HAIR COLOURING TOOL

Abstract

The present invention relates to a hair colouring tool which can be used for creating coloured patterns or designs in the hair in an extremely accurate and efficient way. The pattern or design is achieved by dying and bleaching so that the patterned areas are either darker or lighter than the natural hair colour.

Claims

1. A device for producing patterned effects in the hair comprising a substantially planar element having means to engage a stencil, the stencil being attractable to a magnet, the planar element also comprising a magnetic means which is adapted to attract the stencil and hold it firmly in contact with the planar element.

2. A device as claimed in claim 1 wherein the magnetic means is a magnet which is located on the underside of the planar element.

3. A device as claimed in claim 1 wherein the planar element is made of a magnetised material such that the planar element is the magnetic means.

4. A device as claimed in any preceding claim wherein the planar element is formed with a rim along at least two of its sides, and the rim is provided along its length with a groove into which a stencil can be placed.

5. A device as claimed in any of claims 1 to 4 wherein the device is provided with at least one protrusion which is engageable with at least one indentation provided on the edge of a stencil.

6. A device as claimed in any of claims 1 to 4 wherein the device is provided with at least one indentation which is engageable with at least one protrusion provided on the edge of a stencil.

7. A device as claimed in claim 5 or claim 6 wherein the indentations and/or protrusions are provided in opposed pairs along the sides of the device and the stencil.

8. A device as claimed in any preceding claim wherein the planar element is oblong in shape, and one of the short sides of the oblong is curved.

9. A device as claimed in claim 8 wherein the short side of the device which is not curved is provided with an indentation which is roughly in the shape of a finger or thumb.

10. A device as claimed in any of claims 1 to 9 wherein the underside of the device is provided with a handle which projects out of the plane of the device and which can be used to grip the device.

11. A device as claimed in claim 10 wherein the handle is of an hour-glass shape.

12. A device as claimed in claim 10 wherein the handle is hinged so that it closes against the planar element when the device is not in use.

13. A device as claimed in any of claims 10 to 12 wherein a plurality of textured dots are provided on the handle to improve grip.

14. A device as claimed any preceding claim wherein the planar element and/or the handle are provided with thickened areas to provide rigidity of the tool.

15. A stencil being attractable to a magnet and having at least one protrusion provided along the length of the stencil, the protrusion being engageable with an indentation on the device of any of claims 1 to 14.

16. A stencil as claimed in claim 15 comprising a plurality of protrusions which are provided in pairs, each of the pair being provided equidistantly along the length of the stencil so that they oppose each other.

17. A stencil as claimed in claim 15 or 16 wherein the end of the stencil which would abut the head in use, is provided with a pair of projections which oppose each other across the width of the stencil, the projections being larger than the protrusions on the stencil.

18. A kit of parts comprising a device as claimed in any of claims 1 to 14 together with at least one stencil as claimed in any of claims 15 to 17, which is engageable with the planar element of the device and the stencil being made of a material which is attracted by the magnetic means.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0024] FIG. 1 shows a first embodiment of a device for creating coloured patterns or designs in the hair in accordance with the present invention;

[0025] FIG. 2 shows an embodiment of a stencil for use with the device of FIG. 1;

[0026] FIG. 3 shows an embodiment of the device with the stencil in place;

[0027] FIG. 4 shows an alternative embodiment of a device in accordance with the present invention with a means for accurately locating the stencil within the device;

[0028] FIG. 5 shows an embodiment of a stencil for use with the device of FIG. 4;

[0029] FIG. 6 shows an embodiment of the device of FIG. 4 with the stencil in place;

[0030] FIG. 7 shows the underside of the device with a first embodiment of a handle;

[0031] FIG. 8 shows the underside of the device with a second embodiment of a handle;

[0032] FIG. 9 depicts the process of using the device of the invention to produce a coloured pattern on the hair.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0033] One embodiment of the present invention is shown in FIG. 1. The device comprises a planar element 1 which is oblong in shape, they oblong having two long sides 2 and two short sides 3. One of the short sides 3 is formed with a curved edge 5 which generally conforms to the curvature of the human head. This means that in use this edge of the device can be placed comfortably against the head of the person whose hair is to be coloured.

[0034] The planar element 1 is formed with a rim 6 which projects above the plane of the planar element 1 on each of the long sides 2. The rim 6 is adapted to retain a stencil which may be placed on the planar element 1.

[0035] FIG. 4 shows an alternative embodiment of the device in which rim 6 is also provided with pairs of indentations 7 which are parallel to each other so that they oppose each other. It would however be possible to provide alternative embodiments of the device in which these indentations 7 are positioned in different numbers and at different locations along the rim 6.

[0036] The short side 3 of the device which is not curved is provided with an indentation 8 which is roughly or generally in the shape of a finger or thumb, as shown in FIG. 1. This indentation 8 allows the hair colourist to easily remove the stencil from the device. This can be achieved by sliding a finger or thumb into the indentation which is then between the stencil and the device so that the hair colourist can then flick the stencil out with a finger or thumb.

[0037] FIG. 2 shows a stencil 9 for use with the device of FIG. 1. The stencil 9 is oblong with two long and two short sides 10 and 11 respectively. The stencil 9 is adapted to fit within the rim 6 on top of the planar element 1. The stencil is provided with a curved short edge 12, the curvature being approximately the same as the curvature provided on the short edge 5 of the device.

[0038] In the embodiment of the stencil shown in FIG. 5 the stencil 9 is also provided with pairs of protrusions 13 on the long sides 10, which oppose each other. In the embodiment shown the stencil is also provided with a pair of projections 13a located close to the curved edge 12 of the stencil, and which are parallel to each other across the width of the stencil, these projections being larger than the protrusions 13. The protrusions 13 are adapted to be engageable with the indentations 7 which are provided on the device. When a stencil is placed in the device these projections 13a are seated outside the device in use. This feature aids location of the stencil in the device and also removal of the stencil from the device.

[0039] The stencil 9 is thus adapted to seat with in the device on top of the planar element 1, and between the longitudinal rims 6. The indentations 7 and the protrusions 13 co-operate to hold the stencil 9 in place on the device without it slipping. The planar element 1 is provided internally with a magnet (not shown). The stencil 9 is made of a material which is attracted to the magnet so that the magnet holds the stencil firmly in place in the device.

[0040] As shown in FIG. 7 the device 1 is provided with an integral handle 14 which protrudes from the underside of the device and which projects out of the plane of the device and which can be used by the hair colourist to firmly grip the device. In this embodiment the handle 14 is of an hour-glass shape. Alternative shapes are possible, such as that shown in FIG. 8.

[0041] Use of the device is depicted in FIG. 9. To use the device of the invention, the hair colourist separates a swatch of hair from the remainder of the hair on the head and combs it through. The device of the invention is then placed beneath the swatch of hair with the curved edge abutting the head of the person having the hair patterned as shown in FIG. 9. The swatch of hair is adjusted to lie flat on the planar element of the device and the stencil is then placed on top of the hair as shown in FIG. 9. The stencil is accurately located on the hair by virtue of the rim and protrusions and is held firmly in place by the magnet. The hair colourist then paints hair dye or bleach over the stencil and where there is a cutaway portion of the stencil, the hair dye or bleach is applied directly to the hair. The stencil is then removed from the hair and the device is also removed. The hair dye or bleach is then left to develop in the usual manner and washed away to leave a coloured pattern on the hair as shown in FIG. 9.

[0042] The tool is economic to use because it is durable and may be made from plastics such as Polyethylene terephthalate or similar materials. This is unlike foils and meches which can only be used once and which must then be thrown away. In addition the device and the stencil may be made from recyclable materials.

[0043] It is extremely fast to colour a whole head of hair using this tool, as the stencil need only be placed on the hair for about 20 to 30 seconds while the dye is being applied. It can then be removed and the hair colourist moves on to the next sections of hair. This means that even a junior hairdresser can achieve complex colours quickly and accurately, which would be impossible to do using the colouring methods currently on the market. In addition multiple colours can easily be applied to the same section of hair at one time. It would thus be possible to have faded colours or layers of block colour all applied and developed at the same time. This again would be very difficult to achieve with currently commercially available colouring methods.

[0044] Using this tool the hairdresser can apply colour to any part of the hair easily and accurately i.e. roots, mid lengths or ends, which is difficult to do with existing colouring methods. In addition the planar element can also be used with a spatula and without the stencil for applying ballyage colour.

[0045] The words comprises/comprising and the words having/including when used herein with reference to the present invention are used to specify the presence of stated features, integers, steps or components but does not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, components or groups thereof.

[0046] It is appreciated that certain features of the invention, which are, for clarity, described in the context of separate embodiments, may also be provided in combination in a single embodiment. Conversely, various features of the invention which are, for brevity, described in the context of a single embodiment, may also be provided separately or in any suitable sub-combination.