Abstract:
A dual member hair roller device designed to produce spiral curls for hair lengths that vary from medium short to very long and comprised of a flexible, permeable, elongated supporting roller body with a lateral surface that is capable of gripping fabric; and a detached, elastic, permeable fabric sleeve that safely and securely affixes to the gripping surface of the roller body.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0001]    The herein invention relates to the field of personal hair accessories intended to curl human hair. 
         [0002]    Hair curling technologies have long strived to pioneer easy to install, comfortable and reliable hair rollers. Current hair rollers do not adequately secure the hair to the roller, are uncomfortable during overnight wear, do not produce spiral curves with relatively consistent radius, and do not facilitate hair drying if damp hair is wound around them. Furthermore, current hair rollers have finite dimensions that limit the amount of hair that can be wound around them. As a consequence, large tresses of hair may not curl as expected because excess of hair is placed on the roller. 
         [0003]    Elongated cylindrical foam rollers that are readily available in the marketplace claim to create spiral curls or waves. They secure the hair by bending the roller&#39;s ends on top of the hair after it is wound. A hair roller known from US patent document U.S. Pat. No. 6,006,759 has a similar elongated body as the commonly available foam rollers, however, instead of bending ends it employs the use of a non-elastic ribbon-type fastener which is secured through spiral slits at the end of the body. This hair roller is also designed to create spiral curls. A major shortcoming of both types of rollers is that the wound up hair unravels easily during physical activity or overnight wear. Another drawback is that it may not be possible for a long tress of hair to be wound around the cylindrical body in a spiral fashion because of the roller&#39;s finite length. As a result, long tresses have a higher likelihood to be placed on top of previously rolled hair, thus foregoing the spiral curl effect. What is more, if a long tress of hair is wound up damp, the hair from the outer sections prevents moisture escape from the inner sections of hair. 
         [0004]    A hair curler known from US patent document U.S. Pat. No. 6,443,163 consists of a supporting body with cross-section that diminishes from one end to the other and a pin-like fixing device. This type of curler is designed to prevent hair from slipping and to produce spiral curls with diminishing bending radius. Nevertheless, the roller is uncomfortable for overnight wear due to its rigid supporting body. 
         [0005]    A hair roller known from US patent document No. D469924S consists of a rigid cylindrical supporting body made of plastic and covered in hook, self-gripping fabric material. Problems associated with curling hair with this device include discomfort during overnight wear, difficulty removing hair that gets tangled into the hair retention surface of the roller, and static electricity build-up caused by removing the hair from the gripping surface of the roller. Furthermore, all short cylindrical hair rollers by design lead to the winding of one section of hair on top of another. As a result, similarly to the elongated foam rollers, if damp hair is wound around the self-gripping roller, it is difficult for moisture to leave the inner sections of the hair. 
       BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0006]    The present invention introduces a dual member hair accessory which facilitates the curling of hair and surmounts the issues associated with currently known hair rollers. The purpose of the invention is to create a hair roller which allows for uncomplicated and secure winding of wet or dry hair, is comfortable, and produces relatively spiral curls. 
         [0007]    The first member of the present hair roller assembly is a light-weight, flexible, elongated supporting roller body with a lateral surface that has a plurality of projections with hooked shaped ends capable of gripping fabric. The second member of the present invention is a stretchable, permeable fabric sleeve. A tress of hair is passed through the sleeve, which in turn is repeatedly wrapped around the supporting roller body in a downward spiral fashion. The sleeve securely attaches to the hooked, fabric-gripping surface of the roller and prevents the hair from unwinding. 
         [0008]    A major benefit of the present invention is that it is more comfortable to wear while sleeping because the flexible nature of the supporting roller can be easily pressed or bent when weight is applied to it. Once the weight is removed, the roller body reverts to its original shape. 
         [0009]    The elongated body of the supporting roller encourages the winding of hair in a downward spiral fashion. As a result, after removal from the hair the present roller produces spiral curves. In addition, multiple supporting members can be attached to one another via their fabric-gripping exteriors in order to create new, longer or wider roller bodies that allow for customization of the wave radius and ensure that the spiral curl effect is present in long tresses of hair. 
         [0010]    Another major benefit of the present invention is the incorporation of an elastic fabric sleeve member which envelops the tresses of hair that are being curled. The sleeve acts as a fastening mechanism owing to its secure attachment to the roller member by clenching to the roller&#39;s gripping outer surface. Furthermore, due to its fabric nature, the sleeve does not leave indentations in the hair after it has been unwound unlike other hair curlers that employ the use of rigid securing mechanisms such as pins, brackets, or clips. Another benefit of the elastic sleeve is that it shields the hair from the roller, thus reducing static electricity build-up which may result from the friction between the hair and roller&#39;s gripping surface. 
         [0011]    In the event of damp hair being wound up around the present hair roller, the liquid and gas permeability of both the supporting body and the fabric sleeve member provide a pathway for moisture to leave the hair, thus enhancing the hair drying capabilities of the roller. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING 
         [0012]    The components of the invention herein are not drawn to scale. It is an object of the drawings to illustrate the primary functions of the present hair roller assembly by utilizing several views and reference numbers designating corresponding parts. 
           [0013]      FIG. 1  is a front view of the hair roller assembly, schematically illustrating the relationship between the supporting roller member  1 A and the elastic fabric sleeve member  1 B. 
           [0014]      FIG. 2  is a perspective view of an exemplary cylindrically shaped embodiment of the supporting roller member  1 A. 
           [0015]      FIG. 3  is a perspective view of an exemplary right frustum shaped embodiment of the supporting roller member  1 A.  FIG. 3.1  is a side view of the supporting roller member of  FIG. 3 . 
           [0016]      FIG. 4  is an end view of the supporting roller member  1 A as shown in  FIG. 3 . 
           [0017]      FIG. 5  is an end view of the supporting roller member  1 A, as shown in  FIG. 3 , that demonstrates the bendable properties of the roller body as a compression force, F c  , is applied to its surface. 
           [0018]      FIG. 6  is a perspective view illustrating an exemplary embodiment of the tubular fabric sleeve member  1 B and its elastic properties as a tensile force, F T  , is exerted by each end of the sleeve. 
           [0019]      FIG. 7  is a perspective view illustrating an exemplary embodiment of the tubular fabric sleeve member  1 B and a tress of hair that has been passed through it. 
           [0020]      FIG. 8  is a front view of the hair roller assembly of the present invention that schematically depicts two alternative arrangements of the supporting roller member  1 A and the fabric sleeve member  1 B. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0021]    An exemplary embodiment of the invention is illustrated in greater detail in  FIGS. 1-8 . The embodiment presented is not to be construed as limiting the invention thereto. 
         [0022]    A specific example of a preferred embodiment of the hair roller device is depicted in  FIG. 1 . The schematic drawing demonstrates the composite assembly of the partnering members of the present hair roller in which the sleeve member  1 B is wound around the roller member  1 A in a spiral fashion. Although not illustrated, it should be understood that first a tress of hair has been passed through member  1 B. The tress, together with the  1 B member, is jointly wound along member  1 A in a spiral manner. Accordingly,  1 A is constituted to be the supporting roller member of the present hair roller ensemble. 
         [0023]    In terms of greater detail, an embodiment of the supporting roller member  1 A of  FIG. 1  is shown in  FIGS. 2-5 , One preferred form of the  1 A roller member may be generally characterized as an elongated, right cylinder. The cylinder embodiment shown in  FIG. 2  is hollow, A second preferred form of the roller member  1 A may be generally characterized as an elongated, right conical frustum. The frustum embodiment shown in  FIGS. 3-5  is also hollow. The supporting roller body  1 A has two opposite ends  11 - 11 ′, a circumference, and an approximately circular or elliptical cross section with a diameter that may stay constant as viewed in  FIG. 2  or may increase from one end along the axial length of the roller towards the other end as viewed in  FIGS. 3-5 . The supporting roller member  1 A may or may not be hollow. The outer periphery of the roller is covered with plurality of flexible projections  12 . Each projection  12  has a hooked shaped end which is capable of gripping fabric. The fabric-gripping hooks  12  act as multiple attachment mechanisms that easily and securely connect the supporting roller member  1 A to the sleeve member  1 B. 
         [0024]    The embodiment of the supporting roller member  1 A is made of light-weight material that has plurality of apertures  13  so that it is porous and allows the movement of air, liquids, and water vapor through it. As illustrated in  FIG. 5 , the supporting roller member is also made of soft material that possesses sufficient flexibility and resilience. When a compression force, F c , is exerted at the sides of the roller body, for example when the weight of a head is applied to the roller when lying on a pillow or another resting surface, the roller walls bend under that force. Furthermore, the roller member  1 A reverts to its original shape after removal of the stress. The distinctive combination of the flexible frame, the fabric-gripping exterior, and the permeable, elongated shape characterize the improvements of the supporting roller member  1 A over all of the currently known hair rollers. 
         [0025]    In terms of greater detail, an embodiment of the sleeve member  1 B of  FIG. 1  is shown in  FIGS. 6-7 . The preferred form of the sleeve member may be generally characterized as tube with two open ends  14 - 14 ′. It should be understood that the sleeve&#39;s ends  14 - 14 ′ are indistinguishable. The sleeve member  1 B may be made of knitted, woven, laced, or crocheted type of fabric material that is light weight. The material may have plurality of apertures  15 . The yarns of the sleeve fabric may be spaced so that the material has open appearance. The apertures  15  and the sufficiently spaced yarns allow the movement of air, liquids, and water vapor from one side of the fabric to the other. The fabric material is elastic and may have stretch engineered into its yarn through mechanical stretch construction so that when a tensile force, F T , is exerted by each end of the sleeve member as viewed in  FIG. 6 , the member has the ability to stretch in four directions and to return to its original size and shape after removal of the stress. The fibers of the sleeve yarn may be natural, synthetic, or a combination of both. The fabric sleeve member  1 B can easily and securely attach to and detach from the fabric-gripping surface of the roller member  1 A. The use of a fabric sleeve as an attachment mechanism is a novel element in the hair curling technology and is what distinguishes the present invention from other inventions. 
         [0026]    The dual-member hair roller may be installed to the hair as follows: 
         [0027]    First, the sleeve member  1 B is taken and the fabric is gathered around the installer&#39;s fingers to form a scrunched up fabric ring. Second, a tress of hair  18  is taken and, starting with the tips  17 , is passed through the ring described above. Once the entire tress  18  goes through the ring, the fabric is slid upwards towards the scalp  16 . Next, the fabric is extended back to its original length, or stretched out along its axial length so that in covers more hair surface. When the hair  18  is fully inserted within the fabric sleeve as viewed in  FIG. 7 , the first end of the sleeve  14  is located close to the scalp  16  while the opposite end  14 ′ is located close to the hair tips  17 . Next, the supporting roller body  1 A is taken and moved close to the scalp  16  and the sleeve end  14 . The supporting roller body  1 A is placed in an upright position and is held stationary. The winding process begins by relative rotation of the fabric sleeve  1 B around the roller member  1 A. Unlike the winding process employed in the case of non-elongated cylindrical hair curlers, the tress of hair herein is wound along the roller member  1 A in a spiral manner from one end  11  to the opposite end  11 ′ of the roller. As indicated previously, depending on the embodiment of the preferred form of the roller member  1 A, the tress of hair  18  may be wound up in a continuous curve of either constant ( FIG. 2 ) or changing ( FIG. 3 ) diameter along the frame of member  1 A. Thus, the tress of hair may have a bending radius that either stays constant or increases or diminishes continuously. The winding process ends when the entire length of the tress of hair  18  within the sleeve member  1 B is wound around the roller member  1 A. The sleeve member  1 B and the supporting roller member  1 A can be pressed together or pulled apart for easy fastening and unfastening. By enveloping the hair strands  18 , the sleeve member  1 B prevents the hair from rubbing against the hooked shaped ends  12  of the roller member  1 A, thus reducing the build-up of static electricity to the hair. 
         [0028]      FIG. 8 , AB′ and AB″ depicts two alternative arrangements of the supporting roller member  1 A and the elastic fabric sleeve member  1 B. The AB′ arrangement illustrates an exemplary hair roller constructed by attaching two right conical frustum supporting roller members  1 A horizontally to one another via their fabric-gripping exterior walls. The AB″ arrangement illustrates an exemplary hair roller constructed by attaching two hollow, right conical frustum supporting roller members  1 A vertically to one another via their fabric-gripping exterior walls. The fabric sleeve member  1 B is then wound around the two newly constructed supporting bodies. The ability of the supporting roller bodies to interlock by adhering to one another&#39;s gripping surfaces is a novel element in the hair curling technology and it makes possible the rolling of very long tresses of hair.