RU2789891C2 - Hair straightener - Google Patents

Abstract

FIELD: hairdressing.

SUBSTANCE: present invention relates to a hair straightener used for hair straightening. The hair straightener contains first straightener grip (A) having first heating plate (H) and rotation mechanism (2) for support of first heating plate (H) with the possibility of rotation around actual axis (P1) of rotation in a longitudinal direction of first straightener grip (A), the second straightener grip having the second heating plate. The first and the second heating plates are made with the possibility of free adjustment, so that they automatically repeat hair shape/bends and adapt to forces of resistance to the rotation mechanism. Actual axis (P1) of rotation is on a heating surface of first heating plate (H) or between the first heating plate of the first straightener grip and the second heating plate of the second straightener grip, when the first straightener grip and the second straightener grip are opposite to each other. The straightener additionally contains a displacing mechanism for displacement of heating plate (H) to a neutral position. The displacing mechanism contains elastic element (4) connected to rotation mechanism (2) and made with the possibility of provision of a force of resistance to rotation mechanism (2), when switching rotation mechanism (2) from the neutral position to an angular position and possibility of return of rotation mechanism (2) from the angular position to the neutral position.

EFFECT: present invention provides an actual point of rotation at a hair level and freely adjustable plates, which automatically repeat hair shape/bends and adapt to forces, which leads to better heat transfer, as well as better and more controllable sliding.

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Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

US2015136169 discloses a hair styling device comprising first and second grippers, each containing a heated plate and a gripper element. The first and second grips are movable between a closed position, in which the heated plate of the first grip is adjacent to the heated plate of the second grip, and an open position, in which the heated plates of each grip are spaced apart from each other. the heated plate of at least one of the grips is connected to the corresponding grip element with respect to the hinge, which is configured to allow the heated plate to move relative to the corresponding grip element around an axis passing across the length of the specified corresponding grip element, so that the plate rotates.

JP2014217748 discloses a hair straightener that may include a heating element that compresses hair between a pair of grippers that can be opened and closed. The first heating surface has an inclined shape from 30° to 80° with respect to the opening/closing direction of the gripper. The holding element holds the heating elements in an inclined position.

US 2010/083978 A1 discloses a hair styling device having a substantially cylindrical heating portion on which at least one heated styling portion is located to heat the hair. Guide means are provided around the laying part. The heated styling parts and the guide means can be rotated relative to each other.

DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION

In particular, it is an object of the present invention to provide an improved hair straightener. The invention is defined by an independent claim. Preferred embodiments of the invention are defined in the dependent claims.

According to one aspect of the invention, there is provided a hair straightener comprising an elongated straightener grip having a heating plate, in which a pivot mechanism supports the heating plate in a rotatable manner about a pivot axis in the longitudinal direction of the elongated straightener grip. Preferably, the axis of rotation is on the heating surface of the heating plate or between the first heating plate of the first straightener grip and the second heating plate of the second straightener grip when the first straightener grip and the second straightener grip are in relative hair clamping position. Preferably, a biasing mechanism (eg, a resilient element such as a spring) biases the heating plate to a neutral position.

Various embodiments of the invention are based on the following considerations. Hair straighteners are used to straighten hair. They mainly consist of two grippers with a heating plate at each end. Most of these plates are suspended with rubber bands to allow them to bend when there is hair between them. This flex helps resist pull-out and promotes better heat distribution, and slightly reduces drag/stick-slip. However, the system is force-balanced by elastic bands, so the plates do not optimally follow the shape of the hair and may lead to insufficient efficiency. Preferred embodiments provide a virtual pivot point at hair level and freely adjustable plates that automatically follow the shape/curves of the hair and adjust to forces. This results in better heat transfer as well as better and more controllable glide.

These and other aspects of the invention will be understood and explained with reference to the embodiments of the invention described hereinafter.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1A and 1B show an embodiment of a hair straightener according to the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a detailed view of a pivot mechanism according to an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 3A-3C depict the movement of the pivot mechanism shown in FIG. 2;

FIG. 4A-4C show the movement of a pivot mechanism in accordance with another embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 5A is a detailed view of a pivot mechanism according to another embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 5B is a side view of the pivot mechanism shown in FIG. 5A;

FIG. 6A-6C depict the movement of a pivot mechanism in accordance with yet another embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 7 shows a pivot mechanism according to an embodiment of the present invention; And

FIG. 8 shows a pivot mechanism according to another embodiment of the present invention.

Throughout the drawings, the same or like reference numbers are used to refer to the same or like elements.

IMPLEMENTATION OF THE INVENTION

FIG. 1A, 1B show a sectional view of a pair of elongated hair straightener arms A. The longitudinal direction of the rectifier grips A is perpendicular to the two-dimensional cross section of FIG. 1A, 1B. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 1A and 1B, in the grip A of the hair straightener, the pivot mechanism is formed by the rolling elements R1, R2. The pivot mechanism is located between the grip body A and the heating plate H. The rolling elements R1 allow the rolling element R2 on which the heating plate H is mounted to be tilted. In FIG. 1 shows the heating plates H in neutral position and FIG. 2 shows the heating plates H in an inclined position. By allowing the heating plates H to be tilted, they can follow the shape of the hair so that the hair is not subjected to undesirable bending.

FIG. 2 is a detailed view of another pivot mechanism 2 for use in a hair straightener in accordance with the present invention. The rotation mechanism 2 determines the actual first rotation axis P1, which is parallel to the surface to which the heating plate H is attached. During operation, the actual rotation axis P1 automatically moves along a predetermined path in response to the movement of the rotation mechanism 2. FIG. 5A, the movement of the pivot mechanism 2 is schematically shown by arrow 6. In various embodiments of the present invention, the pivot mechanism 2 comprises an upper portion 21 connected to a heating plate H (for clarity, the heating plate H is not shown in FIG. 2) and a support portion 22 connected with the lower part 1. The upper part 21 and the support part 22 are movable relative to each other so that the heating plate H is rotatably supported by the turning mechanism 2 during operation.

As further shown in FIG. 2, the first axis of rotation P1 for the top 21, which is defined by the rotation mechanism 2, is parallel to the surface 211 defined by the top 21. During operation, the first axis of rotation P1 is located either substantially on the surface 211 of the top 21 or above the surface 211 on the side , opposite the lower part 1, at a given height h.

In this document, the actual rotation axis can be considered as the momentary rotation axis of the installed heating plate H, which is determined by the rotation mechanism 2. During operation, the heating plate H can be rotated relative to the body 1 of the hair styler. In use, the actual axis of rotation P1 may be located on the surface of the hair or in the hair. Therefore, the rotation response capability of the rotation mechanism 2 when it is guided through the styling hair can be adjusted accordingly. Thus, the ability of the heating plate H to follow the shape of the hair can be improved.

FIG. 3A-3C show the movement of the pivot mechanism 2 shown in FIG. 2. As shown, the pivot mechanism 2 is configured to switch between a first position and a second position. In the first position, the surface of the top 21 is at a first angle with respect to the surface of the bottom 1. In the second position, the surface of the top 21 is at a second angle with respect to the surface of the bottom 1, which is different from the first angle.

In the example shown in FIG. 3A-3C, the first position may be the neutral position (FIG. 3B) and the second positions may be the pivot positions (FIGS. 3A and 3C). When the pivot mechanism 2 is in the neutral position, the angle between the surface of the upper part 21 and the surface of the lower part is zero, that is, the two surfaces are parallel to each other. When the pivot mechanism 2 is in the pivot position, the top surface and the bottom surface form a non-zero angle. In other words, during the rotary movement, the heating plate H can be continuously moved back and forth within a predetermined angular range. Again, for clarity, the heating plate H is only shown in FIG. 3B.

This may be advantageous because the ability of the heating plate H to follow the shape of the hair can be further improved in this way. When moving through the hair, the heating plate H can be considered as a lever associated with the corresponding fulcrum of the lever, determined by the actual axis of rotation P1. This may even be more preferable in the cases shown in FIG. 3A-3C, where the actual hinge P1 is located in the central portion or middle portion of the heating plate H.

As shown in FIG. 3A-3C, in some embodiments, the hair styling device may further comprise a resilient member 4 coupled to the pivot mechanism 2. The elastic member 4 is configured to provide a resistance force to the pivot mechanism 2 when the pivot mechanism 2 is switched from the first position to the second position. On the other hand, the elastic element 4 is additionally configured to return the rotation mechanism 2 from the second position to the first position. By adding the elastic member 4 to the pivot mechanism 2, smoother and more balanced operation of the pivot mechanism 2 can be ensured.

For example, in some embodiments, the elastic element 4 may be a constant force spring or a constant torque spring. The addition of a constant rate spring results in more force as the swing mechanism 2 rotates further from the neutral position. On the other hand, a constant torque spring keeps the force constant.

In the exemplary embodiment shown in FIG. 3A-3C, a spring having a constant stiffness is adopted. In this example, one end of the spring is connected to the top part 21 of the pivot mechanism 2 and the other end of the spring is connected to the bottom part 1. It should be understood that the force applied by the spring can be made variable either manually or electrically by changing the spring preload by its lengthening or shortening.

The resilient element 4 may be defined or selected such that the restoring force is low enough to be easily overcome during the styling operation when the heating plate H is directed along the hair, for example in a substantially curved region of the neck. Therefore, the heating plate H can be essentially self-aligning with respect to the surface of the hair, and furthermore, self-restoring immediately after removal of the external load or force.

As again shown in FIG. 3A-3C, in some embodiments, the pivot mechanism 2 is in the form of a trapezoid-shaped three-bar linkage. As shown, the three-link pivot linkage includes a first rod 23 and a second rod 24 opposite the first rod 23, both of which are designed as a support portion 22 of the pivot mechanism 2. In addition, the three-link pivot link mechanism includes an upper rod (also called a connecting rod) connected to the first rod 23 and the second rod 24 and is configured as the upper part 21 of the pivot mechanism 2.

As further shown in FIG. 3A-3C, the first stem 23 includes a first lower hinge 231 connected to the bottom 1 and a first upper hinge 232 connected to the upper stem. In addition, the second stem 24 includes a second lower hinge 241 connected to the lower part 1 and a second upper hinge 242 connected to the upper stem. The first lower hinge 231 and the second lower hinge 241 are located in the lower part 1 and are located at a predetermined distance d1 from each other.

Since it is generally desirable to reduce the size and weight of the hair styler and in particular the heating plate H, there are practical design limitations regarding the location of the hinge for the heating plate H. connections for the heating plate H (usually the pivot or hinge is located on the opposite side of the heating plate H from the hair) can be limited in the conventional way. In addition, the possible range of the area in which the pivot axis can be placed may be limited. Therefore, the installation of such a conventional heating plate H can be considered as an adverse effect on the ability of the heating plate H to follow the shape of the hair, since a significant deterioration in the turning characteristics may occur.

It has been observed that a three-link linkage can be suitably designed so that an actual pivot axis P1 can be defined, which can also be considered as a movable (or floating) actual hinge. As shown in FIG. 3A-3C, as the heating plate H rotates back and forth, the three-link linkage can be configured such that (virtually) there is an actual hinge. The actual axis of rotation P1 is located at a predetermined distance from the top 21, which cannot be achieved with conventional single-hinged coupling mechanisms, given the space available for installation. In some cases, the resulting actual hinge may even be located in a part of the hair styler that is largely covered by its other components, such as in the middle of the heating plate H.

In some embodiments shown in FIG. 3A-3C, the length of the lower part 1, defined by the distance d1 between the first lower hinge 231 and the second lower hinge 241, is greater than the length of the upper part 21, defined by the distance d2 between the first upper hinge 232 and the second upper hinge 242. Thus, the actual axis Pivot P1 can be moved upwards in the first position and above the level of the top 21 or, in other words, in the hair.

In some embodiments, at least one of the first lower hinge 231, the second lower hinge 241, the first upper hinge 232, and the second upper hinge 242 is in the form of a flexible hinge, and in particular a film hinge. FIG. 4A-4C show an embodiment of the pivot mechanism 2 in accordance with the present invention. In this example, the first lower hinge 231, the second lower hinge 241, the first upper hinge 232, and the second upper hinge 242 are all film hinges.

Film hinges or thin film hinges can be produced, for example, using an injection molding process. Therefore, at least one of the hinges and the corresponding adjacent parts connected by the hinge can be made of essentially the same material in one piece. This arrangement may further provide substantially no (mechanical) play in the hinges. Mechanical joints, which are made up of separate elements, are usually made with a clearance fit, including a certain amount of play, so as to allow a smooth turning movement. In addition, film bearings can additionally have the advantage that any (internal) contamination of the joints can be prevented. According to another embodiment, at least the first rod, the second rod and the upper rod of the three-link linkage and their respective lower hinges and upper hinges are integrally formed.

FIG. 5A-5B depict another embodiment of the present invention. In this example, the pivot mechanism 2 further comprises a second pivot axis P2 for the top 21. The second pivot axis P2 is positioned substantially perpendicular to the first pivot axis P1. Thus, in addition to the actual first axis P1, which allows the heating plate H to rotate in two dimensions to achieve a two-dimensional (2D) degree of freedom (as indicated by arrow 6), an additional actual axis P2 can be provided along a direction perpendicular to the actual first axis P1, for providing rotation in the third dimension (as indicated by arrow 7) and thus achieving a three-dimensional (3D) degree of freedom. In other words, when viewed along the second axis of rotation P2, the second hinge can be considered as a swing point (FIG. 5B).

FIG. 4A-4C show another embodiment of the pivot mechanism 2 in accordance with the present invention. In this example, the turning mechanism 2 is configured as a carrier comprising a rotor 21 and additional rolling elements 22 (such as a roller or wheel) positioned between the rotor 21 and the bottom 1 to support the rotor 21 in a rotatable manner. In this embodiment, the rotor is made in the form of an upper part 21, and the rolling element is made in the form of a bearing part 22.

This type of pivot mechanism 2 may be preferred since the pivot mechanism 2 can be even smaller since the rolling element typically occupies only a small space, further improving the compactness of the styling device. However, instead of using rolling elements 22, the pivot mechanism 2 can be implemented as a plain bearing.

FIG. 7 is a schematic representation of an embodiment of the pivot mechanism 2 shown in FIG. 6. In this example, the top 21 (ie, the rotor) is formed as a partial cylinder that has a rectangular cross section defining a surface 211 of the top 21. Here, the rollers 22 shown in FIG. 6 are not shown.

In this case, due to the geometry of the partial cylinder, the actual axis P1 is either above the surface 211 or on the surface 211 of the upper part 21 while its position does not change (or floats). As shown in the example in FIG. 7, the partial cylinder has a semi-circular end face that corresponds to a 180° arc. In this case, as shown in FIG. 7, the actual axis P1 is located on the surface 211 of the upper part 21. In other words, the actual axis P1 can also be considered as the central axis of the cylinder from which the partial cylinder is derived. In another embodiment, when the partial cylinder has a smaller semi-circular end surface (ie corresponding to an arc of less than 180°), the actual axis is located above the surface of the top.

FIG. 8 shows another embodiment of the pivot mechanism 2 shown in FIG. 6. In this example, the top 21 (ie, the rotor) is formed as a partial sphere that has a circular cross section defining a surface 211 of the top 21. Compared to the partial cylinder rotor shown in FIG. 7, the partial spherical rotor can provide three-dimensional pivoting movement, which further improves the flexibility of hair reshaping during the combing operation.

In some embodiments, the hair styling device may further comprise a sensor configured to detect the angle between the top 21 and the hair during operation. Accordingly, the pivot mechanism 2 may be configured to pivot, for example under the control of an actuator, to "actively" decrease the angle when an angle greater than a threshold angle is detected.

This may be advantageous as it provides a proactive turning mechanism. In other words, the turning mechanism 2 can start turning at an early stage when the actual angle deviates from the optimized one by only a small amount. Thus, it provides a more precise turning mechanism. In addition, such an anticipatory pivot mechanism can further improve comfort since the pivot mechanism 2 starts to rotate earlier instead of waiting for the top 21 to receive a certain amount of external force resulting from the interaction between the heating plates H and the hair.

It should be noted that the above-described embodiments are illustrative and not limiting of the invention, and many alternative embodiments may be devised by those skilled in the art within the scope of the appended claims. In the claims, no parenthesized references are to be construed as limiting the claims. The word "comprising" does not exclude the presence of elements or steps other than those listed in a claim. An element in the singular does not preclude the presence of a plurality of such elements. The invention can be carried out by means of equipment containing several separate elements. In a claim listing multiple devices, some of these devices may be implemented by the same piece of equipment. The measures set forth in different dependent claims may preferably be used in combination.

Claims (5)

1. Hair straightener, containing: the first grip (A) of the straightener, having the first heating plate (H), and the rotation mechanism (2) to support the first heating plate (H) with the possibility of rotation around the actual axis (P1) of rotation in the longitudinal direction a first straightener grip (A), a second straightener grip having a second heating plate, wherein the first and second heating plates are freely adjustable so that they automatically follow the shape/curves of the hair and adjust to resistance forces against the turning mechanism, and the actual axis of rotation (P1) is on the heating surface of the first heating plate (H) or between the first heating plate of the first rectifier grip and the second heating plate of the second rectifier grip, when the first rectifier grip and the second rectifier grip are opposite each other, the rectifier further comprising a shifting mechanism for shifting the heating plate (H) to a neutral position, wherein the shifting mechanism comprises an elastic element (4) connected to the turning mechanism (2) and configured to provide a resistance force to the turning mechanism (2) when switching the turning mechanism (2) from neutral position to the angular position and the possibility of returning the rotation mechanism (2) from the angular position to the neutral position. 2. Hair straightener according to claim 1, in which the rotation mechanism (2) is made in the form of a three-link lever mechanism, containing: ) contains the first rod (23) and the second rod (24) located opposite the first rod (23); and an upper part (21) connected to the first rod (23) and the second rod (24), moreover, the first rod (23) contains the first lower hinge (231) connected to the grip body (A) of the rectifier, and the first upper hinge (232) connected to the upper part (21), and the second rod (24) contains the second lower hinge ( 241) connected to the grip body (A) of the rectifier, and a second upper hinge (242) connected to the upper part (21), the first lower hinge (231) and the second lower hinge (241) being separated by a lower distance greater than the upper distance between the first upper hinge (232) and the second upper hinge (242). 3. Hair straightener according to claim 1, in which the rotation mechanism (2) is made in the form of a carrier mechanism, comprising: a rotor (21) supporting a heating plate (H); and an element located between the rotor (21) and the grip body (A) of the rectifier to support the rotor (21) in a rotatable manner.

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