Hair barrette mount for electro-luminescent light and retroreflective material

The present invention provides the general public, especially equestrians, an assembled illuminating hair barrette mount, which is clipped into hair or horse's tails. A portable, injection molded electro-luminescent (EL) light will optionally attach to the substantially flexible top surface material, which is made in a desired shape, and which is attached to a rigid barrette, and to the barrette itself. An option with this invention is the attachment of retroreflective materials, covering the majority of the top surface of the material attached to the barrette, which will reflect incident light produced by an approaching car. Another option is incorporating the use of electro-luminescent light used in conjunction with retroreflective materials on the barrette mount, which enhances the safety function of the barrette mount.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
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 STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT
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 REFERENCE TO A MICROFICHE APPENDIX
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 BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
 This invention relates generally to hair barrettes, and the use of
 electro-luminescent (EL) lights, which may include a plurality of light
 emitting elements, and reflective elements, used for attachment to a
 person's hair, to provide enhanced visibility of the wearer, and safety.
 Ornamental hair attachments, with ribbons or decorations are well known.
 The use of EL light assemblies are well known. Patents researched for this
 application include: U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,497,307 5,727,577, 5,934,784,
 5,018,053, 5,785,065, and 5,947,580. In U.S. Pat. No. 5,947,580 we are
 shown an example of one type of universal EL light which would readily
 attach to this mount, using the described injection molded EL light which
 has a molded clip or hook, as shown on it's reverse surface in drawing
 FIG. 1-1 of U.S. Pat. No. 5,947,580. U.S. Pat. No. 5,947,307 discloses
 attachment of the EL light to a shoe, or bicycle, which is quite different
 from this invention. There is given the option of attaching to a person.
 But there is no mention in U.S. Pat. No. 5,947,307 of attaching this EL
 light to a barrette mount, and no means given to do so. In many instances,
 additional means of attachment of this type of light to a person or animal
 are needed.
 My barrette mount assembly does not need to patent a new EL light. My
 barrette mount was invented to make their use possible, which has been
 difficult in many situations. The various portable, small, often flashing
 EL lights available, clip easily to clothing, but difficulty arises when
 wanting to attach them to hair.
 In U.S. Pat. No. 5,497,307 we are shown illuminating jewelry, which is
 motion sensitive, and blinks when the wearer moves. The clip in U.S. Pat.
 No. 5,497,307 is a clip to attach to a person, and no mention of a hair
 barrette is given. A cap arrangement is shown inside of which is enclosed
 a light bulb, which is joined to the batteries which are enclosed into an
 envelope using conductive wires. My barrette mount is an
 electro-luminescent light mount, uses a portable electro-luminescent
 light, and no envelope and cap arrangement is needed for it to work.
 In U.S. Pat. No. 5,785,065 we are shown a hair barrette with replaceable
 ornaments. The shown snap on connecting device is shown to clamp on
 compressible ornaments, or hair, and would not readily accept an injection
 molded EL light, and the art shows the spigot, clamp arrangement
 compressing ornamental appendages. No mention is given to EL lights, and
 the clamp shown would not work with them.
 In U.S. Pat. No. 4,998,186 we are shown a hair comb clip, which provides
 optic fibers attached in a decorative manner. My barrette mount does not
 need to use optic fibers. They could be attached for additional
 decoration, but the true intention of the barrette mount is a safety
 function, not a decorative function.
 In U.S. Pat. No. 5,318,054 we are shown a spiral spring hair barrette
 assembly, which consists of a spiral spring to which the comb is attached.
 The barrette assembly is designed to coil around the ponytail hair, and
 can have additional decorative fabric. My barrette mount does not coil
 around a ponytail to hold the hair. It clips easily into the hair.
 In U.S. Pat. No. 5,018,053 we are shown illuminated jewelry where a lead
 post is secured to the light source and positioned to contact the opposite
 terminal of the power source to energize the light. A lead finding is
 pivotally secured to the retainer at one end, and is secured at the
 opposite end to the light source. When opened and shut, the clip itself
 turns the light on and off. The art discloses a definite difference in the
 workings of the illuminated jewelry. My barrette mount does not have a
 hinge function to turn a light on or off, and uses a portable EL light,
 with no need for a lead wire arrangement.
 In U.S. Pat. No. 5,934,784,we are shown a ball assembly with a flasher,
 which attaches to the wearer by means of elastic. The current invention
 does not use any elastic on the mount, and connects to a person's hair by
 means of a rigid barrette.
 In U.S. Pat. No. 5,441,061 we are shown a decorative ornamental barrette
 which has a clamping coupling member, which will hold decorative ornaments
 for display. The clamp assembly has the decorative elements threaded
 through openings through the coupling member. My barrette mount is not a
 barrette of this configuration.
 In U.S. Pat. No. 5,727,577 we are shown an optical ornament utilizing a
 plurality of optic fibers which extend outward from the assembly. My
 barrette mount does not need a plurality of optic fibers, and instead uses
 very bright electro-luminescent lights for safety purposes.
 BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
 My invention is an assembled reflective or illuminated hair barrette, that
 will provide a previously needed safety product, for any horse's tail or
 forelock, or person's hair.
 Difficulty in using injection-molded, portable EL lights made it necessary
 to invent and improve means to make their use possible. The unforeseen
 difficulty became apparent when users of injection molded EL lights tried
 to attach them to animals. My barrette mount was invented to overcome, and
 provide a remedy for the difficulties. The portable EL lights often have a
 hook on their reverse surface, which will not attach to hair without my
 barrette mount. A novel result was discovered when the hair barrette
 mount-with an EL light attached, and retroreflective materials, was used
 in a horse's tail, and the horse, which is by nature a suspicious animal,
 could not see or feel my barrette mount attached to the tail, and took no
 notice of it. Because horses are color-blind to many colors, my barrette
 mount did not frighten them. There is a very great need for safety
 products by equestrians who are confronting traffic, to have a light in
 the horse's tail. My barrette mount will stay very well in a horse's tail,
 even when the animal is swatting his tail at flies. This invention can be
 applied to the horse's forelock, or a person's hair as well.
 Another problem associated with the portable electro-luminescent lights,
 was found when the lights were not in use, and not attached to a mount of
 some sort. They would be misplaced easily, and often run through the
 washer in a pocket of clothing. My barrette mount is larger, and would not
 be so readily lost in a pocket.
 My barrette mount provides an assembled, illuminating hair barrette mount
 which is easily clipped into horse tails, or hair. The main function of
 the hair barrette will be to make the wearer highly visible to approaching
 traffic. When used by an equestrian in a dark parking lot, or horse show,
 being visible to other pedestrians and equestrians on the show grounds is
 desirable. This barrette mount will also be advantageous to dog-walkers,
 and pedestrians, for attachment to their hair.
 Using portable EL lights, this barrette mount will be seen for a great
 distance. Shown as an example, the preferred injection molded EL lights
 will readily attach facing outward, to the flexible top surface material
 which has three predetermined slots, and which is glued or riveted to a
 rigid barrette clip, and/or to the barrette clip itself, by engaging the
 molded clip or hook which may be on the EL light's reverse surface, or
 alternatively hook and loop is used.
 There are over three different manufacturers who produce the preferred
 styles of portable electro-luminescent lights used in this invention.
 These lights generally have an on/off switch, and run on small internal
 batteries.
 An option for my barrette mount is the attachment of retroreflective
 materials covering the majority of the top surface of the hair barrette,
 which will reflect incident light produced by an approaching car. The
 retroreflective materials are outstanding in their brilliance, and are a
 product rarely used by the general public, or equestrians.
 Additionally the retroreflective material may be used in conjunction with
 electro-luminescent light.
 The top surface of the barrette and retroreflective material may be of any
 size or shape, or be screen printed.
 I would like to patent the often needed barrette mount, and assembled
 product, produced by this invention. My barrette mount will allow the
 general public, and especially equestrians, a new safety product.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
 Referring to the drawings, on page 1/2, FIG. 1 includes 1 the top surface
 of the barrette mount made up of substantially flexible material cut into
 a desired shape, where 2 a vertical slot or opening and 3 a vertical slot
 or opening, is arranged at a 90 degree angle from 4 a horizontal slot or
 opening. The 4 horizontal slot or opening is ready for the optional
 engagement of the hook, which may be on the back surface of an
 electro-luminescent light, thereby joining them together.
 In FIG. 2 we see the 5 rigid barrette which may be used for this barrette
 mount assembly shown in the opened position.
 In FIG. 3 we are shown the 5 rigid barrette attached by glue to the 6 back
 surface of the barrette mount which is made up of substantially flexible
 material cut into a desired shape, and 4 a horizontal slot or opening is
 shown.
 In FIG. 4 we see the 10 tail of a horse, which has a 11 barrette mount with
 one electro-luminescent light attached, clipped into the hair, and the
 horse is oblivious to the barrette mount in his tail.
 On Page 2/2, FIG. 5 illustrates the 6 back surface of the barrette mount
 assembly which is made up of the substantially flexible material which is
 in a desired shape, and 5 the rigid barrette is slipped, while in the open
 position, into the 3 vertical slot and then through 2 the other vertical
 slot, where 5 the rigid barrette is attached to the 6 reverse surface and
 reinforced by using 7 a rectangular piece of flexible material glued to
 the 6 reverse surface, and also 4 a horizontal slot or opening is shown.
 In FIG. 6 we are shown the 1 top surface of the barrette mount which has 8
 a majority of the top surface area of the barrette mount covered by
 optional retroreflective materials, in desired shapes.
 In FIG. 7 we are shown the 1 top surface of the barrette mount assembled
 with an example of 9 one type of optional electro-luminescent light.