Patent Document

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
   Not Applicable 
   FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARVH OR DEVELOPMENT 
   Not Applicable 
   INCORPORATION BY REFERENCE OF MATERIAL SUBMITTED ON A COMPACT DISK 
   Not Applicable 
   BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   Field of the Invention 
   The invention relates to hair washing apparatus and more specifically to a semi-spherical hinged hair washing helmet. 
   SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   In view of the foregoing disadvantages inherent in the known types of hair washing helmets now present in the prior art, the hinged hair washing helmet overcomes the above-mentioned disadvantages and drawbacks of the prior art. 
   The general purpose of the hinged hair washing helmet, described subsequently in grater detail, is to provide a hinged hair washing helmet which has many novel features that result in an improved hinged hair washing helmet which is not anticipated, rendered obvious, suggested, or even implied by prior art, either alone or in combination thereof. 
   To accomplish this, the hinged hair washing helmet is comprised of two halves which pivot about a hinge, thereby providing for easy access and egress of a user&#39;s head. A flex seat surrounds a user&#39;s head at an inner edge of the helmet to prevent leakage upon a user. The neck pad provides for further proper fit and adjustment of the helmet for various sizes and shapes of heads. The two helmet halves are also sealed together, when closed, with a latch mechanism to hole the halves together when latched. A water inlet valve, preferably exterior to the helmet, is adjusted for temperature mix of incoming water. Water is dispersed about the interior periphery of the helmet to be expelled toward a user&#39;s head with jets. The liquid canal within the periphery of the helmet also is joined by shampoo and conditioner via shampoo and conditioner valves, respectively, within the helmet. A liquid outlet joins the canal in the lower helmet half, providing liquid exit from the helmet. Preferably the outlet valve is exterior to the helmet. All valves may, in another embodiment, be encased within the helmet. 
   Vibrators are installed substantially throughout the interior periphery of the helmet and are in contact with flexible vibrating fingers, thereby providing for massage of a user&#39;s head and scalp. 
   An exteriorly mounted control features on/off, low, medium, and high intensity control for the vibrators. A timer is mounted on the exterior of the helmet to control the timing of all liquid valves as well as the vibrator control. 
   Power for the vibrator control, vibrators, and timer are provided by either batteries mounted within and accessed without the helmet, or by external standard A/C voltage. Further, the electronics enclosure houses not only batteries but also the processor to enable the control of shampoo and conditioning flow, as well as timer functions relay and relay of vibrator control. The helmet is preferably made of plastic as well as rubberized components for sealing, such that it is lightweight and inexpensively produced. The helmet not only offers convenience and cost savings to hair salon operations, but can also be enjoyed in homes. Valuable labor time is saved by utilizing the helmet rather than have a person perform the washing and related chores. 
   Thus has been broadly outlined the more important features of the hinged hair washing helmet so that the detailed description thereof that follows may be better understood and in order that the present contribution to the art may be better appreciated. 
   Numerous objects, features and advantages of the hinged hair washing helmet will be readily apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art upon reading the following detailed description of presently preferred, but nonetheless illustrative, embodiments of the hinged hair washing helmet when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. 
   In this respect, before explaining the current embodiments of the hinged hair washing helmet in detail, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of construction and arrangements of the components set forth in the following description or illustration. The invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced and carried out in various ways. It is also to be understood that the phraseology and terminology employed herein are for purposes of description and should not be regarded as limiting. 
   Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the conception upon which this disclosure is based may readily be utilized as a basis for the design of other structures, methods and systems for carrying out the several purposes of the hinged hair washing helmet. It is therefore important that the claims be regarded as including such equivalent constructions insofar as they do not depart from the spirit and scope of the present invention. 
   Objects of the hinged hair washing helmet, along with various novel features that characterize the invention are particularly pointed out in the claims forming a part of this disclosure. For better understanding of the hinged hair washing helmet, its operating advantages and specific objects attained by its uses, refer to the accompanying drawings and description. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       FIG. 1  is a side elevation of the hinged hair washing helmet in closed position about a user&#39;s head. 
       FIG. 2  is a cross sectional view of  FIG. 1 . 
       FIG. 3  is a side elevation of the hinged hair washing helmet in an open position about a user&#39;s head. 
       FIG. 4  is a bottom plan view of the hinged hair washing helmet. 
       FIG. 5  is a flow chart illustrating liquid flow to and from the hinged hair washing helmet. 
   

   DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
   With reference now to the drawings, and in particular  FIGS. 1 through 5  thereof, the preferred embodiment of the semi-spherical hinged hair washing helmet employing the principles and concepts of the present invention and generally designated by the reference number  10  will be described. 
   Referring to  FIG. 1 , the invention  10  is substantially surrounding a user&#39;s head  40 . Upper helmet half  14  pivotally joins lower helmet half  16 . Upper helmet half  14  and lower helmet half  16  pivot about hinge  12 . Latch  38  secures upper helmet half  14  and lower helmet haft  16  together. Helmet half seal  21  seals the upper helmet half  14  to the lower helmet half  16  against leakage. Water inlet  24  enters upper helmet half  14 . Shampoo inlet valve  34  is disposed within the upper helmet half  14 . 
   Flexible shampoo inlet hose  50  enters shampoo inlet valve  34  to provide shampoo for dispersion within upper helmet half  14  and lower helmet half  16 . Just below shampoo inlet valve  34  is conditioner inlet valve  35 . Flexible conditioner inlet hose  52  supplies conditioner to conditioner inlet valve  35 . Vibrator control  32  is in the lower helmet half  16 . Vibrator control  32  is proximal to the juncture of upper helmet half  14  and lower helmet half  16 . Vibrator control  32  is comprised of functions on/off, low, medium, and high which actuate and control the intensity of vibrators  30 . 
   Referring to  FIG. 2 , pizzo-electric vibrators  30  are evenly dispersed along an interior periphery of upper helmet half  14  and lower helmet half  16 . The vibrators  30  contact fingers  31 . Fingers  31  contact a user&#39;s head  40 . Helmet halves  14  and  16  are fitted about a user&#39;s head  40  via flex seal  20  such that the invention  10  does not leak liquids onto a user  41 . Flex seal  20  thereby confines liquids to user&#39;s head  40 . Neck pad  22  further fits and cushions a user&#39;s head  40 . Neck pad adjustment (not shown) provides for tightening or loosening pad  22  against a user&#39;s head  40  for maximal fit and water tightness. Water inlet  24  enters upper helmet half  14  and joins liquid canal  27 . Liquid canal  27  substantially surrounds a user&#39;s head  40 . Liquid canal  27  joins liquid lets  28 . Liquid jets  28  face a user&#39;s head  40 . Liquid canal  27  is also joined (not shown) by shampoo inlet valve  34  and conditioner inlet valve  35 . Any liquid introduced into liquid canal  27  is distributed about the interior periphery of helmet halves  14  and  16  and to user&#39;s head  40  via liquid jets  28 . Helmet seal  21  seals upper helmet half  14  to lower helmet half  16  to prevent leakage. 
   O-rings  29  join upper helmet half  14  liquid canal  27  to lower helmet half  16  canal  27 . Liquid canal  27  is thereby sealed to itself upon closure of the helmet halves  14  and  16 . 
   Referring to  FIG. 3 , helmet halves  14  and  16  are pivoted about hinge  12 . Upper helmet half  14  is pivoted away from user&#39;s head  40 . Electronics enclosure  36  provides access to electronic controls (not shown) for controlling vibrators  30 , shampoo inlet valve  34 , and conditioner inlet valve  35 . Powering means is controlled by vibrator control  32 , disposed in helmet half  16 . 
   Referring to  FIG. 4 , the bottom view of invention  10  reveals fingers  31  within the interior periphery of helmet halves  14  and  16 . Flex seal  20 , within inner edge  18  of helmet halves  14  and  16  seals liquids utilized around a user&#39;s head  40  ( FIGS. 1-3 ). 
   Referring to  FIG. 5 , flow of liquids into upper helmet half  14  and out of lower helmet half  16  is illustrated. Mixed hot and cold water first enters water inlet valve  44 , then enters upper helmet half  14 . Shampoo enters helmet half  14  via shampoo inlet valve  34 , and conditioner enters helmet half  14  via conditioner inlet valve  35 . Liquid outlet  26  ( FIGS. 1-4 ) flows into exterior outlet valve  46 . Outlet valve  46  is exterior to lower helmet half  16 . 
   In use, user  41  is typically seated in a chair (not shown) with head  40  tilted back upon a support (not shown). User&#39;s head  40  is lifted to allow lower helmet half  16  to be placed between the support and user&#39;s head  40 . Upper helmet half  14  is pivoted about hinge  12  to close about head  40 . Latch  38  is engaged to secure helmet half  14  to helmet half  16 . 
   Neck pad adjustment is utilized for optimal fit of the invention  10  to user&#39;s head  40 . A/C power cord  42  is plugged into typical A/C power source (not shown). Alternately, powering means is provided by batteries (not shown) within electronics enclosure  36 . 
   Hot water and cold water mix is set for entry into water inlet valve  44 . Timer  37  is set to control liquid entry and vibrators  30 , sequentially. Vibrator control  32  is set for vibrator  30  intensity. Invention  10  cycles through a use cycle, first wetting hair via water inlet  24 , then adding shampoo via operation of shampoo inlet valve  34 , then rinsing via inlet  24 , then adding conditioner via operation of conditioner inlet valve  35 , then rinsing via inlet  24 . Exterior outlet valve  46  cycles between each operation and after rinse. Vibrator control  32  is further controlled by timer  37  for initiation and duration of vibration of vibrators  30 . Upon cessation of invention  10  use cycles, upper helmet half  14  is provided to open ( FIG. 3 ) thereby allowing egress of head  40 . 
   With respect to the above description then, it is to be realized that the optimum dimensional relationships for the parts of the hinged hair washing helmet, to include variations in size, materials, shape, form, function and the 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. 
   Therefore, the foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention.

Technology Category: 1