Classifications

• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A45—HAND OR TRAVELLING ARTICLES
  • A45D—HAIRDRESSING OR SHAVING EQUIPMENT; EQUIPMENT FOR COSMETICS OR COSMETIC TREATMENTS, e.g. FOR MANICURING OR PEDICURING
  • A45D2/00—Hair-curling or hair-waving appliances ; Appliances for hair dressing treatment not otherwise provided for
  • A45D2/001—Hair straightening appliances
  • A45D2/002—Hair straightening appliances with combs
• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A45—HAND OR TRAVELLING ARTICLES
  • A45D—HAIRDRESSING OR SHAVING EQUIPMENT; EQUIPMENT FOR COSMETICS OR COSMETIC TREATMENTS, e.g. FOR MANICURING OR PEDICURING
  • A45D20/00—Hair drying devices; Accessories therefor
  • A45D20/04—Hot-air producers
  • A45D20/08—Hot-air producers heated electrically
  • A45D20/10—Hand-held drying devices, e.g. air douches
  • A45D20/12—Details thereof or accessories therefor, e.g. nozzles, stands
• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A45—HAND OR TRAVELLING ARTICLES
  • A45D—HAIRDRESSING OR SHAVING EQUIPMENT; EQUIPMENT FOR COSMETICS OR COSMETIC TREATMENTS, e.g. FOR MANICURING OR PEDICURING
  • A45D20/00—Hair drying devices; Accessories therefor
  • A45D20/48—Hair-drying combs or hair-drying brushes, with internal heating means
  • A45D20/50—Hair-drying combs or hair-drying brushes, with internal heating means and provision for an air stream

Definitions

• the present invention relates to the area of the mechanical treatment of hair, and in particular an improved straightening device intended to be used with an air blower, and in particular with a hair dryer.
• a first straightening device was proposed by the inventor in the context of Document WO 03/026457. This device comprised at least three combs that formed a gripping element suitable for exerting a tension on the hair whilst at the same time heating it in order to straighten it.
• this device requires the use of a push button that positions the movable comb in line with the two other combs, allowing the insertion of hair.
• Keratin also has disulphide bonds that are only attacked when the hair is chemically treated (ammonia) . This type of treatment is however much more aggressive to the hair (perms) .
• the present invention intends in particular to solve the problem of straightening the hair with a geometrical design of the straightening device that leaves greater freedom to the generated airflow by positioning air-diffusion grilles on either side of two hair straightening elements.
• the present invention aims to provide an hair straightening device that is improved compared with the state of the art, and in particular a device comprising two straightening elements positioned on either side of an air- diffuser element that allows an improved air distribution and a better control of the air temperature through the straightening device.
• the new device will also have to allow to stretch the hair lock above the air diffuser so as to optimally combine the mechanical straightening by pinching and the thermal straightening by the applying tension to the hair lock above the air diffuser.
• the attached figures allow immediate understanding of the operating mode of the device of the invention.
• the present invention discloses a device for straightening hair, to placed on an air blower, comprising a first straightening element and a second straightening element positioned on either side of an air diffuser, each of both elements having an outer comb and an inner comb, removably attached to allow a sliding movement of each one relative to the other, said sliding movement of both inner or outer combs allowing to grip the hair and to stretch it above the air diffuser, the teeth of the outer combs being formed by a succession of arches whose holes define two tunnels that make space for the inner combs in such a way as to allow the arrangement of said inner combs beneath said outer combs within said tunnels and to allow said sliding movement of the inner combs relative to the outer combs in order to displace the teeth of said inner combs relative to the planes formed by the arches of the outer combs .
• the invention comprises one or several of the following features :
• the external profiles of the teeth of the inner combs are more or less equal to the holes of the arches of the outer combs, leaving a slight gap to allow the inner comb to move freely;
• the teeth of the inner combs have bevelled profiles that allow to insert the hair lock more easily; - the teeth of the inner combs also have profiles in the form of an arch, the hole allowing the air to circulate even more;
• the pitch of the outer combs is essentially identical to that of the inner combs, without which there would be no fit between the holes of the inner and outer combs when the lock is inserted in the teeth of the combs;
• the device comprises an elastic means for maintaininig the inner combs in position relative to the outer combs in order to exert some "pinching" force on the hair;
• the position-maintaining means is a spring or a pair of springs;
• the spring is provided with a means for regulating the force of said spring in order to adjust the "pinching" force exerted on the lock when it passes through the straightening combs;
• the means for regulating the force of said spring is an adjusting screw;
• the adjusting screw for the spring force is linked to the regulation of the power and/or of the airflow rate of the air blower in order to adjust the power to the difficulty of straightening the hair locks;
• the device comprises a system for detecting the presence of said device on the air blower allowing to regulate the heating power of said air blower and to take into account possible overheating due to partial interruption of the airflow by the straightening device;
• the system for detecting the presence of said device on an air blower comprises electrical detection circuits and a sensor;
• the device also comprises untangling and shining combs on either side of the first and second straightening elements;
• the air diffuser is a metal grille;
• the air blower comprises indicators for power, spring pressure and airflow rate.
• Figure 1 shows the essential elements of the present invention, namely the first and second straightening elements positioned on either side of an air diffuser, each of the straightening elements being provided with a tunnel-shaped comb with a movable comb that can move inside this tunnel by means of a spring.
• Figure 2 shows the mechanism for regulating the spring of the movable comb.
• Figure 3 shows sections A-A' and B-B' with both a top view and a side view of the tunnel comb with the movable comb moving inside the tunnel comb; the top view of section B-B' shows the straightening of the hair when the movable comb is moved in the direction of the arrow.
• Figure 4 shows in section A-A' the insertion of the hair locks to be smoothed in the straightening device .
• Figures 4, 5 and 6 respectively show the mechanism for inserting in the device the hair or locks to be smoothed followed by the straightening of these same locks.
• Figure 7 shows a possible use of the device of the invention on a hair dryer.
• Figure 8 shows an overview of the straightening mechanism where we tried to show the way in which a hair lock passes through the straightening device. The figure clearly shows the tension on the hair lock between the two straightening elements .
• Figure 9 shows an electronic element for preventing the overheating of the device as in the invention, incorporated into a system for regulating the heating power or the airflow rate, depending on the pressure exerted by the spring.
• Figure 10 shows the position of the sensors and that of the electrical circuits on the hair dryer and on the straightening device.
• the device in the present invention may be applied to any air blower, such as for instance a specially adapted blowing brush or a traditional hair dryer.
• the device of the invention comprises two straightening elements positioned on either side of an air diffuser that will be called “first straightening element” 16 and “second straightening element” 17.
• Each of the straightening elements 16 and 17 comprises two essential elements: these are two combs, overlapping each other, that will be called “inner comb 2" and “outer comb 1".
• the outer comb 1 is in the shape of a series of aligned arches 3 with a hollow part formed by the holes of the successive arches and forming a tunnel 4 in which the inner comb 2 is located, both being movably arranged relative to each other.
• the word "arch” is to be understood in the architectural sense according to the Larousse dictionary definition.
• the inner comb 2 has a shape that is similar to the hole formed by the arches 3 of the outer comb 1. The one being movable relative to the other.
• the essential elements, i.e. the inner comb 2 and the outer comb 1 positioned on either side of an air diffuser (grille) of this straightening device are visible in Fig. 1 where they are separately shown so that the elements can be distinguished in detail .
• the inner comb 2 itself may also be hollow and thus be arch-shaped. This arch shape of the inner comb allows to further lighten the structure and to improve the diffusion of air through the straightening elements, which is an essential aim of the invention.
• the outer comb 1 forming the tunnel 4 could also move relative to the inner comb 2, which may remain fixed. The important point is to generate the movement of one element relative to the other in order to grip the hair when the locks are inserted between the inner and outer combs and thus to create some pinching effect.
• the embodiment in which the outer comb is movable is not shown so that the figures are not unnecessarily complicated.
• the resistance provided by the springs 6 to move the inner combs 2 relative to the outer combs 1 may be regulated by means of a screw 7 shown in Fig . 1 & 2.
• the hair straightening mechanism relies on using the device in the closed position, i.e. where the bevelled teeth 5 are misaligned relative to the plane formed by the arches 3, and on inserting the hair locks, which themselves adjust the position of the movable comb with the force provided by the spring 6 of the adjusting screw 7 being the only resistance. This force is adjustable
• the hair lock In normal operation, in addition to being gripped (pinched) by the two elements, the hair lock is also stretched between both straightening elements.
• the positioning of the air diffuser thus allows the air to reach the stretched lock, further contributing to the straightening effect since it is - dried in a stretched position.
• this provides the combined benefit of drying in a stretched position and of mechanical pinching between the inner 2 and outer 1 combs of the straightening elements.
• the present invention also tackles the temperature regulation and therefore the power of the air blower and/or the intensity of ' the hot air flow by incorporating in a preferred embodiment of the invention a regulation system allowing to link the power of the air blower and/or the airflow to the pressure of the spring.
• a regulation system allowing to link the power of the air blower and/or the airflow to the pressure of the spring.
• This heating power can be regulated by adjusting the heating power of the air blower or by adjusting the airflow, or both.
• an indicator 13 for power/spring pressure/airflow rate may be provided on the air blower used.
• the present invention therefore proposes a hair straightening device that, once placed on an air blower, becomes a true intelligent system since it automatically adapts to the user's needs.

Landscapes

• Cleaning And Drying Hair (AREA)
• Hair Curling (AREA)
• Eye Examination Apparatus (AREA)
• Dry Shavers And Clippers (AREA)

Priority Applications (10)

Applications Claiming Priority (3)

Publications (1)

Family

ID=40674138

Family Applications (2)

Family Applications After (1)

Country Status (9)

Cited By (2)

Families Citing this family (12)

Citations (4)

Family Cites Families (4)

• 2005
  • 2005-06-13 PL PL05447135T patent/PL1721539T3/pl unknown
  • 2005-06-13 DK DK05447135T patent/DK1721539T3/da active
  • 2005-06-13 AT AT05447135T patent/ATE372693T1/de active
  • 2005-06-13 DE DE602005002464T patent/DE602005002464T2/de active Active
  • 2005-06-13 ES ES05447135T patent/ES2293525T3/es active Active
  • 2005-06-13 EP EP05447135A patent/EP1721539B1/de active Active
• 2006
  • 2006-05-18 EP EP06447066A patent/EP1857009A1/de not_active Withdrawn
  • 2006-09-29 WO PCT/BE2006/000107 patent/WO2007134408A1/en active Application Filing
  • 2006-09-29 AU AU2006343878A patent/AU2006343878B2/en not_active Ceased
  • 2006-09-29 CA CA002649446A patent/CA2649446A1/en not_active Abandoned
  • 2006-09-29 EP EP06790464A patent/EP2019605B1/de not_active Not-in-force
• 2007
  • 2007-03-12 WO PCT/US2007/006159 patent/WO2007136445A2/en active Application Filing

Patent Citations (4)

Also Published As

Similar Documents

Legal Events