US3411517A - Hair guard - Google Patents

Description

Nov. 19, 1968 T. M. BATCHELOR HAIR GUARD Filed May 12 INVENTOR THOMAS M. BATCHELOR ATTORNEYS United States Patent 3,411,517 HAIR GUARD Thomas M. Batchelor, 18060 Conant, Detroit, Mich. 48234 Filed May 12, 1966, Ser. No. 549,693 9 Claims. (Cl. 132--49) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE The hair guard for protecting the hair of the user comprises a cage support having a head strap adapted to be mounted in a substantially fixed position on the head of the user so as to extend across the forehead and having a chin strap connected to the sides of the head strap and adapted to extend under the chin of the user. A yieldable substantially self-supporting open mesh cage having air circulation openings is shaped to fit closely around the coilfure to retain the hair in proper position. A hinge connection is provided between the cage and the front of the head strap to permit movement of the cage between a raised position exposing the coifiure and a lowered position surrounding and protecting the coiffure. The hinge connection also includes key and lock elements for holding the cage in raised and lowered position.

This invention relates to a hair guard and has particular reference to a yieldable open mesh hair cage and support for holding and protecting the hair during setting or treating of the coiffure and for protecting the hair against disarrangement at other times, such as during sleep.

Accordingly, a principal object of the invention is to ropvide a new and improved hair guard.

Another object of the invention is to provide a mesh type hair cage for surrounding and holding the hair during treating, the cage being movable away from the hair so that pins and curlers may be attached to or removed from the hair as desired.

Another object of the invention is to provide a hair guard having a degree of resiliency or yieldability so as to serve as a cushion for the head during sleep and prevent disarrangement of the hair without the use of conventional curlers, pins, etc. v

Other objects and features of the invention will become apparent as the description proceeds, especially when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings illustrating a preferred embodiment of the invention, wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a side elevational view of the invention as worn by the user;

FIGURE 2 is taken in the direction of arrow 2 of FIGURE 1;

FIGURES 3 and 4 show different shaped hair cages for use with different shaped hair-does or coiifures;

FIGURES 5 and 6 are sectional views taken along lines 55 and 66 of FIGURE 2, respectively; and

FIGURE 7 is a perspective view of a hinge pin used to mount the hair cage on the head attachment.

As illustrated in FIGURE 1, the invention includes a yielda-ble open mesh hair cage 10 preferably made of a plastic material and shaped so as to provide a close fit with the hair-do worn by the user. The cage 10 is held in position on the head of the user by means of a support attachment including U-shaped head band 12 and an adjustable chin strap 14. The band 12 is fitted around the forehead of the user and extends over the ears with the ends thereof being bent inwardly to engage the head and prevent accidental movement thereof. The strap 14 is secured to either side of the band 12 as'illustrated and includes an adjustable Valpo snap, buckle or other suit- 3,411,517 Patented Nov. 19, 1968 ice v the central bore of brackets 18 and 20 so that the key 24 thereon fits in groove 26 in the central bore of each of the brackets 20 and one of grooves 28 and 30 in the central bore of bracket 18, depending upon the position of the cage 10 relative to the support. The grooves 28 and 30 and the space therebetween are enlarged somewhat relative to the pin 22 to permit rotation of the hinge member 18 about pin 22 without having to withdraw the pin from the hinge. The pin 22 is provided with a head 32 to prevent complete insertion within the hinge brackets.

When in use the hair cage is positioned as shown in FIGURE 1 so as to completely surround the hair and hold it in shape without the necessity of using hair pins and curlers. The cage 10 is rotatable about hinge 16 from the position of FIGURE 1 as indicated by the arrow 34 so as to bring the key 24 into engagement with slot 30 to hold the cage in a generally upright position away from the hair. When the cage is held in this position the head strap 12 and chin strap 14 can be secured to the head without disturbing the hair. Rotation of the cage about hinge 16 does not disturb the coitfure, so that after the straps 12 and 14 are secured to the head the cage can be freely positioned around the hair. The cage 10 is positively held in either the position shown in FIGURE 1 or the position described away from the hair by key 24 so that the invention may be worn without fear of the cage being accidentally dislodged or injured.

The hair cage may be formed in any of a number of shapes as indicated in FIGURES 1, 3 and 4 so as to closely fit around various types of coiifures. As indicated in FIGURES 3 and 4, the portions of the hair cage adjacent the hinge member 18 may be reenforced at 36 and 38 to assure that the hinge member 18 does not break away from the cage as the cage is rotated on pin 22. The cage is preferably formed from a plastic material having an open mesh to allow air to freely circulate through the cage and hair. The mesh openings also permit teasing wires to be inserted through the hair and tied to the cage to hold the hair in position while an aerosol type hair spray is sprayed through the mesh and onto the hair. The teasing wires hold the hair against the inside of the cage 10* so that the resultant coiffure retains the shape of the cage. Air circulating through the mesh aids in drying the hair spray and setting the hair.

The invention is also useful to hold the hair in the coiffure shape after the coiffure is set by protecting the hair from being crushed or otherwise disturbed. The mesh preferably is somewhat flexible so that when the cage and support are worn during sleeping the cage serves as a pillow yet does not collapse sufficiently to permanently disturb the coitfure. In this connection it may be useful to supplement the support provided by the cage 10 by means of a small pillow for the neck.

While I have disclosed three shapes of hair cages corresponding to three different coitfures, it is obvious that cage 10 may be of any shape which permits rotation about hinge 16 away from the hair without disturbing the coiffure. In some cases it may be desirable to utilize two hair cages to surround the entire coiffure, in which case the cages may be hinged to opposite sides of the head band 12 so that they may be rotated away from the hair and the cage and support may be removed from the head without disturbing the coiffure.

What I claim as my invention is:

1. An adjustable hair guard for protecting the hair of the user comprising a cage support having a head strap adapted to be mounted in a substantially fixed position on the head of the user so as to extend across the forehead, a yieldable, self-supporting open mesh cage adapted to extend around the top and sides of the coiifure, and a hinge connection between said cage and the front of said head strap to permit movement of said cage between raised and lowered positions, with said cage surrounding and protecting the coitfure when in the lowered position, and with said cage exposing the coiffure when in said raised position.

2. The adjustable hair guard defined in claim 1 wherein said cage is made from a plastic material having air circulation openings provided therein, said openings permitting the hair to be treated by air circulating through said cage when said cage is in the lowered position.

3. The adjustable hair guard defined in claim 1 wherein said cage is constructed, arranged and shaped to closely fit around the coitfure to assist in retaining the hair in proper location therein.

4. The adjustable hair guard defined in claim 1, including means for releasably retaining said cage in said raised and lowered positions.

5. The adjustable hair guard defined in claim 1, wherein said hinge connection includes hinge knuckles secured respectively to said cage and the front of said head strap and coupled together by a hinge pin, and means for releasably locking said hinge knuckles in relative positions corresponding to the raised and lowered positions aforesaid of said cage.

6. The adjustable hair guard defined in claim 5, wherein said releasable locking means comprises a raised element on said hinge pin, one of said knuckles being rotatable relative to said hinge pin and having angularly spaced recesses adapted to receive and releasably retain said raised element, said hinge pin being non-rotatably connected to the other of said knuckles.

7. The adjustable hair guard defined in claim 1, wherein said hinge connection includes key and lock elements for holding said cage in said raised and lowered positions.

8. The adjustable hair guard defined in claim 1, wherein said head strap is substantially U-shaped having arms adapted to extend around the sides of the head and supported by the ears of the user, said arms being bowed inwardly toward each other and being adapted to yieldably engage the head of the user to prevent accidental removal.

9. The adjustable hair guard defined in claim 8 wherein a chin strap is provided, with opposite portions of said chin strap being connected to the arms of said head band, said chin strap being adapted to extend around the sides of the face and the chin of the user.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,375,381 4/1921 Golden l3249 1,616,800 2/1927 Hogan l3249 2,110,811 3/1938 Neaves 132--49 2,199,395 5/1940 Dixon 13249 2,742,910 4/1956 Berg l3249 2,997,792 8/ 1961 Strauss. 3,014,220 12/1961 Weld 132-49 XR 3,200,827 8/ 1965 Hill 13249 FOREIGN PATENTS 117,729 1/1930 Austria.

LOUIS G. MANCENE, Primary Examiner.

R. PESHOCK, Assistant Examiner.

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