HAIR BUNDLING DEVICE

Abstract

A hair bundling device includes a flexible, elliptic body having a spiral configuration defining a spiral space for receiving a bundle of hair of a user that can be held by confronting surfaces of the spiral configuration. The body includes an outer spiral portion and an inner spiral portion. An opening is formed at an inner side of a front end of the outer spiral portion. An elliptic outer hair passage is defined between the outer spiral portion and the inner spiral portion. An elliptic inner hair holding passage extends from the elliptic outer hair holding passage to an inner end of the spiral configuration. The elliptic outer hair holding passage includes at least one hair clamping section having a reduced width. The bundle of hair of the user can be passed through the opening and the elliptic outer hair passage into the elliptic inner hair holding passage.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a hair bundling device and, more particularly, to a device for securing hair into a bundle with improved holding effect.

Women with long hair often use a hair bundling device to secure hair into a bundle. There are various types of hair bundling devices, such as an elastic band in the form of a continuous loop that can be folded several times to secure hair in a bundle. However, a relatively high force is required to apply the elastic band to a bundle of hair so that the folded elastic band can provide the hair holding effect under the action of its elasticity.

FIG. 8 shows a hair bundling device disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,495,861. The hair bundling device includes a body member 1′ configured in a generally spiral manner from proximate a main axis of the device to an opening 11′ for receiving hair. Portions of the body member that are radially adjacent to each other with respect to the main axis present confronting surfaces for applying pressure to hair and define a generally spirally shaped hair-receiving volume. In use, a user grips a hair bundle 2′ and inserts the hair bundle 2′ into the opening 11′. Then, the user rotates the body member 1′ until the hair bundle 2′ is received in an spiral inner portion 12′ of the body member 1′, as shown in FIG. 9. The hair bundle 2′ is held in place by the elasticity of the body member 1′. Operation of the hair bundling device is force-saving than the elastic band.

However, when the user moves her body, the body member 1′ is apt to vibrate and rotates in a reverse direction, failing to securely hold the hair 2′ in the spiral inner portion 12′. Thus, the body member 1′ is liable to disengage from the hair 2′.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

An objective of the present invention is to provide a spiral hair bundling device providing a better hair holding effect.

A hair bundling device according to the present invention includes a body that is flexible and spiral. The body has a spiral configuration defining a spiral space delimited by confronting surfaces of the spiral configuration. The spiral space is adapted to receive a bundle of hair of a user. The bundle of hair of the user is adapted to be held by the confronting surfaces of the spiral configuration. The body is substantially elliptic and has a major axis and a minor axis. The body includes an outer spiral portion and an inner spiral portion. The outer spiral portion includes an opening at an inner side of a front end of the outer spiral portion. An elliptic outer hair passage is defined between the outer spiral portion and the inner spiral portion. The body further includes an elliptic inner hair holding passage extending from the elliptic outer hair holding passage to an inner end of the spiral configuration. The elliptic outer hair holding passage includes at least one hair clamping section having a reduced width. The bundle of hair of the user is adapted to pass through the opening and the elliptic outer hair passage into the elliptic inner hair holding passage by elasticity of the body.

In a form shown, the body includes hair clamping sections located on the major axis of the body. A width of the elliptic outer hair passage along the major axis is smaller than a width of the elliptic outer hair passage along the minor axis. The elliptic inner hair holding passage is located between the hair clamping sections.

The present invention will become clearer in light of the following detailed description of illustrative embodiments of this invention described in connection with the drawings.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a hair bundling device according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a top view of the hair bundling device of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a schematic view illustrating use of the hair bundling device of FIG. 1 on a bundle of hair of a user.

FIG. 4 is a top view illustrating use of the hair bundling device of FIG. 1 on the bundle of hair of the user.

FIG. 5 is a view similar to FIG. 4, with the hair bundling device rotated such that the hair bundle passes through a hair clamping section of the hair bundling device.

FIG. 6 is a view similar to FIG. 5, with the hair bundling device further rotated such that the hair bundle passes through another hair clamping section of the hair bundling device.

FIG. 7 is a view similar to FIG. 6, with the hair bundling device further rotated such that the hair bundle reaches an elliptic inner hair holding passage of the hair bundling device.

FIG. 8 is a top view of a conventional hair bundling device.

FIG. 9 is a view similar to FIG. 8, illustrating use of the hair bundling device.

FIG. 10 is a view similar to FIG. 9, illustrating rotation of the hair bundling device in a reverse direction.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

With reference to FIGS. 1-3, a hair bundling device according to the present invention includes a body 1 that is flexible and spiral. The body 1 has a spiral configuration defining a spiral space delimited by confronting surfaces of the spiral configuration. The spiral space is adapted to receive a bundle of hair (hair bundle) 2 of a user. The hair bundle 2 of the user is adapted to be held by the confronting surfaces of the spiral configuration. The body 1 is substantially elliptic and has a major axis a and a minor axis b. The body 1 includes an outer spiral portion 11 and an inner spiral portion 12. The outer spiral portion 11 includes an opening 13 at an inner side of a front end of the outer spiral portion 11 corresponding to a center of the major axis a. An elliptic outer hair passage 14 is defined between the outer spiral portion 11 and the inner spiral portion 12. The body 1 further includes an elliptic inner hair holding passage 15 extending from the elliptic outer hair holding passage 14 to an inner end of the spiral configuration. A width of the elliptic outer hair passage 14 along the major axis a is smaller than a width of the elliptic outer hair passage 14 along the minor axis b. The elliptic outer hair passage 14 includes two hair clamping sections 16 located on the major axis of the body 1. Each hair clamping section 16 has a reduced width. The elliptic inner hair holding passage 15 is located between the hair clamping sections 16.

With reference to FIGS. 3 and 4, in use, a user holds the body 1 with one hand and holds the hair bundle 2 with the other. The user can expand the outer spiral portion 11 to allow the hair bundle 2 to enter the elliptic outer hair passage 14, as shown in FIG. 4. Then, the user can rotate the body 1 relative to the hair bundle 2. The elasticity of the body 1 allows the hair clamping sections 16 to expand, permitting the hair bundle 2 of the user to pass through the elliptic outer hair passage 14 into the elliptic inner hair holding passage 15. The hair bundle 2 can be securely held by the elasticity of side walls of the elliptic inner hair holding passage 15 of the spiral configuration.

After the hair bundle device is applied to the hair of the user, in a case that the user moves her body and causes vibration of the body 1, if the body 1 rotates in a reverse direction, the hair bundle 2 rotates together with the body 1 because the inner hair holding passage 15 is elliptic, preventing the body 1 from falling from the hair bundle 2. Furthermore, since the rotational force of the body 1 resulting from the vibration is far less than the expanding forces of the hair clamping sections 16 exerted by the hand of the user rotating the body 1, the hair bundle 2 can be restrained by the hair clamping sections 16 with a reduced width rather than moving to the elliptic outer hair holding passage 14, further preventing the body 1 from falling from the hair bundle 2. Thus, the hair bundling device according to the present invention provides a long-term wearing effect and a stable wearing effect. Further, the two hair clamping sections 16 are located on the major axis a of the body 1 and are on opposite sides of the elliptic inner hair holding passage 15, further preventing the body 1 from disengaging from the hair bundle 2.

Although specific embodiments have been illustrated and described, numerous modifications and variations are still possible without departing from the scope of the invention. The scope of the invention is limited by the accompanying claims.

Claims

1. A hair bundling device comprising:

a body, with the body being flexible and spiral, with the body having a spiral configuration defining a spiral space delimited by confronting surfaces of the spiral configuration, with the spiral space adapted to receive a bundle of hair of a user, with the bundle of hair of the user adapted to be held by the confronting surfaces of the spiral configuration, with the body being substantially elliptic and having a major axis and a minor axis, with the body including an outer spiral portion and an inner spiral portion, with the outer spiral portion including an opening at an inner side of a front end of the outer spiral portion, with an elliptic outer hair passage defined between the outer spiral portion and the inner spiral portion, with the body further including an elliptic inner hair holding passage extending from the elliptic outer hair holding passage to an inner end of the spiral configuration, with the elliptic outer hair holding passage including at least one hair clamping section having a reduced width, with the bundle of hair of the user adapted to pass through the opening and the elliptic outer hair passage into the elliptic inner hair holding passage by elasticity of the body.

2. The hair bundling device as claimed in claim 1, with the at least one hair clamping section including two hair clamping sections, with each of the two hair clamping sections located on the major axis of the body, with a width of the elliptic outer hair passage along the major axis smaller than a width of the elliptic outer hair passage along the minor axis, with the elliptic inner hair holding passage located between the two hair clamping sections.