Hair treatment device and method

A hair treatment device consists of a thin flexible plastic strip provided with radiused ends and a row of apertures. In use, the strip is inserted under the bands of perm rods which are situated on the head of a user. The user's hair is wrapped around the perm rods and secured by the bands. By inserting the strip between the perm rod bands and the user's hair, the bands are lifted slightly from the hair. When permanent solution is applied to the hair, the hair tends to expand against the perm rod bands. The strip serves to release the tension of the bands from the hair, preventing the hair from breaking. The holes in the strip allow the permanent solution to freely penetrate to all areas of the hair.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
1. Field of the Invention 
The present invention relates to hair treatment devices, and more 
particularly pertains to a new and improved hair treatment device for 
preventing a person's hair from being broken by being pressed against the 
bands of a perm rod. When an individual is receiving a permanent treatment 
for their hair, their hair is curled around a plurality of perm rods and 
secured by bands. When the hair is treated with the permanent solution, 
this causes the hair to swell and expand, pressing the hair tightly 
against the bands. This causes some of the hair to break. In order to 
overcome this problem, the present invention provides a thin flexible 
plastic strip provided with a row of apertures for insertion between the 
curled hair and the bands on the perm rod. This spaces the band slightly 
from the hair, protecting the hair from breakage when the permanent 
solution is applied. 
2. Description of the Prior Art 
Various types of hair treatment devices are known in the prior art. A 
typical example of such a hair treatment device is to be found in U.S. 
Pat. No. 2,409,081, which issued to J. Torrens on Oct. 8, 1946. This 
patent discloses an ornamental cover for reception over a conventional 
hair curler. This device is constructed as a curved plastic shell provided 
with an array of apertures. An ornamental bow is formed on a top surface 
of the device. U.S. Pat. No. 2,659,378, which issued to V. Caserta on Nov. 
17, 1953, discloses a pin curl clip. This device is constructed as a pair 
of overlying flat strips provided with a series of apertures. The strips 
are integrally formed and are connected by a resilient bight portion. This 
allows the device to securely hair of a user between the overlying strips. 
U.S. Pat. No. 3,050,071 which issued to R. Hall on Aug. 21, 1962, 
discloses a hair solution absorber formed from a generally H shaped 
tubular spongy material. This device is utilized to prevent excess 
permanent solution from dripping onto the face and neck of a person having 
their hair treated. U.S. Pat. No. 3,519,003, which issued to L. Mizell on 
July 7, 1970, discloses a device for depositing hair retaining filaments 
to the hair of a user. The device is designed for use in the place of 
conventional hair spray. U.S. Pat. No. 3,599,647, which issued to V. 
Fabbri on Aug. 17, 1971, discloses a hair treating device which is used to 
restrict the application of a treating composition such as dye or bleach 
to a selected predetermined pattern of the hair, while masking the 
remainder of hair from contact with the composition. U.S. Pat. No. 
274,009, which issued to R. Caruso on May 29, 1984, discloses a hair clip 
formed from a generally cylindrical body portion provided with a series of 
apertures. 
While the above mentioned devices are suited for their intended usage, none 
of these devices provide a hair treatment device for the prevention of 
hair breakage for use with conventional perm rods. Additionally, none of 
the aforesaid devices is suitable for insertion between the bands of perm 
rods and the hair of a user to prevent the hair from breaking against the 
bands. Inasmuch as the art is relatively crowded with respect to these 
various types of hair treatment devices, it can be appreciated that there 
is a continuing need for and interest in improvements to such hair 
treatment devices, and in this respect, the present invention addresses 
this need and interest. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
In view of the foregoing disadvantages inherent in the known types of hair 
treatment devices now present in the prior art, the present invention 
provides an improved hair treatment device. As such, the general purpose 
of the present invention, which will be described subsequently in greater 
detail, is to provide a new and improved hair treatment device which has 
all the advantages of the prior art hair treatment devices and none of the 
disadvantages. 
To attain this, a representative embodiment of the concepts of the present 
invention is illustrated in the drawings and makes use of a thin flexible 
plastic strip having rounded ends and provided with a series of apertures. 
The method of utilizing the device according to the present invention 
comprises the steps of rolling an individual's hair around conventional 
perm rods, securing the hair to the perm rods by conventional perm rod 
bands, inserting the thin flexible plastic strip between the bands of 
adjacent perm rods and the hair of the individual, and applying permanent 
solution to the hair and through the apertures in the strip. The strips 
serve to space the bands slightly from the hair, preventing the hair from 
being forced against the bands and breaking due to expansion of the hair 
upon treatment by the permanent solution. 
There has thus been outlined, rather broadly, the more important features 
of the invention in order that the detailed description thereof that 
follows may be better understood, and in order that the present 
contribution to the art may be better appreciated. There are, of course, 
additional features of the invention that will be described hereinafter 
and which will form the subject matter of the claims appended hereto. In 
this respect, before explaining at least one embodiment of the invention 
in detail, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its 
application to the details of construction and to the arrangements of the 
components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the 
drawings. The invention is capable of other embodiments and of being 
practiced and carried out in various ways. Also, it is to be understood 
that the phraseology and terminology employed herein are for the purpose 
of description and should not be regarded as limiting. As such, those 
skilled in the art will appreciate that the conception, upon which this 
disclosure is based, may readily be utilized as a basis for the designing 
of other structures, methods and systems for carrying out the several 
purposes of the present invention. It is important, therefore, that the 
claims be regarded as including such equivalent constructions insofar as 
they do not depart from the spirit and scope of the present invention. 
Further, the purpose of the foregoing abstract is to enable the U.S. Patent 
and Trademark Office and the public generally, and especially the 
scientists, engineers and practitioners in the art who are not familiar 
with patent or legal terms or phraseology, to determine quickly from a 
cursory inspection the nature and essence of the technical disclosure of 
the application. The abstract is neither intended to define the invention 
of the application, which is measured by the claims, nor is it intended to 
be limiting as to the scope of the invention in any way. 
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a new and 
improved hair treatment device which has all the advantages of the prior 
art hair treatment devices and none of the disadvantages. 
It is another object of the present invention to provide a new and improved 
hair treatment device which may be easily and efficiently manufactured and 
marketed. 
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a new and 
improved hair treatment device which is of a durable and reliable 
construction. 
An even further object of the present invention is to provide a new and 
improved hair treatment device which is susceptible of a low cost of 
manufacture with regard to both materials and labor, and which accordingly 
is then susceptible of low prices of sale to the consuming public, thereby 
making such hair treatment devices economically available to the buying 
public. 
Still yet another object of the present invention is to provide a new and 
improved hair treatment device which provides in the apparatuses and 
methods of the prior art some of the advantages thereof, while 
simultaneously overcoming some of the disadvantages normally associated 
therewith. 
Still another object of the present invention is to provide a new and 
improved hair treatment device for insertion between the bands of perm 
rods and the hair of an individual to prevent the hair from being forced 
against the bands and breaking upon expansion of the hair caused by 
treatment with a permanent solution. 
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a new and 
improved hair treatment device and method for treatment of an individual's 
hair which prevents breakage of the individual's hair upon treatment with 
a permanent solution. 
Even still another object of the present invention is to provide a new and 
improved hair treatment device which includes a thin flexible plastic 
strip provided in various lengths for insertion between the bands of 
various sizes of perm rods in the hair of an individual. 
These together with other objects of the invention, along with the various 
features of novelty which characterize the invention, are pointed out with 
particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this 
disclosure. For a better understanding of the invention, its operating 
advantages and the specific objects attained by its uses, reference should 
be had to the accompanying drawings and descriptive matter in which there 
is illustrated preferred embodiments of the invention.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
With reference now to the drawings, and in particular to FIG. 1 thereof, a 
new and improved hair treatment device embodying the principles and 
concepts of the present invention and generally designated by the 
reference numeral 10 will be described. 
More specifically, it will be noted that the first embodiment 10 of the 
invention includes a thin flexible plastic strip 12 provided with a row of 
circular apertures 14 and radiused ends 16. The strip 12 is inserted 
between the hair 20 on the head 18 of an individual and conventional perm 
rod attaching bands 24. The hair 20 is curled around the perm rods 22 in a 
conventional fashion. The perm rod bands 24 serve to secure the hair 20 
against the perm rods 22. A permanent treatment solution is then applied 
to the hair 20 and also through the circular apertures 14 on the strip 12. 
This allows all portions of the hair to be evenly treated with the 
permanent solution. When the hair 20 is treated by a permanent solution, 
it will swell and expand. In the absence of the strips 12, the hair 20 
will be forced against the perm rod bands 24, causing the hair to break. 
By insertion of the strips 12 between the bands 24 and perm rods 22, the 
bands 24 are spaced slightly from the hair 20, allowing the hair to expand 
upon treatment by the permanent solution, thus protecting the hair 20 from 
breakage. The strips 12 are formed from a flexible plastic, and are less 
than one sixteenth of an inch thick. The strips are preferably about one 
thirty second of an inch thick and one half inch in width. This allows the 
strips 12 to slightly lift the bands 24, while allowing the strips 12 to 
conform to the contour of the head 18 of the individual. The strips 12 
will be provided in different lengths for use with the various different 
sizes of conventional perm rods. These conventional perm rods 22 are 
available in ten different sizes. The strips 12 are formed in three 
different sizes; two inch length, three inch length and three and a half 
inch length. This allows the strip 12 to be utilized with various 
different size perm rods. The larger perm rods are conventionally utilized 
on the top portion of the head 18 of the individual. The smaller perm rods 
are utilized on the sides and back of the individual's head 18, depending 
upon the desired results. The ten different conventional sizes of perm 
rods are color coded in the order from smallest to largest by the colors 
yellow, blue, pink, grey, white, green, purple, beige, orange and brown. 
In order to enable a beautician to quickly ascertain the correct length of 
strip 12 to utilize with each different size of perm rod 22, the various 
lengths of strips 12 are color coded to match the color of the 
corresponding perm rods 22. For example, the three smallest sized perm 
rods 22 have a standard color coding of yellow, blue, and pink. For use 
with these sizes of perm rods 22, it has been determined that a two inch 
length strip 12 is appropriate. This two inch length strip 12 will thus be 
colored yellow, blue, and pink. For the next four larger sizes of perm 
rods 22 color coded grey, white, green and purple, a three inch strip 12 
is appropriate. This three inch strip 12 will be color coded grey, white, 
green and purple, corresponding to the colors of the appropriate perm 
rods. For the three standard largest sizes of perm rods 22, the standard 
color coding is beige, orange and brown. A three and one half inch length 
strip 12 is suitable for use with these three largest standard sizes of 
perm rods 22. The three and one half inch length strip 12 will thus be 
color coded beige, orange and brown. By the use of these color codes, the 
beautician may easily determine the correct size of strip 12 to be used 
with each size of perm rod. 
With reference now to FIG. 2, a top diagrammatic view is provided, 
illustrating a strip 12 inserted beneath the bands 24 of three adjacent 
perm rods 22. The radiused ends of the strip 12 allow the strip to be 
easily inserted beneath the bands 24, without becoming entangled in the 
hair of the individual. 
FIG. 3 depicts a side view of FIG. 2, illustrating the strip 12, disposed 
beneath the bands 24 of the three adjacent perm rods 22. 
FIG. 4 illustrates a cross sectional view taken along line 4--4 of FIG. 2, 
illustrating the relative position of the apertures 14 in the strip 12. 
In FIG. 5, a top view of an example strip 12 is provided. The strip is a 
three and one half inch length strip for usage with the three largest 
standard sizes of conventional perm rods. These three largest sizes of 
perm rods are color coded respectively beige, orange, and brown. 
Corresponding with this color coding, the strip 12 is provided with a 
first segment B which is colored beige. A middle segment 0 is colored 
orange and a third segment BR is color coded brown. This allows a 
beautician to ascertain at a glance, the correct size of strip 12 for use 
with the size of perm rod being employed. 
FIG. 6 illustrates a side view of the strip 12. The strip has a thickness 
of less than one sixteenth of an inch, with a preferred thickness of 
approximately one thirty second of an inch. This allows the strip to 
slightly space the perm rod bands from an individual's hair, while 
allowing the strip to conform to the contours of the individual's head. 
FIG. 7 illustrates a perspective view of a strip 12 according to the 
present invention. 
With reference now to FIG. 1, the method of using the hair treating device 
10 of the present invention will now be described. First, the hair 20 on 
the head of the individual 18 is curled in a conventional manner around a 
plurality of perm rods 22. Various different sizes of perm rods 22 are 
utilized on different areas of the individual's head 18. For each three 
adjacent perm rods 22, a strip 12 is inserted beneath the perm rod bands 
24 and the hair 20 curled around the perm rods 22. This slightly spaces 
the bands 24 above the hair 20. The strips 12 are color coded, as 
previously described, and are selected in correspondence with the color 
coding of the perm rods 22. Conventional permanent solution is then 
applied to the hair 20 of the individual 18, and is also applied through 
the apertures 14 on each of the strips 12. This allows the permanent 
solution to be evenly applied to all areas of the hair 20. The treatment 
of the hair 20 of the individual 18 is then continued and concluded 
according to conventional practice. 
With respect to the above description then, it is to be realized that the 
optimum dimensional relationships for the parts of the invention, to 
include variations in size, materials, shape, form, function and manner of 
operation, assembly and use, are deemed readily apparent and obvious to 
one skilled in the art, and all equivalent relationships to those 
illustrated in the drawings and described in the specification are 
intended to be encompassed by the present invention. 
Therefore, the foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the 
principles of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and 
changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired 
to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and 
described, and accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may 
be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention.