Hair collecting device

A hair collecting device is provided. The hair collecting device has a spherical body having a pair of handles extending from opposing sides thereof. The spherical body has a hair-collecting mechanism, such as an arcuate fin, extending outward from an exterior surface of the spherical body. The arcuate fin has a plurality of cutouts disposed along a length thereof that trap hairs within the cutouts. The hair collecting device also has a housing with a hingedly attached access lid defining a housing interior volume. The housing also has a notch disposed on a side of the housing. The housing interior volume is sized to receive the spherical body and the notch receives a handle of the spherical body therethrough. The housing retains the spherical body and allows the spherical body to spin about an axis defined by the pair of handles.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to bathroom accessories. More particularly, the present invention provides for a device that can be secured in a bathroom that aids a user in collecting loose hairs such that the hairs are not washed down a drain or accumulate on a surface such as a wall or an area around the drain.

Many people groom their hair while in the bathroom, either while in a bathtub, a shower, or while standing over a sink. Often, such individuals will lose strands of their hair in the normal course of grooming. Commonly, this hair is gathered and is placed onto the walls of the shower or will collect inside the drain. Such an accumulation of hair in the drain can form a clog which can cause the drain to overflow as well as potentially damaging the pipes. Showers typically do not have a mechanism to clear such a clog and a professional plumber must be called out to eliminate the clog and/or fix the pipes. In some cases, the hair can also accumulate around the drain and surrounding surfaces leaving an unsightly mass.

Devices have been disclosed in the known art that relate to bathroom accessories. These include devices that have been patented and disclosed in patent application publications. However, the devices in the known art have several drawbacks. Some people purchase dangerous chemicals and pour them down the drain in an attempt to clear the clog. Some of these chemicals can in fact damage the drain and pipes. Additionally, noxious and toxic fumes may emanate as the chemicals interact with the clog. Such fumes can be harmful to a person breathing them in and should be avoided. Some people place filters or covers over the drain in order to capture the hair, but these devices often interfere with the flow of the water down the drain causing water to accumulate during a shower. Such devices can also be difficult to clean and may begin to accumulate mold and bacteria if not sanitized often.

The present invention substantially diverges in design elements from the known art and consequently it is clear that there is a need in the art for an improvement to existing bathroom accessories. In this regard the present invention substantially fulfills these needs.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In view of the foregoing disadvantages inherent in the known types of bathroom accessories now present in the art, the present invention provides a hair collecting device wherein the same can be secured in a bathroom and that can aid a user in collecting loose hairs such that the hairs are not washed down a drain or accumulate on a surface such as a wall or an area around the drain. The present hair collecting device comprises a spherical body having a pair of handles extending from opposing sides thereof. The spherical body has a hair-collecting mechanism, such as an arcuate fin, extending outward from an exterior surface of the spherical body. The arcuate fin has a plurality of cutouts disposed along a length thereof that trap hairs within the cutouts. The hair collecting device also has a housing with a hingedly attached access lid defining a housing interior volume. The housing also has a notch disposed on a side of the housing. The housing interior volume is sized to receive the spherical body and the notch receives a handle of the spherical body therethrough. The housing retains the spherical body and allows the spherical body to spin about an axis defined by the pair of handles.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Reference is made herein to the attached drawings. Like reference numerals are used throughout the drawings to depict like or similar elements of the hair collecting device. For the purposes of presenting a brief and clear description of the present invention, a preferred embodiment will be discussed as used for the hair collecting device. The figures are intended for representative purposes only and should not be considered to be limiting in any respect.

Referring now toFIG. 1A, there is shown a close-up view of a spherical body in an embodiment of the hair collecting device. The hair collecting device comprises a spherical body100having a pair of handles110extending from opposing sides of the spherical body100. In the shown embodiment, the pair of handles110are cylindrical and are thereby able to rotate within a notch or aperture of a housing (as shown inFIG. 2). The handles110enable a user to pick up and transport the spherical body100without touching the spherical body100itself. The handles100also define an axis about which the spherical body100can turn.

The spherical body100further comprises a fin120extending outwardly from an exterior surface101of the spherical body100. In the shown embodiment, the fin120has an arcuate lower end and a linear upper end. The arcuate lower end mimics a contour of the spherical body100such that the lower end can rest flush against the exterior surface101of the spherical body100. In the shown embodiment, the fin120is disposed along the axis defined by the handles110and extends from one handle110to the opposing handle110. Further, in the shown embodiment, the fin120is planar. In such a manner, a length121of the fin120rotates about the axis defined by the handles and is able to provide a maximum amount of surface area when so rotated. In various embodiments, a distal end of the fin120is linear whereas a base of the fin120is arcuate in order to mimic the contours of the spherical body100.

The fin120further comprises a plurality of cutouts130disposed along the length121thereof. In the shown embodiment, the cutouts130are “V” shaped in order to provide a channel into which a single hair140, or multiple hairs140can become trapped. It is an object of the present invention to receive and trap hair140on the spherical body100and the fin120, as well as inside the cutouts130, and along the handles110, in order to prevent the hair140or multiple hairs140from forming a clog in a drain or from forming an undesirable and unclean mess on a surface such as an area surrounding the drain or sink. As hair140is deposited on the spherical body110, the spherical body110can rotate to entangle the hair140. The hair140can also become entangled along the handles110and can get wedged within the cutouts130. In the shown embodiment, the central cutouts130are less deep than the cutouts130proximal to the ends of the spherical body110.

Referring now toFIG. 1B, there is shown a close-up view of a spherical body in an alternate embodiment of the hair collecting device. In the shown embodiment, the spherical body100further comprises a pair of fins120disposed opposite each other and extending outwardly from an equator150of the spherical body100. The presence of a pair of fins120increases the surface area of the fins120relative to the spherical body100and provides a greater number of cutouts130into which hair can become trapped and/or entangled resulting in the device having a larger capacity for holding said hair. In the shown embodiment, the pair of fins120are disposed along a plane defined by the equator150, thereby providing a unitary planar pair of fins120. In some embodiments, instead of a pair of fins120, a single ring-shaped fin120can be disposed about the equator150of the spherical body100.

Referring now toFIG. 1C, there is shown a close-up view of a spherical body in an alternate embodiment of the hair collecting device. In the shown embodiment, the spherical body100further comprises a plurality of bristles160extending outwardly from the exterior surface101of the spherical body100. In the shown embodiment, the bristles160are disposed along a top half of the plane defined by the equator150. In another embodiment, the bristles160are disposed along the entire equator150. Similar to the fins, the bristles160are configured to entangle and trap individual or multiple hairs along the bristles160in order to prevent the hair from collecting on a surface or gathering in a drain. Similar to the embodiment shown inFIGS. 1A and 18, in the shown embodiment, the bristles160are disposed along the axis defined by the handles110and extends from one handle110to the opposing handle110. In the shown embodiment, the bristles160are equivalent lengths, and are angled relative to a curvature of the spherical body110. Further, in the shown embodiment, each of the bristles160include a bulbous terminal end to aid in securing the hair.

Referring now toFIG. 2, there is shown an exploded view of an embodiment of the hair collecting device. The hair collecting device further comprises a housing200with an access lid210that is attached to the housing200by a hinge211, thereby defining a housing interior volume220. The housing interior volume220is sized to receive the spherical body100such that the spherical body100is free to rotate therein. In the shown embodiment, the housing200further comprises an open bottom end230. In one embodiment, the housing200can be mounted to a desired surface such as a shower wall by fasteners disposed on a rear surface of the housing200. In a further embodiment, the fasteners are peel and stick adhesive fasteners that enable to the housing200to be removably secured to the surface without damaging the surface. When the housing200is thus secured to the surface, the open bottom end230can be positioned such that water from a shower or other source of water, such as a user's wet hands, can flow through the open bottom end230and prevent the collection of said water in the housing200.

In the shown embodiment, the housing200further comprises a notch240disposed on a side of the housing200. The notch240is configured to receive a single handle110of the pair of handles110therethrough. In this manner, the spherical body100can be easily inserted and removed into the housing200. The housing200is also configured to allow the spherical body100to spin about an axis defined by the pair of handles110. In this manner, the spherical body100can be secured within the interior volume220and can spin therein, while the handle110extends through the housing200and the handle can spin within the notch240. Thus, in one embodiment, the notch240is configured to enable the handle210to rotate freely within the notch240along an axis defined by the pair of handles110. In the shown embodiment, an aperture250is disposed on an opposing side of the housing200from the notch240, wherein the aperture250is sized to receive a distal end of the handle110therethrough. The aperture250serves to further secure the handles110such that the spherical body100can spin unencumbered when secured within the interior volume220. In the shown embodiment, the aperture250is disposed opposite a terminal point251of the notch240, such that when the handles110of the spherical body100are received by the aperture250and the notch240, the spherical body100is held level.

In use, a user can gather hair while in the shower, or similarly grooming themself. The hair can then be manually placed onto the spherical body110and either run against the fin, or thread through the cutouts in order to transplant the hair from the user's hand to the hair collecting device. The spherical body100, and cutouts, are configured to provide an easy manner in which the hair can be transferred. As hair, and especially wet hair, has a tendency to adhere to the user's hands, such components provide a surface onto which the hair can be deposited. The spherical body100can then be rotated in the housing200to further secure the hair to the hair collecting device by entangling or threading the hair in the cutouts, along the handles110, and atop the spherical body100. The spherical body100can also be rotated to provide a new surface of the spherical body100when a given portion of the spherical body100is already covered in hair. Excess water can flow or drip out of the open end230of the housing200such that water does not accumulate therein. The lid210can then be moved to a closed position such that the hair within the hair collecting device does not wash off of the spherical body100and surrounding components. As the spherical body100and handles110become entangled with hair, the spherical body100can be removed from the housing200in order to be cleaned off or replaced.