Patent Abstract:
A method of using styling tape for body part and hair accessorizing is disclosed. The method may include cutting a self-adhesive tape into a strip or other elongate shape and stretching it to obtain at least some tension. The user may wrap the self-adhesive strip around a bundle of hair or a body part, and may press the self-adhesive strip onto itself to secure the strip or other elongate shape.

Full Description:
RELATED APPLICATION DATA  
       [0001]    The present application is a non-provisional application based on, and claiming the priority benefit of, co-pending U.S. provisional application Serial No. 60/410,090, which was filed on Sep. 12, 2002, and is expressly incorporated herein by reference. 
     
    
     
       FIELD OF THE DISCLOSURE  
         [0002]    The present invention generally relates to a method of accessorizing body parts, hair, etc. and, more particularly, to a method of accessorizing body parts, hair, etc. with self-adhesive styling tape.  
         BACKGROUND OF THE DISCLOSURE  
         [0003]    The idea of decorating portions of the body and hair is known in the prior art, and is especially popular with children for both dress-up and amusement purposes. For example, use of necklaces, earrings, bracelets, anklets, and chokers have long been used to decorate the body. Similarly, many devices are known in the prior art that enable one to style or manage hair that also include an aesthetic benefit to the user. For example, items such as pony tail holders, pins, bungees, scrunchies, rubber bands, and barrettes have all been used to hold, manage, or otherwise decorate the hair.  
           [0004]    Each of the above mentioned items, whether used to decorate the body, or whether used to manage the hair have, however, one or more undesirable qualities. For example, none of the above mentioned items are easily adapted to be used as both decoration for the body and for management of the hair.  
           [0005]    Similarly, items used for decorating the body, such as the necklaces, earrings, and bracelets, may have additional undesirable qualities such as cost and safety concern. The cost of jewelry, for example, whether real, fake, or costume, may be very expensive when purchased for a child to use or play with. The jewelry may also create a safety concern, especially when used by a young child. A child may, for example, swallow an earring and/or get choked by a necklace or the like. The jewelry may also be difficult for a child to use, considering the complexity and diminutive size of some of the clasps or locking mechanisms.  
           [0006]    The devices used to manage hair may have additional undesirable qualities, such as being uncomfortable and/or difficult to use. A device, such as a pony tail holder and a barrette may be hard and rigid in construction, which can cause discomfort for the wearer, especially while sleeping or during activities. The devices, such as the scrunchie, may also be difficult to use in that it may require know-how and or dexterity, or the assistance of another individual to correctly manipulate the hair into the device or vice versa.  
         SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0007]    In accordance with one aspect of the disclosure, a method of using styling tape for body part and hair accessorizing is disclosed. The method may include cutting a self-adhesive tape into a strip and stretching it to obtain at least some tension. The user may wrap the self-adhesive strip around a bundle of hair or a body part, and may press the self-adhesive strip onto itself to retain the strip on the bundle of hair or body part. 
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0008]    [0008]FIG. 1 is a perspective view of two strips of styling tape, wherein one of the strips includes cut-out portions;  
         [0009]    [0009]FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the styling tape of FIG. 1 on a wrist;  
         [0010]    [0010]FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the styling tape FIG. 1 around a bundle of hair; and  
         [0011]    [0011]FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a roll of styling tape. 
     
    
       [0012]    While the method and device described herein are susceptible to various modifications and alternative constructions, certain illustrative embodiments thereof are shown in the drawings and will be described below in detail. However, there is no intention to limit the invention to the specific forms disclosed, but on the contrary, the intention is to cover all modifications, alternative constructions, and equivalents falling within the spirit and scope of the invention and the appended claims.  
       DETAILED DESCRIPTION  
       [0013]    Referring to the drawings, and with specific reference to FIG. 1, a styling tape strip is generally depicted by reference numeral  22 . As shown therein, the styling tape strip  22  includes a first surface  23 , a second surface  25 , a first end  30 , and a second end  32 .  
         [0014]    In one exemplary embodiment, the styling tape strip  22  may be constructed with latex, and more specifically with natural rubber latex. The styling tape strip  22  may have many desired qualities including, but not limited to, being self-adhesive, being perforated, colorfiil, and cutable with scissors, as well as allowing the skin to breathe and/or absorb virtually no moisture. The styling tape strip  22  may have enough inherent adhesiveness to adhere two styling tape strips  22  and/or two portions of the same styling tape strip  22  securely together, but may lack the adhesiveness to securely stick to objects, such as hair and skin by itself. As such, the styling tape strip  22  may be used to securely adhere to itself, while not securely adhering to skin. The styling tape strip  22  may, however, be constructed of any other material that is able to accomplish the intended purpose.  
         [0015]    The styling tape strip  22  may be cut with ordinary scissors into a great variety of shapes, such as swirls, hearts, stars, waves, flowers, letters, numbers, and other various indicia, and the resulting cut-out shapes  24  may be adapted to stick to a separate, additional styling tape strip  22 . Similarly, the styling tape strip  22  itself may be cut with ordinary scissors into a great variety of elongate shapes. In use, the strip  22  may be wrapped around any number of objects, including but not limited to, bundles of hair, clothing, a neck, a wrist, fingers, etc.  
         [0016]    In one exemplary embodiment, as shown in FIG. 4, the user may unroll a portion of tape from a roll of self-adhesive styling tape  20 , and cut the strip  22  from the unrolled portion. The strip  22  may be of a variety of widths and lengths, as desired by the user. The strip  22 , for example, may be the full width of the tape as unrolled from the roll of self-adhesive tape, or may be cut into any smaller width desired. Similarly, the strip  22  may be cut into any length as needed for the intended accessorizing purpose. For example, the user may desire to use the strip  22  to fit around a bundle of hair, for which a short strip  22  may be used, or the user may desire to make a choker necklace from the strip  22 , for which a longer strip  22  would be needed.  
         [0017]    The user may desire to use one or more cut-outs  24  with the strip  22 , as seen in FIGS. 1 and 2, by creating the cut-outs  24  and attaching them to the strip  22 . The cut-outs  24  may be attached to the strip  22  in several ways, including, but not limited to, using the self-adhesive properties of the tape, glue, pins, fasteners etc. If using the self-adhesive properties of the cut-outs  24  and/or the strip  22 , the user may press the second surface  25  of the cut-outs  24  and the first surface  23  of the strip  22  firmly together, thereby attaching the cut-outs  24  to the strip  22 . The cut-outs may be of a different color than the strip  22 , and like the strip  22 , may have a plurality of colors.  
         [0018]    In one exemplary embodiment, the user may stretch or elongate the strip  22  prior to or during placement of the strip  22  around the body part or bundle of hair. For example, either as or before the user places the strip  22  around an object, the user may stretch the strip  22  or otherwise place the strip  22  into tension. The user may stretch the strip  22  as little or as much as desired, depending on the intended use of the strip  22 . If the strip  22 , for instance, is used to create a chocker necklace around the neck of a child, the strip  22  may be stretched only enough to prevent sagging of the strip  22 , whereas if the strip  22  is used to hold the bundle of hair together, the strip  22  may be stretched enough to ensure that the strip  22  properly secures the bundle of hair.  
         [0019]    In one exemplary embodiment, to wrap the strip  22  around the object (FIGS. 2 and 3), such as the body part or the bundle of hair, the user may hold the first end of the strip  30  against or near the object and proceed to bring the second end  32  of the strip  22  around the object, toward the first end  30 , such that the second surface  25  of the strip  22  abuts the object. To secure the ends  30 ,  32  to each other, the user may press the second surface  25  of the second end  32 , and the first surface  23  of the first end  30  together, thereby securing the ends  30 ,  32  to each other. Additionally and/or alternatively the strip  22  may be secured to the strands of hair and/o to itself using tape, glue, pins, other various types of fasteners, including but not limited to, hook and loop, snaps, VELCRO®, etc.  
         [0020]    While the foregoing detailed description has been described with reference to specific examples, which are intended to be illustrative only and not to be limiting of the disclosure, it will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art that changes, additions or deletions may be made to the disclosed embodiments without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

Technology Classification (CPC): 0