Elastic beads for hair

Abstract

An elastic bead includes a body and a channel extending through the body. The channel may be expanded to receive an object, such as a tuft or braid of hair. Once placed over the object, the body may be configured to resiliently engage the object. Such resilient engagement may be effected without doubling, tripling or otherwise twisting and wrapping the elastic bead around the object. Methods for applying and removing the elastic beads are disclosed, as are assemblies that provide ready access to and ready storage for elastic beads.

1 . An elastic bead, comprising:
 a body configured to provide hair with a decorative appearance, the body comprising an elastic material that expands under a tensile force and resiliently returns to shape or substantially returns to shape when a tensile force is released; and   a channel extending through the body, the channel being configured to expand and contract, enabling the body to engage a tuft or braid of hair,   the body and the channel having dimensions that impart the elastic bead with an appearance of a bead.   
     
     
         2 . The elastic bead of  claim 1 , wherein the channel is configured to enable the body to engage the tuft or braid of hair without requiring the body to be twisted and repeatedly wrapped around the tuft or braid of hair. 
     
     
         3 . The elastic bead of  claim 1 , wherein the channel is cylindrical in shape, with a length that exceeds its width. 
     
     
         4 . The elastic bead of  claim 3 , wherein the body is cylindrical in shape. 
     
     
         5 . The elastic bead of  claim 4 , wherein a diameter of the channel exceeds a thickness of the body. 
     
     
         6 . The elastic bead of  claim 1 , wherein a volume of the body exceeds a volume of the channel. 
     
     
         7 . A method of holding a tuft or braid of hair, consisting of:
 providing an elastic bead with a body and a channel;   applying tensile force to the body at two or more locations of the channel to increase a width of the channel;   inserting the tuft or braid of hair through the channel while applying the tensile force to the body; and   releasing the tensile force to enable the body to engage the tuft or braid of hair.   
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein providing the elastic bead consists of providing a decorative elastic bead. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein:
 inserting comprises inserting a tuft or braid through the channel to a location over a mid-section of the tuft or braid of hair; and   releasing enables the body to engage the tuft or braid of hair at a location along the mid-section of the tuft or braid of hair.   
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9 , further comprising:
 removing the elastic bead from the tuft or braid of hair without undoing the tuft or braid of hair.   
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein removing includes:
 applying tensile force to the body at two or more locations of the channel to increase a width of the channel to disengage the body from the tuft or braid of hair; and   with the width of the channel increased, moving the elastic bead over the tuft or braid of hair, toward an end of the tuft or braid of hair and beyond the end of the tuft or braid of hair.   
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein applying tensile force includes:
 initially increasing the width of the channel with an application tool; and   further increasing the width of the channel manually.   
     
     
         13 . An assembly, comprising:
 a package;   a plurality of elastic beads carried by the package; and   an application tool carried by the package and configured to facilitate application of one or more of the plurality of elastic beads to an object.   
     
     
         14 . The assembly of  claim 13 , wherein the application tool includes:
 a threading end configured to be introduced into a channel of an elastic bead of the plurality of elastic beads;   a bead-holding section adjacent to the threading end and configured to receive a plurality of elastic beads in series; and   an expansion end on an opposite side of the bead-holding section from the threading end, the expansion end having a width that exceeds a width of the channel of the elastic bead, a rigidity that exceeds a rigidity of a body of the elastic bead and a shape that facilitates:
 movement of the elastic bead onto and over the expansion end; and 
 expansion of the width of the channel of the elastic bead as the elastic bead is moved over the expansion end. 
   
     
     
         15 . The assembly of  claim 14 , wherein the application tool further includes:
 a retention element between the threading end and the bead-holding section, the retention element:
 having a width that exceeds a width of the channel of the elastic bead; 
 being compressible as the elastic bead is moved onto the retention element to enable the elastic bead to move across the retention element and onto the bead-holding section; and 
 configured to re-expand as the elastic bead is moved onto the bead-holding section to prevent the elastic bead from being inadvertently moved back over the threading end. 
   
     
     
         16 . An assembly, comprising:
 an elongate element configured to retain a plurality of beads; and   at least one elastic bead on and removable from the elongate element, the elongate element extending through a channel through the at least one elastic bead.   
     
     
         17 . The assembly of  claim 16 , wherein the elongate element is configured to be carried by an individual. 
     
     
         18 . The assembly of  claim 17 , wherein the elongate element is configured to be worn by an individual. 
     
     
         19 . The assembly of  claim 18 , wherein the elongate element comprises a bracelet or a necklace.