GB2141927A - Hair curling appliance - Google Patents

Abstract

A hair curling iron or the like having a heated body (10) about which hair is to be wound and a handle (12) for carrying the body. The handle (12) has a rear section (30) adapted to be held against the palm of the hand by the third and fourth fingers and a front section (28) which is rigid to the body and rotatable with respect to the rear section. The front section is sized to be held and rotated axially by the thumb, index and middle fingers of the hand holding the rear section. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Hair Curling Appliance This invention relates to a hair styling appliance.

Conventional hair styling appliances such as hot brushes and curling irons include a handle which is fixed to the heated brush or body, and to wind a lock of hair onto them, the entire appliance must be rotated. Such devices are inconvenient to use for several reasons, principal among which is that as they are rotated, the power cords become twisted and the cord length is thereby effectively shortened so as to limit the freedom of movement of the appliance. In addition, those devices frequently require the operator to use both hands to uniformly wind the hair on them.

A principal object of the present invention is to provide a hair styling appliance that can be conveniently used with one hand and which may be rotated without twisting the power cord.

Accordingly, the hair styling appliance of this invention includes a heated body in the nature of a comb or iron onto which the hair is wound and a handle for carrying the body. The handle includes a forward section which is rotatably fixed with respect to the body and a rear section which may be rotated with respect to the forward section and the heated body. The rear section of the handle is designed to be held between the palm and the third and fourth fingers while the forward section which is rigidly connected to the body may be held and manipulated by the thumb, index and middle fingers of the same hand. The unit is dimensioned so that the hair styling tool may be held firmly by the rear section while the thumb, index and the middle fingers rotate the body to curl hair around it.

Further features of this invention will be better understood and appreciated from the following detailed description of one embodiment thereof, selected for purposes of illustration and shown in the accompanying drawing, in which: Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a hair curling iron constructed in accordance with this invention; Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the iron shown in Fig. 1 and illustrating the manner in which it may be held so as to be rotated with one hand: Fig. 3 is an exploded perspective view of the handle of the curling iron shown in Figs. 1 and 2; and Fig. 4 is a fragmentary cross-sectional view of the handle.

The curling iron shown in the drawings includes a heated curling iron body 10, handle 12, stand 14, clip 1 6 and power cord 18. These several parts are described in greater detail below.

The body 10 has a seamless cylindrical shell 20 made of a chrome-plated metal or some similar material having good heat conducting qualities and carries an insulating tip 22 which is intended to remain cool even when the shell 20 is heated. Body shell 20 contains a heating element 24 connected through a circuit in the handle 12 to the power cord 18, and is intended to heat the shell 20 in the manner of a conventional hair curling iron. The details of the heating element 24 and the manner in which it is supported inside shell 20 form no part of the present invention.

Handle 12 has front and rear sections 28 and 30, and the housing for each section is split axially as shown in Fig. 3 for ease of assembling of the internal parts. The housing 29 for the forward section 28 includes lower and upper housing halves 32 and 34, while the rear section housing 31 is made up of housing halves 36 and 38. The housing halves are secured together by screws 11 6 and 120 and the cooperating threaded sleeves molded as an integral part of the handle (see Fig. 4).

Handle section 30 is intended to be held between the palm and third and fourth fingers as shown in Fig. 2 while the thumb, index and middle fingers grasp the front section 28. For that purpose, the rear section 30 of the handle is approximately two inches in length while the front section 28 is approximately 3 1/2 inches in length. The diameter of the handle 12 is approximately one inch.

To enable the front section 28 of the handle to be rotated about the handle axis with respect to the rear section 30, a tongue and groove connection is provided between the housings 29 and 31. As shown in Figs. 3 and 4, the rear portion 40 of the front housing 29 has a reduced diameter and carries an outwardly extending flange or tongue 42. The forward portion 44 of the rear housing 31 is provided with a groove 46 defined by rings 48 and 50. The groove 46 like the flange 42 is continuous and when the housings 29 and 31 are assembled together, the flange 42 rests in the groove 46, and the two housings are free to rotate axially with respect to one another.

The assembled handle 12 is shown in Fig. 4 and the exploded view of Fig. 3 further illustrates the manner in which the various parts fit together.

In Fig. 4 it will be noted that the power cord 18 carries a strain relief 60 where it enters the rear end 62 of housing 31, and the conductors 64 of the power cord extend forwardly and are connected to the contacts 68 and 70 mounted on insulating disc 66. The two contacts 68 and 70 in turn are engaged by the coaxial contacts 74 and 76 carried at the rear of the front handle housing 29. Insulating disc 66 is held in place by the bracket 78 and groove 80 in the two halves 36 and 38 of the rear housing 31 of the handle.

The front housing 29 of the handle carries a circuit board 84 that in turn carries an indicator light 86 and switch 88 which respectively indicate the condition of and provide control for the circuit for heater 24. The circuit board is shown in Fig. 3 to be connected by a pair of conductors 90 to the heater 24, and the circuit board at its rear end is connected by a pair of conductors 92 (one shown in Fig. 3) to the contact assembly 94 that carries coaxial contacts 74 and 76. When the front and rear sections of the handle are assembled together, the axial contact 76 of assembly 94 extends through a hole 96 in insulating disc 66 to engage the spring contact 70 on the rear of the disc, and the cylindrical contact 74 engages the arcuate spring contact 68 on the front side of the disc.When the front section 28 of the handle is rotated with respect to the rear section 30, the electrical connection between the pairs of contacts is maintained.

The switch 88 carries a slide actuator 100 which extends through a slot 102 in the portion 34 of the housing 29, and the indicating light 86 is visible through lens 104 disposed adjacent the siot 102. The switch typically may have three positions, the center position for turning the heater off, the forward position for maximum heater temperature, and the rear position for a lesser heater temperature.

The rear end of heater 24 carries a disc 110 which retains the preassembled body 10 of the curling iron in the forward section 28 of the handle. The shell 20 of the iron at its rear also carries the stand 1 4 which is disposed at the junction of the handle 12 and the body 10. When the curling iron is assembled, the disc 110 is retained within the forward housing 29 of the handle by the collar 112 molded as an integral part of the lower housing portion 32. (A similar collar is provided in the other half 34 of the forward section housing).

The curling iron is assembled by placing the rear end of the body 10 into the front end of front housing 29 so that the disc 110 lies behind the collar 112. With the body 10 disposed in the lower half 32 of the housing 29 in that manner, the circuit board 84 lies within the housing half 32 while the contact assembly 94 lies in the rectangular opening 114 at the rear of the front housing and the contacts 74 and 76 extend to the rear of the front handle section 28. The slide actuator 100 is mounted on the switch 88 in the position shown in Fig. 4 and the upper half 34 of the housing 29 is aligned with the lower half 32.

The screws 11 6 are then inserted through the sleeves in the lower half 32 of the housing and are screwed tightly into the mating threaded sleeves in the upper half 34. A spacer ring 11 8 may be slipped over the end 40 of the housing. In this fashion, the forward section of the handle is completely assembled.

The next step in assembling the curling iron is to place the strain relief 60 of the power cord 1 8 in the lower half 36 of the rear handle section 30.

Thereafter, the assembled front section 28 is registered with the lower half 36 of the rear housing 31 by placing the flange 42 in the groove 46. When the two sections are aligned in that fashion, contacts 68 and 70 on the disc 66 engage the contacts 74 and 76 in the coaxial contact assembly 94. Thereafter, by means of the screw 120, the two halves 36 and 38 of the rear housing 31 are assembled and capture the flange 42 within the groove 46.

Clip 1 6 which may be of conventional design is pivotally mounted on the body 10 of the iron by means of screw 122, and the clip 16 is opened by arm 124 which extends over the forward section 28 of the handle. The arm 124 carries a finger plate 126 to facilitate opening of the clip. A spring (not shown) is disposed beneath the arm 124, which biases the clip to the closed position shown in Figs. 1 and 2. To open the clip, the plate 126 is depressed, which causes the clip to pivot about the axis established by screw 1 22. In that fashion the clip may engage the end of a lock of hair and hold it on the heated body 10, and thereafter the lock may be rolled onto the body in the manner described below.

In use, the power cord 18 is plugged into a convenient electrical outlet (not shown), and the curling iron is held in one hand as shown in Fig. 2.

The free end of a lock of hair is held on the surface of the iron shell 20 by means of the clip 1 6. To curl the hair about the body 10 of the iron, the user merely turns the forward portion 28 of the handle by means of the thumb, index and middle fingers while holding the rear section 30 firmly against the palm by the third and fourth fingers.

By rotating the forward section 28 of the handle in that fashion, the hair is wound about the body 10. This arrangement allows the user to roll the hair onto the appliance without tangling the cord 18, and the user's other hand is free to hold a mirror or'to perform any other manipulation desired. Because the whole appliance need not be twisted, it is easy for the operator to hold the iron steadily so as not to pull the hair or accidentally bring the hot iron into contact with the scalp or other parts of the skin. Thus, the iron is safer to use than other irons now available, and it is much more convenient.

While the foregoing description has been confined to a curling iron embodying this invention, it will be appreciated that the same advantages may be achieved by incorporating the invention into a hot brush or other hair styling appliance that is operated by rolling hair onto the body. The ability of the user to hold the device with one hand and curl the hair about the heated body without twisting the power cord and while leaving one hand free to perform other functions is a substantial advantage over prior art devices.

Having described this invention in detail, those skilled in the art will appreciate that numerous modifications may be made without departing from the scope of the invention defined by the appended claims.

Claims (12)

1. A hair curling appliance comprising: a body about which hair to be treated can be rolled, and a handle connected to one end of the body, said handle including a first section rotationally fast with the body, and a second section rotatable with respect to the first section so that the second section may be held while the first section is rotated relative thereto so as to rotate the body with respect to the second section.

2. A hair curling appliance as claimed in claim 1 , further characterised by said first and second sections being sized and shaped to be held and manipulated with one hand.

3. A hair curling appliance as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2, further characterised by said handle sections being coaxial with respect to each other and being axially aligned with the body.

4. A hair curling appliance as claimed in claim 3, further characterised by said first section lying between said body and said second section.

5. A hair curling appliance as claimed in any of claims 1 to 4, further characterised by said first and second sections being externally cylindrical with at least approximately equal diameters.

6. A hair curling appliance as claimed in claim 5, further characterised by said first section being axially longer than said second section.

7. A hair curling iron or like appliance comprising: a cylindrical body about which hair to be treated is to be rolled, and a handle axially aligned with and connected to one end of the body, said handle including a first section immediately adjacent to the body and rotationally fixed with respect thereto, and a second section remote from the body and rotatable with respect to the first section, said second section being adapted to be held by the palm, third and fourth fingers of one hand while the thumb, index and middle fingers engage the first section so that the first section and body may be relatively rotated coaxially with respect to the second portion to wind hair on the body.

8. A hair curling iron or like appliance comprising: a cylindrical body having a heating element therein and about which hair to be treated is to be rolled, a clip pivotally mounted on the body for holding hair on the body, and a handle axially aligned with and connected to one end of the body, said handle including a first section immediately adjacent to the body and rotationally fixed with respect thereto, and a section section remote from the body and rotatable with respect to the first section, said second section being adapted to be held by the palm, third and fourth fingers of one hand while the thumb, index and middle fingers engage the first section so that the first section and body may be rotated axially with respect to the second section to wind hair on the body.

9. A hair curling appliance as defined in claim 8, further characterised by: an electrical circuit extending from the body and through the handle sections for energising the heating element, and a control switch in the circuit and mounted on the first handle section.

10. A hair curling appliance as claimed in claim 8 or claim 9, further characterised by: each of said handle sections having a housing that is split axially and secured together by fasteners, a radially extending flange on one section of the handle and a radial groove in the other section of the handle and receiving the flange to hold the handle sections together, and slip contacts mounted in the handle sections and connected in the electrical circuits to maintain the electrical connection through the handle sections as the sections are rotated with respect to one another.

11. A hair curling appliance as claimed in claim 10 further characterised by: said slip controls including an insulating board mounted in the second handle section and carrying a pair of contacts, one of said contacts lying on the axis of said handle second section and the other being disposed radially outward therefrom, said slip contacts also including a second pair of contacts carried by the first handle section and engaging the pair of contacts on the second section when the sections are assembled together.

12. A hair curling appliance substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.