Patent Publication Number: US-9894951-B2

Title: Hair band

Description:
The present relates to a hair band that carries either hair extensions or portions of a wig which is worn by a user. 
     Several different types of hair bands have been proposed in prior art systems. U.S. Patent Publication 2002/0100489 to Mannelli discloses a head band with natural hair having an elastic member which establishes a tension fit of the hair band about the head of the user. U.S. Patent Publication No. 2004/0129285 to Frazier discloses a hair extension attachment also with elastic bands. U.S. Patent Publication 2006/0174905 to Bias discloses a hair piece with a portion of the head band being elastic. U.S. Pat. No. 4,599,749 to Childs discloses a cap which carries hair and having an elastic draw string which creates folds in the back of the cap and hair extending outboard beyond the folds. U.S. Pat. No. 6,830,054 to Ross-Kuehn discloses a plurality of hair wefts which are attached to an elastic band which alternately is adopted to be worn on the head of a user. U.S. Pat. No. 8,161,980 to Inoue discloses a hair piece with an elastic band portion connected to a foundation wherein the foundation carries a plurality of hairs. 
     U.S. Patent Publication No. 2003/0116170 to Nicot discloses a foundation which is stretchable both laterally and longitudinally and carries a plurality of hairs. The Nicot patent disclosure also discusses a plurality of hair wefts which are mounted on the foundation. The Frazier &#39;285 publication also discusses hairwefts. U.S. Pat. No. 3,280,826 to Jenkins discloses hair wefts attached to an elongated foundation. 
     OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION 
     It is an object of the present invention to provide a hair band which is extendable or stretchable both laterally (vertically) and longitudinally (lengthwise) and carries a plurality of hair wefts mounted on the foundation in a bricklayered pattern. 
     It is another object of the present invention to provide a filament which is attached via elastic members to the foundation which filament, elastic members, and foundation establish a tension fit on the head of the user (the elastic and foundation being stretchable). 
     It is a further object of the present invention to have the hair from the hair wefts covering intermediate spaces between the bricklayered hair weft pattern on the foundation. Stated otherwise, longitudinally aligned, but spaced apart, hair wefts define longitudinal gaps between adjacent longitudinal hair wefts. The laterally upper longitudinal run of hair wefts are transposed longitudinally away from the lower hair weft pattern such that an upper hair weft is laterally aligned with the lower longitudinal gap between the adjacent lower hair wefts. The result is a bricklayered pattern of hair wefts wherein upper hair weft pattern has hair which falls over the longitudinal gaps in the lower hair weft pattern. Coverage is provided by this bricklayered pattern of hair wefts mounted on the foundation band. Additionally, the bricklayered hair wefts move and stretch and wrinkle with the foundation band dependent upon the user&#39;s activity. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The hair band system, which is adapted to be worn on the head of a user, includes an elongated stretchable foundation band which is both laterally and longitudinally expandable. A plurality of hair wefts each carrying a plurality of hairs. These hairs are adapted to fall beyond the head of the user when the hair band is in use. The hair wefts are attached to the foundation in a bricklayered pattern which permits the hair wefts to move both laterally and longitudinally when the foundation expands or contracts or wrinkles. A filament is attached to the foundation such that both the filament and the foundation extend about the head of the user when in use. At least one elastic member is attached between the foundation and the filament. Typically, the filament is attached to the foundation band at both filament ends by an elastic element at each end. When the hair band system is worn by the user, the elastic and the foundation establishes a tension fit about the head of the user. Preferably, two elastic members are used, one at either end of said filament. Respective cloth tunnels on the foundation cover portions of these elastic elements, particularly at the respective interfaces between the elastic members and the foundation. This tunnel or closed channel reduces irritation of the user&#39;s scalp. When not in a tension fit about the head of the user, the elastic members or elements extend outboard of the tunnels. In this manner, the elastic ends are exposed. 
     The foundation has an upper edge and a lower edge and an intermediate segment. A first plurality of hair wefts are mounted to the upper edge of the foundation in a first spaced apart pattern. A second plurality of hair wefts are mounted to the foundation laterally (vertically) below the upper hair wefts in a second spaced apart longitudinally aligned pattern on the intermediate segment of the foundation. A third plurality of hair wefts are mounted to the lower edge of the foundation in a third spaced apart pattern. In this manner, respective intermediate spaces of the first, second and third spaced apart patterns are covered by hairs falling there over due to the brick layered pattern. In a preferred embodiment, ten (10) longitudinal runs of hair wefts are mounted on the stretchable foundation, each longitudinal run covering the lower longitudinal gaps of the lower longitudinal run of hair wefts. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       Further objects and advantages of the present invention can be found in the detailed description of the preferred embodiments when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings wherein: 
         FIG. 1  diagrammatically illustrates a portion of the foundation band, a few hair wefts mounted on the foundation band, and diagrammatically illustrates some of the hairs attached to the hair wefts in the foundation and some of the hairs attached to the foundation band itself; 
         FIG. 2  diagrammatically illustrates a portion of the stretchable foundation and the lateral and longitudinal expansion—contraction and wrinkling aspect of the foundation band; 
         FIG. 3  diagrammatically illustrates the brick layer pattern of mounting the hair wefts on the foundation; 
         FIG. 4  diagrammatically illustrates the elastic member attached between the filament and the foundation band; 
         FIG. 5  diagrammatically illustrates the hair band system with the foundation band, the elastic members and the filament; and 
         FIG. 6  diagrammatically illustrates the hair band system worn by the user. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     The present invention relates to a hair band for hair extensions or partial wigs worn by a user. The figures, which are discussed concurrently herein, have similar numerals designating similar items. 
       FIG. 1  shows hair band  12 , foundation band  20  and a plurality of hair wefts  22  with a large number of hairs  21  attached to the foundation  20  and attached to the hair wefts  22 .  FIG. 6  shows that hair band system  10  includes an elongated foundation band  12 , a filament  16  and an elastic member  14 . The hair band system  10  has a plurality of hair which falls beyond the head of the user. Only a small portion of the hairs are shown in all the figures. 
     In a like manner,  FIG. 1  shows only a portion of foundation band  20  of hair band system  10  (see system  10 ,  FIGS. 5, 6 ). The top edge  41  of foundation  20  has a plurality of longitudinally spaced apart hair wefts  22 . Each hair weft has a plurality of hairs  21  which are attached to the weft and which fall beyond the head of the user. See  FIG. 6  which shows only a partial view of the hair falling off the hair band system  10 . 
     In addition in  FIG. 1 , a plurality of hairs  21  are attached to top edge  41  of foundation band  20 . These are hand-tied to the foundation. The longitudinal space or gap between the top left hand hair weft  22  and the top right hand hair weft  22  is longitudinally covered by a lower intermediate hair weft  22  mounted on an intermediate segment of foundation  20 . A plurality of hairs  21  extend from the intermediate hair weft  22 . 
     In addition, a plurality of hairs  21  are attached to top edge  41  of foundation  20 . Further, another plurality of hairs  21  are attached at intermediate lower or lateral positions on foundation  20 . In this manner, the hairs attached to the top edge  41  of foundation  20  fall down and cover the open longitudinal space and the resulting lateral space between edge  41  and the lower intermediate hair weft  22  and the intermediate foundation segment between upper edge  41  and lower edge  43 . Lower edge  43  is shown in  FIG. 3 . 
       FIG. 2 . diagrammatically shows a partial, detailed view of the expandable or stretchable foundation band  12  and an upper hair weft  22  and a lower hair weft  22  with foundation cells  21  therebetween. Cells  21  form the foundation band  20 . The foundation is structured such that it expands and contracts longitudinally as shown by dimension a and laterally up and down as shown by dimension b. 
       FIG. 3  diagrammatically illustrates the brick layered mounting pattern of the hair wefts  22  on foundation  20 . Between the upper edge  41  of foundation band  20  and lower edge  43  of foundation  20 , a plurality of hair wefts are mounted on the foundation. Only a portion of the foundation netting or foundation cells is shown in  FIGS. 1, 2 and 3 . 
     The brick layered hair weft pattern is established between laterally spaced apart longitudinal runs of hair wefts. Hair weft  22  in  FIG. 3  is mounted on the top edge  41  of the foundation. Immediately laterally below is a longitudinally displaced, left side hair weft  22   a  and a longitudinally displaced, right side hair weft  22   c . The intermediate longitudinal space between intermediate longitudinally spaced apart hair weft  22   a ,  22   c  is covered by hairs which extend from the upper hair weft  22 . Laterally below upper hair weft  22  is a fourth hair weft  22   b . Hair weft  22   b  spans or covers a longitudinal space between left and right hair weft  22   d ,  22   e . Laterally below hair weft  22   b  is longitudinally displaced left hair weft  22   d  and right hair weft  22   e . The longitudinal space between hair wefts  22   d ,  22   e  is covered by hair from the upper centrally located hair weft  22   b . In this manner, the plurality of hair wefts establish a brick layered pattern on foundation  22 . This is one of the several important features of the present invention because this brick layered pattern permits the foundation to expand and contract and adjust for wrinkles both in a longitudinal manner (left and right in connection with the head band system  10  ( FIG. 6 )) as well as laterally, that is up and down, in the direction b ( FIG. 2 ). 
       FIG. 4  diagrammatically shows a filament  16  attached at one end to elastic member  14 . Elastic member  14  has an inboard end  72  that is attached to foundation  20 . Elastic  14  is mounted intermediate the filament  16  and the foundation band  20 . For a higher degree of support and attachment, hair weft  22  is attached to both the elastic end  72  and the foundation  20 . Elastic  14  is disposed in a cloth channel or a tunnel  30 . In  FIG. 4 , only a portion of the tunnel is shown in a broken-away view. Hairs  21  are attached to the upper edge  41  of the foundation  20 . As partly shown, the lower hair weft carries a number of hairs  21 . 
     When the hair band system is worn by the user (see  FIG. 6 ), the elastic  14  extends outboard of tunnel  30  and filament  16  extends to extended position C 2 . When the elastic is at rest and not in a tension mode, only a portion of the elastic  14  extends outboard of tunnel  30 . The extension mode of elastic  14  is shown in  FIG. 4  as a dashed dot dashed line C 2 . The rest or non-tension mode is also shown as a solid line as C 1 . As discussed earlier, foundation  20  can move longitudinally in the direction a and can also move laterally in the direction b. 
       FIG. 5  diagrammatically illustrates a plain view of hair band system  10 . The hair band system includes an elongated generally rectangular foundation band  12  which carries a plurality of hairs (not shown). The hair band system includes elastic elements  14  which are attached to the ends of filament  16  thereby permitting the filament to be in a tension mode about the head of the user. Longitudinal expansion is permitted in direction a and lateral expansion and contraction is permitted in direction b. The tension or rest position is shown by arrows C 1 , C 2  in  FIG. 4  and direction C in  FIG. 5 . 
       FIG. 6  shows only a portion of the hairs covering band element  12  of hair band system  10 . 
     The claims appended hereto are meant to cover modifications and changes within the scope and spirit of the present invention.