US 10,765,192 B2Granted

Lice and nit removal tool and method

AssigneeWipe & Remove Nits, LLC

InventorsDawn Julie Ward, Frances A. Elenbaas

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Abstract

A lice removing apparatus and method of using it are disclosed. The apparatus comprises a flexible fabric sheet having a pair of pockets defined on a first side of the sheet adjacent opposite ends of the sheet. A second side of the sheet includes a plurality of projections, or other physically coarse material, that strip nits from a person's hair when passed there over. A user inserts his fingers and thumb into the pockets, folds the sheet around a lock of hair, and runs the sheet along the length of the hair while squeezing the folded sheet into constant contact with the hair. Thereafter, the sheet is discarded and a new one is used for cleaning a subsequent lock of hair. The sheets may be stored in a contained in a manner that provides easy access for grasping the sheet and removing it from the container with one hand.

Claims15

Dependent claims

A method of removing lice nits from a person's hair, the method comprising:

grasping a first fabric sheet having a plurality of projections on a first face of the first fabric sheet, at least some of the plurality of projections including thermoactive adhesive material adapted to become sticky in response to applied heat, the thermoactive adhesive material requiring more heat than that generated by the user's hand, the first fabric sheet including a non-woven fabric layer made from a needled fleece material, and the first fabric sheet adapted to both mechanically strip nits from the person's hair and retain the stripped nits on the non-woven fabric layer;
folding the first fabric sheet around a first lock of the person's hair such that the first face of the first fabric sheet contacts the first lock of the person's hair;
squeezing the first fabric sheet while folded around the first lock of the person's hair;
moving the first fabric sheet lengthwise along the first lock of the person's hair while squeezing the first fabric sheet around the first lock of the person's hair;
disposing of the first fabric sheet;
grasping a second fabric sheet having a plurality of projections on a first face of the second fabric sheet, the second fabric sheet including a non-woven fabric layer made from a needled fleece material, the second fabric sheet adapted to both mechanically strip nits from the person's hair and retain the stripped nits on the non-woven fabric layer;
folding the second fabric sheet around a second lock of the person's hair such that the first face of the second fabric sheet contacts the second lock of the person's hair;
squeezing the second fabric sheet while folded around the second lock of the person's hair;
moving the second fabric sheet lengthwise along the second lock of the person's hair while squeezing the second fabric sheet around the second lock of the person's hair;
and
disposing of the second fabric sheet.

8 more elements

A method of removing lice nits from a person's hair, the method comprising:

grasping a first fabric sheet having a plurality of projections on a first face of the first fabric sheet, at least some of the plurality of projections include thermoactive adhesive material adapted to become sticky in response to applied heat, the thermoactive adhesive material requiring more heat than that generated by the user's first digit to become sticky, the first fabric sheet including a non-woven fabric layer made from a fusible fabric that has not been fused, the first fabric sheet adapted to both mechanically strip nits from the person's hair and retain the stripped nits on the non-woven fabric layer;
folding the first fabric sheet around a first lock of the person's hair such that the first face of the first fabric sheet contacts the first lock of the person's hair;
squeezing the first fabric sheet while folded around the first lock of the person's hair;
moving the first fabric sheet lengthwise along the first lock of the person's hair while squeezing the first fabric sheet around the first lock of the person's hair;
disposing of the first fabric sheet;
grasping a second fabric sheet having a plurality of projections on a first face of the second fabric sheet, the second fabric sheet including a non-woven fabric layer made from a fusible fabric that has not been fused, the second fabric sheet adapted to both mechanically strip nits from the person's hair and retain the stripped nits on the non-woven fabric layer;
folding the second fabric sheet around a second lock of the person's hair such that the first face of the second fabric sheet contacts the second lock of the person's hair;
squeezing the second fabric sheet while folded around the second lock of the person's hair;
moving the second fabric sheet lengthwise along the second lock of the person's hair while squeezing the second fabric sheet around the second lock of the person's hair;
and
disposing of the second fabric sheet.

8 more elements

A method of removing lice nits from a person's hair, the method comprising:

grasping a first fabric sheet comprising a non-woven fabric layer having a plurality of projections, the plurality of projections defined on a first face of the first fabric sheet and made of thermoactive adhesive material adapted to become sticky in response to applied heat, the first fabric sheet adapted to both mechanically strip nits from the person's hair and retain the stripped nits on the non-woven fabric layer;
folding the first fabric sheet around a first lock of the person's hair such that the first face of the first fabric sheet contacts the first lock of the person's hair;
squeezing the first fabric sheet while folded around the first lock of the person's hair;
moving the first fabric sheet lengthwise along the first lock of the person's hair while squeezing the first fabric sheet around the first lock of the person's hair;
disposing of the first fabric sheet;
grasping a second fabric sheet comprising a non-woven fabric layer having a plurality of projections, the plurality of projections defined on a first face of the second fabric sheet and made of thermoactive adhesive material adapted to become sticky in response to applied heat, the second fabric sheet adapted to both mechanically strip nits from the person's hair and retain the stripped nits on the non-woven fabric layer;
folding the second fabric sheet around a second lock of the person's hair such that the first face of the second fabric sheet contacts the second lock of the person's hair;
squeezing the second fabric sheet while folded around the second lock of the person's hair;
moving the second fabric sheet lengthwise along the second lock of the person's hair while squeezing the second fabric sheet around the second lock of the person's hair;
and
disposing of the second fabric sheet.

8 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 16/510,224Filed 12 Jul 2019 · continuation
Priority: 9 Jun 2016
Published: US 2019/0328104 A131 Oct 2019
Granted: 8 Sep 2020
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification6 codes

A45D 24/00
Hair combs for care of the hair
A01M 3/00
Manual implements, other than sprayers or powder distributors, for catching or killing
A01M 3/04
Manual implements, other than sprayers or powder distributors, for catching or killing insects, e.g. butterfly nets: with adhesive surfaces
A45D 24/30
Hair combs for care of the hair; Accessories therefor: combs specially adapted for removing dirt or grease

Family

Application15/177,831Parent of this continuation · filed 9 Jun 2016
US 2019/0328104 A1Pre-grant publication · published 31 Oct 2019
US 10,362,849 B2Parent of this continuation
US 2017/0354226 A1Published application
US 10,765,192 B2This patent

From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.