US20040065339A1

US20040065339A1 - Hair roller system

Info

Publication number: US20040065339A1
Application number: US10/266,911
Authority: US
Inventors: Martha Kelsey
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Goody Products Inc
Priority date: 2002-10-08
Filing date: 2002-10-08
Publication date: 2004-04-08

Abstract

A hair roller system may include a roller adapted to wind about a user's hair, a snap-on flap having a first end adapted to engage with the top of a user's head and a second end adapted to engage with a roller clip, and a roller clip adapted to engage with the snap-on flap, which includes a pair of L-shaped retaining members adapted to engage with the roller.

Description

FIELD OF THE DISCLOSURE

The present disclosure generally relates to a hair roller system and, more particularly, to a hair roller system that may be adapted to straighten, smooth and/or curl a user's hair.

BACKGROUND OF THE DISCLOSURE

Hair rollers are known to be used to create curls in ones hair. There are many types of rollers that have been used in the past, and there are many ways the various rollers are attached to the hair or the head of an individual. For example, rollers are available that have small and large diameters having either a hollow or a solid core. Rollers are also available in various materials such as plastic, metal or foam, and some rollers have been adapted to function with the use of heat, such as from a hairdryer or from the heat created by the rollers themselves. Means are used to attach the rollers to the hair or head of the individual, such as using clasps that are integral to the roller which wrap around the outside of the wound hair and engage with a snap on the roller, using bobby pins, and/or using clip-type devices.

Even though the above rollers and attachment means have been used in the past, inherent problems exist with their use. For example, heated rollers may damage an individual's hair unnecessarily, and when attaching the roller to the hair, the attaching means, whether a bobby pin, clip or snap-on roller, may leave ridges or creases in the hair after the roller is removed.

Problems also exist when attempting to use rollers with longer strands of hair. For example, as the hair is wound onto the roller, the strands of hair, especially with longer hair, may eventually begin to overlap each other creating layers of hair on the roller. As the layers of hair increase, the outer surface of the roller, which may be adapted to engage with the hair, may be covered by the initial layers of hair, denying the remaining layers the benefit of engaging with the outer surface of the roller. The outer layers of hair, without the use the bobby pins, clips, etc. may fall off or unwind from the roller.

As an alternative to rollers, individuals have used varying methods and devices to straighten their hair and/or remove curls. To straighten hair and/or remove curls, several devices and methods have been used including, but not limited to, applying a flat iron, blow drying the hair while using a brush or comb, and/or applying chemical solutions. However, each of the above mentioned methods and devices has aspects that make the method or device difficult and/or impractical to use.

The flat iron, for example, requires, among other things, a costly iron, and electricity or an alternate power source to operate the iron. The iron is also heavy and cumbersome to use. Similarly, using a blow-dryer to straighten the hair requires electricity and a costly blow-dryer, and it requires the complete attention of the user. The chemical solutions are often toxic and can greatly damage the hair, which to a lesser extent also occurs with the other above-identified options.

SUMMARY OF THE DISCLOSURE

In accordance with one aspect of the disclosure among others, a hair roller system is disclosed. In one exemplary embodiment, the hair roller system includes a roller adapted to wind about a user's hair, a snap-on flap and a roller clip. The snap-on flap has a first end adapted to engage the top of the user's head, and the second end adapted to engage the roller clip. The roller clip is adapted to engage with the snap-on flap, and includes a pair of L-shaped retaining members adapted to engage the roller.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a roller system as used by an individual; [0008]
FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a roller of the roller system of FIG. 1; [0009]
FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a roller clip of the roller system of FIG. 1; [0010]
FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a snap-on flap of the roller system of FIG. 1; [0011]
FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the roller clip engaged with the snap-on flap; [0012]
FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the combination of the roller clip and the snap-on flap, as the roller clip engages the roller; [0013]
FIG. 7 is a perspective view of an individual applying the roller of FIG. 2; [0014]
FIG. 8 is a perspective view of the roller system of FIG. 1 applied to an individual's hair; and [0015]
FIG. 9 is a perspective view of a second roller being attached to the roller system.[0016]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

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 invention as defined by the appended claims. [0017]
A hair roller system as described herein, may be used by an individual to straighten, smooth or similarly manipulate a user's hair, and may in an alternate embodiment be used to create curls in the user's hair. For example, if the user desires to straighten, smooth or similarly manipulate the user's hair, the user may desire to use a roller having a larger outer diameter, if however, the user desires to curl or similarly manipulate the user's hair, the user may desire to use a roller having a smaller outer diameter. For illustrative reasons only, the hair roller system will herein be described as being utilized to straighten, smooth or similarly manipulate the user's hair. [0018]
Referring now to the drawings, and with specific reference to FIGS. 1 and 6, the [0019] hair roller system 20 constructed in accordance with the teachings of the disclosure is generally depicted. As shown therein, the hair roller system 20 includes a roller 22, a roller clip 24, and a snap-on flap 26.
In one exemplary embodiment, the [0020] roller 22, as shown in FIG. 2 may be of a generally cylindrical shape including a first end 27, a second end 29, an inner diameter 28, an outer diameter 30, an inner surface 32 and an outer surface 34. The inner surface 32 of the roller 22 and the outer surface 34 of the roller 22 may be constructed from one or more materials. The inner surface 32 of the roller 22, for example, may be constructed from a semi-rigid or rigid plastic material, to give rigidity or form to the roller 22, and the outer surface 34 of the roller 22 may be constructed from a material adapted to engage with the user's hair, such as Velcrot or other type of hook and/or loop material. The inner surface 32 of the roller 22 and the outer surface 34 of the roller 22 may, however, be the same material and may be constructed from any material suitable for the intended purpose. The outer diameter 30 of the roller 22 may be sized, as mentioned above, to accomplish various hair results. To obtain smooth, straight or similar qualities of the hair, the outer diameter 30 of the roller 22, in one exemplary embodiment, may be in the range from about 2″ to 3″, and more specifically may be about 2.5″ in diameter. To obtain curly or similar qualities of the hair, the outer diameter 30 of the roller 22, in one exemplary embodiment, may be in the range from about 0.75″ to 2″, and more specifically may be about 1.25″ in diameter.
The [0021] inner diameter 28 of the roller 22 may be dimensioned relative to the outer diameter 30 of the roller 22. More specifically, the inner diameter 28 of the roller 22 may be dimensioned relative the outer diameter 30, such that the thickness 36 of the roller 22, is dimensioned to engage with the roller clip 24 in a manner described more fully below.
In one exemplary embodiment, the [0022] roller clip 24, as shown in FIG. 3, may be of a generally rectangular shape having an upper side 38, a lower side 40, a first end 42 and a second end 44. A pair of retaining members 46, 48 may be disposed on the ends 42, 44 of the roller clip 24, and may be adapted to engage with the roller 22. More specifically, the retaining members 46, 48 may be a pair of L-shaped hooks having a width 50, located on the lower side 40 of the roller clip 24 and facing toward the center of the roller clip 24. The roller clip 24 may also be adapted to removably attach to the snap-on flap 26 via a connector located near the center of the roller clip 24. More specifically, the roller clip 24 may include a pair of apertures 52 located near the center of the roller clip 24 that may be adapted to engage with a pair of posts 54 located on the snap-on flap 26. The roller clip 24 and the snap-on flap 26 need not be removably attached, but may be adapted to fixedly attach or be constructed as a unitary component (not shown).
In one exemplary embodiment, the snap-on [0023] flap 26, as shown in FIG. 4, may be of a generally rectangular shape having an upper side 56, a lower side 58, a first end 60 and a second end 62. A connector may be disposed on the upper side 56 near the first end 60 of the snap-on flap 26, and may be adapted to connect the snap-on flap 26 to the roller clip 24. More specifically, the snap-on flap 26 may include the pair of posts 54 located on the upper side 56 near the first end 60 of the snap-on flap 26 which may be adapted to engage with the apertures 52 of the roller clip 24. The posts 54 may include retaining portions, such as notches 64, adapted to retain the roller clip 24 on the snap-on flap 26. A resilient member 66 may be disposed on the lower side 58 near the first end 60 of the snap-on flap 26, and may be adapted to engage the roller 22. More specifically, the resilient member 66 may be a piece of foam, sponge or the like located on the lower side 58 of the snap-on flap 26 near the junction point of the roller clip 24 and the snap-on flap 26 when the components are combined as shown in FIG. 5. The resilient member 66 may be adapted to compress as the roller clip 24 is pressed onto the roller 22, and the roller system 20 may be placed into tension once the roller clip is secure on the roller 22. More specifically, once the roller system 20 is connected and the resilient member 66 is compressed, the resilient member 66 will be biased to decompress therefore placing the roller system 20 into tension. The tension in the roller system 20 may remove gaps or areas between the roller clip 24, the snap-on flap 26 and roller 22. The resilient member 66, aside from being constructed from a piece of foam, sponge or the like, may be constructed from plastic, metal, or any other material suitable for the intended purpose, and may be constructed in the form of a spring or any other resilient member.
In operation, the [0024] hair roller system 20 may be used to straighten, smooth or similarly manipulate the user's hair and/or may be used to curl the hair. In one exemplary embodiment, as shown in FIG. 5, the snap-on flap 26 may be connected to the roller clip 24. More specifically, the posts 54 of the snap-on flap 26 may be engaged with the apertures 52 in the roller clip 24, such that the lower side 40 of the roller clip 24 substantially abuts the upper side 56 of the snap-on flap 26, and such that apertures 52 of the roller clip 24 are engaged with the notches 64.
In one exemplary embodiment, the hair of the user, as seen in FIG. 7, may be wound around the [0025] roller 22 by placing strands of hair on top of the outside of the roller 22 and rolling the lower portion of the roller 22 toward the user, thereby winding the strands of hair around the roller 22.
The strands of hair may be wound around the [0026] roller 22 until all the hair is wound, as seen in FIG. 1, or until any point the user desires. The user may then attach the roller clip 24 and the snap-on flap 26 to the roller 22 as seen in FIGS. 6 and 8. More specifically, the user may place roller clip 24 and the snap-on flap 26, onto the roller 22, such that the resilient member 66 is touching the roller 22 near the center of the roller 22. Using the L-shaped retaining members 46, 48, the user may snap or otherwise engage the width 36 of the roller 22 into the retaining members 46, 48 located on the first and second sides 42, 44 of the roller clip 24. For example, in one exemplary embodiment, the user may snap the retaining member 46 onto the second end 29 of the roller 22, and then may snap the retaining member 48 onto the first end 27 of the roller 22. Alternatively or additionally, the user may snap the retaining members 46, 48 of the roller clip 24 onto the first and second ends 27, 29 of the roller 22 at the same time.
In one exemplary embodiment, once the [0027] roller clip 24 and the snap-on flap 26 are engaged with the roller 22, the resilient member 66, now compressed between the (hair and/or) roller 22 and the snap-on flap 26, may create tension between the roller clip 24, the snap-on flap 26 and the roller 22. The tension between the various parts of the roller system 20 may create friction between the roller 22 and the resilient member 66, prevent the roller 22 and the strands of hair from unrolling, and prevent the snap-on flap 26 and the roller clip 24 from disconnecting. In one exemplary embodiment, the snap-on flap 26, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 9, may support the roller system 20 during use. More specifically, as the first end 60 of the snap-on flap 26 is engaged with the roller clip 24, the second end 62 of the snap-on flap may be adapted to engage the user's head thereby preventing the roller 22 from pulling on the hair and/or preventing the roller 22 from sagging.
Once the [0028] roller system 20 is in use and in tension, and thus preventing the roller 22 and the roller clip 24 from moving, the second end 62 of the snap-on flap 26 may be disposed proximate the user's head, and the hair strands on top of the roller 22 may be located substantially tangential to the roller 22 and parallel to the ground. The strands of hair as wound around the roller 22, shown in FIGS. 7 and 1, may create a bias in the roller 22 to unwind, such that the top of the roller 22 rotates toward the head of the user, and thus unwinds. When the roller system 20 is in use, however, factors including, but not limited to, the tension between the roller system 20 components, the lack of rotational movement between the roller 22 and the roller clip 24 due to the width 50 and/or tightness of the retaining members 46, 48, and the tightness of the connection between the roller clip 24 and the snap-on flap 26, may create a unitarily acting hair roller system 20, such that all components act as a substantially single piece. When the hair roller system 20 acts as a substantially single piece, the bias in the roller 22 to unwind toward the head of the user, may force the second end 62 of the snap-on flap 26 to be forced into the head of the user, thereby supporting the hair roller system 20.
Furthermore, the [0029] roller system 20 and the roller clip 24 in particular, may enable the strands of hair to engage with the roller 22. For example, as the strands hair are wound onto the roller 22, the strands of hair may eventually overlap each other creating layers of hair on the roller 22. As the layers of hair increase, the outer surface 34 of the roller 22 may become covered by the initial layers of hair, thereby denying the remaining layers the benefit of engaging with the outer surface 34 of the roller 22. The roller clip 24, and more particularly, the retaining members 46, 48 may prevent the upper layers of the hair from falling of the roller 22.
In one exemplary embodiment, the [0030] hair roller system 20 may further include a second roller 22B and a second roller clip 24B. As shown in FIG. 9, the second roller 22B may be wound around the strands of hair located below the first roller 22, and may be wound in a similar manner as the first roller 22. To secure the second roller 22B to the first roller 22, the user may abut the first and second rollers 22, 22B, such that the top of the second roller 22B is adjacent to the bottom of the top roller 22, and secure the two rollers 22, 22B to each other with the roller clip 24B. More specifically, the user may place the roller clip 24B into either the roller 22 or the roller 22B and connect the rollers 22, 22B by snapping retaining members 46B, 48B of the roller clip 24B onto the ends of the rollers 22, 22B. The retaining member 46B, 48B may be large enough to engage both the width 36 of the roller 22 and a width 36B of the roller 22B, due to the elimination of the snap-on flap 26 and the resilient member 66, thereby allowing for extra space for the retaining members 46B, 48B to engage the rollers 22, 22B.
In another exemplary embodiment, the [0031] hair roller system 20 may further include a plurality of rollers 22, a plurality of roller clips 24 and a plurality of snap-on flaps 26. In use, the user may desire to manipulate one or more section of hair located around the user's head, which may require the use of several rollers 22, roller clips 24 and snap-on flaps 26.
In a further exemplary embodiment, the user may at anytime before, after and/or during the winding of the strands of hair around the [0032] roller 22, wet the hair with water and/or any hair styling product to facilitate manipulation of the hair and/or to add a desired quality to the hair, such as body, hold, softness, volume, aroma, shine, lack of frizz, and the like.
The foregoing detailed description has been given for clearness of understanding only and no unnecessary limitations should be understood therefrom, as modifications will be apparent to those skilled in the art. [0033]

Claims

What is claimed is:

1. A hair roller system comprising:

a first roller having an outer diameter, an outer surface, a first end and a second end, the outer surface being adapted to have hair wound thereabout;

a snap-on flap having a first end and a second end, wherein the first end is adapted to engage with the top of the user's head, and the second end is adapted to engage with a first roller clip; and

the first roller clip being adapted to engage the snap-on flap, and including a retaining member adapted to engage with the roller.

2. The hair roller system of claim 1 further including a second roller and a second roller clip wherein the second roller clip is adapted to secure the first roller and the second roller together.

3. The hair roller system of claim 1 wherein the first roller clip is adapted to prevent the strands of hair from disengaging the roller.

4. The hair roller system of claim 1 wherein the outside of the roller includes is constructed from material adapted to control the hair.

5. The hair roller system of claim 1 wherein the retaining member is a pair of L-shaped clips adapted to engage with the ends of the roller.

6. The hair roller system of claim 1 wherein the snap-on flap and the first roller clip are a unitary piece.

7. A hair roller system comprising:

a first roller having an outer diameter, a first end and a second end, and being adapted to wind about a user's hair;

a snap-on flap having a first end, a second end, an upper side and a lower side, wherein the first end is adapted to engage with the top of the user's head, the upper side of the second end being adapted to engage with a roller clip, and wherein the lower side of the second end includes a resilient member;

the roller clip having an upper side, a lower side a first end and a second end, and wherein the roller clip includes a pair of retaining members located on the first and second ends of the lower side adapted to engage with the roller.

8. The hair roller system of claim 7 wherein the snap-on flap and the roller clip engage via a pair of post adapted to engage a pair of apertures.

9. The hair roller system of claim 7 wherein the resilient member is a piece of foam.

10. The hair roller system of claim 7 wherein the resilient members are L-shaped clips

11. The hair roller system of claim 7 further including a second roller and a second roller clip wherein the second roller clip is adapted to secure the first roller and the second roller together.

12. The hair roller system of claim 7 wherein the snap-on flap and the first roller clip are a unitary piece.

13. A method for manipulating hair comprising:

providing a first roller having an outer diameter, a first end and a second end, a snap-on flap having a first end, a second end, an upper side and a lower side, and a roller clip having an upper side, a lower side a first end and a second end;

attaching the roller clip to the snap-on flap via a connector;

winding strands of hair around the roller, such that the strands are located on the top of the roller and the roller is rotated such that the bottom of the roller rotates toward the user; and

engaging a first and as second retaining member located on the roller clip with the ends of the roller.

14. The method of claim 13 further including compressing a resilient member located between the roller and the snap-on flap.