Nit Stripping Device

Abstract

A nit picking device and method for mechanically stripping nits, eggs, and lice from human hair. The device includes a pair of cooperating tongs each of which is elongated and joined at one end to the juxtaposed end portion of the cooperating tong. The opposite ends of the tong serve to carry an abrasive pad capable of stripping nits from nit laden human hair shafts. As the pads are moved along the length of the hair, the nits are removed from the shafts and in one embodiment are captured at least in part in the pads carried by tongs.

1 . An apparatus for mechanically extracting nits, eggs, and lice from human hair, said apparatus comprising:
 a first substantially elongated tong pivotably secured proximate a second substantially elongated tong, each one of said first and second tongs having an inner surface opposing a cooperating inner surface of the other of said first and second tongs and an outer surface opposite the inner surface of the tong;   a first abrasive pad secured, to one of said inner surfaces;   a second abrasive pad secured to the other of said inner surfaces; and   a third abrasive pad secured to one of said outer surfaces, each of said abrasive pads being fabricated from a nonwoven fibrous material at least partially coated with an inorganic abrasive particulate material.   
     
     
         2 . The apparatus of  claim 1  further including a fourth abrasive pad secured to the other of said outer surfaces. 
     
     
         3 . The apparatus of  claim 2  wherein said nonwoven fibrous material is a drawn synthetic polymer. 
     
     
         4 . The apparatus of  claim 3  wherein said nonwoven fibrous material is a synthetic polymer drawn to exhibit an average diameter of approximately 50 micrometers. 
     
     
         5 . The apparatus of  claim 2  wherein said inorganic abrasive particulate material includes a plurality of abrasive particles, said plurality of abrasive particles having an average diameter per abrasive particle of between approximately one and 50 micrometers. 
     
     
         6 . An apparatus for mechanically removing nits or lice from strands of human hair, said apparatus comprising:
 a pair of tongs including a first tong and a second tong, each of said tongs defining a proximal end and a distal end, each said distal end including an inner surface facing and opposing an inner surface of said other distal end, each of said tongs further including an outer surface opposite said inner surface of said tong, said pair of tongs being joined proximate said proximal end such that the first tong is rotatable proximate the second tong between a first position and a second position, said second position placing said first distal end inner surface in close proximity to said second distal end inner surface;   a first abrasive pad secured to said first inner surface;   a second abrasive pad secured to said second inner surface;   a third abrasive pad secured to said first outer surface; and   a fourth abrasive pad secured to said second outer surface, each of said first, second, third, and fourth abrasive pads being fabricated from a nonwoven fibrous material at least partially coated with an inorganic abrasive particulate material;   whereby said first and second abrasive pads are collectively sufficiently abrasive to strip nits or lice from strands of hair when the strands of hair are placed between said first and second abrasive pads, said pair of tongs are biased toward said second position, and said first and second abrasive pads are moved along the length of the strands of hair; and   whereby each of said third and fourth abrasive pads is sufficiently abrasive to reposition nits or lice along strands of hair when the abrasive pad is slid along the strands of hair.   
     
     
         7 . The apparatus of  claim 6  wherein each of said abrasive pads is fixed to said cooperating inner surface. 
     
     
         8 . The apparatus of  claim 6  wherein each of said abrasive pads is fixed to said cooperating inner surface by an adhesive. 
     
     
         9 . The apparatus of  claim 6  wherein said first and second abrasive pads serve to trap said nits therein. 
     
     
         10 . The apparatus of  claim 9  wherein each of said first and second abrasive pads is fixed to said cooperating inner surface by an adhesive. 
     
     
         11 . The apparatus of  claim 9  wherein each of said second and third abrasive pads is fixed to said cooperating outer surface by an adhesive. 
     
     
         12 . The apparatus of  claim 6  wherein each of said abrasive pads defines a longitudinal axis and wherein each of said pair of tongs defines a longitudinal axis, said longitudinal axis of each of said abrasive pads being parallel to one said longitudinal axis of said pair of tongs. 
     
     
         13 . The apparatus of  claim 6  wherein each of said abrasive pads is sufficiently resilient to allow said abrasive pads to strip the nits or lice from the strands of human hair without resulting in shear failure of said strands of human hair. 
     
     
         14 . The apparatus of  claim 6  further including a pair of stops, one of said pair of stops being connected, to and extending from each of said first distal end inner surface and said second distal end inner surface, wherein each of said first and, second abrasive pads abuts a corresponding one of said pair of stops. 
     
     
         15 . The apparatus of  claim 14  wherein said pair of stops align said first and second abrasive pads on said pair of tongs such that said pair of pads substantially register when said pair of tongs is placed in said first position. 
     
     
         16 . The apparatus of  claim 14  wherein said pair of stops are integrally formed with said pair of tongs. 
     
     
         17 . The apparatus of  claim 14 , wherein said each of said pair of stops extends perpendicularly from a corresponding one of said pair of tongs. 
     
     
         18 . The apparatus of  claim 14 , wherein each of said pair of stops comprises a wall defined by one of said first and second distal ends. 
     
     
         19 . A method for removing nits, eggs, and lice from human hair comprising the steps of:
 providing a first abrasive pad, a second abrasive pad, and a third abrasive pad, the first abrasive pad being secured to an inner surface of one tong of a pair of tongs, the second abrasive pad being secured to an inner surface of another tong of the pair of tongs, the third abrasive pad being secured to an outer surface of one tong of the pair of tongs, each of said abrasive pads being fabricated from a nonwoven fibrous material at least partially coated with an inorganic abrasive particulate material;   placing the third abrasive pad against nit-laden hair shafts proximate a root portion of the nit-laden hair shafts;   mechanically repositioning nits along the nit-laden hair shafts away from the root portion of the nit-laden hair shafts by moving the third abrasive pad along the length of the nit-laden hair shafts away from the root portion of the nit-laden hair shafts;   placing the nit-laden hair shafts between the first and second abrasive pads; biasing the first and second pads toward one another such that the shafts are cooperatively engaged thereby between; and   mechanically stripping the nits from the hair shafts by moving the opposed pads engaging the hair along the length of the hair.   
     
     
         20 . The method for removing nits, eggs and lice from human hair of  claim 19  wherein said step of biasing the pads toward one another is accomplished by applying forces to said pair of tongs such that said pair of pads are moved towards each other to engage said nit-laden hair shafts there between.