Patent Publication Number: US-6209732-B1

Title: Curling iron holder

Description:
RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     The inventors hereof claim priority based upon and pursuant to provisional patent application Ser. No. 60/090,117 filed on Jun. 22, 1998. 
    
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     This invention relates to a portable electric curling iron holder and more particularly to a portable electric curling iron holder having an array of ring-like protection, support, and heat sink members. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Individuals and styling salons often use hair curling irons as a standard part of the hair dressing art. Often, however, the stylist will activate the curling iron only to later discover that the iron has become hot enough to burn the table top or other surface upon which it may be resting. Cautious individuals will sometimes hold the iron during heating and cooling cycles, causing inconvenience and limitation of their activities. 
     In an attempt to solve this common problem, others have provided holders of varying design and construction for use with hair curling irons and the like. Examples of such devices may be seen with reference to the following: U.S. Pat. No. Des. 243,559 to Hoyle et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 4,103,145 to Oliveri; U.S. Pat. No. 4,308,878 to Silva; U.S. Pat. No. 4,973,019 to Baird et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 5,090,649 and U.S. Pat. No. Des. 329,304 to Tipp; and, U.S. Pat. No. Des. 332,670 to McFarland. 
     Some of these prior art holders have tended to be large or bulky, and sometimes inconvenient to store. Other prior art holders have been difficult to transport, whether from room to room or when packed in luggage for a trip. Others do not conveniently accommodate the variety of sizes and designs of curling irons that are currently available to the stylist. 
     Furthermore, several of the prior art devices do not provide adequate air ventilation or heat sink capacity to enable the iron to cool rapidly following its use. Additionally, the enclosed nature of some prior art devices may tend to trap hair, dust, and other debris, which can then become dangerous when placed adjacent the hot curling iron. 
     It is readily apparent that an improved hair curling iron holder is needed to overcome the drawbacks apparent in the prior art, and to render more safe and convenient the use of the hair curling iron implement. It is, therefore, to the provision of such an improved hair curling iron holder that the present invention is directed. 
     Accordingly, the several objectives of the present invention are: 
     to provide a hair curling iron holder that is lightweight and small enough to conveniently transport or store; 
     to provide a hair curling iron holder that may act as an insulated heat sink and that is sufficiently open to the air in order to enable appropriate cooling of the curling iron; 
     to provide a hair curling iron holder that deters injurious casual contact from a user; 
     to provide a hair curling iron holder that may be mounted in a horizontal or vertical configuration; 
     to provide a hair curling iron holder that will accommodate a wide variety of sizes, weights, and designs of curling irons; 
     to provide a hair curling iron holder that which will not trap hair, dust, or other debris; and, 
     to provide a hair curling iron holder that is economical to manufacture, heat resistant, and simple in its design. 
     Other objects, features, and advantages of the present invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art by reference to the drawings and to the detailed description of the preferred embodiment presented herein. 
     BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     In accordance with the several objectives of the present invention, provided is a hair curling iron holder having a generally V or U-shaped, weighted base. The base is provided with non-skid material and may have mounting holes provided therethrough. From the base extends at least one support member. To the at least one support member is affixed a ring support member, preferably angled with respect to the base. Affixed at approximately equidistant, spaced apart intervals upon the ring support member are a plurality of ring members of sufficient diameter to accommodate the barrel of a conventional hair curling iron. The hair curling iron holder, either in whole or in part, may be coated with a heat resistant material, or may be otherwise insulated against heat transference between the curling iron holder and the user&#39;s casual touch. 
     Alternate configurations of the hair curling iron holder of the present invention are disclosed in which the holder may be provided with a plurality of ring support members, along with their respective plurality of ring members. In a first alternative embodiment, for example, a side-by-side configuration is disclosed. In a second alternative embodiment embodiment, a multi-tier arrangement is disclosed. It is within the contemplation of the present invention that further alternate embodiments may be provided having multi-tier or in multiple side-by-side configurations. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     The invention is better understood by reading the Detailed Description of the Preferred Embodiments with reference to the accompanying drawing figures, in which like reference numerals denote similar structure and refer to like elements throughout, and in which: 
     FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the preferred embodiment of the hair curling iron holder of the present invention, and further illustrating the use thereof with a hair curling iron; 
     FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a first alternative embodiment of the hair curling iron holder of the present invention; 
     FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a second alternative embodiment of the hair curling iron holder of the present invention; and, 
     FIG. 4 is an perspective view of a third alternative embodiment of the hair curling iron holder of the present invention. 
    
    
     It is to be noted that the drawings presented are intended solely for the purpose of illustration and that they are, therefore, neither desired nor intended to limit the invention to any or all of the exact details of construction shown, except insofar as they may be deemed essential to the claimed invention. 
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     In describing preferred embodiments of the present invention illustrated in the Figures, specific terminology is employed for the sake of clarity. The invention, however, is not intended to be limited to the specific terminology so selected, and it is to be understood that each specific element includes all technical equivalents which operate in a similar manner to accomplish a similar purpose. 
     Shown in FIG. 1 is the preferred embodiment of the hair curling iron holder  100  of the present invention. FIG.  1  and further illustrates the use of the holder  100  with a hair curling iron I of conventional design. The preferred embodiment of the present invention is manufactured of approximately rectangular cross-section, thin gauge steel. The holder  100 , however, may be manufactured from other materials which are well known in the art, and which may have any of a variety of cross-sections, so long as the materials so selected are strong, yet lightweight, and heat resistant to the temperatures achieved by conventional hair curling irons. The material may be coated or otherwise treated in selected zones in a manner well known in the art to provide additional thermal insulating properties, all without departing from the spirit of the disclosed invention. A material such as Firebarrier &amp; Caulk CP25WB (3M Corporation, St. Paul, Minn.) has been found effective for such purposes. 
     As shown in FIG. 1, an outwardly opening, generally “U”-shaped, weighted base  102  is provided, the base preferably having at least one cross brace  104  for stabilizing the legs  106  of the base  102 . The base optionally may be provided with mounting holes for mounting the base to a horizontal or vertical support surface. From the base  102  extends at least one support member  108 , but preferably two, for enhanced stability of the holder  100 . Attached to at least one of support member  108  is a ring support member  110 . The ring support member  110  is preferably angled, as at α, with respect to the base  102 . The ring support member  110  typically is affixed to the at least one support member  108  through welding or other conventional means of affixation. While the angle α of the ring support member  110  is preferably approximately forty-five (45) degrees, it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the angle α may be modified, or otherwise varied, to suit the size and weight of the hair curling iron I, the preferences of the user, and the normal incident angle for the insertion of the hair curling iron into the holder  100 . Affixed to the ring support member  110  are a plurality of rings  112 . The rings  112  preferably are sized to accommodate the barrel of a conventional hair curling iron I. The rings  112  may be spaced along the ring support member  110  in any manner that is visually appealing and convenient to the use described herein, although approximately equidistant spacing is demonstrated in the illustrations of the preferred and alternate embodiments. 
     FIG. 2 demonstrates a first alternate embodiment of the hair curling iron holder  200  of the present invention. It will be seen that an additional support member  208  is affixed to one of the plurality of rings  112 . To this support member  208  is affixed a second ring support member  210 , having a second plurality of rings  212 . It can be seen that the holder  200 , so provided, conveniently may accommodate either a second hair curling iron or another hair styling implement, such as a blow dryer. 
     It will be appreciated by those ordinarily skilled in the art that the support member  208  of this second tier may be affixed at any convenient location upon the first tier without departing from the intended manner of construction or use of the holder  200 . The second tier may be parallel to the first, as measured according to the centerlines of the ring support members  110 ,  210 , or may be further slightly angled to accommodate the needs of the user and the aesthetics of the holder  200 . 
     Shown in FIG. 3 is a second alternative embodiment of the hair curling iron holder  300  of the present invention. In this embodiment, weighted base  302  is provided in a “V”-shaped configuration, the base  302  preferably having at least one cross brace  304  for stabilizing the legs  306  of the base  302 , and at least one support member  308 . It will be seen that ring support member  310  is affixed to support member  308  and further accommodates a first plurality of rings  312  adjacent edge  314  of the ring support member  310 , and a second plurality of rings  312  adjacent the opposite edge  316  of the ring support member  310 . In this configuration, either one or two hair curling irons, or other hair styling implements, conveniently may be accommodated by the holder  300 . 
     Shown in FIG. 4 is a third alternate embodiment of the hair curling iron holder  400  of the present invention. In this embodiment is provided a “U”-shaped base  402 . From base  402  are preferably two support members  408 , serving to stabilize the legs  406  of the base  402 . The two support members  408  have at their upper end an outwardly opening pair of ring support members  412 , generally formed into an assembly  410  having a “U”-shaped configuration. The pair of ring support members  412  may have a cross brace  411  for stabilizing the ring support members  412  of the assembly  410  and for affixing a support member  408 . To the pair of ring support members  412  are affixed a first plurality of rings  414  adjacent to the first ring support member  412 , and adjacent to the second ring support member  412  are affixed a second plurality of rings  414 . In this configuration, either one or two hair curling irons, or other hair styling implements, conveniently may be accommodated by the holder  400 . It will be seen that the angle α′, with regard to the plane of base  402 , and the angle β, with regard to the central axis, or centerline, of each ring support member  412 , may be varied to accommodate design aesthetics, convenience of insertion and removal of the hair curling irons, and the size and configuration of the hair curling irons to be used. All such variations are considered to be within this scope and spirit of the disclosure of the present invention. 
     It will be appreciated that the base may have a non-skid material glued, or otherwise affixed, to the bottom surface. This non-skid material may be of rubber, or of other non-marring, friction enhancing material, as well-known in the art. It will be appreciated that the holder conveniently will rest without toppling upon a flat horizontal surface, such as a countertop. The base of the holder, however, may further be provided with mounting holes and hardware, hook and loop fastener fabric, or other mounting implements, all well-known in the art, to permit a user of the holder to removably affix the holder to a mounting surface, such as a countertop or wall. 
     In illustrating the operation of the device, reference is again made to FIG. 1. A hair curling iron I is inserted into a first plurality of rings  112  along their central axis. As the weight of the hair curling iron I is generally centered near its handle, the open “U” or “V”-shaped base  102  prevents the holder  100  from toppling or overturning. The spaced apart configuration provided by the plurality of rings  112  accommodates air circulation about the curling iron barrel. Thus, the curling iron I, properly disconnected, may be cooled relatively rapidly for safety and storage purposes. The holder  100  also provides an insulated heat sink, further enhancing the usefulness of the device. The plurality of rings  112  further provide a reasonable level of protection against a user accidentally touching the hot curling iron surface. It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art, however, that a mesh-like screen, or equivalent, may optionally be provided to further enhance the safe use of the device. 
     It will be appreciated by those ordinarily skilled in the art that the device may be provided with pivotal joints and stop means, all in a manner well-known in the art, to enable the base, rings, and various support members to be folded into a flat configuration, or varied with regard to the various angles of use discussed hereinabove. The holder may be further modified to provide additional pluralities of rings in order to accommodate three, four, or a greater number of hair curling irons or styling implements. 
     Having thus described exemplary embodiments of the present invention, it should be noted by those ordinarily skilled in the art that the within disclosures are exemplary only and that various other alternatives, adaptations, and modifications may be made within the scope of the present invention. Accordingly, the present invention is not limited to the specific embodiments as illustrated herein, but is only limited by the following claims.