This invention relates to a hair styling apparatus, in particular an apparatus for styling hair by heating, and a method of styling hair.
There are in existence various hair styling apparatus such as hair curlers. In a conventional hair curler, tresses of hair are wound around a heating barrel. A user may then press a button to pass electricity to the heating barrel to heat up the barrel, so as to curl the hair by heating. In order to curl the hair, the heating barrel has to be heated up to a very high temperature. It is well known that it is dangerous to operate such an apparatus, whether to the user or to the one whose hair is being styled.
It is thus an object of the present invention to provide a hair styling apparatus and a method of styling hair in which the aforesaid shortcoming is mitigated or at least to provide a useful alternative to the public. In particular, it is an object of the present invention to provide a hair styling apparatus and a method of styling hair in which the danger of the user being hurt during use is reduced.
According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a hair styling apparatus including at least one heating member, characterized in including at least one sleeve member covering part of said heating member, said sleeve member including a wall member with at least one helical slot allowing a tress of hair to be received through said slot to contact said heating member.
According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided a hair styling method including steps of (a) providing a hair styling apparatus with at least one heating member and at least one sleeve member covering part of said heating member, wherein said sleeve member includes a wall member with at least one helical slot; (b) engaging a tress of hair with said hair styling apparatus; and (c) rotating said hair styling apparatus to thereby wind said tress of hair onto said heating member along said helical slot of said wall member of said sleeve member.
A hair styling apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:
An electric hair curler according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown in
As shown more clearly in
At the portion adjoining the handle 12 and the heating barrel 20 are provided a sliding lock 24 and a base 26, forming a locking mechanism, the purpose of which will be discussed below.
One of the longitudinal ends of the protecting sleeve 28 is provided with an opening 36, which leads to and communicates with the slot 32, and is shaped and configured to fit and correspond with the sliding lock 24 and base 26.
Turning to
When so installed, the protecting sleeve 28 is spaced apart from and covers a major part of the circular surface of the heating barrel 20. It is possible to access and contact the heating barrel 20 through the helical slot 32. It can also be seen that, when so installed, a free end of the sliding lock 24 is received in the opening 36 of the protecting sleeve 28.
As shown in
Turning now to
Such an arrangement enables part of a tress of hair to be releasably fixed relative to the protecting sleeve 28. In particular, part of a tress of hair may be releasably held by and between the sliding lock 24 on the one hand and the base 26 and the protecting sleeve 28 on the other hand.
As shown in
The hair curler 10 may then be activated to heat up the electric heater 40 so as to heat up the heating barrel 20, to thereby heat the tress of hair wound around the heating barrel 20, for curling or styling purposes. Because of the protecting sleeve 28, the danger of the heating barrel 20 coming into contact with the user's hand or the scalp of the person whose hair is being styled or curled is significantly reduced. In addition, as the protecting sleeve 28 is spaced apart from the heating barrel 20, the space between the protecting sleeve 28 and the heating barrel 20 serves to retain some heat, thus shortening the operating time, enhancing the styling and curling efficiency, and providing a uniform and even styling and curling effect.
To release the tress of hair from the electric hair curler 10, the sliding lock 24 is again moved away from the protecting sleeve 28, as shown in
It should be understood that the above only illustrates an example whereby the present invention may be carried out, and that various modifications and/or alterations may be made thereto without departing from the spirit of the invention. It should also be understood that various features of the invention which are, for brevity, described here in the context of a single embodiment, may be provided separately or in any appropriate sub-combination.
Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind | 371c Date |
---|---|---|---|---|
PCT/CN2009/074970 | 11/17/2009 | WO | 00 | 8/3/2011 |
Publishing Document | Publishing Date | Country | Kind |
---|---|---|---|
WO2011/060569 | 5/26/2011 | WO | A |
Number | Name | Date | Kind |
---|---|---|---|
1377655 | Begas | May 1921 | A |
1709918 | Santurello | Apr 1929 | A |
1901430 | Bjorkman | Mar 1933 | A |
1905373 | Duraney | Apr 1933 | A |
2423252 | Nemeth | Jul 1947 | A |
3312128 | Wasson | Apr 1967 | A |
3918465 | Barradas | Nov 1975 | A |
4034201 | Walter et al. | Jul 1977 | A |
4267851 | Plaisted | May 1981 | A |
4354092 | Manabe et al. | Oct 1982 | A |
4411281 | Doern | Oct 1983 | A |
4602143 | Mack et al. | Jul 1986 | A |
4623779 | Raab | Nov 1986 | A |
4858810 | Intlekofer et al. | Aug 1989 | A |
4866249 | Howard | Sep 1989 | A |
4939340 | Brill | Jul 1990 | A |
5046516 | Barradas | Sep 1991 | A |
5119847 | Powell et al. | Jun 1992 | A |
5159861 | Anderson | Nov 1992 | A |
5810026 | Sham | Sep 1998 | A |
5944030 | Kelsey | Aug 1999 | A |
5983903 | Namba et al. | Nov 1999 | A |
6352080 | Neville | Mar 2002 | B1 |
7082949 | Julemont | Aug 2006 | B2 |
7481228 | Ragosta et al. | Jan 2009 | B2 |
20010013513 | Chan | Aug 2001 | A1 |
20030000542 | Huntley | Jan 2003 | A1 |
20070278205 | Pencook | Dec 2007 | A1 |
20100263684 | De Benedictis | Oct 2010 | A1 |
Number | Date | Country |
---|---|---|
2628611 | Sep 1989 | FR |
Entry |
---|
International Search Report, for PCT/CN2009/074970, mailed Jul. 29, 2010, (3 pages). |
Number | Date | Country | |
---|---|---|---|
20110284020 A1 | Nov 2011 | US |