Heated beard comb

The heated beard comb comprises a handle, a comb, and a heater. The heated beard comb may be a tool for straightening hair in a beard. The comb may fold into the handle when not in use. The comb may unfold to a position in line with the handle for use. The heater may heat a plurality of teeth of the comb to relax the hair as the comb is pulled through the beard. The relaxed hair may be straightened by the pulling of the comb. The heated beard comb may be portable and may be carried in a user's pocket when folded.

CROSS REFERENCES TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

Not Applicable

STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH

Not Applicable

REFERENCE TO APPENDIX

Not Applicable

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to the fields of personal grooming and hair styling equipment, more specifically, a heated beard comb.

SUMMARY OF INVENTION

The heated beard comb comprises a handle, a comb, and a heater. The heated beard comb may be a tool for straightening hair in a beard. The comb may fold into the handle when not in use. The comb may unfold to a position in line with the handle for use. The heater may heat a plurality of teeth of the comb to relax the hair as the comb is pulled through the beard. The relaxed hair may be straightened by the pulling of the comb. The heated beard comb may be portable and may be carried in a user's pocket when folded.

An object of the invention is to provide a comb for combing a beard.

Another object of the invention is to provide a heating element to heat the teeth of the comb.

A further object of the invention is to provide a pivot such that the comb may fold into the handle.

Yet another object of the invention is to provide a comb shield with face guards to prevent the user from touching the heating element.

These together with additional objects, features and advantages of the heated beard comb will be readily apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art upon reading the following detailed description of the presently preferred, but nonetheless illustrative, embodiments when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

In this respect, before explaining the current embodiments of the heated beard comb in detail, it is to be understood that the heated beard comb is not limited in its applications to the details of construction and arrangements of the components set forth in the following description or illustration. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the concept of this disclosure may be readily utilized as a basis for the design of other structures, methods, and systems for carrying out the several purposes of the heated beard comb.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENT

Detailed reference will now be made to a first potential embodiment of the disclosure, which is illustrated inFIGS.1through8.

The heated beard comb100(hereinafter invention) comprises a handle200, a comb220, and a heater. The invention100may be a tool for straightening hair777in a beard778of an end user779. The comb220may fold into the handle200when not in use. The comb220may unfold to a position in line with the handle200for use. The heater may heat a plurality of teeth222of the comb220to relax the hair as the comb220is pulled through the beard. The relaxed hair may be straightened by the pulling of the comb220. The invention100may be portable and may be carried in a user's pocket when folded.

The handle200may be a housing for the comb220when the comb220is not in use. The handle200may be adapted for a user to grasp when the comb220is in use. The handle200may comprise a cavity202into which the comb220folds when closed. The cavity202may be accessible on a side of the handle200. A19pivot240may be located at the front of the handle200. The pivot240may pivotably couple a tang230of the comb220to the handle200such that the comb220may fold into and unfold from the handle200. A tang slot204may be a slot at the front of the handle200that couples to the cavity202and provides clearance for the tang230to pass during folding and unfolding of the comb220.

The handle200may comprise a first finger stop206and a second finger stop208located at the front of the handle200on opposing sides of the handle200. The first finger stop206and the second finger stop208may be adapted to prevent a user's fingers from sliding forward off of the handle200during use. The second finger stop208may comprise a gap210such that the9comb220may pivot without interferences from the second finger stop208.

In some embodiments, the handle200may comprise one or more decorative trim pieces212that may be coupled to the top and/or bottom of the handle200.

The handle200may comprise one or more rivets214. The one or more rivets214may be functional, decorative, or both. As non-limiting examples, the one or more rivets214may fasten subassemblies of the handle200together, may secure the one or more decorative trim pieces212to the handle200, or both. In some embodiments, the first finger stop206, the second finger stop208, and the one or more decorative trim pieces212of the handle200may ornamentally mimic the appearance of a switchblade when the comb220is folded into the handle200.

The comb220may comprise the plurality of teeth222, a spine224, and the tang230. The plurality of teeth222may be parallel coplanar armatures separated by diastemata. The plurality of teeth222may be coupled to the spine224. The spine224may be oriented to run longitudinally along the comb220. The plurality of teeth222may be oriented to be perpendicular to the spine224. The plurality of teeth222may be made of thermally conducting material. The plurality of teeth222may be heated by a heating element252.

As non-limiting examples, the plurality of teeth222may be made of a thermally conducting metal such as aluminum alloys, copper alloys, or stainless steel alloys. In some embodiments, the spine224may be made from the same material as the plurality of teeth222.

A comb shield226may be coupled to the comb220. The comb shield226may be made from a thermally insulating material. The comb shield226may be adapted to cover the spine224and the ends of the comb220to prevent the user from touching the comb220, which may be hot.

The comb shield226may comprise face guards228which May be extensions of the side of the comb shield226adapted to prevent the tips of the plurality of teeth222from touching a user's face. The face guards228may extend farther away from the spine224than the free ends of the plurality of teeth222do.

In some embodiments, the invention100may comprise a pivot lock242. The pivot lock242may hold the comb220open once the comb220has been maximally opened. As non-limiting examples, the pivot lock242may be a spine lock, a frame lock, a compression lock, a button lock, or combinations thereof.

The heater may be a battery-operated circuit that heats the comb220when activated. The heater may comprise the heating element252and one or more batteries254. The heating element252may be a resistive element that produces heat when an electrical current passes through the heating element252. The heating element252may be located on the comb220in contact with the plurality of teeth222and/or the spine224.

The one or more batteries254may comprise one or more energy-storage devices. The one or more batteries254may be a source of electrical energy to operate the heating element252. The one or more batteries254may be rechargeable and/or replaceable. The one or more batteries254may be housed in the handle200. A recharging port256located at the end of the handle200may be detachably coupled to an external power adapter to recharge the one or more batteries254.

The electrical energy may be transferred from the one or more batteries254in the handle200to the heating element252in the comb220via heater contacts260where the tang230meets the handle200. As non-limiting examples, an upper tang heater contact coupled to the top surface of the tang230may contact an upper handle heater contact coupled to the inside top of the handle200and a lower tang heater contact coupled to the bottom surface of the tang230may contact a lower handle heater contact coupled to the inside bottom of the handle200when the comb220is unfolded.

In some embodiments, an on/off control270accessible on the outside of the handle200may control the flow of electrical energy form the one or more batteries254to the heating element252such that the heating element252may heat when the on/off control270is in the ON position and the flow of electrical energy may cease when the on/off control270is in the OFF position.

In use, the one or more batteries254may be recharged by plugging the external power adapter into the recharging port256. The invention100may be unfolded by pivoting the comb220out of the cavity202until the comb220is aligned with the handle200. The heating element252may heat-either because the heater contacts260have aligned and made contact or because the heater contacts260have aligned and the on/off control270has been actuated. The heating element252may heat the plurality of teeth222. As the comb220is be pulled through the beard, the heat may cause the hair to relax. The relaxed hair19may be pulled straight by the comb220.

Definitions

As used in this disclosure, an “aperture” may be an opening in a surface or object. Aperture may be synonymous with hole, slit, crack, gap, slot, or opening.

Throughout this document the terms “battery”, “battery pack”, and “batteries” may be used interchangeably to refer to one or more wet or dry cells or batteries of cells in which chemical energy is converted into electricity and used as a source of DC power. References to recharging or replacing batteries may refer to recharging or replacing individual cells, individual batteries of cells, or a package of multiple battery cells as is appropriate for any given battery technology that may be used. The battery may require electrical contacts which may not be illustrated in the figures.

As used in this disclosure, a “cavity” may be an empty space or negative space that is formed within an object.

As used herein, the words “control” or “controls” are intended to include any device which can cause the completion or interruption of an electrical circuit; non-limiting examples of controls include toggle switches, rocker switches, push button switches, rotary switches, electromechanical relays, solid state relays, touch sensitive interfaces and combinations thereof whether they are normally open, normally closed, momentary contact, latching contact, single pole, multi-pole, single throw, or multi-throw. In some embodiments, a control may alter an electrical property of a circuit such as resistance, inductance, or capacitance.

As used herein, the words “couple”, “couples”, “coupled” or “coupling”, may refer to connecting, either directly or indirectly, and does not necessarily imply a mechanical connection.

As used in this disclosure, “decorative” may be an adjective that refers to a first object or item that is used with a second object or item of the purpose of making the second object or item more attractive and/or more distinct. Decorative will generally, but not necessarily, imply making the second object or item more attractive visually.

As used in this disclosure, a “diastema” (plural diastemata) may be the space between two teeth.

As used herein, “front” may indicate the side of an object that is closest to a forward direction of travel under normal use of the object or the side or part of an object that normally presents itself to view or that is normally used first. “Rear” or “back” may refer to the side that is opposite the front. As used herein, “handle” may refer to an object by which a tool, object, or door is held or manipulated with the hand.

As used in this disclosure, a “heating element” may be a resistive wire that is used to convert electrical energy into heat. As non-limiting examples, common metals used to form heating elements include a combination of nickel and chromium, a combination of iron, chromium and aluminum, a combination of copper, nickel, iron, and manganese, or platinum.

As used in this disclosure, a “housing” may be a rigid or semi-rigid casing that encloses and protects one or more devices.

As used herein, the word “longitudinal” or “longitudinally” may refer to a lengthwise or longest direction.

As used herein, the word “pivot” may include any mechanical arrangement that allows for rotational motion. Non-limiting examples of pivots may include hinges, holes, posts, dowels, pins, points, rods, shafts, balls, and sockets, either individually or in combination.

As used herein, the word “portable” may refer to a device that may be carried by a single person and may be used at multiple locations. In some cases, portable may imply that the device may be used while being carried.

As used in this disclosure, a “slot” may be a narrow groove, cut, opening, or aperture that is formed in or through8an object.

As used herein, “thermally insulated/thermally insulating” may refer to a property of a material that reduces the transfer of heat through the material. “Thermal insulation” may refer to a material having the property of being thermally insulating.

As used in this disclosure, a “tool” may be a device, an apparatus, or an instrument that is used to carry out an activity, operation, or procedure.