Patent Publication Number: US-2004045570-A1

Title: Hairstyling device

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0001] 1. Field of the Invention  
       [0002] This invention relates to a hairstyling device.  
       [0003] 2. Description of the Related Art  
       [0004] Generally, a hair styling device, specifically a curling iron, is provided with two irons to hold hair to set (to arrange hair style).  
       [0005] And, a conventional hair styling device (curling iron) is constructed as to heat the irons only by electric heaters, or as to jet steam from one iron and heat another iron by an electric heater.  
       [0006] However, in the conventional hair styling device, in which the irons are heated by electric heaters, the iron may be overheated, and, on the contrary, overcooled when the hair is wet. And, it takes a long time to set whole hair because only a small number of hairs can be set at one time. Further, the iron can be dangerous to scalp and ears when overheated. And, a complicated tight cover construction is required to prevent the steam from leaking out because the hot steam, jetted out of one of the irons, can be dangerous when leaking out. In another case, the hair may be left wet for the jetted steam and the set hair may rapidly return to the state before the set.  
       [0007] It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a hairstyling device with which hair can be swiftly and certainly set with high safety. 
     
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
     [0008] The present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:  
     [0009]FIG. 1A is a working-explanatory view showing an embodiment of the present invention;  
     [0010]FIG. 1B is a working-explanatory view showing the embodiment of the present invention;  
     [0011]FIG. 2 is a construction-explanatory view including an expanded state of the present invention;  
     [0012]FIG. 3A is a cross-sectional view at A-A line of FIG. 2;  
     [0013]FIG. 3B is a cross-sectional view at B-B line of FIG. 2;  
     [0014]FIG. 4 is an explanatory view showing a used state; and  
     [0015]FIG. 5 is a working-explanatory view of a principal portion. 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS  
     [0016] Preferred embodiments of the present invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.  
     [0017] A hairstyling device (curling iron)  10  relating to the present invention, as shown in FIGS. 1, 2, and  3 , provided with a first iron  1  and a second iron  2 , is constructed as to heat the first iron  1  and the second iron  2  only with steam, and jet the steam from the first iron  1  and suck the steam through the second iron  2 . FIG. 2 shows an expanded state of the hairstyling device  10 , FIG. 3A shows a cross-section at A-A line of FIG. 2, and FIG. 3B shows a cross-section at B-B line of FIG. 2. And, the hairstyling device  10  is, as shown in FIG. 4, used to set hair H (arrange hair style) by holding the hair H with the first iron  1  and the second iron  2 .  
     [0018] Each of the first and the second irons  1  and  2  is provided with a case portion  3  of which cross-section is U-shaped, a (heat) conduction block body  4  of rectangular parallelepiped fitted into an end of the case portion  3 . Base ends of the case portions  3  are connected with a supporting shaft  18  (as to oscillate each other around an axis), a coil spring  5  is attached around the axis (the supporting shaft  18 ), and the first iron  1  and the second iron  2  are in an open state shown in FIG. 1A by receiving forces of the coil spring  5  (always) in parting directions. And, by adding forces to resist the coil spring  5  in closing directions, the first iron  1  and the second iron  2  can be in a closed state shown in FIG. 1B in which contact faces  4   a  of the conduction block bodies  4  contact each other.  
     [0019] The conduction block body  4  of the first iron  1 , as shown in FIG. 2 and FIG. 3A, is provided with a heating bore  11  going through a base end face  4   b  and forming approximately U shape in top view, a jetting bore  12  bored into the base end face  4   b  as to be I-shaped and surrounded by the heating bore  11 , a jetting groove  13  concave on the contact face  4   a  and facing the jetting bore  12 , plural jetting holes  14  connecting the jetting bore  12  and the jetting groove  13 , an inlet cylinder portion  15  protruding from the base end face  4   b  and connected to an inlet side of the heating bore  11 , an outlet cylinder portion  16  protruding from the base end face  4   b  and connected to an outlet side of the heating bore  11 , and an attachment cylinder portion  17  protruding from the base end face  4   b  and connected to an inlet side of the jetting bore  12 .  
     [0020] The conduction block body  4  of the second iron  2 , as shown in FIG. 2 and FIG. 3B, is provided with a heating bore  21  going through a base end face  4   b  and forming approximately U shape in top view, a suction bore  22  bored into the base end face  4   b  as to be I-shaped and surrounded by the heating bore  21 , a suction groove  23  concave on the contact face  4   a  and facing the suction bore  22 , plural suction holes  24  connecting the suction bore  22  and the suction groove  23 , an inlet cylinder portion  25  protruding from the base end face  4   b  and connected to an inlet side of the heating bore  21 , an outlet cylinder portion  26  protruding from the base end face  4   b  and connected to an outlet side of the heating bore  21 , and an attachment cylinder portion  27  protruding from the base end face  4   b  and connected to an inlet side of the suction bore  22 .  
     [0021] And, as shown in FIG. 2, the inlet cylinder portion  15  of the first iron  1  is connected to an outflow side of a boiler  30  (for steam generation) with a steam tube  6  (such as a hose), the outlet cylinder portion  16  of the first iron  1  is connected to the inlet cylinder portion  25  of the second iron  2  with a flexible steam tube  7  (such as a Teflon tube), the outlet cylinder portion  26  of the second iron  2  is connected to a steam trap  31  on a suction side of the boiler  30  with the tube  6 . Steam from the boiler  30 , as shown with arrows, passes through the heating bore  11  of the first iron  1  through the tube  6  and the heating bore  21  of the second iron  2  through the flexible tube  7 , and returns to the boiler  30  through the tube  6  and the steam trap  31 .  
     [0022] And, the attachment cylinder portion  17  of the first iron  1  is connected to an electromagnetic steam valve  32  on an outflow side of the boiler  30  with the tube  6 , and the attachment cylinder portion  27  of the second iron  2  is connected to a suction fan  33  with the tube  6 . When the electromagnetic valve  32  is opened, steam from the boiler  30 , as shown with arrows, is passing through the jetting bore  12  of the first iron  1  through the tube  6  and jetted out of the jetting holes  14 , and, the jetted steam is sucked into the suction holes  24  on the second iron  2  by working of the suction fan  33 , passing the suction bore  22  of the second iron  2 , and let out of the suction fan  33  into the air.  
     [0023] And, as shown in FIG. 1, the first iron  1  is provided with an on-off switch  8  for steam jet and suction on an opposite face to the second iron  2 . The switch  8  is electrically connected to the electromagnetic valve  32  and the suction fan  33  mentioned above for switching the opened state to the closed state of the electromagnetic valve  32  and switching the working state to the static state of the suction fan  33 . That is to say, the steam jet from the first iron  1  and the steam suction into the second iron  2  can be switched on and off.  
     [0024] Next, operation method and working (function) of the hairstyling device  10  will be described.  
     [0025] First, as shown in FIG. 4, hair H to be set is held by the first iron  1  and the second iron  2 . In this case, the hair H is held by the contact faces  4   a  of the conduction block bodies  4  of the first iron  1  and the second iron  2 .  
     [0026] The hair H is certainly heated and set by the conduction block bodies  4  always heated on the first iron  1  and the second iron  2  because the steam is always flowing through the heating bores  11  and  21  of the first iron  1  and the second iron  2 .  
     [0027] Further, when the switch  8  (refer to FIG. 1) is pushed, the steam can be given to the hair H because the steam is jetted from the first iron  1  and sucked into the second iron  2  as shown with arrows, and the hair H can be quickly set by synergistic effect with heating. In this case, the jetted steam from the jetting groove  13  can be certainly sucked by the suction groove  23  for excellent safety because width dimension of the suction groove  23  is set to be wider than that of the jetting groove  13 .  
     [0028] As described above, the hair H is quickly and certainly set by going through the hairstyling device  10 . To describe concretely, waved (or disheveled) hair H can be set straight. And, the hair H can be curled with the contact face  4   a  of the conduction block body  4  formed into an R-shaped curved face. The hairstyling device of the present invention is not only for personal use, but for business use.  
     [0029] Temperature of the first iron  1  and the second iron  2  can be easily and accurately regulated by the pressure of the boiler  30  (refer to FIG. 2), and the amount of jetted steam can be regulated by using the electromagnetic valve  32  with flowing amount regulation (refer to FIG. 2). And, the temperature of the jetted steam is preferably 120° C. which can be set by making the pressure of the steam 0.2 MPa.  
     [0030] In the present invention, not restricted to the embodiments described above, positions and configurations of the heating bores  11  and  21 , the jetting bore  12 , and the suction bore  22 , may be changed within the scope of the present invention. And, although not shown in Figures, the on-off switch  8  for steam jet and suction may be disposed not on the first iron  1 , but on the second iron  2 .  
     [0031] According to the hairstyling device of the present invention, the hair H can be swiftly and certainly set with the temperature of the first iron  1  and the second iron  2  which can be quickly raised to desired temperature, hardly lowered, and stable because the first iron  1  and the second iron  2  are heated only by steam. And, safety is improved because the irons are not overheated. Further, the set of the temperature of the irons can be easily regulated by, for example, regulation of the steam pressure.  
     [0032] And, the hair H is given heat and steam to be swiftly set because, adding to the heating of the first iron  1  and the second iron  2  only by steam, the steam is jetted from the first iron  1  and sucked into the second iron  2 . And, the hair H can be swiftly and certainly set with the temperature of the first iron  1  and the second iron  2  which can be quickly raised to desired temperature, hardly lowered, and stable. And, safety is improved because the irons are not overheated, and the jetted steam does not leak out. And, the set hair is prevented from getting wet, and the set state is kept (the hair hardly returns to the state before the set). Further, the set of the temperature of the irons and the jetted steam can be easily regulated by, for example, regulation of the steam pressure.  
     [0033] Moreover, the hairstyling device can be easily switched on and off at hand by the on-off switch for steam jet and suction. That is to say, the hairstyling device can be switched on only when the hair H is in process of being set, and used with safety.  
     [0034] While preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described in this specification, it is to be understood that the invention is illustrative and not restrictive, because various changes are possible within the spirit and indispensable features.