Hair Curling Implement

Abstract

An implement for the curling of hair including a hollow handle member, relatively movable jaw members having clamping jaws forming a smooth extension outwardly of the handle and leg members thereof located within the handle, spring means biasing the clamping jaws into a clamping position, and press buttons on the handle cooperating with the leg members for opening the clamping jaws.

Parent Case Text

This is a continuation of application Ser. No. 177,800 filed Sept. 3, 1971 now abandoned.

Description

This invention relates generally to a hair curler device and more particularly to a hair curling implement having clamping jaws extending outwardly of a handle member thereof, the clamping jaws being easily manipulated by the user while avoiding the snagging of hair between the jaw members and handle during operation.

The hair curling prior art devices, viz., curling irons, are normally shaped in the form of a scissors having clamping jaws and handles for clamping of the hair while curling with or without the use of heat. The user must normally maintain the handles tightly pressed together while turning the iron to effect a curl of the hair. Such an implement is not only cumbersome but, oftentimes, the hair is not properly gripped and maintained by the jaws especially when curling short hair at the nape of the neck.

It is therefore a principal object of the present invention to avoid these various drawbacks in hair curling devices by providing an implement having a hollow handle member with jaw members extending outwardly therefrom and spring biased into a clamping position so that the user may simply clamp the jaws about the hair and thereafter easily roll or turn the handle for curling.

Another object of this invention is to provide such an implement wherein the clamping jaws of the jaw members together form a smooth extension of the handle members to thereby avoid any snarling or snagging of the hair which may otherwise be caught between the jaw members and the handle.

A further object of the invention is to provide such an implement wherein each jaw member has a leg member with spring means urging the leg members spaced apart and the clamping jaws into a closed position so that, upon movement of the leg members together as press buttons on the handle are moved inwardly, the clamping jaws may be easily opened.

Other objects, advantages and novel features of the invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of the invention when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the jaw members, pivot pin and coil spring designed in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a side elevational view of the implement showing the handle member in cross-section;

FIG. 3 is a front elevational end view of the implement shown in FIG. 2; and

FIG. 4 is a sectional view of the implement taken along the line 4--4 of FIG. 2.

Turning now to the drawings wherein like reference characters refer to like and corresponding parts throughout the several views, the hair curling implement is generally designated 10 in FIG. 2 as comprising a hollow handle member 11 having an open end 12, and identical jaw members 13, 14. Each jaw member, as clearly shown in FIG. 1, includes a clamping jaw 15, 16 and a leg member 17, 18, respectively. Each leg member of each jaw member is interconnected with its respective clamping jaw by means of a shank portion 19, 21, each having outwardly extending pivot supports 22, 23, respectively, thereon. The thickness of each pivot support is substantially one-half the thickness of its respective shank portion (see FIG. 4) and each shank portion has a 180.degree. curved recess 24, 25, respectively. Such an arrangement therefore permits each jaw member to be assembled together as a unit with their respective pivot supports mating within the recesses of the other respective shank portions, and with the flat inner surfaces 26, 27 of each jaw member in full contact with one another.

As seen in FIG. 2, shank portions 19, 21 and their respective connected leg members 17, 18 are located wholly within handle member 11 while clamping jaws 15, 16 extend outwardly of open end 12. The jaw members are mounted in place by means of a pivot pin 28 extending through aligned openings 29, 31 in respective shank portions 22, 23, and extending through aligned openings 32, 33 in respective side walls 34, 35 of the handle. The thickness of each shank portion 19 and 21 is substantially equal to the spacing between the inner surfaces of side walls 34 and 35 (see FIG. 4) so as to be snugly embraced by those side walls. However, the combined height of the shank portions is less than the spacing between the inner surfaces of top and bottom walls 36, 37 of the handle in order to provide sufficient clearance for opening each jaw member, as to be more fully explained hereinafter.

Each clamping jaw 15, 16 is tapered along its respective upper wall 38, 39 toward one another as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. Each jaw is of substantially the same width as handle member 11 and the vertical height of each clamping jaw extending from their respective flat surfaces is equal to one-half the vertical height of the handle member, as shown in FIG. 3. Also, each clamping jaw is defined by a shoulder 41, 42 outwardly extending from three sides of its respective shank portion (see FIG. 1), each of these shoulders being arcuately shaped for contact against a similarly shaped edge of the top, side and bottom walls of the handle member.

Leg members 17 and 18 are arranged in a spaced apart relationship and are maintained as such by means of a coil spring 43 seated in place at its opposite ends within suitably provided recesses 44, 45 of each leg member. Press buttons 46, 47 are located within respective openings 48, 49 in the top and bottom walls of the handle member, each of these buttons having a respective head 51, 52 and a flange 53, 54. Head 51 contacts leg 17 and head 52 contacts leg 18 of the jaw members and each head is so dimensioned so as to slightly contact their respective leg members. Flanges 53 and 54 serve to maintain each of the press buttons in place.

In operating the hair curling implement, the user simply grasps handle 11 with one hand and moves press buttons 46 and 47 inwardly toward one another (in the direction of the arrows of FIG. 2) so as to urge leg members 17, 18 also toward one another against the force of coil spring 43, in the manner as shown in phantom lines in FIG. 2. By reason of the spacing between the shank portions and the inner surface of the top and bottom walls of the handle, jaw members 15, 16 are permitted to open as shown in phantom lines. During such opening, arcuate shoulders 41, 42 simply slide against the complementary edge surfaces of the side, top and bottom walls of the handle. After the clamping jaws are extended about the hair lock, press buttons 46, 47 are released and the jaws are moved into their clamping position about the hair lock. The user may then simply roll the handle about its longitudinal axis or turn it to effect a curl after which the press buttons are then simply again depressed for releasing the jaws. It should be noted that, as the jaw members 15 and 16 are open and closed in the vicinity of the hair, any snagging or snarling of the hair is substantially minimized by reason of the tight fit between shoulders 41 and 42 and the end edges of the handle walls during the jaw opening and closing.

Each of the aforedescribed elements of the hair curling implement may be of either metal or plastic material and the jaw members need not be heated during use.

From the foregoing, it can be seen that a simple and yet effective and easily operable hair curling implement has been devised for the curling of hair, especially short hair at the nape of the neck, without the likelihood of snagging of the hair, because of its unique construction.

Obviously, many modifications and variations of the present invention are possible in the light of the above teachings. It is therefore to be understood that within the scope of the appended claims, the invention may be practiced otherwise than as specifically described.

Claims

What is claimed is:

1. Hair curling implement comprising: a hollow handle member having an open end; a pair of relatively movable jaw members pivotally mounted within said handle member; each said jaw member having both a clamping jaw extending outwardly of said open end and a leg member lying wholly within said handle member; said leg members being spaced apart and spring means cooperating with said leg members for urging said leg members in a spaced apart relationship and for maintaining said clamping jaws in a closed position; said clamping jaws together forming a smooth extension of the walls of said handle member when in said closed position; and a press button on the handle cooperating with each said leg member for moving said leg members toward one another thereby opening said clamping jaws.

2. The implement according to claim 1 wherein each said clamping jaw is defined by a shoulder in contacting engagement with the edges of said handle member walls.

3. The implement according to claim 1 wherein said spring means comprises a coil spring disposed between said leg members.