Wig Cap With Pattern

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims the earlier filing date of Provisional Patent Application No. 62/078,504, filed electronically (EFS ID #20672149) on Nov. 12, 2014.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

This invention presents an improvement in the convenience, ease and cost of creating a wig. Specifically, in its preferred embodiment, my invention presents a product and method whereby an individual can easily and inexpensively create a sew-in or quick weave style of wig that results in a particular chosen hair style and appearance when worn.

A wig is a head covering made from human hair, animal hair, or synthetic fiber that is worn for fashion or other reasons, including cultural tradition and religious observance. The word wig is short for periwig and first appeared in the English language around 1675.

Wigs are worn frequently by some people, often even on a daily basis in everyday life. This is sometimes done for reasons of convenience, since wigs can be styled ahead of time.

There are various methods of attaching hair to a foundation while making a wig. The first and oldest is to weave the root ends of the hair onto a warp of silk threads to form a sort of fringe called a “weft”. The wefts are then sewn to a foundation made of net or other material, depending on the desired style of the resulting wig.

Another method is to glue the wefts to a stocking cap placed on the head. Using this method, hair is attached to a cap that you place on your head over your natural hair which has been smoothed by the application of a hair gel product. One of the main reasons many women opt for a stocking cap style is because it offers a quick and protective style worn over one's own hair.

One of the most commonly used methods of creating a wig, as it is quite natural looking and lasts considerably longer than the other techniques, is called ‘sew-ins’. A sew-in involves sewing in ‘tracks’, otherwise known as extensions, directly onto a person's natural hair, which has first been braided into a pattern of rows, called corn rows. The tracks can be sewn in or glued to these corn TOWS.

Tracks, and the corn rows they are attached to, form the foundation of the sew-in style of wig. Together they define the look of the end result. This is in part, firstly, because of the placement and pattern of the corn rows, which determine where the subsequent tracks can easily attach. The tracks are attached to the corn rows in a manner that determines in what direction the hair will fall (i.e. toward the face or away, with or without a part, etc.). Therefore the desired final hair style, or look, is dependent on the number and placement of tracks as well as the pattern of corn rows that the tracks can easily be attached to. Knowing where to direct the cornrows is key to how the end product appears.

Contributing to the need for improvements in the convenience, ease and cost of creating a specific style of wig is that there have been great advancements in the hair products used to manufacture a wig. The products have become more readily available and more realistic in their appearance. This has resulted in more people electing to wear a wig or a sew-in weave.

Today's fashion values also are much more accepting of a person utilizing a wig to obtain the hair style they desire. Since it's more acceptable and the products look more realistic, there has been an increase in the number of people who want a wig. However, purchasing a wig can be expensive, so many of these people want to make a wig themselves (Do It Yourself, or DIY) but don't have the experience, training, background or knowledge to do so with much of a guarantee they will achieve an acceptable result. At a minimum, a person doing so will need to know where to attach the hair wefts or tracks in order to get a particular style they have in mind. The process can be a very time consuming effort, and having to ‘undo’ and ‘fix’ things that are discovered to be incorrect, or that don't produce the desired results, can be frustrating.

This has created a need for a product and method to produce a realistic looking wig/weave that is relatively inexpensive, easy to create, easy to care for, and that can be created in the home or professional setting.

None of the prior art discloses or even addresses the increasingly frequent issue encountered as a result of the combination of these evolutions (wider acceptance of wearing wigs, desire to present oneself with a particular hair style, more realistic looking products, wanting to save money, need for a DIY method).

For example, US Patent Application #20100100170523 (DePalma, Michele L.) claims “A multi-style wig having a wig cap (1) with an interchangeable base section (3) and special extensions (18) which may be removably attached to the wig cap.” This invention, while it may be used to modify a single hair style, does so through the addition or removal of portions of a wig which is already made to a specific style. It does not address the issue of constructing a wig of a desired style, but only allows modifications to an existing style. Nor does it present anything that would enable an untrained user to construct their own wig and achieve a specific hair style.

Another example is US Patent Application 20040139978 (Anzivino, Robert A.) dated Jul. 22, 2004. The specialized wig cap claimed by Anzivino is constructed of modifiable sections, specifically for the end purpose of customizing the fit of the wig cap to a specific wearer's head. It does not address any special features to guide a person in making a wig of a specific hairstyle. Nor does it address any new method related to the attachment of hair components to the wig cap.

What is required, and what my invention provides a solution for, is a product and method that addresses the need for individuals to be able to easily create a wig/weave themselves, inexpensively, quickly, that results in a realistic looking product of high quality, in the hair style they want.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

This invention presents an improvement in the convenience, ease and cost of creating a wig.

Specifically, in its preferred embodiment, my invention presents a product and method whereby, without any specific training or background knowledge, an individual can easily and inexpensively create a wig or weave that has a particular chosen style and appearance and do so by themselves.

My invention consists of a weave cap, or cap style covering made of a netting or nylon material, for the human head, upon which a pattern is displayed. The pattern displayed differs and is dependent on what hair style is to be created in the resulting wig.

My invention also includes instructions to the end user related to attaching the hair to the cap. By following the displayed pattern and instructions while sewing or gluing on hair wefts to my invention, a particular desired final hair style is obtained. My invention may include any pattern on a wig cap that will result in any hair style. The end user may procure a wig cap with the pattern printed on it that results in a wig having the hair style they desire.

To use my invention, the patterned weave cap is placed on a person's head. To ensure the most real looking end product, the person's hair is first tightly braided in rows (commonly called cornrow braids) to lay flat against their head. The weave cap is then placed directly over their braided hair. Then the hair extension tracks are sewn directly to the pattern on the net. This results in tracks attached sometimes to the wig cap and sometimes through the wig cap and onto the underlying cornrow braids. Following the pattern printed on the wig cap, and the included instructions, ensures the sewn on hair will result in the hair style desired by the user.

In another embodiment, a stocking cap is provided, upon which a pattern for tracks to follow is likewise displayed. By gluing wefts of hair to the pattern in the manner illustrated in the instructions, the end result is a specific hair style.

The object of the present invention is to enable an individual to create a wig that will give them the specific hair style they desire.

A further object of the invention is to present a product to the ‘do it yourself’ market that enables any individual to assemble hair products onto a weave cap (made of netting or a stocking cap) that will result in a realistic hair piece.

A further object of the invention is to minimize potential damage to a person wearing a weave by attaching hair pieces to netting instead of directly to an individual's actual hair, or by gluing hair pieces to a stocking cap

A further object of the invention is to present a visual aid in the form of a pattern displayed on the weave cap (netting or stocking) that provides an individual, without a background or training in the subject matter, the ability to create a wig/weave in the style desired.

A further object of the invention is to allow an individual the ability to braid their underlying hair and arrange the resulting corn rows in a cost effective and easy method that produces the flattest braiding pattern for a weave, resulting in a more natural appearance to the new hairstyle, rather than having to lay the corn rows in any particular pattern for tracks of hair to follow.

A further object of the invention is to provide for attachment of the hair wefts to the weave cap netting itself instead of solely to a person's braided hair, providing for less movement of the braided cornrows from routine handling of the wig/weave such as combing or washing, and less potential damage to one's own hair.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 shows an example of the preferred embodiment of my invention, with a printed pattern 120 displayed on a wig cap 100 upon which to attach hair wefts.

FIG. 2 shows a side view of another embodiment of my invention with a printed pattern 120 displayed on a wig cap 100.

FIG. 3 shows the specific hair style 200 produced through the use of my invention, and specific to the printed pattern 120 displayed on the wig cap 100 shown in FIG. 1

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

My invention consists of a weave cap, or cap like covering for the human head, upon which a printed pattern is displayed. It also includes instructions that explain where and how one is to attach hair wefts to the cap by following the printed pattern in order to obtain a desired final hair style.

Each package will have one printed pattern on a cap. There will be numerous hairstyles available to choose from, each in its own package.

Because the patterned cap may cause you to sew where there may not be a cornrow underneath during a sew-in install, you are able to braid your cornrows going straight back to create a flatter foundation of cornrows. This easier braiding method gives a more natural appearance to your sew-in hairstyle.

The embodiment of my invention that includes a stocking cap instead of a weave cap made of netting, will also have a pattern on it, making it much easier to produce the desired hairstyle. The stocking cap version will allow the person to simply gel their own hair down, place the patterned stocking cap over their hair and glue tracks onto the stocking cap, using the instructions and pattern as a guide to result in the desired hair style.