Curling device

A device for curling eyelashes including a first arcuate curling element having end regions and a middle region, and a second arcuate curling element having end regions and a middle region and adapted to co-operate with the first arcuate member to curl eyelashes; a first support member supports the first arcuate element at the middle region thereof and includes a guide portion; a second support member supports the second arcuate element at the middle region thereof and slidably engages the guide portion enabling sliding relative motion between the support members in the sense to move the first and second arcuate elements towards and away from one another; and a third member pivotally mounted to one of the support members and engageable with the other of the support members to urge the arcuate elements relatively towards one another.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
The present invention relates to curling devices and in particular to 
eyelash curling devices. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
According to one aspect of the present invention there is provided a device 
for curling eyelashes comprising: a first acruate curling element having 
end regions and a middle region; a second arcuate curling element having 
end regions and a middle region and adapted to co-operate with said first 
arcuate member to curl eyelashes; a first support member for supporting 
said first arcuate element at said middle region of said first arcuate 
element and having a portion providing guiding means; a second support 
member supporting said second arcuate element at said middle region of 
said second arcuate element and slidably engaging said guide means for 
enabling sliding relative motion between said support members in the sense 
to move said first and second arcuate elements towards and away from one 
another; and a third member pivotally mounted to one of said support 
members and engagable with the other of said support members to urge the 
arcuate elements relatively towards one another.

DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
FIGS. 1, 2 and 3 show an eyelash curling device 1 having two lash curling 
elements 2 and 3 with shapes generally corresponding to the curve of the 
eye. The elements are adapted to cooperate together to curl eyelashes. The 
first of the elements has a portion 19 which tapers to form a curved 
curling edge which can press into a strip of flexible material 4 gripped 
in a recess 5 in the second element 3. 
The edge is designed so as to be able to apply pressure to the lashes, 
without causing damage to the lashes or eye. To this end the edge is not 
sharp. 
The flexible strip 4 of the second curling element 3 may be of any suitable 
material, such as rubber or a plastics foam and of suitable 
cross-sectional shape such as square. The recess 5 is curved to match the 
curve of the edge of element 2 and has cross-sectional dimensions such 
that the flexible strip 4 is releasably retained and follows substantially 
the same curve as that of the edge of element 2. 
The curling elements are both supported in their middle regions only so as 
to leave their end regions free. The members are thus unlikely to 
interfere with the eye despite natural variation in shape and curvature of 
the eyes. 
An elongate first member 6 integrally supports the curling element 2 at its 
middle region 8, leaving the end regions of the element 2 free. A slot 9 
extends along a swan-neck portion of the member 6 from the element 2 to a 
pivotal area 10. The member then extends at an angle and terminates in a 
first of two "scissor-type" handles 11 and 12. A second member 13 
integrally supports element 3 at its middle region, also leaving the end 
regions of element 3 free. Member 13 has a body portion 16 from which 
extends a rib 17 slidably received in the slot 9 of the first member 6. 
The rib 17 is retained in the slot 9 by a plate 14 with a width greater 
than that of slot 9. The plate 14 is attached to the second member, e.g. 
by glue, heat bonding or snap pin and socket fastening. 
The body portion 16 has a recess 18 engaged by a free end of a third member 
15 which is pivotably joined to the first member 6 at 10. The third member 
15 terminates in the second "scissor-type" handle 12. 
Preferably the members 6, 13 and 15 and plate 14 are moulded in hard 
plastics material, which may be transparent or translucent. 
The operation of the device 1 will now be described. The eyelashes to be 
curled are placed between the two lash curling elements 2 and 3 spaced 
apart as shown in FIG. 1. The user can view the lashes in a mirror through 
the slot 9 when the elements 2 and 3 are spaced apart (FIG. 3) to check 
positioning. The two "scissor-type" handles 11 and 12 are then squeezed 
together. This causes the third member 15 to move the second member 13 
along the slot 9. The two lash curling elements 2 and 3 are thus moved 
together so that the eyelashes are gripped between the two elements 2 and 
3 and bent by the pressure of the edge of element 2 on the flexible strip 
4. The pressure exerted by the two elements 2 can be controlled 
efficiently owing to the pivoting action of member 15, specifically to be 
pivoting of member 15 and its lever action on the sliding member 13. When 
the curling operation is complete, the elements 2 and 3 can be moved apart 
by moving the handles 11 and 12 away from one another. 
The described eyelash curling device is only one embodiment of the 
invention. Variations are possible within the scope of the invention. For 
example the handles may be in the form of elongate members or be designed 
with indents suitable to receive fingures. The slot 9 may be replaced by 
two distinct regions, perhaps separated by a physical barrier, one region 
providing the viewing aperture which extends through the member and the 
second region slidably receiving member 13. The second region need not 
extend completely through the first member 6 and could, for example, be in 
the form of a guiding channel or recess. Thus, the member 6 in this region 
could have a U-shaped cross-section. The flexible strip 4 may simply be 
glued to the element 3, perhaps dispensing with the need for a recess 5, 
and may have various shapes in cross-section e.g. circular or 
semi-circular.