Hair Tie

Abstract

An adjustable hair tie where the band or cord can easily be adjusted to a variety of thicknesses of hair. The hair tie includes an elongated stretchable cord, a cleat, a plurality of apertures positioned along the length of the cleat, a first set of apertures forming a first passageway, and a second set of apertures forming a second passageway. The first end of the cord is securely attached at one end of the cleat, and the second end of the cord traverses through the second passageway. The free end of the cord is pulled under the application of force to crimp the cord and the cord loops around the cleat such that when the force is removed, the cord contracts, causing it to constrict, thereby securing the cord within the cleat and providing an easily adjustable sized cord loop to retain hair.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A hair tie, comprising:
 a) a cord having a first end and a second end opposite the first end, wherein the cord is elongated and stretchable; and,   b) a cleat having:
 i) a cleat main body, 
 ii) a plurality of apertures positioned along a length of the cleat, including a first set of apertures forming a first passageway, and a second set of apertures forming a second passageway, 
   wherein the first passageway is positioned at a lower part of the cleat main body and the second passageway is positioned at an upper part of the cleat main body,   wherein the first end of the cord is securely attached at one end of the first passageway, and the cord traverses through the first passageway and the second passageway to form a cord loop,   wherein the second end of the cord has a free end, and wherein the second end of the cord is capable of being pulled under application of an expanding force to stretch the cord into a stretched state; and,   whereby when the expanding force is removed, the cord contracts in the length into an unstretched state or a relaxed state, thereby securing the cord within the cleat, and securing hair within the cord loop.   
     
     
         2 . The hair tie of  claim 1 , wherein the upper part of the cleat main body includes two regions, a first region and a second region, wherein the first region is enclosed by the cleat main body and the second region includes an open wedge-shaped region having a plurality of ridges. 
     
     
         3 . The hair tie of  claim 1 , wherein the second passageway is sized to have a diameter approximately equal to a cross-sectional diameter of the cord. 
     
     
         4 . The hair tie of  claim 1 , wherein the cleat further comprises an open-wedged shaped region for securing the cord within the cleat. 
     
     
         5 . The hair tie of  claim 4 , wherein the open wedged-shaped region has a narrow portion and a wide portion, and the open wedged-shaped region is sized and shaped to allow the cord to freely move within the wide portion, and the narrow portion is sized and shaped to secure the cord by crimping the cord within the narrow portion to secure the cord in the cleat. 
     
     
         6 . The hair tie of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a tab connected to the cleat main body, wherein after the cord is pulled through the second passageway, the tab is pressed to secure the cord, and wherein to loosen the cord, the tab is lifted up, thereby allowing the cord to slide within the second passageway, thereby allowing a user to adjust a size of the cord loop.   
     
     
         7 . The hair tie of  claim 1 , wherein the first passageway has a first passageway dimension sized to permit the cord to pass through the first passageway, and the second passageway has a second passageway dimension sized to substantially inhibit passage of the cord through at least one of the second set of apertures. 
     
     
         8 . The hair tie of  claim 1 , wherein the cleat main body comprises a solid piece of material of approximately 1″ long by approximately ½″ wide by approximately ½″ deep. 
     
     
         9 . The hair tie of  claim 1 , wherein the second passageway is of a conical shape. 
     
     
         10 . The hair tie of  claim 7 ,
 wherein the cord has a cross-sectional diameter,   wherein the cross-sectional diameter of the cord is greater than at least one of the second set of apertures when the cord is in the relaxed state or the unstretched state; and,   wherein the cross-sectional diameter of the cord is smaller than at least one of the second set of apertures when the cord is in the stretched state, thereby allowing the cord to more freely pass through the second passageways when the cord is in the stretched state relative to when the cord is in the unstretched state.   
     
     
         11 . The hair tie of  claim 1 , wherein the cleat further comprises a plurality of fins positioned at a bottom of the cleat for retaining hair. 
     
     
         12 . A hair tie, comprising:
 a) a cord having a first end and a second end opposite the first end, wherein the cord is elongated and stretchable; and,   b) a cleat having a cleat main body,
 i) a front facing opening having ridges, 
 ii) a plurality of apertures positioned along a length of the cleat, a first set of apertures forming a first passageway and a second set of apertures forming a second passageway, the first passageway is positioned at a lower part of the cleat main body and the second passageway is positioned is at an upper part of the cleat main body, 
 wherein the first end of the cord is securely attached at one end of the first passageway of the cleat, and the second end of the cord traverses through the second passageway and exits at the front facing opening of the cleat; 
 wherein the second end of the cord has a free end capable of being pulled under application of an expanding force to stretch the cord; and, 
 wherein when the cord is pulled through the front facing opening, and a user moves the cord with at least a 70° turn on a left side or a right side of the cleat main body, the cord is secured within the front facing opening. 
   
     
     
         13 . The hair tie of  claim 12 , wherein the front facing opening is an open wedged-shaped region having a plurality of ridges within the open wedged-shaped region. 
     
     
         14 . A hair tie, comprising:
 a) a cord having a first end and a second end opposite the first end, wherein the cord is elongated and stretchable; and,   b) a cleat having:
 i) a main body of the cleat, 
 ii) at least two front facing openings having ridges, a first front facing opening and a second front facing opening, 
 iii) and a plurality of apertures positioned along a length of the cleat, including a first set of apertures forming a first passageway, and a second set of apertures forming a second passageway, the first passageway is positioned at a lower part of the cleat main body, and the second passageway is positioned at an upper part of the cleat main body, 
   wherein the first end of the cord is securely attached at one end of the first passageway, and the second end of the cord traverses the second passageway and exits at least one of the first front facing opening and the second front facing opening; and,   the second end of the cord has a free end, and wherein when the second end of the cord is pulled under application of an expanding force and rotated, the cord crimps within the cleat main body; and,   wherein when the cord is pulled through the first front facing opening and rotated, the cord is wedged within the first front facing opening to secure the cord in place.   
     
     
         15 . The hair tie of  claim 14 , wherein the first front facing opening is in the second passageway for vertical securing of the cord, and the second front facing opening is in the cleat main body for horizontal securing of the cord.