The present invention concerns a protective arrangement for protection during hair treatment, such as protection against the penetration of hair cuttings after the hair has been cut, i.e. in particular protection against short, sharp hair cuttings after cutting the hair, which may easily penetrate between the neck or skin and the clothes of the person whose hair is being cut, or against hair dye, which may penetrate between the neck or skin and the clothes of the person whose hair is being dyed, or against other fluids during other types of hair treatment.

It is often the case that people experience discomfort after a visit to the hairdresser or after having the hair on the head and neck cut in the home. The problem is a result of no protection being available against the short hairs that are cut off becoming attached at the inner surface of the clothes that are worn during the cutting of the hair.

Several hairdressing salons have tested different solutions through the years. Cotton or other soft material in strips has been used, which has been placed between the collar and neck or skin. Crfipe paper and other paper or synthetic material has been used, which has been placed between the collar and the neck or skin, and also folded over the collar.

Most hairdressers use also a cape of synthetic material, which is draped over the clothes of the customer and subsequently tied around his or her neck. This is often used in combination with the material described above that is placed between the collar and the neck or skin. Most hairdressers offer also brushing down after the cutting of the hair is completed, but this also fails to remove all remaining hair cuttings from the skin and clothes.

Most children (of both sexes) and teenagers (mainly male teenagers) experience "itching" of the neck and throat region after having their hair cut.

In addition, more than half of adults in the age range 18-45 years experience discomfort due to itching in the neck, shoulders and throat region, after visiting a hairdresser, or after having their hair cut at home. The problem appears to become less severe with increasing age of the person.

Women seem to experience the problem to a lesser extent. This can be assumed to be a result of women often having longer hair than men, which means that the hairs are heavier and therefore tend to fall more readily onto the protective cape, or directly onto the floor.

We are unable to explain why it appears that the experience decreases with increasing age for male persons. It is, however, possible to conceive that the reason for this is that the hair of male persons becomes softer, or has less sharp ends, with increasing age. Also the fact that the amount of hair becomes less on older men may contribute.

Most men, and a considerable fraction of women, state that they always, when possible, change their shirt or jersey after visiting the hairdresser or after having their hair cut at home. Most also take a shower, if sufficient time is available. For children up to the age of 12 years, it is nearly always the case that they change their clothes after having their hair cut.

It is therefore a purpose of the present invention to achieve a new protective arrangement that is more effective than the previous attempts described above to solve the problems of hair cuttings that penetrate between the collar and the neck or skin.

It has been realised that also a similar problem exists in association with dyeing hair, where hair dye can run down along the neck or throat of the person who is having his or her hair dyed, and thus discolour the clothes that are worn.

The above-mentioned purpose of the invention is achieved with a protective arrangement that comprises a strip intended to be placed around the neck and throat region of a person whose hair is to be cut or dyed, and where the strip comprises a support that has been coated with adhesive on both sides, where one side of the support is coated with a first adhesive that sticks to all types of textile fibre and is arranged to be attached at the inner surface of a collar or similar feature of an item of clothing that the person whose hair is to be cut or dyed is wearing, and the second side of the support is coated with a second adhesive, the task of which is to be attached at the neck and throat region of the person such that the protective arrangement can prevent falling hairs and running hair dye from coming into contact with the collar or lining of the item of clothing, and the protective arrangement is arranged to be folded over the collar or similar feature of the item of clothing.

The strip thus has a design similar to that of double-sided tape, where one side has been coated with a first adhesive, that sticks to all types of textile fibre, the task of which is, during cutting or dyeing of the hair, to be attached along the inner surface of a collar or similar feature of the person whose hair is to be cut or dyed, and the strip is subsequently folded over the collar, after which the collar is buttoned with the uppermost button (if such a button is present) or is attached by tying the string ties of the protective cape that is normally used, such that no hair cuttings or hair dye will be able to become attached at the collar. By the strip being coated on its second side with a second adhesive, the task of which is to attach to the neck or throat region of the person, falling hairs or running hair dye are prevented from penetrating between the neck or throat region of the person and the collar. The strip is easy to shape and to fold over the collar, and it is easy to remove it after the treatment has been carried out. If the hairdresser, or the person who is carrying out the cutting of the hair at home, subsequently opens the collar or undoes the string ties of the cape and shaves the neck, in the conventional manner, before the strip is removed from the collar, any falling hairs that are present are prevented from becoming attached at the inner surface of the collar, independently of how short and sharp-ended they are. In this way, also excess hairs are prevented from becoming attached at the textile material and causing irritation after the cutting of the hair. Any remaining short residual hairs that are present on the inner surface of the strip, against the throat region or neck, are retained in place on the strip by the second adhesive, when also the strip is subsequently removed from the collar. Also after dyeing of the hair, the strip is first removed from the skin, and any residues of hair dye can be removed before the strip is removed also from the collar.

According to one preferred embodiment of the invention, the strip is designed such that the adhesive is arranged to extend over only a part of the width of the strip, such that at least one central longitudinal part of the support is free from adhesive.

According to one preferred embodiment of the invention, the protective arrangement is designed as shaped strips with the sizes that are required to cope with different designs and sizes of collar, relative to the differing dimensions of the throat region of people, from young children to adult men. The latter can, of course, be anything from people with long, thin necks to those with short, thick necks. It is possible also that the strip be formed as a part that is similar to a collar, intended to be attached on top of the collar or lining of the item of clothing that is being worn by the person who is receiving treatment.

According to an alternative embodiment of the invention, the protective arrangement is designed in the form of perforated strips, sheets or a continuous strip without perforation rolled into a roll, with a length that can be cut to be adapted for the customer or easy for the hairdresser. Rolls with a long continuous strip are suitable for use in large hairdressing salons, while rolls with a short continuous strip are suitable for use at home.

According to a further preferred embodiment, the support is provided with a layer that prevents fluid from penetrating through the support.

The invention will now be described in more detail in the form of a pair of non-limiting embodiments given as examples, illustrated with the aid of the attached schematic drawings, where Figure 1 shows a protective arrangement according to the invention in a plan view, Figure 2 shows a plan view of the protective arrangement, of the side opposite to that in Figure 1, Figure 3 shows a schematic three-dimensional view of the protective arrangement designed as a part that is similar to a collar, Figure 4 shows the protective arrangement in Figure 1 in section along the line A-A and at a larger scale, and Figure 5 shows the protective arrangement in Figure 4 at an even larger scale and folded, such as it will be when it is to be mounted over the collar or similar feature of a person who is to be treated.

A protective arrangement 1 according to the invention comprises a support 2 for a double- sided coating of adhesives. It is preferable that the adhesives have different compositions, depending on whether they are applied to the first side of the support or its second side, but they may also be the same adhesive, if it is possible to find an appropriate adhesive that satisfies all the requirements. It is possible also to arrange different adhesives on the same side of the support 2, along opposite long sides of the support 2. The support 2 must be flexible, and it may consist of paper, paperboard, textile, other synthetic material, a material known as non-woven, or of any other material that also can provide the correct properties for the applicability of the product. The material must follow both the collar of the item of clothing and the skin and the neck and throat region of the person whose hair is being cut. Finally, it must be possible for the support to be folded in a simple manner over a collar or similar feature, after it has been attached at the inner surface of the same. It is preferable that the adhesive is arranged such that it extends over only a part of the width of the support, such that a central longitudinal part 3 of the support is free from adhesive. The support must be of a durable material that does not tear too easily and that does not fracture, unless the person who is applying the material desires to tear it.

The support 2 is provided on one of its sides with a first adhesive 4, for the side that is to be attached at the item of clothing. The attachment at the item of clothing takes place at the inner surface of the collar, if the item of clothing has one. Otherwise, it takes place at the inner surface next to the upper edge of the item of clothing. This adhesive 4 must, therefore, be designed such that it attaches to all types of textile fibre, independently of whether these are synthetic fibres or natural fibres, and, in the latter case, independently of whether they are derived from the animal kingdom or the plant kingdom. The adhesive 4 must at the same time have a chemical composition that makes it easy to remove from the item of clothing to which it has been attached, and, in addition, such that it leaves a minimum of residue on the textile material. It must be easy to remove any residual products by normal washing procedures, in a washing machine or by hand washing. It also must be of such a type it does not constitute a risk of allergic reactions in humans.

The support 2 on its second side is provided with a second adhesive 5 for the side that is to be attached at the neck or throat region of the customer or user. This adhesive 5 must be completely free of any risk of allergy, it must have the property of being able to be attached at all types of human skin, but it must at the same time not become attached so firmly that it creates more than a minimum of resistance when it is to be freed from the skin when the person whose hair is being cut it to have the neck shaved or when a hair dyeing procedure has been completed.

It is preferable that the second adhesive 5 extend over only a part of the width of the support 2, preferably over less than half of the width, and that there is arranged at the opposite longitudinal edge of the support, on the same side of the support 2 as that on which the second adhesive 5 has been applied, a third adhesive 6 that has been designed, just as the first adhesive 4, such that it attaches to all types of textile fibre, independently of whether these are synthetic fibres or natural fibres, and, in the latter case, independently of whether they are derived from the animal kingdom or the plant kingdom. When the support 2 is folded over the collar or lining of the item of clothing of the person who is to be treated, the third adhesive 6 will then be turned to face outwards, away from the body of the person, and is in this case intended to become attached at a cape of the type that has been described above. It is an advantage if the third adhesive 6 is of same type of material as that in the first adhesive 4, since it is to have corresponding properties. Thus, the longitudinal central part 3 of the support 2 is between the first adhesive 4 and the third adhesive 6, which central part 3 is free from adhesive.

It is appropriate that the width of the second adhesive 5 be approximately the same as that of the first adhesive 4, which is located on the opposite side of the support 2, and that the remainder of the side of the support 2 that has the second adhesive 5 is thus without any further adhesive. As an alternative, a corresponding fourth adhesive 7 may be arranged at the opposite longitudinal edge of the support, or, in other words, on the same side of the support 2 as that on which the second adhesive 5 has been applied. When the protective arrangement 1 is subsequently folded over a collar or lining of the item of clothing that the person is wearing, the fourth adhesive 7 will be turned to face inwards towards the item of clothing of the person, but on its outer surface. With such an arrangement, it is then possible to choose as an alternative to attach a cape of the type that has been mentioned above inside of the folded protective arrangement 1, and in this way attach the fourth adhesive 7 against the outer surface of the cape. It is thus appropriate that such a fourth adhesive is also of the same material as that of the first and third adhesives.

It is obvious that a protective arrangement according to the invention can be designed such that it has both the above-mentioned third and fourth adhesives 6, 7, or alternatively either one of them.

In order to prevent hair dye penetrating through the protective arrangement 1, the support 2 is designed to be impenetrable to fluids, such as, for example, hair dye. This may be achieved through the support 2 being provided, on the side that is turned to face the first adhesive 4, with a layer, such as a foil, of material that is impenetrable to fluid. The support 2 can otherwise have fluid-absorption properties such that the support itself retains any running hair dye that arises.

The protective arrangement 1 according to the invention is preferably provided with also a protective material 8 that covers the parts that have been coated with the adhesive 4, 5, 6, 7. This protective material 8 may be of paper, paperboard, textile, synthetic material or other thin but protective and completely impermeable material. This material is to have properties that ensure that it protects the adhesives 4, 5, 6, 7 from drying during storage, but it is also to become free from the adhesive when the user desires to remove the protective material 8 in order to expose the adhesive, such that this can be attached at the textile material or the skin. The protective material 8 may be designed such that it covers the complete width of the protective arrangement 1, but it is preferable that it be divided in the longitudinal direction, such that it is possible to remove the part that is to be attached at the collar first, and the part that is to be folded over the collar when this has taken place. The same is true for the part that is to be attached at the skin. It is possible in this case to remove the protective material from the part that is to be attached at the skin first, and to leave in place the protective material at the part that is folded over the collar until the cutting of the hair starts.

The protective arrangement 1 according to the invention is preferably packaged in a packaging (not shown in the drawings), that is to be designed for at least one of professional use and use in the home, and that is to ensure that the arrangement has a long shelf-life and that it is simple to store. The packaging is to be designed also to make it easy for the distributor, where relevant, to store, pick and transport the products.

When the protective arrangement 1 according to the invention is designed such that it can be used in ready-cut pieces, each one of the ready-shaped lengths (which in this case may be prepared in different sizes) is to have a containment of paper, paperboard, synthetic material, textile or non-woven material that can be easily divided and pulled apart, in order to release the arrangement. As examples of similar packaging, individually packaged sticking plasters and sanitary pads can be mentioned, which are also available in an individually packaged form.

When the protective arrangement 1 according to the invention is designed as a roll (not shown in the drawings), with or without perforations, it is to be kept in packaging that provides a sufficiently long shelf-life and that can be reused once it has been opened and the user has taken the length or lengths that are required on each occasion.

If the protective arrangement 1 is designed as a roll, it may be sufficient that the adhesive on only one side of the support is protected by a protective material, since the other adhesives are in this case in contact with the second side of the protective material in the roll.

The protective arrangement 1 according to the invention may be provided also with an extended groove (not shown in the drawings) that acts as a folding guide where the arrangement is to be folded around or over a collar or similar feature of the person whose hair is to be cut or dyed. It is possible that such a groove, in cases in which the protective arrangement is designed as ready-cut pieces, may be designed such that it forms a bowed line that extends along the protective arrangement, in order to be able more easily to mount the protective arrangement around the collar or lining of the item of clothing that the person is wearing. It is appropriate also that the groove be arranged in the longitudinal central part 3 of the support 2.

If the cape that is used to protect the clothes of the person whose hair is being cut, dyed or treated in another manner is of the single-use type, a protective arrangement according to the invention may be arranged as an integrated part of the collar of the single-use cape.