Hair styling apparatuses and related methods

• US 10,117,488 B2
• Filed: 12/28/2015
• Issued: 11/06/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 01/15/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kiss Products, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Kiss Products, Inc.
• Inventors: Han, Kyu Sang, Park, Sung Lyul, Lee, Kyoung Hak, Sung, Si Yong
• Primary Examiner(s): Nobrega, Tatiana
• Assistant Examiner(s): Gill, Jennifer
• Application Number:
  US14/980,280
• Publication Number:
  US 20160206070A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,044 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A45D 1/04 by electricity
• CPC Class Codes: A45D 1/10 with a rotatable handle sleeve
• CPC Class Codes: A45D 1/18 with combs A45D1/02 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A45D 1/28 with means for controlling or indicating the temperature
• CPC Class Codes: A45D 29/00 Manicuring or pedicuring implements
• CPC Class Codes: A45D 7/02 thermal

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to hair styling apparatuses and related methods. The hair styling apparatus includes a heated barrel defining a stationary hair styling surface, a rotating member configured to rotate around the stationary hair styling surface, and a burn prevention cover. The rotating member includes a tab fixedly extending along a longitudinal length of the stationary hair styling surface over less than an entire longitudinal length of the hair styling surface to gather and wind a user'"'"'s hair around the stationary hair styling surface without clamping onto the wound hair.

Claims

1. A hair styling apparatus comprising:

a heated barrel defining a hair styling surface, a free end, and a central axis;

a heating element for heating the heated barrel;

a stationary handle configured to be grasped for holding the hair styling apparatus;

a rotating member disposed at an end of the hair styling surface and the stationary handle, the rotating member being and configured to rotate around the central axis of the heated barrel and with respect to the stationary handle, the rotating member comprising;

an outermost perimeter having a constant diameter around an entire circumference of the heated barrel;

a hair loading region;

a first guide pin extending along the central axis, and comprising a first guide pin fixed end and a first guide pin free end provided opposite to the first guide pin fixed end, the first guide pin fixed end being fixed to and extending from a first position of the rotating member; and

a second guide pin extending along the central axis, and comprising a second guide pin fixed end and a second guide pin free end provided opposite to the second guide pin fixed end, the second guide pin fixed end being fixed to and extending from a second position of the rotating member;

an electrical motor which rotates the rotating member in a clockwise or a counter-clockwise direction;

an electrical connection at the stationary handle configured to power the electrical motor; and

an exterior surface defined by the heated barrel, the stationary handle, and the rotating member in the form of an exposed outer surface that is accessible 360 degrees around the hair styling apparatus,

wherein the first guide pin and the second guide pin are capable of extending in the same direction, and the first position at which the first guide pin fixed end is fixed is adjacent to and non-overlapping with the second position at which the second guide pin fixed end is fixed so that no portion of the first guide pin or the second guide pin overlap,

wherein the first and second free ends have a rounded shape, and

wherein the outermost perimeter of the rotating member forms at least a portion of the exposed outer surface, and wherein the rotating member includes a tab which is provided closer radially to the heated barrel than the first and second guide pins, and wherein the first and second guide pins are spaced radially from each other.

2. The hair styling apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a burn prevention cover, wherein the burn prevention cover has a cylindrical shape including a hollow portion, and is disposed at the free end of the heated barrel via the hollow portion.

3. The hair styling apparatus of claim 2, wherein a plurality of spaced apart outer ribs are formed longitudinally around a circumference of the cylindrical shape.

4. The hair styling apparatus of claim 3, further comprising more than two of the outer ribs.

5. The hair styling apparatus of claim 3, wherein a height of the outer ribs is 1 mm or more.

6. The hair styling apparatus of claim 2, wherein a plurality of spaced apart inner ribs are formed longitudinally in an inner part of the cylindrical shape defining the hollow portion, and the inner ribs are inserted into longitudinal grooves formed in a thermal safety tip.

7. The hair styling apparatus of claim 2, wherein when the burn prevention cover is disposed at the free end of the heated barrel, a space containing air is formed between the burn prevention cover and the barrel.

8. The hair styling apparatus of claim 7, wherein a minimum distance between an inner part of the burn prevention cover and a free end of the heated barrel is 1 mm.

9. The hair styling apparatus of claim 2, wherein a material of the burn prevention cover is selected from the group consisting of liquid crystal polymer, polyphenylene sulfide, polyamide 66, and high temperature plastic.

10. The hair styling apparatus of claim 2 wherein the burn prevention cover is a round brush-shaped comb structure detachably mounted on the barrel.

11. The hair styling apparatus of claim 10, wherein the comb structure includes one or more hooks, and wherein the comb structure is attached to the barrel via the hooks.

12. The hair styling apparatus of claim 10, wherein the comb structure includes three or more longitudinal rows of teeth.

13. The hair styling apparatus of claim 12, comprising a comb tooth protection cover at a free end of the heated barrel when the comb is mounted on the heated barrel.

14. The hair styling apparatus of claim 13, wherein the comb tooth protection cover has a disc shape including a hollow portion.

15. The hair styling apparatus of claim 14, wherein, when viewed from the central axis of the heated barrel, the disc shape of the comb tooth protection cover blocks heat of the comb teeth.

16. The hair styling apparatus of claim 1, wherein the rotating member includes an inner rotating member adjacent to the barrel and an outer rotating member around the inner rotating member.

17. The hair styling apparatus of claim 16, a material of the inner rotating member is selected from the group consisting of liquid crystal polymer, polyphenylene sulfide, polyamide 66, and high temperature plastic.

18. The hair styling apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first guide pin and the second guide pin execute one or more functions selected from the group consisting of pushing the user'"'"'s hair toward the barrel and preventing the hair from entanglement when the hair is wound on the barrel.

19. The hair styling apparatus of claim 18, wherein the rotating member includes an inner rotating member adjacent to the barrel and an outer rotating member around the inner rotating member, and wherein at least a part of at least one of the first guide pin or the second guide pin is formed in the outer rotating member.

20. The hair styling apparatus of claim 1, wherein the heating element is selected from the group consisting of a positive temperature coefficient heater having a function of preventing overheating, an alumina ceramics heater, and heat wave coils.

21. The hair styling apparatus of claim 1, comprising a controller to prevent overheating of the barrel.

22. The hair styling apparatus of claim 1, wherein the tab fixedly extends from a first end of the rotating member along a longitudinal length of the hair styling surface and the central axis over less than an entire longitudinal length of the hair styling surface.

23. The hair styling apparatus of claim 22, wherein the rotating member includes an inner rotating member adjacent to the barrel and an outer rotating member around the inner rotating member, and wherein the tab is formed on the inner rotating member.

24. The hair styling apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the burn prevention cover has an outer surface provided opposite to an inner surface of the hollow portion, the outer surface having a convex shape.

25. The hair styling apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the burn prevention cover has an outer surface provided opposite to an inner surface of the hollow portion, the outer surface being unperforated around a periphery thereof.

26. A hair styling apparatus comprising:

a heated barrel defining a hair styling surface and a central axis;

a heating element for heating the heated barrel;

a stationary handle configured to be grasped for holding the hair styling apparatus;

a rotating member disposed at an end of the hair styling surface and the stationary handle, the rotating member being and configured to rotate around the central axis of the heated barrel, the rotating member comprising;

an outermost perimeter having a constant diameter around an entire circumference of the heated barrel that is at least about 20 percent greater than a diameter of the heated barrel;

a hair loading region comprising a tapered portion that gradually increases in diameter as it leads into the outermost perimeter of the rotating member; and

at least four guide pins extending along the central axis, and each having a free end and an opposite fixed end which is fixed to the rotating member, and each extending from the rotating member in substantially the same direction;

an electrical motor which rotates the rotating member in a clockwise or a counter-clockwise direction;

an electrical connection at an end of the stationary handle, opposite to the rotating member, and configured to power the electrical motor; and

an exterior surface defined by the heated barrel, the stationary handle, and the rotating member in the form of an exposed outer surface that is accessible 360 degrees around the hair styling apparatus,

wherein each of the free ends of the at least four guide pins has a rounded shape, and

wherein the outermost perimeter of the rotating member forms at least a portion of the exposed outer surface, and wherein the rotating member includes a tab which is provided closer radially to the heated barrel than the at least four guide pins, and wherein the at least four guide pins are spaced radially from each other.

27. The hair styling apparatus according to claim 26, further comprising a thermal safety tip at the free end and a burn prevention cover, wherein the burn prevention cover has a cylindrical shape including a hollow portion at a length greater than a length for the safety tip, and is removable coupled around the thermal safety tip in use and is disposed at the free end of the heated barrel via the hollow portion.

28. A hair styling apparatus comprising:

a heated barrel defining a hair styling surface, a free end, and a central axis;

a heating element for heating the heated barrel;

a stationary handle configured to be grasped for holding the hair styling apparatus;

a rotating member disposed at an end of the hair styling surface and the stationary handle, the rotating member being configured to rotate around the central axis of the heated barrel and with respect to the stationary handle, the rotating member comprising;

an outermost perimeter having a constant diameter around an entire circumference of the heated barrel;

a hair loading region;

a first guide pin extending along the central axis, and comprising a first guide pin fixed end and a first guide pin free end provided opposite to the first guide pin fixed end, the first guide pin fixed end being fixed to and extending from a first position of the rotating member; and

a second guide pin extending along the central axis, and comprising a second guide pin fixed end and a second guide pin free end provided opposite to the second guide pin fixed end, the second guide pin fixed end being fixed to and extending from a second position of the rotating member;

an electrical motor which rotates the rotating member in a clockwise or a counter-clockwise direction;

an electrical connection at the stationary handle configured to power the electrical motor;

an exterior surface defined by the heated barrel, the stationary handle, and the rotating member in the form of an exposed outer surface that is accessible 360 degrees around the hair styling apparatus; and

a thermal safety tip at the free end and a burn prevention cover, wherein the burn prevention cover has a cylindrical shape including a hollow portion and has a longitudinal length greater than a length of the thermal safety tip, the burn prevention cover is removably coupled around the thermal safety tip and is disposed at the free end of the heated barrel via the hollow portion,

wherein the first guide pin and the second guide pin are capable of extending in the same direction, and the first position at which the first guide pin fixed end is fixed is adjacent to and non-overlapping with the second position at which the second guide pin fixed end is fixed so that no portion of the first guide pin or the second guide pin overlap,

wherein the first and second free ends have a rounded shape, and

wherein the outermost perimeter of the rotating member forms at least a portion of the exposed outer surface.