US20180317622A1

US20180317622A1 - Flexible hair roller

Info

Publication number: US20180317622A1
Application number: US15/584,535
Authority: US
Inventors: Victoria Y. Mok
Original assignee: Mayseven Corp
Current assignee: Mayseven Corp
Priority date: 2017-05-02
Filing date: 2017-05-02
Publication date: 2018-11-08
Also published as: WO2018204166A1

Abstract

A flexible hair roller includes a flexible substrate extending longitudinally between opposing ends, having an inner planar side and an outer planar side opposite the inner planar side, a plurality of loops disposed across an entire length of the outer planar side and covering all of the outer planar side of the substrate, a plurality of hooks disposed across an entire width along one of end portions of the inner planar side of the substrate, and a tab connected to the end of the substrate where the plurality of hooks are disposed and extends laterally therefrom. The plurality of hooks from the inner planar side of the substrate are configured to engage and stick to a portion of the plurality of loops from the outer planar side of the substrate so as to transit the flexible hair roller between flattened and rolled positions.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to hair rollers, and more particularly, to flexible hair rollers designed and configured to store and/or transport in a minimal volume.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Hair rollers or curlers are used to produce a new hairstyle by rolling them onto a person's hair. These tubular shaped hair rollers are currently available in various sizes to provide different sizes and styles of curls. When styling hair, typically, a set of hair rollers (e.g., a dozen or more) is needed. However, owning and using these conventional hair rollers has one major disadvantage. Specifically, the hair rollers occupy a lot of space and present a storage issue since they remain in a tubular shape even when the hair rollers are not in use. Particularly, this can be a problem while traveling, when storage space is limited.
Accordingly, although various hair rollers are available currently in the market, further improvements are possible.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

According to an embodiment of the present invention, a flexible hair roller includes a flexible substrate extending longitudinally between opposing ends, the flexible substrate having an inner planar side and an outer planar side opposite the inner planar side, a plurality of loops disposed across an entire length of the outer planar side and covering all of the outer planar side of the substrate, a plurality of hooks disposed across an entire width along one of end portions of the inner planar side of the substrate, and a tab connected to the end of the substrate where the plurality of hooks are disposed and extends laterally therefrom, wherein the plurality of hooks from the inner planar side of the substrate are configured to engage and stick to a portion of the plurality of loops from the outer planar side of the substrate so as to transit the flexible hair roller between flattened and rolled positions.
These and other aspects of the present invention will be better understood in view of the drawings and following detailed description.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a flexible hair roller, according to an embodiment of the present invention, in a rolled position;

FIG. 2 is a side view of the flexible hair roller in a flattened position;

FIG. 3 is a top view of the flexible hair roller in FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a bottom view of the flexible hair roller in FIG. 2; and

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken along line A-A of FIG. 1.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

According to an embodiment of the present invention, referring to FIG. 1, a flexible hair roller 10 includes a substrate 12 and a tab 14 connected to the substrate 12. The flexible hair roller 10 provides a closure (attachment/detachment) mechanism, which allows the flexible hair roller 10 to transit between rolled (FIG. 1) and flattened (FIG. 2) positions, as will be described greater detail below. Once the flexible hair roller 10 is in the rolled position, a minimal space is required for storage or while traveling.
Referring to FIG. 2, the substrate 12 is flexible and is a preferably thin elongated rectangular strip that extends longitudinally between its opposing ends 16, 18. The substrate 12 has an inner planar side 20 and an outer planar side 22 opposite the inner planar side 20. The outer planar side 22 of the substrate 12 engages with hair when the flexible hair roller 10 in the rolled position (FIG. 1) is mounted in the hair.
Referring to FIGS. 3 and 4, in the depicted embodiment, a plurality of loops 24 are disposed across the entire length L1 of the outer planar side 22 and thus, covering all of the outer planar side 22 of the substrate 12. In addition, a plurality of hooks 26 are disposed on the inner planar side 20 of the substrate 12. Specifically, the plurality of hooks 26 are positioned across the entire width W along the end portion 28 of the inner planar side 20 of the substrate 12 where the tab 14 is connected to, as shown in FIG. 4. This Velcro hook and loop fastener arrangement is provided to facilitate the closure mechanism of the flexible hair roller 10. For example, the plurality of hooks 26 from the inner planar side 20 of the substrate 12 engage and stick to a portion of the plurality of loops 24 from the outer planar side 22 of the substrate 12, as illustrated in FIG. 5, thereby transitioning the flexible hair roller 10 from the flattened position to the rolled position.
Referring again to FIG. 1, the flexible hair roller 10 in the rolled position has a tubular shape. The plurality of loops 24 and the plurality of hooks 26 may be in any shape that allows them to interlock or stick to each other. Although the Velcro loop and hook fastener arrangement is preferred, it will be appreciated that other forms of fasteners could be used for the closure mechanism of the flexible hair roller 10.
The substrate 12 of the flexible hair roller 10 is made of one or more materials having suitable properties for a desired application, including strength, weight, rigidity, etc. Flexible material such as soft plastic or vinyl is preferred. In addition, the material is water resistance and thus washable. Preferred dimensions believed to be suitable for the substrate 12 includes a width of approximately 2.5 inches, a length between 2.5 inches and 7.5 inches, and a thickness between 0.125 inch and 0.1875 inch. The length LA of the area of the disposed hooks 26 is preferably between 0.5 inch to 1 inch.
The plurality of hooks 26 are designed to stick with the plurality of loops 24 upon contacting the plurality of loops 24. The plurality of loops 24 are dimensioned and configured such that they provide adequate adherence when the hair is wound around the outer planar side 22 of the substrate 12. Other shapes, configurations, and dimensions could be used as deemed suitable for the substrate 12 of the flexible hair roller 10.
Referring again to FIGS. 1-5, the tab 14 is connected to the end of the substrate 12 and extends laterally therefrom. Specifically, the tab 14 is connected to the end of the substrate 12 where the plurality of hooks 26 are disposed, as shown FIG. 4. In the depicted embodiment, the tab 14 is connected to the substrate 12 by sewing; alternately, the tab 14 could be integrally connected thereto or attached via some other means.
The tab 14 allows the flexible hair roller 10 to easily transit from the rolled position to the flattened position. For example, when the flexible hair roller 10 is in the rolled position, the tab 14 is disposed above the outer planar side 22 of the substrate 12, as shown in FIG. 5. Thus, a user may disengage the plurality of hooks 26 from the plurality of loops 24 by simply pulling the tab 14 away from the attached plurality of loops 24.
The tab 14 of the flexible hair roller 10 is made of one or more materials having suitable properties for a desired application, including strength, weight, rigidity, etc. Nylon or polyester is generally preferred. In the depicted embodiment, the tab 14 has a rectangular shape; alternatively, the tab 14 may be in any other shape deemed suitable, such as a square or semi-circular shape. In addition, various dimensions could be used as deemed suitable for the tab 14 of the flexible hair roller 10.
Pictures (e.g., logos) or text (e.g., product descriptions) may be printed on or attached to the inner planar side 20 of the substrate 12 of the flexible hair roller 10, where the plurality of hooks 26 are not disposed.
From the foregoing, it will be appreciated that a flexible hair roller according to the present invention provides easy use for shaping hair, while reducing storage space for hair rollers.
In general, the foregoing description is provided for exemplary and illustrative purposes; the present invention is not necessarily limited thereto. Rather, those skilled in the art will appreciate that additional modifications, as well as adaptations for particular circumstances, will fall within the scope of the invention as herein shown and described and of the claims appended hereto.

Claims

What is claimed is:

1. A flexible hair roller comprising:

a flexible substrate extending longitudinally between its opposing ends, the flexible substrate having an inner planar side and an outer planar side opposite the inner planar side;

a plurality of loops disposed across an entire length of the outer planar side and covering all of the outer planar side of the flexible substrate;

a plurality of hooks disposed across an entire width along one of end portions of the inner planar side of the flexible substrate; and

a tab connected to the end of the flexible substrate where the plurality of hooks are disposed and extends laterally therefrom;

wherein the plurality of hooks from the inner planar side of the flexible substrate are configured to engage and stick to a portion of the plurality of loops from the outer planar side of the flexible substrate so as to transit the flexible hair roller between flattened and rolled positions.

2. The flexible hair roller of claim 1, wherein, when the flexible hair roller is in the rolled position, the tab is used to transit the flexible hair roller to the flattened position by disengaging the plurality of hooks from the plurality of loops by pulling the tab away from the plurality of loops.

3. The flexible hair roller of claim 1, wherein the tab is connected to the flexible substrate by sewing.

4. The flexible hair roller of claim 1, wherein the tab is integrally connected to the flexible substrate.

5. The flexible hair roller of claim 1, wherein the flexible substrate is made out of flexible material such as soft plastic or vinyl.

6. The flexible hair roller of claim 1, wherein the flexible substrate is a thin elongated rectangular strip.

7. The flexible hair roller of claim 1, wherein the flexible substrate has a width of 2.5 inches.

8. The flexible hair roller of claim 1, wherein the flexible substrate has a length between 2.5 inches and 7.5 inches.

9. The flexible hair roller of claim 1, wherein the flexible substrate has a thickness between 0.125 inch and 0.1875 inch.

10. The flexible hair roller of claim 1, wherein a length of an area of the disposed plurality of hooks is between 0.5 inch to 1 inch.

11. The flexible hair roller of claim 1, wherein the plurality of loops are dimensioned and configured such that they provide adequate adherence when hair is wound around the outer planar side of the flexible substrate.

12. The flexible hair roller of claim 1, wherein the tab has a rectangular shape.

13. The flexible hair roller of claim 1, wherein the tab is made out of nylon or polyester.