HAIR BRAIDING DEVICE
A hair braiding device (49) comprises two plates (11, 12) forming a handle and including an opening (48) for inserting hair to be braided by the actions of two braiding wheels (2, 3) in coordination with a transfer mechanism (4) adapted to intermittently move one of three stands that the hair is automatically divided into such that each strand is intermittently received in a slot (29) in each of the braiding wheels (2, 3). Alternate, coordinated movement of the braiding wheels (2, 3) causes the three strands to be braided. A motor (9) is supported by the plates (11, 12) for powering a gear system which causes the two braiding wheels (2, 3) to rotate in opposite directions, in an alternating pattern.
This patent application relates to and claims priority from previously filed U.S. Provisional No. 60/965,489, filed on 21 Aug. 2007, titled “HAIR BRAIDING DEVICE”.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to hair styling appliances and, more particularly, to appliances for creating braids in hair of a person, animal or doll.
2. Description of Related Art
Various known devices exist in the prior art for creating braids in human hair. Such devices may be manually powered or electrically powered. Certain electrically powered devices provide an advantage over manually powered devices because they do not require the user to move his or her hands to cause the hair to be braided. This can be advantageous where timing and synchronization of a braiding method are critical since a mechanized system of moving members is more easily and precisely synchronized than a system relying on human performance. It is difficult, however, to provide a well-executed system that is engineered for ease of use, durability, economy, automatic operation, and synchronized movement of parts.
OBJECT OF THE PRESENT INVENTIONIt is an object of the present invention to provide a hair braiding device that is superior to known devices in the areas of for ease of use, durability, economy, automatic operation, and synchronized movement of parts. It is a further object to provide a hair braiding device that braids hair in a true, three-stranded braid rather than, for example a mere twisting of a tuft of hair or a two-stranded braid.
These an other objects are achieved by the present invention disclosed herein.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIONAccording to the present invention, a hair braiding device comprises two plates forming a handle and including an opening for inserting hair to be braided by the actions of two braiding wheels in coordination with a transfer mechanism. A motor is supported by the plates for powering a gear system which causes a pair of gears to alternately rotate in synchronized fashion. A gear locking system selectively immobilizes certain portions of the gear system. The arrangement of the gears permits the two braiding wheels to rotate in opposite directions, in an alternating pattern, in order to perform a braiding action on hair inserted into the wheels.
Referring to the drawing Figures, a hair braiding device 49, according to the present invention comprises: a coordination wheel 1, a first braiding wheel 2, a second braiding wheel 3, a transfer member 4, a hair clasp 5, a fork 6, a pushbutton 7, a spiral bevel gear 8, a motor 9, a bevel gear 10, a top plate 11, a bottom plate 12, a gear 13, a locking section 14, a transfer locking section 15, a geared section 16a, a geared section 16b, a locking gear 17a, a locking gear 17b, a transfer locking gear 18, a transfer wheel 19, a pin 20, a slot 21, an extension spring 22, an extension spring 23, a compression spring 24, a transfer member center of rotation 25, a shaft 26, a transfer gear 27, a transfer gear 28, notches 29, arms 30, and empty space 31, a gear 32, a braiding wheel body 33, a braiding wheel receiving member 34, an intermediate piece 35, a center of rotation 36, an anti-reverse member 37, and anti-reverse member 38, a gearing support 39, a spring fitting 40, a spring fitting 41, a spring fitting 42, a spring fixation shaft 43, a gar 44, a gear 45, a transfer member tip 46, a locking section 47, and a hair space opening 48.
The present invention hair braiding device 49 is adapted to braid hair into three-stranded braids. Two plates 11, 12 form a handle having finger impressions 51 to facilitate gripping and having a proximal end 52. The opening 48 is provided to receive a user's hair to be braided. The two braiding wheels 2, 3 cooperate with the transfer member 4. A motor 9 is housed between the plates 11, 12 and powers a series of gears 8, 10, 13 to cause the coordination wheel 1 to rotate with the shaft 26 as the center of rotation. The coordination wheel 1 comprises a geared section 16A which controls the rotation of gears 17A, 17B in an alternating manner. The coordination wheel 1 also comprises a locking section 14 that immobilizes the locking gears 17A, 17B when they are moved to a position out of contact with the geared section 16A. The locking gears 17A, 17B each include a locking section 47, as shown in
The electric motor 9 may be powered by conventional means (not shown) such as a disposable battery, a rechargeable battery, or an external power source.
Anti-reverse members 37, 38 prevent the gearing system from losing synchronization through reversed direction rotation of the locking gears 17A, 17B or the transfer locking gear 18. The coordination wheel 1 contains geared sections 16B that permit rotation of the transfer locking gear 18 and that contain the transfer locking sections 15 to immobilize the transfer locking gear 18 at times when it is not interacting with the geared sections 16B. The transfer locking gear 18 rests on the gearing support 39. A pin 20 links the transfer locking gear 18 and the transfer wheel 19 slides in a slot 21 in the transfer member 4. This constrains the motion of the transfer member 4 to a back-and-forth horizontal motion, serving to transfer the hair strands from one braiding wheel 2, 3 to the other in an alternating manner.
The tip 46 of the transfer member 4 is flexible to allow the correct transfer of the hair strands from the notches 29 of one braiding wheel 2, 3 to the other (see
The shape of the braiding wheels 2, 3 creates two areas of empty space 31 around each braiding wheel 2, 3 to accommodate a hair strand upon initial insertion into the device 49. The braiding wheels 2, 3 each possess two arms 30 which push the hair strands upon rotation of the braiding wheels 2, 3 toward the transfer member 4. The device 49 also comprises a push-button 7 which, when activated, exerts a force on the extension spring 23 and the compression spring 24 to push the fork 6 up from a resting position to a hair-splitting position. At this position, the extension spring 23 is fully extended and further pressing the bush-button 7 extends the extension spring 22 and causes the hair clasp 5 to open. The position of the fork 6 causes the compression spring 24 to compress. When the push-button 7 is fully depressed, insertion of the hair 53 into the opening 48 is facilitated. The hair 53 is split into three strands 50, 51, 52 when the push-button 7 is released due to the actions of the extension springs 22, 23 causing the hair clasp 5 to retract, thus forcing the hair around between the two teeth of the fork 6 (see
As can be seen in
Continued clockwise movement of the first braiding wheel 2 causes the arm 30 of the first braiding wheel 2 to engage and move the first hair strand 50 from its initial position (see
The above process continues until a desired length of hair is braided into a three-strand braid. After a desired length of braided hair is created, the device 49 is drawn away from the user's head and the three strands' remaining lengths of unbraided hair slide out of the device. A user may then fasten, tie or clamp the end of the braided hair in any one of known ways.
While the preferred embodiment of the present invention has been disclosed herein, it is understood that various modification can be made without departing from the scope of the presently claimed invention.
Claims
1. A hair braiding device for braiding a tuft of hair into a braided pattern comprising three stands of hair woven into a single braid, said device comprising
- a body housing an electric motor;
- a first driven braiding wheel adapted to be intermittently rotationally driven by said motor in a first direction;
- a pair of first notches on said first driven braiding wheel, each adapted to receive a strand of hair and move it with said first driven braiding wheel as said first driven braiding wheel rotates;
- a second driven braiding wheel adapted to be intermittently rotationally driven by said motor in a second direction;
- a pair of second notches on said second driven braiding wheel, each adapted to receive a strand of hair and move it with said second driven braiding wheel as said second driven braiding wheel rotates;
- a transfer member comprising a body mounted to be intermittently driven in both of said first and second directions; and
- a hair engaging tip on said transfer member adapted to intermittently engage said strands of hair, one at a time, and cause them, respectively, to be moved into engagement with one of said first and second driven braiding wheels.
2. A device according to claim 1, further comprising
- a spring-loaded clasp movably mounted to said housing and adapted to selectively open and close a hair space opening for introducing a tuft of hair into said device.
3. A device according to claim 1, further comprising
- a first pair of arms adjacent to said first pair of notches adapted to engage and advance one of said strands of hair with rotation of said first driven braiding wheel; and
- a second pair of arms adjacent to said second pair of notches adapted to engage and advance one of said strands of hair with rotation of said second driven braiding wheel.
4. A device according to claim 1, further comprising
- a handle section formed on said housing.
Type: Application
Filed: Aug 15, 2008
Publication Date: Nov 19, 2009
Inventor: PATRICK BROUILLARD (Sainte-Foy)
Application Number: 12/192,538