Secure Hair Tie

Abstract

A hair tie has a panel of material having properties of neoprene and a slit having a length of from 1.5 to 2.5 inches through the panel of material. Any point on the slit is at least one-half inch from any edge of the panel.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention is in the technical area of apparatus and mechanisms to hold hair in place, and pertains more particularly to a simple hair tie device especially suited for water sports.

2. Description of Related Art

Hair ties are quite well-known in the art, and many sorts have been patented, and have been manufactured and made available to the public. Examples are U.S. Pat. No. 5,878,756, U.S. Pat. No. 5,499,638, and U.S. Pat. No. 5,727, 575.

A problem with hair ties in the art at the time of filing of the present application is that most of these are fairly complicated, and are not particularly useful for persons engaged in water sports, particularly scuba diving, for example. What is needed in the art is a hair tie that is starkly simple, is inexpensive, and is particularly suited to hold a person's hair securely while that person is engaged in a water sport, particularly while submerged.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In an embodiment of the invention a hair tie is provided comprising a panel of material having properties of neoprene, and a slit having a length of from 1.5 to 2.5 inches through the panel of material. Any point on the slit is at least one-half inch from any edge of the panel.

In one embodiment the panel has a thickness of from 1/32 to 1/16 inch inclusive. Also in one embodiment the panel is rectangular, and width and length dimensions are between 2½ and 3½ inches. Still in one embodiment the panel is circular, and diameter is from 2½ and 3½ inches. In rectangular form, the corners may be rounded. In some embodiments the panel exhibits an oval shape.

In some embodiments the panel may be adorned with indicia, either text or graphics or both, and in some cases the indicia may be applied by a thin plastic or paper panel having the shape of the neoprene panel, indicia on one side and adhesive on the other side, the plastic or paper panel aligned with the neoprene panel brought into contact to adhere to the neoprene panel.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a hair tie according to an embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the hair tie of FIG. 1 in use.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a hair tie according to an alternative embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a hair tie according to another alternative embodiment of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a hair tie 101 according to an embodiment of the invention. In one embodiment hair tie 101 is a rectangular or square sheet of neoprene material with a thickness D of 1 millimeter (mm) material, which is approximately 0.04 inches. Hair tie 101 has a length A and width B. In one embodiment A and B (the panel is square) are equal and about 3.5 inches. A slit 102 is made in the sheet of neoprene, for example by a knife or other cutting instrument. Slit 102 has a length in one embodiment of 2 inches, and may be centered on the sheet of neoprene material. Slit 102 in this example is shown as straight, but may in some embodiments be curved or be a series of straight portions, or even of some other shape. Although a slit having no width is preferable, in some embodiments the slit may have some small width, such as from 1/32 inch to ⅛ inch.

Preferably the material is L-Foam, a mid-range quality closed-cell foamed material, and in some embodiments the neoprene material may be surfaced with a thin fabric or other material, such as Mylar or Spandex. Suitable material may be found at www.macrointlco.com selecting neoprene sheets/neoprene foam types. In a preferred embodiment the material is laminated with a fabric, such as “Spanflex” described in the same website under “Neoprene Fabrics”. Spanflex provides a shiny and colorful finish as well as a very comfortable stretchiness.

In alternative embodiments dimension D, the thickness of the neoprene sheet, may be less than or greater than 1 mm. Also in alternative embodiment dimensions A and B may be different as well, and may not be equal. Experience has taught the inventor that with neoprene the hair tie is most useful with a panel thickness in the range of from 1/32 inch to 1/16 inch, although this should not be considered to be a limitation in the invention.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the hair tie of FIG. 1 in use, according to an embodiment of the invention. In FIG. 2 a portion of the user's hair is passed through slit 102 a single time. If the portion 201 is substantial, one pass through slit 102 may be sufficient for a secure restraint of hair 201. In many circumstances of use, however, one pass through slit 201 may not be sufficient for a secure restraint. If this is the case, then one may hold the hair portion, grasp a corner of the hair tie 101 and stretch it to a point that the panel may be twisted to form an adjacent opening, then reach through, grasp the hair, and pull the hair through. This is exactly the procedure used with a heavy rubber band, for example, and creates a more secure tie for the hair.

Hair ties are used by people with long hair, both men and women, in a variety of environments. One such environment is while engaged in water sports, such as, for example, scuba diving and surfing. The present inventor is active in water sports, and has discovered that conventional hair ties do not provide good service under such conditions. Hair tie 101 of the present invention, however, being made of neoprene or neoprene-like material, exhibits a high friction interface to human hair even when submerged in fresh or salt water. The high-friction interface is also advantageous for users engaged in strenuous athletic activity, such as mountain biking, aerobics and yoga, for example.

Another significant advantage of the hair tie in embodiments of the present invention is that a slit of approximately two inches in length in the neoprene panel of the hair tie, makes it possible and convenient to pull the hair tie over the left or right hand and retain it on the wrist. The length of the slit may be reduced for smaller people, and increased for larger people. Experience has taught the inventor that a slit length of from 1.5 to 2.5 inches is preferred.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a hair tie according to an alternative embodiment of the invention. Hair tie 301 in FIG. 3 has a slit 302 as in other embodiments described herein, but has rounded corners. FIG. 4 illustrates a hair tie 401 having a slit 402 in another alternative embodiment wherein the outside shape is circular. In other embodiments the outside shape may be oval, scalloped, or any other shape that a person may find pleasing. It is only necessary that enough area be provided that the slit of about two inches in length can be formed, and it is preferable that there be enough further area that the ends and other points of the slit are not too close to an edge of the neoprene panel, which would compromise the forces that the slit could exert on hair portions passed through the slit. At least one-half inch from an end or other point on the slit to an edge of the panel is thought by the inventor to be sufficient.

In many circumstances indicia of various sorts may be painted or otherwise applied to panels for hair ties according to embodiments of the invention. The indicia may be text, graphics or both, and in color in many cases. In some cases indicia is applied by thin printed plastic having an adhesive backing. Such adhesively-backed prints may be replaced by peeling off a used one and applying a new one.

It will be apparent to the skilled person that there are many alterations that may be made to the embodiments described herein without departing from the intent and scope of the invention. The invention is limited only by the claims that follow.

Claims

1. A hair tie comprising:

a panel of material having properties of neoprene; and

a slit having a length of from 1.5 to 2.5 inches through the panel of material;

wherein any point on the slit is at least one-half inch from any edge of the panel.

2. The hair tie of claim 1 wherein the panel has a thickness of from 1/32 to 1/16 inch inclusive.

3. The hair tie of claim 1 wherein the panel is rectangular, and width and length dimensions are between 2½ and 3½ inches.

4. The hair tie of claim 1 wherein the panel is circular, and diameter is from 2½ and 3½ inches.

5. The hair tie of claim 3 wherein the corners of the rectangular panel are rounded.

6. The hair tie of claim 1 wherein the panel exhibits an oval shape.

7. The hair tie of claim 1 wherein the panel may be adorned with indicia, either text or graphics or both.

8. The hair tie of claim 7 wherein the indicia is applied by a thin plastic or paper panel having the shape of the neoprene panel, indicia on one side and adhesive on the other side, the plastic or paper panel aligned with the neoprene panel brought into contact to adhere to the neoprene panel.

9. The hair tie of claim 1 wherein the material is a closed cell foamed neoprene material.

10. The hair tie of claim 9 wherein the neoprene panel is surfaced with a fabric.