Hair holder   

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a hair holder and, more particularly, to a decorative hair holder for ponytails.

2. Description of the Related Art

Conventional hair holders for ponytails generally include an elastic band in a circular form for encircling and holding hair in a tight ponytail. An ornament is attached to the elastic band for decorating the hair holder. However, the hair holders are prone to slip when the users are engaged in athletics or recreational activities, requiring constant readjustments to move the hair holders back into place or to tighten it. Furthermore, the position of the ornament relative to the elastic band can not be easily adjusted to enhance the appearance of the user.

SUMMARY

Therefore, it is an objective of the present invention to overcome the aforementioned shortcoming and deficiency of the prior art by providing a hair holder that can adequately hold a ponytail of a user when the user is engaged in an athletic or recreational activity while allowing easy adjusting of a decorative ornament on the ponytail.

To achieve the foregoing objective, a hair holder of the present invention includes an engaging member, a circular elastic band, and a decorative ornament. The engaging member includes inner and outer surfaces spaced in a thickness direction. The engaging member further includes a pin extending from the inner surface of the engaging member in the thickness direction and adapted to be inserted in a hair tuft of a user. The engaging member further includes an engaging portion formed on the inner surface of the engaging member and spaced from the pin. The circular elastic band extends through the engaging portion of the engaging member and is adapted for encircling and holding the hair tuft. The decorative ornament is attached to the outer surface of the engaging member for decorative purposes.

In a preferred form, the engaging portion of the engaging member includes a through-hole through which the circular elastic band is extended such that the engaging member is moveable relative to the circular elastic band in a circumferential direction of the circular elastic.

In a preferred form, the pin of the engaging member includes a distal end and at least one annular groove on an outer periphery of the pin and intermediate the inner surface of the engaging member and the distal end in an axial direction of the pin.

The present invention will become clearer in light of the following detailed description of illustrative embodiments of this invention described in connection with the drawings.

The illustrative embodiments may best be described by reference to the accompanying drawings where:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a hair holder according to an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 shows another perspective view of the hair holder of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 shows a side view of the hair holder of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 shows an exploded, perspective view of the hair holder of FIG. 2;

FIG. 5 shows the hair holder of FIG. 1 in use on a ponytail of a user, with a circular elastic band of the hair holder encircling around the ponytail, a pin of the hair holder inserted in the ponytail, and a decorative ornament located on the ponytail; and

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a hair holder according to another embodiment of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

A hair holder of a first embodiment of the present invention is shown in FIGS. 1 through 5 of the drawings and generally designated 10. The hair holder 10 includes an engaging member 12, a circular elastic band 14, and a decorative ornament 16. The hair holder 10 can be used as a stylish hair accessory for encircling and holding a hair tuft such as a ponytail 18 of a user 20 (see FIG. 5).

According to the preferred form shown, the engaging member 12 is a planar plate and includes inner and outer surfaces 22 and 24 spaced in a thickness direction of the plate. A pin 26 extends from the inner surface 22 of the engaging member 12 in the thickness direction and includes a beaded distal end 28 by which the pin 26 is adapted to be inserted into the ponytail 18 of the user 20. Several spaced, annular grooves 30 are provided in an outer periphery 32 of the pin 26 for griping by the ponytail 18. The grooves 30 are intermediate the inner surface 22 of the engaging member 12 and the distal end 28 in an axial direction of the pin 26. A ring-shaped engaging portion 34 with a through-hole 36 is provided on the inner surface 22 of the engaging member 12 and spaced from the pin 26.

According to the preferred form shown, the circular elastic band 14 is a rubber band and extends through the through-hole 36 of the engaging portion 34 of the engaging member 12 such that the engaging member 12 is moveable relative to the circular elastic band 14 in a circumferential direction of the circular elastic band 14. Two ends 37 of the circular elastic band 14 are combined together after the circular elastic band 14 extends through the through-hole 36 of the engaging portion 34. The circular elastic band 14 with elasticity can stretch around the ponytail 18 of user 20 and then apply a constricting tension to hold the ponytail 18 in place.

According to the preferred form shown, the decorative ornament 16 is a plastic plate having a flower-shaped configuration and having a decorative design 38 on an outer face 40 thereof. The decorative ornament 16 may be attached to the outer surface 24 of the engaging member 12 by adhesives, sonic welding, or conventional engagement methods. In another preferred form, the decorative ornament 16 is integrally formed with the engaging member 12 as a single member.

FIG. 5 illustrates the hair holder 10 in use holding the ponytail 18 of user 20. The circular elastic band 14 is tensioned around the ponytail 18 by inserting the ponytail 18 through the circular elastic band 14 and twisting the circular elastic band 14. Once the circular elastic band 14 encircles and holds around the ponytail 18, the pin 26 is engaged in the ponytail 18 with the distal end 28 inserted into the ponytail 18 and with the annular grooves 30 gripped by the ponytail 18. The pin 26 ensures that the hair holder 10 will remain secure without requiring frequent readjustments during athletics or recreational activities. After the hair holder 10 is properly positioned on the ponytail 18, the decorative ornament 16 is located on the ponytail 18, and the decorative design 38 on the outer face 40 of the decorative ornament 16 faces outwardly from the ponytail 18, exhibiting an aesthetically attractive appearance. Furthermore, according to the preference of the user, the position of the decorative ornament 16 on the ponytail 18 can be easily adjusted by changing the engagement position of the pin 26 in the ponytail 18 and/or changing the insertion depth of the pin 26 into the ponytail 18. The user 20 can change the insertion depth of the pin 26 by selecting engagement of one or two of the annular grooves 30 with the ponytail 18.

Now that the basic teachings of the present invention have been explained, many extensions and variations will be obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art. The hair holder 10 shown in FIG. 6 is a modification of that shown in FIGS. 1 through 5. Description of the parts of the hair holder 10 shown in FIG. 6 identical to those shown in FIGS. 1 through 5 is omitted. In this embodiment, the pin 26 does not include annular grooves 30 on outer periphery 32 thereof. Furthermore, it is apparent that there may be one or more than two annular grooves 30 formed on the outer periphery 32 of the pin 26.

Thus since the invention disclosed herein may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the spirit or general characteristics thereof, some of which forms have been indicated, the embodiments described herein are to be considered in all respects illustrative and not restrictive. The scope of the invention is to be indicated by the appended claims, rather than by the foregoing description, and all changes which come within the meaning and range of equivalency of the claims are intended to be embraced therein.