US20060108193A1

US20060108193A1 - Wig case

Info

Publication number: US20060108193A1
Application number: US11/028,366
Authority: US
Inventors: Min-youp Lee; Byeong-Chul Kim
Original assignee: MS LA Inc
Current assignee: MS LA Inc
Priority date: 2004-11-24
Filing date: 2005-01-03
Publication date: 2006-05-25
Also published as: KR20060057705A; KR100586180B1

Abstract

Disclosed herein is a wig case. The wig case includes a wig support unit having a C-shaped elastic band, and a main body having upper and lower case parts. The wig support unit is in close contact with an inner surface of a wig, while long and short locking protrusions of the wig support unit pass through the wig, thus preventing undesirable movement of the wig. Further, the long and short locking protrusions are fitted into corresponding locking recesses which are provided on both sides of a lower jaw of the lower case part, thus preventing undesirable movement of the wig support unit that supports the wig. The wig case of this invention is capable of storing the wig in the upper and lower case parts so that the wig is not compressed, and prevents movement of the wig during the storage and transport of the wig stored in the wig case, thus preventing the wig from being compressed or deformed, in addition to preventing the hairstyle of the wig from being disordered.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a wig case for storing or carrying a wig.
2. Description of the Related Art
Generally, wig cases comprising soft synthetic resin or paper cardboard have been used to store or carry wigs. However, the conventional wig cases have a problem in that wigs may be frequently compressed or deformed during storage or transport. Thus, the hairstyle of the wig is disordered so that great expense and effort is required to restore curls of the wig to original shapes thereof.
In order to solve the problem, a wig support for packing a wig is disclosed in Korean U.M. Registration No. 20-0297683 which was published on Dec. 12, 2002.
The conventional wig support includes a wig support unit. The length of the wig support unit is determined such that both ends of the wig support unit are in contact with an inner surface of a packing container, thus preventing a wig from undesirably moving in the packing container.
However, the conventional wig support is problematic in that the packing container itself is flat, so that it cannot prevent the wig from being compressed. Further, when the length of the wig support unit is equal to the width of the packing container, it is difficult to put the wig support in the packing container. Conversely, when the length of the wig support unit is slightly shorter than the width of the packing container, the wig support is not in contact with the inner surface of the packing container. Thus, the wig may undesirably move in the packing case during the transport.
Further, the conventional wig support has another problem in that the wig support is thin, so that it is difficult to maintain the volume of the wig, and thereby the hairstyle of the wig is inevitably disordered.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Accordingly, the present invention has been made keeping in mind the above problems occurring in the prior art, and an object of the present invention is to provide a wig case for storing or carrying a wig, which is constructed so that the wig is fixed to a predetermined position in a main body while being supported by a wig support unit, thus preventing the wig from being compressed or deformed, or preventing curls of the wig from being disordered during storage or transport, therefore allowing a user to immediately wear the wig without additional care.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a wig case, capable of maintaining the original volume of a wig.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The above and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will be more clearly understood from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:
FIG. 1 is a plan view of a wig case, according to the present invention, when a wig support unit is separated from a main body of the wig case;
FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the wig support unit, according to the present invention;
FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken along line I-I of FIG. 2;
FIG. 4 is a plan view of the wig case, according to the present invention, when a wig is stored in the wig case; and
FIG. 5 is a front view to show the state where locking protrusions of the wig support unit are fitted into locking recesses of the main body.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.
FIG. 1 is a plan view of a wig case including a wig support unit 10 and a main body 20, according to the present invention, when the wig support unit 10 is separated from the main body 20. FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the wig support unit 10 shown in FIG. 1. The wig support unit 10 includes a C-shaped elastic band 11, and an upper portion 11 a of the C-shaped elastic band 11 is reinforced by reinforcing ribs 11 b. Long locking protrusions 12 and 12′ protrude from a side of the elastic band 11, and short locking protrusions 13 and 13′ protrude from opposite ends of the elastic band 11. Further, an inner reinforcing rim 14 is provided along an inner surface of the C-shaped elastic band 11. U-shaped elastic bands 15 and 15′, each having a tapered shape such that an open end thereof is wider than a closed end thereof, are provided at positions adjacent to the long locking protrusions 12 and 12′. The U-shaped elastic bands 15 and 15′ are fitted into corresponding slits 15 a and 15 a′ that are cut in the inner reinforcing rim 14.
The U-shaped elastic bands 15 and 15′ may be integrated with the C-shaped elastic band 11 into a single structure.
Further, a lug 16 is provided on top of the upper portion 11 a, with saw teeth 17 provided on a surface of the lug 16.
Such a wig support unit 10 may be made of synthetic resin through an injection molding process or an extrusion molding process. Further, the wig support unit 10 may be made of metal or wood having elasticity, bamboo, or other materials.
As shown in FIG. 1, the main body 20 includes upper and lower case parts 20 a and 20 b which have storage spaces 21 and 22, respectively. The upper and lower case parts 20 a and 20 b are coupled at edges thereof to each other by a coupling piece 23 and are symmetrical with respect to the coupling piece 23. An upper jaw 24 is provided on a circumference of the upper case part 20 a, and engages with a lower jaw 25 which is provided on a circumference of the lower case part 20 b. Further, a semicircular tab 28 is provided at a predetermined position on the upper case part 20 a, thus allowing a user to easily open the upper and lower case parts 20 a and 20 b using the semicircular tab 28. Further, two first locking recesses 26 and 26′ and two second locking recesses 27 and 27′ are provided on both sides of the lower jaw 25 of the lower case part 20 b. Thus, as shown in FIG. 4, the long locking protrusions 12 and 12′ are inserted into the first locking recesses 26 and 26′, and the short locking protrusions 13 and 13′ are inserted into the second locking recesses 27 and 27′, so that the wig support unit 10 is fixed at a predetermined position in the main body 20.
A semicircular tab 28′ is provided at a position on the lower case part 20 b to face the semicircular tab 28 of the upper case part 20 a.
The main body 20 including the upper and lower case parts 20 a and 20 b is made of synthetic resin which resists a predetermined load. Further, the main body 20 may be manufactured through an injection molding process or an extrusion molding process, and may be transparent, translucent, or opaque.
The use of the wig case according to the present invention will be described below.
That is, as shown in FIG. 4, the wig support unit 10 is inserted into a wig W so that the C-shaped elastic band 11 is in close contact with an inner surface of a central portion of the wig W. At this time, the two long locking protrusions 12 and 12′ pass through the wig W to be exposed to the outside. Meanwhile, the short locking protrusions 13 and 13′ are located opposite the long locking protrusions 12 and 12′.
At this time, the U-shaped elastic bands 15 and 15′, each having a tapered shape such that an open end thereof is wider than a closed end thereof, are opened to push the inner surface of the wig W outwards, thus sufficiently giving volume to the wig W.
Further, the saw teeth 17 of the lug 16 which is provided on top of the upper portion 11 a of the C-shaped elastic band 11 are caught by a net which is provided on the inner surface of the wig W. Thereby, the wig W is firmly held by the wig support unit 10.
Subsequently, as shown in FIG. 4, the long locking protrusions 12 and 12′ are inserted into the first locking recesses 26 and 26′, while the short locking protrusions 13 and 13′ are inserted into the second locking recesses 27 and 27′ that are opposite the first locking recesses 26 and 26′. Thus, the wig W is fixed at a predetermined position in the lower case part 20 b while being supported by the wig support unit 10, and then the upper case part 20 a is closed. Therefore, the wig W is protected by the upper and lower case parts 20 a and 20 b, and undesirable movement of the wig W in the main body 20 is prevented.
As described above, the present invention provides a wig case, which is constructed so that a C-shaped elastic band 11 is in close contact with an inner surface of a wig W, and long locking protrusions 12 and 12′, spaced apart from each other by a predetermined interval, pass through the wig W, thus stably holding the wig W, thereby preventing undesirable movement of the wig W.
Moreover, long locking protrusions 12 and 12′ and short locking protrusions 13 and 13′, which protrude from a wig support unit 10 in opposite directions, are inserted into first locking recesses 26 and 26′ and second locking recesses 27 and 27′ that are provided on both sides of a lower case part 20 b, thus preventing the wig W from undesirably moving, during storage or transport of the wig W stored in the upper and lower case parts 20 a and 20 b. Therefore, the wig case of this invention prevents the wig W from being compressed. Further, the wig case prevents the wig W from being deformed due to friction between the wig W and the wig case, in addition to preventing curls of the wig W from being disordered.
Further, according to the present invention, U-shaped elastic bands 15 and 15′, each having a tapered shape such that an open end thereof is wider than a closed end thereof, allow the wig W to maintain its original volume, and saw teeth 17 of the wig support unit 10 function to more firmly secure the wig W to the wig support unit 10.
Although the preferred embodiments of the present invention have been disclosed for illustrative purposes, those skilled in the art will appreciate that various modifications, additions and substitutions are possible, without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention as disclosed in the accompanying claims.

Claims

1. A wig case, comprising:

a wig support unit, comprising:

a C-shaped elastic band, with two long locking protrusions protruding from a side of the C-shaped elastic band and two short locking protrusions protruding from opposite ends of the C-shaped elastic band; and

a main body, comprising:

upper and lower case parts provided to be symmetrical with each other, and engaging with each other by upper and lower jaws that are provided on circumferences of the upper and lower case parts, respectively, with first locking recesses and second locking recesses provided on both sides of the lower jaw of the lower case part.

2. The wig case as set forth in claim 1, further comprising:

saw teeth provided on a lug of the C-shaped elastic band.

3. The wig case as set forth in claim 1, further comprising:

U-shaped elastic bands provided on predetermined positions of the C-shaped elastic band, each of the U-shaped elastic bands having a tapered shape, an open end of which is wider than a closed end.

4. The wig case as set forth in claim 1, further comprising:

a reinforcing rib provided on an upper portion of the C-shaped elastic band.

5. The wig case as set forth in claim 1, further comprising:

a semicircular tab provided on an outer circumference of each of the upper and lower case parts.