WO2013054036A1

WO2013054036A1 - Hairstyling appliance having an economical plate

Info

Publication number: WO2013054036A1
Application number: PCT/FR2012/052294
Authority: WO
Inventors: Martial Maisonneuve; Eddy NGO; Xavier Vacheron; Patrick Stumboff
Original assignee: Seb S.A.
Priority date: 2011-10-14
Filing date: 2012-10-09
Publication date: 2013-04-18
Also published as: CN203873194U; FR2981253A1; FR2981253B1

Abstract

The invention relates to a hairstyling appliance comprising two elongate jaws that are articulated to one another by a hinge, each jaw comprising a heating plate (5, 6), the two plates facing one another so as to form a hair treatment zone in the closed position, each heating plate (5, 6) comprising: - a metal working plate (51), of which at least the working surface (510), which is intended to come into contact with a lock of hair, has undergone a surface treatment, - a heating element (52) intended to transmit heat to said working plate, - a metal fixing plate (53), separate from said working plate (51), which has been deformed. According to the invention, said heating element (52) is clamped in direct contact between the working plate (51) and the fixing plate (53).

Description

The present invention relates to the field of hairdressing appliances, more particularly straighteners comprising two jaws connected by a hinge point and pivotally movable, between which can be inserted a lock of hair. At least one of the two jaws has a heating plate intended to come into contact with the lock of hair during operation.

[02] In order to obtain a better hairdressing result with a straightener, a cosmetic product can be applied to the hair to be treated and cooperate during the application with the heat diffused by the heating plates. For example, professional hairdressers have the habit of applying smoothing cream before performing a smoothing in order to make the hair smoother without damaging them by heat, smooth hair also have better hold . Such a cosmetic cream or more generally such a chemical for the hair provides a chemical effect on the surfaces of the heated or unheated plates. This effect is even more pronounced when the plates are simply painted metal and it damages them leaving traces of abrasion and, consequently, decreases the smoothing efficiency and their lifetime. There are different technologies to make the heating plate harder and therefore more resistant to chemical attack, including a ceramic coating or a hard anodizing treatment. The so-called 'hard' anodization with a sulfuric acid bath makes it possible to obtain the highest thicknesses of the order of 100 μιτι. Its layer provides good resistance to abrasion and a high hardness of 700 to 900 HV. Nevertheless, such a treatment whether it is the ceramic coating or the anodizing makes the mounting of the heating plate more delicate.

[03] Document KR 20050063632 is known which is a straightener with the surface of the hard anodized hot plates comprising a single piece plate in which is provided a location for receiving by sliding a thin heating element and a silicone pad to press the heating element against the smoothing plate.

[04] Another WO2008030064 discloses a straightener comprising a heating element to be mounted on a heating plate together with a ceramic plate for transmitting heat and a thermal insulation sheet, the heating element being pushed by a fixing spring.

[05] Yet another document CN201 153656 proposes a structure of the heating plate by placing the heating element in a cavity formed by a heating metal plate which itself is arranged in the ceramic working plate. The fixing of the metal plate in the ceramic working plate is done by thermal glue or a flexible disc. [06] Through these documents, we manage to control a mounting of the heating element between a plate that can be chosen either ceramic or anodized hard metal for working on a lock of hair and another piece that keeps it in place. Nevertheless, apart from these three important elements in a hot plate, there are always other additional parts that increase the cost of the product and make the assembly longer and more complex.

[07] Furthermore, CN201248456 discloses a heating plate of a straightener comprising a flattened base plate which forms a cavity for containing a heating element, the fixing of the heating element being carried out by a crimping force applied to the lid of the cavity which is flexible metal fixed on the base plate through the extrusion connectors to conform the lid. This solution simplifies the nomenclature of the heating plate by reducing it to two pieces that can be mounted together by simple sliding and fixed relative to each other by a simple pressure. However this solution does not adapt to a straightener hard anodized plates. [08] The object of the present invention is therefore to overcome the aforementioned drawbacks and to provide a straightener having at least one anti-abrasive heating plate with respect to chemicals and having a simplified structure. [09] Another object of the invention is to provide a straightener that can be industrialized at low cost with fewer parts.

[10] Another object of the invention is to provide a straightener that allows better productivity with a reduced assembly time.

[11] In order to achieve this object, the invention relates to a hairdressing appliance, more particularly a straightener, comprising at least: two elongated jaws articulated together by a hinge, each jaw comprising a heating plate, the two plates being one facing the other to form a closed hair treatment area, each heating plate comprising a metal work plate of which at least the working surface intended to come into contact with a lock of hair has undergone a surface treatment, a heating element for transmitting heat to said work plate, and a metal fastening plate separate from said deformed work plate. According to the invention, said heating element is clamped directly into contact between the working plate and the fixing plate.

[12] Since the heating plate consists of only three different parts, the assembly of the plate is made by simply placing these three parts in a certain order and tightening them by the deformation of the fixing plate, for example a crimp on it. Such a structure therefore makes it possible both to offer users a straightener more efficient and more reliable thanks to its hot plates with anti-abrasive treated working surface, and to the manufacturers a quick assembly and economic production with the reduced number of parts.

[13] According to an alternative embodiment of the invention, the work plate and the fixing plate are U-shaped and are attached to one another by a slide connection to form a cavity receiving the heating element. Each side of the U formed by the working plate or the fixing plate has at least one groove so that, by forming a cavity between them, the two plates can fit by a slide connection. In this cavity, said heating element will be placed. The establishment of said fixing plate and said heating element requires no special tools and does not involve any other auxiliary part which reduces the number of parts in said hot plate and its cost. [14] In this variant, the slide connection between the work plate and the fixing plate has a tight fit of H7m6 or H7p6. Thus, the working plate, the heating element and the fixing plate are fixed together by crimping on the fixing plate. [15] In order to achieve such a fixation, the fixing plate has at least one longitudinal edge of thinned form having undergone the crimping force. This makes it possible to reduce or even eliminate the clearance between the fixing plate and the heating element. [16] According to another embodiment of the invention, said work plate has a U-shaped having a groove on both sides of the U and said fixing plate is a metal piece having a sufficiently high elasticity that it it can undergo deformation. Thus, said working plate, said heating element and said fixing plate are fixedly assembled together by a clipping link.

[17] Advantageously, said working plate and said fixing plate are made of aluminum. [18] Furthermore, said heating element has a positive temperature coefficient.

[19] Advantageously, the surface treatment of the working surface (510) is a curing treatment, more particularly a hard anodizing treatment. [20] More particularly, the surface treatment of the work surface (510) is a finishing treatment. For example a gold coating, a silver coating, a ceramic coating or a jade coating etc.

[21] The invention will be better understood from the study of the embodiments taken in no way restrictive and illustrated in the accompanying figures in which:

- Figure 1 is a side view of a complete apparatus according to the invention;

- Figure 2 is an exploded view of a heating plate according to a first embodiment of the invention before crimping;

- Figure 3 is a side view of an assembled heating plate according to the first embodiment of the invention after crimping;

- Figure 4 is a side view of a second embodiment of the invention with a clipping assembly.

[22] The apparatus 1 of Figure 1 is a straightener according to a preferred embodiment of the invention, the apparatus being illustrated in the open position or rest. The apparatus comprises two jaws 2, 3 pivotally mounted about a hinge 4. Each jaw 2, 3 comprises near an end opposite the hinge, a respective hotplate5, 6. These hotplates are located opposite the one of the other so as to define in the closed position a hair treatment area. [23] In FIG. 2 and according to the invention, each heating plate 5 or 6 is composed of a working plate 51, 61, a heating element 52 and a fixing plate 53. The working plate 51 is a part metal, more particularly a thermally conductive aluminum part, it has on its outer surface a working surface 510 intended to come into contact with a lock of hair having a generally rectangular shape, preferably having substantially the same shape and the same dimensions as the hot plate 5 she dresses. This work surface is polished and here hard anodized. In fact, the so-called 'hard' anodization with a sulfuric acid bath makes it possible to obtain the highest thicknesses of the order of 100 μιτι. Her layer provides good abrasion resistance and a high hardness of 700 to 900 HV. In other alternative embodiments, this surface may have a coating of the ceramic type, the gold type, the silver type, or the jade type, etc. This surface is adapted to be placed in contact with hair without risk of damaging them. It is also adapted to resist the abrasion of different chemicals. In order to obtain a hard anodized working surface, the working plate is totally immersed in the sulfuric acid bath. In this solution of hard anodizing, the treated work surface also has an aesthetic advantage with a better finish.

[24] Heating element 52 has a positive temperature coefficient (PTC). It is a thermistor whose resistance increases strongly with temperature in a limited temperature range (typically between 0 ° C and 100 ° C), but decreases outside this zone. It is made from barium titanate and is often used in hairdressers, especially in hair straighteners. Such a heating element used in the straightener according to the invention is pressed into a cavity formed by the fixing plate 53 and the working plate 51 which are thermally conductive to obtain a better conductivity.

[25] Still illustrated in Figure 2, and according to a variant of the invention, the fixing plate 53 is a metal part, more particularly a thermally conductive aluminum part. It has two edges 530 having a longitudinal thinned shape, these edges 530 having the purpose of making the fixing plate 53 elastic and deformed at the moment of receiving a pressure. As illustrated, the two edges are parallel to each other and symmetrical with respect to the central axis of the attachment plate 53, this allows a reception of the crimping force more homogeneous. Several edges of different shapes can be envisaged according to different embodiments. For example, a thin wave thickness as illustrated, or any other form similar to a wave and the scope of the skilled person. [26] Figure 3 illustrates a variant of the assembly of the different parts of the heating plate 5 in which the two plates are U-shaped and have on each side of their U a groove 51 1 and 531 to form a slide connection . The adjustment between the two plates is very tight, of the type H7g6, H7p6 or H7m6, so that they are completely integral. Once the two plates mounted on one another, they form a cavity in which it comes to insert the heating element. In order to make the three parts integral with each other, the assembly is finalized by crimping, the pressure being applied to the two edges 530 of the fixing plate 53 in the direction illustrated by the arrows. Having undergone a slight deformation, the fixing plate 53 presses on the heating element 52 so that there is no clearance between the three parts.

[27] In general, crimping requires a force of about 40N on an aluminum plate. It is possible that in manufacturing the force exceeds 40N, and that at that moment the pebble of the heating element breaks and disturbs the operation of the apparatus. This is the case when the heating element is coated directly by a part having undergone a hard anodizing or other treatment which requires an increase in crimping force to 80 to 120N. Our solution of placing a surface-treated work plate and an untreated mounting plate helps maintain a reasonable crimping effort that will never damage the heating element, optimizing the crimping process.

[28] In Figure 4 is illustrated another embodiment of the invention. The heating element 52, the working plate 51 and the metal fixing plate 53 are fixedly assembled together by a clipping or clipping connection. In this embodiment, the plate 53 has a U-shape whose two parallel branches each have a hook 532 and a thickness reduction 533 between the hook and the base of the U. The thickness reductions allow a flexibility of both branches of the U and form with the hooks the two lateral zones of clipping 534 as indicated in detail A. Once the heating element set up inside the working plate 51, the hooks 532 are embedded in the lateral grooves 51 1 of the working plate 51 by a deformation of the fixing plate. Deformation is reduced after the establishment of the fixing plate 53 but still present so that the heating element 52 is maintained by the resilience of the fixing plate 53.

[29] Once assembled by one or the other proposed alternative, the heating plate 5 is inserted into the housing of each jaw 2, 3 of the straightener according to the invention.

[30] Of course, other modifications may be made to the invention within the scope of the appended claims.

Claims

1. Hairdressing appliance (1) comprising two elongate jaws (2, 3) hinged together by a hinge (4), each jaw (2, 3) comprising a heating plate (5, 6), the two plates being one facing each other to form a closed hair treatment area, each heating plate (5, 6) comprising:

a working plate (51) of metal, at least the working surface (510) intended to come into contact with a lock of hair has undergone a surface treatment,

a heating element (52) for transmitting heat to said work plate,

a metal fixing plate (53) distinct from said deformed working plate (51).

Characterized in that said heating element (52) is clamped directly into contact between the working plate (51) and the fixing plate (53).

Hairdressing appliance according to claim 1, characterized in that the working plate (51) and the fixing plate (53) have a U-shape and are attached to each other by a sliding connection to form a cavity receiving the heating element (52).

Hairdressing appliance according to claim 2, characterized in that the sliding connection between the working plate (51) and the fixing plate (53) has a tight fit.

Hairdressing appliance according to Claim 3, characterized in that the working plate (51), the heating element (52) and the fixing plate (53) are fixed to one another by a crimping on the fixing plate ( 53).

5. Hairdressing appliance according to claim 4, characterized in that the fixing plate (53) has at least one longitudinal edge of thinned form (530) having undergone the crimping force.

Hairdressing appliance according to claim 1, characterized in that the working plate (51) is U-shaped and the fixing plate (53) is a metal part having sufficient elasticity for it to be able to undergo a deformation, the working plate (51), the heating element (52) and the fixing plate (53) being fixedly assembled together by a clipping link.

Hairdressing appliance according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the working plate (51) and the fixing plate (53) are made of aluminum.

Hairdressing appliance according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the heating element (52) has a positive temperature coefficient.

Hairdressing appliance according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the surface treatment of the working surface (510) is a hardening treatment, more particularly a hard anodising treatment.

Hairdressing appliance according to claims 1 to 8, characterized in that the surface treatment of the working surface (510) is a finishing treatment.