US20170181489A1

US20170181489A1 - Hair Extension Tip and Method for Making Therefor

Info

Publication number: US20170181489A1
Application number: US15/375,141
Authority: US
Inventors: Ryan Tokko
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2015-12-11
Filing date: 2016-12-11
Publication date: 2017-06-29

Abstract

A hair extension comprises a plurality of extension hair strands, an attaching end that is adapted to be fixed to a hair extension, fixing device and a free end that is opposite to the attaching end. Each of the extension hair strands comprises a first end portion that is held by the attaching end, and. a second end portion that is free thereby forcing the free end of the hair extension. The attaching end comprises a tip portion and a fan portion that extends from the tip portion, which hold the first end portions of the extension hair strands. Each of the first ends of the extension hair strands are extended through, the tip portion, and the fan portion. A method forms the tip portion and the fan portion using a mold while resin forming the attaching portion is plastic.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is based on the inventor's Provisional Application No. 62/266,508 filed on Dec. 11, 2015, the disclosure of which is incorporated by reference.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the invention
The present invention is related to a hair extension. More particularly, the present invention is related to a hair extension having a fan-shaped tip and method for making therefor.
2. Discussion of Related Technology
Generally, the hair extension technology connects one or more extension hair, pieces to hair of a person or an animal. The extension hair pieces are to snake the person/animal's hair look longer or thicker and/or add color accents to the person/animal's hair, The extension hair pieces for hair extension are in various forms and shapes, and include hair weaves, widgets, etc. In order to attach hair extension to customer's natural hair, various methods using metal tubes, double-sided tape, hair pins have been used. FIG. 1 snows a prior art, in which an end of the hair extension is cut as a fan shape, while this facilitates insertion of the end to a hair extension tube, retaining strength, of the crimped tube is very weak, because most hair strands are cut away and only comparatively small number of hair strands remain sit the tip of the hair extension. Providing natural appearance and reducing user's discomfort are the two key goals for hair extension attachment. Using less material and reducing dimension of attaching means have always been technological challenge. An easy-to-attach, yet strong bonding hair extension has always been in need. The foregoing discussion in this section is to provide general background information, and does not constitute an admission of prior art.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

An objective of the invention is to provide a hair extension, which is easy to attach to natural hair of a customer.
Another objective of the invention is to provide a hair extension that has enhanced strength in fixing to the natural hair of a customer.
Still another objective of the invention is to provide a manufacturing method for the hair extension.
In order to achieve the objective, the present invention provides a hair extension comprising a plurality of extension hair strands, an attaching end that is adapted to be fixed to a hair extension fixing device and c) a free end that is opposite to the attaching end. Each of the extension hair strands comprises a first end portion that is held by the attaching end, and a second end portion that is free thereby forming the free end of the hair extension.
The attaching end comprises a tip portion and a fan portion that extends from the tip portion, which hold the first end portions of the extension hair strands. Each of the first end portions of the extension hair strands are extended through the tip portion and the fan portion. The width of the tip portion is predetermined, and the width of the fan portion becomes gradually bigger than the width of the tip portion as the fan portion extends from the tip portion. The cross section of the tip portion is rectangular.
The present invention further provides a method for making a hair extension comprising steps of a) applying resin at end portions of a plurality of hair strands to form an attaching end of the hair extension; b) while the resin is in plastic state, rolling the end portions of the hair strands to form a round tip potion for the hair extension; c) while the resin is in plastic state, forming a fan portion that extends from the tip portion; and d) curing the resin thereby making the tip portion and the fan portion harden,
The method further comprises a step of flattening the tip portion thereby making the cross-section of the tip portion rectangular before the step of curing.
A mold is used to form the tip portion and the fan portion, wherein the mold is provided at the head of a hand-held tool.
The advantageous effects of the present invention are: (1) in the process of fixing the hair extension to a customer's natural hair, the small tip portion facilitates inserting the hair extension into a hair extension fixing tube; (2) because the number of hair strands are kept in the tip portion, when the tube is squeezed, many hair strands contact with the natural hair providing strong bonding; (3) the fan portion provides natural appearance because the hair strands are spread gradually; and (4) because the tip portion is rectangular, when the tip portion is inserted into the tube and the tube is squeezed, the hair strands broadly contacts the natural hair, which is arranged flat in hair extension work.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The accompanying drawings illustrate the best embodiments of the present invention. In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a plan view showing a. hair extension by prior art;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a hair extension according to the present invention;

FIG. 3 is a partial elevation view of the hair extension showing an attaching end of the hair extension;

FIG. 4 is a partial cross-sectional view taken along line IV-IV on FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a plan view showing a tool used for a method for making the hair extension; and

FIG. 6 is a flow diagram showing the method for making the hair extension.

DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Embodiments will be described in detail below. The accompanying drawings will be used for describing embodiments. For the sake of convenience of illustrating embodiments, thickness, length, diameter, size and other dimensions of components and/or hair would, be illustrated or exaggerated to be different with those of actual components and/or hair, and the subject matter of this application is not limited to the illustrated embodiments.
Referring to FIG. 2, a hair extension 10 comprises a plurality of extension hair strands 12, an attaching end 14 that is adapted, to be fixed to a hair extension fixing device 16 and a free end 18 that is opposite to the attaching end 14. Each of the extension hair strands 12 comprises a first end portion 20 that is held by the attaching end 14, and a second end portion 22 that is free thereby forming the free end 18 of the hair extension 10.
Referring to FIG. 3, the attaching end 14 comprises a tip portion 24 and a fan portion 26 that extends from the tip portion 24, which hold the first end portions 20 of the extension hair strands 12. Each of the first end portions 20 of the extension hair strands 12 are extended through the tip portion 24 and the fan portion 28, The width hi of the tip portion 24 is predetermined, and the width b2 of the fan portion 26 becomes gradually bigger than the width b1 of the tip portion 24 as the fan portion 26 extends from the tip portion 24. FIG. 4 shows that the cross section of the tip portion 24 is rectangular and the first end portions 20 of the extension hair strands 12 are embedded in resin 28.
FIG. 5 shows a method for making a hair extension 10. The method comprises step S1 of applying resin 28 at end portions of a plurality of hair strands 12 to form the attaching end 14 of the hair extension 10; step S2 that while the resin is in plastic state, roiling the end portions of the hair strands 12 to form a round tip potion 24 for the hair extension 10; step S3 that while the resin is in plastic state, forming a fan portion 26 that extends from the tip portion 24; and step S5 of curing the resin thereby making the tip portion 24 and the fan portion 26 harden.
The method further comprises a step S04 of flattening the tip portion 24 thereby making the cross-section of the tip portion rectangular before the step S05 of curing.
FIG. 5 shows that a mold 30 is used to form the tip portion 24 and the fan portion 26. The mold 30 is provided at the head of a hand-held tool 32.
The method is explained again. Ends of hair strands are dipped into resin. Hair strands are rolled, and fixed together as the resin solidifies. Before the resin is fully hardened, or by softened by heating, predetermined length the tip (refer to ‘L2’ on FIG. 3) is pressed with a tool 32 so that a flat fan-shaped portion 26 is formed. Because the hair strands of hair extension suspend from the flat fan-shaped portion, they are evenly distributed and serge naturally with the customer's original hair. A predetermined length of the tip (refer to ‘L1’ on FIG. 3) is pressed with a tool 32 so that the tip is flattened to some degree, Because the tip is flat rather than round, it does not split customer's hair within the hair extension fixing ring resulting in firmer and. wider connection between the customer's hair and the hair extension. The tool 32 is customized to have mould haves that forms the tip portion and the fan portion.
Although the hair extension according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention has been described in detail hereinabove, it should be understood that many variations and modifications of the basic inventive concept herein described, which may appear to those skilled in the art, will still fall within the spirit and scope of the exemplary embodiments of the present invention as defined by the appended claims.
The drawings and the forgoing description gave examples of the present invention. The scope of the present invention, however, is by no means limited by these specific examples. Numerous variations, whether explicitly given in the specification or not, such as differences in structure, dimension, and use of material, are possible. The scope of the invention is at least as broad as given by the following claims.

Claims

1. A hair extension comprising:

a) a plurality of extension hair strands;

b) an attaching end that is adapted to be fixed to a hair extension fixing device; and

c) a free end that is opposite to the attaching end;

wherein each of the extension hair strands comprises a first end portion that is held by the attaching end, and a second end portion that is free thereby forming the free end of the hair extension; wherein the attaching end comprises a rip portion and a fan portion that extends from the tip portion, which hold the first end portions of the extension hair strands; wherein each of the first end portions of the extension hair strands are extended through the tip portion and the fan portion; wherein the width of the tip portion is predetermined, and the width of the fan portion becomes gradually bigger than the width of the tip portion as the fan portion extends from the tip portion.

2. The hair extension of claim 1, wherein the cross section of the tip portion is rectangular.

3. A method, for making a hair extension comprising steps of:

a) applying resin at end portions of a plurality of hair strands to form an attaching end of the hair extension;

b) while the resin is in plastic state, rolling the end portions of the hair strands to form a round tip potion for the hair extension;

c) while the resin is in plastic state, forming a fan portion that extends from the tip portion; and

d) curing the resin thereby making the tip portion and the fan portion harden.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising a step of flattening the tip portion thereby making the cross-section of the tip portion rectangular before the step of curing.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein a meld is used to form the tip portion and the fan portion, wherein the mold is provided at the head of a hand-held tool.