Hair barrette

Abstract

A hair barrette includes a decorative outer member, a basic member secured onto the outer member, a tubular sleeve member attached onto the basic member and made of a resilient material having a high coefficient of friction, and a clamping arm having one end pivotally attached to the basic member with a pivot pin, and the other end for selectively latching to the other end of the basic member, for clamping hair of user between the tubular sleeve member and the clamping arm. The tubular sleeve member includes a number of projections which may include either a sharply protruded structure, a smoothly protruded structure, or a wavy-shaped structure.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a hair clasp or barrette, and more particularly to a hair clasp or barrette having an improved structure for easily attaching to the hair of the users, and for preventing the hair clasp or barrette from being moved relative to the hair of the users.

2. Description of the Prior Art

Typical hair clasps or hair barrettes comprise an ornamental or decorative body or member, and a clamping arm rotatably or hingely attached to the decorative body or member, for engaging into the decorative body or member, and for clasping or clamping the hair of the users between the decorative body or member and the clamping arm.

Normally, the decorative body or member is made of plastic or synthetic materials, and may be formed into various kinds of shapes or contours, and the clamping arm is made of metal materials, and is normally formed into a curved structure for allowing the clamping arm to be resiliently or springly engaged onto the decorative body or member, and thus for resiliently clasping or clamping the hair of the users between the decorative body or member and the clamping arm.

In some of the prior arts, a spongy or rubber sleeve is further made and then engaged onto the clamping arm, for increasing the frictional force against the hair of the users, and for preventing the decorative body or member and the clamping arm from slipping relative to the hair of the users.

For example, U.S. Pat. No. 2,661,748 to Racho discloses one of the typical hair clasps or hair barrettes also comprising a tubular sleeve member made of rubber or some other resilient material having a high coefficient of friction, for engaging onto a clamping arm, and for increasing the frictional force against the hair of the users, and thus for preventing the decorative body member and the clamping arm from slipping or falling relative to the hair of the users.

However, due to the high coefficient of friction of the tubular sleeve member, the tubular sleeve member and the clamping arm may also be relatively difficult to be engaged into or through the hair of the users, before the tubular sleeve member and the clamping arm may be engaged onto the decorative body or member. In addition, due to the high coefficient of friction of the tubular sleeve member, the tubular sleeve member may not be easily engaged onto the clamping arm by the users or the manufacturers.

The present invention has arisen to mitigate and/or obviate the afore-described disadvantages of the conventional hair barrettes.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The primary objective of the present invention is to provide a hair barrette including an improved structure for easily attaching to the hair of the users, and for preventing the hair clasp or barrette from being moved relative to the hair of the users.

In accordance with one aspect of the invention, there is provided a hair barrette comprising a decorative outer member, a basic member secured onto the outer member, a tubular sleeve member attached onto the basic member, and made of a resilient material having a high coefficient of friction, and a clamping arm including a first end pivotally attached to one end of the basic member with a pivot pin, and a second end for selectively latching to another end of the basic member, for stably or solidly clamping hair of user between the tubular sleeve member and the clamping arm.

The tubular sleeve member includes a plurality of projections extended therefrom. The projections may include either a sharply protruded structure, a smoothly protruded structure, or a wavy-shaped structure.

Further objectives and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from a careful reading of the detailed description provided hereinbelow, with appropriate reference to the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a partial exploded view of a hair barrette in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the hair barrette;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view similar to FIG. 2, illustrating the other arrangement of the hair barrette; and

FIG. 4 is a perspective view similar to FIGS. 2 and 3, illustrating the further arrangement of the hair barrette.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Referring to the drawings, and initially to FIGS. 1 and 2, a hair barrette 10 in accordance with the present invention comprises an ornamental or decorative body or outer member 11 which may also be made of plastic or synthetic materials, and which may also be formed into various kinds of colors, shapes or contours for ornamental or decorative use.

A basic member 20 is to be secured onto the inner portion of the body or outer member 11 with such as fasteners or latches (not shown), or adhesive materials, or by welding processes, and may also be made of plastic or synthetic materials, and a tubular sleeve member 21 may be molded or attached or engaged onto the basic member 20 by molding or mold injection processes, and may include a number of projections or protrusions 22 extended therefrom.

It is preferable that the tubular sleeve member 21 is made of rubber or some other resilient material having a high coefficient of friction, for engaging onto and for increasing the frictional force against the hair of the users, and for preventing the hair barrette 10 from slipping relative to the hair of the users. The projections or protrusions 22 of the basic member 20 or of the tubular sleeve member 21 may also be engaged with the hair of the users, for further preventing the hair barrette 10 from slipping relative to the hair of the users.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the projections or protrusions 22 of the basic member 20 or of the tubular sleeve member 21 may be formed into sharply protruded structure, for styling the hair and for engaging with the hair of the users. Alternatively, the projections or protrusions 22 of the basic member 20 or of the tubular sleeve member 21 may also be formed into smoothly protruded structure (FIG. 3), or formed into wavy-shaped structure (FIG. 4), for smoothly engaging with the hair of the users.

The hair barrette 10 further includes a clamping arm 30 having one end pivotally or hingely attached to one end 23 of the basic member 20 with a pivot pin 31, and having the other end 33 for selectively latching or anchoring to the other end 24 of the basic member 20. The clamping arm 30 is also preferably formed into a resilient and curved structure, for engaging onto the hair of the users and the tubular sleeve member 21, and for stably clamping the hair of the users between the tubular sleeve member 21 and the clamping arm 30.

It is to be noted that, in operation, the clamping arm 30 which has no resilient or rubber or spongy tubular sleeve member engaged thereon may be easily engaged into or engaged through the hair of the users, and then may be engaged onto the basic member 20 that has the tubular sleeve member 21 engaged thereon, for allowing the hair barrette 10 to be easily engaged and attached onto the hair of the users.

Accordingly, the hair barrette in accordance with the present invention includes an improved structure for easily attaching to the hair of the users, and for preventing the hair clasp or barrette from being moved relative to the hair of the users.

Although this invention has been described with a certain degree of particularity, it is to be understood that the present disclosure has been made by way of example only and that numerous changes in the detailed construction and the combination and arrangement of parts may be resorted to without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as hereinafter claimed.

Claims

1. A hair barrette comprising:

a decorative outer member,

a basic member secured onto said outer member,

a tubular sleeve member attached onto said basic member, and made of a resilient material having a high coefficient of friction, and said tubular sleeve member including a plurality of projections extended therefrom, and

a clamping arm including a first end pivotally attached to one end of said basic member with a pivot pin, and a second end for selectively latching to another end of said basic member, for clamping hair of user between said tubular sleeve member and said clamping arm.

2. (canceled)

3. The hair barrette as claimed in claim 1, wherein said projections include a sharply protruded structure.

4. The hair barrette as claimed in claim 1, wherein said projections include a smoothly protruded structure.

5. The hair barrette as claimed in claim 1, wherein said projections include a wavy-shaped structure.