Wig washer

Abstract

Disclosed is a wig washer for washing a wig from a liquid source. The wig washer includes a hollow wig support configured to form a perforated head-like sphere having an inner cavity and a surface, the surface having an inner side facing the inner cavity and an outer side to face the wig; a main sprinkler line disposed in proximity to the wig support at the surface or inside the inner cavity; a liquid inlet in fluid communication the main sprinkler line with the liquid source; and plurality of sprinkler outlets disposed along the main sprinkler line, each sprinkler outlet is oriented radially outward toward to the outer side of the surface for washing the wig from beneath to be placed on the hollow wig support.

Description

[0001] 16901-PC

[0002] 1

[0003] WIG WASHER TECHNICAL FIELD

[0004] The present invention relates to an apparatus for the treatment of wigs. In particular the invention relates to an apparatus for washing and drying wigs, in particular wigs made of artificial or human hair.

[0005] BACKGROUND

[0006] Wigs are worn by users on a daily basis. Some wear wigs for aesthetic purposes, and some wear wigs for religious purposes. Hence, wigs are required to be washed regularly to maintain hygiene. Wigs are usually washed manually before they are sold to the client or when they are cleaned for maintenance.

[0007] The process of washing wigs involves a lot of labor, waste of water and often results in deteriorating the quality of the wig, tangled hair, and especially when the wig is made of human hair. Further, if one puts a wig in the washing machine that also deteriorates the quality of the wig because of rough washing. There is lack of automated solutions which provide gentle washing of wigs.

[0008] Further, the wigs are washed generally from outside, and not from the inside surface. Therefore, there is a need of a wig washer for cleaner wigs with more ease. Further, the wig washer should be configured to wash the wigs from both inside and outer surface. Even further, the wig washer should be configured to provide a gentle wash that will not harm the quality of the wig without compromising on the cleanliness of the washed wig. Furthermore, the wig washer should be able to wash and then dry the wig accordingly.

[0009] SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0010] The aim of the invention is to provide a wig washer for washing a wig from the inside surface of the wig. A further aim of the invention is to provide a wig washer that will wash the wig gently without causing damage or deteriorate the wig, or causing hair tangling. A further aim of the invention is to reduce manual labor, water waste and environmental contamination by detergents that are involved with washing wigs.16901-PC

[0011] 2

[0012] In a first aspect of the invention provides a wig washer, configured to receive liquid selected from water shampoo and a conditioner, the wig washer comprises a hollow wig support configured to form a perforated head-like sphere having an inner cavity and a surface, a main sprinkler line disposed in proximity (up to 2-5 cm apart) to the wig support at the surface or inside the inner cavity of the wig support, a liquid inlet in fluid communication with the liquid source, and a plurality of sprinkler outlets disposed along the main sprinkler line. The surface having an inner side facing the inner cavity and an outer side to face the wig. The sprinkler outlet is facing a space adjacent to the outer side of the surface for washing a wig from beneath to be placed on the hollow wig support.

[0013] In one embodiment of the invention, is a wig washer having a hollow wig support that is aligned at a vertical axis. Further, the hollow wig support may include a plurality of wires that define the spherical surface. The wires can be arranged vertically, horizontally or spirally to define the spherical surface.

[0014] In one embodiment of the invention, the hollow wig support and the main sprinkler line are unified such that the sprinklers outlet may be in direct contact with the wig while the wig is mounted on the spherical support. Further, the hollow wig support can be made of flexible or extendible wires allowing the expansion of the sphere to a desired wig size and dimensions.

[0015] In one embodiment of the invention, the hollow wig support comprises a plurality of flexible S-shaped wires each having a bottom end affixed to a base and a free top end, wherein all the top ends point to a single focal point. The flexible S-shaped wires can each be elastically separatable further apart to adjust the dimensions of the sphere of the hollow wig support to a desired wig size and dimensions

[0016] In another embodiment of the invention, the maximal distance between the sprinkler outlet on the main sprinkler line and the closest point on the hollow wig support is 2 cm to 5 cm.

[0017] Further, the wig washer sprinkler line may be further comprising a manifold fluidly connecting the main sprinkler line to at least one of a shampoo reservoir, a conditioner reservoir, a pump for providing at least one of a shampoo, conditioner, a16901-PC

[0018] 3

[0019] compressor for providing drying air, and a vacuum pump for providing vacuum through the sprinkler outlets.

[0020] In another embodiment of the invention the wig washer includes a secondary sprinkler line connected to a second liquid inlet for providing at least one of a shampoo, a conditioner and drying air and being disposed of in proximity to the main sprinkler line. Further, the wig washer may include a tertiary sprinkler line for providing at least one of a shampoo, conditioner and drying air being disposed of in proximity to the main sprinkler line.

[0021] In another aspect of the invention, the main sprinkler line is connected to the liquid source which may be water or air, the secondary sprinkler line may be connected to a shampoo reservoir, and the tertiary sprinkler line may be connected to a conditioner reservoir and / or an antiseptic solution reservoir (for example using a three way valve on the conduit line). Further, the wig washer may be provided with a pipeline configured to connect with a compressor.

[0022] In another aspect of the invention, the wig washer may include a manifold with a three-way valve, a four-way valve, or multiple on-off valves, wherein, the three-way valve or the four-way valve . fluidly connecting the main sprinkler line to the water source and at least one reservoir selected from a shampoo, a conditioner and an air compressor In another embodiment of the invention, the wig washer includes a plurality of hollow wig supports for washing simultaneously more than one wig, each wig support being coupled to a main sprinkler line. Further, the wig washer may include a further exterior sprinkler disposed externally to the sphere for washing a wig placed on the support from above the wig.

[0023] In another embodiment of the invention, the surface of the wig support further comprises a first neck-like plate extension disposed vertically under the head-like sphere, the first neck-like plate comprising hair stabilizer and straightener pins being substantially perpendicular to a main plane of the first neck-like plate for stabilizing and straightening a long hair portion of a wig with long hair or a pony-tail of a wig during a wash.

[0024] In another embodiment of the invention, the first neck-like plate is curved or in waveform. Further, the hair stabilizer and straightener pins can be between 3 to 4 cm16901-PC

[0025] 4

[0026] long. Further, the first neck-like plate can be detachable from the head-like spherical support. Further, the first neck-like plate can be characterized by having a geometry selected from perforated, planar, concave, convex, wavy and S-shaped or combination thereof.

[0027] In another embodiment of the invention, the wig washer includes a complementary affixing second neck-like plate being complementary to the first neck-like plate for affixing the long hair in between the first neck-like plate and the complementary affixing plate during a wash. Further, the two neck-like plates may be concave. In some embodiments, the second neck-like plate is a rear plate comprising camshafts and the other plate is a front plate comprising grooves dimensioned to accommodate the camshafts of the rear plate with extra vertical space, wherein the rear plate connects to the front plate such that the camshafts of the rear plate enter the grooves in the front plate such that vertical movement of the rear plate simulates wavy and combing motion.

[0028] In some embodiments of the invention, the wig washer includes a sensing mechanism to enable a vertical up and down combing movement of the rear plate.

[0029] In some embodiments, the wig support comprises a forehead-like vertical portion being substantially planar or slightly convex and proximal to top part of the wig support for supporting a pony portion of a wig.

[0030] In some embodiments, the wig washer further comprises a set of silicon stripes compatible to be affixed to the support wires.

[0031] In some embodiments of the invention the wig washer further comprises a shell cover exterior to the hollow wig support for wrapping the wig. Further, the shell cover includes apertures and a set of sprinklers protruding from the apertures for gentle wash of a facet of a wig while the wig is mounted on the spherical support.

[0032] In some embodiments, the wig washer comprises an enclosure enclosing at least the wig support, the main fluid line and the other optional fluid lines. The fluid reservoirs (of the water, shampoo and conditioner), the water pump and the optional air compressor may be external to the enclosure, and in such cases the enclosure includes apertures allowing fluid connection with the same.16901-PC

[0033] 5

[0034] In some embodiments, the apparatus is adapted for commercial use, in some embodiments the apparatus is adapted for industrial use and in some embodiments it is adapted for domestic use.

[0035] In another aspect, the invention provides a wig long-hair washer including at least one supporting plate, a sprinkler line, a liquid source, a liquid reservoir, and a pump, a compressor and / or a vacuum pump. The supporting plate includes hair stabilizer and straightener pins affixed substantially perpendicular to a main plane of the supporting plate. The hair stabilizer and supporting pins are configured for stabilizing and straightening a long hair extension wig. The at least one supporting neck-like plate includes sprinkler apertures which may be dispersed over the surface of at least one supporting plate and / or the stabilizer and straightener pins. The sprinkler line is in fluid communication with at least one of a liquid source, a liquid reservoir, a pump, a compressor and a vacuum pump.

[0036] BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0037] In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the specific embodiments or related art of the present disclosure, the accompanying drawings to be used in the description of the specific embodiments or related art will be briefly introduced below. It will be obvious that the accompanying drawings in the following description are some of the embodiments of the present disclosure, and that for those skilled in the art, other attachments can be obtained based on these accompanying drawings without putting in creative labor.

[0038] FIG. 1A illustrates a perspective view of a wig washer in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0039] FIG. 1 B illustrates another perspective view of a wig washer in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0040] FIG. 2A illustrates a side perspective view of the main sprinkler line; according to an embodiment of the invention

[0041] FIG. 2B illustrate a side view of the main sprinkler line according to an embodiment of the invention;16901-PC

[0042] 6

[0043] FIG. 3 illustrates a side perspective view of a wig washer with a first neck-like plate and a second neck-like plate for supporting long hair, according to an embodiment of the invention;

[0044] FIG. 4 illustrates a perspective view of a straightener pin with sprinkler apertures, according to an embodiment of the invention;

[0045] FIG 5. illustrates a perspective view of a first neck-like plate with grooves and a second neck-like plate with camshafts according to an embodiment of the invention; FIG. 6 illustrates a perspective view of a wig washer according to an embodiment of the invention;

[0046] FIG. 7 illustrates a perspective view of a wig long hair washer according to an embodiment of the invention;

[0047] FIG. 8 illustrates a perspective view of an oval version of a wig long hair washer according to an embodiment of the invention;

[0048] FIG. 9 illustrates a perspective view of an oval version of a wig long hair washer with a complementary outer supporting plate in a semi-open state, according to an embodiment of the invention;

[0049] Fig. 10 illustrates a perspective view of an oval version of a wig long hair washer with a complementary outer supporting plate in a closed state, according to an embodiment of the invention;

[0050] FIG. 11 is a flow chart illustrating a method of washing and drying a wig according to an embodiment of the present invention using the wig washer of the present invention,

[0051] DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0052] The following will be a clear and complete description of the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present disclosure in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in the embodiments of the present disclosure. Obviously, the described embodiments are only a part of the embodiments of the present disclosure, and not16901-PC

[0053] 7

[0054] all of them. Based on the embodiments in the present disclosure, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative labor fall within the scope of the present disclosure.

[0055] In the description of the present disclosure, it is noted that when the terms “center”, “up”, “down”, “left”, “right”, “vertical”, “horizontal”, “inner”, “outer”, etc. appear, they are indicative of an orientation or positional relationship based on that shown in the accompanying drawings, which is intended only to facilitate and simplify the description of the present disclosure and is not indicative of, or suggestive of, the necessity for the device or element referred to be of a particular orientation, or to be constructed and operated in a particular orientation, and therefore is not to be construed as a limitation of the present disclosure. Furthermore, the terms “main”, “secondary”, “tertiary”, if present, are used for descriptive purposes only and are not to be understood as indicating or implying relative importance.

[0056] In a first aspect of the invention provides a wig washer with a hollow wig support configured to form a perforated head-like sphere having an inner cavity and a surface, a main sprinkler line disposed in proximity to the wig support at the surface or inside the inner cavity of the wig support, a liquid inlet in fluid communication with the liquid source, and a plurality of sprinkler outlets disposed along the main sprinkler line. The surface having an inner side facing the inner cavity and an outer side to face the wig. Each sprinkler outlet is oriented radially outward toward to the outer side of the surface for washing the wig from beneath to be placed on the hollow wig support. The term "wic refers to a head covering made from human hair, synthetic fibers, or a combination of both, designed to be worn on the head for various purposes.

[0057] The term “hollow wig support is a structural support that maintains the shape and cap geometry of a wig, supports the wig and keeps it place during washing. In certain embodiments the support forms a perforated head-like spherical structure defining an inner cavity. The spherical surface has an inner side facing the inner cavity and an outer side that faces and supports the wig during washing. It should be understood the spherical structure of the wig support is not a perfect sphere as it usually is open ended at the bottom and can be perforated.16901-PC

[0058] 8

[0059] The term “washing from beneath" means delivering liquid (e.g. spraying) from the inner cavity of the hollow spherical support outward through sprinkler outlets oriented radially toward the space adjacent to the outer side of the spherical surface. When a wig is mounted on the spherical support, liquid is sprayed from the interior outward to contact the underside of the wig cap and hair bundles, thereby providing an inside-out cleaning action.

[0060] The term “wig washer1’ is a specialized product designed for cleaning wigs by applying water, detergent liquids (i.e., shampoo) and conditioning liquids (e.g., hair conditioner).

[0061] The term “liquid source" is a source which provides a liquid required for the washing of a wig such as a water-tap or a reservoir storing a liquid such as water, soap, conditioner, shampoo, antiseptic solution, etc. In some cases, the water may be treated before applied to the wig. For example the water may be filtered or softened (removal of calcium and / or magnesium from the water). To this end, the wig washer may include the relevant components to obtain treatment of water. In some embodiments distilled water is used by the wig washer.

[0062] The term "sprinkler line” refers to any conduit or channel configured to evenly deliver liquids such as water, cleaning and conditioning solution, and / or air to sprinkler outlets that are dispersed along the sprinkler line along a path that follows or is proximate to the spherical surface of the wig support or the plates (vide infra). It typically involves a series of perforations or channels that help disperse the liquid evenly, ensuring thorough cleaning without directly soaking or damaging the wig.

[0063] The term "sprinkler outle refers to a feature designed to distribute water or cleaning solution using a series of small holes nozzles or pin-nozzle that configured to discharge a gentle, even spray, ensuring thorough and uniform cleaning of the wig without causing damage. In certain embodiments, some pin-nozzles protrude outward from the spherical surface to penetrate into hair layers and apply liquid along the length of the hair bundles. In such embodiments, as well as in embodiments where the sprinkler line is embedded or unified with the frame of the wig support, the sprinkler out let may drip the liquid instead of spraying it, contributing to an even more gentle application of liquids to the hair of the wig.16901-PC

[0064] 9

[0065] FIG. 1A illustrates a perspective view of a wig washer 100 in an embodiment of the present invention. The wig washer 100 is configured to wash a wig. The wig washer 100 receives a liquid from a liquid source via a liquid inlet (both shown in FIG. 5). The wig washer 100 includes a hollow wig support 102 configured to form a head-like sphere having an inner cavity 106 an inner side surface 108 facing the inner cavity 106 and an outer side surface 110 to face the wig (300, shown in FIG. 3). The perforated head-like sphere hollow wig support 102 may be perforated as depicted in Figure 1 ,but may also be contiguous or substantially contiguous in embodiments having the sprinkler line 112 embedded in the support.

[0066] The term substantially means a deviation of up to 20% of the value, characteristic or property it refers to.

[0067] The exemplary embodiment wig washer 100 includes a main sprinkler line 112 embedded within the wires 116 of the hollow wig support 102. In other embodiments, the main sprinkler line may be separate from the hollow wig support 102 as detailed below. The wig washer 100 includes a liquid inlet (shown in FIG. 5) to connect with the liquid source. The main sprinkler line 112 that is embedded in the wires 116 of the wig support includes a plurality of sprinkler outlets 114 disposed along the main sprinkler line 112 that is embedded in the wires 116. Each sprinkler outlet 114 is oriented radially outward toward to the outer side of the surface 110 for washing the wig from beneath to be placed on the hollow wig support 102.

[0068] The sprinklers outlets 114 face a space adjacent to the outer side 110 of the surface for washing a wig from beneath to be placed on the hollow wig support 102 when the wig washer operates. The sprinkler outlets 114 are explained in more detail in conjunction with FIG. 2 of the present invention.

[0069] In some embodiments, the sprinkler line 112 is separated from the wig support and is disposed inside the inner cavity 106, in close proximity to the wig support 102 (i.e., having a maximal distance of 2-5 cm from any point on the sprinkler line 112 to its closest point on the outer surface of the wig support 110), having the sprinklers outlet 114 facing the perforations of the head-like sphere hollow wig support 102 such that16901-PC

[0070] 10

[0071] liquid may gently reach a wig that is placed on the wig support 102 when the wig washer is operating to wash a wig.

[0072] In an embodiment, the hollow wig support 102 is aligned at a vertical axis to allow easy washing of wigs, which are also aligned at a vertical axis. The hollow wig support 102 includes plurality of wires 116. The wires 116 are arranged vertically with respect to the vertical axis to define the hollow wig support 102. Further, in an embodiment the hollow wig support 102 is aligned at a vertical axis with a vertical supporting member like a rod.

[0073] The main sprinkler line 112 is proximal to the hollow wig support or embedded thereto. In some embodiments, the maximal distance between any point on the sprinkler line 112 to the closest point on the hollow wig support 102 is between 0.1 cm to 10 cm, in some embodiments between 0.1 cm to 4 cm, in some embodiments between 0.1 cm to 2 cm, and in some embodiments between 0.1 cm to 1 cm. In some embodiments the maximal distance between any point on the sprinkler line 112 to the closest point on the hollow wig support 102 (the distance to an adjacent portion of the spherical surface) is between 2 cm to 5 cm. In some embodiments this distance is up to 2 cm. In some embodiments this distance is up to 3 cm. In some embodiments this distance is up to 4 cm.lt would be readily apparent to those skilled in the art that various distances between any point on sprinkler line 112 to the closest point on the hollow wig support 102 may be envisioned without deviating from the scope of the present invention. The distance between points on the sprinkler line 112 to the closest point on the hollow wig support 102 results in controlling the water pressure to efficiently clean the wig on one hand, and allowing a weak pressure for a gentle wash on the other hand, because a water pressure being too strong can be harmful to the hair on the wig, particularly when the hair on the wig is natural hair. The inventor of the present invention surprisingly found that selecting a maximal distance to an adjacent portion of the spherical surface of the hollow wig support 102 of between 2 cm to 5 cm provides the best balance between efficient cleaning and gentle care of the hair on the wig during washing. This spatial relationship moderates local jet velocity and spray angle to achieve a gentle yet effective wash that reduces tangling and mechanical damage to delicate hair bundles, particularly human-hair wigs, while ensuring sufficient reach through the wig cap structure providing a substantial16901-PC

[0074] 11

[0075] advantage over maximal distance longer than 5 cm which require extreme jet velocity and spray angles that damage the delicate hair and hair bundle on the wig.

[0076] While the wires 116 of the wig support 102 in Figure 1A are arranged vertically, it would be readily apparent to those skilled in the art that the wires may also be arranged horizontally, spirally or any other applicable form to define the sphere around the hollow wig support 102, without deviating from the scope of the present invention.

[0077] Generally, a wig 300 (shown in FIG. 3) is placed over the outer surface 110 of the wig support 102. In the embodiment depicted in FIG. 1A, the hollow wig support 102 and the main sprinkler line 112 are unified such that the sprinklers outlet 114 are in direct contact with the wig while the wig is mounted on the spherical support 102, but in other embodiments the sprinkler line 112 can be separated from the hollow wig support 102.

[0078] In an embodiment, as shown in FIG. 1B, the wires 116 can be made of flexible or extendible wires allowing the adjustment of of the sphere to a desired wig size and dimensions by extending, expanding or shrinking the wires accordingly. To this end the wig support 102 includes a plurality of flexible S-shaped wires 116 each having a bottom ends affixed to a base (not shown in Figures) and free / open top ends 118.

[0079] The top ends 118 can be arranged around a single focal point 119. The focal point 119 can be an imaginary focal point around which the top end 118 are arranged about or a real joint to which all the top ends 118 are reversibly affixed. The exemplary flexible S-shaped wires 116 are elastically separatable further apart to adjust the dimensions of the sphere of the hollow wig support to a desired wig size and dimensions as illustrated in Figure 1B.

[0080] In an embodiment, the wig washer 100 further includes a forehead-like portion 120 configured to be substantially planar or slightly convex and proximal to the top part of the wig support 102. The forehead-like portion 120 is provided with pin-like sprinkler heads for holding and washing the front hair of a wig having front hair.

[0081] As used herein, the term “forehead-like portion" denotes a localized region of the hollow wig support that is positioned at an upper front area corresponding to the16901-PC

[0082] 12

[0083] forehead region of a human head, and that is shaped to provide a substantially planar or slightly convex surface configured to support and optionally distribute liquid to the front hair portion of a wig when the wig is mounted on the wig support.

[0084] In some embodiments, the wig washer 100 includes a set of silicon stripes compatible to be affixed to the support wires. Further, the set of silicon stripes can be used to affix a strand of hair of the wig to the wire 116 of the sprinkler line 112.

[0085] FIG. 2A illustrates a side perspective view of a wire 116 of the wig support 102 embedding a main sprinkler line 112 in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. The main sprinkler line 112 is embedded in the wire 116 of the wig support 102. The sprinkler line 112 (which is not visible from the perspective depicted in Figure 2A) includes sprinkler outlets 114 in the form of pins 202 and sprinklers 204. The pins 202 and the sprinklers 204 blowout the liquid or air towards the wig (shown in FIG. 3). The advantage of having pine like sprinklers which penetrate into the hair in addition to (flat) sprinklers is having both support for the hair of the wig in addition to contact of liquids with parts of the hair that is distal from the base of the wig. In some embodiments, the sprinkler line 112 is separate from the wig wire, wherein the sprinkler line 112 may comprise the sprinkler outlets 114 and the wig wire may comprise non-sprinkler pins.

[0086] It would be readily apparent to those skilled in the art that plurality of hollow wig supports for washing simultaneously more than one wig (one wig on each wig support) may be envisioned without deviating from the scope of the present invention. FIG. 2B illustrates a side view of the wig support wire 116 embedding a main sprinkler line 112 in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. From the side view only the pins 202 on the wire 116 are visible while the sprinklers 204 on the sprinkler line are hidden. Further, the pins 202 are protruding out to the outer side 110 and are not protruding into the inner side 108 of the wig support 102.

[0087] FIG. 3 illustrates a side perspective view of a wig washer 100 with wig support 102 as earlier described, together with a long hair support 301 that includes a first necklike plate 302 and optionally a second neck-like plate 304 in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. The long hair support is configured to hold a portion of long hair portion 308 or a pony tail of a wig 300 falling below the wig support16901-PC

[0088] 13

[0089] 102, such that the long hair portion 308 is held on the first neck-like plate 302 or placed between the two plates 302, 304. The first neck-like plate 302 and second neck-like plate 304 may be disposed vertically under the head-like spherical wig support 102.

[0090] The first neck-like plate 302 may include hair stabilizer and straightener pins 306 configured to align substantially perpendicular to a main plane of the first neck-like plate 302 for stabilizing and straightening the long hair portion 308 of a wig 300 with long hair or a ponytail (not shown) of a wig 300 during a wash. The hair stabilizer and straightener pins 306 may include sprinkler apertures 312 and be in fluid communication with the main sprinkler line 112 such that the pins function as sprinklers as demonstrated in Figure 4.

[0091] The straightener pins 306 may be dispersed evenly throughout the first neck-like plate 302. The aperture outlets 312 for spraying liquid (e.g., water, shampoo, conditioner and / or air) may be dispersed along the longitudinal axis of the pins, such that the liquid will come in contact with the long hair portion of the wig. The length of the hair stabilizer and straightener pins 306 can be between 1 to 6, 2 to 5, or 3 to 4 cm. In an embodiment, the wig washer 100 further includes a complementary affixing second neck-like plate 304 configured to complement the first neck-like plate 302. The long hair portion 308 is affixed between the first neck-like plate 302 and the second neck-like plate 304. Further, the first neck-like plate 302 and the second necklike plate 304 may be detachable from the head-like spherical support 102.

[0092] It would be readily apparent to those skilled in the art that various sizes, shapes geometries and conformations of the first neck-like plate 302 and the second necklike plate 304 such as round, square, rectangular, planar, curved, perforated, concave, convex, wavy, S-shaped, etc. may be envisioned without deviating from the scope of the present invention. In an embodiment, the wig washer 100 further includes a mobilizing mechanism (not shown) to enable a vertical up and down combing movement of the rear plate 304, against an immobilized first neck-like plate 302 or vice versa.

[0093] FIG. 5 illustrates a perspective view of an embodiment of the first neck-like plate 302 and the second neck-like plate 304. The first neck-like plate 302 and the second neck-16901-PC

[0094] 14

[0095] like plate 304 in this non-limiting exemplary embodiment, are concave. The second neck-like plate 304 is a rear plate having camshafts 402. The first neck-like plate 302 is a front plate having grooves 404 configured (i.e., dimensioned) to accommodate the camshafts 402 of the second neck-like plate 304 with extra vertical space.

[0096] The second neck-like plate 304 connects to the front neck-like plate 302 such that the camshafts 402 enter the grooves 404 such that vertical movement up and down, optionally accompanied with lateral movement back and forth of the second neck-like plate 304 simulates a combing motion when a portion of long hair 308 (as shown in Fig. 3) of a wig is placed between the two neck-like plates 302, 304, such that the vertical grooves are parallel to the longitudinal axis of the long hair portion 308 (gravitational line).

[0097] The plates are connected to a mobilizing mechanism (not shown) as customary in the art enabling the aforementioned movement and optionally with a sensing mechanism allowing detection of the point in which the camshaft reach the top or bottom border of the accommodating groove, which prompts a lateral movement backwards.

[0098] FIG. 6 illustrates a perspective view of a wig washer 100 according to an embodiment of the invention. The wig washer 100 is configured to include a liquid inlet 502 that is configured to connect the main sprinkler line 112 with the liquid source 504. Examples of the liquid source 504 include but not limited to shampoo, water, and conditioner. Further, the liquid source 504 may be contained in a reservoir 505A or multiple reservoirs (505A and 505B) or direct line or a tap (e.g., tap water). The liquid source 504 may also be connected to an external sprinkler that is external to the wig and may be embedded in a shell cover 510 surrounding the hollow wig support 102 (vide infra). The reservoirs 505A, 505B may include different types of liquid sources that are required for the washing process. For example, reservoir 505A may contain water and reservoir 505B may contain shampoo, or reservoir 505A may contain shampoo, reservoir 505B may contain conditioner and water is supplied from a tap water. The reservoirs may be in the form of compartments to be filled every wash like in a customary laundry machine. The wig washer 100 may further include a manifold 506 to connect the liquid inlet 502 to the liquid source 504. The manifold 506 may further16901-PC

[0099] 15

[0100] be connected to at least one pump 507A and 507B to motivate fluid such as air or liquid (e.g., shampoo and / or conditioner) to the liquid inlet 502 and from there to the sprinkler line 112 where the fluid can be applied to the wig through the sprinklers. The pumps may be located on the line or lines feeding the liquid source from the reservoirs. Pumps 507A and 507B may be used to motivate the liquids from reservoirs 505A and 505B, respectively, and may be selected from a centrifugal pump and positive displacement pump, in accordance with the liquid source in each reservoir, as person versed in the art would know how. For example, in figure 6 pump 507A is a centrifugal pump and pump 507B is a positive displacement pump. The manifold may also be connected to a vacuum-pump 508 to draw air from sprinkler line 112 for drying the wig after it is washed. In some embodiments there may be a pump in fluid communication for each reservoir, and in some embodiments, there may be one pump for motivating a liquid from more than one liquid reservoir. In some embodiments, the connection of the sprinkler line (and / or the secondary sprinkler line) to the liquid sources may adopt known methods in the art of washing machines. A control system (not shown) may control the manifold 506 for providing different types of liquids at different steps of the washing process (e.g. , applying water for initial washing and wetting the wig, followed by applying shampoo, followed by applying water for washing the shampoo, followed by applying conditioner, then applying water again for washing the conditioner and finally optionally applying air, in some cases dry and / or warm air, for drying the hair). The control may further be connected to a sensor or series of sensor which detect the length of the hair on the wig and according to the information received from the sensors, determine the amount water and other liquids applied to the wig. In some embodiments the sprinkler line may be divided to sections that are shut on or off by the control according to the length of the hair. The main sprinkler line 112 may further be connected to a secondary sprinkler line and a third sprinkler line connected to the liquid source 504 via the liquid inlet 502. The secondary sprinkler line disposed in proximity of the main sprinkler line 112 may be connected to a shampoo, a conditioner, or a combination of shampoo and conditioner, and a drying air received from an air compressor 514 to dry the wig through the sprinklers.16901-PC

[0101] 16

[0102] Similarly, the tertiary sprinkler line is disposed to the proximity of the main sprinkler line 112 for shampoo, conditioner and drying air. Further, the manifold 506 may include a 3 or 4-way valve to deliver either shampoo, conditioner, antiseptic solution or an air compressor from a single sprinkler line. Further, wig washer 100 may be provided with an enclosure to include the main sprinkler line, the hollow wig support, the liquid inlet, the liquid source, the sprinkler outlets, etc.

[0103] In some embodiments, the wig washer 100 includes a shell cover 510 exterior to the hollow wig support for wrapping the wig. Furthermore, the shell cover 510 may include apertures and sprinklers protruding from the apertures for gentle wash of a facet of a wig while the wig is mounted on the spherical support 102. In some embodiments, the shell cover 510 is motional adjustable to be placed in close proximity (e.g. at a distance of up to 2 to 5 cm from the facet of the wig support 102 allowing a gentle though effective stream of water for washing the wig from the exterior side while still allowing enough space to contain the wig between the wig support 102 and the shell cover 510. The shell cover 510 may also be movable or retractable to allow placing a wig on the wig support.

[0104] The wig washer may further include an enclosure 512 which accommodates at least the wig support 102 and the sprinkler line 112. In some embodiments, at least one of the liquid reservoirs, the pump, the compressor and the control unit are kept outside of the enclosure 512. Enclosure 512 may comprise a drainage for evacuating the used liquids out of the enclosure.

[0105] Reference is now made to Figures 7-9 depicting another aspect of the invention where the long hair support may by a stand-alone device, namely a long-hair extension wig washer 600 for washing long hair extensions, pony tails and / or pig tails for wigs. To this end the wig long hair washer 600 includes at least a first supporting plate 302, in some embodiments, in addition to the first supporting plate - a second supporting plate 304 as described above. The wig long hair washer 600 futher includes a sprinkler line 112 connected to liquid reservoirs 505a and 505b and a pump 508 for providing liquids (water / shampoo / conditioner / air) to the stabilizer and straightener pins which also include apertures to function as sprinklers. In some embodiments, the pump is a vacuum pump designed to vacuum-dry the long hair extension wig(s). The vacuum pump may draw air through the sprinkler outlets16901-PC

[0106] 17

[0107] allowing drying of the wig after washing by mode of vacuuming the moisture instead of the conventional blowing of hot air on the wig / hair. The vacuum suction may be controlled to be moderate for selectively drawing moisture without inducing suction of the hair of the wig. This allows a gentler care of the wig as compared to the shear and heat stresses associated with conventional hot-air blowers blowing a strong flow of hot air. The sprinkler line is connected to sprinkler apertures which may be dispersed over at least one of the at least one supporting plates and / or on the stabilizer and straightener pins themselves. To this end, in some embodiments, the stabilizer and straightener pins wig long hair washer comprise apertures and / or open at one end allowing liquid entry from the sprinkler line.

[0108] In some embodiments, as the example depicted in Fig. 8, the wig long-hair-extension washer device 800 may comprise a circular or oval supporting plate 802 which includes a plurality of pin-sprinklers 306 which are connected to a sprinkler line 112. The supporting plate 802 may be connected to supporting legs 806 to elevate the supporting plate to a convenient height to the user for mounting or dismounting the wig long-hair extensions. In a further embodiment depicted by way of example in Figs.

[0109] 9-10, the wig long-hair extension washer 801 has a pointy-oval supporting plate 802 and outer supporting plate 804 that are complementary to each other. At least one of the supporting plates 802 and 804 is connected to the sprinkler line 112, that may have similar connectivity to at least one of a manifold, liquid reservoirs, tap water, pumps, vacuum pump and compressor as the wig washer device detailed above. The outer supporting plate may be made of two complementary parts 804a and 804b that may be in an open or semi-open state (as in Fig. 9) allowing mounting or dismounting long-hair extensions or closed (as in Fig. 10) to confine and the long hair extensions between the supporting plates. The transition between the open, semi-open or closed states can be accomplished manually, mechanically or automatically, according to customary methods in the art.

[0110] The wig washer may be adapted for use as an industrial (e.g., a wigs factory or a service providing wigs cleaning service for factories which produce wigs), commercial (e.g., for a wigs shop which provides wig cleaning services for its customers) or domestic (e.g., for a personal cleaning person which routinely uses a wig) apparatus. Such adaptation includes fitting size of the apparatus, number of wig supports in the16901-PC

[0111] 18

[0112] same enclosure, choice of connection of to a water source etc., as will be readily known by a person skilled in the art.

[0113] In another aspect, the present invention provides a method of washing a wig 200 using the wig washer 100 described herein.

[0114] In a first step, a wig washer according to any one of claims 1 to 28 is provided (210). The wig washer includes the hollow spherical wig support, one or more sprinkler lines with sprinkler outlets oriented radially outward toward the outer side of the spherical surface, and a fluid system comprising a liquid inlet, one or more liquid reservoirs, a manifold with at least one valve, and at least one pump and / or compressor and vacuum pump, as described above.

[0115] The wig washer is fluidly connected to a water source and to at least one additional liquid selected from a shampoo and a conditioner. In certain embodiments, water is supplied from a mains water tap or dedicated water reservoir, while the shampoo and conditioner are contained in separate refillable reservoirs that are connected to the manifold. A control system may be configured to actuate pumps and valves to direct selected liquids from the water source and the reservoirs through the manifold and into the sprinkler line(s).

[0116] A wig to be treated is mounted on the spherical wig support (220). The wig is mounted such that the cap of the wig conforms to and is supported by the outer side of the spherical surface and the hair bundles drape downward. In embodiments including a long-hair support plate or plates, any long hair or ponytail portion of the wig may be laid over or clamped between the plates so that the hair is stabilized and straightened during washing and drying.

[0117] To begin the wash cycle, water is supplied from the water source to the sprinkler line, and water is sprayed from the inner cavity of the spherical support outward through the sprinkler outlets toward the wig to wet the wig (230). Because the outlets are oriented radially outward toward the space adjacent to the outer side of the spherical surface, the water is applied from beneath, i.e., from the interior of the hollow spherical support through the wig cap and into the hair bundles, thereby providing an inside-out wetting of the wig.16901-PC

[0118] 19

[0119] After the wig has been sufficiently wetted, at least one liquid selected from a shampoo and a conditioner is supplied from the corresponding reservoir through the manifold to the sprinkler line (240). The shampoo and / or conditioner is sprayed from the inner cavity outward through the same sprinkler outlets to the wet wig. The liquid thus reaches the underside of the wig cap and penetrates along the length of the hair bundles while the wig remains supported on the spherical support. The wig may be exposed to the shampoo or conditioner spray for a predetermined time period, optionally with intermittent pauses to allow the liquid to act on the hair fibers.

[0120] Following application of the shampoo and / or conditioner, water is again supplied from the water source through the manifold to the sprinkler line, and water is sprayed from the inner cavity outward to the wig through the sprinkler outlets to wash the liquid from the wig (250). One or more rinse cycles may be performed until the residual shampoo and / or conditioner is removed to a desired extent. In embodiments including additional sprinkler lines and / or a shell cover with external sprinklers, one or more rinse and treatment steps may also be performed from the exterior side of the wig in parallel with or in addition to the inside-out washing described above.

[0121] After washing is complete, the method may further comprise drying the washed wig while it remains mounted on the spherical support (260). In certain embodiments, drying is carried out as vacuum drying. To this end, the main sprinkler line and its sprinkler outlets are fluidly connected to a vacuum pump through the manifold. The vacuum pump is actuated to draw air and moisture from the wig through the sprinkler outlets and the sprinkler line. In this way, air is extracted from within the wig cap and from between the hair bundles through the same fluid path used for spraying liquids, thereby gently removing moisture without subjecting the wig to high-velocity hot air streams. In some embodiments, drying is carried out entirely by vacuum; in other embodiments, vacuum drying may be combined with a controlled supply of ambient or mildly heated air through the sprinkler line(s) and / or external sprinklers to further accelerate moisture removal. In some embodiments, drying of the washed wig is carried out by applying air to the wig. In such embodiments the sprinkler line or a dedicated drying line having apertures for applying air is in fluid communication with an air compressor which supplies the air for drying. In some embodiments, the air supplied to the sprinkler line / drying line is dry air. In some embodiments, the air16901-PC

[0122] 20

[0123] supplied to the sprinkler I ine / dry ing line is hot and dry air. Heating and or drying air is obtained by applying known methods to versed in the art. When applying compressed air for drying the wig, the short distance of the sprinkler line to the adjacent portion of the wig support allows applying a gentle stream of air such as to minimize any damage to the hair of the wig.

[0124] The method may be implemented as a fully automatic cycle controlled by the control system, which sequences the wetting, shampooing, rinsing, conditioning, and drying steps by actuating the manifold valves, pumps, compressor, and vacuum pump according to predefined parameters such as flow rate, spray pressure, temperature, and duration. Alternatively, one or more of the steps may be performed manually by an operator using individual controls for the respective liquids and drying modes. In all cases, the method relies on spraying fluids from the inner cavity of the spherical support outward through the sprinkler line and sprinkler outlets to wash the wig from beneath, and, in certain embodiments, on vacuum drying carried out through the same sprinkler line and outlets after washing.

[0125] The present invention offers various advantages such as automatically, hygienically and gently washing and optionally during of a wig. The present invention further offers cleaning of wig from either liquid, shampoo, conditioner, antiseptic solution and even assists in drying the wig. The present invention provides an all-in-one device to wash the wig from inside & outside efficiently and accurately.

[0126] The above embodiments are only intended to illustrate the technical solution of the present disclosure, not to limit it; although the present disclosure has been described in detail with reference to the foregoing embodiments, those skilled in the art should understand that it is still possible to modify the technical solution recorded in the foregoing embodiments, or to replace some or all of the technical features with equivalent ones; and these modifications or replacements do not make the corresponding technical solution deviate from the essence of the technical solution of the present disclosure.

Claims

16901-PC21CLAIMS1. A wig washer for washing a wig, the wig washer is configured to receive liquid from at least one liquid source, the wig washer comprising:a hollow wig support configured to form a perforated head-like sphere having an inner cavity and a surface, the surface having an inner side facing the inner cavity and an outer side to face the wig,a main sprinkler line disposed in proximity to the wig support at the surface of the wig support or inside the inner cavity of the wig support;a liquid inlet in fluid communication with the main sprinkler line and with the liquid source; andplurality of sprinkler outlets disposed along the main sprinkler line, each sprinkler outlet oriented radially outward toward a space adjacent to the outer side of the surface so as to spray liquid from the inner cavity outward for washing the wig from beneath when the wig is placed on the hollow wig support, wherein each sprinkler outlet sprinkler line has a maximal distance to the closest point on the hollow wig support of between 2 cm to 5 cm.

2. The wig washer of claim 1 wherein the hollow wig support is aligned at a vertical axis.

3. The wig washer of claim 1 wherein the hollow wig support comprises a plurality of wires that define the spherical surface.

4. The wig washer of claim 3 wherein the wires are arranged vertically, horizontally or spirally to define the spherical surface.

5. The wig washer of claim 1 wherein the hollow wig support and the main sprinkler line are unified such that the sprinkler outlets are in direct contact with the wig while the wig is mounted on the spherical support.16901-PC226. The wig washer of claim 3, wherein the wire is made of flexible or extendible wires allowing the expansion of the sphere to a desired wig size and dimensions.

7. The wig washer of claim 4, wherein the wires are plurality of flexible S-shaped wires each having a bottom end affixed to a base and a free top end, wherein all the top ends point to a single focal point, the flexible S-shaped wires are elastically separatable further apart to adjust the dimensions of the sphere of the hollow wig support to a desired wig size and dimensions.

8. The wig washer of claim 1 sprinkler line further comprising a manifold fluidly connecting the main sprinkler line to at least one of a shampoo reservoir, a conditioner reservoir, a pump for providing at least one of a shampoo, conditioner, a compressor for providing drying air, and a vacuum pump for providing vacuum through the sprinkler outlets.

9. The wig washer of claim 1 further comprising a secondary sprinkler line connected to a second liquid inlet for providing at least one of a shampoo, a conditioner, antiseptic solution and drying air and being disposed of in proximity to the main sprinkler line.

10. The wig washer of claim 9 further comprising a tertiary sprinkler line being disposed in proximity to the main sprinkler line.

11. The wig washer of claim 10 wherein the main sprinkler line is connected to the liquid source, the secondary sprinkler line is connected to a shampoo reservoir, and the tertiary sprinkler line is connected to a conditioner reservoir12. The wig washer of claim 8 comprising a pipeline connected to a compressor.

13. The wig washer of claim 8 wherein the manifold comprises a three-way valve or a four-way valve, wherein, the three-way valve or the four-way valve are connected to the liquid source and at least one of a shampoo reservoir, a conditioner reservoir, a pump, a vacuum pump and an air compressor.16901-PC2314. The wig washer of claim 1 comprising a plurality of hollow wig supports for washing simultaneously more than one wig, each hollow wig support being coupled to a main sprinkler line.

15. The wig washer of claim 1 further comprising a sprinkler disposed externally to the sphere for washing a wig placed on the support from above the wig.

16. The wig washer of claim 1 further comprising a first neck-like plate extension disposed vertically under the head-like spherical wig support, the first necklike plate comprising hair stabilizer and straightener pins configured to align perpendicularly to a main plane of the first neck-like plate for stabilizing and straightening a long hair portion of a wig with long hair or a ponytail of a wig during a wash.

17. The wig washer of claim 16 wherein at least some of the hair stabilizer and straightener pins include sprinkler apertures and be in fluid communication with the main sprinkler line.

18. The wig washer of claim 16 wherein the first neck-like plate is curved or in waveform.

19. The wig washer of claim 17 wherein the hair stabilizer and straightener pins are 3 to 4 cm long.

20. The wig washer of claim 16 wherein the first neck-like plate is detachable from the head-like spherical support.

21. The wig washer of claim 16 wherein the first neck-like plate is characterized by having a geometry selected from perforated, planar, concave, convex, wavy, S-shaped and combinations thereof.

22. The wig washer of claim 16 further comprising a complementary affixing second neck-like plate configured to complement the first neck-like plate, wherein the long hair is affixed between the first neck-like plate and the complementary affixing second neck-like plate during a wash.16901-PC2423. The wig washer of claim 22, wherein the first and second neck-like plates are concave and wherein the one of the neck-like plates is a rear plate comprising camshafts and the other neck-like plate is a front plate comprising grooves dimensioned to accommodate the camshafts of the rear plate with extra vertical space, wherein the rear plate connects to the front plate such that the camshafts of the rear plate enter the grooves in the front plate such that vertical movement of the rear plate simulates wavy and combing motion.

24. The wig washer of claim 23 further comprising a sensing mechanism to control a vertical up-and-down combing movement of the rear plate.

25. The wig washer of claim 1 comprising a forehead-like portion configured to be planar or slightly convex and proximal to top part of the wig support.

26. The wig washer of claim 1 further comprising a set of silicon stripes compatible to be affixed to the support wires.

27. The wig washer of claim 1 further comprising a shell cover exterior to the hollow wig support for wrapping the wig.

28. The wig washer of claim 27 wherein the shell cover comprises apertures and a set of sprinklers protruding from the apertures for gentle washing of a wig while the wig is mounted on the spherical support.

29. A wig long-hair washer comprising at least one supporting plate, a sprinkler line, a liquid source, a liquid reservoir, and at least one of a pump, a compressor and a vacuum pump, the supporting plate comprises hair stabilizer and straightener pins affixed perpendicular to a main plane of at least one of the supporting plates, configured for stabilizing and straightening a long hair extension wig, the at least one supporting plate comprises sprinkler apertures dispersed over the surface of at least one of the at least one supporting plates and the stabilizer and straightener pins, the sprinkler line being in fluid communication with the at least one of the liquid source, the liquid reservoir, the pump, the compressor and the vacuum pump.16901-PC2530. A method of washing and drying a wig comprising:providing a wig washer according to any one of claims 1 to 28; connecting the wig washer to a water source and at least one more liquid selected from a shampoo and a conditioner;mounting a wig on the spherical support;spraying water from the inner cavity outward to the wig through the sprinkler line to wet the wig;spraying at least one liquid selected from a shampoo and a conditioner from the inner cavity outward to the wig through the sprinkler line to apply the at lest one liquid to the wet wig; andspraying water from the inner cavity outward to the wig through the sprinkler line to wash the liquid from the wig.

31. The method of claim 30 further comprising drying the washed wig,32. The method of claim 31 wherein drying is vacuum drying.

33. The method of claim 30 or 31 wherein the drying is carried out through the sprinkler line.

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