US20050150511A1

US20050150511A1 - Hair Iron

Info

Publication number: US20050150511A1
Application number: US10/645,956
Authority: US
Inventors: Keith Park
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2004-01-12
Filing date: 2004-01-12
Publication date: 2005-07-14

Abstract

A hair iron for straightening hair has a pair of tong blades. An upper and lower barrel of varying cross section with a solid ceramic core is enveloped in a metal jacket. Handles join tong blades and handle sleeves are mounted on the handles for free one-handed rotation.

Description

FIELD OF INVENTION

The present invention relates to hair curling irons used to curl or straighten women's hair.

DISCUSSION OF RELATED ARTS

Since the early 1920's, hair curling irons have been used to create various styles of hair curls or to straighten women's hair. The curling irons have been typically heated, either by electricity or by the use of ovens.
If curling irons are excessively hot, they will often damage hair and may injure users who accidentally place the heated region too near their skin. It has been discovered that human hair is well absorbent to infrared radiation in the range of 5 to 10. mu.m. Inventor Takimae in U.S. Pat. No. 4,740,669 points to ceramic materials like zirconia magnetite and alumina as being well adapted to radiating infrared radiation in this range. As a result, Inventor Takimae created a curling iron using ceramics on the outer surface of the curling iron rod. Unfortunately, the electrical heating element must be carefully regulated to avoid burning hair. A variety of under heated or over heated electrical heating methods has eroded consumer confidence in certain electrically heated curling irons. Takimae's curling iron is heated using an electrical resistance core.
Inventor Mack in U.S. Pat. No. 4,602,143, shows a mechanism in which infrared radiation is emitted and temperature is minimized. Ceramics are not used in this mechanism. Inventor Mack's curling iron is also heated using electrical means.
Oven-heated curling irons are typically comprised of a pair of iron tongs hence the name ‘hair iron’. Inventor McGee in U.S. Pat. No. 5,957,140 shows an oven-heated iron combining the features of being able to straighten and curl the hair. The pair of tongs is composed of metal. Inventor McGee mentions the concern of the metal iron being too heavy and causing fatigue for stylists.

OBJECTS AND ADVANTAGES

Accordingly, present invention has several objects and advantages.
1. Enclosed wrapping of the ceramic core with a metal casing differentiates this product with conventional iron tools currently on the market.
2. The heat trapping effect design allows ceramic core to retain heat longer than the opened metal casing, allowing the user to use the present invention longer without having to re-heat so.
3. Heat is evenly and predictably distributed on the heating surface when ceramic compound touches all heating surface. Since the ceramic compound retain heat longer than metal, having constant contact with metal surface prevents hot spots on the heating surface. Hot spots occur when certain areas cool faster than other.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a side view of the first embodiment
FIG. 2 is a rear perspective view of the first embodiment
FIG. 3 is a front perspective view of the first embodiment
FIG. 3 a is a front view of the first embodiment
FIG. 3 b is a rear view of the first embodiment
FIG. 3 c is a cross sectional view of a barrel portion of the first embodiment
FIG. 4 is a front perspective view of the second embodiment
FIG. 5 is a side view of the second embodiment
FIG. 5 a is a front view of the second embodiment
FIG. 5 b is a rear view of the second embodiment
FIG. 5 c is a cross sectional view of the single barrel of the second embodiment
FIG. 6 is a front perspective view of the third embodiment
FIG. 7 is a side view of the third embodiment
FIG. 7 a is a front view of the third embodiment
FIG. 7 b is a rear view of the third embodiment
FIG. 8 is a front perspective view of the fourth embodiment
FIG. 9 is a side view of the fourth embodiment
FIG. 9 a is a front view of the fourth embodiment
FIG. 9 b is a rear view of the fourth embodiment
FIG. 9 c is a cross sectional view of the double barrel of the fourth embodiment

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

The present invention relates to ceramic filled oven heated irons lacking electrical core heating elements. Ceramic cores retain heat and are protected by a metal jacket. The ceramic core allows transfer of heat to the surrounding hair.
The first embodiment as seen in figure one shows the hair iron 110 having an upper handle sleeve 145 and a lower handle sleeve 150 enveloping a pair of handles 140 and pivotally cooperating at a pivot junction 135 also called the clip assembly point. The clip extension protrudes from the clip assembly 135 and terminates in a pair of barrels. The upper barrel 120 is parallel to a lower barrel 125 and forms a pair of tong blades 115.
A pair of tong blades include a first tong blade and a second tong blade the upper barrel may have a semicircular cross section comprising a ceramic core enveloped in a metal jacket mounted on the first tong blade. The lower barrel may have a semicircular cross section comprising a ceramic core enveloped in a metal jacket mounted on the second tong blade. The upper and lower barrels meet to form an interface for holding hair to be straightened, while an upper handle and a lower handle form a pair of handles. The clip assembly pivotally joins the pair of handles to the pair of tong blades, so that the first tong blade and upper barrel is integrally formed with the lower handle, and the second tong blade and lower barrel is integrally formed with the upper handle.
The pair of tong blades receives a person's hair strands in a flat configuration where the hair between the blades can be pressed straight. The blades may be used for straightening hair. The handles and the handles sleeves allow a user to twirl the pair of blades 115 and change position with one hand only or wrap the hair around the outside circumference of the barrel portion 220 and 230 shown in FIG. 3 a. The heat stored in the ceramic core material 430 transfer to the hair. A metal sheath 420 envelops the ceramic core material 430 and offers protection for the ceramic.
The first embodiment shows a “straightener” or a “flat iron.” A flat iron is normally used to straighten and flatten hair. Those with curly or wavy hair and those who want to smooth out their ends would could use the invention as shown in the first embodiment. To use this tool, the user must maintain a strand of hair between the flat areas of the tool and slowly drag downward from the roots to the ends. The flat iron in the first embodiment would not be ideal to curl hair because the flatness in the middle and the curved surface of the tool will leave an angular crease if applied to the hair for a long period of time.
A second embodiment shown in FIG. 4 includes a single barrel 440 cooperating with a lower blade. The lower blade is curved and formed of rigid metal planar material and does not contain ceramic heat emitting material. The barrel holds a strand of hair and can curl hair wrapped around the outside circumference of the barrel. The cross sectional view shown in FIG. 5 provides a curved hair travel path. The ceramic material shown in FIG. 5C has a large cross section and is thus capable of retaining a substantial amount of heat.
The second embodiment shows what is typically referred to as a “curling iron.” Not only does the second embodiment allow a user with straight hair waves and curls, it also provides volume for those with finer hair. The size of the cylinder that makes up this tool is crucial; the larger the circumference of the cylinder, the larger the curls become. The curling iron with the larger cylindrical circumference produces bigger waves, while the curling iron with the smaller cylindrical circumference produces tighter curls and eventually achieves a spiral effect. To use the second embodiment, the user must maintain a strand of hair between the clip and the cylinder and use upward rolling motions, in which the curling starts from the ends to the roots.
A third embodiment of the present invention includes the device shown in figure six and seven. The lack of a ceramic core in the upper and lower blade allow a user to cool hair, or present limited heat for hair. As seen in the cross sectional view of FIG. 7. The upper blade fits into the lower blade forming a curved path for hair. The curved path is useful in a variety of cosmetology implementations.
The third embodiment in FIG. 7 represents a tool that can serve as both a curling and straightening device. Since using the curling iron may improperly create angular creases at its ends, this tool is useful to smooth creases while leaving a curly accent to the ends. The third embodiment of the invention can also be used after blow-drying to smooth hair, similar to the effects of the flat iron, of the first embodiment. The crescent design of this tool however, will leave a slight wave rather than dull and straight ends. This tool can also be used to flip a user's hair outwards. This would be a popular tool amongst users with short hair because the crescent design of this tool is ideal to grasp short strands of hair.
A fourth embodiment of the present invention is shown in figure eight and nine. A double barrel upper barrel portion cooperates with a double lower barrel portion whereby the upper barrel portion forms a wave pattern with the lower barrel portion. The wave pattern allows a user to create wavy patterns in hair.
The fourth embodiment is a “crimper.” Here the user must maintain strands of hair between the two cylinders and the bottom plate and apply pressure to one section at a time. The fourth embodiment cannot be used with continuous rolling motions; this will end up pulling the user's hair and result in undesired creases in the users' hair. This tool leaves the hair wavy. The fourth embodiment cannot produce spiral effects as Embodiment 2 can because this tool merely serves as a curved pattern that needs to be compressed onto one section of a strand of hair at a time.
The hair iron has an upper handle sleeve FIG. 4, 140 mounted and rotatably free on the upper handle 210. The upper handle has a circular uniform cross section receiving the upper handle sleeve. The upper handle sleeve has an annular uniform cross-section, and the upper handle sleeve may rotate about the upper handle. The upper handle sleeve axis of rotation parallels the central axis of the upper handle.
The lower handle sleeve 150 is mounted and rotatably free on the lower handle 140. The lower handle has a circular uniform cross section receiving the lower handle sleeve. The lower handle sleeve has an annular uniform cross-section. The lower handle sleeve may rotate about the lower handle and the lower handle sleeve axis of rotation parallels the central axis of the lower handle.
The foregoing describes the preferred embodiments of the invention. Modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as set forth in the following claims.

Claims

1. (canceled)

2. (canceled)

3. (canceled)

4. (canceled)

5. (canceled)

6. (canceled)

7. (canceled)

8. A hair iron for styling hair comprising: a pair of tong blades, a first tong blade and a second tong blade; a pair of upper barrels, each barrel having a circular cross section comprising a ceramic core enveloped in a metal jacket and mounted on the first tong blade and a lower jacket mounted on the second tong blade shaped with a pair of channels to receive the upper barrel, wherein the upper barrel and lower blade meet to form a wavy interface for holding hair to be straightened;

an upper handle and a lower handle forming a pair of handles;

a clip assembly pivotally joining the pair of handles to the pair of tong blades, wherein the first tong blade and pair of upper barrels is integrally formed with the lower handle, wherein the second tong blade and lower jacket including the pair of channels is integrally formed with the upper handle.

9. The hair iron of claim 8 further comprising: an upper handle sleeve mounted and rotatably free on the upper handle, wherein the upper handle has a circular uniform cross section receiving the upper handle sleeve; wherein the upper handle sleeve has an annular uniform cross-section, wherein the upper handle sleeve may rotate about the upper handle, wherein the upper handle sleeve axis oI rotation parallels the central axis of the upper handle;

further comprising a lower handle sleeve mounted and rotatably free on the lower handle, wherein the lower handle has a circular uniform cross section receiving the lower handle sleeve; wherein the lower handle sleeve has an annular uniform cross-section, wherein the lower handle sleeve may rotate about the lower handle, wherein the lower handle sleeve axis of rotation parallels the central axis of the lower handle.

10. The hair iron of claim 8 wherein the ceramic core is solid.