This invention relates to care of hair of the head, and is particularly concerned with the provision of an enveloping wrap for the hair.

According to the present invention a wrap for use on the head to envelope the hair comprises an elongate pouch of towelling or other fabric wherein a cap portion for receiving the crown of the head is defined within one end of the pouch and the pouch extends from the cap portion in a further portion that defines an elongate pocket for receiving and enveloping hair collected away from the head, the further portion with the hair enveloped within it in this way being twistable upon itself and foldable over the cap portion for securing the hair wrapped within the fabric.

A wrap according to the invention may be used in the care of dry or wet hair, but is of especial advantage in the care of long hair and when the hair is wet. In the latter regard, the wrap enables water to be absorbed from the hair into the towelling or other fabric without splash or drip, while the hair is contained tidily away from the rest of the person's body until it can be dealt with to complete drying in the care process.

The pouch may be open substantially only within a limited region that includes the cap portion so that the pocket for receiving the hair is effectively closed along the length of the said further portion beyond this region.

The wrap may involve two substantially identical sheet- sections of towelling or other fabric which each has a first longitudinal edge that is outwardly curved and stitched or otherwise secured to the corresponding outwardly-curved longitudinal edge of the other section,

in a seam running lengthwise of the pouch. The second longitudinal edge of each sheet-section, which may be substantially straight or inwardly-curved, may be elasticated so as to tend to pull the two ends of the pouch in towards one another. A fillet portion of the same or other fabric may be stitched or otherwise secured between the second longitudinal edges of the two sheet- sections, within part of said further portion so as effectively to close the said pocket throughout that part. The fillet portion may be of towelling or of cotton lace.

A draw string may be provided for gathering up the mouth of the pocket onto the hair, and a fastening may be included for selectively closing the mouth of the pocket when not in use.

The fabric of the wrap may comprise single or plural ply sheeting, and one or more loops may be attached to the pouch for use in securing the twisted or wound-up portion folded over the cap portion as aforesaid.

A towelling hair-wrap in accordance with the present invention will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a view of the wrap from below;

Figure 2 is a perspective view of the wrap of Figure 1 from one side;

Figure 3 illustrates at (a) to (c) successive stages in use of the wrap of Figures 1 and 2; and

Figure 4 is a view from below of a modified form of the wrap of Figures 1 and 2.

Referring to Figures 1 and 2, the wrap has the configuration of an elongate pouch and is made up essentially from two substantially identical sheet- sections 1 and 2 of single-ply towelling. The elongate sections 1 and 2 are generally of a tapering crescent shape, and are stitched together along their outwardly- curved longitudinal edges in a seam 3 running lengthwise of the pouch. The other longitudinal edges 4 of the sections 1 and 2 are straighter and inwardly curved and are free at the wider, upper end 5 of the pouch so as to define an open-mouthed cap portion 6 of the wrap for receiving the crown of the head of the person using the wrap.

A tail portion 7 of the pouch extends from the cap portion 6 to the other, narrower end 8 of the pouch. Elasticated trimming 9 stitched to the edges 4 pulls the two ends 5 and 8 in towards one another, and a towelling fillet 10 is stitched between the two edges 4 beyond the cap portion 6. The fillet 10 (which may or may not be elasticated along its hemmed, free edge) closes the gap that would otherwise exist between the edges 4 within this part of the tail portion 7 down to the narrower end 8. An elongate pocket 11 is in this way formed throughout this lower part of the wrap, to receive and envelope the long hair of the individual using the wrap.

In the latter respect, and as illustrated at (a) of Figure 3, a person using the wrap inserts their head within the cap portion 6 of the pouch and having collected all the longer strands of hair together by hand, inserts them into the pocket 11. Once the hair has been collected and inserted into pocket 11 in this way, the tail portion 7 is wound upon itself tightly, simply by twisting it, as illustrated at (b) of Figure 3. The wound tail portion 7 with the hair completely enveloped and twisted tightly, is then folded forward over the cap

portion 6 and secured in place as illustrated at (c) of Figure 3, through an elastic loop 12 stitched to the top end 5 of the wrap; an elastic loop 13 (or a toggle) stitched to the narrower end 8 may be used as a tie, if desired. On the other hand, the tail portion 7 with the hair enveloped, may be allowed to hang freely behind the wearer's neck.

With the manner of use illustrated in Figure 3, the wrap is located with the tail portion 7 extending rearwardly. This is not essential and the head may be received into the cap portion 6 with the tail portion 7 extending forwardly. For this, however, the hair must be brought over the crown of the head to be inserted into the pocket 11. The tail portion 7 is then twisted to be wound upon itself, in front of the head, and is folded back over the cap portion 6 to be secured.

The wrap of Figures 1 and 2 tapers away from the cap portion 6 to narrow down the tail portion 7; this facilitates the twisting of the tail portion 7 through many turns for folding back over the cap portion 6. However, the taper may be omitted so that when the hair is collected up and inserted into the wrap, the portion beyond the cap portion 6 can, with possibly just one complete turn or twist to secure the cap portion 6 tightly on the head, be opened out and folded back over the cap portion 6 on the head; in this way the head is covered twice by the wrap, the hair being sandwiched between layers of towelling over the head. The pocket 11 may be omitted from use in such circumstances.

A modified form of the wrap of Figures l and 2, which among other things includes provision for selectively holding the mouth of the pocket 11 closed to facilitate its omission from use, is shown in Figure 4.

Referring to Figure 4, the stud 14 of a press-stud fastening is sewn onto a hem 15 of the fillet 10, centrally within the mouth of the pocket 11. When the wrap is to be used with the pocket 11 closed, the stud 14 is engaged with a socket 16 of the fastening, that is sewn onto the seam 3 within the wrap.

As a further modification illustrated in Figure 4, the pocket 11 incorporates a draw-string 17 for tightening or scrunching the mouth of the pocket 11 up onto the hair entered in the pocket 11. In particular, and as illustrated in Figure 4, the draw-string 17 is threaded through the turned-over margin or hem 15 of the fillet 10. One end 18 of the draw-string 17 is attached to the sheet-section 2 and the other end 19 is left free where it emerges from the hem 15 adjacent the sheet-section 1. By pulling on the end 19 of the string 17, the pocket 11 is gathered up tightly onto the hair where it enters the pocket 11. A toggle (not shown) incorporating a finger- actuated spring-release may be threaded on the end 19 of the string 17 to facilitate tightening of the string 17 when actuated by the finger, and, upon release of the finger, retention of the pocket 11 in the tightly gathered-up condition.

Although the wraps described above are of single-ply towelling, the fabric used may be of two ply, one ply of towelling, say, and the other of a plastics material. In particular, where a plastics material is used it may be in the form of a sheet that is quilted to the other ply, on the outside of the wrap. It may alternatively be located on the inside for use, for example, during permanent waving or tinting of the hair.

The fillet 10 is described above as being of towelling, but it may with advantage be of cotton lace.