Comb with a ball level and indicia

Abstract

A comb is provided that comprises a ball level with indicia designed to indicate the angles for the positions of the comb needed for cutting hair styles accurately. The ball level comprises a transparent, spherical container filled with a liquid and containing a bubble or marker that is lighter in weight than the liquid. The bubble always floats to the vertical top of the container in whatever position the container is placed. The ball level further comprises indicia, such as degree numbers and vertical and horizontal lines, that indicate angles. To position the comb at the proper angle for a hair style, the user holds the comb so that the bubble or marker moves to the correct indicia for that angle. Because the ball level is spherical, the indicia may be seen when the comb is held in many different positions.

Description

FIELD OF THE DISCLOSURE

The present invention relates to combs and more particularly to combs provided with a ball level for indicating degrees from an axis that are useful for cutting hair.

BACKGROUND

Cutting hair is typically done by means of specially designed cutting instruments, such as scissors and hair clippers, and a comb. For example, hair stylists, barbers, and average consumers often uses a comb to help guide a pair of scissors when cutting hair. The use of a comb to guide cutting is especially important for cuts made with hair clippers. Moreover, to achieve certain hair styles, it is often necessary to cut the hair to at a specific angle by holding the comb as closely as possible to that angle. For example, bangs typically must be cut at a horizontal angle.

Moreover, a hair stylist often follows a printed guide that suggests precise angles for cutting hair. FIG. 1, for example, suggests holding scissors at a 10° angle 4 from a vertical plane roughly paralleling the vertical surface of a person's head 2 for making a particular cut for a certain hair style. If the hair is not cut at the angle appropriate for a particular hair style, the person receiving the hair cut may be dissatisfied.

Typically the person cutting the hair visually aligns the comb as closely as possible to the required angle, but this is imprecise and often hard to achieve quickly and in difficult working conditions. Because of the disadvantages associated with manually aligning combs, mechanical means have been designed to provide greater accuracy for such alignment. For example, the use of levels for aligning combs while cutting hair is known in the art, typically through bubble levels for holding a comb level horizontally or vertically, such as U.S. Pat. No. 2,786,477 for Cohen, U.S. Pat. No. 2,879,777 for Miller, and U.S. Pat. No. 4,517,998 for Furco. U.S. Pat. No. 4,905,717 for Taylor provides a cylindrical bubble level with click-lock detents for determining a horizontal level when the comb is held in a variety of positions.

However, prior techniques do not provide a ball level with indicia, such as degree numbers, that give the precise angles needed for cutting hair styles accurately and that is visible when the comb is held in a wide range of different positions.

Therefore, there is a need for a comb equipped with a ball level with indicia designed to indicate the angles needed for cutting hair styles accurately.

SUMMARY OF THE DISCLOSURE

The following explanation describes the present invention by way of example and not by way of limitation.

It is an aspect of the present invention to provide a comb comprising a ball level with indicia designed to indicate the angles needed for cutting hair styles accurately.

It is another aspect of the present invention to provide a comb comprising a ball level with indicia comprising degree numbers designed to indicate the angles needed for cutting hair styles accurately.

It is another aspect of the present invention to provide a comb comprising a ball level with indicia comprising vertical and horizontal lines designed to indicate the angles needed for cutting hair styles accurately.

These and other aspects of the present invention will become readily apparent upon further review of the following specification and associated drawings. In accordance with the present invention, a comb is provided that comprises a ball level with indicia designed to indicate the angles for the positions of the comb needed for cutting hair styles accurately. The ball level comprises a transparent, spherical container filled with a liquid and containing a bubble or marker that is lighter in weight than the liquid. The bubble always floats to the vertical top of the container in whatever position the container is placed. The ball level further comprises indicia, such as degree numbers and vertical and horizontal lines, that indicate angles. To position the comb at the proper angle for a hair style, the user holds the comb so that the bubble or marker moves to the correct indicia for that angle. Because the ball level is spherical, the indicia may be seen when the comb is held in many different positions.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The following embodiments of the present invention are described by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a diagram that illustrates suggested directions for cutting hair at a particular angle for a hair style;

FIG. 2 is a diagram that illustrates top view of a comb comprising a ball level with indicia in an embodiment;

FIG. 3 is a diagram that illustrates a comb comprising a ball level with indicia, with the comb tilted at a particular angle for making hair cut;

FIG. 4 is a diagram that illustrates a ball level with indicia comprising horizontal and vertical lines running across the sphere; and

FIG. 5 is a diagram that illustrates a side view of a comb comprising a ball level with indicia in an embodiment.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIGURES

The following description of drawings is offered to illustrate the present invention clearly. However, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the concepts of the present invention are not limited to these specific details. Also, commonly known elements are shown in diagrams for clarity, as examples only and not as limitations of the present invention.

As shown in FIG. 2 the present invention comprises a ball level comb useful determining precise angles for cutting hair. In an embodiment, the ball level comb comprises the following elements:

• • A comb 6,
  • A ball level 8,
  • Fluid 9,
  • A bubble 10, and
  • Indicia 12.

In an embodiment, the comb 6 is straight-edged and measures eight inches in length and one and one-half inches in width. Its thickness is one eighth of an inch. The comb 6 may be constructed of the best quality materials accepted and used by the manufacturing industry. This material may be lightweight and should be long lasting and durable. For example, the comb 6 may be constructed of high quality nylon or a product similar to nylon.

The comb 6 may further comprise particular configurations appropriate for cutting specific hair styles. In an embodiment for making a buzz cut, for example, the spacing between the teeth of the comb may be slightly wider than normal for a straight-edged styling comb.

The ball level 8, known to those skilled in the art, comprises a transparent, spherical container filled with a liquid 9. In an embodiment, the ball level 8 is three-quarters of an inch in diameter. Ball levels 8 with other dimensions may be used in other embodiments. For example ball levels 8 with larger diameters may be used for easier reading. In an embodiment, the ball level 8 is made of a plastic that is nonporous, durable, and impact resistant. The ball level 8 may be located anywhere on the comb 6, such as one end of the comb 6.

The liquid 9 may be formulated to prevent evaporation so that the liquid level would remain constant. The components currently used in the manufacturing of levels used for scientific and construction purposes, knows to those skilled in the art, could be adapted for use in the ball level comb. In an embodiment, the liquid 9 is yellow in color.

In an embodiment, the liquid 9 contains a bubble 10 that is lighter in weight than the liquid 9. The bubble 10 always floats to the vertical top of the ball level 8 in whatever position the ball level 8 is placed. In other embodiments, other observable elements, for example a lightweight plastic marker, may be used instead of an air bubble 10. The marker may be in any shape useful for marking, such as a ball or arrow.

The ball level 8 further comprises indicia 12 and 14, such as degree numbers and vertical and horizontal lines that show the angle at which the comb 6 is being held. In FIG. 2 for example, the comb 6 is in a vertical position, so that the bubble 10 floats to the 0° position 14, which is this embodiment is used to indicate a vertical position. In FIG. 3, however, the comb 6 is tilted at an angle approximately 10° to the right of vertical, so that the bubble 10 floats to the 10° position 12. The indicia 12 and 14 may comprise any angles useful for cutting hair. As shown in FIG. 4, they may further comprise horizontal 18 and vertical 16 lines running across the sphere of the ball level 8 for easy viewing of such angles.

Moreover, the indicia 12 and 14, shown in FIG. 2, may comprise any other markings useful for determining angles for cutting hair.

In another embodiment the indicia may be located on body of the comb 6 rather than on the ball level. 8

FIG. 5 is a side view of the ball level comb that shows how the spherical shape of the ball level 8 extends past the thickness of the comb 6, so that the indicia 12 may be easily seen from many views of the comb. This makes indicia 12 on the ball level 8 especially easy to read when the person cutting the hair moves the comb 6 into different positions.

Use

To use the ball level comb, the person cutting the hair determines a desired angle at which the comb 6, shown in FIG. 2, should be held to guide scissors, hair clippers, or other hair cutting devices which cutting a particular hair style. For example, the person may consult a printed guide, such as the one shown in FIG. 1, to determine the desired angle, which in this case is 10°. The person then tilts the comb 6, as shown in FIG. 3, so that the bubble 10 floats to the indicia 12 for 100 and makes the cut precisely.

The best dimensional relationships for the parts of the invention described above, including variations in form and use, will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art,

• • and are intended to be encompassed by the present invention.

Claims

1. An comb-like apparatus for cutting hair at desired angles, the comb-like apparatus comprising

a comb,

a ball level, and

indicia.

2. The ball level of claim 1, wherein the ball level comprises

a spherical container with an observable element moveable in the spherical container in response to the orientation of the ball level, the spherical container having a transparent surface through which the observable element may be seen;

3. The observable element of claim 2, wherein the observable element comprises a bubble within the liquid inside the ball level.

4. The observable element of claim 2, wherein the observable element comprises a marker within the liquid inside the ball level.

5. The indicia of claim 1, wherein the indicia serve in coordination with the ball level to indicate at least one useful angle for cutting hair, the useful angle representing the angle of tilt for a comb.

6. The indicia of claim 5, wherein the indicia comprise at least one degree number.

7. The indicia of claim 5, wherein the indicia comprise at least one vertical line.

8. The indicia of claim 5, wherein the indicia comprise at least one horizontal line.

9. An comb-like apparatus for cutting hair at desired angles, the comb-like apparatus comprising

a straight-edged comb;

a ball level, wherein the ball level comprises a spherical container with an observable element moveable in the spherical container in response to the orientation of the ball level, the spherical container having a transparent surface through which the observable element may be seen; and

indicia, wherein the indicia serve in coordination with the ball level to indicate at least

one useful angle for cutting hair, the useful angle representing an angle of tilt for a comb.

10. The observable element of claim 9, wherein the observable element comprises a bubble within the liquid inside the ball level.

11. The observable element of claim 9, wherein the observable element comprises a marker within the liquid inside the ball level.

12. The indicia of claim 9, wherein the indicia comprise at least one degree number.

13. The indicia of claim 9, wherein the indicia comprise at least one vertical line.

14. The indicia of claim 9, wherein the indicia comprise at least one horizontal line.

15. An comb-like apparatus for cutting hair at desired angles, the comb-like apparatus comprising

a straight-edged comb that measures eight inches in length, one and one-half inches in width, and one eighth of an inch in thickness;

a ball level, wherein the ball level comprises a spherical container with an observable element moveable in the spherical container in response to the orientation of the ball level, the spherical container having a transparent surface through which the observable element may be seen, and a yellow liquid; and

indicia, wherein the indicia serve in coordination with the ball level to indicate at least

one useful angle for cutting hair, the useful angle representing an angle of tilt for a comb.

16. The observable element of claim 15, wherein the observable element comprises a bubble within the liquid inside the ball level.

17. The observable element of claim 15, wherein the observable element comprises a marker within the liquid inside the ball level.

18. The indicia of claim 15, wherein the indicia comprise at least one degree number.

19. The indicia of claim 15, wherein the indicia comprise at least one vertical line.

20. The indicia of claim 15, wherein the indicia comprise at least one horizontal line.