Patent Publication Number: US-2012037608-A1

Title: Heat-dissipating plate for a cordless hair styler, and cordless hair styler

Description:
TECHNICAL FIELD 
     The present invention relates to a heat-dissipating plate coupled to a cordless hair styler, and to a cordless hair styler. 
     BACKGROUND ART  
     A cordless hair styler is used to make various hair styles in a convenient way regardless of place. If heat is applied to hair interposed between first and second heat-dissipating plates attached to first and second members of the cordless hair styler, a user may easily make a desired hair style. 
     Referring to  FIG. 3 , a heat-dissipating plate  300  of a conventional cordless hair styler is provided as a three-layer structure of a ceramic heater  310 , a heat-generating plate  320  including additional metal and formed in an upper part of the ceramic heater  310 , and a ceramic coating layer  330  coating the heat-generating plate  320 . Thus, the heat-dissipating plate  300  does not provide good heat efficiency and consumes too much power to be used for a cordless hair styler. 
     While the heat-dissipating plate  300  of the conventional cordless hair styler directly contacts the hair, its external surface includes a hard material such as metal or plastic coated with ceramic. The heat-dissipating plate including the hard material does not enclose the entire hair when pressing the hair and does not uniformly transmit heat to the hair. Further, the heat-dissipating plate grasps the hair stiffly and the hair is pulled out or damaged. 
     DISCLOSURE  
     Technical Solution  
     In order to achieve the object of the present invention, a heat-dissipating plate for a cordless hair styler comprises a PCB heater which generates heat; and a rubber sealing member which encloses the PCB heater and directly contacts the hair when applied thereto, is not deformed by the heat generated by the PCB heater and has elasticity. 
     In order to achieve the object of the present invention, a cordless hair styler comprises first and second members which face each other, are connected to each other by one end of the first member and one end of the second member and form a shape of nippers; a PCB heater which comprises first and second heat-dissipating plates attached to an internal surface of the first and second members, respectively, and facing each other, wherein the first and second heat-dissipating plates generate heat; and a rubber sealing member which encloses the PCB heater. 
     Advantageous Effect  
     The present invention may have the following effects. However, it does not mean that a particular exemplary embodiment includes all of, or only, the following effects. Therefore, it should not be understood that the scope of right of the present invention is not limited to the following. 
     As described above, the heat-dissipating plate for a cordless hair styler is an integrated heat-dissipating plate which transmits heat more efficiently from the heat to the surface of the heat-dissipating plate without an additional heat-generating plate. As a PCB insulating plate is included in a surface of the PCB heater, loss of heat may be prevented. Accordingly, the heat-dissipating plate has good heat efficiency, consumes less power, and is suitable for a cordless hair styler which uses a rechargeable battery. 
     Further, the heat-dissipating plate for a cordless hair styler includes a soft, elastic rubber sealing member, pulls the hair smoothly, makes a desired hair style without difficulty, and does not badly pull back or pull out the hair. Also, the heat-dissipating plate entirely encloses the hair and transmits heat uniformly to the hair. The heat-dissipating plate for a cordless hair styler includes carbon powder in addition to silicone rubber, and reduces an occurrence of static electricity to the hair when the cordless hair styler is used as compared to the heat-dissipating plate for a conventional cordless hair styler. 
     Although a few exemplary embodiments have been shown and described, it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that changes may be made in these exemplary embodiments without departing from the principles and spirit of the invention, the range of which is defined in the appended claims and their equivalents. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS  
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a cordless hair styler according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 2  is a sectional view of a heat-dissipating plate in  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 3  is a sectional view of a heat-dissipating plate of a conventional cordless hair styler. 
     
    
    
     BEST MODE  
     Description of the present invention is made to exemplary embodiments for structural or functional features, and the scope of rights to the present invention will not be construed as being limited to the exemplary embodiments described herein. That is, the exemplary embodiments may be amended in various ways and have various forms. Accordingly, the scope of right to the present invention will be understood as including equivalents which embody the technical spirit. 
     Terms used herein will have the following meanings. 
     Terms “first”, “second”, etc. are used to distinguish an element from other elements, and the scope of right will not be limited by the foregoing terms. For example, a first element may be named as a second element, and similarly, the second element may be named as the first element. 
     A reference to “being connected” will be understood as being connected directly as well as being connected through another element. A reference to “directly connected” will be understood as directly connected not through another element. Other expressions explaining the relationship between elements, such as “between” and “right between”, or “adjacent to” or “directly adjacent to” will be understood likewise. 
     Except where the context otherwise requires, the singular will include the plural, and vice versa. The word “including” or “having” are used to designate existence of features, numbers, steps, operations, elements, parts or a combination thereof, but does not eliminate any possibility of existence of, or addition to, other features, numbers, steps, operations, elements, parts or a combination thereof. 
     Unless otherwise defined herein, terms used herein will have the same meanings generally understood by those skilled in the art. Terms are those defined in dictionaries used generally and will be construed as those conforming to the meaning in the context. Unless defined specifically herein, the terms will not be construed as having ideal or excessively formal meanings. 
       FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a cordless hair styler according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. 
     Referring to  FIG. 1 , a cordless hair styler  100  includes a first member  110 , a second member  120 , a first heat-dissipating plate  140  and a second heat-dissipating plate  150 . The cordless hair styler  100  may further include a rechargeable battery  160  and a charging terminal  170  which supply power to the first and second heat-dissipating plates  140  and  150 . 
     One end of the first member  110  is connected to one end of the second member  120  and thus the first and second members  110  and  120  are shaped like nippers to face each other centering on a hinge  130 . The first and second members  110  and  120  may move within a predetermined angle, and may be used as a handle of the cordless hair styler  100 . The first member  110  or the second member  120  may be attached with a button  180  to control power, and a display window  190  to display power on/off or temperature of the first and second heat-dissipating plates  140  and  150  depending on the degree of pushing the button  180 . 
     The first and second heat-dissipating plates  140  and  150  are attached to an internal surface of the first and second members  110  and  120 , respectively, to face each other. The cordless hair styler  100  may be used by putting the hair between the first heat-dissipating plate  140  and the second heat-dissipating plate  150 . The first and second heat-dissipating plates  140  and  150  may discharge heat with a certain temperature to change hair style. 
     The cordless hair styler  100  may further include a rechargeable battery  160  and a charging terminal  170  to receive power in a wireless manner. If the battery  160  is charged by connecting an adaptor (not shown) to the charging terminal  170 , the cordless hair styler  100  may be used without a cord, or used by being connected to the adaptor and a cord concurrently while the battery is charged  160 . 
       FIG. 2  is a sectional view of the heat-dissipating plate in  FIG. 1 . 
     Referring to  FIG. 2 , the heat-dissipating plates  140  and  150  include a PCB heater  210  which generates heat, and a rubber sealing member  220  which encloses the PCB heater  210 . The heat-dissipating plates  140  and  150  may further include a power terminal  260  to supply power to the PCB heater  210 . 
     Unlike a conventional heat-dissipating plate  300  including a ceramic heater  310 , an additional metal heat-generating plate  320  and a ceramic coating layer  330 , the heat-dissipating plates  140  and  150  are integrated heat-dissipating plates which mold the PCB heater  210  with the rubber sealing member  220  without the additional heat-generating plate. The heat-dissipating plates  140  and  150  prevent loss of heat generated from the PCB heater  210  and allow the heat from the PCB heater  210  to be supplied to the heat-dissipating plates  140  and  150  without through the additional heat-generating plate. 
     According to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the PCB heater  210  may include a PCB insulating material  230 , a heat wire  240 , and a heat-generating member  250 . For example, a predetermined PCB insulating material  230  which includes phenol resin or epoxy resin to shut off heat may be arranged within the PCB heater  210 . The PCB insulating material  230  is an insulating substrate which has a circuit pattern designed for controlling heat generated from a heat wire  240 , and shuts off heat from being induced to the PCB insulating material  230  to thereby improve heat efficiency of the PCB heater  210 . The heat wire  240  is attached to an upper surface of the PCB insulating material  230  not to overlap the PCB insulating material  230 , and may generate heat corresponding to the power supplied by the outside. The heat-generating member  250  is arranged to enclose the heat wire  240  for protection, and may include metal and uniformly transmit the heat from the heat wire  240  to the rubber sealing member  220 . 
     With the foregoing configuration, the PCB heater  210  has good heat efficiency, and consumes less power, and among others, may be used for a cordless hair styler receiving power from a battery. The power supplied by the outside may be adjusted by the degree of pushing the button  180 . For example, the PCB heater  210  may generate heat at 170, 190 or 210 degrees. 
     The rubber sealing member  220  may directly contact the hair if the gap between the first and second members  110  and  120  is narrowed and the first and second heat-dissipating plates  140  and  150  contact each other. The rubber sealing member  220  surrounds the PCB heater  210  and maintains a predetermined temperature with the heat from the PCB heater  210 , and transmits the heat from the PCB heater  210  to the hair. 
     The rubber sealing member  220  includes an elastic material that is not deformed or damaged by heat. The rubber sealing member  220  may entirely and smoothly pull the air and transmit the heat to the hair, reduce the possibility of entangling or pulling out the hair, and prevent damage to the hair. For example, the rubber sealing member  220  may include silicone rubber or urethane rubber. 
     The rubber sealing member  220  may include highly-conductive carbon powder to prevent static electricity which may arise when contacting the hair. The rubber sealing member  220  is easily discharged and the occurrence of static electricity is reduced if it includes the carbon powder. 
     According to an exemplary embodiment, the rubber sealing member  220  may include a silicone compound, and preferably, silicon as a main component of 60 to 80 wt % and carbon powder of 20 to 40 wt %. More Preferably, the rubber sealing member  220  may include silicon of 65 to 75 wt % and carbon powder of 25 to 35 wt %. 
     According to another exemplary embodiment, the rubber sealing member  220  may include a urethane compound, and preferably, urethane as a main component of 60 to 80 wt %, and carbon powder of 20 to 40 wt %. 
     If the percentage of the carbon powder is less than the foregoing, the effect of preventing static electricity as a result of the carbon component may not occur easily. If the percentage of the carbon powder exceeds the foregoing, the elasticity of the rubber sealing member  220  as a result of silicone or urethane may not occur.