EP0060170A1 - Hair curlers, especially for permanent wave - Google Patents

Abstract

1. Hair curler, more especially for a permanent wave, comprising a roller (1) on which the hair to be treated is to be rolled and locking means associated with said roller for maintaining same in position on the head of a user, said locking means comprising two clips (2) shaped as opened washers gripping round said roller, especially on ends thereof, characterized in that said locking means are adapted as a single locking device having a generally cylindrical of revolution shape, the both end faces of which are respectively constituted of said both clips (2) which are joined to each other with distance-pieces (10) circumferentially distributed and spaced from each other along the outer periphery (3) of said clips, the ends (3a) of clips being however devoid of distancepieces, that the radial size of clips is greater than the thickness of the hair to be rolled on the roller so that in use the hair is not contacted by distancepieces, and that, for at least one end distancepiece (23), the surface (24) thereof to be contacted by hair (25) is convex and curved to the curve of the clips ends, the length of said surface being such that in use it extends substantially up to the head (5) of the user.

Description

The present invention relates to improvements made to curlers, in particular, but not exclusively, to curlers for perms.

Most curlers known at the present time, whatever the types thereof, have locking means - intended to cooperate with a roller on which the hair to be treated is wound to maintain said roller on the head of a user. - which, in the functional position, are in contact with the hair: they print visible marks on the hair which are undesirable and they can even lead to hair breakage at the contact locations.

In other types of curlers, the blocking means consist of a pin inserted diametrically into the roller. However, the positioning of the pin is not carried out in a simple and rapid manner; therefore, hairdressing professionals hardly use them.

The object of the invention is essentially to remedy the drawbacks presented by current curlers and to propose curlers which better meet the various requirements of practice, and in particular in which the blocking means are not in contact with the hair and which remain simple and quick to operate while being inexpensive and easy to manufacture.

• - un rouleau sur lequel doivent être enroulés les cheveux à traiter,
• - et des moyens de blocage destinés à être associés au susdit rouleau pour son maintien en place sur la tête d'un utilisateur,

on prévoit, conformément à l'invention, que les moyens de blocage comprennent deux pinces en forme de rondelles ouvertes sur au plus 270°, lesdites pinces possédant une partie annulaire périphérique distante radialement d'un vide central dans lequel est destinée à être emboîtée une zone axiale d'extrémité du rouleau (première zone axiale), lesdites pinces, en position fonctionnelle, enserrant alors élastiquement le rouleau respectivement de part et d'autre de la zone axiale centrale de celui-ci sur laquelle doivent être enroulés les cheveux à traiter, de telle manière que les extrémités libres des parties annulaires périphériques des pinces soient en appui contre la tête de l'utilisateur pour empêcher le bigoudi de rouler.For these purposes, in a hair curler, in particular for permanent curlers, comprising:

• - a roller on which the hair to be treated must be wound,
• - and blocking means intended to be associated with the aforesaid roller for keeping it in place on the head of a user,

provision is made, in accordance with the invention, for the locking means to comprise two pliers in the form of washers open over at most 270 °, said pliers having a peripheral annular portion radially distant from a central vacuum into which is intended to be fitted an axial end region of the roller (first axial zone), said clamps, in the functional position, then resiliently enclosing the roller respectively on either side of the central axial zone thereof ci on which must be wound the hair to be treated, so that the free ends of the peripheral annular parts of the clamps are pressed against the head of the user to prevent the curler from rolling.

Thanks to this arrangement, the two clips are located on the roller outside the hair winding zone: no part of these clips is therefore in contact with the hair wound on the roller and there is thus no risk of unwanted hair deformation. Furthermore, the positioning of the clamps on the roller is quick and easy, and the blocking thus obtained, by pressing the clamps on the head, is safe and effective.

In an advantageous embodiment, it is provided that, in each clamp, the annular peripheral part is elastically deformable, and there is also provided a plurality of converging spokes from said curved peripheral part, the length of these spokes being such that their free ends delimit the aforementioned central void.

In order to increase the ease of positioning the clamps on the roller, it is preferable that, on each clamp, the regions adjacent to the free ends of the annular peripheral part are devoid of spokes.

In order to avoid multiple manipulations, provision is made ,. in a preferred embodiment, that the two clips are joined together by spacers, said spacers connecting to the clips in the vicinity of the outer edge of the annular parts and being either straight or curved outwards, and their length being such that, in the mounting position of the locking means on the roller, the clamps occupy the aforementioned position on either side of the axial zone of the roller on which the hair is wound.

In the particular case of lukewarm perms, carried out with the aid of a heating pliers enclosing the hair wound on the roller, provision is made for the spacers to be such, in particular as regards their number and their distribution along the annular parts of the pliers , that they release a free space by which a heating clip can be introduced and put in place on the hair wound on the roller of the curler.

According to yet another arrangement which is preferably used with one and / or the other of the preceding arrangements, it is possible to ensure that each clamp is provided with an arm secured to the annular part and substantially tangent thereto. ci, said arm extending substantially in the same plane as the clamp. Thanks to this arrangement, once the blocking means put in place on the rollers, the arms bear on a neighboring curler, which contributes to ensuring the blocking of each curler, in particular in the case where the curlers are arranged in regions of the head having a pronounced curvature, and where the two clamps may not be able to bear on the head simultaneously.

Preferably, in one and / or the other of the preceding cases, axial stop means are provided for axially positioning each clamp on the roller and preventing it from sliding axially.

In a first embodiment, the first axial areas of the roller have a relief and the regions of the clamps intended to cooperate with said first axial areas of the roller have a relief of shape complementary to the previous one, and then, advantageously, said first axial areas of the roller have a diameter greater than the diameter of the central axial zone on which the hair must be wound.

In another embodiment, the first axial zones have a diameter less than the diameter of the central zone, and the axial stop means consist of the connection zones of the first axial zones and of the central zone, respectively, and then, advantageously, the free ends of the roller are swollen in the form of a button and determine with the central axial zone respective annular grooves, the bottoms of which constitute the first axial zones.

It is also possible to provide that the roller further comprises second axial zones situated respectively between the aforesaid first axial zones and the central zone, the second axial zones being arranged to support a rollable device for protecting part of the hair to be treated, such as than, for example, the protection device described in patent application FR 78 22017. In this case, it is advantageous for the second zones to be frustoconical with tapered faces facing the free ends of the roller, so that product flows are permanent. parted from the hair wrapped around the central axial area of the roller.

• - la figure 1 est une vue en bout d'un bigoudi agencé conformément à l'invention,
• - la figure 2 est une vue de côté, en coupe selon la ligne AA de la figure 1, d'un premier mode de réalisation conforme à l'invention,
• - la figure 3 est une vue de côté, en coupe selon la ligne AA de la figure 1, d'un deuxième mode de réalisation conforme à l'invention,
• - la figure 4 est une vue de côté, en coupe selon la ligne AA de la figure 1, d'une variante de réalisation d'une partie du bigoudi de la figure 3,
• - la figure 5 est une vue de côté d'un troisième mode de réalisation destiné à être utilisé plus particulièrement, mais non exclusivement, avec un dispositif protecteur tel que celui de la demande de brevet FR 78 22017, et
• - la figure 6 est une vue de côté d'un quatrième mode de réalisation conforme à l'invention,
• - la figure 7 est une vue de côté d'un cinquième mode de réalisation constituant une variante de celui de la figure 6, et
• - la figure 8 est une vue de côté d'un sixième mode de réalisation conforme à l'invention.

The invention will be better understood on reading the following description of some of its embodiments given solely by way of illustration, without any limiting character. In this description, reference is made to the appended drawings in which:

• FIG. 1 is an end view of a curler arranged in accordance with the invention,
• FIG. 2 is a side view, in section along the line AA in FIG. 1, of a first embodiment according to the invention,
• FIG. 3 is a side view, in section along the line AA in FIG. 1, of a second embodiment according to the invention,
• FIG. 4 is a side view, in section along the line AA of FIG. 1, of an alternative embodiment of part of the curler of FIG. 3,
• FIG. 5 is a side view of a third embodiment intended to be used more particularly, but not exclusively, with a protective device such as that of patent application FR 78 22017, and
• FIG. 6 is a side view of a fourth embodiment according to the invention,
• FIG. 7 is a side view of a fifth embodiment constituting a variant of that of FIG. 6, and
• - Figure 8 is a side view of a sixth embodiment according to the invention.

In the figures, the same reference numerals have been kept to designate the identical elements.

Referring first to FIG. 1, a curler arranged in accordance with the invention comprises a roller 1 and two clamps 2 (only one being visible in FIG. 1) able to grip said roller respectively in the end zones of it.

Each clamp 2 comprises a peripheral annular part 3 extending only over a portion of a circle, preferably about 270 °, ie three quarters of a circle, and formed in the form of a band having a certain elasticity.

From this peripheral annular part 3 extend radial spokes 4 directed inwards and having a length substantially less than the radius of the annular part 3 so as to determine, between their free ends, a circular empty space having a diameter slightly smaller than the diameter of the end zones of the roller 1.

Preferably, the free ends 3a of the annular part 3 are devoid of spokes, and the last spokes 4a are located behind said ends in order to avoid any unnecessary contact with the hair.

Thanks to this arrangement, each clamp 2 snaps onto the roller 1 by elastic deformation of the annular part 3 and bears on the head 5 of the user by the free ends 3a of the annular part 3. Due to the distance separating the ends 3a, the clamps rest on the head stably and the assembly cannot rotate.

Furthermore, because each clamp 2 firmly encloses the roller 1 between the free ends of the spokes 4, the roller 1 is prevented from rotating relative to the clamps 2.

We are therefore always assured that the hair wound on the roller 1 will not be able to unwind.

As best seen in Figure 2, the clamps 2 are mounted on the axial end regions 6 of the roller 1, on each side of a central axial zone 7 of the roller on which the hair to be treated must be wound. As shown in FIG. 2, the roller 1 is arranged so that the end zones 6 have a diameter greater than the central zone 7.

In addition, so that each clamp 2 is stably supported on the end zones 6 which are cylindrical in revolution, said clamps have a significant width, substantially greater than that of the clamps shown in the other figures.

To prevent the clamps 2 from sliding laterally (that is to say axially) on the roller, provision is made for axial abutment means comprising an annular bead 8 projecting from each end zone 6 and a recess 9, of complementary shape of that of the bead 8, hollowed out in the end of each spoke, all of these recesses forming a discontinuous annular gutter capable of fitting onto the bead 8.

As shown in Figure 2, in this first embodiment, the two clamps 2 are separate from each other and must therefore give rise to separate manipulations.

In the second embodiment of Figure 3, the two clamps 2 are secured to each other by spacers 10 which are distributed circumferentially along the annular parts 3 and whose length corresponds to the spacing of the clamps 2 in their mounting position on the roller 1.

The spacers 10 may be rectilinear as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, or else be curved with a convexity facing outwards in order to release a larger free space around the central zone 7 of the roller, which can then receive a thickness of more coiled hair.

It can be expected that the spacing, the position and the number of spacers 10 coincide with those of spokes 4, without however being an obligation.

In particular, when the curler is intended for perform a lukewarm perm using a heating clip, spacers are provided only towards the end regions 3a of the annular parts 3 to clear, in the central region, a passage for introducing the heating clip and putting it in place on the hair wound on the roller 1.

The axial stop means of the clamps 2 on the roller 1 can be of the same type as those indicated above for the first embodiment shown in FIG. 2; however, by way of example, there is shown in Figure 3 a variant of such abutment means. The roller 1 has, in its end zones 6, necks 11 of sufficient width and depth so that the free ends of the spokes 4 can engage therein.

In FIG. 4, another variant of the axial stop means of the clamps 2 is shown. The end zones 6 of the roller are here provided with a simple stud 12 on which the corresponding clamp comes to fit.

Obviously, in the embodiments of FIGS. 3 and 4, the length of the spokes 4 must be adapted in such a way that the said spokes bear on the bottom of the groove 11 or on the stud 12.

In FIG. 4, the roller 13 is intended to be used more particularly in combination with a hair protective device 14 and with a clamp system such as that of FIG. 3.

The roller 13 is therefore shaped at its ends like the roller 1 in FIG. 3, that is to say with a groove 11; however, its central zone 15 is cylindrical in revolution and is surrounded by two zones 16 of a slightly larger diameter and capable of receiving the protective device 14.

Said protective device 14 is intended to protect from the action of the perming product the parts of the hair not located in the vicinity of the root, and it consists of a rigid or semi-rigid gutter 17, of a flexible impermeable sheet 18 having properties adhesive, and a strip 19 of absorbent material, in particular foam. An example of such a protective device is described in patent application FR 78 22017.

At the outer end of the zones 16, that is to say on the edge of the grooves 11, an annular bead 20 is provided with a diameter greater than that of the zones 16 and serving as an axial stop for the protective device 14.

We start by winding the end of the hair over the central zone 15, then we interpose the protective device 14 in the manner specified in patent application FR 78 22017 so as to leave free the part of the hair close to the roots. The protective device then rests on the zones 16. Next, the clamp device of FIG. 3 is put in place which is fitted onto the roller without touching the visible part of the hair.

Preferably, the zones 16 are frustoconical with tapered faces facing outwards, so that flows of product to perm are rejected towards the outside and not brought back towards the hair.

In Figure 6, there is shown yet another embodiment in which the clamps 2 (whether independent as in the embodiment of Figure 2 or that they are connected by spacers as in the embodiment of Figure 3) are each provided with an arm 21 linked to the annular part 3 in the middle part thereof and disposed tangentially thereto. The length of these arms can be of the order of 1.5 to 2 times the radius of the annular part 3, so that, when the curlers are arranged parallel one after the other, the arms of a curlers come to lean on the neighboring curler. The arms 21 thus contribute to blocking the curlers even when the ends 3a are not in contact with the head and can no longer prevent the curler from rolling (for example in the region of the head having a pronounced curvature).

In Figure 7, there is shown a variant of the embodiment of Figure 6 in which the clamps 2 are surmounted by a hoop 22 in which the free end of the arm 21 of a neighboring curler can be engaged. The arch 22 can extend above the arm 21 (as shown in Figure 7), or on the contrary it can be directly integral with the annular part 3 and itself support, at its upper part, the arm 21 corresponding.

Of course, in the case of locking means of the kind shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, that is to say when they comprise two clamps 2 joined by spacers 10, the arch 22 extends from one clamp to the other parallel to the spacers 10, which simplifies the introduction of the ends of the arms 21.

Such an embodiment offers the advantage of being able to make assemblies "in the air" useful for certain hairstyles, that is to say assemblies in which the curlers (except the first) do not rest on the head of the user and hang at the end of the hair, the arms 21 engaged in the arches 22 preventing the curlers from taking place.

Finally, FIG. 8 represents yet another embodiment of the locking means of the kind of those of FIGS. 3 and 4, that is to say made up of two clamps 2 joined by spacers 10.

In this particular embodiment, provision is made for one of the last spacers or end spacer 23 (the one on the right in FIG. 8) to have a particular shape, namely that its face 24 facing inwards is convex and that its width is large enough that, once the assembly is placed in a functional position on a head, it extends substantially to the head. As shown in Figure 8, this particular spacer may have the shape of a half-cylinder of revolution or the like.

The advantage of such an arrangement is that the part of the hair 25 between the root and the curler is applied against the surface 24 and shaped (styling) by this surface (as shown in dashes on the Figure 8), while in the absence of such a surface this same part of the hair would remain stiff.

As goes without saying and as it already follows from the above, the invention is in no way limited to those of its modes of application and embodiments which have been more especially envisaged; on the contrary, it embraces all its variants.

The curlers arranged in accordance with the invention are simple and inexpensive to manufacture, can be made of inexpensive materials (molded plastic), and eliminate the drawbacks of the curlers used until now.

Claims (13)

1 - Curler, especially for permanent, including: - a roller on which the hair to be treated must be wound, - and blocking means intended to be associated with the aforesaid roller for keeping it in place on the head of a user,
characterized in that the locking means comprise two pliers in the form of washers open over at most 270 °, said pliers having a peripheral annular part radially distant from a central vacuum in which is intended to be fitted an axial end region of the roller (first axial zone), said clamps, in the functional position, then elastically enclosing the roller respectively on either side of the central axial zone thereof on which the hair to be treated is to be wound, in such a way that the free ends of the peripheral annular parts of the pliers are pressed against the head of the user to prevent the curler from rolling. 2 - Curler according to claim 1, characterized in that, in each clamp, the peripheral annular part is elastically deformable, and in that there is provided a plurality of converging spokes from said curved peripheral part, the length of these spokes being such that their free ends delimit the aforementioned central void. 3 - Curler according to claim 2, characterized in that, on each clamp, the regions near the free ends of the peripheral annular part are devoid of spokes. 4 - Curler according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the two clamps are joined together by spacers, said spacers connecting to the clamps in the vicinity of the outer edge of the annular parts and being either straight or curved outwards, and their length being such that, in the mounting position of the locking means on the roller, the clamps occupy the aforementioned position on either side of the axial zone of the roller on which the hair is wound. 5 - Curler according to claim 4, in particular for performing a warm permanent, characterized in that the spacers are such, in particular as to their number and their distribution along the annular parts of the clamps, that they release a free space through which a heating clip can be introduced and placed on the hair wound on the roller of the curler. 6 - Curler according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that each clamp is provided with an arm secured to the annular part and substantially tangent thereto, said arm extending substantially in the same plane as the clamp . 7 - Curler according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that it comprises axial stop means intended to position each clamp axially on the roller and to prevent it from sliding axially. 8 - Curler according to claim 7, characterized in that the first axial areas of the roller have a relief, and in that the regions of the clamps intended to cooperate with said first axial areas of the roller have a relief of shape complementary to the previous one. 9 - Curler according to any one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that the first axial zones of the roller have a diameter greater than the diameter of the central axial zone on which the hair must be wound. 10 - Curler according to claim 7, characterized in that the first axial zones have a diameter less than the diameter of the central zone, and in that the axial stop means consist of the connection zones of the first axial zones and of the central area, respectively. 11 - Curler according to claim 10, characterized in that the free ends of the roller are swollen in button shape and determine with the central axial zone of the respective annular grooves, the bottoms of which constitute the first axial zones. 12 - Curler according to any one of claims 1 to 10, characterized in that the roller further comprises second axial zones situated respectively between the aforesaid first axial zones and the central zone, the second axial zones being arranged to support a device rollable protection for part of the hair to be treated. 13 - Curler according to claim 12, characterized in that the second zones are frustoconical with tapered faces facing the free ends of the roller.

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