US3186415A - Hair curler with selectively engageable fastening means - Google Patents

Description

June 1, 1965 A. TEOPILIAN 3,186,415

HAIR CURLER WITH SELECTIVELY ENGAGEABLE FASTENING MEANS Filed Aug. 20, 1962 rgy United States Patent 3,186,415 HAIR CURLER WITH SELEIJTIVELY ENGAGE- ABLE FASTENING MEANS Aram Teopiiian, 1056 59th St., New York, N.Y. Filed Aug. 20, 1962, Ser. No. 218,050 1 Claim. (Cl. 13'2-42) This invention pertains generally to the art of hair curlers, and more particularly to an improved form thereof offering a large number of advantages over types now known in the art.

Hair curlers have heretofore been relatively complicated, expensive to manufacture, and many have incorporated metallic resilient elements which are subject to rust, loss of resiliency, and other accompanying disadvantages. The high cost of manufacture of conventional hair curl ing devices has been in part due to the fact that they are made by assembling several components, which must fit each other with reasonable accuracy, and also partially due to the fact that metallic stampings are relatively expensive.

It is therefore among the principal objects of the pres ent invention to provide an efficient hair curling device in which the use of metallic parts has been totally eliminated.

Another object of the invention lies in the provision of a hair curler of the type described in which all of the component parts maybe molded from suitable synthetic resinous stock in an integral form, thereby eliminating the necessity of fitting and assembling separate components.

A further object of the invention lies in the provision of a device of the class described in which the cost of fabrication may be of an extremely low order, thereby permitting wide sale, distribution and use.

Another object of the present invention is the provision of structure whereby the device may be positively locked in the closed position thereof, yet which may be easily opened and closed.

Still another object of the invention lies in the provision of hair curler structure which may be easily manipulated by the user in curling the hair, and which may be readily removed after the curling operation.

A feature of the invention lies in the fact that the device being formed entirely from synthetic resinous stock, no separate resilient components are necessary in the formation of the device, thereby eliminating a potential source of trouble in operation.

Another feature of the device lies in the fact that owing to the lack of metallic parts, the device may easily be sterilized when required.

The present application is an improvement on my Patent No. 2,668,546.

Another object of the present invention lies in the provision of locking structure in which the expansive pressure of the coiled hair tends to pull the parts into a more securely locked condition.

These ob'ects and features, as well as other incidental ends and advantages, will become more clearly apparent during the course of the following disclosure, and be pointed out in the appended claims.

On the drawing, to which reference will be made in the specification, similar reference characters have been employed to designate corresponding parts throughout the several views.

FIGURE 1 is a view in perspective showing a preferred embodiment of the invention in open position, and in use.

FIGURE 2 is a perspective view of the said embodiment in open position.

FIGURE 3 is a perspective view, corresponding to that shown on FIGURE 4 and showing a closed position.

FIGURE 4 is an elevattional view showing another closed position.

FIGURE 5 is a fragmentary end perspective view showing the device in a closed position with the largest size opening.

FIGURE 6 is a fragmentary and perspective view showing another closed position.

FIGURE 7 is an end elevational view showing the curl retaining element being inserted into a closed position.

FIGURE 8 is an end elevational view corresponding to FIGURE 7 but showing the curl retainer in a closed middle position.

FIGURE 9 is an enlarged fragmentary detail elevational corresponding to part as shown in FIGURE 4.

FIGURE 10 is a vertical detail sectional view as seen from the plane10-10 on FIGURE 9.

In accordance with the invention, the device, generally indicated by reference character 10, comprises broadly a main body element 12, and a curl retaining element 14. The entire device is preferably formed from a single molding or casting of a flexible, resilient, synthetic resinous stock. If desired, the device may also be formed in two pieces, with separate main body element 12 and curl retaining element 14, using two different types of plastics. Where the entire device is formed integrally, I have found polyethylene to be a suitable material. Where the same is made in two parts, the main body element may be formed from a relatively less flexible material, as for example polystyrene. Various vinyl compositions are also suitable.

The main body element 12 includes a base member 16, which connects a pair of leg members 18 and 20. The members 18 and 20 are in mutual abutted arrangement, to form a hair retaining channel 22 therebetween. The base member 16 is provided with a rounded outer surface 24, to permit easy grasping by the user, the outermost portion 26 forming a line of interconnection with the inner end of the curl retaining element 14.

The leg member 18 has an end 19 which curves outwardly and coacts with the angularly disposed surface 34, to form an entrance for the lock of hair being curled.

The leg member 20 has an enlarged end 30 which is rounded at 31 and which is provided with a plurality of interceding slots 36, 37, 38, 39 (FIG. 7). The rounded portion 31 facilitates the insertion of the portion 50 of the curl retaining element 14. The width of the slots 36-39 is narrower at the end surface and wider at the base of the slot. This configuration is best seen in FIG- URE 40f the accompanying drawings: At the narrower entrance to the slots the width is less than the width of the portion 56 and at the base the width of each slot is substantially equal to the width of the portion 50.

The curl retaining element 14 is of generally planar configuration, as may best be seen on FIGURE 2, and may be bounded by an inner edge 51, and outer edge 40 and side edges 42 and 44. The side edges 42 and 44 have indentations or notches 52 and 54 to provide the portion 50. As has been mentioned, the inner edge 51 is secured to or may be integral with the main body element 12, and the element 14 is free to flex in either direction about this edge. The length of the curl retaining element 14, as measured between the inner edge 51 and the portion 50, respectively, is sufiicient to permit the same to be bent around and slidably secured and held, as shown on FIGURES 3 to 8, wherein the notch portion 50 is inserted into the slots 36-39 of the leg member 20.

In use, the device is employed in such manner that the end of a lock of hair to be curled is placed in the hair retaining channel 22, during which time the curl retaining element 14 extends outwardly. The main body ele- Patented June I, 15965 r to make it operate, but may work 'in the formation of a curl, care being taken to avoid the covering of the slots 36-39 When the curl is formed, the curl'retaining element is bent about the portion 26 and the portion 5% is engaged in one or more of the slots 36-39. Upon release of the device, the engagement of the curled hair with the curl retaining element 14 prevents the hair from becoming unwound. When it is desired to remove the device, the reverse procedure is followed, the curl retaining element 14 being first disengaged, after which the main body element 12 is unwound, wherein the end of the now curled lock of hair may be released. I 7

Because the hair retaining channel 22 has an entrance 23 effected by a shortening of the leg 18 and a widening of the end of the leg 20, the use of the device is made very simple and easy. Having separated with one hand a lock of hair to be curled, pressure (using the other hand) of the enlarged end 30 against the hair lock opens the entrance 23 and the channel 22 wider so that the lock may be easily slipped therein to start the curl. Thus the user need not see the device in order blind, by sense of touch alone. 1

The end 343 of the leg 20 having the crossed slots 36-39 and which are outwardly narrow (see FIGURES 4 and 6) when the portion 50 is inserted into the slots 36-39, a snap-like action tending to retain the interconnection is obtained between the portion 56 and the surfaces defining the slots 36-39.

This provides locking and automatic adjustment such as that shown in FIGURES 5 and IO'Where it will be noted that the notch end portions 52'and 54 need to engage the grooves 60 at slot ends in order for a locking action to take place.

As seen in FIGURES 3 and 6 the provision. of. the plural slots 36-39 enables the user to insert the portion 50 in any one of them. This is a convenience particularly when the user is working at the back of her own head. Furthermore, when the hair that is wound on the device is relatively thin, the twisting of the element 14 has the etfectof slightly shortening the same to maintain tighter compression on the hair.

It may thus be seen that I have invented novel and highly useful improvements in hair curlers, in which there are provided simple and inexpensive one-piece curlers which may be manufactured at a very low cost, and which possess substantially no moving parts. The devices may be molded in one piece, thus materially lowering the cost of manufacture, and as there are no metallic parts comprising the same, the devices may be completely impervious to water, waving solutions, or the deleterious effects of moisture. The devices are resistant to breakage as well, and have no sharp edges which might cause damage when the wearer is sleeping. Once engaged, the same will not become accidentally disengaged from the hair of the wearer, although the same may be easily removed when desired. Thus the present invention constitutes a distinct improvement of structure over the prior art devices which are not as convenient in use and which have a great tendency for accidental disengagement. 1 Since the portion 56 of the curl retaining element 14 is slidable along the enlarged inner portions of the slots 36-3? inclusive, but is slightly wider than the narrower outer portions of said slots, this allows the element 14 tobe pulled by the expansive characteristics of the coiled hair so that the wider handle portion at the notch end portions 52' and 54' becomes engaged and retained by the grooves 6%), resulting in positive locking. Yet, a simple reversal of these movements quickly unlocks the device It) for convenient removal.

I wish it to be understood that I do not consider the invention limited to the exact details of structure shown and set forth in this specification, for obvious modifications will occur to those skilled in the art to which the present invention pertains.

I claim: I

In a hair curler including a main body element and a curl-retaining element, said main body element including a base member having a pair of leg members forming a hair-retaining channel therebetween, said curl-retaining element 'being of elongated configuration, and being fixed at one end thereof to one end of said body element, and selectively interconnected at a second end thereof to a second end of said body element, the improvement comprising: said second end of said body element having first and second intersecting slots disposed therein and arranged at a mutual right angle, each of said slots having a first outer portion of first relatively narrow width, and a second inner portion of second relatively greater width; said curl-retaining element being of flexible planar configuration, and having a portion of reduced width corresponding to that of said second inner portion of each of said slots, and thickness less than that of said first width, said portion being selectively positionable in either of said slots.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,111,171 3/38 Conklin 13244 2,145,278 1/39 Solomon 13242 2,395,965 3/46 Grant 13242 2,668,546 2/54 Teopilian 13242 FOREIGN PATENTS 224,717 4/5 8 Australia.

RICHARD A. GAUDET, Primary Examiner.

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