Hair trimming device with removably mountable components for removal of split ends and styling of hair

• US 20040045168A1
• Filed: 06/19/2003
• Published: 03/11/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 04/27/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Talavera Hair Products, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Victor C. Talavera
• Inventors: Talavera, Victor C.
• Granted Patent: US 7,040,021 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 30/133
• CPC Class Codes: A45D 24/36 Combs, stencils, or guides, specially adapted for hair trimming devices
• CPC Class Codes: B26B 19/16 involving a knife cylinder or a knife cone or separate cutting elements moved like a rotating cylinder or a rotating cone
• CPC Class Codes: B26B 19/20 with provision for shearing hair of preselected or variable length
• CPC Class Codes: B26B 19/22 with provision for thinning-out hair
• CPC Class Codes: B26B 19/3813 Attachments
• CPC Class Codes: B26B 19/382 Built-in accessories
• CPC Class Codes: B26B 19/44 Suction means for collecting severed hairs or for the skin to be shaved
• CPC Class Codes: B26B 19/48 Accessory implements for carrying out a function other than cutting hair, e.g. attachable appliances for manicuring massage means per se A61H7/00 - A61H23/00

Abstract

A hand held hair trimming device which when pulled through the hair trims only a determined portion of the ends of hair strands while leaving adjacent hairs uncut. The device will cut a predetermined length off only the distal ends of the hair shafts each time it has the hair drawn through one or a plurality of serpentine pathways formed by retainer cavities and an engageable retainer. The cutting head portion of the device may be removed and replaced and optional hair dryer or vacuum may be attached to an aperture on the rear of the cutting head to dry hair, vacate cut ends, or encourage distal ends of hairs toward the cutting blade.

Claims

1. A hair trimming apparatus for trimming the distal ends of hair drawn therethrough, comprising:

a body assembly having a handle end and having a head end;

a motor mounted in said body assembly adapted for communication with an electric power source;

a cutting head assembly positioned upon said head end of said body assembly, said cutting head assembly having a face with a retainer cavity formed therein, a rear wall, a sidewall, and an interior cavity defined by the area between said face and said rear wall;

a slot in said retainer cavity communicating between said face and said interior cavity;

an elongated hair retainer mounted to said body assembly at a first end, said hair retainer dimensioned for cooperative engagement in said retainer cavity;

said elongated hair retainer having an operating position cooperatively engaged in said retainer cavity and having a raised position, substantially disengaged from said retainer cavity;

means to move said elongated hair retainer between said raised position and said operating position;

a serpentine path formed between retainer cavity and said hair retainer in said operating position, said serpentine path for drawing hair strands through said cutting head assembly;

said slot allowing said distal ends of said hair strands drawn through said serpentine path to momentarily communicate into said interior cavity; and

means for cutting off portions of said distal ends of said hair strands;

means to communicate mechanical power from said motor to said means for cutting off portions of said distal ends of said hair strands.

2. The hair trimming apparatus as defined in claim 1 additionally comprising:

said cutting head assembly removably mountable to said head end; and

means for cooperative engagement of said cutting head to said head end.

3. The hair trimming apparatus as defined in claim 1 additionally comprising:

an aperture formed in said sidewall;

a tray, said tray engageable into said interior cavity through said aperture to a mounted position;

means to substantially seal said aperture when said tray is in said mounted position; and

said tray having at least one collection cavity positioned to catch said portions cut from the distal ends of said hairs, whereby said portions cut from said distal ends of said hairs are collected in said collection cavity and thereafter may be disposed of by moving said tray from its mounted position and inverting it.

4. The hair trimming apparatus as defined in claim 2 additionally comprising:

an aperture formed in said sidewall;

a tray, said tray engageable into said interior cavity through said aperture to a mounted position;

means to substantially seal said aperture when said tray is in said mounted position; and

said tray having at least one collection cavity positioned to catch said portions cut from the distal ends of said hairs, whereby said portions cut from said distal ends of said hairs are collected in said collection cavity and thereafter may be disposed of by moving said tray from its mounted position and inverting it.

5. The hair trimming apparatus as defined in claim 1 additionally comprising:

a rear aperture formed in said rearwall, said rear aperture providing communication to said interior cavity; and

openable means for sealing said rear aperture.

6. The hair trimming apparatus as defined in claim 2 additionally comprising:

a rear aperture formed in said rearwall, said rear aperture providing communication to said interior cavity; and

openable means for sealing said rear aperture.

7. The hair trimming apparatus as defined in claim 3 additionally comprising:

a rear aperture formed in said rearwall, said rear aperture providing communication to said interior cavity; and

openable means for sealing said rear aperture.

8. The hair trimming apparatus as defined in claim 4 additionally comprising:

a rear aperture formed in said rearwall, said rear aperture providing communication to said interior cavity; and

openable means for sealing said rear aperture.

9. The hair trimming apparatus as defined in claim 2 additionally comprising:

a plurality of cutter blade assemblies each either removably or permanently mountable in said interior cavity;

each of said plurality of cutter blade assemblies configured to cut a defined length of said distal ends of said hair strands whereby said user may adjust the length of said distal end removed from said hair strand by changing to another cutter blade assembly from said plurality of cutter blade assemblies.

10. The hair trimming apparatus as defined in claim 4 additionally comprising:

a plurality of cutter blade assemblies each either removably or permanently mountable in said interior cavity;

each of said plurality of cutter blade assemblies configured to cut a defined length of said distal ends of said hair strands whereby said user may adjust the length of said distal end removed from said hair strand by changing to another cutter blade assembly from said plurality of cutter blade assemblies.

11. The hair trimming apparatus as defined in claim 6 additionally comprising:

a plurality of cutter blade assemblies each either removably or permanently mountable in said interior cavity;

each of said plurality of cutter blade assemblies configured to cut a defined length of said distal ends of said hair strands whereby said user may adjust the length of said distal end removed from said hair strand by changing to another cutter blade assembly from said plurality of cutter blade assemblies.

12. The hair trimming apparatus as defined in claim 5 additionally comprising:

said rear aperture engageable with one of a plurality of components from a group of engageable components consisting of a hair dryer and a vacuum.

13. The hair trimming apparatus as defined in claim 6 additionally comprising:

said rear aperture engageable with one of a plurality of components from a group of engageable components consisting of a hair dryer and a vacuum.

14. The hair trimming apparatus as defined in claim 7 additionally comprising:

said rear aperture engageable with one of a plurality of components from a group of engageable components consisting of a hair dryer and a vacuum.

15. The hair trimming apparatus as defined in claim 8 additionally comprising:

said rear aperture engageable with one of a plurality of components from a group of engageable components consisting of a hair dryer and a vacuum.

16. The hair trimming apparatus as defined in claim 1 additionally comprising:

said retainer cavity communicating between said face and said interior cavity being substantially arched shaped and extending from a point substantially adjacent to a first side edge to a second point substantially adjacent to a second side edge opposite said first side edge;

said elongated hair retainer also having arched shape dimensioned for cooperative engagement in said retainer cavity; and

said slot positioned substantially equidistant between said first point and said second point.

17. The hair trimming apparatus as defined in claim 2 additionally comprising:

said retainer cavity communicating between said face and said interior cavity being substantially arched shaped and extending from a point substantially adjacent to a first side edge to a second point substantially adjacent to a second side edge opposite said first side edge;

said elongated hair retainer also having arched shape dimensioned for cooperative engagement in said retainer cavity; and

said slot positioned substantially equidistant between said first point and said second point.

18. The hair trimming apparatus as defined in claim 3 additionally comprising:

said retainer cavity communicating between said face and said interior cavity being substantially arched shaped and extending from a point substantially adjacent to a first side edge to a second point substantially adjacent to a second side edge opposite said first side edge;

said elongated hair retainer also having arched shape dimensioned for cooperative engagement in said retainer cavity; and

said slot positioned substantially equidistant between said first point and said second point.

19. The hair trimming apparatus as defined in claim 4 additionally comprising:

said retainer cavity communicating between said face and said interior cavity being substantially arched shaped and extending from a point substantially adjacent to a first side edge to a second point substantially adjacent to a second side edge opposite said first side edge;

said elongated hair retainer also having arched shape dimensioned for cooperative engagement in said retainer cavity; and

said slot positioned substantially equidistant between said first point and said second point.

20. The hair trimming apparatus as defined in claim 5 additionally comprising:

said retainer cavity communicating between said face and said interior cavity being substantially arched shaped and extending from a point substantially adjacent to a first side edge to a second point substantially adjacent to a second side edge opposite said first side edge;

said elongated hair retainer also having arched shape dimensioned for cooperative engagement in said retainer cavity; and

said slot positioned substantially equidistant between said first point and said second point.

21. The hair trimming apparatus as defined in claim 6 additionally comprising:

said retainer cavity communicating between said face and said interior cavity being substantially arched shaped and extending from a point substantially adjacent to a first side edge to a second point substantially adjacent to a second side edge opposite said first side edge;

said elongated hair retainer also having arched shape dimensioned for cooperative engagement in said retainer cavity; and

said slot positioned substantially equidistant between said first point and said second point.

22. The hair trimming apparatus as defined in claim 7 additionally comprising:

said retainer cavity communicating between said face and said interior cavity being substantially arched shaped and extending from a point substantially adjacent to a first side edge to a second point substantially adjacent to a second side edge opposite said first side edge;

said elongated hair retainer also having arched shape dimensioned for cooperative engagement in said retainer cavity; and

said slot positioned substantially equidistant between said first point and said second point.

31. The hair trimming apparatus as defined in claim 1 additionally comprising:

a plurality of splines located on one or a combination of said hair retainer and said face;

gaps formed between said splines; and

said gaps dividing said serpentine pathway into a plurality of individual serpentine pathways for guiding hair strands through said retainer cavity and said hair retainer.

23. A hair trimming apparatus for trimming the distal ends of hair drawn therethrough, comprising:

a body assembly having a handle end and having a head end;

a motor mounted in said body assembly adapted for communication with an electric power source;

a cutting head assembly positioned upon said head end of said body assembly, said cutting head assembly having

a face having a plurality of said retainer cavities formed therein, each of said plurality of said retainer cavities having a slot therein communicating between said face and said interior cavity;

said elongated hair retainer having a plurality of elongated projections, each of said projections dimensioned for cooperative engagement in said retainer cavities;

said elongated hair retainer having an operating position with said projections cooperatively engaged in said retainer cavities and having a raised position, with said projections substantially disengaged from said retainer cavities;

said serpentine path formed between each of said plurality of retainer cavities and said elongated projections; and

each slot in said plurality of retainer cavities allowing said distal ends of said hair strands drawn through said serpentine path to momentarily communicate into said interior cavity, whereby said distal ends of said hair strands communicate into said interior cavity a plurality of times equal to the number of said plurality of retainer cavities.

24. The hair trimming apparatus as defined in claim 23 additionally comprising:

said cutting head assembly being removably mountable to said head end; and

means for cooperative engagement of said cutting head to said head end.

25. The hair trimming apparatus as defined in claim 23 additionally comprising:

an aperture formed in said sidewall;

a tray, said tray engageable into said interior cavity through said aperture to a mounted position;

means to substantially seal said aperture when said tray is in said mounted position; and

said tray having at least one collection cavity positioned to catch said portions cut from the distal ends of said hairs, whereby said portions cut from said distal ends of said hairs are collected in said collection cavity and thereafter may be disposed of by moving said tray from its mounted position and inverting it.

26. The hair trimming apparatus as defined in claim 24 additionally comprising:

an aperture formed in said sidewall;

a tray, said tray engageable into said interior cavity through said aperture to a mounted position;

means to substantially seal said aperture when said tray is in said mounted position; and

said tray having at least one collection cavity positioned to catch said portions cut from the distal ends of said hairs, whereby said portions cut from said distal ends of said hairs are collected in said collection cavity and thereafter may be disposed of by moving said tray from its mounted position and inverting it.

27. The hair trimming apparatus as defined in claim 23 additionally comprising:

a rear aperture formed in said rearwall, said rear aperture providing communication to said interior cavity; and

openable means for sealing said rear aperture.

28. The hair trimming apparatus as defined in claim 24 additionally comprising:

a rear aperture formed in said rearwall, said rear aperture providing communication to said interior cavity; and

openable means for sealing said rear aperture.

29. The hair trimming apparatus as defined in claim 25 additionally comprising:

a rear aperture formed in said rearwall, said rear aperture providing communication to said interior cavity; and

openable means for sealing said rear aperture.

30. The hair trimming apparatus as defined in claim 26 additionally comprising:

a rear aperture formed in said rearwall, said rear aperture providing communication to said interior cavity; and

openable means for sealing said rear aperture.

32. The hair trimming apparatus as defined in claim 23 additionally comprising:

a plurality of splines located on one or a combination of said hair retainer and said face;

gaps formed between said splines; and

said gaps dividing said serpentine pathway into a plurality of individual serpentine pathways for guiding hair strands through said plurality of retainer cavities and said hair retainer.