Abstract:
There is provided a hair accessory application device essentially having at least two housing or body portions, a first body or ergonomic handle portion suitable for handling by an operator and for accommodating at least a portion of a drive assembly and a second body or head portion suitable for accommodating at least a portion of a hair beading assembly. The hair beading assembly is operatively connected to the drive assembly and suitable to allow an operator to effectively and efficiently apply one or more hair accessories over one or more strands of hair as desired.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0001]     1. Field of the Invention  
         [0002]     The present invention relates to devices for automatically applying a hair accessory, such as a bead, to hair. More particularly, the present invention relates to a device for automatically applying a plurality of hair accessories to one or more strands of hair.  
         [0003]     2. Description of Related Art It is known to provide devices that can be pre-loaded with one or more accessories such as beads that are suitable to be threaded over one or more strands of hair. Such known devices typically have a rod for accommodating the accessories. The rod has a hook extending from it along a longitudinal axis. The hook is suitable to engage a hair swatch so that the accessories may be slid over the rod and hook, and onto the hair swatch. Some of these devices require an applied force, such as, for example, via a user&#39;s band or by gravity, in order to advance the accessories from the rod and hook and onto the hair strands.  
         [0004]     Inherent shortcomings associated with these known devices include the difficulty and/or awkwardness coupled with positioning and placing the accessories onto the hair and the relatively inefficient, error-prone application techniques associated with using such devices. Thus, there is a need for an effective hair accessory application device that can automatically and efficiently move the accessories onto one or more strands of hair.  
       OBJECT AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0005]     It is an object of the present invention to overcome the shortcomings of the prior art mentioned above. These and other objects are achieved by the present invention described herein.  
         [0006]     The present invention achieves these and other objectives by providing a hair accessory application device essentially having at least two housing or body portions, a first body or ergonomic handle portion suitable for handling by an operator and for accommodating at least a portion of a drive assembly and a second body or head portion suitable for accommodating at least a portion of a hair beading assembly. The hair beading assembly is operatively connected to the drive assembly and suitable to allow an operator to effectively and efficiently apply one or more hair accessories over one or more strands of hair as desired.  
         [0007]     The preferred embodiment features a hair holder within the head portion that holds one or more strands of hair in place so that a bead may be more easily attached to the hair. A pushing arm is used to push the beads onto the user&#39;s hair while the hair holder holds the one or more strands of hair. A rotating bead holder, having a circular profile, is also located within the head portion and can have a plurality of grooves to hold a plurality of beads. A transparent cover can be used to keep the beads from falling out of the device or being knocked out of a groove. The handle portion can have a power button to allow an operator to control the device. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0008]     The present invention is more fully understood by reference to the following detailed description of an illustrative embodiment with the drawings identified below.  
         [0009]      FIG. 1A  is a perspective view of a hair accessory application device in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention.  
         [0010]      FIG. 1B  is another perspective view of the hair accessory application device of  Fig. 1A , showing different illustrative aspects thereof.  
         [0011]      FIG. 1C  is a front, partial cut-out view of the hair accessory application device of  FIGS. 1A and 1B  in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention.  
         [0012]      FIG. 2A  is a front view of the hair accessory application device, with the cover removed, in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention.  
         [0013]      FIG. 2B  is a rear, cross-sectional view of the hair accessory application device of  FIG. 2A  in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention.  
         [0014]      FIG. 3  is an exploded view of several aspects of the hair accessory application device in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention.  
         [0015]      FIG. 4  is a partial view of the head portion, including the pushing mechanism and hair holding mechanism in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention.  
         [0016]      FIG. 5  is a perspective view of a bead in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention.  
         [0017]      FIG. 6  is a front, partial cut-out view of the hair accessory application device showing the bead refilling mechanism in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention.  
         [0018]      FIG. 7  is a schematic view of a control circuit of the hair accessory application device in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention.  
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
       [0019]     Referring to  FIGS. 1A-1C , a hair accessory application device in accordance with an illustrative embodiment of the present invention is shown and generally represented by reference numeral  10 . The hair accessory device  10  includes a body or handle portion  12  and a head portion  14 . Hair accessories, such as beads  16 , for example, may be threaded or received over one or more strands of hair using device  10 .  
         [0020]     The handle portion  12  may be ergonomically shaped to comfortably and conveniently be held by an operator. Preferably, the handle portion has a power button  18  for allowing an operator to control the operation of the device  10 . The power button  18  can be shaped in a variety of ways and can be placed on the side of the handle portion  12  as shown, or in any other location convenient to an operator. In an alternative embodiment, the handle portion can be in the form of a control interface having any of a variety of input selectors (e.g., buttons, knobs, dials, touch-pads or touch-screens, etc.) for starting, stopping or otherwise adjusting the operation of the hair accessory device  10 . The control interface can also have a variety of output indicators, such as, for example, visual indicators (e.g., LED/LCD displays, etc.), audible indicators (e.g., beeps, automated voice, etc.), or tactile indicators (e.g., vibration, heat, etc.).  
         [0021]     Located on the head portion  14  is a rotating bead holder  20  that can hold a plurality of beads  16 . Preferably, the bead holder  20  has a circular or disk-shaped profile and a plurality of grooves  22  to hold a multitude of beads  16 , each bead placed within a groove  22 . Also located on the head portion  14  is a hair holder  24 . The hair holder  24  can have thin metal bars or rods that hold one or more strands of hair in place so that a bead  16  may be more easily attached to the hair.  FIG. 2A  shows a pushing arm  25 , which can be used to push the beads  16  onto the user&#39;s hair while the hair holder  24  holds the one or more strands of hair.  
         [0022]     In order to keep the beads  16  from falling out of the device  10  or being knocked out of a groove  22 , a transparent cover  26  can be placed over the head portion  14 . The cover  26  can be made to selectively pivot about a hinge so that it may be easily opened and closed. This allows for the beads  16  to be easily replaced back into the rotating bead holder  20 . In a preferred embodiment, the hinge is located near the hair holder  24 . The cover  26  can be made to open up to a certain angle, such as 90 degrees, for example, or can be completely removed from the device  10 . The transparent cover  26  can be made from plastic or any other material that would allow an operator to see the beads  16  within the device  10  while the beads  16  are being protected. In an alternative embodiment, the cover  26  can also be opaque or non-transparent.  
         [0023]     Referring to  FIG. 2B , within the hair accessory device  10  is a drive assembly  27  comprising a motor  28  with a gear box, a drive shaft  32 , a drive gear  34  and an eccentric wheel  46 . Preferably, the motor  28  is powered by batteries  30 . However, the motor can be powered by any other applicable power source. For example, in an alternative embodiment, the hair accessory device  10  may run from an electric cord (not shown) connected to an electric power source. In the preferred embodiment, the motor  28  is connected to a drive shaft  32 . The drive shaft is connected to a drive gear  34 . The motor  28  causes the drive shaft  32  to rotate, which in turn, causes the drive gear  34  to rotate about an axis that is perpendicular to the rotation of the drive shaft  32 . Upper contact reed  36  and lower contact reed  37  are used to control the circuit that enables the device  10  to operate. A ratchet  38  rotates the rotating bead holder  20  with beads  16  so that once a bead  16  is placed in an operator&#39;s hair, the next bead  16  will be in position to be placed in the hair, as will be described in further detail below.  
         [0024]     As illustrated in  FIG. 3 , the rotation of the motor  28 , drive shaft  32  and drive gear  34  causes an eccentric wheel  46  to also rotate. This controls the horizontal movement of the hair holder  24  and the pushing arm  25 . A top circular knob  48  is located on the top surface of the eccentric wheel  46 . As the eccentric wheel  46  rotates, the top circular knob  48  moves back and forth within a slot  50  in the pushing arm  25 , causing the pushing arm  25  to move forward and backward. On the bottom surface of the eccentric wheel  46  is a bottom circular knob  52 . This bottom circular knob  52  fits within a groove  54  of a flat member  56 . The flat member  56  is located between the drive gear  34  and the pushing arm and has two posts  58  located on the top surface. The hair holder  24  has two poles  60 , which are placed into the two posts  58  so that the flat member  56  and the hair holder  24  move in conjunction with one another. As the eccentric wheel  46  rotates, the bottom circular knob  52  moves within the groove  54  of the flat member  56  and causes the flat member to move forward and backward, in the opposite direction as the pushing arm  25 . As the flat member  56  moves back and forth, the hair holder  24  moves in conjunction with it, in the opposite direction as the pushing arm  25 .  
         [0025]      FIG. 4  shows the hair accessory device  10  as it proceeds through four main stages. Stage  1  shows the beginning, where a tuft of hair  62  is placed within the hair holder  24 . A bead  16  is in position to be pushed onto the tuft of hair by the pushing arm  25 . The bead  16  will be pushed over a slide plate  64 , so that the bead will be expanded.  FIG. 5  shows a bead  16 . Each bead  16  is comprised of an upper part  40 , a lower part  42  and a spring  44  in the middle. Preferably, the slide plate  64  is generally in the shape of two wedges, in which the narrow ends are facing the bead  16  and the broad ends are facing the tuft of hair  62 . As the bead  16  is pushed over the slide plate  64  by the pushing arm  25 , the upper part  40  and the lower part  42  are separated from one another against the force of the spring  44 . This can be seen in  FIG. 4  at stage  2 . When the upper part  40  and lower part  42  are fully separated, the tuft of hair  62  can fit between the coils of the spring  44 . After the bead  16  continues to move over the broad edge of the slide plate  64  and beyond the slide plate, the upper part  40  and lower part  42  return to their initial state of being in close contact, with the tuft of hair  62  firmly in place between the coils of the spring  44 . This is shown at stage  3  of  FIG. 4 . Stage  4  shows the bead  16  on the tuft of hair  62 , with the hair holder  24  and pushing arm  25  returning to their initial states. The next bead  16  is then in position to be placed upon another tuft of hair  62 .  
         [0026]      FIG. 6  shows the bead refilling mechanism. At stage  1 , the ratchet wheel  66  rotates counterclockwise until the circuit of the upper contact reed  36  opens. At stage  2 , the ratchet wheel  66  rotates clockwise and the ratchet  38  pushes the rotating bead holder  20  to rotate. At stage  3 , the ratchet wheel  66  continues to rotate until making the circuit of the lower contact reed  37  to open. The rotating bead holder  20  is then rotated one step as seen at stage  4 . A detent  68  can fix the rotating bead holder  20  into an incremental position.  FIG. 7  shows the circuit to control the movement of the pushing arm  25 , the rotating direction of the motor  28  and the bead refilling mechanism.  
         [0027]     While a preferred embodiment of the invention has been herein disclosed and described, it is understood that various modifications can be made without departing from the scope of the invention.