Hair trim guide

A hair trim guide consisting of trim guides attached to a substantial portion of eyeglass frames, consisting of a face frame and a pair of temple pieces is provided. Projecting pegs and apertures enable the trim guides to be removably attached to the frame. Where it is desired to trim sideburns, the trim guides are attached to the temple pieces. When the trim guide is attached to the face frame, bangs may be accurately trimmed.

BACKGROUND OF INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to personal grooming aids and, more particularly, to such devices as are useful for providing guidance in the trimming of body hair. More specifically, the present invention relates to a guide worn on the head to enable the even trimming of sideburns, bangs, and selected other areas of the head.

2. Description of the Prior Art

Until the development of low cost safety razors, and later, electric razors, most men elected to wear facial hair during their adult lives. Unless possessing sufficient wealth, visits to professional barbers were limited to only very special occasions. This all changed around 1900 when King Gillette invented the safety razor, and made daily shaving available to the masses.

Most men have now moved to a clean-shaven look, with sideburns of length dictated by the current fashion. Of course, adopting a clean-shaven look makes irregularities all the more noticeable. It can be difficult for a person to maintain a sharp appearance relative to all areas of the hair and face. Sideburns are an especially difficult area, since they must be trimmed individually.

In much the same manner as do-it-yourselfers get in trouble when shortening table legs by measuring from the bottom, the alternating nature of sideburn trimming can result in sideburn lengths that gradually shorten to a point well beyond that desired. Alternatively, the self-groomer takes his best shot, and the result is frequently uneven sideburns.

In response to this need, a number of different solutions have been proposed. From the cosmetic area, stencils, patches, and embossed printing devices have been suggested for assistance in the shaping of facial hair. Over time, most of these have been found to be awkward to use, difficult to align, and sometimes uncomfortable to remove.

Variations in stencil devices have offered handles, guides or the like for engaging some other part of the head, such as an ear, the bridge of the nose, a frontal bone, and so forth. This too posed a problem, since coordination ability varies so much between individuals. While one person may have no problems aligning the device, another may find it impossible to manipulate and achieve the desired results.

Some other suggested solutions have gone to the other extreme, involving multiple piece constructions that overlie the skull in a manner that conjures images of brain surgery. One sideburn trimming guide, U.S. Pat. No. 4,010,764 to Wagner, provides a metal band that fits over the head, generally from temple to temple, with another guide fitting over each ear. A similar head-fitting appliance is described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,106,515 to Miller, who uses both over the top and around the head bands to position a sideburn trimming guide.

Not only would both of these head-fitting apparatus be difficult to assemble and position on the head, over long term use their physical integrity is sure to be compromised (bent, broken, and pieces lost). A need exists for providing an accurate measure of sideburn length using an inexpensive device whose manner of use requires no special skills or coordination, and preferably resembles devices that are well known and in widespread use.

SUMMARY OF INVENTION

It is an object of the present invention to provide a sideburn and hair trimming guide that is easily positioned on the head, and is of a configuration that substantially resembles a familiar personal appliance that is worn on the head in a similar manner.

A further object is to provide a hair trimming guide that is readily adjustable to obtain different sideburn and hair lengths.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a trimming guide that encourages the even trimming of both sideburns and of other sections of hair.

These objects, as well as other objects and advantages of the present invention will become readily apparent upon review of the description of a non-limiting illustrative embodiment and the accompanying drawings.

In this regard, an eyeglass frame, less the lens rims, is provided as the supporting structure for carrying the various trim guides. The location of attachment on this supporting frame of the various guides is dependent only upon the location of the hair that is desired to be trimmed. For sideburns, the guides are attached to the temple pieces, one on each side. Where it is desired to time a person“s front bangs, the guide is attached to the front of the frame.

A plurality of holes and pegs are provided to enable a range of adjustments to obtain the desired hair and sideburn lengths. The trim guides may also be shaped to certain desired lengths, assisting the person in maintaining a consistent look. The adjustability of the guides and their position provides a user with great flexibility in obtaining a desired hair length and shape. The snap-on manner of attaching the guides provides for positive placement of the guide—yet with the ability to easily change position of the guide as may be later required.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Reference is now made to the drawings, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout. A trim guide10is shown inFIG. 1as placed on the head of a user14. The repeatable, accurate placement of the trim guide10on the user14is obtained by utilizing the bridge of the nose and both ears to provide three stable areas of support. In this regard, the trim guide10is essentially the same as a conventional eyeglass frame with the lens rims eliminated as surplusage.

As so located, a trim gauge18that is attached to the trim guide10overlies a sideburn22of the user14. The extent to which the trim gauge18extends down from the trim guide10is adjustable, as will be discussed in further detail below. Once the trim gauge18is so fixed, placement of the trim guide10on the head enables the user14to maintain the sideburn22at a specified length.

While not shown inFIG. 1, the trim gauge18is located on both sides of the trim guide10, permitting the user14to accurately set the length of each of the sideburns22. Since the stable positioning of the trim guide10is established based upon the its manner of reception on the nose bridge and both ears, the extent of the trim gauge18, and the consequent length of the sideburns22, are similarly and repetitively fixed relative to those physical features as well. This correlates well with the manner in which professional barbers and hairdressers evaluate and establish the length of the sideburns22.

Turning now toFIG. 2, the trim guide10is reminiscent of eyeglass parts, having a front face frame28and a centrally located bridge32having a pair of opposed nose pads36. A pair of temples42are attached to a pair of hinged endpieces46, each located at an opposite end of the front face frame28. Extending back from the front face frame28, each of the temples42forms a bend52, which in turn terminates in an earpiece56.

The bend52and the earpiece56are configured for reception about the upper and rear exterior surfaces lying at the base of a user“s ear. Likewise, the opposed pair of nose pads36are shaped to conform to the outer, upper surfaces of a human nose. In this manner, the trim guide10is enabled to be received upon the nose and ears of the user14(not shown inFIG. 2) in much the same stable manner as a pair of eyeglasses.

Along an inner surface of each of the temples42are formed a plurality of projecting support pegs62. Preferably equally spaced along the temple42, the plurality of support pegs62provide a place of attachment for the trim gauge18. As is best viewed inFIG. 3, each of the trim gauges18have a plurality of support apertures66formed therein and arranged to form a well-ordered array.

As is also shown inFIG. 3, the trim gauge18also includes a plurality of evenly spaced horizontal and diagonal cut lines68. Such lines formed in the material used to fabricate the trim gauge18permit the user to easily select and obtain the appropriate length and angle for the trim gauge18.

Returning toFIG. 2, the support pegs62are shown receiving the pair of trim gauges18through the support apertures66. Since the location of sideburns may vary in front-back distance from individual to individual, the lateral location of the trim gauges18may also be varied by changing the match up of the support pegs62and the support apertures66. For example, if the sideburns of an individual are located in a more forward position, closer to the front of that person“s face, the trim gauge18can be shifted forward by placing the second-in-line support aperture into the first-in-line support peg (not illustrated in the drawings).

In a preferred embodiment, the trim guide10is fabricated out of a plastic, such as polycarbonate in an injection mold process. It is intended that the trim guide10be provided in a universal size, with the front face frame28extending a distance of approximately six (6) inches between the two hinged endpieces46. The bridge32extends down from the face frame28a distance of approximately one (1) inch, with the nose pads curving from their junction at the face frame28to a separated distance of ⅞ of an inch at their ends.

The temples42each have length of approximately 4¾ inches, with the bend52beginning approximately 3½ inches from the hinged endpiece46, and the width of the temples42expanding from ¼″ ⅜″ at the bend52to approximately ½″ at the earpiece56.

In a preferred embodiment there are five (5) of the support pegs62attached to each of the temples42, with adjacent support pegs separated a distance of approximately ⅜″ inches. The support pegs62project from the temple42a distance of 3/16 inches. The support apertures66are of ⅛″ diameter, with center-to-center spacing of approximately ⅜″, to permit the easy reception of the trim gauge on the appropriate support pegs62.

The trim gauge18is preferably fabricated out of a plastic, such as Nylon of thickness 1/16″. To permit the easy adjustment in the length of the trim gauge18, the cut lines68extend into each side of the trim gauge18one-quarter of its thickness. In this manner, length or angle adjustment merely requires the cutting of the trim gauge along one of the cut lines68.

The trim guide10may also be utilized in the cutting of hair located in other areas on the head, and an example of such an alternative preferred embodiment is shown inFIG. 4. A hair trim gauge72is positioned for attachment to the front face frame28of the trim guide10. The hair trim gauge72includes a transverse extension76having a pair of lateral adjustment extensions78, one formed at each end thereof. A first trimming surface82is formed along an upper edge of the transverse extension76and a second trimming surface84formed along a lower edge.

Attachment of the hair trim gauge72to the supporting structure of the trim gauge10preferably is accomplished by a similar structure as is utilized for attachment of the trim gauge18(not shown inFIG. 4). A pair of attachment apertures86is formed in each shield88of the front face frame28. A plurality of attachment pegs92are formed in a linear arrangement along a back surface of each of the lateral adjustment extensions78. The attachment pegs92are spaced apart a similar distance as the pair of attachment apertures, permitting their cooperative engagement with and receipt therein.

InFIG. 5the hair trim gauge72is shown as received by the trim guide10in an elevated manner. As so positioned, trimming along the first trimming surface82results in the formation of bangs having a shorter length. A length of untrimmed bangs94is shown inFIG. 5illustrating this result.

In addition to adjusting bang length by variance in the lateral position of the attachment pegs92selected to be received by the attachment apertures86, it is also possible to invert the entire hair trim gauge72. As is shown inFIG. 6, inversion of the hair trim gauge72does not alter the manner of its attachment to the front face frame28. The linear arrangement of the attachment pegs92along the lateral adjustment extensions permits additional variance in the position of the first trimming surface82relative to a user“s hair (not shown inFIG. 6).

As with the trim gauge18, the hair trim gauge78is preferably fabricated out of a plastic, such as Nylon of thickness 1/16″. The hair trim gauge72extends 6 inches across, with the lateral adjustment extensions having an approximate length of 1½ inches. The attachment pegs are approximately ⅛ inches in diameter, and project approximately ¼ inches from their base of attachment on the lateral adjustment extensions78. The attachment pegs92are spaced approximately ⅜ inches, center-to-center, as are the attachment apertures86. By making use of all the vertical adjustment features, including inversion of the hair trim gauge72, the first trimming surface82can be positioned from 1½ inches above the upper surface of the front face frame28to 1½ inches below.

My invention has been disclosed in terms of a preferred embodiment thereof, which provides an improved body hair trim guide that is of great novelty and utility. Various changes, modifications, and alterations in the teachings of the present invention may be contemplated by those skilled in the art without departing from the intended spirit and scope thereof. It is intended that the present invention encompass such changes and modifications.