, adjacent hair strands have opposing cuticular scales which cause the adjacent hair strands to bunch up causing unwanted wrinkles or waves in the downwardly flowing hairs from each hair weft. These unwanted wrinkles or waves in the downwardly flowing hairs (see Fig. 6) are unsightly. The same cuticular scale interference occurs with multiple hair strands that knotted on the hair weft 22 next to each other, that is, different hair strands may have opposing cuticular scales rub against each other causing unwanted ripples or waves in the hair extension is compared with natural hair falling downward from the user's head.

The NLH hairband strips shown in Figs. 7, 9 and 10 overcome the issues discussed above in connection with the use of hair wefts 22 in the hair band system 10 in Figs. 5 and 6. As shown in Figs. 9 and 10 (discussed in detail below), all the hair strand are laid out on the NLH hairband in a substantially parallel manner on the tape substrate. Therefore, all the cuticular scales lay in the same direction and do not interfere with the scales on the adjacent hair strands.

Figs. 7, 9 and 10 are discussed concurrently herein. The primary supporting structural element for the NLH hairband 71 is provided by a double face adhesive tape substrate 51 (Fig. 7). The back or the rear face of NLH hairband 71 is shown in Fig. 9 as back surface 52. The back surface is inboard near the skull of the user. Hairs 53 fall in a substantially parallel manner off of hairband strip 71 in Figs.9 and 10 and are generally perpendicular to the longitudinal length of the generally rectangular NLH hairband 71 shown in Figs. 9 and 10. Fig. 10 shows the front face 76 of the NLH hairband strip 71 .

Double sided adhesive tape 51 and Fig. 7 shows adhesive layer 58 on its face, which is covered by removable cover layer 57. Cover 57 is removed prior to use. The tape substrate 51 has an opposing adhesive layer 59. On adhesive layer 59, hairs 53 are arranged or disposed in a substantially parallel manner. Hairs 53 also are mounted onto tape substrate 51 by a sealant 60. For human or natural hair (not synthetic hair) the hygroscopic characteristics of hairs 53 change based upon humidity and water content. Therefore, any material dimensional change of hairs 53 (a change in any or all three dimensions) relative to environmental humidity change is accounted for with the hygroscopic sealant 60. The sealant has similar hygroscopic characteristics as does natural hair. Changes in hair dimensions, which occur without sealant 60, regularly result in the hairs losing their adhesive grip on tape substrate 51 , given the usual fluctuations of relative or environmental humidity.

In addition to adhesive layer 59 and sealant 60, in order to adhere the hairs to adhesive tape 51 , the hairs are further embedded in a glass silk net layer 64 with one or more applications of polyurethane. In one embodiment, the glass silk net layer 64 and polyurethane layer 62 forms a matrix about hairs 53 to adhere the hairs to the tape substrate 51 . Although the cross-sectional illustration of Fig. 7 shows distinct layers of hair 53, polyurethane layer 62 and glass silk layer 64, in fact a matrix of intermingled materials (hair and glass silk) and adhering material (sealant and polyurethane) is disposed on the backside of tape substrate 51. Therefore, the NLH hairband strip does not have the defined layers 53, 59, 60, 64 and 62 as illustrated in Fig. 7. Human hair is typically 40 - 100 microns thick (diameter) and glass silk is fiber glass in the form of continuous filaments used in textiles. Glass silk is a product consisting of several hundred strands of indefinite length made of fibers 5 to 10 microns [μηη] in diameter. Therefore, the considerably smaller sized glass silk fibers fall between the much larger hair and the sealant and polyurethane form an adhering matrix on tape substrate 51. A matte finish cover 61 finishes the NLH hairband strip 71. The cover 71 is disposed on the front side of the hair - sealant - glass silk - polyurethane matrix.

Referring to Figs. 1 , 3 and 4, the NLH hairband strips 71 may replace the hair wefts 22 mounted on the net foundation 20. The hair wefts 22 are sown onto the foundation 20. The NLH hairband strips 71 are similarly sown onto the net foundation 20 in a bricklayered manner. By using the NLH hairband strips 71 , which NLH hairband strips 71 carry the bulk of the extension hair (see Fig. 6), the hairs 21 depending from the hair band 12: (a) lies flatter than the hair from hair wefts 22 (because the hair from the NLH hairband strips 71 falls flat, falls parallel to each hair strand and is not looped or tied to a substrate) and (b) does not suffer loop-over created cuticular scale interference (and therefore does not create unsightly waves or wrinkles). As an alternative to the NLH hairband strips 71 corresponding to DE 20 2005 010 845 U1 , NLH hairband strips corresponding to WO 2009/098052 A1 may be used to replace the hair wefts 22 mounted on net foundation 20.