GB2230184A

GB2230184A - Hairstyling implement

Info

Publication number: GB2230184A
Application number: GB9006405A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Theresa Critchlow
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1989-04-11
Filing date: 1990-03-22
Publication date: 1990-10-17
Anticipated expiration: 2010-03-22
Also published as: GB2230184B; GB9006405D0; GB8908157D0

Abstract

A hairstyling implement comprises a plurality of spaced prongs 12 each of diameter not less than half a centimetre projecting from mounting means 13. <IMAGE>

Description

HAIR STYLING IMPLEMENT This invention relates to hair styling implements such as those that might be used in hair salons.

Conventionally when a hair stylist has perhaps washed long hair and requires to dry it in a manner which constitutes a particular styling technique, hand-held dryers have been used in order to direct blasts or streams of, perhaps heated, air at selected regions of the hair.

Efficient hair drying, generally necessitates that it be aerated in order to disperse moisture diffusion shells around it. Conventionally such shells are dispersed by the hair stylist's hands which are used to gently agitate the customers hair and expose regions thereof to the action of the hair dryer.

Frequently the hair stylist's hands are subjected to, at the least drying, and more generally the heating properties of the hair dryer. Moreover, the hair stylist's hands may often be in contact with reagents such as lacquers and perming agents which are used in hair styling regimes. Repeated and prolonged skin contact with such agents has established detrimental health effects.

The present invention provides a hair styling implement which may be used to aerate hair, for example, when hair requires drying, but which also can be used to style curly or 'frizzy' hair, for example, where conventional hair 'brushing' or 'combing' would ruin the intended effect.

According to the invention there is provided a hair styling implement comprising a plurality of spaced prongs each of diameter not less than half a centimetre projecting from mounting means.

The mounting means may comprise handle means.

The handle means may be shaped so as to enable easy manipulation of the implement by the hair stylist.

The mounting means may be adapted to clip onto conventional hand-held hair dryers.

The handle means may include fan means adapted to discharge air over said prongs.

There may be apertures in the mounting means adjacent the prongs.

The prongs may be hollow and have apertures therein.

The handle means may include heating means.

The prongs of the implement may be made from a somewhat flexible or even substantially rigid material, and in addition may have a series of ridges or other relief projections so as to aid disentaglment of damp or perhaps wet hair.

The prongs may be arranged in a semi-circular fashion on the mounting means or they may be arranged circumferentially or linearly on the mounting means. The prongs may themselves be straight, or they may be curved so as to imitate the shapes adopted by the hand when gently untangling and styling hair.

The prongs need not necessarily be of uniform shape; indeed it may be advantageous to have differently formed prongs attached to the one mounting means.

Embodiments of the hair styling implement will now be described by way of examples only and with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 shows a side elevation of a first form of hair styling implement; Figure 2 shows a front elevation of the implement shown in Figure 1; Figure 3 shows a side elevation of a second form of hair styling implement with integral hair dryer; Figure 4 shows a front elevation of the implement shown in Figure 3; Figure 5 shows a detail of an alternative form of prong; Figure 6 shows a further form of implement embodying prongs of different shape; and Figure 7 shows a side elevation of a hair styling implement in the form of an accessory for fitting to a hand-held hair dryer: The drawings show hair styling implements 11, 21, 31, and 41 each comprising a plurality of spaced apart prongs 12, each prong having a diameter of not less than half a centimetre, but preferably of the order of one centimetre, projecting forwardly from a mount 13.

In the embodiment shown in Figure 1, the mount 13 is integral with an elongate handle 14. The prongs 12, mount 13 and handle 14 are fabricated as one piece and might be a plastics moulding.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention shown in Figure 3, the implement 21 includes a fan 15 which discharges air over the prongs 12. The mount 13 of the implement 21 has apertures 19, formed in the mount 13, adjacent the prongs 12.

Alternatively the prongs 12 are hollow and have apertures 17, as shown in Figure 5, through which air from the fan 15 can be vented. The implement 21 further includes resistive heating elements (not shown) over which the air flows and a variable control 46, by which the stylist can adjust the heat output from these elements.

In a further embodiment of the invention (Figure 7), the mount 13 of the hair styling implement 31 is adapted to clip, or perhaps slide, onto the air outlet nozzle 29 (shown in broken lines) of a conventional hand-held hair dryer. The mount 13 of the implement 31 has a series of apertures, as shown at 19 in Figure 4. Alternatively the prongs 12 on the mount 13 are hollow, as shown in Figure 5, and comprise apertures 17 on their projecting surfaces through which the air from the dryer may discharge as shown diagrammatically in Figure 5 by the arrows.

The prongs 12 of the implement 11 are made from a substantially rigid material such as a plastic of low thermal conductivity which helps prevent the implement from "singeing" hair if the prongs are exposed for considerable periods to blasts of hot air. Wood is an alternative material especially for the embodiment of Figure 1.

Preferably the prongs 12 have a series of ridges 26 as shown in Figure 5 or other relief projections (not shown) so as to aid disentaglment of damp or perhaps wet hair.

In the embodiments of the invention shown in Figures 1 to 4 inclusive and Figure 7, the prongs 12 are straight and are arranged annularly around a central prong on the front face of the mount 13.

The prongs 12 of the implement 11 as shown in Figure 6, are curved in unison and are arranged on the mount 13 in a semicircular fashion (not shown), this arrangement substantially resembling the configuration adopted by the stylists hand when manipulating hair It will be appreciated that it is not intended to limit the invention to the above examples only, many variations such as might readily occur to one skilled in the art being possible without departing from the scope thereof.

For example, the prongs need not necessarily be of uniform length, degree of curvature or diameter; indeed it may be advantageous to have differently formed prongs attached to the one mount.

The prongs may be releasably securable to the mount.

The implement may have a fan variable speed control.

The mounting means and prongs may be comprised by a hair roller and a cap may be provided, securable to the tips of said prongs.

Claims

1. A hairstyling implement comprising a plurality of spaced prongs each of diameter not less than half a centimetre projecting from mounting means.

2. A hairstyling implement according to claim 1, characterised in that the mounting means comprises handle means.

3. A hair styling implement according to claim 2, characterised in that the handle means are shaped so as to enable easy manipulation of the implement by a hair stylist.

4. A hair styling implement according to any preceding claim, characterised in that the mounting means is adapted to clip onto conventional hand-held hair dryers.

5. A hair styling implement according to any one of claims 2 to 4, characterised in that the handle means includes fan means adapted to discharge air over said prongs.

6. A hair styling implement according to any preceding claim, characterised in that the mounting means comprises apertures adjacent the prongs.

7. A hair styling implement according to any preceding claim, characterised in that the prongs are hollow and have apertures formed therein.

8. A hair styling implement according to any one of claims 2 to 7, characterised in that the handle means includes heating means.

9. A hair styling implement according to any preceding claim, characterised in that the prongs of the implement comprise a series of ridges or relief projections so as to aid disentanglement of damp or wet hair.

10. A hair styling implement according to any preceding claim, characterised in that the prongs are made from a substantially rigid material.

11. A hair styling implement according to any preceding claim, characterised in that the prongs are arranged on the mounting means in a manner selected from the group consisting of semicircularly, circumferentially, and linearly.

12. A hair styling implement according to any preceding claim, characterised in that the prongs are configured in a form selected from the group consisting of straight and curved.

13. A hair styling implement according to claim 1, characterised in that the mounting means and prongs are comprised by a hair roller.

14. A hair styling implement according to the preceding claim, further comprising a cap securable to the tips of said prongs.