Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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Hair Styling Device
The present invention relates to hair styling devices. In particular, but not
exclusively, the invention relates to hair waving devices.
There are many known devices for creating artificial waves in a person's hair.
Examples include curling tongs and curlers, wands, rollers and crimpers. Also,
straighteners can be used to curl hair, or to produce the opposite effect -
straightening hair which has a natural (or a previously created) waviness - or
to
remove kinks, frizziness, static, or to produce a sleeker look.
Predominately, it is the shape of the hair receiving portions of the device
which
determine the hair effect produced. A number of existing devices require clip
portions to hold the hair in place and avoid slipping during treating. This is
less
convenient for the user and can increase the time required to style the hair.
Hair straighteners comprise two hinged jaws, each jaw having a flat planar
surface. The hair is inserted between the jaws but otherwise kept straight and
not wrapped around the jaws (which would be ineffective since only the inner
surface of each jaw is heated to treat the hair). Hair crimpers are similar
but
each jaw has a planar but undulating or corrugated surface (and the hair is
again
inserted between the jaws).
Tongs, rollers and the like have a substantially straight cylindrical portion
and the
hair is wrapped around this cylindrical portion. They may have straight or
spiral
separating protrusions extending outward from the cylindrical portion.
However,
these protrusions are for separating the hair and holding the hair in position
and
the shape of the hair effect produced is substantially determined by the
cylindrical
portion and not the separating protrusions.
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There is a widespread and continuing desire to create new and fashionable
hairstyles but the styles possible are limited to those which can be produced
with
existing devices. Tongs and the like produce a circular spiral effect. An
example
of a new style would be an elliptical spiral but this is not possible using
existing
devices.
It is desirable to provide a hair styling device which can produce new styles.
It is desirable to provide a hair styling device which naturally holds the
hair while
it is being treated to produce the effect.
According to the present invention there is provided a hair styling device
comprising:
a handle member;
a hair receiving member longitudinally extending from the handle member
and adapted to allow hair to be wound around a contact surface of the hair
receiving member, wherein the contact surface is substantially non-straight in
the
longitudinal direction.
The hair receiving member may be a plate member having two major contact
surfaces. The second contact surface may be substantially non-straight in the
longitudinal direction.
The hair receiving member may have an undulating or corrugated profile in the
longitudinal direction. Alternatively, the hair receiving member may be spiral
in
the longitudinal direction. The spiral hair receiving member can be considered
to
be undulating or corrugated in two planes.
The concave portion of each undulation may be adapted to receive a portion of
the hair to be styled. When the hair receiving member is a plate member, the
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hair receiving member may be adapted to receive hair in the alternating upper
and lower concave portions defined by the first and second contact surfaces.
The undulations may have a zigzag formation. Alternatively, the undulations
may
have a box wave profile. Alternatively, the undulations may be substantially
sinusoidal. It is not intended that the term "sinusoidal" be interpreted using
the
strict mathematical definition.
At least one of the amplitude and the wavelength of the undulations may vary
along the length of the hair receiving member.
The hair receiving member may include a straight section between one, more or
each of the undulations.
The hair receiving member may be removably attached to the handle member. A
plurality of hair receiving members may be provided. Each of the plurality of
hair
receiving members may vary in at least one of the amplitude and the wavelength
of the undulations, the presence and length of straight sections between the
undulations, and the width, thickness or length of the contact surface.
The hair receiving member may include one or more apertures or slots adapted
to receive at least a portion of the hair wound around the contact surface.
According to a first embodiment of the invention, the hair styling device may
be
adapted to apply heat to the hair to at least temporarily maintain the
produced
wave of the hair.
The hair styling device may include heating means for heating at least the
first
contact surface. The heating means may be electrically powered, such as by
main power or a battery.
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The heating means may comprise an electrical resistance member. The hair
styling device may include a thermostatic control member for varying the
operating temperature.
as aluminium.
The hair receiving member may have a laminated construction. The hair
receiving member may include a ply which comprises a silicon material, such as
conductive. The two thermally conductive plies may be interposed by the
silicon
ply. The silicon ply may be encapsulated by the thermally conductive plies.
The hair receiving member may include a coating. The coating may comprise a
Alternatively, the heating means may comprise an electrically resistant wire.
The
wire may be wound around the hair receiving member.
portions may be electrically resistant to provide the heating means.
According to a second embodiment of the invention, the hair styling device may
be adapted to at least assist the application of a chemical to the hair to at
least
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The hair receiving member may comprise a frame member to assist the flow of
the chemical. Alternatively, the hair receiving member may include a plurality
of
apertures to assist the flow of the chemical.
5 Embodiments of the present invention will now be described, by way of
example
only, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:
Figure 1 shows a side view of a hair waving device according to a first
embodiment of the invention;
Figure 2 shows a front view of the device of Figure 1; and
Figure 3 shows a sectional side view of a hair receiving member of a hair
waving
device.
Figures 1 and 2 show a first embodiment of a hair styling device 10 which
comprises a handle 20 and a hair receiving member 30 which longitudinally
extends from the handle 20. The hair receiving member 30 is formed as a plate
and has a first contact surface 32 and a second contact surface 34. As evident
in
the drawings, the hair receiving member 30 has a zigzag profile which defines
a
number of undulations 36. Therefore, the contact surfaces are non-straight in
the
longitudinal direction.
The hair receiving member 30 is formed from a thermally conductive material
which can be heated using electrical power supplied from the mains via a cable
22.
In use, a user can wind hair around the hair receiving member 30 and the
undulations 36 assist to hold the hair in place. Heat transmitted from the
contact
surfaces treats the hair to produce a wave effect.
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The hair receiving member 30 can include one or more apertures or slots (not
shown) to receive a portion of the hair. This can be used to help hold the
hair
and/or to produce different effects.
In other embodiments, the amplitude and/or wavelength of the undulations can
vary along the length of the hair receiving member 30 to produce different
effects.
Also, the hair receiving member 30 can include straight sections provided
between the undulations 36. Indeed, the hair styling device 10 can be provided
as a kit with a number of different hair receiving members 30, each removably
attached to the handle 20.
As shown in Figure 3, the hair receiving member 30 has a laminated
construction. A heater pad 40 (0.9 mm thick) is bonded onto an aluminium ply
42
(2 mm thick). Since the skin of the heater pad 40 is a silicone based rubber,
a
ceramic coating (20 microns thick) directly onto the heater pad might not
adhere
correctly. Consequently, a 0.3 mm thick layer 44 of aluminium is laminated
over
the heater pad 40 in order for the subsequent ceramic coating process to
adhere
to the aluminium (top and bottom) and effectively 'sandwich' the heater pad 40
in
between the 2mm thick aluminium ply 42 and the 0.3mm thick top coating 44
of aluminium with an effective "all over" skin of ceramic 46.
The ceramic coating 46 is for wear resistance and aesthetics. Heat is
transfered
from the heater pad 40 to the aluminium ply 42 and is drawn out to the outer
skin
of the ceramic coating 46. The heater pad 40 is applied to the top section
only of
the aluminium ply 42. If the heat transfer was ineffective in transferring
heat to
the bottom sections of the aluminium p1y42 (post ceramic coating), then the
aluminium ply 42 can continue to cover the bottom wave sections also.
The heater pad 40 is wired to a thermostat (not shown) to vary the operating
temperature and to mains cabling 22 in the handle 20 for connection to the
main
supply. Application of mains current into the heater pad 40 produces the heat
for
transfer into the aluminium ply 42 and out to the outer skin 46 of ceramic
coating.
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The aluminium ply 42is bent to the undulated profile before the heater pad 40
is
bonded to the aluminium ply 42.
In an alternative embodiment (not shown), rather than bonding the heater pad
40
to the aluminium ply 42, the heater pad 40 is compressed against the aluminium
ply 42 by a thin gauge stainless steel skin or cladding. This cladding forms
two
distinct top and bottom sections, and are screwed together using small scale
fixings, thereby compressing the heater pad 40 against the aluminium ply 42.
The screws could be substituted by any permanent joining process such as
aluminium welding. The assembly is then ceramic coated all over as in the
bonded arrangement.
In an alternative embodiment (not shown), a heater pad 40 is encapsulated
within
a hollow aluminium extrusion without glue. The extrusion is then compressed
until the heater pad 40 is compressed at both sides, without damaging the
heater
pad 40. The pressure on the heater pad 40 ensures good mechanical contact
between heater pad 40 and the aluminium walls and therefore heat transfer.
With the heater pad 40 encapsulated inside the aluminium skin, the 'sandwich'
assembly is then bent into the wave profile required. The bent assembly is
then ceramic coated.
In an alternative embodiment (not shown), the heater pad 40 can be omitted
depending on the choice of materials. For instance, the hair receiving member
30 can be formed from a thermally conductive polymer such as E-Series or D-
Series materials provided by Coo!polymers Inc. A current is passed through
this
material to heat to the temperature required. The hair receiving member 30
would be an injection moulding and this would negate any heater pad, gluing
process or encapsulated process. Stiffening members can be included if
required.
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In another alternative embodiment (not shown), a heating element is wrapped
around the hair receiving member 30 to supply the required heat. The assembly
is then ceramic coated all over as in the previous embodiments. In another
alternative embodiment (not shown), the hair receiving member 30 can comprise
a frame which is electrically resistant to provide the heating means.
In an alternative embodiment of the invention (not shown), the hair styling
device
can be non-electrical. The device 10 can be adapted to assist the application
of a chemical to the hair to maintain the produced wave of the hair.
The hair receiving member 30 can comprise a frame to assist the flow of the
chemical or include apertures or the like to assist the flow of the chemical.
Whilst specific embodiments of the present invention have been described
above, it will be appreciated that departures from the described embodiments
may still fall within the scope of the present invention.
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