Layered clip

#The invention relates to hair styling devices, systems and methods. More specifically, this invention relates to clips for securing and retaining a portion of hair.

#Hair styling often involves manipulating hair into a preferred orientation or style and securing the hair in that preferred orientation or style. Typical devices for performing this function include barrett devices and loop devices. Most of the prior art hair securing devices are configured to secure a single section of hair at a single location.

#There are a number of hair styling device configured to clasp or secure a sections of hair in multiple locations. For example, Mondor in French document No. 608,630 describes a clip device with two clips that pivotally open in the same direction from a common surface of a fork shaped body section. Schach, in U.S. Pat. No. 6,003,522 describes a barrett with two displaced clasping members that are pivotally attached to open in opposite directions from a common surface of a body section. In the U.S. Pat. No. 5,154,196 issued to Moffat, Moffat describes a plurality of barrettes that are attached through strings, such that the barretts can clasp longitudinally to several positions on a strand of hair.

#FIGS. 1a-b show three elongated body sections for securing sections or strands of hair therebetween.

#FIGS. 2a-b show three elongate body sections with pole shaped securing structures.

#FIGS. 3a-b show a three body clip with two outer body sections hingably attached to opposite ends of the center body section and being securable in a closed position, in accordance with an embodiment of the current invention

#FIG. 1 illustrates three rectangular body sections 101, 103 and 105. Each body section 101, 103 and 105 is preferably elongated and substantially flat. However, the body sections 101, 103 and 105 can have any suitable shape and have pattered or contoured edges 102, 104 and 106. Alternatively, the body sections 101, 103 and 105 are curve or contoured, such as shown in FIGS. 6a-b. The body sections 101, 103 and 105 are preferably between 2.0 to 10 cm in length L and between 0.5 to 3.0 cm in width W. The body sections 101, 103 and 105 are formed from any suitable material including polymeric molded material, such as plastics, rubbers and the like, metals and combinations thereof. The body sections 101, 103 and 105 are capable of being separated by sets of ends 111 and 113.

#In use, hair 115 is placed between the sections 101, 103 and 105 and the ends 111 and 113 place in a closed positions 111′ and 113′, whereby the hair 115 is securably held in the clasping regions 117 and 119 formed between the body sections 101, 103 and 105. The body sections 101, 103 and 105 are securable held in the closed position through any number of means including clips that fit over the one or more of the sets of ends 11 and 113, with the ends 111 and 113 in the closed positions 111 and 113′.

#FIGS. 2a-b illustrate a clip in accordance with an embodiment of the current invention. The clip has at least three body sections 201, 203 and 205. Each of the body sections 201, 203 and 205 has one or more holes for receiving pole structures 209 and 213. Hair (not shown) is placed between the body sections 201, 203 and 205. The body sections 201, 203 and 205 are then placed in a closed a position and secured in the closed position by inserting the poles structures 209 and 211 through the holes, as shown in FIG. 2b. Preferably, each of the pole structures 209 and 213 has a sets of catch features 208/210 and 212/214 to prevent the pole structures 209 and 211 from slipping out of position once they are placed in the holes with the body sections 201, 203 and 205 and in the closed position.