Patent Publication Number: US-2010116286-A1

Title: Hair curler system

Description:
REFERENCE TO PRIORITY DOCUMENT 
     This application claims priority of co-pending U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 61/102,314, filed Oct. 2, 2008. Priority of the aforementioned filing date is hereby claimed and the disclosure of the Provisional Patent Application is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND 
     A popular method for the curling and setting of a person&#39;s hair is to use hair curlers formed of plastic rollers that have been heated. Hot rollers are used on dry hair to create long lasting curl and to minimize frizz in the hair. Hot rollers generally work by rolling the hair over a pre-heated roller. The heat in the roller interacts with the hair to cause temporary reformation of straight hair to rolled or curled hair. A curling iron is another means of curling a person&#39;s hair. One advantage of hot rollers over a hot curling iron is that rollers are less damaging to hair than hot irons. 
     Based on the heat transfer characteristics of the roller, the hair closest to the hot roller rapidly forms a tight curl. Hair that is further from the hot surface of the roller takes much longer to form a curl as this hair receives less heat due to the relatively large distance from the roller. Moreover, hair that is further from the hot surface of the roller also forms into less of a curl than hair that is closer to the hot roller. This is because the hair that is rolled over and over the roller is farther from the heat source (i.e., the hot roller) so the hair that is rolled over and over receives less heat. Moreover, hot rollers produce curl based on size; a wide diameter gives a full, smooth curl, while a thin roller gives a tight, spiral-type curl. Currently, all hot rollers vary in length and width, but are the same diameter from stem to stern. 
     Numerous hair curler constructions and configurations have been developed over the years in an attempt to meet a wide variety of consumer demands for ease of use and styling alternatives. However, in spite of these numerous constructions, all of the requirements sought by consumers have not been satisfied. 
     SUMMARY 
     In view of the foregoing, there is disclosed an improved hair curler system that is formed of unique hair rollers that are stored in a hair curler station. In one aspect, the hair rollers are at least partially conical (or frusto-conical) in shape. The conically-shaped rollers broaden the ability of the rollers to curl and style the hair over non-conical rollers. The conically-shaped hot rollers also provide curl and wave dimension to the hair. The conically-shaped rollers have a wide end and a more narrow end. The variation in size of the rollers can be used to achieve variation in curling style for the hair. When placing the wider end of the conical rollers closer to the scalp, the result is a wavier, fuller, more voluminous look in the hair. When placing the thinner end of the roller closer to the scalp, the result is a tighter formed, textural curl. The curl and style effect can be broadened further by alternating wide end roller and thin end roller next to each other on the hair. 
     In another aspect, during heating of the roller, heat is applied to the outer surface of the roller as well as to the inner surface of the roller. In conventional roller systems, hot rollers affix to the head by the use of a u-shaped pin or non-heated plastic clamp to secure the rollers to the head. In the system disclosed herein, the roller system use a heated clamping element, such as a heated ceramic clamp. The heated clamping element is positioned over the hot rollers to not only secure the roller to the hair, but to also expedite curl formation by adding heat to a location outside of the curl. 
     In another aspect, the heated clamping elements can be selectively used with or without the rollers on the hair. Thus, in addition to affixing the heated rollers to the head, the hot ceramic clamps can be used without the rollers to simply create wave dimension or erratic texture when curl isn&#39;t wanted or needed. The clamps can be used in a manner where the hair is twisted or rolled with one&#39;s fingers while the heated clamp are affixed to the hair. This achieves a new dimension in hair styling. 
     The rollers and clamps can be stored and heated in a hair curler station comprised of a tower that has storage and heating areas for the rollers and clamps. The tower provides a means of storing the rollers and clamps in an easily accessible location. The tower also provides a means of heating the rollers and clamps. 
     Various embodiments of the roller system are described below. Other features and advantages will be apparent from the following description of various embodiments, which illustrate, by way of example, the principles of the disclosed devices and methods. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  shows a perspective view of a hair curler station that includes a tower that is used to store, heat and access a collection of hair curler elements, such as heated rollers and roller clamps. 
         FIG. 2  shows a perspective view of the tower without the rollers and the clamps. 
         FIG. 3  shows the tower with a view of a display screen on the tower. 
         FIG. 4  shows a perspective view of an exemplary roller that can be used with the system. 
         FIG. 5  shows a side view of an exemplary roller that can be used with the system. 
         FIG. 6  shows a perspective view of an exemplary roller clamp. 
         FIG. 7  shows a lengthwise view of the exemplary roller clamp. 
         FIG. 8  shows the roller clamp in an exploded state. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     Before the present subject matter is further described, it is to be understood that this subject matter described herein is not limited to particular embodiments described, as such may of course vary. It is also to be understood that the terminology used here in is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only, and is not intended to be limiting. Unless defined otherwise, all technical terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one skilled in the art to which this subject matter belongs. 
     As will be apparent to those of skill in the art upon reading this disclosure, each of the individual embodiments described and illustrated herein has discrete components and features which may be readily separated from or combined with the features of any of the other several embodiments without departing from the scope of the subject matter described herein. Any recited method can be carried out in the order of events recited or in any other order which is logically possible. 
       FIG. 1  shows a perspective view of a hair curler station  105  that includes a tower  110  that is used to store, heat and access a collection of hair curler elements, such as heated rollers  115  and roller clamps  120 . The tower  110  is adapted to heat the rollers  115  and the clamps  120  so that they can be applied individually or in combination to a user&#39;s hair for achieving curls in the hair. The tower  110  can be also be used as a means of storing the rollers  115  and clamps  120  when not in use. The tower  110  includes means for holding the rollers  115  and clamps  120  in positions that are easily viewable and easily accessible by a user. Each of the components of the hair curler station  105  are described in detail below. 
       FIG. 2  shows a perspective view of the tower  110  without the rollers  115  and the clamps  120 . In the illustrated embodiment, the tower  110  is a frusto-conically shaped body having a base that can be rested on a horizontal surface such as a table or countertop. The tower  110  extends upwardly from the base in a manner that prominently displays the rollers  115  and clamps  120  (as shown in  FIG. 1 ) and provides easy access to the rollers and clamps for a user. It should be appreciated that the tower  110  can have any of a variety of shapes not limited to the shape shown in  FIG. 2 . Moreover, the tower  110  can be arranged so that it is mounted on a wall such that the tower  110  extends horizontally from a vertical wall surface rather than vertically from a horizontal surface. 
     The tower  110  includes a plurality of roller receptacles  205  that are configured to removably store the rollers  115  in a manner in which a user can easily access the rollers from the tower. In an embodiment, each roller receptacle  205  is a cavity positioned on the outer surface of the tower  110 . Each cavity is sized and shaped to receive a respective roller  115  (as shown in  FIG. 1 ). The roller receptacles  205  can optionally include a post  207  that accepts a respective roller when the roller is positioned in the receptacle. The shape of the cavities that form the roller receptacles can vary. In an embodiment, each roller receptacle is shaped to receive at least one roller such that the roller is inserted into the cavity lengthwise along the longitudinal axis of the roller. The receptacles  205  are configured so that heat can be radiated or otherwise transferred from the receptacle to a roller positioned in the receptacle, as described more fully below. 
     The roller receptacles  205  can be arranged in any of a variety of arrangements or patterns on the tower  110 . For example, in the illustrated embodiment, the roller receptacles  205  are arranged in a series of columns that are interspersed around the circumference of the tower  110 . This arrangement permits the rollers  115  to be grouped and organized according to the columns. For example, rollers of a particular size can be grouped together in a common column. In an embodiment, there are three sizes of rollers (e.g., small, medium, and large) and the tower  110  includes at least one column of roller receptacles for each size of roller. It should be appreciated that the roller receptacles can be arranged in any of a variety of patterns and that the column arrangement shown in  FIG. 2  is merely exemplary. Moreover, the size of each roller can vary. 
     With reference still to  FIG. 2 , the tower  110  also includes a plurality of clamp receptacles  210  that are configured to removably store the clamps  120 . In the illustrated embodiment, each clamp receptacle  210  is an elongated, vertically-extending slot that is sized and shaped to receive one or more clamps  120  in a stacked fashion (as shown in  FIG. 1 ). Each receptacle  210  includes a rod  215  that extends vertically through the receptacle slot. The rod  215  is arranged such that one or more clamps  120  can be slid down over the rod  215  so that the rod  215  maintains the stack of clamps  120  in a secure position within the clamp receptacle  210 . In the illustrated embodiment, a plurality of clamp receptacles  210  are arranged around the circumference of the tower  110  although it should be appreciated that other arrangements are possible. 
     The tower  110  includes internal heating elements that can be activated to apply heat to the rollers  115  and the clamps  120  for heating the rollers and clamps while they are mounted on the tower. The heating elements are positioned inside the tower  115  such that the rollers  115  and clamps  120  are heated internally from the tower  110 . When activated, the heating elements radiate or otherwise transfer heat to the rollers  115  and/or the clamps  120  such that they become heated over time. The rollers  115  and clamps  120  heat to a temperature configured to cause hair to curl when positioned on the user&#39;s hair. The tower  110  can be made of a heat resistant and/or insulated material such that the tower itself does not get hot during heating of the rollers and clamps. 
     In embodiment, the heating elements and/or the rollers/clamps include or are coupled to one or more detectors that detect the temperature and adjust the temperature as needed to achieve a desired temperature profile. For example, the detectors can be located on the outer surface or inner surface of the rollers and clamps for monitoring the temperature. 
     In an embodiment, the heating elements are coupled to the rollers and/or clamps in a manner that permits each of the rollers and/or clamps to be heated independently of the other rollers/and or clamps. For example, the user can heat a single roller to a desired temperature while heating the remaining rollers to a different temperature. This permits the user to vary the heating profile of the rollers/clamps individually of another set of rollers and/or clamps. 
       FIG. 3  shows the tower  110  at viewpoint of 180 degrees from the viewpoint of  FIG. 2 . The tower  110  includes a display screen  305  that displays information. The information on the display screen  305  can vary and can include, for example, temperature of the tower and temperature of the rollers and/or clamps. The display screen  305  can also display an indicator that indicates when the heating elements are activated, as well as an indicator that indicates when the rollers and/or clamps are heated to a target temperature. The display screen  305  can also include controllers, such as knobs, buttons, dials, switches, etc. that can be used to control the heating of the tower. For example, the controllers can be used to raise or lower the temperature to which the rollers and/or clamps are heated, as well as controllers for activating or deactivating the heating elements. 
     With reference still to  FIG. 3 , in an embodiment the tower  110  also includes a region  305  in which a logo can be displayed. Any of a variety of logos and/or advertisements can be positioned on the region  305 . It should be appreciated that the logo shown in the region  305  in  FIG. 3  is merely exemplary and that other logos can be used. 
       FIG. 4  shows a perspective view of an exemplary roller  115  that can be used with the system. The roller  115  has a frusto-conical shape such that a first end of the roller has a diameter that is greater than an opposed, second end of the roller. The diameter of the roller  115  decreases gradually moving from the first end to the second end such that the roller  115  has a relatively smooth outer surface. A raised ridge or collar  405  is positioned at each end of the roller  115 . The collar  405  extends around the circumference of the roller  405  to help secure hair on the outer surface of the roller as hair is wound around the roller. The roller  115  has an outer surface against which hair rests as it is wound around the roller  115 . The roller  115  also includes an internal channel  415  that extends co-axially with the longitudinal axis of the roller. 
     As shown the side view of  FIG. 5 , the channel  415  (shown in phantom to indicate that the channel is internal to the roller) does not necessarily extend through the entire length of the roller  115 . As mentioned, the roller  115  can come in a variety of sizes such as a small, medium, and large size. The roller has a length L, which can vary to suit various needs. The outer surface of the frusto-conical roller slopes at an angle A, which can vary. 
     The conically-shaped rollers  115  increase their ability (over conventional, cylindrical rollers) to curl and style the hair. The conically-shaped hot rollers provide increase ability to curl and wave dimension the hair. The variation in diameter of the rollers can be used to achieve variation in curling style for the hair. When placing the wider end of the conical rollers closer to the scalp, the result is a wavier, fuller, more voluminous look in the hair. When placing the smaller end of the roller closer to the scalp, the result is a tighter formed, textural curl. 
       FIG. 6  shows a perspective view of an exemplary roller clamp  120 . The clamp  120  has an outer, annular body  605  that is frusto-conical in shape so that the clamp  605  can be positioned snug over a respective roller  115 . The body  605  is formed of two clamping members that define an internal shaft  607  that is sized to receive a roller. The body  605  includes a biasing member, such as a spring that maintains the body in a closed state as shown in  FIG. 6 . A pair of wings  610  extend radially outward from the body  605 . A user can apply pressure to the wings  610  for urging the clamping members away from one another to open the clamp  120 . When the wings  610  are released by the user, the biasing member causes the clamp members to close toward one another. In this manner, the clamp  120  can be opened to receive a roller  115  or to receive a portion of a person&#39;s hair. The clamp  120  is released so that it exerts pressure on the roller and hair to retain the roller to the hair. 
       FIG. 7  shows a view of the clamp looking toward the longitudinal axis of the clamp  120 .  FIG. 8  shows the clamp in an exploded state. The clamp  120  can be formed and/or coated with a heat tolerant material, such as ceramic. As shown in  FIG. 8 , the clamp can have dimensions that vary. In an embodiment, the wings  610  have a length L. The clamp  120  can have a radius of curvature R 1  at a first end that is less than a radius of curvature R 2  at a second end of the clamp. The biasing member  805  is positioned inside the clamp  120  to urge the clamp toward a closed configuration. 
     In use, the rollers  115  and clamping members  120  are stored in their respective receptacles on the tower  110 , as shown in  FIG. 1 . The heating elements are then activated to heat the rollers  115  and clamping members  120  to a desired temperature. Advantageously, the tower maintains the rollers and clamps in an easily accessible location and also in a location where the heat from the rollers and clamps will not harm or damage anything. The user can selectively remove one or more rollers and/or clamps from the tower  110  and position them on the user&#39;s hair. As mentioned, the rollers can be applied to the hair such that they cause the hair to curl. The rollers are heated such that the surface of the roller radiate heat to the hair that is wound around the roller. The heated clamps can be clamped over the rollers so that the clamps provide heat to the hair that is wound further away from the roller. In this manner, the hair close to the roller as well as the hair further from the roller is heated. 
     While this specification contains many specifics, these should not be construed as limitations on the scope of an invention that is claimed or of what may be claimed, but rather as descriptions of features specific to particular embodiments. Certain features that are described in this specification in the context of separate embodiments can also be implemented in combination in a single embodiment. Conversely, various features that are described in the context of a single embodiment can also be implemented in multiple embodiments separately or in any suitable sub-combination. Moreover, although features may be described above as acting in certain combinations and even initially claimed as such, one or more features from a claimed combination can in some cases be excised from the combination, and the claimed combination may be directed to a sub-combination or a variation of a sub-combination. Similarly, while operations are depicted in the drawings in a particular order, this should not be understood as requiring that such operations be performed in the particular order shown or in sequential order, or that all illustrated operations be performed, to achieve desirable results. 
     Although embodiments of various methods and devices are described herein in detail with reference to certain versions, it should be appreciated that other versions, embodiments, methods of use, and combinations thereof are also possible. Therefore the spirit and scope of the appended claims should not be limited to the description of the embodiments contained herein.