WO2005044033A1

WO2005044033A1 - Ornamental hair extension

Info

Publication number: WO2005044033A1
Application number: PCT/KR2004/002779
Authority: WO
Inventors: Jongwon Kim
Original assignee: Jongwon Kim
Priority date: 2003-11-07
Filing date: 2004-10-28
Publication date: 2005-05-19

Abstract

An ornamental hair extension for attachment to human hair or animal hair such as pet dog hair is provided. The hair extension 1 includes a false hair portion 2 composed of artificial or natural hairs uniformly gathered together, and a connection portion 3 for attaching the false hair portion 2 to the user's hair. The connection portion 3 includes a body 4 and a hair connection ring 5. The body 4 is formed by joining together upper ends of the false hairs using an adhesive with a hair insertion hole 7 defined in the body 4 at a central portion thereof. The hair connection ring 5 is formed on the body 4 at a portion thereof. The user's hair is tied to the hair connection ring 5 after the user's hair is inserted into the hair insertion hole 7 and the tip of the user's hair exits the hole 7.

Description

Description ORNAMENTAL HAIR EXTENSION Technical Field

[1] The present invention relates to an ornamental hair extension attached to human or animal hair for decorative or aesthetic purposes, and more particularly to an ornamental hair extension for creating a unique hairstyle without directly dying or perming human hair or animal hair such as pet dog hair. Background Art

[2] In general, a hairpiece such as a wig is used or hair transplantation is carried out to make a change in hairstyle without directly dying or perming human hair or animal hair such as pet dog hair (all hereinafter referred to as "hair") for ornamental or aesthetic purposes.

[3] Hairpieces are mostly worn over the entirety of the head. Low adhesive strength of the hairpiece to the scalp causes the user to behave unnaturally and to be always nervo us for the fear that the hairpiece may unexpectedly come off in a place where there are many people or when it is windy. Hair transplantation is a form of surgery carried out for bald people or people with severe hair loss, but it is not suitable for aesthetic use.

[4] Another hair decoration method is to attach false hairs looking similar to the user's hair to the user's hair using an adhesive or a metal ring. However, if silicon adhesive is used for the attachment, it takes a relatively long time to connect the false hairs to the user's hair. In addition, since silicon has a low heat resistance, the false hairs attached using the silicon adhesive are easily detached when the hair is treated with a hairdryer or hot water. Further, if heat of more than 200 C is applied to harden the silicon adhesive as circumstances demand, there is a risk of damage to the user's natural hair.

[5] The attachment of false hairs using the metal ring is a relatively simple process, which makes it possible to connect the false hairs to the user's hair in a short time. However, when the user sleeps or lies down, the metal ring presses against the user's scalp, causing pain in the head. Also, the metal ring is easily exposed.

[6] The same problems also arise when false hairs are attached to animal hair such as pet dog hair although the above description has been given for human hair as an example.

[7] Two examples of hair extension for adornment of human hair are Korean registered utility model No. 334372 (HAIR EXTENSION APPARATUS AND WEFT HAVING THE SAME) and No. 337999 (WEFT FOR HAIR EXTENSION AND ITS EXTENSION STRUCTURE). The first example (Korean registered utility model No. 334372) has disclosed a hair extension apparatus characterized in that a body, composed of a metal strip, is bent to form an opening for inserting the user's hair and false hairs separately or together, so that the body has a space therein for housing the user's hair and false hairs separately or together. After the user's hair and false hairs are inserted separately or together into the opening, the bent body is pressed to seal the opening, so that the inserted user's hair and false hairs are joined together. The second example (Korean registered utility model No. 337999) has disclosed a weft for hair extension and its extension structure characterized in that a user hair insertion space through which the user's hair can be passed is defined between a pair or bunches of false hairs that are combined to form a weft, and the user's hair passed through the space is fixed and connected to the weft using combining means such as a ring. Disclosure of Invention Technical Problem

[8] Therefore, the present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and it is an object of the present invention to provide an ornamental hair extension for creating a unique hairstyle easily without directly dying or perming the hair.

[9] It is another object of the present invention to provide an ornamental hair extension that can be easily and firmly attached to the user's hair.

[10] It is yet another object of the present invention to provide an ornamental hair extension that is naturally connected to the user's hair, so that the ornamental hair extension is not easily exposed and is not easily damaged even when washing the hair with water or when drying the hair, thereby making it possible to use the ornamental hair extension for a long time with just one-time connection thereof to the user's hair. Technical Solution

[11] In accordance with a first aspect of the present invention, the above and other objects can be accomplished by the provision of an ornamental hair extension which includes a false hair portion, formed by uniformly gathering a number of hairs together, and a connection portion for connecting the false hair portion to the user's hair. The false hair portion is connected to the bottom of a body of the connection portion. The connection portion, which is used to attach the false hair portion to the user's hair, includes the body and a user hair connection ring. The user hair connection ring is formed on the body at a portion thereof. In an embodiment of the present invention, the body is formed by winding a body fixing thread on upper end portions of the hairs of the false hair portion, and a user hair insertion hole is formed in the body at a central portion thereof. In another embodiment of the present invention, the user hair connection ring is formed on the bottom of the body, using part of the body fixing thread. A combining thread may be further provided on the body to additionally combine the user's hair with the connection portion after the user's hair is tied to the user hair connection ring.

[12] In accordance with a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided an ornamental hair extension for attachment to human or animal hair, the hair extension comprising a false hair portion including a plurality of hairs uniformly gathered together; and a connection portion for attaching the false hair portion to a user's hair, wherein the connection portion is formed by joining together upper end portions of the hairs of the false hair portion using an adhesive, and a user hair connection ring is formed on the connection portion for connection to the user's hair. The number of user hair connection rings may be two or more. A combining thread may be further provided on the connection portion to additionally combine the user's hair with the connection portion after the user's hair is connected to the user hair connection ring.

[13] In accordance with a third aspect of the present invention, there is provided an ornamental hair extension for attachment to human or animal hair, the hair extension comprising a false hair portion including a plurality of hairs uniformly gathered together; and a connection portion for attaching the false hair portion to a user's hair, the connection portion including a body formed by joining together upper end portions of the hairs of the false hair portion; a cap for inserting the body and the user's hair therein; and a connection thread for connection between the cap and the body, wherein the connection thread is wound around part of the user's hair that is passed through the cap, and the part of the user's hair, around which the connection thread is wound, and the body are inserted into the cap. Accordingly, the connection portion between the user's hair and the false hair portion can be neatly arranged without being exposed. The cap is made of rubber or similar material, which is elastic enough to insert and accommodate the body and the user's hair into the cap therein. The body is formed by uniformly gathering together upper end portions of the hairs of the false hair portion, applying adhesive to outer surfaces of the upper end portions thereof, hardening the applied adhesive to join them together, and winding a body fixing thread around the upper end portions thereof so that the joined upper end portions of the hairs of the false hair portion are firmly fixed. Alternatively, the body is formed by uniformly gathering together upper end portions of the hairs of the false hair portion, winding a body fixing thread around the upper end portions thereof, and applying adhesive to the upper end portions to join them together. The body fixing thread is preferably about as thick as a human hair. A user hair connection ring may be further provided on the body to additionally combine the user's hair with the body. The user hair connection ring is inserted into the cap. The number of user hair connection rings may be more than one. The user hair connection ring may be part of the body fixing thread.

[14] In accordance with a fourth aspect of the present invention, there is provided an ornamental hair extension for attachment to human or animal hair, the hair extension comprising a false hair portion including a plurality of hairs uniformly gathered tog ether; and a connection portion for attaching the false hair portion to a user's hair, the connection portion including an elastic ring, wherein the false hair portion is attached to the elastic ring, and the user's hair is tightly inserted into the elastic ring. In this aspect of the present invention, the ornamental hair extension can be attached to the user's hair simply by extending the elastic ring and inserting the user's hair into the extended ring. Advantageous Effects

[15] The user can make a unique or individual change in the hairstyle without directly dying or perming the hair. It is also easy to connect the ornamental hair extension to the user's hair so that they are joined together firmly and naturally. Further, the ornamental hair extension can be used for a long time with just one-time connection thereof to the user's hair. A connection portion of the ornamental hair extension, to which the user's hair is connected, is made of a synthetic substance having elasticity or a thread, rather than a rigid substance. Thus, even when the user sleeps or lies down, the connection portion does not press against the user's scalp, so that the user can perform daily activities comfortably and conveniently with the ornamental hair extension attached to the user's hair. It is also easy to detach the ornamental hair extension from the user's hair and reattach it thereto. Brief Description of the Drawings

[16] The above and other objects, features and other advantages of the present invention will be more clearly understood from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

[17] Figs. 11 to 16 are diagrams illustrating embodiments of an ornamental hair extension according to a first aspect of the present invention;

[18] Figs. 21 to 25 are diagrams illustrating embodiments of an ornamental hair extension according to a second aspect of the present invention;

[19] Figs. 31 to 36 are diagrams illustrating embodiments of an ornamental hair extension according to a third aspect of the present invention; and

[20] Figs. 41 and 42 are diagrams illustrating embodiments of an ornamental hair extension according to a fourth aspect of the present invention. Best Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[21] Preferred embodiments of the present invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[22] Figs. 11 to 16 are diagrams illustrating embodiments of an ornamental hair extension according to a first aspect of the present invention. In Fig. 11, an ornamental hair extension 1 includes a false hair portion 2 and a connection portion 3. The false hair portion 2 includes a bunch of 10 to 80 human hairs. The number of hairs of the false hair portion 2 is set forth herein for illustrative purposes, and it is apparent that the specific number of hairs cannot be used to limit the scope of the claims of the present invention. The hairs of the false hair portion 2 may be dyed or permed as needed. The connection portion 3, which is connected to the user's hair, is provided on the upper end portion of the false hair portion 2. The connection portion 3 includes a body 4 with a user hair insertion hole 7 formed in the body 4 at a central portion thereof for inserting the user's hair, and a user hair connection ring 5 for connecting the hair extension 1 to the user's hair (see Fig. 15). The user hair connection ring 5 is tied to the user's hair after the user's hair is inserted into the user hair insertion hole 7 so that the tip of the user's hair exits the hole 7 (see Fig. 14). The body 4 is cylindrical in this embodiment, but can be made in various other forms such as polygonal or oval forms or an indeterminate form having elasticity. The body 4 can be formed of an adhesive solely and may also be formed by a combination of an adhesive and a thread (see Fig. 13).

[23] Fig. 12 illustrates an ornamental hair extension 1, in which a body forming tube 8 is provided inside a body 4 of the ornamental hair extension 1. The body forming tube 8, which is a flexible rubber tube, is inserted into a user hair insertion hole 7. Upper end portions of the false hairs of a false hair portion 2 are arranged along the outer surface of the rubber tube 8. The rubber tube 8 is used together with an adhesive and a thread to form the body 4 of the ornamental hair extension 1. Fig. 13 is a conceptual diagram illustrating a method for fabricating the hair extension of Fig. 12 where the body forming tube 8 is removed from the body 4 after the body 4 is formed. The method for fabricating the hair extension will now be described in detail with reference to Fig. 13. Several dozen human hairs are neatly arranged so that the hairs have the same upper level to form a false hair portion 2. A relatively short body forming tube 8 is inserted into a central portion of the top of the false hair portion 2. The body forming tube 8 has the same length as a body 4 (see Fig. 12) to be formed. As circumstances demand, the body forming tube 8 may have a larger length than the body 4 to be formed. A thin adhesive layer 9 is coated on the outer surface of the false hair portion 2 at an upper end portion thereof which surrounds the inserted body forming tube 8, so that corresponding upper end portions of the false hairs of the false hair portion 2 are joined together about the body forming tube 8. The coating of the adhesive layer 9 is carefully carried out so as not to apply the adhesive to the body forming tube 8 so that the body forming tube 8 can be removed after a user hair insertion hole 7 is firmly formed. If the adhesive layer 9 is hardened, a body fixing thread 10 is closely wound around an upper end portion of the false hair portion 2, in which the body forming tube 8 is inserted, so that the upper end portion of the false hair portion 2 is firmly fixed to form a body 4. While the body fixing thread 10 is wound to form the body 4, part of the body fixing thread 10 is used to form a user hair connection ring 5 on the body 4 at a lower portion thereof. Thus, the user hair connection ring 5 is integrated with the body 4, ensuring that the ring 5 and the body 4 are joined together more firmly. The body fixing thread 10 is a thin thread which is about as thick as a human hair. As circumstances demand, the user hair connection ring 5 may also be formed by winding a separate thread on the body 4, instead of forming the user hair connection ring 5 and the body 4 to be integrated. After the user hair connection ring 5 is formed, the body forming tube 8, which has been inserted in the body 4 at a central portion thereof, is extracted and removed from the body 4 to form a user hair insertion hole 7. A thin adhesive layer 9 is again applied to the outer surface of the body 4 on which the body fixing thread 10 is wound, so that the body fixing thread 10 is not easily released, and the coated adhesive layer 9 is hardened to complete the ornamental hair extension 1. As circumstances demand, the body forming tube 8 may be fixedly attached to the body 4 using an adhesive so that the body forming tube 8 is integrated with the body 4, instead of being removed from the body 4. The outer diameter of the body 4 is in the range of about 2 to 4mm, the inner diameter thereof is in the range of about 1.0 to 2.5mm, and the body 4 is in the form of a cylinder, which is in the range of 5 to 10mm in length. The body fixing thread 10 and the false hair portion 2 may have different colors or the same color. [24] Fig. 14 is a diagram illustrating a method for connecting the ornamental hair extension described with reference to Figs. 11 to 13 with the user's hair, and Fig. 15 is a diagram schematically illustrating the ornamental hair extension after connection to the user's hair. As shown in Fig. 14, after the user's hair is inserted into the user hair insertion hole 7, the user's hair is tied to the user hair connection ring 5 to combine the user's hair with the ornamental hair extension 1. A crochet hook (not shown) with a ring formed at an end thereof is used to pass the user's hair through the user hair insertion hole 7 or through the user hair connection ring 5. In detail, after the user's hair is passed through the user hair insertion hole 7, a middle part of the user's hair is passed through the user hair insertion ring 5 to form a first combining loop 101. Hereinafter, an upper part of the user's hair connected to the first combining loop 101, which includes the base of the user's hair coupled to the scalp, is referred to as an upper user hair part, and a lower part thereof, which includes the tip of the user's hair, is refened to as a lower user hair part. Then, a middle part of the upper user hair part is again passed through the first combining loop 101 to form a second combining loop 102. The lower user hair part is then passed through the second combining loop 102 so that the lower end (i.e., tip) of the user's hair exits the second combining loop 102, thereby completing the combining of the user's hair with the hair extension. If the user's hair is connected to the hair extension in this manner, it is possible to comb the hair combined with the hair extension as naturally as when combing only the user's natural hair since the thickness of the connection portion is very small, except when combing the hair with a fine-toothed comb. The ornamental hair extension 1 is removed in the following manner. First, the user's hair and the hair extension are extended with both hands (i.e., with one hand holding the user's hair and the other holding the hair extension) to expose the connection portion 3 between the user's hair and the hair extension 1. The user hair connection ring 5 in the exposed connection portion 3 is cut using a tool such as scissors to remove the ornamental hair extension. To remove the conventional ornamental hair extension that uses silicon for joining with the user's hair, the user's hair adhered to the hair extension using silicon must be cut, thus requiring additional haircare and making it difficult to remove the hair extension. The ornamental hair extension according to the present invention overcomes this problem of the conventional ornamental hair extension. [25] Fig. 16 is a diagram illustrating an embodiment of the present invention, in which a combining thread 11 is further provided on the ornamental hair extension shown in Fig. 14. In this embodiment, after the user's hair is combined with the user hair connection ring 5 as in the example of Fig. 14, the combining thread 11 is additionally wound on the outer surface of the body 3 one or more times, and both ends of the combining thread 11 are tied into a knot.

[26] Figs. 21 to 25 are diagrams illustrating embodiments of an ornamental hair extension according to a second aspect of the present invention, which is characterized in that no user hair insertion hole is formed. Fig. 21 shows an ornamental hair extension with a single user hair connection ring 5 formed on the top of a body 4. A connection portion 3 is formed by uniformly gathering upper end portions of the hairs of a false hair portion 2 together and joining them together using an adhesive after winding a body fixing thread around the upper end portions thereof. The user hair connection ring 5 is formed by embedding both ends of a thread having a specific length into the top of the false hair portion 2 and shaping the thread in the form of a ring exposed and protruding from the top of the body 4.

[27] Fig. 22 shows an ornamental hair extension with two user hair connection rings 5. If the number of user hair connection rings is two or more, one user hair connection ring is used to initially connect the hair extension to the user's hair, and the other ring or rings may be used at a later time when the hair extension is reused.

[28] Fig. 23 is a conceptual view illustrating a method for combining an ornamental hair extension with the user's hair using two user hair connection rings 5a and 5b. As shown in Fig. 23, part of the user's hair is passed through the first user hair connection ring 5a using a crochet hook (not shown) to form a first combining loop 101. As described above, an upper part of the user's hair connected to the first combining loop 101, which includes the base of the user's hair coupled to the scalp, is referred to as an upper user hair part, and a lower part thereof, which includes the tip of the user's hair, is refened to as a lower user hair part. Then, a middle part of the upper user hair part is passed through the first combining loop 101 to form a second combining loop 102. Then, a middle part of the lower user hair part is passed through the second user hair connection ring 5b and the second combining loop 102 sequentially to form a third combining loop 103. Then, the tip of the user's hair is passed through the third combining loop 103, thereby completing the combining of the user's hair with the hair extension.

[29] Fig. 24 illustrates another method for combining an ornamental hair extension with the user's hair using two user hair connection rings 5a and 5b. Part of the user's hair is passed through the first user hair connection ring 5a to form a first combining loop 101. Then, a middle part of the upper user hair part is passed through the first combining loop 101 and the second user hair connection ring 5b sequentially to form a second combining loop 102. Then, the lower user hair part is passed through the second combining loop 102 so that the tip of the user's hair exits the second combining loop 102, thereby completing the combining of the user's hair with the hair extension. The above combining methods have been set forth for illustrative purposes, and the hair extension may also be combined with the user's hair in other ways.

[30] Fig. 25 illustrates a modification of the ornamental hair extension of Fig. 21 where a combining thread 110 is additionally provided on the ornamental hair extension 1 of Fig. 21.

[31] Figs. 31 to 36 are diagrams illustrating embodiments of an ornamental hair extension according to a third aspect of the present invention.

[32] A false hair portion 2 of an ornamental hair extension 1 of Fig. 31 has the same configuration and the same fabrication method as those of the embodiments described above. The ornamental hair extension of Fig. 31 includes a cap 6 having a user hair insertion hole 80 through which the user's hair is to be passed. The cap 6 is connected to a body 4, provided in a connection portion 3 of the hair extension 1, using a connection thread 55. The connection thread 55 is a thread of a certain length that extends from a body fixing thread wound around the body 4 and is connected to the cap 6 (see Fig. 33). The cap 6, which is made of flexible rubber material, is extended to enable the body 4 to be inserted into the user hair insertion hole 80 that is formed in the cap 6 at a central portion thereof (see Fig. 34). As shown in Fig. 31, the user hair insertion hole 80 is formed in the cap 6 so that it penetrates the cap 6 from the top thereof to the bottom, and the present invention is not limited thereto. The user hair insertion hole 80 may also be formed in the cap 6 so that it penetrates the cap 6 from a side thereof to the bottom as in an example of Fig. 32.

[33] Figs. 35 and 36 are diagrams illustrating another embodiment of the third aspect of the present invention. Specifically, Fig. 35 shows an ornamental hair extension 1 with a user hair connection ring 5 formed on the top of a body 4, and Fig. 36 shows a method for attaching the ornamental hair extension 1 of Fig. 35 to the user's hair. Although not shown, two user hair connection rings 5 may also be formed on the top of the body 4 so as to more firmly combine the ornamental hair extension 1 with the user's hair. The ornamental hair extension 1 of Fig. 35 is connected to the user's hair in the following manner. As shown in Fig. 36, first, the user's hair is passed through a cap 6 using a crochet hook (not shown) or the like, and a connection thread 55 is wound around part of the user's hair which exits the cap 6. A lower part of the user's hair, which exits the cap 6, is then tied to the user hair connection ring 5. Then, the part of the user's hair, around which the connection thread 55 is wound, and the body 4 are inserted into the cap 6.

[34] Figs. 41 and 42 are diagrams illustrating embodiments of an ornamental hair extension according to a fourth aspect of the present invention. As shown in Fig. 41, the ornamental hair extension 1 has a false hair portion 2 in which false hairs are suspended from an elastic and extensible ring 40. To attach the false hair portion 2 to the ring 40, one or more false hairs are tied to the ring 40 or bonded thereto using an adhesive. When the ornamental hair extension 1 is used, the ring 40 is extended, enlarging its inner space, and the user's hair is then tightly inserted in the extended ring 40. Although not shown, a user hair connection ring or a combining thread may be additionally provided on the hair extension for more firmly combining the hair extension with the user's hair.

[35] As apparent from the above description, the present invention provides an ornamental hair extension, which has the following features and advantages. The user can make a unique or individual change in the hairstyle without directly dying or perming the hair. It is also easy to connect the ornamental hair extension to the user's hair so that they are joined together firmly and naturally. Further, the ornamental hair extension can be used for a long time with just one-time connection thereof to the user's hair. A connection portion of the ornamental hair extension, to which the user's hair is connected, is made of a synthetic substance having elasticity or a thread, rather than a rigid substance. Thus, even when the user sleeps or lies down, the connection portion does not press against the user's scalp so that the user can perform daily activities comfortably and conveniently with the ornamental hair extension attached to the user's hair. It is also easy to detach the ornamental hair extension from the user's hair and reattach it thereto.

Claims

[1] An ornamental hair extension for attachment to human or animal hair, the hair extension comprising: a false hair portion including a plurality of hairs uniformly gathered together; and a connection portion for attaching the false hair portion to a user's hair, the connection portion including a body and a user hair connection ring, wherein the body is formed by joining together upper end portions of the hairs of the false hair portion using an adhesive with a user hair insertion hole defined in the body at a central portion of the body, and the user hair connection ring is formed on the body at a portion thereof, the user hair connection ring being used to tie the user's hair after the user's hair is inserted into the user hair insertion hole and is passed therethrough.

[2] The hair extension according to claim 1, wherein a body forming tube is inserted in the body along an inner surface of the body.

[3] The hair extension according to claim 1 or 2, further comprising a combining thread provided on the body, the combining thread being used to additionally combine the user's hair with the body after the user's hair is tied to the user hair connection ring.

[4] An ornamental hair extension for attachment to human or animal hair, the hair extension comprising: a false hair portion including a plurality of hairs uniformly gathered together; and a connection portion for attaching the false hair portion to a user's hair, wherein the connection portion is formed by joining together upper end portions of the hairs of the false hair portion using an adhesive, and at least one user hair connection ring is formed on the connection portion for connection to the user's hair.

[5] The hair extension according to claim 4, wherein the number of the at least one user hair connection ring is more than 1.

[6] The hair extension according to claim 4 or 5, further comprising a combining thread provided on the connection portion, the combining thread being used to additionally combine the user's hair with the connection portion after the user's hair is connected to the user hair connection ring. [7] An ornamental hair extension for attachment to human or animal hair, the hair extension comprising: a false hair portion including a plurality of hairs uniformly gathered together; and a connection portion for attaching the false hair portion to a user's hair, the connection portion including: a body formed by joining together upper end portions of the hairs of the false hair portion; a cap for inserting the body and the user's hair therein; and a connection thread for connection between the cap and the body, wherein the connection thread is wound around part of the user's hair that is passed through the cap, and the part of the user's hair, around which the connection thread is wound, and the body are inserted into the cap. [8] The hair extension according to claim 7, further comprising a user hair connection ring provided on the body, the ring additionally combining the user's hair with the connection portion and being inserted into the cap. [9] An ornamental hair extension for attachment to human or animal hair, the hair extension comprising: a false hair portion including a plurality of hairs uniformly gathered together; and a connection portion for attaching the false hair portion to a user's hair, the connection portion including an elastic ring, wherein the false hair portion is attached to the elastic ring, and the user's hair is tightly inserted into the elastic ring.