COMBINATION COMB AND FLAT IRON DEVICE

Abstract

A combination comb and hair iron device for providing both combing of hair and protection from burning or the scalp or other body parts. The device has an inner comb, and an outer comb. The inner comb and outer comb are slidably and removably mounted to the side of the hair iron by a mounting mechanism. The inner comb may be heated, and provides for additional heated hair treatment. The outer comb is insulated from the inner comb and protects from contact of the scalp with the inner comb or hair iron.

Claims

1. A combination comb and hair iron device which comprises: a) a cooperating hair iron; b) at least one comb; and c) a mounting means; wherein said cooperating hair iron has side; wherein said mounting means is disposed along said side of said cooperating hair iron; and wherein said mounting means mounts said at least one comb along said side of said cooperating hair iron.

2. The device of claim 1 wherein said mounting means removably mounts said at least one comb along said side of said cooperating hair iron.

3. The device of claim 2 wherein said cooperating hair iron has an upper portion and a lower portion; wherein said upper portion of said cooperating hair iron is hingedly attached to said lower portion of said cooperating hair iron; and wherein said mounting means is disposed along said side of said upper portion of said cooperating hair iron.

4. The device of claim 3 wherein said upper portion has a heated iron; wherein said lower portion has a heated iron; and wherein said hinged attachment of said upper portion to said lower portion allows said heated iron of said upper portion and said heated iron of said lower portion to come into contact when said upper portion is parallel with said lower portion.

5. The device of claim 4 wherein said heated iron of said upper portion and said heated iron of said lower portion are electrically heated.

6. The device of claim 5 wherein said at least one comb is slidably mounted in said mounting means.

7. The device of claim 6 wherein said at least one comb comprises two combs.

8. The device of claim 7 wherein said two combs comprise an outer comb and an inner comb; wherein said inner comb is mounted closer to said heated iron of said upper portion than said outer comb.

9. The device of claim 8 wherein said inner comb is heated.

10. The device of claim 9 wherein said inner comb is heated electrically.

11. The device of claim 10 wherein said mounting means further comprises a thermal insulator; and wherein said thermal insulator is between said inner comb and said outer comb.

12. The device of claim 10 wherein said inner comb further comprises an electrical connection; and wherein said electrical connection is for obtaining electric power from a source outside said inner comb.

13. The device of claim 12 wherein said source outside said inner comb is an outlet on said cooperating hair iron.

14. The device of claim 9 wherein said device further comprises a channel; and wherein said channel is for receiving said inner comb and said outer comb.

15. The device of claim 14 wherein said channel is secured to said lower portion of said cooperating hair iron.

16. The device of claim 15 wherein said channel is parallel to said mounting means when said hinged attachment of said upper portion to said lower portion has allowed said heated iron of said upper portion and said heated iron of said lower portion to come into contact.

17. The device of claim 16 wherein said channel comprises an inner channel and an outer channel; wherein said inner channel is for receiving said inner comb; and wherein said outer channel is for receiving said outer comb.

18. The device of claim 17 wherein said channel is formed from a thermally insulating material.

19. The device of claim 9 wherein said outer comb comprises a plurality of tines; wherein said inner comb comprises a plurality of tines wherein said plurality of tines of said outer comb corresponds in number to said plurality of tines of said inner comb.

20. The device of claim 19 wherein said plurality of tines of said inner comb are composed of a metal.

21. The device of claim 20 wherein said metal of said plurality of tines of said inner comb is selected from the group of aluminum and steel.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0019] The figures of the drawings are briefly described as follows:

[0020] FIG. 1 is a diagrammatic perspective view illustrating the COMBINATION COMB AND FLAT IRON DEVICE being utilized to straighten a person's hair;

[0021] FIG. 2 is another diagrammatic perspective view illustrating the COMBINATION COMB AND FLAT IRON DEVICE per se;

[0022] FIG. 3 is a diagrammatic plan view illustrating all the major components of the system separated from each other;

[0023] FIG. 4 is a cross sectional view taken on line 4-4 of FIG. 2 but with the flattening irons in a closed position

[0024] FIG. 5 is another diagrammatic perspective view illustrating the COMBINATION COMB AND FLAT IRON DEVICE per se, showing the plug for the heating comb element separated fron a cooperating receptacle; and

[0025] FIG. 6 is another diagrammatic perspective view illustrating the COMBINATION COMB AND FLAT IRON DEVICE per se, showing the a set of combs partially installed in cooperating holding mechanisms.

A MARSHALING OF REFERENCE NUMERALS UTILIZED IN THE DRAWINGS

[0026] 10 comb and hair iron device [0027] 12 cooperating hair iron [0028] 14 comb [0029] 16 mounting mechanism [0030] 18 side of cooperating hair iron 12 [0031] 20 upper portion of cooperating hair iron 12 [0032] 22 lower portion of cooperating hair iron 12 [0033] 24 hinge attachment [0034] 26 heated iron of upper portion 20 of cooperating hair iron 12 [0035] 28 heated iron of lower portion 22 of cooperating hair iron 12 [0036] 30 outer comb [0037] 32 inner comb [0038] 34 thermal insulator [0039] 36 electrical connection [0040] 38 outlet [0041] 40 channel [0042] 42 inner channel of channel 40 [0043] 44 outer channel of channel 40 [0044] 46 tines of outer comb 30 [0045] 48 tines of inner comb 32

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

[0046] Referring now to the figures, in which like numerals indicate like parts, and particularly to FIGS. 1, 2 and 3, disclosed is a combination comb and hair iron device 10 which has:

[0047] a) a cooperating hair iron 12;

[0048] b) at least one comb 14; and

[0049] c) a mounting mechanism 16.

The cooperating hair iron 12 has side 20. The mounting mechanism 16 is disposed along the side 20 of the cooperating hair iron 12. The mounting mechanism mounts the at least one comb 14 along the side 20 of the cooperating hair iron 12. This structure permits a user to achieve a detangling combing effect while simultaneously achieving a hair ironing effect.

[0050] The mounting mechanism 16 removably mounts the at least one comb 14 along the side 18 of the cooperating hair iron. Removability provides the advantage of allowing easier cleaning of hair off of a comb, and allows for changing combs for different users who may desire different tine size or spacing.

[0051] The cooperating hair iron 12 has an upper portion 20 and a lower portion 22. The upper portion 20 of the cooperating hair iron 12 is hingedly attached 24 to the lower portion 22 of the cooperating hair iron 12. The mounting mechanism 16 is disposed along the side 20 of the upper portion 20 of the cooperating hair iron 12. This structure allows hair to be put into the cooperating hair iron 12 with it open and then to be combed an ironed, as illustrated in FIG. 1.

[0052] The upper portion 20 has a heated iron 26. Likewise, the lower portion 22 has a heated iron 28. The hinged attachment 24 of the upper portion 20 to the lower portion 22 allows the heated iron 26 of the upper portion 20 and the heated iron 28 of the lower portion 22 to come into contact when the upper portion 20 is parallel with the lower portion 22.

[0053] The heated iron 26 of the upper portion 20 and the heated iron 28 of the lower portion are electrically heated. This facilitates ease of use as a home appliance, and allows the cooperating hair iron 12 to heat the comb 14 as later described.

[0054] As illustrated in FIG. 6, the at least one comb 14 is slidably mounted in the mounting mechanism 16. This allows the at least one comb 14 to be easily removed and inserted, and simplifies manufacture. As also illustrated in FIG. 6 as well as FIG. 2, theat least one comb 14 is two combs 14. The two combs 14 are an outer comb 30 and an inner comb 32. As shown in FIG. 4, the inner comb 32 is mounted closer to the heated iron 26 of the upper portion 20 than the outer comb 32.

[0055] In the preferred construction, the inner comb 32 is heated, and is heated electrically. The mounting mechanism further has a thermal insulator 34 The thermal insulator 34 is between the inner comb 32 and the outer comb 30. This structure allows the inner comb 32 to be heated while preventing the outer comb from being heated. This permits a user to have a heated combing of their hair, while the outer comb prevents burning of the scalp or other body parts, which is a longstanding problem facing users of prior art heated combs and of hair irons.

[0056] In furtherance of the same, the inner comb 32 further has an electrical connection 36. The electrical connection 36 is for obtaining electric power from a source outside of the inner comb 32. Ideally, that source outside the inner comb 32 is an outlet 38 on the cooperating hair iron 12. This is illustrated in FIGS. 2, 3, 5, and 6.

[0057] Further, as illustrated most clearly in FIGS. 4, and 5 the device 10 further has a channel 40. The channel 40 is for receiving the inner comb 32 and the outer comb 34. The channel 40 is secured to the lower portion 22 of the cooperating hair iron 12.

[0058] The channel 40 is parallel to the mounting mechanism 16 when the hinged attachment 24 of the upper portion 20 to the lower portion 22 has allowed the heated iron 26 of the upper portion 20 and the heated iron 28 of the lower portion 22 to come into contact. This means that the channel will receive the combs 14 when the cooperating hair iron 12 is closed, which prevents hair from escaping except through the combs 14.

[0059] In a preferred construction, the channel 40 has an inner channel 42 and an outer channel 44. The inner channel 42 is for receiving the inner comb 32. The outer channel 44 is for receiving the outer comb. This structure keeps the combs 14 separated from one another which aids in thermal separation of the inner comb 32 from the outer comb 30, aiding the previously mentioned benefit of preventing scalp burning. Further to the same end, in the preferred construction, the channel 40 is formed from a thermally insulating material.

[0060] The outer comb 30 has a plurality of tines 46. The inner comb 32 also has a plurality of tines 48. The plurality of tines 46 of the outer comb 30 corresponds in number to the plurality of tines 48 of the inner comb 32. Further to that structure and to the goal of providing a heated inner comb 30 the plurality of tines 48 of the inner comb 32 are composed of a metal, ideally aluminum or steel. This aids providing a heated comb in an energy efficient manner due to the high thermal conductivity and low specific heat of those metals, as well as their lack of deformation when heated.

[0061] It will be understood that each of the elements described above, or two or more together, may also find a useful application in other types of constructions differing from the types described above.

[0062] While the invention has been illustrated and described as embodiments of a COMBINATION COMB AND FLAT IRON DEVICE, accordingly it is not limited to the details shown, since it will be understood that various omissions, modifications, substitutions and changes in the forms and details of the device illustrated and its operation can be made by those skilled in the art without departing in any way from the spirit of the present invention.

[0063] Without further analysis, the foregoing will so fully reveal the gist of the present invention that others can, by applying current knowledge, readily adapt it for various applications without omitting features that, from the standpoint of prior art, fairly constitute characteristics of the generic or specific aspects of this invention.