Patent Publication Number: US-7591024-B2

Title: Dorag for pressing on the hair

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   Hairstyles, particularly worn by men of African descent, in the present time, may include waves in the hair. Especially when the hair normally is tightly curled, as is often the case with a man of African decent, it is often considered a desirable hairstyle for the hair to be wavy rather than tightly curled. 
   In order to convert curly hair to a wavy hairstyle, men with curly hair may apply a hair relaxing agent, typically a pomade, which causes tightly curled hair to relax and enables the relaxed hair to be reshaped into waves over the head in place of the curls. In order to shape the hairstyle into a wavy hairstyle, to hold the wavy hairstyle and not permit it to return to its previously curled condition, men of African descent have worn head coverings, which press on the typically pomaded hair, hold the waves and effectively “train” the hair to a wavy hairstyle. 
   A typical current head and hair covering worn by men of African descent is called a dorag and is often worn for maintaining and training a hairstyle or hairdo. A typical dorag consists of a thin fabric that is worn over the hair. It includes two attached and preferably integrated bands or ties which both extend out from lateral sides at the front of the dorag to wrap around the head and to be fastened together, typically by being tied behind the head. The wearer&#39;s objective is to apply the dorag as tightly as possible on the head to draw the dorag down on the hair to hold the waves, and the tie straps help do that. 
   An object of the present invention is to improve the application of force to tighten the dorag down on the hair. 
   SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   The invention concerns placing or forming a flap on the front central region of the dorag over the center of the wearer&#39;s forehead. The flap is permanently attached to the dorag which holds the flap upraised. The flap has the general inverted V shape of a triangle and is fastened to the dorag at the top apex of the V. The flap is preferably folded up from the front edge of the dorag. 
   Tie straps extend off the lateral sides of the dorag at the front of the dorag, and the tie straps are outward of the inclined legs of the V or triangle. As the tie straps are tied around the head, the fabric of the dorag is tensioned and may be stretched slightly. The dorag applies pressure downwardly around the entire head. The tie straps also pull down on the dorag to tighten it around and down on the head. The tie straps also pull the legs of the triangular flap apart. This slightly flattens the triangle or inverted V somewhat, which pulls down the apex, pulls down the material at the front region of the dorag to which the triangle or V is attached, and this also pulls the front region of the dorag down on the head. 
   The inventor hereof initially was seeking to improve the ornamental appearance of a dorag by applying a decorative V shaped part at the front. When a sample dorag was made and tested, the V unexpectedly pulled the dorag forward at the front region and down over the forehead. This provides a valuable improvement for pulling a dorag down on the head. 
   Other features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following description which refers to the accompanying drawings. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       FIG. 1  is a view of a dorag from a front side to illustrate the invention; 
       FIG. 2  is a side view showing the dorag hereof shaped as though it were being worn on a head; 
       FIG. 3  is a front view and illustrates normal securement of a dorag; and 
       FIGS. 4-7  depicts a dorag on the head of the user and stages of its securement on the head. 
   

   DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF AN EMBODIMENT OF THE INVENTION 
     FIGS. 1 and 2  show a dorag  10  according to the present invention as it appears flat or on a surface. The dorag is a kerchief-like, essentially uniform, piece of a flexible, slightly stretchable, fabric material and usually is of a material that is porous to allow the head and scalp to “breathe”. It can be shaped so that its head covering, central portion  12  covers the wearer&#39;s entire head and its back region  14  includes a flap that can hang down over the back of the head and perhaps over the neck. 
   Left and right ties or tie straps  22  and  24  extend laterally from the opposite sides of the central front region  30  of the dorag and extend toward their respective free ends  26 ,  28 . The tie straps are long enough ( FIG. 5 ) to be tied around the head ( FIG. 7 ) for holding the central portion  12  of the dorag securely on the head. 
   At the central front region of the dorag at  30 , the dorag includes a flap  31  that is folded up from the front edge  32  of the dorag. The flap  31  is generally in the shape of an inverted V shaped triangular patch, with its apex  33  at the top and its legs  34 ,  36  inclined downwardly and outwardly. Its apex  33  is fastened, e.g. by being sewn at  35 , to the region  30  of the dorag. 
   The front edge of the dorag has a continuous welting  38  on the edge of the fabric which extends over the edge of both tie straps and defines the marginal legs  34 ,  36  of the generally triangular-shaped flap. 
     FIG. 3  is a front view of a dorag as it would appear when it is on the head of a wearer. It illustrates that the tie straps  22 ,  24  may be tied behind the head. 
   Referring to  FIG. 4 , the dorag is placed over the hair on the head of a wearer with the tie straps out to the side and the flap as yet untensioned and unstressed. In  FIG. 5 , the tie straps  22  and  44  are placed behind the head of the wearer in preparation for being tied. Then the tie straps are pulled and tied behind the head, as seen in  FIG. 7 . Due to the slight stretchability of the dorag, this draws the central portion  12  down, as seen in  FIG. 6 . 
   The central region  37  of the triangular flap  31  between the legs of the V-shaped triangle is drawn tight, and the legs  34 ,  36  of the V are pulled down as the legs  34 ,  36  are pulled apart by pulling on the tie straps  22  and  24 , e.g., by tying them together. This draws the central front region  30  of the dorag down over the wearer&#39;s forehead as it shortens the length of the triangle from its apex to its base, as shown in  FIG. 6 , which shows the dorag tightened down on the head from its broken line to its solid line conditions. This draws the dorag down over the forehead at the front of the dorag and aids in tightening the dorag over the hair. When the tie straps are tied behind the head and pulled tight, as in  FIG. 7 , not only is the dorag held tightly on the head, as with a conventional dorag design, but because of the triangular or inverted V flap  31 , the central front region  30  of the dorag is additionally pulled down, which further tightens the dorag down over the hair, to better hold the hairstyle in a desired wave form. 
   Although the present invention has been described in relation to a particular embodiment thereof, many other variations and modifications and other uses will become apparent to those skilled in the art. It is preferred, therefore, that the present invention be limited not by the specific disclosure herein, but only by the appended claims.