Patent Application
20080041408
Corresponding reference characters indicate corresponding parts throughout the drawings.
Referring now to the drawings and in particular to
The hair straightener 101 has a pair of arms, generally indicated at 103a and 103b, held in assembly with each other by a suitable pivot connection 105 disposed toward one end of the arms. The arms 103a, 103b are thus moveable relative to one another on the pivot axis of pivot connection 105 between an open position (
With particular reference to the lower arm 103a of the straightener 101 as illustrated in
While in the illustrated embodiment the switch 121 and control system are located on the lower arm 103a of the hair straightener 101, it is understood that the switch and control system may instead be located on the upper arm 103b of the straightener. It is also contemplated that separate switches may be provided, one for power on/off and another for controlling the heat output, or that a single power on/off switch may be provided without the ability to control the heat output, and remain within the scope of this invention.
A cradle insert 113 seats within the interior space of the housing member 109 and forms a cradle in which a heating member assembly (
The heating unit 117 suitably comprises one or more heaters, such as electrical resistance heaters, positioned in contact with or in sufficiently close proximity to the inner surface 127 of the heating member 111 to heat the heating member during use of the hair straightener 101. For example, in one suitable embodiment the heating unit 117 is operable to heat the heating member 111 to a temperature of at least about 100 degrees Celsius, and may heat the heating member up to a temperature of about 250 degrees Celsius. In another embodiment the heating unit 17 is operable to heat the heating member to a temperature in the range of about 180 to about 230 degrees Celsius. It is understood that other suitable heating units or heating methods may be used to heat the heating member 111 without departing from the scope of this invention.
The heating member 111 of the illustrated embodiment is generally rectangular and sized to seat at least partially within the cradle insert 113. The heating member 111 has inner surface 127, and an outer, or hair-facing surface 125 that faces outward away from the interior channel of the arm housing 109, i.e., toward the hair that is being styled in contact with the heating member assembly 114 during use of the hair straightener 101. The heating member 111 may be constructed of any suitable material, such as, without limitation, metal, ceramic materials or combinations thereof as is known in the art.
A second heating member assembly (not shown) is carried by the upper arm 103b of the hair straightener 101 and is constructed substantially similar to the heating member assembly 114 carried by the lower arm 103a. This second heating member assembly is electrically connected to the control system by suitable wiring (not showing). The heating member assemblies 114 of the lower and upper arms 103a, 103b are sufficiently located longitudinally on the arms so that in the closed position of the hair straightener 101 the heating member assemblies are in generally opposed relationship with each other to style hair disposed between the heating member assemblies. In particular, each of the heating member assemblies 114 has an outer, hair-facing surface 127 that broadly defines the hair facing surface of the respective the lower and upper arms 103a, 103b of the hair straightener 101. In the open position of the hair straightener 101, the hair-facing surfaces 127 of the heating member assemblies 114 are spaced apart from one another such that the arms 103a, 103b are generally inoperative to hold hair therebetween.
With particular reference to
In one suitable embodiment, the cloth 131 is constructed of a material that is suitably less thermally conductive than the material from which the heating member 111 is constructed so that the cloth, upon heating by the heating member, presents a surface temperature at the hair-facing surface 127 of the heating member assembly 114 that is less than the temperature of the hair-facing surface 125 of the heating member. For example, in one embodiment the temperature of the cloth 131, i.e., the hair-facing surface 127 of the heating member assembly 114, may be at least 5 degrees Celsius less than the temperature of the hair-facing surface 125 of the heating member 111, and more suitably it may be about 10 or more degrees Celsius less than the temperature of the hair-facing surface of the heating member. It is understood, however, that the temperature of the hair-facing surface 127 of the heating member assembly 114 may be substantially equal to that of the hair-facing surface 125 of the heating member 111 and remain within the scope of this invention.
In another suitable embodiment, the cloth 131 may also be capable of shrinking in at least a transverse direction of the cloth upon being heated by the heating member 111, without substantial risk of tearing or degradation of the cloth. For example, in one embodiment the cloth 131 may suitably be capable of shrinking in at least the transverse direction of the cloth in the range of about one percent to about ten percent, more suitably in the range of about one percent to about eight percent, still more suitably in the range of about one percent to about five percent, and even more suitably in the range of about one percent to about three percent upon heating by the heating member to a temperature of at least about 150 degrees Celsius. Depending on the particular design of the hair styling apparatus 101 and the material and construction of the cloth 131, it may be desirable to pre-shrink the cloth (e.g., by heating it in boiling water or by another suitable technique) before assembly with the heating member 111 to reduce the amount of heat induced shrinkage that occurs upon heating of the heating member.
The cloth 131 is held in assembly with the heating member 111 without being bonded to the heating member. This is particularly advantageous where the cloth 131 is constructed of a material that is difficult and/or more costly to bond to the heating member 111. It is understood however that the cloth 131 may be bonded to the heating member 111 without departing from the scope of this invention. The cloth 131 of the illustrated embodiment is generally rectangular (before being wrapped about the heating member 111) and is held taut over the hair-facing surface 125 of the heating member 111 to inhibit bunching, wrinkling or other substantial movement of the cloth relative to the heating member as hair is pulled through the hair straightener during use.
As illustrated in
To further facilitate holding the cloth 131 taut and in assembly with the heating member 111, a pair of connectors 161 extends transversely between and interconnects the transverse side margins 141 of the cloth. In the embodiment illustrated in
As illustrated in
For example, in the illustrated embodiment the connectors comprise a pair of coil springs 161 having hooks formed at their respective ends to connect the springs to the rods 147 (e.g., by puncturing through the cloth 131 at the pockets 145 thereof). It is contemplated that the connectors 161 may comprise other types of springs, or elastic members, without departing from the scope of this invention. It is also understood that the connectors 161 need not be elastically elongatable, or they may even be inextensible, and remain within the scope of this invention.
In one embodiment, the cloth 131 is held in transverse tension along the length of the heating member in the range of about 0.35 to about 2.10 Newtons per linear centimeter (about 0.2 to about 1.2 pounds per linear inch) of the heating member length (i.e., the length over which the cloth is held in transverse tension), more suitably in the range of about 0.56 to about 1.40 Newtons per linear centimeter (about 0.32 to about 0.8 pounds per linear inch) of the heating member length, and even more suitably in the range of about 0.70 to about 0.98 Newtons per linear centimeter (about 0.4 to about 0.56 pounds per linear inch) of the heating member length. As one example, the length of the heating member 111 of the illustrated embodiment is approximately 2.5 inches (6.35 cm). Accordingly, the tension of the cloth 131 for such a heating member 111 is suitably in the range of about 2.22 to about 13.34 Newtons (about 0.5 to about 3.0 pounds), more suitably about 3.56 to about 8.90 Newtons (about 0.8 to about 2.0 pounds), and even more suitably about 4.45 to about 6.23 Newtons (about 1.0 to about 1.4 pounds).
In a more particular example, each of the two springs 161 of the illustrated embodiment is tensioned to about 2.67 Newtons (about 0.6 pounds) so that the tension in the cloth is about 5.34 Newtons (about 1.2 pounds), or about 0.84 Newtons per linear centimeter (about 0.48 pounds per linear inch) of heating member length. It is understood that the tension in each of the springs 161 need not be equal, i.e., one spring may have a different tension than the other, without departing from the scope of this invention. For example, in the illustrated embodiment one spring may have a tension of about 0.22 Newtons (about 0.5 pounds) while the other has a tension of about 3.11 Newtons (about 0.7 pounds) and still apply a tension to the cloth of about 1.2 pounds. The rods 147 in the pockets 145 formed in the cloth 131 help uniformly distribute this tension from the springs 161 (broadly, the connectors) along the length of the cloth 131.
In one suitable embodiment, the cloth 131 is further constructed of a material in which its static coefficient of friction and its dynamic coefficient of friction are approximately the same (thus having little or no slip-stick) to facilitate reduced (and potentially hair damage inducing) friction between the hair being styled and the hair-facing surfaces 127 of the heating member assemblies 114. In particular, the material from which the cloth 131 is constructed also suitably resists adherence thereto of liquids, gels, sprays or other materials that may be present on the hair being styled. As an example, the cloth 131 may suitably be constructed at least in part from a fluorinated polyethylene, and more suitably it may be constructed at least in part from polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) (e.g., such as that commercially available from E.I. DuPont de Nemours and Company under the tradename Teflon®). Alternatively, the cloth 131 may suitably be constructed at least in part from a PTFE derivative. In another particularly suitable embodiment the cloth 131 may be constructed entirely from a fluorinated polyethylene, and more suitably it may be constructed entirely from PTFE or a PTFE derivative.
Even more suitably, the cloth 131 may be constructed of a plurality of monofilaments 135 (
As used herein, the term “monofilament” refers to a single fiber strand in which its composition is substantially uniform throughout the length and cross-section of the fiber. For example, in one embodiment the monofilaments 135 may be formed by extruding a heated polymeric material (e.g., PTFE or a derivative thereof) or polymeric material mixture through an opening to produce a fiber of substantially uniform polymer or polymer mixture throughout the strand. As shown in
A multiple component filament (which is not a monofilament as that term is defined herein) is also a single fiber but comprises at least two distinct materials that are not blended or otherwise mixed together, i.e., the distribution of material is non-uniform along the length and/or cross-section of the fiber. It is understood that the cloth 131 may be constructed in part or in whole of such multiple component filaments without departing from the scope of this invention. For example, the cloth 131 may comprise multiple component filaments in which a fibrous material such as fiberglass or other fibrous material that is capable of withstanding the operating temperatures of the heating member 111 is coated or otherwise covered with a fluorinated polyethylene, and more suitably a PTFE or a PTFE derivative.
The cloth 131 of the illustrated embodiment is suitably a woven cloth. The term “woven” refers to the interlacing of warp and fill (otherwise commonly referred to as weft) members in a predetermined pattern. For example, in one embodiment the weave of the cloth 131 may comprise a plain weave made by weaving one fill member over and under each warp member, alternating each row. It is understood, however, that weaves other than a plain weave may be used to construct the woven cloth 131, such as a twill, basket, satin or other suitable. More suitably, as illustrated for example in
The cloth 131 is suitably oriented on the heating member 111 with the warp direction of the cloth extending in the longitudinal direction of the heating member and the fill direction of the cloth extending in the transverse direction of the heating member. However, it is contemplated that the warp direction of the cloth 131 may be oriented in the transverse direction of the heating member 111, with the fill direction thereby being oriented in the longitudinal direction of the heating member, or the cloth may be oriented in another orientation relative to the heating member, without departing from the scope of this invention.
In a more particular example, one suitable cloth 131 has a yarn count (also commonly referred to as a thread count) of about 75 to about 78 yarns/inch in the warp direction and about 62 to about 69 yarns/inch in the fill direction (as determined using ASTM standard D-3775). The cloth 131 is woven of 400 denier Teflon®, with each yarn comprising about 60 monofilaments 135. The thickness of the cloth is approximately 0.0088±0.0008 inches (as determined using ASTM standard D-1777) and a basis weight of about 8.5±0.5 ounces per square yard (osy) (as determined by ASTM standard D-3776). The tensile strength in both the warp and fill direction is at least about 95 pounds (as determined by ASTM standard D-5035 using a one inch ravel strip) and an elongation of at least 30 percent in both the warp and fill direction (also determined by ASTM standard D-5035 using a one inch ravel strip). The cloth 131 may also have an air permeability at 0.5 inches of at least about 10 cubic feet/minute (CFM) (as determined by ASTM standard D-737). Such a construction allows some movement of the yarns and/or the individual monofilaments thereof relative to one another (i.e., there is some “looseness” in the weave). The shrinkage of the cloth in the warp direction is suitably less than about four percent and the shrinkage of the cloth in the fill direction (e.g., the transverse direction of the cloth/heating member in the illustrated embodiment) is less than about eight percent.
One advantage of constructing the cloth 131 at least partially from fluorinated polyethylene monofilaments 135 is that tension is induced in the cloth upon heating thereof (e.g., upon initial heating of the heating member 111) because of the heat induced shrinkage of the monofilaments 135 (and hence the cloth) as discussed previously.
While in the illustrated embodiment the cloth 131 is a woven cloth comprised of yarns, it is contemplated that in other embodiments the cloth may be woven from individual fibers or filaments, such as the monofilaments 135 described previously herein, without departing from the scope of this invention. It is also contemplated that the cloth 131 may alternatively comprise a non-woven cloth and remain within the scope of this invention.
The heating member assembly (not shown) carried by the upper arm 103b similarly comprises a cloth (not shown, but broadly defining a second cloth) covering the outer, hair-facing surface of the heating member thereof and thereby defining an outer, hair-facing surface of the upper arm. It is understood, however, that only the heating member assembly 114 of the lower arm 103a, or only that of the upper arm 103b, may comprise a heating member 111 covered by the above described cloth 131 and remain within the scope of this invention.
The hair straightener 101 is used in generally the same manner as a conventional hair straightener. The heating members 111 of the heating member assemblies 114 are heated by the heating units 117. Once the heating member assemblies 114 reach their desired temperature, the user moves the lower and upper arms 103a, 103b relative to each other from the open position to the closed position of the hair straightener 101 so that a swatch of hair is held between the opposed hair-facing surfaces 127 of the arms (e.g., between the cloths 131 that cover the respective heating members 111). The user applies pressure to the arms 103 to clamp the hair firmly between the heating members 111. Although the technique may vary from one user to the next, the hair is typically oriented at least roughly perpendicularly to the arms 103a, 103b. The straightener 101 is passed over the length of the hairs, for example by pulling the straightener away from the subject's scalp without opening the arms 103a, 103b to pull all or part of the entire length of hair through the arms. Heat from the heating members 111 is transferred to the hair while it is held between the cloth-covered heating members 111, which in combination with the pressure applied by the user results in straightening of the hair.
Although the technique for operating the hair straightener 101 is substantially the same as it is for conventional straighteners, the cloth 131 reduces the amount of damage that may occur to the hair as a result of the straightening process. In particular, the cloth 131 is suitably less thermally conductive than the heating member and therefore remains slightly cooler than the heating member. Moreover, while conductive heat transfer from the cloth 131 to the hairs H occurs where the hairs actually contact the cloth, the woven structure of the cloth 131 and the irregular surface of the yarns 133 resulting from the bundling of monofilaments 135 reduces the contact surface between the hairs H and the cloth. Numerous small pockets of hot air exist in the pores of the woven cloth 131 and between locations where a strand of hair H contacts the cloth. The heated parcels of air can rise through the hairs H to reach other hairs that are not in contact with the cloth 131 at that moment. The construction of the cloth 131 also results in a relatively high surface area density, which increases the availability of heat stored in the cloth for transfer to the hairs H without increasing the temperature. These features work in concert to reduce the likelihood that heat damage will be inflicted on the hair during straightening, while facilitating effective heating of the hair required to achieve straightening.
The cloth 131 also protects hairs from physical damage. For example, the construction of the cloth 131 allows some movement of the yarns 133 relative to each other, and/or the individual monofilaments or other fibers relative to each other, as the hairs are compacted between the heating member assemblies. This movement can absorb some of the pressure applied by the user to reduce the pressure applied to the hairs H. Further, the cloth 131 in general is more yielding (e.g., compressive) than the heating member 111 so that the hairs H are cushioned to some extent from the tendency of the relatively non-pliable heating member to otherwise crush individual hairs.
The irregular surface area of the cloth 131 (e.g., due to the individual monofilments and the weaving of the yarns) creates the opportunity for individual hairs H to be gripped as they pass over the cloth. In particular, the orientation of the monofilaments, i.e., extending generally parallel to each other, allows the hair-facing surface defined by the cloth to act somewhat in a comb-like manner, thereby inhibiting the hairs to cross-over each other or become skewed to the direction in which the straightener is pulled relative to the hairs.
The relatively low coefficient of friction provided by the cloth 131 material reduces the amount of friction applied to the hairs. This is particularly true of cloths that include fluorinated polyethylene and in particular PTFE or a PTFE derivative. The low coefficient of friction in combination with the smooth rounded shape of the monofilaments 135 (as is evident in
A Hair Damage Assessment Test as set forth below may be used to determine the amount of damage that occurs to hair as a result of using a particular hair straightener. In one embodiment, the amount of hair damage resulting from using a hair straightener constructed in accordance with the present invention and operated at a temperature of at least about 150 degrees Celsius is suitably less than or equal to about 40 percent, more suitably less than or equal to about 30 percent, and even more suitably less than or equal to about 20 percent as determined by the Hair Damage Assessment Test.
In another suitable embodiment, the amount of hair damage resulting from using a hair straightener constructed in accordance with the present invention and operated at a temperature of at least about 170 degrees Celsius is suitably less than or equal to about 40 percent, more suitably less than or equal to about 30 percent, and even more suitably less than or equal to about 20 percent as determined by the Hair Damage Assessment Test.
In yet another suitable embodiment, the amount of hair damage resulting from using a hair straightener constructed in accordance with the present invention and operated at a temperature of at least about 190 degrees Celsius is suitably less than or equal to about 40 percent, more suitably less than or equal to about 30 percent, and even more suitably less than or equal to about 20 percent as determined by the Hair Damage Assessment Test.
A swatch (about one gram, which on average comprises about 1,000 to about 1,200 hairs) of virgin hair (in excellent condition and showing no signs of damage) is washed with a non-silicone shampoo. No conditioners or styling agents are applied to the hair after washing. Before testing, the hair straightener to be tested is turned on to the maximum heat setting and allowed to heat up for at least three minutes. The temperature of the heated hair-facing surface(s) of the hair straightener is measured (e.g., by a suitable thermometer placed in contact with the hair-facing surface) and recorded.
The swatch is then subjected to 500 passes through the hair straightener (e.g., in the closed position of the hair straightener). Assuming that users average four passes each time they use a hair straightener to straighten hair, 500 passes is intended to simulate approximately 125 actual uses of the respective hair straightener. The compression pressure applied by the tester should be kept as uniform as possible from one pass to the next. Following completion of the 500 passes, the swatch is hung on a hook in a room having an ambient temperature of 21 degrees Celsius (i.e., room temperature) for several hours.
The term damage as used for this Test refers to split ends and defects/distortions at any point along the hair shaft. For example,
Although damage to hairs for the purpose of this Test may be determined without the aid of a scanning electron microscope, the micrographs shown in
Two hundred hairs are selected from two sections of the swatch after testing the hair straightener. This set of hairs is examined under a high powered magnifying lens for structural damage to the hairs of the swatch. The percentage of damaged vs. undamaged hairs is then tabulated and recorded.
An experiment was conducted to compare the damage to hair resulting from using a conventional hair straightener (e.g., with the cloth covering described above) to damage resulting from using a hair straightener 101 constructed in accordance with the present invention. Twenty-four swatches of virgin hair in excellent condition and showing no signs of damage were selected at random and washed with a non-silicone shampoo. No conditioners or styling agents were applied to the hair after washing. The swatches were randomly divided into three groups (A, B, and C), with each group containing eight swatches.
Group A swatches were subjected to the above Hair Damage Assessment Test using a conventional hair straightener (a Remington S2002 hair straightener available from Spectrum Brands, Inc. of Atlanta, Ga.), while the Group B swatches were subjected to the Hair Damage Assessment Test using the Remington S2002 hair straightener with the hair-facing surfaces of its heating members each covered with a plain woven PTFE cloth according to the present invention. In particular, the cloth had a yarn count (also commonly referred to as a thread count) of about 75 to about 78 yarns/inch in the warp direction and about 62 to about 69 yarns/inch in the fill direction (as determined using ASTM standard D-3775), with the warp direction extending longitudinally on the heating member of the hair straightener. Each yarn comprised about 60 Teflon® monofilaments 135. The cloth had a thickness of approximately 0.0088±0.0008 inches (as determined using ASTM standard D-1777) and a basis weight of about 8.5±0.5 ounces per square yard (osy) (as determined by ASTM standard D-3776). The tensile strength in both the warp and fill direction was at least about 95 pounds (as determined by ASTM standard D-5035 using a one inch ravel strip) and an elongation was at least 30 percent in both the warp and fill direction (also determined by ASTM standard D-5035 using a one inch ravel strip). The cloth 131 also had an air permeability at 0.5 inches of at least about 10 cubic feet/minute (CFM) (as determined by ASTM standard D-737). The swatches in Group C remained untreated for use as a control. There was damage to the hairs in the swatches of Group C.
Four testers were used to conduct the test, e.g., with each tester applying all 500 passes to a particular swatch with a particular hair straightener. The testers were instructed to maintain the compression pressure applied to the swatch as uniform as possible from one pass to the next. Before testing, each of the hair straighteners were turned on to the maximum heat setting and allowed to heat up for four minutes. The temperature of the heated hair-facing surfaces of the straightener was measured to be about 190.0 degrees Celsius for the conventional hair straightener and about 182.5 degrees Celsius for the hair straightener having the cloth covered heating members.
Each swatch from Group A and Group B was then examined under a high powered magnifying lens for structural damage to the hairs of the swatch. For example,
Hair Shaft Structural Damage
Group A—60.5% of hair shafts were damaged
Group B—18.5% of hair shafts were damaged
The most common structural damage to the Group A hairs was split ends. In particular, 52.0 percent of the hairs in the Group A swatch had split ends.
A second Experiment was conducted to compare the hair damage caused by several commercially available hair styling apparatus with that resulting from the hair straighteners tested in Experiment 1. Virgin hair swatches similar to those used in Experiment 1 were washed as described above. The various hair styling apparatus were first turned on at the maximum heat setting and allowed to warm up for three minutes. Then the temperature of the apparatus was measured by a thermometer in contact with the hair-facing surface of the heating member. The swatches and corresponding hair-styling apparatus were subjected to the above-described Hair Damage Assessment Test, the results of which are set forth below (along with the results from Experiment 1):
These results support the conclusion that covering the heating members of the hair straightener with a cloth constructed in accordance with the present invention results in less structural damage to the hair shaft than conventional hair straighteners.
Similar benefits can be attained by covering the heating member(s) of other types of hair styling apparatus with a cloth as described above. For example,
The curling iron 201 comprises an elongate handle 202 having an elongate heating member assembly 203 extending therefrom (the handle and heating member assembly together broadly defining an arm comprised of at least one heating member assembly). The illustrated heating member assembly 203 comprises a generally cylindrical heating member 205 having an inner surface 206 defining an interior space 207 of the heating member and an outer, hair-facing surface 209 thereof. A heating unit 215 in the form of one or more electrical resistance heaters is disposed generally centrally within the interior space 207 of the heating member 205 and in thermally conductive contact with the inner surface 206 of the heating member via a pair of thermally conductive heat distributors 217 (e.g., constructed of aluminum) also disposed within the heating member. The heating member 205 itself may be constructed of metal, ceramic or any other suitable material or combinations thereof and capable of withstanding heating to a temperature of about 150 to about 250 degrees Celsius. As seen best in
With particular reference to
For example, in one embodiment the cloth 231 is initially (i.e., before wrapping about the heating member 205) generally rectangular and has transverse side margins that are stitched together along a longitudinally extending seam 245 to form the cloth into a generally tubular configuration. The tube formed by the cloth 231 is suitably sized in cross-section larger than the heating member 205 to allow the cloth to be fitted over the heating member with some slack remaining in the cloth. This slack in the cloth 231 is taken up by inserting a portion of the cloth (e.g., along the seam 245) through the slot 219 formed in the heating member 205 so that the cloth becomes taut on the outer, hair-facing surface 209 of the heating member.
The portion of the cloth 231 inserted through the heating member slot 219 forms an elongate pocket in which a rod 247 (e.g., a steel rod) having a diameter that exceeds the width of the slot 219 in the heating member 205 is received to hold the cloth taut over the hair-facing surface 209 of the heating member. The longitudinal ends of the cloth 231 are suitably wrapped around the longitudinal ends of the heating member 205 and tucked into the interior space 207 thereof. When fully assembled in this manner, the seam 245 and longitudinal ends of the cloth 231 are inaccessible to the user. The tension in the cloth 231 is suitably in the same range as noted above for the cloth 131 of the hair straightener 101.
In the illustrated embodiment, the curling iron 201 further comprises a clamp 271 (broadly, a second arm) pivotally connected to the first arm 203, and in particular to the handle 202. The clamp 271 is pivotable relative to the first arm 203, i.e., relative to the heating member assembly 203 and handle 202 between an open position of the curling iron (
Although the drawings and above description illustrate and describe the hair styling apparatus in the form of a hair straightener 101 and curling iron 201, it is understood that the hair styling apparatus may comprise any hair styling apparatus other than those set forth herein and remain within the scope of this invention. In particular, any hair styling apparatus that has one or more heating members that would otherwise come into direct contact with hair during styling may be covered with a cloth in accordance with the present invention. The term “arm”, as used herein is intended only to refer to a carrier of the heating member and is not intended to be limited to structure that is necessarily elongate or otherwise has a greatest dimension along its length.
It is also contemplated that the hair styling apparatus need not be a hand-held apparatus, i.e., held in the user's hands during use. For example, the hair styling apparatus may comprise a hair roller (not shown) having a cloth in accordance with the present invention covering the outer, hair facing surface of the heating member of the hair roller.
When introducing elements of the present invention or the preferred embodiments thereof, the articles “a”, “an”, “the” and “said” are intended to mean that there are one or more of the elements. The terms “comprising”, “including” and “having” are intended to be inclusive and mean that there may be additional elements other than the listed elements.
As various changes could be made in the above constructions, products and methods without departing from the scope of the invention, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description and shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.
