U.S. patent application number 10/706318 was filed with the patent office on 2005-05-12 for electronic controlled hair styling appliance with display device.
This patent application is currently assigned to Helen of Troy L.P.. Invention is credited to Cafaro, Michael.
Application Number | 20050098192 10/706318 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 34552505 |
Filed Date | 2005-05-12 |
United States Patent
Application |
20050098192 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Cafaro, Michael |
May 12, 2005 |
Electronic controlled hair styling appliance with display
device
Abstract
An appliance, in particular a hair styling appliance, having a
programmable electronic control that controls operational features
of the appliance and where the appliance is equipped with a display
screen that provides a visual indication of the status of the
operational features on the display.
Inventors: |
Cafaro, Michael; (El Paso,
TX) |
Correspondence
Address: |
VINSON & ELKINS, L.L.P.
1001 FANNIN STREET
2300 FIRST CITY TOWER
HOUSTON
TX
77002-6760
US
|
Assignee: |
Helen of Troy L.P.
|
Family ID: |
34552505 |
Appl. No.: |
10/706318 |
Filed: |
November 12, 2003 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
132/232 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A45D 1/04 20130101; A45D
1/06 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
132/232 |
International
Class: |
A45D 001/04 |
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. An appliance for styling hair comprising: a handle portion and a
styling portion; a programmable electronic control for
electronically controlling at least one operational feature of the
appliance; and a control panel having at least one input mechanism
to set the at least one operational feature of the appliance; and a
display screen to indicate the operational status of the at least
one operational feature of the appliance, wherein the display
screen is located on the handle portion of the appliance.
2. The appliance of claim 1 wherein the hair styling appliance is a
curling iron.
3. The appliance of claim 1 wherein the hair styling appliance is a
styling iron.
4. The appliance of claim 1 wherein the hair styling appliance is a
hair dryer.
5. The appliance of claim 1 wherein the hair styling appliance is a
flat iron.
6. The appliance of claim 1 wherein the hair styling appliance is a
crimping iron.
7. The appliance of claim 1 wherein the hair styling appliance is a
spiral iron.
8. The appliance of claim 1 wherein the programmable electronic
control includes a memory function to recall the last setting.
9. The appliance of claim 8 wherein the programmable electronic
control includes a battery.
10. The appliance of claim 1 wherein the input mechanism comprises
one or more buttons.
11. The appliance of claim 1 wherein the input mechanism comprises
a dial.
12. The appliance of claim 1 wherein the input mechanism comprises
a switch.
13. The appliance of claim 1 wherein the input mechanism comprises
a touch pad.
14. The appliance of claim 1 wherein the at least one operational
feature comprises a temperature setting.
15. The appliance of claim 1 wherein the at least one operational
feature comprises a sleep mode.
16. The appliance of claim 1 wherein the at least one operational
feature comprises a last-setting-recall mode.
17. The appliance of claim 1 wherein the at least one operational
feature comprises a locking mode.
18. The appliance of claim 1 wherein the display screen is a liquid
crystal display (LCD) device.
19. The appliance of claim 1 wherein the display screen is a light
emitting diode (LED) device.
20. An appliance for styling hair comprising: a programmable logic
control that controls the output temperature of the appliance; and
a control panel having an input mechanism that selects the desired
output temperature of the appliance; and an electronic display
screen to indicate the output temperature of the appliance.
21. The appliance of claim 20 wherein the hair styling appliance is
a curling iron.
22. The appliance of claim 20 wherein the hair styling appliance is
a styling iron.
23. The appliance of claim 20 wherein the hair styling appliance is
a hair dryer.
24. The appliance of claim 20 wherein the hair styling appliance is
a flat iron.
25. The appliance of claim 20 wherein the hair styling appliance is
a crimping iron.
26. The appliance of claim 20 wherein the hair styling appliance is
a spiral iron.
27. The appliance of claim 20 wherein the hair styling appliance is
a hair-setting tool.
28. The appliance of claim 20 wherein the programmable logic
control comprises memory.
29. The appliance of claim 28 wherein the programmable logic
control circuit comprises a battery.
30. The appliance of claim 20 wherein the programmable logic
control controls at least one operational feature of the appliance
in addition to temperature.
31. The appliance of claim 30 wherein the display screen indicates
the status of the at least one additional operational feature of
the appliance.
32. The appliance of claim 20 wherein the display screen is an LCD
device.
33. The appliance of claim 17 wherein the display screen is an LED
device.
34. An appliance for styling hair comprising: a programmable
electronic control that electronically controls the output
temperature of the appliance; a control panel having at least one
input mechanism that sets the desired output temperature of the
appliance; and an LCD screen that indicates the output temperature
of the appliance.
35. The appliance of claim 34 wherein the programmable electronic
control includes memory.
36. The appliance of claim 34 wherein the programmable electronic
control comprises a battery.
37. The appliance of claim 34 wherein the programmable electronic
control controls at least one operational parameter in addition to
temperature.
38. The appliance of claim 37 wherein the at least one additional
operational parameter is a sleep mode, a last-setting-recall mode,
or a locking mode.
39. The appliance of claim 37 wherein the LCD screen indicates the
status of the at least one operational parameter.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0001] 1. Field of the Invention
[0002] The present invention relates to appliances, particularly
hair styling appliances, having a programmable electronic control
to permit control of the output temperature of the appliance. In
addition, the present invention relates to display screens on these
hair styling appliances to provide an accurate visual indication of
operational features of the appliance.
[0003] 2. Description of Related Art
[0004] Many hairstyling appliances utilize heat to encourage hair
to assume a new posture or desired style. For example, styling
postures may include drying, straightening, curling, crimping, and
the like. Heat may be applied to hair for styling by blowing hot
air, for example, by using hair dryers or hot-air styling brushes,
or by direct application of heat to the hair, for example by using
styling irons or hot rollers, or other hair-setting tools.
[0005] Regardless of the hair-styling method, the application of
too much or too little heat may result in unintended disadvantages.
For example, overheating hair may cause hair to become damaged,
dry, and brittle and in more severe cases, even burned. Too little
heat may not achieve the desired results, that is, drying,
straightening, curling, crimping, and the like.
[0006] The appropriate amount of heat needed to accomplish desired
results depends, in part, upon the characteristics of a user's
hair. Specifically, the thickness, natural curl and length of a
user's hair may affect amount of heat necessary to achieve a
desired style.
[0007] Accordingly, it would be an advantage to provide a hair
styling appliance that permits a user to select and control the
desired output temperature of that appliance. In addition, it would
be advantageous to provide the user with an accurate depiction of
the desired output temperature via a display means.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0008] The present invention, therefore, seeks to satisfy the
foregoing needs by providing a hair styling appliance having a
programmable electronic control.
[0009] In one aspect of the present invention, a hair styling
appliance is contemplated where the appliance has a selectable
temperature setting that permits a user to control the desired
output temperature.
[0010] Another aspect of the present invention contemplates
providing an accurate visual representation the output temperature
of the hair styling appliance on an electronic display on the
appliance.
[0011] Yet another aspect of the present invention involves the
inclusion of a shutoff/sleep mode of operation for the appliance
such that when the appliance is left unattended or is not in
operation for a proscribed period of time, the appliance
automatically removes power flow to the heat source.
[0012] An even further aspect of the present invention is to
provide a feature that will recall the last temperature setting of
the appliance when the appliance is turned on after having been
off.
[0013] And still another aspect of the present invention includes a
locking mechanism or mode which prevents the desired settings from
being accidentally, inadvertently or unintentionally changed.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0014] FIG. 1 depicts the curling iron embodiment of the present
invention;
[0015] FIG. 2A illustrates the display screen at a low temperature
setting.
[0016] FIG. 2B illustrates the display screen at a medium
temperature setting.
[0017] FIG. 2C illustrates the display screen at a high temperature
setting.
[0018] FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the handle portion of a
curling iron embodiment of the present invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0019] While the making and use of various embodiments of the
present invention are discussed and contemplated herein, it should
be appreciated that the present invention provides many inventive
concepts that can be embodied in a wide variety of specific
contexts. The specific embodiments discussed herein are therefore,
merely illustrative of specific ways to make and use the invention
and are not meant to limit the invention in any way. Accordingly,
for the ease of discussion, curling iron embodiments are described
below, as an exemplary appliance, and the description of a curling
iron is not intended to limit the invention.
[0020] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a conventional curling iron
5, having a handle portion 10 with a terminal end 15 that is
connected to an electrical cord 20 and a styling portion 25 having
a barrel 30 and a clamp 35 for positioning the hair against the
barrel 30. The handle portion 10 of the appliance comprises a
control panel 45 having features including an on/off switch 50, an
on/off indicator 55, and a temperature feature selection switch 60.
The temperature selection switch allows a user to select and
control a desired output temperature for the appliance. The feature
selection switch allows a user to enable one or more of the
appliance features described herein.
[0021] In addition, in one embodiment of the present invention the
control panel 45 has a display screen 65 which may provide for a
visual indication of the operable features and/or the output
temperature of the appliance. The display screen 65 is preferably
an LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) although other display means, such
as LED (Light Emitting Diode) devices, may also be employed and are
contemplated herein. The display screen 65 may optionally be
equipped with a backlight to illuminate the display screen 65 while
the appliance is switched on.
[0022] In one embodiment, the display screen provides a visual
indication 70 of the output temperature, or power, of the device.
Preferably the temperature is represented on the display screen 65
in the form of bars. For example a low temperature indication may
displayed as one to three bars as shown in FIG. 2A, a mid-level
temperature indication may appear as three to six bars as shown in
FIG. 2B, and a high temperature indication may appear as six or
more bars as shown in FIG. 2C. In an especially preferred
embodiment of the present invention, there are twelve temperature
levels, each indicated by an individual bar, indicated on the
display screen 65. While it is preferred that the output
temperature be indicated through the quantity and/or size of
indicator bars, other methods, such as linear or radial
representations, for indicating power or temperature magnitude may
be employed. In addition, representations such as color indicators
are also contemplated herein. Another optional feature of the
display screen 65 involves a representation of the "heat-up" status
of the appliance such that when the selected output temperature is
reached, the user is notified by the display. In the especially
preferred embodiment, this notification is indicated by
illuminating each bar individually from the lowest to highest of
the selected temperature and repeating until the selected
temperature is reached. Ultimately, all the bars will be
illuminated, thus indicating that the selected output temperature
has been reached.
[0023] Another optional feature contemplated by the present
invention includes a shutoff/sleep mode that removes power from the
heat source of the appliance when the appliance remains idle or
there is no activation of the appliance's controls within a given
time period. By activating any of the appliance's controls the
appliance is taken out of the shutoff/sleep mode. It is preferable
for this feature to be represented on the display screen 65 when
enabled. It is especially preferred that the representation of this
enabled feature include a quarter moon, a clock-like icon, or other
time symbolic indicator. An additional preferred optional feature
includes an alarm to alert the user that the shutoff/sleep mode has
been enabled and that power cutoff will soon occur. Preferably,
such alarm includes a flashing or blinking light, although other
visual or audio alarms may be utilized and are contemplated
herein.
[0024] In certain embodiments, the present invention may include a
last-setting-recall mode that recalls the last temperature setting
selected by the user when the appliance is turned on. Typically
this feature does not work if the unit has been unplugged from the
AC power supply. However, one optional embodiment of the present
invention includes a battery to maintain power to the last setting
recall feature even when the appliance has been removed from an AC
power source.
[0025] In certain embodiments, the appliances disclosed herein
include a lock mode that allows the controls to be locked, thus
preventing the desired settings from being accidentally or
unintentionally changed. It is preferable for this feature to be
represented on the display screen 65 when enabled. It is especially
preferred that the representation of this enabled feature include a
key or lock icon, or other symbolic indicator.
[0026] FIG. 3 of the drawings is a cross-sectional view of the
handle portion of the appliance shown in FIG. 1. The elements
numbered in FIG. 3 correspond to the same elements in FIGS. 1 and
2A-C. Also seen in FIG. 3 are an internal electrical connection 80
that connects the internal circuitry of the device to the power
cord 20, and an electronic circuit board 85 which is connected to
the internal electrical connection 80 (the connection is not
shown). The back light 90 for the display screen 65 is also
shown.
[0027] The foregoing description of an exemplary embodiment is for
illustrative purposes only and is not intended to limit the scope
of the claimed invention. Indeed, various modifications and
applications for the described invention are intended to be within
the scope of the present disclosure. In addition to the curling
iron embodiment as described above, hair styling appliances such as
flat irons, crimping irons, spiral irons or wands, curling-iron
styling brushes, hair dryers, hot-air styling brushes, hot rollers
or other hair-setting tools are contemplated by the present
disclosure.
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