US3651821A - Hairpiece construction - Google Patents

Abstract

A partial hairpiece for use by people with thinning hair which consists of a plurality of hair-carrying webbed bands for placement across the top of the head in separated strips, the bands having their ends attached to an elastic band which is Ushaped and extends around the back of the head from the temples. The separation of the hair-carrying strips allows the wearer''s own hair to extend through the area between the strips where it may intermingle with an overlie portions of the hairpiece hair.

Description

llnited States Patent Mielke 51 Mar. 28, 1972 [s41 HAIRPIECE CONSTRUCTION 3,444,865 5/1969 De Vita 1 32/53 [72] Inventor: ggzz z gxrgfig 3 ggg Mendlan Primary Examiner-Louis G. Mancene Assistant Examiner-Gregory E. McNeill [22] Filed: Nov. 21, 1969 Attorney-Hill, Sherman, Meroni, Gross & Simpson [21] Appl. No.: 878,862 [57] ABSTRACT A partial hairpiece for use by people with thinning hair which g A; 1133133 consists Ufa plurality ofhaimanying webbed bands for Flaw 58] Fieid 132/53 54 6 7 9 ment across the top of the head in separated strips, the bands 5 having their ends attached to an elastic band which is U- shaped and extends around the back of the head from the temples. The separation of the hair-carrying strips allows the [56] References Cited wearer's own hair to extend through the area between the UNITED STATES PATENTS strips where it may intermingle with an overlie portions of the hairpiece hair. 1,549,334 8/1925 Ruffio ..132/105 3,434,481 3/1969 Mazzocco ..132/53 1 Claim, 4 Drawing Figures BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention This invention relates to a hairpiece and more particularly to a partial hairpiece which is used in connection with the wearers own hair to provide a full-bodied look.

2. Prior Art Wigs and hairpieces are old in the art, and fall generally into two categories, those which cover the entire head of the wearer and those which are designed to be used in addition to the hair of the wearer. Examples of the latter type are found in U.S. Patent to Jenkins No. 3,280,826 and Regina, US. Pat. No. 3,307,563.

In many instances, a persons natural hair growth may thin in certain areas of the head, and although it may be possible to cover these areas with longer hairs from full-growth areas of the head, to do so results in the lack of a full-bodied look. In many instances, it has been suggested to attach additional hair, either natural or artificial, to cover the thin spots. To the extent this is done with a full-covering hairpiece or wig, it may be detrimental to the wearers own hair as well as being undesirable for esthetic purposes. To the extent that this can be accomplished by placing individual hairpiece portions over the thinning spot, this usually requires that what hair may exist not be used in whatever coiffure the wearer desires. Further, most prior art methods of attaching such individual hairpieces do not accommodate extensive hair styling and are generally of a temporary nature designed to be worn for short periods of time.

The present invention provides a partial hairpiece which forms a base and support to a head of hair which is thin. It allows exposure of all of the wearers own hair to advantage, and allows a commingling of the hairpiece hair with the wearer's hair allowing them to be cut and styled as if the hairpiece-carried hair were a part of the wearers hair. Further, the hairpiece of this invention can be used with an ordinary head of hair to make or enhance any desired style of coiffure. The hairpiece does not cover the entirety of the head, and therefore does not cut off oxygen to the wearers own hair and scalp.

The hairpiece consists of an elastic band or strip which, when in place on the wearers head, is U-shaped and extends from a position adjacent the front of the hairline overlying either the temporal bone or the sphenoid. The strip extends around the back of the head below the natural bulge near the base of occipital bone. The free ends of the strip located adjacent the temples can be attached to the wearers own hair as by hairpins or the like, as may the bight portion in the back of the head. A plurality of web strips carrying hair extends over the top of the wearers head. The strips are attached at either end thereof to the elastic band. The strips are spaced from one another from the front of the wearers head to the back a sufficient distance to allow the wearer's own hair to be drawn up through the spaces and thereafter combed in and commingled with the hair carried by the strips.

In a preferred embodiment, the strip which is furthest back is attached to the elastic band through elastic intermediary strips so as to be snug on the rear portion of the wearer's head. This strip usually overlies either the top of the occipital bone or the bottom portions of the parietal bones.

It is therefore an object of this invention to provide a new and improved hairpiece.

it is another object of this invention to provide a partial hairpiece having strips of hair laid transversely across the wearers head whereby the wearers own hair may be commingled with the hairpiece hair.

It is another and a more specific object of this invention to provide a partial hairpiece having an elastic band extending around the back of the head from the temples and a plurality of hair-carrying strips extending over the top of the head and around the upper portions of the rear of the head, the strips being separated from one another thereby allowing the wearer's hair to be pulled out from underneath the strips and overlie portions of the strips to commingle with the hairpiece hair.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Other objects, features and advantages of the invention will be readily apparent from the following description of certain preferred embodiments thereof, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, although variations and modifications may be efiected without departing from the spirit and scope of the novel concepts of the disclosure, and in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the hairpiece of this invention in position on a mannequin head;

FIG. 2 is a top plan view of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the non-hair portions of the hairpiece of FIGS. 1 and 2; and

FIG. 4 is a plan view of a machine sewn strip of hair which may be used in place of the bands of prior figures.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT FIG. 1 illustrates the hairpiece 10 of this invention placed upon a featureless mannequin head 11. The hairpiece 10 consists of hair-carrying bands 12, elastic bands 13, and hair 14. The hair may be human, animal or artificial.

The hairpiece 10 is designed to be placed over the hair of the wearer. Thereafter the hair of the wearer is parted in the areas adjacent the bands 12 and the wearers hair is drawn from under the bands to a position atop the bands, where it may be combed into and commingled with the hairpiece hair. In this manner, the hairpiece hair acts to fill out the wearers own hair and it may be cut and styled therewith. This is an aid to wearers with thinning hair. Further, the hairpiece may be used, when it is desired, for esthetic reasons, to create a coiffure which may require larger amounts of hair than the wearer has naturally.

The hairpiece 10 is constructed of an elastic band 17 which is dimensioned to extend around the back of the wearers head from the temples. The band, when worn, is U-shaped with the free ends of the legs of the U 19 and 20 positioned behind the normal hairline overlying either the sphenoid or temporal bone of the wearer in the area 22 behind the natural hairline. The ends 19 and 20 are fastened to the wearers own hair as by means of hairpins or the like. The elastic band 17 extends around the back of the wearers head below the posterior bulge of the occipital bone in the area 25. The band will normally be retained there due to the bulge of the occipital bone, however, it may also be aided by fastening to the wearers hair with hairpins or the like.

A plurality of webbed strips 12, preferably three in number, 27 28 and 29, extend over the top of the wearers head in a U- shaped configuration. The ends of the U" 31 and 32 of the frontmost webbed band 27 are attached to the free ends 19 and 20 of the elastic band 17. The frontmost webbed band 27 normally overlies the back of the frontal bone or the front of the parietal bones, depending upon where the wearers hair is thinnest. The second webbed band 28 is positioned to the rear of the band 27 and has its ends 33 and 34 connected to the elastic band 17 in spaced relation from the connection of the band 27. The band 28 is positioned to extend over the head in the area of the parietal bones.

The band 29 is connected with the elastic band 17 through two elastic bands 35 and 36 which have their ends connected to the ends 37 and 38 of the band 29 and to the elastic strip 24. The band 29 is spaced from the band 28 to the rear thereof and is designed to overlie the rear of the parietal bones or the top of the occipital bone. The elastic strips 35 and 36 serve to retain the band 29 in place while increasing the snugness of the fitting of the elastic band 17 and preventing it from slippage. i

The bands 27, 28 and 29, being spaced from one another, allow the wearers hair to be pulled into the spaces 40 and 41 between the bands and into the space 43 between the band 29 and the elastic band 17. The bands 27, 28 and 29 are preferably web material with individual stands of hair attached thereto as illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2. In this manner, when the wearers own hair is parted and pulled into the spaces 40 and 41 and over the top of the band 27 the wearer's own hair commingles with the artificial or natural hair carried by the bands so as to provide an esthetic look, hiding the bands underneath the commingled hair. Thereafter, the combined hairpiece hair and the wearer's hair may be styled and cut as a single hair source.

FIG. 4 illustrates a machine-sewn strip of artificial hair 45. The strip 45 consists of a packing 46 and strands of artificial hair 47 which are machine-sewn to the backing 46 as by stitching 48. Individual strips of machine-sewn hair may be substituted for the bands 27, 28 and 29 as may groups of strips of machine-sewn hair which overlie and commingle with one another.

It is to be understood that although the invention has been discussed as preferably having three webbed bands or three sets of machine-sewn strips, the invention may be practiced with more than three where the placement of the wearers hair makes this desirable.

It can therefore be seen from the above that my invention provides a partial hairpiece which is easily assembled and placed upon the wearers hair and which allows the wearers hair to be drawn between portions of the hairpiece and commingled with the hairpiece-carried hair where it may be styled and cut as a unitary, commingled mass.

Although the teachings of my invention have herein been discussed with reference to specific theories and embodiments, it is to be understood that these are by way of illustration only and that others may wish to utilize my invention in different designs or applications.

I claim as my invention:

1. A hairpiece comprising:

a U-shaped head hair attached band of thin width which runs longitudinally of the head and does not go all the way around the head and with the free ends thereof terminating adjacent the temples of a wearer and the center portion extending around the back of the head;

a plurality of hair carrying bands that bisect the plane of the skull of the wearer, one of said hair carrying bands attached to the free ends of said hair attaching band and extending over the front portion of the wearer's skull;

a second one of said hair carrying bands attached to central portions of the legs of said hair attaching band and extending over the center portion of the wearers skull;

a third one of said hair carrying bands having its ends attached to the ends of two thin elastic strips the other ends of which are attached to the legs of said hair attaching band rearwardly relative to the head of the wearer of said second hair carrying band; and

three crescent-shaped openings formed respectively between said first and second hair carrying bands, said second and third hair carrying bands and said third hair carrying band and the center portion of said head hair attaching band so that the wearer's hair may be drawn through said crescent-shaped openings and intermixed with hair on said hair carrying bands.

Claims (1)

1. A hairpiece comprising: a U-shaped head hair attached band of thin width which runs longitudinally of the head and does not go all the way around the head and with the free ends thereof terminating adjacent the temples of a wearer and the center portion extending around the back of the head; a plurality of hair carrying bands that bisect the plane of the skull of the wearer, one of said hair carrying bands attached to the free ends of said hair attaching band and extending over the front portion of the wearer''s skull; a second one of said hair carrying bands attached to central portions of the legs of said hair attaching band and extending over the center portion of the wearer''s skull; a third one of said hair carrying bands having its ends attached to the ends of two thin elastic strips the other ends of which are attached to the legs of said hair attaching band rearwardly relative to the head of the wearer of said second hair carrying band; and three crescent-shaped openings formed respectively between saId first and second hair carrying bands, said second and third hair carrying bands and said third hair carrying band and the center portion of said head hair attaching band so that the wearer''s hair may be drawn through said crescent-shaped openings and intermixed with hair on said hair carrying bands.

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