Holder and Dispenser for Folded Hair Treatment Materials

Abstract

A dispenser has vertical walls defining an interior volume for receiving a stack of Z-folded sheets of hair treatment foil with a pre-determined size and pre-determined weight, a lifting platform on which the stack of sheets is placed, a dispensing guide across the top of the vertical walls with a dispensing slot; and a lifting device such as one or more springs which provide sufficient lifting force to the platform to maintain the topmost sheet of the stack to be position immediately below the dispensing guide as sheets and weight are removed from the stack.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to the arts of tools and devices for use during certain hair treatments, such as but not limited to, application of hair coloring and tinting treatments.

BACKGROUND OF INVENTION

It is estimated that, by 2023, the hair color and dye market in the United States will reach $40 billion, including services and supplies, ranging from covering gray, adding highlights, applying temporary colors, and changing hair color entirely, according to Statistica. Typical hair coloring and dying services, including supplies, range between $65 and $350, and may take about two hours on average to complete. The need to service as much of the market demand as possible by individual stylists as well as salon owners means that tools which streamline and improve the process are at a premium in today's hair products market.

SUMMARY OF THE EXEMPLARY EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION

A dispenser and method of manufacture thereof are disclosed which, generally speaking, has vertical walls defining an interior volume for receiving a stack of Z-folded sheets of hair treatment foil with a pre-determined size and pre-determined weight, a lifting platform on which the stack of sheets is placed, a dispensing guide across the top of the vertical walls with a dispensing slot, and a lifting device such as one or more springs which provide sufficient lifting force to the platform to maintain the topmost sheet of the stack to be position immediately below the dispensing guide as sheets and weight are removed from the stack.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The figures presented herein, when considered in light of this description, form a complete disclosure of one or more embodiments of the invention, wherein like reference numbers in the figures represent similar or same elements or steps.

FIG. 1 depicts a perspective view of an exemplary embodiment according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 provides a side view with selected hidden interior details of the exemplary embodiment of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 provides an alternative side view with selected hidden interior details of the exemplary embodiment of FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 shows more details of a container portion of the exemplary embodiment of FIG. 1.

FIG. 5 illustrates more details of a dispensing guide of the exemplary embodiment of FIG. 1.

FIG. 6 sets forth details, with hidden features, from a top-down perspective of the exemplary embodiment of FIG. 1.

FIG. 7 provides a side view with selected hidden interior details of the exemplary embodiment of FIG. 1 when a heavier stack of folded foil sheets are received in the dispenser.

FIG. 8 provides a side view with selected hidden interior details of the exemplary embodiment of FIG. 1 when a lighter stack of folded foil sheets are received in the dispenser.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF ONE OR MORE EXEMPLARY EMBODIMENT(S) OF THE INVENTION

The present inventor(s) have recognized a need in the art related to the tools and processes for applying color, tint, highlight and dye products using pieces, strips or sheets of foil. Wrapping the sections of hair on which the color product is applied can be done for several purposes during the treatment process, including some or all of the following, but not limited to:

• • isolate sections of hair to be colored away from sections of hair not to be colored;
  • organize and section the hair to achieve a larger appearance effect;
  • to improved the evenness and consistency of the coloring result;
  • to slow the drying process of the color product;
  • to increase the heat of the coloring product to speed its result or improve it resulting color; and
  • to provide a sheet of material upon which a lock or section of hair can be placed and then color product applied to it using a brush.

Foil can be obtained before and during the color application service in a number of ways according to current products on the market. Some technicians prefer to cut their own foil sheets before the service is rendered in order to control the size and shape. Others use foil provides on rolls which are pulled from a dispensing box and torn off to a selected length using a built-in cutter edge on the box, but this can require two hands to perform and may slow the process down while the mixed color product is already reacting on the mixing palette.

Some hair coloring foils are provided in pre-cut Z-folded sheets or strips in a disposable cardboard box which, like face tissues, allows the user to pull with in hand a sheet from a top slot in the box to use, while holding a section hair in the other hand. As the sheet is pulled from the box, it pulls the next sheet up and out of the slot so that it is now ready to use by the user. However convenient and efficient this may be, it has a number of problems and drawbacks which the present inventor has realized are unmet in the market.

First, as the stack of Z-folded foil sheets is depleted and used up by the technician, it becomes shorter in the box, meaning that some dispensing operations fail to pull the next sheet out of the slot. Instead, the next sheet's edge may fall back down into the box, requiring the technician to reach into the box's slot with one or more fingers to fish out the next sheet. In some instances, the technician may be forced to release the section of hair presently held by the other hand in order to use both hands to hold the box and retrieve the fallen sheet through the slot.

Second, as the stack of Z-folded foil sheets is depleted, the weight of the stack lessens, and may reach a point where that the weight of the remaining sheets plus the weight of the box is similar to or less than the force which is required to pull the next sheet through the slot. There can be friction resistance as the sheet passes through the slot, and there is some amount of force required to unfold the following sheet as it is partially pulled out of the slot. These cumulative forces and exceed the weight of the remaining materials and box, and cause the box to lift off the table or countertop, or to move on the table top. This can lead to the technician having to put the back into its desired position for single-handed use, use two hands to draw sheets out, or even retrieve a dropped box.

Lastly, the disposable boxes often are not attractive, which, if in an industrial setting, may be acceptable. However, in a salon setting, much of the product and service is about appearance, personal and professional, and as such, such unattractive dispensers are not desirable on an otherwise attractive booth setting where everything from combs, blow dryers, scissors, clippers, and curling irons as well as furniture, lighting and decorations convey a sense of design and style.

Having recognized these unmet needs in the art, the present inventor has created a useful dispenser for pre-cut, Z-folded sheets of foil which avoid these and other shortcomings of the available dispensing technologies, which enable reliable single-handed retrieval of sheets to allow quicker service provision, and which provide an attractive aesthetic appearance suitable for the finest of salons and style shops.

Turning to FIG. 1, an example embodiment 100 according to the present invention is shown in a perspective view. There is a generally open-top container portion formed by one or more vertical walls 101, 102, 103 and 104, which define an interior volume 110 into which a stack of z-folded foil sheets is received and from which they are dispensed. A dispenser guide 106 is provided to the top of the container portion, which defines a slot 107 through which the sheets are dispensed to the user. While the example embodiment 100 is shown as essentially square or cubic, other shapes are available within the scope of the present invention, such as but not limited to rectangular, round, oval, etc. And, while the vertical walls vertical walls 101, 102, 103 and 104 are shown essentially flat or planar, in at least one embodiment, they are slightly bowed toward the interior volume 110 for both functional and appearance benefits to be discussed in the following paragraphs.

Referring now to FIG. 2 and FIG. 3, side views are shown of the example embodiment 100 in which some hidden structural details are illustrated in broken lines (dashed lines). FIG. 2, taken from the perspective of vertical wall 102, illustrates a lifting platform 202 upon which the stack of Z-folded sheets of foil are rested. The lifting platform, in this embodiment, engages one or more tracks, grooves or guides 203 along the interior surfaces of the vertical walls to keep it centered and aligned during upward and downward movements. One or more lifting components 201, such as but not limited to compressible wound springs, are disposed to bias the position of the lifting platform 202 upwards towards the dispensing guide 106. One or more air release apertures 204 are preferably provided below the lifting platform 202, such as in a container portion bottom 105, to allow for the platform to be pushed downwards when a stack of Z-folded foil sheet is placed on top of the lifting platform 202 and into the interior volume 110 defined by the vertical walls. In this embodiment, the container portion is sized to match a particular quantity and shape of pre-cut Z-folded foil sheets, and the lifting components 201 are selected to counteract the known weight of that quantity of sheets such that when a “reload” quantity is placed on the lifting platform 202, the topmost sheet resides just below the dispensing guide 106. As sheets are dispensed 205 and removed from the stack, the lifting components incremental raise the lifting platform so that the next sheet, which is now the topmost sheet, is also just beneath the dispensing guide. In this manner, the topmost sheet is never so far below the dispensing slot that it can fall down into the interior of the dispenser system.

FIG. 3 provides the same details as FIG. 2, albeit from the perspective of another vertical wall 101. Further, the two different rotations of FIG. 2 and FIG. 3 allow for different views of the dispensing guide 106, FIG. 3 illustrates one of the available retainer devices 107 to keep the dispensing guide 106 firmly attached to the container portion. In this example embodiments, the retainer devices 107 are one or more pairs of magnetic retainers. In other embodiments, the retainer devices may include snaps, hinges, weights, latches, hook-and-loop fastener, and the like. The main requirement of the retainer device is that it be easily disengaged so that a user may position the dispensing guide 106 away from the open top of the container portion in order to add Z-folded sheet of foil to the dispenser device.

FIG. 4 illustrates the container portion 400 of the example embodiment 100 without the dispensing portion 106 attached to it. In this view, a widened lip 401 on top edges of opposing sides 101, 103, is shown for engaging the retainer device(s). Interior guides for the lifting platform are not shown in this view to simply the illustration, but may exist as grooves, slots, ridges, lands or the like.

FIG. 5 depicts more details of the dispenser guide 106 in which edges 107 define a dispensing slot 107. Ends 501 of the dispenser guide 106 may contain a portion of the retainer device(s), and optional stabilizer portions 502 may be used for functional stability and aesthetic appeal.

In FIG. 7, a view 700 similar to that of FIG. 5 is shown, with hidden structures shown in broken lines, and a stack of Z-fold foil sheets 701 received onto the lifting platform 202 within the interior volume 110 defined by the vertical walls 101, 102, 103 and 104. In this view, the compressed springs serving as the lifting devices 201 are shown, and the Z-fold stack of foil sheets 701 is shown with exaggerated space between the sheets to illustrate the action which draws a next sheet out of the dispensing slot 107 when the topmost sheet is dispensed 205.

FIG. 8 shows a view 800 which is similar to that of FIG. 7, except that many sheets have been depleted or dispensed, so the stack 701′ of sheets is shorter and lighter. In this example of manner of use and operation, it can be seen that the lifting devices 201 have sufficiently raised the lifting platform 202 to keep the topmost sheet of the reduced stack 701′ to be just below the dispensing guide 106. This prevents the topmost sheet from falling down into the empty space above the stack that would ordinarily be created inside a plain dispensing box by shifting the evacuated volume 110′ to be below the lifting platform 202 at all times.

FIG. 6 shows a top-down view of the example embodiment 100, including the slot defined by edges 107 in the dispensing guide 106, and the lifting devices 201 hidden beneath the lifting platform.

In other embodiments, the lifting devices may be one or more springs, counter-weights, compressible materials (e.g., sponge rubber, etc.), stretchable material (e.g., rubber bands suspended from above the lifting platform), or even mechanical or electrical motors.

The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular exemplary embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of the invention. As used herein, the singular forms “a”, “an” and “the” are intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. It will be further understood that the terms “comprises” and/or “comprising,” when used in this specification, specify the presence of stated features, steps, operations, elements, and/or components, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, steps, operations, elements, components, and/or groups thereof, unless specifically stated otherwise.

The corresponding structures, materials, acts, and equivalents of all means or step plus function elements in the claims below are intended to include any structure, material, or act for performing the function in combination with other claimed elements as specifically claimed. The description of the present invention has been presented for purposes of illustration and description, but is not intended to be exhaustive or limited to the invention in the form disclosed. Many modifications and variations will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention. The embodiment was chosen and described in order to best explain the principles of the invention and the practical application, and to enable others of ordinary skill in the art to understand the invention for various embodiments with various modifications as are suited to the particular use contemplated.

The foregoing example embodiments do not define the extent or scope of the present invention, but instead are provided as illustrations of how to make and use at least one embodiment of the invention.

Claims

1. A dispenser for Z-folded sheets of hair treatment foil, comprising:

one or more vertical walls defining an interior volume for receiving a stack of Z-folded sheets of hair treatment foil having a pre-determined size and pre-determined weight;

a horizontal lifting platform disposed within the one or more vertical walls configured to receive the stack of pre-determined size;

a dispensing guide horizontally disposed across a top of the one or more vertical walls, having a dispensing slot formed therein; and

one or more lifting devices engaging the horizontal lifting platform configured to receive the stack of pre-determined weight such that a topmost sheet in the stack is positioned immediately below the dispensing guide, and further configured to raise the lifting platform incrementally as weight of the stack is reduced due to dispensing of sheets thereby maintaining the topmost sheet positioned immediately below the dispensing guide.

2. The dispenser as set forth in claim 1 wherein the one or more vertical walls comprise a rectagonal set of walls.

3. The dispenser as set forth in claim 1 further comprising one or more retainer devices attaching the dispensing guide to the tops of the one or more vertical walls.

4. The dispenser as set forth in claim 3 wherein the one or more retainer devices comprises one or more magnets.

5. The dispenser as set forth in claim 3 wherein the one or more retainer devices are selected from the group consisting of a hinge, a latch, a snap, a weight, and a hook-and-loop fastener.

6. The dispenser as set forth in claim 1 wherein the one or more lifting devices comprise one or more compressible springs.

7. The dispenser as set forth in claim 1 wherein the one or more lifting devices comprise one or more compressible resilient materials.

8. The dispenser as set forth in claim 1 wherein the one or more lifting devices comprise one or more stretchable resilient materials.

9. The dispenser as set forth in claim 1 wherein the one or more lifting devices comprise one or more motors.

10. A method of manufacture of a dispenser for Z-folded sheets of hair treatment foil, comprising:

forming one or more vertical walls to define an interior volume for receiving a stack of Z-folded sheets of hair treatment foil having a pre-determined size and pre-determined weight;

disposing a horizontal lifting platform disposed within the one or more vertical walls configured to receive the stack of pre-determined size;

providing a dispensing guide horizontally disposed across a top of the one or more vertical walls, having a dispensing slot formed therein; and

disposing one or more lifting devices to engage the horizontal lifting platform configured to receive the stack of pre-determined weight such that a topmost sheet in the stack is positioned immediately below the dispensing guide, and further configured to raise the lifting platform incrementally as weight of the stack is reduced due to dispensing of sheets thereby maintaining the topmost sheet positioned immediately below the dispensing guide.

11. The method of manufacture as set forth in claim 10 wherein the one or more vertical walls comprise a rectagonal set of walls.

12. The method of manufacture as set forth in claim 10 further comprising providing one or more retainer devices for attaching the dispensing guide to the tops of the one or more vertical walls.

13. The method of manufacture as set forth in claim 12 wherein the one or more retainer devices comprises one or more magnets.

14. The method of manufacture as set forth in claim 12 wherein the one or more retainer devices are selected from the group consisting of a hinge, a latch, a snap, a weight, and a hook-and-loop fastener.

15. The method of manufacture as set forth in claim 10 wherein the one or more lifting devices comprise one or more compressible springs.

16. The method of manufacture as set forth in claim 10 wherein the one or more lifting devices comprise one or more compressible resilient materials.

17. The method of manufacture as set forth in claim 10 wherein the one or more lifting devices comprise one or more stretchable resilient materials.

18. The method of manufacture as set forth in claim 10 wherein the one or more lifting devices comprise one or more motors.