US20040261813A1

US20040261813A1 - Hairspray shield system

Info

Publication number: US20040261813A1
Application number: US10/603,284
Authority: US
Inventors: David Drew
Original assignee: STECK LARRY E
Current assignee: STECK LARRY E
Priority date: 2003-06-24
Filing date: 2003-06-24
Publication date: 2004-12-30

Abstract

A hairspray shield system for shielding a user's face while applying hairspray. The hairspray shield system includes a support member having a plurality of first slots and a plurality of second slots, and a shield positionable within one of the first slots and one of the second slots. The support member includes an gripping portion that the user engages with their mouth or teeth thereby supporting the shield in an upright position adjacent to their face. The user is then able to apply hairspray to their hair without the hairspray contacting their face.

Description

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

Not applicable to this application.

STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT

Not applicable to this application.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates generally to face shields and more specifically it relates to a hairspray shield system for shielding a user's face while applying hairspray.

2. Description of the Related Art

Hairspray protection devices have been known for years for protecting the user's face during the application of hairspray to the user's hair. These hairspray protection devices are typically comprised of a handle with a protective member attached to the handle. U.S. Pat. No. 3,602,913 titled “Facial Protection for Hair Spray” is an exemplary example of this type of a hairspray protection device.

The main problem with the conventional hairspray protection devices is that they are difficult to both support and apply the hairspray and style the hair since the user has to support the device with their hand. A further problem with conventional hairspray protection devices is that they are not positionable into a compact storage position.

While these devices may be suitable for the particular purpose to which they address, they are not as suitable for shielding a user's face while applying hairspray. Prior art hairspray protection devices require the user to utilize at least one hand to support and are not capable of being transformed into a compact structure.

In these respects, the hairspray shield system according to the present invention substantially departs from the conventional concepts and designs of the prior art, and in so doing provides an apparatus primarily developed for the purpose of shielding a user's face while applying hairspray.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In view of the foregoing disadvantages inherent in the known types of hairspray protective devices now present in the prior art, the present invention provides a new hairspray shield system construction wherein the same can be utilized for shielding a user's face while applying hairspray.

The general purpose of the present invention, which will be described subsequently in greater detail, is to provide a new hairspray shield system that has many of the advantages of the hairspray protective systems mentioned heretofore and many novel features that result in a new hairspray shield system which is not anticipated, rendered obvious, suggested, or even implied by any of the prior art hairspray protection systems, either alone or in any combination thereof.

To attain this, the present invention generally comprises a support member having a plurality of first slots and a plurality of second slots, and a shield positionable within one of the first slots and one of the second slots. The support member includes an gripping portion that the user engages with their mouth or teeth thereby supporting the shield in an upright position adjacent to their face. The user is then able to apply hairspray to their hair without the hairspray contacting their face.

There has thus been outlined, rather broadly, the more important features of the invention in order that the detailed description thereof may be better understood, and in order that the present contribution to the art may be better appreciated. There are additional features of the invention that will be described hereinafter and that will form the subject matter of the claims appended hereto.

In this respect, before explaining at least one embodiment of the invention in detail, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of construction and to the arrangements of the components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the drawings. The invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced and carried out in various ways. Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology employed herein are for the purpose of the description and should not be regarded as limiting.

A primary object of the present invention is to provide a hairspray shield system that will overcome the shortcomings of the prior art devices.

A second object is to provide a hairspray shield system for shielding a user's face while applying hairspray.

Another object is to provide a hairspray shield system that does not require the usage of any hands to maintain in the desired position.

An additional object is to provide a hairspray shield system that may be stored in a compact stored structure.

A further object is to provide a hairspray shield system that is comprised of a simple and break resistant structure.

Another object is to provide a hairspray shield system that reduces the amount of hairspray that enters the breathing passage of a user.

Other objects and advantages of the present invention will become obvious to the reader and it is intended that these objects and advantages are within the scope of the present invention.

To the accomplishment of the above and related objects, this invention may be embodied in the form illustrated in the accompanying drawings, attention being called to the fact, however, that the drawings are illustrative only, and that changes may be made in the specific construction illustrated and described within the scope of the appended claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Various other objects, features and attendant advantages of the present invention will become fully appreciated as the same becomes better understood when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which like reference characters designate the same or similar parts throughout the several views, and wherein: [0023]
FIG. 1 is a front view of the present invention attached to a user's face. [0024]
FIG. 2 is a side view of the present invention attached to a user's face. [0025]
FIG. 3 is a rear upper perspective view of the present invention. [0026]
FIG. 4 is an upper perspective view of the support member and the shield with the shield in a flat state. [0027]
FIG. 5 is an exploded upper perspective view of the support member and the shield rolled into a cylindrical structure. [0028]
FIG. 6 is an upper perspective view of the present invention with the shield contained within the support member. [0029]
FIG. 7 is a rear view of the present invention. [0030]
FIG. 8 is a front view of the present invention. [0031]
FIG. 9 is a cross sectional view taken along line [0032] 9-9 of FIG. 8.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

A. Overview [0033]
Turning now descriptively to the drawings, in which similar reference characters denote similar elements throughout the several views, FIGS. 1 through 9 illustrate a [0034] hairspray shield system 10, which comprises a support member 20 having a plurality of first slots 22 and a plurality of second slots 24, and a shield 30 positionable within one of the first slots 22 and one of the second slots 24. The support member 20 includes an gripping portion 26 that the user engages with their mouth or teeth thereby supporting the shield 30 in an upright position adjacent to their face. The user is then able to apply hairspray to their hair without the hairspray contacting their face.
B. Support Member [0035]
The [0036] support member 20 is preferably comprised of an elongate tubular structure as shown in FIGS. 1 through 8 of the drawings. However, the support member 20 may have various other structures. The support member 20 may have various lengths and shapes as required fitting near the user's face. The support member 20 is preferably comprised of a rigid or semi-rigid material to provide support for the shield 30.
The [0037] support member 20 has a gripping portion 26 as best illustrated in FIGS. 4 and 7 of the drawings. The support member 20 preferably is formed for easy gripping by the user's mouth or teeth. The gripping portion 26 is preferably comprised of an opening extending into an interior of the support member 20 when the support member 20 is a tubular structure. The gripping portion 26 may be formed to other structures capable of receiving the mouth and teeth of the user for gripping.
The [0038] support member 20 preferably has a raised center section and two opposing lowered side sections as best shown in FIG. 7 of the drawings. As further shown in FIG. 7 of the drawings, the raised center section is preferably a curved structure. The user's front teeth fit over the raised center section and the front side teeth preferably engage the lowered side sections. Various other structures may be utilized to construct the gripping portion 26 that are suitable for engagement by the mouth or teeth of a user.
The [0039] support member 20 preferably includes one or more first slots 22 near a first side of the support member 20. The first slots 22 preferably are substantially parallel to one another as best illustrated in FIG. 4 of the drawings. The first slots 22 preferably extend forwardly at an inward angle as further shown in FIG. 4 of the drawings. As best shown in FIG. 7 of the drawings, the first slots 22 further preferably extend upwardly at an outward angle. The first slots 22 each have a width sufficient for receiving a portion of a lower edge 36 of the shield 30 as shown in FIGS. 3 and 7 of the drawings.
The [0040] support member 20 preferably includes one or more second slots 24 near a second side of the support member 20. The second slots 24 preferably are opposite of and mirror the first slots 22 as best shown in FIGS. 4 and 7 of the drawings. The second slots 24 preferably are substantially parallel to one another as best illustrated in FIG. 4 of the drawings. The second slots 24 preferably extend forward at an inward angle as further shown in FIG. 4 of the drawings. As best shown in FIG. 7 of the drawings, the second slots 24 further preferably extend upward at an outward angle. The second slots 24 each have a width sufficient for receiving a portion of a lower edge 36 of the shield 30 as shown in FIGS. 3 and 7 of the drawings.
C. Shield [0041]
The [0042] shield 30 may be permanently attached or removably attached to the support member 20. However, the shield 30 is preferably comprised of a structure that is removably attachable within the slots 22, 24 of the support member 20.
The shield has a [0043] front surface 32 and a rear surface 34 as shown in FIGS. 1 through 9 of the drawings. The shield 30 may have various shapes when in a flattened state such as but not limited to that illustrated in FIG. 4 of the drawings. The shield 30 should have a size and shape sufficient to adequately protect the user's face from the application of hairspray.
The [0044] shield 30 is preferably comprised of a flexible material, such as but not limited to plastic, for allowing the shield 30 to conform to different shapes when positioned within the slots 22, 24. The shield 30 is comprised of a flexible material capable of being manipulated into a roll for insertion into an open end 28 within the support member 20 as best shown in FIGS. 5 and 6 of the drawings. The shield 30 is preferably comprised of a translucent material, however the shield 30 may be comprised of a non-translucent material.
D. Operation [0045]
In use, the user removes the [0046] shield 30 from the support member 20. The user then positions a portion of the lower edge 36 of the shield 30 within one of the first slots 22 depending upon the width of the user's face. The user then positions the opposing portion of the lower edge 36 of the shield 30 within one of the second slots 24. The shield 30 should have a curved vertical structure that is capable of covering a significant portion of the user's face as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 of the drawings.
The user thereafter positions the gripping [0047] portion 26 of the support member 20 within their mouth and engages the same by closing their mouth upon the gripping portion 26. The user's teeth may be used to engage the gripping portion 26. The support member 20 and the shield 30 are now fully supported within the user's mouth as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 of the drawings. The user is thereafter free to utilize both of their hands to apply hairspray and style their hair with a limited amount of hairspray making contact with the user's face.
When the user is finished, if they so desire, the [0048] shield 30 is removed from the slots 22, 24 and then rolled into a compact tubular structure as shown in FIG. 5 of the drawings. The user then inserts the rolled shield 30 into the open end 28 of the support member 20 for storage. The user then may position the present invention within any desired storage location for later usage.
As to a further discussion of the manner of usage and operation of the present invention, the same should be apparent from the above description. Accordingly, no further discussion relating to the manner of usage and operation will be provided. [0049]
With respect to the above description then, it is to be realized that the optimum dimensional relationships for the parts of the invention, to include variations in size, materials, shape, form, function and manner of operation, assembly and use, are deemed to be within the expertise of those skilled in the art, and all equivalent structural variations and relationships to those illustrated in the drawings and described in the specification are intended to be encompassed by the present invention. [0050]
Therefore, the foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention. [0051]

Claims

I claim:

1. A hairspray shield system, comprising:

a support member, wherein said support member includes a gripping portion that a user can engage with their mouth or teeth; and

a shield attachable to said support member.

2. The hairspray shield system of claim 1, wherein said support member includes a plurality of first slots and a plurality of second slots for receiving a lower edge of said shield.

3. The hairspray shield system of claim 2, wherein said shield is comprised of a flexible material.

4. The hairspray shield system of claim 2, wherein said first slots are substantially parallel to one another and said second slots are substantially parallel to one another.

5. The hairspray shield system of claim 1, wherein said support member includes at least one first slot and at least one second slot for receiving a lower edge of said shield.

6. The hairspray shield system of claim 1, wherein said support member is comprised of a tubular structure.

7. The hairspray shield system of claim 6, wherein said shield is comprised of a flexible material capable of being manipulated into a roll for insertion into an open end within said support member.

8. The hairspray shield system of claim 1, wherein said gripping portion has a raised center section and two opposing lowered side sections.

9. The hairspray shield system of claim 8, wherein said raised center section is curved.

10. The hairspray shield system of claim 1, wherein said gripping portion is comprised of an opening extending into an interior of said support member.

11. A hairspray shield system, comprising:

a support member having an elongate structure, wherein said support member includes a gripping portion that a user can engage with their mouth or teeth; and

a shield attached to said support member.

12. The hairspray shield system of claim 11, wherein said support member includes a plurality of first slots and a plurality of second slots for receiving a lower edge of said shield.

13. The hairspray shield system of claim 12, wherein said shield is comprised of a flexible material.

14. The hairspray shield system of claim 12, wherein said first slots are substantially parallel to one another and said second slots are substantially parallel to one another.

15. The hairspray shield system of claim 11, wherein said support member includes at least one first slot and at least one second slot for receiving a lower edge of said shield.

16. The hairspray shield system of claim 11, wherein said support member is comprised of a tubular structure.

17. The hairspray shield system of claim 16, wherein said shield is comprised of a flexible material capable of being manipulated into a roll for insertion into an open end within said support member.

18. The hairspray shield system of claim 11, wherein said gripping portion has a raised center section and two opposing lowered side sections.

19. The hairspray shield system of claim 18, wherein said raised center section is curved.

20. The hairspray shield system of claim 11, wherein said gripping portion is comprised of an opening extending into an interior of said support member.