HAIR EXTENSION

Abstract

A hair extension formed by a lock of hair is fixed with respect to a substantially rigid plate, from a first face of which there extends at least one linear layered tress of hair, the ends of which are fixed head-on to said face, orthogonal to the plane thereof. A second face of the plate is opposite to the first face and carries means for permanent attachment or means for temporary attachment to the hair.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a 371 National Phase of International Application Number PCT/IB2011/054362 filed on Oct. 4, 2011, and published in English on Apr. 12, 2012 as International Publication Number WO 2012/046188 A1, which claims priority to Italian Patent Application No. TO2010A000810, filed on Oct. 5, 2010, the entire disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to hair extensions of the type comprising a lock of hair rendered fixed with respect to a body made of thermoplastic material provided for anchorage thereof to the hair.

PRIOR ART

To connect the above sort of hair extensions to the hair of the user so as to lengthen it and thicken it and render it more voluminous, various solutions have been proposed, none of which, however, has proven completely satisfactory.

Hence, for example, in the case of the British patent No. GB-2288976 and of the German patent No. DEA 9626107, the body made of thermoplastic material consists of a strip and of a sheet, respectively, on the internal surface of which there adheres one end of the extension lock, with the corresponding hair set parallel to said surface. For its application, the strip or sheet, respectively, is then folded around the end of the lock of hair and then subjected to heating to bring about softening thereof and finally, following upon subsequent cooling, consequent fixing of the extension on the hair.

In either case, following upon application of the strip or sheet, even though this is partially transparent, it remains visible, and this constitutes an evident drawback of an aesthetic nature. Furthermore, since the extension lock hangs from the strip or sheet parallel to the plane thereof, the so to speak voluminizing effect of the hair extension applied is insufficient or even inexistent, which constitutes a further aesthetic drawback.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The object of the present invention is to overcome the aforesaid drawbacks and, more in particular, to provide a hair extension of the type defined above that will enable, following upon its application to the hair of the user, an improved effect of thickening and above all voluminization of the hair to be obtained.

A further object is to provide a hair extension, the element of anchorage of which to the hair is, in the condition where the extension is applied, substantially invisible.

According to the invention, the above objects are achieved basically thanks to the fact that the aforesaid body made of plastic material consists of a substantially rigid plate, from a first face of which there extends at least one linear layered tress of hair, the ends of which are fixed head-on to said face, orthogonal to the plane thereof, and the second face of which, opposite to the first one, carries means for permanent attachment or means for temporary attachment to the hair.

According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, fixed to the aforesaid first face of the plate made of thermoplastic material, starting from its top, are multiple linear tresses of hair set on top of one another and slightly at a distance from one another.

The invention envisages various configurations of the means for attachment to the hair associated to the second face of the plate, whether of a permanent-attachment type, in particular by thermoadhesion, or of a temporary-attachment type, as well as a peculiar method Of application of the extension.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The invention will now be described in detail with reference to the annexed drawings, which are provided purely by way of non-limiting example and in which:

FIG. 1 is a schematic and partial dorsal perspective view of a hair extension according to a first embodiment of the invention;

FIGS. 2 and 3 are views similar to that of FIG. 1 showing, respectively, a second embodiment and a third embodiment of the invention;

FIGS. 4 and 5 are two schematic and partial front perspective views that show a fourth embodiment and a fifth embodiment of the invention, respectively;

FIG. 6 is a dorsal perspective view that illustrates schematically a sixth embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 7 is a front perspective view of FIG. 6; and

FIGS. 8-14 show schematically the sequence of the steps of application of the sixth embodiment of FIGS. 6 and 7.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

With initial reference to FIG. 1, in a first embodiment the hair extension according to the invention comprises a plate 1 made of thermoplastic material, which is substantially rigid at room temperature or even relatively flexible, having for example a general quadrangular shape.

The plate 1 has an external or dorsal face 1a and an internal or front face 1b, of which the first carries an extension lock of hair designated as a whole by 2, and the second is provided for anchorage thereof to the hair of the user.

According to the peculiar characteristic of the invention, the lock 2 includes at least one linear layered tress of hair, and more conveniently a plurality (in the example illustrated, four) of such linear layered tresses of hair 2a, 2b, 2c and 2d, set on top of one another and slightly spaced apart, starting from the top or top end 1c of the plate 1.

The hair of each linear layered tress 2a, 2b, 2c, 2d is rendered fixed with respect to the dorsal face 1a of the plate 1 as a result of fixing of the respective tips in a direction orthogonal to the said face 1a. To fix the surface of the face 1a, this is heated until it softens, and then the tips of the hair are englobed therein, being inserted, as has been said, in a direction perpendicular to the plane of the face 1a. Said operation can be obtained, also simultaneously for the hair of all the tresses 2a-2d, via a suitable tool for gripping the hair, via application of a heat-meltable adhesive on the face 1a, heating, insertion head-on of the hair, and then fixing thereof following upon cooling. At the end of cooling, the face 1a will englobe in a permanent way the tips of the hair of the various linear tresses set on top of one another 2a-2d, with a “waterfall” effect exemplified in the drawings, which, in the condition where the extension is applied, enables an aesthetically appreciable voluminization to be obtained, in addition to thickening of the hair to which the extension is applied. Furthermore, the plate 1, hidden by the tresses of hair 2a-2d, will be substantially invisible.

For its application, the front face 1b opposite to the dorsal face 1a of the plate 1 can be configured with different alternative systems of permanent attachment or temporary attachment to the hair.

In the case of FIG. 1, the system of permanent attachment consists of a series of appendages 3, which are formed integrally with the plate 1, projecting in a direction orthogonal to the face 1b and to the multiple tresses of hair 2a-2d, substantially like a comb. Introduced, in use, within the spaces comprised between the appendages 3 are locks of the hair, which are then anchored to the plate 1 by means of heating, softening, and plastic deformation of said appendages 3 against the face 1b. Following upon subsequent cooling and hardening of the appendages 3 thus deformed, the locks of the hair will be firmly anchored to the plate 1.

In the case of FIG. 2, where parts that are identical or similar to the ones already described previously are designated by the same reference numbers, the system of permanent attachment of the plate 1 to the hair is constituted by a side flange 4 of the plate 1, which can be folded by hot deformation from the open position represented in the figures, where it extends substantially orthogonal to the face 1b, to a closing position for gripping a lock of hair against said face 1b.

In the case of FIG. 3, the flange 4 is replaced by a pair of opposed side flanges 5, which can also be folded by hot deformation from the open position represented in the figures to a closed position for gripping the lock of hair against the face 1b of the plate 1.

The anchorage systems described so far, which may obviously differ from the constructional standpoint, provide, as has been said, a permanent anchorage of the extension to the hair of the user, in the sense that its possible subsequent removal requires application of a solvent or the like for detachment of the plate 1 from the lock to which the extension has been applied.

The variants represented in FIGS. 4 and 5 show, instead, two examples of temporary application; the hair extensions are immediately removable without requiring particular operations on the plate 1.

In the case of FIG. 4, the plate 1 to the dorsal face 1a of which the linear layered tresses of hair 2a, 2b, 2c. 2d are anchored with the same modalities described previously, has an elongated shape, and one or more combs 6 for engagement to corresponding locks of hair are mechanically fixed to its front face 1b, for example by riveting or else gluing.

In the case of FIG. 5, the plate 1, which also has a general elongated conformation, is provided on its front face 1b with a biadhesive tape 7 for application, that is by adhesion, to the hair.

In both cases, the voluminizing effect that derives from the disposition of the tresses of hair 2a, 2b, 2c 2d projecting in a direction orthogonal to the plane of the plate 1 is, in the condition applied, altogether identical to what has been described with reference to the embodiments of FIGS. 1 to 3.

The same effect is obtained with the further example of temporary application of the plate 1 represented in FIGS. 6 and 7, where it is provided with a flexible tab 8, conveniently constituted by a partially biadhesive strip of plastic material or the like, having a front 8a and a back 8b.

The tab 8 includes three consecutive foldable portions A, B, C, where;

the first portion A is joined to the face 1b of the plate 1 on the back 8b of the tab 8, for example via adhesive;

the first portion A, the second portion B, and the third portion C are adhesive on the front side 8a of the tab 8 and are coated with a first anti-adhesive layer or sheet 9 that can be removed upon application of the extensions;

the third portion C is adhesive also on the bark 8b of the tab ‘8 and is coated with a second anti-adhesive layer or sheet 10, removable at the end of application of the extension.

For joining to the face 1b of the plate 1, the first portion A is conveniently adhesive also on the back 8b of the tab 8, whereas the second portion B is adhesive only on the front 8a.

To apply the plate 1 with the tab 8 to a lock of hair the procedure is according to the sequence of steps illustrated schematically in. FIGS. 8-14.

First of all, the first anti-adhesive layer 9 is removed so as to expose the adhesive portions A, B, C on the front side 8a of the tab 8 (FIG. 8).

Then, the ends of a lock of hair are applied on the second adhesive portion B (FIG. 9) in a distributed way, and the second adhesive portion B is closed against the first adhesive portion A by exerting a slight pressure (FIG. 10).

Next, the second adhesive portion B is separated and re-opened with respect to the first adhesive portion A (FIG. 11), and the third adhesive portion C is folded and made to adhere, by exerting pressure, against the second adhesive portion B (FIG. 12).

Then the second anti-adhesive layer 10 is removed, so as to expose the third adhesive portion C on the back 8b of the tab 8 (FIG. 13), and finally the first adhesive portion A and the third adhesive portion C are folded and made to adhere by pressure against one another (FIG. 14).

Of course, the details of construction and the embodiments may vary widely with respect to what has been described and illustrated herein, without thereby departing from the scope of the present invention as defined in the ensuing claims.

Claims

1. A hair extension comprising:

a lock of hair rendered fixed with respect to a body made of thermoplastic material, which is provided for anchorage thereof to hair,

said body consisting of a substantially rigid plate, extending from a first face (1a) of which is at least one linear layered tress of hair, said at least one linear layered tress comprising ends fixed head-on to said first face, orthogonal to the plane thereof, and said plate comprising a second face, opposite to the first face, said second face carrying means for permanent attachment or means for temporary attachment to the hair.

2. The hair extension according to claim 1 wherein fixed to said first face of the plate starting from its top, are multiple linear tresses of hair set on top of one another and at a slight distance from one another.

3. The hair extension according to claim 1, wherein said means for permanent attachment comprise a series of tooth-shaped appendages, which are formed integrally with said plate and project in a direction orthogonal to said at least one linear layered tress of hair, said tooth-shaped appendages being foldable by means of hot deformation against said second face.

4. The hair extension according to claim 1, wherein said means for permanent attachment comprise a side flange, which is formed integrally with said plate and projects in a direction orthogonal to said at least one linear layered tress of hair, said side flange being foldable against said second face by means of hot deformation.

5. The hair extension according to claim 1, wherein said means for permanent attachment comprise two side flanges, which are formed integrally with said plate and project in a direction orthogonal to said at least one linear layered tress of hair, said two side flanges being foldable against said second face by means of hot deformation.

6. The hair extension according to claim 1, wherein said means for temporary attachment comprise at least one comb fixed mechanically to said second face of the plate.

7. The hair extension according to claim 1, wherein said means for temporary attachment comprise a biadhesive tape applied to said second face of the plate.

8. The hair extension according to claim 1, wherein the ends of the hair of said at least one linear layered tress are fixed head-on to said first face of the plate by means of thermoadhesion.

9. The hair extension according to claim 1 wherein said means for temporary attachment comprise a flexible tab having a front side and a back and include three consecutive foldable portions, wherein:

a first portion of the foldable portion is joined to the second face of said plate on the back of the tab;

the first portion, a second portion of the foldable portion, and the third portion of the foldable portion are adhesive on the front side of the tab and are coated with a first removable anti-adhesive layer; and

third portion is adhesive also on the back of the tab and is coated with a second removable anti-adhesive layer.

10. The extension according to claim 9, wherein to enable joining said plate to the second face said first portion is adhesive on the back of the tab.

11. A method for applying the hair extension according to claim 9 to hair, comprising the following steps:

removing said first anti-adhesive layer to expose said adhesive portions on the front side of the tab;

applying the end of a lock of hair in a distributed way on said second adhesive portion;

closing said second adhesive portion against said first adhesive portion;

reopening said second adhesive portion away from said first adhesive portion;

closing said third adhesive portion and causing it to adhere by exerting pressure against said second adhesive portion;

removing said second anti-adhesive layer and exposing said third adhesive portion on the back of the tab; and closing said first adhesive portion and said third adhesive portion and causing them to adhere against one another by exerting pressure.