Hair styling device and creation method thereof

A hair styling device includes an integrated elastic loop, at least one spacer, and at least one fastener. The elastic loop includes a pair of elastic cord portions. The spacer has two spaced through-holes internally, and a middle passage is formed between and communicates the through-holes. The elastic cord portions of the elastic loop, which penetrates the spacer, are held in the through-holes of the spacer, and the elastic loop is spaced into a first loop and a second loop. The middle fastener penetrates the middle passage of the spacer to separate the elastic cord portions in the spacer and resists the elastic cord portions to allow the elastic cord portions to be securely held in the spacer. The hair styling device also provides a creation method of the hair styling device.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a hair styling device and, more particularly, to a hair styling device for both styling the hair and retaining the hair style in place and to a method for creating the hair styling device.

As a tool for hair styling, a hair styling accessory or device can be manipulated by a user for designs of multiple hair styles. A conventional hair styling accessory includes an elastic cord and a plurality of perforated spacers. The elastic cord with two ends tied together develops a loop body which can be stretched for development of a pair of elastic strands. The perforated spacers are mounted on the two elastic strands, so that the loop body is spaced into a plurality of loop sections through which a user's hairs to be braided penetrate. In one embodiment, the perforated spacers are beads with apertures therein, and the aperture in each spacer can be penetrated by the two elastic strands which have been stretched to shrink outer diameters thereof, so that the perforated spacers are coupled with the two elastic strands which are not stretched. In another embodiment, the conventional perforated spacer consists of two semi-cylindrical portions which adhere to each other in order to securely hold and externally position the pair of elastic strands.

The conventional hair styling accessory which works partially does not allow more perforated spacers to be added into or does not allow redundant perforated spacers to be removed from the elastic cord practically when the elastic cord assembly has been completed with the two ends of the elastic cord tied. In addition, the other problem is observed in the perforated spacers, which are not coupled with the pair of elastic strands tightly and usually loosen after a period of time. Namely, the perforated spacers cannot be securely mounted on the elastic cord which is not stretched.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is an objective of the present invention to provide a hair styling device and a creation method thereof. The hair styling device, which is used in fixing hairs and taken as a tool of braiding hairs, includes spacers changeable conveniently and effectively without the problem of the spacers becoming easily loosened.

To achieve this and other objectives, a hair styling device of the present invention includes an endless elastic loop, at least one spacer, and at least one middle fastener. The endless elastic loop is an integrated one-piece component made of elastic material and includes a pair of elastic cord portions extending in a longitudinal direction. The spacer is an integrated hollow sleeve and includes first and second side portions opposite to each other. The spacer further includes first and second joint portions which are connected between both ends of the first and second side portions respectively. A through-hole is defined in each of the first and second side portions and extends in the longitudinal direction. The through-holes defined in the first and second side portions are spaced by a middle passage. The middle passage is defined between the first and second joint portions and communicates the two through-holes. Each of the through-holes is penetrated by one of the elastic cord portions, and the elastic loop is spaced into a first loop and a second loop. The middle fastener includes front and rear segments spaced in the longitudinal direction. The front segment includes two spaced clamping walls, and the front segment of the middle fastener extends through the middle passage of the spacer to separate the elastic cord portions in the spacer. The middle fastener resists the elastic cord portions to allow the elastic cord portions to be securely held in the spacer.

In an embodiment, each of the first and second joint portions includes a notch in a front end thereof. Each of the clamping walls has a snap-fit at a front section thereof, and the snap-fits are coupled with the two notches of the spacer. A transverse distance between the first and second side portions is greater than diameters of the elastic cord portions together. Each of the elastic cord portions includes internal and external surfaces opposite to each other. The middle fastener includes two lateral sides resisting the internal surfaces of the elastic cord portions respectively. A diameter of each of the elastic cord portions which is not stretched is slightly larger than an internal diameter of an associated through-hole, allowing the spacer to be fixed on the elastic cord portions. The spacer is movable on the elastic cord portions when the endless elastic loop is stretched to shrink the diameters of the elastic cord portions.

The present invention also provides a creation method of the hair styling device which includes providing an integrated endless elastic loop including two elastic cord portions extending in a longitudinal direction; providing an integrated spacer including two spaced through-holes extending in the longitudinal direction, with a middle passage defined between the spaced through-holes and communicating the two through-holes; penetrating the two elastic cord portions of the elastic loop into the two through-holes of the spacer respectively to allow the elastic loop to be spaced into a first loop and a second loop; and providing a middle fastener which penetrates the middle passage of the spacer to separate the two elastic cord portions inside the spacer, with the middle fastener resisting the two elastic cord portions held in the spacer.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

A hair styling device10according to an embodiment of the present invention and a creation method of the hair styling device10are shown inFIGS. 1 through 7of the drawings. The creation method of the hair styling device10includes providing an endless elastic loop12, at least one spacer14, and at least one middle fastener16. In the embodiment, the hair styling device10includes a spacer14and a middle fastener16. The endless elastic loop12, made of rubber, silicone or silk, is manufactured as an integrated one-piece component. The elastic loop12, which is elongated, includes two elastic cord portions12a,12bextending in a longitudinal direction of the elastic loop12. Each of the elastic cord portions12a,12bhas circular cross-sections and includes internal and external surfaces18and20opposite to each other.

The spacer14is an integrated hollow sleeve and includes first and second side portions22and24opposite to each other, as well as first and second joint portions26and28which are connected between both ends of the first and second side portions22and24respectively (FIG. 3). The transverse distance between the first and second side portions22and24is greater than the diameters of the elastic cord portions12a,12btogether. In this embodiment, each of the first and second side portions22and24develops an arc-shaped section and internally defines a semicircular through-hole30extending in the longitudinal direction for penetration by one of the elastic cord portions12a,12b. An internal diameter of each through-hole30is less than the diameter of one of the elastic cord portions12a,12hwhich is not stretched. The through-holes30are spaced by a middle passage32which is defined between the first and second joint portions26and28and which communicates the two through-holes30. Each of the first and second joint portions26and28includes a notch34in a front end thereof.

The middle fastener16includes front and rear segments36and38spaced in the longitudinal direction. The front segment36includes two clamping walls40spaced from each other, and each of the clamping walls40has a hook-like snap-fit42at a front section thereof. The clamping walls40, which are compressed, are able to move inward. The middle passage32of the spacer14is penetrated by the front segment36of the middle fastener16when the clamping walls40are moved inward. With the middle passage32of the spacer14penetrated by the front sections of the clamping walls40, the clamping walls40rebound outward, and the snap-fits42are coupled with the notches34of the spacer14(FIG. 6). Furthermore, two lateral sides44of the rear segment38of the middle fastener16develop concave arcs (seeFIG. 2andFIG. 7).

The creation method of the hair styling device10further includes a step of extending the elastic cord portions12a,12bof the elastic loop12through the spacer14, so that the elastic cord portions12a,12bare located in the through-holes30of the spacer14respectively (FIG. 4). Thus, the spacer14separates the elastic loop12into a first loop46and a second loop48.

The creation method of the hair styling device10further includes a step of inserting the middle fastener16into the middle passage32of the spacer14(seeFIGS. 4 through 6), so that the elastic cord portions12a,12binside the spacer14are spaced by the middle fastener16. The lateral sides44of the middle fastener16resist the internal surfaces18of the elastic cord portions12a,12b, securely positioning the elastic cord portions12a,12bin the spacer14(FIG. 7). Moreover, the spacer14can be easily moved to adjust the areas circled by the first loop46and the second loop48. Specifically, when the elastic cord portions12a,12bhave been stretched to shrink the diameters thereof, each of the elastic cord portions12a,12binside the spacer14is not resisted by the middle fastener16, so that the spacer14can be moved fast for adjustment of the areas circled by the first loop46and the second loop48.

FIGS. 8 and 9illustrate the hair styling device10is taken as a fillet by which a user50can change her long hairs to short ones. Hairs of the user50are fixed by elasticity of the elastic loop12when the head52of the user50is surrounded by the first loop46of the elastic loop12, and the second loop48of the elastic loop12is penetrated by hair ends54of the user50.

FIGS. 10 and 11illustrate a hair styling device10according to a second embodiment of the present invention. In this embodiment, the hair styling device10includes a plurality of spacers14and a plurality of middle fasteners16. The spacers14are mounted on the elastic cord portions12a,12bseparately, and each middle fastener16is inserted into and fix an associated spacer14, so that several middle loops56are formed in the elastic loop12with each middle loop56located between two spacers14adjacent to each other. As such, the hair styling device10can be taken as a tool for braiding hairs with the middle loops56penetrated by hairs of a user. Depending on realistic requirements, a user can simply add more spacers14into or remove redundant spacers14from the elastic loop12for changing the number of the spacers14. Specifically, the spacers14from which the middle fasteners16are removed can be quickly disassembled from or assembled on the elastic loop12.

FIGS. 12 and 13illustrate a hair styling device10according to a third embodiment of the present invention. In this embodiment, the elastic cord portions12a,12bof the elastic loop12develop rectangular sections, and the first and second side portions22and24of the spacer14also develop rectangular sections which correspond to the elastic cord portions12a,12b. Furthermore, a salient portion58is formed on the rear segment38of the middle fastener16for resisting and positioning on the spacer14.