Abstract:
A hair pin includes a first leg, a second leg, and opening, and a connecting portion connecting the first and second legs at their respective second ends. The first leg including a first set of undulations extending over a majority of the first leg, and the second leg including a second set of undulations extending over a majority of the second leg. The opening is disposed between first ends of the first and second legs and receives strands of hair when the hair pin is in an open position.

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 Ser. No. 60/650,269, which was filed on Feb. 4, 2005, and is expressly incorporated herein by reference. 
     
    
     TECHNICAL FIELD  
       [0002]     The present disclosure relates generally to hair pins for holding and retaining hair and, more particularly, to hair pins for holding and retaining hair having a legs with undulations.  
       BACKGROUND OF THE DISCLOSURE  
       [0003]     Bobby pins or hair pins are generally known in the art and come in a variety of shapes and sizes.  
         [0004]     In one example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,460,547 to Williams discloses a hair pin for gripping and placing the hair of a user against the head of the user. The hair pin is constructed from a strand of wire formed from a resilient material having a first leg and a second leg joined together by a first bend. The first leg has a second bend disposed near a free end of the first leg, such that a third leg is defined between the second bend and the free end of the first leg. A total length of the first and third legs is generally equal to a length of the second leg. The first, second and third legs lying generally in the same plane.  
         [0005]     In another example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,778,905 to Adam discloses a hair pin that provides the appearance of greater volume and thickness of a user&#39;s hair with the use of a support member. The support member protrudes from a side of a lower leg of the hair pin at an acute angle and extends substantially parallel to the legs of the hair pin. Hairs being held between the legs of the hair pin are elevated by the support member to a position above the upper leg of the pin and away from the scalp, thus giving the appearance of fuller, thicker hair.  
         [0006]     In another example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,194,248 to Callies discloses a hair pin having a handle for facilitating opening of the hair pin. The hair pin includes a first leg, a second leg and a third leg, wherein the first, second and third legs are all relatively parallel to each other. The first and second legs are connected via a U-shaped member at one end of the hair pin, and the second and third legs are connected via a second U-shaped member at another end of the hair pin. An area defined by the first and second legs may be opened upon movement of the handle.  
         [0007]     In another example, U.S. Pat. No. 2,699,790 to Porteous discloses spring clip used to hold a user&#39;s hair. The spring clip includes a single length of spring metal bent to form a loop at one end and two legs which normally lie one above the other. At least one of the legs is provided with an outwardly projecting bow substantially at right angles to the plane of the loop at a point towards the loop end of the clip. The legs may include mating corrugations. These and other hair pins have been used in the past, but have not provided the necessary holding and retaining power desired by users.  
       SUMMARY  
       [0008]     In accordance with one aspect of the disclosure, a hair pin having a first leg, a second leg, a connecting portion, and an opening is disclosed. The first and second legs each include a set of undulations that extend over a majority of the respective legs. The connecting portion connects second ends of the first and second legs together, and the opening is disposed at first ends of the first and second legs for receiving strands of hair when the hair pin is in an open position.  
         [0009]     In accordance with another aspect of the disclosure, a hair pin having a first leg, a second leg, a retention device, and a cover is disclosed. The first and second legs each include first and second ends. The first and second legs are connected at their respective second ends via a bend and are biased toward one another for retaining strands of hair between the first and second legs when the hair pin is in a closed position. The retention device is disposed on at least one of the first ends of the first and second legs, and the cover encompassing the retention device. The retention device increases the surface area of the at least one first end thereby providing better retention of the cover on the at least one of the first end.  
         [0010]     In accordance with another aspect of the disclosure, a hair pin having a first leg, a second leg, and a cover is disclosed. The first and second legs each include first and second ends. The first and second legs are connected at their respective second ends via a bend and are biased toward one another for retaining strands of hair between the first and second legs when the hair pin is in a closed position. The cover is disposed on at least one of the first ends of the first and second legs, and includes a first layer disposed around the at least one first end and a second layer the disposed on the first layer. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0011]      FIG. 1  is an isometric view of a straight bobby pin with off-set undulations;  
         [0012]      FIG. 2  is an isometric view of a straight bobby pin with generally corresponding undulations;  
         [0013]      FIG. 2A  is an isometric view of the bobby pin of  FIG. 2  with a friction providing coating;  
         [0014]      FIG. 3  is an isometric view of an arched bobby pin;  
         [0015]      FIG. 4  is an isometric view of a bobby pin with a bead in a closed position;  
         [0016]      FIG. 5  is an isometric view of the bobby pin of  FIG. 4  in an open position;  
         [0017]      FIG. 6  is an isometric view of a bobby pin having a handle;  
         [0018]      FIG. 7  is a side view of an alternate handle for the bobby pin  FIG. 6 ;  
         [0019]      FIG. 8  is side view of an another alternate handle for the bobby pin  FIG. 6 ;  
         [0020]      FIG. 9  is a detailed isometric view of an end of the bobby pin  FIG. 1  without a coating;  
         [0021]      FIG. 10  is an isometric view of an alternate end to the one shown in  FIG. 9 ;  
         [0022]      FIG. 11  is an isometric view of another alternate end to the one shown in  FIG. 9 ;  
         [0023]      FIG. 12  is an isometric view of another alternate end to the one shown in  FIG. 9 ;  
         [0024]      FIG. 13  is an isometric view of an end of the bobby pin  FIG. 1  with a double coating; and  
         [0025]      FIG. 14  is a cross-sectional view of the end of the bobby pin along line A-A of  FIG. 13 . 
     
    
       [0026]     While the method and device described herein are susceptible to various modifications and alternative constructions, certain illustrative embodiments thereof have been shown in the drawings and will be described below in detail. It should be understood, however, that 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 disclosure and the claims.  
       DETAILED DESCRIPTION  
       [0027]     Referring now to the drawings, and with specific reference to  FIG. 1 , a hair pin in accordance with the teachings of the disclosure is generally depicted by reference numeral  20 . As shown therein, the hair pin  20  in this exemplary embodiment includes a first leg  22  that is connected to a second leg  24  via a bend  26 . The first leg  22 , the second leg  24 , and the bend  26  define an area  28  for receiving stands of hair. An opening  30  to the area  28  is disposed opposite the bend  26  on the hair pin  20 , and is defined by free ends  32 ,  34  of the first and second legs  22 ,  24 , respectively. The opening  30  allows for the insertion and retraction of the strands of hair into the area  28 .  
         [0028]     The hair pin  20  may be constructed from a resilient or flexible metal stock, such as wire, having a rectangular cross-sectional area as seen in  FIG. 1 , but may alternatively be constructed from a variety of materials having various cross-sectional shapes. For example, the hair pin  20  may be constructed from plastic, wood, composite, or a combination thereof, and may have an oval, square, or round cross-sectional shape. The hair pin  20  may also be manufactured in a variety of sizes (lengths and widths) such as, for example, 1.875″ long×0.060″ wide, 2″ long×0.060″ wide, and 2.625″ long×0.090″ wide, and may be manufactured in various colors, such as tortoise, black, brown, silver among others. In addition, the hair pin  20  may also be constructed from a single piece of wire or from one or more pieces.  
         [0029]     As seen in  FIG. 1 , the first leg  22  and the second leg  24  each include undulations. The undulations, as seen in  FIGS. 1 and 2 , are not limited to being wave-like in appearance but may include many other shapes and forms. For example, the undulations may include sharp edges, comers, half arcs, rectangles, odd shapes, and a combination thereof. The undulations of the hair pin  20 , may be generally complimentary to one another, as illustrated  FIGS. 2 and 3 , but may also be staggered or in opposition, as illustrated  FIG. 1 .  
         [0030]     More specifically, the undulations of the first and second legs  22 ,  24  may cradle each other as seen in  FIG. 2 . Alternatively, the undulations may be off-set as seen in  FIG. 1 . The undulations may provide more surface area for the strands of hair to be secured and more surface area for applying grip materials like “soft touch” paint or other friction providing coatings. For example, the first and second legs  22 ,  24  may be sprayed or coated with a “soft touch” paint, epoxy, silicone, vinyl, neoprene, sanoprene, natural rubber, and/or other suitable materials. Specifically, the hair pin  20  as illustrated  FIG. 2A  may be wholly or partially covered by the friction providing coating, thereby proving additional gripping power to the hair pin  20 . Similarly, the undulations may also provide more tension and holding power in retaining the strands of hair in the hair clip  20 . The hair pin  20  as seen in  FIG. 3  may also include an overall arched shape.  
         [0031]     The hair pin  20  may be manufactured using a process wherein the material of the hair pin  20  is pulled off a spool of raw material, such as wire. The wire may be painted before or after it is pulled into stamping dies for bending and crimping, thereby applying the undulation and the overall shape of the hair pin  20 . The undulations in the hair pin  20  may be manufactured through a two step process wherein the shape of the first and second legs  22 ,  24  are created separately, but may be manufactured through a one step process wherein the shape of both the first and second legs  22 ,  24  are created simultaneously. Once the wire is bent to the desired design, the hair pin&#39;s free ends  32 ,  34  may be dipped in an epoxy, such as Plastisole or other similar material, to coat the hair pin&#39;s free ends  32 ,  34  with a cover  39 . The epoxy dip can be cured via heat or UV light.  
         [0032]     The above exemplary embodiments may be varied to achieve and/or create additional or alternative features. For example, the first and second legs  22 ,  24  may include texturing or deformations on their respective inside surfaces. More specifically, the legs  22 ,  24  may be knurled, grooved, matted, or otherwise machined or etched to include a non-flat, abrasive, or textured surface.  
         [0033]     In another exemplary embodiment, shown in  FIGS. 4 and 5 , the hair pin  20  may include an opening device  40 . The opening device  40  may be utilized to aid in the separation of the opening  30  and/or the hair retention area  28 . In the illustrated example, the opening device  40  may include a bead or other object  42  slidingly engaged with the hair pin  20 . More specifically, the bead  42  may include an aperture  43  for treading or otherwise attaching the bead  42  to one of the legs  22 ,  24 . An outer surface  45  of the bead  42  then abuts the other of the legs  22 ,  24  as the bead  42  slides along the leg  24  to open the hair pin  20 . The hair pin  20  when in the closed position as seen in  FIG. 4 , may close regardless of the bead  42 , as the bead  42  may be located near the bend  26  without abutting the outer surface  45  against the opposing leg. The hair pin  20  may be opened as seen in  FIG. 5  by sliding the bead  42  along a length of one of the first or second legs  22 ,  24 , thereby causing the bead  42 , and specifically the outer surface  45 , to separate the first and second legs  22 ,  24  and/or cause the separation of the opening  30  and/or the hair retention area  28 .  
         [0034]     The opening device  40  may allow the user to maintain the hair pin  20  in an open position ( FIG. 5 ) such that when the user is ready to secure the hair pin  20 , the user slides the opening device  40  toward the opening  30  and secures the hair pin  20  in the hair. The opening device  40  can be decorative in nature so as to coincide with current fashion and hair trends. The decorative nature of the opening device  40  could possess jewels, cast artifacts, leather, fabrics, and other materials as part of the device&#39;s design.  
         [0035]     In a further alternate embodiment shown in  FIG. 6 , a hair pin  120  may further include a third leg  146  having a handle  148 . The third leg  146 , may extend from an end  134  of a second leg  124  via a second bend  150  with the handle  148  disposed at the other end of the third leg  146  opposite the second bend  150  and the opening  130  of the hair pin  120 . The handle  148 , as seen in  FIG. 7 , may include a loop or ring constructed from the hair pin material. Alternatively, as seen in  FIG. 8 , the handle  148  may include a bead or sphere  150  or other shape easily engageable with the user&#39;s finger to actuate the separation of an opening  130  and/or an area  128 .  
         [0036]     The handle  148  may also provide opportunities for decorative adornment such as jewels, beads, cast artifacts, leathers, and other fabric/soft good materials. The handle  48  could also have a “soft” coating for comfort that could be made from silicone, vinyl, neoprene, or soft pliable materials.  
         [0037]     In another alternate embodiment illustrated in  FIGS. 9-12 , the ends  32 ,  34  of the hair pin  20  may be altered to include a retention device  49  to provide additional locking power between the cover  39  and the ends  32 ,  34  of the hair pin  20 . More specifically, the ends  32 ,  34  of the hair pin  20  may be bent, manipulated or formed as illustrated in  FIG. 9  to better adhere to the cover  39 . Similarly, the retention device  49  may include one or more notches  49   a , as illustrated in  FIGS. 10 and 11 , and/or may include a rough or textured surface, such as knurled, grooved, matted, or otherwise machined or etched to include a non-flat or abrasive surface as illustrated in  FIG. 11 . The retention device  49  may also include an object  49   b  connected, attached or fastened to the ends  32 ,  34  as illustrated in  FIG. 12 . In addition, the ends  32 ,  34  may be curved, rounded or smooth as illustrated in  FIG. 10  such that scraping or cutting of the user&#39;s scalp is minimized if the cover  39  is removed.  
         [0038]     In addition to providing additional locking power, the retention device  49  may enable the creation of larger covers  39  on hair pins  20  with the retention device  49  than on those without the retention device  49 . More specifically, the addition of the retention device  49  increases a surface area of the ends  32 ,  34 , thereby allowing for more material of the cover  39  to be gathered in a single pass or dip to create a thicker coating for the ends  32 ,  34 .  
         [0039]     In another alternate embodiment illustrated in  FIGS. 13-14 , a cover  139  of a hair pin  220  may be increased in size or layered to provide a larger, more durable and more comfortable cover  139 .  FIG. 1  illustrates a single layer or small cover  39 , while  FIG. 13  illustrates a double layer or large cover  139 . The cover  139  as illustrated in  FIG. 14  includes a first layer  250  disposed adjacent the leg  224  of the hair clip  220 , and a second layer  252  disposed adjacent the first layer  250 . The layers  250 ,  252  may be formed from different materials, or may be formed from the same material.  
         [0040]     The size of the cover  139  can vary depending on the wire stock width used. For instance, a cover with a size range from 0.090″ (2.2 mm) to 0.110″ (2.8 mm) could be generated with a 0.058″ (1.47 mm) bobby wire width. A cover  139  with a size range from 0.120″ (3.0 mm) to 0.175″ (4.4 mm) could be generated with a 0.087″ (2.2 mm) bobby wire width.  
         [0041]     While the present invention has been described with reference to specific examples, which are intended to be illustrative only and not to be limiting of the invention, 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.