HAIR CURLING IRON

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to the technical field concerning hair curling irons.

DESCRIPTION OF PRIOR ART

Known hair curling irons include a base element, with a cylindrical body integral therewith. The cylindrical body is suitably heated and has a constant cross-section along the whole length.

According to one version, the cross-section of the hair curling iron increases from the portion at which it is coupled with the base element, toward the body terminal part.

The cylindrical body can have, articulated thereto, a stop element, e.g. a shaped tongue, complementary to the outer surface of a part of the cylindrical body, aimed at stabilizing a hair lock which is wound around the latter.

Moreover, there are known hair curling irons, which have a base element with various attachments for hair styling, such as a constant cross-section cylindrical body, having a spiral edge along its length, so as to define a kind of guide for positioning the hair lock along the whole length of the cylindrical body.

A disadvantage of the described hair curling irons derives from their body conformation; they have mainly a cylindrical cross-section, constant along

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their whole length.

The visual effect of the final styling, no matter how carefully it is made, is always unnatural, that is, one sees the difference between a natural waving/curling and the one obtained with the above described irons. Moreover, the body constant cross-section allows to obtain styling with identical curls, which underlines the styling unnaturalness. The stop element and its pressure on the hair lock to be held causes a slight compression of the portion of the hair lock therebelow: because of being in contact with the heated body to a greater extent, this portion will be more damaged (dehydration of the hair cuticle).

Moreover, non particularly skilled users can find the stop element an obstacle while placing the hair lock on the curling iron body.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The object of the invention is to propose a hair curling iron designed according to a simple concept and having low production costs, which allows to obtain a hair styling as natural as possible. Another object of the invention is to propose a hair curling iron shaped in such a way, as to include a plurality of interchangeable bodies. A further object of the invention is to propose a hair curling iron shaped in such a way, as to avoid any hair damage.

A still further object of the invention is to propose a hair curling iron, which allows to obtain a different waving on the whole hair length. A yet further object of the invention is to propose a hair curling iron, which

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makes it easier for the user to obtain the desired results. The above mentioned objects are all obtained by the present invention, as it is deduced from the contents of the claims, by a hair curling iron characterized in that it includes: a base element, which defines the handle; a shaped body, removably coupled with said base element and forming a curler, around which a hair lock is wound, so as to be styled.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The characteristic features of the invention are pointed out in the following description, with reference to the enclosed drawings, in which:

- Figure 1 is a front, exploded view of a hair curling iron, proposed by the invention;

- Figure 2 is the same view as Figure 1 , with the hair curling iron pointed out in operation configuration; - Figure 3 is a lateral view of the hair curling iron, proposed by the present invention;

- Figure 4 is a section view taken along line IV-IV of Figure 1 ;

- Figure 5 is a section view taken along line V-V of Figure 1.

BEST MODES OF CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

Regarding the enclosed Figures, the reference numeral 1 indicates a hair curling iron composed of: a base element 2, defining the iron handle, which has electric supply means 20, associated to the lower portion of the base element 2 and connected electrically to corresponding sockets 5, made in

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the upper surface of the 2; a shaped body 3, removably coupled with the base element 2 by corresponding electromechanical coupling means 30; electric heating means 4, situated inside the shaped body 3, connected electrically to the coupling means 30 and operated by known activating and adjusting means 6, associated to the base element 2.

The shaped body 3 is a curler, e.g. shaped like the curler protected by the US Patent No. 6.708.698, owned by the Applicant, and having an elongated shape, symmetrical with respect to the relevant horizontal and vertical symmetry planes. Along its longitudinal extension, the curler has cross-section with continuously variable area from a minimum to a maximum, and vice-versa, according to a prefixed pattern. The profile of the maximum cross-section of the heads T of the curler 3 is similar to an ellipse, whereas the profile of the maximum cross-section of the bulge parts I, situated between the heads T, is circular. The heating means 4 include either a resistance heater, which heats the shaped body 3 along its whole length (the body temperature varies in relation to the quantity of material around the resistance heater), or a plurality of resistance heaters of different power, suitably arranged and connected to change the temperature along the shaped body 3. The heating means can be connected to a temperature sensor (not shown) and adjusted by activating and adjusting means 6.

According to a variant, not shown, the heating means are integral with the upper end of the base element and the shaped body has a seat, which extends along its whole length, to house the heating means when the

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shaped body is removably coupled with the base element. First devices, e.g. a threaded coupling, situated at the base of the heating means, are aimed at connecting removably with second devices, made in the shaped body near the seat entrance: the first and the second devices create a coupling of mechanical type.

The use of the hair curling iron 1 requires coupling the shaped body 3 with the base element 2, with the introduction of the connection means 30 into the sockets 5 made in the base element 2, and the subsequent coupling of the feeding means 20 with a an electric supply. In operation condition, the heating means 4, situated in the curler, are operated, so that the curler outer surface is pre-heated. The user of the hair curling iron 1 winds a hair lock around the curler: the curler temperature, in combination with the curler conformation and the positioning of the hair lock along the whole curler length, allow to obtain and to stabilize a styling, which presents a desired waving/curling. The described hair curling iron is particularly advantageous. The shape of the body 3, which defines a curler, and the fact that it is removably coupled with the base element 2 is advantageous, because it is possible to use different sizes of the shaped body 3 to obtain a styling as natural as possible.

Depending on the length of the hair to be styled and according to the desired styling type, the hair curling iron 1 user can choose to use one size of the body 3 from a series of different sizes, which have more or less marked cross-sections.

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Actually, the user can first decide to use a curler size considered best for styling a part of the client's hair, and then one, or more different sizes for styling the remaining part of hair, so as to obtain not only a different waving/curling along the lock length, but also different waves/curls of various locks.

In the particular embodiment of the shaped body, shown in the enclosed Figures, a natural effect is obtained, because the hair lock that the operator winds around the curler has areas with different waving; more precisely, the waving is more marked for the hair wound around the narrow parts, made between the heads T and the bulge parts I, and less marked for the hair wound around the latter.

The fact that inside the curler there is one or more resistance heater/s with adjustable temperature allows, after the coupling of curler to the base element 2 and operating of the resistance heaters, to have areas with lower temperature with respect to the other areas.

According to the described embodiment, the body 3 is not of the same thickness along its whole length; in case, in which the heating means include more resistance heaters of the same power, the outer temperature of the heads T and of the bulge parts is lower with respect to the outer temperature of the joining areas between the heads and the bulge parts. Otherwise, when the body 3 has a constant thickness along its length and the used resistance heaters have different power, the body outer temperature will be higher in its areas containing the resistance heater with the greatest power.

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It is possible to modulate the curler outer temperature in relation to its thickness and of the power of the resistance heaters situated inside the curler.

The temperature changes along the curler allow the user to handle the hair curling iron with more safety, avoiding burning during positioning of the hair lock, and moreover, avoids burning of the client's skin when the iron is nearby.

The fact that the shaped body 3 forms a curler is advantageous, because all the benefits deriving from the use of a simple curler (desired waving/curling) are added to the advantages of the iron, and so is the possibility to obtain a natural effect styling also on dry hair, due to the action of the heating means situated inside the body 3. Moreover, the form of the shaped body shown in the Figures avoids the use of a stopping element to hold the hair lock on the iron, which makes the latter easy to use even by non particularly expert users.

The positive characteristic features of the proposed hair curling iron appear obvious from what has been said above; even though it uses elements, whose technical-functional aspects are known, it proposes an innovating solution for the hair styling in natural way, which allows to obtain all the objects mentioned in the introductory note, giving to the proposed iron necessary reliability, safety, handiness and durability. It is obvious that the sockets 5, or substitute sockets, can be situated in the shaped body 3 and the connection means 30 can be connected to the base element 2.

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Moreover, it is obvious that the shaped body 3 can assume any of the known shapes of the curlers put on the marketplace. It is understood that what above has been described as a not limiting example, therefore possible practical-usage variations remain within the protective scope as described above and claimed below.