Patent Publication Number: US-2021186271-A1

Title: Shower device for grooming hair

Description:
TECHNICAL FIELD 
     The present disclosure relates generally to a novel bathroom or shower device useful for grooming hair. 
     BACKGROUND 
     In general, when a person showers or bathes, or otherwise combs or grooms their hair, one or more hairs (hair shafts) may be expelled from their scalp. For some people, especially those with long and/or thick hair shafts, this may result in an unwanted mass of hair located in the shower/tub that can clog the drain and/or cause an undesirable hygienic condition. 
     Accordingly, there is a need for a device and method to prevent this condition and/or assist a person in ameliorating this condition. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       It is believed that certain embodiments will be better understood from the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, which are not necessarily to scale and wherein like reference numbers indicate identical or functionally similar elements through the several views, and wherein: 
         FIG. 1  is an image showing a side perspective view of a portion of a shower having a shower device of the present disclosure affixed to a wall of the shower, in accordance with one or more aspects and implementations described herein. 
         FIG. 2A  is a side perspective view of a portion of a shower wall and an exploded view of the shower device, in accordance with one or more aspects and implementations described herein. 
         FIG. 2B  is a side elevational sectional view of an adhesive sheet, in accordance with one or more aspects and implementations described herein. 
         FIG. 3  is a rear view of a shower device of the present disclosure, in accordance with one or more aspects and implementations described herein. 
         FIG. 4  is an elevational side exploded view of a shower device, in accordance with one or more aspects and implementations described herein. 
         FIG. 5  is a side perspective exploded view of a shower device, in accordance with one or more aspects and implementations described herein. 
         FIG. 6  is an image showing a side perspective view of a shower device, in accordance with one or more aspects and implementations described herein. 
         FIG. 7  is an image showing a front view of a shower device having hair affixed thereto, in accordance with one or more aspects and implementations described herein. 
     
    
    
     DESCRIPTION 
     The bathroom and/or shower device illustrated in  FIGS. 1-7 , and therein generally designated  10 , generally comprises base member  12  and hair grip device  14 . In general, base member  12  may have any shape sufficient to provide the functionality described herein. In one or more embodiments, base member  12  is a flat, rigid/semi-rigid, square or rectangular member having a front/first side  16  and a back/second side  18 . In some embodiments, base member  12  is dimensioned as a roughly 12″×12″ member. Generally, base member  12  may be fashioned from any material sufficient to provide the functionality described herein. In one or more embodiments, base member  12  is a made from plastic, wood, glass, ceramic, metal, composite or bamboo material. In one or more preferred embodiments, base member  12  is made from vinyl or bamboo composite material. 
     In one or more embodiments, hair grip device  14  is affixed to the front side  16  of base member  12 . Hair grip device  14  is generally any device sufficient to provide the functionality described herein. In some embodiments, hair grip device  14  comprises a plurality of adhesive sheets  20 , wherein each of the sheets has a base sheet  22  having a first side coated with a pressure sensitive adhesive layer  24  and a second side coated with a release agent  26 . In one or more embodiments, base sheet  22  is comprised of any substrate suitable to act as a support for adhesive layer  24  and release agent  26 . In some embodiments, base sheet  22  is a plastic sheet (e.g., nylon, acrylic, vinyl, polyester, hdpe). In other embodiments, base sheet  22  is a paper sheet. 
     In general, adhesive layer  24  and release agent  26  may be any pressure sensitive adhesive and release agent, respectively, sufficient to provide the functionality described herein. Adhesive layer  24  is selected and coated to a depth onto base sheet  22  such that it is capable of retaining wet hair shafts that are depressed onto its surface by a user in a shower environment. In some embodiments, adhesive  24  is a rubber, vinyl ether, acrylic, styrene block copolymer, silicone, or nitrile-based pressure sensitive adhesive. Release agent  26  is chosen and coated in a layer onto base sheet  22  in such a manner sufficient to releasably affix the base sheet onto the adhesive layer of the adjacent layer in the stack (described below). In some embodiments, release agent  26  is a silicone, vinyl carbamate, vinyl acrylic copolymer, fluoro-acrylate, modified polyurethane or starch-based release agent. 
     In one or more embodiments, hair grip device  14  comprises a plurality of adhesive sheets  20  arranged in a stack (releasably affixed to each other in a front to back arrangement to form a stack) and having a top surface  28  and a bottom surface (not shown). In some embodiments, the number of adhesive sheets is between 20 and 300 sheets; in others, the number is between 50 and 200; in others, between 75 and 150. As may be appreciated, top surface  28  of the stack comprises the first side of the first adhesive sheet  20  of the stack. In one or more embodiments, each adhesive sheet  20  is provided with a tabbed portion  30  to provide a user with an area to grip each adhesive sheet  20 . In some embodiments, tabbed portion  30  is relatively small area on the first side (adhesive surface) of each adhesive sheet that does not contain adhesive and/or has a non-tacky material (e.g., paper, plastic) affixed to the adhesive surface, and that permits an easy user grip on each individual sheet. 
     In operation, base member  12  is attached/affixed to surface  32 , e.g., a bathroom or shower wall surface. Generally, any suitable means of temporary or permanent attachment may be utilized. In some embodiments, suction cups  34  are fixed to the back side of base member  12  and provide the means of temporary attachment. Likewise, hair grip device  14  is attached/affixed at its bottom surface to front side  16  of base member  12 . Generally, any suitable means of temporary or permanent attachment may be utilized. In some embodiments, one or more complementary Velcro® pads  36  located on the bottom surface of hair grip device  14  and on the front side  16  of base member  12  are utilized. In some alternative embodiments, adhesive or mating clasps, etc., may be utilized. 
     In general, a user may utilize device  10  along the following lines. A user may affix base member  12  to a bathroom/shower surface  32 . If no adhesive hair grip device  14  (e.g., no stack of adhesive sheets  20 ) is present or is depleted, a user affixes/installs a new hair grip device  14  to base member  12 . For example, a user may affix a new stack of adhesive sheets  20  to base member  12 . Then, upon taking a shower and/or otherwise combing their hair and obtaining hair shafts  38  in hand by, e.g., grooming oneself, a user may depress the hair shafts onto the hair grip device  14  (e.g., the top surface  28  of the top adhesive sheet  20 ) and thereby transfer the hair shafts  38  onto the hair grip device. Afterwards (for example after concluding the shower), the user may easily dispose of the hair shafts  38  by, e.g., removing the top adhesive sheet  20  and discarding it. In practice, the tabbed portion  30  may be used to easily grip the relevant adhesive sheet for removing and discarding it. 
     The present disclosure describes and illustrates one or more novel embodiments of shower device for grooming hair. It should be understood that aspects, features or functions that are described in relation to an embodiment are not necessarily limited to the embodiment described, but rather may be applicable to one or more embodiments, unless expressly described otherwise. Also, the description set forth herein is not to be construed as limited to the embodiments shown. Rather, it is appreciated that various modifications may occur to those skilled in the art that, while not specifically set forth herein, are nevertheless within the spirit and scope of the description. When an embodiment is described as “exemplary” (or similarly) herein, it is to be understood as one non-limiting example embodiment and does not preclude other embodiments that may not include the limitations described in the exemplary embodiment.