U.S. patent application number 13/628880 was filed with the patent office on 2013-04-25 for hair shaping device.
This patent application is currently assigned to PANASONIC CORPORATION. The applicant listed for this patent is PANASONIC CORPORATION. Invention is credited to Tetsuro HASHIGUCHI, Hiroaki SHIMIZU.
Application Number | 20130098387 13/628880 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 48134941 |
Filed Date | 2013-04-25 |
United States Patent
Application |
20130098387 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
SHIMIZU; Hiroaki ; et
al. |
April 25, 2013 |
HAIR SHAPING DEVICE
Abstract
A hair shaping device comprises a main unit having a gripper, a
head having a rod-shaped heating unit, and a drive unit configured
to rotate said heating unit around an axis of said heating unit.
Said heating unit has a polygonal shape in cross-section when
viewed from a direction of the axis.
Inventors: |
SHIMIZU; Hiroaki; (Osaka,
JP) ; HASHIGUCHI; Tetsuro; (Osaka, JP) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
PANASONIC CORPORATION; |
Kadoma-shi |
|
JP |
|
|
Assignee: |
PANASONIC CORPORATION
Kadoma-shi, Osaka
JP
|
Family ID: |
48134941 |
Appl. No.: |
13/628880 |
Filed: |
September 27, 2012 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
132/217 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A45D 1/18 20130101; A45D
2/48 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
132/217 |
International
Class: |
A45D 2/48 20060101
A45D002/48 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Oct 25, 2011 |
JP |
2011-233874 |
Claims
1. A hair shaping device comprising: a main unit having a gripper;
a head having a rod-shaped heating unit; and a drive unit
configured to rotate said heating unit around an axis of said
heating unit, wherein said heating unit has a polygonal shape in
cross-section when viewed from a direction of the axis.
2. The hair shaping device as claimed in claim 1, wherein said
heating unit has a triangular shape in cross-section when viewed
from the direction of the axis, each corner of the triangular shape
being rounded off.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0001] 1. Field of the Invention
[0002] The invention relates generally to hair shaping devices and,
more particularly, to a hair shaping device which maintains hair
into the intended shape through heat released by a heating
unit.
[0003] 2. Description of the Related Art
[0004] There has been eyelash shaping devices for shaping
eyelashes, for instance, disclosed in Japanese Registered Utility
Model No. 3042723 and Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No.
2009-219571. The eyelash shaping device disclosed in the former
document comprises a main unit having a handle, a spiral brush
located in the tip side of the main unit, and a heating element
that is spirally coiled in parallel to the inside of the brush. The
eyelash shaping device disclosed in the latter document comprises a
main unit casing that also functions as a gripper, and a head that
is located in one end of the main unit casing, and then a heater
for heating eyelashes is located in the head. Then, in a periphery
of the head, a first shaping face and a second shaping face are
located so as to face each other for shaping eyelashes, and then a
comb unit for combing eyelashes is provided in each of the first
and second shaping faces. In this eyelash shaping device, a user
combs eyelashes using the comb unit, and thereby eyelashes are
adjusted into the intended shape and the adjusted eyelashes are
maintained through heat released by the heater.
[0005] Incidentally, in the conventional eyelash shaping devices of
the above-mentioned documents, a user combs eyelashes using the
brush or the head, and heats the eyelashes through the heating
element or the heater, and then in this state, the user further
curves the eyelashes while moving the user's hand holding the
eyelash shaping device (or while moving the user's wrist), and
thereby the eyelashes are adjusted into the intended shape.
[0006] Therefore, the conventional eyelash shaping devices are
configured to adjust the eyelashes into the intended shape through
moving the user's wrist, that is, through technology and operation
of the user, and the work efficiency for the adjustment is not very
high. Then, the eyelashes are adjusted while the same part of the
head or the brush (the heating element) contacts the eyelashes. For
this reason, the temperature of the part reduces easily, and the
heat is insufficiently supplied to the eyelashes, and the curled
shape is hardly maintained, and thereby there is a possibility that
it becomes difficult to adjust the eyelashes into the intended
shape (that is, the ability to shape hair is decreased). In
addition, because the user adjusts the eyelashes into the intended
shape through moving the hand and/or the wrist, there is a problem
that the eyelash shaping device itself does not have very high
ability for curving (curling) the eyelash.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0007] It is an object of the present invention to provide a hair
shaping device, which can improve the ability to shape hair, and
then can improve the work efficiency.
[0008] A hair shaping device of the present invention comprises a
main unit having a gripper, a head having a rod-shaped heating
unit, and a drive unit configured to rotate said heating unit
around an axis of said heating unit, and wherein said heating unit
has a polygonal shape in cross-section when viewed from a direction
of the axis.
[0009] In this configuration, a user can heat hair through said
heating unit that is rotating. Therefore, the hair shaping device
can improve the ability to shape hair and can improve the work
efficiency.
[0010] In this hair shaping device, preferably, said heating unit
has a triangular shape in cross-section when viewed from the
direction of the axis, and each corner of the triangular shape is
rounded off.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0011] Preferred embodiments of the invention will now be described
in further details. Other features and advantages of the present
invention will become better understood with regard to the
following detailed description and accompanying drawings where:
[0012] FIG. 1 is an oblique drawing of a hair shaping device
according to an embodiment of the present invention;
[0013] FIG. 2 is an exploded oblique drawing of the hair shaping
device according to said embodiment of the present invention;
[0014] FIG. 3 is an oblique drawing of a head in the hair shaping
device according to said embodiment of the present invention;
[0015] FIG. 4 is an oblique drawing of a head in a state where a
comb has been detached, in the hair shaping device according to
said embodiment of the present invention;
[0016] FIG. 5 is a front view of said head in the state where said
comb has been detached, in the hair shaping device according to
said embodiment of the present invention;
[0017] FIG. 6 is a plane view of said comb in the hair shaping
device according to said embodiment of the present invention;
[0018] FIG. 7A is an explanatory diagram showing schematically a
distance from a rotation center of a heating unit to a point in a
contact surface coming into contact with hair when the heating unit
rotates, in the hair shaping device according to said embodiment of
the present invention;
[0019] FIG. 7B is an explanatory diagram showing schematically a
distance from a rotation center of a heating unit to a point in a
contact surface coming into contact with hair when the heating unit
rotates, in a hair shaping device according to a reference
example;
[0020] FIG. 8A is an explanatory diagram showing schematically a
pre-displacement situation of eyelashes when the heating unit
rotates, in the hair shaping device according to said embodiment of
the present invention;
[0021] FIG. 8B is an explanatory diagram showing schematically just
a displacing situation of eyelashes when the heating unit rotates,
in the hair shaping device according to said embodiment of the
present invention; and
[0022] FIG. 8C is an explanatory diagram showing schematically a
situation of eyelashes when a heating unit rotates, in a hair
shaping device according to a reference example.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EXEMPLARY EMBODIMENTS
[0023] An embodiment of the present invention will be described
below referring to figures.
[0024] As shown in FIG. 1, a hair shaping device of the present
embodiment comprises: a main unit 1 that has a power source
built-in; a head 14 that has a heating unit 4 and a comb 5; a drive
unit 3 that outputs a rotation drive to head 14; and a cap 10 that
is detachably attached to main unit 1 and covers head 14 (see FIG.
2). Then, the hair shaping device of the present embodiment is
configured as a so-called eyelash curler that adjusts eyelashes
into a curved shape (a curled shape).
[0025] As shown in FIG. 1, main unit 1 is formed into a cylindrical
shape, and is provided with an operation unit 6 for operating the
performance, which is exposed on a casing. The casing is formed
with a battery cover 12 in which a battery 13 is stored, and a
housing 11 in which operation unit 6 is located. Then, head 14 is
located in one end of housing 11, and battery cover 12 is
detachably located in the other end of housing 11. Then, as shown
in FIG. 2, main unit 1 encloses battery 13 as the power source, a
circuit unit 2 through which battery 13 is electrically connected
to heating unit 4 and drive unit 3, and the drive unit 3 which
comprises a motor 31 as a drive source. Hereinafter, an axial
direction of the cylindrical-shaped main unit 1 will be simply
described as an axial direction Ax.
[0026] In response to the operation in operation unit 6, circuit
unit 2 is configured to perform ON-OFF operation of heating unit 4
and ON-OFF operation of motor 31 (that is, rotation of heating unit
4), and to switch a forward rotation and a reverse rotation with
respect to a rotation direction of heating unit 4. Then, operation
unit 6 comprises a switch 61 for operating the heat caused by
heating unit 4, and a switch 62 for operating the rotation caused
by drive unit 3. That is, when a user operates switch 61, ON-OFF of
the heating action can be switched through circuit unit 2. Then,
when the user operates switch 62, ON-OFF of the rotation can be
switched through circuit unit 2, or the forward rotation and the
reverse rotation of the rotation direction can be switched through
circuit unit 2.
[0027] Drive unit 3 mainly comprises motor 31 as the drive source,
and a drive transmission unit 32 that transfers a driving force of
motor 31 to head 14. Motor 31 has a rotating shaft that extends
along the axial direction Ax and corresponds with an axis of main
unit 1, and then drive transmission unit 32 has for instance a
planetary speed reducer mechanism. Then, drive transmission unit 32
outputs the rotation drive of motor 31 to head 14 so that a
rotation axis of head 14 corresponds with the rotating shaft of the
motor 31, and then drive unit 3 is configured to rotate heating
unit 4 of head 14 around an axis of heating unit 4. As explained
above, ON-OFF of the rotation action can be switched through switch
62.
[0028] As shown in FIG. 3, head 14 comprises heating unit 4 for
heating eyelashes and comb 5 for combing eyelashes, and is provided
so as to project along the axial direction Ax from one end of main
unit 1.
[0029] As shown in FIG. 2, heating unit 4 comprises a heater wire
41, a heater base 42, a heater base cover 43, a heater cover 44, a
heater cover ring 45, and a conductive member. Then, as shown in
FIG. 4, heating unit 4 projects along the axial direction Ax from
one end of main unit 1 and is formed into a rod shape. Then,
heating unit 4 is rotated around a shaft center of the rod shape
through the driving force transferred from drive unit 3.
[0030] Then, the conductive member electrically connects circuit
unit 2 and heater wire 41. Then, as shown in FIG. 2, the conductive
member mainly comprises a pair of heater terminals 46a, 46a formed
into cylindrical shapes, a pair of terminal springs 46b, 46b formed
into circular shapes, and two U-rings 46c, 46c, and then these are
formed with a conducting material, such as a metal. The detailed
configuration about the conductive member will be explained below
together with other components of heating unit 4.
[0031] Heater base 42 mainly comprises a long rod 42a that extends
along the axial direction Ax, and a base 42b that is electrically
connected to circuit unit 2 through the conductive member. Then,
heater base 42 is provided so that its axis corresponds with the
axis of drive unit 3, and base 42b is enclosed in main unit 1, and
rod 42a projects along the axial direction Ax from main unit 1.
[0032] Rod 42a is formed into almost a triangular frame shape in
cross-section when viewed from the axial direction Ax, and that is,
has three long side walls that extend along the axial direction Ax.
Then, rod 42a has a guide (not shown) near two of three corners in
the triangular frame, and heater wire 41 is located in the guide
(the details will be explained below). The guide is formed into a
groove shape, and then is formed along the axial direction Ax over
the entire length of two long side walls. At this time, in the
guide, a first guide located in one long side wall and a second
guide located in the other long side wall are formed so as to sag
toward each other.
[0033] Base 42b is formed into a cylindrical shape, and is
rotatably attached to housing 11 through a bearing 47 and heater
base cover 43. Then, base 42b is provided in its outer periphery
with heater terminals 46a, 46a of the conductive member. Heater
terminals 46a, 46a are arranged in the axial direction Ax, and
heater base cover 43 is located between heater terminals 46a, 46a,
and short-circuit can be prevented by heater base cover 43. Then,
heater terminals 46a, 46a are electrically connected to terminal
springs 46b, 46b that are attached to an inner surface of housing
11 (the inside of main unit 1), respectively. Terminal springs 46b,
46b are electrically connected to circuit unit 2 through a
conducting member (in the present embodiment, lead wires 48,
48).
[0034] Then, one end of heater wire 41 is located between one
heater terminal 46a and the outer periphery of base 42b, and the
other end of heater wire 41 is located between the other heater
terminal 46a and the outer periphery of base 42b. Then, both heater
terminals 46a, 46a are electrically connected to each other through
heater wire 41. Then, the guide provided in rod 42a further extends
to base 42b, and then heater wire 41 positioned in the guide is
prevented from electrically contacting heater cover 44 attached to
base 42b.
[0035] Each end of heater wire 41 is secured to base 42b through
the corresponding U-ring 46c. Then, each end of heater wire 41 is
electrically connected to the corresponding heater terminal 46a
located in the periphery through the corresponding U-ring 46c. For
this reason, by ON operation of switch 61, the electrical power is
supplied to heater wire 41 from battery 13 via circuit unit 2 and
the conductive member, and thereby heater wire 41 releases heat.
Then, by OFF operation of switch 61, the electrical power supplied
from battery 13 is stopped, and thereby heater wire 41 stops
releasing heat.
[0036] Then, heater wire 41 is located in the guide that is formed
along two side walls and the tip of rod 42a in the axial direction
Ax. In addition, heater wire 41 is covered by heater cover 44, and
thereby is protected. Heater cover 44 is fixed to base 42b via
heater cover ring 45 (the details will be explained below).
[0037] Heater cover 44 is formed into a tubular shape. Heater wire
41 and heater base 42 are positioned within the tubular. Then,
heater cover 44 covers the three side walls and the tip of heater
base 42 and heater wire 41 located in the guide, and thereby
prevents the exposure of heater wire 41. Then, a clearance gap is
formed between heater cover 44 and heater wire 41. Therefore,
heater cover 44 is heated through the heat released by heater wire
41, while being electrically insulated from heater wire 41.
[0038] Furthermore, heater cover 44 is formed with a material
having high heat conductivity, such as aluminum, its mixed metal,
or the like, and then can transfer, more easily, the heat generated
at a time when a current flows in heater wire 41 (at a time when
the electrical power is supplied), compared with heater base 42.
For this reason, heating unit 4 can heat hair (eyelash) coming into
contact with heater cover 44 through the heat transferred to heater
cover 44. An outer periphery of heater cover 44 is configured as
three contact surfaces 41a for contacting and heating hair.
[0039] Then, heater cover 44 has a polygonal shape in cross-section
when viewed from the axial direction Ax, and specifically, each
corner (apex) of the polygonal shape is rounded off. Then, in the
present embodiment, heater cover 44 has almost a triangular shape
in cross-section when viewed from the axial direction Ax, and each
corner (apex) of the triangular shape is rounded off. Therefore, as
shown in FIG. 5, heating unit 4 has a triangular shape when viewed
from the axial direction Ax (when viewed from the front), and then
three plane surfaces, being based mainly on three sides of the
triangular shape, function as three contact surfaces 41a of heating
unit 4.
[0040] In addition, a large diameter section 44b is provided in one
end of heater cover 44 positioned in the side of main unit 1, and
is formed so as to extend outward along a radial direction. Heater
cover ring 45 is attached to large diameter section 44b, and
thereby heater cover 44 is fixed to base 42b of heater base 42.
Then, heater cover 44 is provided in one side of the triangular
shape with a groove 44a that opens in the projecting tip and sags
along the axial direction Ax. In FIG. 5, large diameter section 44b
and heater cover ring 45 are omitted.
[0041] In other words, heater cover ring 45 functions as a
retaining member for holding heater cover 44 in heater base 42, and
then, as shown in FIG. 4, holds one end of heater cover 44,
positioned in the side of main unit 1, in base 42b. Then, heater
cover ring 45 is provided with a convex part 45a that projects in
the side of the rotation center. When heater cover ring 45 is
attached to large diameter section 44b, convex part 45a engages
with groove 44a of heater cover 44. Therefore, when heater base 42
is rotated, heater cover 44 held in base 42b rotates together with
heater base 42 without spinning free.
[0042] That is, in addition to the functions as the retaining
member, heater cover ring 45 functions as a whirl-stop member that
prevents heater cover 44 from rotating with respect to heater base
42. Then, heater cover ring 45 is formed with an insulating
material, and then prevents a heater terminal 46a positioned near
rod 42a from moving to the side of rod 42a and insulates heater
cover 44 from the heater terminal 46a.
[0043] As shown in FIG. 3, comb 5 is formed into a cylindrical
shape having the bottom, and comprises a comb section 51 as a
periphery. Then, heating unit 4 is located within comb 5, and the
tip of heater cover 44 is covered by the bottom of comb 5. An
opening end of comb 5 is fixed to main unit 1. As shown in FIG. 6,
comb section 51 has a shaft center that corresponds with the
rotation center of heating unit 4, and is formed into a spiral
shape, and is located so as to cover three contact surfaces 41a of
heating unit 4. In other words, comb section 51 is formed so as to
slope, over the entire circumference of comb 5, toward the axial
direction Ax with respect to a circumferential direction (a
rotation circle) and to intersect with the axial direction Ax.
[0044] Then, a space (a clearance gap) of the spiral comb section
51 located in the axial direction Ax functions as a lead-in groove
52 for leading eyelashes in contact surfaces 41a of heating unit 4.
That is, comb 5 is provided with the lead-in groove 52 formed into
a spiral shape.
[0045] As explained above, heating unit 4 has three contact
surfaces 41a over the entire circumference of the circumferential
direction, and then one contact surface 41a contacting hairs
(eyelashes) can be sequentially changed through the rotation of
heating unit 4. Therefore, the hair shaping device can prevent the
conventional problem that eyelashes are adjusted using only the
same part of heating unit and thereby the temperature of the same
part reduces and heat is insufficiently supplied to the eyelashes.
Then, the user can easily adjust hair (can easily curl hair) using
the hair shaping device, and the hair shaping device can easily
improve the convenience, such as the work efficiency of the
adjustment.
[0046] Then, because heating unit 4 (heater cover 44) is formed
into a polygonal shape in cross-section, a distance from the
rotation center to a point in a contact surface 41a (in the Figure,
see a distance D1 from a dashed line L1 to a solid line L2) can be
changed with the rotation of heating unit 4, as shown in FIG. 7A.
Therefore, through the rotation of heating unit 4, the present hair
shaping device can move hairs (can smooth eyelashes) coming into
contact with heating unit 4 (see a hair H in FIGS. 8A and 8B), and
can improve the work efficiency, compared with a heating unit 70
according to a reference example which is formed into a circular
shape in cross-section and in which its distance D2 remains
constant (that is, the distance D2 is not displaced) as shown in
FIG. 7B. Furthermore, each contact surface 41a of heating unit 4 is
formed so as to have a plane surface, due to the polygonal shape of
heating unit 4. Therefore, heating unit 4 can easily come into
contact with hairs through a surface contact. For this reason, when
coming into contact with hairs, the present hair shaping device can
have a larger contact area with hair and can supply the heat to
hairs more easily and can improve the work efficiency of the
adjustment, compared with heating unit 70 of the reference example
which has a contact surface 71a formed into a circular shape in
cross-section and coming into contact with hairs through a point
contact.
[0047] Then, in the present embodiment, heating unit 4 is formed
into almost an equilateral triangular shape in cross-section, and
thereby each contact surface 41a can have a larger area (a longer
side) than each contact surface of a heating unit formed into other
polygonal shape. Therefore, the present hair shaping device can
easily come into contact with hairs through a surface contact, and
can improve the work efficiency of the adjustment. Then, each
corner of the shape in cross-section is rounded off, and thereby,
near each corner, the area coming into contact with hairs can be
smoothly moved along a curved surface of each corner (that is,
hairs can be easily curled). Accordingly, the present hair shaping
device can prevent the insufficient heat caused by the temperature
decrease of the contact surfaces 41a and can improve the work
efficiency of the adjustment, compared with an angular corner in
which hairs easily maintain contact with the same area near each
corner.
[0048] Moreover, drive unit 3 is configured to switch a forward
rotation and a reverse rotation with respect to the rotation
direction of heating unit 4, and thereby for instance in a
left-and-right pair of eyelashes, the user can switch the rotation
direction of heating unit 4 in response to the right eyelashes or
the left eyelashes, and the user can easily adjust the pair of
eyelashes to symmetrical shape through switching of the rotation
direction. In this way, because the rotation direction is
selectable, the user can easily adjust eyelashes and the present
hair shaping device can improve the convenience.
[0049] Then, comb section 51 in comb 5 is formed into a spiral
shape, and thereby, in contact surfaces 41a of heating unit 4, a
part exposed through lead-in groove 52 of comb section 51 is
configured so as to slope with respect to a circumferential
direction. Therefore, in a region provided with comb section 51,
lead-in groove 52 is formed over the entire circumference, and the
user can easily lead hairs in lead-in groove 52 and the hairs can
easily come into contact with heating unit 4 (hairs can be easily
heated) and the present hair shaping device can improve the
convenience.
[0050] Although the present invention has been described with
reference to certain preferred embodiments, numerous modifications
and variations can be made by those skilled in the art without
departing from the true spirit and scope of this invention, namely
claims. For instance, comb 5 may comprise a plurality of comb
sections 51, each of which is formed into a circular ring shape,
and a center of each circular ring corresponds with the rotation
center. Then, the plurality of circular-ring-shaped comb sections
51 may be located so as to slope in the axial direction Ax and
intersect with the axial direction Ax. In addition, the present
hair shaping device is not limited to an eyelash curler.
* * * * *