A universal hairpin with a no-slip flocked coating is provided. The legs of the hairpin are covered with flocked coating of various heights for providing no-slip effect for a particular hair type. A hairpin has an interface for attaching a replaceable charm. The interface may use a screw tip, a Velcro™ lock, a clip, a clamp, a ring, a magnet, etc. The universal hairpin may have detachable tips of various shapes for different hair types or different types of hairstyles. The universal hairpin may have an asymmetric shape for more convenient use by a hairstylist and for providing enhanced in-hair hold.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Field of the Invention

This invention relates to an improved hairpin, and more particularly, to a universal no-slip hairpin with replaceable charms.

Description of the Related Art

Hairpins for holding hairdos in place and affixing wigs have been in use for over a hundred of years. A typical hair pin or hairpin is a prolonged-shape device generally used to hold a person's hair in place by being placed between the hairs. The hairpin may be used simply to secure long hair out of the way for convenience or as part of an elaborate hairstyle, hairdo or coiffure. Creation of different hairstyles, especially among women, seems to be common to all cultures and all periods, and many past and current societies use hairpins. Hairpins made of metal, ivory, bronze, carved wood, etc. were used in ancient Assyria and Egypt for securing decorated hairstyles. Major success came in 1901 with the invention of the spiral hairpin by New Zealand inventor Ernest Godward who produced a first hairpin that would not easily fall out of the hair.

The hairpin may be decorated with charms and encrusted with jewels and ornaments, or it may be utilitarian, and designed to be almost invisible while holding a hairstyle in place. Some hairpins are implemented as a single straight pin, but modern versions are typically constructed from different lengths of wire that are bent in half with a u-shaped end and a few kinks along the two opposite portions. The finished pin may vary from two to six inches in final length. The length of the wires, referred to as hairpin legs, enables placement in several styles of hairdos to hold the style in place. The kinks or waves are intended to enable retaining the pin in the hair during normal movements.

In the past, women used to wash their hair once in a few days if not weeks. Frequent bathes and hair washes were considered unhealthy for the hair. As a result, women used hairpins on sick, greasy and sticky hair or wigs that provided for sufficient grip of a simple wire-based hairpin. The hairdo or the wig stayed in place during moving or even dancing due to the structure and condition of the hair. However, modern culture and means of hair hygiene make conventional hairpins very unreliable if not unusable. Modern women wash their hair every day using very strong shampoos and conditioners that produce beautiful soft, slick and silky hair. Keeping this hair in place by a conventional hairpin may present a challenge, because a conventional hairpin would not simply stay in and may slip out when a person moves or shakes his or her head. Shortcomings of the conventional hairpins become more apparent given the activities modern women engage into on a regular basis, such as dancing, aerobics, swimming, running, playing games just to name a few. Accordingly, a simple, inexpensive and reliable no-slip hairpin is desired.

Many modern hairpins are decorated with charms. However, if a lady wants to use different charms, she needs to have several different hairpins which may not be convenient. Additionally, if hairpins with different shape of the tips that initially penetrate into the hair are needed by a hairstylist, he or she would need to have a number of them. Accordingly, a universal hairpin with replaceable charms and changeable profiles of the hairpin tips is highly desirable.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Accordingly, the present invention is directed to an improved no-slip universal hairpin that substantially obviates one or more of the disadvantages of the related art.

In one of the aspects of the invention, a universal hairpin with a no-slip flocked coating is provided. The legs of the hairpin may be covered with flocked coating of various heights for providing no-slip effect for a particular hair type.

In another aspect of the invention, a hairpin has an interface for attaching a replaceable charm. The interface may use a screw tip, a Velcro™ lock, a clip, a clamp, a ring, a magnet, etc. The universal hairpin may have detachable tips of various shapes for different hair types or different types of hairstyles. The universal hairpin may have an asymmetric shape for more convenient use by a hairstylist and for providing better hold in the hair.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

In one embodiment, a hairpin with an anti-slip coating is provided. In one of the aspects of the invention, a universal hairpin with a no-slip flocked coating is provided. The legs of the hairpin may be covered with flocked coating of various flock heights for providing no-slip effect for a particular hair type.

In another aspect of the invention, a hairpin has an interface for attaching a replaceable charm. The interface may use a screw tip, a Velcro™ lock, a clip, a clamp, a ring, a magnet, etc. The universal hairpin may have detachable tips of various shapes for different hair types or different types of hairstyles. The universal hairpin may have an asymmetric shape for more convenient use by a hairstylist.

FIG. 1illustrates a universal hairpin with a no-slip coating, in accordance with the exemplary embodiment. A body of a hairpin1can be made of a metal wire, plastic or polymer material. The body of the hairpin1comprises legs2and3of different length. According to the preferred embodiment, the body of the hairpin1is covered with a no-slip coating5from its top6all the way down the both legs3and4except uncovered bottom portions4that need to remain slick for ease of penetrating in between the hairs. As can be seen from theFIG. 1, the legs2and3have different length thereby creating an asymmetric shape. The asymmetry of the hairpin shape produces a larger no-slip coated surface of hair contact that results in a firmer hold of the hairpin in the hair. Note that the waves7and8of the hairpin legs3and4are offset for producing yet even better grip. In the example depicted inFIG. 1, a body of a hairpin1has replaceable ball tips9attached to both legs3and4.

According to one exemplary embodiment, the hairpin1may, advantageously, accommodate charms that can be easily replaced by a user who wants to change a charm to match a different hairstyle or an outfit.FIG. 2illustrates a universal hairpin with a no-slip coating and detachable charm, in accordance with the exemplary embodiment. A replaceable charm10can be attached to the top6of the body of the hairpin1via an interface illustrated inFIGS. 5-10that are discussed in more detail below.

FIGS. 3A-3Billustrate how replaceable ball-shaped tips are attached to the legs of the hairpin, in accordance with the exemplary embodiment. In particular,FIG. 3Adepicts an exemplary embodiment where the end of the hairpin leg is implemented as a screw and the ball-shaped tip can be simply screwed onto the end of the hairpin leg.FIG. 3Bdepicts an exemplary embodiment where the end of the hairpin leg has a non-slick surface and the ball-shaped tip may be simply placed on the end of the hairpin leg by a user by applying minimal pressure with her fingers. Likewise,FIG. 4Adepicts an exemplary embodiment where the end of the hairpin leg is implemented as a screw and the cone-shaped tip can be simply screwed onto the end of the hairpin leg.FIG. 4Bdepicts an exemplary embodiment where the end of the hairpin leg has a non-slick surface and the cone-shaped tip may be simply placed on the end of the hairpin leg by a user by applying minimal pressure with her fingers. Note that the tips of any desired shape may be used with the universal hairpin disclosed herein. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the replaceable hairpin tips of various shapes provide for better hold or for better penetration between the hairs as needed by a hairstylist or a person doing her own hair.

FIGS. 5-10illustrate various implementations of an interface for attaching a replaceable charm, in accordance with the exemplary embodiment. In particular,FIG. 5illustrates a screw interface for attaching a replaceable charm10shown inFIG. 2. According to this exemplary embodiment, the charm may be attached to the top6of the body of the hairpin1by being screwed onto the screw interface provided that the charm has an integrated nut that matches the diameter of the screw of the hairpin interface.FIG. 6illustrates a magnet interface for attaching a replaceable charm10shown inFIG. 2. According to this exemplary embodiment, the charm may be attached to the top6of the body of the hairpin1using magnetic power of a hairpin magnet interface provided that the charm has an integrated magnet of an opposite polarity of the one of the hairpin interface.

FIG. 7illustrates a Velcro™ interface for attaching a replaceable charm10shown inFIG. 2. According to this exemplary embodiment, the charm may be attached to the top6of the body of the hairpin1using the Velcro™ lock interface provided that the charm has an integrated Velcro™ patch lockable with the one of the hairpin interface.FIG. 8illustrates an embodiment for attaching the replaceable charm10shown inFIG. 2to the top6of the body of the hairpin1using a ring implemented on the charm. The ring may be simply placed onto either leg of the hairpin and pulled all the way to the top. In order to do this, a use may need to remove a replaceable tip9from the hairpin leg2or3. It is preferred that the diameter of the ring exceeds the diameter of the body of the hairpin slightly to provide for easy pulling of the charm to the top of the hairpin and yet for avoiding a very loose attachment of the charm.FIG. 9illustrates an embodiment for attaching the replaceable charm10shown inFIG. 2to the top6of the body of the hairpin1using a clip implemented on the charm (as shown) or on the body of the hairpin. In either implementation, the charm can be easily clipped into its position on the hairpin. Likewise,FIG. 9illustrates an embodiment for attaching the replaceable charm10shown inFIG. 2to the top6of the body of the hairpin1using a clamp implemented on the charm (as shown) or on the body of the hairpin. In either implementation, the charm can be easily clamped into its position on the hairpin.

FIG. 11Aillustrates a side view of a hairpin leg covered with a flock no-slip coating, in accordance with the exemplary embodiment. A layer of a flocked coating may be applied onto the body of the hairpin using glue, thermal processing, spray, etc. The height of the flocks may vary depending on the hair type and on intended use of the hairpin. Micro flocks may be sufficient for some types of hair and hair styles. Yet higher or longer flocks may be needed for certain hair types and certain hairdos.

FIG. 11Billustrates a cross-section view of a hairpin leg covered with flock no-slip coating. As can be seen from this example, the flocks can be applied over a layer of glue or a polymer coat applied over the body of the hairpin. The flocks can be made of any suitable polymer substrate or may be made of natural hair.

Having thus described a preferred embodiment, it should be apparent to those skilled in the art that certain advantages of the described apparatus have been achieved. In particular, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the proposed hairpin is universal because it may accommodate different charms and different tips and can be used with different types of hair. The proposed hairpin is covered with a no-slip coating to provide for reliable hold suitable for dancing, aerobics, swimming, running and other activities.