EP1103201B1 - Hidden spring hinge for hair article - Google Patents

Abstract

Hair-grip has two jaws (1,4) pivoted together (7) by hinge (8) having coil spring (14) around pivot axis. Spring is enclosed in opaque casing (16) which has open end for passage of radially extending end (15) of spring. Casing is formed integrally and has flange covering groove of pin which is apertured to lock pivot action. Other end of casing has no flange but has second pin (10) with second groove continued on side surface of casing.

Description

The present invention relates to hair articles in which a first jaw is articulated to a second jaw by articulation means comprising a return spring.

We especially know of hair-shaped articles pliers used for female hairstyle. Such pliers are known for a long time, and described in particular in documents FR-A-770 805, FR-A-755 662 or US-A-2 201 719.

Known hair clips generally include a first bit and a second bit, articulated to each other by articulation means allowing their respective pivoting around an axis of articulation between a spaced position and a position close. Elastic means pivotally urge the first and second bit relative to each other towards their close position. The means of articulation include, on the first jaw, two first parallel perforated lugs spaced one on the other according to a stabilization gap, and, on the second bit, two parallel perforated pins spaced apart from each other according to an appropriate spacing to engage on either side of the first perforated lugs. A connecting shaft, oriented along the axis of articulation, crosses the four perforated lugs to connect the bit.

In these known hair clips, the elastic means include an elastically flexible wire spring wound in a helix around the axis of articulation. A first end of the elastically flexible wire protrudes radially at away from the axis and comes to bear on the internal face of the first bit. The second end of the elastically flexible wire is extends radially away from the axis and bears against the second bit. The spring is prestressed in rotation around the axis, so that its two projecting ends stress the bit towards their close position.

A first drawback of this known structure results the particular use of hair items which, when positioned in a hairstyle, leave generally visible their posterior part, which is precisely the part formed by the articulation zone and by the wire elastically flexible metal wound in a helix. The result a particularly unsightly effect, because the spring structure made of elastically flexible wire is clearly visible and gives a mechanical organ appearance to a hair article which should in principle be an object of adornment and ornament.

Another very important drawback of this structure known results from the difficulty of mounting the prestressed spring. It is indeed necessary to assemble in one go the four parts formed by the two jaws, by the spring and by the shaft connection, applying an appropriate force to the spring to overcome the prestress exerted by its ends radially projecting.

In document EP-A-0 901 759, it has been proposed to hide the helical spring behind a wall attached to one of the jaws. This solution does not solve the problem of the difficulty of mounting of the pre-stressed spring, and on the contrary it tends to accentuate this difficulty by limiting access to the occupied area by the spring.

In document EP-A-0 847 710, it has been proposed to incorporate the helical return spring in a housing attached between the first perforated lugs. According to a first embodiment, the housing is produced by assembly of a main body of a U-shaped cross section, and an end arch attached to the housing body in extension of its second end while leaving a slit external arched device for the passage of one end protruding from the spring. Both ends of the case as well formed overlap on the outer edge of first lugs of the joint. So in this realization, the jaws of the jaws all have the same dimension, and the first lugs are capped by the housing which constitutes a tube in which the helical return spring is engaged. The housing thus ensures visual continuity between the first two pins, obscuring the spring to give the product an appearance aesthetic pleasing to the eye.

A first drawback is the cost of production relatively high housing in two parts; another drawback is its relatively complex assembly on the jaws of the hair article. Indeed, the case must be made by plastic molding, and mass production leads to design the molding of a series of bodies and arches in opposition on either side of a main core to which the bodies and the arches are connected by secondary cores. It is possible to separate the bodies of the main core by secondary core rupture. But this is not possible for the end hoops, because they are too small, thinner than the diameter of the main core. The result that, after injection, the hoops remain connected to the carrot main, the bodies also remaining connected to the carrot main. An additional operation of stripping, by cutting the bases of secondary carrots.

Also, you need a complex mold to make the pins and the arch assembly holes on the main body of housing. Given the very small dimensions of the elements assembly, the risk of rupture of the mold parts for making them are large, and the mold parts must have complex specific movements.

The manufacturing of parts is therefore expensive. But also their assembly is complex and expensive: it is necessary introduce the spring into the main body of the housing, then adapt the arch to the end of the housing body, and finally tighten the spring and place the case on the first jaw of the article of hair. The operation is difficult to automate, and leads to use a meticulous and experienced workforce to assembly.

Document EP-A-0 847 710 describes other embodiments with a housing in one piece. But then you have to provide another way to link mechanically the housing to the spring or to the connecting shaft.

The problem proposed by the present invention is to times to remove the apparent character of the coil spring from reminder of the jaws of a hair item, to facilitate assembly of the spring on the article of hair, to reduce the cost of production of the pieces constituting the article of hair, and reduce the cost of mounting the article of hair.

The idea which is the basis of the invention consists in housing the return spring in a housing that facilitates assembly the spring on the jaws of the article of hair and devoid end bar, thus reducing the difficulty of assembly and the cost of producing the parts.

To reach these and other objects, we use a shorter case, one end of which only covers the outer edge of one of the first pins of the first jaw, while the other end of the case only comes to rest against the other first lug of the first bit without covering it, and it is expected that said other first lug of the first jaw is oversized to come in continuity with the peripheral face of the housing, thus constituting visual continuity and occultation of the spring.

Thus, the invention provides a hair article as defined in claim 1.

The housing is preferably made in one piece.

According to an advantageous embodiment, the second perforated pins carried by the second jaw are oversized by so that their respective external slices are substantially in continuity with the external surface of the side wall of the case.

The outer side wall surface of the housing has preferably the shape of a cylinder of revolution sector. We thus ensures better visual continuity with the pins perforated, in all the angular positions of the jaws one by compared to each other.

• la figure 1 est une vue de face d'un article de chevelure en forme de pince selon un mode de réalisation de la présente invention, en position fermée ;
• la figure 2 est une vue de côté droit de l'article de chevelure de la figure 1, en position fermée ;
• la figure 3 est une vue de côté droit de l'article de chevelure de la figure 1 en position ouverte ;
• la figure 4 est une vue en perspective d'un boítier de logement de ressort de rappel selon un mode de réalisation de la présente invention ;
• la figure 5 est une vue de première extrémité du boítier de la figure 4 ;
• la figure 6 est une vue de seconde extrémité du boítier de la figure 4 ;
• la figure 7 est une vue de face du boítier de la figure 4, contenant le ressort ;
• la figure 8 est une vue de dessus du boítier de la figure 4 ;
• la figure 9 est une vue de dessous du boítier de la figure 4 ;
• la figure 10 est une vue de face en coupe longitudinale du boítier contenant le ressort et assemblé sur les mors de l'article de chevelure ;
• la figure 11 est une vue partielle de côté illustrant le mouvement d'assemblage d'un boítier selon l'invention sur les mors d'un article de chevelure ; et
• la figure 12 est une vue partielle de face illustrant la structure des moyens d'articulation à ergots perforés et montrant la mouvement d'assemblage du boítier selon l'invention vers les mors.

Other objects, characteristics and advantages of the present invention will emerge from the following description of particular embodiments, given in relation to the attached figures, among which:

• Figure 1 is a front view of a clip-shaped hair article according to an embodiment of the present invention, in the closed position;
• Figure 2 is a right side view of the hair article of Figure 1, in the closed position;
• Figure 3 is a right side view of the hair article of Figure 1 in the open position;
• Figure 4 is a perspective view of a return spring housing housing according to an embodiment of the present invention;
• Figure 5 is a first end view of the housing of Figure 4;
• Figure 6 is a second end view of the housing of Figure 4;
• Figure 7 is a front view of the housing of Figure 4, containing the spring;
• Figure 8 is a top view of the housing of Figure 4;
• Figure 9 is a bottom view of the housing of Figure 4;
• Figure 10 is a front view in longitudinal section of the housing containing the spring and assembled on the jaws of the hair article;
• Figure 11 is a partial side view illustrating the assembly movement of a housing according to the invention on the jaws of a hair article; and
• Figure 12 is a partial front view illustrating the structure of the articulation means with perforated pins and showing the assembly movement of the housing according to the invention towards the jaws.

In the embodiments illustrated in the figures, a hair article according to the invention is a hair clip comprising a first jaw 1 actuable by a first lever opening 2 to which it is secured according to a first zone of intermediate link 3, and a second jaw 4 actuable by a second opening lever 5 to which it is secured by a second intermediate connection zone 6.

Hinge means 7 connect the first zone of intermediate link 3 and the second intermediate link area 6, to authorize the respective pivoting of the first jaw 1 and of the second jaw 4 relative to each other about an axis transverse articulation 8 between a separated position shown in Figure 3 and a close-up position shown in the Figure 2. Elastic means pivotally urge the first jaw 1 and the second jaw 4 relative to each other for bring them back to their close position in which the teeth 35, 36 respectively intersect.

The articulation means used according to the invention are better visible in FIGS. 11 and 12, in which the means elastics are not yet adapted on jaws 1 and 4. These articulation means 7 comprise, on the first jaw 1, two first perforated pins 9 and 10, parallel and spaced one of the other according to a stabilization spacing E. Ways articulation 7 include, on the second jaw 4, two seconds perforated pins 11 and 12, parallel and spaced from each other at an appropriate spacing to engage on either side of the first perforated pins 9 and 10. A connecting shaft 13, oriented along the transverse articulation axis 8, crosses the four perforated pins to connect jaws 1 and 4.

As seen in Figure 1, the means articulation 7 further comprise a wire spring 14 elastically flexible wound helically around the axis transverse joint 8 and having two ends radially protruding such as the second end 15. The spring 14 urges, by its radially projecting ends, the first jaw 1 and the second jaw 4 pivoting one by relation to each other around the transverse articulation axis 8.

According to the invention, the spring 14 is housed in a housing 16, reported between the first perforated pins 9 and 10 and secured to the first jaw 1.

The housing 16 comprises a peripheral wall having a cylindrical outer part 26 and having a flat bearing face 27 shaped to bear against a corresponding flat face 28 of the first jaw in the assembled position of the housing 16 on the first jaw 1. The first radially protruding end 17 of the spring 14 is integral with the housing 16, and therefore integral with the first jaw 1. The second radially protruding end 15 of the spring 14 emerges radially from the housing 16 while being engaged in a end notch 18 of the housing 16 for bearing support functional against the second jaw 4, as shown by Figures 1 and 2.

The end notch 18 of the housing 16 allows a angular travel of the second end radially protruding 15 from the spring 14 around the axis of articulation transverse 8.

The housing 16 includes a first end 19 and a second end 20 each having a respective transverse face 119 or 120 shaped to bear against the faces interior facing corresponding 21 and 22 (Figure 12) of first perforated pins 9 and 10 corresponding. In the first end 19, the first transverse face 119 is associated with a rim 23 on three sides, to at least partially wrap the outer edge 109 of the first perforated lug 9. The lower side 25 of the first transverse face 119 of the first end 19 has no edge. So, as seen in Figures 11 and 12, the housing 16 can be engaged in force by sliding between the first perforated pins 9 and 10, its transverse faces 119 and 120 of the ends 19 and 20 sliding on the faces interior 21 and 22 of the first perforated pins 9 and 10 while the rim 23 slides on the lateral edge of the first lug perforated 9. In the assembled position, illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2, the housing 16 is thus maintained both in translation and in rotation on the first jaw 1, and is retained by the spring 14 engaged around the connecting shaft 13.

The housing 16 includes an axial internal housing 161 tubular, open at its ends for the passage of the shaft link 13, and shaped to receive and retain the spring 14 and rotationally block its first radially protruding end 17 housed in its background.

As best seen in Figures 5 to 8, the housing 16 has a longitudinal groove 164, allowing engagement of the first radially protruding end 17 of the spring 14. Thus, the spring 14 can be engaged in the internal housing axial 161 by axial sliding from the second end. The second end of the housing 16 has an oblique shoulder 167 developing from the bottom and on which the second can rest radially protruding end 15 of the spring 14. The shoulder 167 forms the first end of the end notch 18.

It may be useful to provide, on the spring 14, a first radially protruding end 17 angled to section axial, as illustrated in FIGS. 5 to 9. We thus distribute over a greater surface area, the bearing force of the spring on the housing, which reduces wear and tear on the case and the risk of Game.

According to the invention, the second end 20 of the housing 16 has no rim, and has an end notch 18 for passing and moving the second end radially protruding 15 from the spring 14. The second end 20 simply bears against the other first perforated lug 10.

According to the invention, to ensure visual continuity of the articulation system between the lugs, the other first lug perforated 10 of the first jaw 1 is oversized so that its outer edge 110 is substantially in continuity with the outer surface of the side wall of the housing 16.

According to a first embodiment, only the other first perforated lug 10 of the first jaw 1 is oversized. It results that the second perforated pins 11 and 12 are smaller as the housing 16, and remain recessed.

According to another embodiment, it can be provided that the second perforated lugs 11 and 12 carried by the second jaw 4 are also oversized, so that their slices 111 and 112 respectively are substantially continuous of the external surface of the side wall of the housing 16.

In other words, we can consider that jaws 1 and 4 include three perforated pins 10, 11 and 12 of normal size, and a small size perforated lug 9 for engaging in the end housing delimited by the rim 23.

Preferably, the outer side wall surface of the box 16 has the shape of a cylinder of revolution sector, as illustrated in the figures, and is centered on the hinge axis transverse 8.

The ends 19 and 20 of the housing 16 each have a transverse face 119 and 120 bearing against the faces interior 21 and 22 opposite the first perforated pins 9 and 10 correspondents.

The housing 16 is advantageously made of material injection molded plastic, and is made in one piece.

For the adaptation of the housing 16 on the first jaw 1, we moves the housing 16 by translation in the direction of the arrow 29 illustrated in Figure 11, orienting the housing 16 with its face support 27 forward and holding the jaws with the holes of the perforated lugs 9-12 in alignment. In this orientation, the box 16 slides between the first perforated pins 9 and 10, and the second radially protruding end 15 of the spring 14 comes resting on the inner face 30 of the second jaw 4. Thus, the second radially protruding end 15 of the spring is pushed back and pivots as illustrated in figure 11 by the dotted lines referenced 31. At the end of engagement of the housing 16 on the first perforated pins 9 and 10, the second end radially protruding 15 from the spring 14 possibly engages in a housing 32 formed on the inner face 30 of the second jaw 4, the spring 14 being prestressed.

Preferably, the housing 16 is made of an opaque material, to conceal the spring 14 which it contains. So, like illustrated in FIG. 1, the articulation means 7 have a relatively continuous appearance, much more aesthetic than a spring helical naked.

In the embodiments previously described, the box 16 allows both to conceal the spring 14 and facilitate assembly of the article of hair.

Thanks to its reduced production and assembly cost, and thanks to the absence of parts or parts of parts too large reduced, the device according to the invention can be economically used on all types of hair items, including on low-priced miniaturized hair items.

The present invention is not limited to the modes of which have been explicitly described, but it includes the various variants and generalizations contained in the field of the claims below.

Claims (7)

1. Hairstyling device including:

   a first jaw (1) and a second jaw (4), hinged together by hinge means (7) enabling them to pivot about a transverse hinge axis (8) between a spread apart position and a close together position,

   an elastically flexible wire spring (14) wound helically around the transverse hinge axis (8) and having two radially projecting ends (15, 17) respectively adapted to bias the first jaw (1) and the second jaw (4) relative to each other towards the spread apart or the close together position,

   the hinge means (7) including two parallel first perforated lugs (9, 10), on the first jaw (1), spaced apart by a distance (E) for stability, and two parallel second perforated lugs (11, 12), on the second jaw (4), spaced apart by a distance appropriate for them to engage with respective opposite sides of the first perforated lugs (9, 10), with a connecting spindle (13) oriented along the transverse hinge axis (8) and passing through the four perforated lugs (9-12) to connect the jaws (1, 4),

   a casing (16) attached between the first perforated lugs (9, 10), retained in a fixed position on the first jaw (1) and forming an axial internal housing (161) containing at least the helically wound portion of the spring (14), the first radially projecting end (17) of the spring (14) being in fixed bearing engagement with the casing (16) or with the first jaw (1), the second radially projecting end (15) of the spring (14) exiting the casing (16) to bear functionally against the second jaw (4) and to bias it towards the close together position, the casing having ends with axial openings through which the connecting spindle (13) can pass,

   the casing (16) having a peripheral lateral wall with a generally cylindrical outside surface and its first end (19) being extended by a rim (23) on three of its sides to enclose at least in part the outside edge (109) of the corresponding first perforated lug (9),

   characterized in that :

   the second end (20) of the casing (16) has no rim, and includes an end notch (18) through which the second radially projecting end (15) of the spring (14) passes and in which it can move,

   the other first perforated lug (10) of the first jaw (1) is oversized so that its outside edge (110) is substantially continuous with the outside surface of the lateral wall of the casing (16).
2. Hairstyling device according to claim 1, characterized in that the casing (16) is made in one piece.
3. Hairstyling device according to claim 1 or claim 2, characterized in that the second perforated lugs (11, 12) carried by the second jaw (4) are oversized so that their respective outside edges (111, 112) are substantially continuous with the outside surface of the lateral wall of the casing (16).
4. Hairstyling device according to any of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the outside surface of the lateral wall of the casing (16) takes the form of a sector of a circular cylinder.
5. Hairstyling device according to any of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the casing (16) includes a tubular axial inside housing (161) shaped to receive and retain the spring (14) and to prevent rotation of its first radially projecting end (17), which is housed in its bottom, with a plane bearing face (27) bearing against a corresponding plane face (28) of the first jaw (1) when the casing (16) is assembled onto the first jaw (1).
6. Hairstyling device according to any of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the ends (19, 20) of the casing (16) each have a transverse face (119, 120) bearing against the facing inside faces (21, 22) of the corresponding first perforated lugs (9, 10).
7. Hairstyling device according to any of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that the casing is injection moulded from a plastics material.

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