Patent Publication Number: US-6659108-B1

Title: Hair curler

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     This invention relates generally to hair curling. More particularly, the present invention relates to a hair curler for imparting a curl to hair for cosmetic purposes. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     The typical hair curler is a plastic cylinder around which the hair is wound about when wet. Clips and other means are provided for keeping the hair in place about the cylinder until it dries afterwhich a curl is formed. Heat or chemical agents may be applied to the hair to enhance the curl. Another type of hair curler is an electric wand-type curling iron. 
     A disadvantage of using traditional hair curlers such as the cylinder and clip design is that they are awkward to sleep with. Another problem is that electric waving apparatus are dangerous to use particularly with small children in the household. 
     A practical hair curler, for which there is an unfulfilled need, wherein the hair curler apparatus being capable of safely imparting a uniform and stylish curl in hair, and one which allows a user to comfortably sleep with the hair curler in use, is not available. 
     In view of the above mentioned problems and limitations associated with conventional hair waving and curler devices, it was recognized by the present inventor that there is an unfulfilled need for an improved hair curler which is simple in design, practical, fun to use and is economically manufactured and which overcomes the disadvantages of the prior art devices. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     It is therefore an object of this invention to provide a new and improved hair curler which avoids the aforementioned problems of prior art devices. 
     It is an object of the instant invention to provide a hair curler with a combination of a spool for receiving a lock of human hair for wrapping thereabout and a clip having a first portion and a second portion, for clamping the spool and the lock of human hair together. 
     It is an object of the instant invention to provide a hair curler with a means for pivotally connecting the first portion and said second portion of the clip together. 
     It is an object of the instant invention to provide a hair curler with a biasing means disposed on the first portion and on the second portion of the clip for maintaining the first portion and the second portion of the clip biased toward each other when in use. 
     It is another object of the instant invention to provide a hair curler with a means for releasably retaining the first portion and the second portion of the clip in engagement with each other by the biasing means. 
     It is another object of the instant invention to provide a hair curler with a means for aligning the clip onto the spool. 
     It is another object of the instant invention to provide a hair curler which may be manufactured from readily available materials by conventional manufacturing processes. 
     It is still another object of the instant invention to provide a hair curler which allows a user to be able to comfortably sleep with the hair curler in use. 
     It is a further object of this invention to provide a hair curler that is simple in design, simple to manufacture, low in cost and fun to use. 
     Further objects will become apparent from the following description and claims. 
     This invention results from the realization that there is a great need for an improved hair curler. The resulting invention provides a user the capability of conveniently being able to safely and effectively style hair without the problems associated with the prior art devices. 
     The above and the other objects are achieved in accordance with the present invention, which, according to a first aspect, provides a hair curler which has a spool for receiving a lock of human hair for wrapping thereabout and a clip, having a first portion and a second portion, for clamping the spool and the lock of human hair together. The spool and the clip, in combination, produce a curl in the lock of human hair when the clip is placed on, and releasably secured to the spool with the lock of human hair sandwiched therebetween the spool and the clip without the clip directly contacting the lock of human hair. The first portion and the second portion of the clip have means for pivotally connecting the portions of the clip together in the form of a hinge. There are biasing means, disposed on the first portion and on the second portion of the clip for maintaining the first portion and the second portion biased toward each other when in use. The biasing means is achieved by fabricating the clip from a flexible material which inherently allows the material to flex and to bow when the first portion and the second portion of the clip are gently urged toward each other. There are also means for releasably retaining the first portion and the second portion of the clip in engagement with each other by the biasing means in the form of a keeper formed on the first portion where an apex of the second portion releasably engages the keeper. 
     The second aspect is a special case of the first aspect of this invention with additional features. There are means for aligning the clip onto the spool, which includes a guide disposed on the first portion of the clip about midway along a length of the first portion for engaging the spool having a bore centrally disposed therethrough so that the clip may be aligned on the spool by human feel when the guide is seated in the bore of the spool. The guide is dimensioned and sized to allow the guide to penetrate the bore of the spool an amount necessary to allow the clip to be aligned by the human feel of a user. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     In the accompanying drawings: 
     FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a preferred embodiment of a hair curler of the instant invention; 
     FIG. 2 is a front elevation view of the hair curler of FIG. 1 in use with a lock of human hair sandwiched between the spool and retainably clamped by a first portion and a second portion of the clip; 
     FIG. 3 is a rear elevation view of the hair curler of FIG. 2; 
     FIG. 4 is a right side elevation partial sectional view of the hair curler of FIG. 3 showing the assembly thereof; and 
     FIG. 5 is a front elevation view showing the instant invention of FIG. 1 in use. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     Looking more particularly to the drawings, there is shown in FIG. 1 a preferred embodiment of a hair curler which is generally indicated at  10 , according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention. 
     FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a preferred embodiment of a hair curler  10  of the instant invention. As seen in FIG. 1, the hair curler  10 , has at least two major components, a spool  12  for receiving a lock of human hair  60  for wrapping thereabout a core  18  disposed between a rim  16 ,  17  of the spool  12  and a clip  20  having a first portion  22  and a second portion  28  joined together by a hinge  40 , for clamping the spool  12  and the lock of human hair  60  together for producing a curl in the lock of human hair  60 . 
     The spool  12  and the clip  20  of the hair curler  10 , in combination, produces a curl in the lock of human hair  60  when the clip  20  is placed on, and releasably secured to the spool  12  with the lock of human hair  60  sandwiched therebetween the spool  12  and the clip  20  without the clip  20  directly contacting the lock of human hair  60  as best seen in FIGS. 2 to  5 . 
     The spool  12  preferably is made from a soft, pliable, compressible material such as a sponge. Although not necessary for operation, it was found that the instant invention works better with a bore  14  centrally disposed therethrough to receive a guide  24  disposed on the first portion  22  of the clip  20  so that the clip  20  can be readily blindly placed into the bore  14  of the spool  12  by human feel selectively from either side of the spool  12 . 
     The first portion  22  of the clip  20 , preferably is rectangular in shape with a keeper  26  and with the guide  24  centrally disposed within the rectangular shape of the first portion  22 . The guide  24 , preferably is cylindrical in shape and is sized to fit into the bore  14  in the spool  12 . 
     The second portion  28  of the clip  20 , preferably is triangular in shape as an isosceles triangle with an apex  30 , for engaging the keeper  26  of the first portion  22 . 
     Both the first portion  22  and the second portion  28  of the clip  20  cooperating with each other and each made of a flexible material so that they can bend and flex when brought together. 
     FIG. 2 is a front elevation view of the hair curler  10 , of FIG. 1 in use with a lock of human hair  60  sandwiched between the spool  12  and retainably clamped by the first portion  22  and the second portion  28  of the clip  20  with the apex  30  of the second portion  28  engaging the keeper  26  of the first portion  22 . 
     FIG. 3 is a rear elevation view of the hair curler  10 , of FIG.  2 . 
     FIG. 4 is a right side elevation partial sectional view of the hair curler  10 , of FIG. 3 showing the assembly thereof. The lock of human hair  60  wrapped on the core  18  of the spool  12  is compressed a sufficient amount by the spool  12  and clip  20  assembly to impart a curl. 
     FIG. 5 is a front elevation view showing the instant invention of FIG. 1 in use. 
     The hair curler  10  may be fabricated from readily available materials and by conventional fabrication techniques such as by molding. For example, the clip  20  of the hair curler  10 , may be made, from a flexible material chosen from the group consisting of plastic and rubber. The clip  20 , including the hinge  40  may be economically fabricated from a single cavity mold. The spool  12  may be fabricated by die cutting. The basic component parts, namely, the spool  12  and the clip  20  are readily combined and assembled to define the hair curler  10 . 
     To use the hair curler  10 , when the guide  24  of the clip  20 , preferably, is provided, the lock of human hair  60  from the head of a user is wound about the core  18  of spool  12 . The guide  24 , of the clip  20  is placed into the bore  14 , by feel, in the spool  12 , and then the clip  20  is gently urged into a bowed position as seen in FIG. 4, so that the apex  30  of the second portion  28  which preferably is triangular shaped may be removably, yet positively secured to the keeper  26  of the first portion  22 , as best seen in FIGS. 2 and 3, which preferably is rectangular in shape, of the clip  20  thereby sandwiching the lock of human hair  60  therebetween the spool  12  and the clip  20  for a time sufficient enough to impart a curl in the hair when the hair curler  10  is removed by reversing the procedure. The hair curler  10  permits a user to sleep on a pillow with a head fall of hair curlers  10  as shown in FIG. 5 without discomfort or interference as is a common disadvantage associated with traditional roller type hair curlers. When the guide  24  is not provided on the hair curler  10 , the clip  20  is simply placed onto the spool  12  with the lock of human hair therebetween. 
     The combination of the spool  12  and the clip  20  including the pivotally connecting means, such as the hinge  40  in combination with the biasing means of the clip  20  being of a flexible material, and the means for releasably retaining the first portion  22  and the second portion  28  of the clip  20  in engagement with each other by the biasing means in the form of a keeper  26  where an apex  30  of the second portion  28  releasably engages the keeper  26 , cooperatively contribute to a high quality curl in the lock of human hair  60 . Furthermore, the means for aligning the clip  20  onto the spool  12  including the guide  26  disposed on said first portion  22  of the clip  20  and the bore  14  of the spool  12  further adds to the synergistic effect and novelty of the invention whereby the invention as a whole, is greater than the sum of the individual component parts. For example, the applicant has actually reduced the instant invention shown herein to practice. The applicant has, according to the teachings herein, actually constructed and successfully tested, with favorable hair curl producing results, a fully functional prototype hair curler  10  as shown in FIGS. 1 to  5 . 
     Surprisingly, the instant invention provides an added advantage and recognizes a problem of a need for improved hair curling and adequately and completely addresses an unfulfilled need, in that the hair curler  10 , in the manner disclosed, in effect, provides a convenient apparatus which allows a user to blindly style hair by feel when a guide  24  is used. Also, by having the bore  14  pass completely through spool  12  allows the guide  24  to be placed on either side of the spool  12  without having to pay close attention to orientation which facilitates use. Also, the hair curler  10 , as disclosed, allows a user to sleep with the hair curler  10  in place without discomfort and provides the desired above mentioned advantages and benefits to a user. Furthermore, the use a sponge-like material for the spool  12 , provides an added benefit in that the sponge-like material absorbs moisture from wet hair by wicking which accelerates drying of the hair. 
     It is understood that the hair curler  10  may be constructed in a wide variety of sizes, colors and style variations. One practical advantage of the invention is that it provides a convenient, practical, low cost, hair curler  10 , which allows a user to conveniently impart a stylish wave in the lock of human hair  60 . A further advantage of the invention is that the hair curler  10  is designed for ease of manufacture by standard methods and by using readily available materials. 
     Of course, a wide variety of further uses and advantages of the present invention will become apparent to one skilled in the art. Also, one skilled in the art will realize that the foregoing discussion outlines the more important features of the invention to enable a better understanding of the instant invention and to instill a better appreciation of the inventor&#39;s contribution to the art. It must be clear that the disclosed details of construction, descriptions of geometry and illustrations of inventive concepts are mere examples of possible manifestations of the invention. 
     Although the invention has been shown and described with reference to certain preferred embodiments, those skilled in the art undoubtedly will find alternative embodiments obvious after reading this disclosure. With this in mind, the following claims are intended to define the scope of protection to be afforded the inventor, and those claims shall be deemed to include equivalent constructions insofar as they do not depart from the spirit and scope of the present invention.