GB2264054A

GB2264054A - Hair styling device

Info

Publication number: GB2264054A
Application number: GB9203184A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Barry Graham Charles
Original assignee: Kenwood Marks Ltd
Current assignee: Kenwood Marks Ltd
Priority date: 1992-02-14
Filing date: 1992-02-14
Publication date: 1993-08-18
Anticipated expiration: 2012-02-14
Also published as: GB2264054B; GB9203184D0

Abstract

A hair styling device comprises a curling tong 1 and a handle 2. The curling tong includes a heating element 8, and electrical wires 10 connecting the heating element to a power supply cable 9 extending through an elongate handle portion 11. A sleeve 22 is provided around the handle portion 11 and is retained on the handle portion by a slidable retaining ring 24. When a user grips the sleeve 22, the curling tong 1 and handle portion 11 are initially interlocked with the sleeve 22 by the retaining ring 24. By sliding the ring 24, the handle portion and thus the curling tong are released to enable free rotation thereof relative to the sleeve 22. <IMAGE>

Description

HAIR STYLING DEVICE This invention relates to a hair styling device and more particularly, though not exclusively, to an electrical hair styling device comprising hair styling means connected to one end of an elongate handle.

Known hair styling devices of this type generally comprise hair styling means in the form of a hair curling tong or a brush. In some known devices, a brush attachment may be connected over the curling tong to enable either the curling tong or the brush to be used. In another known device having a brush as the hair styling means, the brush is rotatable relative to the handle for easier styling.

It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved hair styling device which has rotatable hair styling means and which may also be capable of providing different types of rotatable hair styling means selectable by a user.

Accordingly, the present invention consists in a hair styling device comprising hair styling means connected to one end of an elongate handle portion, a sleeve provided around the outer surface of said handle portion and intended to be gripped by a user of the device, the sleeve being mounted on the handle portion so as to permit free relative rotation therebetween, and a user-operable member to enable said handle portion and said sleeve to be interlocked to inhibit said rotation.

In a preferred arrangement, the hair styling means contains a heating element, the electrical connections to which extend through the handle portion and are connected to an electrical cable for supplying power to the heating element. The cable preferably protrudes out of the handle portion at its end remote from said one end to which the hair styling means are connected. The handle portion may contain electrical contacts providing a swivel electrical connection between the cable and electrical wires to the heating element, thereby permitting relative rotation between the handle portion and the cable whilst still supplying power to the heating element.

The user-operable member is preferably slidably mounted on the sleeve. The member may be biased by resilient means into engagement with said handle portion, such that sliding of said member against the bias of said resilient means releases said handle portion from said sleeve so as to permit said free rotation. The sliding member is preferably mounted on the sleeve adjacent the end of the handle portion to which the hair styling means are connected, and it may form a ring extending around the handle portion.

The hair styling means may comprise a curling tong fixedly connected to the handle portion. The curling tong preferably comprises a tube around which hair is intended to be curled and which contains the heating element, and a hair clip extending along, and pivotally mounted relative to, the tube. The hair clip may be pivoted by means of a resiliently mounted, user-operable lever located on the device between the curling tong and the handle portion.

The device may also include one or more alternative hair styling attachments, such as a brush, which can be releasably secured over the curling tong. The brush attachment may include means for releasably securing the attachment to the device at a location between the curling tong and the handle portion.

The invention will be further described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 shows a longitudinal section through a hair styling device in accordance with one embodiment of the invention; Figure 2 shows a transverse section along line II II in Figure 1, and Figure 3 shows a transverse section along line III III in Figure 1.

Referring now to the drawings, a hair styling device comprises a curling tong 1 and a handle 2. The curling tong comprises a tube 3 connected to one end of the handle 2 via an interconnecting part 33, and a hair clip 4 which extends along the length of the tube. The hair clip is pivotally mounted at 6 on the interconnecting part 33 and is pivoted by a user-operable lever 5. A spring 7 pivotally biases the clip towards the tube 3.

The tube 3 contains a heating element 8 which is electrically connected to a power supply cable 9 projecting from the other end of the handle 2. Electrical wires 10 connecting the heating element 8 to the cable extend through an elongate handle portion 11 formed in two longitudinal half sections 12, 13 held together by screws 14.

The electrical wires are connected to electrical swivel contacts 15,16 mounted on a board 17, which contacts enable the cable connection 18 to swivel relative to the electrical contacts whilst still supplying power to the heating element. The cable connection 18 has an annular flange 19 which is rotatably retained between spaced-apart flanges 20,21 formed respectively on the inner surfaces of the sections 12, 13 of the handle portion, thereby enabling the cable connection to swivel relative to the handle portion.

A sleeve 22 is provided around the handle portion 11 and is retained on the handle portion by a retaining ring 23. Mounted over the end of the sleeve 22 adjacent the curling tong is a ring 24 which is slidable towards the cable end of the handle against the action of a spring 25 retained within a recess 26 formed in the outer surface of the sleeve. The inner surface of the slidable ring 24 is formed with projections 27 (shown in Figure 2) spaced around its circumference, between which two lugs 28 provided on the outer surfaces of handle sections 12, 13 engage when the sliding ring 24 is urged towards the curling tong by the spring 25.

A brush attachment 29 comprises an open-ended tubular structure formed with a plurality of spikes or bristles 30 on its outer surface. Inner end 31 of the attachment 29 is shaped to cooperate with the lever 5 when the attachment is slid over the tube and hair clip, and lug 32 of the attachment engages with the interconnecting part 33 between the end of the curling tong and the handle to secure the attachment to the device.

In use of the device, the user grips the sleeve 22, and the curling tong 1 and handle portion 11 are initially interlocked with the sleeve 22 by the lugs 28 engaging between the projections 27 on the slidable ring 24. By sliding the ring 24 back towards the cable end of the handle against the action of the spring 25, the lugs 28 are disengaged from between the projections 27, and the handle portion 11 and thus the curling tong 3 and interconnecting part 33 which are fixedly connected together, are free to rotate relative to the sleeve 22. Additionally, the cable connection 18 can swivel relative to the handle portion 11 by means of the swivel contacts 15, 16. Upon release of the slidable ring, it is returned by the spring 25 to cause the reengagement of the lugs 28 between projections 27.

Thus the curling tong 3, the handle portion 11 and the interconnecting part 33 are all fixed relative to each other and can be released to rotate freely relative to the sleeve 22. Furthermore, the brush attachment when mounted over the curling tong can be used as an alternative to the tong and, as it is secured to the interconnecting part, the mounted brush attachment can also be rotated relative to the sleeve.

Whilst a particular embodiment has been described, it will be appreciated that various modifications will be envisaged without departure from the scope of the invention. For example, the present invention may incorporate a steam curling tong, within which water is heated to steam which passes out through holes in the tong. Furthermore, alternative user-operable members may be used to interlock the sleeve and handle portion. For example, the slidable member may frictionally engage with the handle portion to inhibit the rotation.

Claims

1. A hair styling device comprising hair styling means connected to one end of an elongate handle portion, a sleeve provided around the outer surface of said handle portion and intended to be gripped by a user of the device, the sleeve being mounted on the handle portion so as to permit free relative rotation therebetween, and a useroperable member to enable said handle portion and said sleeve to be interlocked to inhibit said rotation.

2. A device as claimed in claim 1, wherein, the hair styling means contains a heating element, the electrical connections to which extend through the handle portion and are connected to an electrical cable for supplying power to the heating element.

3. A device as claimed in claim 2, wherein the cable protrudes out of the handle portion at its end remote from said one end to which the hair styling means are connected.

A A device as claimed in claim 1,2, or 3, wherein the handle portion contains electrical contacts providing a swivel electrical connection between the cable and elec trical wires to the heating element, thereby permitting relative rotation between the handle portion and the cable whilst still supplying power to the heating element.

A A device as claimed in claim 1,2,3 or 4, wherein the user-operable member is slidably mounted on the sleeve.

6. A device as claimed in claim 5, herein the useroperable member is biased by resilient means into engagement with said handle portion, such that sliding of said member against the bias of said resilient means releases said handle portion from said sleeve so as to permit said free rotation.

7. A device as claimed in claim 5 or 6, wherein the sliding member is mounted on the sleeve adjacent the end of the handle portion to which the hair styling means are connected.

8. A device as claimed in claim 5,6 or 7, wherein the sliding member forms a ring extending around the handle portion.

9. A device as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the hair styling means comprises a curling tong fixedly connected to the handle portion.

10. A device as claimed in claim 9, wherein the curling tong comprises a tube around which hair is intended to be curled and which contains the heating element, and a hair clip extending along, and pivotally mounted relative to, the tube.

11. A device as claimed in claim 10, wherein the hair lip can be pivoted by means of a resiliently mounted, ser-operable lever located on the device between the purling tong and the handle portion.

12. A hair styling device substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

12. A device as claimed in claim 9,10 or 11, wherein =he device includes one or more hair styling attachments, which can be releasably secured over the curling tong.

A A device as claimed in claim 12, wherein the at- attachment includes means for releasably securing the attachrent to the device at a location between the curling tong ana the handle portion.

A hair styling device substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

Amendments to the claims have been filed as follows 1. A hair styling device comprising hair styling means connected to one end of an elongate handle portion, a sleeve provided around the outer surface of said handle portion and intended to be gripped by a user of the device, the sleeve being mounted on the handle portion so as to permit free relative rotation therebetween, and a useroperable member to enable said handle portion and said sleeve to be interlocked to inhibit said rotation, the user-operable member being slidably mounted on the sleeve adjacent the end of the handle portion to which the hair styling means are connected.

2. A device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the hair styling means contains a heating element, the electrical connections to which extend through the handle portion and are connected to an electrical cable for supplying power to the heating element.

4. A device as claimed in claim 1,2, or 3, wherein the handle portion contains electrical contacts providing a swivel electrical connection between the table and electrical wires to the heating element, thereby permitting relative rotation between the handle portion and the cable whilst still supplying power to the heating element.

5. A device as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the user-operable member is biased by resilient means into engagement with said handle portion, such that sliding of said member against the bias of said resilient means releases said handle portion from said sleeve so as to permit said free rotation.

6. A device as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the sliding member forms a ring extending around the handle portion.

7. A device as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the hair styling means comprises a curling tong fixedly connected to the handle portion.

8. A device as claimed in claim 7, wherein the curling tong comprises a tube around which hair is intended to be curled and which contains the heating element, and a hair clip extending along, and pivotally mounted relative to, the tube.

9. A device as claimed in claim 8, wherein the hair clip can be pivoted by means of a resiliently mounted, user-operable lever located on the device between the curling tong and the handle portion.

10. A device as claimed in claim 7, 8 or 9, wherein the device includes one or more hair styling attachments, which can be releasably secured over the curling tong.

11. A device as claimed in claim 10, wherein the attachment includes means for releasably securing the attachment to the device at a location between the curling tong and the handle portion.