WO2000040112A1

WO2000040112A1 - Eyelash curler

Info

Publication number: WO2000040112A1
Application number: PCT/KR1999/000299
Authority: WO
Inventors: Yang Hee Lee
Original assignee: Youm, Hyoun, Jik
Priority date: 1998-12-31
Filing date: 1999-06-14
Publication date: 2000-07-13
Also published as: AU4171899A

Abstract

An electric eyelash curler comprises a knob section having a dry cell provided therein; and a heating section arranged at one end of the knob section such that it is opened and closed by a cover, the heating section having a curling part formed on a side surface thereof to curl eyelashes and a heating element integrally embedded therein such that it is positioned inside the curling part to be heated by the dry cell and thereby to heat the curling part.

Description

EYELASH CURLER

Technical Field

The present invention relates to an eyelash curler, and more particularly, the present invention relates to an electric eyelash curler having a knob section in which a dry cell, etc. is provided and a heating section which is connected to a distal end of the knob section for curling eyelashes and has a heating element embedded therein, the knob section further having means for controlling power of the heating element.

Background Art

Generally, an eyelash curler is used to shape eyelashes painted with mascara into a beautifully curled form, thereby to render cubic effect to the eyelashes. Eyelash curling operations are performed to curl eyelashes in a certain direction while applying heat of proper temperature to the eyelashes. Most electric eyelash curlers have an electric heating element using a dry cell as its power source, and by combing the eyelashes several times using the heating element while the heated heating element comes into contact with the eyelashes, the eyelashes are curled by the heat of the hearing element into a desired shape.

An electric eyelash curler of the related art suffers from defects in that an electric heating element is exposed.

Importantly, when combing eyelashes using a heated heating element for curling the eyelashes painted with mascara, the mascara is smeared on the heating element and is difficult to be removed. Also, since r_he heating element is brought into direct contact with eyelashes, skin adjacent the eyelashes is apt to get burned. Further, in an extreme case, the eyelashes can be scorched or singed by the heating element. Moreover, because most electric eyelash curlers of the related art have a simple on/off type power switch as means for controlling power between a power source and the heating element, a degree to which the heating element is heated can not be identified with the naked eye while the electric eyelash curlers are used, and a user can not adjust the heating temperature of the heating element as one desires. Accordingly, there is caused inconvenience in that eyelash curling operations can not be performed in various ways such as adjusting the heating temperature in line with the thickness of eyelashes. Further, in the case that a user inadvertently caps the heating element with a cover after using an electric eyelash curler as power is supplied to the heating element, since the power is not automatically cut off, the heating element is overheated, whereby the cover is burnt and the heating element may be damaged.

Disclosure of the Invention

Accordingly, the present invention has been made in an effort to solve the problems occurring in the related art, and a primary object of the present inversion is to provide an electric eyelash curler in which a heating element for curling eyelashes is not directly exposed thereby to improve safety and convenience when using the electric eyelash curler. Another object of the present invention is to provide an electric eyelash curler in which the heating element for curling eyelashes can be automatically turned on or off depending upon opening or closing of a cover for a heating section, to reduce power consumption and improve safety. Another object of the present invention is to provide an electric eyelash curler which includes temperature adjusting means disposed at one side of a knob section having a dry cell provided therein, to enable a user to adjust the heating temperature of the heating element as one wishes.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide an electric eyelash curler in which a temperature- sensitive paint which displays a variation in color depending on the heating temperature of the heating element is coated onto an entire surface of the heating section to allow a user to know the heating temperature of the heating element with the naked eye.

Yet still another object of the present invention is to provide the electric eyelash curler in which the heating operation of the heating element is automatically stopped after a predetermined time is lapsed, to improve safety.

In order to achieve the above objects, according to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided an electric eyelash curler including a knob section having a dry cell provided therein and a heating section connected to one end of the knob section and having a curling part formed over a predetermined area on a side surface thereof for curling eyelashes, the heating section being heated by power of the dry cell under a control of a power circuit, the electric eyelash curler comprising: a heating element integrally embedded in the heating section such that it is positioned inside the curling part to be heated by the dry cell.

By the construction of the electric eyelash curler according to the present invention, due to the fact that the curling part which comes into direct contact with eyelashes to curl them is indirectly heated by the heating element embedded in the heating section while performing eyelash curling operations, the eyelashes are not scorched or singed by the curling part, mascara is not smeared on the curling part and there is no possibility for skin adjacent the eyelashes to get burned, whereby advantages are provided in that the eyelashes can be curled in an extremely safe and effective manner.

As an exemplary construction of the power circuit of the heating element, for accomplishing the reduced power consumption and improved safety, push-type power control means can be placed at a neck portion of the heating section such that it turns on the power circuit of the heating element when a cover is opened and turns off the power circuit of the heating element when the cover is closed.

By the construction of the power control means, without employing a separate power switch, the power circuit of the heating element is automatically turned on when the cover is opened for allowing the electric eyelash curler to be used and turned off when the cover is closed after the electric eyelash curler is used, whereby advantages are provided in that convenience and safety upon using the eyelash curler are improved. Also, as an additional construction for ensuring convenience when using the electric eyelash curler of the present invention, temperature adjusting means can be disposed at one side of the knob section having the dry cell provided therein, for controlling fluctuation in heating temperature of the heating element.

By this additional temperature adjusting means for the heating element, since it is possible for a user to optionally adjust the heating temperature of the heating element while using the electric eyelash curler, the eyelash curling operations can be performed in various and convenient ways by easily changing the heating temperature in line with the thickness and/or curling degree of eyelashes .

Also, as a still additional construction for ensuring convenience when using the electric eyelash curler of the present, invention, a temperature-sensitive paint, a color of which varies depending on temperature, can be coated onto an entire surface of the heating section, as means for displaying temperature of the heating section.

By this additional means for displaying temperature of the heating section, when the heating section is heated while the electric eyelash curler is used, because the temperature-sensitive paint coated onto the entire surface of the heating section is varied in color depending on temperature, a user can identify the temperature of the heating section with the naked eye. Accordingly, a proper heating temperature which is in line with the thickness of eyelashes can be selected by manipulating the temperature adjusting means, whereby convenience upon using the eyelash curler is improved.

Further, as a yet still additional construction for ensuring safety when using the electric eyelash curler of the present invention, the power circuit of the heating element can include a power-off timer circuit for automatically cutting off power when a predetermined time is lapsed after the cover is opened.

By this additional power-off timer circuit, even if a user inadvertently leaves the electric eyelash curler after using it with the cover not closed so that the power control means maintains the turned-on state of the power circuit of the heating element, since power is forcibly and automatically cut off by the power-off timer circuit when a predetermined time is lapsed after the cover is opened, the heating element is kept from being overheated due to continuous heating, the cover is protected from being burnt and the heating element is prevented from being damaged, whereby safety is improved, the life time of the electric eyelash curler is lengthened and power consumption of the dry cell is reduced.

Brief Description of the Drawings

The above objects, and other features and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent after a reading of the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a front view of an electric eyelash curler in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a plan view of the electric eyelash curler of FIG. 1; FIG. 3 is a partial enlarged transverse cross- sectional view of the electric eyelash curler of the present invention; and

FIG. 4 is a partial front view illustrating temperature adjusting means used in the electric eyelash curler, in accordance with another embodiment of the present invention. Best Mode for Carrying Out the Invention Reference will now be made in greater detail to a preferred embodiment of the invention, an example of which is illustrated in the accompanying drawings. Wherever possible, the same reference numerals will be used throughout the drawings and the description to refer to the same or like parts.

Referring to FIGs . 1 through 3, there is illustrated an electric eyelash curler 10 in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.

The electric eyelash curler 10 includes a knob section 11 which is opened and closed at its rear end by a rear cover 11a and in which a dry cell 21 is exchangeably provided, a heating section 12 which is replaceably and fixedly connected to a front end of the knob section 11, and a cover 20 which covers the heating section 12 to protect it.

A control board 15 on which a plurality of variable power switches 16 and a light emitting lamp 18 are securely arranged, is disposed in the knob section 11 adjacent the front end thereof. A plurality of buttons 17 of the plurality of variable power switches 16 and a distal end of the light emitting lamp 18 project through a side wall of the knob section 11. The heating section 12 which is replaceably and fixedly disposed at the front end of the knob section 11, is fabricated as a member which is separate from the knob section 11 and has a slender and curved bar-shaped configuration. A curling part 13 for curling eyelashes is formed on a side surface of the heating section 12 over a predetermined area. A heating element 14 is integrally embedded in the heating section 12 such that it is positioned inside the curling part 13.

A push-type operating switch 19 is placed at a neck portion of the heating section 12 where the heating section 12 is connected to the knob section 11, and a temperature-sensitive paint is coated onto an entire surface of the heating section 12.

The heating element 14 comprises a resister. The heating element 14 is electrically connected to the control board 15, dry cell 21, light emitting lamp 18 and push-type operating switch 19 provided in the knob section 11, to be stepwise fluctuated in heating temperature by selective manipulations of the buttons 17 of the variable power switches 16.

The push-type operating switch 19 which projects outward through a side wall of the heating section 12 at the neck portion of the heating section 12, is electrically installed such that it turns off a power circuit of the heating element 14 when it is depressed by the cover 20 which is closed and turns on the power circuit of the heating element 14 when it is released from the cover 20 which is opened. The light emitting lamp 18 is electrically disposed on the control board 15 such that it is lighted while the heating element 14 is heated.

By the electric eyelash curler 10 of the present invention, constructed as mentioned above, if the cover 20 is opened while a user grasps the knob section 11 in order to use the electric eyelash curler 10, the depressed state of the push-type operating switch 19 is released, and according to this, the power circuit of the heating element 14 embedded in the heating section 12 is turned on by the dry cell 21.

If the power circuit of the heating element 14 is turned on, the heating element 14 is gradually heated, and accordingly, the whole heating section 12 surrounding the heating element 14 is heated.

At this time, a fluctuation in heating temperature of the heating element 14 can be optionally adjusted due to the fact that the variable power switch 16 arranged on the control board 15 which is disposed in the knob section 11, is selectively manipulated by the user. A degree to which the heating section 12 is heated, can be easily identified with the naked eye by the user, because the color of the temperature-sensitive paint coated onto the entire surface of the heating section 12 varies depending on heating temperature thereof.

If the user judges through a color of the temperature-sensitive paint that the heating degree of the heating section 12 is suitable for curling eyelashes, by combing the eyelashes several times using the curling part 13 formed on the side surface of the heating section 12 while grasping the knob section 11, it is possible to curl eyelashes into a desired shape by the curling part 13 indirectly heated by the heating element 14.

Accordingly, because the heating element 14 or the like is not brought into direct contact with eyelashes when curling the eyelashes painted with mascara, the mascara is not smeared on the heating element 14, the eyelashes are not scorched or singed by the curling part 13, and there is no possibility for skin adjacent the eyelashes to get burned.

If the cover 20 is fitted and closed around the heating section 12 after the eyelash curling operations are completed, the push-type operating switch 19 placed at the neck portion of the heating section 12 is depressed by the cover 20 which is closed, to turn off the power circuit of the heating element 14.

In the construction of the electric eyelash curler 10 in accordance with the preferred embodiment of the present invention, it is more preferred that a safety device be added to the power circuit of the heating element 14 in view of safety and quality of the electric eyelash curler. For example, in the case that a power-off timer circuit is added on the control board 15 which controls power of the heating element 14, to automatically cut off power when a predetermined time suitable for curling eyelashes, for instance 3-5 minutes, is lapsed after the push-type power switch 19 is turned on, even if a user inadvertently leaves the electric eyelash curler after using it with the cover 20 not closed so that a power-cutoff operation for the power circuit of the heating element 14 is not performed by the operating switch 19, since the power is automatically cut off by the power-off timer circuit when the predetermined time is lapsed after the cover 20 is opened, overheating of the heating element 14 and power consumption of the dry cell 21 are prevented, whereby safety is improved, the life time of the electric eyelash curler is lengthened and reliability of the electric eyelash curler is elevated. In the drawings and specification, there have been disclosed typical preferred embodiments of the invention and, although specific terms are employed, they are used in a generic and descriptive sense only and not for purposes of limitation, the scope of the invention being set forth in the following claims. For example, in the electric eyelash curler 10 as described in the above embodiment, even in the case that the variable power switch 16 which is used as means for adjusting temperature of the heating element 14 is replaced with a slide switch 17a as shown in FIG. 4, the same effect can be obtained.

Claims

1. An electric eyelash curler comprising: a knob section having a dry cell provided therein; and a heating section arranged at one end of the knob section such that it is opened and closed by a cover, the heating section having a curling part formed on a side surface thereof to curl eyelashes and a heating element integrally embedded therein such that it is positioned inside the curling part to be heated by the dry cell and thereby to heat the curling part.

2. The electric eyelash curler as claimed in claim 1, wherein the heating element comprises a resister.

3. The electric eyelash curler as claimed in claim 1, further comprising: push-type power control means placed at a neck portion of the heating section to turn off a power circuit of the heating element when the cover is closed and to turn on the power circuit of the heating element when the cover is opened.

4. The electric eyelash curler as claimed in claim 1, further comprising: temperature adjusting means disposed at one side of the knob section having the dry cell provided therein, for controlling fluctuation of heating temperature of the heating element by controlling the power circuit of the heating element.

5. The electric eyelash curler as claimed in claim 4, wherein the temperature adjusting means comprises a button-type power switch.

6. The electric eyelash curler as claimed in claim 4, wherein the temperature adjusting means comprises a slide switch.

7. The electric eyelash curler as claimed in claim 1, wherein a temperature-sensitive paint, a color of which varies depending on the heating temperature, is coated onto an entire surface of the heating section.

8. The electric eyelash curler as claimed in claim 1, wherein the power circuit of the heating element includes a power-off timer circuit for automatically cutting off power when a predetermined time is lapsed after the cover is opened.