Patent Publication Number: US-2007094768-A1

Title: Hairband

Description:
FIELD OF INVENTION  
      This invention relates to an improved hairband and various embodiments thereof. This invention is related to the following provisional patent applications: 
          60/719,846 filed Sep. 24, 2005 titled Collapsible Headband     60/719,847 filed Sep. 24, 2005 titled Multi-loop Headband     60/721,764 filed Sep. 29, 2005 titled Hairband     60/726,139 filed Oct. 13, 2005 titled Collapsible Headband     60/742,277 filed Dec. 5, 2005 titled Customizable Headband 
 
 Inventor requests that this patent application be given the benefit of the filing dates for the above-mentioned provisional applications.
       

    
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
      Hairbands and ponytail holders, such as that disclosed in U.S. Design Pat. No. 292,030, are well known in the art. In fact, the arena of hair accessories is considered a crowded art because of the constant introduction of improvements. However, many of these innovations represent incremental changes. Some of the inventions that have proved marketable are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. D402,082 by Lee and U.S. Pat. No. D365918 by Izegbu et al. Unfortunately, many hair accessory innovations that crowd the art are both contrived and impractical. It is thus the intention of this invention to introduce hair accessories that are both innovative as well as practical, easy to use and stylish.  
     OBJECT AND ADVANTAGES  
      It is the object of this invention to provide a collapsible bandeau style headband that can be worn either narrow or wide without bunching up under the wearer&#39;s hair at the nape.  
      It is also the object of this invention to provide an easy to wear hair accessory.  
      It is an additional object of this invention to provide a cold-weather headgear that serves as a stylish cap-alternative.  
      It is a further object of this invention to provide a customizable headband that can be embellished.  
      It is also the object of this invention to provide a customizable headband that can be used as an ordinary headband.  
      It is an additional object of this invention to provide a new toy in the form of a customizable kit that includes a fun selection of bands, ribbons and laces that little girls can use to enhance their creativity by mixing and matching and creating new looks.  
      It is the object of this invention to provide a multi-loop headband that helps the wearer hold back her hair better than with a conventional headband.  
      It is the object of this invention to provide a multi-loop headband that simulates the look of multiple headbands worn together.  
      It is also an object of this invention to provide multiple embodiments of an accessory that can be worn around the neck in the manner of a muffler or a scarf.  
      It is yet another object of this invention to provide a ponytailer hairband that can be worn to provide a sleek look.  
      It is the object of this invention to provide a ponytailer hairband that is easy to use and to understand.  
      It is also the object of this invention to provide a soft and comfortable ponytailer hair accessory.  
      It is a further object of this invention to provide an easy to manufacture fashion accessory.  
      It is yet another object of this invention to provide a stylish fashion accessory.  
      Other and still further objects, features and advantages of the customizable headband of this invention will become obvious from a reading of the following detailed description of a preferred form of the present invention, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. 
    
    
     DRAWING FIGURES  
       FIG. 1  shows a perspective view of the customizable headband, of the current invention  
       FIG. 2  shows the rear view of the customizable headband, of the current invention  
       FIG. 3  shows a perspective view of the customizable headband, of this invention with a scarf added on  
       FIG. 4  shows a perspective view of a second embodiment of the customizable headband of this invention with a ribbon added on  
       FIG. 5  shows a rear view of a third embodiment of the customizable headband of this invention with a ribbon added on  
       FIG. 6  shows a perspective view of a fourth embodiment of the customizable headband of this invention  
       FIG. 7  shows a rear view of a fifth embodiment of the customizable headband of this invention  
       FIG. 8  shows the first embodiment of the customizable headband of this invention with a scarf tied in a bow  
       FIG. 10  shows the preferred embodiment of the collapsible headband of the current invention.  
       FIG. 9  shows a second embodiment of the collapsible headband of the current invention.  
       FIG. 11  shows the collapsible headband of this invention worn as a headwrap.  
       FIG. 12  shows the collapsible headband of this invention worn as a bandana.  
       FIG. 13  shows a third embodiment of the collapsible headband of this invention.  
       FIG. 14  shows the third embodiment of the collapsible headband of this invention on a wearer.  
       FIG. 15  shows the third embodiment of the collapsible headband of this invention twisted into a knot.  
       FIG. 16  shows a fourth embodiment of the collapsible headband of this invention on a wearer.  
       FIG. 17  shows the fourth embodiment of the collapsible headband of this invention on a wearer.  
       FIG. 18  shows a fifth embodiment of the collapsible headband of this invention on a wearer.  
       FIG. 19  shows the fifth embodiment of the collapsible headband of this invention.  
       FIG. 20  shows a sixth embodiment of the collapsible headband of this invention.  
       FIG. 21  shows a seventh embodiment of the collapsible headband of this invention  
       FIG. 22  shows an eighth embodiment of the collapsible headband of this invention  
       FIG. 23  shows the basic embodiment, of  FIG. 13 , twisted at its midpoint  
       FIG. 24  shows a cap formed by twisting and folding the collapsible headband of this invention  
       FIG. 25  shows the collapsible headband of this invention worn around the neck in the manner of a turtleneck  
       FIG. 26  shows the collapsible headband of this invention worn in the manner of a square scarf  
       FIG. 27  shows the collapsible headband of this invention worn in the manner of a long muffler or scarf.  
       FIG. 28  shows a perspective view of a first embodiment of the multi-loop headband of this invention.  
       FIG. 29  shows a perspective view of a second embodiment of the multi-loop headband of this invention.  
       FIG. 30  shows a third embodiment of the multi-loop headband of this invention.  
       FIG. 31  shows a fourth embodiment of the multi-loop headband of this invention.  
       FIG. 32  shows the multi-loop headband of this invention as worn by a user.  
       FIGS. 33 and 34  show two different views of the first embodiment of the ponytailer hairband of this invention.  
       FIG. 35  shows a second embodiment of the ponytailer hairband of this invention.  
       FIG. 36  shows a third embodiment of the ponytailer hairband of this invention.  
       FIG. 37  shows a fourth embodiment of the ponytailer hairband of this invention.  
       FIG. 38  shows a fifth embodiment of the ponytailer hairband of this invention. 
    
    
     REFERENCE NUMERALS IN DRAWINGS  
     
         
           2  preferred embodiment of the customizable headband of this invention  
           4  an incision at the rear of the customizable headband of this invention  
           6  scarf  
           8  second embodiment of the customizable headband of this invention  
           10  loop on the second embodiment of the customizable headband of this invention  
           12  ribbon  
           14  a third embodiment of the customizable headband of this invention  
           16  loop  
           18  ribbon  
           20  a fourth embodiment of the customizable headband of this invention  
           22  a circular incision in the customizable headband of this invention  
           24  a fifth embodiment of the customizable headband of this invention  
           26  a slit in the customizable headband of this invention  
           28  scarf  
           30  bow  
           32  preferred embodiment of the collapsible headband of this invention  
           33  second embodiment of the collapsible headband of this invention  
           34  inside of the preferred embodiment of the collapsible headband of this invention  
           35  movable loop on second embodiment of the collapsible headband of this invention  
           36  twist in the preferred embodiment of the collapsible headband of this invention  
           38  wearer  
           40  third embodiment of the collapsible headband of this invention  
           42  elastic bands at edges of third embodiment of the collapsible headband of this invention  
           44  knot formed by twisting third embodiment of the collapsible headband of this invention  
           46  fourth embodiment of the collapsible headband of this invention  
           48  ties  
           50  fifth embodiment of the collapsible headband of this invention  
           52  ties  
           54  sixth embodiment of the collapsible headband of this invention  
           55  elasticized section  
           56  seventh embodiment of the collapsible headband of this invention  
           57  elasticized section  
           58  eighth embodiment of the collapsible headband of this invention  
           60  ties  
           62  third embodiment embodiment of the collapsible headband of this invention, twisted at mid-section  
           64  cap  
           65  collapsible headband worn as a muff around neck  
           66  portion of collapsible headband worn around neck  
           67  portion of collapsible headband worn around head  
           68  portion of collapsible headband worn around neck  
           69  portion of collapsible headband worn around neck like a long scarf  
           72  a first embodiment of the multi-loop headband of this invention  
           74  a second embodiment of the multi-loop headband of this invention  
           76  a twist in the second embodiment of the multi-loop headband of this invention  
           78  a third embodiment of the multi-loop headband of this invention  
           80 ,  82  prior art belt buckle  
           83  head of a user  
           84 ,  86  two loops of the multi-loop headband of this invention  
           88  a fourth and preferred embodiment of the multi-loop headband of this invention  
           90  an opening in the preferred embodiment of the multi-loop headband of this invention  
           92  a  FIG. 8  loop in multi-loop headband  88  of this invention  
           93  first embodiment of the hairband of this invention  
           94  unscrunched or smooth portion of hairband  92  of this invention  
           97  second embodiment of the hairband of this invention  
           98  unscrunched portion of hairband  97  of this invention  
           96  third embodiment of the hairband of this invention  
           95  elastic circle  
           99  fourth embodiment of the hairband of this invention  
           91  exposed elastic  
           89  included elastic  
           100  fifth embodiment of the hairband of this invention  
           102  smooth portion of hairband  100  of this invention  
       
    
     SUMMARY  
      The present invention provides various embodiments of hairbands. Anyone who is familiar with hair accessories will know that there have been very few innovations in the field of bandeau bands and hairbands. The current invention seeks to change that by disclosing improvements that are significant while also being easy to manufacture as well as easy to use. The collapsible band, for example, provides a significant improvement on existing wide bands by borrowing the concept of the mobius from mathematics. The incorporation of one or more twists prevent bunching of the band under hair at the nape. This makes the band very comfortable to wear while also making it more attractive by preventing funneling that happens with currently available bands. The customizable band of this invention can be customized by the addition of ribbons, scarves, beaded strings, ties, etc to the headband. The multi-loop band not only simulates the look of multiple bands without having the user try and adjust multiple bands but it also provides better hair-holding ability by allowing for the placement of the band at more than one region. The new hairband is an improvement over existing scrunchies because it allows the placement of embroidery or other embellishments on the flat front while also presenting a sleek look as opposed to the sloppy, scrunched look of a scrunchie. All of the above mentioned embodiments present significant improvements over existing hairbands.  
      Other embodiments are also shown in the drawings.  
      The design of the current invention presents several advantages.  
      The simple designs of the various embodiments allow for easy manufacturing and also translate to reasonable costs for the consumer.  
      The simple designs of the various embodiments make them easy to use and easy to explain to the user by means of a simple illustration.  
      Additionally, the embodiments of this invention provide options for a stylish new hair accessory. This is particularly important in a market that is constantly hungry for new trends.  
     DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
      Various aspects of the present invention will evolve from the following detailed description of the currently preferred embodiment thereof which should be taken in conjunction with the prior described drawings.  
       FIG. 1  shows the preferred embodiment of the customizable headband  2  of this invention. Incisions  4  can be seen at the rear of the band. There are four such incisions though the number of incisions can be as few as one and as many as can be included on the headband.  
       FIG. 2  shows the rear view of the customizable headband of this invention. Incisions  4  can be seen on the band with one pair of incisions placed on the right of the centerline and one pair on the left.  
       FIG. 3  shows how a scarf  6  can be easily added to headband  2 . Each of the two ends of a long scarf has been woven through a pair of incisions  4 . This enables a wearer to quickly wear a scarf securely on her head without worrying about it slipping off.  
       FIG. 4  shows headband  8  which is a second embodiment of the customizable headband of this invention. Headband  8  has four loops instead of incisions. Ribbon  12  has been woven through loops  10  of the headband in  FIG. 4 . The free ends of ribbon  12  may be left to dangle or they may be tied together. Alternatively the ends of ribbon  12  can be reinserted through loops  10  to secure them. Ends  12  may also be tucked into the band.  
       FIG. 5  shows a third embodiment  14  of the customizable headband of this invention. This embodiment has a single loop  16  through which both the ends of ribbon  18  have been woven.  
       FIG. 6  shows a fourth embodiment  20  of the customizable headband of this invention. This embodiment has circular openings  22  through which a scarf or ribbon can be woven.  
       FIG. 7  shows a fifth embodiment of headband  24  of this invention. Headband  24  has a single incision  26  through which scarf  28  has been woven.  
       FIG. 8  shows the customizable headband of this invention with a scarf woven through incisions  4 . Bow  30  has been made in the scarf. The bow may be positioned so it is near the temples or near the top of the forehead or behind the ears. The headband may be worn with the incisions or loops at the back or in front or at the sides of the head.  
       FIG. 10  shows the preferred embodiment  32  of the collapsible headband of the current invention. Twist  36  helps reduce bulk under the wearer&#39;s hair. It also helps maintain the headband in a scrunched-up condition thus preventing hair at the nape from being pushed upwards. Underside  34  can be seen behind twisted section  36 .  
       FIG. 9  shows a second embodiment  33  of the collapsible headband of the current invention. The loop  35  can be slid along the circumference to help scrunch the band. Loop  35  can be made of any material such as fabric, plastic, metal, wood, etc. It can also be made removable.  
       FIG. 11  shows collapsible headband  32  of this invention worn as a headwrap by wearer  38 . In this figure, the headband is seen in a collapsed or scrunched condition.  
       FIG. 12  shows collapsible headband  32  of this invention worn as a bandana by wearer  38 .  
       FIG. 13  shows third embodiment  40  of the collapsible headband of this invention. Elastic bands  42  flank two circular edges of the cylinder of fabric.  
       FIG. 14  shows third embodiment  40  of the collapsible headband of this invention with one of the two bands  42  near the wearer&#39;s hairline.  
       FIG. 15  shows third embodiment  40  of the collapsible headband of this invention twisted into knot  44 .  
       FIG. 16  shows fourth embodiment  46  of the collapsible headband of this invention on a wearer. One circular edge of the headband is provided with a drawstring tie  48 .  FIG. 17  shows the fourth embodiment  46  on a wearer. Drawstring ties  48  allows the wearer to form a ponytail with the help of drawstring ties  48 .  
       FIG. 18  shows fifth embodiment  50  of the collapsible headband of this invention on a wearer. This embodiment is made in the manner of “do rags”, a popular hair accessory with both men and women in the African American community. Ties  52  help provide the look of a “do rag”.  FIG. 19  shows fifth embodiment  50  with ties  52 .  
       FIG. 20  shows sixth embodiment  54  of the collapsible headband of this invention. A portion of the band is scrunched in order to reduce bulk under the hair of the wearer.  FIG. 20  shows elasticized portion  55 . Instead of elasticizing only a portion of the long edges of the band, the scrunched portion can extend from one circular edge to the other. This is shown in  FIG. 21  in the seventh embodiment of the collapsible headband of this invention. Elasticized portion  57  forms a straight line extending substantially from one circular edge to the other.  
       FIG. 22  shows eighth embodiment  58  of the collapsible headband of this invention. Drawstring  60  is provided along a straight line extending substantially from a one circular edge to the other. Drawstring  60  can be used to achieve the look of the embodiment  56 .  
       FIG. 23  shows how headband  62 , similar to the basic embodiment, of  FIG. 13 , can be twisted at its midsection. And then folded so as to form a cap  64  as shown in  FIG. 24 .  
       FIG. 25  shows collapsible headband  65  worn around the neck in the manner of a turtleneck.  
       FIG. 26  shows the collapsible headband of this invention worn in the manner of a square scarf where portion  67  goes around the head of the wearer while portion  68  is worn around the neck. The headband for this embodiment needs be longer than one intended to be just worn over the head.  
       FIG. 27  shows the collapsible headband of this invention worn in the manner of a long muffler or scarf with portion  66  hugging the neck and portion  69  loosely wound around the neck. The headband for this embodiment needs be longer than one intended to be just worn over the head.  
       FIG. 28  shows a perspective view of a first embodiment of the multi-loop headband of this invention. Headband  72  is substantially cylindrical in shape. The circumference of headband  72  is such that it can loop at least twice around the head of the user. Headband  72  is ideally made of a stretchable material as least in part. This will allow for easy placement of the headband as well as allow for one size to fit all (or most) wearers. The width of the headband can be as narrow as a few millimeters or as wide as a few inches.  
       FIG. 29  shows a perspective view of a second embodiment of the multi-loop headband of this invention. The circle of the headband carries twist  76 . This twist can be included in the headband to help the headband  74  lie flat on the head of the wearer once it has been looped twice around the head of the wearer. More than one twist may be incorporated. The headband of this invention can be similarly made in the shape of a mobius strip. A rectangular strip of material is twisted once before joining the two short sides. Thus the inner surface smoothly transitions to an outside surface and then back again.  
       FIG. 30  shows third embodiment  78  of the multi-loop headband of this invention. In this embodiment the headband carries belt buckles  80  and  82  which can be closed easily to form the circle of a headband. The length of the headband also carries an adjusting mechanism. This design of the headband will allow it to double as a belt.  
       FIG. 31  shows fourth embodiment  88  of the multi-loop headband of this invention. In this embodiment, the preferred embodiment, the headband is made in a figure-8 configuration. The two loops of the figure-8 can be created by incorporating an opening  90  along the length of the band. One free end of the band is then threaded through opening  90 . The two free ends of the headband are then joined thus creating loop  92 .  
       FIG. 32  shows the multi-loop headband of this invention as worn by a user  83 . The headband is wrapped around the head of the wearer such that it forms a front loop  84  for holding hair near the hairline and a loop  86  that sits slightly behind the first loop. The headband may be used as an ear-warmer in which case one or more loops of the headband may be placed over the wearer&#39;s ears.  
       FIGS. 33 and 34  show two different views of the first embodiment of the ponytailer hairband of this invention. This is the preferred embodiment. Hairband  93  has a scrunchy-like portion that is essentially a fabric-covered elastic. Instead of fabric, other equivalent materials may be used. If fabric is used it may be woven, knit, mesh, crocheted, or in the form of ribbons or any other configuration that is used for such ponytailers. Hairband  93  also has an unscrunched portion  94 . When hairband  93  is worn around a ponytail, portion  94  can be placed last over the ponytail so that it is the most visible part of hairband  93 . It helps give the ponytail a sleek look as opposed to a scrunched look. Hairband  93  can be made in many ways. A circle of elastic may be enclosed inside an annular fabric and then attached at two points to the fabric such that it doesn&#39;t stretch between those two points forming portion  94  of the hairband. Alternatively instead of using a complete circle of elastic, the length of elastic can be made to extend only through the scrunched portion of hairband  93  with portion  94  of the hairband being devoid of elastic. The two ends of the elastic used in the scrunched portion can be attached to the material of the retaining tube at the two ends of portion  94 . A stiff piece of material may be attached to or enclosed within region  94  to help maintain a flat, sleek look.  
       FIG. 35  shows a second embodiment of the ponytailer hairband of this invention. Hairband  97  is the scrunched portion of the hairband. Region  98  is formed by placing an unscrunched, sleeve of material over a portion of hairband  97 . The length of region  98  should be such that it just barely goes around a ponytail. This will ascertain that region  98  can help achieve the look of a sleek scrunchy if it is positioned last after hairband  97  has been tightened around a bundle of hair.  
       FIG. 36  shows a third embodiment of the ponytailer hairband of this invention. In this embodiment an elastic circle  95  is almost entirely covered by a sleeve  96 . Sleeve  96  may be stiffened by using an interfacing or a piece of leather or felt or any such equivalent materials. Plastic may also be used as a stiffening material. However, to maintain the comfort of a scrunchy hairband, it is preferable that the stiffening material be a softer one as opposed to hard plastic or wood or metal. While these materials may be used, the preferred embodiment would be to use a softer, more comfortable material.  
       FIG. 37  shows a fourth embodiment of the ponytailer hairband of this invention. Elastic circle  91  has been woven in and out of the fabric cover such that portions  89  are enclosed within the tube of hairband  99 . The regions that have the exposed length of elastic can help achieve an unscrunched look. Using a stiffening material will further help achieve the unscrunched look when the hairband is properly positioned and adjusted over the ponytail of the wearer.  
       FIG. 38  shows a fifth embodiment of the ponytailer hairband of this invention. Hairband  100  can be seen to have a sleek portion  102  that can be a stiff piece of material that is attached to a scrunched portion of hairband  100 .  
      While certain novel features of this invention have been shown and described, it is not intended to be limited to the details above, since it will be understood that various omissions, modifications, substitutions and changes in the forms and details of the device illustrated and its operations can be made by those skilled in the art without departing in any way from the spirit of the present invention.  
     CONCLUSION, RAMIFICATIONS, AND SCOPE OF INVENTION  
      Thus the reader will see that the headband of the current invention provides a fun, easy to use, and stylish hair accessory that is an improvement on existing hairbands.  
      It is to be realized that the optimum dimensional relationships for the parts of the invention, to include variations in size, materials, function, and manner of operation, assembly and use, are deemed readily apparent and obvious to one skilled in the art, and all equivalent relationships to those illustrated in the drawings and described in the specification are intended to be encompassed by the present invention. While this description is directed to a particular embodiment, it is understood that those skilled in the art may conceive modifications and/or variations to the specific embodiments shown and described herein. Any such modifications or variations which fall within the purview of this description are intended to be included as well. For instance, the shape of the incisions may be varied so that they look like stars or are square or amoeboid in shape. Also, the incisions do not have to be grouped together. Rather they may be placed far apart from each other. The specific positioning of the incisions may be varied without taking away from the spirit of the invention. Thus, even though the description above contains many specifics, these should not be construed as limitations on the scope of the invention, but rather as examples of preferred embodiments thereof.