US3892943A

US3892943A - Hairdressing instrument

Info

Publication number: US3892943A
Application number: US368786A
Authority: US
Inventors: Droogenbroek Jean Francois Van
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1972-06-12
Filing date: 1973-06-11
Publication date: 1975-07-01
Anticipated expiration: 1992-07-01
Also published as: FR2187254A1; BE784729A; FR2187254B1

Abstract

An instrument used to treat hair with vapour includes a body part in the form of a solid cylindrical metal block provided with a bore receiving a wick steeped in a liquid and channels receiving electrical heating resistors for heating the body part to vaporize the liquid held by the wick. The bore receiving the wick communicates with vapour-discharge holes formed in the body part, and a cover part adapted to the shape of the body part is articulated to the body part so as to be movable to cover and uncover the holes. A stand is provided for the instrument and presents an electrical supply socket into which a handle of the instrument is plugged. The socket is provided with switch means whereby the current supply circuit to the socket is only completed when the handle of the instrument has been plugged into the socket.

Description

[ July 1, 1975 1 HAIRDRESSING INSTRUMENT Jean Francois Van Droogenbroek, 88 Avenue Louise, Brussels, Belgium 22 Filed: June 11, 1973 21 Appl. No.: 368,786

[76] Inventor:

[30] Foreign Application Priority Data June 12, 1972 Belgium 784729 [52] US. Cl 219/222; 132/7; 132/32 R;

[51] Int. Cl. H05b 1/02; A45d 1/04; A45d 2/36 [58] Field of Search 219/222-226, 219/242, 518, 533,521; 132/32 R, 37 R, 31

R, 7, 9, 36 R, 33 R 3,610,259 10/1971 Brown .1 219/222 UX FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 550.696 9/1956 Belgium 132/36 R 1,298,007 5/1962 France 132/31 R 652,732 10/1928 France 219/222 Primary ExaminerA. Bartis Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Elliott l. Pollock {5 7] ABSTRACT An instrument used to treat hair with vapour includes a body part in the form of a solid cylindrical metal block provided with a bore receiving a wick steeped in a liquid and channels receiving electrical heating resis tors for heating the body part to vaporize the liquid held by the wick. The bore receiving the wick communicates with vapour-discharge holes formed in the body part, and a cover part adapted to the shape of the body part is articulated to the body part so as to be movable to cover and uncover the holes. A stand is provided for the instrument and presents an electrical supply socket into which a handle of the instrument is plugged. The socket is provided with switch means whereby the current supply circuit to the socket is only completed when the handle of the instrument has been plugged into the socket,

2 Claims, 8 Drawing Figures HAIRDRESSING INSTRUMENT This invention relates to an instrument for hairdressers of the kind used to treat hair with vapour formed under the action of heat in a body part of the instrument which is provided with holes through which the vapour is discharged, such instrument including a cover part adapted to the shape of the body part and articulated on the latter so as to be movable to cover or uncover the vapour-discharge holes.

An object of the invention is to render the manufacture of such an instrument very simple and economical and to improve its performance from the point of view of fluid tightness and conservation of heat.

To this end, the instrument of the present invention is characterized in that the body part is constituted by a solid cylindrical block ofa suitable metal, such block being provided with bores respectively to receive heating means, such as electrical heating resistors, and a detachable wick or the like steeped in a liquid.

Another object of the invention is to make the instrument as safe as possible in use, by means of an electrical connection arrangement between the instrument and a stand having means by which the current supply circuit can only be closed by the introduction of the end of a handle of the instrument into an electrical socket provided on the stand.

In order that the invention may be clearly understood, an embodiment thereof will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a hairdressing instrument embodying the invention;

FIG. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view of the body part of the instrument of FIG. 1;

FIG. 2A is a view of the removable wick of the instrument;

FIG. 3 is an end view of the body part of the instrument, in the direction of arrow A in FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a side view of the handle of the instrument, partly in section;

PEG. 5 is a view showing a stand with the instrument mounted vertically thereon; and

FIGS. 6 and 7 are detailed views of the electrical socket arrangement on the stand.

As shown in the drawings, the hairdressing instrument embodying the invention includes a sleevelike handle 1 connected to a solid cylindrical block 2 forming the body part of the instrument. The body part 2 is made ofa suitable metal and extends in axial alignment with the handle 1. A cover part 4 is part-cylindrical in shape to conform to the shape of the body part 2, and is mounted on a pivot 3 carried by the part 2. The cover part 4 presents a foot 5 and a spring 6 is interposed between the foot 5 and the handle I so that, by pressing on the foot 5, the cover part 4 can be brought into the position shown in FIG. 1.

Holes 7 are formed along the length of the block 2, for example in two lines, and communicate with a longitudinal bore 8 formed in the block. The bore 8 is open towards the exterior at the free end of the block 2 and receives a removable element or wick 1] (FIG. 2A), impregnated with a liquid and provided with a head 12 having a threaded portion 13 by which the wick is fixed in the bore 8.

Parallel to and lower than the bore 8 there are formed in the block 2 further bores or channels 9 and I0 in which are provided heating resistors (not shown) connected to current supply conductors.

Under the effect of the heat produced by the resistors disposed in the passages 9 and 10, vapour is produced from the liquid held by the wick II and is discharged to the exterior through the holes 7.

As will be readily apparent, by virtue of the arrangement of

parallel bores

8, 9 and 10 formed in a metal block, the heating elements and the vapour-forming element are well separated from each other and one obtains excellent fluid tightness and a good conservation of the heat, thereby permitting an economical construction which is based on a simple drilling operation in a cylindrical block.

FIG. 4 shows the handle I provided at one end with a coupling 14 which engages in a recess 15 of the cylindrical block 2 (FIGS. 3 and 4).

A particular feature of the apparatus resides in an electrical connection arrangement between the instru ment and a stand 21 (FIG. 5) containing the power supply network.

As shown in FIG. 4, a wire 16 supplying the heating resistors is connected to a cylindrical contact 17 housed in the handle 1.

Another supply wire 18 is connected to a central male connector in the form of a pin 19 carried by an insulating washer 20 pressed into the contact 17.

The stand 21 (FIG. 5) has a recess 22 accessible through an upstanding tubular projection 23 (FIG. 6). In the recess 22 there is provided a cylindrical electrical contact 24 and a coaxial female connector 25 separated from the contact 24 by an insulating ring 26. To the contact 24 and the female connector 25 there are fixed

respective wires

27 and 28. Wire 28 is connected to a power supply and wire 27 is connected to a switch having a pushbutton 29 disposed perpendicular to the axis of the contact 24 and biased by a spring 30 arranged to maintain a contact 31 carried by the wire 27 disconnected from the wire 28.

When the end of the handle 1 (FIG. 7) is introduced into the recess 22, electrical contact is established between the

contacts

17 and 24 and between the pin 19 and the female connector 25. At the same time, the pushbutton 29 is depressed by the handle 1 so as to bring the contact 31 into the closed position (see FIG. 7) thereby to complete the electrical supply circuit.

It is important to add that, as the contact 3] is only brought into the closed position when the end of the handle 1 is introduced into the stand, complete safety is provided for the user.

Tell-tale lamps are provided at 32 on the stand and are lit as soon as the electrical contact is established at 3].

The stand may include a plurality of projections 23 for receiving instruments of different size and may carry other objects such as aerosol bottles 33.

I claim:

I. An instrument for hairdressers for use in treating hair with vapor formed under the action of heat, said instrument comprising an elongated solid cylindrical block formed with a plurality of internal longitudinal bores, one of said bores opening into the exterior of said block at one end of the block, a liquid supplying element removably inserted into said one of said bores from the open end of said bore, an electrical heating element located within another one of said bores for supplying heat to said block to vaporize liquid supplied by said liquid supplying element, each of said bores being isolated from one another, a plurality of vapor discharge hoies formed along the length of said block and communicating with the said one of said bores which contains the removable liquid supplying element, a handle extending from the end of said solid block opposite to said one end, said handle being rigidly connected to said solid block, an elongated cover part having a partial cylindrical contour which matches the contour of said body part, said cover part extending longitudinally along said block in covering relation to said vapor discharge holes and being pivotally mounted on said cylindrical block, said cover part including an offset foot portion adjacent said handle and a spring interposed between said foot portion and said handle for biasing said cover part into a position covering said vapor-discharge holes, the end of said handle remote from said block including interior electrical contact means for detachably connecting said heating element to an external electrical current supply, a stand for said instrument, an electrical current supply circuit for said instrument located within said stand, said stand including an electric socket connected to said supply and adapted to cooperate with said interior electrical contact means at the remote end of said handle for supplying current to said heating element when the handle of said instrument is plugged into said socket, switch means located within said socket and positioned for selective actuation to a closed condition by the plugging of said handle into said socket, said switch means being connected in said current supply circuit in such manner as to ensure that the circuit of said current supply to said socket is closed and operative to supply current only when said remote end ofthe handle is plugged into said electric socket on said stand, said handle including first and second conductors for supplying said heating element with electrical current, said interior electrical contact means comprising a first cylindrical electrical contact provided internally at said remote end of said handle and connected to one of said conductors, said electrical contact means further comprising a central connector pin in said handle coaxial with said first cylindrical contact and connected to the other of said conductors, a tubular projection on said stand for receiving said handle and giving access to a recess in said stand. said electrical socket comprising a second cylindrical contact provided in said recess for cooperating with said first cylindrical contact on insertion of said handle into the recess, a female connector in the recess disposed coaxially relative to said second cylindricai contact for cooperating with said connector pin of said handle, and an insulating body in said recess separating said female connector and said second cylindrical contact.

2. The instrument of claim 1 including first and second wires in said current supply circuit connected re spectively to said second cylindrical contact and to said female connector, said switch means being operative to connect one of said first and second wires to said circuit to complete said current supply circuit when said switch means is in a closed condition, said switch means having a pushbutton positioned within said recess for operation by said handle to close said switch means on insertion of said handle into the recess of the stand, and a spring normally biasing said pushbutton into a position in which the switch means is open, insertion of said handle into said recess of said stand being operative to depress said pushbutton to complete said current supply circuit to energize the instrument.

Claims

1. An instrument for hairdressers for use in treating hair with vapor formed under the action of heat, said instrument comprising an elongated solid cylindrical block formed with a plurality of internal longitudinal bores, one of said bores opening into the exterior of said blocK at one end of the block, a liquid supplying element removably inserted into said one of said bores from the open end of said bore, an electrical heating element located within another one of said bores for supplying heat to said block to vaporize liquid supplied by said liquid supplying element, each of said bores being isolated from one another, a plurality of vapor discharge holes formed along the length of said block and communicating with the said one of said bores which contains the removable liquid supplying element, a handle extending from the end of said solid block opposite to said one end, said handle being rigidly connected to said solid block, an elongated cover part having a partial cylindrical contour which matches the contour of said body part, said cover part extending longitudinally along said block in covering relation to said vapor discharge holes and being pivotally mounted on said cylindrical block, said cover part including an offset foot portion adjacent said handle and a spring interposed between said foot portion and said handle for biasing said cover part into a position covering said vapor-discharge holes, the end of said handle remote from said block including interior electrical contact means for detachably connecting said heating element to an external electrical current supply, a stand for said instrument, an electrical current supply circuit for said instrument located within said stand, said stand including an electric socket connected to said supply and adapted to cooperate with said interior electrical contact means at the remote end of said handle for supplying current to said heating element when the handle of said instrument is plugged into said socket, switch means located within said socket and positioned for selective actuation to a closed condition by the plugging of said handle into said socket, said switch means being connected in said current supply circuit in such manner as to ensure that the circuit of said current supply to said socket is closed and operative to supply current only when said remote end of the handle is plugged into said electric socket on said stand, said handle including first and second conductors for supplying said heating element with electrical current, said interior electrical contact means comprising a first cylindrical electrical contact provided internally at said remote end of said handle and connected to one of said conductors, said electrical contact means further comprising a central connector pin in said handle coaxial with said first cylindrical contact and connected to the other of said conductors, a tubular projection on said stand for receiving said handle and giving access to a recess in said stand, said electrical socket comprising a second cylindrical contact provided in said recess for cooperating with said first cylindrical contact on insertion of said handle into the recess, a female connector in the recess disposed coaxially relative to said second cylindrical contact for cooperating with said connector pin of said handle, and an insulating body in said recess separating said female connector and said second cylindrical contact.

2. The instrument of claim 1 including first and second wires in said current supply circuit connected respectively to said second cylindrical contact and to said female connector, said switch means being operative to connect one of said first and second wires to said circuit to complete said current supply circuit when said switch means is in a closed condition, said switch means having a pushbutton positioned within said recess for operation by said handle to close said switch means on insertion of said handle into the recess of the stand, and a spring normally biasing said pushbutton into a position in which the switch means is open, insertion of said handle into said recess of said stand being operative to depress said pushbutton to complete said current supply circuit to energize the instrument.