Abstract:
Disclosed herein is a cape useful in the hairstyling arts. The cape includes a pouch that is configured to allow viewing of an object under the cape while preventing hair and other debris from entering the interior of the cape. The pouch is configured to open from a fastened position where it is flush with the outer surface of the cape to an expanded position wherein a transparent window integral with the pouch allows viewing of objects through the cape.

Description:
RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application claims priority to U.S. Ser. No. 61/220,926 filed Jun. 26, 2009, which is incorporated herein in its entirety. 
    
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The invention generally relates to capes used during a hair cut, and more specifically, to a cape having an expandable transparent compartment for viewing an object during the hair cut. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Capes used during hair cutting are well known, and are typically worn by a customer in a barber shop or hair salon, whose hair is to be cut. The customer sits in a chair and the barber or hair stylist positions the cape over the body of the customer, and wraps a top portion of the cape around the neck of the customer. The cape is typically made of a dark, non-transparent, water proof material, which provides a buffer from falling cut hair, water, and other debris during the hair cut from contacting the customer&#39;s clothes and body. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 5,953,753 to Perez discloses such a conventional cape used during a hair cut and including a feature which prevents cut hair from clogging the neck closure. Additionally, the cape has a resiliently connected toy which can be accessible for play by a child. 
     Although conventional capes, such as the cape disclosed in Perez, disclose a cape which prevents debris such as cut hair and water from contacting the customer during the hair cut, these conventional capes have several shortcomings Depending on the type of hair cut, the duration of a hair cut may be extensive. Since the nature of the hair cutting capes require that the customer keep their hands below the surface of the cape during the hair cut, the customer cannot entertain themselves by reading a book, for example. When this limitation is compounded with the possibility of a hair cut having a long duration, the customer is likely to encounter long stretches of boredom. 
     Accordingly, it would be advantageous to optimize these capes, such that such long stretches of boredom encountered during a hair cut are avoided. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       A more particular description of the invention briefly described above will be rendered by reference to specific embodiments thereof that are illustrated in the appended drawings. Understanding that these drawings depict only typical embodiments of the invention and are not therefore to be considered to be limiting of its scope, the invention will be described and explained with additional specificity and detail through the use of the accompanying drawings in which: 
         FIG. 1  is a partial cross-sectional view of an outer surface of an exemplary embodiment of a cape having a pouch in accordance with the present invention; 
         FIG. 2  is a side perspective view of a transparent window of the pouch illustrated in  FIG. 1  in an expanded position; 
         FIG. 3  is the side perspective view of the transparent window of the pouch illustrated in  FIG. 2 , with an object held within the pouch by two hands of a user; 
         FIG. 4  is a side view of the pouch illustrated in  FIG. 1  in an intermediate position between a fastened position and the expanded position illustrated in  FIG. 2 ; and 
         FIG. 5  is a flowchart depicting an exemplary embodiment of a method for positioning a cape over a user during a hair cut in accordance with the present invention. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     According to certain embodiments, the invention pertains to a cape for positioning over a user during a hair cut, and which allows viewing of objects positioned under the cape. The cape includes a securable collar portion at a top end of the cape for positioning the cape around a neck of the user; a cape body portion; and a pouch associated with the cape body portion, the pouch being accessible from an inside surface of the cape body portion. The pouch includes a transparent window through which an object may be held by the user in said pouch and viewed through said transparent window during said hair cut. 
     In a specific embodiment, the pouch is expandable from a fastened position, wherein a pouch flap portion is secured against said cape body portion with a selective amount of pouch material sealed interior within said pouch flap portion, to an expanded position, wherein the selective amount of pouch material is unfurled. The pouch flap portion may be fastened to the cape body portion by a fastener associated with the cape body portion adjacent to the expandable pouch; wherein upon selectively actuating the fastener, the expandable pouch is permitted to assume said expanded position. In a more specific embodiment, the pouch flap portion includes a plurality of segments. Each segment is optionally separated from an adjacent segment by a respective fold within the pouch flap portion, and the fastener is configured to extend along a side of at least one segment of the pouch flap portion. 
     In a more specific embodiment, the transparent window is configured to be formed within a first segment of the pouch flap portion, such that in said fastened position, a second segment of said pouch material is positioned inwardly relative to said first segment. The fastener is configured to extend along a side of the first segment, to secure the first segment to the cape body portion, such that the second segment is sealed within the pouch flap portion. 
     In another embodiment, the cape further includes a sealing material segment joining an edge of the first and second segments to an edge of an outer surface of the cape body portion adjacent to the expandable pouch, such that upon unfurling the plurality of segments into the expanded position, the sealing material is configured to form a seal between the outer surface of the cape body portion and the edge of the plurality of segments, to prevent debris from entering said opening during the hair cut. 
       FIG. 1  illustrates an exemplary embodiment of a cape  10  to be positioned over a customer during a hair cut, such as by a barber in a barber shop or a hair stylist in a hair studio, for example. A body portion  16  of the cape  10  is made from a non-transparent, opaque, waterproof material, which shields debris, such as cut hair and water, for example, from contacting the customer during the hair cut. The cape  10  is positioned over the body of the customer, by securing a collar  11  at a top end  13  of the cape  10  around a neck of the customer, and covering the shoulders, arms, torso and part of the lower body with the cape  10 . However, the cape  10  need not be secured in any particular way, provided that the customer&#39;s body is adequately shielded from the above-mentioned debris routinely-encountered during a hair cut. 
     As illustrated in  FIG. 1 , the cape  10  includes a pouch  28  associated with the cape body portion  16 . The pouch  28  is accessible from an inside surface of the cape body portion  16  and includes a transparent window  20  such that an object  18  ( FIG. 3 ) may be held by the user in the pouch  28  and viewed through the transparent window  20  during the hair cut. The pouch  28  includes a pouch flap portion  31  ( FIGS. 1-3 ) which is expandable from a fastened position  18  ( FIG. 1 ) where the perimeter of the transparent window  20  is secured to the cape body portion  16 , and a selective amount of pouch material is sealed interior within the pouch flap portion  31 , to an expanded position  21  ( FIGS. 2-3 ), where a selective amount of the perimeter of the transparent window  20  is detached from the cape body portion  16 , and a selective amount of pouch material is unfurled from the pouch flap portion  31 . Although  FIG. 1  indicates that a pair of sides  30 , 32  of the transparent window  20  are removably secured from the cape body portion  16 , this is merely an exemplary embodiment, and any selective amount of the perimeter of the transparent window may be detached from the cape body portion. Additionally, the entire perimeter of the transparent window need not be secured to the cape body portion in the fastened position, provided that the pouch flap portion is still capable of expanding from the fastened position to the expanded position, as discussed in further detail below. Additionally, the above language is meant to encompass the transparent window itself, or a segment of the pouch flap portion into which the transparent window is formed, as discussed in further detail below. 
     As illustrated in  FIGS. 2-3 , the pouch flap portion  31  includes segments  47 , 49 , where the segments  47 , 49  are separated from each other by a fold  53  within the pouch flap portion  31 . In the illustrated exemplary embodiments of  FIGS. 1-4 , the transparent window  20  is formed in the segment  47  of the pouch flap portion  31 . Although  FIGS. 1-4  illustrate a pouch flap portion  31  having two segments  47 , 49 , the pouch flap portion  31  may have more than two segments, such as one segment into which the transparent window is formed, and a pair of segments folded on an inner side of the transparent window in the fastened position, for example. 
     In the fastened position  18  ( FIG. 1 ), the segment  47  of the flap pouch portion  31  includes two sides  30 , 32  along which a respective fastener  38 , 40  is extended. In an exemplary embodiment, the fastener may be a zipper, for example, or any fastener capable of removably detaching the perimeter of the segment  47  from the cape body portion  16 , such as any hook-and-loop fastener, such as Velcro®, for example. The segment  47  of the pouch flap portion  31  is fastened to the cape body portion  16  by fastening a respective fastener  42 , 44  secured to an edge of the cape body portion  16 , adjacent to the flap pouch portion  31 , to the respective fastener  38 , 40 . The segment  49  is folded on the inner surface of the segment  47 , using the fold  53 . When the segment  47  of the flap pouch portion  31  is secured to the cape body portion  31  (using the fasteners  38 , 40  and  42 , 44 ), the selective amount of the pouch material is sealed within the pouch flap portion  31 . 
     When the user wants to view an object  18  ( FIG. 3 ) through the transparent window  20  during a hair cut, from the fastened position  18  ( FIG. 1 ), the fastener  38 , 40  extending along the sides  30 , 32  of the segment  47  is selectively detached from the fasteners  42 , 44  of the cape body portion  16 . This will permit the segment  49  of the cape body portion  16  to unfold out from behind the inner surface of the segment  47  ( FIG. 4 ), thereby permitting the segment  47  to rotate away from the cape body portion  16  and the fastened position  18 , and the pouch flap portion  31  to expand to an intermediate position  22  ( FIG. 4 ). As the user continues to detach the fastener  38 , 40  of the segment  47  from the fastener  42 , 44  of the cape body portion  16 , the segment  47  and the pouch flap portion  31  expand to an expanded position  21  ( FIGS. 2-3 ), in which the segment  49  has fully unfolded from behind the segment  47  (via. fold  53 ), such that the segment  47  faces the user and the selective amount of pouch material within the pouch flap portion  31  is fully expanded. Additionally, as the pouch flap portion  31  expands from the fastened position  18  to the expanded position  21 , a sealing material  61  expands between an edge  63  of the segments  47 , 49  and an edge  65  of an outer surface of the cape body portion  16  adjacent to the pouch  28 . The sealing material  61  forms a seal between the edges  63 , 65 , to prevent debris from entering between the edges  63 , 65  during the hair cut, when the pouch flap portion  31  is in the expanded position  21 . Additionally, in a more specific embodiment, once the pouch  28  has reached the expanded position  21 , a stay mechanism lining the segment  47 , cape body portion  16  and the sealing material  61 , provides internal strength and rigidity to ensure that the pouch  28  does not prematurely collapse from the expanded position  21  onto the user&#39;s hands while the user is holding the object  18  within the pouch  28 . This stay mechanism comprises a flexible wiring, for example, but not limited to wiring material made of metal or plastic. 
     In an exemplary embodiment, the user selectively actuates the fastener  38 , 40  of the segment  47  and fastener  42 , 44  of the cape body portion  16 , to selectively expand the pouch flap portion  31 , based on a size of the object  18  to be position in the pouch  28 . For example, if the object  18  is a small cell-phone, the user may actuate a small extent of the fasteners  38 , 40  of the segment  47  and fasteners  42 , 44  of the cape body portion  16 , since a relatively small pouch  28  is desired and thus the pouch flap portion  31  need only expand by a small extent. However, if the object  18  is a large magazine, for example, the user may actuate a large extent of the fasteners  38 , 40  of the segment  47  and fasteners  42 , 44  of the cape body portion  16 , since a relatively large pouch  28  is desired and thus the pouch flap portion  31  needs to expand by a large extent. The user may view any objects within the pouch, such as cell-phones, mobile movie players, mobile video game systems, books, magazines, and any electronic media, for example. 
     As illustrated in  FIG. 1 , in an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the cape  10  may include an optional secondary pouch  46  positioned beneath the cape body portion  16  of the cape  10 . The secondary pouch  46  holds a secondary object  48  to the object  18 , such as an electro-acoustic transducer or speaker, for example. In an exemplary embodiment, the object  18  may be an electronic device positioned in the pouch  28  which is electrically coupled to the secondary object  48 , which may be the electro-acoustic transducer, to transmit an electric signal to the electro-acoustic transducer, such that the electro-acoustic transducer is configured to output an audio signal based on the transmitted electric signal. As illustrated in  FIG. 1 , an opening  33  may be provided in the pouch  28 , to receive an electrical cable  50  which is coupled to the object  18 , and is received through an opening (not shown) in the secondary pouch  46 , and coupled to the secondary object  48 , which may be the electro-acoustic transducer. Although this exemplary embodiment of the present invention discusses that the secondary object  48  may be an electro-acoustic transducer, the secondary object  48  may be a secondary book or a secondary electronic device (e.g., cell-phone, video game device, portable TV/movie player, etc). In an exemplary embodiment, the secondary object  48  may remain within the secondary pouch  46  as each customer uses the cape  10 , and, as each customer inserts a different object  18  into the pouch  28 , and, if the object  18  is an electronic object, each customer may couple the respective object to the secondary object  48  using the electrical cable  50 . However, in an exemplary embodiment, each customer who uses the cape  10  may use the same object  18  which may remain in the pouch  28 , for example. In an additional exemplary embodiment, as illustrated in  FIG. 1 , a secondary object  12  may be inserted within the collar  11  of the cape  10 . The secondary object  12  may be an electro-acoustic transducer or speaker, as with the secondary object  48  discussed above, and would be sized to fit within a cavity of the collar  11 , preferably adjacent to or beneath the ears of the user while the user wears the cape  10 . The opening  33  provided in the pouch  28  may receive an electrical cable  17  (similar to the electrical cable  50  above) which is coupled to the object  18 , and is received through an opening  14  in the collar  11  and coupled to the secondary object  12 . In an alternate exemplary embodiment, the secondary object  12  may be a retracting ear piece, from which a pair of headphones (not shown) extend from the opening  14  to be placed in the ears of the user  14 , to listen to music outputted from the object  18 , such as a CD-player, for example. The secondary object  12  may be coupled to the object  18  within the pouch  28  using the electrical cable  17 , or the secondary object  12  may be coupled to a secondary electrical device (not shown) positioned within the collar  11 , for example, which may transmit acoustical data which is output over the headphones. As illustrated in  FIG. 1 , the pouch  28  may be selectively positioned within the cape  10 , based on a region  52  of the cape  10  corresponding to a reading line of sight of a customer while seated and wearing the cape  10 . As illustrated in  FIG. 1 , the region  52  may be adjacent to a centerline of a front side of the cape  10 , and more specifically, may be aligned with a centerline of a torso of a customer while seated and wearing the cape. As appreciated by one of skill in the art, a barber or hair stylist may occasionally ask the customer to turn their heads to various orientations. In an exemplary embodiment, the cape  10  is adequately sized such that the customer may shift the pouch  28  and their hands  34 , 36  ( FIG. 3 ) within the pouch  28  to correspond with a new line of sight (which may or may not correspond with the region  52 ). 
       FIG. 5  illustrates a flowchart depicting a method  100  for positioning the cape  10  over a user during a hair cut. The method  100  begins at  101  by forming  102  the cape body portion  16  within the cape  10 . The method  100  further includes forming  104  the pouch  28  associated with the cape body portion  16 , where the pouch  28  includes a transparent window  20 . The method  100  further includes securing  106  a collar portion  11  at a top end of the cape  10  around a neck of the user. The method  100  further includes holding  108  the object  18  in the pouch  28  during the hair cut, and viewing  110  the object  18  through the transparent window  20  during the hair cut, before ending at  111 . 
     The teachings of the references cited throughout the specification are incorporated herein in their entirety by this reference to the extent they are not inconsistent with the teachings herein. It should be understood that the examples and the embodiments described herein are for illustrative purposes only and that various modifications or changes in light thereof will be suggested to persons skilled in the art and are to be included within the spirit and purview of this application.