Hair bang clipper and folding comb

Abstract

A folding comb includes two comb segments that are pivotally connected to one another. Each comb segment includes a series of alternating teeth and brush type elements for treatment of different human hair conditions. The two comb segments can be pivotally brought together to gather and hold a section of hair, such as a bang, to facilitate the hair cutting process. The hair clipper and the folding comb may be used in a kit to facilitate hair grooming.

Description

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims the benefit of the filing date of U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/156,235, entitled “Hair Bang Clipper and Folding Comb”, filed on Feb. 27, 2009 (Feb. 27, 2010 falls on a Saturday), the contents of which are herein incorporated by reference.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention is directed to the field of hair grooming and, more particularly to a device for combing hair.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Cutting hair is a very popular profession. Professional stylists have countless techniques to provide different hair styles. However, a key to a satisfied customer is for the stylists to be consistent and reproduce a certain style of hair. This requires the hair stylist to follow a similar hair clipping technique for the customer over and over again. Unfortunately, the stylist may not remember the client's style, or may charge such a premium that frequent visits are not affordable to many clients. For this reason many people have tried to cut their own hair at home to lessen if not eliminate the need for the stylist. Often the results are inconsistent and the hair style usually does not turn out how the customer had envisioned.

The trimming of hair can take many forms. Conventional hairstyling typically consists of dividing hair-bunches and cutting them at a constant angle to a scalp and at a constant length. When the hair-bunches are aligned to a constant shape, a beautiful hairstyle can be created. A hairdresser may pull each hair-bunch up at an angle of about 90 degrees to the scalp, the hair-bunch is sandwiched between fingers of one hand and in this state, the hair-bunch is cut using a razor or scissors with the other hand.

A shaggy hair cut is carried out by dynamically shaping hair tips. To form this hairstyle it is necessary to cut the hair at a slant while carefully placing the lengths of the hair-bunches such that all the hair-bunches are formed into the same outline. Unless the person is skilled on precisely using scissors or a razor, this style haircut can be most difficult to obtain a favorable hairstyle. For this reason, conventional razor tools are usually used by a professional hairdresser at a beauty salon.

Different hair cutting devices are frequently used to cut hair at home, by oneself, or at a salon with an experienced hair stylist. These hair cutting accessories provide different methods to create a professional quality hair cut and attempt to allow for a reproducible and somewhat professional hairstyle. However, many of the hair cutting devices and guides still require a professional eye to correctly produce a straight cut, curved cut, tapered cut, or any other different type of cut or style that requires a certain technique.

What is lacking in the art is a foldable comb that allows longer hair to be bunched to permit professional results.

PRIOR ART REFERENCES

U.S. Pat. No. 5,597,000 discloses a method and apparatus for styling hair includes a latch mechanism for releasably securing a hair styling device about the hair strands. The latch mechanism is adapted to interconnect first and second pivotally interconnected elongated members of the hair styling device and includes a first latch member disposed substantially adjacent a first end of the first elongated member and a second latch member disposed substantially adjacent a first end of the second elongated member.

U.S. Pat. No. 5,865,188 discloses a hair brush useful for temporarily straightening curly or wavy hair is provided having first and second brush heads hinged to one another at their handles. The first and second brush heads are biased away from one another so that the hair brush is normally in an open position. The hair brush is used by grasping the handles and squeezing the heads together to grip a portion of a person's hair. The brush is moved through the hair to hold the hair straight so that it can be blow dried.

U.S. Pat. No. 5,875,790 discloses a first comb has a graduated scale attached near a first end of the scale so that the scale can be pivoted outwardly and inwardly from the first comb. A cutting guide first end is pivotally attached to the second end of the graduated scale. The graduated scale can be slidable lengthwise with respect to the first comb to position the cutting guide a select distance from the first comb.

U.S. Pat. No. 6,135,123 discloses a hair cutting guide comprising an upper clip and a lower clip. A pivot pin interconnects the upper and lower clips allowing rotation of the upper and lower clip with respect to each other. A spring is mounted around the pivot pin and engages the upper and lower clips and urges them into engagement with each other. The upper clip includes a toothed ridge and the lower clip includes a groove which mates with the toothed ridge.

U.S. Pat. No. 6,240,928 discloses a hair coloring tool combining a styling comb and a hair coloring brush. The hair coloring brush is secured to the styling comb by an assembly which is capable of holding the hair coloring brush at various angular positions relative to the comb to promote easy application of hair coloring agents to selected strands of hair.

U.S. Pat. No. 6,267,119 discloses a haircutting guide-comb instrument for use in cutting hair. A pair of elongated legs superimposed over one another to clasp hair in between said legs with a bias spring engaged about the terminal ends of the legs to urge them in engagement with one another and an anchor at the terminal ends securing the bias springs to both of the elongated legs.

U.S. Pat. No. 6,526,662 discloses a pair of haircut scissors having hair catching slits. Each slit is provided with a filler having a renewable microscopic nick on its top edge to prevent hairs from sliding along the haircut edges. The filler prevents hairs from entering the slits, and as the nick is renewable, the hair-holding property of the pair of haircut scissors will be permanently retained.

U.S. Pat. No. 6,883,239 discloses a hair-trimming device is disclosed. The device comprises a substantially U-shaped member having a first handle portion and a second handle portion and an elastic portion alloy the first handle portion and the second handle portion to elastically separated; a pair of razor-fastener connected to the ends of the first and second handle and one lateral edge of the razor fastener being longitudinally mounted with razor with protective cover; and a stop mounted across the first handle and the second handle such that the handles are restricted to open to an excessive scope.

U.S. Pat. No. 7,073,517 discloses a hair cutting guide, for use by a hairdresser in cutting the hair of a person using scissors, having a pair of guide halves that are hingeably attached and selectively enter an open position and a closed position. Each of the guide halves have a plurality of teeth arranged along its longitudinal edges. The teeth have an inner surface that face the inner surfaces of the teeth in the other guide halve when the guide is in the closed position.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The folding comb portion includes two comb segments that are pivotally connected to one another. Each comb segment includes a series of alternating teeth and brush type elements. The two comb segments can be pivotally brought together to gather and hold a section of hair, such as a bang, to facilitate the hair cutting process. The folding comb works like a brush as well as a comb. When placed into an open position, a first side has narrowly spaced apart teeth with boars hair and nylon bristles placed there between. A second side has teeth that are spaced at a greater distance than the first side, the second side includes boars' hair and nylon bristles there between.

Still another objective is to disclose a comb having a first side with narrowly spaced apart teeth with boars' hair and nylon bristles placed there between; the combination provides easy teasing, detangling and smoothing of hair. A second side has teeth that are spaced at a greater distance than the first side, the second side includes boars hair and nylon bristles there between; the combination provides smoother curls and separates layers.

Yet another objective is to provide a folding comb that is sized so that the user can only grasp a predetermined width of hair during use.

Still another objective of the invention is to provide a folding comb that is compact for storage purposes.

Yet still another objective of the invention is to provide a comb that includes the facilities of a brush.

Other objectives and advantages of this invention will become apparent from the following description taken in conjunction with any accompanying drawings wherein are set forth, by way of illustration and example, certain embodiments of this invention. Any drawings contained herein constitute a part of this specification and include exemplary embodiments of the present invention and illustrate various objects and features thereof.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a side view of the foldable comb in an open position;

FIG. 2 is a side view of the foldable comb in a partially closed position; and

FIG. 3 is a side view of the foldable comb in closed position.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Now referring to FIGS. 1-3, set forth is a folding comb (100) having a first arm (102), having a proximal end (106), and a distal end (104). A second arm (108) has a distal end (110) and a proximal end (112). The first arm (102) has a series of spaced apart teeth (114) and brush (116) type elements there between. It should be noted that between each tooth are two bundles of the brush type elements (116). In the preferred embodiment the brush element is a blend of boars hair and nylon bristles; the combination of spaced apart teeth and dual bundles provides smoother curls and separates layers when drawn through hair.

The second arm (108) has a series of closely spaced teeth (120) and brushes (122) type elements therebetween. The second arm has a single bundle of brush type elements there between. Similar to the first arm brush type elements are formed from boars' hair and nylon bristles. With the closely spaced teeth and brush elements, the combination allows for teasing, detangling and smoothing of hair provides smoother curls and separates layers when drawn through hair.

The proximal ends (106 and 112) are pivotally connected (124) for rotation about an axis for securing strands of hair therebetween. The two comb segments are pivotally connected to one another. Each comb segment includes a series of alternating teeth and brush type elements. The two comb segments can be pivotally brought together to gather and hold a section of hair, such as a bang, to facilitate the hair cutting process. The folding comb can be used independently to treat various hair conditions by use of the different comb/brush combinations, or folded into a position for locking the hair in position wherein the hair trimmer can then make the appropriate cuts.

All patents and publications mentioned in this specification are indicative of the levels of those skilled in the art to which the invention pertains. All patents and publications are herein incorporated by reference to the same extent as if each individual publication was specifically and individually indicated to be incorporated by reference.

It is to be understood that while a certain form of the invention is illustrated, it is not to be limited to the specific form or arrangement herein described and shown. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various changes may be made without departing from the scope of the invention and the invention is not to be considered limited to what is shown and described in the specification and any drawings/figures included herein.

One skilled in the art will readily appreciate that the present invention is well adapted to carry out the objectives and obtain the ends and advantages mentioned, as well as those inherent therein. The embodiments, methods, procedures and techniques described herein are presently representative of the preferred embodiments, are intended to be exemplary and are not intended as limitations on the scope. Changes therein and other uses will occur to those skilled in the art which are encompassed within the spirit of the invention and are defined by the scope of the appended claims. Although the invention has been described in connection with specific preferred embodiments, it should be understood that the invention as claimed should not be unduly limited to such specific embodiments. Indeed, various modifications of the described modes for carrying out the invention which are obvious to those skilled in the art are intended to be within the scope of the following claims.

Claims

1-9. (canceled)

10. A folding hair comb comprising:

a first arm having a distal end and a proximal end with a series of comb teeth extending there from;

a second arm having a distal end and a proximal end with a series of spaced apart comb teeth extending therefrom, said proximal end of said second arm pivotally connect to said distal end of said first arm;

at least one bundle of brush type elements placed between each said comb teeth;

wherein each said arm may be used in the treatment of different hair conditions by drawing hair passed said comb teeth to engage said brush type elements, whereby said first arm is pivoted about an axis to intermesh said comb teeth of said first arm between said spaced apart comb teeth of said second arm for use in the treatment of hair conditions by drawing hair passed said intermeshed comb teeth to engage said brush type elements.

11. The folding hair comb wherein at least two bundles of brush type elements is placed between said spaced apart comb teeth.

12. The folding hair comb wherein each said bundle is formed from a blend of boars' hair and nylon fibers.

13. The folding hair comb wherein said second arm having spaced apart comb teeth and said bundles placed there between are constructed an arrange for use in providing smoother curls and to separate layers in human hair.

14. The folding hair comb wherein each first arm having comb teeth and said bundles placed there between are constructed an arranged for use in providing teasing, detangling and smoothing of human hair.