Hair Drying Headband

[0001]This non-provisional application claims priority to U.S. provisional application Ser. No. 63/745,034 entitled Hair Drying Headband filed on Jan. 14, 2025. All of the content of provisional application 63/745,034 is fully incorporated into this non-provisional application.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

[0002]The claimed invention relates to a headband system that ideally functions for drying wet hair while remaining secure to the user's head.

BACKGROUND

[0003]Those with long hair have issues with drying hair quickly/conveniently if they don't want to use a hair dryer which can dry out and damage hair after long term use. However, walking around with wet hair waiting for it to dry is inconvenient or if one needs to be outside in cold weather, it is not practical. Typically, if one stays inside, it is customary to just wrap a typical bath towel on one's head while doing their indoor activities. However, bath towels are not ideal in that they are heavy and/or bulky, and the twisting used to wrap the bath towel on one's head is not very secure. And if one wants to perform activities outside their personal space/home or needs to generally go out in public, wearing a bath towel on one's head is not practical or fashionable. Several systems have been introduced to solve this problem (U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,365,613; 5,890,229; 6,427,251; 9,532,620; 9,907,381; 10,194,709; and US 20090176049). However, these systems have disadvantages in that they are generally either still bulky, require additional connector features or complex twisting for security, and none have a highly absorbent lightweight material in close connection with a person's wet hair to wick away or absorb water to dry the hair, while having an outer layer that remains dry. And while it is a matter of personal preference, none are generally considered to be fashionable or practical.

[0004]What is needed is a system that is easy, convenient, lightweight, and practical for a person to secure and dry their wet hair, so that they can do all their necessary activities while waiting for their hair to dry. What is needed is a system that allows wet hair to be in close contact with the absorbing or wicking surface to allow for expedited hair drying. What is needed is a system that generally allows one to feel comfortable from a fashionable or practical standpoint wearing out in public while doing their activities.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0005]Disclosed is a headband system that is ideal and practical for drying one's hair while they are performing activities of their everyday lives. The headband system is an improvement over previous systems such the ones noted above. The headband system disclosed allows wet hair to be placed in close contact with absorbent material in an easy-to-fold insert that is secured by a tapered headband. The headband system disclosed is lightweight and not bulky. The headband system disclosed has no additional connector pieces for securing the headband to the user's head that can loosen and fall off over the course of time. The headband system disclosed does not require a complex twisting configuration to be secured on one's head. The headband system disclosed is fashionable and practical to wear in public. The headband system uses lightweight yet highly absorbent material to wick water away from wet hair to expediate drying. The headband system is easy to construct and can be configured to various sizes so that users can range from children to adults of various head sizes. The headband system is comprised of low-cost machine washable materials that can be bought in bulk, keeping the price point low.

SHORT DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

[0006]FIG. 1 shows an embodiment of the headband system on the hair contacting side.

[0007]FIG. 2 shows the opposite side and perspective view of the embodiment of headband system shown in FIG. 1.

[0008]FIG. 3A shows a magnified view of the towel of the headband system.

[0009]FIG. 3B shows an embodiment of the insert of the headband system.

[0010]FIG. 4 shows the stages of using the headband system.

[0011]FIG. 5 shows an alternative embodiment of the headband system on the hair contacting side.

[0012]FIG. 6 shows a perspective view of an alternative embodiment of the headband system.

[0013]FIG. 7A shows an alternative embodiment of the insert of the headband system.

[0014]FIG. 7B shows a close-up view of the midline of the insert with perforations.

[0015]FIG. 7C shows a close-up view of a side of the insert with perforations.

[0016]FIG. 8A is a front view of an alternative embodiment of the headband system focused on the headband itself wherein the headband is attached to towel using connectors.

[0017]FIG. 8B is a perspective view of an alternative embodiment of the headband system focused on the headband itself where the headband is attached to towel using connectors.

[0018]FIG. 8C is a closeup view of an alternative embodiment of the headband system focused a section of the headband itself and on one connector where the headband is attached to towel using connectors.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0019]As shown in FIGS. 1-4, disclosed is one embodiment of the headband system. Headband system 10 is comprised of two main components, a headband 1 with opening 8 and a moisture-absorbing towel 2. The headband 1 preferably is tapered being more expansive on one half compared to the second half. The towel 2 is comprised of a hair contacting side and a back side. On the hair contacting is attached a band 4 for securing a person's long hair at the distal end. Band 4 is preferably an elastic band, but band 4 can be comprised of any material capable of performing the securing function. Towards the proximal end of the towel is an opening 3 reinforced by stitching 7. Opening 3 can be roughly 1.5 inches from proximal edge of towel 2. The expansive half of headband 1 is attached very near the proximal edge of the towel 2, preferably as shown in FIG. 2 by stitching 9. However, any feasible attachment means of connecting the headband to the towel is contemplated by this disclosure. Alternatively, the attachment means can be an easily reversable attachment means such as but not limited to a hook and loop fastener strip, such as made by Velcro®. The hook and loop fastener strip would allow a towel 2 to be replaced by another towel 2, or towel 2 can be placed in a different headband 1, each headband 1 having different artistic designs/colors, etc. The expansive half of headband 1 is where the hair is tucked in when the headband system is folded and in use, see FIG. 4. Tapering allows the headband to be tight when being worn and in use by a person. In some embodiments of the headband system, the headband may be twisted on the non-expansive second half that will eventually sit on the forehead of the user when in use. The headband can be comprised of various fabrics such as cotton, polyester, or any type of feasible fabric. The fabric preferably is a lightweight material that has stretching capacity. The headband and opening can be of any size capable of being worn by a person ranging from a child to a large adult.

[0020]The towel 2 is comprised of two components, an outer cover 18 and an insert 11. Outer cover 18 can be comprised of lightweight material such as cotton, polyester or any types of blends that are capable of allowing water to pass through. Insert 11 is comprised of a water absorbing material such as polyvinyl alcohol (PVA). PVA has ideal properties in that after water absorption, it softens and has reduced mechanical strength, which increases the material's flexibility allowing it to bend and fold readily. However, any comparable absorbent material known in the art can be used and is contemplated by this disclosure. As shown in FIG. 3B insert 11 is comprised of opening 12 which when inserted to outer cover 18 aligns with opening 3. Insert 11 is partially comprised of a slit pattern starting from its about 1 inch above its distal end to approximately to one half (½) to one third (⅓) away from its proximal end. Each half of insert 11 is comprised of a matching pair of an inner and an outer series of slits. An inner series of slits emanates from a midline 16 producing inner tabs 15 and an outer series of slits emanates from the outer side edge 17 of the insert 11 producing outer tabs 13. Inner tabs 15 and outer tabs 13 align along vertical slit 14 located on each half of the insert 11. The slit pattern disclosed in FIG. 3B is illustrative only, and any feasible slit pattern that allows for ease of folding or twisting the insert to enable the user to place the folded or twisted insert under the headband so that the user can easily wear the headband system is contemplated by this disclosure.

[0021]The size of towel 2 can be capable of accommodating the longer hair lengths of a person but generally ranges from approximately 8-12 inches in length and approximately 6-8 inches in width. To secure the insert 11 in the outer cover 18, stitching can be done. As shown in embodiment in the figures, inner stitching 5 allows the inner tabs 15 to be secured to the outer covering 18 and outer stitching 6 allows the outer tabs 13 to be secured to the outer covering 18. However, any feasible stitching pattern that secures the insert to the outer covering so that the insert does not slide around within the outer covering is contemplated by this disclosure. And while inner stitching 5 is shown as a straight stitching style and outer stitching 6 is shown with a wave pattern stitching style, any feasible stitching style capable of securing the insert to the outer covering is contemplated by this disclosure. Other attachment means other than stitching that can secure the insert to the outer covering are also contemplated by this disclosure.

[0022]One advantage of the headband system is that it is easy to use. An example of the process is demonstrated in FIG. 4. The user places the headband 1 on their head with the hair contacting side of the towel 2 facing away from the person. The user pulls their hair strands through the opening 3 and then secures their distal hair strands with band 4. Alternative to using band 4, a pocket (not shown) can be incorporated into the towel to secure distal hair strands. The user then rolls or twists the towel 2 in a manner that allows the hair strands to be in close contact with the absorbent matter of insert 11 and that makes the towel 2 area with the hair smaller so that it can be tucked under the expansive half of the headband 1. Once the towel 2 and the wrapped hair are tucked under the headband 1, it secured to the user's head, and the user can go about their daily activities inside or outside of their home while their hair is drying. The headband system 10 is lightweight even after the water is absorbed in to insert 11 and the stretchable headband 1 material allows the headband system to stay secure on the user's head even while performing typical activities, like cleaning their home, walking the dog, performing yoga, etc. If out in public the headband system 10 will just be generally perceived as a fashionable headband being worn by the user.

[0023]FIGS. 5-7 shown an alternative embodiment of the headband system. Headband system 20 is comprised of two main components, a headband 21 with opening 24 and a moisture-absorbing towel 22. The headband 21 preferably is tapered being more expansive on one half compared to the second half. The towel 22 is comprised of a hair contacting side and a back side. On the hair contacting is attached a band 24 for securing a person's hair at the distal end. Band 24 is preferably an elastic band, but band 24 can be comprised of any material capable of performing the securing function. Alternative to using band 24, a pocket (not shown) can be incorporated in the towel. The expansive half of headband 21 is attached very near the proximal edge of the towel 22 to ribbon 23 by stitching 30. However, any feasible attachment means of connecting the headband to the towel is contemplated by this disclosure. Alternatively, the attachment means can be an easily reversable attachment means such as, but not limited to, a hook and loop fastener strip such as made by Velcro®. The hook and loop fastener strip would allow a towel 22 to be replaced by another towel 22, or towel 22 can be placed in a different headband 21, each headband 21 having different artistic designs/colors, etc. Ribbon 23 can also be used to pull the user's hair through to help secure the hair within the towel 22. The expansive half of headband 21 is where the hair is tucked in when the headband system is folded and in use. A person utilizing headband system 20 would do so in a similar process to what is seen in FIG. 4. Tapering allows the headband to be tight when being worn and in use by a person. In some embodiments of the headband system, the headband may be twisted on the non-expansive second half that will eventually sit on the forehead of the user when in use. The headband can be comprised of various fabrics such as cotton, polyester, or any type of feasible fabric. The fabric preferably is a lightweight material that has some stretchability capacity. The headband and opening can be of any size capable of being worn by a person ranging from a child to a large adult.

[0024]The towel 22 is comprised of two components, an outer cover 18 and an insert 11. Outer cover 25 can be comprised of lightweight material such as cotton, polyester or any types of blends that are capable of allowing water to pass through. Insert 26 is comprised of a water absorbing material such as polyvinyl alcohol (PVA). However, any comparable absorbent material known in the art can be used and is contemplated by this disclosure. As shown in FIG. 7A, insert 26 is comprised of a plurality of rows of horizontal perforations 29. Insert 26 is also comprised of a row of midline vertical perforations 27 while each half of insert 26 is comprised of at least one row of side vertical perforations 28. The combination of the horizonal perforations and the vertical perforations allows the towel 22 to be folded easily around the user's hair to tuck the hair under the headband 21. The specific perforation pattern shown in FIGS. 7A-7C is illustrative only, and any feasible perforation pattern that allows for ease of folding or twisting the insert to enable the user to place the folded or twisted insert under the headband so that the user can easily wear the headband system is contemplated by this disclosure.

[0025]FIGS. 8A-C show an alternative to attaching the headband to the towel. In headband system 30, headband 31 is attached to towel 32 by connectors 33. Connectors are preferably made of material having elasticity and are preferably placed on the side edges of towel 32. Optionally, ribbon 34 is attached to towel 32 to help secure the user's hair.

[0026]The foregoing description and drawings merely illustrate the invention and are not intended to be limiting. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications can be made without departing from the inventive concept. Accordingly, it is not intended that the invention be limited except by the appended claims.