Patent Publication Number: US-6901669-B1

Title: Hair clipper protective and identifying cap

Description:
CROSS REFERENCES AND RELATED SUBJECT MATTER 
   This application is a continuation of provisional patent application Ser. No. 60/446,176, filed in the United States Patent Office on Feb. 10, 2003. 

   BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   The invention relates to a hair clipper protective and identifying cap. In particular, the invention is a flexible plastic cap that is placed over the top end of the clippers in order to keep the clippers clean, covered, and to identify the clipper&#39;s status as “clean” or “soiled”. 
   Hair clippers are often used when cutting a person&#39;s hair. The clippers are typically electrically charged, having a handle portion and a top cutting portion. The cutting portion comprises a bladed comb that serves to trim and shave hair close to the skin. 
   Clippers of this type are often used in beauty parlors and barber shops. The clippers serve to give a person a clean cut hair line or to remove excess hair below the hair line. In addition, these hair clippers are also utilized in homes. Because of the ease of use, the clippers are convenient for shaving a person&#39;s hair or maintaining a short hair style. 
   In an attempt to maintain sanitary work environments in beauty parlors and barber shops, articles have been established by the Bureau of Barbering and Cosmetology. These articles set forth regulations which a hair stylist is expected to follow to maintain clean instruments that are used on clients. Such articles include disinfection of all instruments prior to use and storage of all instruments in a clean and covered location. Further, the Bureau requires labeling of the receptacles in which the instruments are stored, said labeling indicating that the receptacles are clean and covered. Violations of these regulations by the hair stylist may result in a fine. 
   Because of the frequency with which electric hair clippers are used in a barber shop or beauty parlor, the clippers are usually kept upright in their charger. Thus, there exists a need for a protective cap that is quickly and easily positioned over the top end of the hair clippers. The cap serves to protect the cutting portion of the clippers from dust and bacteria. Further, in the event that the clippers are dropped on the floor, the cap prevents dirt from entering the cutting portion. 
   Besides protecting the clippers, the cap also aids the hair stylist in complying with the regulations established by the Bureau of Barbering and Cosmetology. The cap keeps the clippers clean and covered and may also have a label indicating that the clippers are clean. 
   SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   In view of the foregoing disadvantages inherent in the prior art, the present invention provides an improved hair clipper protective and identifying cap. As such, the general purpose of the present invention, which will be described subsequently in greater detail, is to provide a new and improved hair clipper protective and identifying cap which has all the advantages of the prior art and none of the disadvantages. 
   To attain this, the present invention essentially comprises a hair clipper protective cap that is used to cover the cutting portion of a standard hair clipper. The protective cap is shaped to accommodate the cutting portion of the hair clipper. The bottom edge of the cap has a lip that allows the cap to be securely attached to the clippers. When the cap is properly placed over the cutting portion, the lip extends around the housing top end, at a point just below the cutting portion. Several such caps are provided wherein labels are applied onto the protective cap to indicate whether the clipper has been cleaned, namely “Clean” and “Soiled”, or indicia permanently indicates the same. 
   It is an object of the invention to produce a hair clipper protective and identifying cap that covers the cutting portion of the clipper. Accordingly, the cap has a shape similar to the clipper cutting portion. The cap fits thereover and protects the cutting portion from dirt and bacteria. 
   It is a further object of the invention to produce a hair clipper protective and identifying cap that is easily and quickly secured over the clipper cutting portion. 
   It is a further object of the invention to produce a hair cutting protective and identifying cap that may be easily cleaned and will not break or crack if dropped. Accordingly, the cap is constructed from a pliable plastic material. 
   To the accomplishment of the above and related objects the invention may be embodied in the form illustrated in the accompanying drawings. Attention is called to the fact, however, that the drawings are illustrative only. Variations are contemplated as being part of the invention, limited only by the scope of the claims. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     In the drawings, like elements are depicted by like reference numerals. The drawings are briefly described as follows. 
       FIG. 1  is a perspective view of the hair clipper protective and identifying cap. 
       FIG. 2  is a side view of the cap, with the hair clipper in broken lines. 
       FIG. 3  is a side view of the cap in place over the hair clipper, with the hair clipper shown in broken lines. 
       FIG. 4  is a front view of the cap in place over the hair clipper, with the hair clipper shown in broken lines, illustrating use of the “Clean” label. 
       FIG. 5  is a front view of the cap in place over the hair clipper, with the hair clipper shown in broken lines, illustrating use of the “Soiled” label. 
   

   REFERENCE NUMERALS 
   
       
         10  protective cap 
         12  hair clipper 
         14  clipper housing 
         14 B housing bottom end 
         14 T housing top end 
         16  clipper cutting portion 
         18  bladed comb 
         19  cap bottom edge 
         19 L cap bottom edge lip 
         20  cap vertical rear wall 
         20 T cap vertical rear wall top edge 
         22  cap side wall 
         22 T cap side wall top edge 
         24  cap front wall 
         24 F cap front wall front portion 
         24 T cap front wall top portion 
         26  label 
     
  
   DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     FIG. 1  illustrates a hair clipper protective cap  10  that is used with a standard hair clipper  12 . The hair clipper  12  essentially comprises a housing  14  and a cutting portion  16 . The housing  14  has a bottom end  14 B and a top end  14 T, wherein the cutting portion  16  extends upward from the housing top end  14 T. The cutting portion  16  comprises a bladed comb  18  that angles downward toward the housing top end  14 T. 
   The protective cap  10  essentially comprises a bottom edge  19 , a vertical rear wall  20 , a pair of opposed side walls  22 , and an curved front wall  24 . The vertical rear wall  20  has a top edge  20 T. The front wall  24  has a vertical front portion  24 F that extends into an angled top portion  24 T. The front wall angled top portion  24 T extends backward from the vertical front portion  24 F to the rear wall top edge  20 T. The side walls  22  extend between the rear and front walls  20 ,  24 , each side wall  22  having an angled top edge  22 T that conforms to the shape of the front wall  24 . Thus, the four walls  20 ,  22 ,  24  form an enclosed cap that fits snuggly over the cutting portion  16  of the hair clippers  12 , accommodating the angled bladed comb. 
   The protective cap  10  may be used to cover any type of electric hair clipping instrument. Thus, the cap may be available in a variety of sizes to accommodate different clippers. 
   Referring to  FIGS. 2 and 3 , the bottom edge  19  of the protective cap  10  has a lip  19 L that allows the cap  10  to be securely attached to the clippers  12 . When the cap  10  is properly placed over the cutting portion  16 , the lip  19 L extends around the housing top end  14 T, at a point just below the cutting portion  16 . 
   The protective cap  10  is preferably constructed from a pliable plastic material. Such a material is easily cleaned and impenetrable by dirt, dust, and bacteria. 
   Additionally, as illustrated in  FIGS. 4 and 5 , indicia labels  26  may be applied to the protective cap  10  to indicate whether the clipper  10  has been cleaned, or has been used and is thereby dirty. Accordingly, the indicia labels read “Clean” and “Soiled”. While the labels  26  may be applied to any of the walls, it is preferable that the label  26  be secured to the cap front wall  20  in order to be readily visible. Thus, when the protective cap reading “clean” is removed from the clipper, and the clipper is used to trim hair, the indicia label reading “soiled” is then applied to the front wall  20 , and the cap  10  is replaced onto the clipper. Further, the labels  26  may be removed as necessary by peeling same from the cap  10 . 
   Preferably, a set of protective caps  10  are provided, wherein at least one already has an indicia label reading “Soiled” and is placed over a clipper  12  after it has been used to trim hair, and at least one has an indicia label reading “clean” and is placed over a clipper  12  after it has been sanitized, or before initial use. 
   In conclusion, herein is presented a protective and identifying cap for covering the cutting portion of a hair clipper and indicating whether it is clean and ready for use, or it is dirty and must be sanitized. The invention is illustrated by example in the drawing figures, and throughout the written description. It should be understood that numerous variations are possible, while adhering to the inventive concept. Such variations are contemplated as being a part of the present invention.