Patent Publication Number: US-2013240498-A1

Title: Hair curler

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Technical Field 
     The present invention relates to hair styling tools, and more particularly to a hair curler that curls hair for hairstyling. 
     2. Description of Related Art 
     A known hair curling iron typically has a pair of curling tongs and a handle. The curling tongs are provided with a heat generating means so that the when they are heated and rotated, they can shape a lock of hair secured there between and create various hairstyles. For example, an existing hair curling iron as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 7,045,744 uses control buttons provided on the handle to control the temperature and rotation of the curling tongs, so as to curl hair secured between the curling tongs. When curling the hair, the hair curling iron may be manually rotated to have the angle of the curling tongs changed, thereby creating different hairstyles, without using various shapes of curling irons. 
     However, in conventional hair curling irons, the rotation activation and direction control are independently controlled by different controllers, and therefore cannot be conveniently controlled by a user&#39;s single finger. In addition, those existing hair curling irons with a gun-like handle, such as the hair curling iron of U.S. Pat. No. 7,045,744, are disadvantageous for they are bulky and thus less manageable, and are structurally complicated. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The primary objective of the present invention is to provide a hair curler, which allows a user to use a single finger to perform rotation activation and direction control of its curling tongs conveniently in a single operation or open or close of the tongs. 
     Another objective of the present invention is to provide a hair curler that is compact, easy to operate and structurally simple. 
     To these ends, the hair curler of the present invention comprises a handle being approximately lengthwise; a transmission set having a motor, a handle being approximately lengthwise; a transmission set having a motor, a reduction device and a main driving axle, the motor and the reduction device being contained in the handle, the reduction device being connected to a drive shaft of the motor, and the main driving axle having one end connected to the reduction device and an opposite end exposed outside the handle; a rotating sleeve being rotatably mounted on a front end of the handle and connected to the end of the main driving axle exposed outside the handle, so that the rotating sleeve is driven by the main driving axle to rotate on a major axis of the handle; a pair of tongs including a first tong and a second tong, the second tong having a rear end connected to the rotating sleeve, the first tong having a rear end pivotally connected to the rotating sleeve, each of the first tong and the second tong having a heater, and the first tong having the rear end thereof provided with a lever that extends outward and backward from the rear end of the first tong, so that when pressed, the lever makes the first tong swing outward and leave from the second tong; an elastic member having one end abutting against the lever and an opposite end abutting against the rotating sleeve, and being enable to deform and store a restoring force when pressed; a control circuit being contained in the handle and electrically connected to the motor and the heaters; a right-rotation button and a left-rotation button being deposited in a front part of a lateral of the handle and electrically connected to the control circuit, and the right-rotation button being located at a right side of the major axis of the handle while the left-rotation button is located at a left side of the major axis of the handle; and a power supply unit being contained in the handle and electrically connected to the control circuit. 
     Thereby, a user holding the handle with his/her single hand may use his/her thumb or forefinger to perform rotation activation and direction control of the curling tongs in a single operation or open or close the tongs, and use his/her the other hand to control the temperatures of the tongs. Compared to the prior-art devices, the present invention is compact, easy to operate and structurally simple. 
     Further, the present invention comprises a temperature-raising button and a temperature-lowering button that are deposited on the handle and electrically connected to the control circuit for controlling the temperatures of the two heaters. 
     Further, the handle has a hanging hook deposited in a front part of a lateral of the handle that is opposite to the lateral having the right-rotation button and the left-rotation button. By the hanging hook, the curler can be positioned on a base. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The invention as well as a preferred mode of use, further objectives and advantages thereof will be best understood by reference to the following detailed description of illustrative embodiments when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein: 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a hair curler according to one preferred embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 2  is a side view of the hair curler; 
         FIG. 3  is a top view of the hair curler; 
         FIG. 4  is a cross-sectional view of the hair curler taken along Line  3 - 3  of  FIG. 3 ; 
         FIG. 5  is similar to  FIG. 4 , showing that the first tong and the second tong are open; 
         FIG. 6  is a front view of the hair curler, for clearing showing the hanging hook; and 
         FIG. 7  is another perspective view of the hair curler, showing the hair curler is placed on a base with the hanging hook hooking the higher end of the base, thereby preventing the hair curler from accidentally moving. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     Referring to  FIG. 1  through  FIG. 5 , according to one preferred embodiment of the present invention, a hair curler  10  comprises a handle  11 , a transmission set  21 , a rotating sleeve  31 , a pair of tongs  41 ,  42 , an elastic member  51 , a control circuit  61 , a right-rotation button  71 , a left-rotation button  72  and a power supply unit  81 . 
     The handle  11  is approximately lengthwise. 
     The transmission set  21  has a motor  22 , a reduction device  23  and a main driving axle  24 . The motor  22  and the reduction device  23  are contained in the handle  11 . The reduction device  23  is connected to a drive shaft of the motor  22 . The main driving axle  24  has one end connected to the reduction device  23  and an opposite end exposed outside the handle  11 . 
     The rotating sleeve  31  is rotatably mounted on a front end of the handle  11  and connected to the part of main driving axle  24  exposed outside the handle  11 , so as to be driven by the main driving axle  24  to rotate on a major axis of the handle  11 . 
     The pair of tongs  41 ,  42  includes a first tong  41  and a second tong  42 . The second tong  42  has a rear end inserted into the rotating sleeve  31 , and the first tong  41  has a rear end pivotally coupled to the rotating sleeve  31 . Furthermore, the first tong  41  and the second tong  42  each have a heater  43 ,  44 . A lever  45  is attached to the rear end of the first tong  41  by extending backward and outward from the rear end of the first tong  41 . When pressed, the lever  45  makes the first tong  41  swing outward and leave from the second tong  42 . In the present embodiment, the lever  45  has a curved shape with its curved surface protruding outward and formed with a toothed structure  46 . Moreover, the first tong  41  and the second tong  42  each have a flat surface  411  or  421  (as shown in  FIG. 5 ) so that the tongs  41 ,  42  closely contact each other with the two flat surfaces  411 ,  421 . 
     The elastic member  51  has one end abutting against the lever  45  and an opposite end abutting against the rotating sleeve  31 . The elastic member  51  is able to deform under pressure and restore when released. In the present embodiment, the elastic member  51  is a spring. The lever  45  and the rotating sleeve  31  each have a guiding post  451  or  311 . The two guiding posts  451 ,  311  are aligned with each other so that the spring  51  has its two ends mounted around the two guiding posts  451 ,  311  and thereby abutting against the lever  45  and the rotating sleeve  31 , respectively. 
     The control circuit  61  is contained in the handle  11  and electrically connected to the motor  22  and the heaters  43 ,  44 . 
     The right-rotation button  71  and the left-rotation button  72  are deposited in a front part of lateral of the handle  11 , and are electrically connected to the control circuit  61 . The right-rotation button  71  is located at the right side of the major axis of the handle  11  while the left-rotation button  72  is located at the left side of the major axis of the handle  11 . 
     The power supply unit  81  is contained in the handle  11  and is electrically connected to the control circuit  61 . 
     In the present embodiment, the hair curler  10  further comprises a temperature-raising button  91  and a temperature-lowering button  92 , both located at a rear surface of the handle  11  and are electrically connected to the control circuit  61  for raising or lowering the temperatures of the heaters  43 ,  44 , respectively. Additionally, the handle  11  is equipped with a hanging hook  101 . The hanging hook  101  is located at a front part of a lateral of the handle  11  that is opposite to the lateral having the right-rotation button  71  and the left-rotation button  72 . 
     The operation of the inventive device will be described in detail by referring to the foregoing embodiment. 
     As shown in  FIG. 1  through  FIG. 5 , when the hair curler  10  having the power supply unit  81  connected to a mains power is turned on, by pressing the temperature-raising button  91  or the temperature-lowering button  92  at the rear end of the handle  11 , a signal will be transmitted to the control circuit  61  and direct the control circuit  61  to control the heating power of the two heaters  43 ,  44 , thereby setting the tongs  41 ,  42  at the desired temperature. 
     Afterward, by pressing the lever  45  via a single finger, the tongs  41 ,  42  are opened (as shown in  FIG. 5 ). At this time, the elastic member deforms in response to the outward swinging of the first tong (or the downward pressing of the lever) and stores a restoring force. Then after a lock of hair is placed between the tongs  41 ,  42  and the lever  45  is released, the restoring force of the elastic member  51  can return the lever  45  and the first tong  41  to their original positions, thereby closing the tongs  41 ,  42  and securing the hair. The preparation of hairstyling is thus accomplished. 
     During hairstyling, the hair curler  10  may be pulled down along the hair stream to straighten the hair. Particularly, after the tongs  41 ,  42  secure the hair, a user may hold the handle  11  to move the hair curler  10  from the hair root toward the hair tip, thereby straighten the hair. 
     Alternatively, a user may simply hold the handle  11  in one hand and press the right-rotation button  71  or the left-rotation button  72  with his/her thumb or forefinger, so as to make the tongs  41 ,  42  on the rotating sleeve  31  to perform a right or left rotation with respect to the major axis of the handle  11 , without using additional controllers to control the rotation directions. By rotating the tongs  41 ,  42  during hairstyling, the hair can be curled. 
     During hairstyling, a user may hold the handle  11  in one hand and press the lever  45  with his/her thumb or forefinger, so as to release the hair from the tongs  41 ,  42 . Then the user can move the hair curler  10  to a predetermined location and press and release the lever  45  gain to secure the hair again. By repeating such operation, the hair can be discontinuously curled. On the other hand, the user may use his/her free hand, i.e. the one not holding the handle  11 , to press the temperature-raising button  91  or the temperature-lowering button  92  and change the temperatures of the tongs  41 ,  42 . Thereby, a user may hold the handle  11  by a hand and use a single finger to activate and determine the direction of the rotation of the tongs  41 ,  42 , or use the same single finger to open or close the tongs  41 ,  42 , while using his/her the other hand the control the temperatures of the tongs  41 ,  42 . Thus, the disclosed hair curler  10  may be operated conveniently to provide various functions, thereby helping its user to create various hairstyles promptly and easily. 
     Furthermore, as shown in  FIG. 6  and  FIG. 7 , the hair curler  10  may be placed on a base  5 , so that the hanging hook  101  in the front part of the handle  11  can hook the higher end of the base  5 , so as to prevent the hair curler  10  from contacting and burning the tabletop or prevent the hair curler  10  from rolling on the table top.