IE52754B1 - Hair-waving appliance - Google Patents

Description

The invention relates to hair-waving appliances.

A curling appliance is known (German Patent Specification No. 1557290) which includes a heating device based on an exothermic catalytic contact reaction and which comprises a fuel container having a fuel outlet opening at one end and a closure cap provided at this end, the internal space forming an oxidation or combustion chamber, and the catalytic material for oxidation being provided in the oxidation chamber. The fuel· container and the closure cap are provided with passages for the supply to the oxidation chamber, of gaseous fuel and combustion air from, respectively, the fuel discharge opening and the ambient atmosphere. The closure cap can be adjusted relatively to the fuel container, so as to vary the free flow cross-section of the fuel supply passage and/or the air supply passage, so that the quantity of heat produced by the heating device can be controlled in a simple manner within wide limits.

In another know curling appliance (German Published Application No. 2040003), the fuel supply device is a nozzle provided between the fuel container and the combustion chamber, and through which a stream or flow of gaseous fuel is led into the combustion chamber. Such an arrangement of nozzle and fuel container is intended to make the control of the quantity of fuel and oxygen supplied to the combustion chamber extremely uniform and accurately regulated. The appliance includes a first catalytic device having a relatively long operating life and a second more active catalytic device with a shorter operating life, the second catalytic device including a heating wire to which an electric current is connected in order to initiate oxidation of gaseous fuel.

The principal object of the present invention is to provide a hair-waving appliance which will be independent of the mains electricity supply and which will operate with a high degree of reliability and durability.

Accordingly, the present invention provides a hair waving appliance comprising a tubular body which contains a heating device and is connected at one end thereof to a handgrip which also serves as a fuel tank containing fuel for the heating device, the heating device comprising a combustion chamber in the tubular body and provided with a catalyst, and an ignition device arranged within the tubular body at the free end thereof, the supply of fuel from the fuel tank to the combustion chamber being controlled by a valve arrangement, the ignition device including an electrically heated filament connected to a battery through a switch movably arranged at the free end of the tubular body for setting up catalytic combustion in the combustion chamber.

Other preferred optional features of the invention are as follows: In the appliance the filament may be directly adjacent the catalyst, and the catalyst may comprise quartz wool disposed around the tube, and coated with a catalytic material.

The filament may be a platinum wire.

The switch may be arranged to be slidable in the axial direction of the tubular body against a spring bias and may be provided with a contact member, which may be brought into contact with a contact member which is connected to the battery.

The battery may be located in a battery chamber which is separated from the combustion chamber by a chamber through which ambient air flows to limit the flow of heat.

The battery chamber may be formed of an electrically insulating material.

The electrical connection between the filament and the battery may be provided by means of two current conductors one of which has its end near the battery bent into a spiral form for permanent contact with the battery while the other current conductor has a portion extending into the battery chamber for making contact with the battery when said switch is moved for setting up catalytic combustion.

S27S4 - 4 The current conductor permanently connecting the electric battery to the filament may be at least partially formed from material which is a poor conductor of heat.

Said other current conductor connecting the filament 5 to the electric battery during the ignition operation may be at least partially tubular in construction.

Ambient air may flow through said chamber by way of openings therein and the current conductors may be taken through this chamber to be exposed to the ambient air therein.

The invention will be now described in greater detail with reference to two embodiments thereof shown, by way of example, in the accompanying drawings. In the drawings. Figures 1 and 2 each show a longitudinal sectional view through a hair-waving appliance having a catalytic heating device and an electrically operated ignition device. In the two figures, corresponding reference numerals are used to identify corresponding parts.

Referring to Figure 1, the embodiment of hair-waving appliance shown therein comprises basically, a cylindrical or tubular rod like body 56, a fuel-container 54 which is connected to the body 56, (and is filled with combustion gas), a plug 24 which closes the fuel-container at the rear and is provided with a filler-valve, a two-part igniter holder 64,65 which closes the body 56 at the front, an ignition device which is generally designated Z, a burner-device which is contained in the body and is generally designated B, a combustion chamber which is designated 93, a body-member 50 which is arranged between the rod-like body 56 and the fuel container 54 and upon which a hair clip (not shown) is mounted so as to be pivotable by means of an operating button and, finally, a valve body 55 and a control device which is generally designated R and consists of the parts 51, 52, 55, 74, 75, 76, 101, 102, 103, 104, 106, 107, 108.

An ignition device, generally designated Z, operates by means of an electric battery 57 which is mounted at the free end of the cylindrical body 56 in the igniter holder 64. The igniter-holder 64 is provided with electrical connections or conductors 61, 62, 63 and a contact spring 79, by way of which the ignition current reaches the filament 60 from the battery 57. The conductor 63 is in the form of a tube.

In order to switch on the electric ignition device, an operating button 59 is pressed, that is to say it is moved in the longitudinal direction of the appliance, against the pressure of the contact spring 79, until a contact member 80 touches the battery 57 or presses firmly against it. The battery current now flows from the battery 57 by way of the contact spring 79, the electrical - 6 connections 61, 62 on the one hand, and the contact member and the tubular electrical connection 63 on the other hand, to a filament 60. Upon switching on the circuit, the filament 60 brings the fuel/air mixture flowing into the combustion chamber 93 to ignition point, so that the catalytic oxidation process is set up in the catalytic device 77.

The catalytic device 77 consists of a mantle-like structure made of quartz wool coated with platinum, the quartz wool pressed into a mantle like structure being pushed onto a thin walled burner tube 78 which is closed at the front, that is to say in the direction towards the ignition device Z, and has a plurality of openings 94, 95 for the release of the combustion gas.

The fuel container 54, which is constructed as a grip member, is closed at the rear by means of the plug 24 and is defined at the front end by the valve assembly 97. The valve assembly 97 is provided with a valve bore 98 in which a spring-loaded valve-body 55 is mounted so as to be longitudinally displaceable. The valve-body 55 is rendered gas tight relatively to the valve-bore 98 by means of a sealing ring 99. The rear end of the valve body 55 is provided with a rubber disc 76 which, in the position shown, closes off the path for the egress of fuel by way of a bore 101 and a valve jet 102. 75 designates a - 7 plug of sintered metal in which the fuel supplied by a wick 74 to the valve opening 103 is vaporized. 70, 71, 72 and 73 designate pieces of foam material which clean the fuel in the fuel container 54 and convey it to the wick 74 particularly when the fuel container is only partly full.

The valve body 55 is urged into the open position by the spring 104 (that is to say, it is moved to the left so that the combustion gas can escape at 102), when the valve lever 106 which is pivotally mounted on the pin 105 is turned to the left against the pressure of the control spring 52, by means of the control member 107 co-operating with the control surface 108 (that is to say the valve lever 106 is released from its engagement with the control lever 51). In the open position of the valve-jet 102, the combustion gas flows through the mixing tube 111 into the burner tube 78 and thence out through the openings 94, 95 to the catalytic device 77 where it burns without a flame. If the temperature in the combustion chamber 93 rises too much, then the control rod 53 which is connected at 112 to the control tube 113, is reduced in length to such an extent that the control-lever 51 which is pivotable on the pin 105 is moved to the right, so that the valve-body 55 is displaced into the closed position against the pressure of the spring 104. As long as the valve-lever 106 remains pivoted to the left, the control mechanism 51, 53, 112, - 8 113, can control freely the gas escaping from the valve jet 102. However, in the position shown in the drawing, the control lever 51 is locked (in its closed position).

The battery 57 is mounted in a battery chamber 96.

Between the battery chamber 96 and the combustion chamber 93, a chamber 109 is provided which prevents the heat flowing from the combustion chamber 93 to the battery chamber 96. The chamber 109 has ambient air flowing through it, by way of openings 110. The electrical conductors 61, 63 pass through the chamber 109 and thus are directly exposed to ambient air therein.

The electrical conductors 61, 62 are made at least partly of material which is a poor conductor of heat. The end portion of the conductor 61 which extends into the battery chamber 96 is of spiral form, for permanent contact with the battery 57, while the tubular conductor 63 has a portion 80 extending into the battery chamber, which is in the form of a contact-blade, for intermittent contact with the battery 57.

The battery chamber 96 is formed in the igniter holder 64, which latter is made of electrically insulating material.

The hair waving appliance shown in Figure 2 likewise includes an ignition device Z' which operates by means of an electric battery 57 which is mounted at the free end 58 - 9 of the cylindrical rod member 56 in the two part igniter holder 64,65. The igniter holder is provided with wire connections 61, 62, 63 and contact members 79, 80, 90, 91 by way of which the ignition current reaches the filament 60 from the battery 57. The electric ignition device is then switched on in the manner previously described. The battery current now flows from the battery 57 by way of the pressure spring 92, the contact members 90, 79, 80 and the wire connections 61, 63 to the filament 60 and by way of the wire connection 62 and the contact member 91. Upon switching on the circuit, the filament 60 brings the fuel/air mixture flowing into the burner device B' to ignition point so that the catalytic oxidation process is set up in the catalytic device 77.

Apart from the above described details of the ignition device Z', the construction of the appliance of Figure 2 is similar to that shown in Figure 1 and, as already stated, corresponding reference numerals identify corresponding parts. - ίο - »3754 List of individual parts Identified by reference numerals 24 Plug 100 Valve seal 50 Body-member 101 Bore 51 Control-lever 102 Valve-jet 52 Control-spring 103 Valve-opening 53 Control-rod 104 Spring 54 Fuel container 105 Pin 55 Valve body 106 Valve-lever 56 Cylindrical body 107 Control-member 57 Battery (electric) 108 Control-surface 58 Free end of body-member 109 Chamber preventing flow of heat 59 Operating button 60 Filament no Opening 61,62, ,63 111 Mixing tube Electrical connections or conductors 112 Connection point 64,65 Igniter holder 113 Control tube 71,72 ,73 Z,Z' Ignition device Pieces of foam material • B,B' Burner device 74 Wick R Control device 75 Sintered metal plug L Air inlet 76 Rubber disc 77 Catalytic device 78 Burner tube 79,80 Contact-members 90,91 Contact-members 92 Pressure spring 93 Combustion chamber 94,95 Openings 96 Battery chamber 97 Valve-member 98 Valve-bore 99 Sealing ring 53754

Claims (11)

1. A hair waving appliance comprising a tubular body which contains a beating device and is connected at one end thereof to a handgrip which also serves as a fuel tank 5 containing fuel for the heating device, the heating device comprising a combustion chamber in the tubular body and provided with a catalyst, and an ignition device arranged within the tubular body at the free end thereof, the supply of fuel from the fuel tank to the combustion 10 chamber being controlled by a valve arrangement, the ignition device including an electrically heated filament connected to a battery through a switch movably arranged at the free end of the tubular body for setting up catalytic combustion in the combustion chamber. 15

2. A hair waving appliance according to Claim 1, in which the filament is directly adjacent the catalyst, and the catalyst comprises quartz wool disposed around the tube, and coated with a catalytic material.

3. A hair waving appliance according to Claim 1, in 20 which the filament is a platinum wire.

4. A hair waving appliance according to Claim 1, in which the switch is arranged to be slidable in the axial direction of the tubular body against a spring bias and is provided with a contact member, which may be brought into 25 contact with a contact member which is connected to the 5275- 12 battery.

5. A hair waving appliance according to any of the preceding claims in which the battery is located in a battery chamber which is separated from the combustion chamber by a chamber through which ambient air flows to limit the flow of heat.

6. A hair waving appliance as claimed in Claim 5 in which, the battery chamber is formed of an electrically insulating material.

7. A hair waving appliance as claimed in Claim 6, in which the electrical connection between the filament and the battery is provided by means of two current conductors one of which has its end near the battery bent into a spiral form for permanent contact with the battery while the other current conductor has a portion extending into the battery chamber for making contact with the battery when said switch is moved for setting up catalytic combustion.

8. A hair waving appliance as claimed in Claim 7, in which the current conductor permanently connecting the electric battery to the filament is at least partially formed from material which is a poor conductor of heat.

9. A hair waving appliance as claimed in Claims 7 or 8, in which said other current conductor connecting the filament to the electric battery during the ignition - 13 operation is at least partially tubular in construction.

10. A hair waving appliance as claimed in any of Claims 5 to 9, in which ambient air flows through said chamber by way of openings therein and the current conductors are 5 taken through this chamber to be exposed to the ambient air therein.

11. A hair waving appliance substantially as herein described with reference to and as shown in Figure 1 or Figure 2 of the accompanying drawings. MACLACHLAN & DONALDSON Applicants' Agents 47 Merrion Square