Hairpiece having a headband

Abstract

A hairpiece for compensating for lack of hair length or thickness of a wearer due to illness or naturally occurring baldness or enhancing the appearance of such wearer includes a generally annular and at least partially elastic headband and hair affixed to a predetermined portion of the headband and extending outwardly therefrom in a predetermined direction. The hairpiece is worn by expand ably positioning the headband onto the head of such wearer and aligning the hair with a predetermined portion of such head of such wearer.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is related to and claims priory from Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 60/650,373 filed Feb. 4, 2005.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates, in general, to hairpieces, “hair extensions” and the like and, more particularly, this invention relates to hairpieces, “hair extensions” and the like that have hair strands attached to an expandable headband.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

As is generally well known hairpieces have been utilized extensively to compensate for lack of hair length or thickness due to illness or naturally occurring baldness or to enhance ones appearance.

One hairpiece type such as a full head wig, must be custom fitted to a wearer's head and generally must be pinned to a wearer's own hair or held with adhesives to avoid slippage when worn. Unfortunately, many wearers experience substantial hair loss which prevents them from pinning the wig.

Another hairpiece type which is being presently used to alleviate disadvantages of securing the full head wig utilizes a headband which is adapted to securely hold the hairpiece on the head of the wearer.

U.S. Pat. No. 5,657,774 to Niese discloses a hairpiece kit having a hairpiece and a headband. The hairpiece comprises a flexible net lace cap and strands of hair attached to and extending out from top of the net lace cap. The hairpiece is connected to the headband by using strips of attaching material that are attached onto the top of the headband and onto the bottom of the hairpiece, a hook strip and a loop strip respectively, simplifying separation of the hairpiece from and attachment of the hairpiece to the headband and diminishing costs. The headband extends from above one ear to above the other ear of the wearer, leaving any space behind the ears of the wearer free. The disadvantage of this prior art is that the headband is generally exposed when worn.

U.S. Pat. No. 5,551,452 to Barlow discloses an adjustable hairpiece construction which includes a filamentary support element formed into a loop so as to fit around the head of a wearer. Hair is affixed to the loop element so as to, in use, hang down therefrom. An adjustment assembly for adjusting the size of the loop includes an abutment member including first and second bores therethrough. Portions of the support element extend through each of the bores so that the abutment member is movable on the support element between stops at the ends of the latter. A releasable diameter fixing member is movable along the support element between fixed positions. In such a fixed position, and with one end of the abutment member in engagement with one of the stops, the fixing member engages the other end of the abutment member so as to fix the position of the abutment member and thus fix the size of the loop. The disadvantages of such prior art are that the hairpiece must be manually adjusted and that the end of the filamentary support protrudes beyond the abutment member and may be unattractively exposed when the hairpiece is worn.

U.S. Pat. No. 5,899,211 to Brown teaches a hairpiece which includes an independent extension of synthetic human hair secured at one end to a stretchable, twistable, and foldable elastic material that is joined end to end into a loop or band by way of connecting fastener. The opposite end of the extension can either be free or can be gathered and tied or otherwise bound. The elastic loop can be used to secure gathered actual hair of a user into, for example, a ponytail. The hair extension can then be wrapped around the elastic loop to hide it from view and give the impression that the hair extension is securing the ponytail in place. The hair extension can be selected to match one or more characteristics of the user's own hair but is generally limited for use as a ponytail.

Accordingly, the prior art hairpieces utilizing headbands fail to simplify and economically compensate for lack of hair length or thickness due to illness or naturally occurring boldness, enhance ones appearance or substantially hide the headband from view.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The invention provides a hairpiece for compensating for lack of hair length or thickness of a wearer due to illness or naturally occurring baldness or enhancing the appearance of such wearer. The hairpiece includes a generally annular and at least partially elastic headband. Hair is affixed to a predetermined portion of the headband and extends out in a predetermined direction. The hairpiece is worn by expendably positioning the headband onto the head of such wearer and aligning the hair with a predetermined portion of the head of such wearer.

OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION

It is, therefore, one of the primary objects of the present invention to provide a hairpiece having a headband which is used for cosmetically enhancing the wearer's own hair.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a hairpiece having a headband which can be secured on the head of a wearer without pins or adhesives.

Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a hairpiece having a headband which can be simply and easily applied and secured.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a hairpiece having a headband which can easily blend with the wearer's own hair.

Yet a further object of the present invention is to provide a hairpiece having a headband which can supplement the length and thickness of the wearer's own hair.

An additional object of the present invention is to provide a hairpiece having a headband wherein such headband can be hidden from view.

In addition to the several objects and advantages of the present invention which have been described with some degree of specificity above, various other objects and advantages of the invention will become more readily apparent to those persons who are skilled in the relevant art, particularly, when such description is taken in conjunction with the attached drawing Figures and with the appended claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a side elevation view of the hairpiece having a headband of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a side elevation view of the hairpiece of FIG. 1, particularly showing such hairpiece being worn under a hat; and

FIG. 3 is front elevation view of a hairpiece of the present invention particularly showing blending of such hairpiece with the wearer's own hair.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE VARIOUS EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION

Prior to proceeding to the more detailed description of the present invention, it should be noted that, for the sake of clarity and understanding, identical components which have identical functions have been identified with identical reference numerals throughout the several views illustrated in the drawing figures.

Reference is now made, to FIGS. 1-3, wherein there is shown a hairpiece, generally designated 10, worn on a head 4 of a wearer 2 for at least one of compensating for the lack of their own hair 6 or to enhance the appearance of the wearer 2.

Such hairpiece 10 includes a generally annular headband 12 at least partially having a predetermined elasticity and hair, generally designated 13, which is affixed to at least a portion of the headband 12 and extending out in a predetermined direction.

In particular reference to FIG. 1, the hairpiece 10 is worn by circumferentially and expendably positioning the headband 12 onto such head 4 of such wearer 2 and aligning the hair 13 with a predetermined portion of the head 4 of such wearer 2. It will be appreciated that headband 12, at least partially having a predetermined elasticity, will not require use of pins, glues or adhesives to be secured, which is advantageous for wearers who have lost a substantial amount of their own hair.

The headband 12 is preferably an elastic mesh or net manufactured from a material being one of cotton, wool, nylon, polyester and various combinations thereof, having such predetermined elasticity. In the presently preferred embodiment of the invention, the material of headband 12 is a stretchable cotton and more preferably a light weight stretchable cotton and nylon combination.

It will be appreciated that hair 13 is formed by a plurality of individual hair strands which, in the presently preferred embodiment of the invention, are securely sewn into the headband 12 with a thread 16. It will be appreciated that the hair 13 can be obtained in a preassembled configuration wherein a plurality of hair strands are bound together and then sewn onto the headband 12. Such preassembled configurations are available from a variety of different sources and are well known in the art.

The hair 13 may include straight hair strands 14, wavy or curly hair stands 18, braided hair strands 20 or a combination thereof. Additionally a plurality of braided strands 20 may be formed into what is well known as dreadlocks.

In the presently preferred embodiment, the hair 13 is a natural human hair which will enhance the appearance of the wearer 2 when worn. Alternatively, the hair 13 may be an artificial hair or certain animal hairs, well known in the art. Artificial hair 13 can be made of synthetic chemical fibers, such as either acrylic, vinyl chloride, polyester, polyamide or various combinations thereof.

The wearer 2 may select a color of hair 13 that is compatible to the color of the wearer's own hair 6 or to one that is in substantial contrast with the color of the wearer's own hair 6. Accordingly, the length, texture and thickness of the hair 13 may be selected to either compliment or contrast the hair 6 of the wearer 2.

Advantageously, the hair 13 may have an asymmetrical appearance when the hairpiece 10 is positioned on such head 4 of the wearer 2, as best illustrated in FIG. 3.

It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the hair 13 may substantially cover the periphery of the headband 12 which is advantageous in hiding the headband 12 from being viewed when worn. Alternatively, a portion of the headband 12 generally positioned over the forehead of such head 4 may be left exposed and may be viewed when worn.

It will be further apparent to those skilled in the art that the wearer 2 having their own hair 6 may wear hairpiece 10 by having their own hair 6 blending with the hair 13 of the hairpiece 10 and having a portion 22 of the headband 12, that does not have hair 13 attached thereto, positioned over the forehead portion of their head 4 or any other portion of the head 4 and exposed in relationship to their own hair 6.

Alternatively, as best shown in FIG. 2, the wearer 2, may decide to wear a hat or a scarf 20 to cover at least an exposed portion of the headband 12. This will be advantageous in hiding the fact that the hair 13, extending from such hat or scarf 24, is not a person's own hair 6 or to cover the transition between the hair 13 of the hairpiece 10 and the hair 6 of the wearer 2.

Thus, the present invention has been described in such full, clear, concise and exact terms as to enable any person skilled in the art to which it pertains to make and use the same. It will be understood that variations, modifications, equivalents and substitutions for components of the specifically described embodiments of the invention may be made by those persons who are skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as set forth in the appended claims.

Claims

1. A hairpiece comprising:

(a) a generally annular headband at least partially having a predetermined elasticity; and

(b) hair affixed to a predetermined portion of said headband and extending outwardly therefrom in a predetermined direction, whereby said hairpiece is worn by circumferentially and expand ably positioning said headband onto a head of a wearer and aligning said hair with a predetermined portion of such head of such wearer.

2. The hairpiece, according to claim 1, wherein said hair is one of straight, wavy, curly, braided, dreadlocked and various combination thereof.

3. The hairpiece, according to claim 1, wherein said hair is one of a human, artificial, horse and various combinations thereof.

4. The hairpiece, according to claim 1, wherein a length of said hair is one of equal and asymmetrical when said hairpiece is positioned on such head of such wearer.

5. The hairpiece, according to claim 1, wherein a material of said headband is one of cotton, wool, nylon, polyester and various combinations thereof.

6. The hairpiece, according to claim 5, wherein said material is a stretchable cotton.

7. The hairpiece, according to claim 5, wherein said material is a light weight stretchable cotton and nylon combination.

8. The hairpiece, according to claim 1, wherein said headband is one of an elastic mesh and net.

9. The hairpiece, according to claim 1, wherein said hair is sewn onto said headband.

10. The hairpiece, according to claim 1, wherein at least an exposed portion of said headband positioned on such head of such wearer is covered with one of a hat and scarf.

11. The hairpiece, according to claim 1, wherein said hair has a predetermined color.

12. The hairpiece, according to claim 11, wherein said predetermined color is one of complementing and contrasting a color of such wearer's own hair.

13. A method for at least one of compensating for lack of one of hair length and thickness of a wearer due to one of illness and naturally occurring baldness and enhancing an appearance of such wearer, said method comprising the steps of:

(a) providing a hairpiece having a generally annular and at least partially elastic headband and hair affixed to a predetermined portion of said headband and extending outwardly therefrom in a predetermined direction;

(b) expand ably positioning said headband onto such head of such wearer; and

(c) aligning said hair with a predetermined portion of such head of such wearer.

14. The method, according to claim 13, wherein said method further includes a step of wearing one of a hat and scarf for covering at least an exposed portion of said headband positioned on such head of such wearer in step (b).