Apparatus for applying hair highlights

A hair treatment tool suitable for treating selected strands of hair, comprising:

• a first handle portion having a proximal end, a distal end and a region between the proximal and distal ends for gripping, the first handle portion made at least in part from a resilient material;
• a second handle portion having a proximal end, a distal end and a region between the proximal and distal ends for gripping, the first handle portion made at least in part from a resilient material;
• a spring fastener movably connecting the first and second handle portions;
• a brush attached to the distal end of the first handle portion, the brush comprised of a plurality of bristle rows extending in at least two orthogonal directions, a first direction and a second direction, the plurality of bristle rows terminating at a proximal end and a distal end in the first direction of extent;
• a hair guide comprising a base portion generally aligning with the brush when the first and second handle are squeezed together, the hair guide further comprising a hair guide portion formed by two hair guide members extending outward from the base portion generally in the direction of the distal end of the first handle portion, the two hair guide members and base portion forming an open-ended groove, the open end of the groove facing generally in the direction of the distal end of the first handle portion, the hair guide portion overlapping the proximal end of the brush when the first and second handle portions are squeezed;
• and
• wherein the overlapping hair guide portion and plurality of bristle rows form an enclosed guide for separating the selected strands of hair from those not being treated, for retaining the selected strands of hair during the treatment procedure, and for guiding the selected strands of hair over the bristles of the brush during the treatment procedure.

A hair coloring tool for applying fluid material to selected strands of hair, comprising:

• a fluid applying device for retaining and bringing a treatment fluid into contact with the strands of hair, the fluid applying device having a proximal and a distal end;
• a hair securing device comprising a base portion, the hair securing device further comprising a groove guide extending outward from the base portion, the groove guide for capturing and guiding selected strands of hair to be treated;
• and
• a support handle for supporting said fluid applying device and said securing device in movable relationship to each other between a proximal relationship wherein said groove guide overlays the proximal end of the fluid applying device and wherein said fluid applying device can bring the treatment fluid into contact with the strands of hair, and a distal relationship in which selected strands of hair can be manually placed in said groove guide of said hair securing device.

A method of coloring selected groups of hair strands using a ton-like handle having a first handle portion a second handle portion and a connecting member movably connecting the first and second handle portions, the first and second handle portions having a proximal end, a distal end and a region for gripping between the proximal and distal ends, the method comprising the steps of:

• applying a quantity of hair coloring agent to a brush having a plurality of rows of bristles attached to the distal end of the first handle portion of the tong-like handle, the rows of bristles extending in at least two directions, a first direction and a second direction, the rows of bristles having a proximal end and a distal end in the first direction of extent;
• selecting strands of hair to be treated;
• placing the selected hair strands into a grooved hair guide member of a hair guide located at the distal end of the second handle portion;
• squeezing the tong-like handle with one hand so that the distal ends of the first and second handle portions move to a position wherein the grooved guide member overlaps the proximal end of the brush, wherein the overlapping grooved hair guide member and the brush forming an opening enclosed substantially on all sides that separates the selected strands of hair from those not being treated, and retains the selected hair strands during the treatment procedure;
• and
• pulling the tong-like instrument along the lengthwise direction of the selected strands while squeezing the tong-like handle so that the grooved guide member guides the selected hair strands over the bristles of the brush whereby color treating agent is applied to the selected hair strands as the tong-like handle is pulled along the selected hair strands.

A hair-coloring tool for use in applying hair treatment preparations to hair, wherein during hair treatment a person performing the treatment grasps a group of adjacent hair strands and uses the hair coloring tool to apply the hair treatment preparation to the hair strands in a sliding motion in a treatment direction coinciding with the lengthwise extent of the group of adjacent hair strands, the hair-coloring tool comprising:

• a tong-like flexible handle having a first handle portion, a second handle portion and a connecting member, wherein the first handle portion and second handle portion each have a proximal end, a distal end, and a region for gripping intermediate between the proximal and distal ends, wherein the connecting member movably connects the proximal ends of the first and second handle portions and wherein the first and second handle portions extend in a direction approximately perpendicular to the treatment direction when in use;
• a brush mounted to the distal end of the of the first handle portion of the tong-like flexible handle, wherein the brush comprises a bristle holder mounted to the first handle portion, the bristle holder having a plurality of holes organized in a regular grid of rows extending in at least two orthogonal directions, a first direction and a second direction, and wherein a plurality of bristles is fixedly mounted in each bristle hole, the individual bristles extending in a direction toward the distal end of the second handle portion, the individual bristles having bristle ends that collectively form a surface for accepting hair treatment preparations, and wherein in the first direction of extent the plurality of bristles collectively terminate at a proximal and a distal end, the first direction of extent generally coinciding with the treatment direction,
• a hair guide for operating in conjunction with the brush when the tong-like handle is squeezed, the hair guide comprising a base portion extending, in part, in the hair treatment direction, the base portion having a proximal end and distal end in the hair treatment direction, the hair guide further comprising a hair guide portion extending outward from the base portion near the proximal end of the base portion, the hair guide portion comprising two hair guide members extending in a direction toward the distal end of the first handle portion, the hair guide members and base portion together forming an open-ended U-shape wherein the open end of the U-shape faces in the direction of the distal end of the first handle portion;
• and
• wherein when the tong-like flexible handle is loosely held in an open, accessible position, hair treatment preparations may be applied to the brush and the selected group of hair strands may be placed in the U-shaped hair guide portion, and wherein when the tong-like handle is squeezed, the base portion and brush together sandwich a portion of the group of hair strands, and the hair guide portion overlaps the proximal end of the brush, forming an enclosed guide for guiding the group of adjacent hair strands to be treated over the bristles of the brush.

A hair-coloring tool comprising:

• a tong-like handle forming an open-ended U-shape, the tong-like handle having a first handle portion forming a first upright of the U-shape and a second handle portion forming a second upright of the U-shape, the first and second handle portions each having a proximal end, a distal end and a region for gripping between the proximal and distal ends, the tong-like handle further comprising a connecting member connecting the proximal ends of the first and second handle portions, the connecting member permitting relative movement of the first and second handle portions so that the distal ends of the first and second handle portions may contact one another;
• a brush mounted to the distal end of the first handle portion, the brush comprising a bristle holder having at least three substantially parallel rows of bristles, wherein the at least three rows of bristles extend in a first direction substantially perpendicular to the direction of the first handle portion and the individual bristles themselves extend in a direction toward the distal end of the second handle portion, the bristles having bristle ends forming a surface for accepting hair treatment preparations, the at least three substantially parallel rows of bristles having a proximal end and a distal end in the first direction;
• a hair guide mounted to the distal end of the second handle portion, the hair guide extending, in part, in substantially the same direction as the three parallel rows of bristles and generally perpendicular to the second handle portion, the hair guide comprising a base portion defining a surface facing generally toward the distal end of the first handle portion, the base portion having a proximal end and a distal end in the first direction, the hair guide further comprising a hair guide portion extending outward from the base portion near the proximal end of the base portion, the hair guide portion comprising two hair guide members that in combination with the base portion form an open-ended U-shape, wherein the open end of the U-shape of the hair guide portion faces in the direction of the distal end of the first handle portion;
• and
• wherein when the handle portions are squeezed bringing the distal ends of the first and second handle portions in close proximity, the hair guide portion overlaps the proximal end of the at least three parallel rows of bristles and in combination with the bristle ends forms an enclosed guide for retaining hair strands selected for treatment and for guiding the selected hair strands over the bristle ends during the treatment procedure.

A hair-coloring tool for treating selected hair strands comprising:

• a tong-like handle generally forming an open-ended U-shape, the tong-like handle having a first handle portion forming a first upright of the U-shape and a second handle portion forming a second upright of the U-shape, the first and second handle portions each having a proximal end, a distal end and a region for gripping between the proximal and distal ends, the tong-like handle further comprising a connecting member connecting the proximal ends of the first and second handle portions, the connecting member permitting relative movement of the first and second handle portions so that the distal ends of the first and second handle portions may contact one another;
• a brush mounted to the distal end of the first handle portion, the brush comprising a bristle holder fixedly retaining a plurality of bristles, wherein the plurality of bristles extend in two orthogonal directions, a first direction and a second direction, the plurality of bristles having a proximal end and a distal end in the first direction, the individual bristles having bristle ends that together form a surface for receiving hair treatment preparations comprising at least hair coloring agents, the individual bristles extending in a third direction generally toward the distal end of the second handle portion;
• a hair guide mounted to the distal end of the second handle portion, the hair guide comprising a base portion defining a surface facing generally toward the distal end of the first handle portion and extending, in part, in substantially the same direction as the first direction of the plurality of bristles, the base portion having a proximal end and a distal end in the first direction, the hair guide further comprising a hair guide portion extending outward from the base portion near the proximal end of the base portion, the hair guide portion comprising two hair guide members that in combination with the base portion form an open-ended U-shape, wherein the open end of the U-shape of the hair guide portion faces in the direction of the distal end of the first handle portion;
• and
• wherein when the handle portions are loosely held, the selected hair strands may be placed in the U-shaped hair guide portion, and wherein when the handle portions are squeezed bringing the distal ends of the first and second handle portions in close proximity, the hair guide portion overlaps the proximal end of the plurality of bristles thereby capturing and retaining the hair strands that have been selected for treatment by forming an enclosed guide in combination with the bristle ends.

A hair-coloring tool for applying hair coloring agents to selected strands of hair comprising:

• a brush comprising a bristle holder fixedly retaining a plurality of bristles extending in at least two orthogonal directions, a first direction and a second direction, the bristles having bristle ends that define a surface for accepting hair coloring agents, the plurality of bristles further having a proximal end and a distal end in the first direction;
• a hair guide comprising a base portion and a hair guide portion, the base portion defining a surface at least the same dimension as the surface formed by the bristles ends, the hair guide portion comprising two hair guide members extending outward from the base portion, the hair guide members and base portion together forming a grooved guide having an open end, the open end of the grooved guide generally facing toward the surface defined by the bristles;
• and
• a handle comprising first and second handle portions movably connected by a connecting member, the first and second handle portions comprising at least a gripping region and a distal end, the distal end of the first handle portion attached to the bristle holder of the brush and the distal end of the second handle portion attached to the base portion of the hair guide, wherein when the first and second handle portions are squeezed together, the hair guide portion of the hair guide overlaps the proximal end of the bristles of the brush in the first direction, forming an enclosed guide for separating selected hair strands for treatment from hair not being treated, for retaining the selected hair strands during the treatment process, and for guiding the selected hair strands over the bristle ends, and wherein at least a portion of the selected hair strands are sandwiched between the bristle ends and the base portion of the hair guide.