Abstract
A hair styling device comprising two hinged arms able to move relative to each other for the receiving and shaping of a strand of hair. Each arm carries a shaping plate on its side facing the other arm. These shaping surfaces making contact with the hair strand being styled. The hair being styled is pulled past these shaping surfaces. One of the two arms has a hair support on its side carrying the shaping plate. The hair support is arranged at a spacing from the shaping surface of the other arm, so that the other arm can be introduced into an arm support between the hair support and the shaping surface of the shaping plate of the arm carrying the hair support. The shaping plates of the two arms which cooperate with each other for the hair styling can move relative to each other in the manner of scissors.
Claims
1. A hair styling device having a first and second arm hinged to move against each other for receiving and shaping a strand of hair, the hair styling device comprising: each of said first and second arm having a heated shaping plate on a side of the arm facing the other arm during the hair styling; each of said heated shaping plate having a shaping surface which is heated and in contact with a hair strand being styled for a hair styling process, wherein the shaping surfaces of the heated shaping plates are substantially parallel in a dosed position of the hair styling device to at least one shaping surface of the heated shaping plate of the opposite arm, and the hair being styled is pulled past these shaping surfaces during the hair styling process; the first arm having a non-heated hair support spaced apart from the side carrying the heated shaping plate such that a strand of hair to be curled is supported on at least two points before the second arm is closed, the two points being part of the first arm and the non-heated hair support; said non-heated hair support being spaced apart from the shaping surface of said first arm, such that the second arm can be introduced into an arm support between the non-heated hair support and the shaping surface of the heated shaping plate of the first arm carrying the non-heated hair support pulling a hair strand down onto the heated shaping plate; and the heated shaping plates of the two arms can be moved relative to each other in the manner of a scissors, wherein the shaping surfaces of the heated shaping plates have an inclined orientation relative to a movement path of the two arms, wherein the arm support is V-shaped or nearly so in cross section and both legs of this arm support have at least part of the shaping surface, and the termination of each leg of this arm support facing the second arm forms the non-heated hair support for the opposite leg in relation to the arm support, and the first arm carries two shaping surfaces which are configured complementary the shaping surfaces of the second arm.
2. The hair styling device of claim 1, wherein in a plane of the shaping surfaces of the two arms, the shaping surfaces are tilted with respect to a movement plane of the arms for their articulated movement.
3. The hair styling device of claim 2, wherein an angle of inclination of the shaping surfaces of the two arms with respect to the movement plane of the arms is inclined relative to each other by at most 20.
4. The hair styling device of claim 2, wherein an angle of inclination of the shaping surfaces of the two arms with respect to the movement plane of the arms is inclined relative to each other by not more than 10.
5. The hair styling device of claim 1, wherein the second arm which is adjustable relative to the first arm carrying the non-heated hair support has an outer side suitable for shaping a strand of hair into a curl or wave.
6. The hair styling device of claim 1, wherein the hair styling device has a fan to create a current of air directed at the hair being cooled.
7. The hair styling device of claim 1, wherein the two shaping surfaces of the first arm having the arm support are the shaping surfaces of two heated shaping plates separated by the vertex of the arm support.
Description
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
(1) FIGS. 1a and 1b are a schematized representation of the hinged movement capability of the arms of a hair styling device according to the prior art.
(2) FIGS. 2a and 2b are a schematized representation of the hinged movement capability of the arms of a hair styling device according to the invention.
(3) FIG. 3 shows the hair styling device of FIG. 2 in its open position to receive a strand of hair for styling.
(4) FIG. 4 again shows the hair styling device of FIG. 3 with strand of hair taken up during the hair styling process.
(5) FIG. 5 is a hair styling device according to another embodiment of the invention,
(6) FIG. 6 is a hair styling device according to yet another embodiment of the invention,
(7) FIG. 7 shows a side view of the one arm of the hair styling device of FIG. 6.
(8) FIG. 8 shows a hair styling device according to the invention in another embodiment in a perspective view.
(9) FIG. 9 shows the hair styling device of FIG. 8 from a perspective looking into the arm support of the one arm of the hair styling device and
(10) FIG. 10 is a perspective view of the hair styling device of FIGS. 8 and 9 with closed arms.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
(11) Referring first to FIGS. 1a and 1b, a so-called straightener type hair styling device of the prior art has two arms 1, 1.1. On the sides of the arms facing each other there is one shaping plate 2, 2.1 apiece. The shaping plates 2, 2.1 are heated. In order to receive a strand of hair, which is heated on the heated shaping plates by being pulled past them, the two arms 1, 1.1 can move relative to each other in the manner of a set of pliers, as is shown by the block arrows in FIGS. 1 and b. In open position of the two arms 1, 1.1 of this hair styling device, shown in FIG. 1b, t, a strand of hair is placed into the opened hair styling gap located between the shaping plates 2, 2.1. Next, the arms 1, 1.1 are closed to perform the hair styling process. The swivel axis of the articulated connection of the two arms is situated in the plane of the shaping surfaces produced by the shaping plates 2, 2.1. This is indicated as S in FIG. 1b.
(12) Referring next to FIGS. 2a and b, a hair styling device 3 according to the invention likewise has two arms 4, 4.1 each with a shaping plate 5, 5.1 heated by one or more heating elements. In the closed position seen in FIG. 2a, the hair styling device 3 does not differ in regard to the positioning of the facing, parallel shaping surfaces of the shaping plates 5, 5.1 from the closed position of a hair styling device of the prior art. The hair styling device 3 differs for the prior art in regard to the articulated connection of its two arms 4, 4.1. In the hair styling device 3, the arms 4, 4.1 are articulated like scissors as seen in FIG. 2b. This means that the two arms 4, 4.1 move relative to each other in the manner of a pair of scissors for opening and closing the hair styling gap. Therefore, the plane of movement in which the two arms move relative to each other is situated essentially transversely to the plane of the shaping surfaces of the shaping plates 5, 5.1. In the sample embodiment shown, the shaping surfaces of the shaping plates 5, 5.1 are inclined relative to the plane of the movement path E at an angle of around 10. The swivel axis in FIG. 2b is likewise designated as S. The articulated movement capability of the two arms 4, 4.1 relative to each other is especially evident from the contrasting representation of the closed position (FIG. 2a) and the open position of the hair styling device 3 (FIG. 2b). The inclined orientation of the shaping surfaces of the shaping plates 5, 5.1 with respect to the movement path E of the arms 4, 4.1 means that the hair styling gap can be opened and closed according to the inclination. This also has the result that a certain pressure can be exerted on the strand of hair placed in the hair styling gap between the shaping plates 5, 5.1.
(13) The arm 4 carries a hair support 6 configured as a rod. The hair support 6 in the depicted embodiment is a metal rod. The hair support 6 is joined by a bracket 7 to the arm 4 of the hair styling device 3. Accordingly, the hair support 5 with the supporting bracket 7 and the arm 4 forms an arm support 8. The arm support 8 serves to receive the arm 4.1 in the closed position of the hair styling device. For this reason, the spacing between the hair support 6 and the arm 4 is correspondingly large. In order not to impair the ease of handling of the hair styling device, one will generally select this spacing to be only slightly larger than is actually required for the fitting of the arm 4.1. The hair support 6 extends parallel to the longitudinal dimension of the shaping plate 5 also along its length. In the position of the hair styling device 3 shown in FIG. 2, the upper edge of the hair support 6 is roughly in the same plane as the upper termination of the arm 4 pointing in this same direction.
(14) FIG. 3 shows schematically the hair styling device 3 in its open position during the process of receiving the strand of hair 9 being styled. In this open position, the top side of the hair support 6 and the side of the housing of the arm 4 pointing toward the other arm 4.1 each subtend a support for a strand of hair 9. Thus, the strand of hair 9 spans the arm support 8 enclosed by the bracket 7 by a two-point support system. The head itself is indicated by reference 10 in FIG. 3.
(15) Now, if the hair styling device 3 is closed for purposes of the styling process, the arm 4.1 is introduced into the arm support 8 by swiveling it relative to the swivel axis S with respect to the arm 4 as seen in FIG. 4. With this movement, the strand of hair 9 will also be drawn into the arm support 8 and laid during this process around the outer side 11 of the arm 4.1 or across a segment of the outer side 11. The outer side 11 of the arm 4.1 is configured to thereupon perform a hair styling, and therefore it is designed as a shaping body or carries one or more shaping bodies for this purpose.
(16) If the hair styling gap is closed between the shaping plates 5, 5.1, as is shown in FIG. 4, the hair styling process can occur by corresponding pulling of the strand of hair through the hair styling gap of the hair styling device 3 and automatic pulling of the heated strand of hair 9 along the outer side 11 of the arm 4.1.
(17) It is an advantage that the temperature management of the hair styling device 3 is designed so that the method described in the introduction of the specification is carried out for purposes of a long-lasting hair styling. In the embodiment depicted in the figures, the edge of the housing of the arm 4.1 pointing downward and extending parallel to the shaping plate 5.1 serves primarily as the shaping body. What is important in this process is that the strand of hair 9 only leaves the outer side 11 of the arm 4.1 when the sulfur bonds in the keratin chains of the hair have reformed in accordance with the external configuration of the arm 4. Since when the strand of hair 9 is pulled along the outer side a greater tensile force prevails than on the inner side in contact with the outer side 11 of the arm 4.1, the keratin chains of the hair will be connected accordingly by means of their sulfur bonds so that the waving or curling is especially long lasting.
(18) As shown in FIG. 5, in another embodiment a hair styling device 3.1, has a cooling body 12 to support the cooling process. In the depicted embodiment shown in FIG. 5 the cooling body 12 is arranged at the arm 13 of the hair styling device 3.1 not carrying the hair support 6.1. The arm carrying the hair support 6.1 is indicated by reference number 13.1. The cooling body 12 is a sheet metal strip, along which is pulled the hair heated and drawn out from the hair styling gap. A cooling at the cooling body 12 occurs more quickly than merely at the outer side of the arm 13, as is described for the sample embodiment of FIGS. 2 to 4.
(19) FIGS. 6 and 7 show yet another sample embodiment of a hair styling device 3.2 according to the invention. Unlike the arm 13 of the hair styling device 3.1, the arm 14 of this hair styling device carries on its outer side, several cooling bodies. In the present instance those three cooling bodies are 15, 15.1, 15.2. The cooling bodies 15, 15.1, 15.2 are designed as metal rods and are each held at their ends in a trestle 16. For clarity, only the trestle 16 of the cooling body 15 is identified with a reference number in this regard. Like the cooling body 12, the cooling bodies 15, 15.1, 15.2 extend in their longitudinal dimension parallel to the outer side of the respective arm 13 or 14 and in their length at least across the longitudinal dimension of the shaping plate of this arm 13 or 14. The cooling bodies 15, 15.1, 15.2 are arranged with a spacing from each other and also with a spacing from the surface 17 of the arm 14. Thus, a strand of hair pulled across the outer vertex of the cooling bodies 15, 15.1, 15.2 as shown in FIG. 4 can give off heat in the radial direction to the outside and to the inside in the direction of the surface 17. This provides for especially effective cooling. FIG. 7 shows the arm 14 of the hair styling device 3.2 in a side view. The longitudinal dimension of the cooling bodies 15, 15.1 is distinctly recognizable.
(20) The depicted embodiments of the hair styling devices 3.1 and 3.2 are especially suited to carrying out the above-described special hair styling method. According to which a strand of hair being styled is heated to a temperature at which the sulfur bonds joining the keratin chains and thus also the hydrogen and salt bonds present are broken up due to the heating and whereby a strand of hair only leaves the cooling body or the arrangement of cooling bodies when it has cooled down to a temperature at which the sulfur bonds have at least already reformed. Preferably, the strand of hair has cooled down enough so that the hydrogen and salt bonds have also already reformed before the strand of hair leaves the last cooling body or the last in an arrangement of cooling bodies.
(21) FIG. 8 shows in perspective view another hair styling device 3.3 which works by the same principles as the hair styling devices 3, 3.1, 3.2 described in the preceding sample embodiments. The hair styling device 3.3 constitutes a further modification of the above-described hair styling devices, being designed double-sided. The hair styling device 3.3 likewise has two arms 18, 18.1, which are hinged and can move relative to each other. In the representation of FIG. 8, the hair styling device 3.3 is shown with the arms 18, 18.1 opened. The arm 18 has an arm support 19. The arm support 19, as better shown in FIG. 9, is V-shaped. The arm support 19 is enclosed on both sides and thus by the legs of the arm support 19 by one shaping surface 20, 20.1 apiece. The shaping surfaces 20, 20.1 each constitute the surface of a shaping plate 21, 21.1 used for the hair styling. At least one of the shaping plates 21, 21.1 is heated during the operation of the hair styling device 3. In the region of the vertex of the arm support 19, the shaping plates 21, 21.1 are separated from each other. In this spacing region of the vertex, several apertures 22 are arranged in series and following the longitudinal dimension of the arm support 19. The apertures 22 reach through the arm 18.
(22) The arm 18.1 carries complementary shaping surfaces 23, FIG. 9 showing only the complementary shaping surface 23 to the shaping surface 20. On the side of the arm 18.1 not visible in FIG. 9 there is also a shaping surface complementary to the shaping surface 20.1. The two shaping surfaces 23 of the arm 18.1 pass flush into each other to form a radius produced by a vertex 24. The shaping surfaces 20, 20.1 and 23 are arranged so that when the arms 18, 18.1 are closed they enter into contact with each other. When the hair styling device 3.3 is in use, the strand of hair being styled is located between the shaping surfaces 20, 20.1, 23. As in the case of the hair styling devices 3, 3.1, 3.2, the shaping surfaces 20, 20.1 of the one armarm 18move with respect to the shaping surfaces of the other armarm 18.1in the manner of a scissors. The shaping surfaces 20, 20.1 are inclined with respect to each other for this purpose, just like the shaping surfaces 23 with respect to the swivel axis of the two arms 18, 18.1, and just as was described in the preceding sample embodiments of the hair styling devices 3, 3.1, 3.2.
(23) The representation of the hair styling device 3.3 in FIG. 9 makes it clear that the upper termination 25, 25.1 of each arm piece 26, 26.1 carrying a shaping plate 20 or 20.1 forms the hair support for the respective other arm piece 26.1 or 26 so as to introduce a strand of hair into the arm support 19 in the same way as was already described for the previous sample embodiments.
(24) FIG. 10 shows the hair styling device 3.3 with closed arms 18, 18.1. This position of the two arms 18, 18.1 forms the hair styling position. The arm 18.1 with its shaping surfaces 23 is introduced into the arm support 19. The shaping surfaces 23 of the arm 18.1 lie against the complementary shaping surfaces 20 or 20.1 of the shaping plates 21 or 21.1 of the arm 18.
(25) The top side of the arm 18.1 shown in FIG. 10 is outfitted with a cooling surface 27. This serves the purpose of cooling the hair which is drawn through the arm support 19 and then moved across the surface 27 making contact, in the manner already described for the previous sample embodiments with the cooling body.
(26) It is an advantage of the hair styling device 3.3 that it can be turned in both directions for the curling of hair.
(27) In one possible embodiment for heating the shaping surfaces 23 of the arm 18.1 these work together and one or more Peltier elements are used for the heating. This concept works because it is enough for the desired hair styling to heat only one pair of shaping surfaces. Here for example, the shaping surfaces 20 and 23. Thus, with the hair styling device 3.3, the non-heated shaping surface 23 of the arm 18.1 can operate as a cooling surface. Accordingly, with such a manner of operation, the power consumption is also reduced. Since this way the heat which is taken away from the hair via the one non-heated shaping surface of the arm 18.1 is used for heating the other shaping surface.
(28) The invention has been described by means of sample embodiments making reference to the figures. Many other possible configurations will be apparent to the skilled person for implementing the invention in the framework of the asserted claims.
LIST OF REFERENCE SYMBOLS
(29) 1, 1.1 Arm 2, 2.1 Shaping plate 3, 3.1, 3.2 Hair styling device 4, 4.1 Arm 5, 5.1 Shaping plate 6 Hair support 7 Bracket 8 Arm support 9 Hair strand 10 Head 11 Outer side 12 Cooling body 13, 13.1 Arm 14, 14.1 Arm 15, 15.1, 15.2 Cooling body 16 Trestle 17 Surface 18, 18.1 Arm 19 Arm support 20, 20.1 Shaping surface 21, 21.1 Shaping plate 22 Aperture 23 Shaping surface 24 Vertex 25, 25.1 Upper termination/hair support 26, 26.1 Arm piece 27 Cooling surface E Movement plane S Swivel axis
