Hair Curler

The present invention relates to hair curlers and related appliances, particularly electric hair curlers and appliances of the hand-held type.

Electric hair curlers and appliances of the hand-held type are generally known, but have several disadvantages. For example, in many conventional hair curlers and appliances, hair is wound around a cylindrical hair-winding portion or attachment which has bristles disposed along its length. These bristles are quite hard and lack any significant flexibility. Thus, hair wound on the portion or attachment becomes entangled in these bristles and is very difficult to disentangle. This disadvantage displays itself in several ways. For example, a bundle of hair may be wound around the hair-winding portion or attachment in such a way that the bristles protrude beyond the wound hair and become entangled in another bundle of hair located beneath the first bundle. This kind of entanglement is often associated with entanglement of the wound hair with the bristles.

The "cushion brush" type of hair curler or appliance, known in the art, attempts to overcome these disadvantages by mounting its hard bristles on a flexible rubber bristle-mounting platform and restricting the movement of the bristles by enveloping the bristle-mounting platform with a harder layer through which the bristles project. However, it suffers from the disadvantage of hair binding by the rubber bristle-mounting platform which reduces the movement of the bristles so much that entanglement occurs. Further, assembly of the "cushion brush" hair curler or appliance is complicated.

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a hair curler or appliance having a hair-winding attachment or portion which will permit hair to become disentangled from its hair-winding bristles easily and surely. It is a further object of the present invention to provide such a hair curler or appliance which is easy to manufacture and assemble. These objects are achieved by the novel use of silicone rubber.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a conventional hair curler as employed in curling hair;

FIGS. 2(a) and 2(b) are, respectively, a front view in cross-section, and a side view, in cross-section, of the hair-winding portion of a second type of conventional hair curler;

FIG. 3 is a front view, in cross-section, of the hair-winding portion of a first embodiment of the hair curler of the claimed invention;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the bristle-mounting platform of the hair curler shown in FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a detail of the hair curler shown in FIG. 3, showing a bristle thereof;

FIGS. 6(a) and 6(b ) show the special characteristics of the bristle shown in FIG. 5;

FIG. 7 is an exploded perspective view showing the hair-winding portion of a second embodiment of the hair curler of the claimed invention;

FIG. 8 is a perspective view of the bristle-mounting platform of the hair curler shown in FIG. 7 prior to its incorporation therein;

FIG. 9 is an exploded perspective view of the hair-winding portion of a third embodiment of the hair curler of the claimed invention;

FIG. 10 is a perspective view of the bristle-mounting platform of the hair curler shown in FIG. 9 prior to its incorporation therein;

FIG. 11 is an exploded perspective view showing the hair-winding portion of a fourth embodiment of the hair curler of the claimed invention;

FIG. 12 is an exploded perspective view showing the hair-winding portion of a fifth embodiment of the hair curler of the claimed invention;

FIG. 13 is a detail, in cross-section, of the hair curler of FIG. 12, taken along line X--X thereof;

FIG. 14 is an exploded perspective view of the hair-winding portion of a sixth embodiment of the hair curler of the claimed invention;

FIG. 15 is a perspective view of the bristle-mounting platform of the hair curler of FIG. 14 prior to its incorporation therein;

FIG. 16 is a detail, in cross-section, of the platform of FIG. 15 taken along line Y--Y thereof;

FIG. 17 is a perspective view showing the hair-winding portion of a seventh embodiment of the hair curler of the claimed invention;

FIG. 18 is a side view, in cross-section, of the hair curler of FIG. 17;

FIG. 19 is a front view, in cross-section, of the hair curler of FIG. 17;

FIG. 20 is a perspective view of one of the bristle-mounting strips of the hair curler of FIG. 17;

FIG. 21 is an exploded perspective view showing the hair-winding portion of an eighth embodiment of the hair curler of the claimed invention;

FIG. 22 is a perspective view of one of the bristle-mounting strips of the hair curler of FIG. 21;

FIG. 23 is a perspective view showing the hair-winding portion of a ninth embodiment of the hair curler of the claimed invention;

FIG. 24 is a perspective view showing the mode of incorporation of the bristle-mounting platform of the hair curler of FIG. 23;

FIG. 25 is a partial perspective view of the bristle-mounting platform of the hair curler of FIG. 23;

FIGS. 26(a), 26(b), 26(c) and 27 are perspective views showing the hair-winding portion of the claimed invention on a variety of main bodies;

FIG. 28 is a front view of the hair-winding portion of a tenth embodiment of the hair curler of the claimed invention;

FIG. 29 is a side view, in cross-section, of the hair curler of FIG. 28, taken along the line D-D'; and

FIG. 30 is an exploded perspective view of the hair curler of FIG. 28 showing the bristle-mounting platform in its configuration prior to incorporation therein.

Referring first to FIG. 1, this illustrates a conventional hair curler C as actually employed in curling hair. The hair curler C is equipped with a hair-winding portion having bristles 2'. A bundle of hair A is shown being wound around the hair-winding portion of the hair curler C. As mentioned, because the bristles 2' are hard and lack flexibility, the hair in bundle A is likely to become entangled and cannot be disentangled except with great difficulty and possible harm to the hair. In addition, if bristles 2' project through wound hair bundle A they may also entangle hair from other bundles, such as hair B.sub.1, of hair bundle B. Indeed, the two kinds of entangling are often associated with one another.

Referring now to FIGS. 2(a) and 2(b), these illustrate a second type of conventional hair curler, known as a "cushion brush", which attempts to overcome the disadvantages of the hair curler illustrated in FIG. 1. In this "cushion brush" hair curler, the hard bristles 2" are mounted on a flexible rubber bristle-mounting platform 1". To control the movement of the bristles an envelope 3 of harder material surrounds the flexible rubber bristle-mounting platform 1". The bristles 2" project through the envelope 3, but since the root portions of the bristles 2" are surrounded by envelope 3, their free movement is restricted. However, the "cushion brush" hair curler has the disadvantage that the flexible rubber bristle-mounting platform can bind hair wound on the hair curler, resulting in the bristles being so restricted in their movement that entanglement occurs. In addition, the "cushion brush" hair curler is quite complicated in manufacture and assembly.

FIGS. 3 and 4 show a first embodiment of the claimed invention. A hair-winding portion or attachment for a hair curler or related hair appliance is comprised of a hollow rod assembly D detachably fixed at one of its ends to the main body 5 of the hair curler or related appliance (which may include means for heating or blowing hot air) and a cap 15 which caps hollow rod assembly D at its other end. Rod assembly D is comprised of an internal cylinder 4 surrounded by a cylindrical bristle-mounting platform 1 from which project bristles 2. Bristle-mounting platform 1 and bristles 2 are integrally fabricated from silicone rubber; the internal cylinder 4 is of relatively hard material. For example internal cylinder 4 may be made of highly thermal conductive metal such as aluminum. Both bristle-mounting platform 1 and internal cylinder 4 may include corresponding hot air outlets 14 for blowing out hot air.

The hair-winding portion or attachment including rod assembly D may be incorporated in a great variety of hair appliances. FIG. 26(a), shows the hair-winding portion or attachment attached to the main body 5 of a hair appliance for blowing hot air 6. In operation, ambient air is drawn in through air inlets 13 by fan 11 which is driven by motor 10 and heated as it passes heater 9. These components are arranged in main body 5 and controlled by electrical switch 12 in the usual manner. The heated air in the blower out through the hot air outlets of the hair-winding portion or attachment.

FIG. 26(b) shows the hair-winding portion or attachment attached to main body 5 of a hair iron 7 provided with a heater therein. Alternatively, the hair-winding attachment or portion assembly may be mounted on a handle 8 to form a hair iron which is heated by an external heater prior to being used on the hair. It will be noted that since neither hair iron in FIGS. 26(b) or 26(c) employs blowing hot air through the hair-winding attachment or portion, the hot air outlets 14 are unnecessary and have been eliminated. In addition, as shown in FIG. 27, incorporation of the hair-winding attachment or portion in a combination hair iron and roll-brush is possible if the main body 5 of hot air blowing hair appliance 6a is provided with a curling tube 17 and an associated movable hair gripping plate 16. The hair-winding attachment or portion may be detachably mounted on the main body 5 of the hot air blowing hair appliance 6a over curling tube 17 and gripping plate 16 to effect the combination.

Silicone rubber was selected as the material for bristle-mounting platform 1 and bristles 2 for several reasons:

(a) Bristles of silicone rubber have excellent resilience and recover from bending easily. As a result, such bristles have great durability also.

(b) Silicone rubber is stable at the high operating temperatures of hair appliances which employ heating such as hair curlers, hair irons and the like. Thus, bristles and bristle-mounting platforms of silicone rubber have great thermal endurance. Further, silicone rubber does not suffer permanent deformation (bending) due to heating during operation of such appliances and it is thus superior to thermoplastic elastomers in this respect.

(c) A larger friction force can be obtained between silicone rubber and hair. Thus, hair easily follows the rotation of the hair winding attachment of the hair appliance and bristles can wind hair easily;

(d) Although hair is frequently hurt by mechanical forces in brushing, bristles made of silicone rubber have a hardness lower than that of hair surfaces and are bent by a relatively low force if the hair is entangled when brushing. Thus, hair does not suffer an excessive force during brushing and damage to hair is prevented.

(e) Silicone rubber bristles have sufficient softness and flexibility to prevent entanglement of hair. Sufficient flexibility to prevent the entanglement of hair is defined as the spring constant K [load required for flexure of 1 mm (g/mm)] as calculated for a cantilever (bristle 2) projecting beyond the bristle-mounting platform 1 shown in FIG. 5. That is to say, when K is 6 to 20 g/mm, entanglement of hair can effectively be prevented and excellent combing attained.

(f) Silicone rubber has low surface hardness and, as shown in FIG. 6, bristles made of it adapt easily to the surface of the hair 21 when combing and have a marked effect of spreading sebaceous oil from the skin all over the hair.

FIGS. 7 and 8 show a second embodiment of the present invention. Silicone rubber bristle-mounting platform 1 is formed in a flat plate shape as shown in FIG. 8 with silicone rubber bristles 2 extending from its top surface, and has a pair of parallel fastening channels 18 extending from opposing edges of its bottom surface. The hard internal cylinder 4 is provided with a slit 19 extending over its length. The bristle-mounting platform 1 is mounted around internal cylinder 4 by engaging fastening channels 18 with the edges of internal cylinder 4 which define slit 19 to form rod assembly D. One end of rod assembly D is capped by cap 15 and the other end is secured by casing 25 of main body 5 of the hair appliance. The bristle-mounting platform 1 with its hot air outlets 14 and bristles 2 can be easily fabricated integrally in the flat plate shape. If internal cylinder 4 is made of a highly thermal conductive metal such as aluminum, heat is uniformly spread all over the wound hair, improving the curling effect.

FIGS. 9 and 10 show a third embodiment of the present invention. Silicone rubber bristle-mounting element 1 is formed in a flat plate shape with silicone rubber bristles 2 extending from its top surface. A pair of parallel flanges 20 extends from opposing edges of the top surface of bristle-mounting platform 1 as well. When bristle-mounting platform 1 is mounted around hollow internal cylinder 4, the pair of flanges 20 meet to form a ridge along the length of cylinder 4 and are engaged and retained within channel-shaped fastener 22. So mounted, bristle-mounting platform 1 and internal cylinder 4 form rod assembly D. One end of rod assembly D is capped by cap 15 and the other end is secured by casing 25 of main body 5 of the hair appliance.

FIG. 11 shows a fourth embodiment of the present invention. A silicone rubber bristle-mounting platform 1 with silicone rubber bristles 2 is formed in flat plate shape similar to those described above and is mounted around a similar internal cylinder 4 to form rod assembly D. The top (external) surface of bristle-mounting platform 1 is provided with a plurality of grooves 23 along its length at fixed spaces from one another. Highly thermal conductive metal strips 24 such as strips of aluminum are inserted in said grooves 23. The strips may be held in place by having their ends retained by cap 15 (which caps one end of rod assembly D) and casing 25 of main body 5 (to which the other end of rod assembly D is attached). Hot air outlets 14 corresponding to those of bristle-mounting platform 1 (and internal cylinder 4) may be disposed along the thermal conductive metal strips 24. The highly thermal conductive metal bands 24 lead to better thermal conductance and thereby improve curling.

FIGS. 12 and 13 show a fifth embodiment of the present invention. Silicone rubber bristle-mounting platform 1 is mounted integrally on the internal surface of a cylinder 26 (the latter being made of highly thermal conductive metal such as aluminum and the like) to form rod assembly D. One end of rod assembly D is capped by cap 15 and the other end is secured to casing 25 of main body 5 of the hair appliance. Silicone rubber bristles 2, which are integral with bristle-mounting platform 1, project beyond projection holes 27 of said external cylinder 26. The diameter of said projection holes 27, D.sub.2, and the diameter of the root portions of said bristles 2, D.sub.1, have the relation of D.sub.1 <D.sub.2 because silicone rubber tears easily. If D.sub.1 =D.sub.2, that is to say if the edges of said projection holes 27 of said external cylinder 26 come in contact with said bristles 2, the bristles 2 would be likely to break. The direct contact of hair with said external cylinder 26 can improve the curling of hair.

FIGS. 14 to 16 show a sixth embodiment of the present invention. Silicone rubber bristle-mounting platform 1 with silicone rubber bristles 2 extending from its top surface, is manufactured in flat plate form, and mounted integrally on the bottom surface of a flexible plate 28 made of a highly thermal conductive metal such as aluminum. Bristles 2 extend through projection holes 27 of metal plate 28. A pair of parallel flanges 29 extends from opposing edges of the bottom surface of flexible metal plate 28. Bristles 2 are integral with bristle-mounting platform 1 and project beyond projection holes 27 of metal plate 28. Bristle-mounting platform 1 and flexible metal plate 28 are mounted around an internal cylinder 4 provided with a lengthwise slit 19 by bending flanges 29 of metal plate 28 around the edges of internal cylinder 4 which define slit 19. This forms rod assembly D which is capped by a cap at one end, the other end being attached to the main body of the hair appliance. The diameter of projection holes 27 D.sub.2 and the diameter of the root portions of said bristles 2 D.sub.1 are such that D.sub.1 <D.sub.2 for the above-mentioned reason.

FIGS. 17 to 20 show a seventh embodiment of the present invention. Bristle-mounting platform 1 is constructed from a plurality of bristle-mounting strips 30 spaced from one another about a cylindrical axis at fixed intervals to form rod assembly D. One end of rod assembly D is capped by a cap and the other end is secured to casing 25 of the main body 5 of the hair appliance. Each bristle-mounting strip 30 comprises a silicone rubber bristle element strip 32 with an internal core strip 31 of springy materials. Silicone rubber bristles 2 are integral with and extend from each bristle element strip 32. The ends of said bristle-mounting strips 30 are retained by cap 15 and casing 25 of main body 5 of a hair appliance. The gaps between bristle-mounting strips 30 serve as hot air outlets 14. The ends of core strips 31 project beyond the ends of their respective bristle element strips 32 and are inserted into grooves 35 of cap 15 and casing 25. A supporting axis 33 extends from cap 15 and is secured to casing 25 by a screw. Outlets 34 in casing 25 permit hot air to be conveyed from main body 5 to the interior of rod assembly D. Bristle-mounting strips 30 are springy and flex when hair is wound round the hair curler. Hair is placed under tension from the inside of the wound hair and thereby curling can be improved.

FIGS. 21 and 22 show an eighth embodiment of the present invention. Hair-winding cylinder 38 is provided with grooves 39 on its external surface. The grooves 39 are spaced from one another and extend in the axial direction of cylinder 38. Each groove has the cross-section of an inverted T. A silicone rubber bristle-mounting strip 36 is inserted in each groove to form a rod assembly. One end of the rod assembly is capped by cap 15 and the other end is secured to casing 25 of main body 5 of the hair appliance. Each strip 36 has the cross-section of an inverted T complementary to its respective groove 39 and includes a pair of parallel fastener flanges 37 which extend along its sides at its lower surface and silicone rubber bristles 2 which extend from its upper surface. The strips 36 are further retained by casing 25 of main body 5 and cap 15.

FIGS. 23 to 25 show a ninth embodiment of the present invention. A silicone rubber bristle-mounting element 1 from which extend silicone rubber bristles 2 is formed in a flexible narrow band. Said bristle-mounting element 1 is wound spirally around relatively hard hair-winding cylinder 38 to form a rod assembly. Casing 25 of main body 5 and cap 15 fit over the bristle-mounting element 1 at the ends of cylinder 38 to retain it thereon.

FIGS. 28 to 30 show a tenth embodiment of the present invention. A silicone rubber bristle-mounting platform 41 is formed in a flat plate shape with silicone rubber bristles extending from its top surface. Two opposing edges of platform 41 form a pair of parallel flanges 50. A series of three hook fasteners 42 are provided along each of the other two opposing edges along the bottom surface of platform 41 so that there are three pairs of opposing hook fasteners 42. The hook portions 44 of the hook fasteners 42 of each opposing pair face each other. The bristle-mounting platform 41 is mounted around a cylinder 40 to form a rod assembly. Cylinder 40 has a series of three colinear hook insertion slits 43 extending axially along its length, there being one hook insertion slit 43 for each pair of opposing hook fasteners 42. At each end of cylinder 40 is a lip 51. Platform 41 is mounted around cylinder by inserting each pair of opposing hook fasteners 42 in its respective insertion slit 43. On insertion, the hook portions 44 of each hook fastener 42 of each pair engage with the respective edge portions of cylinder 40 which defines their respective insertion slit 43. In addition, an insert fastener 45 is employed which has three colinear insert tabs 46 corresponding to the insertion slits 43. At least some of the insert tabs have locking notches 47 at one of their ends. Each tab 46 is inserted in its respective insertion slit 43 between the two members of the hook fastener pair already inserted and engaged. The insert fastener 45 is then moved axially to engage the fastening notches 47 of the insert tabs 46 with cylinder 40 on which platform 41 has been placed. A front cap 48 and rear cap 49 are then placed over the ends of cylinder 40. Caps 48 and 49 have fitting grooves 53 and fit over lips 51 to secure flanges 50 of platform 41 to cylinder 40.