Patent Application
20170086558
1) Field of the Invention
This invention involves an apparatus for heating, drying and curling human hair. More particularly, the invention involves a heating, drying and cooling apparatus that includes a heating unit and detachable cylindrical curling units.
2) Discussion of the Related Art
Achieving a stylized look from wet hair to finish involves brushing and or combing, drying, curling, and directing the hair in ways that do not naturally occur. One or more of these methods or functions are used to enhance the hair, and/or to solve styling problems. The hairstyling tools currently available perform only one or two of the hairstyling functions. No single tool exists which can perform all of those functions as well or better than each of the limited-function tools. This may be because those who design and use hairstyling tools think in terms of separate functions and long-established and static tool categories.
A wide variety of tools are currently used for styling hair. Most professional hairstylists use a blow dryer together with a separate round brush or brushes. Some stylists use multiple brushes, leaving them to dangle in the hair while it is cooling. This creates a problem, as the brushes are heavy and cause the hair near the root to cool laying flat on the head, resulting in a flat, lifeless hairstyle without volume or lift.
Ideally, curls are set in small sections directly over the roots, or, “on base” in order to achieve maximum volume and movement. This can be achieved with rollers which are placed on the head in a fixed position. But, in order to use the rollers the hair must also be dried. This two-step process is time consuming, and can be costly. Additionally, using the current tools that are available, the home-stylist often doesn't have the skills or time to get a good result using brushes or rollers, especially on the crown and back of the head, where the hair growth patterns tend to leave open or flat spots.
Another tool for drying and brushing hair is the brush dryer. The brush dryer consists of a brush with a built-in dryer. This design enables a user to dry and style hair simultaneously, using one hand only. The problem with a brush dryer is that it first dries the shaft, and is removed from the hair before the roots have dried and cooled completely. Therefore, curl can only be obtained on the shaft of the hair, without creating volume or movement at the point where the hair leaves the scalp. It also cannot solve styling problems caused by irregular growth patterns, which also arise where the hair leaves the scalp. Brush dryers come in all kinds of sizes and different heat settings. The brush can include different types of bristles. Generally speaking, the bristles should be gentle, yet have a good grasp on the hair. The dryer should have a handle that fits comfortably in the hand and should provide good traction so the hot brush will not slip off while in use.
Yet another device that is used to curl hair, rather than brush or dry, is the curling iron. The curling iron can only be used after the hair has been dried, but can cause split ends because it applies intense heat to the hair for several seconds or longer, and this causes long term, irreparable damage, including possible burning of the hair until it breaks off.
The lack of a single and superior all-function tool makes hairstyling more difficult, time consuming and expensive for everyone, including the home-stylist. For the salon professional this problem adds to the ever-present clutter of tools and electric cords that make the workplace less attractive, and increases the danger of tripping over multiple cords. It also makes the workflow less efficient. For a hairstylist in the entertainment industry, and for other freelance and mobile hairstylists, it increases the burden of packing and moving a heavy kit containing multiple tools, electrical cords and styling products. Therefore, a need exists to solve these particular problems.
The present invention is now described with reference to figures wherein like reference numbers indicate identical or functionally similar elements. While specific configurations and arrangements are discussed, it should be understand that this is done for illustrative purposes only. A person skilled in the relevant art will recognize that other configurations and arrangements can be used without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.
The detachable cylindrical curling unit 102 further is comprised of a flexible bristle unit 114 dispersed within the body 104. The flexible bristle unit 114 includes a plurality of bristles 116, wherein in at least one bristle 116 protrudes through an aperture of the plurality of apertures 106. In an embodiment, the pluralities of bristles 116 are comprised of plastic. In another embodiment, the pluralities of bristles 116 are natural fiber. In yet another embodiment, the plurality of bristles 116 is comprised of at least two different materials, and in an embodiment can be man-made and natural.
The first end 120 includes a first coupling section 124 for coupling with the second coupling section 112 of the second end 110 of the detachable cylindrical curling unit 102. As illustrated herein, the first coupling section 124 and the second coupling section 112 interact with the respective ends with component parts stemming from the respective sections. In different embodiments, these component parts may stem from one section and proceed into the other, or both, or may simply remain in the respective section.
In the embodiment illustrated in
Further enhancing that connection, the first coupling section 124 includes a magnet 138, in an embodiment, a magnetic ring or the like that sits within the first coupling section 124. Interacting with the magnet 138 is a metal portion 140, which can be similar in structure to the magnetic, but is generally comprised of a metal, and can sit within the second coupling section 112. Both the magnet 138 and metal portion 140 can be placed in a variety of locations including but not limited to being positioned inside each respective coupling section allowing for engagement ridges 136 to connect. The magnet 138 and metal portion 140 can also be placed outside the engagement ridges 136, peripherally providing a magnetic connection between the first and second ends, 110 and 120 respectively. The magnet 138 and metal portion 140 can be press-fit or used with an adhesive to secure its location. In this embodiment, the user is able to disconnect the detachable cylindrical curling unit 102 from the heating unit 118 by pulling and/or twisting.
This invention can be used by home and professional hairstylists. In use, this invention performs all of the styling functions, including brushing, drying, curling and directing the hair, allowing the stylist to go from damp hair to dry and fully styled hair using a single tool. In addition, it is very useful in solving problems related to irregular growth patterns, or “cowlicks” on the scalp.
To use this invention, the hair is first washed and towel-dried. The stylist then attaches a cylindrical drying and curling unit to the heating or base unit and turns on the heating unit, which includes a motor to blow heated air through the drying and curling unit and into the hair. The stylist takes a small section of hair and, applying slight tension to the hair, uses the tool to blow warm or hot air on the roots of that section for three to five seconds. After running the drying and curling unit through the whole section of hair one or more times the stylist wraps the end of the section around the heating and curling unit and twists the tool along its axis to wrap the hair around the drying and curling unit until it reaches the scalp. The drying and curling unit is then released from the heating unit by using the detachment mechanism and a fastening clip is placed on the hair-wrapped drying and curling unit to hold it in place on the head with slight upward tension. The same process is repeated with an additional drying and curling units for additional sections of hair until the whole head of hair is set. The result at that point resembles a classic hair set using traditional rollers. The stylist then allows the drying and curling units to cool thoroughly in the hair and then removes them and styles the hair further with the tool, or with a brush or the fingers.
This invention solves the problem of flattened hair roots caused by using a blow dryer and leaving brushes dangling in the hair. The drying and curling unit is used much like a round brush but then, while the hair is still hot, is released from the heating or base unit and secured in place on the head using a clip, so that the hair is held with tension in an upright position and can cool “on base,” creating lift, volume and the ability to give direction to the hair.
This invention further solves the problem of damp or wet roots caused by using a brush dryer. The tool first dries and heats the hair at the root and the curling and drying unit is then left secured in the hair until the hair is thoroughly dried and cooled in the proper position.
Because the tool is better able to control the direction of the hair at the root level it also solves the problem of irregular growth patterns or cowlicks, which arise from the direction of the hair as it leaves the scalp. Especially for the home stylist, it is easier to deal with these problems using the tool than by using a blow dryer and brush or traditional curlers.
This invention also avoids the problems and dangers presented by using a curling iron. The tool moves safely through the hair drying it sufficiently with air rather than applying direct and constant intense heat to a single part of the hair, which can cause burning, breakage or other irreparable damage, especially at the ends of the hair.
An advantage of the invention is that it decreases the amount of time it takes to both dry and style the hair than with any other tools on the market. Instead of using multiple tools (i.e. a hair dryer, and a curling iron and/or hot curlers), the user only needs this invention, so fewer electrical cords to tangle, and less energy being used. As stated herein, it should also be noted that the integrity of the hair is preserved—instead of the harsh heat of an iron or hot rollers; the hair is healthier, shinier, and more manageable. Finally, as pointed out above, another advantage is that the results are different—the curls are softer, and much more like a classic set, than if created with any other tool on the market.
While certain exemplary embodiments have been described and show in the accompanying drawings, it is to be understood that such embodiments are merely illustrative and not restrictive of the current invention, and that this invention is not restricted to the specific constructions and arrangements shown and described since modification can occur to those ordinarily skilled in the art.
