Salon shampoo bed

Abstract

A shampoo bed used in a hair salon to wash the hair of customers before their hair is cut and styled. The shampoo bed is positioned adjacent a prior art sink unit so that when the customer lays on the shampoo bed the customer's head is positioned over the basin without the customer being required to excessively tilt his/her head back. The salon shampoo bed includes an elongated main cushioned portion, a frame portion that extends the length of the main cushioned portion. The cushioned portion further includes a shampoo end that in use is in abutting communication with the engaging end of the sink unit. The shampoo bed further includes an extension member pivotally mounted to an end of the frame portion, and pivot means to engage the extension member in a preferred position for application of the shampoo bed, and a second position for preferred non-use of the shampoo bed. The shampoo bed can further include a cushioned member selectively positioned on the cushioned portion, and vibrating means disposed within the shampoo end creating a vibrating effect to the customer's back and shoulders area during use.

Description

CROSS REFERENCES TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

U.S. Provisional Application for Pat. No. 60/556,948, filed Mar. 29, 2004, with title “Salon Shampoo Bed” which is hereby incorporated by reference. Applicant claims priority pursuant to 35 U.S.C. Par. 119(e)(i).

STATEMENT AS TO RIGHTS TO INVENTIONS MADE UNDER FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT

Not Applicable

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

This invention relates generally to hair salon equipment and more specifically it relates to a salon shampoo bed.

2. Brief Description of Prior Art

Numerous hair and beauty parlor equipment have been provided in prior art which are sinks and adjustable recliner chairs used to wash the hair of customers before their hair is cut and styled. The commonly used salon shampoo chair at present is generally separate from the sink or basin and is positioned adjacent the sink so that the customer sitting in the chair is required to lay his/her head back over the chair and into the basin. In this position, the stylist can rinse the customer's hair over the basin. While these shampoo chairs of the prior art may be suitable for the purpose of placing the customer's hair for washing, they are not particular designed towards customer comfort since the customer is required to tilt his/her head back sufficient to reach his/her head over the chair and into the basin, and then maintain his/her head in this position until the hair is washed and toweled.

The above described problems associated with conventional or prior art recliner chairs used in hair salons are overcome by the shampoo bed of the present invention.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is a shampoo bed used in a hair salon to wash the hair of customers before their hair is cut and styled. The shampoo bed of the present invention is positioned adjacent the sink so that when the customer lays on the shampoo bed the customer's head is positioned over the basin without the customer being required to excessively tilt his/her head back. The shampoo bed includes an elongated cushioned portion, a frame portion to support the cushioned portion, and an extension member pivotally mounted to an end of the frame portion.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

A preferred embodiment of the invention, illustrative of the best mode in which applicant has contemplated applying the principles of the invention, is set forth in the following description and drawings and will be particularly and distinctly pointed out and set forth in the claims of the formal application.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a preferred embodiment of the present invention, a salon shampoo bed, with the extension member in an up position.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the salon shampoo bed of FIG. 1, with the extension member in a down position.

FIG. 3 is an enlarged sectional view of an alternative embodiment of the cushioned portion of the salon shampoo bed.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

FIGS. 1-2 illustrate a preferred embodiment of a salon shampoo bed 1 made in accordance with the present invention. In general, the shampoo bed 1 is used in a hair salon to wash the hair of customers before their hair is cut and styled. The shampoo bed 1 is positioned adjacent a prior art sink unit 100 so that when the customer lays on the shampoo bed 1 the customer's head is positioned over the basin 100 without the customer being required to excessively tilt his/her bed back.

The prior art sink unit 100 has a plurality of controls (not shown) for supplying hot water, cold water and sometimes shampoo dispenser that is controlled by an operator (not shown). The sink unit 100 generally further includes an engaging end 110 that, as will be discussed, abuts the shampoo bed 1.

The shampoo bed 1 includes an elongated, main cushioned portion 11 having a generally rectangular configuration, and a frame portion 10 that extends the length of the main cushioned portion 11 so as to support the cushioned portion 11. The cushioned portion 11 further includes a shampoo end 15. In application, the shampoo end 15 is positioned in abutting communication with the engaging end 110 of the sink unit 100.

The shampoo bed 1 further includes an extension member 21 pivotally mounted to an end 20 of the frame portion 10. In particular, the shampoo bed 1 includes pivot means known in the art (not shown) in order to engage the extension member 21 in a first, up position as illustrated in FIG. 1, and a second, down position as illustrated in FIG. 2. As will be further discussed, in the up position, the extension member 21 and the cushioned portion 11 are on an axis. In the down position, the extension member 21 is disposed at an approximate 90 degree angle in relation to the cushioned portion 11.

In the first position as shown in FIG. 1, the shampoo bed 1 is in the preferred position for application. A customer (not shown) can lay on the shampoo bed 1 with his/her shoulders resting on the approximate shampoo end 15 of the cushioned portion 11, and the customer's neck resting approximately on the engaging end 110 of the basin 100, with the customers head positioned over the basin 100. The customer's legs rest generally on the extension member 21. In this position, the customer is able to comfortably rest on the shampoo bed 1 while the stylist rinses the customer's hair over the basin before the customers hair is cut and styled. A cushioned member 30 is preferably positioned under the customer's legs for added comfort and support to the customer's lower back.

In many salons, there is often limited floor space, and therefore concerns with utilizing floor space and organizing salon equipment so that the customer can easily travel through the salon without bumping into the equipment. In the second position as shown in FIG. 2, the shampoo bed 1 is in the preferred position for non-use or storage. In the second position, the extension member 21 is in the down position. In this regard, the shampoo bed 1 obviously takes up less floor space.

Referring to FIG. 3 is an enlarged sectional view of the top surface 11A of the cushioned portion 11. To add further comfort features to the shampoo bed 1 during use, the shampoo bed 1 can include, disposed at the approximate shampoo end 15, a vibrating means 40 that causes a vibrating effect to the customer's back and shoulder area while the customer is lying on the shampoo bed 1 during use. With this included embodiment, a cavity area 42 is disposed within the shampoo end 15 of the cushioned portion 11 at the approximate locations where the customers shoulders and back will rest during use as described above. Preferably, a hollow pouch 44 is disposed within the cavity 42. As is understood, the hollow pouch 44 includes opening means 45 that is known in the art for access to the contents of the hollow pouch 44. Likewise, the shampoo end 15 includes opening means 17 that is known in the art for access to the contents, including the hollow pouch 44, disposed within the cavity 42. The opening means 17 may be a zipper, material marketed under the name VELCRO, or like attach/release means available on the market.

A plurality of vibrating units 46 are positioned within the hollow pouch 44. The units 46 can be powered by electrical or battery power means known in the art. Appropriate wiring and wiring connections 48 for the power means are disposed within the cavity 42 and hollow pouch 44 and extends from the shampoo bed 1 to an external power supply (not shown).

The vibrating units 46 are preferably micro or mini-motors known in the art. The units 46 generally comprising a body 47, a rod 48 extending from the body 47, and a rotor 49 that extends from the rod 48. The body 47 of the units 46 are positioned in communication with the inner surface of the hollow pouch 44; and, the outer surface of the pouch 44 is in communication with the inner surface of the top surface 11A of the shampoo end 15. In application, power to the vibrating units 46 will cause the rotors 49 to spin. The rapidly spinning rotors 49 causes each of the rotors' respective bodies to oscillate. The oscillating body of each of the plurality of units 46 create a vibrating effect through the surface of the shampoo end 15.

The frame portion 10 can further include an opening 12 (shown in FIG. 2) preferably disposed on a side 10A of the frame portion 10. At least one storage drawer 13 can be defined to slidingly fit within the opening or, a heated towel bend (not shown) known in the art can be disposed in the opening 12.

Although the description above contains many specificities, these should not be construed as limiting the scope of the invention but as merely providing illustrations of some of the presently preferred embodiments of this invention.

Thus the scope of the invention should be determined by the appended claims in the formal application and their legal equivalents, rather than by the examples given.

Claims

1. A salon shampoo bed comprising:

an elongated main cushioned portion,

a frame that extends the length of the main cushioned portion, said cushioned portion including a shampoo end,

an extension member pivotally mounted to an end of the frame,

pivot means in order to engage the extension member in a first position and a second position,

wherein when said extension member is in said first position the extension member and the main cushioned portion are on an axis, and

wherein when said extension member is in said second position the extension member is approximately perpendicular to the main cushioned portion.

2. The salon shampoo bed as recited in claim 1, further including a cushioned member selectively positioned along the main cushioned portion.

3. The salon shampoo bed as recited in claim 1, further including vibrating means disposed within the shampoo end of the main cushioned portion.

4. The salon shampoo bed as recited in claim 3, further including a cavity disposed within the shampoo end, said vibrating means disposed within the cavity.

5. The salon shampoo bed as recited in claim 1, wherein a side of said frame further includes an opening.

6. The salon shampoo bed as recited in claim 5, wherein at least one storage drawer is slidingly received within the opening.

7. The salon shampoo bed as recited in claim 5, wherein a heated towel bend is disposed in said opening.

8. A salon shampoo bed comprising:

a frame, an elongated main cushioned portion disposed on said frame, an extension member pivotally mounted to an end of the frame, said extension member having a first position and a second position, wherein said extension member and said main portion are on an axis in said first position and wherein said extension member is approximately perpendicular to said main cushioned portion in said second position, and

a cushioned member selectively disposed on said main cushioned portion.

9. The salon shampoo bed as recited in claim 8, further including vibrating means disposed within said main cushioned portion.

10. The salon shampoo bed as recited in claim 9, further including a cavity disposed within said main cushioned portion, said vibrating means disposed within the cavity.

11. The salon shampoo bed as recited in claim 8, wherein a side of said frame portion further includes an opening.

12. The salon shampoo bed as recited in claim 11, wherein at least one storage drawer is slidingly received within the opening.

13. The salon shampoo bed as recited in claim 11, wherein a heated towel bend is disposed in said opening.