Abstract:
A heated eyelash curler comprise a curling head portion having an arcuate top surface on one end and a protection case on the other end. The protection case serves as a handle for the device as well as encloses the power source, for example, a battery. The curling head portion includes a heating element laid on the arcuate top surface caged inside a plurality of bridges or protected between protruding comblike spikes. A pigmented silicone piece which changes in color corresponding to the temperature of the heating element is directly contacted with the heating element for fast and accurate response. The heating element comprises a conducting coil or wire in zigzag configuration inserted into a conducting tube such as a brass tubing coated on the outside surface with a non-sticking material such as teflon. The recommended heating mechanism or circuitry for a battery heated heating element includes a converter for boosting the voltage of the power source. This will hasten the rise in temperature of the heating element and in combination with the heating element having the conducting coil or wire in zigzag configuration, will provide a more stable and even heating.

Description:
[0001]     This invention relates to a heated eyelash curler. The heating element is uniquely set up to heat evenly and rapidly and is caged inside or between protective shields to prevent the skin from directly touching the heating element as well as protect the girth of the eyes from harm.  
       BACKGROUND  
       [0002]     Most eyelash curler shape the eyelashes purely by mechanical pressure by inserting the eyelashes between two pinching elements, mostly arched to conform with the shape of the eyelids. U.S. Pat. No. 6,230,715 proposed the incorporation of a heating element into the pinching elements to hasten the curling process as well as result into a longer lasting curl. In this invention, the eyelashes are curled by a simultaneous application of heat and pressure. As in the current eyelash curlers, the eyelashes are likewise inserted between two pinching elements or forming members having an eyelash-line shape except that a heating member is incorporated into the forming members. The heat is preferably controlled to a desired temperature. A silicon pad is attached to one of the forming members, the upper forming member, which is designed to closely conform to the lower part of the forming member. The silicon here provides a pad as well as insulates the upper forming member from heat to prevent burning of the eyelids. The device uses a light emitting diode (LED) as indicator to indicate heater status by turning on a red LED when the power switch is “on” and by subsequently turning on a green LED when the heater is at a proper eyelash curling temperature. This optionally adopts a mechanism wherein the red and green LED rapidly turn on and off repeatedly when the power source is low such as when the battery is low-charged. Here, the heating element, does not provide a stable heat and does not have a protective shield caging or surrounding the heating element to prevent the hands or skin around the eye from touching its surface. More importantly, the eyelashes still have to be inserted between two pinching or forming elements which is hard for a novice, consequently, discouraging them from using the device, especially by those having short eyelashes. Further, the rate of the heating process in achieving the desired temperature is not at optimum.  
         [0003]     It is therefore an object of this invention to provide an eyelash curler having a heating element but without the need of inserting the eyelashes between two forming elements.  
         [0004]     It is also an object of this invention to provide an eyelash curler with a curling head having a heating element surrounded by a shield to prevent skin burns.  
         [0005]     It is a further object of this invention to provide an indicator that directly touches on the surface of the heating element to provide a more accurate indication of the temperature in addition to the LED indicators that are voltage driven.  
         [0006]     It is also a further object of this invention to provide an eyelash curler that achieves the desired curling temperature at a faster rate. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING  
       [0007]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view of the heated eyelash curler.  
         [0008]      FIG. 2  is an exploded view showing the assembly of the parts making up the eyelash curler of  FIG. 1 .  
         [0009]      FIG. 2A  is an enlarged picture of a segment of the curling head portion of the upper casing showing in more detail, the protective shield, the openings on the bridges and the slit underneath the bridges.  
         [0010]      FIG. 3  is a cross sectional view of the assembled curling head portion of the device shown inside its casing.  
         [0011]      FIG. 4A  is a cross sectional view of the heating element showing the zigzag arrangement of the heating coil inside a conducting tube.  
         [0012]      FIG. 4B  is a cross sectional view of the zigzag arrangement of the heating coil inside the conducting tube shown in  FIG. 4A .  
         [0013]      FIG. 5  shows an exploded view of an alternate design for casing the heated eyelash curler.  
         [0014]      FIG. 6  is a block diagram of a heating mechanism having a heat control and an LED indicator for denoting on and off switching of the device.  
         [0015]      FIG. 6A  is a circuit diagram of the heating mechanism shown in  FIG. 6 .  
         [0016]      FIG. 7  is a block diagram of a heating mechanism having a heat control and LED indicators to show when the curling temperature is at its optimum.  
         [0017]      FIG. 7A  is a circuit diagram of the heating mechanism shown in  FIG. 7 . 
     
    
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0018]     This invention relates to a heated eyelash curler, comprising a curling head portion having an arcuate top surface on one end and a protection case on the other end. The protection case serves as a handle for the device. The curling head portion includes a heating element laid on the arcuate top surface caged inside a plurality of bridges or protected between protruding comblike spikes. The eyelash curler, herein also referred to simply as curler, can also have both, bridges and comblike spikes with the latter lining horizontally parallel to the bridges and the heating element. The protection case encloses the power source for the heating element which is usually a battery. A pigmented silicone piece which changes in color corresponding to the temperature of the heating element is directly contacted with the heating element for fast and accurate response. The eyelash curler may be designed with a plain heating mechanism which just turns the heating element on or off. Preferably, the heating mechanism will not only shut on or off but will control as well as keep the heating element at the desired curling temperature. The eyelash curler has an indicator, preferably a light emitting diode (LED), to signal when the heater is on or off. For a temperature controlled or heat controlled curler, two LEDs, one emitting one color of light when the curler is on but below a desired temperature and another emitting another color when the curler is at the desired temperature are desirable to provide additional safety and notice to the user when the curler is ready to use. The heating element comprises a conducting coil or wire in zigzag configuration inserted into a conducting tube such as a brass tubing coated on the outside surface with a non-sticking material such as teflon. The recommended heating mechanism or circuitry for the heating element includes a converter for boosting the voltage of the power source if the output is below approximately 5 volts. This will hasten the rise in temperature of the heating element and in combination with the heating element having the conducting coil or wire in zigzag configuration, will provide a more stable and even heating. Additionally, the eyelash curler can have an indicator to notify the user when the power source is low.  
         [0019]     Further scope of applicability of the present invention will become apparent from the detailed description and the accompanying drawings. However, it should be understood that the detailed description are given only as illustration on how to implement the proposed invention since various changes and modifications within the spirit and scope of the invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art from this detailed description.  
       DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
       [0020]      FIG. 1  shows a perspective view of the heated eyelash curler  100 .  FIG. 2  shows the parts and an example on how these parts are assembled. The eyelash curler shown on  FIG. 2  basically have three major components or parts, an upper casing  1 , a lower casing  2  and a middle heater component  3 . The middle component  3  is sandwiched between the upper casing  1  and the lower casing  2  before the upper and the lower casing are attached together. [ 00211  The upper casing includes a head piece  4  and a half cylindrical shaped rear piece  5  with a recessed neck  6  between the head  4  and the rear  5  pieces. The head piece has an arcuate top surface  7  shaped to cause an upward curl after several repeated strokes of the eyelashes on the heating element  8 . The arcuate top surface  7  has a slit  9  running horizontally along the head piece where the heating element  8  is introduced to lay above the slit  9 . Along the arcuate top surface  7 , at the location where the heating element  8  will sit, are a plurality of small bridges  10  running perpendicular from the slit  9 . As shown in  FIGS. 1, 2 ,  2 A and  3 , the bridges  10  protrude from the arcuate top surface  7  to result in a space  11  beneath the bridges, between the arcuate top surface  7  and the bridges  10 . The heating element  8  situates in this space  11  resulting in the heating element being caged by the bridges  10 . The rear piece  5  has an opening  12  for an indicator such as a light emitting diode (LED) if the device will incorporate one and a switch  13  installed on its surface usually aligned with the arcuate top surface. The neck portion  6  is also shaped as a half cylindrical piece but of a smaller diameter and is recessed from the rear piece. The middle component  3  includes a heating element  8  on one end connected to a plate  14 , the plate holding the LED indicator  15 , if incorporated, and the electrical connections for the switch. The plate may be flat or curved to conform with the shape of the interior of the upper casing. Attaching likewise to the plate, at the opposite end of the heating element is a connecting wire  16  that provides connection between the charged terminals  17  of the power source, herein as example, a battery  18  when this is placed in between the connecting wire  16  and a conducting strip  19 . The strip  19  usually projects from the plate but bends inwards as shown in  FIG. 2  to be coaxial with the connecting wire  16  in order to make good contact with the charged end of the battery. Those skilled in the art can easily modify the electrical connections to be able to use a power source aside from a battery. Near the tip of the heating element is introduced a silicone piece  20 , preferably shaped like a ring for easy introduction into and around the heating element  8 . Direct contact between the silicone piece and the heating element provides a more reliable method for detecting the temperature because the silicone piece contains a pigment that changes its color with temperature. This pigmented silicone material can be purchased from Zhejiang Xinan Chemical Industrial Group Co., Ltd. having a website: www.xinanchem.com. At room temperature, the color of the chosen pigmented silicon piece is purple. The purple color gradually changes to opaque white or colorless as the temperature of the heating element rises. When the heating element is at the desired temperature, for example between 60-70 degrees Centigrade, the color of the chosen pigmented silicone piece is opaque white or colorless. The user is notified that the eyelash curler is heated when the silicone piece has lost its purple color. For the eyelash curler without a temperature or heat control, when the switch is turned ‘on’, an LED indicator, if incorporated in the curler, turns on and the heating element gets its power directly from the power source. For this type of eyelash curler, the user should turn the switch off as soon as the eyelashes are curled. There may be a need to turn the switch on and off to prevent overheating. For temperature controlled curlers, the user does not have to worry about the curler getting overheated. The circuit shown on  FIG. 6  shows the heating process with a temperature control and  FIG. 7  shows the heating process, additionally incorporating two indicators instead of one, for example, one LED indicator turning red when the heating element  8  is heated but below the desired temperature and another LED indicator turning green when the heating element is at the desired temperature.  
         [0021]     The heating element  8  comprises as shown in  FIGS. 4A and 4B  a conducting coil or wire  21  lined in zigzag configuration along the length of the heating element  8 . This conducting coil or wire  20  is usually made from chromium and nickel. The proposed zigzag configuration is unique and forms a major part of the claimed eyelash curler  100 . This configuration maximizes the generation of heat and allows the temperature to rise up at a faster rate as well as keep the heating process regular, that is, not fluctuating and evenly distributed throughout the heating element, due the increased surface area resulting from the zigzag configuration of the conducting coil or wire, thereby enabling the user to curl the eyelashes quickly and consequently, allowing the battery to last longer. The zigzag coil or wire  21  is placed inside a conducting tube such as a brass tubing  22  which is in turn coated with a non-sticking material such as teflon  23  on its outside surface to keep the eyelash from directly contacting and sticking on the brass tubing which can cause burning of the eyelashes. The length of the conducting tube or brass tubing dictates the length of the heating element. The number of zigzag turns is usually limited by the diameter of the coil or wire  21  and the conducting tube  22 . The heating element  8  is introduced into the upper casing  1  by squeezing the heating element  8  into the slit  9 , to situate on the space  11  underneath the bridges  10  as shown in  FIGS. 1 and 3 . Since the bridges protrude from the arcuate top surface  7 , the bridges prevent the skin from directly contacting the heating element  8  but allow the eyelashes direct contact for optimum curling. The bridges  10  also serves as a guide for the eyelashes, just like a comb, because the eyelashes enter at the intervals or spaces  24  between the bridges. Vertically protruding blunt or round ended comblike spikes, similar to the teeth of a comb or brush, may be incorporated to line horizontally along the ends of the bridges for added protection from burns and to assist in guiding the eyelashes. These comblike projections may also substitute for the bridges, with the heating element placed between two rows of the comblike projections, if desired.  
         [0022]     The lower casing  2  is also a hollow half cylindrical casing designed to match and attach to the upper casing  1 , forming a hollow enclosed piece of the head, neck and rear pieces of the upper casing and leaving an open half cylindrical tail portion  25 , serving as the housing for the conducting connecting wire  16  and the power source, in this illustration, a battery  18 . As shown in  FIG. 2 , the interior  26  of the lower casing facing the bottom of the rear piece of the upper casing have compartments to house the LED indicator  15  and the electrical circuit connecting to the switch, the latter allowing the completion of the contact, consequently the circuit, to commence heating when the switch is placed in the ‘on’ position. The positive charge terminal of the battery usually contacts the conducting strip  19  while the negative charge terminal contacts the connecting wire  16 . At the interior  26  located opposite the head piece are solid strips protruding perpendicularly from the internal wall  27  of the lower casing to support the heating element  8  and keep this on the top surface of the head piece  4  or the resulting curling head portion after the upper casing is attached to the lower casing.  
         [0023]     The open exposed tail portion  25  of the lower casing  2  can be covered by means known in the art. One way is shown in  FIG. 2  where a protection case  28  completely envelopes both the hollow enclosed rear piece and the exposed tail portion  25  while another means just covers the exposed tail portion to encase the battery as shown in  FIG. 5  since the other parts or components of the eyelash curler are already enclosed. The body opposite the curling head portion resulting after the application of the cover shown in  FIG. 5  or the protective case  28  serves as the housing for the electrical circuitry involved with the heating of the heating element  8  as well as the handle for the curler. In both designs, a cap  29  is preferably but not necessarily used to cover the curling head portion  30  of the eyelash curler as shown in  FIGS. 1 and 2 . The cap  29  inserts with its internal walls (not shown) snugly fitting into the recessed neck  6  of the eyelash curler and the outside surface  31 of the cap aligning with the outside surface  32  of the protective case  28  or with the body resulting from the cover  33  enclosing the battery situated at the exposed tail portion  25 . The protective case  28  has an etched out opening  34  to accommodate the switch  13  on the top surface  35  of the upper casing  1 . The casings, protective cover or case and cap may be made of plastic such as acrylonitrile butadiene styrene and equivalents or nonconducting metals such as aluminum.  
         [0024]     The heated eyelash curler can simply be heated without any temperature control by switching the power to the ‘on’ position. If an indicator is used, an LED indicator  15  customarily will emit a red color. The temperature, in this case, is manually controlled by turning the power switch ‘on’ or ‘off’ according to the signal provided by the silicone piece. Preferably, however, the temperature of the heating element is controlled as shown in  FIGS. 6, 6A ,  7  and  7 A. Further, additional LED indicators  35  and  36  as shown in  FIGS. 7 and 7 A that will turn red when the power is ‘on’ and will turn green when the heating element is at the desired temperature, respectively, may be incorporated. At least one indicator, together with the silicone piece  20  provide a better safeguard for the user. Optionally, in order to avoid the disappointment of having an nonoperational eyelash curler when needed, the LED indicator/s can be wired to emit a flickering light when the power coming from the battery is low, indicating the need of replacement. In the heating mechanisms shown in  FIGS. 6, 6A ,  7  and  7 A, a converter  37  boosts the voltage coming from a power source, for example, 2.4 volts from a battery to that required by the device to quickly curl the eyelashes which is approximately 5 volts. Current heating mechanisms for eyelash curlers do not have the converter, relying solely from the voltage output of the battery. Consequently, the rate of heating is slow and the achieved temperature may be lower than desired. This converter  37  in a battery heated eyelash curler together with the zigzag configuration of the conducting coil or wire  21  makes the heating mechanism of this claimed eyelash curler superior in performance. The transistors  38  which adjust the voltage according to the temperature of the heater  39  to limit the amount of the electric current sent to the heater and therefore maintain a constant temperature and the voltage comparison  40  which compare the signals from the temperature and/or voltage sensors and optically represent the heater status on a two LED indicator system and/or the charged condition of the power source constitute part of the heating mechanisms shown in  FIG. 6  and/or  FIG. 7 .  
         [0025]     To use the curler, one simply let the eyelashes enter the spaces  24  between the bridges  10  and/or comblike projections until the eyelashes touches on the heating element  8  unlike the conventional curlers which require the eyelashes to situate between two pinching or forming elements, requiring manual dexterity and experience. The eyelashes curl after a few repeated upward strokes against the heating element  8 .  
         [0026]     While the embodiments of the present invention have been described, it should be understood that various changes, adaptations, and modifications may be made therein without departing from the spirit of the invention and the scope of the claims.