Hair fasteners

Abstract

There is provided a hair fastener in the form of a hair claw device. The hair fastener has a first outer claw member and a second outer claw member. The first and second outer claw members are pivotably connected at and movable about a rear end thereof, and are provided with a plurality of outer fingers divergingly extending from a rear portion to a front portion of the first and second outer claw members. The hair fastener further has a first inner claw member and a second inner claw member fixedly secured to opposite inwardly facing surfaces of the rear portion of the first outer claw member and the second outer claw member, respectively.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A hair fastener comprising:
 a first outer claw member and a second outer claw member, wherein the first and second outer claw members are pivotably connected at and movable about a rear end thereof,   a plurality of outer fingers divergingly extending from a rear portion to a front portion of the first and second outer claw members,   wherein:
 the plurality of outer fingers transitions to respective plurality of prongs such that in a default configuration the prongs of the first claw member and the prongs of the second claw member point at opposite directions and assume an interlocking or alternating formation, and 
 the hair fastener further comprises a first inner claw member and a second inner claw member fixedly secured to opposite inwardly facing surfaces of the rear portion of the first outer claw member and the second outer claw member, respectively. 
   
     
     
         2 . A hair fastener as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein:
 the first and second outer claw members are provided with a pair of handles at the rear end for operating the hair fastener,   the first inner claw member and the second inner claw member are provided with a plurality of inner fingers, and in the default configuration, convergingly and forwardly extend to the front portion of the first and second outer claw members, and   at least some of the inner fingers from the first inner claw member are provided with protrusions and at least some of the inner fingers from the second inner claw members are provided with corresponding protrusions and the protrusions o the first inner claw members and the respective protrusions of the second claw member generally point towards each other and assume a cooperating formation.   
     
     
         3 . A hair fastener as claimed in  claim 2 , wherein, in the default configuration:
 the plurality of prongs defines a front outwardly facing surface of the front portion of the hair fastener,   the outer fingers and the prongs together define a cavity in or between which the first and second inner claw members reside, and   a distal end of the inner fingers terminates at the front outwardly facing surface of the front portion of the hair fastener.   
     
     
         4 . A hair fastener as claimed in  claim 2 , wherein the number of the outer fingers from the first outer claw member is n, and the number of the inner fingers from the first inner claw members is n−1. 
     
     
         5 . A hair fastener as claimed in  claim 4 , wherein n is 6. 
     
     
         6 . A hair fastener as claimed in  claim 2 , wherein the outer fingers from the first outer claw member and the respective inner fingers from the first inner claw member are arranged laterally across the hair fastener in an alternating manner, and the outer fingers from the second outer claw member and the respective inner fingers from the second inner claw member are arranged laterally across the hair fastener in an alternating manner. 
     
     
         7 . A hair fastener as claimed in  claim 6 , wherein at the default configuration, the inner fingers and/or the protrusions of the first inner claw member abut at least some of the inner fingers and/or the protrusions of the second inner claw member. 
     
     
         8 . A hair fastener as claimed in  claim 2 , wherein a clearance is provided between the inner fingers of the first inner claw member and the outer fingers of the first outer claw member, and a clearance is provided between the inner fingers of the second inner claw member and the outer fingers of the second outer claw member, such that the inner fingers of the first inner claw member can flex towards or away from the outer fingers of the first outer claw member and the inner fingers of the second inner claw member can flex towards or away from the outer fingers of the second outer claw member. 
     
     
         9 . A hair fastener as claimed in  claim 2 , wherein:
 by way of dimensional and/or material characteristics, the inner fingers are more flexible than the inner fingers,   the flexural strengths of the outer fingers and the inner fingers are 40-120 MPa and 43.5-130.5 MPa, respectively, and   the pull forces of the outer fingers and the inner fingers are 1-16 lbs and 0.2-1.5 lbs, respectively.   
     
     
         10 . A hair fastener as claimed in  claim 9 , wherein:
 the first and second outer claw members and the first inner claw members are made of different materials, and/or   the first and second outer claw members are made of a material selected from the group consisting of acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS), K-resin®, styrenic block copolymers (SBC), polyoxymethylene (POM), polyamide (PA), polypropylene (PP), polystyrene (PS), polycarbonate (PC) and high impact polystyrene (HIPS), and the first and second inner claw members are made of a material selected from the group consisting of acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS), K-resin®, styrenic block copolymers/(SBC), polyoxymethylene (POM), polyamide (PA), polypropylene (PP), and polycarbonate (PC).   
     
     
         11 . A hair fastener as claimed in  claim 2 , wherein the angle of inclination of a longitudinal axis defined by one of the inner fingers with respect to a longitudinal axis defined by a respective adjacent outer finger ranges from 10° to 45°. 
     
     
         12 . A hair fastener comprising:
 a first outer claw member and a second outer claw member, wherein the first and second outer claw members are pivotably connected at and movable about a rear end thereof,   a plurality of outer fingers divergingly extending from a rear portion to a front portion of the first and second outer claw members,   wherein:
 the plurality of outer fingers transitions to respective plurality of prongs such that at a default configuration the prongs of the first claw member and the prongs of the second claw member point at opposite directions and assume an interlocking or alternating formation, 
 the hair fastener further comprises a first inner claw member and a second inner claw member fixedly secured to opposite inwardly facing surfaces of the rear portion of the first outer claw member and the second outer claw member, respectively, 
   and
 a clearance is provided between the inner fingers of the first inner claw member and the outer fingers of the first outer claw member, and a clearance is provided between the inner fingers of the second inner claw member and the outer fingers of the second outer claw member, such that the inner fingers of the first inner claw member can flex towards or away from the outer fingers of the first outer claw member and the inner fingers of the second inner claw member can flex towards or away from the outer fingers of the second outer claw member. 
   
     
     
         13 . A hair fastener as claimed in  claim 12 , wherein:
 the first inner claw member and the second inner claw member are provided with a plurality of inner fingers, and at the default configuration, convergingly and forwardly extend to the front portion of the first and second outer claw members, the angle of inclination of one of the inner fingers with respect to a respective adjacent outer finger ranges from 10° to 45°.   
     
     
         14 . A hair fastener as claimed in  claim 12 , wherein:
 the first and second outer claw members are provided with a pair of handles at the rear end for operating the hair fasteners,   the plurality of prongs defines a front outwardly facing surface of the front portion of the hair fastener,   the outer fingers and the prongs together define a cavity in or between which the first and second inner claw members reside, and   a distal end of the inner fingers terminates at the front outwardly facing surface of the front portion of the hair fastener.   
     
     
         15 . A hair fastener as claimed in  claim 12 , wherein the number of the outer fingers from the first outer claw member is n, and the number of the inner fingers from the first inner claw members is n−1. 
     
     
         16 . A hair fastener as claimed in  claim 15 , wherein n is 6. 
     
     
         17 . A hair fastener as claimed in  claim 12 , wherein the outer fingers from the first outer claw member and the respective inner fingers from the first inner claw member are arranged laterally across the hair fastener in an alternating manner, and the outer fingers from the second outer claw member and the respective inner fingers from the second inner claw member are arranged laterally across the hair fastener in an alternating manner. 
     
     
         18 . A hair fastener as  claim 17 , wherein at the default configuration, the inner fingers and/or the protrusions of the first inner claw member abut at least some of the inner fingers and/or the protrusions of the second inner claw member. 
     
     
         19 . A hair fastener as claimed in  claim 12 , wherein:
 by way of dimensional and/or material characteristics, the inner fingers are more flexible than the inner fingers,   the flexural strengths of the outer fingers and the inner fingers are 40-120 MPa and 43.5-130.5 MPa, respectively,   the pull forces of the outer fingers and the inner fingers are 1-16 lb and 0.2-1.5, respectively, and   the first and second outer claw members are made of a material selected from the group of acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS), K-resin®, styrenic block copolymers (SBC), polyoxymethylene (POM), polyamide (PA), polypropylene (PP), polystyrene (PS), polycarbonate (PC) and high impact polystyrene (HIPS), and the first and second inner claw members are made of a material selected from the group of acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS), K-resin®, styrenic block copolymers (SBC), polyoxymethylene (POM), polyamide (PA), polypropylene (PP), and polycarbonate (PC).   
     
     
         20 . A hair fastener comprising:
 a first outer claw member and a second outer claw member, wherein the first and second outer claw members are pivotably connected at and movable about a rear end thereof,   a plurality of outer fingers divergingly extending from a rear portion to a front portion of the first and second outer claw members,   wherein:
 the plurality of outer fingers transitions to respective plurality of prongs such that in a default configuration the prongs of the first claw member and the prongs of the second claw member point at opposite directions and assume an interlocking or alternating formation, 
 the hair fastener further comprises a first inner claw member and a second inner claw member fixedly secured to opposite inwardly facing surfaces of the rear portion of the first outer claw member and the second outer claw member, respectively, 
 at least some of the inner fingers from the first inner claw member are provided with protrusions and at least some of the inner fingers from the second inner claw members are provided with corresponding protrusions and generally point towards each other or at opposite directions and assume a cooperating formation, and 
 a clearance is provided between the inner fingers of the first inner claw member and the outer fingers of the first outer claw member, and a clearance is provided between the inner fingers of the second inner claw member and the outer fingers of the second outer claw member, such that the inner fingers of the first inner claw member can flex towards or away from the outer fingers of the first outer claw member and the inner fingers of the second inner claw member can flex towards or away from the outer fingers of the second outer claw member in the respective clearance.