Patent Publication Number: US-10779595-B1

Title: Hair extension attachment device

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     The present application claims the benefit under 35 U.S.C. § 119(e) of U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 62/103,763, filed Jan. 15, 2015, and titled “HAIR EXTENSION ATTACHMENT DEVICE,” which is herein incorporated by reference in its entirety. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND 
     Hair extensions are used to lengthen hair, generally by incorporating artificial hair and/or natural hair collected from one or more other individuals. Temporary hair extensions can be referred to as “wefts.” 
     SUMMARY 
     A hair extension attachment device comprises a housing that includes a sewing mechanism, and a guard configured to shield the sewing mechanism from an individual. The sewing mechanism is configured to receive a first hair section from the individual (e.g., a braid) and a second hair section (e.g., a hair extension or weft) not from the individual, and sew the first and second hair sections together, affixing the second hair section to the individual. The guard can be removably attached to the housing, e.g., configured as an attachment that can be affixed to the housing. The guard can also be integrally formed with the housing. 
     This Summary is provided to introduce a selection of concepts in a simplified form that are further described below in the Detailed Description. This Summary is not intended to identify key features or essential features of the claimed subject matter, nor is it intended to be used as an aid in determining the scope of the claimed subject matter. 
    
    
     
       DRAWINGS 
       The Detailed Description is described with reference to the accompanying figures. The use of the same reference numbers in different instances in the description and the figures may indicate similar or identical items. 
         FIG. 1  is a partial cross-sectional side elevation view illustrating a handheld hair extension attachment device in accordance with example embodiments of the present disclosure. 
         FIG. 2  is a partial side elevation view of a handheld hair extension attachment device, such as the handheld hair extension attachment device illustrated in  FIG. 1 , in accordance with an example embodiment of the present disclosure. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     Referring generally to  FIGS. 1 and 2 , a handheld hair extension attachment device  100  is described in accordance with example embodiments of the present disclosure. The hair extension attachment device  100  comprises a housing  102  that includes a forward housing portion  102 A and a rear housing portion  102 B (i.e., where the forward housing portion  102 A lies laterally ahead of the rear housing portion  102 B), where the rear housing portion  102 B carries a sewing mechanism (e.g., including a needle  104  and an arm  120 ) with the sewing mechanism extending over the forward housing portion  102 A. The needle  104  can include a mounted needle portion  104 A and a free needle portion  104 B. The mounted needle portion  104 A can be attached to the arm  120 , and the free needle portion  104 B can extend away and downwardly from the arm  120  and generally toward the forward housing portion  102 A (e.g., possibly partially extending into the forward housing portion  102 B during a part of the downstroke of the needle  102 ). The hair extension attachment device  100  also includes a guard  106 . The guard  106  is carried on the rear housing portion  102 B and is configured, as readily seen in  FIG. 1 , to extend both above the sewing mechanism and the forward housing portion  102 A and vertically in front of at least a section (e.g., a majority section) of the free needle portion  104 B of the sewing needle  104  of the sewing mechanism and thereby shield the sewing mechanism and, particularly, the needle  104  thereof from a head of an individual  108 . The guard  106  is able to shield the sewing mechanism from the head of the individual  108  because the guard  106  establishes an outer perimeter portion of the hair extension attachment device  100  proximate the sewing mechanism, including the needle  104 . The guard  106 , the rear housing portion  102 B, and the forward housing portion  102 A together can thereby define an interior travel volume through which the sewing mechanism (e.g., the needle  104  and the arm  120 ) can move, as illustrated by the variable positioning of the sewing mechanism within  FIG. 1 . 
     In embodiments of the disclosure, the sewing mechanism is configured to receive a first hair section  110  from the individual  108  and a second hair section  112  not from the individual  108  through a gap defined between the guard  106  and the forward portion of the housing  102 , and sew the first and second hair sections  110  and  112  together, affixing the second hair section  112  to the individual  108 . For example, the first hair section  110  comprises a braid, such as a cornrow braid, and the second hair section  112  comprises one or more hair extensions, such as a weft, used to form, for example, a weave. In some embodiments, the guard  106  is removably attached to the housing  102  that includes the sewing mechanism. For example, the guard  106  is configured as an attachment that can be affixed to the housing  102  (e.g., to the rear housing portion  102 B) of a handheld sewing mechanism. In other embodiments, the guard  106  is integrally formed with the housing  102 . 
     In embodiments of the disclosure, the hair extension attachment device  100  includes a needle  104  that can be straight or curved. In some embodiments, the needle  104  is a blunt-ended needle. Further, in some embodiments, the needle  104  may be formed from a plastic material (e.g., surgical plastic). The needle  104  receives thread  114  (e.g., from a bobbin  116 ), which can be routed through a thread feeder  118  and then through the needle  104 . The needle  104  can be supported by the arm  120 , which can travel alternately in generally upward and downward directions to repeatedly insert the needle  104  through the first and second hair sections  110  and  112 . The arm  120  can be carried by the rear housing portion  102 B and can then extend over the forward housing portion  102 A, as seen in  FIG. 1  (i.e., the arm  120  being located vertically above the forward housing portion  102 A). The hair extension attachment device  100  can also include a plate  122 , which can be used to press against the hair and hold it in position with respect to the needle  104 . In some embodiments, the sewing mechanism can employ a chainstitch, e.g., where a single thread is used to sew the first and second hair sections  110  and  112 . However, this example is not meant to the limit the present disclosure. In other embodiments, the sewing mechanism can use various other mechanical sewing techniques, including, but not necessarily limited to: lockstitching, overlocking, coverstitching, zigzag stitching, and so forth. For example, in another embodiment, the sewing mechanism employs a lockstitching technique and uses two separate threads. 
     In some embodiments, the hair extension attachment device  100  can be hand powered. For example, an operator repeatedly presses down on the arm  120  to sew the first and second hair sections  110  and  112  together. In other embodiments, the hair extension attachment device  100  can be mechanically and/or electrically powered. For example, the hair extension attachment device  100  can include an electric motor powered by electrical energy delivered from an electrical outlet (e.g., AC mains). A power cord  124  can be included to connect the hair extension attachment device  100  to an electrical outlet. However, a power cord  124  is provided by way of example and is not meant to limit the present disclosure. In other embodiments, the hair extension attachment device  100  can be battery powered (e.g., using disposable and/or rechargeable batteries), various combinations of electrically and battery powered, and so forth. Further, in some embodiments, the hair extension attachment device  100  can include a speed control  126  for controlling the speed of the sewing mechanism. The hair extension attachment device  100  can also include a handle  128 , which can include, for instance, a grip  130  (e.g., a soft rubber grip), and a trigger  132  for actuating the sewing mechanism. 
     Although the subject matter has been described in language specific to structural features and/or process operations, it is to be understood that the subject matter defined in the appended claims is not necessarily limited to the specific features or acts described above. Rather, the specific features and acts described above are disclosed as example forms of implementing the claims.