Abstract:
An electric iron for straightening ladies hair, capable of producing anion and ozone, has an electron generator embedded on one of the handle of ceramic plate heating electric iron. Electrons generated from the inside of the ion generator meet air at the end of two different cathode lines, which are ended with sharp carbon steel needle, and generate anions and ozone. Pluralities of small holes developed along the heater cases enables even distribution of the anions along the heating blades. The ion generator of the current application is so powerful that the concentration of anions in the air is about 1,000,000 each/cubic centimeters even when measured 15 cm apart from the heating blades. Such long range distribution enables pretreatment of the user&#39;s hair with anion and ozone before the heating blades touch them.

Description:
[0001]     This is a continuation in part of the U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/662,441 which is now abandoned. The present invention generally relates to an electric iron additionally generating greater number of anions and ozone than the iron of prior art for smoothening ladies hair. 
     
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION  
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0002]     Most of ladies use much kind of instruments to take care their hair such as hair drier and various kinds of irons. All these instruments heat the hair and give some physical stress to the hair. Repeated exposure to a heat and stress make the hair rough. To protect the hair, most ladies use additional hair protecting agent. The present invention is to provide an electric iron for hair straightening without hearting hair. Anion is known as softening the hair. However, it was not clearly known how much anion is effective for softening the ladies hair. Most of hair straightening irons in the market produce too small amount of anions for softening the ladies hair enough. Ozone is known as hazardous to human body. But, very small amount of ozone is effective for softening the ladies&#39; hair. It is the purpose of the current application to provide a hair straightening iron that produces enough anions and ozone and distribute them evenly to the user&#39;s hair.  
       DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ARTS  
       [0003]     From U.S. Pat. No. 1,455,696 to Wright to U.S. Patent Publication US 2003/0052115 to Leung, all the prior art related with electric irons for hair treatment has no parts for producing anions.  
         [0004]     U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,939,059 and 6,264,931 to Franklin, et al. illustrate a 2-in-1 conditioning shampoo includes an anionic surfactant and a cationic hair conditioning agent. U.S. Pat. No. 5,714,446 Bartz, et al. discloses hair conditioning shampoo compositions comprising from about 5% to about 50%, by weight, of an anionic surfactant component. U.S. Pat. No. 5,679,330 to Matsuo, et al. illustrates a shampoo composition containing an anionic surfactant.  
         [0005]     Japanese patent application publication No. 2003-093132 and 2003-324196 to Toshiro illustrate an electric iron that emits anions and ozone. The number of anions measured at the one side slit is over 500,000/cm 3  and both sides slits are greater than 1,000,000/cm 3 . Ozone concentration is 0.08 ppm. However, it is not clear at what position the anion number is measured. Moreover, the outlet of the anions can not distribute the anions evenly throughout the user&#39;s hair.  
         [0006]     Japanese patent application publication No. 2003-310339 to Kenji et. al, illustrates an electric iron that emits anion. The iron has a fan inside of the upper clip arm. Air suction gap and ion outlet are developed on the front face of the upper clip arm to deliver anions directly to the hair of a user. The ion outlet faces the other clip arm.  
         [0007]     None of the prior art illustrates an iron that generates and distribute so much anions evenly to the hair of user as shown in the current application.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0008]     It is the purpose of the current application to provide an electric iron for straightening ladies hair that is capable of producing anion and ozone and distribute them evenly through out the user&#39;s long hair. An electric iron capable of producing anion/ozone and distribute them evenly throughout the length of the user&#39;s hair has an electron generator embedded on one of the handle of ceramic plate heating electric iron. Pluralities of small holes developed along the heater cases enables even distribution of the anions along the heating blades. Electrons generated from the inside of the ion generator meet air at the end of two different cathode lines, which are ended with sharp carbon steel needle, and generate anions and ozone. The ion generator of the current application is so powerful that the concentration of anions in the air is about 1,000,000 each/cubic centimeters even when measured 15 cm apart from the heating blades. Such long range distribution enables pretreatment of the user&#39;s hair with anion and ozone even before the heating blades touch them. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0009]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view of the anion generating electric hair straightening iron of the present invention.  
         [0010]      FIG. 2  is an exploded inside plane view of the lower handle and the lower heating blade.  
         [0011]      FIG. 3  is an exploded side view of the lower handle.  
         [0012]      FIG. 4  is an exploded inside plane view of the upper handle and the upper heating blade.  
         [0013]      FIG. 5  is the cross sectional view of the inside of the electron generator.  
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT  
       [0014]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view of the anion generating electric hair straightening iron ( 1 ) of the present invention. The iron ( 1 ) is comprised of two handles ( 2 ) pivotally connected by a hinge ( 3 ), which is installed close to one end ( 4 ) of the handles, two heating blades ( 5 ) developed at the other ends of the handles ( 2 ). The handles ( 2 ) have limit of opening by the shape of the one end ( 4 ) of the handles ( 2 ). A spring ( 6 ) in the spring holder ( 7 ) retains the handles open when not in use. An on/off switch ( 8 ) and a heating blade ( 5 ) temperature controller ( 9 ) are located on one end of the upper handle ( 2 -U) and connected to 120/220V multi-power code ( 10 ). An electron generator ( 11 ) is embedded in the lower handle ( 2 -L). A circuit checking light ( 23 ) through the window ( 12 ) at the side of the lower handle ( 2 -L) indicates operation of the electron generator ( 11 ). Pluralities of holes ( 13 ) are developed along the side part of lower handle ( 2 -L) below the lower heating blade ( 5 -L) and the side part of the upper handle ( 2 -U) over the upper heating blade ( 5 -U).  
         [0015]      FIG. 2  is an exploded inside plane view of the lower handle ( 2 -L) and the lower heating blade ( 5 -L).  FIG. 3  is an exploded side view of the lower handle ( 2 -L). The lower handle ( 2 -L) is comprised of a plastic housing ( 14 -L), a plastic handle cover ( 15 -L), two Ni-chrome heating plates ( 16 -L) surrounding a ceramic spacer ( 17 -L), two composite insulators ( 18 -L), an aluminum oxide heating plate cover ( 19 -L), an electron generator ( 11 ), one cathode line ( 21 ) for anion generation, another cathode line for generating ozone ( 21 - a ), one carbon steel pin ( 22 ) for anion generation, another carbon steel pin ( 22 - a ) for ozone generation, and a circuit checking light ( 23 ). One pair of 110/220 Volt AC power lines ( 24 -L) are connected to the two Ni-chrome heating plates ( 16 -L). A ceramic spacer ( 17 -L) is inserted between the two Ni-chrome heating plates ( 16 -L). The two Ni-chrome heating plates ( 16 -L) are again covered with two composite insulators ( 18 -L). The /composite insulator ( 18 -L)/Ni-chrome heating plate ( 16 -L)/ceramic spacer ( 17 -L)/Ni-chrome heating plate ( 16 -L)/composite insulator ( 18 -L)/assembly is inserted to the groove ( 25 -L) developed on the rear side of the aluminum oxide heating plate cover ( 19 -L). The grove ( 25 -L) is engaged to the other groove ( 26 -L) developed in the upper part of the plastic housing ( 14 -L) of the lower handle ( 2 -L).  
         [0016]     Another pair of 110/220 Volt AC power lines ( 25 ) are connected to the circuit checking light ( 23 ). The light ( 23 ) is attached to the inside of the window ( 12 ) developed on one side of the plastic housing ( 14 -L).  
         [0017]     The electron generator ( 11 ) is connected to an electric circuit board ( 27 ) comprised of capacitance and resistances, which are embedded in the upper handle ( 2 -U) (is shown in  FIG.4 ). One cathode line ( 21 ) comes out from the electron generator ( 11 ). At the end of the cathode line ( 21 ), a sharp carbon steel pin ( 22 ) is connected by a rubber hold ( 28 ). This line is to generate anions. Second cathode line ( 21 - a ) also comes out from the electron generator ( 11 ), the end of the second line also has a sharp steel pin ( 22 - a ) that is connected by another rubber hold ( 28 - a ). The electron generator ( 11 ) is inserted to a holding groove ( 29 ) developed on the plastic handle cover ( 15 -L).  
         [0018]      FIG. 4 . is an exploded inside plane view of the upper handle ( 2 -U) and the upper heating blade ( 5 -U). Another /composite insulator ( 18 -U)/Ni-chrome heating plate ( 16 -U)/ceramic spacer ( 17 -U)/Ni-chrome heating plate ( 16 -U)/composite insulator ( 18 -U)/assembly is inserted to the other groove ( 25 -U) developed on another aluminum oxide heating plate cover ( 19 -U). The cover ( 19 -U) and the assembly are inserted on another groove ( 26 -U) developed in the upper part of the plastic housing ( 14 -U) of the upper handle ( 2 -U).  
         [0019]     110/220 Volt electric power source line ( 30 ) is connected to an electric circuit board ( 27 ). The two Ni-chrome heating plates ( 16 -U) are directly connected to the power source lines ( 30 ) without passing through the resistances, transistors and capacitances on the circuit board ( 27 ). One line ( 30 - 1 ) of the power source line ( 30 ) is connected directly to the electron generator ( 11 ) and the other line ( 30 - 2 ) is connected to the circuit board ( 27 ) to place the resistances, transistors and capacitances connects the two lines ( 30 - 1  and  30 - 2 ).  
         [0020]     The electric circuit board ( 27 ) and lines are embedded in the lower part of the plastic housing ( 14 -U) of the upper handle ( 2 -U) and covered with the cover ( 15 -U).  
         [0021]     When the power is supplied to the hair iron ( 1 ) of the present invention by turning on the switch ( 8 ) placed on the upper handle ( 2 -U), the power is supplied directly to the light ( 23 ). Power to the Ni-chrome heating plates ( 16 -L and  16 -U) is connected to the temperature controller ( 9 ) placed on the upper handle ( 2 -U) and supplied to the Ni-chrome heating plates ( 16 -L and  16 -U).  
         [0022]      FIG. 5  is the cross sectional view of the inside of the electron generator ( 11 ). The electron generator is comprised of two electric coils ( 31 - 1  and  31 - 2 ) from the power lines ( 30 - 1  and  30 - 2 ). The coils ( 31 - 1  and  31 - 2 ) are wound around a metal rod ( 32 ) spaced by pluralities of non-conductive spacers ( 33 ). On end of the metal rod ( 32 - e ) there is small gap and locates a cathode plate ( 34 ). The cathode plate ( 34 ) is connected to the cathode lines ( 21 ), ( 21 - a ) and the carbon steel pins ( 22 ), ( 22 - a ). The two cathode lines ( 21 ) and ( 21 - a ) has different resistance. The whole coils ( 31 - 1  and  31 - 2 ), metal rod ( 32 ), spacers ( 33 ), cathode plate ( 34 ), and cathode lines ( 21 ), ( 21 - a ) are covered with cement ( 35 ) and sealed with a tar layer ( 36 ) to make air free environment.  
         [0023]     When the AC power is supplied to the lines ( 30 - 1 ) and ( 30 - 2 ), the electric circuit board ( 27 ) connected to line  30 - 2  and the coils ( 31 - 1  and  31 - 2 ) form an electron generator circuit. Free electrons ( 37 ) are generated from the coils ( 31 - 1  and  31 - 2 ) and guided to the cathode ( 34 ) by the magnetic field developed by the coils ( 31 - 1  and  31 - 2 ) and metal rod ( 32 ). The free electrons ( 37 ) pass through the two cathode lines ( 21 ) and ( 21 - a ), which have different resistance, meet air at the tip of carbon steel pins ( 22 ) and ( 22 - a ).  
         [0024]     Here, one of the following electrochemical reactions occurs; 
 
2H 2 O+2O 2 +2 e   − =4OH − +O 2    (A) 
 
3O 2 +3 e   − =2O 3   −   (B) 
 
 Reaction (A) is more probable in aqueous phase. Reaction (B) is more probable in dry air phase. 
 
         [0025]     The anions and ozone produced by any the above reactions (A) and (B) get out of the straightening iron ( 1 ) through the pluralities of holes ( 13 ) and spread evenly throughout the hair of a user. When the hair of the user is wet, the reaction (A) is more probable because the atmosphere surrounding the end of the iron ( 22 ) is wet. The ozone (O 3   − ) produced by the reaction (B) will be distributed to the hair of the user. It will react as the source of the anion for the surfactants reside in the hair of the user after shampooing (refer to U.S. Patents introduced in the PRIOR ARTS about the shampoos) or will make the environment of the hair more alkali.  
         [0026]     Anion concentration produced by the iron of the current application was measured and certified by The Korea Institute of Construction Materials. The result is summarized in Table 1.  
                                                                   Table 1.*                Item   Result   Test Method                        Anion   Blank**   73   KICM-FIR-1042       (Ion/cc)   Sample***   978,880   ****                 *The anion concentration was measured 15 cm from the sample.            **Blank means anion concentration without operating the sample.            ***Sample is the iron of the current application.            ****Test method is the Institute&#39;s standard method.             
 
         [0027]     As shown in the Table 1, the iron of the current application emits about one million anions even at a distance 15 cm from the iron. Compare this with the prior art of Japanese Patent Application 2003-093132 and 2003-324196 to Toshiro. The anions emit from that invention is over half million from one side. But it is not clear how far from the iron concentration is measured. If it was measured just at the exit of the anion, it has no meaning. Meanwhile, anions from the current application spread out evenly through the small holes ( 13 ) developed along the heating blades ( 5 -U) and ( 5 -L) and reaches over 15 cm that is enough distance to cover the long hair of a lady user.