Patent Publication Number: US-2013233336-A1

Title: Hair styling device

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE APPLICATIONS 
     This application is a non-provisional application claiming the benefits of provisional application No. 61/511,778 filed Jul. 26, 2011 and provisional application No. 61/558,385 filed Nov. 10, 2011, which are hereby incorporated by reference for all purposes. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND 
     Many types of hair styling devices exist. One of the ongoing challenges is to curl hair without causing damage to the hair. Most hair curling devices work by applying heat to the hair with a heating element, such as a standard curling iron. This can dry and even burn the hair strands and cause damage. Styling the hair with a styling brush and a hair dryer is known, but this requires the user to manipulate both the brush and the hair dryer at the same time which is often difficult and tiring. Further, the user has to wind and unwind the hair strand to be styled from the brush multiple times. This can be difficult to do on the hair on the back of the user&#39;s head. Also there is the risk that the hair will get tangled in the brush, causing breakage of the hair and slowing the process down. Hair styling devices that suction the hair into a chamber to dry are also known. The known versions of these have several disadvantages. First the devices tend to be primarily designed to straighten hair, curling the hair is a secondary thought if at all. Second, many of the known devices are primarily designed for salon installations, with personal use devices as a secondary consideration. 
     Therefore, the devices tent to be bulky and expensive to manufacture. None of the prior art discloses a small, hand held device that efficiently and easily dries and/or curls hair. Also, many of the prior art devices the air flow into the hair styling/drying chamber is uneven, with less than optimal flow to pull the hair in to the chamber and hold it in the chamber while being dried and/or curled. 
     The foregoing example of the related art and limitations related therewith are intended to be illustrative and not exclusive. Other limitations of the related art will become apparent to those of skill in the art upon a reading of the specification and a study of the drawings. 
     SUMMARY 
     The following embodiments and aspects thereof are described and illustrated in conjunction with systems, tool and methods which are meant to be exemplary and illustrative, not limiting in scope. In various embodiments, one or more of the above described problems have been reduced or eliminated, while other embodiments are directed to other improvements. 
     One aspect of the present disclosure is to provide a hair curling device that the user does not have to wind the hair around the styling implement. 
     One aspect of the present disclosure is to provide a hair styling device for curling hair that uses suction to pull the hair around a hair styling core. 
     One aspect of the present disclosure is to provide for styling of hair without having to press a heated element directly against the hair to be styled, which can cause damage to the hair. 
     One aspect of the present disclosure is to provide a hair styling device that can have interchangeable hair styling shapes. 
     One embodiment of a hair styling device has a hollow hair styling chamber having a first end and a second end forming a first flow path. The hair styling chamber is aerodynamically connected with a fan chamber having a means to induce an airflow at the second end. The means to induce an air flow can create an air flow along the flow path from the first end to the second end of the hair styling chamber and the fan chamber. The fan chamber also being aerodynamically connected to an air channel forming a second flow path, said air channel being roughly parallel to the hair styling chamber from the second end to the first end. The air channel is aerodynamically connected to a mixing tip, the mixing tip being aerodynamically connected to the hair styling chamber by an intake channel. The mixing tip is located on the first end of the hair styling chamber from the fan chamber. The mixing tip functions to mix a first air flow of outside air with a second air flow from the air channel to form a combined air flow in the hair styling chamber and creating a suction that functions to draw a lock of hair into the hair styling chamber. The mixing tip has a generally cone shaped hair inlet narrowing towards the inlet channel functioning to increase a flow rate of the air to pull a lock of hair into the styling chamber. 
     In one embodiment the hair styling device to form a hair strand into a curl has a body with a handle. The body has a main styling chamber and air flow channel parallel to the styling chamber. The body is attached to the handle, which has a vacuum impeller mounted in a fan chamber. The fan chamber is aerodynamically connected to the main styling chamber and to an air flow channel. The styling chamber can have a styling form, which in the depicted embodiment is a spiral for forming spiral curls. The styling form can be heated directly by a heater and the air flow channel can have heating elements to heat the air flowing through it. At the opposite end of the body from the impeller, there is a hair inlet through which hair is drawn into the styling chamber around the styling form by suction of the air flow. 
     Another description of the device is a hair styling device having a first chamber defining an air flow path from a first end to a second end, a second chamber having a first end and a second end, said second chamber defining a respective flow path, a blower having an input and an output, the input of the blower coupled with the second end of the first chamber, the output of the blower connected with the first end of the second chamber and with an exit port, a mixing tip, the mixing tip having a mouth of a first diameter and a throat of a second diameter, the second diameter smaller than the first diameter, the throat coupled with the first end of the first chamber, and the second end of the second chamber coupled with a plurality of openings between the mouth of the mixing tip and the throat of the mixing tip. 
     In addition to the exemplary aspects and embodiments described above, further aspects and embodiments will become apparent by reference to the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification wherein like reference characters designate corresponding parts in the several views. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a schematic drawing of the hair styling device 
         FIG. 2  is a front elevation view of the front of the hair styling device. 
         FIG. 3  is a close up of the front of the hair styling device in a schematic drawing. 
         FIG. 4  is a perspective drawing of a hair strand drawn into the hair styling device. 
         FIG. 5  is a side plan view of an alternate embodiment of the hair styling device. 
         FIG. 6  is a partial cut away view of  FIG. 5 . 
         FIG. 7  is a partial cut away view of  FIG. 5 . 
         FIG. 8  is a front elevation view of the alternate embodiment. 
         FIG. 9  is a schematic view of the air flow in the mixing tip. 
         FIG. 10  is a perspective view of the front cap being removed. 
         FIG. 11  is a perspective view of a partial cut away view showing the front cap removed. 
         FIG. 12  is a close up view of one end of the style form and the connection piece. 
         FIG. 13  is a close up view of one end of the style form and the connection piece. 
         FIG. 14  is an exploded view of  FIG. 13 . 
         FIG. 15  is a close up of the locking tab disengaged. 
         FIG. 16  is a close up of the locking tab engaged. 
         FIG. 17  is a perspective view of a possible style form embodiment. 
         FIG. 18  is a perspective view of a possible style form embodiment. 
         FIG. 19  is a perspective view of a possible style form embodiment. 
         FIG. 20  is a perspective view of a possible style form embodiment. 
     
    
    
     Before explaining the disclosed embodiment of the present invention in detail, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of the particular arrangement shown, since the invention is capable of other embodiments. Exemplary embodiments are illustrated in referenced figures of the drawings. It is intended that the embodiments and figures disclosed herein are to be considered illustrative rather than limiting. Also, the terminology used herein is for the purpose of description and not of limitation. 
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     The disclosed hair styling device is used to form a hair strand or strands into a desired curl or other shape. Referring first to  FIG. 1 , the hair styling device  100  has a body  110  and a handle  102 . The body  110  has a hollow main styling chamber  101  and an air channel  106  that runs parallel to the styling chamber  101  for at least a portion of the length of the styling chamber,  101 . The length of the main styling chamber  101  will depend on the length of hair to be styled and the desired total weight of the device. For hand held units, there will be a practical limit of the length that is comfortable for most users to hold. The air channel  106  in the depicted embodiment is a similar length to the styling chamber, but this is not required, or even particularly likely on versions for longer hair. In the depicted embodiment the air channel  106  is also a heating chamber for heating the air. A heating chamber could also be located around the hair inlet  111 . The body  110  is attached to the handle  102  at one end. The handle  102  has a vacuum impeller  103  powered by a motor  104  mounted in a fan chamber  105 . The fan chamber  105  is aerodynamically connected to the main styling chamber  101  and to the air chamber  106 . The styling chamber  101  has a styling form  107  in the depicted embodiment. It is not necessary for the operation of the device to have the style form  107  in the style chamber  101 . If a person only wished to dry their hair in a generally straight style, then they could use the device with no style form in the chamber. The depicted embodiment of the style form is a spiral for forming spiral curls. A large number of possible shapes of the styling form could be used with the present device. The hair could be formed into looser or tighter spiral curls, zigzag shapes, flips and other styles are possible with the disclosed device. The styling form can vary in diameter of the cylindrical core, pitch of the vanes, thickness of the vanes, or even discard the vanes in favor of shapes, pegs and other methods for imparting form to hair. If desired the disclosed device could also be used to dry the hair straight if the styling form  107  is removed or a specific straightener/dryer form is used. 
     The styling form  107  is heated by heater  108  in the depicted embodiment. In the depicted embodiment the styling form  107  is made of aluminum for good heat transfer. A heated style form  107  could also have an aluminum or other metal core with a thermally conduction plastic or ceramic over molded cover. It is possible to have an unheated styling form  107 , in which case it could be formed of plastic The heating chamber  106  has heating elements  109 . The heater  108  and the heating elements  109  could be wire coils or ceramic heating elements. At the opposite end of the body from the handle  102 , there is a hair inlet  111 , through which hair H is drawn into the styling chamber  101  around the styling form  107  by the air flow described below. 
     In use, the impeller  103  creates an air flow when powered by motor  104 . The air is pulled into impeller  103  as shown by arrow A. This creates an air current that draws air through the styling chamber  101 , as shown by arrow B. The air leaving the impeller is split into two air streams; one is exhausted out of the styling device, shown by arrow C, and the other stream flows into the air channel  106  and over heating elements  109 , shown by arrow D. The heating elements  109  are not required in all embodiments. Depending on the heating capacity required any given embodiment could have a heated style form  107  and heating elements  109 , or just one of the heating means. The choice of heating the style form, the air flow or both will depend on a number of design considerations including desired hair style or body, desired physical embodiment of production product or creation of multiple product using different heating system but utilizing the same vacuum impeller system. The air flowing over the heating elements  109  is heated and exits the heating chamber at the mixing tip  112 , shown by arrow E. Outside air is drawn into the unit  101  at hair inlet  111 , shown by arrow F. 
       FIGS. 2 and 3  show the hair inlet  111  and mixing tip  112  of the first embodiment. The hair inlet  111  is cone shaped in the depicted embodiment to provide smooth gathering of the hair and to utilize increasing the speed of the air flow caused by the narrowing of the flow path created by the cone and an intake channel to provide maximum air velocity at the point the hair and air is drawn into the styling chamber. The hair inlet  111  could also be pyramidal shaped or other similar shapes. Heated air flows from the mixing tip  112  into the cone through holes  113  when heating elements  109  are in use. Holes  113  are evenly spaced around the cone in the depicted embodiment, but this is not required. There could be just 2 or 3 narrow slots, or 4-6 holes spaced around the cone. The holes  113  can also be located a number of different positions in the depth of the cone. The holes  113  and the configuration of the cone shape of the hair inlet allow the force of the air entering the styling chamber to smoothly pull a hair strand H to be styled into the styling chamber and around the styling form  107 , as seen in  FIG. 4 . The mixing tip will be discussed in greater detail below. 
     The hair strand H can be either wet or dry. The air temperature in the styling chamber is between 140 to 300 degrees F. during operation. In the preferred embodiment the hair strand H is drawn into the styling chamber  101  and held there with the heat on for about 45 to 60 seconds. The heat is then turned off, but not the airflow for another 15 to 20 seconds. This holds the curl in the styling chamber at a reduced temperature and helps to set the curl. 
     Referring next to  FIGS. 5 to 7 , another embodiment of the hair styling device  200  has a body portion  210  and a handle portion  202 . The body portion  210  has a hollow main styling chamber  201  and air channel  206  that runs roughly parallel to the styling chamber  201  for at least a portion of the length of the styling chamber,  201 . The air channel  206  has a bypass air heating element  209  in the depicted embodiment. Some embodiments will not have the air heating element and the air will be not be actively heated in the air channel  206 . Of course, some heating will occur due to friction. The length of the main styling chamber  201  will depend on the length of hair to be styled and the desired total weight of the device. For hand held units, there will be a practical limit of the length that is comfortable for most users to hold. In the depicted embodiment at least a portion of the walls of the styling chamber  201  are transparent or translucent. This is not required for function, but is a user convenience feature. The air channel  206  in the depicted embodiment is a similar length to the styling chamber, but this is not required, or even particularly likely on versions for longer hair. The air channel could also be located around the hair inlet  211 . 
     The body  210  is attached to the handle  202  at each end in this embodiment. A vacuum impeller  203  is powered by a motor  204  mounted in a fan chamber  205  to produce the air flow. Other means of producing an air flow could be uses as well, including fans, propellers or other known means. No limitation is intended or should be inferred. The fan chamber  205  is aerodynamically connected to the main styling chamber  201  and to the air channel  206 . The styling chamber  201  has a styling form  207 , which in the depicted embodiment is a spiral for forming spiral curls. It is not necessary for the operation of the device to have the style form  207  in the styling chamber  201 . If a person only wished to dry their hair in a generally straight style, then they could use the device with no style form in the chamber. The style form  209  has a heated core  208  in the depicted embodiment. In some embodiments the style form  209  may not be heated. Any given embodiment may have the heated core  208  or the air heating element  209  only or may have both the heated core  208  and the air heating element  209 . The choice will depend on a variety of design considerations, including price point of the final product, amount of hair to be styled at a time and the size and length of the style form. 
     The air flow in this embodiment is substantially similar to the airflow of the first embodiment as shown in  FIGS. 6 and 7 . In use, the impeller  203  creates an air flow when powered by motor  204 . The air is pulled into impeller  203  as shown by arrow G. Outside air is drawn into the unit  201  at hair inlet  211  in first air flow, shown by arrow L. In this embodiment the mixing tip  212  and the hair inlet  211  are both contained in a removable inlet cap  220 . This creates an air current that draws air through the styling chamber  201 , as shown by arrows H. The air leaving the impeller is split into two air streams; one is exhausted out of the styling device, shown by arrows I at two sets of exhaust vents. The first set of exhaust vents  230  shown in  FIG. 6 . This first set of vents is radially located around the body  210  behind the fan chamber  205  as shown in  FIG. 7 . The other set of exhaust vents  231  is located around the power cord  232 . The rest of air stream flows into the air channel  206  and over heating elements  209 , shown by arrow J forming the second air flow. The air flowing over the heating elements  209  is heated and exits the heating chamber at the mixing tip  212 , shown by arrow K when the heating element is present. When the heating element is not present the air flows through the air channel  206  to the mixing tip. 
       FIG. 7  shows the air flow through the mixing tip  212  into the styling chamber  201  and the rest of the device. The hair inlet  211  is cone in the depicted embodiment to provide smooth gathering of the hair and to utilize increasing the speed of the air flow caused by the narrowing of the flow path created by the cone and an intake channel to provide maximum air velocity at the point the hair and air is drawn into the styling chamber  220 . The hair inlet  211  could also be pyramidal shaped or other similar shapes that smoothly narrow towards the intake channel. 
     A second air flow, shown by arrow K, from the air channel  206  is combined and entrained with the first air flow L in the mixing tip into combined air flow M that flows into intake channel  220 . The air flow in the intake channel  220  must be fast enough to suction the hair into the device and down into the styling chamber  201 . It is believed that the Venturi effect created by the cone and the intake channel  220  such that the mouth of the intake channel is the point of greatest air flow velocity and thus greatest suction. The mixing tip  211  also ensures that when heating elements are used the heated air in the second air flow is thoroughly mixed with the incoming air of the first air flow to reduce or eliminate hot spots or uneven heating of the hair strand. 
     Once inside the styling chamber  201  the cross sectional area increases, but the static pressure remains lower than outside the intake, encouraging airflow into the style chamber and around the style form. This air flow is shown in schematic form in  FIG. 9 . The mixing tip  211  creates a stable, efficient air flow despite the mixing of the air flows, allowing good suction and good results with hair styling. As seen in  FIG. 8 , the holes  213  in the mixing tip  211  do not need to be evenly sized or spaced, although the holes  213  do need to be surrounding the intake channel  220 . 
     In this embodiment the style form  209  can be removed and changed for a different shaped style form. A large number of possible shapes of the styling form could be used with the present device. In the depicted embodiment the style forms  209  have two mechanical means to secure them into the hair styling device  200 ; a latch at the base and the air intake cap  220  on the end of the styling chamber  201 . Each style form  207  can have visual and physical guides to aid in alignment. To change the style form  207  for a different one the user will remove the air intake cap  220  as seen in  FIGS. 10 and 11 . In the depicted embodiment the air intake cap  220  is retained in opening  223  by compressible tabs  221  that grip ridges  222  on the cap. Other known means of holding the air intake cap  220  in place would function as well. Once the air intake cap  220  is removed from opening  223 , the front of the styling chamber  201  is open exposing a first end  224  of style form  207 . 
       FIGS. 12 and 13  are perspective view of back end the style form  207  connection piece  240  that connects the style form  207 , and thereby the styling chamber  201 , to the fan chamber  205 . The second end  225  of the style form  207  a power connection member  226  extending from the end. The power connection member  226  has a filter frame  250  with a filter  251  mounted around it. The filter  251  and the frame  250  form a disk that seals the bottom of the style form  207  to the connection piece and prevents hair or other materials from being pulled into the impeller. As seen in  FIG. 14 , a connection member retainer  227  with a locking tab  227  is mounted around the connection member and between the style form  207  and the filter frame  250 . Locking tab  228  extends through filter frame  250  and extends substantially parallel to the connection member  226 . To mount the style form  207  in the connection piece  240  the connection member is inserted in to power connection jack  241  and the locking tab  228  is inserted through slot  242 . 
     Referring next to  FIGS. 15 and 16 , the locking tab  228  extends through slot  242 . The filter frame  250  is now against the connection piece  240 . The locking tab  228  has projection  229  which engages with the filter frame  250  when the style form  207  is rotated, which locks the style form  207  in place. The cap  220  is then placed over the end of the styling chamber  201  further locking it in to place. Other possible attachment mechanisms are possible as well, and no limitation should be inferred on the exact attachment mechanism of the style form  207 . In one possible embodiment the style chamber and style form could be a single integrated unit that is changed out completely as a unit when a different style is desired. Conversely, a simpler embodiment could have the styling form fixed into the styling chamber with no option of removal and no removable tip or associated locking features. The air flow through the configuration in shown by arrows in  FIGS. 14 ,  15  and  16 . Air then flows into the impeller as discussed above. 
     A large number of possible shapes of the styling form could be used with the present device.  FIGS. 17 through 20  show four possible configurations of style forms. Additionally, the form  209  and styling chamber  2011  have a shallow draft of approximately ¾ to 1 degree. This achieves several things, including preventing scratches in the styling chamber from pulling style forms in and out, ensuring a better seal between the form and the chamber and preventing improper insertion of style forms. 
     In the depicted embodiment the hair styling device  200  has two sets of controls; a variable control for heat level and on-off controls for suction and heat. This allows the user to set the amount of heat and to turn off the heat when desired; separate from the suction that creates the air flow. The “master” control is the suction on-off. This will be located in a convenient location near the thumb or index finger. Unless the suction control is on, nothing else on the hair styling device will work and all heating systems will be locked out. This is a safety feature to prevent overheating. 
     The heat on-off will control heat to the system. With the suction running, the user will engage the heat. If the user wished to cool the hair to set a style, they would toggle the heat and shut off one or both of the heating elements, depending on the embodiment. This control will be located for use by the index finger and will be designed and placed to avoid confusion with suction on-off. 
     In one embodiment the user will have dual heat controls allowing the user to set the heat generated by each heating element independently. 
     Additional features could be added to the hair styling device, such as ionic generators, including tourmaline crystals, could be added to the device to allow the user to control the buildup of positive ions caused by the heating of the air flow. Silver ion sanitizing methods could also be used as well in the device. 
     While a number of exemplary aspects and embodiments have been discussed above, those of skill in the art will recognize certain modifications, permutations, additions and sub-combinations therefore. It is therefore intended that the following appended claims hereinafter introduced are interpreted to include all such modifications, permutations, additions and sub-combinations are within their true spirit and scope. Each apparatus embodiment described herein has numerous equivalents. 
     The terms and expressions which have been employed are used as terms of description and not of limitation, and there is no intention in the use of such terms and expressions of excluding any equivalents of the features shown and described or portions thereof, but it is recognized that various modifications are possible within the scope of the invention claimed. Thus, it should be understood that although the present invention has been specifically disclosed by preferred embodiments and optional features, modification and variation of the concepts herein disclosed may be resorted to by those skilled in the art, and that such modifications and variations are considered to be within the scope of this invention as defined by the appended claims. Whenever a range is given in the specification, all intermediate ranges and subranges, as well as all individual values included in the ranges given are intended to be included in the disclosure 
     In general the terms and phrases used herein have their art-recognized meaning, which can be found by reference to standard texts, journal references and contexts known to those skilled in the art. The above definitions are provided to clarify their specific use in the context of the invention.