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(11) | EP 0 425 241 A1 |
| (12) | EUROPEAN PATENT APPLICATION |
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| (54) | Toupee |
| (57) A fixing type toupee which is adapted to be semi-permanently secured to hairs of
a wearer, said toupee comprising a base portion 6 having a relatively large opening
defined by a closed loop periphery 5, and a cover portion 8 for covering the opening
of the base portion, and releasable engaging means 9 for engaging the cover portion
with the base portion so as to close the opening of the base portion to form a completed
toupee. Although this toupee is fixed to the wearer's head by linking or knitting
the connecting member of the toupee with part of the hairs of the wearer himself,
a relatively large area of the toupee is easily accessible under the control of the
wearer himself to enable him to perform direct washing of his head without complete
removal of the toupee. |
[0001] Toupees are of two types. The first type is secured to the head of the wearer by attachment means which are easily disengaged, such as a snap-type hairpin or a double-sided adhesive tape. The second type of toupee uses attachment means engageable with the hairs of the wearer and such attachment means are not so easily detachable, and in particular are not easily detachable by the wearer himself. Since it is desirable to remove a toupee at regular intervals for washing the head of the wearer, the second type of toupee is less convenient in its conventional form. The present invention aims to overcome this problem with the second type of toupee by enabling the head of the wearer to be washed while the toupee remains attached. According to the invention there is provided a toupee as set out in Claim 1.
[0002] An example of the invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:-
Figure 1 is a perspective view of one example of a toupee on the wearer's head;
Figure 2 shows another example;
Figure 3 shows an underside plan of the toupee of Figure 2 in its closed position; and
Figure 4 is a logitudinal central section through the toupee of Figure 2.
[0003] The toupees illustrated in the drawings comprise a base portion 6 and a cover portion 8. The cover portion 8 may be completely detachable as in Figure 1, or hinged to the base portion along a hinge line 7 as shown in Figures 2 to 4. The base portion 6 has a central aperture defined by a closed loop 5 giving access to the head of the wearer and to his own hairs and the base portion is secured to the head of the wearer by securing the base portion to the hairs of the wearer for example by knitting with hairs on the base portion of the toupee or tieing with a string not shown attached to the base portion.
[0004] The two portions of the toupee are formed in conventional manner, that is with a flexible base 2 and a plurality of toupee hairs 3 planted on the top surface 2a of the base 2. The base 2 is preferably a net which may be of metal, synthetic resin or textile material. The toupee hairs 3 may be human hair or artificial hair, for example of synthetic fibres, glass, and plastics materials. The toupee hair is dyed and chemically treated to avoid tangling when combed and may be made of uniform length when secured to the toupee base.
[0005] The toupee base of the cover portion has a peripheral edge 5b which co-operates for a close fit with the peripheral edge 5a of the closed loop aperture of the toupee base of the base portion. Connecting elements 9 on the two portions are engageable so as to secure the base and cover portion. Figure 4 shows connecting strips (12, 13) forming part of the connecting means on respectively reinforcing bands 11 and 10 of the cover and base portions. It will be seen that there are a greater number of connecting elements (9) in Figure 1 where the cover portion is completely detachable from the base portion than in the hinged embodiment of Figures 2 to 4. The connecting elements may for example comprise Velcro (Registered Trade Mark) strip or other easily dis-engageable connecting devices. Alternative engaging means 9 include pairs of hook elements, plural pairs of snap buttons or other similar engaging elements.
[0006] It will be seen from Figure 3 that the closed loop aperture of the embodiment with a cover portion hinged to the base portion is of horseshoe shape, the hinge line 7 extending between the ends of the horseshoe. The horseshoe is of sufficient size to give access to the maximum area of the top of the head of the wearer while not extending as far as the sides of the head of the wearer.
[0007] The wearer can easily disengage the elements 12, 13 and hinge the cover portion of the toupee from the base portion and thus gain access to the top of his head for washing purposes while the base portion remains securely fixed to his hairs. He does not need to the co-operation of a third party to assist him in this operation and so washing can be easily accomplished.
1. A fixing type toupee which is adapted to be semi-permanently secured to hairs of
a wearer, said toupee being characterised by a base portion having a relatively large
opening defined bye a closed loop periphery, said base portion having toupee hairs
planted on its top surface at the area surrounding said opening, and a cover portion
for covering said opening of said base portion, said cover portion having toupee hairs
planted on its top surface, and releasable means for engaging said cover portion with
said base portion so as to close said opening of said base portion to form a completed
toupee.
2. A fixing type toupee as defined in Claim 1, in which said cover portion is completely
detachable from said base portion, and said opening of said base portion is defined
by a closed loop peripheral edge.
3. A fixing type toupee as defined in Claim 2, in which said cover portion has a peripheral
edge which corresponds to the contour of said peripheral edge defining said opening
of said base portion.
4. A fixing type toupeee as defined in Claim 3, in which said peripheral edge of said
cover portion and said peripheral edge defining said opening of said base portion
are provided with the respective connecting elements which are engageable with each
other to cooperate together to close said opening to form a completed toupee.
5. A fixing type toupee as defined in Claim 1, in which said cover portion is integrally
connected to said base portion at a part of said periphery defining said opening so
that said cover portion can open and close said opening said base portion by a relative
movement between them making said connecting part as a hinge.
6. A fixing type toupee as defined in Claim 5, in which said base portion has a peripheral
edge cooperating with said connecting part to define said opening, said cover portion
has a peripheral edge which corresponds to the contour of said peripheral edge partly
defining said opening of said base portion, and said two peripheral edges are provided
with the respective connecting elements which are engageable with each other to cooperate
together to close said opening to form a completed toupee.