Hair highlighting tool

Abstract

A method of applying hair treatment agents such as bleach, colorants and highlighters to a predetermined number of isolated or segregated sections of hair within a larger body of hair, the method comprising the following steps: obtaining a hair highlighting device having a main body reservoir portion extending the width of the hair highlighting device, the main body reservoir portion defined by at least 2 end portions, 2 elongated sidewalls and an opening along an upper portion, the main body reservoir portion having a lower channel with an essentially V-shaped cross-section and a plurality of lower openings located within the channel, the hair highlighting device further having a plurality of rollers coupled within the lower openings in the channel at the bottom of the main body reservoir portion and a plurality of hair gripping teeth extending downward from the openings at the bottom of the hollow main body reservoir portion, the plurality of teeth each having hair gripping apparatus at a lower end of the teeth; contacting the main body of hair with the hair highlighting device such that hair is captured by the plurality of hair gripping teeth and the captured hair is segregated from the main body of hair; and contacting the segregated portions of hair against the plurality of rollers, thereby transferring hair treatment agent from the main body reservoir portion across the plurality of rollers to the captured hair as desired.

Description

RELATED APPLICATIONS

This Application is related to U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 60/522,199 filed Aug. 31, 2004 entitled FAST AND EASY HIGH LIGHTER, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety, and claims any and all benefits to which it is entitled therefrom.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates generally to color treatment of human hair, and more particularly, to an improved method and apparatus to color and/or highlight hair directly and selectively using a hair strands gripping device with a mechanical dispensing roller mechanism for applying a controlled amount of dye to selected portions of hair.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Highlighting is a hair coloring technique to add from subtle to intense colored hair streaks to human hair. The concept of highlighting is to color-dye and/or bleach only selected strands of hair, apart from others. Different and desirable visual effects can by attained by selecting different shades of color dye/bleach and hair strands for application.

Hair highlighting is a relatively advanced hair coloring skill and used to be performed exclusively at hair salons by trained hair stylists and colorists. In the traditional process, hair stylists use the tip of a special comb to selectively pick strands of hair for color treatment. The zigzag movement of the comb tip that resembles knitting movement ensures alternate strands of hair are being picked up and treated. Color dye is then applied to those selected hair strands, thus providing the multi-colored effect commonly associated with highlights. This method requires advanced hair styling skills including picking the right strands of hair, zigzag knitting motion, application of dye on hair strands etc., and cannot be properly performed by untrained individuals.

Like coloring, self hair highlighting is becoming more popular with the help of convenient and easy-to-use self highlighting products. One of the most common products to facilitate self highlighting is the highlighting cap. It resembles a regular rubber or plastic shower cap except it has small holes all over the cap area. Users can simply pull hair strands through those holes by placing a hook, which is usually also provided in the highlighting kit, flat against the cap and then pulling a plurality of tufts or strands of hair, i.e. more than one, out of the holes. Users will then color treat hair tufts or strands that have been pulled out. This method eliminates the requirement of styling skills. However, this process results in a random selection of strands or tufts of hair, i.e., users can only guess the location of hair strands that are pulled out and colored since the entire head is covered by highlight cap. This might make designing highlighting pattern difficult. Also, since color dye is still applied by a brush manually, it bears the same disadvantages as traditional highlighting methods.

A highlighting tool called “strander” was introduced by major color products manufacturers. The strander takes the shape of an upright hair brush with teeth on it. Users will apply color dye on the teeth and subsequently brush it through hair strands. It can create streaks of colored hair efficiently. However, it has no precise control of which strands of hair to color and spill-over to other hair strands is very common. Moreover, the amount of color dye being applied to hair strands is very difficult to control. Using these types of devices commonly result in uneven distribution of dye.

Another highlighting tool that is available in the market is called a braid comb. It is a double-sided hair comb with two different teeth patterns. By combing through hair on both sides consecutively, strands of hair will be separated. Again, users then apply color dye on separated hair strands with a separate brush previously loaded with bleach creme rinse or coloring agent.

ADVANTAGES AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

One object and advantage of the present invention is to provide a faster highlight process. The present invention takes almost less than half the time that is spent currently on a traditional procedure to complete a hair highlight.

Another object and advantage is to lessen or eliminate fume emission. Unlike the current procedure which color dye is stored in an open container where users, recipient and people in the immediate surrounding are at risk of inhaling the chemical, the present invention eliminates that risk because the color dye is stored and coming out of a closed container.

Yet another object and advantage is to provide an easier, more desirable and more convenient method of highlighting. It is less critical to select the right amount of hair to be highlighted. The amount of hair to be used is automatically adjusted to pick hair strands at the pre-determined width and separates them at equidistance from each other.

Another object and advantage is to provide a hair highlighter/highlighting tool that can be used by salon professionals and equally effective by non-professional individuals. Thus the present invention can be sold to salons, beauty supply stores and other stores that carry cosmetic products.

Another object and advantage is to provide a drip-proof or otherwise non-dripping highlighter tool. Unlike current highlighting procedures, the present invention minimizes and/or eliminates any dripping of hair bleach or coloring agent on the floors or clothing.

Yet another object and advantage is to ensure even color highlights distribution on the hair. The traditional method of using a brush to transfer color dye from the bowl would saturate hair with color dye on one spot particularly near the ends and miss other spots particularly near hair roots. The present invention ensure evenly distributed color from hair roots till the ends.

Another object and advantage is to provide a less complicated highlighting process. The hair highlighting tool 100 of the present invention selects and grabs the predetermined and right amount of hair and colors it at the same time, and eliminates the need for the traditional method of using the tail of a special comb to pick up strands of hair to be colored and then using a brush to transfer color dye from the bowl.

Another object and advantage is to provide a hair highlighting process requiring less labor.

Thus, the present invention is a hair highlighting device for applying hair treatment or coloring agent to selected hair strands within a main body of hair, the hair highlighting device having a predetermined width and comprising: a main body reservoir portion extending the width of the hair highlighting device, the main body reservoir portion defined by at least 2 end portions, 2 elongated sidewalls and an opening along an upper portion, the main body reservoir portion having a lower channel with an essentially V-shaped cross-section and a plurality of lower openings located within the channel; a plurality of rollers coupled within the lower openings in the channel at the bottom of the main body reservoir portion; and a plurality of hair gripping teeth extending downward from the openings at the bottom of the hollow main body reservoir portion, the plurality of teeth each having hair gripping apparatus at a lower end of the teeth such that hair captured by the plurality of hair gripping teeth is segregated from the main body of hair and allowed to contact the plurality of rollers, thereby transferring fluid hair treatment or coloring agent from the main body reservoir portion across the plurality of rollers to the captured hair as desired.

The hair highlighting device of the present invention further comprises a handle portion coupled to the main body reservoir portion.

The highlighting device of the present invention further comprises an adjusting rod member having 2 ends, one end attached to a manual control portion and the other end coupled to the plurality of hair gripping teeth, wherein the amount of hair treatment or coloring agent transferred to the segregated hair can be adjusted.

The hair highlighting device of the present invention further comprises a handle portion coupled to the main body reservoir portion, the manual control portion mounted on the handle portion.

The hair highlighting device of the present invention further comprises a lid portion coupled across the opening along the upper portion in which the main body reservoir portion comprises a lid portion.

The hair highlighting device of the present invention further comprises cylindrical roller device(s) which rotate both in clockwise and anti-clockwise directions along an axis perpendicular to the length of the main body reservoir portion.

The hair highlighting device of the present invention in which each hair gripping device further comprises a plurality of leg portions.

In a preferred embodiment of the present invention each hair gripping device further comprises a plurality of inward-opening flexible doors.

In a preferred embodiment of the present invention the flexible doors open inwardly upon an externally applied downward pressure on the device.

In a preferred embodiment of the present invention the flexible doors return to their original position when an externally applied downward pressure on the device is removed.

In a preferred embodiment of the present invention the flexible doors further comprise biasing means to return to their original position.

In a preferred embodiment of the present invention the biasing means comprises a spring member.

In a preferred embodiment of the present invention the adjusting button device controls the length of the adjusting rod member.

In a preferred embodiment of the present invention the rollers are cylindrically-shaped.

In a preferred embodiment of the present invention the rollers are ball-shaped.

The present invention is also a method of applying hair treatment agents such as bleach, colorants and highlighters to a predetermined number of isolated or segregated sections of hair within a larger body of hair, the method comprising the following steps: obtaining a hair highlighting device having a main body reservoir portion extending the width of the hair highlighting device, the main body reservoir portion defined by at least 2 end portions, 2 elongated sidewalls and an opening along an upper portion, the main body reservoir portion having a lower channel with an essentially V-shaped cross-section and a plurality of lower openings located within the channel, the hair highlighting device further having a plurality of rollers coupled within the lower openings in the channel at the bottom of the main body reservoir portion and a plurality of hair gripping teeth extending downward from the openings at the bottom of the hollow main body reservoir portion, the plurality of teeth each having hair gripping apparatus at a lower end of the teeth; contacting the main body of hair with the hair highlighting device such that hair is captured by the plurality of hair gripping teeth and the captured hair is segregated from the main body of hair; and contacting the segregated portions of hair against the plurality of rollers, thereby transferring hair treatment agent from the main body reservoir portion across the plurality of rollers to the captured hair as desired.

Further objects and advantages of the present invention will be come apparent through the following descriptions, and will be included and incorporated herein.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a representative top view of a preferred embodiment of a hair highlighting tool 10 of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a representative front view of a preferred embodiment of a hair highlighting tool 10 of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a representative side view of a preferred embodiment of a hair highlighting tool 10 of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a representative partial cross section view taken thru lines 4-4 of a preferred embodiment of a hair highlighting tool 10 of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

The description that follows is presented to enable one skilled in the art to make and use the present invention, and is provided in the context of a particular application and its requirements. Various modifications to the disclosed embodiments will be apparent to those skilled in the art, and the general principals discussed below may be applied to other embodiments and applications without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention. Therefore, the invention is not intended to be limited to the embodiments disclosed, but the invention is to be given the largest possible scope which is consistent with the principals and features described herein.

It will be understood that in the event parts of different embodiments have similar functions or uses, they may have been given similar or identical reference numerals and descriptions. It will be understood that such duplication of reference numerals is intended solely for efficiency and ease of understanding the present invention, and are not to be construed as limiting in any way, or as implying that the various embodiments themselves are identical.

FIG. 1 is a representative top view of a preferred embodiment of a hair highlighting tool 10 of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a representative front view of a preferred embodiment of a hair highlighting tool 10 of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 1, the hair highlighting tool 10 of the present invention comprises a handle 14 portion and main body 12 portion. In a preferred embodiment, handle 10 is coupled, mechanically with or without adhesive, to horizontally the middle of main body portion 12 to retain the proper balance or weighting during application of hair highlighting tool 10 of the present invention.

The main function of handle 14 is to provide a hand grip for user(s) during application. The shape of main body 12 resembles a hair comb with teeth. In a preferred embodiment, the top portion of main body 12 is a hollow container wherein hair dye and/or other liquid form hair products can be stored for different applications.

As best shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, in a preferred embodiment, one or more teeth 11 are held in place by tooth slits 15 and rod/rigid wire 18 collectively. The quantity, width, length and distance d between adjacent teeth 11 are all flexible and could be customized according to requirements. In a preferred embodiment, teeth 11 comprise a pair of identical or different main legs 22a and 22b. Main legs 22a and 22b take the shape of a thin elongated strip of metal or plastic. The width and thickness of main legs 22a and 22b must be smaller than those of slits 15 located at the bottom of main body 12 with a comfortable clearance on all four sides. In order to hold main legs 22a and 22b in place and attached to the bottom of main body 12, main legs 22a and 22b of each tooth structure 11 extend through respective slits 15. Each end of main legs 22a and 22b are then secured rigidly to the rod portion or wire 18, as best shown in FIG. 2.

As shown in FIG. 2, the bottom end of each main leg 22a and 22b is attached to side hinge 25a and subsequently to horizontal flexible doors 23a and 23b, respectively. In a preferred embodiment, the pair of flexible doors 23a and 23b together with main legs 22a and 22b and the bottom of main body 12 form an enclosed chamber region 28. Side hinges 25a allows flexible doors 23a and 23b to open inward when being pushed. In a preferred embodiment, flexible doors 23a and 23b automatically return to the starting position when the applying pressure is taken off or reduced. Thus, a predetermined number of strands of hair are selected and contained within the chamber regions 28. The cross-sectional area of chambers 28 entirely depends on the length of portion of main legs 22a and 22b that is outside main body or handle housing portion 12.

In a preferred embodiment, adjusting button 16 is installed on handle 14. The main function of adjusting button 16 is to adjust the length of rigid wire 18, which will in turn lift up and/or push down tooth structure(s) 11 in and/or out of main body 12. The adjusting button 16 is attached to the end of rigid wire 18. Thus, as adjusting button is pushed towards direction A as shown in FIG. 1, rigid wire 18 will travel the same distance towards direction A. Additionally, as adjusting button is pulled back opposite direction A, rigid rod/wire 18 will travel the same distance away from direction A. Adjusting button 16 can be a simple sliding button along the length of handle 14 or other mechanical locking or notched sliding assemblies that are known in the art. As best shown in FIG. 2, when adjusting button 16 is pushed towards direction A, rigid wire 18 will be pulled towards the same direction and consequently pull main legs 23a and 23b up and inside main body 12. As a result, the area of chamber 28 will be reduced.

As shown in FIG. 1, one or more rollers 20 is installed within each tooth structure 11 and centered between main legs 22a and 22b. In a preferred embodiment, rollers 20 are in cylindrical shape and are laid horizontally and nested inside openings located at along the length of the bottom of main body 12. In a preferred embodiment, the length of each roller 20 should be slightly smaller than the distance between adjacent pair of main legs 22a and 22b. The diameter of each roller 20 is such that it fits well inside corresponding nesting hole and leaves dispense slots 26a and 26b on both sides of roller 20.

FIG. 3 is a representative side view of a preferred embodiment of a hair highlighting tool 10 of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 3, main body 12 is a hollow, channel-like structure with a funnel-shaped cross-section. A chamber region 28 contains a pre-loaded amount of creme bleach, rinse or color. In a preferred embodiment, when rod wire 18 is being pulled towards direction A by adjusting button 16, main legs 22a and 22b will be pulled vertically upwards inside main body 12 along track 30a and 30b respectively. As a result, the area of chamber 28 will be reduced.

FIG. 4 is a representative partial cross section view taken thru lines 4-4 of a preferred embodiment of a hair highlighting tool 10 of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 4, hair color dye 28 and/or other liquid form hair products can be stored in the hollow chamber of main body 12. Hollow chamber of main body 12 can be refilled through its top opening 29. Optionally, a lid 31 can be secured mechanically to cover top opening 29 during application. In a preferred embodiment, the only exit of hair color dye 28 is to leak out by gravity through dispense slots 26a and 26b, which are clearances on both side of roller 20. The flowing rate of hair color dye 28 through dispense slots 26a and 26b depends on viscosity of hair color dye 28, width of dispense slots 26a and 26b and rotation rate of roller 20. When roller 20 is rotating through hair color dye 28, it will facilitate flowing of hair dye 28 by breaking the surface tension of hair color dye 28 at the opening of dispense slots 26a and 26b and carrying hair color dye 28 on its surface.

When a hair highlighting tool 10 of the present invention is being dragged/combed through hair strands, some hair strands goes in the space between tooth structures 11 and some will be pressed against flexible doors 23a and 23b of tooth structures 11. Due to downward pressure applied during combing motion, some hair strands that are pressed against flexible doors 23a and/or 23b will open up those flexible doors 23a and/or 23b and enter chamber 28. Thereafter, flexible doors 23a and 23b, optionally spring-loaded or biased into a closed position (as shown best in FIG. 2), will return to their respective starting position. Thus, hair which had previously entered chamber 28 becomes trapped. Trapped hair strands will be in contact with roller 20 and dispense slots 26a and 26b, thus resulting in transfer of the treating or coloring solution to the hair.

If user applies pressure on adjusting button 16 after some hair strands are trapped in chamber 28, wire 18 will be shortened and pull up tooth structure 11 and reduce the area of chamber 28. As a result, trapped hair strands will be pressed against roller 20 and exert more perpendicular pressure on roller 20. Together with the combing motion which is parallel to the direction of trapped hair strands, roller 20 will be set to rotate either clockwise or anticlockwise depending on the direction of combing motion. However, rotation of either direction will dispense hair color dye 28 through dispense slots 26a and 26b and on the surface of roller 20 as previously described. This results in application of hair treatment or color dye 28 to trapped hair strands. User can repeat combing motion back and forth along hair strands to make sure adequate hair treatment or color dye 28 is applied. User can also determine portion of hair strands to be colored by not combing through the entire length of trapped hair strands.

Consequently, only trapped hair strands are colored while hair strands that went through space between tooth structures 11 unaffected. If the process is repeated to the whole head of hair, individual hair strands of recipient will be dyed randomly and thus “Highlighted”.

Unless defined otherwise, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which the present invention belongs. Although any methods and materials similar or equivalent to those described can be used in the practice or testing of the present invention, preferred methods and materials are now described. All publications and patent documents referenced in the present invention are incorporated herein by reference.

While the principles of the invention have been made clear in illustrative embodiments, there will be immediately obvious to those skilled in the art many modifications of structure, arrangement, proportions, the elements, materials, and components used in the practice of the invention, and otherwise, which are particularly adapted to specific environments and operative requirements without departing from those principles. The appended claims are intended to cover and embrace any and all such modifications, with the limits only of the true purview, spirit and scope of the invention.

Claims

1. A hair highlighting device for applying hair treatment or coloring agent to selected hair strands within a main body of hair, the hair highlighting device having a predetermined width and comprising:

a main body reservoir portion extending the width of the hair highlighting device, the main body reservoir portion defined by at least 2 end portions, 2 elongated sidewalls and an opening along an upper portion, the main body reservoir portion having a lower channel with an essentially V-shaped cross-section and a plurality of lower openings located within the channel;

a plurality of rollers coupled within the lower openings in the channel at the bottom of the main body reservoir portion; and

a plurality of hair gripping teeth extending downward from the openings at the bottom of the hollow main body reservoir portion, the plurality of teeth each having hair gripping apparatus at a lower end of the teeth such that hair captured by the plurality of hair gripping teeth is segregated from the main body of hair and allowed to contact the plurality of rollers, thereby transferring fluid hair treatment or coloring agent from the main body reservoir portion across the plurality of rollers to the captured hair as desired.

2. The hair highlighting device of claim 1 further comprising a handle portion coupled to the main body reservoir portion.

3. The highlighting device of claim 1, further comprising an adjusting rod member having 2 ends, one end attached to a manual control portion and the other end coupled to the plurality of hair gripping teeth, wherein the amount of hair treatment or coloring agent transferred to the segregated hair can be adjusted.

4. The hair highlighting device of claim 3 further comprising a handle portion coupled to the main body reservoir portion, the manual control portion mounted on the handle portion.

5. The hair highlighting device of claim 1, further comprising a lid portion coupled across the opening along the upper portion in which the main body reservoir portion comprises a lid portion.

6. The hair highlighting device of claim 1 in which the cylindrical roller device(s) rotate both in clockwise and anti-clockwise directions along an axis perpendicular to the length of the main body reservoir portion.

7. The hair highlighting device of claim 1 in which each hair gripping device further comprises a plurality of leg portions.

8. The hair highlighting device of claim 1 in which each hair gripping device further comprises a plurality of inward-opening flexible doors.

9. The hair gripping device of claim 6 in which the flexible doors open inwardly upon an externally applied downward pressure on the device.

10. The hair gripping device of claim 6 in which the flexible doors return to their original position when an externally applied downward pressure on the device is removed.

11. The hair gripping device of claim 6 in which the flexible doors further comprise biasing means to return to their original position.

12. The hair gripping device of claim 11 in which the biasing means comprises a spring member.

13. The hair highlighting device of claim 1 in which the adjusting button device controls the length of the adjusting rod member.

14. The hair highlighting device of claim 1 in which the rollers are cylindrically-shaped.

15. The hair highlighting device of claim 1 in which the rollers are ball-shaped.

16. A method of applying hair treatment agents such as bleach, colorants and highlighters to a predetermined number of isolated or segregated sections of hair within a larger body of hair, the method comprising the following steps:

obtaining a hair highlighting device having a main body reservoir portion extending the width of the hair highlighting device, the main body reservoir portion defined by at least 2 end portions, 2 elongated sidewalls and an opening along an upper portion, the main body reservoir portion having a lower channel with an essentially V-shaped cross-section and a plurality of lower openings located within the channel, the hair highlighting device further having a plurality of rollers coupled within the lower openings in the channel at the bottom of the main body reservoir portion and a plurality of hair gripping teeth extending downward from the openings at the bottom of the hollow main body reservoir portion, the plurality of teeth each having hair gripping apparatus at a lower end of the teeth;

contacting the main body of hair with the hair highlighting device such that hair is captured by the plurality of hair gripping teeth and the captured hair is segregated from the main body of hair; and

contacting the segregated portions of hair against the plurality of rollers, thereby transferring hair treatment agent from the main body reservoir portion across the plurality of rollers to the captured hair as desired.