WO2013033045A1

WO2013033045A1 - Heated cushion hair clips

Info

Publication number: WO2013033045A1
Application number: PCT/US2012/052577
Authority: WO
Inventors: Masood Habibi
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2011-08-26
Filing date: 2012-08-27
Publication date: 2013-03-07
Anticipated expiration: 2014-02-26

Abstract

In accordance with one embodiment, heated cushion hair clips are provided with opposing soft pads or cushions for contacting the hair. These soft pads reduce marks left on the hair by the hair clips. The heated cushion hair clips can be used over an electric or non¬ electric roller curler to speed up the curling process, without causing marking or indentation of the hair. These soft pads thermally insulate the hair by surrounding the hair inside the clip. The pads are made of a high temperature resistant material such as silicone rubber so that they may be repeatedly heated without damage during the lifetime of the product. The silicone rubber may be embedded with other materials such as liquids, metals, ceramic and/or composite powders or beads and the like, or some combination thereof, to increase its ability to store heat.

Description

S P E C I F I C A T I O N

TITLE

Heated Cushion Hair Clips

RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0001] This application is a non-provisional application based on co-pending United States Provisional Patent Application Serial No. 61/528,030 filed August 26, 2011, in the name of inventor Masood Habibi, entitled "Heated Cushion Hair Clips." The entirety of that application is hereby incorporated herein by reference as if set forth fully herein.

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0002] The present disclosure is directed generally to the field of hair styling. More particularly it is directed to heated hair clips used in the hair styling process.

BACKGROUND

[0002] Hair clips are generally formed of a pair of opposed jaws coupled at a hinge and biased with a spring toward the closed position. One opens them by applying a squeezing pressure to the handles of the hair clip. The hair may then be placed in the clip, the clip closed and the styling process completed. OVERVIEW

[0003] In accordance with one embodiment, heated cushion hair clips are provided with opposing soft pads or cushions for contacting the hair. These soft pads reduce marks left on the hair by the hair clips. The heated cushion hair clips can be used over an electric or non-electric roller curler to speed up the curling process, without causing marking or indentation of the hair. These soft pads thermally insulate the hair by surrounding the hair inside the clip. The pads are made of a high temperature resistant material such as silicone rubber so that they may be repeatedly heated without damage during the lifetime of the product. The silicone rubber may be embedded with other materials such as liquids, metals, ceramic and/or composite powders or beads and the like, or some combination thereof, to increase its ability to store heat.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0004] The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated into and constitute a part of this specification, illustrate one or more examples of embodiments and, together with the description of example embodiments, serve to explain the principles and implementations of the

embodiments.

[0005] In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a side elevation view of a hair clip in accordance with one embodiment.

FIG. 2 is a top plan view of the hair clip.

FIG. 3 is a side elevation view of an open hair clip.

FIG. 4 is a front view of an open hair clip.

FIG. 5 is a rear view of a closed hair clip.

FIGs. 6 and 7 are side elevation views of a closed hair clip.

FIG. 8 is a side elevation view of a hair clip in accordance with another embodiment.

FIG. 9 is a top plan view of the hair clip.

FIG. 10 is a side elevation view of an open hair clip.

FIG. 11 is a detail view of one of the jaws of the hair clip.

DESCRIPTION OF EXAMPLE EMBODIMENTS

[0006] Example embodiments are described herein in the context of heated hair clips used for hair styling. Those of ordinary skill in the art will realize that the following description is illustrative only and is not intended to be in any way limiting. Other embodiments will readily suggest themselves to such skilled persons having the benefit of this disclosure. Reference will now be made in detail to implementations of the example embodiments as illustrated in the accompanying drawings. The same reference indicators will be used to the extent possible throughout the drawings and the following description to refer to the same or like items.

[0007] In the interest of clarity, not all of the routine features of the implementations described herein are shown and described. It will, of course, be appreciated that in the development of any such actual implementation, numerous implementation-specific decisions must be made in order to achieve the developer's specific goals, such as compliance with application- and business-related constraints, and that these specific goals will vary from one implementation to another and from one developer to another. Moreover, it will be appreciated that such a development effort might be complex and time-consuming, but would nevertheless be a routine undertaking of engineering for those of ordinary skill in the art having the benefit of this disclosure.

[0008] References herein to "one embodiment" or "an embodiment" or "one

implementation" or "an implementation" means that a particular feature, structure, part, function or characteristic described in connection with the embodiment can be included in at least one embodiment of the invention. The appearances of phrases such as "in one embodiment" or "in one implementation" in different places within this specification are not necessarily all referring to the same embodiment or implementation, nor are separate and alternative embodiments necessarily mutually exclusive of other embodiments.

[0009] FIG. 1 is a side elevation view of a hair clip 100 in accordance with one embodiment. The clip is fabricated of two hinged jaws (102, 104). The hinged jaws are coupled together and biased with a spring 106 toward a closed position. A pair of opposed handles 108, 110 may be pushed together to overcome the closing force of spring 106 and to open the hairclip 100.

Interlocking teeth 112, 114 engage at the opening side 116 of the hairclip 100. Hair to be styled is held in place by the jaws and the action of the spring.

[0010] FIG. 2 is a top plan view of a hair clip 100 in accordance with one embodiment. Ribs 118 are provided to reduce thermal contact with the skin while manipulating the heated hair clips 100.

[0011] FIG. 3 is a side elevation view of an open hair clip 100. On the inside of the hair clip 100 are a pair of opposing soft pads 120, 122 which either form a part of corresponding hinged parts 102, 104 or are attached thereto by clips, adhesive or in another conventional manner. Soft pads 120, 122 each may include soft flexible pins 124 extending away from the pads and which engage the hair and prevent it from sliding around while the hair clip 100 is clipped to the hair. [0012] FIG. 4 is a front view of an open hair clip 100. [0013] FIG. 5 is a rear view of a closed hair clip 100.

[0014] FIGs. 6 and 7 are side elevation views of a closed hair clip 100 showing one embodiment in which the hair clip structure is flexible so that it may conform to the hair as well as to a cylinder such as a hair curler so that it may be used to clip the hair to the curler.

[0015] FIGs. 8 - 11 are directed to another embodiment of the hair clip. This embodiment employs a more rigid pair of jaws which contain the opposing soft pads 220, 222. FIG. 8 is a side elevation view of a hair clip 200 in accordance with one embodiment. The clip is fabricated of two hinged jaws (202, 204). The hinged jaws are coupled together and biased with a spring 206 toward a closed position. A pair of opposed handles 208, 210 may be pushed together to overcome the closing force of spring 206 and to open the hairclip 200. Interlocking teeth 212, 214 engage at the opening side 216 of the hairclip 200. Hair to be styled is held in place by the jaws and the action of the spring.

[0016] FIG. 9 is a top plan view of the hair clip 200. Ribs 218 are provided to reduce thermal contact with the skin while manipulating the heated hair clips 200.

[0017] FIG. 10 is a side elevation view of an open hair clip 200. On the inside of the hair clip 200 are a pair of opposing soft pads 220, 222 which either form a part of corresponding hinged parts 202, 204 or are attached thereto by clips, adhesive or in another conventional manner. Soft pads 220, 222 each may include soft flexible pins 224 extending away from the pads which engage the hair and prevent it from sliding around while the hair clip 200 is clipped to the hair.

[0018] FIG. 11 is a detail view of one of the jaws 202. It shows the pins 224 used for engaging the hair in more detail.

[0019] In one embodiment the soft pads may be filled with a liquid, ceramic or composite or metal powder or metal beads or some combination thereof, for additional heat retention while maintaining the cushion's soft characteristics.

[0020] While embodiments and applications have been shown and described, it would be apparent to those skilled in the art having the benefit of this disclosure that many more modifications than mentioned above are possible without departing from the inventive concepts disclosed herein. The invention, therefore, is not to be restricted except in the spirit of the appended claims.

Claims

CLAIMS What is claimed is:

1. A hair clip, comprising:

a first jaw and a second jaw, the first and second jaws hinged together and biased toward a closed position, the first and second jaw each including a handle which when pushed together open the clip;

the first and second jaw each including a pad formed of a soft material for contacting hair.

2. The hair clip of claim 1, wherein the soft material includes silicone rubber.

3. The hair clip of claim 2, wherein the silicone rubber has additional heat retaining materials embedded in it.

4. The hair clip of claim 3, wherein the heat retaining materials comprise metal.

5. The hair clip of claim 3, wherein the heat retaining materials comprise ceramic material.

6. The hair clip of claim 3, wherein the heat retaining materials comprise composite materials.

7. The hair clip of claim 1, wherein the pads of the first and second jaws each include a plurality of pins extending away from the pad.