Hair treatment device

A new hair treatment device is provided for providing lift at the root portion of the hair near the scalp to thereby create volume and body to otherwise limp or flat hair. An embodiment of such a device includes first and second arms. A pivot movably joining the arms about the pivot is provided wherein each arm includes a hair-engaging surface. A heat source is provided for at least one of the hair-engaging surfaces. Each hair-engaging surface has a width suitable for treating a portion of the hair proximate the head, wherein by treating a portion of hair near the scalp, it provides lift and body to the head of hair. A method for adding lift to a head of hair using a hair crimping tool includes the steps of selecting hair from a head of hair for treatment; and using the tool to treat at least one portion of the selected hair proximate the roots of the hairs.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

This invention generally relates to hair treatment systems that are used to style people's hair as desired, and more specifically, relates to a hair treatment device and method that can be used to provide volume and body to the human hair.

2. Description of the Related Art

Currently there exist a number of different hair treatment devices and hair irons that are used to style/shape, straighten, or curl the hair, some of which also provide a steam function during the styling process. Examples of existing hair treatment devices have been disclosed in various patents, including U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,603,765; 5,934,293; 6,119,702; 6,173,718; 6,325,072; 6,494,216; 6,622,735; and U.S. published applications numbered 2002/0036000 (application Ser. No. 09/885,711), 2002/0190047 (Ser. No. 10/165,846), 2004/0003824 (Ser. No. 10/390,579), and 2004/0163661 (Ser. No. 10/686,497).

Existing hair irons and hair styling devices typically have a handle and a pair of arms joined by a pivot to enable the opening and closing of the arms, with each arm having a hair engaging surface that is flat or curved to conform to and join with the opposite surface. Such devices are typically powered by electricity and are provided with the capability to apply heat and/or steam to the hair engaging surfaces. In these existing devices, the portion of the human hair that is to be treated is placed between the opposite surfaces of the arms, and when the arms are closed, that portion of the hair is subjected to pressure (gripping force) and heat (and/or steam), and as the pair of engaging surfaces are slowly moved across the length of the hair, the portion of the hair placed between the engaging surfaces is straightened or styled in a particular shape as desired by the user or the stylist.

However, one drawback of the existing hair irons and hair styling devices is that while they allow the user to shape or straighten the hair from wavy to straight or from straight to wavy, they leave the hair limp or flat and cannot add a desired amount of volume to the hair. This is because adding volume to hair requires the hair to be “lifted” near its root portion such that the hair can maintain its lift for a relatively significant time (days or weeks), but existing hair styling devices are not designed to cause such lift in the root portion and instead are designed to style or shape the portion of the hair extended further away from the root.

In view of the foregoing, a hair treatment device and method is needed that is capable of causing the root portion of limp or flat hair to be lifted away from the scalp to create volume and body in the hair for an extended period of time (days or weeks). The present invention fulfills these and other needs.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

A new hair treatment device is provided for providing lift at the root portion of the hair near the scalp to thereby create volume and body to otherwise limp or flat hair. An embodiment of such a device includes first and second arms. A pivot movably joins the arms about the pivot wherein each arm includes a hair-engaging surface. A heat source is provided for at least one of the hair engaging surfaces. Each hair-engaging surface has a width for treating a portion of the hair proximate the head, wherein by treating a portion of hair near the scalp, it provides lift and body to the head of hair.

A method for adding lift to a head of hair using a hair crimping tool includes the steps of providing a head of hair and selecting hair for treatment, and using the tool to treat at least one portion of the selected hair proximate to the roots of the hairs.

DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENT(S)

A new hair treatment device and method is provided for providing lift at the root portion of the hair near the human scalp to thereby create volume and body to otherwise limp or flat hair.

As shown in exemplaryFIG. 1, a device20of the present invention has a handle portion with a pair of arms22and24joined by a pivot26to enable the opening and closing of the arms22and24, with each arm22and24having a hair engaging surface28and30(FIG. 2) that is heated through the use of electrically heated mechanisms32such as a heat induction coil type connected in circuit34through an optional on/off switch36and electrical cord38to an outlet plug40for receiving conventional household A/C power in a manner that is known to those skilled in the art.

With reference toFIGS. 3-4, widthwise cross-sections of complementary hair engaging surfaces28and30includes a series of sharp and angled peaks42and valleys44, commonly referred as a saw tooth type pattern that extend uniformly along the length thereof such that the peaks and valleys in one engaging surface conform to and come together against the valleys and peaks, respectively, in the other engaging surface in a complementary engaging manner. Advantageously, the hair engaging surface width is narrow relative to the width of conventional hair engaging surfaces in use today to provide greater flexibility in engaging and working with a small portion of the hair fibers nearest the root. Considerations for a suitable widthwise measurement for the hair engaging surfaces should include engaging a small portion of hair near the root while engaging a sufficient amount to perform the method of the present invention. Other factors relevant to how well the roots of hair can be lifted for better volume include, but are not limited to:

(1) the width of the teeth of the heated surfaces;

(2) the depth of the teeth; and

(3) the temperature of the heated surfaces.

Through experimentation it has been found that a preferred temperature range suitable for the heated surfaces is between 130 and 170 F where the lower temperatures would be suitable for fine hair, and the higher end of the temperature range would be better for thicker hair. It should be noted that other temperatures outside this range may be used with differing results and for different hair conditions. While not intended for purposes of limitation, a preferred widthwise measurement of the type suitable for this purpose is approximately 16 mm, wherein a tooth depth from valley to peak is approximately 4-5 mm and a tooth width from tip to tip is approximately 4-5 mm. It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that when considering these parameters for the hair engaging surfaces, that other measurements and designs may be achieved without departing from the present invention.

With continued reference toFIGS. 1 and 2, the embodiment presently described is a hand tool, designed primarily for gripping objects by using leverage between the hair engaging surfaces28and30forming a jaw connected to the arms22and24via a pivot26. Thus, an instrument is formed that converts a hand grip, the curling of the fingers into the palm of the hand, into a precision grip, which directs the power of the hand's grip in a precise fashion on the hair to be engaged. The arms are generally long relative to the shorter length of the hair engaging surfaces. Therefore, they act as levers, concentrating and, in effect, amplifying the force in the hand's grip on the hair.

A first arm22formed from complementary injection molded plastic halves46and48attached by a fastener50such as a screw or rivet, includes a hollow interior for housing the electrical circuit34and connects to a cylindrical portion52of a heat transmissive member54having a hair engaging surface28in a semi cylindrical portion and housing the heating mechanism32at one end and the electrical plug40via the power cord38at the opposite end. On models incorporating a power switch36, a switch plate56, covering the electrical switch36is included to insulate the user from the electrical circuit34. The switch may include different setting for high and low temperatures. An optional display57such as an LED may be used to show different heat settings (e.g., low and high) as determined by the brightness or the color of the display. Furthermore, conventional electrical safety features as may be required country by country are included such as a cord anchor58to isolate the electrical circuit34from tugs on the cord38and an added cord insulator60at the entry of the cord58to the arm22to prevent over-bending of the cord. Other safety features may include a safety circuit breaker (not shown) included in the plug40.

A second arm24formed from a metal rod62couples to a semi cylindrical heat transmissive member64having a hair-engaging surface30via a hinge member66that further couples to the heat transmissive member54of the first arm22at the pivot26. Fasteners68such as screws connect the hinge member66to the heat transmissive member64. The second arm24is coupled conventionally, such as formed integrally with the hinge member or via other conventional type fasteners such as a friction fit, or press fit, connection, thread coupling or soldering. Presently soldering is the preferred fastener for coupling the second arm24to the hinge member66. Plastic guards70and72cover the opposing ends of the second arm and hold in place a plastic sleeve73covering the metal rod. The pivot is formed from opposing ends74and76of a looped metal rod78inserted through respective pivot apertures80and81in the hinge member and heat transmissive member connected to the first arm. Pivot collars82ensure a snug fit between the hinge member66and the metal rod ends74and76. The metal rod78forms an oval loop bent at a right angle so as to function as a retractable stand for the device that holds the heat transmissive members above a resting surface. The hinge member66is formed as a C-shaped collar about the heat transmissive member of the first arm22and allows for attachment of the second arm24offset from the pivot26so as to increase the leverage of the arms22and24against the heat transmissive members54and64. This arrangement allows for greater pressure to be brought against the complementary hair engaging surfaces28and30. Flexibility in the second arm24ensures that the leveraged pressure is not so strong as to damage the hair fibers. Configured in this manner, the heat transmissive member64of the second arm24does not require a heating mechanism, but acquires heat from the heating mechanism32in the heat transmissive member54of the first arm22when the heat transmissive members54and64are brought into complementary contact to form a generally cylindrical shape. In the presently preferred embodiment, however, both heat transmissive members include heating mechanisms. Both heat transmissive members are optionally covered with fabric such as felt (not shown) on the non-hair engaging surfaces to insulate the user from the heat.

With reference toFIG. 5, in another embodiment mostly intended for at home self-styling users, a device100includes a pair of conventional molded plastic arms102and104that are joined together at a pivot by a plastic pin106. Heat transmissive members108and110are surrounded by the arms exposing only the complementary hair engaging surfaces112and114. Lips116and118on the arms extend beyond the hair engaging surfaces to allow a solo user grasp the device at both the arms and the free end to provide sufficient tension to crimp the hair. The arms102and104insulate the user's hands from the heat transmissive members108and110. The electrical circuit (not shown) as in the previous embodiment extends through only one arm to an electrical cord and utilizes a similar circuit to the circuit34ofFIG. 2also formed in the handle. A stand120to keep the heating elements off of a resting surface is formed integrally in one or both of the handles. Electrical safety features as required are included such as additional insulation122to resist over-bend of the cord124.

In actual use of the present invention, the portions of the hair fibers that are desired to be imparted with “lift” are grabbed and placed between the engaging surfaces of the pair of arms, and the arms are manipulated by the user's hand to bring the engaging surfaces adjacent one another and into a closed position. The “lift” effect functions best when the selected portions are chosen as close to the root as possible without contacting the scalp of the user with the heat transmissive members. With the heat and locking pressure applied to the root portions of the hair that is sandwiched between the series of sharp peaks and valleys of the engaging surfaces, the root portions are forced to mold themselves into the series of sharp peaks and valleys along the length of the heated engaging surfaces, which in turn causes the root portions to retain a jagged or saw-tooth shape that lifts the root of the hair and causes it to stand up and away from the scalp. When this process is conducted in several segments of the hair, the resultant lifting of the root portions of the strands of hair that have been treated by this device creates volume and body to the entire hair, a result that can last days or weeks. Once the device of the invention is used to provide lift, volume and body to the hair, other existing hair irons or hair styling devices may be used in conventional fashion to style or shape the hair as desired.

An example of the method of the present invention for providing lift is illustrated byFIGS. 6A-C. First, the hair is prepared by washing or drying the hair140and scalp142and the hair is generally groomed in the directions appropriate for the desired hairstyle. Then the upper layers of hair144are combed back to reveal underlying layers appropriate for providing lift. A tuft or portion of hair146is selected either by a comb or combing the hair with fingers. The device is then used to crimp a portion148of the selected hair146near the root. The tool should be located as close as possible without touching the scalp with the device. This process provides some lift and volume to the hair. To achieve even more volume the selected hair is rotated as shown by arrow150at approximately 90 degrees to the original crimped portion and a proximate portion152is crimped. The triangular region formed by the two crimped portions148and152formed by the crimping steps adds extra lift and volume as shown by arrow154ofFIG. 6C. This process is then repeated as necessary to achieve the desired lift results. The overlying hair144is again combed over the crimped hair portions148and152to mask the lift treated portions from view. By this method, the head of hair is given extra lift volume and body. It should be noted that while a saw-tooth crimp is presently preferred with this method, other patterns may be used without departing from the present invention.

With the use of the present device, there is no longer any need to perform “back comb” of the hair to achieve similar results, and the knots and other damage to the hair that are created by back combing are avoided. The present invention also avoids (or reduces) the need to use gels, moose, or other solutions in order to give the hair volume and body, and the stickiness or matted feeling that is usually accompanied by such gels and solutions is avoided.