Patent Publication Number: US-2012042890-A1

Title: Soft Hair Styling Device

Description:
This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/375033 filed Aug. 19, 2010. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND 
     The present invention is in the field of hair styling. More specifically this invention relates to hair rollers, and hair styling devices which will allow easy creation of up-do type hair styles, as well as volume adding. 
     There have been many innovations in the field of hair styling. For special events many women like to wear their hair up in a styled fashion. Previously this entailed going to a hairstylist to have the hair professionally put up. 
     A simple method is desired for maintaining hair in an up-do type fashion for home use. 
     Further, many women desire hair with more volume, that is not flat on the top or in the back, previously this meant lots of hair teasing and hairspray, and eventually these methods would also flatten. 
     A simple method is desired for adding volume to hair, that does not require a lot of time, expertise or hair products. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is an isometric view of a hair styling device according to an aspect of the invention. 
         FIG. 2  is an isometric view of a hair styling device according to an aspect of the invention. 
         FIG. 3A  is an isometric top view of a hair styling device according to an aspect of the invention. 
         FIG. 3B  is an isometric side view of a hair roller according to an aspect of the invention. 
         FIG. 4A  is an isometric view of a hair styling device according to an aspect of the invention. 
         FIG. 4B  is an isometric view of a hair roller according to an aspect of the invention. 
         FIG. 5  is an isometric view of a hair styling device according to an aspect of the invention. 
         FIG. 6  is an isometric view of a hair styling device according to an aspect of the invention. 
         FIG. 7  is a view of a hair styling kit according to an aspect of the invention. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     Various aspects of the invention are presented in  FIGS. 1-4  which are not drawn to scale and in which like components are numbered alike. Referring now to  FIGS. 1-4 , according to an aspect of the invention, a hair styling device  5  is shown. The hair styling device is constructed of a soft material. The hair styling device is comprised of a flexible wand  10  and a shaper  20 . 
     The flexible wand  10 , has a length  12 , a width  14 , and a surface area  18 . The wand surface area  18  is covered with a high friction material. According to an aspect of the invention, the flexible wand  10  has a stiffness such that when the flexible wand  10  is bent, it maintains whatever shape it is bent into. According to an aspect of the invention, this flexible wand  10  may be comprised of some type of wire. Thus when the device is used, it may be rolled into the hair, where it will adhere due to the high friction portion, and then it is locked into place by bending of the flexible wand  10 . This allows for many different types of hair styles for many different lengths of hair. 
     The shaper  20  has a length  22 , a width  24 , a height  26 , and a surface area  28 . The shaper further has a body portion  25  and opposing end portions  27 . According to an aspect of the invention, the shaper  20  is hollow  29 , and the hollow  29  is of a size and shape such that the flexible wand  10  snugly fits into and through the shaper  20 . The shaper length  22  is less than the flexible wand length  12 , and the shaper surface area  28  is covered with a high friction material. 
     According to an aspect of the invention, the high friction material is the high stiffness portion of VELCRO™. 
     According to a further aspect of the invention, the shaper body portion  25  has a width  24  greater than the shaper end portion, wherein the shaper body portion width tapers down to the shaper end portion width. 
     According to another aspect of the invention, the shaper width  24  is greater than the shaper height  26 . 
     According to another aspect of the invention, the hair styling device  5  may further comprise a hair roller  30 , wherein the hair roller  30  has a surface area  38  which is covered with a high friction material. In this embodiment, the hair roller  30  is hollow  39 , wherein the hollow  39  is large enough to fit the flexible wand  10  snugly into and through the hollow  39 . In another embodiment of the invention, the hollow  39  is large enough to fit the shaper  20  and flexible wand  10  combination snugly into and through the hollow  39 . 
     In a further embodiment of the invention, there is a hairstyling kit  50  comprising a flexible wand  60 , a shaper  70 , and a hair roller  80 . The flexible wand  60 , has a length  62 , a width  64 , and a surface area  68 . The wand surface area  68  is covered with a high friction material. According to an aspect of the invention, the flexible wand  60  has a stiffness such that when the flexible wand  60  is bent, it maintains whatever shape it is bent into. According to an aspect of the invention, this flexible wand  60  may be comprised of some type of wire. Thus when the device is used, it may be rolled into the hair, where it will adhere due to the high friction portion, and then it is locked into place by bending of the flexible wand  60 . This allows for many different types of hair styles for many different lengths of hair. 
     The shaper  70  has a length  72 , a width  74 , and a surface area  78 . The shaper further has a body portion  75  and opposing end portions  77 . According to an aspect of the invention, the shaper  70  is hollow  79 , and the hollow  79  is of a size and shape such that the flexible wand  70  snugly fits into and through the shaper  70 . The shaper length  72  is less than the flexible wand length  62 , and the shaper surface area  78  is covered with a high friction material. 
     The hair roller  80  has an outside diameter  81  and a surface area  88  which is covered with a high friction material. In this embodiment, the hair roller  80  is hollow  89 , wherein the hollow  89  is large enough to fit the flexible wand  60  snugly into and through the hollow  89 . In another embodiment of the invention, the hollow  89  is large enough to fit the shaper  70  and flexible wand  60  combination snugly into and through the hollow  89   
     According to a further aspect of the invention, the hair styling kit  50  may further comprise multiple hair rollers  80 , wherein each of the hair rollers  80  have different outside diameters  81 . 
     In a further embodiment of the invention, the hair styling kit  50  further comprises a headband  90 . The headband  90  has a stiffness such that it will stay in place on a wearers head. The headband  90  has a surface area  98 , wherein the headband surface area  98  is covered with a high friction material. The headband  90  is if a size and shape such that it can fit through the shaper hollow  79 . 
     According to another aspect of the invention, the kit comprises a separate shaper, a headband shaper  40  sized just for the headband  90 . When working with shorter hair, a larger surface area for securing the hair to the styling device may be needed. For these cases, a headband which is wider and flatter than the flexible wand is provided. This allows more surface area for the hair to attach to. Because the width is greater than the diameter of the flexible wand, a separate shaper is provided which has a hollow portion sized large enough to fit the wider headband through. In this embodiment, the headband shaper  40 , has a length  42 , a width  44 , a height  46 , and a surface area  48 , and further has a body portion  45  and opposing end portions  47 . The headband shaper  40  is hollow  49 , and the hollow  49  is of a size and shape such that the headband  90  snugly fits into and through the headband shaper  40 . The headband shaper length  42  is such that is covers less than one third of the headband  90 , when slid onto the headband  90 . The headband shaper surface area  48  is covered with a high friction material. 
     According to an aspect of the invention, the shapers  20 ,  70 , and  90 , are flexible, such that they easily bend with the flexible wand  10  or around the curved headband  90 . The shapers taper from a wider body portion to narrower end portions—this allows the hair more volume where you want it, but allows it then to blend into the rest of the hair, where just the wand or the headband are present. 
     Different sized shapers may be used to provide different amounts of volume. The hair may be brushed back over the headband, or headband shaper combination to put volume in shorter hair. The shaper may be positioned in the center of the headband to provide more volume in the center, or is may be positioned to one side or the other, to have volume on one side or the other. 
     For longer hair, the wand/shaper combination may be used to wind the hair around and place sideways for a “French twist” look. The combination may be rolled up into the hair, and the flexible wand ends bent around to secure the device in place. Hair is then spread over the device to conceal it, and the high friction surface holds the hair in place. 
     There are countless other styles that may be created by using combinations of the flexible wand, shapers, headbands, and rollers. The usefulness of the present invention is the ease and variety of styling. According to an aspect of the invention, the present hair device may come with multiple size center portions which may be fit onto the basic hair device center portion, such that larger different size hair stylings may be achieved. 
     According to a further aspect of the invention, the center portion may be sized to fit standard, available hair rollers, with high friction exterior surfaces, such that these may be used to adjust the hair styling.