ELECTRICAL HAIR IRON

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a hair iron, and more particularly to a handheld electrical hair iron.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Unlike standing or hanging hair curlers, which are used in combination with hair rollers and heating hoods, hand-held hair irons can directly supply heat to hair for rapid local hair styling. In other words, they have advantages of being light, convenient and fast. FIG. 1A schematically illustrates a conventional hair iron. The hair iron includes an upper arm 91 and a lower arm 92, which are pivotally connected to each other at a pivot 93 with respective ends. The pivot 93 also serves as a fulcrum for operating the hair iron. After the hair portion to be styled is placed into a space between a heating pad 911 of the upper arm 91 and a heating pad 921 of the lower arm 92, a user applies an input forces at the effort points 912 and 922 on the upper and lower arms 91 and 92 to press the upper and lower arms 91 and 92 toward each other so that the hair portion to be styled can be clamped at the load points 913 and 923 and heated by the heating pads 911 and 912. Since the distance between the effort point 912 or 922 and the fulcrum 93, i.e. the effort arm, is generally much shorter than the distance between the load point 913 or 923 and the fulcrum 93, i.e. the load arm, the force mechanical advantage is much less than 1 and such a hair iron is hard to be operated, as illustrated in the scheme of FIG. 1B. Especially the user usually needs to raise his or her arms up to a level higher than his or her shoulder with an open-arm posture, the user likely feels tired and uncomfortable after a long-term use.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a hand-held hair iron that can be easily and conveniently operated to achieve the desired ironing effect.

The present invention further provides a hand-held hair iron that conforms to the ordinary thinking mode and operational habit of users.

The present invention relates to a hand-held hair iron. The hair iron includes a first elongated bar and a second elongated bar. The first elongated bar includes a first iron portion, a first fulcrum portion and a first grip portion, wherein the first iron portion includes a first heating pad where hair is to be ironed, and the first iron portion and the first grip portion are connected to and disposed at opposite sides of the first fulcrum portion. The second elongated bar engages with and is pivotally rotatable relative to the first elongated bar, and includes a second iron portion, a second fulcrum portion and a second grip portion, wherein the second iron portion includes a second heating pad that cooperates with the first heating pad to iron hair, and the second iron portion and the second grip portion are connected to and disposed at opposite sides of the second fulcrum portion. A first bending angle exists between the first iron portion and the first fulcrum portion, and a second bending angle exists between the second iron portion and the second fulcrum portion.

A hand-held hair iron designed according to the present invention is easy to operate by disposing the effort and the load on opposite sides of the fulcrum. Furthermore, because the handle is far away from the heating place when the hair iron is operated, the risks of burning the hand can be avoided. In addition, the laboring can be saved by making the effort arm longer than the load arm.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The above contents of the present invention will become more readily apparent to those ordinarily skilled in the art after reviewing the following detailed description and accompanying drawings, in which:

FIGS. 1A and 1B are schematic diagrams illustrating a conventional hair iron and how the hair iron is operated;

FIGS. 2A and 2B are schematic diagrams illustrating a hair iron according to an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2C is a schematic diagram illustrating an example of heating pads included in the hair iron of FIG. 2A;

FIG. 3A is a schematic diagram illustrating a hair iron according to another embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 3B is a schematic diagram illustrating a use of the hair iron of FIG. 3A;

FIG. 4A is a schematic diagram illustrating a hair iron according to a further embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 4B is a schematic diagram illustrating a use of the hair iron of FIG. 4A;

FIG. 4C is a schematic diagram illustrating a use of the hair iron of FIG. 3A;

FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram illustrating an example of grip portions included in a hair iron according to the present invention; and

FIGS. 6A and 6B are schematic diagrams illustrating examples of a safety lock included in a hair iron according to the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

The invention will now be described more specifically with reference to the following embodiments. It is to be noted that the following descriptions of preferred embodiments of this invention are presented herein for purpose of illustration and description only. It is not intended to be exhaustive or to be limited to the precise form disclosed.

FIGS. 2A and 2B are respectively schematic views showing the standby state and the operational state of the hand-held hair iron according to a first embodiment of the present invention. The hand-held hair iron in this embodiment includes an iron portion 11, a fulcrum portion 12, a grip portion 13, and a positioning portion 14. The iron portion 11, the fulcrum portion 12, and the grip portion 13 are assembled and positioned through the positioning portion 14. The user can conduct the state switching of the hand-held hair iron by controlling the grip portion 13 to pivot the iron portion 11 relative to the fulcrum portion 12, which will be detailed later.

The iron portion 11 includes a pair of shell plates 111 and 112 that can be moved relative to each other to open or close the iron portion 11, and one or more electric heating pads 113 and 114 are respectively mounted on the inner sides of the two shell plates 111 and 112. Electric current from a battery or a commercial power can be supplied to the electric heating pads 113 and 114, and is converted into a heat energy output for styling a hair portion in contact therewith. The shell plates 111 and 112 are made of a heat-insulating and preferably heat-resistant material, such as plastic, and are provided with heat-insulating sleeves or heat-insulating outer layers 1101 and 1102 at the front ends thereof. When the user manipulates the grip portion 13 with one hand, another one hand can hold the heat-insulating sleeves or heat-insulating outer layers 1101 and 1102 to assist in positioning the hair iron on hair, or pulling the hair iron along hair. The electric heating pads 113 and 114 are made of a heat conductive and heat resistant material such as metal, ceramic, or glass. The shapes of the electric heating pads 113, 114 can be designed according to practical applications. For example, the two heating pads 113 and 114 are both plate-shaped, or conformally sine-wave-shaped, zigzag-shaped or the square-wave-shaped. In alternative embodiments, the two heating pads 113 and 114 may be different in shape, or a plurality of different shapes of heating pads 113 and 114 may be combined on the same surface to create different styling effects. For example, in the embodiment of the hair iron shown in FIG. 2C, the electric heating pad 113 has a hemispherical concave shape, and the electric heating pad 114 has a hemispherical convex shape, and the two hemispheres can be combined to form an application example of the curvature of hair. In another embodiment, the electric heating pads 113 and 114 can also be detachably assembled to the shell plates 111 and 112 so that the same hair iron can be used to make variations of hair styles by replacing the electric heating pads 113 and 114. If the use of the hair iron requires adjustment of position after clamping hair, the electric heating pads 113, 114 preferably have a smooth surface for easy sliding.

The grip portion 13 is made of a heat insulating material, for example, the same material as the shell plates 111 and 112, or has heat insulating outer layers 130, which protect user's hands from burns when the user holds the grip portion 13 with one or both hands to perform hair ironing operation. The grip portion 13 includes a pair of effort arms 131 and 132 that are movable relative to each other. The user can make the shell plates 111 and 112 of the iron portion 11 closer to or away from each other by manipulating the two effort arms 131 and 132 toward or away from each other. Thereby, the iron portion 11 is brought into a state of being closed or opened.

In the present invention, the grip portion 13 and the iron portion 11 are respectively located on both sides of the fulcrum portion 12, and are connected and coupled through the fulcrum portion 12, wherein the fulcrum portion 121 includes the first portion 121 near the side of the iron portion 11 and the second portion 122 near the side of the grip portion 13. More specifically, the upper and lower shell plates 111 and 112 of the iron portion 11 and the two effort arms 132 and 131 of the grip portion 13 are connected through the two portions 121 and 122 of the fulcrum portion 12, and are connected in such a manner that the shell plates 111 and 112 move toward each other as a result of the movement of the two arms 131 and 132 toward each other, and when the two arms 131 and 132 are apart from each other, the shell plates 111 and 112 are also apart from each other. Such a design is closer to the ordinary thinking mode and operational habit compared to the conventional hair iron. In addition, in general, clamping through compression is easier and more effective than clamping through expansion, and may have better styling efficiency and effect. The positioning portion 14 of the present embodiment includes a compression spring 141 connected to the two effort arms 131, 132, in order to open the shell plates 111 and 112 without pushing the arms away from the two arms 131 and 132. Between the two arms 131 and 132, a distance corresponding to the original length of the compression spring 141 is maintained between the two effort arms 131 and 132. At this time, the shell plates 111 and 112 of the iron portion 11 are also in an open state which is farthest apart from each other. When the user applies an effort to press the two arm arms 131 and 132, the compression spring 141 is also compressed and twisted, and the shell plates 111 and 112 of the iron portion 11 are also in a closed state in which they approach each other. Thereafter, when the user releases the grip portion 13, the elastic restoring force of the compression spring 141 pushes the two effort arms 131 and 132, and the iron portion 11 can be returned to the open state.

In order to achieve the synchronized opening and closing between the iron portion 11 and the grip portion 13, the shell plate 111 of the iron portion 11, the first portion 121 and the second portion 122 of the fulcrum portion 12, and the effort arm 131 of the grip portion 13 are integrated and formed into an elongated bar 101. On the other hand, the shell plate 112 of the iron portion 11, the first portion 121 and the second portion 122 of the fulcrum portion 12, and the effort arm 132 of the grip portion 13 are integrated and formed into another elongated bar 102. The two elongated bars 101, 102 extend across each other. In the present embodiment, the elongated rod 102 has a hole 140 therein for the elongated rod 101 to pass through. Furthermore, the two elongated bars 101, 102 have respective side through holes 143, which are aligned with each other at the intersection of the two elongated bars. A locking rod 144 is inserted from one side and locked on the other side by a nut (not shown). The locking pin 143 is used to couple the two elongated bars to each other. On the one hand, it also serves as a fulcrum, as well as a pivoting axis. Each of the elongated bars can be made of the same material or even integrally formed by injection molding of plastic. In addition, in order to ensure that the opening and closing of the shell plates 111 and 112 can be performed within a specified range without being affected by the changing elastic force of the spring 141, and meanwhile protecting the lifespan of the spring 141, the positioning portion 14 further includes a blocking portion 142 disposed on the elongated bar 102. In the hole 140, when the opening of the shell plates 111 and 112 is large to some extent, the blocking portion 142 blocks the elongated bar 101 from being further opened.

The elongated bars 101 and 102 may be linear or other suitable configuration. For example, in the embodiment shown in FIGS. 2A and 2B, bending angles 1010 and 1020 are formed between the shell plate 111 and the first portion 121 of the fulcrum portion 12. The bending angles 1010 and 1020 are designed such that the electric heating pads 113 and 114 are in a substantially parallel state so as to have better hair clamping and contact effects. Likewise, a bending angle 1012/1022 is formed between the effort arm 131/132 and the second portion 122 of the fulcrum portion 12, so that the two effort arms 131, 132 are substantially parallel in operation, which makes the hand grip easier. It also makes the spring 141 sandwiched between the two arms more smoothly. The bending angle 1010/1020 at the iron portion 11 and the bending angle 1012/1022 at the grip portion 13 may be the same or different, depending on the requirements of the designer or the manufacturer for the clamping angle or the holding angle or both. Furthermore, in the case where the bending angles 1010, 1020, 1012, and 1022 are equal, by making the first portion 121 of the fulcrum portion 12 longer than the second portion 122, the distance L1 between the two shell plates 111, 112 in the standby state can be made larger than the distance L2 between the arms 131, 132. As such, even if the user has a relatively small hand, the user can still easily manipulate the hair iron with one hand. In addition, if a buffer mechanism, such as a cushion or a suspension spring or other suitable buffering structure, is provided between the electric heating pad 113 and the shell plate 111 of the present embodiment and between the electric heating pad 114 and the shell plate 112, the electric heating pad 113/114 can make a slight movement of the three-dimensional space with respect to the shell plate 111/112, so that hair can be tightly sandwiched in the space between the electric heating pads 113 and 114 to be heated no matter how much the hair volume is and no matter if the hair distribution is even or not. As such, the styling efficiency and effects can be further improved.

FIG. 3A shows a schematic view of a hand-held hair iron according to another embodiment of the present invention. The hair iron of the present embodiment preferably has the bending angles 1010, 1020, 1012 and 1022, and some or all of the various implementation details as described in the embodiment of FIG. 2. Furthermore, changes are made to the iron portion 11 compared to that shown in the embodiment of FIG. 2. In the present embodiment, the shell plates 111 and 112 have oppositely extending side plates 1111 and 1121, and the electric heating pads 113 and 114 are respectively mounted on the side plates 1111 and 1121. In this embodiment, the side plates 1111 and 1121 may be part of the body of the shell plates 111, 112, or may be assembled to the shell plates 111 and 112 during use to achieve convenient storage. Since the side plates 1111 and 1121 suspend beyond the plane of the original elongated bar, it is convenient to clamp and iron hair in the elongated bar in any of the perpendicular or parallel direction. When hair 10 is clamped in a direction parallel to the elongated bar 101/102, as shown in FIG. 3B, the user does not need to open and raise his arm as in the conventional manner, but operates in a manner that is less laborious and does not hurt his arm. It also achieves the effect of easily controlling the ironing angle.

In the above embodiment, the two elongated bars 101 and 102 are assembled in a crosswise manner, and in the embodiment shown in FIG. 4A, the two elongated bars 101 and 102 are combined in a side by side arrangement. The two elongated bars 101 and 102 respectively have a cylindrical latch 145 and a cylindrical hole 146, whose shape and size at the position of the fulcrum are consistent to each other. By penetrating the latch 145 into the cylindrical hole 146, coupling can be made. The combination of the latch 145 and the cylindrical hole 146 serves as a fulcrum and, at the same time, acts as a pivot to allow the two elongated bars to be pivotally coupled to each other. The side plate 1111 and the latch 145 may be integrally formed with the shell plate 111 and the effort arm 131, and the side plate 1121 and the circular hole 146 may be integrally formed with the shell plate 112 and the effort arm 132. Furthermore, at certain relative positions of the two elongated bars 101 and 102, semi-cylindrical recesses 147 and 148 are respectively formed, and the opening positions and the sizes and directions of the semi-cylindrical recesses 147 and 148 are relative to each other. When the two elongated bars 101 and 102 are closed, the recesses 147 and 148 can form a complete cylindrical hole having a size approximately equal to or greater than the coil size of the spring 141. One end of the spring 141 is fixed to the bottom surface of the recess 147, and the other end is fixed to the bottom surface of the recess 148. When the two elongated bars 101, 102 are closed, the spring 141 is received in the complete cylindrical shape formed by the recesses 147 and 148. In the hole, when the two elongated bars 101 and 102 are separated, the ends of the spring 141 are pushed apart but the two elongated bars 101 and 102 are still interconnected. Similar to the embodiment of FIG. 3B, the present hair iron as shown in FIG. 4B can be operated in a labor-saving manner that does not hurt the user's arm.

In the above embodiments, the length of the grip portion 13 and the iron portion 11 can be designed according to actual needs. Provided that the total length is constant, the longer the iron portion 11 is, the more hair can be processed at one time. If the grip portion 13 is relatively long, it can be operated in a relatively labor-saving manner. Alternatively, by reducing the size of the entire hair iron, designing the electric heating pads with a proper size, gap, shape and angle, increasing the protective structure of the shell plates, and controlling the current to achieve an appropriate working temperature, the hair iron can also be used in the application of iron eyelashes, as shown in FIG. 4C.

In the above embodiments, finger guiding slots may be provided in one or both of the two effort arms 131 and 132 of the grip portion 13. The finger guiding slots may be, for example, external slots or internal slots, or can be combined with each other. FIG. 5 is an example in which the outer slot 1311 or the inner through hole slot 1321 coexist. In this example, the finger guiding slots include an outer slot (may also be used in plurality) and a plurality of inner slots 1321 in the effort arm 131 (the inner slots can be continuous or discontinuous), and in the effort arm 132, an internal slot 1321 is included. The size of the slot is matched with the size of a finger of a normal person. When the user holds the hair iron, the finger can be positioned at a location where a force can be easily exerted, thereby prevent the finger from slipping.

In the above embodiments, the shell plates 111 and 112 of the iron portion 11 are substantially in the shape of flat plate, and are suitable for directly sandwiching a hair portion to be styled, and then retaining or pulling the hair portion down to make the hair style. In other embodiments, the shell plates 111 and 112 of the iron portion 11 may each be semi-circular, and the flat inner surfaces facing to each other are provided with electric heating pads 113 and 114. After the shell plates 111 and 112 are closed, a cylinder that can be wrapped around with hair for curling hair is constructed. Meanwhile, if the mains supply is used, a wire passage to the electric heating pads 113, 114 may be provided inside the grip portion 13 to prevent the electric wire from interfering with the rotation of the electric heating rod.

In the above-described hair iron, a safety lock can be further provided for closing and fixing the hair iron in a non-use state, thereby preventing the iron portion 11 and the grip portion 13 from being arbitrarily opened. FIG. 6A shows a schematic view of an embodiment of a safety lock. A hook 640 is disposed on the effort arm 131, and is placed on the effort arm 132 when the effort arms 131 and 132 are close to each other, so that the opening of the effort arms 131 and 132 can be restricted. FIG. 6B shows another embodiment of a safety lock. In the embodiment, the inner surface of the effort arm 131 facing the effort arm 132 is provided with a protrusion 1490. One side of the protrusion 1490 is provided with a hole 1491, and at a relative position on an inner surface of the effort arm 132 facing the effort arm 131, a slot is formed, and one side of the slot is provided with a gear 1492 and a set of the toothed rods 1493. The gear 1492 is partially exposed outside the effort arm 132. When the user presses the effort arms 131 and 132 to be close to each other to a certain extent, the protrusion 1490 enters the slot 1491. Then the user rotates the gear 1492 exposed outside the effort arm 132 to drive the toothed rods 1493 to advance into the hole 1491 of the protrusion 1490 so as to limit the opening of the arms 131 and 132. Of course, if the gear 1492 is reversely rotated to drive the toothed rods 1493 back away from the hole 1491 of the protrusion 1490, the protrusion 1490 can be disengaged from the slot, allowing the arms 131 and 132 to be separated.

As can be seen from the above examples, the hair iron of the present invention is more intuitive and user-friendly in use, and it also enhances the performance of ironing.

While the invention has been described in terms of what is presently considered to be the most practical and preferred embodiments, it is to be understood that the invention needs not be limited to the disclosed embodiment. On the contrary, it is intended to cover various modifications and similar arrangements included within the spirit and scope of the appended claims which are to be accorded with the broadest interpretation so as to encompass all such modifications and similar structures.

ELECTRICAL HAIR IRON

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Date Published

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CPC

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Abstract

Description

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CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

Provisional Applications (1)