Convertible hair roller

A convertible hair roller includes first and second flexible outer sheets connected together in parallel spaced relation, two parallel memory wires positioned between the sheets and capable of repeated deformation between a straight configuration and a circular configuration, with each memory wire automatically deforming from the straight configuration to the circular configuration upon application of heat of a predetermined temperature thereto so that the first and second sheets also automatically deform into a cylindrical configuration; and heat sink wires positioned transversely with respect to the memory wires between the first and second sheets for retaining heat applied to the hair roller. When heat is removed from the formed memory wires, they retain their circular configuration, but can be manually biased back to their flat configurations. In addition, apparatus for heating the hair rollers includes a positioning device which positions a cylindrically formed hair roller thereabout and a heater associated with the positioning device for heating a hair roller to cause the hair roller to automatically wrap about the positioning device into the cylindrical configuration.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
This invention relates generally to hair curling devices and, more 
particularly, is directed to a convertible hair curler. 
Cylindrically shaped hair curlers or rollers for curling and styling hair 
are well-known. Generally, tresses of hair are rolled about the 
cylindrically shaped hair rollers in order to achieve a desired appearance 
when the rollers are removed. In order to expedite the hair rolling 
process, heated hair rollers of the aforementioned type have been used. 
For example, it is well-known to store pre-formed cylindrical hair rollers 
in a container which also includes heating elements therein for heating up 
the rollers. In such case the heating elements transfer heat to the 
rollers which store the heat. Examples of such devices can be found in 
U.S. Pat. No. 4,584,462 and are also sold by Conair Corporation, 11 
Executive Avenue, Edison N.J. 08817 under the trademark "Hot Sticks". 
However, because of the combined volume of the pre-formed hair rollers, the 
heater elements and the container, the entire product becomes extremely 
bulky. As a result, such product occupies a great amount of bathroom or 
other counter space and is extremely inconvenient for traveling. 
A hair roller is also known from U.S. Pat. No. 3,285,795 to Stein which 
discloses a hair roller formed of two semi-cylindrical arcuate strips that 
are heat sealed together at their opposing longitudinal edges. The inside 
surface is coated with a heat generating chemical. When a hair tress has 
been wrapped around the roller, it is moistened and such moistening causes 
the heat generating chemical to generate heat sufficient to cause 
expansion of the roller which causes tightening of the wrapped tress 
thereabout. Such Patent also discloses Christmas balls formed by two 
circular flat sheets having their edges sealed together. When subjected to 
heat, the flat sheets expand to form a spherical Christmas ball. However, 
once the Christmas ball is expanded, it cannot be re-flattened. 
Another hair roller is described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,141,370 to Haas. 
However, this hair roller is a conventional hair roller and is pre-formed 
in the cylindrical configuration and maintained in such configuration. A 
hair curling apparatus is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,267,430 to Downey. 
OBJECTS AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a hair 
roller that avoids the aforementioned disadvantages encountered with the 
prior art. 
More particularly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a 
hair roller which requires minimum volume for storage and heating. 
It is another object of the present invention to provide a hair roller 
which is stored and heated in a substantially flat configuration which 
automatically converts to a cylindrical configuration on the application 
of heat thereto. 
It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a hair roller 
that can repeatedly be converted between a flat configuration and a 
cylindrical configuration. 
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a hair roller 
that is easy and economical to manufacture and use. 
It is a still further object of the present invention to provide a heating 
device for heating the aforementioned hair rollers. 
It is yet a further object of the present invention to provide a heating 
device for heating the aforementioned hair rollers that is easy and 
economical to use, while being extremely compact in size. 
In accordance with an aspect of the present invention, a convertible hair 
roller includes a deformable layer of material capable of repeated 
deformation between a flat configuration and a cylindrical configuration, 
the layer including maintaining means for maintaining the sheet in the 
cylindrical configuration. 
In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, a convertible 
hair roller includes a first sheet; a second sheet in parallel spaced 
relation from the first sheet; at least one memory wire positioned between 
said first and second sheets; each memory wire capable of repeated 
deformation between a straight configuration and a circular configuration, 
each memory wire automatically deforming from the flat configuration to 
said circular configuration upon the application of heat at least equal to 
a predetermined temperature thereto, whereby the first and second sheets 
automatically deform into a cylindrical configuration and are maintained 
in the cylindrical configuration after the heat has been removed; and heat 
retaining means positioned between the first and second sheets for 
retaining the heat applied to said hair roller. 
In accordance with still another aspect of the present invention, apparatus 
for heating a convertible hair roller of the type including a deformable 
layer of material capable of repeated deformation between a flat 
configuration and a cylindrical configuration with such hair roller 
including maintaining means for maintaining the layer in the cylindrical 
configuration, includes central positioning means for positioning the hair 
roller thereabout when the hair roller is deformed into the cylindrical 
configuration; and heater means associated with the central positioning 
means for heating the hair roller to cause the hair roller to 
automatically wrap about the central positioning means into the 
cylindrical configuration. 
The above and other objects, features and advantages of the present 
invention will become readily apparent from the following detailed 
description thereof which is to be read in connection with the 
accompanying drawings.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
Referring to the drawings in detail, and initially to FIGS. 1-5 thereof, a 
hair roller 10 according to one embodiment of the present invention is 
initially in a substantially flat rectangular configuration, as shown in 
FIGS. 1 and 4. However, upon the application of heat to a predetermined 
temperature, hair roller 10 automatically deforms into the cylindrical 
configuration shown in FIG. 2, with opposite edges 12 and 14 thereof 
abutting and meeting at a common joining line 16. In the cylindrical 
condition shown in FIG. 2, opposite edges 12 and 14, although abutting, 
remain unsecured to each other. When heat is removed from hair roller 10 
so that the latter cools below a predetermined temperature, hair roller 10 
can be manually flattened to the configuration shown in FIG. 1 for easy 
and compact storage. 
As shown in FIG. 3, hair roller 10 is preferably formed from a plurality of 
layers of different materials. Specifically, in a preferred embodiment, 
first and second sheets 18 and 20 are provided in parallel, spaced 
relation, and the outer edges thereof may be secured to each other. 
Preferably, first and second sheets 18 and 20 are made from a flexible 
material such as room temperature vulcanizing (RTV) silicon and have 
dimensions, for example, of 8 cm.times.6 cm. 
In order to provide the automatic deformation of hair roller 10 into the 
cylindrical configuration upon the application of heat, at least one 
shaped memory wire 22 is sandwiched between first and second sheets 18 and 
20. Preferably, two such shaped memory wires 22 are sandwiched between 
first and second sheets 18 and 20 in parallel spaced relation. When 
subjected to heat at a predetermined temperature, each memory wire 22 will 
curl automatically into a circular configuration, and thereby curl first 
and second sheets 18 and 20 therewith. It is in this manner that automatic 
formation of hair roller 10 occurs upon the application of heat. As long 
as heat of a predetermined temperature is applied to memory wires 22, they 
will be maintained in their circular configuration and cannot be flattened 
out. Upon the removal of the heat from the memory wires 22, the memory 
wires 22 will retain the circular configuration, although they can be 
manually deformed back to the straight configuration shown in FIG. 3. 
Thereupon, if heat is again applied to memory wires 22, they will again 
deform to their circular configurations. Preferably, memory wires 22 are 
alloy wires formed, for example, from Nitinol sold by Raychem Company of 
Menlo Park, Calif. 
When memory wires 22 are converted to their circular or loop 
configurations, heat is no longer necessary to maintain memory wires 22 in 
such configuration and it is generally removed. In such case, in order for 
hair roller 10 to retain its heat for the curling operation, heat sink 
wires 24 are also sandwiched between first and second sheets 18 and 20 
and, in particular, between memory wires 22 and a second sheet 20 and 
extend transversely to and in contact with shaped memory wires 22. In a 
preferred embodiment, approximately twenty-three such heat sink wires 24 
are provided. Heat sink wires 24 can be made of any conventional metal 
material which will retain heat for an extended period of time upon the 
removal of heat therefrom in order that hair roller 10 will remain heated 
for the hair curling operation. 
In addition, an outer textured layer or coating 26 is provided on the 
external surface of first sheet 18 to impart a desirable feel to the outer 
surface of hair curler 10 when it is converted to the cylindrical 
configuration. Outer textured layer 26 may be any suitable material, such 
as velveteen or flocking. It is this outer textured layer 26 that comes 
into contact with the hair tresses. 
Thus, with this arrangement, a plurality of hair rollers 10 can be stored 
in a stacked, flat relationship and can be easily converted to cylindrical 
hair rollers upon the application of heat thereto. After the hair curling 
operation has been completed, the hair rollers cool down and can then 
manually be converted back to their flat configurations. 
Referring now to FIGS. 6 and 7, a modified hair roller 110 according to 
another embodiment of the present invention will now be described, in 
which elements corresponding to those described above with respect to the 
embodiment of FIGS. 1-5 are identified by the same reference numeals, 
augmented by 100, and a detailed description thereof will be omitted 
herein for the sake of brevity. As shown, hair roller 110 is identical to 
hair roller 10 with the exception that opposite edges 112 and 114 of hair 
roller 110 are provided with and locking elements 128 and 130, 
respectively, with end locking element 128 having recesses 132, which are 
complimentary to raised sections 134 of end locking element 130. In like 
manner, end locking element 130 has recesses 136 which are complimentary 
to raised sections 138 of end locking element 128. In this manner, when 
hair roller 110 is converted to its cylindrical configuration, end locking 
elements 128 and 130 engage each other such that recesses 132 engage 
raised sections 134 and recesses 136 engage raised sections 138. This 
provides that opposite edges 112 and 114 of hair roller 110 will not wrap 
past the desired cylindrical configuration. As shown in FIG. 7, end 
locking elements 128 and 130 extend from opposite edges 112 and 114 of the 
layer containing heat sink wires 124 and extend downwardly at a slight 
angle to prevent hair roller 110 from wrapping about itself. 
Referring now to FIGS. 8-10, a hair roller heating device 200 according to 
one embodiment of the present invention, generally includes a base 202 and 
a cover 204 movable between the closed position of FIG. 8 and the opened 
position of FIG. 10. Base 202 is generally hollow and includes a main 
chamber 206 and a rear chamber 208 separated from main chamber 206 by a 
rear partition wall 210. In addition, outer telescoping supports 212 are 
provided on opposite sides of base 202 within main chamber 206. 
In accordance with the present invention, a cantilevered support bar 214 
extends forwardly from rear partition wall 210 in a horizontal manner 
within main chamber 206 and in vertically spaced relation from the floor 
216 which defines main chamber 206. In a first embodiment of the present 
invention, a heating member 218 is centrally secured on support bar 214, 
by screws 220 or the like. Heating member 218 is preferably comprised of a 
thin plastic sheet 222 having an electrical wire 224 embedded therein in a 
tortuous or zig-zag manner, wire 224 being connected to a connection wire 
226 that extends through rear partition wall 210 and has an electrical 
plug 228 secured at the opposite end for plugging within a conventional 
wall socket so as to power apparatus 210 and thereby heat up heating 
member 218. For example, sheet 222 can be made of a mylar-type flexible 
material such as that sold by Electrofilm in California under the 
trademark "Kapton". Electrical wire 224 can be photo-etched on sheet 222. 
Rear chamber 208 is therefore used to contain plug 228 and connection wire 
226, in addition to additional hair rollers 10, 110. 
Cover 204 is provided with two inner telescoping posts 230 at opposite 
sides thereof which fit within outer telescoping supports 212, whereby 
cover 204 can be raised up, as shown in FIG. 10, with respect to base 202 
so as to expose heating member 218. 
In operation, and with reference to FIGS. 11-12, a plurality of hair 
rollers 10 are mounted on top of heating member 218 which has dimensions 
similar to hair rollers 10. In this regard, hair rollers 10 are in their 
flat configuration since no heat has been applied thereto. Therefore, 
electrical current is supplied through plug 228 and wires 226 and 224 to 
heat up heating member 218. As a result, heat is transferred to the 
lowermost hair roller 10 on the stack, which begins to heat up. 
Accordingly, memory wires 22 of the lowermost hair roller 10 begin to 
deform into a circular configuration, as shown in FIG. 12. Upon the 
application of still further heat, memory wires 22 thereof deform into a 
completely circular configuration, as shown in FIG. 13. During the 
deformation of hair roller 10 into the cylindrical configuration shown in 
FIG. 13, it will be appreciated that heating member 218 is also rolled 
into the cylindrical configuration within hair roller 10. Then, as shown 
in FIG. 10, the user removes cylindrical hair roller 10 from hair roller 
heating device 200 and wraps the tresses of hair thereabout. Because of 
heat sink wires 24, hair roller 10 retains the heat therein and because of 
shaped memory wires 22, hair roller 10 is maintained in the cylindrical 
configuration. 
During the above procedure, insufficient heat is supplied to hair rollers 
10 above the lowermost hair roller 10 of the stack. Accordingly, the 
remaining hair rollers 10 are not deformed. After the lowermost hair 
roller 10 has deformed into its cylindrical configuration and been 
removed, heating member 218 springs back to the position shown in FIG. 11 
so as to heat the next lowermost hair curler 10, and so on until the 
desired number of hair rollers 10 have been heated and removed. 
After the hair curling operation has been completed, the hair rollers 10 
are removed from the person's hair. At such time, even though the heat has 
been removed therefrom, memory wires 22 retain such hair curlers 10 in 
their cylindrical configurations. However, because the hair rollers 10 are 
now cool, they can be manually bent back, rather easily, to the flat 
configuration shown in FIG. 1. 
In accordance with an alternative embodiment of the present invention, 
cantilevered support bar 214 and heating member 218 are replaced by a 
cantilevered heating member 250 having a substantially triangular 
configuration with very rounded edges. In such case, cantilevered heating 
member 250 can be made of a heat generating material upon the application 
of current thereto or may have electrical wires embedded therein for 
applying heat thereto. In such case, the lowermost hair roller 10 rests 
directly on cantilevered heating member 250 and is heated directly 
thereby, in the same manner as discussed with respect to heating member 
218. Therefore, upon the application of heat, the lowermost hair roller 10 
rolls and wraps about cantilevered heating member 250, as shown in FIGS. 
14-16, whereupon it can be removed therefrom, in the same manner shown in 
FIG. 10. 
Thus, with the present invention, because hair rollers 10 can be stacked 
flat on top of each other and heated one at a time, a minimum amount of 
space is required in hair roller heating device 200 so that the latter can 
be made in a compact manner, generally the size of a small cassette tape 
player. 
An alternative embodiment for the heating member is shown in FIGS. 17 and 
18. As shown therein, three arcuate heating members 270, 272 and 274 are 
provided, each subtending an angle of approximately 60 degrees, with 
arcuate heating members 270 and 274 being hingedly connected at edges 
thereof to opposite edges of arcuate heating member 272 by hinge members 
276 and 278, respectively. Arcuate heating member 272 is fixedly mounted 
to rear partition wall 210 in much the same manner as heating bar 214. A 
spring 280 is connected to arcuate heating member 272 for normally urging 
heating members 270, 272 and 274 to the open position shown in FIG. 17. In 
addition, a resistive heating device 282, such as a perpetual thermocouple 
(PTC) heater, is fixed to the concave underside of each arcuate heating 
member 270, 272 and 274 for heating the same. In this regard, arcuate 
heating members 270, 272 and 274 can be made of a sheet metal material. 
As shown, with the lowermost hair roller 10 resting on arcuate heating 
members 270, 272 and 274, as shown in FIG. 17, heat is applied thereto by 
means of PTC heaters 282. Accordingly, the lowermost hair roller 10 is 
heated and begins to deform into its cylindrical configuration. During 
this deformation, hair roller 10 biased arcuate heating members 270 and 
274 about hinges 276 and 278, against the force of spring 280, to the 
position shown in FIG. 18. It will be appreciated that because hair roller 
10 is always in contact with arcuate heating members 270 and 272 during 
the deformation process, more heat is supplied to the hair rollers so that 
hair roller 10 assumes its cylindrical configuration in a shorter time 
period. After the deformed hair roller is removed from the hair roller 
heating device, in the same manner as shown in FIG. 10, spring 280 biases 
arcuate heating sections 270 and 274 to the position shown in FIG. 17 to 
heat the next lowermost hair roller. 
Referring now to FIGS. 19-22, a hair roller heating device 300 according to 
another embodiment of the present invention, generally includes a hollow 
main body 302 having an open front end 304, and a cover 306 hingedly 
connected to main body 302 in covering relation to open front end 304, by 
a conventional hinge assembly 308. A latch 305 can be provided at open 
front end 304 at the side opposite to hinge assembly 308 for releasably 
engaging a catch 307 on cover 306 when the latter is closed. Main body 302 
is intended to hold a plurality of vertically oriented hair rollers 10 in 
side by side stacked relation, as shown in FIG. 20. In order to bias the 
stacked hair rollers 10 toward open front end 304, a torsion spring 310 is 
provided at the rear of main body 302 to apply such a force to hair 
rollers 10. 
A heating member in the form of a vertically oriented, cylindrical heating 
post 312 is provided in cover 306, and a hole 314 is provided in the upper 
surface of cover 306 in surrounding relation to heating post 312, hole 
having a diameter greater than that of heating post 312. Cover 306 also 
includes an opening 316 along its front wall, through which a lever 318 is 
exposed for ejecting a heating hair roller 10 in cylindrical form, from 
hair roller heating device 300. 
In general operation, the stack of hair rollers 10 is biased against 
heating post 312 by torsion spring 310. The hair roller 10 in contact with 
heating post 312 is heated thereby, and accordingly, deforms into the 
aforementioned cylindrical shape about heating post 312. Then, lever 318 
is activated to eject the cylindrical hair roller 10 upwardly through hole 
314, as shown in FIG. 22, whereby the user grasps the cylindrical hair 
roller 10 and pulls it completely out. At such time, torsion spring 310 
pushes the next forward-most hair roller 10 in the stack against heating 
post 312, and this hair roller 10 is heated into its cylindrical 
configuration, and so on. 
As an example of an ejection lever 318 that can be used, reference is now 
made to FIGS. 23-25. As shown therein, ejection lever 318 can have a 
generally L-shaped form, with one leg 320 being horizontally positioned 
about heating post 312. Specifically, leg 320 includes an aperture 322 so 
that leg 320 is always positioned in sliding relation about heating post 
312. The other leg 322 is vertically oriented in adjacent opening 316 and 
within cover 306, and is connected to the front edge of leg 320. A tab 324 
extends forwardly from the upper edge of leg 322 for engagement by the 
user, and extends out from opening 316 is cover 306. 
Normally, as shown in FIG. 23, leg 320 sits upon the bottom wall of cover 
306 in surrounding relation to heating post 312. When a hair roller 10 is 
heated and deforms about heating post 312, the cylindrically formed hair 
roller 10 rests on leg 320, as shown in FIG. 24. Accordingly, when the 
user biases tab 324 upwardly, as shown in FIG. 25, lever 318 moves 
upwardly and the cylindrically formed hair roller 10 is biased upwardly 
out from hole 314 in the upper surface of cover 306 to be grasped by the 
user (FIG. 22). 
Referring now to FIGS. 26-30, there is shown another embodiment of a hair 
roller heating device 400 according to the present invention, in which 
elements corresponding to those in the embodiment of FIGS. 19-22 are 
identified by the same reference numerals augmented by 100, and a detailed 
description thereof will be omitted herein for the sake of brevity. 
Specifically, a radiant heater 412 is provided in place of heating post 
312. Radiant heater 412 includes a central post 413, preferably made of 
ceramic, and having a plurality of pins 415 secured circumferentially 
thereto adjacent the upper and lower ends thereof. A heating wire 417, 
such as a Nichrome wire, is wrapped about pins 415 in a zig-zag manner, 
alternating between an upper pin and a lower pin, as shown in FIG. 28. 
Central post 413 is arranged in the same manner as heating post 312 shown 
in FIG. 20. 
A metallic cage 419, as shown in FIG. 27, surrounds post 413. Cage 419 is 
preferably formed from four metal wire elements 421, each element 421 
having a U-shaped upper portion 423 arranged substantially parallel to the 
ground, and two supporting legs 425 and 427 secured to the free ends of 
U-shaped upper portion 423 and extending vertically downward thereof in 
supporting contact with the bottom of cover 406. U-shaped upper portions 
423 are exposed through hole 414 in cover 406, and accordingly, an 
insulating cap 429 is secured on U-shaped upper portions 423 in covering 
relation to U-shaped upper portions 423 through hole 414 so as to protect 
the user. 
Thus, when current is supplied to heating wire 417, the latter heats up 
and, in turn, heats air roller 10 by radiant heat. As a result, the 
forwardmost hair roller 10 in contact with cage 419 continues to be heated 
by radiant heat and is caused to deform thereabout. 
In order to eject the cylindrically deformed hair roller 10, an ejection 
lever 418 is provided in cover 406. Specifically, ejection lever 418 
includes a base 420 that is always positioned in sliding relation about 
cage 419, as shown in FIG. 30. In this regard, base 420 is a suitably 
cut-out, as at 431, to slide about cage 419. In addition, a tab 424 is 
provided at the forward end of base 420 and extends out of opening 416 for 
grasping by the user. Thus, when a hair roller 10 is deformed about cage 
419, it sits upon base 420. Thereafter, the user grasps tab 424, and moves 
base 420 upwardly about cage 419. As a result, the cylindrically deformed 
hair roller is ejected out of cover 406 through hole 414, to be grasped by 
the user. 
Of course, other modifications can be made to the present invention within 
the scope of the claims. For example, a bimetal strip can be used in place 
of the memory wires of the hair roller. 
Having described specific preferred embodiments of the invention with 
reference to the accompanying drawings, it will be appreciated that the 
present invention is not limited to those precise embodiments, and that 
various changes and modifications can be effected therein by one of 
ordinary skill in the art without departing from the spirit or scope of 
the invention as defined in the appended claims.