GB2116032A

GB2116032A - Hair curler

Info

Publication number: GB2116032A
Application number: GB08303317A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Josefine Ehmann
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1982-02-10
Filing date: 1983-02-07
Publication date: 1983-09-21
Also published as: DE3234672A1; IT8319506A0; GB8303317D0; IT1167163B; FR2520989A1; DE8226359U1; IT8320745V0

Abstract

A hair curler consisting of a cylindrical bar S comprises a flexible wire core 1 embedded in a plastic casing 2 consisting of a plastic foam which is sufficiently soft to be resistant to bending and kinking, but cannot be compressed excessively, and which has a smooth outer skin. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Hair curler The invention relates to hair curlers.

There is a wide variety of embodiments of hair curlers in bar form the most common consisting of a relatively rigid material, such as wire mesh or plastic or porous plastic foam. The surface of these known hair curlers is either roughened to a greater or lesser extent or is smooth and provided with ribs extending spirally round the shell of the bar or is porous in the form of a foam curler. To keep these hair curlers in the hair, after being rolled into the hair they are retained firmly by means of a hair pin, a stud, a grip or a clip. Each of these known hair curlers can be used only in a specific way as regards operation and only for a specific shape of curl which either cannot be varied at all or can be varied only slightly.Always wet or substantially moistened strands of hair are curled, and they have to be shaped by combing after drying and removal of most of these hair curlers.

The invention provides a hair curler in the form of a generally cylindrical bar for curling dry or moistened hair, comprising a flexible wire core embedded in a casing resistant to bending and kinking and made of soft plastic floam with a smooth outer skin, the core extending substantially through the entire length of the bar.

Appropriate embodiments of the hair curler according to the invention are characterised in the subclaims and a possible embodiment is described hereinafter.

With such a hair curler, the curled strands of hair may be retained by bending out of shape and bending round the wire and consequently the bar, since the flexible wire core remains in the position into which it is bent round. At the same time, the resilient plastic casing is deformed together with it, that is to say it participates in each movement of the wire core. However, while this takes place, the core can be protected against twisting by means of the ends being bent round into lugs in the plastic casing.

Furthermore, the wire core gains additional retention if it is glued or welded to the plastic casing.

However, the advantage of hair curlers embodying the invention can be not only easy handling, but also the diverse possibilities for curling the strands of hair and consequently the many different shapes which can be given to the hair. The hair curler can be bent into numerous shapes which allow practically all conceivable curling methods which, in turn, give the hair desired wave forms having many variations according to the manner of curling.

The hair curler is extremely easy to handle, and it is also pre-eminently suitable for dry hair which has been, if appropriate, moistened with hair spray or hair fixative. The hair moistened thus can also be predried before it is curled. In this way, it is possible in a short time, without great outlay, to curl a desired hair-style which requires no special shaping by combing after the hair curlers have been removed.

Of course, the hair curler can also be used for curling damp hair.

The wire core consists of a metallic material, the dimension of the diameter of which is matched to the diameter of its casing and the degree of softness of which is similarly matched, so that resilience-free bending and kinking of the wire core by hand is possible and is guaranteed. As a result, the bent bar of the hair curler remains in the desired shape, but it can easily be bent back again into its original shape or bent into any other shape. The ends of the wire core which are bent round into lugs prevent the wire core from twisting. A preferred embodiment in volves connecting the material of the casing, that is to say the soft plastic foam, firmly, that is to say frictionally, to the material of the wire core. At the same time, the wire core gains additional mechanic al shape retention against twisting within the sur rounding foam material.The bent ends of the wire core and, if appropriate, the firm connection between this and the plastic casing prevent the wire core from twisting in the casing surrounding it, when the hair curler is bent, kinked and bent straight again.

The wire core and plastic casing thus form a unit which gives the hair curler excellent stability, with the result that not only does it become much easier to handle, but it is also guaranteed that the hair curler can be bent repeatedly into a desired satisfactory shape without kinks at undesirable points.

The bar may be at least 1 Ocm long.

To produce the hair curler, the plastic casing is cast round the wire core inserted into an appropriate mould before the casting operation, and at the same time the plastic is welded or glued to the material of the wire core.

The ends of the wire core which are bent into lugs also have the advantage that there are no wire points which could possibly pierce the casing and result in injury. The ends of the wire core are preferably likewise covered completely by the plastic casing.

Rounded ends of the casing of the hair curler give it a pleasing appearance.

Two embodiments of the invention and some modes of use thereof will now be described in detail, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 shows a side view of a bar-shaped hair curler, in which the wire core is also illustrated; Figure la shows a view corresponding to Figure 1 of a shorter hair curler with a modified wire core, the ends of which are bent round into lugs; and Figures 2 to 8 show various shapes into which the above hair curlers can be bent and on which the strands of hair can be wound correspondingly in various curling methods.

Further bending possibilities, not shown here, and consequently curling possiblities are, of course, possible.

The hair curler consists of a bar S with a wire core 1 which can be bent and kinked and which is completely surrounded by or embedded in, preferably welded or glued to, a casing made of soft plastic foam resistant to bending and kinking. The outer skin 3 of the casing 2 is smooth. In the embodiment of Figure 1 a, the ends of the wire core 1 are bent into lugs la which perform two functions. On the one hand, they give the wire core 1 in the plastic casing 3 a certain retention against twisting, and on the other hand they provide protection against possible piercing of the wire core 1 through the plastic casing 3. In this respect, a pointed end of the wire core 1 couid result in injury.

In this bar form, the hair curler can be used in the same way as a conventional cylindrical hair curler.

The bar S is held horizontally and a strand of hair is rolled into the central portion of the bar so that the hair strand is curled in layers lying above one another. To retain the hair wound on, the two end portions of the bar are simply bent round, laid against the curled hair and pressed. This method of curling is not shown in the drawings.

Figure 2 shows the use of the simply bent bar S of the hair curler, onto which a strand of hair 5 is wound spirally. The end piece 4 of the bar S is bent round and retains the hair curler firmly against the hair root or further along the hair. The other end or end piece (not shown) of the bar S can likewise be bent round so as to retain the end of the strand of hair firmly against the curler.

Figures 3 and 4 show the bar S of the hair curler in a form bent approximately circular, with end pieces 6 and 6' respectively, laid against one another, and with a curled strand of hair 7 and 7' respectively.

Figures 5 and 6 show a bar S of the hair curler bent in the form of an S, with possible ways of curling a strand of hair 8 and 8' respectively. The end pieces E of the bar S which are bent round hold the curled strand of hair.

Figures 7 and 8 show the bar S of the hair curler in the form of a hair pin. Even when the bar S of the hair curler is shaped in this way, the strand of hair 9 and 9' respectively can be curled in various ways, thus, for example, spirally round the leg S1 of the bar S (Figure 7). The second leg S2 is pressed towards the first leg S1 and holds the strand of hair 9 firmly.

On the other hand, the strand hair 9' can be curled in figure-of-eight turns round both legs of the hair pin or of the bar S of the hair-curlerwhich is bent into a hair pin (Figure 8).

Further shapes are at the user's discretion and depend on the type of hair cut and hair length and on the desired hair-style. The hair curler is especial lay suitable for long hair. By means of the hair curler, the hair can be put into waves quickly and simply, so that an attractive hair style can be created without special skill or particular trouble. However, because of the versatility of the hair curler, even short hair lengths can be treated with it. The hair curler also has the advantage of beng suitable for curling both dry and moistened hair, and of allowing many methods of use in shaping the hair. Furthermore, the curler can be held in the hair without additional fastening means, the curled strands of hair being retained on the curler.

Claims

1. A hair curler in the form of a generally cylindrical bar for curling dry or moistened hair, comprising a flexible wire core embedded in a casing resistant to bending and kinking and made of soft plastic foam with a smooth uter skin, the core extending substantially though the entire length of the bar.

2. A hair-curler as claimed in claim 1 wherein each end of the wire core is bent around into a lug.

3. A hair curler as claimed in either claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the wire core consists of a metallic material which can be bent and kinked free of resilience.

4. A hair curler as claimed in any preceding claim wherein the ends of the wire core are enclosed completely by the material of the casing surrounding it.

5. A hair curler as claimed in any preceding claim wherein the ends of the casing are rounded.

6. A hair curler as claimed in any preceding claim wherein the bar is at least 10 cm long.

7. A hair curler as claimed in any preceding claim wherein the wire core is welded or glued to the material of the casing surrounding it.

8. A process for producing a hair curler as claimed in any preceding claim comprising the steps of inserting the wire core into a casting mould and casting the foam around the wire core.

9. A process as claimed in claim 8 for producing a hair curler as claimed in claim 7 wherein at the same time that the foam is cast it is welded or glued to the material of the wire core.

10. A hair curler substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as shown in Figure 1 or Figures la and in Figure 2 to 8 of the accompanying drawings.

New claims or amendments to claims filed on 2 June 1983 Superseded claims 1 and 2 New or amended claims: Claims 3-10 renumbered as 2-9 and appendances corrected.

1. A hair curler in the form of a generally cylindrical bar for curling dry or moistened hair, comprising a flexible wire core embedded in a bendand kink- resistant casing made of soft plastic foam with a smooth outer skin, the core extending sub stantiallythrough the entire length of the bar, each end of the wire core being bent around into a lug.