U.S. patent application number 13/261709 was filed with the patent office on 2014-02-06 for hair styling device.
The applicant listed for this patent is Edward McCauley. Invention is credited to Edward McCauley.
Application Number | 20140034079 13/261709 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 43859224 |
Filed Date | 2014-02-06 |
United States Patent
Application |
20140034079 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
McCauley; Edward |
February 6, 2014 |
Hair Styling Device
Abstract
A hair styling device comprising: a handle member, and a hair
receiving member longitudinally extending from the handle member
and adapted to allow hair to be wound around a contact surface of
the hair receiving member, wherein the contact surface is
substantially non-straight in the longitudinal direction.
Inventors: |
McCauley; Edward; (Uphall,
GB) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
McCauley; Edward |
Uphall |
|
GB |
|
|
Family ID: |
43859224 |
Appl. No.: |
13/261709 |
Filed: |
February 10, 2012 |
PCT Filed: |
February 10, 2012 |
PCT NO: |
PCT/GB12/50298 |
371 Date: |
August 12, 2013 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
132/229 ;
132/226; 132/227 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A45D 1/12 20130101; A45D
1/16 20130101; A45D 2/38 20130101; A45D 1/04 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
132/229 ;
132/226; 132/227 |
International
Class: |
A45D 2/38 20060101
A45D002/38 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Feb 10, 2011 |
GB |
1102343.9 |
Aug 5, 2011 |
GB |
1113611.6 |
Claims
1.-35. (canceled)
36. A hair styling device comprising: a handle member; and a hair
receiving member longitudinally extending from the handle member;
wherein the hair receiving member is non-straight in the
longitudinal direction; wherein the non-straight configuration
defines a first contact surface and a second contact surface
arranged, in use, to be in contact with hair wound around the hair
receiving member.
37. The hair styling device as claimed in claim 36, wherein the
hair receiving member has an undulating profile or a corrugated
profile in the longitudinal direction; wherein concave portions are
defined between undulations and wherein the concave portion of each
undulation is adapted to receive a portion of the hair to be
styled.
38. The hair styling device as claimed in claim 36, wherein the
hair receiving member is configured to receive hair in the
alternating upper and lower concave portions as defined by the
first and second contact surfaces.
39. The hair styling device as claimed in claim 36, wherein the
undulations have a zigzag formation, or a box wave profile.
40. The hair styling device as claimed in claim 36, wherein at
least one of amplitude and wavelength of the undulations vary along
the length of the hair receiving member.
41. The hair styling device as claimed in claim 36, wherein the
hair receiving member includes a straight section between two or
more undulations.
42. The hair styling device as claimed in claim 36, wherein the
hair receiving member is removably attachable to the handle
member.
43. The hair styling device as claimed in claim 36, wherein the
hair styling device is configured to apply heat to the hair to at
least temporarily maintain the produced wave of the hair.
44. The hair styling device as claimed in claim 43, including
heating means for heating at least the first contact surface.
45. The hair styling device as claimed in claim 44, wherein the
heating means is electrically powered and comprises an electrical
resistance member.
46. The hair styling device as claimed in claim 45, including a
thermostatic control member for varying operating temperature.
47. The hair styling device as claimed in claim 36, wherein the
hair receiving member has a laminated construction.
48. The hair styling device as claimed in claim 47, wherein the
hair receiving member comprises a silicon ply and a thermally
conductive ply, wherein the two plies are attached together by
attachment means.
49. The hair styling device as claimed in claim 48, wherein the
hair receiving member includes a third ply which is thermally
conductive.
50. The hair styling device as claimed in claim 49, wherein the two
thermally conductive plies are interposed by the silicon ply.
51. The hair styling device as claimed in claim 50, wherein the
silicon ply is encapsulated by the thermally conductive plies.
52. The hair styling device as claimed in claim 44, wherein the
heating means comprises an electrically resistant wire, wherein the
wire is wound around the hair receiving member.
53. The hair styling device as claimed in claim 44, wherein the
hair receiving member comprises a frame member, and one or more
frame portions are electrically resistant to provide the heating
means.
54. The hair styling device as claimed in claim 36, wherein the
hair receiving member comprises a frame member to assist the flow
of a chemical.
55. The hair styling device as claimed in claim 54, wherein the
hair receiving member includes a plurality of apertures to assist
the flow of the chemical.
Description
[0001] The present invention relates to hair styling devices. In
particular, but not exclusively, the invention relates to hair
waving devices.
[0002] There are many known devices for creating artificial waves
in a person's hair. Examples include curling tongs and curlers,
wands, rollers and crimpers. Also, straighteners can be used to
curl hair, or to produce the opposite effect--straightening hair
which has a natural (or a previously created) waviness--or to
remove kinks, frizziness, static, or to produce a sleeker look.
[0003] Predominately, it is the shape of the hair receiving
portions of the device which determine the hair effect produced. A
number of existing devices require clip portions to hold the hair
in place and avoid slipping during treating. This is less
convenient for the user and can increase the time required to style
the hair.
[0004] Hair straighteners comprise two hinged jaws, each jaw having
a flat planar surface. The hair is inserted between the jaws but
otherwise kept straight and not wrapped around the jaws (which
would be ineffective since only the inner surface of each jaw is
heated to treat the hair). Hair crimpers are similar but each jaw
has a planar but undulating or corrugated surface (and the hair is
again inserted between the jaws).
[0005] Tongs, rollers and the like have a substantially straight
cylindrical portion and the hair is wrapped around this cylindrical
portion. They may have straight or spiral separating protrusions
extending outward from the cylindrical portion. However, these
protrusions are for separating the hair and holding the hair in
position and the shape of the hair effect produced is substantially
determined by the cylindrical portion and not the separating
protrusions.
[0006] There is a widespread and continuing desire to create new
and fashionable hairstyles but the styles possible are limited to
those which can be produced with existing devices. Tongs and the
like produce a circular spiral effect. An example of a new style
would be an elliptical spiral but this is not possible using
existing devices.
[0007] It is desirable to provide a hair styling device which can
produce new styles.
[0008] It is desirable to provide a hair styling device which
naturally holds the hair while it is being treated to produce the
effect.
[0009] According to the present invention there is provided a hair
styling device comprising: [0010] a handle member; [0011] a hair
receiving member longitudinally extending from the handle member
and adapted to allow hair to be wound around a contact surface of
the hair receiving member, wherein the contact surface is
substantially non-straight in the longitudinal direction.
[0012] The hair receiving member may be a plate member having two
major contact surfaces. The second contact surface may be
substantially non-straight in the longitudinal direction.
[0013] The hair receiving member may have an undulating or
corrugated profile in the longitudinal direction. Alternatively,
the hair receiving member may be spiral in the longitudinal
direction. The spiral hair receiving member can be considered to be
undulating or corrugated in two planes.
[0014] The concave portion of each undulation may be adapted to
receive a portion of the hair to be styled. When the hair receiving
member is a plate member, the hair receiving member may be adapted
to receive hair in the alternating upper and lower concave portions
defined by the first and second contact surfaces.
[0015] The undulations may have a zigzag formation. Alternatively,
the undulations may have a box wave profile. Alternatively, the
undulations may be substantially sinusoidal. It is not intended
that the term "sinusoidal" be interpreted using the strict
mathematical definition.
[0016] At least one of the amplitude and the wavelength of the
undulations may vary along the length of the hair receiving
member.
[0017] The hair receiving member may include a straight section
between one, more or each of the undulations.
[0018] The hair receiving member may be removably attached to the
handle member. A plurality of hair receiving members may be
provided. Each of the plurality of hair receiving members may vary
in at least one of the amplitude and the wavelength of the
undulations, the presence and length of straight sections between
the undulations, and the width, thickness or length of the contact
surface.
[0019] The hair receiving member may include one or more apertures
or slots adapted to receive at least a portion of the hair wound
around the contact surface.
[0020] According to a first embodiment of the invention, the hair
styling device may be adapted to apply heat to the hair to at least
temporarily maintain the produced wave of the hair.
[0021] The hair styling device may include heating means for
heating at least the first contact surface. The heating means may
be electrically powered, such as by main power or a battery.
[0022] The heating means may comprise an electrical resistance
member. The hair styling device may include a thermostatic control
member for varying the operating temperature.
[0023] The hair receiving member may comprise a thermally
conductive material, such as aluminium.
[0024] The hair receiving member may have a laminated construction.
The hair receiving member may include a ply which comprises a
silicon material, such as rubber. The hair receiving member may
comprise a silicon ply and a thermally conductive ply, the two
plies attached together by attachment means. The attachment means
may comprise bonding. Alternatively, the attachment means may
comprise at least one of compression and fixings.
[0025] The hair receiving member may include a third ply which may
be thermally conductive. The two thermally conductive plies may be
interposed by the silicon ply. The silicon ply may be encapsulated
by the thermally conductive plies.
[0026] The hair receiving member may include a coating. The coating
may comprise a ceramic material.
[0027] Alternatively, the heating means may comprise an
electrically resistant wire. The wire may be wound around the hair
receiving member.
[0028] The hair receiving member may comprise a frame member. One
or more frame portions may be electrically resistant to provide the
heating means.
[0029] According to a second embodiment of the invention, the hair
styling device may be adapted to at least assist the application of
a chemical to the hair to at least temporarily maintain the
produced wave of the hair.
[0030] The hair receiving member may comprise a frame member to
assist the flow of the chemical. Alternatively, the hair receiving
member may include a plurality of apertures to assist the flow of
the chemical.
[0031] Embodiments of the present invention will now be described,
by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings
in which:
[0032] FIG. 1 shows a side view of a hair waving device according
to a first embodiment of the invention;
[0033] FIG. 2 shows a front view of the device of FIG. 1; and
[0034] FIG. 3 shows a sectional side view of a hair receiving
member of a hair waving device.
[0035] FIGS. 1 and 2 show a first embodiment of a hair styling
device 10 which comprises a handle 20 and a hair receiving member
30 which longitudinally extends from the handle 20. The hair
receiving member 30 is formed as a plate and has a first contact
surface 32 and a second contact surface 34. As evident in the
drawings, the hair receiving member 30 has a zigzag profile which
defines a number of undulations 36. Therefore, the contact surfaces
are non-straight in the longitudinal direction.
[0036] The hair receiving member 30 is formed from a thermally
conductive material which can be heated using electrical power
supplied from the mains via a cable 22.
[0037] In use, a user can wind hair around the hair receiving
member 30 and the undulations 36 assist to hold the hair in place.
Heat transmitted from the contact surfaces treats the hair to
produce a wave effect.
[0038] The hair receiving member 30 can include one or more
apertures or slots (not shown) to receive a portion of the hair.
This can be used to help hold the hair and/or to produce different
effects.
[0039] In other embodiments, the amplitude and/or wavelength of the
undulations can vary along the length of the hair receiving member
30 to produce different effects. Also, the hair receiving member 30
can include straight sections provided between the undulations 36.
Indeed, the hair styling device 10 can be provided as a kit with a
number of different hair receiving members 30, each removably
attached to the handle 20.
[0040] As shown in FIG. 3, the hair receiving member 30 has a
laminated construction. A heater pad 40 (0.9 mm thick) is bonded
onto an aluminium ply 42 (2 mm thick). Since the skin of the heater
pad 40 is a silicone based rubber, a ceramic coating (20 microns
thick) directly onto the heater pad might not adhere correctly.
Consequently, a 0.3 mm thick layer 44 of aluminium is laminated
over the heater pad 40 in order for the subsequent ceramic coating
process to adhere to the aluminium (top and bottom) and effectively
`sandwich` the heater pad 40 in between the 2 mm thick aluminium
ply 42 and the 0.3 mm thick top coating 44 of aluminium with an
effective "all over" skin of ceramic 46.
[0041] The ceramic coating 46 is for wear resistance and
aesthetics. Heat is transferred from the heater pad 40 to the
aluminium ply 42 and is drawn out to the outer skin of the ceramic
coating 46. The heater pad 40 is applied to the top section only of
the aluminium ply 42. If the heat transfer was ineffective in
transferring heat to the bottom sections of the aluminium ply 42
(post ceramic coating), then the aluminium ply 42 can continue to
cover the bottom wave sections also. The heater pad 40 is wired to
a thermostat (not shown) to vary the operating temperature and to
mains cabling 22 in the handle 20 for connection to the main
supply. Application of mains current into the heater pad 40
produces the heat for transfer into the aluminium ply 42 and out to
the outer skin 46 of ceramic coating. The aluminium ply 42 is bent
to the undulated profile before the heater pad 40 is bonded to the
aluminium ply 42.
[0042] In an alternative embodiment (not shown), rather than
bonding the heater pad 40 to the aluminium ply 42, the heater pad
40 is compressed against the aluminium ply 42 by a thin gauge
stainless steel skin or cladding. This cladding forms two distinct
top and bottom sections, and are screwed together using small scale
fixings, thereby compressing the heater pad 40 against the
aluminium ply 42. The screws could be substituted by any permanent
joining process such as aluminium welding. The assembly is then
ceramic coated all over as in the bonded arrangement.
[0043] In an alternative embodiment (not shown), a heater pad 40 is
encapsulated within a hollow aluminium extrusion without glue. The
extrusion is then compressed until the heater pad 40 is compressed
at both sides, without damaging the heater pad 40. The pressure on
the heater pad 40 ensures good mechanical contact between heater
pad 40 and the aluminium walls and therefore heat transfer. With
the heater pad 40 encapsulated inside the aluminium skin, the
`sandwich` assembly is then bent into the wave profile required.
The bent assembly is then ceramic coated.
[0044] In an alternative embodiment (not shown), the heater pad 40
can be omitted depending on the choice of materials. For instance,
the hair receiving member 30 can be formed from a thermally
conductive polymer such as E-Series or D-Series materials provided
by Coolpolymers Inc. A current is passed through this material to
heat to the temperature required. The hair receiving member 30
would be an injection moulding and this would negate any heater
pad, gluing process or encapsulated process. Stiffening members can
be included if required.
[0045] In another alternative embodiment (not shown), a heating
element is wrapped around the hair receiving member 30 to supply
the required heat. The assembly is then ceramic coated all over as
in the previous embodiments. In another alternative embodiment (not
shown), the hair receiving member 30 can comprise a frame which is
electrically resistant to provide the heating means.
[0046] In an alternative embodiment of the invention (not shown),
the hair styling device 10 can be non-electrical. The device 10 can
be adapted to assist the application of a chemical to the hair to
maintain the produced wave of the hair.
[0047] The hair receiving member 30 can comprise a frame to assist
the flow of the chemical or include apertures or the like to assist
the flow of the chemical.
[0048] Whilst specific embodiments of the present invention have
been described above, it will be appreciated that departures from
the described embodiments may still fall within the scope of the
present invention.
* * * * *