Marcel-type curling irons and case having stove

[0001] This application is a divisional of co-assigned U.S. application Ser. No. 09/649,558, which was filed on Aug. 28, 2000, now U.S. Pat. No. 6,604,532 and which claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application 60/151,015, which was filed on Aug. 27, 1999. The original texts of both of these applications are incorporated herein by reference.

[0002] The present invention concerns curling irons, particularly Marcel-type curling iron and stoves for heating Marcel-type curling irons.

[0003] Curling irons have been around for a long time. Marcel-type, or Marcel, curling irons were invented and later patented by Francois Rene Marcel in 1927. U.S. Pat. No. 1,622,834, which is incorporated herein by reference, describes the basic structure and workings of original Marcel curling irons. In particular, these type curling irons include a long tubular curling barrel (or rod) and an equally long concave hair clamp which pivot around a common point, like scissors. The curling barrel and the hair clamp are each attached to a corresponding handle. A freely rotatable, hard plastic tube covers each handle, providing some insulation from heat and facilitating use of the curling iron. Use of this curling iron entails heating both its curling barrel and its hair clamp in or on a stove, then inserting a section of hair between the heated barrel and clamp, and finally turning or twisting the curling iron to form a desired curl or wave.

[0004] Perhaps as a testament to its excellent design, little has changed about the Marcel curling iron in the over 70 years since its patenting in 1927. Today's Marcel curling irons follow the same basic structure and workings of the original Marcel, down even to the rotatable handle covers. One apparent innovation seems to have been the introduction of a wide selection of curling barrel diameters and shapes, or cross-sections to make smaller or larger curls and waves. For example, Kizure™ Products of Compton, Calif. sells Marcel curling irons with C-shaped cross-sections and with fixed barrel diameters of one-eighth, one-quarter, three-eighths, five-eighths, three-quarters, up to about one and a half or two inches. The length of the curling barrel and hair clamp, however, have remained relatively fixed in the five-to-seven-inch range, providing users with options to treat both wide and narrow sections of hair with the same iron.

[0005] Despite the longevity and popularity of the Marcel design, the present inventor, a professional hair stylist for 20 years, has pin pointed at least three shortcomings. First, the curling barrel (and clamp) of conventional Marcel curling irons are too long for many applications, such as making spiral curls starting at the nape area of clients. Using the conventional five-to-seven-inch-long curling barrel in this area often leads many stylists to burn their clients or to form inferior spiral curls. Second, the hair clamps of conventional Marcel curling irons typically have a square edge, which ultimately leaves undesirable creases or crimps in resulting curls or waves. And third, the rotatable hard plastic tube covering each handle gets hot and is uncomfortable for extended professional use.

[0006] Accordingly, there is a need for better performing Marcel curling irons.

[0007] To address this and other needs, the present inventor has devised several improvements to Marcel curling irons. An exemplary embodiment incorporating her improvements features a substantially shorter curling barrel and hair clamp for reducing burn risk and improving curl control, rounded edges on the hair clamp for making smoother curls, and freely rotatable handle covers having one or more finger-notches or openings for greater user comfort.

[0008] A second aspect of the invention concerns sets, or ensembles, of Marcel curling iron based on length. For example, one exemplary ensemble provides a curling-iron set including a long, or conventional-length, Marcel curling iron and a 50-percent shorter, Marcel curling iron. Other exemplary ensembles include long-, medium-, and short-barrel Marcel curling irons of the same or different diameters. Thus, in contrast to conventional ensembles which only provide curling irons of variant curling barrel diameters and relatively fixed length, the invention provides ensembles including curling barrels of varying lengths, thereby expanding the tool set available to stylists, particularly professional stylists.

[0009] A third aspect of the invention is a stove for two or more curling irons of substantially different length. An exemplary stove, in accord with this aspect of the invention, includes at least two chambers, with one having a depth for receiving a conventional (long) curling barrel and the second chamber having a depth approximately one half that of the first chamber for receiving a shorter curling barrel. (In some embodiments, the chambers are the same actual depth, but one has a false bottom or other barrel support structure for changing its effective depth.) The exemplary stove also includes a detachable rack for one or more curling irons and a partially detachable case convenient for traveling.

[0020] The following detailed description, which references and incorporates FIGS. 1A–4, describes and illustrates one or more specific embodiments of the invention. These embodiments, offered not to limit but only to exemplify and teach the invention, are shown and described in sufficient detail to enable those skilled in the art to practice the invention. Thus, where appropriate to avoid obscuring the invention, the description may omit certain information known to those of skill in the art.

[0021] FIG. 1 shows an exemplary Marcel curling iron 100 in accord with the present invention. Curling iron 100 includes a curling barrel 110, a hair clamp 120, and handles 130 and 140. Curling barrel 110 has a length 110x and a uniform diameter 110d which is shown best in the front view of FIG. 1A. Length 110x is generally in the range of 0.5 to 4.5 inches, inclusive. Diameter 110d is generally unrestricted in the exemplary embodiment. The table below lists various novel diameter-length combinations for curling barrel 100.

[0022]

	Diameter 110 d	Length 110 x
	0.765 inches	(K)	3.2 inches
	0.875 inches	(L)	4.0 inches
	1.00 inches	(M)	3.7 inches
	1.125 inches	(R)	4.4 inches

K, M, L, and R are industry designations for the associated diameters. Other embodiments, however, use other standard industry diameters with lengths within the exemplary range of 0.5 to 4.5 inches. Some embodiments use non-standard diameters within the exemplary range of 0.5 to 4.5 inches.

[0023] Although the exemplary embodiment forms curling barrel 110 as a solid steel member, other embodiments form it as a hollow tube. (One exemplary construction forms and swages 304 stainless steel tubing.) Still other embodiments form curling barrel 110 with a C-shaped cross-section. Other cross-sections are also feasible.

[0024] Hair clamp 120, which as length 120x generally equal to length 110x of curling barrel 110, engages with curling barrel 110 as known in the art to clamp hair between it and a portion of the surface of the curling barrel. As FIG. 1B shows, hair clamp 120 is concave, with a radius of curvature 120r, to engage the curved surface of the curling barrel. Hair clamp 120 also includes curved or rounded edges 122 and 124 which reduce or prevent crimping or creasing of hair clamped between it and curling barrel 110.

[0025] Handle 130, which is attached to curling barrel 100, includes a solid or hollow interior member 132 and an external grip member 134. External grip member 134 rotates freely about interior member 132, as known in the art. Likewise, handle 140, which is attached to hair clamp 120, includes a solid or hollow interior member 142 and an exterior grip member 144. Exterior grip member 144 rotates freely about interior member 142.

[0026] Though not clearly visible in FIG. 1, exterior grip members 134 and 144 are distinct from one another. In particular, one of the grip members has a different texture than the other to provide a tactile indication of orientation of the curling iron during operation. Exemplary textural combinations for the two grip members include smooth and rough or soft and hard. One embodiment provides one handle with a knurled surface and the other with a smooth surface; another provides one handle with a fine knurled surface and the other with a coarse knurled surface; another provides one with a pointed-type bumpy surface and the other with a blunter bumpy surface. Indeed, the combinations are endless. Therefore, this aspect of the invention is not limited to any particular type of pairing, so long as one handle has a different tactile feel than the other.

[0027] FIGS. 2A–2B, 2C–2D, and 2E–2F show three other alternative structures for use as one or both of exterior grip members 124 and 144. In particular, FIGS. 2A and 2B shows an exterior grip structure 150 which includes a number of raised interleaved and laterally offset half-ring regions 152a–152c and 152a–152c. Half-ring regions 152a and 152b are separated by a lower surface region 154, and half-ring regions 152a and 152b are separated by a lower surface region 155.

[0028] FIGS. 2C and 2D show an exemplary exterior grip structure 160. Structure 160 includes a number of raised bulbous regions 162, 164, 166, and 168. Raised bulbous regions 162 and 164 are separated by a contiguous or noncontiguous lower region 162; bulbous regions 164 and 166 are separated by a contiguous or noncontiguous lower region 165; and bulbous regions 166 and 168 are separated by a contiguous or noncontiguous lower region 167. FIG. 2D shows that each bulbous region includes a void region 169, which separates its undersurface from the interior member (122 or 142) of the handle. In the exemplary embodiment, the void region functions not only to improve the insulative capability of the grip member, but also as a cushion, with the level of cushioning dependent on the rigidity of the material constituting the grip member.

[0029] FIGS. 2E and 2F show an exemplary exterior grip structure 170. Structure 170 includes a number of open fin members 172, 174, and 176. Open fin member 172 includes respective openings 172, 175, and 176. The openings, in this exemplary embodiment, serve a function similar to that of void regions 169 in grip structure 160.

[0030] Exemplary construction materials for the grip structures shown in FIGS. 1 and 2A–2F include plastic, rubber, and neoprene. However, the present invention is not limited to any particular material composition.

[0031] FIGS. 2G and 2H show side and cross-sectional views of exemplary grip structure 180. Exemplary grip structure 180 includes a five-eighths-inch diameter molded, thermoplastic cover 182 and a nickel-plated-steel, right-cylindrical endcap 184. Opposite endcap 184, cover 182 includes a one-inch diameter, integral, annular flange extension region 182a, an end region 182b, and a middle region 182c between regions 182a and 182b.

[0032] Internally, as shown specifically in FIG. 2H, grip structure 180 further includes ceramic shoulder bushings 186a and 186a, an air gap or sleeve 187, and a steel cylindrical spindle liner 188, and a handle retaining members 189a and 189b. Ceramic shoulder bushing 186a engages a retaining member 189a and bushing 186b engages retaining member 189b. In the exemplary embodiment, retaining member 189a is a corresponding shoulder of handle spindle 132 or 142, and retaining member 189b is a pin extending through the end of the handle spindle. Bushings 186a and 186b mate with respective ends 188a and 188b of spindle liner 188 to define an air gap or air sleeve 187 between handle spindle 132, 142 and liner 188. Notably, bushings 186a and 186b and air sleeve 187 thermally insulate respective portions 182a, 182b, and 182c from handle spindle 132, 142, lowering the operating temperature of cover 188 relative that of handle spindle 188 and facilitating user comfort.

[0033] FIGS. 3A, 3B, and 3C show respective front, top, and side views of an exemplary travel-case-and-stove assembly 300, which includes stove 400 and case 500. Stove 400 is suitable for use with two or more Marcel curling irons, at least one of which is in accord with the present invention. Stove 400 includes a housing 402, a long heating chamber 404, a short heating chamber 406, a detachable side curling-iron racks 408, detachable top curling-iron rack 410, and a control panel 412. Heating chambers 404 and 406 have respective nominal depths 404d and 406d, with depth 404d being suitable for receiving a five-to-seven-inch-long curling barrel and hair clamp of a Marcel curling iron and with depth 406d being suitable for receiving a shorter curling barrel and hair clamp of a marcel curling iron in accord with the present invention.

[0034] In the exemplary embodiment, depth 406d is approximately one half of depth 404d. In other embodiments, depth 406d is three-quarters or one third of depth 404d. Though stove 400 is shown with only two chambers, other embodiments more chambers to heat more curl irons. For example, one embodiment includes three chambers with different depths: a first chamber for conventional length irons, a second for shorter irons in accord with the invention, and a third even shorter iron still in accord with the invention. Moreover, in some embodiments, each chamber is separately controllable to heat corresponding curling irons to different temperatures.

[0035] Travel case 500 includes a base 502, a cover 504, a handle 506, four latches 508, 510, 512, and 514, and internal storage racks 516 and 518. Base 502 mounts to the bottom of stove 400 using bolts, screws, weld joints, or other convenient means. Cover 504 mates with the periphery of base 502, with latches 508–512 fastening it in place. Latches 508–512 include respective base and cover portions 508a–512a and 508a–512b which are attached respectively to base 502 and cover 504. Handle 506 is hinged to cover 504. Internal storage racks (pouches or compartments) 516 and 518 are available to store curling irons and other styling tools, such as comb, brushes, and so forth. The invention is not limited to any particular shape or size or construction of the travel case, so long as it has a relatively rigid base attachable to a stove. Likewise, any currently or future available form of releasable fastener can be used to hold the cover or at least a portion of the cover in a fixed position relative to the base.

[0036] In the exemplary embodiment, using the curling-iron stove within case 500 entails unfastening latches 508-512 and removing cover 504 to expose the stove. Cover 504 can then be set aside out of the way. An electrical cord (not shown) for the stove can then be connected to an appropriate power supply and the stove operated as normal. After completion of operation, the cord and other accessories such as a variety of Marcel curling irons within and without the scope of the invention can be stored conveniently and securely within the case. After latching cover 504 in place, case 500 is ready for transport. Unlike conventional stoves which lack an attachable enclosure or transport structure, the exemplary carry structure allows one to safely transport both hot curling irons and a hot stove without risk of burning anyone or anything.

[0037] Other embodiments of the invention equip Marcel curling irons, such as those described above, with one or more electrical heating elements within the curling barrel. These heating elements have insulative electrical leads which extend through a tubular opening in the handle attached to the curling barrel. The electrical leads extend out the end of the handle and have an electrical plug for insertion in common electrical outlets. FIG. 4 shows an exemplary electric curling iron 600. Some embodiments of the electric curling iron use flat and/or braided electrical conductors to facilitate passage through constricted portions of the curling irons. Other embodiments also include a thermocouple or other temperature sensor within the heating element to faciliate temperature regulation. A temperature controller could be placed within the handle or in-line with the electrical leads extending from the handle.

[0038] Still other embodiments extend the teachings of providing short curling barrels to electric curling irons generally. Like conventional Marcel curling irons, these curling irons are conventionally provided with five-to-seven inch curling barrels and thus pose a significant burn risk to users. Accordingly, providing these curling irons with shorter curling irons would reduce burn risk while improving control.

[0039] In furtherance of the art, the inventor devised several improvements to Marcel curling irons. An exemplary embodiment incorporating her improvements features a substantially shorter curling barrel and hair clamp for reducing burn risk and improving curl control, rounded edges on the hair clamp for making smoother curls, and freely rotatable handle covers having one or more finger-notches or openings for greater user comfort. Other aspects of the invention concerns sets, or ensembles, of Marcel curling iron based on length, and a stove for two or more curling irons of substantially different length.

[0040] The embodiments described above are intended only to illustrate and teach one or more ways of practicing or implementing the present invention, not to restrict its breadth or scope. The actual scope of the invention, which embraces all ways of practicing or implementing the teachings of the invention, is defined only by the following claims and their equivalents.