Hair styling apparatuses and related methods

• US 10,010,148 B2
• Filed: 04/05/2017
• Issued: 07/03/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 11/08/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kiss Products, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Kiss Products, Inc.
• Inventors: Lee, Kyoung Hak
• Primary Examiner(s): Manahan, Todd E
• Assistant Examiner(s): KALACH, BRIANNE E
• Application Number:
  US15/480,070
• Publication Number:
  US 20170208914A1
• Time in Patent Office: 454 Days
• Field of Search: 132266
• CPC Class Codes: A45D 1/04 by electricity
• CPC Class Codes: A45D 1/12 of helical or zig-zag shape
• 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 2001/002 Accessories therefor
• CPC Class Codes: A45D 2001/004 with a ceramic component, e.g. heater, styling surface
• 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 hair styling surface and a central axis, and a rotating member disposed at an end of the hair styling surface. The rotating member is configured to rotate around the central axis of the heated barrel. The rotating member includes one or more retaining elements configured to retain the hair and wind the hair around the hair styling surface. The one or more retaining elements projects away from the hair styling surface.

Claims

1. A hair styling apparatus, comprising:

an outer surface defining an outside contour of the hair styling apparatus;

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

a heating element for heating the heated barrel; and

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

an upper surface having a circumferential edge and a hole through which the heated barrel extends; and

a tab extending along a tab longitudinal axis,

wherein, in an at-rest position, the tab is spaced apart from an entire length of the heated barrel without being held in place by a user,

wherein the rotating member forms at least a portion of the outer surface of the hair styling apparatus, and

wherein the tab is formed integrally with the rotating member and has a first end and a second end, the first end of the tab being attached to and extending from the upper surface of the rotating member at a position between the circumferential edge of the upper surface and the hole through which the heated barrel extends.

2. The hair styling apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a handle, wherein the rotating member rotates relative to the handle.

3. The hair styling apparatus of claim 1, further comprising one or more retaining elements, wherein the one or more retaining elements comprise projections extending from the rotating member.

4. The hair styling apparatus of claim 3, wherein the projections extend from a peripheral region of the rotating member.

5. The hair styling apparatus of claim 1, further comprising one or more retaining elements, wherein the one or more retaining elements comprise recesses defined within the rotating member.

6. The hair styling apparatus of claim 5, wherein central axes of the recesses are spaced radially inward away from a peripheral surface of the rotating member.

7. The hair styling apparatus of claim 5, wherein the recesses form one or more entraining portions extending into the recesses.

8. The hair styling apparatus of claim 1, wherein the hair styling surface includes a free end of the hair styling apparatus.

9. The hair styling apparatus of claim 8, wherein the end of the hair styling surface at which the rotating member is disposed is generally opposite the free end of the hair styling apparatus.

10. The hair styling apparatus of claim 1, wherein the tab is spaced apart from the hair styling surface at a fixed distance.

11. A method comprising:

holding a hair styling device, comprising;

an outer surface defining an outside contour of the hair styling apparatus;

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

a heating element for heating the heated barrel; and

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

an upper surface having a circumferential edge and a hole through which the heated barrel extends; and

a tab extending along a tab longitudinal axis,

wherein, in an at-rest position, the tab is spaced apart from an entire length of the heated barrel without being held in place by a user,

wherein the rotating member forms at least a portion of the outer surface of the hair styling apparatus, and

wherein the tab is formed integrally with the rotating member and has a first end and a second end, the first end of the tab being attached to and extending from the upper surface of the rotating member at a position between the circumferential edge of the upper surface and the hole through which the heated barrel extends;

positioning a free end of the hair styling surface in proximity to a user'"'"'s head;

placing hair attached to the user'"'"'s head at the rotating member; and

wrapping the retained hair around the hair styling surface to impart a curl in the hair by rotating the rotating member around the stationary hair styling surface to wind the hair around the hair styling surface.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the hair is retained as a result of the rotating member being rotated.

13. The method of claim 11, further comprising depressing some or all of the hair against the hair styling surface at the end opposite the free end using the tab extending from the rotating member.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein, as the hair is wrapped around the hair styling surface, free end regions of the hair are drawn through one or more regions of the rotating member and onto the hair styling surface.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein one or more retaining elements are disposed around a peripheral region of the rotating member, and the one or more retaining elements comprise recesses defined within the rotating member.

16. The method of claim 11, wherein a region of the hair in proximity to the user'"'"'s head is first wrapped around the hair styling surface and a length of the free end of the hair decreases as the hair is wrapped around the hair styling surface.

17. The method of claim 11, wherein the tab is spaced apart from the hair styling surface at a fixed distance.

18. A hair styling apparatus, comprising:

an outer surface defining an outside contour of the hair styling apparatus;

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

a heating element for heating the heated barrel;

an electrical cord for providing electricity to the hair styling apparatus; and

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

an upper surface through which the heated barrel extends; and

a tab extending along a tab longitudinal axis and comprising a starting point that is attached to the rotating member and an ending point that is a free end, the tab forming a straight line extending from the starting point to the ending point where the starting point is the closest portion of the tab to the electrical cord and the ending point is the farthest portion of the tab from the electrical cord;

wherein the rotating member forms at least a portion of the outer surface of the hair styling apparatus, and

wherein the hair styling apparatus does not include an actuator which is configured to be pressed to toggle clamping of the tab to the heated barrel.