This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62983481, filed 28 February 2020; also, this application claims the benefit of U.S. Non-Provisional Patent Application No. 17184633, filled 25 February 2021.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates generally to strand(s) bounded by securing implement(s) for aesthetic or functional purpose.

BACKGROUND ART

A securing implement is often used to bound strand(s), as is the case when rubber banding hair or tying yarn around spaghetti. The visibility of said securing implement may interfere with overall aesthetics. Some (i.e.- decorative tape), however, may inherently serve aesthetic purposes. Others (i.e. - rubber bands) may be concealed by wrapping around with excess strands or fashioning some visually appealing article(s). A uniform tube may conceal said securing implement when the strands are of the adequate thickness or with the assistance of additional securing means.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Being anchored by securing implement(s) bounding strand(s), the present invention conceals said securing implement for aesthetic or additional functional purpose.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING(S)

The labeled components are:

A. Exterior of concealing implement

B. Interior of concealing implement

C. Securing implement D. Bounded Strands

FIG #1 - Front view of a preferred embodiment of concealing implement.

FIG #2 - Angled top view of a preferred embodiment of concealing implement highlighting strategic shape of interior.

FIG #3 - Angled bottom view of a preferred embodiment of concealing implement highlighting strategic shape of interior.

FIG #4 - Cross section of a preferred embodiment having sloped interior.

FIG #5 - Cross section of a preferred embodiment having a counterbore interior.

FIG #6 - Cross section of a preferred embodiment having sloped interior concealing a rubber band bounding a thickness of hair.

FIG #7 - Cross section of a preferred embodiment having counterbore interior concealing a length of yarn bounding a thickness of spaghetti.

FIG #8 - Bottom angled view of a preferred embodiment having a high-friction material on its' interior.

FIG #9 - Cross section of a preferred embodiment, having a high-friction material on its' interior, concealing an 'apparatus securable to the ends of flexible strands' bounding a thickness of hair.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The following comprise the present invention:

(1) concealing implement that is neither a tube uniform in shape and material nor a sleeve,

(2) strategic shape or arrangement.

The following do not comprise the present invention but are involved in the usage of the present invention:

(3) securing implement(s), (4) strand(s).

The above components exhibit the following relation:

To some degree, (1) surrounds (3) that bounds (4). (1) may be a single piece having strategic shape (2) as in FIG 4 and FIG 5, or a unit comprised of several pieces having strategic arrangement (2) as in FIG 7. (2) serves as the means by which (1) surrounds (3) that bounds (4) while maintaining a fixed position along (4).

The present invention works as follows:

1. Insert and pass (4) through some hollowed portion of (1).

2. Maneuver (1) sufficiently close to (3), as to, by means of (2), surround (3) while maintaining a fixed position along (4).

For a preferred embodiment of the present invention as in FIG 4 (1), consider a thickness of hair that is attached to one's scalp (4) and a rubber band (3). (4) is inserted through the middle of (1). (3) is then used to bound (4). (1) is then slid along the length of (4) until (3) is surrounded and the combined width of (3) and (4) exceed that of the remaining upper interior portion of (1), as depicted in FIG 6.

For a preferred embodiment of the present invention as in FIG 5 (1), consider a thickness of spaghetti (4) and finite length of yarn (3). Some length of (4) bounded by (3) is insert into the bottom center portion and passed through the top center portion of (1). (1) is slid along the length of (4) toward (3) until (3) meets the interior ledge of (1) and is surrounded, as depicted in FIG 8.

For a preferred embodiment of the present invention as in FIG 7 (1), consider a thickness of hair that is attach to one's scalp (4) and an apparatus securable to the ends of the hair having a shaped portion, compatible with the interior shape of (1), made of high-friction material (3). Some length of (4) is inserted into the top portion and passed through the bottom potion of (1). (4) is then bounded by (3). (1) is slid along the length of (4) until inertia from the high-friction materials is met. Enough force to overcome the inertia presented by the high-friction materials is used to continue to move (1), in the same direction as along the strands, until the exterior of (1) adequately meets some portion of the body of (3). The result is as that depicted in FIG 9.

To make the present invention, several common production techniques including additive manufacturing (i.e. - 3D printing), injection molding, and hand sculpting or shaping may be used. For a preferred embodiment having strategic arrangement as in FIG 7, assembly, such as adhering pieces together, may be necessary.

Note that the present invention is not an intermediary component of building some whole; it is an adornment that serves aesthetic or additional functional purpose independent of the medium (combination of (3) and (4)) to which it is applied.

Note that the application of the present invention is inherently temporary and transferable across a variety of relevant context ((4) bounded by (3)). However, that is not to mean that the present invention is limited to a single size; dimensions may be determined and scaled by the producer to accommodate several classes of thickness, where a class comprises the range from the smallest to the largest total thickness of (3) and (4) for which an embodiment of the present invention can fulfill its' function.