US20220133018A1

US20220133018A1 - Needle Apparatus

Info

Publication number: US20220133018A1
Application number: US17/087,064
Authority: US
Inventors: Kevin Roy Leaford Hanson
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2020-11-02
Filing date: 2020-11-02
Publication date: 2022-05-05

Abstract

A needle apparatus for pulling loose hair into existing braids, cornrows, dreads, or any other hair styles with tightly pulled hair includes a flexible needle-eye and a needle-tip. The needle-tip includes a rigid member and an eye interface. The flexible needle-eye being configured into a continuous loop so that loose hair can be trapped with the needle apparatus. The eye interface is terminally positioned about the rigid member so that the flexible needle-eye can be terminally connected to the rigid member by the eye interface. The rigid member is then inserted through the existing braids, cornrows, dreads, or any other hair styles with tightly pulled hair so that the flexible needle-eye is able to pull loose hair back into the existing braids, cornrows, dreads, or any other hair styles with tightly pulled hair.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates generally to a needle apparatus. More specifically, the present invention is a needle apparatus for hair styles such as cornrows and breads so that loose hair can be pulled back into existing braids, cornrows, dreads, or any other hair styles with tightly pulled hair.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Braids, cornrows, and dreads are styles of hair grooming, in which the hair is braided very close to the scalp, using an underhand, upward motion to produce a continuous, raised row. Braids, cornrows, and dreads are often formed in simple, straight lines, as the name implies, but they can also be formed in complicated geometric or curvilinear designs. Depending on the region of the world, braids, cornrows, and dreads are worn by men or women, or both, and are sometimes adorned with beads. The duration of weaving cornrow braids may take up to about 3-5 hours, depending on its quantity and width. Often favored for their easy maintenance, rows can be left in for weeks at a time if maintained through careful washing of the hair and regular oiling of the scalp. However, keeping cornrows or braids neat and fresh between breading sessions is extremely difficult and almost impossible. More specifically, loose hair from existing cornrows or braids can create a messy look in between breading sessions.
It is there for an objective of the present invention to provide a needle apparatus that aids an individual to maintain clean and fresh look in between breading sessions or hair styling sessions. The present invention provides a needle body and a flexible eye that are adjacently connected to each other so that loose hair can be pulled back into the existing cornrows or braids. More specifically, the flexible eye is looped around loose hair so that the needle body is able to pull them back into the existing cornrows or braids as the needle body is inserted through the existing cornrows or braids. The needle body is very gentle on hair and does not create any safety issues as an individual is able to perform touch-up in between breading sessions or hair styling sessions to maintain a clean and fresh look.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the present invention, wherein the needle-tip is a curved body.

FIG. 2 is a side view of the present invention, wherein the needle-tip is a curved body and a detailed view is taken shown in FIG. 3.

FIG. 3 is a detailed view of the present invention taken within detailed section of FIG. 2, wherein the eye interface being the lateral surface.

FIG. 4 is a side view of the present invention, wherein the needle-tip is a curved body and a detailed view is taken shown in FIG. 5.

FIG. 5 is a detailed view of the present invention taken within detailed section of FIG. 4, wherein the eye interface being the circular hoop.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the present invention, wherein the needle-tip is a straight body.

DETAIL DESCRIPTIONS OF THE INVENTION

All illustrations of the drawings are for the purpose of describing selected versions of the present invention and are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention.
The present invention is configured to pull loose hair into existing braids, cornrows, dreads, or hair styles so that an individual can maintain a clean and fresh look for braids, cornrows, dreads or hair styles in between breading sessions or hair styling sessions. In reference to FIG. 1, the present invention comprises a flexible needle-eye 1 and a needle-tip 4. More specifically, the flexible needle-eye 1 is configured to loop around loose hair so that the loose hair can be secured before inserting into the existing braids, cornrows, dreads, or any other hair styles with tightly pulled hair. The needle-tip 4 is configured to pull loose hair back into the existing braids, cornrows, dreads, or hair styles as the needle-tip 4 is inserted through the existing braids, cornrows, dreads, or any other hair styles with tightly pulled hair.
In reference FIG. 2-3, the needle-tip 4 comprises a rigid member 5 and an eye interface 6. The rigid member 5 is an elongated and slim body that is inserted through the existing braids, cornrows, dreads, or any other hair styles with tightly pulled hair. The eye interface 6 is terminally positioned about the rigid member 5 and functions as the connection point between the flexible needle-eye 1 and the needle-tip 4. In other words, the flexible needle-eye 1 is terminally connected to the rigid member 5 by the eye interface 6 that is configured into a continuous loop.
The rigid member 5 is made as a semi-hard tip capable of penetrating into the existing braids, cornrows, dreads, or hair styles, wherein the rigid member 5 is tapered from a base portion 10 of the needle-tip 4 to a tip portion 9 of the needle-tip 4. The needle-tip 4 is preferably made of brass, stainless steel, hard plastic or any other type of similar material that enable the specific functionality of the present invention. In order to accommodate different hair thickness, the diameter of the tip portion 9 can range from 0.01 millimeter (mm) to 1 mm, which is considered to be the smallest diameter of the needle-tip 4. Furthermore, the diameter of the base portion 10 that is positioned adjacent to the eye interface 6 can range from 1 mm to 10 mm, which is considered to be the largest diameter of the needle-tip 4. The overall length of the rigid member 5 can range from 50 mm to 100 mm. In a preferred embodiment of the rigid member 5, the smallest diameter is 0.5 mm, the largest diameter is 1.5 mm, and the overall length is 75 mm. As shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 6, the overall shape of the needle-tip 4 can be a curved body or a straight body so that the overall shape difference can accommodate different styles of braids, cornrows, dreads, or any other hair styles with tightly pulled hair.
The flexible needle-eye 1 is preferably made from flexible material such as plastic, nylon, string, or yarn so that the flexible needle-eye 1 can be bend or flex to properly secure the loose hair within. In order to accommodate different hair thickness, the length of the flexible needle-eye 1 can range from 275 mm to 500 mm and the diameter of the flexible needle-eye 1 can range from 0.18 mm to 3 mm. In a preferred embodiment of the flexible needle-eye 1, the length is 375 mm and the diameter is 0.45 mm.
In some embodiment of the present invention, the eye interface 6 is a lateral surface 7 as shown in FIG. 2-3. In response to the lateral surface 7, the flexible needle-eye 1 comprises a first end 2 and a second end 3. The first end 2 and the second end 3 are adjacently positioned to each other so that the first end 2 and the second end 3 can delineate the continuous loop. More specifically, the first end 2 is laterally connected to the lateral surface 7 and positioned adjacent to the second end 3. The second end 3 is laterally connected to the lateral surface 7 and positioned adjacent to the first end 2. Furthermore, the diameter of the base portion 10 is larger than the combine diameter of the first end 2 and the second end 3 so that flexible needle-eye 1 is able to smoothly glide through the opening that is created by the rigid member 5 during the insertion needle-tip 4. In reference to the preferred embodiment, the largest diameter is 1.5 mm, and the diameter of the first end 2 and the second end 3 are 0.45 mm. Resultantly, the combine diameter of the first end 2 and the second end 3 are 0.9 mm while the diameter of the base portion 10 is 1.5 mm thus verifying the diameter of the base portion 10 is larger than the combine diameter of the first end 2 and the second end 3.
In some embodiment of the present invention, the eye interface 6 is a circular hoop 8 as shown in FIG. 4-5. In response to the circular hoop 8, the flexible needle-eye 1 is a circular member that is looped through the circular hoop 8. Since the flexible needle-eye 1 is looped through the circular hoop 8, a user is able to easily glide the needle-tip 4 along the flexible needle-eye 1 to efficiently position and insert the needle-tip 4 through the existing braid, cornrow, or dread without moving the positioning of the flexible needle-eye 1.
In reference to the process of utilizing the present invention, a user first need to identify loose hairs that need to be pulled into braid, cornrow, or dread. Even though it is not recommended, it is best practice to apply hair wax or hair gel onto loose hairs that need to be pulled into braid, cornrow, or dread. Loose hair is then twisted between user's thumb and index fingers. The needle-tip 4 is then pushed and pulled through the existing braid, cornrow, or dread in a sewing motion thus leaving a large enough portion of the flexible needle-eye 1 outside of the existing braid, cornrow, or dread. The flexible needle-eye 1 is then threaded with the twisted loose hairs between fingers. Twisted loose hairs is then held in the opposite direction of the way user pushed and pulled the needle-tip 4 through the existing braid, cornrow, or dread. Lastly, allow the twisted loose hairs to slip through fingers as the user completely pulls needle-tip 4 and the flexible needle-eye 1, until the present invention is completely free of the braid, cornrow, or dread. Resultantly, loose hair gets pull back into the existing braid, cornrow, or dread creating a clean and fresh braid, cornrow, or dread.
Although the invention has been explained in relation to its preferred embodiment, it is to be understood that many other possible modifications and variations can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as hereinafter claimed.

Claims

What is claimed is:

1. A needle apparatus for pulling loose hair into existing braids, cornrows, dreads, or hair styles comprises:

a flexible needle-eye;

a needle-tip;

the needle-tip comprising a rigid member and an eye interface;

the flexible needle-eye being configured into a continuous loop;

the eye interface being terminally positioned about the rigid member; and

the flexible needle-eye being terminally connected to the rigid member by the eye interface.

2. The needle apparatus for pulling loose hair into existing braids, cornrows, dreads, or hair styles as claimed in claim 1, wherein the needle-tip is a curved body.

3. The needle apparatus for pulling loose hair into existing braids, cornrows, dreads, or hair styles as claimed in claim 1, wherein the needle-tip is a straight body.

4. The needle apparatus for pulling loose hair into existing braids, cornrows, dreads, or hair styles as claimed in claim 1 comprises:

the flexible needle-eye comprising a first end and a second end;

the eye interface being a lateral surface;

the first end and the second end being adjacently positioned to each other, wherein the first end and the second end delineate the continuous loop;

the first end being laterally connected to the lateral surface; and

the second end being laterally connected to the lateral surface.

5. The needle apparatus for pulling loose hair into existing braids, cornrows, dreads, or hair styles as claimed in claim 1 comprises:

the eye interface being a circular hoop; and

the flexible needle-eye being looped through the circular hoop.

6. The needle apparatus for pulling loose hair into existing braids, cornrows, dreads, or hair styles as claimed in claim 1 comprises:

the needle-tip further comprising a tip portion and a base portion; and

the rigid member being tapered from the base portion to the tip portion.

7. A needle apparatus for pulling loose hair into existing braids, cornrows, dreads, or hair styles comprises:

a flexible needle-eye;

a needle-tip;

the needle-tip comprising a rigid member, an eye interface, a tip portion, and a base portion;

the flexible needle-eye being configured into a continuous loop;

the eye interface being terminally positioned about the rigid member;

the flexible needle-eye being terminally connected to the rigid member by the eye interface; and

the rigid member being tapered from the base portion to the tip portion.

8. The needle apparatus for pulling loose hair into existing braids, cornrows, dreads, or hair styles as claimed in claim 7, wherein the needle-tip is a curved body.

9. The needle apparatus for pulling loose hair into existing braids, cornrows, dreads, or hair styles as claimed in claim 7, wherein the needle-tip is a straight body.

10. The needle apparatus for pulling loose hair into existing braids, cornrows, dreads, or hair styles as claimed in claim 7 comprises: