Abstract:
A method for fabricating a hair accessory includes providing a hair clip having a plurality of tines, providing at least one support member having a plurality of strands extending therefrom and coupling the at least one support member to at least one of the plurality of tines.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   This invention relates generally to hair accessories and, more particularly, to hair accessories that supplement the natural hair of a user. 
   Users supplement their natural hair to allow a wider variety of hair styles to be imparted to the user&#39;s hair. Additionally, when users are endowed with relatively little hair, the users can supplement their hair to create the impression of a fuller head of hair. Known hair pieces provide for these objectives by attaching a hair switch to a hair clip such that the hair piece hangs from the hair clip, and the hair clip remains visible. However, the user may wish to wear a hair accessory to supplement the user&#39;s natural hair without a visible attachment device. 
   BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   In one aspect, a hair accessory is provided. The hair accessory includes a hair clip having a plurality of tines and at least one support member having a plurality of strands extending therefrom. The at least one support member is coupled to at least one of the plurality of tines. 
   In another aspect, a hair accessory is provided. The hair accessory includes a hair clip including a first clip portion and a second clip portion joined to the first clip portion along a hinge. The first and second clip portions are biased together by a spring. Each of the first and second clip portions have a plurality of tines on a respective side of the hinge. The hair accessory further includes at least one support member having a plurality of strands extending therefrom. The at least one support member is coupled to at least one of the plurality of tines of at least one of the first and second clip portions. 
   In a further aspect, a method for fabricating a hair accessory is provided. The method includes providing a hair clip having a plurality of tines, providing at least one support member having a plurality of strands extending therefrom and coupling the at least one support member to at least one of the plurality of tines. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       FIG. 1  is a perspective view of one embodiment of a hair accessory; 
       FIG. 2  is a plan view of a hair accessory in accordance with one embodiment of the invention; 
       FIG. 3  is a side view of a portion of a strand retention member utilized in fabrication of the hair accessory shown in  FIG. 2 ; 
       FIG. 4  is an end view of the strand retention member shown in  FIG. 3 ; 
       FIG. 5  is a cross-sectional view of the strand retention member shown in  FIG. 3  wrapped around a plurality of resilient members; 
       FIG. 6  is a front view of the hair accessory shown in  FIG. 2  attached to an open hair clip; and 
       FIG. 7  is a front view of the hair accessory shown in  FIG. 6  without hair strands. 
   

   DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     FIG. 1  is a perspective view of one embodiment of a hair accessory  10  including a plurality of hair strands  12 . A hair clip (not shown in  FIG. 1 ) is beneath strands  12  and is substantially concealed from sight by strands  12 . The user can utilize the addition of hair strands  12  to the user&#39;s natural hair to provide various hair styles, some of which may not be attainable, or desirable in appearance, without hair accessory  10 . 
     FIG. 2  is a plan view of one embodiment of a hair accessory  10  including a plurality of arcuately extending hair strands  12  including synthetic hair. In an exemplary embodiment, the synthetic hair is fabricated from a polymer fiber such as modacrylic. In another embodiment, the synthetic hair is fabricated from a polymer fiber other than modacrylic, such as, for example, acrylic. In an alternative embodiment, hair strands  12  include natural hair. In a further alternative embodiment, hair strands  12  include at least one of synthetic hair and natural hair. Hair accessory  10  further includes an inner diameter  14  forming a bore  16 , and an outer diameter  18 . In one embodiment, inner diameter  14  is between about 6 centimeters (cm) and about 10.5 cm. In another embodiment, inner diameter  14  is between about 7 cm and about 9.5 cm. In another embodiment, inner diameter  14  is between about 8 cm and about 8.5 cm. In an exemplary embodiment, inner diameter  14  is about 8.25 cm. Strands  12  include a plurality of outward arcing strands  20  and a plurality of inward arcing strands  22 . Arcuately extending strands  12  have varying lengths wherein each strand  12  is between about 7.5 cm and about 10.2 cm long and wherein strands  12  average about 9 cm in length. Each strand  12  is curved such that, although the length of each strand  12  is about 9 cm, the distance from one end of each strand  12  to the other end of each strand  12  is about 6 cm and, therefore, outer diameter  18  is about 20.5 cm. Accordingly, each strand includes an arc approximately equal to an arc of a circle having a diameter of approximately 8.25 cm, and inward arcing strands  22  substantially follow an inner surface  24  defined by inner diameter  14  such that inward arcing strands  22  extend substantially co-arcuate with inner surface  24  and remain within about 2 cm from inner surface  24 . 
     FIG. 3  is a side view of a portion of a strand retention member  30  utilized in hair accessory  10 . Strand retention member  30  includes a support member  32  upon which is mounted a plurality of strand bundles  34 . Each strand bundle  34  is attached to strand retention member  30  by a plurality of threads  36 . Each bundle  34  includes between about fifteen and about forty strands  12 . Each bundle  34  has a width  38  of about 1.6 millimeter (mm) and is separated from other bundles  34  by a spacing  40  of about 0.8 mm. Support member  32  includes a width  42  of about 9.5 mm. Strands  12  extend arcuately in a direction normal to the plane of width  42 , e.g., into  FIG. 2  or out from  FIG. 2 . 
     FIG. 4  is an end view of strand retention member  30  illustrating a first direction  50  normal to width  42  and a second direction  52  normal to width  42 . Strands  12  arcuately extend in second direction  52 . 
     FIG. 5  is a cross-sectional view of strand retention member  30  spirally wrapped around a plurality of resilient members  60 . In an exemplary embodiment, strand retention member  30  is spirally wrapped around the four resilient members  60 . 
   During fabrication of hair accessory  10 , strand retention member  30  is spirally wrapped around at least one resilient member  60  substantially forming a circle defined by inner diameter  14  (shown in  FIG. 1 ). In one embodiment, strand retention member  30  is wrapped around at least one resilient member  60  forming a continuous loop and can be in a shape other than substantially forming a circle, such as, for example, an oval. In an alternative embodiment, strand retention member  30  is spirally wrapped around at least one resilient member having two ends which are joined with an attachment device. In an exemplary embodiment, the ends are sewn together. In another embodiment, the attachment device is a snap. In an alternative embodiment, the attachment device is a hook and loop pressure fastener (velcro). In a further embodiment, the attachment device is a button fastener. Because strands  12  extend arcuately normal to width  42 , spirally wrapping strand retention member  30  causes more than 50% of strands  12  to extend outward forming outward arcing strands  20  and less than 50% of strands  12  extend inward forming inward arcing strands  22 . In an exemplary embodiment, a helix angle is chosen in coordination with inner diameter  14  such that at least 80% of strands  12  are outward arcing strands  20 . In one embodiment, strand retention member  30  is spirally wrapped around a plurality of resilient members and thus hair accessory  10  is still useable if one resilient member should break. In another embodiment, strand retention member  30  is spirally wrapped around four resilient members and thus hair accessory  10  is useable if one or more resilient members break. While more than four resilient members may provide a longer life and withstand the breakage of many resilient members, utilizing four resilient members provides a cost-effective and long lasting hair accessory  10 . 
     FIG. 6  is a front view of hair accessory  10  coupled to an open hair clip  80 . Clip  80  includes first and second clip portions  82  and  84  joined together by a hinge pin  86 . First and second clip portions  82  and  84  are formed with a plurality of tines  88  separated by spaces  90 . In one embodiment, tines  88  of at least one of first and second clip portions  82  and  84  are arcuate. When clip  80  is in a closed position, tines  88  of one clip portion are received in spaces  90  between tines  88  of the other clip portion. A spring  92  engages first and second clip portions  82  and  84  and biases clip  80  to a closed position. In the exemplary embodiment, first and second clip portions  82  and  84  are each provided with a handle  94  and  96  on the opposite side of the hinge pin  86  from the tines  88 . By applying a force on handles  94  and  96  toward each other, clip  80  can be opened to enable the clip  80  to be inserted into the user&#39;s hair. Additionally, at least one of first and second portions  82  and  84  have at least one shoulder  98  on the opposite side of the hinge pin  86  from the tines  88 . As shown in  FIG. 6 , first and second clip portions have a pair of shoulders on either side of their respective handles. Shoulders  98  are spaced apart from handles  94  and  96 . In one embodiment, first and second clip portions  82  and  84  have a plurality of shoulders  98  on either side of handles  94  and  96 . 
     FIG. 7  is a front view of hair accessory  10  without hair strands coupled to clip  80 . Support member  32  is coupled to at least one of first and second clip portions. In the exemplary embodiment, support member  32  is looped around shoulder  98  of second clip portion  84 . Support member  32  is weaved between tines  88  of second clip portion  84  until support member  32  can be looped around another shoulder  98  of second clip portion  84  on the opposite side of handle  96 . In one embodiment, support member  32  is weaved through tines  88  of second clip portion  84  and support member  32  is looped around only one shoulder  98  of second clip portion  84 . In another embodiment, support member  32  is weaved through tines  88  of second clip portion  84  without looping around any shoulders  98  of second clip portion  84 . 
   In another embodiment, support member  32  is looped around one shoulder  98  of second clip portion. Support member  32  is twisted around at least one tine  88  of second clip portion  84 , and support member  32  is looped around another shoulder  98  of second clip portion  84  on the opposite side of handle  96 . In another embodiment, support member is looped around only one shoulder  98  of second clip portion  84  and support member  32  is twisted around at least one tine  88  of second clip portion  84 . In a further embodiment, support member  32  is twisted around at least one tine  88  of second clip portion  84  without looping around any shoulders  98  of second clip portion  84 . 
   While the invention has been described in terms of various specific embodiments, those skilled in the art will recognize that the invention can be practiced with modification within the spirit and scope of the claims.