Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
2054071
ELECTRICALY,Y PaWER~I~ HAND I~IE~,D
~~ATZNG APpt.~r~CN
The present invention relates to electrically powered
hand held hair curling appliances of the type
comprising a handle by means of whir~h the appliance is
held; a barrel, extending from the handle on which the
hair to be curled is wound externally, the barrel
being hollow to allow fluid flow along the barrel, the
barrel being provided with apertures to allow the
fluid to flow outwardly to thn hair, and the barrel
bsing of adjustable diameter between a Pully expanded
arid a fully contracted state to allow earls of
different diameter to be formed.
DF-~r-25 28 822 in the name Hubner and DE-A-25 29 016
1s in the same name (the latter being an application !or
a patent of addition to the former) both describe hair
aurlir~g appliances o! the type described. Hubner
describes a hair curling appliance which uses steam as
a fluid. Ths barrel consists o= a hollow perforated
cylinder which is of fixed diameter, on the outside of
which are pivotally mounted a number of perforated
ge~mi-circular segmsrits. The segments may be pivotally
moved togsthsr outwardly to increase the diamstsr of
the barrel or inwardly to decrease the diameter of the
28 barrel.
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20540?1
The Hubner hair ourler suffers from a. number of
disadvantages. Firstly, the Hubner barrel has a large
diameter even when fully contracted. This large
diameter arises from the construction; in particular
30 because the barrel comprises segments fixed externally
to a cylinder. Ths minimum diameter is stated to be
20 mm which is at the upper and of the range of
desirable curl diameters, Secondly, the Hubner
appliance is intended to apply a low volume low
35 pressure supply o! steam to the hair.' Tt would be
unsuitable for use in applying a substantial flow of
dry warm air to the hair for the purpose of drying and
styling, in partioular because in the Hubner appliance
the fluid must flow along a circuitous path from the
40 interior o! the cylinder out through one sat of
apertures into the area between the cylinder and the
segments, and then out through another set of
apertures to the hair. The two sets of apertures era
generally not aligned with one another. Finally the
45 applianas proposed by Hubner would suffer lrom
condensation problems with drops of water falling from
the appliance onto the hair.
O8~11~3,921,648 to Baxradas also describes a hair
curling appliance of the type described. ~hs
50 appliance is a steam curling iron. The barrel
consists of a central hollow perforated cylinder of
lixed diameter on the outside of which is mount~ad a
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perforated expansible mandra~. o! resilient :tainlesa
steal.
55 The Barradas hair curling appliance suffers from the
game disadvantages as the Hubner appliance, namely a
!ergs diameter when fully contracted arising from the
two-layer structure, unsuitability for high volume
flow of warm dry air arming from a circuitous path
60 through two sets of aparturad which era not in
register, and condensation leading to drops of water
!ailing on the hair.
An object of the praaant invention is to provide an
improved curling appliance of the typo described which
65 in the fully contracted state has a aubatantially
smaller diameter than the prior art davioes. Another
object o! the present invention is to provide an
improved hair curling appliance of the typo described
which can deliver a substantial flow of warm dry emir
'70 to the hair.
The invention provides a hair car~in7 =ppiisnaa o: tls.
type described in which the barrel aompriaoa a numb~r
a! elongate barrel elamsnta arranged in mutually
parallel radial relationship to form a generally
75 axially symmetric barrel, tho barrel elements being
movable radially inwardly together and radially
outwardly together so as to contrast and expand the
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2054071
diameter o! the banal, the barrel elements mutually
aombininq to form a substantially aloud barrel when
80 in the fully expanded stets and a substantially blosed
barrel with overlapping barrel, ala~mant~s in the
aontraatad state, and the barrel elements being
provided with apertures which allow fluid to flow prom
the interior o! th~r barrel directly out to the haft
85 wharf the barrel is in the fully expanded, tully
aontractad or any intarntediate stets.
The hair curling applianaa according to the invention
has a number o! advantages, Firstly, the ~struature
allows a barrel o! small diameter to be aonstruatsd.
90 Baaondly, air flow idraatly form the interior of the
barrel to the hair, sllowl.ng a largo volume ox air to
be applied to the hair.
Figure : is a sido elevation o! a warm air
95 brush inaludinQ a barrel of adjustable
diameter in aaaordanaa with the
invention shown in the axpandsd atatet
Figurl~ 2 is a view similar to Figure 1, but
showing the barrel in cross ~saation:
100 Figure 3 is an sxploded perspective view o! the
barrel on a larger seals, showing the
principal componants~
4
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2054071
Figure 4 shows on a larger asaal,e one of the
components shown in Figure 3, na~naly a
105 barrel, element;
Figure 4a & 4b show two adjacent barrel elament~ with
the barrel in the tally expanded and
the tally contracted state
respectivalyf
110 Figures 5a & 5b are sectional views oil A~-A of Figure 2
and show the barrel in ths~ expanded
and contracted steita thereof
respectively:
Figure 6 & 7 era views similar to Flgura 2, but on
115 a larger wale, showing the adjustment
mech4nism !or the barrel, Figu~:e
showing the outer end of the barrel
and Figure 7 showing the inner end;
Fi9ure,$ is a view similar to Figure 3, but
l20 showing a modified construction og
warm air brusht and
higure 9 is a sectional side elevation of the
barrel and ad~ustmsnt me~ahanism o! the
modified construction.
1z3
Ret'erring now to e'igures 1 to 7 of the drawings, they
warm air brush comprises a gripping handle 1, a barrel,
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20540'1
2 which is used to brush the hair, and a heatwr blowwr
(not shown) located in the gripping handle 1 for
130 heating air which is than directed along the barrel 2
and emerges through apertures described below to warm
the hair being brushed.
The barrel 2 oonsists or six eloriQate barrel aliments
3 arranged in mutually parallel radial relationship to
13s form a generally cylindrical barrel, aaah barrel
element 3 consists of a base 3a, a row~ol projecting
brush tenth 3b, a lateral projection 3c at one side o!
the base !or underlying the base 3a of the ad~aaent
element, a row o! apertures 3d in the base 3a and a
140 row of indentations 3e in the lateral pro3eation 3a.
Each barrel element 3 is integrally loaned of plastic
mat~riai but includes a metal sti!lening rod 3t.
D'igure 6b shows the barrel 2 in the fully aont~aoted
state with the bases 3a e~butting one another. Figure
145 da shows the barrel Z in the fully expanded mate with
gaps bet~Ieen the bases 3a, these gaps being closed by
the lateral projeotions 3a. Closure of the gaps
ehsures that the barrel Z is substantially closed so
that warm air flowing down the barrel escapes only
150 through the apertures 3d. The external diameter of
the barrel 2 is 14 mm in the fully aontraated s~tttte
and ZZ min in the fully expanded state.
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As best seen in Figures 4a and Ab, the apertures 3d
are always unobs~tructe~d, allowing a substantial volume
135 of warm dry air to be delivered directly from the
Interior of the barrel 2 to the hair, withaut any xisk
of backpresgure or overheating of the heater blower.
t~Ihen the barrel 2 is in the fully expanded state ae~
shown in Figure 4a, air emerges thraugh the apartures~
160 3d and also through the indentations 3e. When the
barrel 2 is in the fully contracted state as shown in
Figure 4b, the indentations 3e move into~register with
the apertures 3d, so that the apertures remain
unobstracted.
165 The user expands or contracts the barrel 2 by means of
the adjustment knob 4 located at the tip o! thQ
barrel. she user grips the knob 4, deprassir~g the
knob axially along the barrel 2 towards the handle 1
against spring biassing so as to disengage the knob 4
170 from a lacking mechanism, the user then rotates the
knob 4 claCkwise to expand the barrel Z or
anti-clockwise to aontreat the barrel 2, and then
releases the knob 4 so that the latter moves axially
bask along the barrel 2 under the in=luenae of the
175 spring biassing and re-engages the locking mechanism
to prevent further rotation.
The locking mechanism will now be described. A fixed
central shaft 3 extends from the handle 1. A washer 6
7 -
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2054071
and cap 7 are provided at the outer end of the fixed
180 central shaft 5. A flanged cellar 8 is fixedly
mounted at the and of the shaft 5 just inwardJ.y of the
cap 7 and wash~r 6, and has gear-teeth 8a on the outer
circumferantial surface of the flange. The adjustment
knob 4 has teeth 4a on the inner circumferential
185 surface which in the normal position thereof as shown
in Figure 6 engage with the tenth 8a an the flanged
collar 8, then~by preventing rotation of the
adjustment knob 4. Th~ adjustment knob. 4 is held in
the normal pasition by a coil~d compression spring 9
190 which biasses the adjustment knob 4 towards the outer
arid of thaE~ shaft 5 into abutm~nt with th~ wash~r 6.
The adjustment msahanism will now be describ~d. HThen
the adjus8tmant knob 4 is depressed against the action
of the coiled compression spring 9, the inwardly
195 projecting is~th 4a of th~ adjustment knob 4 move out
of meshing engagement with the externally pro~eating
teeth 8a on the flanged collar 8, allowing the
adjustment knob 4 to be rotated. Ths subsequent
rotation o! the adjustment knob 4 onuses corr~sponding
200 rotation of nut lo, the adjuotmant knob 4 and nut a.0
being held together by meshing gears 4a, 10a. The nut
is threaded on external screw threading lla on the
shank of lront cam 11 which is slidably mount~d an the
central shaft 5. Doubl~ helix threading is used for
205 extra stability. The nut 10 is held in a fixed axial
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205401
position between the front cam housing 18 and the
flung~d collar 8. As a result, rotation of the
adjustable knob 4 and consequent rotation of the nut
19 causes lengthwise axial movement of the franc cam
210 11. The axial movement of the front eam 11 ie
transmitted by aonnscting tads 13 to the rear cam 12 ,
which is also alidably mounta8 on the central shaft
5. As the front and rear cams 11, 12 move axially,
axial movement of the barrel elements 3 is prevented
215 by stopping member 1~ which is fixed on the central
shaft 5 by means mf locking pin 19 (bast seen in
Figure 6), and the barrel elements 3 era caused to
ride up or dawn chi cams 11, 12, so that the barrel 2
expands or aantraats radially. The cams 11, 12 axe
220 looatsd in the front cam housing 18 and r~ar cam
housing 17 raepeatively. Front cam housing 18 is
fixed on the stopping member 16 and rear cam housing
17 is fixed to the asntrai shaft 5 and allows air to
flaw therethraugh to the interior o! the barrel 2.
225 By way of further explanation the co-operation of the
barrel elements 3, came 11, 12 and connecting rods 13
will now ba described. The outer and of each barrel
element 3 is provided with a pair of angled aide slots
which define an angled neck 20 for engaging in the
230 inclined radial slats 21 in the front cam 11. The
inner end of the barrel element 3 has an inclined
portion 3g so that in oombination the six barrel
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205~07~
alamante have a flared inner and, the largest diameter
of which substantially matches the diameter of the
235 handle 1 to allow a large flow of air to ba introduced
into the barrel. Ona large trianqulax aperture 3h is
provided in each inclined portion which e~arves the
dual purpose of delivering air to the outside ~surfaae
of the curled hair arid wanting any air prasaure build
240 up to prevent overheating of the heater.blowar. In
addition each inclined portion 3g finishes with an
inclined neck 22 which engages in an inclined xadial
slot 23 in the rear cam 12. The connecting rods 13
are disposed, ass best scan in Figure '7, alongside the
245 central shalt 5 and are provided at each end with an
outwardly turned right angle bend 13a which engage in
holes 24, 25 in the front and rear cams i1, 12
respectively,
Figures s and 9 show a modification in which the diameter
250 of the barrel 102 is adjustable by means of a
thumb~operated knob 104 at the inner end of the barrel.
This arrangement allows the appliance to be held in one
hand and the barrel diameter to ba adjusted by the thumb of
that hand. There is no locking mechanism to prevent
Z5~ rotstian of the knob 104. The components comprise a shaft
mounting bracket 130 fixed to the handle (not shown), a
fixed central shaft 105, a front cam 111 fixed to the shaft
105, a rear cam 11Z fixed to the shaft 105, a front cam
housing 118, a washer 106, a cap 107 and bolt 131, barrel
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2054071
260 element 103, a barrel element stiffening rod 103f, and a
heat shield 131. which fits inside the knob 104. An
a~ssential component of then maahanissm is pullet element
132. This component is prevented E'rom rotating by the
engagement of fe~t 132a in apert~xxes 1.12a in the rear cam
265 112, but is free to move axially along the s~hagt 103. The
pullet element 132 is provided with thre~ equally spaced
external lugrt~ 132b which ao-operate with helical grooves
104a on the inside face of the ratatable knob 104.
When knob 104 is rotated, the co-operation of lugs 132b and
270 grooves 104a causes the pullet element 132 to move axially
along the shaft 105. This axial movement is in turn
transmitted to the barrel elements 103 by virtue of the
engagement of the neck 103a o!' each barrel ~dlement 103 in a
corresponding slot 132a in the pullex el~tent 132. As the
273 barrel elements 103 wave axially they ride up or down the
tram and rear acme 111, 1.12 causing the barrel 102 to
expand or aoatraat.
The invention is not limited to warm air brushes. The
invention may be applied to a variety of~ditlerent hair
280 care appliances, Eor example hair curling irons.
~7667C64-74)
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