1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to appliances, particularly hair styling appliances, having a programmable electronic control to permit control of the output temperature of the appliance. In addition, the present invention relates to display screens on these hair styling appliances to provide an accurate visual indication of operational features of the appliance.
2. Description of Related Art
Many hairstyling appliances utilize heat to encourage hair to assume a new posture or desired style. For example, styling postures may include drying, straightening, curling, crimping, and the like. Heat may be applied to hair for styling by blowing hot air, for example, by using hair dryers or hot-air styling brushes, or by direct application of heat to the hair, for example by using styling irons or hot rollers, or other hair-setting tools.
Regardless of the hair-styling method, the application of too much or too little heat may result in unintended disadvantages. For example, overheating hair may cause hair to become damaged, dry, and brittle and in more severe cases, even burned. Too little heat may not achieve the desired results, that is, drying, straightening, curling, crimping, and the like.
The appropriate amount of heat needed to accomplish desired results depends, in part, upon the characteristics of a user's hair. Specifically, the thickness, natural curl and length of a user's hair may affect amount of heat necessary to achieve a desired style.
Accordingly, it would be an advantage to provide a hair styling appliance that permits a user to select and control the desired output temperature of that appliance. In addition, it would be advantageous to provide the user with an accurate depiction of the desired output temperature via a display means.
The present invention, therefore, seeks to satisfy the foregoing needs by providing a hair styling appliance having a programmable electronic control.
In one aspect of the present invention, a hair styling appliance is contemplated where the appliance has a selectable temperature setting that permits a user to control the desired output temperature.
Another aspect of the present invention contemplates providing an accurate visual representation the output temperature of the hair styling appliance on an electronic display on the appliance.
Yet another aspect of the present invention involves the inclusion of a shutoff/sleep mode of operation for the appliance such that when the appliance is left unattended or is not in operation for a proscribed period of time, the appliance automatically removes power flow to the heat source.
An even further aspect of the present invention is to provide a feature that will recall the last temperature setting of the appliance when the appliance is turned on after having been off.
And still another aspect of the present invention includes a locking mechanism or mode which prevents the desired settings from being accidentally, inadvertently or unintentionally changed.
While the making and use of various embodiments of the present invention are discussed and contemplated herein, it should be appreciated that the present invention provides many inventive concepts that can be embodied in a wide variety of specific contexts. The specific embodiments discussed herein are therefore, merely illustrative of specific ways to make and use the invention and are not meant to limit the invention in any way. Accordingly, for the ease of discussion, curling iron embodiments are described below, as an exemplary appliance, and the description of a curling iron is not intended to limit the invention.
In addition, in one embodiment of the present invention the control panel 45 has a display screen 65 which may provide for a visual indication of the operable features and/or the output temperature of the appliance. The display screen 65 is preferably an LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) although other display means, such as LED (Light Emitting Diode) devices, may also be employed and are contemplated herein. The display screen 65 may optionally be equipped with a backlight to illuminate the display screen 65 while the appliance is switched on.
In one embodiment, the display screen provides a visual indication 70 of the output temperature, or power, of the device. Preferably the temperature is represented on the display screen 65 in the form of bars. For example a low temperature indication may displayed as one to three bars as shown in
Another optional feature contemplated by the present invention includes a shutoff/sleep mode that removes power from the heat source of the appliance when the appliance remains idle or there is no activation of the appliance's controls within a given time period. By activating any of the appliance's controls the appliance is taken out of the shutoff/sleep mode. It is preferable for this feature to be represented on the display screen 65 when enabled. It is especially preferred that the representation of this enabled feature include a quarter moon, a clock-like icon, or other time symbolic indicator. An additional preferred optional feature includes an alarm to alert the user that the shutoff/sleep mode has been enabled and that power cutoff will soon occur. Preferably, such alarm includes a flashing or blinking light, although other visual or audio alarms may be utilized and are contemplated herein.
In certain embodiments, the present invention may include a last-setting-recall mode that recalls the last temperature setting selected by the user when the appliance is turned on. Typically this feature does not work if the unit has been unplugged from the AC power supply. However, one optional embodiment of the present invention includes a battery to maintain power to the last setting recall feature even when the appliance has been removed from an AC power source.
In certain embodiments, the appliances disclosed herein include a lock mode that allows the controls to be locked, thus preventing the desired settings from being accidentally or unintentionally changed. It is preferable for this feature to be represented on the display screen 65 when enabled. It is especially preferred that the representation of this enabled feature include a key or lock icon, or other symbolic indicator.
The foregoing description of an exemplary embodiment is for illustrative purposes only and is not intended to limit the scope of the claimed invention. Indeed, various modifications and applications for the described invention are intended to be within the scope of the present disclosure. In addition to the curling iron embodiment as described above, hair styling appliances such as flat irons, crimping irons, spiral irons or wands, curling-iron styling brushes, hair dryers, hot-air styling brushes, hot rollers or other hair-setting tools are contemplated by the present disclosure.