STATIC DISSIPATIVE PERSONAL CARE APPARATUS FOR GROOMING HAIR

• US 20110240053A1
• Filed: 04/05/2010
• Published: 10/06/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 04/05/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Spectrum Brands, Inc. (Spectrum Brands Holdings, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Rovcal Inc. (Spectrum Brands Corp.)
• Inventors: Murzynski, Maciej, Everett, David W.
• Granted Patent: US 8,875,717 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 132/206
• CPC Class Codes: A45D 1/00 Curling-tongs, i.e. tongs for use when hot; Curling-irons, i.e. irons for use when hot; Accessories therefor
• CPC Class Codes: A45D 1/04 by electricity
• CPC Class Codes: A45D 2/00 Hair-curling or hair-waving appliances heated curling-tongs, curling-irons A45D1/00 ; Appliances for hair dressing treatment not otherwise provided for
• CPC Class Codes: A45D 2/001 Hair straightening appliances
• CPC Class Codes: A45D 20/00 Hair drying devices; Accessories therefor A45D2/00 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A45D 24/00 Hair combs for care of the hair; Accessories therefor high combs or dress combs A45D8/12; hair-drying combs A45D20/48 - A45D20/52; hair-trimming devices, using a razor blade, integral or combined with combs B26B21/00, e.g. B26B21/12
• CPC Class Codes: A45D 26/00 Hair-singeing apparatus; Apparatus for removing superfluous hair, e.g. tweezers removing hair using electrosurgical instruments A61B18/04, A61B18/18
• CPC Class Codes: A46B 15/0018 with antistatic properties
• CPC Class Codes: A46B 15/002 with a means for removing or creating static electricity
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 9/005 comprising one layer of ceramic material, e.g. porcelain, ceramic tile layered products with at least two ceramic layers composed mainly of ceramic B32B18/00
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 9/007 comprising carbon, e.g. graphite, composite carbon
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/25 Web or sheet containing structurally defined element or component and including a second component containing structurally defined particles
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/256 Heavy metal or aluminum or compound thereof
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/3154 Of fluorinated addition polymer from unsaturated monomers
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/31544 Addition polymer is perhalogenated
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/31663 As siloxane, silicone or silane

Abstract

This disclosure relates to personal grooming apparatus that include coatings on the surface thereof that incorporate static dissipative additives that reduce the static build-up in the hair of users as compared to conventional apparatus. Other aspects of the present disclosure relate to methods for producing such apparatus, and methods for grooming the hair of an individual.

Claims

1. A personal grooming apparatus for grooming the hair of a user, the apparatus containing a substrate and a coating disposed on the substrate, the coating having a surface for contacting hair during grooming, the coating having a surface resistivity of less than about 1×

10¹³ ohms/square and comprising a structural component selected from a base resin, ceramic material and mixtures thereof, the coating comprising a static dissipative additive dispersed throughout the structural component to reduce the surface resistivity of the coating.

2. The personal grooming apparatus as set forth in claim 1 wherein the static dissipative additive is selected from the group consisting of aluminum, carbon particles and mixtures thereof.

3. The personal grooming apparatus as set forth in claim 1 wherein the coating comprises at least about 4 wt % aluminum.

4. The personal grooming apparatus as set forth in claim 1 wherein the coating comprises at least about 1 wt % carbon particles.

5. The personal grooming apparatus as set forth in claim 1 wherein the static dissipative additive is carbon particles and the carbon particles are selected from the group consisting of carbon black, carbon nanotubes and graphite.

6. The personal grooming apparatus as set forth in claim 1 wherein the coating comprises ceramic material and the ceramic material is selected from the group consisting of silica, alumina, zirconia, silicon carbide and mixtures thereof.

7. The personal grooming apparatus as set forth in claim 1 wherein the coating comprises a base resin and the base resin is a fluoropolymer.

8. The personal grooming apparatus as set forth in claim 7 wherein the base resin is silicone-modified.

9. The personal grooming apparatus as set forth claim 7 wherein the base resin is a polymer selected from the group consisting of polytetrafluoroethylene, perfluoroalkoxy, fluorinated ethylene propylene and mixtures thereof.

10. The personal grooming apparatus as set forth in any claim 1 wherein the substrate comprises a polymer or a metal.

11. The personal grooming apparatus as set forth in claim 1 wherein the apparatus is selected from the group consisting of a hair straightener, hair curler, curling iron, hot roller, a device for securing hair, shaver, clipper, razor, friction-reducing strips or pads, brush and comb.

12. The personal grooming apparatus as set forth in claim 1 wherein the coating has a surface resistivity of less than about 1×

10¹⁰ ohms/square.

13. The personal grooming apparatus as set forth in claim 1 wherein the coating has a surface resistivity of at least about 1×

10³ ohms/square.

14. The personal grooming apparatus as set forth in claim 1 wherein the coating has a thickness of at least about 8 μ

m.

15. The personal grooming apparatus as set forth in claim 1 wherein the coating has an affinity for positive charging of at least about −

100 nC/J.

16. A method for enhancing the static dissipative effect of a substrate of a personal grooming apparatus that is used to groom hair, the method comprising:

applying a coating composition to the substrate of the apparatus, the coating composition comprising a structural component selected from a base resin, ceramic material and mixtures thereof, the coating composition comprising a static dissipative additive dispersed throughout the structural component; and

heating the coated substrate to vaporize the solvent and form a coating, wherein the coating has a surface resistivity of less than about 1×

10¹³ ohms/square.

17. The method as set forth in claim 16 wherein the static dissipative additive is selected from the group consisting of aluminum, carbon particles and mixtures thereof.

18. The method as set forth in claim 16 wherein the coating composition is applied by spraying, immersion, brushing or by a powder coating technique.

19. The method as set forth in claim 16 wherein the apparatus is selected from the group consisting of a hair straightener, hair curler, curling iron, hot roller, a device for securing hair, shaver, clipper, razor, friction-reducing strips or pads, brush and comb.

20. The method as set forth in claim 16 wherein the coating composition comprises a base resin and the base resin is a fluoropolymer.

21. The method as set forth in claim 16 wherein the coating composition comprises at least about 4 wt % aluminum.

22. The method as set forth in claim 16 wherein the coating composition contains at least about 1 wt % carbon.

23. The method as set forth in claim 16 wherein the static dissipative additive is carbon particles, the carbon particles being selected from the group consisting of carbon black, carbon nanotubes and graphite.

24. The method as set forth in claim 16 wherein the coating has a surface resistivity of less than about 1×

10¹⁰ ohms/square.

25. A method for grooming the hair of an individual, the method comprising contacting the hair with a personal grooming apparatus, the apparatus having a substrate and a coating disposed on the substrate, the coating comprising a structural component selected from a base resin, ceramic material and mixtures thereof, the coating comprising a static dissipative additive dispersed throughout the structural component to reduce the surface resistivity of the coating, the coating having a surface for contacting hair during grooming and having a surface resistivity of less than about 1×

10¹³ ohms/square.

26. The method as set forth in claim 25 wherein the static dissipative additive is selected from the group consisting of aluminum, carbon particles and mixtures thereof.

27. The method as set forth in claim 25 wherein the coating comprises at least about 4 wt % aluminum.

28. The method as set forth in claim 25 wherein the coating comprises at least about 1 wt % carbon.

29. The method as set forth in claim 25 wherein the static dissipative additive is carbon particles, the carbon particles being selected from the group consisting of carbon black, carbon nanotubes and graphite.

30. The method as set forth in claim 25 wherein the coating has a surface resistivity of less than about 1×

10¹⁰ ohms/square.