Patent Publication Number: US-2006011208-A1

Title: Tris&#39; iron with grooves

Description:
BACKGROUND  
      1. Field of Invention  
      This invention relates generally to hairdressing and/or styling devices, and more particularly to an improvement to the functionality of most hair styling appliances used for curling, crimping, or flat ironing the hair.  
      2. Description of Prior Art  
      There are many techniques used for altering the natural appearance of one&#39;s hair. A principle distinction in the most commonly used methods is based on the permanence of the alterations. Permanent techniques suggest a relatively long term imparting of style or shape to the hair generally employing chemical treatment. The shape or style, be it permanently straightened or permanently curled, will return to the hair even after wetting or washing the hair.  
      The term “setting” refers to a more temporary imparting of style to the hair than the permanent techniques such that the hair will return to its original, permanently treated or untreated shape or appearance upon exposure to significant moisture or the application of pressure.  
      Many methods of hair setting exist. Perhaps the most common consists of winding moist hair about rollers and curlers. The hair is substantially dried while wound on the roller and thereafter removed and brushed or combed to complete the styling.  
      Alternatively, moist hair may be styled by simply teasing or repeatedly brushing the hair in a specific pattern while concurrently applying heat to the hair, as in “blow-drying.” 
      Still further style or shape can be imparted to permanently treated or untreated hair by using the well-known curling iron. Curling irons typically incorporate an electrical heating element to heat one or both sides of a smooth but curved pair of mating surfaces, a.k.a. barrels, between which hair is placed to be curled. The hair is pulled through the interface of the mating surfaces of the curling iron to aid in curling the hair. On the other hand, crimping irons and flat irons operate much like curling irons, but they have a pair of smooth mating surfaces that are not curved and cylindrical like the barrels of the curling iron. The mating surfaces of the crimping irons are smooth undulated surfaces, which act to wave the hair when compressed against the hair. The mating surfaces of the flat irons are smooth and flat and act to straighten the hair when compressed against and pulled along the hair.  
      Generally, the prior art irons comprise a pair of surfaces that are smooth but not textured for engaging the hair. Prior art where surfaces were not totally smooth typically contained holes for steam heating of some sort or smooth waves for waving the hair. The flat and smooth surfaces expose the hair to direct heat and put a lot of pressure on the hair, removing natural body and, consequently, flattening the hair out, leaving it limp. Over time and with the continuous application of such heat, the hair becomes undesirably lifeless and damaged.  
      The applicant has determined, through use of all of the aforementioned techniques, that the best hair setting results are obtained when all of the hair to be styled is treated uniformly, while at the same time, minimizing the application of direct heat as much as possible. Furthermore, the applicant has determined that regular use and/or misuse of the prior art could result in lifeless and damaged hair, especially when the hair is not shampooed and conditioned properly with each styling. Accordingly, it would be desirable to provide a hair styling device capable of use in curling, straightening, and/or waving hair, which overcomes the limitations of the prior art. Therefore, in light of the foregoing deficiencies in the prior art, applicant&#39;s invention is herein presented.  
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
      A hair styling apparatus includes a pair of mating surfaces, which engage one another and a handle, which guides them into engagement at the manual control of a user. Hair to be styled is placed between the engaged-surfaces. The bottom surface/barrel and the inside of the upper surface are incised with helical or advancing spiral threads, called grooves. The grooves are similar to those in a metal screw. The grooves will cause the hair to separate (a few strains of hair) going into each groove, while curling and/or pressing. The grooves will greatly reduce the direct heat to the hair, thereby, increasing the hairs&#39; health. The grooves in concert with the weight of the iron will add fullness and cause the hair to become silkier.  
     OBJECTS AND ADVANTAGES  
      Accordingly, following are several of the objects and advantages of my invention over the prior art: 
          1. It is an object of the present invention to provide an apparatus for the uniform styling of a tress of hair placed between two mating surfaces with grooves that will cause the hair to separate going into each groove imparting the essential shape of the mating surfaces to the hair.     2. It is further an object of the present invention to provide an apparatus for imparting lasting style and increased volume to a tress of hair with less risk of injury to the hair or scalp.     3. It is still further an object of the present invention to provide an apparatus for imparting lasting style to a tress of hair while greatly reducing the direct heat to the hair, thereby, increasing the hairs&#39; health.     4. It is still further an object of the present invention to provide an apparatus for imparting lasting style to the hair while adding fullness and causing the hair to become silkier. 
 
 These along with other objects and advantages of the present invention will become more readily apparent from a reading of the detailed description taken in conjunction with the drawings.
       

    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS  
       FIG. 1  depicts the model built of the curling iron representing a main embodiment and a perspective view of the present invention and showing the grooves (i.e., threads) on the inside of the upper mating surface and on the lower mating surface of the present invention.  
       FIG. 2  is a cross-sectional view of the barrel of the curling iron of the present invention. 
    
    
     LIST OF REFERENCE NUMERALS IN DRAWINGS  
     
       
         
           
               
               
               
             
               
                   
                   
               
               
                   
                   
               
             
            
               
                   
                 1 
                 upper mating surface 
               
               
                   
                 2 
                 lower mating surface 
               
               
                   
                 1a 
                 thread on upper mating surface 
               
               
                   
                 2a 
                 thread on lower mating surface 
               
               
                   
                 3 
                 upper handle 
               
               
                   
                 4 
                 lower handle 
               
               
                   
                 5 
                 joint of surfaces and attaches to the handle 
               
               
                   
                   
               
            
           
         
       
     
     DESCRIPTION—MAIN EMBODIMENT  
      Those of ordinary skill in the art will realize that the following description of the present invention is illustrative only and not in any way limiting in application to the curling iron. Other embodiments of the invention, i.e., crimping, spiral, and flat irons, will readily suggest themselves to such skilled persons.  
      A preferred embodiment of the present invention is illustrated in  FIG. 1  and  FIG. 2 . In accordance with the preferred embodiments of the present invention, two mating surfaces (forming a barrel in the case of the curling iron) are attached to a handle as shown generally in  FIG. 1 .  
      In the embodiment shown in  FIG. 1  first surface  1  and second surface  2  are joined together at  5  and attached to the handle  3  and  4 . An operator may press first portion of the handle  3  and second portion of the handle  4  together to engage the upper mating surface  1  to the lower mating surface  2  together in close conformance with the hair to be styled disposed between upper mating surface  1  and lower mating surface  2 . The bottom mating surface/barrel  2  and the inside of the upper mating surface  1  are incised with helical or advancing spiral threads, called grooves ( 1   a  and  2   a ).  
      Those of skill in the art will realize that the size of the threads/grooves will depend on the size of the mating surfaces  1  and  2 .  FIG. 1  and  FIG. 2  depict  8  threads per inch (“T.P.I.”) for the regular size barrel of a curling iron. Thus, the precise arrangement of the grooves will depend on the implementation but is straightforward.  
      In accordance with one embodiment of the present invention, dry heat may be provided to the mating surfaces  1 ,  2  by incorporating a conventional electrical heating coil behind the surfaces or by placing the mating surfaces  1 ,  2  in a Marcel heating oven. Since the weight of the barrel  2  is very important and works in concert with the grooves, the material used for the barrel  2  should be aluminum, brass, or a combination of both. The handle types will be Spring, i.e., thumb-sized—hair press by spring strength, or Marcel, i.e., hand-sized—hair press by hand strength.  
      While embodiments and applications of this invention have been shown and described, it would be apparent to those skilled in the art that many more modifications than mentioned above are possible without departing from the inventive concepts herein. The invention, therefore, is not restricted except in the spirit of the appended claims.