EP2953501B1 - Hair-roller winder - Google Patents

Description

Object of the invention

The present invention relates to a hairdressing device, and in particular to a motorized curler retractor comprising a fixed heating core and a mechanism allowing the curler to be rotated around said core before being released from the apparatus and fixed on the user's head.

State of the art

Motorized curler reels are well known to those skilled in the art. For example, the documents US 4,222,398 , US 3,605,762 , US 4,884,583 and US 2005/0199257 which disclose motorized curler reels in different forms.

Moreover, various heating means for curlers are also well known to those skilled in the art, as shown by the documents US 2005/0000954 , US 4,499,355 , WO 2011/015874 and US 4,526,184 . In these cases, the curlers are heated by conduction, convection or induction in a separate device, before being applied to a motorized retractor to be used for the winding of a lock of hair.

The independent management of curler heating and motorized rotation is simple, in particular because there is no risk of overheating of the winding motor. The main disadvantages of this procedure reside in the too rapid cooling curlers, due to their handling before the winding of the wick, and in the absence of temperature control at the time of application of the curler on the head of the user.

The document EP 2 524 618 A1 has a curler winder with integrated heating means. In this case, the heating core rotates and drives the curler. When the curler is heated by conduction, the electrical contact between the heating resistor and the handle is more difficult to manage than for a fixed heating core that does not need rotary contacts.

Goals of the invention

The present invention aims to overcome the disadvantages of the state of the art, and in particular those of a rotating heating core. It aims in particular to associate motorized winding means for hair curlers and heating means for these curlers within a same apparatus equipped with a fixed heating core to allow rapid access and temperature maintenance curler until it is released from its fixed heating core.

Summary of the invention

The present invention discloses a curler winder, comprising a handle, a motor and a heating core adapted to receive a hair curler and a transmission allowing in use to transmit the rotational movement of the motor to said curler, while maintaining the fixed heating core .

• l'enrouleur comporte un micro-switch de détection de présence d'un bigoudi, permettant en utilisation de déclencher une puissance de chauffe maximum lorsque l'absence du bigoudi est détectée et permettant le déclenchement d'une temporisation électronique de la puissance de chauffe lorsque la présence d'un bigoudi est détectée ;
• l'enrouleur comporte un cylindre avec une rainure sinusoïdale permettant en utilisation de donner audit bigoudi un mouvement de va-et-vient additionnel au mouvement de rotation autour du noyau chauffant fixe ;
• l'enrouleur comporte un mécanisme de verrouillage et de déverrouillage du bigoudi sur la poignée ;
• l'enrouleur comporte un mécanisme limiteur de couple de force ;
• le bigoudi est chauffé en utilisation par conduction de chaleur entre le noyau chauffant fixe et le bigoudi ;
• la transmission comporte des engrenages ou des entraînements par friction.

According to particular embodiments, the invention comprises one or more of the following characteristics:

• the winder comprises a micro-switch for detecting the presence of a curler, allowing in use to trigger a maximum heating power when the absence of the curler is detected and allowing the triggering of an electronic delay of the heating power when the presence of a curler is detected;
• the winder comprises a cylinder with a sinusoidal groove allowing in use to give said curler reciprocating motion additional to the rotational movement about the fixed heating core;
• the retractor comprises a mechanism for locking and unlocking the curler on the handle;
• the retractor comprises a force torque limiting mechanism;
• the curler is heated in use by conduction of heat between the fixed heating core and the curler;
• the transmission has gears or friction drives.

Brief description of the figures

• The figure 1 represents the schematic diagram of a simplified electrical circuit for a fixed heating core controlled by an electronic regulation of the temperature and the delay of the heating power.
• The figure 2 represents the manner of removing the hair curler from the retractor according to the invention, once the lock of hair wound by actuating the unlocking button.
• The figure 3 is a schematic sectional view of the curler winder according to the invention with its fixed core and its main components.
• The Figures 4, 5 and 6 schematically represent the winding of a lock of hair around the hair curler fixed on the winder according to the invention.
• The figures 7 and 8 represent the embodiment of the invention in which the curler moves back and forth in the axis of the handle around the fixed core to perform a cross winding of the lock of hair.
• The figure 9 represents different variants of mechanisms of transmission means of the rotational movement of the motor to the curler to rotate around the fixed heating core.

List of reference symbols

1:

winder curler according to the invention

2:

curler

3:

fixed heating core

4:

transmission means for rotating the curler around the fixed heating core

5:

engine

6:

connecting wire of the heating resistor

7:

drive link

8:

printed circuit board (PCB)

9:

sinusoidal groove of a cylinder allowing a back and forth motion

10:

power cable

11:

ON / OFF switch for selected direction of rotation

12:

button / mechanism for locking and unlocking

14:

drive link

15:

general switch

Detailed description of the invention

The invention is abundantly illustrated in the nine figures of the description with reference numerals. Like all electric hair treatment apparatus, the hair curler 1 of the present invention has a power supply cable 10 and an on / off switch 11 for the choice of the direction of rotation, which may optionally be associated with increasing heating levels (not shown).

The motorized curler retractor 1 of the present invention combines the heating functions of curler 2 and the motorized winding. For this purpose, it comprises a fixed heating core 3.

The hair curlers 2 used must be adapted to the conductive heating means. Thus, for a conductive heating means using a ceramic heating core or an induction coil, use will be curlers 2 preferably metal large surface contact with the winder to ensure maximum contact between the core stationary heater 3 and curler 2.

The main difficulty to combine these two functions within the same device is the size of the various elements, which must be reduced to the maximum so that the device remains manageable size.

The advantage of having a means 3 for heating the curlers 2 directly within the reel 1 is that there is no interruption in heating the curler 2 during the use of the reel 1. winding of the lock of hair around the curler 2, it continues to be heated by conduction via the fixed heating core 3 previously carried to a temperature sufficient to bring the curler almost immediately to temperature of use. A delay of the heating allows the adaptation of the temperature of the curler to its diameter and the working mode of the user.

In the present invention, we mean by heating core 3 "fixed", a core which must not be rotated to rotate a curler 2. The curler therefore rotates around a heating core 3 which itself does not rotate .

The method of winding a lock of hair around a hair curler 2 with the aid of the winder 1 according to the invention starts with the locking of the curler 2 on the fixed heating core 3. The unlocking mechanism 12 of the curler 2 is on the handle of the appliance ( Fig.3 ). Then, we put the set curler-winder on the lock of hair to wind ( Fig.4 ) and the reel is engaged by means of the rotational switch 11. The lock of hair is then wound ( Fig. 5 and 6 ) until the end. The rotational switch 11 is bidirectional, so it allows to turn the curler 2 in both directions of rotation. The winder 1 according to the invention may be equipped with a torsion limiter (not shown) which engages beyond a certain force torque threshold. developed by the winding mechanism, so that it stops automatically when the wick is wound. The curler 2 is then unlocked by means of the unlocking button 12. The engagement threshold of the torsion limiter is adjustable in order to take into account the different diameters of the curlers 2. The curlers generally comprise means of attachment to the hair which allow them to be attached to where the rotation (loop) led them. It is possible to use for this purpose hair curlers provided with "Velcro" type hooks, for example.

When a new hair curler 2 is placed on the fixed heating core 3, the heating means is automatically timed by a "micro-switch" on the device (not shown).

The heating element used in a preferred embodiment of the invention is a ceramic heating element placed in the fixed core. The resistance of this heating element increases with temperature. It is therefore possible to have an indication of the temperature by measuring the voltage across this heating element via a divider bridge.

In practice, the fixed core 3 is preheated to about 230 ° C. before placing the curler 2 on the apparatus 1. This makes it possible to carry the curler 2, once placed on the apparatus 1, very rapidly at about 120 ° C. by heat exchange. With metal curlers, for example aluminum, it only takes a few seconds. During preheating, the heating power is set to maximum before being switched off when the micro-switch detects the presence of the curler but after a delay of about 20 seconds. When the absence of the curler is detected by the same micro-switch, the heating power of the device automatically returns to the maximum while waiting for the placement of the curler 2 following.

The winder 1 according to the invention also comprises a detection of the diameter of the curler 2 to adapt the heating power to the type of hair curler 2 to be heated. The detection of presence or diameter can be done by a mechanical or electronic micro-switch located on the reel.

As the heating core is fixed, the connection 6 between the ceramic heating element 3 and the electronic circuit 8 is not subject to the drawbacks of a connection by a rotary contact system.

According to an advantageous embodiment of the invention, the curler 2, in addition to being rotated, can be moved back and forth around the fixed heating core 3 via of a cylinder having a sinusoidal groove 9 ( Fig.7 ). This type of movement added to rotational movement allows a winding of the lock of hair as shown in FIG. figure 8 .

Non-limiting examples of transmission means 4 of the rotational movement of the motor towards the curler 2 allowing it to rotate around the fixed heating core 3 are shown in FIG. figure 9 .

The heating element used in the present invention is a "ceramic heater" placed in the heating core. The regulation scheme of this ceramic heating is shown in figure 1 . A temperature sensor (NTC thermistor - Negative Thermal Coefficient Thermistor) is in physical contact with the ceramic heater. It is therefore possible to have an image of the temperature by measuring the voltage across the temperature sensor (NTC Thermistor - Negative Thermal Coefficient Thermistor) via a divider bridge. The resistance of an NTC decreases with increasing temperature and vice versa.

As soon as a predetermined temperature threshold is reached, the flow of current is prevented and the ceramic heater no longer heats. The resistance of the temperature sensor (NTC Thermistor - Negative Thermal Coefficient Thermistor) will therefore increase since the temperature of the ceramic heater will decrease. As soon as the temperature falls below a certain threshold determined by a reference voltage, the flow of current is again released to allow the ceramic heater to heat up again.

With a fixed heating core, the connection between the ceramic heater and the electronic control is not subject to the intrinsic noise of a rotating contact system. The measurement is therefore much more precise and easier. In addition, four wires are used for measuring and feeding the ceramic heater (two wires for the sensor and two wires for the ceramic heater). Managing a connection by a rotary contact system with four wires is difficult.

Claims (8)

1. A hair-roller winder (1), comprising a handle, a motor (5) and a heating core (3) suitable for receiving a hair roller (2) as well as a transmission (4) allowing, in use, to transmit the rotational movement of the motor (5) to said hair roller (2), while keeping the heating core (3) stationary and non-rotating in order to rotate the hair roller (2) around the heating core (3).
2. The hair-roller winder (1) according to Claim 1, characterized in that said winder comprises a micro-switch for detecting the presence of a hair roller (2), allowing in use to trigger a maximum heating power when the absence of hair roller (2) is detected and allowing to trigger an electronic time delay for the heating power when the presence of a hair roller (2) is detected.
3. The hair-roller winder (1) according to Claim 1 or 2, characterized in that said winder comprises a cylinder with a sinusoidal groove (9) allowing, in use, to impart a to-and-fro movement to said hair roller (2) in addition to the rotational movement around the stationary heating core (3).
4. The hair-roller winder (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that said winder comprises a locking and unlocking mechanism (12) for the hair roller on the handle.
5. The hair-roller winder (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that said winder (1) comprises a mechanism for limiting the force torque.
6. The hair-roller winder (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the hair roller (2) is heated up in use by heat conduction between the stationary heating core (3) and the hair roller (2).
7. The hair-roller winder (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that said transmission (4) comprises gears or friction drives.
8. An assembly comprising a hair-roller winder (1) according to any one of the preceding claims and one or more hair rollers (2).

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