Abstract:
A drape for maintaining a sanitary surface. The drape is made of a semi-rigid sheet of material. The semi-rigid sheet includes at least one temporary attachment point. The temporary attachment point is disposed on substantially a first edge of the semi-rigid sheet. Additionally, the semi-rigid sheet includes at least one lip. The lip is formed by a portion of the semi-rigid sheet. The lip is disposed at a second edge of the semi-rigid sheet.

Description:
REFERENCE TO RELATED PATENT APPLICATION 
       [0001]    Pursuant to 35 U.S.C. §119(e), this application claims priority to U.S. Provisional patent Application Ser. No. 61/220,437 filed on Jun. 25, 2009, the entire contents of which is incorporated herein by reference. 
     
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    1. Field of the Invention 
         [0003]    The present invention relates generally to methods and devices for personal hygiene and, more specifically, to a disposable drape for catching hair configured to be positioned in front of a person to cover, for example, a counter top, sink and fixtures and to trap loose, falling hair as that person leans over the drape for grooming facial hair, head hair or other body hair. 
         [0004]    2. Discussion of the Background 
         [0005]    Personal hygiene, such as beard trimming, electric shaving, hair cutting and styling, and other body hair grooming and removal all generate loose, falling hair. Such falling hair often creates undesirable conditions (e.g., unclean, unsanitary, difficult to clean) wherever these grooming activities occur, particularly on, around and within, for example, countertops, sinks and fixtures. 
         [0006]    Numerous devices have been developed for the purpose of trapping falling pieces of hair. Other devices have been developed to deal with falling pieces of hair by covering or protecting, for example, a sink or floor. Some devices are disposable. That is to say, they are intended for a single or minimal number of uses and may be easily and inexpensively exchanged for an unused device when a new person needs a device. Others are non-disposable. That is to say, they are not designed to be readily disposable and are instead designed to be re-used, possibly by different people. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,054,124 (the &#39;124 patent) discloses a disposable device designed to be worn by a person to catch trimmings falling from that person during a hair cut. U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,689,830, 2,892,909, and 6,401,246 each disclose functionally similar but non-disposable type devices. Each of these devices is worn by the person being groomed. Each encircles the person&#39;s neck and, thus, may be uncomfortable and restrictive of that person&#39;s ability to groom himself or herself. Each is most appropriate to a situation where a seated person is being groomed by someone else. The &#39;124 patent teaches simultaneous storage and sequential use of multiple capes. However, these capes do not fold to create a hair trapping pocket, and, as stated above, the &#39;124 patent does not teach their use for self-grooming. 
         [0007]    U.S. Pat. No. 7,367,065 specifically addresses facial hair trimmings and discloses a non-disposable device to be worn by a person whose beard is being trimmed to collect the falling facial hair. This device, however, is not disposable, suffers from the inconvenience of having to be worn, and, in use, will miss collection of falling facial hair since, leaning over to approach a mirror, will cause the device to swing away from the user and miss collection. 
         [0008]    Other proposed solutions to address the problem of hair collection and disposal are directed to covering or protecting, for example, a sink (as opposed to being worn by a person, as discussed above). 
         [0009]    U.S. Patent Application S.N. 2007/0180610 discloses a disposable apparatus for protecting beauty salon sinks from the staining chemicals used to treat hair. U.S. Pat. No. 5,991,942 is directed to a disposable device which covers a sink to keep liquid and debris off the sink and out of the drain. U.S. Pat. No. 2,817,851 describes a similar disposable device aimed at protecting the user from unsanitary conditions on the sink surfaces. Finally, U.S. Patent Application S.N. 2008/0201840 discloses a disposable “sink cape” aimed at “dry use” and catching hair trimmings from beard trimming or shaving with an electric razor. Notably, each of these disclosures teaches openings in the cover for penetration by the sink faucet handles and/or faucet and, thus, allows debris to land on the penetrating fixtures and to fall through the openings provided. 
         [0010]    In summary, conventional devices and methods that have attempted to address the problem of falling hair are deficient and suffer, for example, from the following drawbacks. Those devices which are worn are either too small and inefficient, too large and cumbersome, not designed to permit self-grooming, and/or are not disposable. Further, such devices are not designed to ensure that they do not swing out of position when the wearer leans forward and, as such, will miss some of the falling hair. These devices are inconvenient to use due to their size, weight, expense, and issues with hygiene between multiple users. In the case of devices supported on a sink, they do not address a primary goal of completely shielding the sink, countertop and fixtures from the falling hair, and they may utilize expensive, waterproof or otherwise unnecessary materials. 
         [0011]    What is needed is a method and a device which completely protects the area in front of a person during hair grooming, such as, for example, the countertop, sink and fixtures, while still not encumbering the person. Such a method and device should be effective and convenient, as well as hygienic, and yet also be inexpensive and low in environmental impact. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0012]    The present invention overcomes the disadvantages of the conventional methods and devices to provide the needed solution by providing, in one embodiment, a disposable drape and a method for catching hair which are effective and convenient as well as hygienic and yet are also inexpensive and low in environmental impact. 
         [0013]    According to one embodiment, the method and device of the present invention allow multiple users or a single user to easily set up a fresh drape and dry groom their hair while protecting the surfaces in front of them from falling pieces of hair. Dry grooming might entail trimming a beard, electric shaving, or hair styling. These hygiene tasks might be accomplished with scissors, electric clippers, an electric razor, a comb, a brush, a curling iron, or a hair dryer. These tools might or might not already include a vacuum system for trapping loose pieces of hair. 
         [0014]    The device of this invention is a drape which, in another embodiment, is fabricated from a sheet of disposable and biodegradable material. The drape is designed for attachment at one edge at a user-adjustable height to a vertical surface. The drape then hangs diagonally downward and toward a user to cover a horizontal surface between the user and the vertical surface. At the lower, front edge of the drape, the drape is folded to form a trap, which collects loose pieces of hair. After use, the user can easily detach and fold the drape into itself, creating a compact bundle for ready disposal. 
         [0015]    According to another embodiment, a drape for maintaining a sanitary surface is provided. The drape is made of a semi-rigid sheet of material. The semi-rigid sheet includes at least one temporary attachment point. The temporary attachment point is disposed on substantially a first edge of the semi-rigid sheet. Additionally, the semi-rigid sheet includes at least one lip. The lip is formed by a portion of the semi-rigid sheet. The lip is disposed at a second edge of the semi-rigid sheet. 
         [0016]    According to another embodiment, a drape dispensing kit is provided. The drape dispensing kit includes a storage device. Inside the storage device are a plurality of drapes, as described above, which are stacked flat for storage. 
         [0017]    According to another embodiment, a method of using a drape is provided. The method includes providing a user with a drape, as described above. The user then attaches the drape to a vertical surface (e.g., a wall or mirror) using the at least one temporary attachment point. The drape then hangs down from the attachment point such that it extends horizontally away and vertically downward from the at least one temporary attachment point. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0018]    So that the above recited features and advantages of the present invention can be understood in detail, a more particular description of the invention, briefly summarized above, may be had by reference to the embodiments that are illustrated in the appended drawings. However, the appended drawings illustrate only typical embodiments of the invention and do not limit its scope as the invention may admit to other equally effective embodiments. The drawings are designed to illustrate the configuration of the structures and their positions and interaction, and the relative thickness, length or proximity may be exaggerated for purposes of better communicating structure, function, movement or interaction. 
           [0019]    A more complete appreciation of the present invention and many of the attendant advantages thereof will be readily obtained as the same becomes better understood by reference to the following detailed description when considered in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein: 
           [0020]      FIG. 1  is top plan view showing a sink with a mirror for installation and use of one embodiment of the disposable grooming drape of the present invention. The broken line represents the plane of the cutaway shown in  FIG. 4 . 
           [0021]      FIG. 2  is a top plan view showing the sink with mirror of  FIG. 1  with an embodiment of the disposable grooming drape of the present invention installed. 
           [0022]      FIG. 3  is a left rear perspective view showing an embodiment of the disposable grooming drape of the present invention just prior to installation. 
           [0023]      FIG. 4  is a left plan cutaway view showing an embodiment of the disposable grooming drape of the present invention installed at the sink with mirror of  FIG. 1 . The plane of this cutaway is represented by the broken line in  FIG. 1 . 
           [0024]      FIG. 5  is a left front perspective view of an embodiment of the disposable grooming drape of the present invention installed in use in the embodiment of  FIG. 1 . 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
       [0025]    Referring now to the drawings, wherein like reference numerals designate identical or corresponding parts throughout the several views, and more particularly to  FIGS. 1-5  thereof, the disposable grooming drape of the present invention is shown in one embodiment where the drape is installed at a mirror and sink. 
         [0026]    A drape  9  can be fabricated in a roughly trapezoidal, square or rectangular shape, as shown in an embodiment in  FIG. 2 . Other shapes are also possible. Different drape designs may be fabricated in variable sizes and dimensions to optimally fit specific applications, or a single design may be fabricated to most generally fit multiple applications. 
         [0027]    In an embodiment, the drape is fabricated from an inexpensive and biodegradable material having pores small enough not to allow pieces of hair readily to pass through. Thus, pieces of hair landing on the drape are retained by the drape. In an embodiment, the drape is fabricated from material with a smooth upper surface so as to promote sliding of pieces of hair over that surface. In an embodiment where the drape is positioned with a downward slope along this smooth surface, pieces of hair landing on the drape will tend to slide toward the lower end  7  of the drape. 
         [0028]    In another embodiment, the drape is fabricated from material with a surface that is sufficiently rough to retard sliding of pieces of hair. Such a surface may also tend to arrest and retain pieces of hair, thus minimizing any tendency for them to become airborne again after landing on the drape. In this embodiment, pieces of hair landing on the drape will not tend to slide toward the bottom edge of the drape until those pieces of hair begin to pile up and roll over each other toward the bottom edge of the drape. 
         [0029]    Possible materials to be used in drape fabrication include paper, plastic, foil, and any other material having one or more of the properties presented here, possibly including low cost, ease of disposal, low impact to the environment, ease of storage prior to use, especially storage together with multiple fabrications of the same drape design. In an embodiment, the drape material has the additional property of allowing the drape to be easily folded up and manually compacted for disposal in a small volume. 
         [0030]    In one embodiment, the drape is mounted by means of one or more temporary attachment points  10 . The edge furthest away from the user is temporarily attached to a vertical surface. In one embodiment, this vertical surface may be a mirror  1 . The drape slants downward and away from this attachment point and toward the user. The lower end  7 , which is then nearest the user, may be attached or free hanging. Also, if a sink or other fixture is present in front of the vertical surface, the lower end may extend into or completely over that fixture. If a sink is present, the lower end may extend into the sink bowl, possibly resting near the front of the bowl so as to protect most of the bowl. Alternatively, the lower end may extend over the outer front of the sink, completely covering the sink bowl  4  and sink outer rim, not shown. In one embodiment, this near edge  7  is free hanging and extends into the bowl of a sink  4  located in front of the mirror. Thus, the drape forms a barrier extending continuously over a downward slope from the vertical surface to the front of the sink bowl, inside the bowl. In one embodiment, the drape may have a sufficient degree of rigidity in the direction from the far end to near end so as to aid in projecting from the vertical surface and laying in an approximately straight line at an angle to both surfaces rather than laying flat on either surface. This rigidity may be inherently due to the structure of the drape material and/or it may be due to folds or other structure in the shape of the drape. 
         [0031]    In one embodiment of the invention, the vertical positioning of the drape is adjustable. Its upper edge may, at the user&#39;s discretion, be positioned higher or lower to account for variability in the distance any horizontal surface projects out from the vertical surface. This may be done so that, as the drape extends down diagonally, it extends out horizontally a distance determined by the user. Thus, the drape may be positioned to extend a distance from the vertical surface where that distance is ideally suited to facilitate capture of falling hair. 
         [0032]    In an embodiment, the drape covers the sink from the back of the sink to the front of the sink bowl  4 , inside the bowl. Thus, sink elements at the back of the sink, such as a faucet  3  and faucet handles  2 , are covered from above by the drape. 
         [0033]    Contrary to the designs of conventional devices, as discussed above, in one embodiment of the present invention, there are no cuts or openings in the drape through which any sink elements protrude or through which pieces of hair can fall, in either case allowing pieces of hair to land on sink elements. Since, in this embodiment, no water is used, no openings in the drape are required for access to sink elements. 
         [0034]    In this embodiment, the user would generally position himself or herself facing the sink and mirror and so as to be leaning forward, over the drape, which is then in position to collect pieces of hair falling from the user onto the drape. See  FIG. 5 . As pieces of hair land on the drape, they are retained by the drape and tend to migrate downward and forward toward the lower end  7  of the drape, more or less immediately, depending on the texture of the upper front surface  6  of the drape. 
         [0035]    In one embodiment, the means of temporary attachment comprises an adhesive material applied to the back side of the drape during fabrication of the drape. The downward side of the drape  9  is the side generally facing away from the falling hair. In one embodiment, the adhesive material is applied near the top edge of the downward side of the drape. The adhesive material may be applied to one or more areas of larger or smaller size. In one embodiment, the adhesive material is applied to two small areas  10 , each oblong in shape, with long axis parallel to the top edge of the drape and generally located near the top edge of the drape. In one embodiment, the adhesive applied to the drape during fabrication of the drape is protected after fabrication and prior to use of the drape by temporarily covering the adhesive with one or more pieces of material which protect the adhesive but which can be removed without affecting the adhesive, other than to expose the side of the adhesive away from the drape. In one embodiment, multiple areas of adhesive each with a separate piece of protective material allow the user to selectively remove one or more pieces of protective material while optimizing the location of exposed adhesive relative to points of attachment available on the vertical surface. 
         [0036]    In one embodiment, there may be other means of temporarily attaching the drape to the vertical surface, not involving adhesive, such as tie strings fabricated out of the same piece of material as the drape. 
         [0037]    In one embodiment, there may be less variability in the user selection of attachment points. That is, the attachment points may be fabricated into locations of the drape at specific distances from the lateral (left and right) sides of the drape. In this embodiment, however, the drape still may be otherwise fabricated to allow the drape to fit across a variable horizontal (lateral) distance. This may be accomplished by gathering the drape material horizontally so as to preserve the desired functionality of the drape while allowing the fabricated attachment points of the drape to be variably positioned on the vertical surface. Horizontal gathering refers to allowing excess material between the attachment points to be folded “accordion style” so as to remain roughly within the same horizontal plane. Thus, excess material will not hang out away from the plane of the drape in such a way as to interfere with overall function of the drape. Horizontal gathering may be facilitated by fabrication of one or more creases within the drape material, creases extending generally in a direction between the upper rear and lower front edges of the drape. 
         [0038]    In one embodiment, the lower front edge of the drape is folded along crease  7  forward and upward to create a lip or trap  8  to catch pieces of hair which slide down the drape during use. The width of this lip  8  at the end of the drape as measured from the crease  7  of the fold to the edge  11  of the lip may be, for example, approximately 2 inches. In other embodiments, this fold width may be more or less than 2 inches in order to fit the geometry of a specific application and be capable of retaining somewhat more than the amount of hair anticipated to collect at the bottom of the lower edge of the drape. In one embodiment, the drape is stored, after fabrication and until use, with the lip  8  actually folded over flush with that portion of the drape  6  above the crease  7 . In an alternative embodiment, the drape is stored with the lip  8  open and planar with the rest of the drape  6 . In either embodiment, the crease  7  may be fabricated into the drape. This crease may facilitate folding and may facilitate retaining a desired folded shape during use, as shown in  FIG. 4 . 
         [0039]    Fabrication of any of the creases may involve creating a pattern of thickness and density in the drape material along the line of the crease, so that this pattern serves to define the crease and further facilitate retaining a desired shape during use. 
         [0040]    In one embodiment, adaptability is increased by several means. Adaptability is provided by the one or more adhesive attachment points  10 , the design dimensions of the drape, and the ability to fold the drape accordion-style to a user-adjusted effective width. These means combine to allow one drape to fit multiple different configurations of vertical and horizontal surfaces. These multiple configurations may be various sinks, sink elements, countertops, and mirrors or any other combination of vertical and horizontal surface in front of which a person might stand to groom their hair. The ability to fit multiple configurations is further improved in embodiments where the upper rear attachment points  10  may be secured higher or lower on the vertical surface coincident with allowing the lower front edge of the drape to rest at a greater or lesser distance from the vertical surface. 
         [0041]    In one embodiment, multiple drapes easily may be laid out flat in a stack for compact storage prior to use. In another embodiment, such a stack of disposable drapes may be contained within a storage device which protects the drapes prior to use and which facilitates dispensing one drape at a time for use. 
         [0042]    One method of using the disposable grooming drapes of the present invention is now described. In one embodiment, drapes are provided for use. A storage container for multiple drapes is located near a combination of vertical and horizontal surfaces. The combination vertical and horizontal surfaces may be a mirror  1  and sink  5 . A user positions him or herself facing the combined surfaces. The user removes one drape from the storage container. The user selects attachment points  10  on the back side of the drape, selecting attachment points spaced at a width roughly equal to the width of the vertical surface. In an embodiment where the attachment points consist of adhesive, the user uncovers the adhesive at the selected attachment points and presses the attachment points onto opposite sides of the vertical surface. The height of attachment to the vertical surface allows the lower end  7  of the drape to extend downward from the attachment points and away from the vertical surface so as to maximally cover the horizontal surface  4 . In an embodiment where the vertical and horizontal surfaces consist of a mirror  1  and sink  5  with faucet  3  and faucet handles  2 , the drape covers and protects the faucet, handles and rear portion of the sink bowl  4 . In this embodiment, the drape extends into and rests on the bottom front portion of the sink bowl  4 . In some embodiments, the lip  8  may have been stored open, and the user next folds the lip  8  at the crease  7  to create the trap  11 . In other embodiments, the drape is stored with the lip  8  already folded to create a trap for falling hair. 
         [0043]    At this point, the drape is in position and ready to be used. The user then proceeds with hair grooming of any sort as previously described. During grooming, the user leans forward, over the sink, so that any pieces of loose hair fall onto the front surface  6  of the drape and migrate downward and forward along the front surface to collect in the trap  8 . 
         [0044]    After grooming, the user may clean any tools over the drape so that any pieces of loose hair again fall onto the drape. 
         [0045]    After clean up, the user may fold the side edges  12 , bottom end  7 , and trap  8  of the drape upward and toward the center of the drape so as to enclose any pieces of hair trapped on the front surface  6  or in the trap  8 . As the user finishes folding up the drape, the user simultaneously detaches the upper, rear edge  10  from the vertical surface and completes folding the drape into a compact form with the previous front surface  6  and trap  8  now enclosed within the interior of the compacted form. This method of folding prevents spilling pieces of hair onto the horizontal surface. The drape now may be easily discarded in a standard or other waste container. In an embodiment, the drape is fabricated from recyclable material, and the waste container may be a waste container for recyclable material. This results in a one-step, no-mess clean-up requiring only seconds to complete. 
         [0046]    Obviously, numerous modifications and variations of the present invention are possible in light of the above teachings. It is therefore to be understood that within the scope of the appended claims, the present invention may be practiced otherwise than as specifically described herein. Other features and advantages of the invention will become apparent to those of skill in the art upon reviewing the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments and the accompanying drawings in which like reference numbers indicate identical or functionally similar elements.