DESCRIPTION

This invention applies to the creation of hair colour/shade charts and concerns a device used for the immediate and personalized identification of hair colour/shade both by the end customer and specialized personnel or technicians, for example, hairstylists, hairdressers, image consultants, personal shoppers, companies, professional trainers etc. and the method of use of said device.

It is known that the first stage in the hair colouring procedure involves identifying a colour that appeals most to the end customer but also a colour that can be suggested by professionals who work in image consultancy or professionals who will use it in their work.

Usually, a range of samples are used to assess the shade, each in a different colour, said samples consisting of locks of hair to which the tones available in the range of professional dyes and colours used by hairstylists and hairdressers have previously been applied.

Normally, the sample locks of hair comprise small tufts of threadlike elements which resemble the fibre of individual hairs.

Normally, the small tufts comprise threadlike elements made of synthetic or artificially made material.

These small tufts are therefore held close to the face to assess the chromatic effect of the colour of the small tuft on the skin tone of the face or other physical parameters which have been specified. The solutions known to the state of the art include a series of disadvantages which are listed below:

- Since the locks used are small and have a surface area that is much smaller than the actual size of the customer's face, they only provide a partial view of the final effect. This limit leads to a choice based on an idea of what the final effect will be and an extremely partial view of the choice of colour made.

In addition, the synthetic and artificial nature of the tufts used to make the strands of colour involves production with a high environmental impact as well as a lack of recycling which leads to considerable material/processing/production waste.

Devices are known to the state of the art which are used to display the final aesthetic effect of a specific choice of colour and/or hairstyle.

Document US44776796 "Personalized hairstyle display and selection system and method" describes a system that personalises the final aesthetic effect of a proposed hairstyle by creating an accessory for a camera, said accessory being developed in such a way that a series of variables in terms of facial shape, hairstyles and range of colours is provided.

According to the invention described in document US44776796, a normal camera is given a guide which is used to display the outline of the customer's face, said guide being interchangeably associated with the camera viewfinder system to allow a suitably resized image of a range of common facial shapes. Once the photograph has been taken, the customer can see a series of photographic images taken with different hairstyles and/or hair colours by inserting the snapshot in a hairstyle frame which enables the customer to see several possible hairstyles in a short period of time.

In particular, document US44776796 includes a viewing sheet with a photographic image displaying a hairstyle in the centre of which is placed an opening opportunely cut to reproduce the outlines of a face, inside which a snapshot of the end user is inserted. As described in document US44776796, the sheet with the image of the hairstyle is partially associated with the viewing sheet on three edges in such a way that a fourth edge is left open to form an open slot into which a tinted sheet can be inserted.

As described in document US44776796, the variety of possible final chromatic effects is obtained by inserting different tinted sheets.

Although a system can be created that displays different final aesthetic effects, the invention described in document US44776796 has the disadvantage of being particularly complex to implement and use and not allowing a true-to-life reproduction of the final aesthetic effect, determined by a series of variables which compromise the true-to-life display of said final effect, in particular with regard to the range of colours reproduced on the tinted sheet.

Document EP3473989 "colour indicator device for colour and/or type consultation of at least one person, set comprising at least one first and second colour indicator device, method for colour and/or type consultation for of at least one person with the colour indicator device and use of the colour indicator device and/or set for colour and/or type consultation" describes a device for selecting hair colour, said device having a central shaped hole the edges of which outline the form of a face.

As described in document EP3473989, the front surface has a series of sections in different shades of the same colour in order to see the overall effect of a specific shade with the skin tone of the user's face. The invention described in document EP3473989 is therefore based on the choice of a colour determined by the effect that the individual colours have on the skin tone and does not display a realistic final effect based on a true-to-life reproduction of the haircolour, especiallyfor haircolours with several different shades.

Document GB2320975 "hairdressing aid" describes a means for seeing the final aesthetic effect of a certain choice of hair colour and/or hairstyle, said system comprising several transparencies which can be attached individually to a mirror, either on a mount attached to the mirror or hand held on a sheet of glass or plastic onto which the end user's face is reflected.

The invention described in document GB2320975 is particularly complex as far as its use is concerned and provides an overall effect of a specific haircut or hairstyle but does not provide a true-to-life view of the final aesthetic effect of a hair colour.

Document US5160265 "Beauty kit for aid in hairstyle selection" describes a kit for selecting hair pieces to form a wig and is related in particular to a kit designed to help select a wig that determines the desired hairstyle.

Generally speaking, the kit described in document US5160265 is used to create a hairstyle desired by the end user before the hairstyle is actually created.

As specified in document US5160265, the invention comprises a kit which consists of several flat elements normally square in shape made of cardboard or plastic, each of which has a hole cut in it into which the face can be inserted. On each of these cardboard sheets, a hairstyle is printed, defined around said hole, which is different from the hairstyle printed on any of the other cardboard sheets. The person who uses the kit selects a specific cardboard sheet, places their face in the hole, and sees their image on a reflective surface such as a mirror supplied with the kit. In this way, various hairstyles can be tried until the person finds the hairstyle that best suits their face and complexion.

The invention described in document US5160265 (includes several frames, normally square in shape, made of cardboard or plastic material.

Each frame has a central hole, cut out from the cardboard or plastic, of a size that can accommodate the face of an adult.

As stated in document US5160265, on the front of each frame, around the central hole, a hairstyle is created using hair pieces and each frame has a special hairstyle created with a specific colour of hair strands. Consequently, each kit has a specific hair colour and a selection of different hairstyles. According to the invention described in document US5160265, a kit contains several frames and several hair pieces can be used, each with a different hairstyle.

The invention described in document US5160265 requires a special arrangement of the individual frames which must include the placing of hair pieces on the surface and the creation of different hairstyles which makes the kit particularly complex and time consuming to implement.

In addition, the placing of hair pieces, although arranged differently, leads to a deterioration over time of the material and colourings used to create the different solutions with a consequent lack of effectiveness and true-to-life representation compared with the final selected effect.

The aim of the invention which is the subject of this patent application is therefore to overcome the problems of the state of the art by creating a device used to identify the final effect of applying a special hair shade and method of use, said device effectively and immediately displaying the final effect, cost-effective to produce and with lower environmental impact than solutions known to the state of the art as well as being environmentally sustainable.

Further characteristics, details and advantages of the device according to the invention and method of use can be found in the description below of an example of implementation shown in the enclosed drawings and described in detail.

In particular:

Fig. 1: a preferred embodiment of the device which is the subject of this patent application;

Fig. 2: a series of preferred embodiments of the device which is the subject of this patent application;

Fig. 3: a series of preferred embodiments of the device which is the subject of this patent application;

Fig. 4: example of the method of use of the device which is the subject of this patent application;

With reference to the enclosed figures, the device (1) according to the invention which is the subject of this patent application comprises a surface (2), preferably but not exclusively rectangular in shape, said surface (2) with a hole in the centre (3) said hole being preferably but not exclusively oval-shaped and, in a preferable but not exclusive embodiment, with an upper profile (3. a) or semi-oval shape (3b). In a preferable but not exclusive embodiment, the surface (2) of the device (1) is made of recyclable material such as, but not limited to, paper and/or cardboard and/or other biodegradable material.

In another preferable but not exclusive embodiment, the surface (2) is combined with cardboard and/or other biodegradable material, said material being rigid enough to retain its shape if placed vertically or obliquely.

According to the invention which is the subject of this patent application, the surface (2) of the device (1) bears a life-size head of hair which is a true-to-life representation.

In a preferential embodiment, said graphic/photographic image comprises a life-size head of hair, said photographic image being printed with a photographic resolution of 300 dpi or the highest possible resolution that technology can provide (offset/digital/silk screen printing/any other non binding and non-exclusive technique) such that the image is qualitatively realistic.

In a preferable but not exclusive embodiment, in order to develop the device (1) fabricated as described, a printed panel (2.1-2.n) is applied to the surface (2).

According to the invention which is the subject of this patent application, a single device (1) can be fabricated with a surface (2) to which a printed panel (2.1-2.n) is applied, each with a specific colour or chromatic effect or with a whole range of colours divided up according to tones or otherwise, with no limits to achieving and maintaining the desired realistic effect.

In a preferable but not exclusive embodiment, each surface (2) shall be suitably identified with reference to the shade on the panel (2.1-2.n) related to the colour and/or effect of a whole range of colours divided up, for example but not limited to, according to tones, to be used as a colour test and/or during application of colour, which is capable of covering all shades of light to dark colours and in several ranges with or without an international or personalized colour numbering system.

In a preferable but not exclusive embodiment, additional photographic/graphic images of a life- size/other size head of hair in a specific colour and/or effect can be placed on top of the device (1) fabricated as described, said additional photographic/graphic images being printed on transparent

PVC/other transparent material to obtain lowlights, shading, streaks, chunky highlights, highlights, shatush, balayage, degrade, splashlights, bronde, designs and others based on current hair trends and hairstylists' creations. In a preferable but not exclusive embodiment, the photographic image on the surface (2) of the device (1) shows different types of hair including, for example but not limited to, straight hair, curly hair, wavy hair, said different types of hair being reproduced in various colours or chromatic effects on the printed panels (2.1-2.2-2. n) applied to the surface (2). With reference to Fig. 4, according to the invention which is the subject of this patent application and regardless of the preferable embodiments described, the colour to be applied is selected by moving the device (1) towards the person's face so that the face is inside the open slot (3. a - 3.b) on the device (1).

According to the colour or chromatic effect (2.1-2.2-2. n) shown on the surface (2) of the device (1), the customer can obtain a true image of the overall effect of the colour which will cover all the shades of light to dark colours and in several ranges, in a true-to-life version of said effect, said true-to-life version being determined by the quality of the graphic/photographic image on the surface (2).