KR102322372B1 - Hair styling device with a system that locks the water tank and wick at the steam generating position - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a hair styling device (1) for curling hair, the device comprising a mandrel (3) and a tiled cover (4) articulated on the device to form a clamp with the mandrel, the tiled cover comprising: It causes movement between the released position from the mandrel and the pressed position against the mandrel. The appliance comprises a heating element, a liquid reservoir 10, a wick 13 in engagement and communication with the reservoir to be wetted by the liquid, the reservoir and the wick in an active position and in an active position in which the wick is in contact with the heating element 21 for vapor production. and guiding means disposed between the reservoir and the wick to enable movement between positions. The hair styling device 1 includes a locking/unlocking system 22 configured to ensure holding the reservoir and wick in an active position.

Description

Hair styling device with a system that locks the water tank and wick at the steam generating position

The present invention relates to the field of hair styling devices for implementing "curler" type of hair curling, in particular a vapor generating system comprising a liquid reservoir and a wick wetted with liquid and a heating element to which the wick is brought into contact. It relates to such a hair styling device having a.

In addition, such hair styling devices include a mandrel and a tiled tuile, which elements articulate to form a clamp capable of rolling a tuft of hair around the mandrel and thus clamping the tuft of hair for curling it. do.

Patent applications WO0167915A2 and EP1894488A1 are known which relate to such a hair styling device comprising the above-mentioned properties, which makes it possible to generate steam during the implementation of the curling of the hair skein.

A liquid reservoir is disposed at the end of the mandrel and a wick soaked with a liquid is engaged with the reservoir and communicates with the reservoir to be wetted by the liquid. The heating element is located within the mandrel. The guiding means is disposed between the reservoir and the mandrel such that the reservoir and the wick are movable between an active position and a passive position in which the wick is in contact with the heating element for steam generation. Steam is generated by manually moving the reservoir and wick.

During the curling operation of the hair skein, the user must press and hold the reservoir so that after clamping and rolling the skein around the mandrel, a wick soaked with liquid to continuously generate steam is held in contact with the heating element. Existing hair styling devices with such characteristics are not very ergonomic.

Furthermore, the user has to count the steam generation time of the hair skein by himself in order to implement the care of the curled hair skein by steam for an appropriate time. It shouldn't be too long either. This requires additional attention from the user during hair styling. Furthermore, depending on the user's counting speed, the time of applying the steam is very variable. The user must press and hold the wick on the heating element throughout its predetermined time.

The present invention aims to alleviate the above-mentioned disadvantages.

The first object of the present invention is to avoid the user having to keep the reservoir in the pressurized position at all times for steam generation while implementing the curling operation.

For that purpose, the present invention relates to a hair styling device for curling hair.

A hair styling device includes a mandrel and a tiled cover, wherein the tiled cover articulates on the appliance to form a clamp with the mandrel, wherein the tiled cover is in a release position from the mandrel enabling positioning of a hair skein and then move between a pressurized position against the mandrel which enables clamping of the tuft of hair for carrying out the curling operation.

The hair styling appliance also comprises a heating element and electrical means enabling said heating element to be actuated.

In addition, the hair styling device includes a reservoir of liquid and a wick engaging and in communication with the reservoir to be wetted with the liquid. The guiding means are disposed between the reservoir and the mandrel to enable movement of the reservoir and the wick between an active position and a passive position where the wick is in contact with the heating element for steam generation.

On the other hand, the hair styling appliance includes a locking/unlocking system configured to ensure holding the reservoir and wick in the active position, which avoids the user having to keep the reservoir and wick in the active position at all times during a curling operation.

In one preferred embodiment of the hair styling device for which the present invention is directed, the locking/unlocking system is configured to ensure active retention of the reservoir and wick when the tiled cover is in the pressed position against the mandrel. This makes it possible to start the curling operation and steaming operation only after clamping the hair skein. Conversely, the lock/unlock system is configured to allow release of the reservoir and wick towards the manual position when the tiled cover is in the released position from the mandrel. However, alternative embodiments are contemplated in which the locking/unlocking system will perform the retaining and releasing functions described above regardless of the position of the tiled cover relative to the mandrel.

In a preferred embodiment of the hair styling device, the locking/unlocking system comprises a first locking element provided on the reservoir and a second locking element provided at the distal end of the tiled cover. The locking elements are configured to cooperate with one another to ensure maintenance of the position of the reservoir relative to the tiled cover when the tiled cover is in the pressed position against the mandrel and when the reservoir and the wick are in the active position.

According to one embodiment, the first locking element and the second locking element are configured to snap into one another to ensure said retention of the reservoir position relative to the tiled cover. However, variations of the first and second locking elements are conceivable without departing from the scope of the invention.

Preferably, according to an embodiment, the first locking element comprises a U-shaped resilient part with a constriction and the second locking element comprises a stud arranged on the inner surface of the tiled cover, wherein the constriction is on the stud. Ensures retention of the inserted resilient component.

According to a hair styling device for the purpose of the present invention, the locking/unlocking system comprises a reservoir to said manual position and means for restoring the wick to said manual position. This ensures automatic stopping of the steam, without the need for additional handling of the hair styling appliance.

According to the hair styling device for the purposes of the present invention, the reservoir comprises an opening for filling, which makes it reusable once the liquid in the reservoir is emptied.

According to a hair styling device as an object of the present invention, the device comprises a reservoir and an active position sensing system of the wick. This makes it possible to detect the onset of the steam-generating operation during curling of the hair skein.

In one preferred embodiment of the hair styling appliance, the heating element comprises a steam generating plate against which the wick is abutted in the active position. In addition, the sensing system includes a sensing system for detecting a drop in temperature of the vapor generating plate that occurs when a liquid-soaked wick contacts the vapor generating plate.

When there is an active position sensing system of such reservoirs and wicks, the hair styling device for the purposes of the present invention preferably comprises a counting unit, wherein the sensing system activates the counting unit when the reservoirs and wicks are moved from the passive position to the active position. is configured to initiate. This eliminates the need for the user to count the holding time of a tuft of hair rolled around the mandrel during the steam generating operation.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The following detailed description of non-limiting and preferred embodiments of a hair styling appliance sets forth the features for which the invention is sought with reference to the accompanying drawings.

1 shows an assembly of a hair styling appliance having a tiled cover abutting a mandrel.
FIG. 2 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the hair styling device of FIG. 1 .
3 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the distal end of the hair styling device of FIG. 1 ;
Figure 4 specifies a female locking element and shows the liquid reservoir at the mandrel end.
Figure 5 shows the male locking element and shows the end of the tiled cover.
6 schematically shows an active position sensing system of a reservoir and a wick embodied in a mandrel.

1 and 2 , the hair styling device 1 includes a body 2 , a mandrel 3 and a tiled cover 4 . The body 2 is configured to handle the hair styling device 1 in use. The mandrel 3 is cylindrical and extends the body 2 along a longitudinal axis X. The tiled cover 4 is a circular shape applied to the shape of the mandrel 3 . The proximal end 5 of the tiled cover 4 is fixed to a handling finger 6 articulated with respect to the distal end 7 of the body 2 . The tiled cover 4 is screwed onto the mandrel 3 so that a skein of hair can be inserted between the mandrel 3 and the tiled cover 4 by applying pressure on the rear portion 8 of the handling fingers 6 . ) to the released position. When the spring 9 disposed between the distal end 7 of the body 2 and the handling finger 6 stops pressing the manipulation finger 6, as shown in Fig. 1, the tiled cover ( 4) can be moved to a pressing position against the mandrel 3, thereby clamping a hair skein (not shown) located between the mandrel 3 and the tiled cover 4 .

1 to 3 , the hair styling device 1 includes a reservoir 10 including an opening 11 at a position of a proximal end 12 . The opening 11 makes it possible to fill the reservoir 10 with liquid. The wick 13 is mounted in the tubular part 14 fixed with the reservoir 10 at the position of the proximal end 12, the wick 13 communicating with the opening 11, which allows the wick to be wetted with liquid. do. The reservoir 10 and the tubular part 14 are mounted in sliding connection onto the distal end 15 of the mandrel 3 , facing the mandrel 3 and along the longitudinal axis X with the elements and the wick 13 ) to allow translation of the assembly (reservoir 10, tubular part 14 and wick 13), as shown in FIG. 3, the proximal end 16 of the wick 13 It causes the proximal end 16 of the wick 13 to move from the active position, which allows it to abut the steam generating plate 17 , to the passive position where it is released from the steam generating plate 17 . A spring 18 disposed within the bottom 19 of the tubular part 14 abuts against the distal end 20 of the wick 13 to maintain proper engagement with the steam generating plate 17 in said active position. The steam generating plate 17 is in contact with a heating element 21 , for example a positive temperature coefficient thermistor (PTC), thereby making it possible to heat the steam generating plate 17 by heat conduction. Additionally, the heating element 21 can heat the mandrel 3 .

A locking/unlocking system 22 is disposed on the hair styling device 1 to maintain the reservoir 10 , the tubular part 14 and the wick 13 in the active position described above. 1 to 5 , the locking/unlocking system 22 is implemented between the peripheral wall 23 of the reservoir 10 and the distal end 24 of the tiled cover 4 . The perimeter wall 23 includes a groove 25 that opens into its proximal end 26 as shown in FIG. 4 . The groove 25 accommodates a U-shaped elastic component 27 , which includes a constriction 28 , as shown in FIG. 4 . The elastic part 27 constitutes a first locking element. As shown in FIG. 5 , the stud 29 extends from the inner surface 30 side of the tiled cover 4 at the position of its distal end 24 . The stud 29 constitutes a second locking element adapted to be received within the resilient component 27 . When the tiled cover 4 presses the mandrel 3 in the position for clamping a tuft of hair, and when the reservoir 10 is in the passive position, the stud 29 grooves on the outside of the elastic part 27 . (25) is located within. When the reservoir 10 is then moved to the active position, the elastic part 27 is inserted onto the stud 29 until the constriction 28 has passed through the stud 29 , and thus the stud 29 ) enables a snapping engagement of the resilient part 27 on , or vice versa, thereby ensuring that the reservoir 10 is maintained in the active position, as a result of which the liquid-soaked wick 13 is vaporized. It is ensured to hold against the plate 17 .

As shown in FIG. 3 , a restoring means 31 such as a spring is disposed between the steam generating plate 17 and the tubular part 14 , and the spring exerts a force on the tubular part 14 in the direction of the arrow 32 . to be able to add The snapping engagement of the studs 29 into the elastic part 27 ensures the retention of the position of the reservoir 10 with respect to the tiled cover 4 even when force is applied by the spring. Conversely, when the tiled cover 4 is moved to the released position with respect to the mandrel 3 by the user, the stud 29 is released from the resilient part 27, whereby the spring is moved to the tubular part 14 and By allowing the reservoir 10 (and wick 13) to be pushed into a manual position, steam generation can be stopped.

Advantageously, the hair styling device 1 comprises a system for sensing the active position of the reservoir 10 , the tubular part 14 and the wick 13 , where steam is generated. The sensing system comprises means (33) for sensing a sudden drop in the temperature of the steam generating plate (17), the sensing means (33) comprising itself a temperature sensor, preferably a negative temperature coefficient (NTC) thermistor. . The temperature sensor is placed in contact with the inner surface 34 of the steam generating plate 17 , as schematically shown in FIG. 6 . When the proximal end 16 of the wick 13 comes into contact with the outer surface 35 of the steam generating plate 17, the temperature in the steam generating plate 17 is sharply decreased, which is sensed by the temperature sensor. The temperature sensor provides information on the temperature drop once the hair skein has been rolled around the mandrel 3 , counting a time suitable for steam generation and maintaining heating of the mandrel 3 , for example 10 seconds. to the electronic control box 36 shown in FIG. 2 , which contains a counting unit. The duration can be adjusted by the user according to the index value of the exposure time to steam, for example a value of 5, 8, or 10 seconds, the adjustment being possible by a user interface provided on the hair styling device 1 . . Once the time has elapsed, the counting unit allows the user to tile against the mandrel 3 in order to release the reservoir 10 and the wick 13 to the manual position prior to releasing the curled hair tuft and thus stop steam generation. It transmits information to the electronic control box 36 which initiates an audible signal, for example a beep, or further an optical signal, to inform the release of the cover 4 .

The reservoir 10 is detachable at the distal end 15 of the mandrel, whereby it is possible to access the opening 11 on the reservoir 10 for filling the reservoir with liquid. For that reason, the proximal end 12 of the reservoir 10 is detachably assembled, in particular by means of a snap engagement with the bottom 19 of the tubular part 14 .

The foregoing detailed description does not limit the scope of the present invention, but allows the essence of the present invention to be taken. Other variants are therefore conceivable, in particular with regard to implementing a locking/unlocking system which ensures that the reservoir 10 , the tubular part 14 and the wick 13 are held in an active position. The locking/unlocking system can be designed, for example, independently of the position of the tiled cover 4 between the reservoir 10 or the tubular part 14 on the one hand and the distal end 15 of the mandrel 3 on the other hand. will be able

Other features may be considered without departing from the scope of the present invention. For example, by providing a cover (not shown) that allows the distal end 37 of the reservoir 10 to be opened, liquid filling can be performed without detaching the reservoir 10 against the distal end 15 of the mandrel 3 . may be considered for implementation.

Claims (10)

It is a hair styling device (1) for curling hair,
a mandrel (3), a tiled cover (4) articulated on the instrument to form a clamp with the mandrel, connected to move the tiled cover between a position released from the mandrel and a pressurized position against the mandrel -, a heating element ( 21), a liquid reservoir (10), a wick (13) engaged with the reservoir and communicating with the reservoir to be wetted with liquid, and the reservoir and the wick being movable between an active and passive position in which the wick is in contact with a heating element for steam generation A hair styling device (1) comprising guiding means disposed between the reservoir and the mandrel to
A hair styling device (1), characterized in that the device comprises a locking/unlocking system (22) configured to ensure holding the reservoir and the wick in the active position. The locking/unlocking system (22) according to claim 1, wherein the locking/unlocking system (22) is adapted to ensure that the tiled shroud (4) remains in the active position when it is in a pressed position against the mandrel (3), and the tiled shroud is positioned on the mandrel. A hair styling device (1) configured to allow the reservoir (10) and wick (13) to be released towards their manual position when in the position released from. 3. The locking/unlocking system (22) according to claim 2, wherein the locking/unlocking system (22) comprises a first locking element (27) provided on the reservoir (10) and a second locking element (29) provided at the distal end (24) of the tiled lid (4). wherein said locking elements cooperate with each other so that when the tiled shroud is in the pressed position against the mandrel (3) and when the reservoir and the wick (13) are in the active position of the reservoir (10) for the tiled closure A hair styling device (1) configured to ensure retention in position. 4. Hair styling device (1) according to claim 3, wherein the first locking element (27) and the second locking element (29) are configured to be snapped together. The inner surface (30) of the tiled cover (4) according to claim 4, wherein the first locking element (27) comprises a U-shaped elastic part with a reduction (28) and the second locking element (29) A hair styling device ( 1 ) comprising a stud disposed on the stud, wherein the reduction ensures retention of the resilient part inserted on the stud. 6 . Hair styling device according to claim 1 , wherein the locking/unlocking system ( 22 ) comprises means ( 31 ) of the reservoir ( 10 ) and the wick ( 13 ) of the reservoir ( 10 ) into a manual position ( 13 ). One). 6. Hair styling appliance (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the reservoir (10) comprises an opening for filling. 6 . Hair styling device ( 1 ) according to claim 1 , wherein the device comprises a system for sensing the active position of the reservoir ( 10 ) and the wick ( 13 ). 9. The heating element (21) according to claim 8, wherein the heating element (21) comprises a steam generating plate (17) with which the wick (13) is brought into opposing contact in the active position, and the sensing system is means for detecting a sudden drop in the temperature of the steam generating plate (17). A hair styling device (1) comprising (33). The hair styling device (1) according to claim 8, wherein the device comprises a counting unit and the sensing system is configured to activate the counting unit when the reservoir (10) and the wick (13) move from the passive position to the active position. .

Images