Abstract:
Electrically powered hairstyling implements having heated hair engaging elements that are coated with a specially designed coating compound that comprises a mixture of a ceramic enamel and an ionic mineral. The ionic mineral causes negative ions to be continuously generated from the surfaces of the hair engaging elements which function to reduce or prevent damage to the hair.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0001]     1. Field of the Invention  
         [0002]     The present invention relates generally to hair styling implements. More particularly, the invention concerns hair styling implements which include surfaces that are controllably heated as, for example, electric curling irons, electric flatirons and like appliances.  
         [0003]      2 . Discussion of the Prior Art  
         [0004]     Many different types of electrically powered, hand-held styling implements or appliances are used in professional hairstyling salons. Such implements include electric curling irons, electric flatirons, or hair straightening irons and like styling implements of various configurations.  
         [0005]     The prior art curling and flatirons typically include mating surfaces that are electrically heated in a manner well known to those skilled in the art. The electrically heated surfaces of these appliances are constructed so that the hair of the user can be controllably heated in a manner to prevent damage to the hair.  
         [0006]     In practice, it is desirable to keep the various hairdressing appliances handy and ready for use, which necessitates that the electric curling irons and hair straightening irons be pre-heated to a useful temperature for pressing hair. This requires the use of specially designed heating elements that can controllably withstand elevated temperatures for substantial periods of time.  
         [0007]     One prior art electric iron for hairdressing of which Applicant is aware is described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,941,253 issued to Kaizuka. This patent concerns an electric iron for hairdressing having cooperating, specially designed rod and glove components that makes it possible to realize a firm curl in the short period of time, thus preventing damage to hair due to the action of negative ions generated from the surface of the rod and glove. In the Kaizuka device the surfaces of the rod and glove are coated with a mixture of fluoroplastic and powdered poly-element minerals.  
         [0008]     In addition to curling hair, hair stylists are often called upon to straighten curly hairs, which may be kinky hairs or hair curled by permanent waving. In accordance with certain prior art the practices, a relaxer solution is applied to hair to break down and remove cystine, which is a binding substance in hair. It is relatively easy to straighten hairs curled by permanent waving back to original straight hairs. However, it is more difficult to straighten originally curly hairs or kinky hairs since removal of the cystine loosens the pigment and cuticle, losing hair luster and gloss. To solve this problem hair stylists often attempt to straighten curly hairs by thermal treatment. However, such thermal treatment can severely damage the hair. It is this problem that the present invention seeks to overcome.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0009]     It is an object of the present invention to provide specially designed, electrically powered hairstyling implements and the method of making the same that include heated hair engaging elements that are uniquely constructed to enable satisfactory styling of the hair iron in a short time while preventing damage to hair due to the action of negative ions being continuously generated from the surfaces of the heated hair engaging elements.  
         [0010]     More particularly, it is an object of the invention to provide electrically powered hairstyling implements of the character described in the preceding paragraph in which the heated hair engaging elements are coated with a specially designed coating compound that comprises a mixture of a ceramic enamel and an ionic mineral that will cause negative ions to be generated from the surfaces of the hair engaging elements at all times during the hair styling operation. (As used herein, the term “ceramic enamel” means chemical compounds comprised of SiO 2 , Na 2 O, K 2 O, Li 2 O, Al 2 O 3 , and TiO 2  and the term “Ionic mineral” means a mineral containing a large percentage of SiO 2  and various other elements, such as Al 2 O 3 , K 2 O and Fe 2 O 3 .)  
         [0011]     Another object of the invention is to provide hairstyling implements of the aforementioned character which include cooperating hair engaging elements that are coated with a specially formulated coating so that when the hair of the user is clamped between the coated hair engaging elements the negative ions being generated by the coating will reduce the size of the aggregation of water molecules which activate the protein in hair and will effectively create the desired styling effect in a minimum time with minimal damage to the user&#39;s hair.  
         [0012]     The foregoing objectives of the invention, as well as other related objectives, will be accomplished by the novel hairstyling implements described in paragraphs which follow. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0013]      FIG. 1  is a generally perspective view of one form of the hairstyling implements of the present invention, shown here as an electric curling iron.  
         [0014]      FIG. 2  is a generally perspective view of an alternate form of hairstyling implement of the present invention, shown here as an electric straightening iron. 
     
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
       [0015]     Referring to the drawings and particularly to  FIG. 1 , one form of the hairstyling implement of the present invention is there illustrated and generally designated by the numeral  14 . The hairstyling implement, which is here shown as an electric curling iron, comprises a supporting structure  16 , including a handle  17 , a first heated element  18  that is attached to the supporting structure and a second heated element  20  that is also attached to the supporting structure. First heated element  18  is here provided in the form or a generally cylindrical rod  18   a  and second heated element  20  is here provided in the form of a glove  20   a  that is pivotally interconnected with rod  18   a  for movement between a first closed position in engagement with rod  18   a  and a second open position as shown in  FIG. 1  of the drawings.  
         [0016]     In accordance with one form of the method of the invention, the mating surfaces of rod  18  and glove  20  are coated with ceramic enamel mixed with ionic minerals, preferably in powder form. In  FIG. 1  the numeral  22  represents an electrical cord that is connected to a source of electric power “S”.  
         [0017]     In using the curling iron of the present invention, the strands of hair to be curled are first wrapped around the first heated element or rod  18   a  and are held in this position for a period of time by the closed glove  20   a.  The glove is then opened and the strands of hair are unwrapped from the heated rod  18   a.  The length of time the hair is held wrapped around the rod, the temperature of the rod, the diameter of the rod and the hair&#39;s characteristics largely determine the tightness of the curl that is formed.  
         [0018]     Turning to  FIG. 2 , an alternate form of hairstyling implement of the present invention is there illustrated and generally designated by the numeral  24 . This hairstyling implement, which is here shown as an electric straightening iron, comprises a supporting structure  26  to which first and second heated elements, or jaws  28  and  30  are pivotally connected. Jaws  28  and  30  are adapted for movement between a first closed position wherein the heated, mating surfaces  28   a  and  30   a  of the jaws are in engagement and a second open position as shown in  FIG. 2  of the drawings.  
         [0019]     In accordance with one form the method of the invention the mating surfaces of the jaws  28   a  and  30   a  are coated with ceramic enamel mixed with ionic minerals, preferably in powder form to form a coated layer.  
         [0020]     In using the prior art hair straightening iron of the invention, the strands of hair to be straightened are first clamped between the heated jaws  28  and  30  of the device and are held in this position for a period of time. The jaws are then opened and the hair is removed. The length of time the hair is clamped between the heated jaws depends on the temperature of the jaws and the characteristics of the user&#39;s hair.  
         [0021]     Considering now in greater detail the methods of the invention, as previously mentioned, the term “ionic mineral” as used herein, means a mineral containing a large percentage of SiO 2  and various other elements, such as Al 2 O 3 , K 2 O and Fe 2 O 3 . More particularly, the “ionic mineral” used in the present invention is composed of the following components in the following percentages by weight:  
                                                       SiO 2     77.20%           Al 2 O 3     12.49%           Fe 2 O 3     0.70%           TiO 2     0.03%           CaO   0.18%           MgO   0.06%           K 2 O   4.65%           Na 2 O   3.51%           Lg. loss   0.43%                      
 
         [0022]     In the preferred form of the invention, the ionic minerals in powder form are mixed in a coating of ceramic enamel chemical compounds comprised of the following elements in the following percentages by weight:  
                                                       SiO 2     30-40%           Na 2 O   10-15%           K 2 O   18-22%           Li 2 O   12-15%           TiO 2     15-20%           B 2 O 3     12-18%           SrO   2-5%           MgO   2-3%           CaO   3-5%           Al 2 O 3     5-8%                      
 
         [0023]     The ionic minerals in powder form at all times generate negative ions causing the so called “cluster phenomenon” that impregnates water into the hair so that when the styling implement is used, the hair will not be damaged while being compressed between the heated elements.  
         [0024]     The above and other, objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become readily apparent from the following detailed description which is to be read in connection with the accompanying drawings.  
         [0025]     In the preferred form of the invention, the ionic minerals in powder form are mixed in a coating of ceramic enamel chemical compounds comprised of SiO 2 , Na 2 O, K 2 O, Li 2 O, Al 2 O 3 , IO 2  and TiO 2  to form a coating compound. This done, the hair contacting surfaces of the heated elements, such as  18   a  of the rod,  20   a  of the glove and the mating surfaces  28   a  and  30   a  of the jaws  28  and  30  are carefully cleaned in any suitable manner, as for example, with acid and alcohol to remove dirt and debris. After the heated surfaces are suitably cleaned, the coating compound is uniformly deposited, as by spraying, onto the hair contacting surfaces of the heated elements to form prime-coated heating elements. Next, the prime-coated heated elements are baked at an elevated temperature of about 520 degrees C. for a period of time sufficient to cause the coating compound to become securely adhered to the hair contacting surfaces of the heating elements to form first precursor heated elements each having a first coating layer.  
         [0026]     Following an inspection of the quality of the first coating layer, the first precursor heated elements are then once again sprayed with the coating compound to form twice-coated heated elements. This done the twice-coated heating elements are baked at an elevated temperature of about 920 degrees C. for a period of time sufficient to cause the coating compound to securely adhere to the further coated hair contacting surfaces to the heating elements to form second precursor heated elements each having a second coating layer.  
         [0027]     Following an inspection of the quality of the second coating layer thus formed, the second precursor heated elements are once again sprayed with the coating compound to form thrice-coated heated elements. This done the thrice-coated heating elements are baked at an elevated temperature of about 970 degrees C. for a period of time sufficient to cause the coating compound to securely adhere to the heating elements to form the finished heated elements each having a third coating layer. After the third coating step, each of the finished heated elements exhibits a thickness of approximately 0.1 mm. A careful inspection of the final product is then made and the products of the invention can then be used in the manner described in the preceding paragraphs to either curl or straighten hair.  
         [0028]     Having now described the invention in detail in accordance with the requirements of the patent statutes, those skilled in this art will have no difficulty in making changes and modifications in the individual parts or their relative assembly in order to meet specific requirements or conditions. Such changes and modifications may be made without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention, as set forth in the following claims.